Geraint Watkins & The MosquitoesThe Jumpin’ Hot Club, NewcastleThe ClunyNewcastle 25th July 2024 There are some gigs you know that you have to clear the diary for and any visit by Mr Geraint Watkins is one such performer. I forget when I first saw him, probably playing piano in some long forgotten ex Pub Rock ..read more

The Georgia ThunderboltsRise Above It All Mascot Records A Modern Southern Rock And Boogie Classic. From Rome, Georgia Southern rock quintet The Georgia Thunderbolts are back with a 13-track hard-hitting record they have every right to be proud of in Rise Above It. It follows the band’s 6 million stream debut (despite them not able ..read more

Robert Jon & The Wreck Red Moon Rising Journeyman Records A Glowing New Sunrise For Southern Rock, Rammed With Surprises That Will Help You Walk That Bit Taller. I’ve hit the fast lane recently, dodging a few curved balls, but I can’t think of a better album to accompany me on this busy road of life! No matter that this release has been out for a few weeks now, heck after just a few spins I’m certain anyone who already digs this Southern Blues Rock gang will have snatched this up and be out basking in it’s Californian sunshine. Their 8th album in, with a tour schedule not for the fainthea ..read more

The Burner Band Age of The Liar Shed Load Records Toe Tapping Agit-Country Folk From The People’s Republic of Yorkshire Back in April we reviewed a ‘Solo album’ by the Burner Band’s Lewis Pugh with the pedal steel of Steven Hicken Jr. (The Burner Band) and fiddle by Niles Krieger (The Often Herd) and loved it; but it turned out to be a side-project; and AGE OF THE LIAR, released in May 2023 was their most recent official band release … don’t worry, I’m confused too. Opening in a similar yet fuller capacity to where BULLETS FOR BREAD ends, Saint Boy sounds like a rearranged Country version of ..read more

Karen Jonas The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch Self-released Nostalgia For The Last Generation is On The Cards for This Mature And Incredibly Strong Release There are concept albums and there are “themed” albums – I suppose the former tell a sequential story and the latter’s tracks are united by a common thread – Karen Jonas’ 7th album, “The Rise and Fall of American Kitsch” falls into the latter category as it explores the fascination with – and absurdity and waste – of (American) consumer culture. “Rich Man’s Valley” is one of the best opening tracks I’ve heard in some time – it’s as catc ..read more

Melissa Carper Borned in Ya Mae Music/Thirty Tigers Classic Western Swing with a Dash of Country and a Flourish of Jazz Flavoured Tunes That Will Never Go Out of Style Utilising many of the core musicians as on her previous releases, “Borned In Ya” brings another collection of Jazz and Swing-inflected Soulful Country tunes from the increasingly publicly visible Melissa Carper. The opening title track Borned In Ya is very much a manifesto for the songs contained herein – it’s a Southern Gospel singalong with an itchy Dale Hawkins guitar figure and name-checks all the Roots greats from Hank to ..read more

Gene Clark Back Street Mirror Revisited Liberation Hall A Treat For Anyone Curious About the Music of Gene Clark Byrds founding member, Gene Clark was a fantastic talent and a songwriter of the highest order. He wasn’t only an integral figure with the Byrds, but was also a member of Dillard & Clark, McGuinn, Clark and Hillman and recorded with The Gosdin Brothers (Vern and Rex) too, plus he released 5 solo albums during the 1970s. Not comfortable with the attention brought on by fame / success he led a troubled life, plus Clark wasn’t a keen traveller, hence his days with the Byrds being ..read more

Chris Cain Good Intentions Gone Bad Alligator Records 21st Century, Old Fashioned In The Groove, R&B Blues. Old fashioned, in the groove, R&B Blues man Chris Cain makes it sound unbelievably easy on what is his 16th album. Cain has been the model of consistency ever since he burst onto the recording scene in 1987 with his album, Late Night City Blues, which gained him four ‘nominations’ that year, Blues Guitarist, and Album Of The Year among them. ‘Late night city Blues’ likewise is actually an apt term for the music heard on his latest album Good Intentions Gone Bad. Legendary guit ..read more

Rainy Eyes Lonesome Highway Royal Potato US Laconic, Graceful and Conversational Narrative With Lyricism Couched in a Soulful Frame Judging by her bio, Irena Eide aka Rainy Eyes, has experienced somewhat of an itinerant lifestyle with Scandinavian and Eastern European roots – and after (in her own words) a “splintering marriage” she’s now found herself deep in Cajun country in South Louisiana. Musically she couldn’t have landed in a better spot as there’s a core of some of the finest musicians you could wish for in Lafayette and its surroundings – and many of them contribute to this latest re ..read more

Derek Vanderhorst Be Kind Self Release Parts of Your Life Told in Song By an American Folk Singer You’ve Never Met. Not that it effected my feelings towards this album, but Derek Vanderhorst has quite the backstory, he’s an acclaimed member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as well as being a film sound designer and Re-Recording mixer too which was all before he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Head and Neck cancer in 2017; which he fought and came through the other end scarred, embattled and with a lust for life … which may or may not be captured on these songs. The other thing y ..read more