Yearly Archives: 2015

Album review: BELLOWHEAD – Pandemonium: The Essential Bellowhead

BELLOWHEAD - Pandemonium: The Essential Bellowhead

Navigator Records [Release date 16.10.15] Sadly Bellowhard have announced they are calling it a day after 11 years, however they are going out in style with an extensive farewell tour that carries on into 2016 and this, their first best … Continue reading

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Album review: MIKE BROOKFIELD – Love Breaks The Fall

MIKE BROOKFIELD – Love Breaks The Fall

Self release [Release date 13.03.15] Irish based, Liverpudlian guitarist Mike Brookfield has enjoyed a rich musical career from playing in the west end orchestra pits to being music coordinator, arranger and musical director for RTE, as well as copping a former … Continue reading

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Album review: THE WHISKEY POETS – Low Country

THE WHISKEY POETS – Low Country

Red Dog [Release date 30.10.15] When asked what message the award winning author RJ Ellory had for his readers, he replied: ‘There is nothing so fragile, complex or fascinating as the human condition.’ And it’s that sense of wonder that … Continue reading

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Album review: DAVID GILMOUR – Rattle That Lock

DAVID GILMOUR - Rattle That Lock

Columbia [Release date 18.09.15] We should be grateful for this latest album from one of rock’s distinguished elder statesman and, who knows, back in 2006 we may have even thought ‘On An Island’ was the ‘swansong’. Like Iron Maiden’s ‘The … Continue reading

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Album review: RIVERSIDE – Love, Fear And The Time Machine

RIVERSIDE - Love, Fear And The Time Machine

Inside Out Music [Release date: 04.09.15] From the opening strains of the twelve-minute opus ‘The Same River’ from the fabulous ‘Out Of Myself’ album in 2003, Riverside have been in the vanguard of the 21st century resurgence in progressive rock … Continue reading

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Album review: WILY BO WALKER – Moon Over Indigo

WILY BO WALKER – Moon Over Indigo

Mescal Canyon [Release date 25.09.15] Blues award nominee, prodigious songwriter, multi band leader and genre hopping roots rock artist, Wily Bo Walker returns with the concluding part of his 2015 trilogy of solo albums. ‘Moon Over Indigo’ comes complete with … Continue reading

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Gig review: KIP WINGER – The Borderline, London, 12 September 2015

KIP WINGER - The Borderline, London, 12 September 2015

Kip Winger’s solo acoustic shows at the Borderline have began to take on such a mythical status that the promotional blurb for this year’s show even marketed it as the ‘4th annual evening with Kip Winger’. It was noticeable that … Continue reading

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Single & EP reviews: KITCHEN WITCH, SHIRAZ LANE, NAT2RAL BORN KILLERS

KITCHEN WITCH  - Trouble

KITCHEN WITCH  Trouble EP [Release date 31.10.15] https://kitchenwitch.bandcamp.com/album/trouble-ep First glance at the retro art nouveau sleeve for the debut release from Aussie female fronted rockers Kitchen Witch, with its topless female form, the immediate first thought is – is this … Continue reading

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Album review: AMY HELM – Didn’t It Rain

AMY HELM - Didn

Membran [Release date 02.10.15] Amy Helm reminds me of Joss Stone.  An unquestionable vocal talent.  But lacking in material to exploit it commercially. First a member of the post 9/11 alt-country collective Ollabelle, and subsequently working extensively with her late … Continue reading

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Quick plays: GEORGIA SOUND, BOB BRADSHAW

GEORGIA SOUND - Love Can Change

GEORGIA SOUND Love Can Change [Release date 20.02.15] If you like a decent soft rock singer/songwriter tune, look no further than self-released indie folk / pop debut from Georgia Sound – Ryan Roy and Shannon Magee, a duo from Calgary, … Continue reading

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Album review: DANNI NICHOLLS – Mockingbird Lane

DANNI NICHOLLS - Mockingbird Lane

Danni Nicholls Music [Release date 23.10.15] You’d never guess Danni Nicholls was from Bedford.  Mockingbird Lane, her second album, is an album that has the hallmarks of classic American folk, county and splashes of rock ‘n’ roll. Re-uniting with producer … Continue reading

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Album review: BETTYSOO – When We’re Gone

BETTY SOO - When We

[Release date 30.10.15] I was rather taken with Bettysoo’s last album – Heat Sin Water Skin (2009).  But a lot happens in five years.  For a start, the singer songwriter, and the Americana market in particular, has exploded. For an … Continue reading

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Album review: BEN REEL – 7th

BEN REEL - 7th

[Release date 22.06.15] www.benreel.com With each new release Northern Ireland songsmith Ben Reel steps inexorably closer to becoming the home soil torchbearer of American heartland rock.  That is, the mantle occupied across the pond by the likes of The Boss … Continue reading

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Album review: LISA RONSON – Emperors Of Medieval Japan

LINDA RONSON - Emperors Of Medieval Japan

Maniac Squat Records [Release date 09.11.15] Back in 1974 David Bowie, regaled us with tales of a skeletal post-apocalyptic landscape of Diamond Dogs.  By then, Mick Ronson was no longer his trusted foil, but 40 years later Ronson’s daughter seems … Continue reading

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Album review: DANA IMMANUEL – Dotted Lines

DANA IMMANUEL - Dotted Lines

Self-release [Release date 23.10.15] Eight tracks over 32 minutes isn’t the most expansive of albums.  But in the case of banjo-toting, whiskey-drinking north London-based singer-songwriter Dana Immanuel, the quality that oozes through every track on the follow up to her … Continue reading

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Album review: HEATHER CROSSE – Groovin’ At The Crosse Roads

        Ruf [Release date 04.09.15] Heather Crosse is a bass playing soulful blues vocalist who recently introduced herself to European blues audiences on the back the 2015 Girls With Guitars/Blues Caravan tour. She draws on the rich … Continue reading

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Album review: JOEL HOEKSTRA’S 13 – Dying To Live

JOEL HOEKSTRA

Frontiers [Release date 16.10.15] www.joelhoekstra.com Current Whitesnake and former Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra has released a handful of instrumental only solo albums and this time he’s gone for vocals. He’s not the singer, instead we have two vocal giants … Continue reading

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Album review: CHANTEL McGREGOR – Lose Control

Chantel McGregor - Lose Control

Tis Rock Music Ltd [Release date 09.10.15] For an artist who has made her mark by always being in control – she’s the songwriter, co-producer, guitarist, vocalist and is even responsible for the art work and photography of the CD … Continue reading

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Gig review: RICKY WARWICK AND DAMON JOHNSON – Camden Underworld, London, 10 September 2015

RICKY WARWICK AND DAMON JOHNSON - Camden Underworld, London, 10 September 2015

Can there be a harder working band at present than Black Star Riders? The band that Thin Lizzy mutated into to write and play new material, toured with Europe in the Spring and seem to be on every festival bill. … Continue reading

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Gig review: IAN ANDERSON (JETHRO TULL) – The Lowry, Salford, 14 September 2015

IAN ANDERSON (JETHRO TULL) - The Lowry, Salford, 14 September 2015

It’s Jethro Tull, but not as we have known them.   ‘The Rock Opera’ continued the format of previous outings with a large screen and a theme.  A few things have grated in recent years, not least the use of Ryan … Continue reading

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Quick plays: C.O.P., MARTINA EDOFF, TAD MOROSE

MARTINA EDOFF - Unity

C.O.P – State Of Rock AOR Heaven [Release date 25.09.15] C.O.P. are a new band featuring Grand Illusion’s vocalist Peter Sundell, who is joined by Ola af Trampe (guitar/bass) and his younger brother Christian (keys/drums). Take the first letter of … Continue reading

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News: TREAT, RICK WAKEMAN, BELLOWHEAD – Sunday 13th September 2015

Rick Wakeman - Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 9 May 2014

RIP – guitarist Gary Richrath, who was in REO Speedwagon between 1970 and 1989. Former bassist with the Damned, Byrn Merrick, has passed away at the age of 56 after a battle with cancer. Treat have confirmed they are recording … Continue reading

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Album Review: – STAHLMANN – CO2

AFM Records [release date 28.08.15] Another AFM release and another German band I’ve never heard of…”CO2” is Stahlmann’s fourth studio album and follows on from “Adamant”, which made number 34 in the German album charts, back in 2013. Stahlmann were … Continue reading

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Album review: GLORYHAMMER – SPACE 1992: Rise Of The Chaos Wizards

        Napalm Records [release date 25.09.15 ] Angus McFife and his merry band are back in another tale of daring do. This time taking on the galactic hordes in the defence of the mighty galaxy of Fife … Continue reading

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Album Review: – PYOGENESIS – A Century In The Curse Of Time

AFM Records [release date 14.08.15] Pyogenesis are back with “A Century In The Curse Of Time”…their first studio album in over 13 years…but as I’ve never heard of them this isn’t really much of a concern. The accompanying press release … Continue reading

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