Mar 14

Mar 14 Review- Wonder Women of Country: Willis, Carper, Leigh

The Wonder Women of Country are here to save us from the mundane in modern country music.

Three of country’s most distinctive voices – Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper and Brennen Leigh – have made their occasional team-ups official with a name and now an album, Wonder Women of Country: Willis, Carper, Leigh, which comes out March 15.

The EP is a triumph, an easygoing demonstration of the enduring appeal of traditional country music in the hands of three masters of their craft. These songs are as traditional as cornbread yet fresh as a still-warm strawberry just off the vine.

The Wonder Women were born of mutual admiration and friendship.

Dec 17

Dec 17 Favorite Albums of 2020

The Amp Staff

Last year seemed like a banner year for releases, but the buzz for 2020 albums, tours and festivals had everyone thrilled for what was to come. No one imagined that all of that would come to a screeching halt in Mid-March when a global pandemic struck. A devastating blow to the performing arts community among so many other small businesses, the education system and the healthcare community. Many musicians had just released or were nearing release dates for their music, but were left unable to tour in support of it. Some chose to delay their releases and others forged on and released albums, EPs and singles anyway. I have a great deal of respect for those that took a gamble and provided us with one of the most important things to help get us through this difficult period. The power of music has continued to bring us together when we can’t join each other like we normally would. Thankfully, social media has allowed the artists to perform livestreams or even just promote their art. It’s allowed the fans to share music and continue to discuss and analyze it. Here at the Amp, we’ve made our own individual lists of our favorite three albums this year to share with our readers. We hope that you’ve listened to some of these amazing artists and their albums, but if not, we hope that you’ll at least give them a listen and perhaps find some new favorites.

Sep 22

Sep 22 Brennen Leigh: Prairie Love Letter

Victoria Scott

Each of us has a story, transcribed by miles on the soles of our boots and woven by years through the sinew of our hearts. Some of us get to share our stories with friends, commiserating over crossed paths. Others, like Brennen Leigh, are talented enough to weave an entire town’s worth of stories through anecdotes of its people. Her new album Prairie Love Letter lays testament to the sweet midwestern heddles serving the loom for common threads in many of our stories. “This is a collection of songs about my childhood home: the line between Western Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota,” Leigh says. “I’ve lived away for eighteen years and been homesick every one of them.”