Three Chords and the Truth UK

The band name implies the metaphorical distance between Brighton and Austin, but the miles are eaten away when you press play on BEAUTIFUL LIES, the new album from south coast based combo The Long Haul. There is always a danger that such a delving into the world of traditional Texas honky tonk music may end up with just a barrage of standard covers, but to the credit of this band, the new album consists of ten original compositions. The added bonus is that they all fare well when put under scrutiny and the level of authenticity gives this record acres of credibility. It has helped that the band enlisted the services of established American producer Eamon Mcloughlin to steer the project. In addition to the normal five piece band which forms the line up on home soil, the record contains esteemed playing from musicians such as Lloyd Maines and Chris Scruggs, both highly experienced practitioners of real country music. So with the help of production contributions in Nashville, Austi...

Elizabeth Cook Nashville Tennessee provided the Southern gateway and exit point for a three week US road trip that included twelve days in the South. The five split nights in a city hailed by a tour guide as ‘LA East’ due to its rapid expansion, were going to be dominated by music with a desire to seek out an alternative side of the city. So in 2016 there was no Grand Ole Opry, no Ryman Auditorium and minimal time in the bars of Broadway. In its place, a few new venues, other iconic music names on a smaller scale, old and new artists and a venture east of the Cumberland to the other side of town. Here is a chronological wander through the delights of Music City. Friday teatime, hop into the hire car and a trip to Grimey’s Record Shop for an in-store with a difference. Eight years have passed since I last saw Elizabeth Cook play live when she visited The Maze in Nottingham. Maybe the term gig was stretching it a touch when this show appeared on Bands in Town, but thirty minutes ...

No educational lesson in the history and roots of country music is complete without a trip down Texas way and getting acquainted with the work of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. After rising out of the Lone Star State’s dance halls in the 30s and 40s to hit the heights of its commercial appeal, western swing continues to ooze with timeless class with the two main artists charging themselves with leading the preservation stakes today being Asleep at the Wheel and Hot Club of Cowtown. Ray Benson of the former has been active in this role for over forty years and decided the time was right to give the genre extra vigour by engaging in a liaison with over twenty established artists to produce the latest tribute to the music of Bob Wills. The result is a total re-affirmation that Bob Wills is STILL THE KING, a compilation of excellent recordings that succeed in breathing contemporary life into a style etched into history. The format is quite a simple one with Ray and his band accom...

Upon attending over 80 gigs this year, it is only courteous to commend those I come across on the circuit who far exceed this number and refrain from the vanity of a blog. Yet with little shame, the Top Gigs of 2014 has been extended to that other round number of 20 to give further praise to the ever increasing quality of live music that frequents venues of vastly contrasting sizes. So here goes and it’s a pleasure to share a fare portion of my favourite concert experiences of the last twelve months: All individual reviews are linked to the artist. 1 Old Crow Medicine Show – Ritz, Manchester A crossover audience needed to appreciate that they had just been in the presence of as pure and true country music as you could ever likely see. The whole show fizzed from start to finish and evolved into a perfect jamboree of roots instrumentation. When the Old Crow Medicine Show land upon our shores they rarely fail to disappoint and left an imprint of high quality music on a packed a...

Sometimes you just have to sit back and admire the magical artistry of the performers on stage. Whether in unison or exquisitely timed solos, the talents of the three members of Hot Club of Cowtown radiated from the stage at Bromsgrove’s Artrix Arts Theatre thrilling, exhilarating and beguiling an audience in awe of such ability to interpret a timeless sound. With two definitive styles to match their ideals and passion, the trio of Elana James, Whit Smith and Jake Erwin expertly worked the original and interpretative songbook of western swing and European gypsy jazz. While there may be occasional blurs in the styles, Hot Club of Cowtown float effortlessly between the dance halls of Austin and the smoky cafes of Paris. Without dismissing the concept of the sum of the whole being better than the parts, the lasting impression of a Hot Club gig is the incredible musicianship frequently displayed on a solo platform. Jake Erwin gave the most high-energised performance on upright bass se...

Buoyed by a six month stint in Austin Texas, Birmingham based family group The Toy Hearts have further cemented their passion for Western Swing by releasing this short collection of tunes they mastered during their Lone Star State stay. Over the last couple of years their live show has evolved from a Bluegrass bias to one more influenced by a traditional Texas sound and previous coverage of the band has commented on how the switch has embraced their talents.  This extended play release may be brief but FLYIN’ TOO HIGH is further proof that they are very fine interpretative exponents of a style anchored to the core of country music.   The four tracks selected for recording are all non-originals (their song writing skills have been temporarily put on hold) but they formed part of their many shifts undertaken keeping the floors in Austin’s dance halls busy. They may not be songs many people will be previously aware of but one of The Toy Hearts missions is to share a love a...