Rhythms Magazine

Muireann Bradley

Muireann Bradley, 17 year-old singer/guitarist from County Donegal in Ireland, has just released her debut album I Kept These Old Blues (interpretations of blues classics) on the American label Tompkins Square which first spotted her at the age of 13 after seeing her play on YouTube!

Brian Wise spoke to Muireann just a week or so prior to her 17th birthday and just as her debut was about to be released. Listen to her amazing story.

Brennen Leigh captures the 1960s classicism of Country on her new album

Awash in full-throttle fiddle, weeping steel guitar, a sprinkling of heavenly backing vocals, and anchored by her warm, expressive vocals, Leigh’s latest album is an emotion-packed revelation.

Rooted in vintage country, Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet is an unapologetically beer-and tear-soaked homage to an era when hard-country weepers burst forth from AM transistor radios.

The album’s country roots run deep, with guests like Marty Stuart and Rodney Crowell and a lineup of top-flight musicians.

Rhiannon Giddens stretches out across all American music on her latest album

Rhiannon Giddens has made a singular, iconic career out of stretching her brand of folk music, with its miles-deep historical roots and contemporary sensibilities, into just about every field imaginable. A two-time GRAMMY Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, and composer of opera, ballet, and film, Giddens has centered her work around the mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased, and advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art.

In 2023 Rhiannon has taken time from her busy life to tour her first album of all original material called You're The One, and Brian Wise asks her to guide us though this extraordinary melange of gospel, blues, rock, jazz, folk and darkly atmospheric.

MIFF FOCUS: KAREN O’CONNOR DIRECTOR OF JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE

One of the music documentaries at the Melbourne International Film Festival is Joan Baez: I Am A Noise which digs deep into the life of the renowned folk singer/activist as she retires from touring and reflects on her life. Co-director Karen O'Connor has been a friend of Baez for many years and has managed to gain access to a treasure trove of archival material. The film also uncovers some surprising revelations about the life of one of the most famous voices of the '60s protest movement and the singer who helped kick start Bob Dylan's career.

Lucinda Williams On Her Memoir and Latest Album!

Lucinda Williams talks to Rhythms Editor Brian Wise about her recently published memoir Don't Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You and her album Stories From A Rock 'n' Roll Heart. 

Jody Stephens & Luther Russell (Those Pretty Wrongs)

JODY STEPHENS is the sole surviving member of iconic early '70s power pop legends Big Star, and the only man other than Alex Chilton to play on all three of their peerless original albums. He was also a member of pioneering alt-country supergroup Golden Smog, alongside members of Wilco and the Jayhawks.
LUTHER RUSSELL is an acclaimed singer/songwriter and producer (Richmond Fontaine amongst others) who formed his first band as a teenager with Jacob Dylan (before the son of Bob formed The Wallflowers). 

Luther has made a handful of solo records, having first come to attention as a member of The Freewheelers in the '90s, during which time his songs were described as having "the appeal and personality of those by Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson".
Together, Jody Stephens and Luther Russell are THOSE PRETTY WRONGS, who combine the lyrical and soulful harmony and jangle of both Big Star and classic '90s alt-country.Touring Australia on the back of their new album Holiday Camp, Those Pretty Wrongs will be joined by some special friends and perform their own gorgeous material as well as some classic Big Star.  

Check the tour dates  at: Love Police Touring

 

Jason Isbell on Weathervanes

Brian Wise's guest in this podcast is Jason Isbell. To call Isbell the King Of Americana is not an idle claim. Since 2009 he has won 9 Americana Awards and been nominated for another ten - to add to his four Grammy Awards!

Born and raised in Alabama and got a publishing deal with Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals when he was just 21, joined Paterson Hood in the Drive By Truckers and after five years began his solo career which included forming the 400 Unit and releasing 8 albums, the latest of which is Weathervanes, which follows the album Georgia Blue in 2021.

Brian first spoke to Isbell when he was in Australia for the first time with Justin Townes Earle in 2012 and they have chatted frequently since. Last year they caught up by Zoom to talk about the Fender Jason Isbell Signature model while Isbell was on the set of Martin Scorsese’s latest film Killers of the Flower Moon in which he plays the role of farmer Bill Smith. 

This time Brian and Jason met to talk about the new album Weathervanes prior to Isbell’s show at the Palais in Melbourne during his April tour of Australia with the 400 Unit, supported by Allison Russell.

Willy Vlautin on The Delines

Willy Vlautin is an American author, musician and songwriter. He was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Portland, Oregon rock band Richmond Fontaine from 1994–2016 and is currently a member and main songwriter of The Delines who will be touring Australia from June 8 to June 18 (tour details at lovepolice.com.au)
Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Vlautin released 12 studio albums with Richmond Fontaine and has released another four with The Delines. He has also written six novels: The Motel Life, Northline, Lean on Pete, The Free, Don't Skip Out On Me and The Night Always Comes.
The Delines were formed when singer Amy Boone was touring with Richmond Fontaine and singing the female parts from that band's 2003 album, Post to Wire, which had been performed by her sister Deborah Kelly with whom she had been in the Texas band the Damnations. Vlautin then formed the Delines centred on Boone's vocals. 
Rhythms Editor Brian Wise caught up with Vlautin to talk about the forthcoming tour and The Delines' music.

Rodney Crowell on The Chicago Sessions

For his latest studio album, The Chicago Sessions, acclaimed singer-songwriter/producer Rodney Crowell journeyed to Chicago to record at Wilco's Loft with Jeff Tweedy as producer.

Crowell brought three players with him - guitarist Jedd Hughes, pianist Catherine Marx, and bassist Zachariah Hickman — while Chicago natives John Perrine and Spencer Tweedy (Jeff’s son) split drumming duties. Jeff Tweedy appears on vocals, guitars, and banjo throughout and co-writes one of the songs. 

Most of The Chicago Sessions consists of newly written material but Crowell revisits two tracks from the 1970s: 'You’re Supposed to Be Feeling Good,' one of his songs first recorded by Emmylou Harris on her 1977 Luxury Liner album and Townes Van Zandt’s “'No Place to Fall.'

Rhythms Editor Brian Wise caught up with Rodney Crowell by Zoom to talk about The Chicago Sessions.

 

Rickie Lee Jones On Pieces of Treasure

Pieces of Treasure (BMG Modern Recordings), Rickie Lee Jones’ fifteenth studio album, not only explores her love of jazz but also reunites her with producer Russ Titelman who produced her 1979 debut album and its follow up Pirates in 1981. Of course, Jones has recorded jazz -oriented albums before – Girl at Her Volcano and Pop Pop  - and in 1989 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Performance category for her rendition of “Autumn Leaves” from Rob Wasserman’s Duets album and a year later she won in the same category for her duet with Dr. John of 'Makin’ Whoopee'. But with Pieces of Treasure Jones spends an entire album with the American Songbook.

Pieces of Treasure was recorded over five days at Sear Sound in midtown Manhattan and the studio ensemble consisted of Rob Mounsey on piano, guitarist Russell Malone, bassist David Wong and drummer Mark McLean.

I last spoke to Rickie Lee in 2021 about her Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour so I was delighted to talk to her about music and caught up with her by Zoom at her home in New Orleans, where she has lived for the past decade.