Three Chords and the Truth UK

  Brontës music enters the fray on a warm summer breeze igniting a passion for simple jangly tunes to brighten up any day. Five years into an existence as an active 4-piece band, this self-titled debut album puts a spotlight on a Glasgow combo with a knack of spinning an indie pop tune rinsed with familiar temptations.  Each track puts an extra building block in place to assemble a decent length record awash with hooks and adorable moments of aural pleasure. Brontës convey a DIY essence free from inhibitions, smoothing the path for a batch of deletable songs to hit the mark. A youthful zest decorates a sound threaded with a timeless appeal, think sixties pop spiked with new wave sentiment brought up to date with shades of modernity. College vibes mingle with record store intensity set to the background of a festival field, whatever the setting this ten track album gives plenty by turning a minimalist base into a satisfying entity. The band has the classic pop/rock make up - Ev...

Afternoon gigs are where it's at. At least Sunday ones in November when you're done and dusted before the evening sets in. Maybe ideal for a certain demographic and not artists who quibble about a festival slot being too early. All parties at this sold out gig were happy to descend on Claptrap the Venue in Stourbridge High Street for doors at two and an encore at five-thirty, especially for a much loved performer on a special occasion. Ian Passey aka The Humdrum Express is a popular act on the Midlands music circuit, full band when flushed and able, solo when adaptable and practical. Both outlets brim with fast paced lyric-laden songs mixing performance poetry with uptempo indie rock. Incite and wit frame the narrative as a sharp literary barrage of quirky subjects load the cannon to fire back a volley of catchy songs. The special occasion was the album launch of Rastrophiliopustrocity Pomposity, a title for the ages if not algorithm friendly.  The afternoon kicked off with an ...

  www.spencerlajoye.com Combining the subtleties of indie folk and the sweetness of introspective pop sees the full length debut from Spencer LaJoye blossom across its wholly owned template. The themes of SHADOW PUPPETS re-define the boundaries of personal discovery in an immensely engaging manner. Through a dozen tracks bursting with lyrical intent, a door is opened on a world of making sense of things leading to the calming waters of reassurance. Gender identity and religion entwine as a songwriter seeks solace in their art. LaJoye effectively deploys their own elaborately primed vocals across a musical landscape layered with succulent strings, subtle synth and essential acoustic guitar embedding a slice of simplicity into a complex world.  Believing in Lajoye's long and ongoing journey, on a literal plane from south west Michigan to Boston but so much more from a queer artist finding solace in music, takes hold with a minimal dive into the songs and associated trappings. Th...

Eighteen months have elapsed since Angel Snow last played the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham and changes were very much at a finely tuned minimum as she returned to play one of the opening dates on her latest UK tour. On the upgrade side, last time’s solo performance grew into a duo as Angel teamed up with English guitarist Joe Wilkins to provide the perfect stringed accompaniment to her supremely crafted songs. Additionally, a set of new tunes began the journey from artist to listener as she introduced her latest record, an EP titled ARROWS. Whether Angel delivered her signature song, ‘ Lie Awake’ , from nearly a decade ago now, or brand new numbers like ‘ Maze ’ and ‘Window Seat’ , the shear magnetic quality was unyielding and matching the magnitude of a blue chip blueprint. On her previous visit, which doubled up on the touring front with Danish singer-songwriter Ida Wenoe, Angel split the guitar duties between acoustic and electric, with the latter contributing to the evening’s...

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...

How much credence is there applying context to a record? Alternatively, should each body of work be assessed on the merit of the independent entity.   The former cannot be ruled out with the new album from Daniel Meade, as a seismic shift in sound perspective rolls around the edges of the release. While WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME retains a strong core of what makes this artist tick, serious adjustment is required to grasp the true essence of the album. Daniel has made a name in the roots world as a purveyor of boogie-woogie honky tonk music, fuelled considerably by associations with artists such as Old Crow Medicine, Sturgill Simpson, and on a slightly different level, working with Diana Jones. On the other hand, constriction has never been on the agenda and versatility on a performing scale has escalated into a widespread touring role as keyboard player for Ocean Colour Scene. Maybe this latter influence has rubbed off on the new record as the retro throwback feel is discarded i...

The Kitchen Garden is a well-renowned venue for its conducive acoustics, and it accrues praise almost each time an artist sets foot in its interior. Over the last decade, many fine nights have been enjoyed in this suburban Birmingham venue, but from a sound perspective, few come close to eclipsing what was heard when Angel Snow and Ida Wen Ø e came to town for a very special gig.  While artists and sound team are not doubt quick to salute each other, the stars were certainly aligned this evening, whether your ears were tuned into the vocals, electric or acoustic guitar. The sum of these parts led to a gig that rampantly surpassed expectation and projected both artists to a new level. Angel Snow has had a presence in the UK for a few years and has been previously seen in a joint touring role with both, Ben Glover and Matthew Perryman Jones. Maybe it was seeing her for the first time in this venue (although it was not her first show here) that proved the catalyst, but she u...

BYE BYE is the debut full length solo release from English singer-songwriter Sophia Marshall and unwraps as a highly desirable record. Its stylish façade and steely interior presents an artist with an acute ear to formulating a sound successful in alerting many a discerning listener. The album refuses to adopt a static stance, with its half hour duration keeping folks on alert to which way the music is going to turn. Sophia does a good job in keeping the sound and vocals internationally neutral thus you never really grasp whether it’s majoring on her English roots or the obvious Americana pretensions. This trait helps create a door-opening niche. Sophia first crossed my path when she played an invited set at this year’s Maverick festival as part of the AMA UK Friday evening showcase. On that occasion, it was her previous material as a member of the Have Nots that made the most initial impact. This is probably due to any new songs not featuring a killer instant hook, which is con...

Moseley Folk: the only festival where you can watch a mid-Atlantic-styled alt-country act amidst a band of scurrying youngsters having a hay fight. Moseley Folk: the only festival which epitomised the sentiment of ‘Sunday morning coming down’ on a Friday teatime by the sequential scheduling of Seth Lakeman’s fiery fiddle playing and Nadia Reid’s absorbing Kiwi noir. Moseley Folk: the only festival where the blissful tones of Laura Marling persuaded the rain clouds to halt their activity. Regardless of where the 2017 renewal of the Moseley Folk Festival stands in comparison to its eleven previous stagings, this year’s had an alluring pulse that ignited a weekend of eclectic music. Whatever the persuasion, style or origin of influence, it’s all folk music dressed in many coats. John Moreland Is Moseley Folk Festival about the headliners across the weekend; the equally important artists plotting their road to stardom via the Kitchen Garden stage or the attendees content to just ...

This debut album by Jade Jackson nearly passed me by, but thankfully, fate delivered an absolute beauty. GILDED in its title suggests either something golden or something hidden. One certainty though is that a little mining will reveal vast treasures. The sound hits you with a blast of indie tilted in an Americana direction while splashed with country sentiment. Ultimately, it’s raw, riveting and rather good. The eleven tracks, all in a self-penned status, unwrap with a sweet and sour effect. The lyrics have a youthful zest to them, in contrast to some some worn vocals belying such a young performer. It transpires that intense listening to the Lucinda Williams classic album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was part of the preparation journey from prolific introspective writer to a recording artist offering songs to the world. This has clearly rubbed off and while it would be remiss to compare, the detected influence gives the record a degree of maturity. A useful element to any s...

Co-Pilgrim continue their fertile period of album releases with a brand new record bound and packaged to tempt a curious listener into a compendium of complexities and craft. It’s a record to challenge and delight, swaying the audience in a multiple of mood swings. Melodic and mellow comes up on the rails to ultimately pip fiery and fervid, but there are frequent elements of the record which places Co-Pilgrim at an intriguing point where 60s psychedelia meets late 80s pioneering Brit Pop meets 21 st century raw indie-Americana. Whether such associations cross the minds of Mike Gale and Joe Bennett when they hit the studio are mere speculative thoughts, but their music certainly courts independent reaction. The eight tracks, which symmetrically form MOON LAGOON, are full of cool sounds that soak deep into your pores. The symmetrical element comes from the fact that this appears to fit the double-sided vinyl format and that the first and last pieces linger longest in the positi...

Although Miranda Lee Richards has had a lengthy association with the music industry to varying degrees of success, the last eighteen months has seen something of a renewal. This has had a particular focus in the UK including a tie up with label Invisible Hands Music and the follow up of intent to back a pair of album releases with overseas trips from her California base. This return to Birmingham had a somewhat low key feel to it, but evidence was rampant to what great music she is producing at the moment. Many of the alluring facets of her recorded material were successfully reproduced in the live environment especially the ethereal feel, beautifully hazy vocals and a three-pronged West Coast wrapped guitar attack. Miranda led the way making her acoustic playing punch above its weight alongside the majestic electric contribution of her key stringed accomplices Randy Billings and Joe Woolley. The advertised trio morphed into a quartet with the harmony backing vocals of Samantha L...

Haunting, escapist and moving: although all you essentially need to know is that GOOD MORNING SKY, the debut mini-album from Yorkshire-based artist Katie Spencer, is very good. Sauntering along at a pedestrian pace allows time for each heartbeat of this record to align with that of the listener. The collection may only last twenty minutes and comprise of five tracks, but the enticing feel from sampling the work of a young singer-songwriter finding her own way in the music world sends out signals of a promising future. If you’re seeking an initial hook to display the music of Katie, think a slice of indie alternative folk. An eerie almost spiritual sound benefits from an acoustic backdrop interspersed with some cool electric. There are implicit soundtrack elements to the tunes which you could quite easily imagine adorning the moving images on some noir piece of celluloid. Apart from a relaxed languid exterior, the five songs leave an imprint to suggest an artist ahead of her cur...

The curiosity starts with the album cover, carries on with the title and never really leaves the listener throughout the duration of the journey Miranda Lee Richards takes you on. What EXISTENTIAL BEAST does do is continue a rich vein of form which accelerated with the release of her previous album ECHOES OF THE DREAMTIME around eighteen months ago. An ethereal feel still underpins the sound, but the new record possesses greater nuances and creates a lot more thought provoking moments for the listener to consider. One advantage this album has is the ability to let its mood swings do the thinking, thus meaning enjoying it in a semi-listening mode capacity can be as fruitful as savouring every intricacy. There are aspects of this record where rules are put to one side and frequently the sound bounces between the acute alternative and the fairly conventional. Miranda slips into electrified indie mode quite early in the album best exemplified by ‘ The Wildwood’ ; a racing track ful...

Jess Morgan to release limited run of handmade 7” records for Record Store Day Jessmorgan.co.uk / facebook/jessmorganmusic / twitter/jessmorgan / youtube/jessmorgansongs DIY singer/songwriter Jess Morgan takes the do-it-yourself concept to new levels creating handmade vinyl records in her Norwich home. Jess has made a limited run of 7” vinyl of the song ‘Still In Fashion’ (from her album ‘Edison Gloriette’) for release exclusively at Relevant Records in Cambridge for Record Store Day on April 22 nd 2017. Jess will also perform an acoustic set at 12pm at Relevant Records. This limited run of ‘Still In Fashion’ follows 2016’s run of ‘In Brooklyn’, released as part of the PledgeMusic campaign for ‘Edison Gloriette’ as featured on The 405 who called her “a true DIY artist in her element. Seriously, she does it all”. Jess talks about the process on her BLOG in which she says:   “It took a while to hit upon the right recipe - ratio of catalyst and silicone mix to pi...