Three Chords and the Truth UK

You only have to scratch the surface of today’s instant digital and online music industry to find some real gems of substance. The advance of genre and sub-genre music continues to gather pace tempting people to make that satisfying switch from consumers to connoisseurs. This debut full length album from Scottish based outfit The David Latto Band is a prime example of how the infused sounds of country, roots and Americana has the potential to permeate the mainstream and raise the stakes of popular music. This self titled ten- track release has been a while in the making but the finished product should be a treasured addition to the collections of those with Trans-Atlantic musical leanings. The band structured around the core of David Latto and Gavin Brady has expertly embraced the arrangements of traditional stringed instruments and interwove them with well written contemplative songs. The result is an amalgam of sensitive ballads and driving acoustic numbers paying homage to the sp...

 Top 10 Gigs of 2012 1 - Terri Clark Glee Club Birmingham To see an ‘A’ list country singer in an intimate setting was a fantastic experience. The announcement to tour was a surprise but Terri lit up the Glee Club with her songs, stories and personality. An evening to be treasured and worthy of top spot for this year. http://threechordsandthetruthuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/terri-clark-glee-club-birmingham.html   2 -   Eve Selis Robin 2 Bilston Eve has toured many times but the combination of a full band, finest album to date and a growing turnout made this a memorable evening. The sound was excellent with Eve’s vibrancy and vocals filling the venue. Excellent support too in Berkely Hart. http://threechordsandthetruthuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/eve-selis-robin-2-bilston-wednesday-4th.html 3 – My Darling Clementine Hare and Hounds Birmingham The album, HOW DO YOU PLEAD grew on me in the second half of the year and the live performance of it by ...

Although The Toy Hearts spend ever increasingly more time on the road, their hometown Christmas show has become a set feature over the years. The Birmingham based band have used several venues around the city to host their festive bash and this year they elected to return to one of their regular haunts. The Hare and Hounds is a lively suburban music venue comprising of a couple of upstairs rooms and, on this busy pre-Christmas evening,   the band had to settle for virtually selling out the smaller, yet still sizeable room.  Georgette Jones      Image not from show In line with other previous hometown shows, The Toy Hearts are keen to share the evening with other like minded acts and on this occasion they persuaded Georgette Jones to join them for a short set. Georgette has family links in the Midlands after marrying Birmingham born pedal steel player Jamie Lennon and couldn’t resist the opportunity for them both to perform on this holiday visit from...

A widespread trait of the UK country scene is the demand for artists to include an abundance of covers in their live shows. While there is certain merit in interpreting the songs of others, the true health of any genre is defined by the creative development of original material Therefore it is commendable when an artist takes this progressive stance and ventures out with a selection of new songs, especially when they themselves have been immersed in the covers scene. On the evidence of this five-track EP titled THIS COWBOY’HEART, Greater Manchester based Irishman Gary Quinn has the talent to carve out a successful career as a credible singer-songwriter, collaborator and artist brave enough to showcase new songs. In line with some of the finest Music Row output, Gary has demonstrated the knack of crafting a well constructed song that sublimely fits so well with the array of instruments providing the authentic country sound. Repeated plays of the opening and title track ‘ This Cowboy...

It has often been mooted that periods of austerity can spawn a burgeoning of creative talent directly involved in capturing the moment of the times in song. Woody Guthrie will always be associated as the voice of the Great Depression while closer to home Weller, Bragg and acts like The Specials rose to prominence as musical commentators on the British economic upheaval of the early eighties. It may be a touch premature to anoint Daniel Pearson as the spokesperson for the ongoing difficulties we are currently enduring but his second album MERCURY STATE is an excellent attempt to define the dark era that continues to blight individual’s lives. Gritty, industrious and unreservedly melancholic, this 9 track 32 minute collection of original material will resonate with many and has the potential to launch a genre of austere, hard hitting singer-songwriter realism. In tune with the times by using minimal production, Daniel has successfully blended a range of guitar and keyboard sounds ...

Having reviewed Laurie Levine’s latest album SIX WINTERS a couple of weeks previously, the opportunity to catch one of her live shows, on this her inaugural UK tour, was not going to be missed. So it was a return to the Bridge House Theatre in Warwick which was also the venue for the first gig of the year in January when they hosted Canadian singer-songwriter, Ruth Moody. The theatre, located within the exclusive Warwick School, has started to showcase a few folk and roots artists with the added bonus of hosting shows on a Friday and Saturday night, evenings which most venues restrict to pop and rock acts. Therefore the scene was set for Laurie and her musical partner, Jessica Lauren to demonstrate live what extremely fine artists they both are. Unfortunately the counter attractions of a December Saturday night impacted upon the turnout but in a positive way the re-location to a makeshift stage in the foyer added to the intimacy of the show and like true professionals both musicians...

Annie Dressner may be a new name to a lot of people but on the evidence of her debut album STRANGERS WHO KNEW EACH OTHER’S NAMES this situation may be soon set to change. This impressive offering from a singer-songwriter who has recently re-located to the UK from her New York home is a collection of enchanting songs that will hook you in from the very start and keep you enraptured throughout its duration. The sound created from Annie’s distinct and unique vocals coupled with the varied musical accompaniment has an alluring wide appeal that will engage with fans right across the spectrum of roots music. Much deliberation about the style has drawn a conclusion to a mix of the orthodoxy of Lucy Wainwright Roche and the distinct sound of Caitlin Rose. Fans of modern folk especially that emanating from the New York scene will find some appeal in the album. There is also a sufficient hint of twang in the sound to engage those who like their Americana music a little less rounded and classi...

Photo not taken at gig With the years advancing, many country music fans have grasped the opportunity to catch the legendary performer Kris Kristofferson on this rare visit to the UK. Although he is now in his 77 th year, the evidence of this sold out show at the elegant Birmingham Town Hall suggests there is still plenty left in the tank. Accompanied only by a single guitar, and being briefly joined on stage by his banjo playing daughter Kelly, the singer-songwriter/actor/legend gave a relentless performance of virtually non-stop hits that captivated an audience determined to savour every moment. The voice may be a little worn but then again that was never one of Kristofferson’s major attributes and probably why so many of his songs were taken to greater heights by others. The guitar playing was a little inconsequential and a mere side dish to the performance but then again much of country music is constructed around the infamous ‘three chords’. However it is that third elemen...

The recently released 2 nd album by Brighton-based band Porchlight Smoker is a wonderful example of how to combine a cross-Atlantic roots sound yet still sound fresh, original and primed to carry the baton of traditional music into the future. The record, given the simple and appropriate title ‘2’, is a comprehensive amalgam of cleverly selected interpretations of existing recordings and self-penned tracks that indicate the positive contribution the quartet of talented musicians can make to this style of music. The essential harmonies required for this sound are in place and combine well with the usual collection of instruments you would expect to find on a roots record. The result is a 14 track album that can be fully embraced by fans of roots music from old time country, through modern Americana to those appreciative of traditional folk from the British Isles. The quartet formed in 2006 is extremely prominent and active especially in the South of England. Along with much of the p...

After spending a number of years in essence serving a country music apprenticeship, Canadian artist Bobby Wills finally believes he has a record that may permeate the mainstream market. However in realisation of how tough it can be to crack the corporate driven Nashville labels and their tight collaboration with country radio, Bobby and his team are prepared to widen their appeal and have included Europe as a target audience for future development. IF IT WAS THAT EASY is in effect the second full length release for Bobby Wills but the team assembled during its production has ensured that the final finished package is a top notch effort with a quality sound that should be the signal to alert the big guns. The album is a straight down the middle good ole country record that has a sufficient modern touch to its creation to sit comfortably amongst the leading lights of the Music Row- centred country music community. At a compact ten tracks long and just shy of 40 minutes running time, B...

For a nation with a sizable portion of their population possessing northern European roots, there is surprisingly little known about the South African music scene that embraces a traditional sound emulating that from both sides of the Atlantic. In the UK, this is about to change as Laurie Levine sets out on a journey to leave the warmth of a southern hemisphere summer and promote her brand of folk/roots to a new but surely appreciative audience about to descend into the long dark northern European winter. On the evidence of this recently released album (new to the UK although debuted in South Africa in 2011), aptly titled SIX WINTERS, the wait for spring may just feel a little shorter as connoisseurs of fine music have a highly accomplished new record to add to their listening collection. While the record draws much of its influence from the American roots music of Appalachia, it would be inappropriate just to label it another Americana release especially for an artist who has mou...

For an artist who has written over 3000 songs and is perennially on the road, you get the distinct impression that Bob Cheevers doesn’t do things in small measures. Therefore it is of little surprise that his latest release sees the veteran performer deciding not to go down the route of recording a straightforward album, instead taking the double option and including 23 tracks split over 2 discs. As expected, SMOKE & MIRRORS is a twin record full of self-penned songs that reflect the observations, wanderings and thoughts of this well-travelled singer-songwriter. For those unaware of the work of Bob Cheevers, take the vocal sound of Willie Nelson and the imagery of Tom Russell and you start to get to the crux of what this troubadour is all about. Raised in Memphis on a diet of Presley and Cash, graced the mainstream of 60’s LA, lulled into the industry mechanics of Nashville before finally settling in the creative hotpot of Austin, Texas, Cheevers has well and truly lived the Ame...

Throughout her career, Tift Merritt has always come across as an artist with an independent streak. Not one to be tied down, the North Carolina born singer-songwriter has numbered France and New York City amongst her places of residence and frequently has not been in a position to be dictated to by major labels. This hasn’t prevented her from recording four previously acclaimed albums that have all possessed the promise of her ultimately becoming one of the most influential exponents of female singer-songwriter Americana music. With this background, the title and themes to the newly released 5 th studio album TRAVELING ALONE are subtly appropriate especially as the project was initiated without any label in place. This has been corrected by hooking up with Yep Roc Records and together they have a fabulous set of songs for Tift to continue her progression to esteemed levels. While the experiences of the songs reflect her inner thoughts, it has been far from a lonely adventure and Ti...

The band in full flow at the quaint Kitchen Garden Cafe While Polly and the Billets Doux are a band that doesn’t court any specific genre loyalty, having witnessed one of their live shows they are definitely an act to look out for if your interest lies within roots music with an Americana tinge. Armed with a couple of EPs and a debut album, the band has steadily been making inroads into the industry with their own brand of stripped down melodic music. Led by the enchanting vocals of Polly Perry, the band successfully manages to dovetail the rhythmic tones of light percussion and double bass with an interchange of acoustic and electric guitar. This blend of string-based sounds perfectly supplements their collection of strongly constructed songs that are equally enjoyable either on record or in a live setting. Having been initiated in the delights of their recordings, there was little doubt that they would be effortlessly transported and embraced by the brickwork acoustics of the K...

Photo not taken at gig The fact that Matraca Berg has fully rehabilitated her creative talents and is writing exceptionally well crafted country songs again is welcome news to lovers of this music right across the globe. Those in the UK have the added benefit of Matraca now actively promoting her material over here with a long awaited headline solo tour to build on the success of her valuable contribution to the Wine, Women and Song project. Although there was a decade- long wait for an album of newly recorded material after 1999’s LYING TO THE MOON AND OTHER STORIES, the brace of recent releases has presented Matraca with the perfect set of songs to raise her UK profile as a performer in her own right and not just a Hall of Fame songwriter who the cream of 90’s Nashville regularly turned to for material. This short eight-date tour saw Matraca return to some of the venues she has shared with Gretchen Peters and Suzy Bogguss on her previous trips, but the turnout on this Sunday e...