Los Angeles-based country artist Nicholas Mudd grew up surrounded by country storytelling, folk melodies and his grandfather’s fiddles, mandolins and banjos. His upbringing, along with his love of bluegrass and Bakersfield country, shines on his self-titled debut LP (due out on April 12).
“Spinning Around,” which Wide Open Country is premiering today, is a barroom weeper steeped in tradition, pedal steel and heartache.
Some albums are like a good malt whiskey – they need to be sipped, savoured, delighted in and make you want another one or two – or in the case of an album, listened to again and again at your leisure. And the new album from Roses & Cigarettes ‘Echoes And Silence’ is precisely one of those.
“Know when to party and when to sleep – After years of touring, both in van and trailer situations as well as in a tour bus, I have learned that knowing your limits is essential. Not only because you don’t want to be nursing a hangover on days that you have shows, but adequate sleep can keep you healthy on the road in more ways than one. It may take some adjustment, but you’ll thank me when your drummer is barely hanging on after a late night of drinking and you’re feeling like a champ!” – Kyle Daniel
What’s There To Say?, Daniel’s second EP, confirms the dude is a force to be reckoned with in the twang rock world. All songs cut through like a shattered bottle of whisky, laden with steel-gnawing guitar riffs and rock-ribbed vocals. “Born To Lose” gets the ball rolling with a wall of thunderous guitars and crystalline piano runs, while “God Bless America (Damn Rock’n’Roll)” deploys all the melodic power of a (good) radio hit. The softer material (“Somewhere In Between”, “What’s There To Say?”) highlights the velvety nature of Kyle Daniel’s baritone voice, perfectly adorned with grooving bass lines and harmonized layers of guitar reminiscent of Cinnamon Girl-era Neil Young.
Americana singer-songwriter David Quinn is premiering his dreamy new song “In My Dreams” exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play below to listen.
In “In My Dreams,” Quinn evokes the cosmically wild vibe of far-west Texas with vintage instrumentation and rich, mystical harmonies. The artist says that he found catharsis in writing the song, and its lyrics are a little bit sadder than its melody indicates.
Music is medicine. Inspired by frontwoman Jenny Pagliaro’s battle with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, “Fast As I Can” is an ode to living, laced with jangling guitars and bright harmonies. The source material may be somber, but this country-rock road songs sets its sights on the destination, not the place its leaving behind.