“Are things getting any better?” we ask ourselves and there are signs. It seems that more albums are being released and some gigs are beginning to happen; venues and artists are finding new outlets by live-streaming events and there are always videos. Here’s our pick of the recent releases.
We begin with a reminder of what the pandemic has cost and who the real heroes are. This is ‘Working On The Frontline’ by JESSIE & THE LEONARDS:
With a new album on the horizon, KATIE MELUA previews ‘Your Longing Is Gone’:
ANDY WHITE has been locked down in Melbourne for some time – there are worse places – where he wrote and recorded ‘Isolation’ with his band in Italy and his producer in Hollywood. We’re not sure where the video was made but that is Andy’s handwriting:
Baroque-psych popsters ODESSEY & ORACLE – they spell it the way The Zombies did – present their first music video, the title track from their forthcoming album, Crocorama:
Dublin-based singer ANNA KRANTZ releases a video for her new single, ‘We Could Be High’ which was written on a Zoom call. Isn’t technology wonderful?:
From his album, The Nashville Calling, BEN REEL releases ‘Up There In The Sky’:
With a new EP released next month FERRIS & SYLVESTER release a live cut of ‘Knock You Down’ – wise words:
To mark Alzheimer’s Awareness Day (21st September) EDD DONOVAN releases a new video for ‘Eva’ from his 2019 album, Guardians Of Our Time:
Irish American singer-songwriter from New York, VINCENT CROSS is getting good reviews for his album, The Life & Times of James The Rooster Corcoran a 19th century gang leader who just happens to be his ancestor. Here is a freshly written broadside ballad, ‘King Corcoran’ which demonstrates what a naughty boy he was:
Tangos are not usually our thing but we’ll make an exception for ORLY & THE MONA DAHLS. The rhythm of ‘Hope Is A Traitor’ may be Latin-American but the words are pure despair:
Their album Getting Into Knives drops next month and ahead of that THE MOUNTAIN GOATS give us a rocking track as a taster – ‘As Many Candles As Possible’:
With an album coming in November, KITCHMAN/SCHMIDT release a haunting version of ‘Lowlands’:
Lest we forget the good things, MARIE NAFFAH brings us a live acoustic version of ‘What A Wonderful World’: