It was with a skip in my step (and a bit of hay between my teeth) that I headed to The Cave Inn on Saturday, to review Brisbane band Tin Star's single launching Jamboree gig with Canyon Creek and Mt. Morning.

First off, I've never seen so many guitars, lined up in a rowdy row yearning to be played - truly impressive! So what kind of music was playing at this gig? "We got both kinds...we got country AND western."

I'd seen Tin Star's Dan Grant (guitar, vox) performing only a month ago on guitar and backup vocals in Daz Gray's (The Good Ship) new alt country band Canyon Creek. Dan immediately struck me with his guitar prowess and stage presence - big dramatic lunges and gyrations; he works it for the camera big time too, the minx. And I saw Cathy Bell (vox, fiddle, accordian) playing fiddle and singing with Janey Mac (The Good Ship) and Jimi Beavis (Holy Rollercoasters, Jimi Beavis) in Wicked Messenger not long ago too.

Lots of cross pollination with some of my favourite musical people. So it was easy to immediately fall in love with Tin Star on Friday night. That same passion and talent, with a dash of lunges and gyrations. And the sublime three part harmonies the Brisbane trio are renowned for.

But Penny Boys (vox, banjo, trumpet, harmonica) was new to me. A revelation. A heartbreakingly beautiful voice and haunting presence, Boys' soaring vocals meld beautifully with Grant's dulcet tones and Bell's tearful fiddle and accordion to create an epic wall of oozey goodness that makes you tingle all over. Inspired by the music of Greenwich Village, Tin Star's country folk heritage is rich and their musical offspring fecund.

Their new single, The Devil Himself, is a soaringly sinful ballad featuring Bell on fiddle. And their song "Pony's in the Pond" is truly sublime and will break you into a million tiny happy-sad pieces. I definitely got taken back to my childhood heartache from Peter, Paul and Mary's Puff the Magic Dragon.

Canyon Creek was up next and fantastic again on second live-listening. Founder Daz Gray busied himself pumping out 76 incredible country songs in 12 months, before forming Canyon Creek to explore this black gold last year. Now he's absolutely smashing those tunes with Dan of Tin Star, as mentioned, Clint Morrow on bass and harmonica (The Good Ship, Reverb Springs) and Jay Varudo on drums (The Vultures, Albany Expression).

Daz is a genuine troubadour, a storytelling singer-songwriter and a brilliant musician with a voice and presence that feels like home. I'm hugely relieved to see him resume his rightful place on stage serenading us all after a long break. He's got a cracking band together, so keep an eye out for them. Kudos to Jay smashing it out cusping a virus.

Headlining the gig was Indie/Americana band Mt. Morning (featuring members from Suicide Swans) down from Toowoomba to blow our tiny minds! Holy dooley this bad is good. So good, we're heading up the range to see more and meet their T'bar band kin. Best way to describe them is in their own words: "...a band of brothers mining the limits of alt-country, with spikey, Northwest inland indie rock mixed with mellow, Southern-hued country rock."

I'd add to that a harder rockier but undeniably Dylan-esque talky-epic feel to Kyle Jenkins' (lead vox, guitar) vocals. Other members include Kristian, Ben, and Glen but I'm unsure of last names or if they are indeed all brothers. Mt. Morning are a bit on the down low with info.

Their facebook page says that they have a 60s & 70s country sound too, which I wouldn't comment on out of ignorance but is a cool fact to keep in mind. Maybe Daz or Jimi can enlighten me on the mid century country jam.

I definitely heard their 90s Indie rock inspirations though and would have easily rocked out to Mt. Morning at any of the Australian or UK festivals I went to back in the day. I got a clear musical memory of Everclear's Santa Monica at times. Their record label says they're pretty much exploring whatever takes their fancy, so fun adventures abound no doubt as they evolve. This band's got serious skills.

All up three amazing bands! It was a wicked night brimming with some seriously talented southeast Queensland Americana musicians. Like old punks and rockers before us, it seems we all come to country music eventually.

Words and Photo by Élisa 'Mish Mish' Fraser