Lucille Furs, a five piece from Chicago, have an abiding admiration for psych-influenced rock, and on the showing of ‘Another Land‘ there’s a strong Anglophile side to that admiration. It’s something that singer Trevor Newton Pritchett willingly admits to when he reels off their influences, saying “You might hear the Zombies for their kind of haunting and contemplative quality, the Kinks kind-of casual criticism, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band for their distant romantic quality, Temples, Love…” Continue reading “Lucille Furs “Another Land” (Requiem Pour Un Twister, 2019)”
Author: Jonathan Aird
Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan's music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That's not much to ask, is it?
Joy Williams “When Does A Heart Move On?” – Listen
It’s tempting, of course, to hear this song as part of an on-going exchange of bruised emotions between Joy Williams and her ex-partner in singing John Paul White. It’s probably just a coincidence though. Probably. Even if it isn’t a CSN-like coded message aimed at a particular bandmate ‘When Does a Heart Move on ?‘ is undeniably beautiful in a frail and tenuous way. It comes from the album ‘Front Porch‘, which will be out via Sensibility/Thirty Tigers on May 3rd.
Erin Durant “Take A Load Off” – Listen
Erin Durant has shared the lead single from her second album ‘Islands‘, to be released in June. Produced by TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone it perfectly showcases Durant’s perfect vocal and elegant songwriting. ‘Take a Load Off‘ is a tale of travelling, but there’s a dreamy disconnect – a feeling assisted by the lush pedal steel and Durant’s words “I’ve been travelling by word of mouth / Is this some folk tale I’ve been told about ? / I’ve been travelling by word, a bit confused where I am.”
Track Premiere: Sean Whiting “Just The Same”
Kentuckian Sean Whiting hasn’t always been a musician, having previously made his way as a coal miner and a truck driver. And he pulls this blue-collar background into his new album ‘High Expectations‘ from which ‘Just the Same‘ is taken. And if the image on the track has you a little worried then fear not – Sean Whiting is far more Outlaw than ZZ Top – there’s a real hint of Waylon in his voice. Continue reading “Track Premiere: Sean Whiting “Just The Same””
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife “Not Like A Brother” – Listen
The second single from ‘You Be the Lightning‘, the fifth album by Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife could not be more West Coast Rock if it had actually fallen fully formed off a flowering Rumours tree (genus Fleetwood Maccus). It captures not just the sound but the smooth mood of that era, with lyrics dreamily sung and yet infused with a passionate core “Strike me down, make me stay / Can’t feel the thunder in my heart these days / You be the lightning running through my veins / I wanna feel you, I wanna feel you, wanna know you / Not like a brother.”
Anna Tivel shares new album courtesy of NPR
You’ll recall that Anna Tivel had a new album planned for this year, it’s called ‘The Question‘, and we’ve already been lucky enough to share the track ‘Worthless‘ from it. Well, hold onto your Homburgs, keep your Breton caps in sight and don’t fling your Fedora – you’ll want to keep your head covered at the latest information we can impart. Anna Tivel has only gone and shared the album on NPR music (here). Continue reading “Anna Tivel shares new album courtesy of NPR”
The Vegabonds “V” (Blue Elan Records, 2019)
‘V‘ is, unsurprisingly, The Vegabonds fifth album and also their first for their new LA based label. The Vegabonds have been playing for some ten years, gaining a following on the college circuit in the Southeastern States of the USA. Their brand of rock is similarly rooted in straight-ahead Southern Rock, which has seen them open for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Gregg Allman amongst others. And, after five albums they certainly know what they are about musically – with lead guitarist Richard Forehand an anchor for the band to build around. Continue reading “The Vegabonds “V” (Blue Elan Records, 2019)”
The Breath “Let It Calm You Down” – Listen
The Breath is the acoustic duo of talented guitar player Stuart McCallum and the ethereally blessed singer Ríoghnach Connolly. Now, Ríoghnach is a noted improviser – making up lyrics as the music leads her. Not always – but incredibly ‘Let it Calm You Down’ was a totally improvised song, sung during a home town show in Manchester. Ríoghnach recalls feeling a little grumpy until she spotted her soulmate in the crowd. The song was a call to him, “the only bastard that can calm me – if we hadn’t recorded the gig, it would have been lost in the ether all together”. And that would have been a tragedy.
Track Premiere: GoldenOak “Poet And The Painter”
From the opening finger-picked introduction it’s pretty clear that ‘Poet and the Painter‘ is going to be a nice track – and then the sibling vocals of Zak and Lena Kendall come in and you’re just blown away by their incredible harmonies. And then the band comes in and makes ‘Poet and the Painter ‘ a perfect piece of Portland folk-rock. Continue reading “Track Premiere: GoldenOak “Poet And The Painter””
Jonas Friddle “Drinking In A Dry Town” – Listen
Small Town America is captured in sharp relief on Jonas Friddle’s new single. Beneath the warm toned music and Friddle’s restrained vocal, both captured live and straight to tape, there’s a darker side: “the high school councillor graduated Pennsylvania State / Kept you after class to ask if you’re ok? / But I seen them standing in a parking lot / Calling you a faggot and it ain’t gonna stop“. Acceptance and the right to live your own life? No, not going to happen, not around here. It’s enough to drive one to drink – which is kind of what the song is about.