Kristy Cox Awarded Golden Guitar!

Australia’s country music industry celebrated its pinnacle night in Tamworth with the 2015 Australian Country Music Awards. A lifelong dream came true for Pisgah Ridge recording artist, Kristy Cox when her song "One Heartbreak Away" was honored with the Bluegrass Recording of the Year Golden Guitar. The song appears on Kristy’s album, LIVING FOR THE MOMENT.

Top Honors for Australian Bluegrass Artist, Kristy Cox!

Multi-award-winning Australian Bluegrass artist Kristy Cox adds two new honors to her already multi-award winning career with recent wins at the Australian Independent Country Music Awards.

Known as The Southern Stars, the prestigious awards are held annually in Mildura, Australia and play a major role in fostering Australian music talent.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews O WINDING RIVER from The Stetson Family

You can imagine my curiosity when I received a package from Melbourne, Australia with a note requesting consideration for review.

I truly had no idea what Australia’s version of Bluegrass would sound like or if it would even resemble my idea of Bluegrass.

I admit, I am open-minded about all genres of music and, in the case of Bluegrass, will not dismiss something just because it does not fit a preconceived mold. Although, in the case of this project, it is Bluegrass with a lean towards, what I would consider, a string band or folk sound.

O Winding River, the latest release by The Stetson Family, who are not blood relatives at all but rather five friends who, through circumstances that could in itself be the backdrop of a song, came together to share a common love of Bluegrass and American roots music.

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THE STETSON FAMILY Delivers Bluegrass "Australian Style"

THE STETSON FAMILY brings Australia's best new Bluegrass to the States with the release of their newest disc, O WINDING RIVER. 

The 12 original story-driven songs, range from ballads to up-tempos.  Infused with the lush harmonies that are in keeping with the roots of Bluegrass, the tracks feature fresh, progressive instrumentation and free-wheeling lyrics that resonate with subject matter both new and timeless. 

Foghorn Couple to Tour Australia

Starting in Mid November, The Foghorn Stringband’s Nadine Landry and Stephen “Sammy” Lind will be traveling through the Australian country for the first time, bringing their mix of Appalachian and Midwestern Old Time Fiddle music, and early Country and Cajun Music to folk clubs, house concerts, pubs and festivals.

Over 30 shows are planned throughout Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. Alternating between fiddle, guitar, banjo, accordion, they play and sing true to the roots of American music with energy and respect.

Australia’s Davidson Brothers Release New Instrumental Track

 

Davidson Brothers 'TRANSPACIFIC' Out Now

"TRANSPACIFIC" was written and recorded while Lachlan and Hamish were at opposite ends of the Pacific Ocean (Nashville Tennessee & Bendigo Victoria).

This energetic and creative instrumental track is semi-contemporary bluegrass with Celtic influences. Guest musicians featured include Michael Bub on bass and David Grier on guitar.

MORE ABOUT THE DAVIDSON BROTHERS

New Bluegrass festival for South Australia in September

South Australia has just become a whole lot more interesting this September with the inaugural Wirrina Bluegrass Festival

The Wirrina Bluegrass Festival, 7-9 September 2012 is presented by the Yankalilla Acoustic Music group.

South Australian bluegrass bands Old South Bluegrass, Cripple Creek, Tombstone String Band and The Cherry Pickers will headline the program.

X-Train Back On Top

The Down-Under Tour is over for Arizona’s X-Train and the group’s Mark Miracle, who’s been Guest-Blogging for us on the road and from the bush, now gives us the final wrap!  Thanks to Mark and happy holidays to all of our new Aussie and New Zealander readers!

X TRAIN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!! 

  The 2011 X Train Australia / New Zealand Tour is now over. We spent our final days at the Melaney Banjo Camp - hosted by Ross Nickerson and other local banjo heroes. A great time was had by all and now there are about 60+ banjo students all the wiser regarding banjo…um, stuff.

X Train played a 2-set show and a few impromptu sessions throughout the weekend and made a ton of new friends to boot. On one of our days off, we went for a drive through the small town of Melaney and sampled the local bakeries, coffee shops and art galleries.

X-Train Wrapping It Up Down Under–Mark Miracle’s Guest Blog

Final days of the tour and it's beginning to get bittersweet. We are anxious to get home but really enjoy this part of the world. We spent the last 3 days or so in Caloundra, AUS at a 5th floor condo overlooking the ocean.

It was donated to us by a friend of Mark and Peters. She (Kay) is a participant at the banjo camp that we are playing at over the weekend. Although located on the Sunshine Coast, it was cloudy and warm the entire time. Not quite what we had in mind, but we made the best of it by walking the beach, playing in a warm ocean and checking out the local sites.

A fellow named Greg called us up out of the blue and came over for a picking session, which was a lot of fun and we took the opportunity to pick his brain regarding the area. On the rainy days, we practiced tunes, watched movies and broke everything we could get our hands on. Kay insisted that we use anything and everything we could find in the condo as our own…mistake.

X-Train Says Goodbye to New Zealanders!

Guest Blogger Mark Miracle with X-Train Writes:

Our last gig in New Zealand is now in the books…bummer.

What a great country. We played in Dunedin, a university town just south of the 45th parallel, at an old church that is now a pub (!) which was situated on the outskirts of a large park.

A lot of the churches and other municipal buildings have been turned into restaurants, pubs and other businesses. They are old landmarks and I think it's cool that they are still being used to further businesses.

Anyway, as with all of our gigs here, the place was packed and the kind folks were eager to give us a hoot n' holler throughout the show! These people love their music and seemed to appreciate our style of bluegrass.

X Train has been dropping a few new tunes into the set lists and they have been sounding real good.

Australia’s Country Music Assoc. Adds BLUEGRASS to Awards Category

News from the Country Music Association of Australia is that their Awards Advisory Committee met in September and put forward a number of suggestions for changes to the awards that were subsequently put to the professional membership for a vote. The votes have now been counted and all of the suggestions, will be implemented for the first time in the 2013 awards.

Aussies Love X-Train’s Brand of Bluegrass!

Harrietville - it's Australian for Bluegrass!

Arizona’s X-Train, now on their first International Tour in Australia and New Zealand have WOW’d their first audience.   The band’s Mark Miracle has also been busy at the laptop keyboard and sends his first “Guest Blogger” Report from Harrietville.

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"X-Train" is now touring Australia and New Zealand from Nov 15 - Dec 15. This is the band's first tour since becoming a unit and what a great way to kick things off. "X Train" is Ross Nickerson (banjo/vocals), Peter McLaughlin (guitar/vocals), Bob Dennoncourt (bass/vocals) and Mark Miracle (mandolin/vocals) - with guests appearing frequently. Ross and Bob have been here prior to this tour but this is Peter and Marks first visit to both regions.