Nowhere to Run: the return of the mighty Thrum

 

There are those bands that you missed, the ones you only caught glimpses of and they captivated you but somehow you let them go. Something remained though and nagged at you. And every now and then you look them up in this digital world and listen to what's out there. Missing that glimpse, those caught riffs and chords, that voice, the energy all half remembered and probably laced with the kinks and tricks of memory. 

And then you find that they are playing at a museum in Coatbridge. Should you go? Will it spoil the half remembered memories of a different time? 

That was my dilemma. Was it really?  They are a band that should have been and maybe would have been but for chance and missed opportunities. It's the story of rock'n'roll. My snatched memories of Thrum include the appearance on the Word but much more nuanced is the one time I 'saw' them live. It was the Whitehall Theatre in Dundee and they were supporting the Proclaimers. I was in the bar with pictures of Scottish entertainers like the Alexander Brothers looking down on my conversation with an old school friend. I could hear the support act start their set as we reminisced. As the set moved on I eventually made my excuses and headed back into the hall. I couldn't have caught more than two or three songs but it was the sound that stayed with me over the years and it was the sound that took me to Airdrie (the gig was moved to accommodate ticket demand) to see Thrum play a few weeks ago.

Thrum are essentially Monica Queen and Johnny Smillie and they'd put together a solid band to revitalise the album 'Rifferama' their only release before their too early exit from the scene in the mid 90s. The title track and my particular favourite 'Purify' were worth the ticket price alone. The thing that came over on the night was just what a strong and powerful voice Monica has. She's a wee wummin but what a voice. Johnny drenched the tunes with melodic riffs that dripped with Neil Young like flourishes off setting Monica's voice which combined her power with a gentleness that I think made them unique in their time and is their appeal now. Did Thrum invent what we now call Americana? Who knows, they did what they did and then they disappeared. When I least expected it they returned and to quote them I'm 'So Glad'.

There is a documentary coming and there are whispers about another gig, maybe gigs. Could 'Rifferama' be re-released? Thrum's return may have a ways to run yet.

ttps://www.facebook.com/MonicaQueenandThrum

https://youtu.be/s7zdGbT_FPE?si=hhuCIQMPuadYXFgx

It's snowing in New Orleans - Beau Gris Gris and the Apocalypse live at the Voodoo Rooms

 Going to see Beau Gris Gris and the Apocalypse at the Voodoo Rooms when it was snowing in New Orleans was always going to be a special night. So I hoped and so it was. 

No support just a four to the floor rock'n'roll band playing to an enthusiastic audience for two and a half hours. 

They opened the night and their tour with the instant crowd pleaser 'What's My Name' audaciously introducing audience participation from song one. It worked and set the scene for the rest of the evening.

Beau Gris Gris are on the face of it the unlikely pairing of a skinny guitarist from Devizes and an ebullient singer from Louisiana have perfected a crowd pleasing sound mixing rock'n'roll, soul, americana and at times crunching glam guitar into the perfect night out. 

Slowing the pace down mid set with a stripped back acoustic guitar a voice and a brace of songs including a soulful cover of 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. 

The band are fronted by Greta Valenti and Robin Davey  and although this was a different backing band  than the last time I saw them  it was clear that these guys all add to the whole. 

After the band return the gig moves up a notch and there are audience invasions by Greta and Robin - there's bound to be film out there go find it. 

Finishing with a curfew pushing rendition of their 'Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down' I can't help but feel that this is probably the best live band I've seen this year! If you get the chance don't miss them. 

My Back Pages: the return of Wilco and Dan Stuart

 Sometimes my self denying ordinance of 'I should have seen that band or that singer twenty, thirty or forty years ago' needs a catalyst of some sort to break. This is what happened with Wilco and by association Dan Stuart. I'd never seen either live despite having the opportunity in the past. To be fair when I heard Wilco and Dan Stuart were coming to Edinburgh within a week of each other I was interested, perhaps a bit more than interested. Just not interested enough to get those tickets.

Then Wilco announced that the support would be Courtney Marie Andrews and I was in. I'd twice had tickets for Courtney Marie and had to miss the shows so I was not about to miss her at the Usher Hall.

Wilco intriguingly announced a new album 'Cousin' while touring the recently released 'Cruel Country'. I was a bit fretful that I'd fail to recognise many of their songs despite two things - I had the first four Wilco albums and they were heavily played when I got them they were rarely played now, I crammed 'Cruel Country' but was aware that with the size of their back catalogue I might be lost for sections of the set. Then given my aversion to nostalgia maybe that would be a good thing - fresh ears to unheard songs.

 

It turned out differently than I expected. Wilco included songs from all of the albums in my collection and although they did include songs across their catalogue including their latest LP and the new single 'Evicted' what I hadn't factored in was streaming - although I didn't have the albums I had obviously checked in on their albums over the years, played a few tracks, found what I liked and repeated those songs. 

Has to be said they are a blisteringly good band to see live, the energy expended while making it look easy was amazing. The audience were up for it too and gave back generously. A word about the audience - despite the vintage of the band I'd expected mainly blokes like me, my age. While there were plenty there that fit that bill there were also a lot of younger folks in the audience. In my row in the 'gods' I was the oldest by my estimation and gender wise there were only two males and I had at least 25 years on the other guy. Someday I'll work out how Wilco reach beyond their demographic. I'm glad they do as it gives me hope that good music is universal.

All too soon it was over and the encore songs began. Jeff Tweedy invited Courtney Marie Andrews onstage to join them for 'You and I' and 'California Stars'.

When I got home I dug out Jeff Tweedy's book 'Let's Go (So we can get back)' and started reading it and there was a reference to Green On Red. And that is how I got to Dan Stuart who was playing the Voodoo Rooms a week later. I took it as a sign and bought a ticket. To be fair there was a fair chance of me going anyway but the weather report says there is a fair chance of rain. Signs is signs.

Dan took to the stage, one man, his guitar and a music stand with his novel 'Marlowe's Revenge' propped on it. Introducing himself to Edinburgh he confessed that he'd got into some heavy shit when he'd been here before. He didn't elaborate.

It's a long time since alt. country pioneers Green On Red folded and Dan, Chuck Prophet and Chris Cavacas went their separate ways. The memories of that seminal alt country band who blazed through this world spewing out incredible songs and living the rock'n'roll lifestyle loomed large over the night. Dan played their songs and reminisced about the band, picking out 'The Killer Inside Me' as being an album made when he was largely out of control. He described it as a psychic nightmare and has laconic disdain for the drum production which was of its time and 'hasn't aged well'.  

It was great to hear stripped down versions of 'No Free Lunch' and 'Time Ain't Nothing' played alongside more recent songs like the descriptive 'The Day William Holden Died'. Dan has had an interesting career since leaving Green On Red. Not least in the creation of the alter-ego character 'Marlowe Billings' across not just three albums but three novels and it was from the book 'Marlowe's Revenge' that he read from and it was more than a reading as Dan inhabited the characters in the first two chapters of the novel in this hard boiled crime story.  

 

He played two sets and invited us to choose the hard way or the easy way we chose the hard way and have no idea whether what he gave us the hard or the easy way. What he did give us or at least gave me was an insight to a rock'n'roll survivor who was described by his father as an entertainer and that is what he is doing night after night, finding simple pleasures like swimming in the North Sea off Bamburgh Castle while travelling to Scotland. He reckoned he'd try to get another swim while travelling down the west coast. Burt Lancaster in 'the Swimmer' came to my mind. 

For so many reasons we are lucky to have Dan Stuart with us and to be able to spend some time with him as he wends his way, and tells his tales. The troubadour.  

https://wilcoworld.net/ 

https://marlowebillings.com/centro 

  

When the 'Canyon' came to Edinburgh - Sylvie at Sneaky Pete's

 There are times when watching live music can be a wondrous experience which transports you to a mythical time. This was one of those nights and in a way it was unexpected. I'd pitched up to Sneaky Pete's for a headline show by California based band Sylvie. I knew their Laurel Canyon sound and that's why I was there - a sucker for the sounds of the late 60s early 70s California Laurel Canyon set. 

The premise of Sylvie is an intriguing one. Essentially Sylvie is Ben Schwab and some friends so a kind of mythical collective of shifting musical characters.

The myth deepens when you learn about about the inspiration for Sylvie and the eponymous album. Schwab's father, also a musician, was a band member and songwriter for Bad Anthony a band with Ohio origins who has moved to California in the early 70s recorded some unreleased demos and disappeared unsung and forgotten. when he heard these demos Schwab younger was inspired and alongside fuelling the concept of Sylvie he cajoled his dad to finally release the demos. They are now available - find them where you stream your music or on vinyl. 

For the show in Edinburgh the Sylvie line-up was Ben Schwab, vocals and guitar with Keven Louis Lareau on second guitar and vocals and Laura Jean Anderson providing the Linda Ronstadt sparkle to the evening.

The enthusiastic crowd were treated to a trio at the top of their game after a long tour where 'you never know what you are walking into'. Something happened or didn't in Nottingham but what we were never told. The three voices together swapping leads and the guitars conjured up the pure enjoyment of music and the evocation of an evening at the Troubadour circa 1972. 

Most of the songs were Schwab's including a couple of new songs which bodes well for a future Sylvie album. but a masterful take on Ian Matthew's 'Sylvie' gives the collective their name and the modus operandi of their music. There were other covers - Mad Anthony's 'Rina' where they were joined on stage by Paulo Nutini in an totally unexpected turn which had the audience reaching for the phones to capture the moment.  They encored with Neil Young's 'Flying On the Ground is Wrong'. Yes this was a Laurel Canyon moment for the 21st Century that happened right here in Edinburgh.

Prior to taking the stage with Sylvie Keven Louis Lareau opened with an intriguing set of songs played to a backing track that included instrumentation, vocals and his own audience. What the hell happened in Nottingham? Regardless he warmed the audience to the US West Coast sound setting the scene for the headliners. He included a song that caught my attention 'The Girl That Turned the Lever' a 1971 song by Ernie Graham that links back to Nick Lowe and Ian Gomm. If you know you know. Sublime choice.

An opening set from Grayling was well received and it can't be long before she is headlining too. 

https://sylvie-music.bandcamp.com/album/sylvie-2022-2

https://kevenlouislareau.bandcamp.com/

https://laurajeananderson.bandcamp.com/album/lonesome-no-more-ep

https://www.facebook.com/graylingmusic/

https://www.fulltimehobby.co.uk/artist/sylvie

     

Native Harrow - Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh

 I should really stop writing about Native Harrow gigs but they are so good I just can't. It's February so it is Native Harrow in Edinburgh gig time.  

It's the Voodoo Rooms for tonight which compared to my first review of them is the perfect venue. The Speakeasy room allows the intimacy for their warm Laurel Canyonesque tunes to connect with the audience. This tour to promote the recent album 'Old Kind of Magic' obviously heavily features songs from that album. Devin Tuel introduces 'Heart of Love' as a rare love song and after it an audience member shouts out 'write more love songs'. he might have a point but really for me that song which was definitely a stand out on the night actually encapsulates what what Native Harrow do best. Their songs seem timeless - see the Laurel Canyon reference. While they do have an echo of the canyons there are a lot of other influences in there. Stephen Harms bass runs show to these ears a jazz influence in their melody something he confirms afterwards - Danny Thompson is an influence. They perform as a two piece with Devin on guitar and vocals and Stephen on guitar, bass, keyboards and they manage to make it look easy as they capture the essence of their recordings and present something really quite sublime to their audience.

Native Harrow are much greater than the sum of their influences by a long stretch and I look forward to catching them again, perhaps next February. 

Shout out too for Maz O'Conner whose accomplished support helped create the mood for the night - stand out for me was her protest song 'Can't get enough of what I don't need'.  She's got plenty of other songs that you should find time to hear.

https://www.nativeharrow.com/

https://mazoconnor.com/

Shawn Colvin - University of Calgary 1993

 From the vaults: found this unpublished review of Shawn Colvin at the University of Calgary in 1993 when I was on a trip in western Canada. There were two handwritten versions and a typewritten which may have been submitted for publication. It remained unpublished until now. 

Looking fragile under heavy lidded eyes Shawn Colvin takes to the stage to face a boisterous audience at the University of Calgary. She leans on the band for the opening couple of numbers while she finds her level and then picks her way through her repertoire delighting the audience with selections from the albums Fat City and Steady On. The up-tempo 'Round of Blues' gives way to the delicate 'Shotgun Down the Avalanche' as she silences an initially noisy crowd with her skill.

Years of club dates have not only taught Colvin how to capture an audiences attention it has also seen her develop into a fine guitar picker. she is ably assisted by her band, particularly the excellent Steuart Smith formerly sideman to both Rodney Crowell and Roseanne Cash. His playing is unobtrusive but you're always aware that he is doing more than just playing guitar. T-Bone Wolk is a revelation. For some time I'd been under the delusion that T-Bone Wolk was the bass plying pseudonym of T-Bone Burnett. This delusion is nixed when a tall be-hatted Texan* with a Hofner bass arrived on stage and proceeded to play the most melodic bass I've ever heard - truly sublime!

In recognition that she is playing in Canada Colvin includes a couple of Canadian friendly covers in the Band's 'Look out Cleveland' and 'Restless Heart' by Steve Earle - though a Texan Earle is something of a star in Canada. The reaction more than suggests that the audience appreciates her consideration and when it finally comes time to call it a night the shouts for more are certainly for real.

Shawn Colvin has something very special in the combination of songs, voice and music which live she builds slowly, almost stealthily until you're hooked and you don't want her to stop. Wonderful.

*Postscript: above is what I wrote at the time word for word including the continuing T-Bone Wolk delusion - he was not a Texan (T-Bone Burnett is a tall Texan) but from Yonkers, New York. I saw Shawn Colvin live one more time in 1994 in Edinburgh at La Belle Angele. Same sublime and at times fragile performance. I think that performance prompted me to marshal the thoughts I'd scribbled down on her Calgary performance into a presentable review. I turned down the chance to meet her afterwards. I still hold Fat City and Steady On as two of my favourite albums. 

  https://shawncolvin.com/

Because the Night - in praise of impromptu gigs

There is something to be said for spur of the moment gig going. Yeah it's great the anticipation of a gig weeks or months away, the build up, listening the artists in preparation, finding out if friends are going. But just going out and catching live music must be one of the greatest thrills for music lovers. It is for me anyway.

So last night with nothing planned I'm scrolling Facebook and spot a post from my gig buddy Stewart saying Humbird and Luke Callen are playing a popup gig at the Pianodrome in the Old Royal High School in Edinburgh. 

I'd missed Humbird when she played the Waverley Bar in July - like last night finding out a few short hours before the gig. I was not going to miss her a second time. 

Bit of background, I'd seen Humbird (the stage name of Siri Undlin) when she was part of Rachel Ries 'Her Crooked Heart' project, a super group of talented female performers a few years ago in a packed bar in Leith. I'd been following her on Bandcamp ever since thanks to hand written cards they handed out that night with their socials and music links.

I arrived at the 'Resonancy Bar' ordered a refreshing pint of Bellfield IPA and bumped into Stewart, quick catch-up and then we met Siri and Luke who were friendly, easy company. then it was show time.

The set was short, just twenty minutes. A traditional folk song, a Dolly Parton cover then one original apiece - Minneapolis for Luke and North Country Girl for Siri (inspired by the Dylan, but from the North Country Girl's perspective) finishing with a Blaze Foley cover. It was the distillation of a popup gig - this is what we do, here are our influences. If indie folk Americana were manifested in a punk gig this would be it. Here we are.

All too soon it was over.

Postscript: Luke and Siri had tickets for the main show next door in the Pianodrome and said they'd pop out and tell us what it was like. Siri was as good as her word and we joined a packed house as standing latecomers to catch part of the set by the Brothers Gillespie from Northumbria - high English folk harmonies that were a revelation for me. The headliner was Kate in the Kettle a fiddle, viola and cello trio whose take on folk was mesmerising in its scope verging on classical and jazz to these ears.

There should always be room in your life for impromptu gigs, be open to the possibilities and be prepared to be startled.

humbirdmusic.com/ 

lukecallen.com/

pianodrome.org/

A Saturday afternoon with Sierra Ferrell, Assai Records, Edinburgh

Music in a room, what can be better. A crowd of strangers, mainly, joined in the communal appreciation of an artist a performer sharing their songs, their music.

So it was on Saturday when I ventured out to Assai Records in Edinburgh to catch an instore performance from Sierra Ferrell a rising star of new old country (ok I've coined that myself). Her songs sound like they have always been in existence. They haven't, they are new and come from this sparky West Virginian and conjure up a country sound that is not Nashville, now or I would contend then.

I turned up early and a summer downpour saw me take shelter in the Blue Blazer, a howf with many memories. I wasn't alone with my thought for long. My music buddy Stewart arrived, like me sheltering from the summer rain. We shared our pints and talked music.

And then it was the priority queue for Assai and the wonder that is Sierra Ferrell, playing as a trio with fiddle/mandolin, her guitar, and double bass, beautiful harmonies. Perfect for this small space. The appreciative audience enjoying every precious minute, gamely joining in in the audience participation on 'At the End of the Rainbow'. The show was everything is needed to be, an intimate audience with a wonderful new artist far from home in Scotland (enjoying the beer) finding a warm enthusiastic welcome.

For me it was a bonus to be there - I was going to miss her show in Glasgow the next night. If you haven't heard Sierra's music don't miss out. A packed record shop in Edinburgh will testify to that.

Native Harrow live at the Hug & Pint Feb 1st 2022

Native Harrow have been my first gig of the year twice. Last time was in 2020 as the first in a clutch of gigs before the Covid lockdown paused live music. To be fair this gig was supposed to be in December 2021 but was postponed due the omicron variant.

It was a great way to open my gig year - a favourite band performing in the cosy cellar that is the Hug & Pint performance space. I have my favourite spot to stand so was set for a good night. And it was. Drawing mainly on their last album 'Closeness' - apt title in these socially distanced times and for an album that came out during the first lockdown. 

In their performance the songs seemed to me to have a tenderness, a softness that spoke of the distance that had been put between the band and the audience by the forced shutdown, and false starts of the last two years. That gentleness of tentatively getting to know one another again suited the songs made for an evening where Native Harrow seemed as assured as I've ever seen them. The music Devin and Stephen make together evidences as much as it hides of its influences and presents a music that is recognisable but also unique and quite itself. 

A wonderful start to my gig year.

Gina Villalobos - Rock'n'Roll Pony revisited

 

Over the Christmas break I rediscovered my iPod and scrolling through the music contained there I found a few artists that to some extent I'd forgotten about. One that really caught my attention was Gina Villalobos a California based singer/songwriter and her album 'Rock'n'Roll Pony'.

I can't quite remember how I first found her - possibly a suggestion on iTunes or searching the internet somewhere. However I'd found her doesn't really matter. It's the music that matters and when I clicked on play the tracks I'd downloaded 'Why', 'Faded' and the cover of World Party's 'Put the Message in the Box' the sound was so fresh and immediate. Gina has a voice for which the word ache was created. These world weary songs, delivered with that soulful ache and a full band rock Americana sound had me in it's spell again. I remembered how excited I was when I first found her music. 

What had happened to her and this wonderful sound?  Was she still recording? Within minutes I was googling to find out. What I found told me that yes, she still produces music intermittently, an album 'Sola' in 2014 (check it out on Spotify) and a single in 2016. It also turns out that she works in the film industry providing sound effects and scores.

I'm glad to have become reacquainted with Gina Villalobos. The music is, to my ear, life affirming and joy to hear. I'd say if you're a fan of Lucinda Williams and Lilly Hiatt you could do yourself a favour and add Gina Villalobos to your playlist.

https://ginavillalobos.com/     

Rock'n'Roll Pony

Frazey Ford at La Belle Angele...at last

 This was a gig that i thought would never happen. Tickets bought early in 2020 for a date in June that year. So before Covid 19 hit and closed down the world and live music with it. Even this rescheduled date at the end of November 2021 had that 'it might not happen' mood preceding it. A cancellation was only ever a positive Covid test away, for the band, the venue, or me.

I was grateful, then, to find myself at the venue duly masked, queued and reflecting on the last time I'd been at La Belle Angele to see Anais Mitchell weeks after that other disrupter Donald Trump had become American President.

Frazey Ford though was a balm sorely needed in these troubled and anxious times. She's been called Americana and she is but it was telling, for me anyway, that pre-show the music playing was Al Green. It seemed apt to me as Frazey's music now is a soulful and funky groove that the Rev. Green would be proud of. Mainly featuring the music from 'U Kin B the Sun' Frazey moved through her songs backed by a band (key players from the album sessions) that gave life to those songs with soul and sophistication. her songs reflect on life with all its nuances and affirm that life with joy.

As this gig turned out to be my last live experience of 2021 thanks to Covid 19's Omicron variant it was certainly a good feeling to leave with a smile on my face (obscured by a mask).

https://www.frazeyford.com/

*******

Another hook for this gig was the appearance of support act Gwenifer Raymond. It is not often I see an act that is purely instrumental and this one was mesmerising playing a punk folk blues inspired by 'American primitive'. One woman and a guitar that's all. The sound she creates reminded me of the folk guitar of Bert Jansch and Davie Graham but heavier and riffier. Well worth catching if you get the chance.

https://gweniferraymond.com/

American primitive guitar

Courtney Marie Andrews - Mackintosh Church Glasgow

It had been too long since I'd seen Courtney Marie Andrews play. December 9th 2018 to be exact at the CCA in Glasgow. A gig that nearly didn't happen as Courtney Marie had contracted flu and had cancelled a number of UK dates only returning to the stage in Perth on the 8th where she was clearly still suffering and the next night in Glasgow. Both those gigs were strong performances and closed off the touring of the 'May Your Kindness Remain' tour.

She should have toured the 'Old Flowers' album in 2020 but a stronger flu virus closed everything down worldwide so that elongated our wait for this much anticipated tour and Glasgow gig. 

The venue for this a Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed church was fitting both for the solo performance but also for her devoted following sitting in pews rapt with attention and in awe of her power and the poignancy of her songs. As a member of the support said 'I guess you're here for some sad songs'. Sad songs indeed but delivered with a lyrical and performative maturity that made the show life affirming.

The set focussed on the songs from 'Old Flowers' with the title song kept for a powerful piano accompanied encore. It was breath-taking and closed the night. Songs from her breakthrough album 'Honest Life' filled out the set. She also featured three new songs (James Dean, On/Off, To Be Wanted) which were unfamiliar but very well received. The single 'Near You' also featured and has graced her setlist for some time now.

While it was a solo show Courtney Marie was joined in stage by support act Memorial who provided beautiful harmonies for a trio of songs from 'Old Flowers' - If I Told, Burlap String and Break the Spell. These unique reinterpretations of the recorded songs made the evening something to savour. 

It was wonderful to see her again that the crowd gave a thunderous call back for her encore and a heartfelt standing ovation at the close.

Welcome back Courtney Marie, we have missed you.

https://www.courtneymarieandrews.com/

https://www.communionmusic.co.uk/artists/memorial/

Anna Ash - the Hug & Pint Glasgow 16 September 2021

 This was Leith Notes return to live gigs in the fullest sense. A favourite small venue and a performer who had come all the way from California to be with us (and all the logistics barriers that Covid19 touring entails).

Suitably tested, masked and sanitised I entered the venue and made my way to the downstairs performance venue. When I arrived there was only one other person there - in Covid times do people actually go to gigs like this anymore? That question got its answer as the venue started to fill. The audience was, for me, surprisingly young. It's a usual rule of thumb that artists that fit the singer-songwriter Americana label usually pull in an audience older by far than the performer. Tonight looked like being an exception. The reason became evident once the support acts (Dawn Coulshed and Kirsteen Harvey )took to the stage - these young Scottish performers had brought their followers with them. Smart bit of booking and perfect for creating a lively and engaged audience when Anna Ash took to the stage.

I'd hazard a guess that most of the audience hadn't really heard Anna's music before. Perhaps sensing this Anna opened with an inspired acapella reading of the soul classic 'Do Right Woman, Do Right Man'. Anna possesses a unique and incredible voice and performing this song without any back up instrumentation  certainly caught peoples attention and set the scene for a warm and appreciative rapport with the audience. It wasn't long before someone shouted out 'welcome to Glasgow' and by halfway through the set enthusiastic applause had become loud cheering. Anna had hit her mark and found a new audience and it was a delight to witness.

The set drew heavily on her recent album 'L.A. Flame' with standouts, for me at least being 'Earthquake', 'Apologies' and 'Stalemate'. She also featured her two Lucinda Williams covers 'Fruits of My Labor' and 'Righteously'. There was a story about how she had performed the latter song - if you don't know it a song about sexual desire - on a zoom performance to a fan who was critically ill. His whole family was there, parents, children. It was his favourite song and she had to play it. The other cover that she featured is her sublime version of America's 'Sister Golden Hair'. Key tracks from her previous album 'Floodlights' also featured with the title track and the slinky 'Player' making an impact on the night.

All too soon it was over and there was the queue at the merch stand. Vinyl, CDs, t-shirts and L.A. Flame candles (do you see what she did there?). There were clearly some big fans there some who'd bought their tickets for the postponed 2020 tour. I didn't do that because I thought that will never happen and I held back buying 2021 tickets but did following a social media post from Anna saying the tour was happening. I mentioned this to her and she said 'I just kept saying YES when people asked me if I still wanted to do the tour.' That positivity came over in Glasgow that night, Anna was in town and putting on a show.  

https://annaash.bandcamp.com/album/l-a-flame  

Nanci Griffith: a remembrance

The news that Nanci Griffith had died came to me via a friend's post on Facebook. Like me he was heartbroken to learn that Nanci is no longer with us.

I saw Nanci Griffith and her Blue Moon Orchestra many times over the late 1980s and into the mid 1990s. Her songs were as much a soundtrack to my life then as R.E.M. or Huskerdu but the music she played was not rock but a literate folk country that she sometimes called 'folkabilly'. 

She was a performer who engaged her audience - she connected with folk on that human level. People identified with the characters and observations in her songs sure but a major factor in her appeal was the way she built a rapport with her audience. Her folksy song intro, stories that had you laugh and, at times, shed a tear. Her intro to 'Love at the 5 and dime' is legendary and one that I never tired of hearing. 

I remember going to see her at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow and finding myself very nervously perched in the 'gods' feeling I would fall forward at any point. Nanci came on stage looked up at the top of the theatre and said something like 'are you alright up there?' Instead of tipping me over the edge I was reassured and the tension left - she knew we were up there and now she was going to sing to us.

I'm glad I was able to share the room with her and share communion with with her audience over those years and see the mix of people touched by her music, yes there were punks, there were families and there were always sad eyed dreamers.

Thank you Nanci for sharing your time and your songs with us. Rest easy.

Waxahatchee 1 year Anniversary St Cloud livestream - 'live' in Kansas

To mark the 1 year anniversary of the release of St Cloud Waxahatchee performed the album 'live' from La Villa, Kansas City.

 

I've been listening to Waxahatchee for some time now and it was the album St Cloud that really caught my attention. For me Katie Crutchfield has hit her stride. By that I mean that her vision and its realisation, the reason I've been an on and off listener for a few years now, has with St Cloud hit that sweet spot where I fully get and appreciate what she is doing.

The album was released a year ago and has been a favourite of mine since even naming a Spotify playlist after one of its stand out tracks 'Can't Do Much'. Released around the time that the world as we know it went into the rolling Covid lockdowns that have defined our existence since. The album was never toured. This aniversary gig was to present a band performance to a worldwide audience to say thank you for your support. It was worth the wait.

Filmed inside La Villa, Kansas City the airy white space with arched windows and a mix of dried and fresh flowers provided an open and bright, hopeful space to explore these songs.

This was a track by track run through of the album. That statement downplays the presentation - this was a band playing live with heart and sublety allowing the space for these songs to flow and connect with the audience.The band filled the space with a nod to the venue's bright and airy tones all washed out denims and flowers. It seems in these troubled times we need to keep hope, life and beauty to the fore. The band made it seem effortless and what they created was truly beautiful.

 

Those yearning melodic tunes with evocative lyrics -  we leave love behind /without a tear or a long goodbye or Swallow my pride/it's mine to quell/ I'll put you through hell/illput you through hell/ I - release a ramble of a sigh.

 

The mix of venue, band, lyrics and the sheer quality of this set of songs creates a mood at once light and hopeful but with a biting undercurrent that suggests an indie intelligence informing a natural and true americana heartbeat. This is a music that dwells in that cosmic american terrain explored by Gram Parsons where country, folk and rock cross paths. If this was the 1990s Micheal Stipe would be popping up on harmony vocals. He doesn't and those aching harmonies are left to the band members and hit the mark every time.

There are glimpses of the joy of this live set from the band - from Katie herself as the the main focus of the camera, but catch the sheer unbridled joy of the bass player as she delivers her harmonies and delivers her bass lines. This must have been a release for band members on ice for a year and now able to do what they do and do it so well.

 

In a blur of georgeous melodies and subtle playing we're onto the last song and the realisation that the show is nearing its end. What a blessing it is that once the album is complete the show continues with a cover of Dolly Parton's 'Light of a Clear Blue Morning' which starts tender and reflective before gradually building in intensity to a driving cathartic end everthing is going to be alright/it's gonna be ok.

With a bow to the audience and a nod to the band Katie vacates the stage as the band bring the show to an end.

Thank you Katie Crutchfield and Waxahatchee for your time, your beauty and your hope. It's gonna be ok.

Dram Shop Gal - Carson McHone at the Hug & Pint 8/02/2019

Carson McHone is a native of Austin Texas and already a veteran of the city's honky tonk scene. As such you might expect her to be a purveyor of straight ahead four to the floor honky tonk music. Maybe she is with a full band behind her. Tonight she is solo, just her and her acoustic guitar and the songs while showing classic country and honky tonk influences also have a subtlety and quality that mark her as a songwriter to watch.

The songs stripped back in this intimate setting show a spare, stark quality and a lyrical deftness that marks them out. Musically she is steeped in the Texas honk tonk tradition and possesses a voice that can yelp like a best rockabilly girl when she needs it to but can also be gentle and reflective on the likes of 'Dram Shop Gal'.

It's 'Dram Shop Gal' that stands out for me as it shows the quality of her writing offering a tale of a woman working bars with a lyricism that puts her with the best of singer songwriters coming out of the US today. There is also something about the melodies she creates which while based on the classic country she's grown up with is laced with echoes of old time Scots and Irish music which form a key root of country.

Carson McHone did not disappoint and had the audience in the palm of her hand entertaining them between songs with tales of the life and the road. I expected the country honky tonk feel of her songs and she delivered that but what I'd not expected was the references to classic American literature that peppered her show and informed the one new song she sang 'Hawks Do Not Share' which takes its title from a chapter of Hemingway's 'A Movable Feast' about the relationship of the two iconic creative impulses that were Zelda and F.Scott Fitzgerald. She also referenced Thomas Wolfe's 'Look Homeward Angel' and Langston Hughes 'Suicide's Note'.

Recently signed to Loose Records this is Carson's first tour of the UK showcasing her album 'Carousel'. She promises to be back later this year hopefully with her band. I'm looking forward to it already - this is a new talent on the rise.

Courtney Marie Andrews, Perth 8.12.18

There is something so genuine about Courtney Marie Andrews. Tonight underlined that. Appearing solo after touring most of the year with her band in support of one of this years best albums 'May Your Kindness Remain' Courtney Marie stripped the music down to its essence - voice, acoustic guitar and piano (alternating the last two).

The intimate setting of the Joan Knight studio at Perth Theatre allowed Courtney Marie the space to concentrate on telling us some of the stories behind the songs - who inspired them, what part of her life they were from. In short she just played us her amazing songs which are stories in themselves. She took requests at one point with hilarious consequences when she started '500 Nights' only to forget the second line and having to settle for the chorus - 'I've not played that song in 5 years!'. She hadn't factored in the extent of the audience knowledge of and affection for her work!
There were a number of stand outs for me including 'Honest Life', 'Paintings from Michael' (a song about her incarcerated uncle which seems to grow more powerful every time I hear her play it), 'Irene', 'Only in my Mind' and 'Rough around the Edges'. She finished the set by unplugging the guitar and stepping away from the microphone to sing 'May Your Kindness Remain'. It was a special moment and a special way to end a wonderful night.

I'll be seeing her again tonight at the CCA in Glasgow and to say I'm looking forward to it is an understatement.

Courtney Marie Andrews at Summerhall 20 April 2018

Courtney Marie Andrews is frankly at the top of her game right now. No two ways about it her show tonight was one of the best I've seen with the warmest and most enthusiastic reception from her growing audience.
Last time I saw Courtney Marie Andrews she was touring solo and previewing the songs from her new album 'May Your Kindness Remain'. Between January and now with the addition of her band those songs have grown and the blues country soul vibe has distilled into that much sought after but rare thing that I can only describe a cosmic American music - ok I've stolen that - but I think it is apt in describing the combination of her songs, their arrangements and the sound the band cooks up. There were moments tonight where I was thinking of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and the Band. This was especially evident during the evenings closing number a cover of Little Feat's 'Willin'.

The whole set was beautifully paced starting with last two tracks from the new album 'Long Road Back to You' and 'I've Hurt Worse' both of which pulled the crowd in and showed that these songs may be new but have more than connected with her audience. People were singing along and clearly love these songs and the ones that followed.
To say that Courtney Marie Andrews has hit her stride would be an understatement of monumental standards. She's been touring constantly both solo and with her band, writing all the time and she keeps coming up with the goods. This is her time but you can't help feeling that the best is astonishingly still to come.
She has songs which are audience favourites like 'Near You' and 'Sea Town' which have not appeared on albums but remain mainstays of the live show. Sea Town in particular has featured in every CMA gig I've been at. That's five in total and the performance of the song has moved from a plaintive lament into a rocking celebration of returning.
We were treated to eighteen songs tonight in Summerhall's 'Dissection Room' showcasing the best of the new album and its predecessor 'Honest Life'. Her songs clearly touch a common core across the ages that was evident tonight with a very mixed age range. Live she always engages with the audience with humour and charm between the songs and then that voice soars. More, Courtney Marie, more!

 Note: in the heat tonight an audience member fainted, thankfully recovering. Courtney Marie stopped the show immediately and took a respectful break.

Caroline Spence - the Voodoo Rooms 21/02/2018

Caroline Spence is one of a slew of new singer/songwriters breaking out of the US right now. Based in Nashville Caroline followed a well worn path of songwriters drawn to the city in search of the song that would provide the 'hit' that would break her. Her aim was to write songs for others to record and perform but like many before her she found that in order to hawk her songs performing was the best route to get those songs out there. And there was a living to be had there if you're willing to follow the road.

On her first visit to Scotland Spence played an intimate stripped back set in the Voodoo Rooms speakeasy accompanied by English electric and lap steel guitarist Chris Hillman. As well as telling stories with her songs she entertained the audience with stories about the songs and her life in Nashville and on the road - don't order a Chinese takeaway in Texas! Her set contained a choice mix of songs from her albums 'Somehow' and 'Spades & Hearts' with a couple of covers - Gram Parsons 'Hickory Wind' (appropriate when your guitarist is called Chris Hillman) and night's closer Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark'. 

Opening with 'Heart of Somebody', followed by 'Hotel Amarillo' it's clear her own songs have a quality that should set her in good stead to grow her audience. She seems genuinely touched by the number of people who've turned out mid-week to see her play. 'Whiskey Watered Down' is her love hate sideswipe at the music industry in Nashville; 'Hotel Amarillo' a tale of motel life and fast food on the road; 'Train's Cry' and 'Bless Your Heart' stand out too.

In the second half of the set there are more gems as she works through more of her recent 'Spades & Hearts' album. Standouts include 'You Don't Look So Good (Cocaine)' 'All the Bed's I've Made' and 'Southern Accident'. She catches the zeitgeist with 'Softball' a reflection on her realisation that the world is different for girls it's a story of her discovery as a baseball crazy child that she could only go so far with her playing before the coach won't put her in the baseball team because its not for girls -softball is. Catch the video for 'Softball' for a who's who of the talented women singer/songwriters that are working in America right now.

Fortunately for us many are making it across to Scotland where they are finding a warm welcome from audiences keen to hear them perform. Caroline Spence is one of a new wave. She's one of the best and next time she's here go see her. Meantime give her a listen wherever you find your music.

http://www.carolinespencemusic.com/

Courtney Marie Andrews - in praise of Leuven Letters

Courtney Marie Andrews burst into my consciousness when I heard a track from her breakthrough album 'Honest Life'. The song was 'How Quickly Your Heart Mends' her witty heart-worn tale of surviving love and finding life.
'Honest Life' is an album packed with songwriting of the highest calibre that speaks of the years that Courtney Marie has spent as a travelling musician playing with bands and as a solo artist building her skill and craft. Amazingly a veteran of 6 self funded albums by the time of her breakthrough she'd been touring for ten years.
Listening to the older work there has been a astonishing refinement of her songwriters craft, her confidence as a writer and that key skill of telling her stories straight and connecting with her audience.
Her previous full length album 'On My Page' mapped a route to 'Honest Life' with key songs 'Blue Woman' and 'Woman of Many Colours' still mainstays of her live set and tales that sit well with her later output. That said 'Honest Life' is a huge step forward in her writing and in the realisation of her muse. There's a brevity and directness to the songs and a honesty in the delivery that pushed open the door to that wider audience that she so thoroughly deserves.

What brought about that change, that clarity? I'd contend that the limited release 2014 mini album 'Leuven Letters' played a large part in leading Courtney Marie to the directness of 'Honest Life'. The six tracks she recorded in Belgium contain only one song from 'Honest Life' - the aforementioned  'How Quickly Your Heart Mends' which encapsulates the new pared back direct voice that points towards the sound and honesty that makes 'Honest Life' the important album it is. The backstory to 'Leuven Letters' is that it was written and recorded in the aftermath of a relationship breakup. The songs work as a group describing the confusion, the hurt, the frustration, the yearning and the keening heartbreak of love along with the redemptive quality of rebirth as a careworn experienced liver of life. It closes with the heartfelt 'A Song for Amy Ross' a song about the loss of a friend that may sit outside the canon of break-up songs that precedes it but shares that direct way of telling the story that is as real and affectionate. It too is about unexpected loss and the hurt the sheering of a friendship to an abrupt end.
'Leuven Letters' is a exceptional suite of songs and maps out clearly the template that Courtney Marie so assuredly realised on 'Honest Life'. It deserves to be seen as the pivotal work that it clearly is paving the way from the old Courtney Marie to the new and playing its part in showcasing her voice both vocally and in the words and music that those of us who have fallen for her spell love so much. 

https://courtneymarieandrews.bandcamp.com/album/leuven-letters