Three Chords and the Truth UK

Favourite or best? You should know now what the preferred term is here. Only a small fraction of wonderful albums released each year get to tempt your ear, so rather than fret over the ones that haven't landed yet or didn't quite hit the mark first time, why not celebrate those that played an important part in framing the personal soundtrack of 2018. These twenty records, not forgetting the equal number that could easily have added on any given day, made a profound impact that lasted long after first listen and bubbled with a festive fizz as each was revisited in December. The reasoning behind each inclusion is often impossible to pinpoint. Time, place, mood, feeling, association and circumstance play as key part as any technical verdict. Ultimately, they stirred an emotion that is unique in music and will remain a part as long as sound is enjoyed in this sonic form. If you're still with me, and not not averse to the odd list, welcome to my world of indulgence and the unvei...

Here goes, for the seventh successive year this blog indulges in celebrating the live music shows which have resonated the most over the last twelve months. In time honoured tradition, kudos is given to those stalwarts of the gig scene whose intrepid numbers tower above mine and continue to be the life blood for any artist who crosses the line into a professional performance. The debate whether art should be quantified into lists continues to rage, but as somebody who resides firmly in the objective camp there is no holding back on the seasonal task of reflecting fondly. So with a short drum roll, here are the gigs that possessed a touch of magical appeal to live long in the memory:  1 American Aquarium - Night and Day Cafe, Manchester " Probably best summing up American Aquarium is that they start out full of country sentiment before finding the fault lines of rock ‘n’ roll, not a bad place to be though. A wonderful fulfilling gig from an awesome band sums the night up perf...

One thing that the 2018 gig year possessed was symmetry. The same venue hosted the first and last show with the artists themselves supplying a family flavour. From Robin, Joe and Katy Bennett (occasionally known as the Bennett Family Singers) to O’Hooley and Tidow, the Kitchen Garden presented many fine musical performances over the last twelve months. So as the curtain finally came down on an eventful year, it was a show of warmth, humour and familiarity that provided the finale, and a splendid evening of quintessential English folk music in its most engaging form. Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow are a successful and popular duo on the folk circuit, accruing multi-layers of acclaim, whilst rarely failing to entertain an audience. The vocal blend, honing in on individual skills and possessing a keen ear to the borrowed and self-composed song has fermented their stage presence to the extent of adapting to a variety of live formats. This evening’s setting in the intimate surroun...

Four UK visits, three gigs attended and a classic album played a ludicrous amount of times. There is no dissent here in anointing Courtney Marie Andrews as ‘Artist of 2018’. It remains revealing whether she grabs the album and the gig accolades, but there is serious candidacy in her efforts on both fronts. This second visit to St. Barnabas Church in Oxford took a twisted path, which ultimately presented an enticing opportunity. Just over a week ago, Courtney valiantly fought off afflictions to meet her Union Chapel engagement, but in the midst of an illness: Birmingham, Oxford and Bristol moved into cancelled or postponed status. Sadly, the former could not find an alternative date, but the latter two had re-scheduled events with Oxford conveniently staged on a Saturday, thus making it more accessible for those making the journey down the M40 from the West Midlands. There is consensus from loyalists that solo and full band Courtney Marie Andrews’ shows are of equal merit. Having seen...

Midland posed as many questions as providing answers when they became Music Row’s extended hand to those decrying the direction of mainstream country music. Debate ran amok in quarters suspicious to what presented, even amongst a consensus on the relative strength of the debut album. Away from the debate, impressive numbers racked up, to propel the view that all that matters is whether punters buy into an artist’s music. Therefore an outfit preaching from the pulpit of Willie, Waylon and the boys rubbed shoulders with factions that pump the notion that a genre can be stretched in any way how. 2018 has seen the Midland brand exported across the pond, with this Austin Texas-based combo featuring on the main bill of the Country-2-Country Festival and returning several months later to a headline tour, parading sold out signs around provincial venues. Oh, the power of marketing. This included a full house in the 600-capacity second room of the O2 Academy in Birmingham. It would take...

Just over two years ago, Ben Folke Thomas played the Kitchen Garden in the dark shadow of the referendum result. A little concern was apparent from an artist brimming with principles of unity, comradeship and compassion, all framed by a progressive outlook. Fully understandable as this Swede has made England his second home for a number of years as he strived to forge a successful career. Now with a pivotal moment of the fiasco approaching, Ben once again trod the floors of the very same venue and could not resist a little jibe of the ‘B’ word at the end as funds might be required shortly to purchase a visa. Whatever the outcome and destiny of this Shakespearean tragedy, it is a travesty if freedom to live and work across virtual borders curtails and the music scene loses larger than life characters like Ben Folke Thomas. On a brighter note, we can gladly report that Ben was on prime form for this show, maybe still on a high twenty-four hours on from his album release, but f...

Juanita @ the Cuban Embassy sounds quite exotic, well at least Hispanic or Latino. When you translate it to an exiled Aussie indie-rocker in the upstairs room of a suburban Birmingham pub, you get more than a hint of reality. From either perspective, Juanita Stein is well on the way to establishing herself as a respected solo artist and seizes a vast array of opportunities to shore up her fan base. The Bulls Head (the Cuban Embassy in a former life) in Moseley is a long way from some of the platforms she has paraded on during a twenty-year career, but connecting with fifty-plus fans in an intimate setting can still present rewards in a different way. There are three likely entry points into the work of Juanita Stein. Many are likely to have lived and breathed her exploits as the front person of indie rock band Howling Bells, which brushed with the big time before settling at a level just below the household names with whom they were associated. In recent times, Stein has returne...

Lynne Hanson is the type of artist bestowed with gratitude and one never to lose sight of purpose and direction. Connecting with her audience appears to be a source of inspiration and it is easily transparent to see how bonds are forged. Drawing influence from country, folk, rock and blues has provided a solid base for this Canadian to dig deep into her song writing well and fulfil a desire to make music a viable source of living. Mutual benefits are aplenty when the fruits of Lynne Hanson’s ambitions pour out on stage and she aligns herself with a cast perfectly adept at playing the crucial support role. Therefore, for the second successive year it was a European excursion for Lynne Hanson and the Good Intentions, and a first visit to Thimblemill Library in the heart of the West Midlands. Before we dive into the detail of this successful gig, it is worth paying Lynne credit for the superb work she has recently done with fellow Canadian Lynn Miles. Indeed it was only around eight m...

Hare and Hounds to Symphony Hall to Academy is an upwards journey in terms of capacity, and one taken by First Aid Kit on their visits to Birmingham over the last eight years. Whether you consider the last two a progression is down to preference, but the numbers do not lie. The S ö derberg sisters are certainly operating on a higher plane than when they brought the Stay Gold tour to the city in 2015. Sold out signs have flashed above First Aid Kit shows right across this UK segment of the Ruins World Tour and it would have been rude for Birmingham not to oblige. Inviting The Staves along to open the shows was also a smart move. This must have been a record for sisterly siblings on one night, further compounded when all five assembled around the single mic for a song during the main set. Harmonies ruled the roost for most of the evening and shining evidence radiated from the stage as to why First Aid Kit are currently riding on one enormous crest of a wave. Moving into the realms of s...