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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 James J Turner. Having had a long career fronting bands James has turned his talents to writing and performing as a solo artist. The influences ...
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 singer Lorcán Mac Mathúna who last appeared in these pages with his Irish/Scandinavian fusion, Northern Lights, has taken a rather different approach. The story of ...
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 a musical philosophy that recognises no boundaries. Balkan, incidentally comes from two words meaning ‘blood’ and ‘honey’ so you can see where they are coming ...
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 always get from a Slambovian – polite, detailed and revealing absolutely nothing. This was the band’s second tour gig with new drummer Eric Puente, a player ...
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 her band (Bejamin Stead, Line Haukland, Jake Foord, Adam Beaney, Kjetil Hallre and Joshua Jones) The Red Socks although personally speaking I’m not sure about ...
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 (it seems) has been around forever. OK, maybe not forever but enough to have contributed to some of my all time favourite CDs. A project ...
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 hilarious sketch written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais that also featured Emmerdale's Chris Chittell, Loose Women's Denise Welch and Byker Grove's Donna Air, ...
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 at the Fairfield Halls. The reason I mention this is that the performance had me spellbound and many of today’s younger folk artists could do ...
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 that of the current crop of ‘new’ folk bands that they deserved to be up their with your Bellowhead’s and Show Of Hands etc. I ...
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 was because of his song “My Belfast Love” with its simplistic, lazy country feel that captured my imagination. In its own way this (for me ...
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 pivotal role of the much maligned ‘Shantyman’. Until the recent commercially accepted exposure of Port Isaac’s Fishermen’s Friends these predominantly chorus integrated songs may have ...
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 sleeve and detailed book with the sticker (“Don’t Hang Babbacombe Lee”) that every self-respecting folk-rock enthusiast counted himself lucky to own – I know I ...
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. OK, Ms Krauss and her well oiled band of Barry Hales (bass), Jerry Douglas (slide guitars), Ron Block (banjo) and Dan Tyminski (guitar & mandolin) ...
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 seething contempt for an unjust society also carries over into that conveyed by this decade’s young pretender Ewan McLennan. Perhaps more restrained but still with ...
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 anything to go by. This Toronto based singer-songwriter certainly knows how to put across his message in a self-assured style that will send a shiver ...
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 sighed. Yes, I wanted to hear new music from Young but gees, do we really need another cover of American folk classics such as "Oh ...
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 the heck do you weave such distinct sounds from jazz, western swing, and blues through your classic Celtic folk foundation when your band is practically ...
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 there had been jugglers and fire eaters I wouldn’t have been surprised. First up on the official stage were local indie-rockers Highway Alaska whose bass ...
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 annual Maritime Festival organised by Shanty UK In two years the shanty festival has grown from the brain child of a few keen volunteers into ...
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 couldn’t have been too happy with all of the band recording in the living room! Still I suppose (at least to the band) it must ...
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 you’re just starting out on a road that will hopefully prove fruitful in your endeavours as a performer. Producer and engineer Mattie Foulds brings out ...
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 great Americana artists. The Portland, Oregon based folk-rock songwriter known as mbilly will self-release "Malheu" on June 5, and if the stars align it'll get ...
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 Way Home presents an opportunity to focus on Jordan's vocal prowess, and it's an opportunity that rewards the listener handsomely. A largely subdued affair, with ...
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 the lowly ukulele most recently with their new 13-track release “Rockin’ the Uke.” Of course that’s nothing new for the duo, especially Marxer who has ...
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 or Terry and indeed should be required listening for the Radio 2 generation. Nicely chilled, the track introduces the world to the vocal delights of ...
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 are here to kick up a storm and not meekly come in like the wind that shakes the barley. With lyrics that are perhaps more ...
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 Merry Christmas with lyrics that evoke childhood memories (however convoluted) of that famous trenches football match in 1914 gets a resounding thumbs up from me ...
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 Aidan O'Rourke on fiddle, who has attracted much praise as part of folk wonder-trio Lau and Blazin' Fiddles; Brian Finnegan, hailing from Armagh, on flute ...
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 to be the way I view Tim Edey’s colourful rise to fame within the ‘folk’ community. Having recently been the recipient of the prestigious BBC ...
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 recording they make. This is due primarily to always taking chances and making the listeners ears ring with unusual and exotic sounds. None more so ...
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 my health…or so my doctor keeps telling me. Still, here I am and at least I’ve got the sounds of James Ross for company. Perhaps ...
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 the forthcoming tour. I recently got my hands on Supernova and instantly, it got under my skin. You know the type of thing, one that ...
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 and, for some reason becoming ever more popular with ‘folk’ artists. A lot of my mates, myself included feel cheated and after all, if you’ve ...
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 Rice and Anglicana, which were both nominated for the Mercury Music Prize – and collaborating with a whole host of movers and shakers including Paul ...
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 (with the sound turned down) whilst listening to this fine appetiser from a man of great taste. Opening with the laid-back ‘Country’ feel of “Farewell ...
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 early 70s. Lowings is however anything but a pastiche, resolutely stamping her own identity on her work. Singing with a voice that boasts a warm ...
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 best vocalists/musicians in the field of ‘folk’ music you don’t even need to get the accompanying DVD (although of course you could) to soak up ...
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 The Favourite. Possibly aimed at a more traditionally biased audience Ryan’s style of fiddle playing (sometimes opening with the predominantly two chord piano introduction so ...
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 any needless ornamentation, Drever sings with a stark purity that instils a knowing sense of sincerity and urgency in his delivery, effortlessly drawing the listener ...
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’ audiences in the UK to prick up their ears. It will possibly come as no surprise then that the band Rura are creating something of a buzz ...
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 from expounding the merits of living on the ‘Sun Isles’. This is endorsed by the bright and breezy opening instrumental “Periglis Slip-Jig” fronted by Piers ...
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 song-writing will remain long after she has passed away. If that sounds morose it isn’t meant to be. It’s just that McQuaid’s way with words ...
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 to take even the slightest interest in a ‘folk’ band I’m sure he wouldn’t know what to do with them. So, in a track that ...
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. The jury’s still out if the album is folk/jazz or jazz/folk and if you hear the opening track “Captain Ward” you’ll see what I mean ...
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 the lateness in the review’s eventual arrival…and also to PR man Bob Buchan for reminding me to check it out. Opening with the bright and ...
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 that the title escapes me. The only reason I mention this is at the way he exploited genres such as classical, folk and jazz to ...
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 her on the merits of this album I feel that all is right with the world. This could also have something to do with the ...
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 Hattie use to spread their wordy songs can indeed tangle their audience in knots but in such a refreshing way that we can easily dismiss ...
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 latest CD. Not in an arcane way but, if you get my drift it’s the kind of music that you’d expect at a banquet with ...
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 belong. That is not to denigrate her in any way – I wish I’d discovered her years ago. If you’re puzzled by the word “filk” ...
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 the money wisely because Something’s Cooking is an intriguing album that deserves to be widely heard. Jon and the band are from south Wales and ...
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 not folk, it’s not blues and it’s not rock’n’roll but it incorporates elements of all of them. Rooster is the third album from the Malvern-based ...
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 the case with the track “Seolta Geala” and in as much as I’ve come to associate it with the gustily delivered shanty “Rio Grande” I ...
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 instils a rich vibrancy, and broad appeal. Opening with the rhythmic cadence of "A Bhean Údaí Thall," Gráinne's perfectly poised vocal stamps a commanding authority on ...
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 in the Midlands and have previously toured the UK extensively as part of David Gibb & The Pony Club. David plays the guitars, melodeon and ...
LITHA – Dancing Of The Light (ARCD 3045)
A few years ago I had the pleasure of reviewing the 2Duos outstanding debut CD. Since then they’ve changed their name to Litha but whatever title they choose, this certainly is a 4-piece more than capable of carving out their own unique slice of Celtic ‘folk’ history given half a ...
THE HUT PEOPLE – Picnic (Fellside Recordings FECD248)
So, here it is a welcome return to my favourite drum and squeezebox duo. Mind you, to my knowledge I don’t think there are any others I’ve missed? Starting with a sprightly “Shoes In Black” (good choice of tune lads) with its loaded syncopation and spot-on triplets played at a ...
KEITH KENDRICK & SYLVIA NEEDHAM – Well Dressed (Wild Goose Records WGS 387CD)
I count myself very lucky to work on occasions with Keith Kendrick & Sylvia Needham as members of the music ‘crew’ providing entertainment onboard HMS Warrior, Portsmouth. Many’s the times we’ve shared a good joke together whilst either singing or playing in an informal session and that comes across in ...
KATE RUSBY – While Mortals Sleep (Pure Records PRCD34)
Only 292 days to Christmas... Avoiding the cliché of echoing the ending of each line of “Cranbrook” (“While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night”) set to its original melody and pinched by Yorkshire for the setting of “On Ilkley Moor Baht’at” this jaunty start to Kate’s second seasonal offering proves a joyous ...
JIM MORAY – Skulk (NIBL013)
Perhaps its Moray’s numerous tales of brushes with death on previous recordings that inspired him to use the collective noun for foxes ‘Skulk’ as the title of his latest CD. Or maybe you’ve just seen the series “Whitechapel” on TV? Whatever the reason, his opening choice of song “The Captain’s ...
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