Katy Lied Late Arrival KLCD01 * * * * Duncan Hamilton’s band deliver a promising debut; often hitting the mark with hook- laden original songs, tough chiming Californian influenced guitars, mixed with a dash of Northern English sensibility. Katy Lied are the brainchild of Duncan Hamilton, he has penned all the songs here, often in partnership with Nigel Stonier. Indeed […]

Kathleen Boyle An Caitlin Rua KTR001CD ***** Sometimes you want to dance to an accordion with gay abandon and sometimes you want to sit quietly with a cup of coffee and just listen. And that’s where Kathleen Boyle comes in. There’s a big difference between bashing the hell out of an instrument in a wild and carefree way, though […]

Jason Allen The Twilight Zone Smith Entertainment-SED7104 ****1/2 Great rockabilly with a hark back to the 1950s rock ‘n’ roll era It was no surprise to read that Jason Allen cites singers Dwight Yoakam and Buddy Holly as his favourites, and even more so the legendary Roy Orbison whom he sounds very similar to on a few occasions throughout this […]

The Groanbox Boys Fences Come Down Groanbox Records-GBR002 * * * * Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining musical romp. The Groanbox Boys are Michael Ward-Bergeman (acordion, percussion, vocals) and Cory Seznec (open-backed banjo, harmonica, guitar, vocals). Their music ranges from gypsy to folk (both American and European) as well as drawing on the influences of hillbilly and old-time blues. Both guys […]

Gary Fields Sounds About Right Aspirion Records Group 0270 www.garyfields.com ***** A very laid-back album that conjures up images of an affluent dance hall and is best heard on a Sunday morning in the arms of a loved one Country? This album? I would have to say no. Possibly Americana or even folk? Certainly not. But, before you move onto the […]

Gareth Davies-Jones Water & Light Heading West. CD. HWM004 **** An extremely pleasant and enjoyable listening experience It is always a delight to discover a talented new artist, especially when you hear them live for the first time! This is Gareth’s second album and the extra backing on it is an improvement on his debut album ‘Only For A Short […]

Fifty Nine South Fifty Nine South Cimarron Sound Lab *1/2 It can prove somewhat frustrating when a CD arrives for review in a thin flat pack which has nothing more than the song titles and the players listed. It is particularly unhelpful when the artist or band concerned is completely unknown and scouring the internet proves fairly fruitless. Some […]

Ed Jurdi Longshores Drive Red Fez Records-EJ77253 ****½ Gordy Quist Here Comes The Flood www.gordyquist.com **** Two great solo albums from a couple of Heathens…The Band Of Heathens that is! Anyone who has fallen under the spell of the tremendous Band Of Heathens as I have, will be very interested in these two solo projects by a couple of the groups lead singers. The […]

The Crooked Jades Shining Darkness Jade Note Music ***1/2 Innovative old time string band music performed with taste and lots of skill San Francisco-based ensemble Crooked Jades are one of the most enduring of the latest crop of old time music specialists. One reason that would immediately come to mind is because they are so good. A little quirky, undeniably, […]

Claude Diamond On The Loose Vettset Music VMCD1005 * * * There’s no doubt that Claude Diamond’s third album, ON THE LOOSE, has its ups and downs. At its best it’s pure magic, however when it dips in form it slips back into the pack and becomes just another album from another good country musician. The best of Claude Diamond […]