Three Chords and the Truth UK

There is a natural synergy between folk music emanating from the British Isles and that from the North American continent, with the organisers of the annual Shrewsbury Folk Festival increasingly recognising this in the scheduling of their prestigious event over the August bank holiday weekend. So in 2012 alongside such genre heavyweights as Richard Thompson, Kate Rusby and Show of Hands, a liberal sprinkling of artists appeared whose natural habitat leans more towards the complex term of Americana and its wide range of definitions.  Jonathan Byrd   photo not taken at gig After several attempts, the organisers were delighted to secure the services of North Carolina troubadour Jonathan Byrd who fully embraced this rare opportunity to showcase his talents overseas and saw his stock rise considerably over the weekend. He took full advantage of being allocated two slots in the well attended Marquee 2 to take the audience on a spellbinding journey ar...

If you are new to the work of New England born-Seattle based singer-songwriter Anna Coogan, this latest project titled ‘ The Nowhere, Rome Sessions’ is sufficiently packaged to allow you to experience her soothing vocals and appreciate how well she blends the country/folk sound into the songs she writes and interprets. Alternatively if you are an established admirer of this talented artist, the stripped down minimalist approach she has taken to re-working a number of these existing songs, along with the chemistry emanating from her musical partnership with Italian guitarist Daniele Fiaschi, has certainly added value to the body of her work. Eight of the nine tracks on the album were recorded during a session over the Easter weekend in the eternal city and the dedication to capture the moment with limited technical assistance was rewarded with a delightful finished product. With two albums under her belt since deciding to record solo a number of years ago, Anna elected to re-recor...

The writing formalities may credit the real name of Ron Fortugno but as soon as you immerse yourself into the mind of this creative Canadian artist, you are well and truly hooked into the world of Petunia and the Vipers and taken on wonderful journey through the musical heartland of rural life either side of the 49 th parallel. This latest self titled release from the wanderlust performer, currently based in Vancouver, is a pure soundtrack to the Trans Canadian Highway taking in a little bit of country, western swing, rockabilly and adding a touch of ragtime and even a hint of Latino – in essence a truly eclectic and evocative album. Right from the outset, the acquired sound of yodelling accompanying the opening track ‘ The Cricket Song’ paints a vivid picture of an old time grainy cowboy image and the sound reminiscent of the 30’s classic ‘ Cattle Call’ and its numerous interpretations. The theme of old time Country and Western returns later on the record when Petunia delive...

Take the explosiveness of Usain Bolt and the sustainability of Mo Farah, and you start to get the feel for the pace of this fourteen track debut album, titled ‘Dirty Money’ , from five-piece Dublin based band, Tupelo. The acute blending of traditional Irish and Appalachian music, all delivered at a frantic speed, enables the guys to hurtle through a set of songs designed to remove any evidence of lethargy from a listener rooted in observing the athletic activity from East London. Apart from a touch of nationalistic respite in the middle of the album, where the band adopt an anthem-like approach with a tribute to their 1916 fallen compatriots in ‘I’m an Irishman’ , the continual stream of toe-tapping fiddle led tunes dares anyone to remain seated until they ease up with the finishing line in sight and a slow tempo final number, ‘My Family’s Land’ . The band led by lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist James Cramer will no doubt attract comparisons with that other ‘quite famous’...

The remote Rocky Mountain cabin that Corb Lund selected as the location to write the material for his latest album was an inspirational choice as the creative fever generated has evolved into yet another fine collection of songs that should cement his position as one of the leading lights of Canadian country music. The Albertan balladeer has maximised his wonderful ability of mixing catchy choruses and quirky lyrics with a range of musical styles to tackle a host of contrasting subjects, all supported by a backdrop of the west and its wide expanse. ‘ Cabin Fever’ , the seventh   studio album by Lund, leads off with an adequate track titled ‘ Getting Down on the Mountain’ which is enhanced by a hint of banjo, before bursting into life with the stomping ‘ Dig Gravedigger Dig’ , a tongue in cheek sing along number featuring a repetitive but infectious chorus. There are many similarities in the song writing styles of Corb Lund and Hayes Carll and the invitation given for the latte...

This debut album from the wonderfully named Turnstile Junkpile is recorded proof that retro can be progressive as they have created a piece of real deal Americana in the true spirit of Parsons mission to fuse and Van Zandt’s intention to provoke thought. There is no denying that ‘ Everything is Cheaper Than it Looks ’   is an unashamedly attempt to rekindle the flame of ‘Cosmic American Music’ but the timeless quality of this style towers above many other music forms and still retains a strong relevance today. The four-piece London based band named after the Townes Van Zandt song ‘ Turnstyled, Junkpiled’ is led by Mat Clark and capably assisted by colleagues Lawrence McNamara, Ben Sumner and Dave Shaw on the usual array of string and percussion instruments you would expect on an album like this. Banjo and the twin steel sounds of pedal and lap, combined with that of standard guitars will always enhance a recording when played well and there is ample evidence of this being ...

Veteran folk-blues singer-songwriter Chris Smither has endured a roller coaster 40 year recording career and his recently released 12th studio album 'Hundred Dollar Valentine' suggest that this 67 year old is in fine fettle and currently experiencing a high. The peaks of his musical associations with Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and Diana Krall have been interspersed with fallow periods where the drink took hold. This has probably held Chris back from widening his exposure but he remains a highly respected figure within the industry. This eleven track collection of original recordings, the first of Smither's career, meanders along a roots-infested path creating a vision of a solitary figure strumming his way through life regardless of whether anybody is listening. Yet those who take time out can immerse themselves into the hazy atmosphere created by the sound which induces a state of reverie and take a relaxing break from the hectic real world.   The album starts with...