POP CULTURE AS SEEN AND HEARD BY KEVIN MATHEWS
Lost within the hype, attention and brouhaha over the 50th anniversary re-issue of The Beatles “White Album”, is First Collection 2006 – 2009, a retrospective on the early Fleet Foxes recordings.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS : FLEET FOXES – FIRST COLLECTION 2006 – 2009”
There is a pleasing new wave of music artists taking the bold step of making ‘real’ music again. The old-fashioned way, so to speak. Like Texas-based singer-songwriter Molly Burch.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : MOLLY BURCH – FIRST FLOWER”
Blast from the distant PoP past – 15 years on…
THE JAYHAWKS Rainy Day Music (Lost Highway/American)
After the greater pop emphasis of Sound of Lies and Smile, the Jayhawks return to the roots rock approach of their earlier albums (especially Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass) with this, their first album with the Lost Highway label (also home of that other alt-country standard bearer, Ryan Adams).
Continue reading “PoP20 | PoP LEGENDS : THE JAYHAWKS – RAINY DAY MUSIC (2003)”
A gorgeous country-inflected slow rocker from Fernando Perdomo featuring vocals from Pat Sansone (of Wilco, Autumn Defence fame).
Always a joy to discover a new artist that embraces the full potential of rock ‘n’ roll. On his new EP – Water Into Gold – Eric Frisch, digs deep into the well of country-folk goodness to deliver three gorgeous songs.
Continue reading “PoPTV | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : ERIC FRISCH – “WATER INTO GOLD””
Dusted releases its video for “Dead Eyes” off the Blackout Summer album.
Continue reading “PoPTV | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : DUSTED – “DEAD EYES” [MUSIC VIDEO]”
Enjoy the stomping new single – “Stones” from Whitney Fenimore’s upcoming EP, Battle Within.
Continue reading “THE LISTENING BOOTH | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : WHITNEY FENIMORE – “STONES””
Melbourne singer-songwriter Nick Batterham has a new album – Golden Boy – that is one for the PoP faithful to savour from start to finish.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : NICK BATTERHAM – GOLDEN BOY [REVIEW]”
Another week, another Spotify playlist where we spotlight new modern rock music that we are confident you have probably never heard of BUT definitely should!
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Michelle Mandico has released “Ptarmigan”, her first single ahead of a new album, due in Spring 2018.
Continue reading “THE LISTENING BOOTH | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : MICHELLE MANDICO – “PTARMIGAN””
FLEET FOXES Self-titled (Sub Pop)
This is probably one of the toughest reviews I’ve ever written. Ever since I first listened to this debut full-length from Seattle’s Fleet Foxes, I’ve been wondering how in the world I would be able to string together a couple (or more) sentences that would do justice to this masterpiece! For a band to be able to meld the rustic melodic beauty of Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks’ Smile and the heartfelt echoes of 70s singer-songwriter movement, is almost unbelievable.
Continue reading “PoP20 | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : FLEET FOXES – S/T (2008)”
Dreamy folk-rock with a country tinge is Tenderfoot‘s modus operandi.
Continue reading “THE LISTENING BOOTH | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : TENDERFOOT – “SEMIPRECIOUS LIFE””
Gotta love Geoff Gibbons’ country-folk vibe on his new album Buffalo Hotel, which was released earlier this year.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : GEOFF GIBBONS – BUFFALO HOTEL”
Not the “Kurt and Courtney” of the 90s but certainly this collaborative album between Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile is highly evocative of that decade’s alt-rock highs.
Spanish singer-songwriter Joana Serrat has channeled one of the coolest alt-country vibes on her new album, Dripping Springs.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | JOANA SERRAT – DRIPPING SPRINGS”
The legendary Gram Parsons once remarked that “country rock” was a misnomer and for him, rock ‘n’ roll included country music. Well, that certainly applies to Nikki Lane and new album Highway Queen.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : NIKKI LANE – HIGHWAY QUEEN”
Legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn is back with Bone on Bone, his first album since 2011 and it’s a cracker!
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | LEGENDS : BRUCE COCKBURN – BONE ON BONE”
Cristina Vane is a songstress and slide guitarist based in Los Angeles, who has just released a new EP, Troubled Sleep.
Continue reading “PoPTV | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : CRISTINA VANE – SENDING ALL MY LOVE”
Damn, this is an easy album to get into. Singer-songwriter Anderson has followed up his acclaimed 2014 debut, The Weaver’s Broom, with the stunning City of Vines.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : RYAN JOSEPH ANDERSON – CITY OF VINES”
We are digging the Southern Gothic approach A Valley Son take towards country-folk-blues. It’s epic, dark and bizarrely personal.
Continue reading “THE LISTENING BOOTH | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : A VALLEY SON – MAD GOD 20/20”
Firmly established PoP favourites return with Gord’s Horse, a cassette (!) of eight new songs.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | POWER POP ROCK N ROLL – COOL GHOULS – GORD’S HORSE”
Ex-Black Crowe frontman continues his astute retro-rock assault on the senses with an excellent new album that is both funky and rootsy.
In the PoP scheme of things, country-folk-rock music is as much THE NEW ROCK N ROLL as alt-rock so we are happy to recommend Elijah Ocean and his eponymous new album.
Continue reading “PoP RECOMMENDS | THE NEW ROCK N ROLL : ELIJAH OCEAN – S/T”
Check out the impressive music video of a studio rendition (at Berklee College of Music, no less) of Emma Charleston’s “Don’t Wait Up”.
Continue reading “PoPTV | POP POWER!!! : EMMA CHARLESTON – DON’T WAIT UP”
Self-styled indie folk-pop trio Moonrise Nation released their debut album, Glamour Child, yesterday on Zinc Records, a label formed by Bobby Z of Prince’s band, The Revolution.
Continue reading “PoPTV | POP POWER !!! : MOONRISE NATION – COMMON FEAR”