Three Chords and the Truth UK

Photo not taken at gig The concluding moments of this gig went a long way to defining the current state of Nell Bryden’s career. The magnitude of the last few whirlwind months for the New York based singer-songwriter was encapsulated in the first encore song ‘ Sirens ’. This anthemic power ballad lifted from her latest album SHAKE THE TREE has proved the catalyst for the wider exposure she has enjoyed in greater mainstream radio play and being chosen to open for Gary Barlow in his recent extensive sold out UK tour. The origins of this song also exemplify the fortitude Nell has had to develop throughout her career from eventually writing about her personal experience of 9/11 to coming to terms with her hair loss. The emotion of ‘ Sirens’ was almost upstaged with the closing number as Nell tempted the near sell-out Hare and Hounds crowd to seize the moment and re-enact the spirit of ‘ Shake the Tree .’ Although there were signs of some self admitted weariness as Nell entered t...

As the first, and hopefully last, of the winter snow melted away, the time finally arrived, after a month’s break, for the 2013 gig season to commence. The Ort Café is a relative newcomer to the Birmingham live music scene and this small community based arts venue is aiming to provide an outlet for up and coming acoustic artists, amongst its many other cultural activities. It possesses a similar ethos to other small venues located within the neighbouring suburbs of Moseley and Kings Heath, and thus providing a focal point in the often decried and misunderstood Balsall Heath area, barely a mile or so from the city centre. Annie Dressner  The purpose of this initial visit to the venue was to catch two fine singer-songwriter artists who impressed with their debut releases last year and had favourable features on this site. Annie Dressner originates from New York but now resides in Cambridge, UK and had included the gig in a short tour around the UK to co-promote her current f...

Dale Watson has always taken an admirable stance on his country music beliefs and the genre has been enriched by this stalwart purveyor of the traditional sound. There was a brief flirtation with the Nashville hierarchy many years ago but in all honesty this was never going to work and the ensuing years has seen the prolific adopted Texan remain true to his integrity. Hot on the heels of 2010’s CARRYIN’ ON’ and 2011’s SUN SESSIONS, the honky tonk warrior has gone back to the studio and the result is EL RANCHO AZUL, another fourteen track album that covers all the bases of the trademark Dale Watson sound. The objectives of this recording are merely to whisk you off to a Texas dance hall and intoxicate you in a sound that while harking back to a traditional era is still very much alive in today’s Lone Star juke joints such as the Broken Spoke in Austin and Ginny’s where Watson is an institution. His backing band, The Lone Stars, return to play on a record that is a pick n’ mix o...

Americana spiced music has been blessed with some wonderful male-female duets over the years. Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons were influential at the outset of the alt-country movement while The Civil Wars have recently wooed audiences on both sides of the Nashville divide. It’s a touch premature to anoint Anders and Kendall as the next big thing but their debut album is a welcome addition to the scene and sure to be well received by fans of this genre. WILD CHORUS is the debut release from the creative artistry of Anders Parker and Kendall Meade, a duo who have consistently worked together for many years though, until now, refraining from going the full distance and producing the ultimate duet recording. Austin based label Nine Mile Records have backed this project which was recorded in the Knoxville based studio of producer Scott Minor that also provided the inspiration for the name of the record. Throughout the eleven original tracks that make up this album, Anders and Ken...

There is a school of thought that music should only be classified into two types; good and bad or that which you like and that which you don’t. However for those genre junkies out there, here’s a new one to throw into the mix. Take the sincerity of country, the classical interpretation of folk, add a touch of the resolute realism of urban rock, sprinkle the minimalist approach of roots music and the result is a new genre hypothetically unveiled as ‘Urban Twang’. This is the perfect classification for those who consider the singer-songwriter genre to be too simplistic and Americana one too vague. While the opening gambit of this review can be construed as a touch pretentious, all the factors indicated are the essential ingredients in the new album ONLY DAUGHTER from New York based singer-songwriter Rebecca Pronsky. This is her third release under the Nine Mile Records label and one that she can be very proud of. Coming quite quickly after 2011’s VIEWFINDER, Rebecca has continued t...

One of the great pleasures of coming across travelling singer-songwriters is the enlightening stories that accompany their songs which often form an integral part of their live performances. Belfast born artist Andy White has taken this one step further with his latest release by including a combination of songs and narrations spaced across a two-disc set. The real inspiration behind the release is to adapt his 2009 book of the album’s same title 21 st CENTURY TROUBADOUR. The stories disc comprises of Andy reading extracts of his travelling memoirs set to background music, a poetry adaption from his 2011 book STOLEN MOMENTS and an eponymous track appropriately titled ‘ 21 st Century Troubadour’ . The striking, poignant and often humorous observations of a transient life very much on the peripheral of rock ‘n roll are designed to take the listener on that journey and succeeds in capturing your attention for its almost hour-long duration. The most memorable part of the narratio...

2013 is shaping up to be a sensational year for fans of Canadian folk music in the UK. Amongst others, Ruth Moody, Cara Luft, Old Man Luedecke and the Good Lovelies are all scheduled to visit these shores over the next few months but first out of the block is the alluring singer-songwriter Amelia Curran. A UK tour kicks off later this month with Amelia, a previous recipient of a prestigious Juno award,   using the visit to promote her new album SPECTATORS. This is the sixth release from an artist committed to bringing the sounds from the outpost of Canada’s north eastern provinces to a wider audience. The St John’s born – Halifax based Amelia has followed the style of her previous releases with SPECTATORS offering the usual aggregation of enchanting tales, profound lyrics and a mellifluous sound. This unmistakable offering of distinct Canadian folk music displays the light of difference between it and that of its British counterparts. This is primarily down to the genuine vocal...

The stock of Texan artist Carrie Rodriguez is set to rise as she continues to reap the benefits of her rich musical heritage and the influences she has been exposed to. After a period of interpreting the songs of others with 2008’s LOVE AND CIRCUMSTANCE   and the 2011 duet EP with Ben Kyle WE STILL LOVE OUR COUNTRY, Carrie has re-ignited her song writing skills in this eleven-track new release, the Lee Townsend-produced GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT. The exemplary fiddle work that has been the signature sound of Carrie since the early days of her classical upbringing is still very much in evident as she continues to explore the world of Americana music with a host of talented collaborators. As per usual, her mentor, the legendary Chip Taylor ( Wild Thing, Angel of the Morning ), continues to be a guiding light for Carrie. As well as supplying a brace of his own compositions’, he assisted Carrie in the writing of the two opening songs, which help shape a very strong album. The first of th...