Country & Folk

New album: Hollow Hand || Wish Road South

Loud shirts and second chances

By / / Country & Folk, Indie Pop, Psych / Leave a Comment

Wish Road South is the fourth full-length album by Hollow Hand aka Brighton-based singer-songwriter Max Kinghorn-Mills, but collaborating and touring with others inspired him to come up with a plan B and turn this record into a genuine band effort. It led to ten psychedelic folk-pop songs with a wonderful looseness, even as the lyrics wander through themes of lost connections and a belief in renewal, stirring up emotions or curiosity time and again. When you hear lines like “I’ve got a heavy metal t-shirt but I don’t know the band // I just like the way it looks, the way it feels in my hand // Turns out they rock pretty hard,” you can’t help but want to know how the story unfolds, right?

Although titles like Kiss The Boot and Black Metal Corpse Paint might raise expectations of something raucous, what we actually get are intimate reflections and jangling melancholy, though there are certainly rocking moments too, such as Drinking With Judy. Perhaps the subdued final chord summarizes the ambiguity best: “And I can’t tell if that’s pain in your eyes // Is that the time? Yeah I should go // Oh just give me a gentle place // To lay my head and get off the road.”



Wish Road South—written and produced by Max Kinghorn-Mills—is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Loose Music. Featuring Max Kinghorn-Mills (guitars, vocals), Leo Clarke (bass, backing vocals), and Oliver Newton (drums, backing vocals).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Loose || Soundly

New album: Caravan 222 || Rowdy & Pouty

Tape warmth, steel strings, and trouble brewing

By / / Country & Folk, Psych / Leave a Comment

Following a series of Country Bangers, Los Angeles-based neo-psych outfit Caravan 222 split their third full-lengther neatly in two: side A is Rowdy and side B is Pouty. Listeners will likely prefer one over the other (you can guess mine from the embeds below), but the flip side holds its own as well. The band makes both flavors feel surprisingly natural, cooking with alt-country, roots rock, and 1970s singer-songwriter melancholy, all the while sipping steel, soul, and tape-warmed grit.

Linda Ronstadt vocals meeting Rolling Stones swagger, as they put it themselves, but to bring it into the here and now, imagine the bravado of Natural Child and the sultry vibe of Dope Lemon, drenched in Americana. However, these musicians never sound like they’re simply dressing up in borrowed clothes. This is a dusty, passionate, and unpolished record that is easy to love, with enough California sunshine to keep the blues from settling in.



Rowdy & Pouty is out digitally—reportedly, vinyl is also on the way—via Clairvoyant Records / Honey House.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Jacob T. Simons || Shadow Creek

Finding the bare essentials of songcraft

By / / Country & Folk, Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

We’ve championed Colorado-based singer-songwriter Jacob Tyler Simons in these pages before, back when he was steering the ship for the admired outfit Moon Orchids. His first solo LP, Shadow Creek, functions as a natural counterweight to his former collective’s grandiose finale (it made it into the top 10 of my 2025 year-end list), trading polished ambition for a humble, salt-of-the-earth approach. To capture a truly unvarnished sound, the musician challenged himself with a strict set of recording dogmas. He handled all vocals and guitars himself without the safety net of overdubbing, committing to full live takes where atmosphere completely trumped technical precision. If a mistake didn’t break the rhythm, it stayed on the record.

It resulted in a beautiful anti-artificial document, consisting of nine intimate indie folk songs (plus a short balcony recording of a rainstorm), anchored by guitars and a harmonica full of emotion, further enhanced by Olivia Shaw’s weeping fiddle and Paul Robert Fake’s sparse keys. Simons’ sincere voice wrestles with a nostalgic yearning for simpler days, constantly weighing the heavy dread of modern societal decay against the grounding sanctuary of enduring love: “I’ve got a compass that tells me where I need to be // I can kick the needle if you come and stay with me” (from Rosewater Beads). The blurry cover photo serves as the perfect visual thesis for the album, as an uncompromising reminder that perfect focus is not a prerequisite to reveal an artist’s deeply honest core



Shadow Creek—produced and engineered by Jacob T. Simons and Mark Anderson—is out digitally and on vinyl LP (self-released).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Archer || Ivan

An acoustic tomorrow

By / / Country & Folk, Indie Pop / Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, Trondheim-based Norway-based alt-rock quartet Archer released their debut full-length album, The View from the Reservoir, one that has unjustly remained under the radar. Two of its twelve songs—Tomorrow and Flooring—return on the Ivan EP for a second chance, but in folk-tinged, unplugged versions that are even more beautiful than the electrically amplified originals.

The music draws you in with its atmosphere, Kristoffer Jonassen’s lyrics are what keep you there: “And I don’t know what I’m supposed to do // When everything is over and all is through // And I’m not sure just where I belong // But I liked that place where you played that song that goes // Don’t let today waste, I won’t be sleeping // I’m stuck in the dream that was yours to begin with.”

The strong title track is new here, pointing towards what may come next; its heartfelt delivery and poetic lyrics making for a particularly enticing preview of the next album. Promising indeed, but there’s still plenty to discover in the debut before we get there.


The Ivan EP is out digitally via Flat Rat Rec. Featuring Kristoffer Jonassen (guitar, vocals), Kevin Solem (guitar, piano), Robin Synnøve Solem (guitar, banjo, bass), and Jim Patrik Antonsen (drums).

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Kevin Steele || One Thing Left To Do

A rock ’n’ roll life with plenty left to say

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to keep up with all new releases (I read a few music magazines and blogs, receive newsletters, listen to playlists, search proactively, and follow 4,000+ Bandcamp accounts, but I probably still only see a fraction of what comes out). It would be wise to accept this as a given of these volatile and abundant times, but it remains frustrating that so much good music goes unheard. Fortunately, a missed gem surfaces every now and then, like this one.

In the depths of Bandcamp, I unearthed One Thing Left To Do—apparently released last February, but it’s about time this one got its due. This is the first solo LP by St. Petersburg, Florida-based singer-songwriter Kevin Steele, who already had a life full of rock ’n’ roll behind him (Roxx Gang, Mojo Gurus). Here, with guitar phenom Billy Summer (Luxury Mane, The New Brutarians) by his side, he tears through a versatile and rowdy mix of rock, punk, glam, punk, blues, country, R&B, and gospel, occasionally brushing against sounds that feel strangely familiar, teasing your memory without giving up their source.

From big riffs and hypnotic grooves to bruised melodies and intimate ballads, performed with garage dirt under the fingernails, the record covers plenty of ground without ever denying its backbone. The moods may change, but for 44 minutes, Steele makes clear that he’s answering to no one but himself. Or as he sings: “Nobody Tells Me When To Quit (Na Na Na Na Na Na).” And I, for one, wouldn’t have wanted to miss the trip.



One Thing Left To Do is out digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Steele Records / Too Cool Music Publishing.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New album: Anytime Cowboy || Gone By Now

Get lost in the world of Anytime Cowboy

By / / Alternative Rock, Country & Folk, Garage Rock, Punk / Leave a Comment

Second wantlist appearance by Anytime Cowboy this year, and it totally makes sense. Clearly, illustrator Reuben Sawyer is in an inspired mood, and not just in his illustrations. On Slab Songs, which came out in the first week of 2026, he blended slack rock, outsider country, and dark post-punk into something that feels slightly off-kilter in all the right ways.

The new 18-song Gone By Now continues that trajectory. It is full of 90-second songs where the juxtaposition between the slack-ish low-pitched vocals and the punk-rock urgency of the music is my favorite thing about the record. The sequencing is another thing, because Gone By Now pulls you in and out like you’re a puppet in the artist’s play. And while I care deeply about my autonomy, I don’t mind getting lost in the world of Anytime Cowboy at all.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Bobby Harlow || Less of an Apology

Co-founder of The Go takes a beautifully rough-edged detour into psychedelic country

By / / Country & Folk, Psych / Leave a Comment

Detroit-based singer-songwriter Bobby Harlow had already secured a notable place in music history (and in my heart) two decades ago as a founding member of rock band The Go, and although he heads down a different path here, his solo debut record proves a thoroughly welcome change of scenery. Less of an Apology still has the gritty spirit of rock ‘n’ roll at its core, but here it is wrapped in a psychedelic country package, giving the sound a warmer, more reflective edge.

Recorded live to 8-track tape, these nine songs leave the computers and click tracks behind in favour of spontaneous performances with plenty of room to breathe. The poetic, intuitive lyrics add another layer of intimacy, while the stripped-back production keeps every instrument and vocal close enough to touch. Although the quirky Outta Time is an entertaining standout as the most uptempo track, it is the heartfelt ballads that make the biggest impression, with Don’t Play With My Heart and Forgive Me standing out.

No handy Bandcamp or SoundCloud player this time around, but this one deserves a spot in your streaming queue.

Less of an Apology is out streaming and on vinyl LP through Lolipop Records. Featuring Robert Harlow (guitar, vocals), Ignacio Gonzalez (bass), Mikey Whiteside (piano), and Wyatt Blair (drums).

Add to wantlist: Lolipop || Discogs

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of August 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / Leave a Comment

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range (only if supported by the artist, so no live videos filmed by the audience or anything like that), here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month.

Are You Sure (first performed by Tammy Grimes, later also recorded by Aretha Franklin) by Tami Neilson — from Songs from the Motion Picture “Holy Days” soundtrack (Outside Music)

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (AC/DC) by City Kings — from Chainsaw EP

I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones) by The Offspring — digital track (Concord Records)

…

Dusted || The Best New Cover Songs Of August 2026Read More »

The Loose Ends || August 2026

By / / Alternative Rock, Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk, Surf / Leave a Comment

There are more wantlist-worthy releases than time to cover them all. Starting this year, Loose Ends is our monthly fix for the great records that slipped through the cracks. Expect a key track and quick take on each release, and a link to add it to your shelves.

ABAOAQU || BUDDHOD
Noisy, subtly mathy yet melodic indie rock from France. Consider us intrigued.

The Afghan Whigs || Soft Control
With visceral guitars, soulful intensity, and hard-won wisdom, these ten new songs find strength in embracing both the darkness and the light without losing sight of the absurdity in between.

Apes of the State || Nothing Makes Sense Anymore
Blending biting political rage, personal turmoil, dark humour, and genuine solidarity, these ten folk-punk songs turn a dysfunctional world into a surprisingly life-affirming celebration of resistance, friendship, and simply making it through another day.

…

The Loose Ends || August 2026Read More »

New album: Taylor Hollingsworth || Folk N’ Roll

Fleet-fingered guitars and a voice all his own

By / / Blues & Roots, Country & Folk / Leave a Comment

Birmingham, Alabama-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Taylor Hollingsworth has spent years refusing to fit neatly into a genre box, so naturally he invented his own: Folk N’ Roll. On his latest album (released two years after the cheerful Yahola LP), that phrase becomes a musical mission statement, bringing together finger-picked folk, bluesy guitar and loose-limbed rock ‘n’ roll in a distinctively Southern blend, deceptively simple but hard to resist.

The artist’s years as a touring guitarist (with Conor Oberst or his own band, The Blips) and seasoned one-man performer are evident in the unmistakable musicianship, while his storytelling gives these ten original songs an engaging personality (titles such as Shady People, Hot Dogs, Bunny Rabbits, Holy Rollers, The Boxer, Sunday Driver, Only The Boys And Me and Grover Jones immediately appeal to the imagination, the lyrics do so even more). The stripped-down setup proves more infectious and spacious than expected, with plenty of room for inventive guitar lines and a voice with more than enough character to leave its mark.



Folk N’ Roll—produced by Matt Patton and Taylor Hollingsworth—is out digitally and on viny LP through Dial Back Sound. Featuring Taylor Hollingsworth (lead vocals, guitars), Matt Patton (bass), and Ricky Burkhead (percussion), with backing vocals by Van Hollingsworth, Matt Patton and/or Morgan Geer on select tracks.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Dial Back

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