Can you ever have too much of a good thing? It’s a question I asked myself whilst sifting through potential news stories for the site. There has been an avalanche of great stuff being announced in the last couple of weeks, and it’s becoming an issue as I’m starting to struggle to have the bandwidth to give this music the attention it deserves. In the last couple of weeks, there has been new stuff from Richard Thompson, Willie J Healy, Margo Cilker, Phosphorescent, Neil Young, Hollow Hand, Greg Freeman, Ian Noe, Josh Rouse, two more Neil Young tributes, and the list goes on.
My critical senses are unimpaired by a lifetime of listening ( and carousing), but the bar seems to be getting higher as I am constantly finding new and shiny things to listen to and mentally making a note that I must go back and explore this more, only to discover two weeks later that I haven’t played it again, let alone …investigated properly. What do I mean by that? Well, to use an oenological metaphor, it is like letting a wine breathe. The song should be played two or three times and then returned to at some time later. All our reviewers on the site are well versed in this process, as was I when I had the time to review albums, etc., but now I’m carving out the midnight hours to ensure that all these gifts from the musical universe have been appreciated fully.
I’m knackered…but in a good way!
The other thing that is occupying my mind is the radio show. After much nagging from various parts, I have now set up a subscription for Sounds from beyond the Shed. This has taken some time as it needed to be done right, and I think I’ve sorted it ( famous last words…) as when people subscribe, at least 65% of any earnings go to paying the artists who I feature on the shows, which seems only proper. Subscribers would obviously have access to playlists, repeat facility, exclusive shows, and a direct line to my psyche! If you are a regular listener and would like to join me in this new and beautiful world, please use the following link
Here are two artists with new releases that demand your attention, and you may have missed. Willie J Healey and Josh Rouse are both fabulous, as was last week’s radio show, which featured, amongst others, My Morning Jacket, The Jayhawks, Teenage Fanclub, The Waterboys (Mike Scott on the podcast in a couple of weeks!), and many more. As ever…
