Rainstorm Brother is songwriter John Isaac Watters (who you might remember from his Hi-Hat residencies, or other street-level sets) and electronics wrangler Tyler Chester, who together make an atmospheric kind of future folk, and “Heavy Blue” is a glimpse of their coming debut. READ MORE…
Americana Highways is pleased to bring you this premiere of “Trouble Song” by Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters, from their soon-to-be-released album All Damn Day, produced by Jason McCully.
Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters create instant old fashioned bluesy classics, and this track is no different. The lyrical character is hiding out at home dodging bill collectors and religious proselytizers alike, all while bouncing off against the most catchy, bluesy musical arrangement you can imagine. Things escalate lyrically just like old-timey bluegrass songs used to do, with the dog getting away and a hearse is rolling down the street with its rosary beads swaying; the tale builds all the while with the rhythms holding nice and steady. But you’ll have to scroll down and find out how it ends…..READ MORE
On November 9th, LA-based dream-folk duo Rainstorm Brother will release its debut EP Pt. 1. The duo consists of John Isaac Watters and Tyler Chester and brings together Watters’ folk-country background with producer/keyboardist Chester’s deep, dreamy soundscapes. Today, we premiere the new song, “Mountain Heart”, which features guest vocals from gospel artist Madison Cunningham. READ MORE…
Illinois folk trio The Deep Hollow are releasing their latest LP ‘Weary Traveler’ next month and they’ve shared the track ‘Real Life’ from it this morning, a dark and brooding folk tune led by acoustic guitars and intricately-layered vocal harmonies. The band’s Micah Walk told AUK: “This song is simply about unabashedly living life knowing who you are and pursuing what you know you are meant to do. I’m a big fan of Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Shovels & Rope. I think all of those artists influenced this song in some way, especially in terms of harmonies and production style. I know our producer was trying to channel some Rolling Stones, too, which I didn’t mind at all! Personal life experience definitely inspired this song, though, as well. It isn’t always literal for me, but in this case, it is.”…..READ MORE
When Ben Lee was in second grade, he stood among a throng of trembling classmates waiting to audition for their school’s production of Uncle Moishy and The Mitzvah Men. When the teacher called his name, Lee stepped forward and launched into a rendition of that old chestnut, “Happy Birthday,” the required audition song.
He had never really thought of his singing voice before, but as the notes poured out of him — on key! — he felt good. He watched as the teacher wrote something next to his name on the list of auditionees and, all of a sudden, he knew that he could sing.
“In that moment, the connection between what felt good, what music did to me and to my body and my organism — and getting validation — were intimately connected,” Lee tells TIDAL. “I ended up playing Uncle Moishy, with the hit song, ‘Ain’t Gonna Work on Saturday.’”
Decades later, the acclaimed singer-songwriter is primed to enter the world of musical theater once more, this time as one set of brains behind a musical adaptation of author Tom Robbins’ 2009 satirical children’s book for adults, B is for Beer (out October 12). It’s a definite evolution for the lifelong musician, one that’s in perfect concert with his new role as composer for HBO’s upcoming show Camping (October 14). Lee is no longer the tortured front man; he’s now a master collaborator.
A quick primer on Ben Lee: he’s an Australian musician who first broke out at age 14 in the band Noise Addict, a group that had some major fans in the form of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and the Beastie Boys, the latter of whom released Noise Addict’s work on their label, Grand Royal Records. His solo career kicked off when he was 16, and, ever since, he has been churning out ever-more ambitious work — ……READ MORE