Singer/songwriter Dave Carter was the mystic guru of folk, describing this album as the "first Buddhist country album". The psychedelic tones of the title track sound as though they came right out of the Arthur Lee handbook. Grammer excels in accompaniment on violin and mandolin, also chipping in with several fine vocals. Groovy.
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Heartbreaker Ryan Adams 2000 [Bloodshot]
While his band Whiskeytown was disintegrating, Adams teamed up with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings to make this gem of a record. There are a couple of uptempo tracks as might be expected, but rootsy acoustic folk with a country tinge dominates most of the proceedings. Nice snapshot of a young artist on the path to maturity.
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Buddy & Julie Miller Buddy & Julie Miller 2001 [HighTone]
The long-awaited official duo release from husband and wife pairing Buddy and Julie Miller. The 'T' is for both Texas and Tennessee, with plenty of rockin' Americana shaded with mountain magic and a few quieter moments. As on their solo work, Buddy's playing combines with Julie's singing and songwriting for a match made in twang-heaven.
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Soul Journey Gillian Welch 2003 [Acony]
Describing her music as "American Primitive", on Soul Journey Welch and partner/collaborator David Rawlings opt for more instrumentation compared to the sparseness of 2001's brilliant Time (The Revelator). The result is a deftly-produced record that loses none of its rootsy Americanism in translation. Riveting Americana a cut above the pack.
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Red Cross John Fahey 2003 [Revenant]
Made while Fahey was dying, Red Cross finds the eclectic guitarist toning down the new age experimentalism in favour of a cleaner approach. That said, the 24-minute opus 'Untitled With Rain' certainly has a sonically organic drone and there is still plenty of spacey stuff. Along with 1965's Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death, essential Fahey.
The record that Starbucks controversially bucked for some explicit lyrics and the Boss' anti-corporate politics is a gem in Springsteen's impressive catalogue. Some sparse acoustic tracks reminiscent of Nebraska join some Americana-style workouts, with characters in turmoil and plenty of Old West imagery on the side.
Also hailing from Iceland, Torrini comes across as a kind of pixie-folk version of Björk. She got a big break pinch-hitting when the latter pulled out of recording 'Gollum's Song' for The Lord of the Rings theme due to pregnancy. Her first album since 1999 is quietly ethereal and garnered a couple of singles in 'Sunny Road' and 'Heartstopper'.
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Kensington Blues Jack Rose 2005 [VHF]
Talented fingerstyle guitarist with a sizeable underground following. Fans of early John Fahey and Leo Kottke with love this record. Rose does everything from ragtime to raga, using 12-string acoustic and Weissenborn lap guitars to incisive effect along the way. A great selection of material and a cut above run-of-the-mill fingerstyle.
