If ever there was a bunch of esoteric individualists it’s Gryphon. They’ve always been endearingly bonkers, even when they were trying to be serious. It was a trait that meeting with any of them revealed. There was always that twinkle in the eye and a laugh which told...
Steve Jinski used to be a more rabid character. When our paths first crossed he was a singer of the people, an artist as principled as Billy Bragg and just as he, dragging his guitar along. Where he differs from the Bard of Barking is Jinski has always had more...
The Chair hail from Orkney, a wild and beautiful series of islands off the north east tip of Scotland. I came across them initially with their debut set ‘Huinka,’ which was as lively a barrel of monkeys as you could wish for. They’ve recorded intermittently since,...
Hannah Elizabeth and Griff Jameson give us harmony vocals backed by tight guitar and violin in a unique style that is gaining this duo a deserved reputation. As the title suggests, these are story songs inspired by Whitby and the Yorkshire coast that make interesting...
December usually means a month on the road for the Father of folk rock, with the one continuation of the brand Albion, this year though like most other artists he’s seen cancelled gigs and had to stay at home. For a creative sort that’s really hard to take, so reading...
This is an unusual CD that, while it has limitations, is really rather charming. Alan Whitby, originally from South Wales, is the father of Amy Goddard, who's well known as a quality singer/songwriter. Having been a feature on the local folk scene and known for his...
If you have not come across the music of Kate Shayler and Chris Brooke then their excellent first full CD will provide you with a great way to dip your toe in the water. It is difficult not to think of the label Americana when faced with high class harmony vocals and...
There is so much talent in the world of music that gets missed in the hurly burly, fast moving world of modern life. Jesse DeNatale is one such diamond in the rough. His first two albums, 'Shangri-La West' and 'Soul Parade' garnered praise from the unlikely extremes...
A child prodigy to modern day guitar hero at the age of 43, this documentary pulls back the curtain and chronicles his journey with behind the scenes interviews and live concert footage showcasing some of the biggest names in music. It’s an entertaining testament to a...
Jim White came to the fore with his full album debut, 'The Mysterious Tale Of How I Shouted Wrong-Eyed Jesus'. An album that had its manic moments but was wrapped in the pop imagination of its creator. There followed a series of albums that had this enigmatic artist...
Rakoczy is Hungarian by birth but has spent most of her formative years in a city I know well, Manchester. Therefore she tips her hat to Mancunian flautist supremo Michael McGoldrick, also adds Tom Waits, Lady Gaga, Blowzabella and The Peatbog Faeries for good...
Two of Yorkshire’s finest Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow have been cheerily spreading good humour and serious story songs across the land for the last ten years. Several albums in it was perhaps inevitable that a live show should surface, this being an...
Just occasionally along comes an album by somebody you’ve never heard of, never seen in concert and things seem just right. So with that in mind, I’m going to recommend Stephen Clark, who I’ve never heard of and never seen in concert either. 'The Lady Aurora,’...
Tenth birthday hooley for Rura, a roll call of ex members and heavyweight guests along for the ride. Some ride it is too. Rura are one of those bands who play with energy fit to burst and then will turn on a sixpence and deliver an air that’s reflective and...
Two sides to every story, certainly two sides to Dan Whitehouse. They’re differences he’s keen to explore on this double CD. The first a tentative trial of concentrated material, it’s powerful and at times quite dark. The other more familiar, the sound of ...
There is much about Lisa Lambe’s second album that’s windswept; from the cover shot of a blown, tossed and fragile face to the breezes and atmospheres which imbue the music itself. In many ways ' Juniper,' uses Irish roots in the rurality and ambience which...
Tumbling tunes, a seductive melodic drift, vocals which bounce harmonically around in dream like patterns, Annie Dressner has taken to life on our side of the pond like a natural. A natural that is who allows her American origins to shine through on virtually...
The name of Dan Penn may not be familiar to you but nonetheless many of his often co-written songs will be recognisable. 'The Dark End Of The Street' by James Carr, 'Do Right Woman, Do Right Man' by Aretha Franklin and 'Cry Like A Baby' by The Box Tops come to mind....
It’s all Nick Drake’s fault… have you ever wondered how many bands there are called Hazey (Hazy) Jane? There’s one in London fresh faced and pop orientated, one in the States sans e – maybe many more, and then there’s this one, confusingly also with an e in the...
Underground trad refitters, give forth with some retooled and fresh material in the form of a short E.P. Coming on the back of no lesser achievement than making Mojo’s Top Ten Folk Albums of 2019, they’ve a growing reputation to uphold, a mission fulfilled in...
