Mary Hott DEVIL IN THE HILLS

Mary Hott
Devil in The Hill
Self-Release

A History Lesson from the West Virginia Coalfields That Needs To Be Heard By the Nation At Large.

As the last child of a generation of Coal and Tin Miners I’m a sucker for a song about the coalfields, be that my local community in the NE of England or further afield in Nottinghamshire or even Olde Americae.
This particular group of songs and stories come from a tiny spec in West Virginia called Fayette County; that 99% of Virginians couldn’t find on a map ……. but need to be told for the generations that follow.
Even the background to the original concept is fascinating; with an old Coal Mining store being bought and restored to become a museum; only for ex-employees to make pilgrimages and tell their own dark and torrid tales,
“These stories from the Whipple Company Store and similarly bleak recollections of coal mining and railroading life from other parts of West Virginia have been suppressed for too long.
At first, the people themselves kept silent and hid the stories out of fear and indignity.
When they finally shared their tales, their validity was often doubted, shaming them into believing that silence may have been the better choice.
And now the people who shared these stories are gone.
It is up to us to remember and continue sharing our history from the perspective of the people who lived it.“

The album begins with Don Dixon talking about the mining community and how these stories have been passed down orally from Father to son and Mother to daughter for well over a century.
The rest of the album is West Virginian Folk Singer Mary Hott and a band of musicians who sound like they too ‘feel’ each and every one of these songs in their hearts …. and their scarred lungs.
The first song is They Built a Railroad; and proves to be a sad cornerstone for all that is too follow; with the now, romanticised Railway bringing workers in and then take the coal out ……. but the thread that weaves throughout is the way the workers were horrendously treated; most especially when they tried to form a fledgling Trades Union and make their working conditions slightly better.
“Our ancient hills held a rich man’s treasure,
They carried workers from Ellis Island.
They brought freed slaves to work the mines.
They trafficked girls for comfort and pleasure.
Total power over humankind.”
Powerful stuff indeed.
Then there is Annabel Lee, which follows; and this particularly dark tale of a beauteous young woman who is brought in to town; to ‘bring pleasure to the men’ ……. if your heart doesn’t cry out by the last verse; you’re reading the wrong review.
The emotion in Mary Hott’s voice, as she sings her songs is a genuine 8th Wonder of the World; as she has the capacity to go from passionate Honky-Tonker/Murder Ballad one minute, The Spot then grab your heart the next; squeezing out sparks the next with Devil in The Hills; then follow that up with the Gospel Infused Rise Up WV; which mentions all of the creeds and colours that were brought in not just from across the State but the Country to work the mine; and still make them all sound like a cohesive story; and never patronising the listener.
A rather fabulous album comes to a natural close; with Mary slowing things down quite beautifully with the traditional Gospel Ballad, Life’s Railway to Heaven and finally slow and heartfelt version of Take Me Home Country Roads; which couldn’t be any more fitting.
Which only leaves me to select a Favourite Song; which is hardly fair …… but the two songs/tracks that jumped into my head last night were the haunting 48 seconds of Blair Mountain Ballad, which will send a shiver down your back; and then, there is Room of Lost Souls which ….. well …… honestly; this raw tale of a miner who first goes down the pit as an 8 year old then eventually dies when his son is the exact same age; and the circle goes on ……. and sounds like a long lost Bobbie Gentry song; and if it was it would be heralded from the Rolling Stone rafters.
As well as a bunch of amazing yet horrendous songs; wonderfully created and constructed you also get a booklet that details the background (and more) to each and every story …… and this alone should be available in every school across America ……. this is your History; don’t forget it….. like the Authorities want.

Released June 4th 2021
https://maryhott.com/


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Emily Barker, Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay at Jumping Hot Club, Newcastle

Emily Barker, Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay
Jumping Hot Club
Gosforth Civic Theatre
Newcastle
Saturday 29th May 2021.

Wahay!
Live Music is finally back!
Because of all the restrictions surrounding the first gig at this venue in well over a year, I only received conformation of my ‘seat’ an hour before the doors opened …… which initiated an excited drive across the city in the bright Bank Holiday sunshine, with Emily Barker’s A DARK MURMARATION OF WORDS not quite blaring from the speakers.
Once inside the venue it was equally weird and fascinating watching the limited crowd being escorted 2 x 2 to their pre-booked tables then given a full set of instructions, including how to order ‘table service’.
That said; if this is what it takes to get Live Music up and running again …… so be it.
Just to add to the ‘oddness’ of tonight’s event; the support act Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay were actually still in Nashville and being beamed to NE England via an HD Internet connection; which meant that they couldn’t hear or see any response to their songs.
Aha …… onto the music.
Following a nervy introduction Brennen introduced their first song as being a personal request from the Jumpin’ Hot Club promoter Graham Anderson; and what followed was quite extraordinary ….. Intergalactic Shipwreck Blues; a song I wasn’t previously aux fait with; but proved the perfect start to this particular evening.
As the song ended; and totally unknown to the couple; the applause from the 50 strong crowd was rapturous and as loud (per head) as the Beatles at Shea Stadium!
In fairness it took a couple of songs for the act and audience to settle into the scenario; but eventually everyone relaxed and the mix of new songs (Arlene and the divine Prairie Love Letter) with the couple’s standards (The Ballad of Tombstone Poker and Rosine (?) and After The Show) made their 45 minutes fly by.

The oddest thing for me was seeing the couple three times their normal size; and finally realizing what a scary look Noel McKay has when not singing ……. staring straight down the camera lens with cold beady eyes; and daring the audience not to appreciate Brennen Leigh’s singing voice.
The highlight was when Brennen introduced a fan favourite song; by saying she did understand the irony involved by them singing a song about the romantic idealism of Analog in Nashville, Tennessee and then High Tech beaming it thousands of miles to Newcastle, England.
The twenty minute break had regular Club attendees who hadn’t seen each other for a year or more, waving to each other and miming various ailments …… which could easily become a Saturday Night TV Game Show.
Then Emily Barker made her appearance; noticeably giggling with excitement as she and husband Luke Drinkwater set up their gear; then taking to the mic to welcome everyone and apologising in advance if she started crying at any time in the evening; as “getting back on stage after 14 months, meant so much to her.”
Although several friends in the hall had seen Emily Barker a dozen or more times over the years; this was my first time …… and even a minute or so into first song Geography made me see and hear why her fans are so loyal. Her voice (and songwriting) simply transcends what I know as Folk Music ……. as the night rolled on I heard elements and essences of Carole King, Emmylou Harris and Sandy Denny in the way Ms Barker sings and evolves her songs plus at one stage Emily and Luke embarked on the gentlest guitar duel I’ve ever witnessed.
The couple performed three or for songs from the recent album alongside a wonderful new single called Bound For Home; written and originally performed with Frank Turner; but tonight this lovely sad song was 95% Emily herself with Luke adding harmonies and an extra doze of melancholia by bowing his double bass ……. all of which sent the hair on the back of my head on end.
One of the joys of seeing a live concert is that there are no overdubs or any other jiggery-pokery; this is high-wire stuff; and Emily made a couple of mistakes mid song; starting again once and the second time simply raising her eyebrows, smiling and getting on with it …… that’s Rock and Roll kids.

As a newcomer to the delights of Emily Barker I obviously didn’t recognise several songs; but that mattered not a jot as this was a total joy from start to finish with Where Have The Sparrows Gone? when Emily’s crystal clear voice soared and swooped like the bird itself and then there was The Woman Who Planted Trees ….. phwoar what a powerful song and the story Emily told of the woman who inspired it was tear inducing to even an old soak like me.
The main set ended with Emily taking to a piano; and there was an effortless grace to both Sister Goodbye and Sonogram that to some degree totally unexpected if no surprise; judging by what had gone before.
For the obligatory Encores, Emily returned to her Folk Club roots with Billowing Sea and The Blackwood which brought another round of very noisy applause and a race between Emily and her fans to get to the Merch Table in the foyer!
For me, this was a really lovely way to get back into Concert going; seeing one act that was previously relatively unknown to me and catching up with a couple I’ve loved and admired for a few years now …….. Long Live Rock & Roll (in all its forms).

The Rocking Magpie.

Allison Russell OUTSIDE CHILD

Allison Russell
Outside Child
Fantasy Records

An Album Full of Stark Contrasts, But With a Light That Ultimately Shines Through The Cracks.

For a change, I’m gong to start at the end with this review, as I believe the closing track “Joyful Motherfuckers” holds the oxymoronic key to this release – if ever there was an album which was a cathartic release, this is it.
Allison Russell has seen and experienced a lot of the dark in her life; but her attitude is
“If you’ve got love in your heart,
but it’s way down in the dark
You better let it see the sun.”
– it’s a message of hope that cuts through the centre of everything on this debut Solo Album.
There’s a gratitude for experience that is seen from the off with “Montreal” a jazzy opener that veers between Taylor Swift, Richard Hawley and especially Jane Birkin its delivery.
The last time I saw Allison was alongside husband JT in concert as half of Birds of Chicago was in a tiny pub in Glasgow; and on that occasion she told a lengthy tale of the genetic/spiritual bond that links generations – and “Nightflyer” takes that as its core – again there’s oxymoronic tension in the deep lyrics
“I’m a violent lullaby”,
but set this time it comes out as laid-back Gospel-Soul.
“Persephone” takes a more Countryfied vein and is a celebration of salvation through the strength or existence of a sympathetic other
“My petals are bruised but I’m still a flower”
– placing the past in context and making sense of a person and a time.
“4^th Day Prayer” is a really tough listen
“Father used me like a wife
Mother turned the blindest eye
Stole my body, spirit, pride
He did he did each night”
but even amongst this horror, there’s the preservation of strength and an indefatigable desire to survive despite everything …
“One for the hate that loops and loops
Two for the poison at the roots
Three for the children breaking through
Four for the day we’re standing in the sun”
– this section is a unified, determined chant, which underscores the sentiment’s absolute strength at its core.
“The Runner” continues this theme and uses Indie-Soul to tell a tale that listener’s to the Velvet Underground’s “Rock’n’Roll” will be familiar with
– the redemptive power of music.
“Hy-Brasil” is another song that deals with the the theme of ancestry, but this time, it’s a deep dive into the mystical, set against a Celtic heartbeat rhythm and distant echoed parallel vocal, all washed in a serving of reverb.
“The Hunters” returns to the dark story of Russell’s abuse by her step-father and is verbalised in childlike, fairy-tale language.
It’s darker side is insidious – you could hear this on Radio 2 or in a high street chain store and it’s radio-friendly soul would wash over you – until you started to listen a little more closely to the lyrics.
“All of the Women”, set against a simple banjo rhythm creates an ode to the universal –
“the women who disappeared” from a personal story of connection.
“Poison Arrow” is somewhat of an outlier in the settings of the album in that its starting point is based in the present, rather than a past experience – it’s about dealing with a place that was once painful, but which now offers new hope, seen through the fresh eyes of Russell’s young daughter
“Je te souhaîte une deuxième chance” (I wish for you a second chance)”.
Its light Philly Soul reinforces this sense of optimism.
Penultimate track “Little Rebirth” is a musing on our insignificant/significant place in the universe
“Chimes in the morning
Feet to the Earth
We’re all transforming
A little Rebirth”
– set against a sparse arrangement, it places Russell’s voice to the for; adding extra gravitas to the singers’ sentiments – and her use of the French language throughout (which happens frequently across the whole album) adds a cosmopolitan universality too….and then it’s back to where I started, with ‘that’ powerful closing track “Joyful Motherfuckers”….
There are some albums that are just heard and some that need to be intently listened and then thought about – Alison Russell’s debut solo release is very much the latter – it’s an album of stark thematic lyrical contrasts in which the light ultimately shines through.

Review by Nick Barber

Released May 21st 2021
https://allisonrussellmusic.com/

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Shipcote & Friends LOCAL STARS

Shipcote & Friends
Local Stars
Low Fella Records

Rather Lovely and Thought Provoking Tales From the Mind of the King of Geordicana.

*Here’s my Bi-Annual disclaimer; Shipcote aka Graham Anderson Co-Boss of the legendary Jumpin’ Hot Club in Newcastle is one of my closest friends in real life.
That said; I sort of became his friend some time after first being a fan of his music, so I’m confident in my relevent impartiality …. or not.
In many ways; this album is ‘more of the same’ but that’s
a) no bad thing
and
b) after all these years; quite some feat!
For the uninitiated Shipcote treads a lovely path between Olde-Timey Country Music, gentle singer-songwriter fayre and what the cognoscenti know as Geordicana.
The opening track is quite delightful and took a while to unravel; as Lorraine is a an insightful look at being half of a pair of twins; and as he sighs they are actually like ‘chalk and cheese’ and; it’s the type of song that many siblings who get to hear it will appreciate the sentiments involved.
Just like all of his peers Shipcote wrote and recorded these songs during the various Lockdowns that blighted 2020 and early 2021; taking advantage of a window of opportunity when two people were allowed in a studio at a time (socially distanced of course) to actually ‘lay down the tracks’; so compared to recent releases this is quite a stripped back to basics recording; but he has still managed to try out the new fangled interweb to get the help of a couple of friends; most notably guitarist extraordinaire Bry Younger who adds sparkle to just about every song here; most especially the prescient Swiftly Drift Away, but the instrumental finale Saltwell Stroll Pt:1 is100% Shipcote himself …… proving what an underrated guitarist he is himself.
I’m not sure how long Oh, To Be Singing Again will last in Shippy’s live sets, as it’s very much ‘of its time’ …… about the cramped yet observational world of a singer-songwriter while cooped up in the house and unable to go outside ….. by Law; and it’s fair to say it’s a Classic of it’s type.
But there are a couple of other guests here and there too; local Popstar Rob Heron gets to duet/harmonise on the droll Let’s Get Set For Winter; and the pairing works a lot better than I’d have guessed beforehand
Gem Andrews appears like a Summer Breeze on Bad Situation; adding a bit of a Country-Swing tone to a dark song about the perils of being locked in the house for fear of the Pandemic outside …… and a pairing that I wouldn’t be averse to hearing a lot more of.
Just saying, like.
This is immediatly followed by Paris France which lurches back to Shipcote’s humble beginnings; neatly combining Hot Club d’Paris swing and sass with a singer-songwriter’s sharp observations; and again it’s been all too easy for me to take Bry’s guitar talents for granted over the years; but he totally excels here.
It never ceases to amaze me that songwriters can still delve into their imaginations to come up with songs like Slow Walk on Wheels. It doesn’t necessarily make sense in the literal context; but just sit back and wallow in the melody and delightful way the singer delivers his almost poetic words.
Can I take you back to Track #2 Paul Torday?
A rather lovely and thought provoking song about a Durham Lad and Author that found fame late in life yet died at the tender age of 67. I’d not heard of him before hearing this song; but the way Graham sings with tenderness made me delve into his background …… and I am now the proud owner of two of his books. The power of music?
Then, unlike on all of his previous albums; there are not just two but three really, really special songs here ……. all well worthy of plays on National Radio and your attention.
The first is Texas Rose; a razor sharp song about the songwriter ‘looking at himself’ both physically and metaphorically and coming out the other side with a song that 99.9% of us can relate too; or perhaps just me …… but I doubt that very much.
Swiftly Drift Away, yet again comes from the mind of a songwriter confined to the four walls that he calls home; and only his imagination and his memories to call on for a song; some have been better at this than others recently; but here Graham not just taps into his own subconscious but one that weirdly mirrors my own and I guess many of you reading this damn review …… spooky.
The other, just might be one of my Favourite Songs by Shipcote of all time; Sweet Sorrow; the other duet with Gem Andrews and featuring young Bry on some of the most spine withering lap-steel I’ve heard in many a year; just creeps up on you every time you play the album and covers you in a mist of beauteous loveliness; as the couple sound like two lovers who know their relationship is coming to an uneventful close; just like so many marriages …… pulled apart by the mundane things in life, rather than one explosive event.
There’s a robust simplicity to these songs and the album as a whole. As I say the circumstances that surrounded the writing and subsequent recording were (hopefully) a once in a lifetime thing; and Shipcote has managed to use them to his advantage on one of his finest and fearsomely honest albums.

Released July 9th 2021
http://www.shipcote.com/

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Vincent Neil Emerson SELF-TITLED

Vincent Neil Emerson
Vincent Neil Emerson
La Honda Records / Thirty Tigers

A Reflective, Thoughtful and Warmly Human Set of Texas Singer-Songwriter Tales.

Arising and evolving out of a tradition of Texas songwriters such as Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Steve Earle, Vincent Neil Emerson throws his contribution to that body of sound with gusto; and comes out with his own distinct take, on this self-titled release.
There are elements of these listed influences scattered through the album – “Learnin’ to Drown” is vocally very Steve Earle in essence, and opener “Texas Moon” has the melodic feel of a young Guy Clark (and a bit of non-Texan John Prine too?) while “The Ballad of Choctaw-Apache” is very much in the Van Zandt story song mould.
Such pigeon-holing would do Vincent Neil Emerson a disservice though – those are just starting points to get a handle on where his music has been birthed form, inspirationally, and there’s a lot more personal observations and experience too in this album.
The aforementioned “Learning to Drown” is a cathartic release, dealing with Emerson’s father’s passing:
“And I thought about closin’ the door
And endin’ it all
Like my father did before
But it ain’t worth
All the people who won’t see me anymore”
Then there’s the earlier released single; “High on Getting By” which is a man coming to terms with the terms of our existence
“Well I been drunk
On the ideas of my future
And I been high
On gettin’ by”.
Both are musically framed with washes of acoustic stringed instruments like mandolin and fiddle along with keyboards around a picked guitar and Emerson’s caramel vocals.
Vincent Neil Emerson has certainly done his dues on the road, playing with friend Colter Wall, The Turnpike Troubadours and Charley Crockett too; and that road-toughness and sensitivity to other musicians is prominent throughout his own songs.
Stylistic changes such as shifts into bluegrass territory on “High On the Mountain” and the Western Swing flavoured album closer “Saddled Up and Tamed” are handled and sequenced with careful placing – big praise must go to producer Rodney Crowell here too; who has forged a big and warm sound throughout; yet still managing to make each song sound ever so intimate at the same time.
There are gems of lines to be found everywhere:
“I pulled into Austin
‘Cause Fort Worth ain’t the same” from “High on the mountain” is one of many that will bring a wry knowing smile to any listener’s face.
Over the ten tracks of the album, there’s a great deal of variety and depth but at the same time, there’s a clear Vincent Neil Emerson “sound” that is more than a just a composite of his influences.
If Country singer-songwriter is your bag and you’re missing some of those that have left us and are looking for the next wave to roll up on the shore, you could do worse than getting your feet wet on this thoughtful and warmly human showcase of Vincent Neil Emerson tunes.

Review by Nick Barber
Released June 25th 2021

https://vincentneilemerson.com/

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Kyle Culkin PORK CHOPS & BLUES

Kyle Culkin
Pork Chops & Blues
Tonebucker Records

A Little Ray of Rhythm and Blues Sunshine and a Bit of an Emotional Rollercoaster

I’ve been back in a dark place mentally recently; which as usual makes me think “Why do I bother” regarding the website ……. sad; but true; then along came Kyle Culkin with his Pork Chops & Blues; instantly the clouds began to lift and a little ray of sunshine entered my life.
A twenty year man at the coal-face of being a working musician; with only one previous solo release to his name; Kyle Culkin has been a ‘go to’ session man and touring geetar player for the great and the good (and no doubt the average too) with very little glory; apart from BB King saying “This kid can play!” but always paying the rent; so has that apprenticeship done him any good?
Hell yes it has!
The Pork Chop Song comes at you like a drunk on the dancefloor on a Saturday night ……… is it literally a song about Culkin’s favourite meat meal; or is it a metaphor for something sexual in nature? This is the Blues with a mighty streak of Rhythm so it could be either or both; and boy is it a crowd pleaser.
Now four days into this album and I can tell you that if you were wandering down a rainy Lonely Street one Tuesday evening and you saw the Kyle Culkin Band were playing in the Heartbreak Hotel your spirits would be lifted in such a way you may even try to marry the barmaid …… even if you are a woman!
On Delbert McClinton’s Why Me, Kyle certainly sounds like he has a twinkle in his eyes as he sings it; a bit of a Country-Rock spine to it; but it’s a pure Honky-Tonking Blues stomper of the highest order; and will have you dancing like no one’s watching ….. even if you’re in the kitchen.
While I love that song; Culkin’s slow and slinky songs really do it for me ……. both; Nothing From Nobody and Wouldn’t Change a thing are guaranteed to have you shouting “Ain’t that the truth Brother!” and Culkin and friends’ playing ain’t too shabby either, with barely a note out of place on two incredibly well constructed songs.
At only 8 tracks long this album still somehow manages to be an emotional rollercoaster, with By The Blues and the awe inspiring album closer Wouldn’t Change a Thing being the types of broken hearted love songs that have you reaching for a glass, then raising it to the stereo as Culkin makes you feel that you aren’t alone with these feelings.
Then; there has to be a Favourite Song of mine; here I’ve decided on two very different styles of song to battle it out.
Burn It All Down is an A-Typical Rhythm and Blues stomper with searing guitar; heart breaking harmonica and a singer who isn’t giving up easily …… and a chorus that is designed especially for public participation.
The other; and more likely winner is the song that blew my clouds away …….. a bit of a big band (BB King style?) production finds the singer sitting in his dressing room thinking when did I become So Damn Old!
Yep ….. that’s me Kyle Culkin is singing about; or possibly you too ……
“Tell my wife and kids they should have seen me
back in my prime the age of 23
I could go all night long
Now with any luck ………
I need three cups of coffee
Just to get out of bed!”
Some days I think that there is too much music out there; and then albums like this arrive from someone I’ve never heard of ……. and my faith in the restorative powers of music; especially The Blues is restored; and the future looks rosy again.
Thank you Kyle Culkin.

Released May 28th 2021
https://www.kyleculkin.com/bio

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Chris Gill Between Midnight and Louise

CHRIS GILL
Between Midnight & Louise
Endless Blues Records

An Authentic and Intimate Bentonia Blues Experience.

Chris Gill is an established blues musician from Jackson, Mississippi who has spent his life fusing the sounds not just of the Blues but Calypso, Jazz and N’Awlins Funk too; encapsulating a unique and fresh approach to this type of music.
This is very much a solo effort; as opposed to recording with his band, the Sole Shakers; simply Gill’s voice and his very interesting collection of old guitars to add tone and create the various vibes.
It’s very much a stripped down recording, just two microphones, a small amp, no overdubs and a lot of love for the Blues.

When listening to albums for ‘review purposes’ if the opening track on an album doesn’t hook me in; then it can be a struggle to wade through the rest to find something worthwhile listening to.
Thankfully, on Between Midnight & Louise it appears that Chris Gill certainly knows how to sequence tracks on an album; and I loved “Thank You For Another Day” a delightful finger picking guitar instrumental, which I’ve discovered is a tribute to his Grandaddy, that put a huge smile on my face.
Cherished memories of sitting around his Grandma’s kitchen table too,, was the germ of an idea for “Fleas and Ticks” being all about summertime bugs in the Delta region.

As well as family references there are songs inspired by legendary Bluesmen too, “Song for Honeyboy” came to Chris after reading Honeyboy Edwards’ autobiography and this songs final verse is also a nod to one of Hubert Sumlin’s last wishes.
Similarly, some guitar inspiration (this time from Taj Mahal and Mississippi John Hurt) inflects the love song “You Never Know (That’s What Love Will Do)”.
Then a darker sound (heavy on the slide to increase the effect) hits you on “Souvenir of All These Blues” whilst “Long Distance Highway” is lighter, but winsome reflections of life on the road and living the dream.
Faith endures on “Back To Paradise” reflecting on these pandemic affected troubled and worrying times, but with the optimistic hope of getting back on track.

Covering a couple of songs from the pen of his long-time friend Virgil Brawley (RIP) was an inspired decision, as I understand “I Fell In Love With The Blues” is the favourite track on the album of Chris’s, and I too loved the lyrics with a poignant chorus of
“Rio Texas,
Wolfman howl, late at night, we gonna be on the prowl,
I want the blues, I’m on the prowl,
I feel in love with the blues, love till the day I die”.
However, my preference for the favourite cut is Brawley’s recollection of a drive through the town of Eden, Mississippi, aptly titled “Walking Through Eden” with the opening lines of
“walking through Eden,
saw three crosses by the road”.

Closing this splendid set of 11 tunes is; like the opener, an instrumental that coincidentally is the album’s title track. It’s taken from a road sign just outside of Yazoo City at the start of the Mississippi Delta and Chris always had an inkling that it would make a good song title.
“Between Midnight & Louise”, as a track and a full album clearly highlights the Hill Country and Betonia style Blues that are normally best suited in a Juke Joint; but, fear not, as the quality and commitment of these recordings will undoubtedly filter through your speakers to provide a genuine, authentic Blues experience that deserve to be heard by a much. much wider audience.

Jack Kidd “Messin’ with the Kidd” on lionheartradio.com

Released 14th May 2021
https://www.chrisgillmusic.com/

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Ted Russell Kamp SOLITAIRE

Ted Russell Kamp
Solitaire
PoMo Records

File Under: Classy and Classic Modern Americana/Country-Rock With West Coast Overtones and Folk Undertones

We’ve been late to the party with Ted Russell Kamp; only discovering his multi-talents and great voice three years ago with his 11th solo album, WALKIN’ SHOES, which we loved to bits; as we did with the follow up, in 2020 DOWN IN THE DEN …… and without spoiling your surprise; SOLITAIRE is very much in the same laid back, West Coast Country Rock Singer-Songwriter vein and it’s held a special place lately in the Magmobile on weekend journeys around the highways and by-ways of the Kingdom of Northumbria.
Opening track My Girl Now is real toe-tapper and actually a bit faster than you think it is ….. try singing along ….. it’s nearly impossible without gasping for breath half way through. Kamp’s slightly raspy voice is almost perfect for this tale of winning a heart after a long and troubled courtship of sorts …… and very much sets the tone for what is to follow.
Probably best known as the bass player in Shooter Jennings’ Band; Ted is also a Producer of some repute too; but IMHO he is also one of the finest songwriters in the idiom as I’ve heard since the heydays of Country Rock in the 1970’s. .
Birds That Sing at Dawn finds Kamp’s already husky voice dropping down a key or two as he sings about a beautiful if flawed love affair……. ‘the one that got away’ ….. and I bet you don’t pout; as I did the first time you hear the chorus;
“I’ll just sit here drinking whisky
Waiting for the birds that sing at dawn.”
Like so many other songwriters; these songs came to Kamp as he was housebound during Lockdown I in 2020; and there’s a claustrophobic feel to a couple because of that; Be Your Man and Exception to The Rule are prime examples; with sparse arrangements that enable the singer to sound as profound and heartbroken as music allows.
While most of these songs are from the Country Love Song playbook; i.e. lost love and broken hearts are the threads that hold everything together; what else would you expect from titles like Only a Broken Heart and/or A Rose or Two? and they both live up to the billing; but don’t worry …… Ted Russell Kamp has a special way with his words and arrangements that will tug at your heartstrings while still allowing you a ‘knowing smile’ at the same time …. the intricate title track Solitaire, being the type of song we’d normally associate with someone like JJ Cale and again later on The Spark too.
We need to go back to the beginning for my Favourite Song on this rather fine album; and even then it’s a coin toss between two …… the intricate and articulate Path of Least Resistance being ‘one of those songs’ where I’ve been left thinking ‘where did that come from’? The use of imagery and metaphor is simply outstanding; more so from someone best known as a side-kick!!
The other follows immediatly after and is by far the most up-tempo track here; bordering on actual Country Rock and if you were to hear it on the radio you would presume it was a killer tune from Poco or The Eagles or maybe even The Pure Prairie League; but no sirree You Can Go To Hell; I’m Going to Texas is 100% Ted Russell Kamp and you need to hear this song ASAP.
One of music’s problems these days is that too many musicians get pigeonholed for lazy fans on streaming sites; which has to be a dilemma for someone like Ted Russell Kamp as I doubt there’s a genre called Classy and Classic Modern Americana/Country-Rock With West Coast Overtones and Roadhouse Undertones ….. but I could be wrong of course.

Released May 7th 2021
https://tedrussellkamp.com/

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RMHQ Music Hour Ep:21

RMHQ Music Hour
Episode 21
May 21st 2021

Who knows where the time goes …. 5 months and 21 Music hours; phew.
This week features our friend Bobbo Byrnes talking about his Gateway Record; which for the second week running was something I’d never heard before ….. which is what this is all about.
Apart from that I’ve delved deep into my own collection for everything else; so …. nothing new this week, just me being self-indulgent.

	Kevin Costner and The Modern West			#21 Podcast	Top Down
	Elizabeth Cook			#21 Podcast	El Camino
	Bruce Springsteen			#21 Podcast	Sleepy Joes Cafe
	Neil Young			#21 Podcast	Unknown Legend
	Lucinda Williams			#21 Podcast	Prove My Love
	Willie Nile			#21 Podcast	Levon Helm
	The Band			#21 Podcast	King Harvest
	Ian McNabb and Crazy Horse			#21 Podcast	Evangeline
	Stone the Crows			#21 Podcast	Penicilan Blues
	Rory Gallagher			#21 Podcast	Daughter of the Everglades
	Bobbo Byrnes			#21 Podcast	Somewhere Else
	Izzy Stradlin (Guns n Roses)			#21 Podcast	Shuffle it All
	Rolling Stones			#21 Podcast	The Last Time

Lucy Grubb WASTE MY TIME

Lucy Grubb
Waste My Time
Self-Release

From the Heartlands of Americana via the Flatlands of East Anglia

Four or five years ago it was all ‘terribly fashionable’ to be a British Country/Americana singer; although most; truth be told were really Folk Singers hanging onto Country’s shirt tails and most; therefore were quickly found out and duly disappeared.
The Shires and Ward Thomas seemed to have gone on to some success (leaving RMHQ trailing in the dust!) and one or two, who really were Country musicians at heart have continued on a weary and lonely path; and come out the other side relatively unscathed.
Lucy Grubb is a good case in point; she’s appeared at clubs, pubs and on stages beside the big stage all over the UK and Europe; and has used this apprenticeship to great effect on this; her third EP release.
The delightful title track WASTE MY TIME can’t decide whether it’s a Country song or Americana; but that’s hardly a problem as both are one and the same; and Lucy Grubb melts them together with easy going class. For a young woman of only 23, her voice has a weary, lived in quality which is just perfect for a song like this; and her band really do her justice, staying in the background and leaving the singer in the spotlight.
In the UK, Lucy’s native East Anglian accent is often made fun of; but you’d never guess that she was from anywhere other than the heartlands of America, without ever forcing an unsightly ‘twang’ on the winsome Other Side and especially so, on the cinematic and bittersweet finale When It Rains; which treads carefully around being maudlin …… with yet again Lucy’s gorgeously expressive voice saving the day.
Which only leaves me to tell you about You Don’t Do Anything which is a straight up Honky-Tonkin’ Country song; of the finest hue, conjuring up memories of Tammy and maybe even Dolly in the way she tells her story of a crumbling relationship …… easily making it my Favourite Song here by a Country Mile and I’d absolutely love to hear a whole album like it.
I will never understand how one act can become a Star while others of similar or gifted with actual talent can be left behind; let’s not let that happen to Lucy Grubb; this 4 track EP is only sample of what she’s capable of ….. help her make the next step on her career.

Released June 4th 2021
https://www.facebook.com/LucyGrubbMusic/

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