I was pleased to be able to review Jim White’s excellent new album Where It Hits You but sorry to hear that his personal life is currently in such a bad state.
As a devoted family man, his wife leaving him must have come as a bitter blow and I hope he comes through this shitty time intact.
This recording from a few years back on NPR shows what a great artist and human being he is :
Today I wrote what felt like a timely review of an EP called The War Room by a duo called Public Service Broadcasting (PSB).
War has not been declared but the nation expects as the Olympic Games begins and Britain prepares to be the centre of the world’s attention.
The spirit of the Blitz message of the WWII propaganda movies from the British Film Institute archive which PSB have soundtracked seems strangely appropriate; especially this one called London Can Take It!
Link:
My review of the Public Service Broadcasting EP (Whisperin’ & Hollerin’)
The Isle of Eigg (pronounced ‘egg’) in the Scottish Hebrides is not somewhere you’d expect to find a local thrash metal band.
It has a population of just 67 people and is home to the Cormack brothers Ben and Joe who are one half of The Massacre Cave.
They have just released their debut EP called The Ninth Wave which I received for review at Whisperin’ & Hollerin’.
An interview with the brothers on Sorrow Eternal blog gives some very entertaining background info.
They say that the advantages of the island lifestyle are that there’s no problem of disturbing the neighbours, you can focus 100% on the music and you don’t have to worry about how you fit into the local scene.
The major disadvantage is that with just four boats a week from the mainland, rehearsals and gigging becomes a major challenge. Joe puts it concisely : “If one is cancelled, we’re fucked!” Continue reading
One of the best things about getting albums to review (for Whisperin’ & Hollerin‘) is when I discover artists that would probably not otherwise come across.
One of these is Dan Raza , a young folk singer based in East London whose self-titled debut album is really impressive, not because he does anything original or radical, but because he has clearly put a lot of thought into presenting the simple songs in the best way possible.
He sings and plays acoustic guitar and the other instruments that feature on the ten track album include xylophone, piano,oboe,accordion, fiddle, sax, whistle, pedal steel, mandolin. organ and kora. These are used subtly to give a range and depth to the songs.
To date there’s limited footage on You Tube but if there’s any justice in the world, this will change. This amateur video is about the best of a small bunch which gives a hint of his talents.
To pop pickers in search of a genuine bargain, the 5 Cd box set of the Cowboy Junkies’ Nomad Series which be released on April 17th 2012 looks too good to be true.
This series comprises the four superb albums the Junkies have released over the past 18 months.
I have reviewed the first and last of these volumes for Whisperin’ & Hollerin’ and can also vouch for the high quality of the other two.
Whatever your currency , £17.02 / $25.00 or €17.82 seems a snip for such exceptional music.
As explained on the merch section of the band’s website the box includes – Renmin Park (Volume 1) – Demons – Vic Chesnutt covers (Volume 2), Sing In My Meadow (Volume 3) and The Wilderness (Volume 4) as well as Extras – 10 songs recorded during the making of The Nomad Series but not included on any of the volumes.
You also get a 52 page colour booklet which I imagine will include the wonderful artwork by Enrique Martinez Celeya.
Buy, buy, buy.
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