Category Archives: Folk Rock
I HAVE A TRIBE-YELLOW RAINCOATS E.P.
I HAVE A TRIBE-YELLOW RAINCOATS E.P. Ever since 2012, Patrick O’Laoghaire has been one of music’s rising stars. Patrick first came to prominence as a member of Dublin based band Slow Skies. They were founded in 2012, and featured Karen Sheridan, Conal Herron and Patrick O’Laoghaire. Less than a year later, and Slow Skies were ready to …
WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS-PITTSBURGH.
WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS-PITTSBURGH. Like many artists, William Fitzsimmons draws upon personal experience for his songs. That has been the case since William released his 2005 debut album, Until When We Are Ghosts. Since then, William has released a further five albums.Each album has proved a compelling insight into William Fitzsimmons’ life. It seems no subject is …
VASHTI BUNYAN-HEARTLEAP.
VASHTI BUNYAN-HEARTLEAP. It was fifty years ago, in 1965, that Vashti Bunyan’s musical career began. She looked destined for great things. Sadly, that proved not to be the case. Five years after her career began, Vashti Bunyan released her debut album Just Another Day in 1970. It failed to chart. This lead to Vashti Bunyan retiring from music. Nothing was heard …
STORNOWAY-BONXIE.
STORNOWAY-BONXIE. It was nine years ago that Brian Briggs first met Jon Quin, at a Freshers Week at Oxford University. Brian’s first words to Jon were that he looked like a member of Scottish indie rock band Teenage Fanclub. That broke the ice. Brian and Jon realised they both shared a love of music. So, …
DION RECORDED LIVE AT THE BITTER END AUGUST 1971.
DION RECORDED LIVE AT THE BITTER END AUGUST 1971. After being one of the biggest selling artists of the late fifties and early sixties, the hits started to dry up for Dion. He had been one of the most successful artists of the rock ’n’ roll era. For the last six years, it seemed Dion …
JOHN MARTYN-LIVE AT LEEDS (DELUXE EDITION).
JOHN MARTYN-LIVE AT LEEDS (DELUXE EDITION). In January 1975, John Martyn released his eighth studio album, Sunday’s Child. John had been away from the studio for fifteen months. His previous album, Inside Out, was released in October 1973. Since then, John had been concentrating on touring. However, in August 1974, John headed to Island Studios, …
FAIRPORT CONVENTION-MYTHS AND HEROES.
FAIRPORT CONVENTION-MYTHS AND HEROES. There aren’t many groups that enjoy the longevity that Fairport Convention have. They were formed in 1967, and are widely recognised as the founding fathers of English folk rock. Since then, Fairport Convention have influenced several generations of folk musicians. However, it’s not all been smooth sailing for Fairport Convention. The …
HENRY AND FLEETWOOD-ON THE FOREST FLOOR E.P.
HENRY AND FLEETWOOD-ON THE FOREST FLOOR E.P. Recently, I’ve noticed that there’s been a shortage of quality new music. At one point, it looked like the well had almost run dry. While the first couple of months of the year are always quiet, this year was worst than most. That’s apart from a few European …
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT.
MICHAEL CHAMPMAN-SAVAGE AMUSEMENT. Nowadays, artists can spent years recording an album. They announce that they’re about to start work on their next album. That’s the last anyone hears of the artist for years. They’re locked away in their home studio, with only a DAW and a handful of plug-ins for company. What follows is a …
WILLIE NILE-IF I WAS A RIVER.
WILLIE NILE-IF I WAS A RIVER. Having graduated from the University of Buffalo with a degree in philosophy in 1971, twenty-three year old Willie Nile dreamt of making a living as a troubadour. He was a classically trained pianist, who had been writing songs throughout his college years. Then during the summer, Willie Nile headed …
THE WOODBINE AND IVY BAND-SLEEP ON SLEEPING ON.
THE WOODBINE AND IVY BAND-SLEEP ON SLEEPING ON. Four years after releasing their eponymous debut album in 2011. The Woodbine and Ivy Band return with their new album Sleep On Sleeping On. It was released on March 9th 2015, on Static Caravan Recordings, and sees The Woodbine and Ivy Band head in a different direction …
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-WINDOW.
MICHAEL CHAPMAN-WINDOW. Michael Chapman never set out to be a make a living as a musician and originally, he was a teacher. By day, Michael Chapman taught art and photography and music was something he did in his spare time. However, there was a sense of inevitability that one day soon, Michael Chapman would leave the …
DEKE LEONARD-ICEBERG.
DEKE LEONARD-ICEBERG. Four years after founding Man in 1968, Deke Leonard was on a sabbatical from the Welsh rockers. Deke left Man for the first time in May 1972. This allowed Deke to do something he’d always wanted, record his debut solo album. Over the next twenty months, Deke with a few of his musical friends, …
TOM RUSH-TOM RUSH.
TOM RUSH-TOM RUSH. For many people, Tom Rush was a trailblazer. He was the first of the singer-songwriters. His career began in 1961, when Tom, who was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire began singing in clubs. Back then, Tom was still a student at Harvard University, where he studied English literature. A year later, in …
JOHN MARTYN-THE BEST OF THE ISLAND YEARS.
JOHN MARTYN-THE BEST OF THE ISLAND YEARS. Last year, Commercial Marketing released The Island Years, an eighteen disc box set celebrating the twenty years John Martyn spent at Island Records. This included the seventeen albums John Martyn released between 1967 and 1987. As if that wasn’t enough, The Island Years included previously unreleased mixes, out-takes, …
JOZEF VAN WISSEM-IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO RETURN.
JOZEF VAN WISSEM-IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO RETURN. It was back in 2000, that avant-garde composer and baroque lutenist Jozef Van Wissem released his debut album, Retrograde Renaissance Lute. Since then, Josef has released a series of groundbreaking solo albums and collaborations. Jozef’s latest album, It Is Time For You To Return, will be …
CHARLIE GILLETT’S RADIO PICKS-HONKY TONK VOLUME 2.
CHARLIE GILLETT’S RADIO PICKS-HONKY TONK VOLUME 2. Music was Charlie Gillett’s life. He literally lived for music. It was his passion. As a result, Charlie had an encyclopaedic and eclectic knowledge of music. That was apparent to listeners to his radio show Honky Tonk, which first hit Radio London’s airwaves in 1972. Soon, Charlie was …
CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG-C.S.N.Y. 1974.
CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG-C.S.N.Y. 1974. Forty years ago, in 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young put their differences aside, and embarked upon what was the first ever outdoor stadium tour. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young had been on hold for nearly three years. It had been four years since Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young …
SHARON VAN ETTEN-ARE WE THERE.
SHARON VAN ETTEN-ARE WE THERE. Are We There is singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten’s fourth album. Released on May 27th 2009, on Jaguarwar, Are We There was released to widespread critical acclaim. Critics hailed Are We There, the finest album of Sharon’s four album career. It surpassed everything that had come before. Sharon’s recording career began …
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