July 10 2026
Clay Dubose – “Father Time & Mother Nature"
After a decades-long hiatus from his solo career to focus on his family and other aspects of his career, Texas-based Clay DuBose is finally back with his latest album, Father Time & Mother Nature, a reflective record that still relies on his trademark mix of country, rock, and folk to move the songs forward.
“When Heroes Say Goodbye” serves as a prelude to the emotional journey ahead, unfolding as a steady mid-tempo reflection on the passing of musical heroes. Centered on themes of loss, the lyrics could easily veer into sentimentality but instead feel deeply sincere. Thanks to DuBose’s compelling vocal performance and the song’s understated arrangement, the track lands with genuine emotional weight rather than slipping into sap. The piano-based “I Hope You’re Watching” gets even more personal, with DuBose singing about the death of his father.
Elsewhere, DuBose digs into broader musical influences on “Waiting for the Day,” which opens with a bluesy guitar riff and delivers a catchy song that skirts the edges of pop, while the darker “Fading Away” leans much more into traditional rock. “New Game Now” is a beautiful piano ballad and one of the album’s standout tracks. Similarly, the other quiet moment on the record, “Broken Mirror,” is also deeply affecting. The only real miss on this otherwise solid album is “Scotch and Soda,” DuBose’s jazzy cover of the old Kingston Trio song, which seems deeply out of place here.
After so many years away from the solo spotlight, Father Time & Mother Nature never feels like an attempt to recapture the past. Instead, it finds DuBose embracing the perspective that only comes with time, reflecting on grief, family, and the people who shape our lives with honesty and restraint. Aside from one stylistic detour that doesn't quite fit, the album is a rewarding return from a songwriter whose voice remains as compelling as ever, proving that some stories are worth waiting decades to hear.
John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.
Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine
twitter @jbmoore00
To Read All of John's Reviews, Click Here
May 09 2026
James Kahn – “Omein” (Single)
At a time of near‑universal uncertainty and exhaustive despair for many in this country, musician James Kahn offers a prayer of emotional peace and lyrics of optimism with his latest single, “Omein.”
The track opens with Kahn’s soft, reassuring voice repeating the word “Omein” over light piano chords. The Hebrew term, often spoken at the end of a prayer, becomes a mantra as other voices join in, creating an ethereal blend. As additional instruments enter and the sound gently swells, Kahn sings about the need to let peace in during moments of pain. Highlighting the universal search for light in darkness, he transitions from “Omein” to “Amen” (Christian), “Amyn” (Muslim), and finally “Shantih” (Hindu and Buddhist), weaving a tapestry of shared spiritual language.
Released in a time of collective fatigue, the song feels less sentimental and more sincere — a comforting reminder that despair is temporary and healing is possible. Earnest without naïveté, “Omein” lands as less of a single and more of a quiet benediction for difficult times.
John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.
Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine
twitter @jbmoore00
To Read All of John's Reviews, Click Here
April 13 2026
Paul Metsa
Songs of Resistance & Resolve: 1984 to 2025
There is a lot to be angry about right now. From immigrants being kidnapped and
citizens being killed for simply speaking up for them, to trans men and women seeing
their right to simply exist being eviscerated for little more than political points from right-
wing sadists, it’s easy to see why protest songs are suddenly seeing a resurgence. But
songs of resistance have a long, storied history. And while Woody Guthrie and Bob
Dylan are likely the best-known protest singer; there are a slew of lesser-known but
just as passionate singer-songwriters who have channeled their frustrations with
society’s ills into great music - and among them is Minnesota’s Paul Metsa. The proof of
his long-standing fight for the oppressed can be found all over his latest release, Songs
of Resistance & Resolve: 1984 to 2025.
The 14-song compilation, four decades in the making, covers everything from miners’
rights to Trump’s most recent stab at dictatorship. The songs are centered around
acoustic guitars and minimal instrumentation, leaving plenty of room for Metsa’s raspy
vocals and strong lyrics to take the focus. “59 Coal Mines,” with its dobro guitar, and
the picking on “Jack Ruby” both veer a little into country, while many of the songs here,
like the opening track “Slow Justice,” are clearly rooted in classic folk. Elsewhere, “Wall
of Power” sounds like a mix of Springsteen and Steve Earle.
“Ferris Wheels on the Farm,” about a multi-generational farmer watching the tradition
die off thanks to greed, is a powerful track (despite a saxophone killing the vibe a little).
Some of the best songs in the collection are the live tracks, like the understated but
eloquent “Like Father, Like Son” and “Walkin’ in a Woman’s World.” However, the
standout track is likely the newest, “No Kings (No Crown),” a defiant protest anthem that
serves as a fitting soundtrack to resistance in the Trump era.
More than just a collection, Songs of Resistance & Resolves stands as a testament to a
lifetime of speaking truth to power—proof that protest music isn’t just having a moment
but carrying on a tradition that refuses to be silenced.
John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.
Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine
twitter @jbmoore00
To Read All of John's Reviews, Click Here
April 11 2026
James Kahn
"Cold Dawn"
There is a tired cliché about horrible political moments making for great music. And as
weary as that trope is, you can’t argue with the results. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald
Reagan were probably the two best muses for the late ’70s/early ’80s punk genre. But
both pale to the cruelty and incompetence that are hallmarks of Donald Trump’s tenure
as president. His particularly punishing brand of politics has launched a franchise
movement in other countries as well. As a result, since being sworn in as the
Commander in Chief last year, he has inspired a slew of protest songs across several
genres, from Springsteen’s “Street of Minneapolis” and the Dropkick Murphys’ “Who Will
Stand With Us,” to Billy Bragg’s “City of Heroes.” So, James Kahn is in great company
with the rollout of “Cold Dawn.”
Kahn—a multipotentialite who has been everything from a doctor and screenwriter to a
singer-songwriter—turns in his most compelling song yet with “Cold Dawn.” The four-
minute track opens with steady drumming and a fiddle before Kahn delivers the line,
“It’s coming on dark times,” leading the listener on a rundown of Trump’s America, from
masked government forces kidnapping and killing in the name of “immigration reform,”
to the president’s handpicked Justice Department, actively fighting to keep wealthy
businessmen from ever having to face consequences for raping children.
The song is haunting—especially as we are still living through it - and Kahn’s knack for
songwriting brings the horror to life even as we begin to grow numb to the headlines.
The line, “Who would you hide, if it came to that,” is particularly stunning. The song, a
mix of folk and Americana, is buoyed by an almost swing-like beat, and the beauty of
the harmonies in the chorus “hold on” provides a solid contrast to the terror of the
subject matter. It’s that chorus, along with the last few lines of the song, that takes this
from helpless despair to a surprisingly optimistic tone. “Cold Dawn” stands as both a
document of its moment and a quiet act of resistance.
John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.
Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine
twitter @jbmoore00
To Read All of John's Reviews, Click Here
August 12 2025
Three decades into their career, California-based Kelly’s Lot is still evolving their sound. Comprised of singer Kelly Zirbes and guitarist Perry Robertson, on their latest, Late Bloomer, the duo mixes in everything from Blues and Folk to snatches of Southern Rock into their Americana sound. The result is an endearing musical vibe that manages to come off as both satisfyingly nostalgic and refreshingly original.
The band’s 18 th album, starts off with “Pied Piper” an upbeat, early stand out track, actuated by slide guitar and clarinet. The infectious “Savior” is another solid moment on the record.
Part of the band’s charm is the eclectic influences that shape their sound, The groove heavy title track has a strong early ‘90s jam band vibe, reminiscent of Poi Dog Pondering and Rusted Root, while a song like “Let Live” sounds like something from a Rosanne Cash record. You can also hear echoes of everyone from The BoDeans and Neko Case to Bonnie Raitt through the near dozen tracks that make up Late Bloomer.
While the band’s last album took a sharp turn into Blues, this record gets back to their more Roots-based sound. Late Bloomer closes on an optimistic note with “Where There Is Hope,” a song that – while not explicitly political - seems tailor made for current times, focusing on the good where and when you find it and the promise of living in peace at
some point.
John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.
Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine
twitter @jbmoore00
To Read All of John's Reviews, Click Here
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