Emily Nenni Sings with a Twang on ‘Drive & Cry’
Emily Nenni’s Drive & Cry is an excellent example of how country music has evolved without necessarily changing. It all depends on who is singing.
alternative country
Alejandro Escovedo Reinvents, Reinterprets, and Rediscovers
On Echo Dancing, Alejandro Escovedo’s musical personality shines, from romantic balladeer to nefarious punk, from heartland messiah to experimental maven.
Old 97’s’ ‘American Primitive’ Confronts the Here and Now
After spending a record ruminating about the past, Old 97’s are back and “better than brand-new”. American Primitive is timely and engaged with the larger world.
Old 97’s ‘American Primitive’ Sports Hits and Misses
Old 97’s American Primitive features some of their most vital work since their first decade as a group, but it’s front-loaded with the hits.
Minor Moon Brings a Hopeful Twang to the Apocalypse
Minor Moon’s LP is deeply adventurous but has a sharp, reflective eye on the rearview mirror. It’s a warm fuzz of country rock amidst a world falling apart.
What Wilco’s ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ Got Right About Music Streaming
Wilco’s net-streaming experiment with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was part of the utopian promise for technology’s future, and it worked.
John Moreland Goes It Alone As a ‘Visitor’
John Moreland’s gift to listeners is rooted in his alienation, as on his latest album, Visitor. We visit his world as a way to find ourselves.
Grandaddy Try Country-Style Ballads With Mixed Results
With Blu Wav, their first album in seven years, Grandaddy ask, “What if we just forget the upbeat synth-rock this time and make sad ballads?”
Corb Lund Pays Tribute to Ian Tyson on ‘El Viejo’
Corb Lund’s El Viejo is an entirely acoustic album with guitar, banjo, mandolin, string bass, and stripped-down bass, but it never feels like one.
Cake’s Motorcade of Generosity Previewed the Mid-’90s Alt-Rock Explosion
Cake were perfectly positioned for mid-’90s success. Artists willing to experiment and incorporate different genres were about to ascend briefly in popular music.
Corb Lund Mixes Country and MMA in “Out on a Win” (premiere)
“Out on a Win”, the new single from Corb Lund’s upcoming LP, El Viejo, releasing in February 2024, is classic Lund: Meticulous, thoughtful, and genuine.
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The 15 Best Country Albums of 2023
This year’s best country albums spring from hard-country bands to traditional true believers and from alternative country renegades to pop-country superstars.