Mark Johnson

The Local Honeys + Rachel Harrington, Sage 2, Gateshead, 20th July 2019

July 30, 2019 Mark Johnson 0

The Local Honeys are from Kentucky, and they make sure their audience know it, repeatedly. They are not just proud, they are bursting with it, and a gig with them is both a history and geography […]

SummerTyne Americana Festival , Sage Gateshead, 19th – 21st July, 2019

July 29, 2019 Mark Johnson 0

Returning for its fourteenth year, one of the pioneers of the Americana festival scene continues its very relaxed mix of fun and music. When it started, the question was, “What is Americana?” but nowadays it is […]

Kishi Bashi “Omoiyari” (Joyful Noise, 2019)

July 24, 2019 Mark Johnson 0

There is no direct translation, but ‘Omoiyari’ can mean the idea that thinking about others promotes compassion, ie altruistic empathy, which is the intent Kishi Bashi delivers precisely with this deeply personal, and bluntly political album. […]

Will Hoge + Curran, Night & Day, Manchester, 11th July 2019

July 22, 2019 Mark Johnson 0

So, the Australian minx, Kylie was playing the other side of town at the same time as this lot trooped in. Tremendously entertaining apparently, with glitter bombs, dance troop, synchronised light show etc. Also, no doubt, […]

Buford Pope “The Waiting Game” (Unchained Records, 2019)

July 3, 2019 Mark Johnson 0

Buford Pope is a name that immediately conjures up images of the Deep South, and there are a dozen small cities called Buford scattered around those states. Bufords fought for the American Revolution, and on both […]

Stamping on the passion: Why AI written PR is a bad thing for music

September 21, 2026 2

If a music writer opens ten press releases this month, they’ll spot something odd. They all sound like the same person wrote them. Not because the artists share a publicist, or because there’s a house style […]

Carla Gover and Friends “Williams Branch is Hard to Find”

September 21, 2026 0

A cycle of Appalachian folk songs from writer and activist Si Kahn, subtitled Songs for Strong Kentucky Women The subtitle for this album is “Si Kahn’s Songs for Strong Kentucky Women”. Si Kahn is one of […]

Ad for American Beauty album 5th December 1970

For the Sake of the Song: Grateful Dead “High Time”