Suzanne Vega Solitude Standing & 99.9F, The Queens Hall, Edinburgh, August 2018

Suzanne Vega toured both Solitude Standing and 99.9F to mark the 30th and 25th anniversaries of each album. She played both albums in track order back to back.

I have a rule that I sometimes break. That rule is that I don't go and see bands or singers who I should have seen back in their 'heyday'. This concert was an exception I wasn't expecting to make but am so glad I did.

Suzanne Vega is one of those artists who was there in the early eighties and I heard her, I got the literate word play and the arrangements but for some reason I didn't plunge headlong into her music. Probably too busy getting into garage-a-billy at the time.

It turns out though that whether I acknowledged it at the time or not Suzanne's music was there as a backdrop through those years and I realised that at this unexpected gig as she moved through the tracks on these two albums and the recognition level of the tunes and the lyrics was high.

Solitude Standing gives up the gems that are 'Tom's Diner' and 'Luka'. I have a personal memory of that album an album I've never owned. A friend of mine, sadly now passed away, had this album on his car cassette player permanently and I thought of him constantly as the concert proceeded through this familiar sequence of songs.

Vega is an engaging performer and didn't evidence any of the coolness that you might imagine she could exude. Opening the first set as the album does with an acapella version of 'Tom's Diner' is a brave choice and she pulls it off with a bravura and intimacy that set the tone for the rest of the night.

There was a short break between the sets and it was onto a the more electric and muscled sounds of 99.9F - the Suzanne Vega album I do have though its not been listened to in years. It was a revelation as I was surprised how well I remembered the album. 'Blood Makes Noise', 'Fat Man and the Dancing Girl' 'When Heroes go Down' and the sublime 'As Girls Go' were like old friends, familiar but also bright and fresh. 'In Liverpool' was my standout of the night in part because of the back story of the song about a first love and nearly meetings over the years. It was touching and affectionate in the way an old love can be after the passage of time but where there is still a connection to the hearts of both parties.

She finishes of the night with an encore which includes 'Left of Center' another song that seems to have formed part of the soundtrack of my life.

While this was an evening of memories sparked by these wonderful songs it was also an evening that looked to the now and the future as Suzanne Vega still tours and performs songs from her now long career including her more recent album inspired by Carson McCullers 'Lover, Beloved'.

It took me a long time to get to Suzanne Vega live and to reconnect with these wonderful songs but the long road was worth it. Who knows I may break my rule again but then again will my experience be as good as this?

  

Quebec, a realignment of the political landscape?

The recent National Election in Quebec has started a realignment of the politics of identity and sovereignty. That realignment has also seen the common thread of the modern political world - the polarisation of ideology and the rise of both radical left voices and anti immigration platforms.

It is 23 years since the last independence referendum in Quebec and though the possibility of a fresh referendum seems unlikely almost to the point of non existent there are perhaps sign that in the realignment of Quebec politics a fresh self determination seed is being sown that may, in time flower and produce a new modern sovereigntist demand that realises afresh the dreams so narrowly lost a generation ago.

The Quebec elections of 1st October produced a huge shake-up to the political landscape of the nation. For 50 years the leadership of Quebec had pivoted between the Liberal Party of Quebec (the unionists) and the Parti Quebecois (the nationalists). various other minor parties had come and gone in the interim but nothing had broken that duality of political outcomes. Until now that is.

The election broke that mould and there may be no going back. Coalition Avenir de Québec (CAQ) a party formed and led by Francois Legault, himself a former PQ cabinet member is, on the face of it, a nationalist party. However it is avowedly not promising any future referendum on an independent Quebec. CAQ won 74 seats in the National Assembly - a landslide which saw them beat the incumbent Liberals comprehensively. The CAQ surge which had been threatened at previous elections came at the expense of the Parti Quebecois (PQ) who on the day were reduced to a humiliating 9 seats (later rising to 10 through a recount). CAQ also took a strong stance on immigration promising to reduce the number of people coming to Quebec which in the modern age sadly struck a chord with a large chunk of the electorate. 

As the counterpoint to the rise of CAQ the green socialist party Quebec Solidaire (QS) saw a trebling of its seats in the National Assembly to 10 (equal to the PQ). Quebec Solidaire is also a sovereigntist party and is open about independence being best for the future of Quebec. QS have tapped in to the anti neoliberal thread of modern politics to connect with a younger outward looking electorate looking for real change and welcoming of others.

Quebec Solidaire recently entered into a merger with the smaller Option Nationale (ON) a sovereigntist party positioned to the left and also finding support among younger voters. ON joined QS as a platform allowing two of its best performers, its leader Sol Zanetti and artist Catherine Dorion to stand and win in neighbouring seats in Quebec City. The energy within QS at this time must be strong with the success and the engagement of so many more electors looking for something more radical than the centre right neoliberal offered by CAQ and the Liberals. They put forward a platform of hope for the future. Their leader Manon Masse played the election well and comes over as a non politician while getting the politics of the merger and positioning of QS to make the breakthroughs they were looking for. The test for QS in the future will be to break out of the urban areas of Montreal and Quebec City and grow their base.

What of PQ? True they have suffered a huge setback reduced to 10 seats and not qualifying for official recognition in the National Assembly. The party has had a tumultuous time since it was last in power in Quebec as a minority administration, afraid of the independence question and vulnerable to the rise of CAQ. Following its defeat four years ago it changed leaders and veteran Pauline Marois exited with businessman Pierre Karl Peladeau briefly taking over the effect of which seemed to reposition PQ on the right before it then shifted toward the centre left under its next leader Jean-Francois Lisee. He's gone now along with many of their experienced politicians. However if PQ is to be reborn perhaps it needed a cathartic event like this meltdown to shake away any complacency. Recent research into who votes for the PQ showed that the party base support was still the baby-boomers that had supported it from its beginnings and it was failing to attract younger voters. Some analysts said that if the party continued on the trajectory indicated by the research it would eventually cease to exist. However as the PQ deals with its defeat in the election and setback for it as a party it may find that it has some of the younger members it needs to redefine and rebuild. Younger members were successfully elected - Catherine Fournier (who some in Scotland will know from her visit during Indyref) and the victor of the recount Meganne Perry Melancon. The future of PQ could be theirs as a generational shift and a redefinition of their aims for the 21st century is probably exactly what the party needs. It needs to see itself as the future rather than through the prism of the past.

The future of Quebec will be interesting to watch but it is worth saying from a Scottish perspective that in Quebec the aftermath of the failed second referendum has cast a long shadow over the sovereigntist movement, one that perhaps the independence movement here needs to keep in mind when demands arise for an immediate referendum. The cost for calling it wrong could be incalculable.

Roselit Bone - Tales from the Psychotic side of Country

Roselit Bone residency at the Phoenix Bar Edinburgh

💀💀💀💀💀💀 Review

Roselit Bone, a band who tout a gothic country punk sound peppered with raw rockabilly and  mariachi rhythms are like a band from a fever dream infused with the nightmarish world of David Lynch. Yes that intriguing and startlingly good!

My route to finding them was that modern and slightly bizarre way I imagine lots of folk find new music these days -  though social media in a kind of accidental way. A friend sent me a request to like a bar back in April and instead of liking I clicked events and found Roselit Bone. I clicked interested for a gig in August and thought no more. Until August when an alert told an event I was interested in was coming up.

That was when I discovered that they were playing eighteen nights during the annual Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Free Festival. No pre-bought tickets, audiences just show up on the night....or don't. It took me a while to show my face to be true.

I finally made it along on the penultimate night of their run. My god. Why, oh why had I not made it along earlier in their run? The stripped down acoustic iteration of the band were both seriously odd and exceptionally powerful. Led by Josh McCaslin on vocals and guitar, aided and amply abetted by Faith Grossnicklaus on fiddle and Nate Lown on bass they had stage presence and then some. Josh and Nate's pale faces were highlighted with make-up which gave them the otherworldly demeanour of 1920s silent western actors and Faith, similarly pale skinned, channelling Rose Maddox, pulled off a glamourous cowgirl look with the twist of her own bird skull bolo and ear-rings.

They looked like the forlorn god children of The Panther Burns crossed with the Gun Club. The music was intense and evocative punctuated with yelps, howls and lonesome whines. The songs are sharply drawn tales of degradation, violence, lust, love, sex, murder and death. Cheery it ain't but  it is compellingly captivating. The sound and delivery, not to mention the presentation, pulls the susceptible into its vortex and beguiles like a siren song.

That siren song twisted into me and pulled me to the rocks not only that night but also the next night when I found myself making a journey back into that web of hopped up psychotic rock'n'roll deranged country that is Roselit Bone.

The band's first sojourn to Scotland was an epic run of gigs and my fear and joy is the realisation that had I made it along earlier in the run I may well have found the siren pulling me into the basement room at the Phoenix Bar on a nightly basis. Which would've been no bad thing. No bad thing at all.

https://www.roselitbone.com/

Albums 'Blister Steel' and 'Blacken and Curl' available here https://roselitbone.bandcamp.com/

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

Glen Campbell: Still within the Sound of his voice

I can’t remember when I first heard Glen Campbell sing. It’d be the early 1970’s and maybe before that. I do remember that my first long playing record purchase was an album entitled ‘By the Time I get to Phoenix’ on the Music for Pleasure label. And so, started a love of Glen’s voice and his song interpretations that lasts through to his death and no doubt beyond. Not long after that first LP I got a copy of another album entitled ‘Wichita Lineman’ again on the Music for Pleasure. Both albums gave me a mix of Glen’s back catalogue, both were compilations headed by huge worldwide hits. 

Not long after that I received a present of Glen’s album ‘Reunion: the songs of Jimmy Webb’ which was and is a wonderful collection of some of Webb’s most introspective songs plus a wonderful song from Webb’s sister Susan the incredible ‘About the Ocean’ and a cover of Lowell George’s ‘Roll Me Easy’. These non-hit songs showed a young teenager music with more shadows that the bright widescreen hits that I was used to from Glen Campbell. His performance on this album is a testament to his interpretive powers. They might be Jimmy Webb songs but after Glen had wrapped his voice around them they became his.

It was this talent for spotting songs and then through his interpretation and recording of them getting inside them and inhabiting them as if they were his life-force that mark Glen Campbell out as one of the greatest popular singers of his time.

An example of that talent with a non-Jimmy Webb song came with his worldwide smash and comeback hit ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’, a song by Larry Weiss that Campbell took to and breathed his magic into. I have the original Rhinestone Cowboy album on cassette, now unplayable through constant use over four decades. Another was his last big hit ‘Southern Nights’ an Allen Toussaint song. Like ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ Campbell took an already exceptional song and added to it setting the standard by which any other version would be judged.

When he found a song and there are many examples – John Hartford’s ‘Gentle On my Mind’, Randy Newman’s ‘Marie’ or Webb’s ‘The Highwayman’ those songs became his. His voice was remarkable and gave those songs an identity and strength that made those records so compelling.

Many of the songs that Glen Campbell inhabited so well spoke of enduring loneliness and longing with huge cinematic canvasses that touched people the world over. I’m glad I found my way to his music early and that it has endured and enriched for so long. Thanks for the songs Mr Campbell.