Field Music Plays… is a release that couldn’t have come at a better time for the Sunderland trio given their recent Mercury Prize nomination. Some of the eight songs compiled on this stopgap release were b-sides whilst others whilst others…
Author: For Folk's Sake
Album | Bellowhead – Broadside
The first thing to say about Bellowhead’s new album is that Broadside is a great title. Referring both to circulating ‘broadside ballads’ of centuries gone by, and to the ‘broadside’ of a ship (that’s the side with the cannons )…
Album | Princess Chelsea – Lil’ Golden Book
Princess Chelsea (a.k.a. Chelsea Nikkel) has created an album like a gothic fairground: Lil’ Golden Book evokes spells or fairy tales, the scarier end of Disney, and Edward Scissorhands, mashed together with hints of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Deerhoof,…
Album | AC Newman – Shut Down The Streets
AC Newman’s Shut Down The Streets will be welcome listening for those who want to extend the summer past the album’s October release date. The album’s instrumentation is flecked with major key twinkling of banjos, dulcimers and Rhodesy keys that…
Interview | Introducing…Boat To Row
Midlands collective Boat To Row are one of those bands where every member seems to be able to grab the nearest instrument and bash out an uplifting tune. Whether they have guitars, banjos, mandolins or violins to hand, it doesn’t…
Album | Ryan Bingham – Tomorrowland
After receiving a string of awards, and the Billboard success of his third album Junky Star, it is no surprise that Ryan Bingham wanted a bit of a shake-up, somewhat comparable to Emma Watson’s haircut after filming for the Harry…
Album | The Wooden Sky – Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun
There was a time, not long past, when a form of nationalistic profiling was necessary when tackling a new album of Canadian descent. Most of them were either by Arcade Fire, by Arcade Fire wannabes or featured one or more…
Album | Mat Gibson – Long Goner
Mat Gibson has impressed many with his beautiful sombre melodies and there has been much anticipation for new material since the much acclaimed Forest Fire. Well now the wait is over in the form of the enchanting Long Goner. Mat…
Album | The Be Good Tanyas – A Collection
Having had only limited exposure to the Be Good Tanyas and always been interested in hearing more, I fall squarely within the target audience for a retrospective, and this set forms a fine education. The older songs tend to be…
Interview | The Robbie Boyd Band takes off (for the moon)
Almost half a million view on YouTube; recommended by Radio 2’s Graham Norton and Absolute Radio’s Dave Gorman and playing gigs with the likes of The Kooks and Johnny Flynn -The Robbie Boyd Band are certainly compiling a glittering CV.…