Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

For those of you that need a refresher, Ameripolitan is the moniker given to “real” country music. It encompasses such categories as honky tonk, outlaw, rockabilly, and western swing. All of the four food groups are represented. These awards are very important because this is the ONLY forum to recognize the men and women that have, and are, dedicating their lives to preserving these forms of music. This isn’t a revivalist movement at all because that would mean that these musical genres went somewhere. Not true. They have been here all along, it just needs to be returned back to the people. 

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Here are the nominees for Rockabilly Group 2018:

The Go Getters Formed in January of 1988, amidst the frozen badlands of Västerås, Sweden, a gang of Vikings decided to heat things up by forming a rockabilly trio. They would call themselves the Go Getters. After 30 years, the ensuing inferno still rages like an oil fire in Texas.

Matt & The Peabody Ducks Hailing from Barcelona, Spain, these three fellas play like gangbusters. The trio is influenced by the likely suspects Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, and Eddie Bond.  Matt & The Peabody Ducks are entering their fifth year in existence and things in 2018 are looking quite promising.

The Kokomo Kings This band is a collaboration of some of Sweden’s and Denmark’s absolute top players. After years of backing a long list of international blues artists like James Harman, Lazy Lester, and Louisiana Red among others, they decided to start a new band and do their own thing.

Don Diego Trio Italy isn’t the first place you think of when it comes to rockabilly music, but it may be in the future. That is the home country of the Don Diego Trio. The sound is a mix of classic rockabilly, sixties country, and honky tonk. The trio’s fourth album, Greetings From Austin, was released in October 2017.

The Twilight Drifters  The Twilight Drifters are one of Northern California’s most exciting and up-and-coming bands. Described as an” American roots music sensation”, the Twilight Drifters follow in the traditions of such artists as Bob Wills, Gene Vincent to Big Joe Turner and Joe Clay to name a few.

Ameripolitan Award Rockabilly Group Playlist