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Archives for August 2023

Glide Magazine Premieres New Single by Colin Cutler

North Carolina-based singer-songwriter and Army veteran Colin Cutler might very well be the second coming of fellow Carolina musician/historian Dom Flemons. Armed with a banjo, guitar, and harmonicas, Colin’s music draws inspiration from various genres, including early country, blues, old-time, gospel, and rock and roll. It might be safe to say that if Bob Dylan would listen to new music, he might even mark a spot on his playlist for Cutler who evokes a Time Out of Mind/Love and Theft era of folksy and bluesy aesthetics. 

His upcoming album, Tarwater, set to be released on October 31st on Bandcamp and via streaming on November 3rd, is a unique marriage of Culter’s literary and musical interests. In a pilgrimage across the Americana genre, from his folk roots in banjo-based old-time to the gospel music of his Pentecostal upbringing, to honky-tonk country and blues-based roots rock, the lyrics explore the literary works of Flannery O’Connor, the Georgia Catholic writer whom Kurt Vonnegut hailed as “the greatest American short story writer of [his] generation.” Colin has transformed these stories into a captivating musical tapestry weaving together sound that captures the essence of life’s highs and lows.

Cutler first encountered the works of O’Connor during his college years. Initially uncertain about his feelings toward her writing, he recognized the depth of her storytelling, which placed characters in challenging circumstances to explore their true essence, shot through with sparks of the divine. This connection inspired him to record the Peacock Feathers EP (2018), featuring four songs based on characters from O’Connor’s short stories. The EP not only sparked engaging discussions at conferences but also granted Cutler the privilege of performing at O’Connor’s former home, now a museum, in Milledgeville. The project even caught the attention of BBC Introducing, earning him international recognition.

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Americana UK Premieres New Single By Philip Bowen

Appalachia is still a fertile breeding ground for new roots artists.

Appalachia has exerted a massive influence on American roots music over the years, being the region where the original Scottish and Irish settler’s music from Scotland and Ireland mixed with the blues of the black population to create something that is at once familiar but also different. The music was homemade, and played by friends and family rather than by professional musicians. This process is still happening today as the latest musician to emerge from the area, Philip Bowen, uses his Appalachian experiences as inspiration for his album ‘Old Kanawha’. Americana UK’s Martin Johnson caught up with Philip Bowen over Zoom in Detroit to discuss the stories behind ‘Old Kanawha’ and why he thinks there is a vampire in Appalachia. He explains how when he was growing up music was everywhere and at every gathering, including birthdays, weddings and funerals, guests would bring their instruments. He also hints at the challenges posed by Appalachia as he explains that his grandfather’s brother died of black lung, and how serious the current opioid crisis is in Appalachia. As far as his own musical influences are concerned he lists James Taylor, The Milk Carton Kids, Watchhouse, John Prine, and Jason Isbell as modern-day inspirational acts who are also very good storytellers. He also explains how social media has played a big part in his success to date. Finally, he explains that the Scottish influence in Appalachia is still strong as he names Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit as his favourite band of all time.

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WMOT Premieres New Single By Ed Snodderly

From a hilltop above Johnson City, TN, you could (spiritually) survey large swaths of the history of country music. The Carter Family came from a few miles north, and very nearby is Bristol, where they made their historic first recordings in 1927. To the west are Sevierville and Luttrell, hometowns of Dolly Parton and Chet Atkins respectively. The Stanley Brothers hailed from a few miles away in Virginia, and the area is full of towns and rivers that crop up in country and bluegrass songs.

And then there’s Johnson City itself, home to the East Tennessee State University with its renowned Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies program, as well as the Down Home, one of the essential venues for roots musicians and an institution approaching its 50th anniversary. Ed Snodderly is a fellow who connects all of those dots. He founded the Down Home, teaches at ETSU, mentors emerging artists in the region and writes exceptional songs that shed light and love on contemporary Appalachian culture. In Episode 255 of The String, Snodderly talks about his years as a culture-keeper and his exceptional new album Chimney Smoke.

Ed grew up near Knoxville in a farming family around a dynamic musical culture. He took up the guitar and began making trips to Nashville in the early 1970s, when he hung out at the Old Time Pickin’ Parlor on Second Avenue or the Exit/In to see Norman Blake or Guy Clark. He caught the Grand Ole Opry in its final years at the Ryman Auditorium, where he was struck by the contrast and communion of Roy Acuff’s old-time hillbilly music and the newgrass fusion of the Earl Scruggs Revue. He says he was as taken by the British Invasion as by old-time and acoustic roots.

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Whiskey Riff Premieres Philip Bowen’s New Album

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it 100 times: The best country music right now is coming out of Appalachia.

And West Virginia native Philip Bowen is keeping that trend alive.

If you’re not familiar with Philip, he burst onto the scene with his incredible TikTok videos of himself playing fiddle alongside some great country songs. But he’s not just a fiddle player: Philip’s an amazing singer and songwriter in his own right, and now he’s ready to share some of his own music with the world.

Announced back in May, Philip’s debut album Old Kanawha drops this Friday, August 18.

But we’ve got your first opportunity to hear it before it’s released right here on Whiskey Riff.

The 13-track album is deeply rooted in his Appalachian upbringing, something that Philip tells Whiskey Riff was important to him when he set out to make the project:

“I wanted to try my very best to do as much as humanly possible in West Virginia, Appalachia, with talent from the region.”

It’s that sense of place that shines through on the album, while still remaining relatable to those outside the mountains of West Virginia, on songs like the previously-released “Vampire in Appalachia” and the companion song that follows, “A Murder.”

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Glide Magazine Premieres New Single by Ross Cooper

For Ross Cooper, getting out of Music City to spawn his creativity seemed like the right thing to do when recording his new album Lightning Heart due out September 29th. Despite the city being inundated with transplants and dreamers, Cooper earned his cowboy hat years ago. Hailing from Texas as a second-generation competitive horse rider and musician, he was raised with an insatiable love for both the thrill of the rodeo and the power of music, which resonates in his profound sound that echoes from the era of George Strait and Randy Travis.

“I knew I wanted to get away from Nashville, which may sound counter-intuitive given the direct access to studios, musicians, gear, etc, in this town.  But we all live here, and all have lives to go to after we leave the studio.  I wanted to record somewhere where all we had to focus on was recording, so I hollered at my buddy Josh Serrato in Stephenville, TX, at Melody Mountain Studios, and we cut the first half of the album there in an ice storm,” says Cooper.

The album, born out of Cooper’s personal experiences and reflections, delves into the cornerstones closest to his heart, including his hometown, his wife, his family, and the values instilled in him. Drawing inspiration from the traditions of Western culture, Cooper infuses his songwriting with raw energy and heartfelt storytelling, inviting listeners on a thrilling ride that intertwines the ruggedness of cowboy life with the emotional depth of his music.

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