As we write this we can’t help but wonder how much more appropriate to our times the words “Maybe tomorrow I’ll get to go and do what I’m supposed to do” and, even more so, “But I know it’s not a quick fix, I know it’s not easy, know it’s not a quick fix though I wish there could be“. Somebody bike a copy of the album over to the great leader. It’d be appreciated we’re sure, because this first single from ‘Caught Up on a Feeling’ the debut album by Veronica Stanton is the very definition of positive thinking. And if you pick up the slightest hint of Erin Rae around this then that’s not such a coincidence – Erin Rae is Veronica Stanton’s vocal teacher, and the album was produced by Dan Knobler who has also produced Erin Rae. But, and this is the proverbial big but arriving, despite that shared background Veronica Stanton’s voice – both literal and lyrically – is quite her own. And here’s another thing worth knowing – you may listen to and love this song, pretty confident about that, but wait until you hear the whole album. It is sonically glowingly and just wonderful. It’s a great time to be alive and listening to music.
Archives for 2024
Glide Magazine Shares New Single From Veronica Stanton
Just like it was for Faye Webster and Haim, conjuring splendid pop rock with a small bite of edginess is easier said than done, and often times the end result is too “sunshine daydream” for most. Not for Veronica Stanton who took a crash course in Nashville in her recent routing via Pennsylvania that saw her grab vocal lessons from blossoming big namer Erin Rae.
After connecting with the producer and owner of Nashville’s Goosehead Palace, Dan Knobler (Erin Rae, Michaela Anne, Caroline Spence, Lakestreet Dive) she began recording her first EP, 827 Miles, the distance from Nashville to her hometown. They tracked the songs live while Justin Francis engineered. Her newly minted mentor, Rae, came in to track background vocals. Stanton surely showed off the hustle to be a player in music’s most competitive scene.
Americana Highways Reviews Kellen of Troy’s New LP
Kellen of Troy’s Posthumous Release is full of tongue-in-cheek eclecticism and variety. Front man Kellen Wenrich, formerly the fiddle player in Apache Relay, launched this, his solo debut, on Friday February 16.
“Rule Your Heart” features immediately catchy rhythms and violin over wry lyrics like “all alone on the American throne without you as my first lady.” “So You Found Yourself A Rockstar” is a throwback to the California of the Beach Boys, with pop rhythms and collective backing vocals.
“Great Heartbreaker” will be the centerpiece of this album for Americana fans with its country guitar and banjo, while Kellen sings “she’s a great heartbreaker” and the lyrics become more emotionally direct. And then there is the title track, which is placed at number nine in the set list, and continues to exhibit Kellen’s more sorrowful offerings: “in lieu of any flowers try to give your love away.” The song “it’s so much worse” “When You Don’t Hear Good-bye” again expresses more genuine anguish with its slower tempo and piano melodies. Overall the songs on the album wax satirical, effectively shaking you up from any thought of dwelling dramatically on lost love.
Kellen of Troy’s album maintains a lively juxtaposition of the flippant and frivolous way we handle life’s deeper challenges.
Glide Magazine Premieres Sir Canyon’s New Song
Ventura Skies is an unexpected return from a songwriter who just a few years ago thought he might never make another album again. But a romantic breakup and the death of his father to cancer coaxed music out of Noah Lamberth as he dealt with the loss & hurt. “The best way to deal with the pain is to verbalize it. But for me that comes out in song. It’s kind of like therapy. The songs started pouring out of me.”
The music was a natural extension from his California Country-styled band, Hank Floyd. That was the group that Lamberth had founded in the early-2000s. Though the act opened up for such artists like Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, and Tim McGraw, they missed the commercial brass ring. (One major label in Nashville said they were too ahead of their time and wouldn’t know how to market them.)
Hank Floyd was a proving ground and a working lab to write songs and sing on the road. But when it ended, Lamberth thought that might be it for music. Working on several documentaries and traveling the country shooting TV shows, Lamberth seemed content to pursue a new calling via a new medium. But as he wrote songs on the road or from his home in Los Angeles, he began to share them with his music friends. One particular colleague, musician and producer Andy Davis, was excited about the new inspiration and convinced Lamberth to record an album. The sound had evolved some and Noah and Andy jokingly called the style a fusion of Mexican/surf/country. But these new songs were no joke, and they captured the yearning desire of an artist inspired with a second chance.
Cowboys & Indians Premieres New Music From Charlie Overbey
If you like honky-tonk country music from artists like Johnny Cash, then this new track from multitalented country rock ’n’ roller Charlie Overbey is for you. Driven by a pedal steel, bluesy guitar riffs, and lyrics about the passing of outlaw great Waylon Jennings, the song “Outlaws” is country folk rock that packs a gritty emotional punch.
“‘Outlaws’ is derived from my thoughts and haunting realizations about losing so many of the great talents and artists of our time,” Overbey says. “It’s a song about dreaming big and creating magic. It’s a song of hope. It’s a song about keeping our late musical heroes close to the heart and having faith in new artists to carry the torch for generations to come. It’s about those of us who refuse to buy into the concept of being part of the herd, and the spirit of ‘Waylon’s Way’ taking the wheel, so to speak.”
Wide Open Country Premieres New Song from Leslie Tom
You’d be hard-pressed to find a traditional country singer who hasn’t been influenced by Hank Williams, but few modern traditionalists have taken the lyrics and legacy of Williams’ to heart as deeply as Leslie Tom. Tom has been a disciple of Williams since she was a child. She says the singer has shaped nearly every aspect of her career…