The folking.com music archive for album reviews and news

This is a list of everything we have on folking.com in date and month order. So if you like trawling the depths of the site for amazing content that you may have missed then this is the place to “net” an article, feature or review or two.

The archive is a work in progress as we still have gaps to fill from 2009 back to 2001. Most of the missing content are older album reviews which require reformatting with each article having to be submitted back on to the site with album covers and links to where they can be obtained from (where available).

All recent review and features posts below (where available) can be ordered below through our UK or US Storefront 

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Physical link for the UK Store is: https://folking.com/folking-store/

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Chris Helme The Rookery now released

Chris Helme, who first rose to prominence as the front man of John Squire’s post-Stone Roses band ‘The Seahorses’ has now released his brand new solo album ...
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Ben Glover’s New Album – Do We Burn The Boats is now out…

Recorded in the heart of Nashville, the album was produced by Neilson Hubbard (Kim Richey, Glen Phillips, Garrison Starr) and features a track (Rampart Street) co ...
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Introducing Dodson and Fogg – Folk singer songwriter psychedelia

Folk singer songwriter psychedelia makes a welcome return in the form of Dodson and Fogg and Fogg, a new project led by songwriter Chris Wade. The ...
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Colin Bailey reviews THE 1971 PROJECT gig at Riverhouse Barn, Walton-on-Thames 28.9.2012

Fittingly billed by the venue as The American Songbook 1971, this was an evening of new interpretations of songs from four classic singer-songwriter albums produced ...
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Mary Gauthier – LIVE AT BLUE ROCK

After twelve years of relentlessly touring the world with her acoustic guitar and harmonica, singing on stages large, small and in between, Mary Gauthier is ...
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Pete Fyfe reviews ALEXANDER WOLFE – Skeletons (Dharma Records DHARMACD15)

I used to play at the New Cross Inn, London years ago and was somewhat intimidated by the dowdy interior of the venue…just thought you’d ...
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Sandy Denny – The Notes and The Music – A Collection of Demos and Rarities

Sandy Denny was one of the UK’s finest singers. She was voted Melody Maker’s greatest female singer for 2 years in a row in 1970 and ...
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Dai Jeffries reviews GALLEY BEGGAR’s latest release…

There have been major line-up changes since Galley Beggar released their debut album, Reformation House, a couple of years ago. Gone are lead vocalist Frances ...
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LAU – Race The Loser – new album out tomorrow

Lau are modern folk music's most innovative band. Brilliant musicians, thrilling performers and free-thinking visionaries. Their new album 'Race The Loser' (Reveal Records) was recorded ...
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JAMIE SMITH’S MABON – Windblown Review

I must admit that I was pretty blown away by Mabon’s last CD and my thoughts haven’t changed much with this excellent follow-up. Jamie Smith’s ...
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BLAME SALLY to release LIVE AT KVIE STUDIOS

BLAME SALLY is a San Francisco folk-rock quartet with an attitude, combining acoustic textures with Americana harmonies and an independent spirit. To coincide with their first ...
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LED ZEPPELIN – Celebration Day

(Los Angeles, Date, 2012) – On December 10, 2007,  Led Zeppelin took the stage at London’s O2 Arena to headline a tribute concert for dear friend and Atlantic Records ...
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THE OUTSIDE TRACK – Flash Company

It’s nice to be uplifted every now and then and anyone that has witnessed the recently televised 2012 Olympics should appreciate this recording opening as ...
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45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VELVET UNDERGROUND and NICO

LOS ANGELES, August 8, 2012—When The Velvet Underground & Nico album was released in March 1967 on Verve Records, with its Andy Warhol-designed, peel-off banana cover, it ...
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Dark Wood by Abagail Grey

Uniting the intensely personal with the wholly universal, Dark Wood is the latest release from Scotland’s Abagail Grey, the creative alter ego of Highland singer-songwriter,pianist ...
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David Francey release his new CD Late Edition

David Francey - from carpenter to songwriter. Since leaving the construction business to record the album Torn Screen Door in 1999, Scottish-born Canadian David Francey is now recognized as one ...
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KIMBER’S MEN – The Strength Of The Swell (A Private Label APL014)

For those of you that haven’t seen Kimber’s Men do yourselves a favour and rectify this at the earliest opportunity. Otherwise, you could stay at ...
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THE HALTON QUARTET – Based On True Events (Own Label HQR001CD)

This is a very nicely structured album in that it reminds me of days gone by when bands such as Nightnoise were recording for the ...
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Dai Jeffries reviews Broadside by Bellowhead

Bellowhead’s fourth album comes so loaded with expectations it’s a wonder that it can stand up unaided. Hedonism has been so successful and the band’s ...
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A New Stream for Simian Ghost (Slow Magic Remix)

Swedish trio Simian Ghost broke onto the international scene with their cultured mix of organic instrumentation and smart electronics over the last year, seeing coverage everywhere ...
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Summer’s Lament – a seasonal track by Jamie Smith’s Mabon

“The woodland’s burning green to red….” As the first day of autumn waits for its September 22 cue, the hitherto instrumental band Jamie Smith’s Mabon reveal one of their trailblazing ...
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Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros

2012 would have been the year punk icon Joe Strummer turned 60, and to celebrate the extraordinary life and career of the musician, Hellcat Records ...
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Damien Dempsey – ALMIGHTY LOVE

For Damien Dempsey, people and place are King. His voice is Dublin yet wholly distinctive, almost clichéd to say it, but he is part of ...
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Anna Coogan and Daniele Fiaschi Release The Nowhere, Rome Sessions

It is often said that music is a universal language that transcends culture, borders, and boundaries. For Anna Coogan and Daniele Fiaschi, who don’t share a ...
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HOT FINGERS – In Glorious Mono

Years ago I used to pop to my local pub (anyone remember those?) and be ‘entertained’ by artists the calibre of Bill Posters Will Be ...
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GILMORE and ROBERTS – The Innocent Left

As I’m sitting here listening to this, the third album by Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts I’m struck particularly on the second track “Doctor James” ...
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Cropredy 2012 Interview with Dave Pegg at this years Fairport’s Cropredy Convention…

Glorious weather and a great musical line-up ensured success for Fairport's Cropredy Convention this year as music fans enjoyed themselves at the three-day Oxfordshire festival ...
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Madison Violet – The Good In Goodbye

JUNO nominated Canadian roots duo Madison Violet (Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac) recently concluded their UK & Ireland tour in support of their new album The Good in ...
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Marc O’Reilly – My Friend Marx

My Friend Marx is the debut album from Irish alt-roots artist Marc O’Reilly. Its release has been greeted with much acclaim in his native Ireland and received ...
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GREG RUSSELL and CIARAN ALGAR – The Queen’s Lover (Fellside Recordings FECD251)

Our admiration and respect should go to Paul Adams at Fellside Recordings for yet another coup. Not only did he manage to promote and nurture ...
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David McGraw and Mandy Fer – Seed of a Pine

This album encapsulates, everything I love about the Americana music scene, namely, heart, soul, places, travel, song and fine musicianship. I have Darryl Purpose and his ...
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JEZ LOWE – Croydon Folk Club, Croydon, Surrey (09.07.12)

Expectations are high…they always are for a gig at Croydon Folk Club particularly when this week’s guest is the truly stellar (at least in ‘folk’ ...
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Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party – Orfeo

Fay Hield is a singer who seems to have been born knowing how to carry a tune but with the rarer gift of knowing how to go straight ...
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Diversions Vol 2. – The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band

Diversions Vol 2. constitutes perhaps the most daring and accomplished of musical adventures to date for The Unthanks Their paradoxical marriage of staunch traditionalism and ...
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PIPELINE – The Red Line

Many years ago I had the pleasure of working with the Hyde Brothers (then based in Scotland) in the short-lived band Malin Head. In a moment ...
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MACMASTER/HAY – Hook

Make no mistake this is a real thinking person’s album. It’s quite obvious from the opening track “Hook” that it feels in many ways like ...
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JUNE TABOR and OYSTERBAND – The Union Chapel London 19th April 2012

Someone once said that a typical June Tabor concert review went thusly: “June Tabor sang some songs and everybody cried”. There is some truth in ...
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Sam Lee – Ground Of Its Own

Ground of Its Own is the striking debut release by Sam Lee, a young folk musician who is busy forging a unique path, not just in his own ...
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Folking introduces Coyote Grace and the Now Take Flight album…

What blossomed as a sweet relationship between two young people busking on the streets of Seattle has become a powerful trio of roots musicians renowned ...
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KARINE POLWART releases TRACES

I was Farrah Fawcett... You were Steve McQueen... And we rode your silver Grifter half the way from Aberdeen... So sings Karine Polwart at the beginning of her ...
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Juno nominated Jeremy Fisher new release Mint Juleps

Listening to Mint Juleps, the fifth album by two-time Juno Award nominee Jeremy Fisher, is like ambling through the long and relaxed dog days of ...
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DANA and SUSAN ROBINSON – American Hornpipe (Threshold Music TM 1012)

Whether it was Robin Hood or the 18th century English Prime Minister Robert Walpole that provides the title character for the poem “Who Killed Cock Robin” ...
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Tupelo release their foot-stomping album DIRTY MONEY…

Tupelo’s debut album DIRTY MONEY conjures images of a sinister, gangster-filled speakeasy in prohibition-era Chicago as the band fire out tunes to stir men of ...
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The Agnostic-Phibes Rhythm and Blood Conspiracy releases CAMPFIRE TALES…

Folkmaster - This may not be to everyone's folking taste but I've had a few beers and have decided why not? Sort of reminds me of an ...
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ColvinQuarmby CQV is reviewed by the folkmaster…

The new ColvinQuarmby album has now descended from CQ towers, and is heralding in, by a fab twelve page booklet containing of all Gerry Colvin ...
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SOPHIE PARKES – Wayward Daughter: The official biography of Eliza Carthy (Soundcheck Books)

I confess to being an intermittent fan of Eliza Carthy throughout the whole of her career so when this tome arrived on my doorstep for ...
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BRUCE COCKBURN – Small Source of Comfort

Bruce Cockburn has always been a restless spirit. Over the course of four decades, the celebrated Canadian artist has traveled to the corners of the ...
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Folk icon teams up with dance producer to produce genre-defying album…

American folk music legend and a British experimental dance music producer may be highly improbable, but folk grande dame Peggy Seeger and Broadcaster have pulled ...
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Anna MacDonald – Paper Flowers EP Released tomorrow on Firebeach Records

Anna MacDonald is a singer and songwriter of folk songs which reflect the strong influence that different strands of Scotland’s traditional music have had upon ...
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BULLY WEE BAND – The Madmen of Gotham & The Vintage Years 1975-1980 (Slaughterhouse Productions SLP009CD)

The saying “…born at the right time…” couldn’t be more appropriate in describing this more than welcome trip down memory lane. I remember first meeting ...
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Marvin, Welch and Farrar – Second Opinion (Beat Goes On BGOCD714)

How do you carry the burden of being so well established because of another vehicle (in this case The Shadows) that anything else you try ...
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DOGAN MEHMET Outlandish Album Reviewed

Blimey mate…luvvaduck…wotcher cock, it wouldn’t surprise me if these and many other colloquialisms were all thrown into Dogan Mehmet’s melting pot and a good few ...
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Folking introduces Will Varley, ‘King For A King’ video and Advert Soundtracks…

Will Varley has been haunting the open mics and acoustic nights of London and the South East for the past decade. His polished live shows ...
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Folking introduces Cocos Lovers, ‘Baron of the Trees’ video and the new album…

Operating well beyond the remit of alt-folk, the 7 piece husband and wife led band festival favorites are an incredibly distinctive musical force who channel ...
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Norwegian Fiddler Annbjorg Lien Announces New Album Khoom Loy

“If you like moody, sometimes dark, folk music, punctuated by beautiful musicianship and artistry, then you will find nothing to dislike here." —PopMatters “Lien’s spectral ...
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Magpie, the fantastic new album by Tess with selected album SoundCloud track…

TESS was born in 1972. In the following years, there could have not been a better education into music and songcraft! Bowie, The Doors, John ...
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Mary Black, The Night Is On Our Side (3ú Records/Blix Street)

The Night Is On Our Side is the latest single to be released from Mary's recent album, Stories From The Steeples- her first studio recording ...
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STATE OF THE UNION (Boo Hewerdine & Brooks Williams)

In the grand tradition of ‘The Special Relationship’, State Of The Union combines the talents of America and England, producing an end result that is ...
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Colin Hay to Celebrate ‘Down Under’ 30th Anniversary With Global Re-Release

(Nashville, TN) July 24, 2012 — A newly recorded version of the iconic Men at Work song “Down Under” will be released globally on Compass ...
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Breaking News… Velvet Underground and Nico 45th Anniversary Edition

We've just heard that Universal are set to release a 45th Anniversary Edition of the seminal Velvet Underground & Nico, across 6 discs, on October ...
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DAVE SWARBRICK – Swarbrick/Swarbrick 2/Smiddyburn is reviewed by Pete Fyfe…

This tremendous 2-disk, 3-album set by that quintessential fiddler Dave Swarbrick should be required listening and possibly one of the best boxed sets to grace ...
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Gannin’ To Blaydon Races: The Songs Of George Ridley

The unitary district of Northumberland is to be lauded for its musical contributions to the world including as it does Billy Mitchell, Lindisfarne and Jack ...
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The Streets Forget by Eamon Friel…

Eamon Friel is the son of a Mayo mother and Derry father. He writes about his life, experiences and his observations of the ever changing ...
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TOMMY FLEMING – The Platinum Collection is reviewed by Pete Fyfe…

The first time I heard Tommy Fleming sing was probably around 1996 when he was the latest recruit to the ranks of De Dannan. Of ...
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The Harbour Of Songs Project is reviewed by Pete Fyfe…

“Harbour Of Songs” is a project…excuse the pun…helmed by Adrian McNally and funded by The Stables Arts Centre near Milton Keynes providing an interesting background coupled with a ...
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HIDDEN PEOPLE – Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman

"HIDDEN PEOPLE" is an apt title for this long-anticipated debut CD from husband-and-wife duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman.  They have been lynchpins of the UK's ...
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BETHANY WEIMERS – Harpsichord Row – Reviewed by Dai Jeffries

If you ever need justification for the technology that allows someone to make an album in their bedroom using a sofa and some sleeping bags ...
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LARKIN POE – Thick As Thieves

Thick as Thieves is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Larkin Poe release Band for all Seasons, the box set of 4 EPs the band recorded and released ...
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Piano Magic Release 11th Album “Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet”

‘Life Has Not Finished With Me Yet,’ Piano Magic’s 11th official album sees them emerging from beneath the wreckage of previous guitar-heavy releases to re-investigate ...
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The Roughneck Riot to release This Is Our Day

On July 16 2012 The Roughneck Riot will unleash their new album “This Is Our Day” through Bomber Music. The single “Ignorance Is Easy” was ...
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SILLY WIZARD – ‘Live’ Again – Reviewed by Pete Fyfe

The old saying ‘…died and gone to Heaven’ really is the only way I can describe this re-release of Silly Wizard’s performance recorded at The ...
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ALASTAIR SAVAGE – Secrets From The Kitty – Reviewed by Pete Fyfe

The only problem I have with all instrumental albums is whether there will be enough going on to keep the listener’s interest throughout the entire ...
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MAZ O’CONNOR – Upon A Stranger Shore – Album review by Pete Fyfe

What a lovely voice! I just knew I was going to enjoy this album from the moment I played the first track “South Australia” which ...
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Gathered – Nick Burbridge and Tim Cotterill – Album reviewed by Valerie Moss

Once again Nick Burbridge has produced a jewel of an album.  Somehow every word of every songs seems to crackle with energy. His folk music ...
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Rachel Newton – The Shadow Side

To say this album is understated, would be no overstatement. Shot through with an arresting delicacy that simply wills you to listen, it possesses a ...
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Jim Moray – Skulk

It’s some time ago now that Sweet England thundered on to the UK folk scene, momentum like an express train on a collision course to ...
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Mark Waistell – Latecomer

Mark Waistell used to play and sing 30 years ago before (like the rest of us) stepping on to, the "proper job" hamster wheel and fading into whiskered obscurity ...
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JAKE WILSON – All’s Well (Jake Wilson Music JWM001)

The ironic title will not be lost on anyone who recollects the front cover photo of the ill fated Scott Expedition. On this recording Jake ...
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SKERRYVORE – World Of Chances (Tyree Records tYREE03CD)

I was really looking forward to this, Skerryvore’s fourth album. Unfortunately their major selling-point of upfront Highland bagpipes that played a major part of the ...
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Bearfoot Releases New Music Video For Midnight In Montana

Bearfoot has just released a music video for "Midnight in Montana." This is the second video from American Story, their 2011 release on Compass Records. Featuring lead vocals ...
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SANDY DENNY – Rendezvous Deluxe Edition

This is a re-release of Sandy Denny’s 1977 album re-packaged in a handsome gatefold sleeve with enclosed booklet and accompanying notes by Patrick Humphries. By ...
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Mawkin – Crow

Two years after the much fêted Mawkin:Causley collaboration disbanded, Mawkin are back with a new melodeon player, Nick Cooke, and drummer, Lee Richardson. The reinvigorated ...
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Rusty Shackle – WASH AWAY THESE NIGHTS

Rusty Shackle formed in early 2010 and their infectious pulse, style and musical genre, whilst potently contemporary, is difficult to pigeon hole and has been ...
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Mike Donaghy releases I Wish You Well

Mike Donaghy has been making a name for himself in Ireland and the UK ever since releasing his first EP “January Never Came This Year” ...
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Sunday For Sammy 2012

Over two and a half hours of entertainment and boy, do those Geordie lads and lasses know how to throw a party! Conceived to honour ...
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Syd Arthur – On An On

Syd Arthur, a quartet of Canterbury-based devotees of sound immersed in the simple pleasures of songwriting, performance and exploratory musical interplay, will release their debut ...
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Eve Selis Releases FAMILY TREE

To support the UK release of FAMILY TREE, Eve Selis and her full band will be touring the UK during June and July 2012. Venues include ...
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Levellers – the new album videos plus free track download

Folk-rock band Levellers will release their tenth studio album, Static On The Airwaves, on 25 June 2012. They have also just announced an 11 date ...
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RICHARD DIGANCE – Dorking Folk Club (09.05.12)

You know it’s going to be a great night when you see the broadly grinning expectations of the ‘sold out’ audience come streaming through the ...
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An interview with Andy Letcher from the band Telling the Bees by Charlotte Shirvington

The Beginning of a New Era... Tucked away in the idyllic setting of one of the oldest towns in the UK is a wonderful band ...
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PETER NARDINI – Hug (Temple Records COMD2105)

The last time I saw a photo like that depicted on the sleeve of Peter Nardini’s “Hug” CD was one of James Bond (in “Diamonds ...
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THE ORIGINAL BUSHWACKERS and BULLOCKIES BUSH BAND – The Shearer’s Dream (Storytellers Guide)

There was a time…the early 1970’s…when the world could be counted as priggish in its approach to British ‘folk’ music. That was until it was ...
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ALAN REID and ROB VAN SANTE – The Adventures Of John Paul Jones (Red Sands Music RSCD003)

No…not that John Paul Jones…the harmonica playing bluesman (!) but this one is, in nautical terms at least a legend none the less. His omnipresent ...
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THE FUREYS and DAVEY ARTHUR – 30 Years On (Global Records GBCD001)

Blimey, a whole 30 seconds of clapping for this celebration of the Fureys' 30th year together and that was before the band even took to the ...
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Joshua Caole’s Debut Album Moon Palace is now released…

Moon Palace is the first full album from Joshua Caole. Released on Bullo Pill Recordings, much of the material accumulated during the long hours spent constantly ...
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SMITHSONIAN FOLKWAYS COMMEMORATES WOODY GUTHRIE CENTENNIAL WITH ‘WOODY AT 100’ BOOK with 3CD SET OUT JULY 10, 2012

INCLUDES 150-PAGE BOOK, 57 TRACKS, 21 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED PERFORMANCES & 6 NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD ORIGINAL SONGS In honor of the Woody Guthrie Centennial, a year-long celebration of ...
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River City Extension – Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger

River City Extension are set to release, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger, on June 5 via XOXO Records/Anchor & Hope Music. The eight-member band, ...
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James J Turner – How Could We Be Wrong?

From the first bars of the opening title track “How could we be wrong?” I knew I would enjoy this album from Liverpool based musician/songwriter ...
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DEEP END OF THE FORD – An Táin own label

Horslips called it The Tain and added electricity to the 12th century text collected in The Book Of Leinster from a much older story. Now, Sean-Nós ...
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JEZ HELLARD and THE DJUKELLA ORCHESTRA – Blood & Honey

Djukella is a Balkan word meaning ‘mongrel’ and is usually applied as an insult. It is, however, an appropriate name for a multi-racial band with ...
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THE GRAND SLAMBOVIANS – Gandalf Murphy And The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams – Live Review

West End Centre, Aldershot -1 June 2012 I tried to discover if this is a permanent name change and received the sort of answer you ...
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RACHAEL and THE RED SOCKS – Melodies And Time (Inaugural Records)

I've never actually swam with dolphins but I somehow get the feeling it would be very much like attending a concert by harpist/vocalist Rachael Gladwin and ...
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LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE – LUCY

Lucy Wainwright Roche is the angel-voiced daughter of singer-songwriters Loudon Wainwright III, a 2010 Grammy Award winner, and Suzzy Roche of singing sister act The ...
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AT FIRST LIGHT – Idir

The Uilleann pipes played an integral part in my passion for Irish music and much of that has stemmed from the masterful John McSherry who ...
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NELS ANDREWS – SCRIMSHAW

This is the third studio album from singer/songwriter Nels Andrews, with songs largely set in and around New York City, (his most recent roost since Albuquerque) ...
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Sunday for Sammy 2012 DVD now released…

Where else but at a Sunday for Sammy 2012 show could you see Auf Wiedersehen Pet's Tim Healy, Kevin Whately, Chris Fairbank and Julia Tobin in a ...
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Fairport Convention celebrated their 45th year anniversary today…

Fairport Convention, legendary pioneers of British folk rock and still one of the most enduring names in popular music, celebrated their 45th birthday today as ...
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Eugene Twist – The Boy Who Had Everything

If it's possible to emerge studied, grounded and with a Clint Eastwood snarl, from the eye of an intense musical storm, Glasgow's Eugene Twist is ...
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PEGGY SEEGER – Live

Many years ago I remember seeing Peggy Seeger & Ewan MacColl ‘live’ at the Croydon Folk Club in the austere surroundings of the Arnhem Gallery ...
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OLD DANCE SCHOOL – Chasing The Light

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of reviewing the Old Dance School’s debut release and mentioned to anyone who’d care to listen ...
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FINBAR MAGEE – Strawberry Winters

I can’t remember where I first heard Finbar Magee. More than likely idling my time away listening to the radio but, whenever it was it ...
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CHRIS RICKETTS – Outward Bound

Chris Ricketts has found a niche that appears to have been overlooked by many other youngsters from the Newcastle Folk & Traditional course namely that ...
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Moulettes rear up in preparation for The Bear’s Revenge…

Moulettes release the first single from forthcoming album The Bear’s Revenge on May 28th. on Balling The Jack Records. The band have chosen live favourite, ’Sing ...
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Woody Pines New Roots Music You Gotta Roll EP

Woody Pines taps into the rural backwoods of Americana. On this new EP, You Gotta Roll, you’ll hear backroads folk music of the very best kind, inspired ...
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Maz Totterdell – Counting My Fingers from the album Sweep

Maz Totterdell’s remarkable debut Sweep depicts youthful talent at its most striking. Her sound, characterised by memorable melodies, folk musicianship and insightful poetic lyricism, has been likened ...
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Nicky Swann HOW DOES YOUR LAND LIE? album release…

Nicky Swann is one of the very best of a new generation of female singer-songwriters. A great storyteller and a passionate performer this powerful, original ...
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SHOW OF HANDS FRONTMAN KNIGHTLEY TO APPEAR ON MAJOR NEW BBC TV SERIES

Show of Hands’ inspired frontman and BBC award-winning songwriter Steve Knightley is to appear in a major new BBC 2 TV series starting next week. Devon-based Knightley, who won ...
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Rachel Harrington and THE KNOCK OUTS

NEW ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE! Imagine Loretta Lynn playing Otis Redding songs in a garage in Seattle – in 1963. That gets you somewhere near the ...
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FAIRPORT CONVENTION – Babbacombe Lee Live Again

For many of us old enough to remember it the first time round Fairport Convention’s “Babbacombe Lee” was one of those albums with its gatefold ...
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ALISON KRAUSS and UNION STATION – Paper Airplane

It will come as no surprise to anyone that knows me how Alison Krauss more or less single-handedly re-kindled my liking for all things bluegrass ...
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EWAN McLENNAN – The Last Bird To Sing

Indelibly etched in my mind are the many times I recollect seeing Dick Gaughan perform at folk clubs throughout the UK. His passion and at times ...
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OTIS GIBBS – HARDER THAN HAMMERED HELL

Otis Gibbs is a man in search of an honest experience. Gibbs is often referred to as a folk artist, but that is a simplistic way ...
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JON BROOKS – Delicate Cages

There’ll be no banner waving or singing of “Nearer My God To Thee” if the lyrics of Jon Brooks opening track “Because We’re Free” is ...
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Garron Frith – AWAY FROM THE BRIGHT LIGHTS

Garron Frith is a musician from Stalybridge, North West England. He is steadily building up a reputation as an outstanding performer and original songwriter. His ...
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Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Americana

I'll just admit that when I read the track listing for "Americana," the first CD by Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 9 years, I ...
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The Roving Crows – Bacchanalia

Dear Roving Crows – Where have you been all my life? OK, I see you only formed in 2009. Is that even possible? How in ...
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LEATHERAT – UPRISING CD LAUNCH

The Mill, Banbury   6 May 2012 The tickets were for 7.30 pm but the festivities began at noon with music in the bar. If ...
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Sea Shanty Festival 2012 – A review by Jim Saville

The Easter weekend saw the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port hosting not one but two festivals. The regular Easter Boat Gathering and the 2nd ...
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Changing Horses – The Nashville Sessions

Changing Horses are British Indie-Folk duo Richard Birtill (vocals and guitar) and Francesca Cullen (vocals, violin, mandolin and melodeon). Stylistically taking influence from the psychedelic ...
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PIG EARTH – 14’x12’

I don’t know what the neighbours must have thought but from the photo on the insert of Pig Earth’s five track EP I’m sure they ...
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ALISTAIR OGILVY – Leaves Sae Green

The evocative piano introduction to “Wars O’Germanie” by rising singer Alistair Ogilvy puts me in mind of a young Sean Keane. No bad thing if ...
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Scattering The Roots with Dan Ogus

Dan Ogus has been co-hosting Scattering The Roots with Shep Woolley since early 2011. Recently, when Shep retired, Dan decided to fly solo, and in folking.com's opinion, ...
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The Imagined Village – Bending The Dark

“Bending the Dark, as a title doesn’t refer to trendy new Physics, deviant sexual practices or even Lord of the Ring wizardry, it’s really very ...
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Malheu – mbilly

John Hiatt has no equal, at least to my ears, but M. William Helfrich is definitely on the path to becoming one of the next ...
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Cathy Jordan – All the Way Home

Dervish front-woman, Cathy Jordan finally presents her eagerly anticipated debut solo album. A more sparse offering than the vibrant sounds produced by Dervish, All The ...
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Cathy and Marcy – Rockin’ the Uke

Pete Seeger loved it. So did George Harrison. And now Baltimore-area based duo Cathy Fink and her musical partner Marcy Marxer are continuing to champion ...
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MARIE-CLAIRE BERREEN – Box And A Ribbon

The lush string sounds courtesy of Glenn Louis Pettit’s keyboard on the opening song “Honeypie” is just right for that Sunday afternoon with Aled, Alan ...
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FAY HIELD – Orfeo

The nice thing about the opening track “The Lover’s Ghost” is that it leaves you in no doubt that Fay Hield and the Hurricane Party ...
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Peggy Seeger Swim To The Star

Folk legend Peggy Seeger's new single, 'Swim To The Star', is a hauntingly moving tribute to the men and women affected by the loss of ...
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Adrian Duffy releases Storm Breaking

Singer-songwriter, Adrian Duffy, delivers super-crafted folk pop songs that combine simple yet infectious melodies with an intimacy and storytelling flavour fondly reminiscent of the early Eagles. These ...
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The Unthanks Brass Project

Following last year’s Songs of Robert Wyatt & Antony & Johnsons, The Unthanks are pleased to announce that the second release on the RabbleRouser label ...
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RICHARD DIGANCE – Old School Photograph (Write Good Music)

Anyone who can include sound-bites of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, In The Bleak Midwinter,  Ding Dong Merrily On High and We Wish You A ...
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PAPER AEROPLANES – Multiple Love – New single released 7th May 2012

Paper Aeroplanes are Richard Llewellyn and Sarah Howells – a highflying folk/pop duo who are inspired by their small West Walian town origins. With their ...
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Dala to release Best Day

Dala, the two-piece award winning duo of Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine, are releasing their fifth studio record, Best Day, on May 29th. With lush ...
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Kan – Sleeper (Kan Music, 2012)

Kan are a folk quartet boasting an enviable line-up of stellar musicians who already command prominent reputations, both within the folk scene and beyond: Scotsman ...
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TIM EDEY – The Best Of Tim Edey (Gnatbite Records)

Kaleidoscope may not be the coolest word to use at the moment thanks to John Bercow, Speaker Of The House Of Commons but it happens ...
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CHURCHFITTERS – Amongst The Green (Churchfitters Records CH2762)

Brittany based The Churchfitters are that rare thing on the ‘folk’ circuit…a band that consistently hit a bull’s-eye (at least in my opinion) with every successive ...
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JAMES ROSS – Chasing The Sun (Trinkie Records TR001)

Sitting here in my flat with the gradually diminishing lights of the neighbourhood dancing like a demented ‘Tinkerbell’ from Peter Pan at 02:26am can’t do much for ...
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NEW DELUXE EDITIONS OF SANDY DENNY’S CLASSIC ISLAND RECORDINGS

Photo taken by Brian Cooke in 1975 On May 21st 2012, Universal is set to release the last three solo albums which Sandy Denny recorded for ...
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Show of Hands Celebrate New Live Music Act at House of Commons tomorrow (Tuesday April 17)

Leading on from their fourth sell-out gig at the Royal Albert Hall on Easter Saturday, Show of Hands are due back in London tomorrow (Tuesday, ...
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GIRLYMAN – SUPERNOVA

A short while ago, I was added to the bands facebook group and over the past weeks I've seen excitement building for both the new album release and ...
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Mawkin new album Crow…

This March, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees Mawkin will be taking their unique brand of folk tunes and songs on the road for a ...
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Nick Burbridge – New Album, Gathered

After six McDermott’s Two Hours albums (versus The Levellers or in their own right), singer-songwriter Nick Burbridge has joined forces with multi-instrumentalist and producer Tim Cotterell, to release the unplugged album of ...
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Mariel Vandersteel’s Debut Fiddle album Hickory…

For roots music to work, it needs to well up from a deep sense of love for the tradition. On the debut album, Hickory, from Boston ...
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Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo Announce New Single and Video

We got word of this last month but with the current volume of requests, we have only just got to this gorgeous new single from Emily ...
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STEVE TILSTON and THE DURBERVILLES – The Oxenhope EP (Splid Records CD009)

OK, so I nearly consigned this 5-track CD to the “don’t bother” pile. Perhaps I should explain…I hate half-cocked albums with only a few tracks ...
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Wayward Daughter – The official biography of Eliza Carthy…

Since appearing at the Vancouver Folk Festival aged just thirteen, Eliza has sung and played across the globe, recording critically acclaimed albums – including Red ...
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JED GRIMES – Heart And Hand EP (Blue Guitar Music BGEPCD 0022)

Most of you will know that I don’t generally review EP CDs but in Jed’s case I’ll make an exception. I’m just watching Saturday Kitchen ...
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Kim Lowings, Drifting Point (EP)

Hailing from the West Midlands, Kim Lowings evokes the bohemian spirit reminiscent of the singer-songwriter movement that flourished so colourfully during the late 60s and ...
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BERNARD WRIGLEY – The Phenomenal B. Wrigley/Rough & Wrigley (Loofy Records 003/004)

Behind every actor and comedian there is a serious musician trying to break out…at least in my opinion. Not too serious mind, just enough to ...
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CYRIL TAWNEY – In Port (Talking Elephant Records TECD 187)

The mere mention of the name Cyril Tawney brings pleasure to many Shanty singers around the world. Therefore this re-release of his “In Port” album ...
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Transatlantic Sessions 5: Volume One (Whirlie Records Whirlie CD25)

The great thing about receiving the latest Transatlantic Sessions CD is that you know all is right with world. In company with twenty-six of the ...
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Bonnie Raitt – Slipstream – Released April 2nd on Proper Records

With the release of her nineteenth album, Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt is starting anew. The album marks her return to studio recording after seven years; it's ...
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Counting Crows Announce New Album ‘Underwater Sunshine’ (COOKCD561) To Be Released April 9th

Multi-platinum American rock band, Counting Crows have announced they will be releasing their first new album in over 4 years on 9th April 2012. Underwater ...
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TAAB 2 – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GERALD BOSTOCK?

Ian Anderson’s follow up to 1972’s classic prog rock album offers some answers Prog Rock? Prog Rock? In 2012? Are you serious? Well, yes actually ...
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PAUL BRADY – DANCER IN THE FIRE: A PAUL BRADY ANTHOLOGY

‘Dancer In The Fire’ is a rich and diverse double CD of Paul Brady’s favourite recordings, personally chosen by the artist and serving as a companion to ...
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MOULETTES – new album ‘The Bear’s Revenge’ release date May 2012

Described as a turbo-charged roots ensemble for the 21st century, Moulettes are an entrancing combination of strings and celestial harmonies; woodwind and weirdness; rhythm and ...
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KAREN RYAN – The Coast Road (Clo Iar-Chonnacht CICD 188)

This is the kind of recording that harks back to the old days of “Paddy In The Smoke” and Danny ‘Concrete Fingers’ Meehan playing at ...
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The boys are back in town… Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley…

Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley have been bringing their unique sound to audiences across Europe and America since the early 1990s, when a chance meeting ...
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Kris Drever with Éamonn Coyne & Megan Henderson (EP, Reveal Records)

This EP serves as a brief reminder of the sheer power of storytelling that is harnessed by Kris Drever’s remarkable and characteristic voice. Bereft of ...
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RURA – Break It Up (Greentrax Recordings CDTRAX364)

I don’t know what it is…maybe it’s the water…Highland Spring naturally (!) that they’re drinking inScotland but the skirl of the pipes is causing many ‘folk’ ...
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ROUGH ISLAND BAND – Where To? (Own Label)

There may be no indigenous music as such from the Isles of Scilly but that doesn’t stop members of the local community of St Agnes ...
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SARAH McQUAID – The Plum Tree And The Rose (Waterbug Records WBG104)

Much like her heroine Bess Of Hardwick (“Hardwick’s Lofty Towers”) Sarah McQuaid has the intelligence and tenacity to cultivate her lyrics so that the legacy of her ...
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THE ALBION BAND – Vice Of The People (Powered Flight Music POWFCD02)

The stark acapella ‘calling-on song’ “A Quarter Hour Of Fame” takes a knowing pop at the industry known as ‘pop’ for, if Simon Cowell were ...
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Older Than My Old Man Now – Loudon Wainwright III

As his new album's title relates, Loudon Wainwright III is Older Than My Old Man Now -- his old man, of course, being the late Loudon Wainwright, ...
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RACHAEL McSHANE – No Man’s Fool (Navigator Records NAVIGATOR27)

Better known as the only female member of Bellowhead the cellist and singer Rachael McShane will certainly turn a few heads with this excellent recording ...
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Much-loved Canadian folk roots combo Po’ Girl

The beauty and mystery of Po’ Girl's music - a sound that has beguiled fans the world over - springs from the mesmerizing bond shared by ...
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WHOLE WIDE WORLD… CRAIG & WILLOUGHBY featuring RIGHTEOUS BROTHER BILL MEDLEY

Craig & Willoughby's new single, WHOLE WIDE WORLD is now available online via Amazon, iTunes, etc. It features Cathryn's mentor, Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, ...
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DUNCAN McCRONE – Colourblind (Circular Records CR1039)

This CD had remained on my ‘to do’ list for quite a while so I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to Duncan for ...
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Texan fiddler-singer-songwriter Amanda Shires released new album ‘Carrying Lightning’

Texan fiddler-singer-songwriter Amanda Shires announces her first headline tour of the UK & Ireland in April & May, including shows at this year’s prestigious Kilkenny Roots Festival, accompanied ...
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Cowboy Junkies – The Wilderness

You remember the Cowboy Junkies, right? Well, they are just about to release The Wilderness, Volume 4 of The Nomad Series on March 26, 2012, ...
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RACHEL HAIR TRIO – No More Wings (March Hair Records MHRCD003)

One of my earliest experiences of performance harp was by ‘Harpo’ Marx in the film “A Day At The Races” and again in a film ...
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Sean Taylor LOVE AGAINST DEATH

Peace against War. Hope against Hate. Unity against Division. Freedom against Fear. Love against Death. The album was born and brought up in Kilburn, England, ...
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KYLE CAREY – Monongah (Self-Released)

A bit like President Obama I feel that Ms Carey is a ‘nice’ person. It’s not that I know her personally of course but judging ...
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THE WEBB SISTERS – Savages (PRPCD079)

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”…so said Sir Walter Scott. And indeed, the web that sisters Charley and ...
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ALLAN YN Y FAN – Pwnco (Steam Pie Records SPCD10165)

Medieval…that’s how I’d describe the music of the Welsh band Allan Yn Y Fan on hearing the first track “Death In Ennis/The Audient” of their ...
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TALIS KIMBERLEY – The Hearth And The Hive – OWN LABEL

Folk is a minority interest music and at its fringe is filk, that undefined and undefinable genre to which Talis Kimberley can be said to ...
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JON AIRDRIE & THE SHELLEYS – Something’s Cooking – OWN LABEL

Jon Airdrie’s previous album with The Shelleys was a download set designed, I presume, to raise funds for the next project. If so he spent ...
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Babajack ROOSTER – KROSSBORDER REKORDS KBR20121

“Chooglin’” was the term that Creedence Clearwater Revival coined for their sound and if you can imagine an acoustic choogle, that how BabaJack sound. It’s ...
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Cathy Jordan – All The Way Home

Musician and vocalist Cathy Jordan, long time member of multi-award winning traditional Irish band Dervish, will launch her debut solo album on 2nd April 2012.  Cathy’s ...
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The new debut album from Dan Raza

Dan has already established a considerable reputation on the UK singer songwriter and folk roots scene. His distinctive approach has won him many fans and ...
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Tomos Lewis – Debut EP Four Songs out March 19th

This four-track EP showcases Tomos Lewis’ exceptional vocals, fiery guitar skills and sweetly sensitive hook-filled tunes. It is an EP to sway, dream, smile and ...
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Steve McQueen by Mike Marlin Released Today plus UK Tour with the Stranglers…

Mike Marlin ripped through 2011 being chosen as HMV ‘Next Big Thing’, releasing his debut album Nearly Man, touring the UK twice, singing disco with dwarves, ...
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Jack McNeill & Charlie Heys TWO FINE DAYS

"The Birmingham-based, Young Folk Awards-nominated duo's free-spirited music sounds centuries old. It's not, and their fresh guitar and violin set-up adds a rare sparkle to ...
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ALTAN – The Poison Glen (Compass Records 4571)

There’s something reassuring about coming across a lyric or melody that you’re used to hearing even if it’s not in your native tongue. Such is ...
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Gráinne Holland – Teanga na nGael

West Belfast's Gráinne Holland bursts on to the scene with this impressive debut recording, boasting confident, avant-garde interpretations of largely traditional Gaelic songs, with a full-bodied voice that ...
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Sam Sallon

Sam Sallon, an up and coming acoustic singer/songwriter from North London, who is creating quite a buzz on the acoustic music scene. Sam has a ...
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Babajack ROOSTER

BabaJack is an acoustic blues/ folk band from Malvern that is fast becoming an established band on the Folk and Blues Festival circuits in the ...
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Bap Kennedy THE SAILORS REVENGE

For nearly any singer/songwriter on the planet, the idea of collaborating with Mark Knopfler would be the stuff of fantasy. But for Bap Kennedy, it ...
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DAVID GIBB and ELLY LUCAS – Old Chairs To Mend (Hairpin Records 002)

David Gibb and Elly Lucas are an exciting young duo who play a mixture of original and re‐worked traditional folk material. They hail from Derbyshire ...
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