Three Chords and the Truth UK

With the number of times seeing Otis Gibbs live now approaching double figures, it is a fair statement to make that you know what you’re going to get. It can also be construed that it is a style met with approval and one which reaches to the core of the artist-audience connection process. On his website Otis makes a vivid point about music solely revolving around the creative output and the experiencing input with everything else being an artificial filter. Observing Otis live many times, intently listening to his soundbites and generally following his career, you get a deep understanding of his stance and sense of personal outlook towards an art form that has taken him from planting 7176 trees to being fortunate to consistently travel overseas to share his music. Those who have also seen Otis live several times, and he certainly presents opportunities to do so on his extensive tours, will take more than a passing interest in the evolution of his storytelling as this Birmingham ...

Take the famous quote ‘You don’t find love, it finds you’, alter the object to good music and the new album from Hannah Miller will cross your path. This release popped up from left field to my attention, displays all the credentials of that side of the music fence and will totally transfix those who fall victim to its predatory instinct. Losing yourself in the hypnotic indulgence of the record for forty minutes is no bad place to disappear for a few moments and we can all do with a little ‘me time' in this hectic world. This album rarely changes gear, but enticingly finds that perfect groove to idle away those lazy summer evenings or seek warmer solace in colder times. Wrapped up in a raw package, the haunting vocals of Hannah match the astutely balanced musical background with a stunning equalising effect. It was of little surprise to learn that her life has revolved around the southern states of Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee as that gothic tendency that you associat...

Some artists play country music by numbers and follow the text book without exposing any soul. Others play it instinctively and it’s solidly embedded in their DNA. Angaleena Presley is definitely in the latter camp and exudes every ounce of her Kentucky coal mining upbringing in her craft. In a career which has had a steep upwards trajectory in recent times, Angaleena has finally taken the bold step to meet her growing overseas fan base on their own turf, or to be more accurate undertake a short UK tour. The Night and Day Café, in Manchester’s cultural Northern Quarter, hosted the second date on this visit and a well populated gathering in this slightly elongated-designed venue saw close at hand a finely tuned songwriter sharing her wares in a relaxed intimate setting. For many years Angaleena pitched her songs like many Nashville based aspiring songwriter before experiencing a career launching break as part of the popular country female collaborative project the Pistol Annies....

It is now pushing three years since Vera Van Heeringen launched her solo recording career with 2012’s STANDING TALL and finally the follow up is here in all its finesse and glory. The highly accurate title PROPER BREW bestows a record rich in the core ingredients of fine music, blended to perfection with the addition of an established list of players and a broad offering of instrumentation. Guided by Vera’s strong writing and deep rooted beautiful vocals, the record calls at all ports of country, folk, Americana and roots to offer a taste of everything to distinguished followers of cool music. As suggested by the surname, Vera has her roots in the lowlands of continental Europe, but is now firmly established in the hills of North Wales. Various Transatlantic excursions have led to acquaintances with performers such as Dirk Powell and Tim O’Brien with both featuring on some part of the album. From the folk world this side of the pond, Kris Drever, Sam Sweeney and Neil McSweeney a...

Whether you consider them the blueprint for a maturing punk band or require a template to inject driving rock into an aspiring country band, Jason and the Scorchers is still a vivid reminder of how two worlds can collide for a dramatic effect. Sizzling electricity, flowing humility and fervent appreciation were just three features to describe their latest visit to the Musician in Leicester, which proudly displayed the ‘sold out’ board in the run up to this fabulous Friday night gig. Without the need for a support act on this occasion, Jason and his latest band of Scorchers flushed out thirty five years of material over the course of two and a half hours full of energy and devoid of any of the hindrances of time. The cemented love between spectacular lead guitarist Warner E. Hodges and humble frontman Jason Ringenberg was in unrelenting mode as their chemistry is core to the Scorchers buzz and has been for many years. Warner effortlessly moves between country and rock licks with...

The badge of Grammy nominated band is a proud one to possess and Della Mae wear theirs with great pride as they pursue the path of wider recognition. However this path is made a lot smoother when you’re one of the hottest bluegrass bands around, although Della Mae add loads more to the tag of that particular music style with a full on live show exploring many facets of the roots spectrum. Quite simply they have to be one of the strongest acts to make their UK debut this year and without a shadow of doubt, music followers will instantly fall in love with their infectious and outstanding live show which made a fleeting but memorable visit to The Musician in Leicester. Celia Now the owner of three impressive albums following the recent release of their self-titled latest effort, this five piece combo may spread themselves across the States in location, but when in unison they effortlessly twist the natural talent from the ingredient pool into a spectacular concoction of roots mu...

It was the night Robert’s Western World from Lower Broadway Nashville descended onto a small music venue in the back streets of Leicester city centre. This may be stretching the imagination a little in terms of literal translation, but the spirit of the honky tonk was alive and kicking in the stage act of Sarah Gayle Meech at The Musician. Fresh from her residency at one of Music City’s premier night time tourist attractions, and on the back of cutting her second record, Sarah Gayle has jumped at the opportunity to export her bold and brash style of country music overseas. The British part of this European adventure mainly sees her talents captured by the nation’s northern club scene; although there was added excitement as she ventured south to illuminate one of the Midlands established listening venues for touring Americana and country acts. To phrase a couple of words from the modernist vocabulary, Sarah Gayle was ‘stoked’ and ‘hyped’ to be playing a stage previously graced by ...

You should never underestimate the enduring appeal of Mary Chapin Carpenter and the loyalty of her UK fan base. There may not have been a new record to promote, but a near-packed out Birmingham Town Hall showed oodles of love to the widely acclaimed singer-songwriter as she returned to the city after a couple of years break. Admittedly the lack of new material did not duly concern a majority of the audience as they enthusiastically applauded the intro to many of Mary’s old favourites. In fairness, Mary has kept in touch with the city since her last headline appearance at the same venue. This included slots at the neighbouring Symphony Hall with the Transatlantic Sessions and a joint intimate show with Shawn Colvin. However this time, the sole spotlight was on a thirty year recording career, of which a serious chunk took place on the mainstream stage. Whatever Mary has done in her career, acclaim has followed and the most recent bout was her Songs from the Movie project which hit UK ...

Spiralling out of left field with startling effect is the new record from English singer-songwriter Megan Henwood. HEAD, HEART, HAND is the title of this second album from Megan, who is now beginning to fulfil the promise of the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award which was bestowed upon her and brother, Joe. It is also an appropriate strapline for a performer of Megan’s nature and reveals an artist prepared to stretch out from convention in striking a serious chord for originality. An album of many redeeming features, its strongest selling point is an impulsive knack of grabbing your attention, certainly not a bad trait to incorporate into an album. Musically, this record is vibrant and keeps you on your toes for its entire duration, whether through mid-song tempo switches or superior moments of orchestral splendour.  It is also underpinned by Megan’s quintessentially English vocals which float between a whispering softness to a more profound starkness. Thematically, it ranges ...

If SOUTHEASTERN was the ladder to self-actualisation, then SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE is the platform at the peak. Not that it is easy or wise to compare the latest two albums of Jason Isbell as they were written in separate phases of his life. However the new album’s title, and subsequent track, takes a philosophical look at freedom and questions whether we all need something more than its absolute format. This is just one of many fascinating facets from an outstanding and regal album that sees Isbell seal his position as the pre-eminent songwriter in American music. This peak that SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE has taken Jason Isbell to is a state of personal satisfaction where he can gaze back at the ups and downs of the past and visualise a limitless future on the road to song writing immortality. While focussing more on the immediate present, the new record sees Isbell at his southern best throwing in a bit of country, soul and good honest rock into a singer-song writing pit awash ...

The immortality of song is no more highlighted than when sadly the great architects are removed from us far too early. While centuries ago the old folk songs were passed down the line by word of mouth, at least Jackie Leven and Townes Van Zandt lived in the era of the multi-dimensional recording. It is not uncommon for a post humus surge in popularity and appreciation, with a lengthy list of protagonists too numerous to mention. Perhaps free of the demons which inhabited his life, the presence of Townes since his untimely passing in 1997, continues to thrive leading ultimately to influential status. He is a must listen-to artist for every aspiring songwriter wanting to move and shake in country, folk and Americana circles with an infinite capacity to dig deeper for the eternal sad soulful song. There may have been a vast ocean between their lands of activity, but while Jackie Leven also departed too soon, he also left a massive vault of legacy-laden songs which will keep the ...

The Other Half is a slice of Americana spiralling out of the music into the gritty realism of real life, real bars and the notion that occasionally a dream evaporates into a sense of reality. The spoken word, the written word and the poetically sung word entwine in a tale of nostalgia, intrigue and hope as the songs of My Darling Clementine merge seamlessly with the prose of top fiction author Mark Billingham. This is not your usual format for ‘three chords and the truth’, but it’s a wonderful take on the concept and will keep your ears glued to a listening device as the montage of collaborative art unveils. Prior to this single hour-long recording hitting the stores there were two key moments to ignite the eternal flame, or a little less pompous, a collectable souvenir of the time two factions of the arts world met with such ethereal effect. You only needed a single listen to My Darling Clementine’s debut album HOW DO YOU PLEAD to identify the conceptual potential and let the i...

It won’t take long to tune into the musical sentiments of Anna Laube, or to be more precise exactly the 31 minutes running time of her self-titled third album. While not being a vast investment of your valuable time, the rewards are extensive, as a seductive and homely songwriter unravels between your ears with a careful selection of tunes primed in a feast of fundamental folk and lustful Americana. If background information is an integral part of your musical appreciation, the wanderlust status of Anna is clearly stamped all over this record, although her feet appear to be more settled now. What we are left with is a scrumptious album full of songs, one to ten, leaving no stone unturned in that search for integrity-intact appeal. Not averse to seeking a little influence and historical direction, Anna has bravely included a cover of the ever popular standard ‘Satisfied Mind’ , but her sweet vocals deliver a pleasing contemporary version, standing as a flag bearer for her own co...

Some festivals have bigger budgets. Some festivals have artists who have sold more records. Some festivals embrace the corporate agenda to a higher degree. However few festivals meet their objectives so acutely as Tingestock and even fewer can boast their home as a village hall. So the playing fields may reside in differing stratospheres for such comparisons, but if the absence of pretension is a desired experience then Tingewick Village Hall on the second Saturday in July was the place to be. For nearly five hours, and for a modest outlay, five artists driven by a goal of perfecting the interpretation of American roots music decorated the blank canvas of open minded attendees with the magnetic appeal of powerful song and exhilarating tunes. Don Gallardo One of the five has the distinct advantage of being a Nashville resident and is fast emerging to be among the discoveries of 2015. Don Gallardo would surely smile at such a suggestion, but in the midst of a hugely successful ...