The 10 Best Americana Albums of 2011
If you ask a critic or music fan to define Americana, be prepared for an avalanche of diverse responses of opinion. Still, superb songwriting is essential.
Jeff Strowe
Jeff Strowe has been writing about music since the early internet message boards of the late '90's. He's a live music enthusiast who disdains those who skip the opening band and leave before the encore. Despite moving several times over the past decade, he has stubbornly refused to give up the numerous giant boxes of physical CDs that he's lugged around since high school. His work can also be found at Dallas Observer and Glide Magazine. Follow him @JeffStrowe.
The 10 Best Songs of The Band
The Band were one of the original country-rock groups and they helped invent the Americana genre as we know it. Here are 10 of their best songs.
Postmodern Jukebox Returns With More Re-imagined Hits and Classics
Part reality show, a la The Voice, part old-school jukebox, and part iPhone or Spotify song shuffle, the project's premise is to basically throw things to the wall to see what sticks.
David Berkeley Searches for Common Ground on “This Be Dear to Me” (premiere)
Rather than contribute to negativity and division, David Berkeley hopes to bridge some common ground and reach out with dialogue, as on "This Be Dear to Me".
Seth Lakeman’s “Divided We Will Fall” Speaks to the State of Things
With a twangy instrumental track and an up-tempo fiddle lead courtesy of Seth Lakeman, "Divided We Will Fall" tells a tale of perseverance in the face common difficulty.
White Denim Continue to Jam on ‘Performance’
White Denim's Performance is a no-frills record that plays to the band's strengths while reminding listeners just why they're so damn good in the first place.
River Whyless Address the Cultural Zeitgeist on Their Latest Release
On their third full-length release, Kindness, A Rebel, indie Americana outfit River Whyless address important issues by simply acknowledging their overwhelming presence in daily life, circa 2018
Danish Punk Band Iceage Up the Ante on ‘Beyondless’
On Beyondless, Iceage feels as if they've arrived and the stage is all theirs.
Nashville Cat Joshua Hedley Comes to Shine With a Fine Debut Solo Album
With years of performing under his belt, longtime Nashville session player Joshua Hedley releases his first collection of original material.
Caleb Caudle Ditches Straight-up Country for Americana on ‘Crushed Coins’
North Carolina-based Americana singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle spreads his wings on his eighth and latest studio release.
Justin Townes Earle: Kids in the Street
Alt-country troubadour Justin Townes Earle returns with a mature batch of tunes centered around changing landscapes and the promise of the future.
‘The Fuzzy and the Techie’ Argues That a Philosophy Degree Might Prove Useful, After All
Business powerhouse Scott Hartley examines those workers that bring context to elaborate codes and data, and humanistic ethics to the cold calculus of algorithms.