Brookswords

Lynda Kay at Amoeba Records

Saw Alt-Country crooner Lynda Kay at Amoeba Records in Hollywood a couple days ago. She put on quite a show, wowing the crowd from the start when she walked onstage in a golden suit and under amazing hair--looking just as she does on the left. Kay was also tugging along a big ol' Gretsch--she's affiliated with that great ol' guitar company in a publicity campaign. Here's a clip from that show, followed by a clip of Kay singing a hot Rockabilly number, from a concert in another city. When she performed it at Amoeba, it brought the house down. Finally, there's her Gretsch video. She appears in very  different guises in these. At one moment, she's the reincarnation of Patsy Cline; at another, she's the still alive & well Wanda Jackson. But that's nothing--she used to perform an act where she changed costumes 8 times, as noted in this week's  LA Weekly--which chose her one of its "People of 2010", and to grace one if its 4 covers. The picture they used was a cropped black & white version of the picture above. (Where I pick up my Weekly, her cover wasn't the one that was in the bin, dang it!)

American Roots Music...From Australia and Ireland

According to Wikipedia, Americana music is "American roots music based on the traditions of country...the musical model can be traced back to the Elvis Presley marriage of 'hillbilly music' and R&B that birthed rock 'n roll". Strangely enough, some of the best Americana is originating far away from America itself. (Scary that other countries are not only making products we used to make, but now also making the music we used to make!) Kasey Chambers, a singer from the Australian outback who gave this performance on NPR, was called "the freshest young voice in American roots music" by Rolling Stone a few years ago.

And now, from Iceland, there's Lay Low (birth name Lovisa Elisabet Sigrunardottir) who recently also performed on NPR; on her latest release, 'Farewell Good Night's Sleep', "draws inspiration from country music of the 1950s and '60s, and even replicates recording techniques from that era". Here's Kasey Chambers, followed by Lay Low...