Three Chords and the Truth UK

  Michael McDermott has never sounded more determined to leave a literary imprint on the frenzied world of rock and roll. Through ire, empathy and forensic storytelling, he shines a light on dark corners and packs a powerful punch where it needs to be landed. Words scatter across the page   machine gun style then beautifully reassemble into sincere lyrical poetic prose. Characters emerge, are dissected, championed, sometimes brutally exposed, but rarely left with no purpose. He writes lyrics that transcend the vehicle of the song. They stand alone, as alluring for the eye as the ear.  Within the framework of eleven combustable tracks, a vignette of B movies simmer and explode. Life through the lens of Michael McDermott radiates the minutia and sparks the most basic human existences into roaring arches of flammable fiction. A stark bout of reality juxtaposes the ear for a sweet melody and a popular coating depicting what courted widespread appeal in the past.  FLOWERS...

  June releases awash with jangly guitars and multiple harmonies will always evoke a summery feel. The source may be southern England rather than West Coast USA but The Hanging Stars have become an established band of conjuring such a sound. JUST A DAY is their 6th release and a sufficient starting point if you want to discover a group hovering around the fringes poised for a significant breakthrough. Whether the new album delivers it is subject to a host of external factors. The upshot is a band seemingly in a good place, honing a tight sound and feasting on a revised network of assistance.   Dreamy links and sumptuous moments pepper this dozen song collection paraded by band frontman, main songwriter and guitar-vocalist Richard Olson. Threaded through the album are numerous examples of a studio masterclass aided by the contribution of Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love in a co-production capacity. These range from fusing keys, guitar and exemplary vocal concoctions to arranging t...

Cool music is spilling out of Grey DeLisle at a rate of knots, though this time the billing is shared. When seeking a vocal collaborator to bring a new bunch of songs to life, Les Greene popped up with the ideal voice and a complementary contrasting duet was born. The simple title hints at some sort of hue duality. GREY & GREENE takes the cue and a shade collision of guttural soul and angelic Americana parades nine originals and a fun cover.  Not a breath is wasted in a brief template. Gripping guitar, natural vocal exchange and astute tempo placement steer a half hour spin down memory lane. Two names in the credits jump out to confirm the direction. Rockabilly icon James Intveld is the producer and ace country guitarist Deke Dickerson adds some licks. With input from these two, a sound akin to 1956 is wonderfully brought 70 years up to date.   Les Greene is well known in the wider entertainment field of film and TV as well as a recording artist in his own right. This side...

  Whether you come from a rock, country or folk outlook the latest record from The Fugitives meets you head on and lays down its worth. The eleven track effort is awash with great hooks, optimum vocal parts and a golden thread of roots musicianship. It brings the inclusive emotion of the stage to the studio and chisels out as Canadian band music with a cultured edge. The quieter moments hold court with mouth watering intimacy, while the uplifting content rattles a ceiling being breached.   All seven previous studio albums have accrued tangible industry recognition including Juno nominations and this self-titled eighth will no doubt pique interest across the spectrum. From a design template to capture the essence of touring in the writing, The Fugitives, headed by co-writing team Adrian Glynn & Brendan McLeod, have gone a step further and transplanted the whole experience into tracks satisfyingly enjoyed in multiple settings.  The album finds its rhythm at the outset w...

  Jenny Colquitt, based in the north west, is a fully throttled artist overspilling with talent. She meets challenges head on and thrives putting her music in the spotlight. Across three full albums a highly motivated identity has been cut aiming high with a big sound built for a sonic crescendo. Adaption and perseverance are the tonic for a successful transition to the stage with all its pitfalls. With the latest album Pockets Full of Rain is shaping up to be one of the most significant independent releases of the year so far, taking the show on the road is the next hurdle to a wider engagement.   An early tour appointment with the good folks of Birmingham provided a fresh opportunity to share the fruits of her studio eminence and Colquitt left nothing on the table in the small room of the Hare and Hounds. Big reputations can be forged ruling the roost at the grassroots and a full repertoire flowed across a pair of sets soaring up to the two hour mark. The current tour laps u...

The future arrived around a quarter to ten on an ordinary Wednesday night in a suburban Kings Heath grassroots venue. In terms of first heard impact, ‘ Ran Johnny Ran ’ was up there with the unrivalled. The groundwork was now complete for Sorrel Nation to move onto album no.2. To the folk rock armoury, you can now add traditional country, or in other words a bonafide Americana act. The imagination added the pedal steel, leaving food for thought to the endless possibilities for release mode. For now it crowned a successful night when Birmingham hosted Sorrel Nation for the first time. It was neighbouring Sandwell that welcomed a full band show in the summer of ‘25. The Kitchen Garden gig was one of the early dates on a spring tour keeping this southern based singer-songwriter in the spotlight. Its compact nature proved an ideal fit for a 4-piece band who played the bricked walls, stone floor, wooden ceiling and creaky staircase to a tee. An adaptive stage style reflected a freshened up...

  Veteran Canadian alt-rockers Great Lake Swimmers cast excesses from the recording process to cut an album stylishly layered and right on the mark. Awash with mesmeric undertones and primed moments of twang, CAUGHT LIGHT reflects the grandeur surrounding this Juno nominated and in-demand Southern Ontario outfit, who since assembling in the early 2000s have fermented a sound reminiscent of 70s influenced folk rock. In a concoction of Canadian class meets West Coast panache, this outstanding ten track collection instinctively captures the moment.  The constant of the Great Lake Swimmers across nine albums is band leader Tony Dekker as the players rotate around its founder. His pensive vocals are a key feature on a record organic in feel and tenderly understated. From the wonderfully poignant opener ‘ One More Dance Around the Sun’ to gracious closer ‘ All the Best ’ , barely a foot is out of place. The idyllic rhythm to ' Wrong, Wrong, Wrong ' is an endearing feature as is the...

30 words for 30 sets and lot of late night Neil Young. Enjoy...  The Background In 2017, amongst a crowded festival landscape, Ramblin’ Roots popped up with a mission to succeed. Keep it simple, affordable, connective and real. Nine years later and some from that crowded landscape have toppled. Not the Revue. Provide the right platform, and artists and fans will buy in. Here’s why:  Clubhouse Alumni and Associates Luke Tuchscherer and the Penny Dreadfuls What better way to start the Friday fun than powerful protest rock from a paid up member of the fiery proletariat, evoking resistance while sparking your inner sense of rebellion. The Dreaming Spires Late night special guests of little surprise. The Bennett brothers are woven into the fabric of Ramblin’ Roots. A mass of normal people assembled in a normal town will concur.   Paul McClure Refreshed and restocked with new material ably supported by innate wit. The saloon was his domain and everybody embraced a finale for th...