TJWest’s 2019 AmericanaFEST Highlights
By Kim Grant I came to Los Angeles by way of Chicago 18 years ago. At the time, I could count on one hand the amount of people I knew in L.A. One of those […]
Recent Articles
Charlie Parr Back with New Record
By Brian Rock It might come as some surprise that Charlie Parr’s fourteenth album is simply titled, Charlie Parr. After all, artists usually make their first album eponymous to help people remember their name. But […]
Rodney Crowell’s Texas
By Brian Rock Living legend Rodney Crowell returns to his Texas roots on the aptly named, Texas. After several consecutive albums of introspective ballads, Crowell lets down his hair for a looser, more buoyant collection […]
Muddy Roots Music Festival
By Kim Grant There is only one place you can find punk bands like The Dwarves and The Dead Kennedys mixing it up with country roots artists Mike and the Moonpies, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers and […]
Eilen Jewell’s Gypsy
By Brian Rock Queen of the minor key and shortlist candidate for Queen of Americana, Eilen Jewell releases her eighth album, Gypsy. After exploring her Blues influences in 2017’s cover compilation Down Hearted Blues, Jewell […]
Davina and the Vagabonds’ Sugar Drops
By Brian Rock Davina and the Vagabonds deliver a sweet and sumptuous feast for the ears on their fourth album, Sugar Drops. Lead singer (also songwriter and pianist) Davina Sowers is possessed of a voice […]
Karen Jonas’ Lucky, Revisited
By Brian Rock Americana chanteuse, Karen Jonas revisits her early recordings on her fourth release, Lucky, Revisited. Whereas most artists revamp the arrangements of their most popular songs for the stage and then release a […]
The Hero of Texas Music History
Brian T. Atkinson is a chief innovator of modern-day music writing. The critically acclaimed Austin-based author isn’t just a biographer, he’s a songwriting historian, saving the works of Texas greats for generations to come. With […]
Erick Koskinen’s Burning the Deal
By Brian Rock As the summer heat is burning our lawns, Erik Koskinen’s fourth studio album is Burning The Deal. Continuing in his critically acclaimed earnest, honest, and organic style; Koskinen produces poetic, slice-of-life snapshots […]
Chuck Mead’s Close to Home
By Brian Rock Former BR5-49 front man, Chuck Mead finds a new home in Memphis on his fourth solo release, Close to Home. After working on site as the musical director for the CMT series, […]
Greg Felden’s Made of Strings
By Brian Rock Greg Felden issues his Country tinged, Folk-Rock debut, Made of Strings. Like current Folk heroes Drew Holcomb and The Lumineers, Felden devotes as much attention to his musical arrangements as to his […]
TJ Premiere: Van Dyke Brown’s The Fair
Van Dyke Brown has released the video for “The Fair,” off of his debut album Holy Libel. Van Dyke Brown is the cosmic folk alter ego of musician, filmmaker, and novelist Scott Honea. In the […]
Let’s Connect!
From the Archive
