A long time favourite Hezekiah Jones released a new EP Har! Har! Har! a couple of months ago. Raph Cutrufello and his Philadelphia-based folk outfit are once again in top form and all three songs are amazing. I think this one is mostly a digital release that you can find from places like iTunes and Spotify, but there’s a run of CDs as well. Contact the band if you are interested in getting one. John Dell’Osa put together a video collage for the whole EP by using public domain movies. It’s definitely deeply moving to watch one of my all-time favourite movies Carl Theodor Dreyer’s La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc while listening to one of my current favourite bands.

Hezekiah Jones Website

Here’s another excellent 2016 album that has gone by without a mention even though it has been on my playlist for several months. Justin Wells is a Lexington, Kentucky based roots-rocker and americana songwriter and his new album Dawn in the Distance came out in August, 2016. It was actually another awesome songwriter Austin Lucas that I owe the thanks for this discovery. I was vaguely familiar with Justin’s former band Fifth on the Floor, but had not heard about his solo material until I saw Austin praising this album on his Facebook. I trust that guy, so I bought a download and have been enjoying this a lot. Here’s the video for album outtake Going Down Grinnin’.

And here’s a live version of album cut The Dogs. This song has actually been featured on several best songs of the year lists on country/americana/roots blogs and websites. And deservably so.

Justin Wells Website

It has been a little bit difficult to hear and buy the music of Oklahoma-based songwriter Parker Millsap in the Europe. It almost feels like there’s neither digital or physical distribution. It took me a long time to hear the debut a couple of years ago and same would have happened this year, but I ordered a CD from the states in the summer. His song Heaven Sent is among the most powerful and best songs of the year, but live youtube videos have been the only way to share it, so I haven’t taken that route. Thankfully it’s finally on Spotify, so I can share the studio version of this song. Heaven Sent is an incredible and powerful song about gay son and his religious father who doesn’t approve. The new album The Very Last Day is also very good as a whole. Maybe I prefer the debut, if I have to choose, but that might just be the indie twat in me speaking. The first demo was the best and all that nonsense. Parker is a wonderful artist, the record is very good and this song Heaven Sent is phenomenal.

Parker Millsap Website