Three Chords and the Truth UK

In the year of yet another extensive visit by the Boss, his influence continues to embed itself in guitar based music right across the spectrum. On the back of Eric Church’s ‘ Springsteen ’, Clubhouse Records Nebraska Sessions and even a folk cover of ‘ Dancing in the Dark’ by Ruth Moody, Jay Leighton name checks New Jersey’s finest in the stand out track from his exceptionally well put together debut album. True, this record gets off to a cracking start with the classic, optimistic and upbeat number ‘ Wish I Was Springsteen ’ but while this fabulous song sets such a high standard, the rest of HOURS doesn’t disappoint. In this release that sees Jay rejuvenate his passion for music, the singer-songwriter/guitarist from Bradford draws on all his influences to hone in a sound that endorses factions of indie pop rock as well as tipping its hat to pioneers of the alt-country/Americana movement. In fact the Americana UK website promoted ‘ Don’t Look Back’ as the headline track on its...

Rose during her acoustic set Six months after discovering the amazing talent of Rose Redd at a Birmingham Arts festival, an opportunity was presented to catch her debut headline show and check out the progress of this Midlands-based singer-songwriter’s fledgling music career. In the subsequent months since that discovery, Rose has finally been able to put out a release and continues to ply her trade on the Midlands music circuit as well as having an eye on some ambitious opportunities to pursue commercial success. During this evening, the cellar bar of Katie Fitzgerald’s pub in Stourbridge hosted Rose and gave her the inaugural opportunity to play live two – 45 minute sets. While there was no doubting that the raw ingredients were in place after first witnessing her, the development in this intervening period has been immense and we certainly have a very accomplished performer in our midst. Flawless and immaculate are fairly strong superlatives to be attached to the vocal del...

Occasionally, you attend a gig when the marketing hasn’t gone quite the way it was supposed to and through no fault of the artist the missing element is an audience (well one of meaningful numbers anyhow). Yet it is amazing how many times the artist being witnessed composes themselves and turns in a memorable performance. This was my introduction to the wonderful music of Eileen Rose a few years back when a tour of the country’s soulless Barfly venues didn’t quite go as planned. On that evening Eileen was promoting her AT OUR TABLES album which was also followed up by LUNA TURISTA a year later in 2009. After re-locating to Nashville, and immersing her world into the Silver Threads honky tonk project, Eileen Rose is now back as a recording artist and, as a prelude to her upcoming new album, she has released a stripped down collection of songs appropriately titled BONES. This gritty back to basics album comprises of six carefully selected favourites from her back catalogue and four...

Cam Penner is an artist I first came across several years ago when he supported a gig by alt-country troubadours the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. While his name keeps cropping up in various publications, it has to be admitted that not a lot of his material has been listened to. So being presented with the opportunity to review this album gave me a chance to re-acquaint myself with his work. TO BUILD A FIRE is the seventh release by this Canadian artist who prior to launching his recording career in 2002 immersed himself in a life far away from comfortable suburbia. The experiences gained from viewing life from the less salubrious side have proved a creative tap to this singer-songwriter and the albums have come fairly frequently over the ensuing years. It is probably best to describe Cam Penner as a folk experimentalist and he is certainly an acquired antidote to simple roots music. However if you can tap into his wavelength, rich pickings are there to be enjoyed. All ten tra...

Emily and Fiddes in full flow 2013 is shaping up to be an exceptional year for outstanding female singer-songwriter output. Across the pond Kacey Musgraves and Ashley Monroe are raising the bar in Music City while closer to home an album emerged earlier this year that was a blueprint to how a transatlantic record should be made. The review on this site referred to Emily Baker’s ALL AT SEA as a ‘brief glimpse of acoustic heaven’ and it is with great delight that an opportunity was grasped to hear a near-full live rendition of this fine album. The Lazy Sunday Songwriter’s Sessions is a new venture by Birmingham based American artist Lobelia Lawson to showcase acoustic original talent in the intimate Tower of Song venue located in a south west Birmingham suburb. There was no finer guest to launch this series than for Lobelia and husband Steve to invite their colleague Emily Baker up from Brighton with her regular musical collaborator Fiddes Smith. Over the duration of this speci...

It may have been a couple of years since The Good Lovelies last studio album but promising news has arrived that a new set of songs are in the pipeline for a possible early 2014 release. However those impatient for their fix of this talented Canadian trio have the added bonus of this live release and a summer UK visit to look forward to in the meantime. Recorded live in Toronto towards the end of last year, the band have managed to capture the magic that has made their live gigs treasured events and a flavour of the shows UK fans enjoyed last spring. In self producing this live album, The Good Lovelies (Kerrie Ough, Sue Passmore and Caroline Brooks) have selected thirteen tracks and interspersed them with three anecdotal inserts that I believe were shared with many audiences on the last tour. However to enhance the sound quality, they invited three session musicians to join them for these recording shows with Paul Mathew (bass), Les Cooper (guitar/percussion) and Christine Bougie...

Before a mini rant is underway, let’s get the facts out on the table. Jess Klein is a fantastic singer-songwriter whose blend of country-folk captures perfectly the fusion of thoughtful lyrics, tuneful melodies and a voice to match the very best of Austin’s roots scene. The absolute crime was that she remained Birmingham’s  best kept secret on this spring Wednesday evening. This is not to denounce the Ort Café which hosted Jess and guitar picking sidekick Bill Masters but how on earth the second city’s Americana music community didn’t give her a more populous welcome is a sad state of affairs. The truth is this community is disjointed and thus talented touring artists continue to bypass the area. So there was at least some consolation in that Jess was invited, leading to an extremely intimate show which still was a treasure to behold. In the decade since the career was launched in her native US north east, Jess has rubbed shoulders with some much vaunted icons of Americana mu...

Not taken at gig Some great music is emerging on either side of the Atlantic where artists draw their creative influences from those roots cousins of folk and country. While we are currently enjoying a fruitful period of US and Canadian visitors expertly practising this craft, it would be remiss to not champion the fine British artists who can give their transatlantic peers a run for their money. Another name to add to this growing list, if you are not already acquainted, is Norwich based singer-songwriter Jess Morgan. Over the duration of two albums and a newly released EP, Jess has already earned acclaim and a growing list of admirers for a style of acoustic music that successfully blends some traditional elements of music with a rootsy vocal style that drifts the sound westwards. The majestic melodies of Jess’s well constructed original material are sophisticated in content yet uncomplicated in delivery. Her appetite to take these songs on the road has led to Jess extensiv...

Let me introduce you to the amazing talent of Chastity Brown who is set to unleash her brand of American roots music on the UK market with this debut release and a full tour in September. As the title BACK-ROAD HIGHWAYS suggests this is a record born and bred away from big metropolitan cities as Chastity soaked up her influences from New Hampshire through the rich heritage of Tennessee via Appalachia before surfacing in her new Minneapolis base. The sound reflects a melting pot of soul, blues, folk and gospel to carry the torch of Leadbelly into a contemporary world where boundaries are blurred but containing an articulate fan base looking for new ways of capturing the past. The endearing feature of the album is how the guitar, banjo, harmonica, bass, percussion and organ wrap their roots sounds around the sultry and occasionally gravelly vocals of Chastity in a multitude of laid back jazz like tunes that meander around your mind. The mesmeric feel to the listening experience is ...

Woody Fest 2011 Photo Credit: Vicki Farmer The name John Fullbright may not be well known in the UK but this is set to change in the near future as the exposure of this exceptional singer-songwriter considerably widens. Despite being in his formative artistic years, the maturity displayed by this Oklahoma based talented performer is incredible in what has been a relatively short recording career. On the back of a Grammy nomination for Best Americana album, where sharing the limelight with eventual winner Bonnie Raitt was no mean feat, John’s UK visit has led to a Jools Holland Later slot, a session with Bob Harris and a series of well attended dates. Established promoters Cosmic American’s decision to schedule John at the Nottingham Glee club was rewarded with a fairly healthy midweek turnout and those present were royally entertained with an hour and half of pure Americana. Accompanied by the widely respected Terry Ware on Telecaster, who has had a long association with Ray ...

Over the weekend of 5 th , 6 th and 7 th July, a select group of excellent Americana artists from either side of the 'Big Pond' will assemble once again in the rural and agricultural setting of Easton Farm Park in deepest Suffolk. The laid back ambience and wholesome feel to the event can often belie the depth of quality emanating from the makeshift stages. The mainstream music industry is invited but they come on the terms of the festival’s ideals. Many of the acts have a substance that outweighs their perceived standing but compliance is not on the agenda. So welcome to Part 1 of the 2013 Maverick Festival preview. This is the first of a trio of articles looking at some of the artists booked for this year. The structure is going to be geographical so stay tuned for the UK and the US, but first up is the 2013 Canadian contingent. With the festival usually falling fairly near the July 1 st Canada Day celebrations, artists sometimes combine their trip with the Trafalg...

If you can close your eyes and visualise a bygone age of juke joints, box car hopping hobos and an air filled with roots inspired travelling music, there might just be a character in the corner mythically known as Woody Pines plying his trade with a solitary resonator and harmonica. This bout of imagery will be enhanced by lending your ear for half an hour to the unashamedly retro sound of RABBITS’ MOTEL, the fourth album by that very person central to your imagination. The delightful Twitter bio for Woody succinctly states ‘American Boogie, Halloween, Viper Jazz and Indi-folk – Nashville, Tennessee’. Well you can add a host of other old time genre classifications to this record, although perhaps the place of residence should just simply state ‘the highways, byways and rail tracks of quintessential USA’. Woody Pines has teamed up with, playing and writing companion, Felix Hatfield to compose eight original numbers leaving two songs the source of that most prolific songwriter ...

Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell If you are in the ever decreasing circle of music fans not yet acquainted with the delights of Larkin Poe then reading on is essential. Likewise if you are in their ever increasing band of admirers then reading on is also advisable as this continually evolving group will never let you rest on your laurels. The girls use their indie status to set their own agenda and it’s a breathless but highly rewarding experience to keep track of them. From the initial bluegrass inspired Lovell Sisters material, the journey for Rebecca and Megan continues to hurtle through country, folk, pop and a little bit of rock, all having that Larkin Poe stamp of expertise. This short, date-wise, UK stint of a more expansive European tour started with a celebrated invitation to flank fellow state of Georgia native Kristian Bush in front of a packed O2 Arena at the Country-2-Country Festival in London. The subsequent dates on from that exalting experience have been markedly...

If the Stone Roses had took themselves off to America and explored the roots of alt country instead of splitting in the mid 90’s then this album would have emerged a lot sooner. Their guitars may have been more refined and an element of twang added but the celestial melodies would have launched the sound into a new stratosphere. In his guise as the driving force behind Co-Pilgrim, Mike Gale has produced an absorbing mix of indie, alt-country, folk, rock and Americana to create a masterpiece in A FAIRER SEA. Thus that sound that didn’t materialise nearly twenty years ago is now available for us to treasure. The title suggests a notion of calm waters and this is certainly a release that you can drift away to with all its visions of idyllic summer days amidst a delicate and dreamy sound that smothers your senses in a satisfying manner. The blend of guitar driven melodies with tender, subtle twang is the album’s appealing feature and Mike Gale himself revealed that the lyrical content of...