Category Archives: Folk
WHOLEWHEAT-SONGS FROM MY PARENT’S BASEMENT.
WHOLEWHEAT-SONGS FROM MY PARENT’S BASEMENT. A degree of mystery surrounds New Jersey based singer-songwriter, Wholewheat. Musically, Brian Austin a.k.a. Wholewheat is something an enigma. Very little is known of him. However, in September 2014, Wholewheat released his debut album Songs From My Parent’s Basement. It features songs that Wholewheat recorded between 1995 and 2003. Songs From …
LAU-THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG-VINYL EDITION.
LAU-THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG-VINYL EDITION. Ever since the release of their 2007 debut album. Lightweights and Gentlemen, Lau have been variously described as “adventurous,” and “modern folk’s most innovative band.” That’s no exaggeration. Lau are, without doubt, one of the most exciting and ambitious folk bands of their generation. That’s why Kris Drever, Martin …
EDDI READER-THE BEST OF EDDI READER.
EDDI READER-THE BEST OF EDDI READER. Eddi Reader was twenty-eight when Fairground Attraction signed to RCA. The next three years were a roller coaster for Fairground Attraction. Their debut single Perfect was released in April 1988, and reached number one in the British singles charts. Fairground Attraction slice of pop perfection whetted record buyer’s attention …
CLEAR LIGHT-CLEAR LIGHT.
CLEAR LIGHT-CLEAR LIGHT. There aren’t many record labels that are founded in a college dorm. However, that’s where the Elektra Records story began in 1950. Jac Holman and Paul Rickol were students at the prestigious and exclusive St. John’s College, in Santa Fe. They decided to form a record label, and agreed to invest $300 …
KRIS DREVER-IF WISHES WERE HORSES.
KRIS DREVER-IF WISHES WERE HORSES. For the last decade, Kris Drever has managed to combine his solo career, with being a member of Lau, who nowadays, are one of the most successful, respected and progressive British folk bands of their generation. However, to reach the heights Lau have, hasn’t been easy. Each of the three …
JOHN MARTYN-A LIFE IN MUSIC REMEMBERED.
JOHN MARTYN-A LIFE IN MUSIC REMEMBERED. It’s hard to believe that it’s seven years since John Martyn passed away on 29th January 2009. Incredibly, John Martyn was only sixty years old. He seemed to have been around forever. John Martyn’s life revolved around music. His career began in 1967, when he was just seventeen. Back …
EMMA POLLOCK-IN SEARCH OF HARPERFIELD.
EMMA POLLOCK-IN SEARCH OF HARPERFIELD. Most people haven’t heard of Castle Douglas. Why should they? It’s a small market town in Dumfries and Galloway, in south-west Scotland. However, Castle Douglas has been home to some famous faces over the last 224 years. This includes a potter, politician, footballer and two rugby players. However, they’ve been …
IKARUS-IKARUS.
IKARUS-IKARUS. In Greek mythology, Icarus, the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, who created the Labyrinth, met a tragic ending. Icarus and Daedalus were desperate to escape from Crete. So Daedalus constructed wings made of feathers and wax. As Icarus prepared to make his escape, Daedalus warned his son of complacency and hubris. Icarus shouldn’t …
THE BATHERS ARE BACK, AND ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL.
THE BATHERS ARE BACK, AND ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL. Nowadays, anniversaries are a cause for celebration in music. They’re also the perfect excuse for record companies to reissue an album. Especially, if it happens to be a the twenty-fifth or thirtieth anniversary of an album’s release. This gives a record company the perfect excuse for …
THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS OF 2015.
THE BEST LIVE ALBUMS OF 2015. The final category in my best of series is live albums. For some reason, live albums seem to divide opinion. While some people love live albums, others loathe them. There seems to be no middle ground. Partly that’s down to how an artist approaches a live album. It may be …
JO MANGO-WRACK LINES.
JO MANGO-WRACK LINES. Over the last few years, Glasgow based Jo Mango has been busier than most singer-songwriters. She managed to combine her solo career, with being a member of Vashti Bunyan’s band; yet still found time to collaborate with some of the biggest names in music. Then in her downtime, Jo Mango found time …
THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART ONE.
THE BEST 55 REISSUES OF 2015-PART ONE. The next stop in my look back at 2015, is the reissues released during the last twelve months. Again, I started with a long-list, and over the course of a few weeks, gradually, narrowed it down to fifty albums. These albums are an eclectic selection, and cover an …
THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART THREE.
THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART THREE. JETHRO TULL-BENEFIT. Previously, Steven Wilson had worked wonders with some of King Crimson’s back-catalogues. So, allowing him to work his magic Jethro Tull’s Aqualung and Benefit was a calculated gamble. It had the potential to breath life into both albums. Listeners were able to see whether that was the case …
THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART FOUR.
THE BEST 50 REISSUES OF 2015-PART FOUR. LED ZEPPELIN-IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR-DELUXE EDITION. On 15th August 1979, Led Zeppelin released their eighth studio album In Through the Out Door. By then, they were one of the biggest selling bands in the world. Their first seven studio albums and their 1976 live album The Song …
THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FOUR.
THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FOUR. LABFIELD-BUCKET OF SONGS. Five years after the release of their sophomore album Collab, LabField, one of the leading lights of the European improv scene make a welcome return. They returned in 2015 with their genre-melting third album, Bucket of Songs. It was released on Hubro Music. Bucket …
THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FIVE.
THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART FIVE. SIDSEL ENDRESEN AND STIAN WESTERHUS-BONITA. One of the most eagerly awaited albums of 2015 was Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ sophomore album Bonita. It was released on Rune Grammofon in January 2015. Bonita was the followup to Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ debut album Didymoi Dreams. Just …
THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART SIX.
THE BEST 55 NEW ALBUMS OF 2015-PART SIX. 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 in March 2015, on Static Caravan Recordings, and sees The Woodbine and …
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