All Blog Posts Tagged 'John' (97)

On his myspace site, Mark Bates seems such a sweet, gently spoken young man, it's hard to believe that this is the same person who has produced an album that so melodramatically deals with all the darker sides of life, as chronicled by generation after generation of folk song writers. His liner notes suggest a troubled personal…

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Trilobite's self-titled first album acquired a core of serious enthusiasts, myself included. Mark Ray Lewis' snapshot stories were married to music of spartan beauty, breaking out into actual tunes often enough to give the listener something to hold on to. The wheezing pump organ kind of defined the sound of the album, ' groaning with the rest of creation' as No Depression memorably put it. The staccato… Continue

It's just five years since these three guys got together - sorry, make that two guys and one gal - and at that point they were all fresh into the whole business of making string band music. In that time they've made a short journey out of becoming one of the most exciting string band revivalists about, and now they've produced an album which suggests they could sweep all before them in this whole area of music. Faithful to, but not jailed by the tradition is how they put it, and that… Continue

One hour of uncomplicated pleasure from John Lilly, a consummate musician who seems way too nice to be in show business. There's no edge, no inflated ego, just a finely honed skill as musician, performer and writer. Listening to him on this disc, or seeing him on stage, is like seeing your favourite uncle good-humouredly take off his working jacket, pick up his guitar and play a few well-loved songs to while away the…

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Jon Garcia, musician and filmmaker from Portland, Oregon, is a pretty quirky talent. As on his previous, self-titled, album Jon goes for an eclectic, Wilco-like approach - a really rich production that moves easily between almost painfully delicate numbers and those that soar and rock uninhibitedly. Whereas the first album fell back too often on a young man's tendency to make a…

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Suit of Lights is a really solid, straight down the line country album from Manchester-based (that's Manchester, UK) five piece band, Buchanan. Now British country music - or Dutch, Italian and Turkmenistani for all I know - is bound to be inherently suspect. These guys are clearly playing make believe with their stetson hats and stitched shirts in a land of rain-sodden skies, congested roads and chip…

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'The Bastard's Daughter' will be two years old by the time Janette Geri visits Britain again this spring but, along with a companion album of traditional and modern folk song covers ('Telling Tales'), this is the most recent recorded work available. Well, she's clearly quite a remarkable performer; self-produced and largely self-played, this is the work of someone who is really…

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www.nocomebacks.co.uk

I fully expected to hate this: two ageing Brits in cowboy hats, one ageing Texan whose star has long faded, a bunch of singing cowboy songs and a drum machine. What can go right?

I mean, I've been to one of those country shows where people turn up in their rhinestone jackets and cowboy hats and I vowed to run a mile if I ever felt myself slipping in that direction. I like my cheese on toast, not… Continue

http://www.myspace.com/johnsieger

John Sieger, from Milwaukee, has been through several incarnations as musician and band leader and along the way has produced several albums under his own name. His previous offering, 'The Shaming of the True', was the first time I'd come across him and didn't really set my world on fire, to be honest - too mannered in his songwriting style for my taste, really. 'Live at… Continue

Here's a best of the decade list; I'd like to have put both of Drew Nelson's albums in, partly because nobody seems to have picked up on him much and I reckon he's quite special. In no particular order. All of these I love everytime I hear them and some of them are definitely comfort music for me by now.



AJ Roach: Revelation

Nels Andrews: Sunday Shoes

Bruce Springsteen: Magic

Drew Nelson: Dusty Road to Beulah Land

Joe West: Human… Continue

There were five tracks on Lou Vargo's 2007 disc, American Disaster and two years later he has crafted six songs to present to us on Sunday Night Serenade. Not prolific, then, but he says himself that his songs take a long while to gestate and that many get rejected along the way. American Disaster was very well received and opened a lot of doors for him, but I'd say that this new one is a finer achievement.



The tone is… Continue

Dave Desmelik has been round a musical block or two. At one time he was a member of the hottest band in Flagstaff - can't say I know how big Flagstaff is, but it's a fair bet it's bigger than Dingwall. Now, though, he's moved back to the old south and has recorded this, his sixth album, in Nashville. There's country sounds in here, and some supporting players, but in line with the album title this sounds pretty much like… Continue

It's the top ten end of the decade, time to reminisce about some great times seeing musicians play in the Highlands. It's been a great time for me, re-discovering gig going after all the years when a young family meant other things took priority. My only regret is that I don't have the time and money to see more. Still, scarcity value counts for a lot. Anyway, here's my completely arbitrary list of favourite gigs in the last ten years (or so):



Willard Grant… Continue

Much praised by Bob Harris, Malcolm Holcombe is a man you can't, or shouldn't, ignore. Fortunately for us in Scotland there are two appearances at Celtic Connections and, glory be, an intimate little gig at the Strathpeffer Coffeee Shop to look forward to in January. In truth, I've been struggling to get to grips with this album. It is not smooth and easy, all laid out on a plate for us to lap up. Malcolm's vocals… Continue

An impressive debut album from Scotland's own Sandra MacBeth, 'Conjugal Scene'www.myspace.com/sandramacbeth is accomplished and ambitious. Accomplished because Sandra and her bandmates play with an assurance that springs from knowing exactly what they';re about. Ambitious because she and her producer, Felix M von Racknitz, have taken her songs and explored what they're capable of beyond the sound of one girl and… Continue

Hey Negrita: Burn The Whole Place Down http://www.myspace.com/heynegrita It's just great to find a new favourite band, there hasn't been one for a while, but this album is just great. Recorded 'as live' on acoustic instruments, 'Burn the Whole Place Down' shows all the qualities that make for a great band: great songs, great playing and a distinctive sound that is partly down to the wondrous interplay of these… Continue

John Peel died 26th October 2004 of a heart attack on holiday in Peru. Where did those five years go? I remember the shock and loss vividly. Just testament to the man and to his broadcasting legend, a whole nation fell into grief and not just the musicians and music fans of this nation who to a man and woman he had a uniquely personal effect on. Politicians and public figures and proletariat lined up with the music…

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