Three Chords and the Truth UK

Sometimes an artist visibly grows into a gig and this certainly applied to Chastity Brown upon her return to the Kings Heath area of Birmingham. There had been a lengthy wait for a decent run of dates since the music of Chastity Brown took an upwards turn overseas on the back of her 2013 album release BACK-ROADS HIGHWAYS. Now we have had back-back tours in consecutive years and double visits to the West Midlands area on each occasion. Last year the tour was in a duo format with the Birmingham date hosted by the Hare and Hounds in a double bill presentation alongside Otis Gibbs. This year it was a case of popping across York Road and a more intimate evening without the duo partner or a co-headliner to share proceedings. In light of this format and the absence of an opening artist, Chastity pitched up for a pair of sets armed only with a trusty acoustic guitar, a bucketful of songs and a voice anchored in the cradle of Midwest Americana. This is where the melting pot of country, blu...

Adam's House Cat may not be a name known to many, but Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers fame are likely to resonate further, especially with those at the cutting edge of alt-country before it morphed into Americana. In the late 80's/early 90's prior to Cooley and Hood forming the band that would lead them into some resemblance of the promised land, they hung around Muscle Shoals Alabama playing a raw form of distinctive rock 'n' roll under the moniker of the aforementioned name. Now twenty seven years after the tracks for TOWN BURNED DOWN had a premature birth, they have finally been re-discovered, brushed up a touch and turned into a somewhat commercial format to formalise what Adam's House Cat were about during their brief existence. The result is twelve rip roaring tracks heavy on the rock 'n' roll duo of driving guitar and upbeat percussion. ' Runaway Train ' is the standout track by a fair distance, although not to the ...

The wait is over. To her growing pedigree of aspiring folk singer-songwriter, architect of many sublime live performances and a curator of an inaugural EP, Kitty Macfarlane is now the proud possessor of a stunning debut album. NAMER OF CLOUDS hit the shelves on September 21 st and these will soon empty when word gets around of what a compulsive record she has made. The eleven tracks are a subtle mix of solo compositions, co-writes and old song arrangements, blending many facets of what keeps the folk tradition fresh and vibrant without choking off the heritage. Since first seeing Kitty play live a couple of years ago when opening for Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, a keen ear has lent towards her career. This further compounded when she played a headline gig at the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham earlier this year, a show where many of the songs from the new album had their introduction. Joining Kitty on the album in one of the co-producing roles is Sam Kelly, a musician from ...

The name may have been familiar for a number of years, but the paths of Frontier Ruckus and me were yet to cross at any level prior to this gig at Thimblemill Library. A couple of pre-show snippets online whetted the appetite and the stage was set for another act from the Loose Music stable to glide into my sphere. This show was the latest offering from the team behind bringing some high quality roots music to a venue ably adaptable in switching the arts from the written to the performing word. Frontier Ruckus’s brand of lo-fi sensitive alt-folk fitted in well in this quintessential listening environment, to the extent of front man Matthew Milia implying it was a little unnerving. The bonus to that lay in the fact that every nuance of this trio’s intrinsic music was delicately heard, savoured and akin to another favourite band added to a growing list passing through the art deco surroundings of this fledgling venue. To states such as Oregon, Virginia and Tennessee, you can now...

The narrative may have given this record a big boost to get the message out, but there is no denying that DYING STAR runs deep with stand-alone qualities. Across the fourteen tracks that form the debut album from Ruston Kelly there is sufficient tuneful content to keep you in the game and demonstrate that you are in the midst of a performer ready to make a splash. Once the rugged persona takes grip, you embark on a virtual road trip across dusty terrain and a nod to the trusty troubadours who have trodden the wearisome path of song writing soul searching. This is music teetering on the fault line where country meets folk meets tempered rock. Whilst engaging most of the time, the ebb and flow nature does enter a midway lull suggesting the message could have been transmitted in a more compact package than a lengthy fifty-three minutes. Like all records that tempt you into multiple pleasurable spins, its opening gambit plays a winning hand with the decent combo of ‘ Cover My Tr...

Bold, brash and brave; The Long Road has announced itself on the festival scene with an explicit message and an eagerness to succeed. Across its spacious surroundings in south Leicestershire, the coalface of the project was unveiled and folks from far and wide embraced an opportunity to delve into a diverse representation of what comes under the expansive banner of country, roots and Americana music. Bumps in the road appeared (including a certain last minute headache) and like all new events, lessons learned will reap rewards. However, memories flourished and the steep learning curve of embracing an extended family became more attainable for the organisers. Criticisms of which strand of the genre was missing will never wane and no doubt continue to be a decision factor to whether fans wish to impart with their hard earned cash on a September outdoor event. The alternative positive course of action is to embrace what is on offer, and in that category the festival curators served up ...