Three Chords and the Truth UK

The Black Feathers have spent the last couple of years garnering a positive reputation on the gig circuit both in the UK and the US. While the importance of getting your music out live to existing and potentially new fans cannot be understated, serious progress can only be achieved when dates are supplemented with a physical release. The Gloucestershire based duo have now rectified this omission from their offering with a tantalising short collection of songs rich in the influence of a sound successfully blending the subtleties of English folk and rural Appalachia. STRANGERS WE MEET is a striking assortment of beautifully crafted songs brought to life by the gorgeous harmonies of Sian Chandler and Ray Hughes. The twin vocals and solitary guitar of Hughes no doubt give the songs a sparser sound in their intimate gig surroundings but the guys have just about got the balance right for the recorded versions with an agreeable addition of various acoustic and electrified instruments. ...

Photo by Sean Redmond There was an air of changeover surrounding this final leg of a series of shows featuring father and son artists Blair Dunlop and Ashley Hutchings. The theme of this wonderful arrangement sees Ashley gradually relinquish the steering by providing more of a supporting role as Blair continues on the road of fulfilling his prodigious talent. The sonnets, poetry, literary recitals, stories and bass playing created a backdrop for Blair to display the determination and skill to forge ahead in his own career. As well as a touch of family baton passing, Blair himself is in the process of moving away from his excellent BLIGHT AND BLOSSOM album and switching focus to a new record due out in May. Blair has had no better guiding light than a father steeped in English folk rock heritage and has been at the forefront of a movement for now approaching nearly fifty years. Any Ashley Hutchings stage appearance is going to bring up re-collections of Fairport Convention and ...

The wealth of Canadian singer-song writing artists who regularly tour the UK certainly add a perceptive richness to the local live music scene. The lyrics, themes, stories and general musical prowess have a captivating aura to ensure any investment of money or time in acquainting yourself with their art form is more than adequately rewarded. Sitting very comfortably amongst the latest crop of exporting Canadian talent is Annabelle Chvostek who has returned to our shores once again to promote her latest release RISE. Having giving this record a favourable review nearly a year ago, I can gladly report that the live show is more than an equal to her impressive recorded output. Many will recall Annabelle as part of the esteemed folk trio the Wailin Jennies but in the last few years she has concentrated on producing work as a solo artist albeit with many contributing accompaniments. The material for this evening’s twin sets was almost entirely drawn from her brace of post-Jennies reco...

The challenge to understand and interpret the style of Lindi Ortega is a fruitful mission for music connoisseurs as she continues to unveil a wealth of optimum material. Her third release TIN STAR wooed critics at the tail end of last year and on the evidence of this performance, the live show has taken a significant step forward. With a similar size gig twelve months ago as the benchmark, Lindi succeeded in raising the stakes in her own inimitable way. There is an appealing complexity to her style that ranges from a little dark to a degree of musical orthodoxy. The left field undercurrent that guides her interpretation of country music is purely for the open minded but the virtue of her song writing and simplistic approach to musical arrangement has created a special talent. The hiring of Champagne James Robertson to undertake accompanying guitar duties and the addition of Alex Cox on percussion enhanced the sound production along with a switch of location for this tour from the ...

Over the last decade and half, The Gourds have been one of many prominent bands who have made Austin Texas the cultural epicentre of alt-country. Even if they aren’t the most well-known name in the UK, there have been numerous mentions of them on the Bob Harris BBC Country Show. However in the first couple of months of 2014, UK audiences will get the chance to acquaint themselves with one of the splinter projects while the band takes a hiatus. This is due to, for second time in the last few years, band leader Kevin Russell galvanising his Shinyribs project to bring a collection of nine newly recorded songs to fruition. GULF COAST MUSEUM is the title of the album and it is being released by Nine Mile Records who were responsible last year for bringing us Rebecca Pronsky and Anders and Kendall. Russell, a stalwart of the Austin music scene, has used the Shinyribs platform as an outlet for his prolific song writing, although for this release he has limited the content to just eigh...

Just as some of the output from the media anointed bro-country movement can court controversy, the same applies at the other end of the spectrum with the explosion of roots oriented folk-pop-rock. There is always going to be unease when such a sound permeates the mainstream big style and the potential to drift away from its ideals heightens. Yet surely there is much merit in the future health of the banjo, double bass, mandolin and other assorted acoustic instruments when artists such as Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers attract a vast level of interest. Amongst those bands with an opportunity to ride this crest of a wave, and feed from the spin offs, is a Texas based duo known simply as The O’s.  Although they have had some presence away from their Dallas home, especially in Europe, The O’s have made a significant development in the UK market by arranging a formal release of their third album THUNDERDOG via Glasgow’s esteemed label Electric Honey. The impetus from this arra...

The name Sturgill Simpson first came to my notice when he was included in Grady Smith’s infamous list of the 10 Best Country Albums of 2013 in the influential US publication Entertainment Weekly. While Grady had to deal with the industry onslaught about its content, the alternative opportunity for me when scouring this list was to check out the unfamiliar artist amongst a stellar bunch of selections. Well the good news comes in threes as first, HIGH TOP MOUNTAIN is an excellent album, secondly Sturgill Simpson is visiting us very soon for dates and the esteemed UK label Loose Music have taken over the reins of giving the record its European release. It is pretty easy to deduce from this introduction that Sturgill Simpson does not conform to the current requirements of male artists from the country music elite but that never deterred Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and more recently Dale Watson from creating their own niche with a sound true to their ideals. Simpson s...

January is notoriously a quiet month for gigs especially as dates from touring artists don’t normally kick in until the latter days of it. However there is no better way to fill this void than to seek out a local act who are striving to raise their profile amongst the plethora of bands plying their trade on the pub circuit. So it’s with great delight to introduce the Shropshire based quartet Moonshine Runners and to kick off this third year of live reviews with a band who, through a combination of inventive covers and excellent originals, harness a sound that perfectly fits their catchphrase of ‘from hoedown to harmony’. In essence the band extracts their influence from a cocktail of primarily Americana sources tipping their hat along the way to the fine purveyors of both country and folk rock, all laced with a drizzle of authentic roots. Their highly entertaining and exhilarating live show is a melange of democratic instrumental and vocal interchangeability. Leads getting tangled...

On the couple of occasions I have come across Texan performer Lincoln Durham in the past, he has been beset by difficulties out of his control. Firstly, venue technical issues dogged his set in Birmingham nearly eighteen months ago then twelve months later a red tape travel issue saw his follow up UK tour cancelled. Yet having been captivated by his raw passion, dedication and energetic approach to music, Lincoln Durham is an artist that remains lodged in the good memory section of my mind. The good news from deep in the heart of Texas is that Lincoln is in fine fettle as his sophomore album EXODUS OF THE DEEMED UNRIGHTEOUS is about to get its formal UK release. Lincoln takes his brand of roots rock literally as witnessed during his live show and it’s reassuring to know that his pride and joy, the cigar box guitar complete with broomstick handle, makes an appearance in the track ‘ Annie Departee’ . In fact the whole record is one of improvised experimentation as vintage Samsonite ...

Throughout her lengthy career in music, Beth Nielsen Chapman has garnered enough respect, credibility among her peers and lavish praise to be allowed a little self-indulgence. However when the result is as exquisite as UNCOVERED, the latest addition to her back catalogue, then the pleasure has well and duly been planted within the minds of the listener. On the back of a Grammy nomination for her most recent album, a collection of children’s songs titled MIGHTY RED SKY, Beth has re-visited a selection of sculptured tracks that she had either a partial or complete control of their composition but for a variety of reasons never got round to recording herself. Not that the songs were left in a cupboard, as seven of them earned number one status and were chosen by a very high calibre of artists from both the country world and those of a contemporary adult persuasion. The line-up of musicians that Beth enlisted the services of reflects her standing on both sides of the Atlantic ranging ...