A return to the old format… sort of
Following extensive market research (asking a couple of people at a bus stop) I’ve decided that there isn’t enough music in these posts from the abyss. Therefore, there will be a couple of YouTube videos of bands I’m currently listening to as well as the now legendary (6th Globally in the Mixcloud Americana Charts!) radio show that ploughs the AUK furrow. You lucky people.
This week has seen schools return and to be fair I suspect I may have had a few melancholic moments were it not for the fabulous gigs I have attended which definitely made sure that the joy of rock n roll and no marking quickly snuffed out any passing regrets! Wilco and Courtney Marie Andrews are reviewed elsewhere today on the site but suffice it to say a wonderful evening. Following this, a tiny gig in Birmingham saw Whitney K perform a glorious set to a very small audience who had ventured out on a Monday night and were well rewarded with a proper rock n roll show including a couple of stonking new tunes to boot. Hanging around like a fanboy afterwards the band were both social and in good spirits. The financial logistics of a European tour with audiences so small must be crushing for up and coming artists. Konnor W described playing to 400 people at The End of the Road festival as ‘amazing, never played to so many people in my life!’ I bet you will be regularly in the future Konnor, as long as you manage to get through the grind of the lower slopes. It was exciting to see that each member of the band was selling CDs or vinyl of their own stuff as well as the new band live CD (also reviewed elsewhere on the site). One of them, The Painters, are featured in the radio show and very good they are. Next week I’ll be featuring the other, Avalon Tassonyi, whose album ‘Candlelightning’ is also a lovely thing.
So this week I have been listening to some fabulous stuff. The good people of Loose have signed another fabulous act, Brown Horse, and heralded their arrival with a wonderful song. And all this talk of Whitney K means we must include a track from the new live album ‘Vivi’. And, of course, there is this week’s show featuring The Jayhawks and Chuck Prophet as part of my Top Ten Americana acts as well as The Cowboy Junkies, Wilco, PP Arnold and many more plus of course more presenting stupidity. As ever take what you want or need.
