Americana Spotlight
I have the nasty habit of dragging tracks into a folder so that I can write about them at a later time, only to neglect them as more and more submissions arrive. So grab your favorite beverage and your reading glasses… This is going to be a hefty dose of music.
Ritka is the music project of Rita Kovtun, born in Russia, but now residing in Asheville, North Carolina. If you’ve been paying attention to the blog, the music scene in Asheville is thriving, especially for a city with less than 100k people. Coming from Chicago, I am going to assume that all y’all are neighbors, sitting on your porches, playing songs to each other from across your cobblestone streets. Ritka comes to us bearing her latest release, “Summer Soul,” which is a sparsely recorded acoustic number that fits perfectly with the midwestern weather– a farewell to the season of short sleeves and greenery, like the spirit of an old friend departing. While the sentiment is wonderfully painted through her lyrics, the plucked banjo and vocal harmonies are what sold me on this one. Check it out:
Picking up the pace a bit, we have “Nighthawks,” by Ricky Clark. This is a bouncy, finger picked acoustic jam that is reminiscent of those great singer-songwriter tunes from the era before computers. That’s right, kids, we used to have walk uphill in the snow, both ways, in order to record our tunes. While the title of the track, alone, could likely cause a listener to visualize Edward Hopper’s 1942 painting, the tell-it-like-it-is style of Clark’s singing, accompanied by the whistling– as well as the song closing with the sounds of a steam engine, will seal the deal. Things used to be simpler and it’s a grand occasion when there’s a song that will take you back in time, much like flipping through the pages of your grandmother’s scrapbook. Catch a ride to “Nighthawks:”
As much as I claim to long for simpler times, there’s certainly something to be said about living in an age where everyone has access to recording equipment. For example, twenty years ago, we may not have had the chance to hear Disha Reddy’s music– and not just because the technology didn’t exist, but because she hadn’t even been born yet! This singer and composer from Bangladore can carry an indie-folk tune with the best of them and has already been featured on RollingStone’s “Fresh Indie Fridays.” Her latest track, “Rudy,” which she wrote, composed, and sang, is enough to make anyone start a countdown to the day she is handed a recording contract.
Again, if you have been keeping up with the blog posts, you might recall that I am a total sucker for stripped back acoustic tracks, with doubled vocals that are bathed in reverb. With that said, let me present to you George David, a singer-songwriter from Walthamstow, London. He recently submitted his single, “Gin and Tonics,” a heartfelt jaunt that is definitely worth the price of admission, which will likely be your feelings rising to the surface in a series of silent nods, goosebumps, or, more likely, tears. The soul of his music wavers back and forth from the likes of Bon Iver to John Martyn and it is exactly what I needed today. The email he sent contained five tracks and it was emotionally exhausting to try and decide which one to feature here. They were all written while examining the end of a relationship, which just so happens to be my wheelhouse. Reluctantly, I am placing “Gin and Tonics” here, but am hoping you make your way over to rest, starting with “Blackhorse Road.” You’ve earned yourself a fan, Mr. David.
Okay, screw it. I am also including “Blackhorse Road” because some of you may need it, yet be too lazy to go searching. You’re welcome.
If you’ve been actively participating in this blog entry, listening to every song as they have been posted, then you have likely found yourself at the bottom of an emotional pit… Just know that I shared these songs out of love.
And speaking of love, I happened to find Will McCartt while scrolling through Instagram, which is becoming more and more common. He had posted a video with a Hollow Coves track and I figured, if he has such great taste in music, let’s see what kind of music he makes himself. My quest was not unfruitful. The track that caught my ear is called “I Love You” and while this is not an unfamiliar sentiment in the world of music, the way in which Will has put it to music begs to be heard. Although the dominant instrument here is not an acoustic guitar, but, instead, a piano, the sound of his work sits very comfortably amongst the others on this page. Here’s hoping that his message guides you upward, out of the pit and into the arms of the world.
Finally, the grand finale comes from one and only Allen Epley. I’m assuming many of you already know who he is, but for those in the dark, Epley is most known for fronting the post-hardcore/ math rock band Shiner, as well as The Life and Times. While the sound of his latest track, “Thousand Yard Stare,” is quite the departure from any of his previous bands’ work, make no mistake: this is a masterpiece and comes ahead of his future LP, Everything. Even though it is sometimes difficult to watch your mentors release music that sounds nothing like the reason you first fell in love with their sound, this transition feels like a natural one, given that many of Shiner’s first generation fans have become moms and dads to the next generation. In my experience, becoming a parent brings about the need to slow things down and actually enjoy life. In that sense, the direction Epley is going is completely justified and while it isn’t straight-up Americana, it’s raw and heartfelt enough to find its way onto this page and, hopefully, into your ears.
-TM