Music / Previews
Americana, Blues & Country Picks: Feb 2016
The year has got off to a great start with two strong contenders for a high placing in the gig of the year category (Jason Isbell and Patty Griffin) and the quality stays high in February. If you read last month’s picks you’ll know we’re not beholden to any strict genre definitions, so mainly it’s about good, good music. The first week is jam packed and if you’ve limited time and a tight budget you’ll need to consider which gig to pick; a sense of professionalism prevents B24/7 from making a recommendation but Lindi Ortega will be great. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything twangy at the Six Music Festival but fortunately there’s plenty elsewhere, so hold on to your Stetson and let’s find out what’s about.
Tunnels, Feb 01
is needed now More than ever
Aiofe O’Donovan is touring her critically acclaimed second LP In the Magic Hour, an album partly informed by bereavement. She’s been picking up plenty of plaudits since leaving Crooked Still a few years back and has been busy with collaborations and spin off projects too. She has a knack for producing understated elegant tunes, folky with country leanings set in ambient trippy soundscapes and with lyrics informed by her Irish heritage.
Thekla, Feb 02
Lindi Ortega doesn’t play country, she plays with country. Her tunes have got a rockabilly swagger and plenty pf gothic spook (if Morticia Addams was around, Lindi would be her favourite act). She has an outstanding voice, soaring through songs and capable of displaying real emotion, rather than emoting by squashing every note in the world in to each line of a song. She writes sharp twisty songs and the newest outing Fading Gloryville sees her bringing soul in to the mix, particularly on an outstanding cover of To Love Somebody. Her live sets are dynamite, plenty of up tempo material with ballads and slower numbers scattered liberally though the set for balance, and she always has a killer band.
Alma Tavern, Feb 04
Lovers of dreadful yet appealing puns will be chuffed to know that Finlin’s first full length recording is entitled Original Fin, and suggest that as well as an ability to “…write(s) with the minimalist grit of Sam Shepard and Raymond Carver” he has a sly sense of humour. There’s been half a dozen recordings since then and the latest My Moby Dick can be purchased with an accompanying book of prose Time Less Travel. His songs feature twangy up tempo Americana stylings along with the slower tunes and as the literary comparisons suggest (“If Jeff Finlin were not a songwriter, it’s likely he’d be a novelist and he’d fall somewhere between Kerouac, Twain and Vonnegut.”) his lyrics are incisive but entertaining, with a sly wit – Jesus was a Motorcycle Man is as good a song as you’d hope with a title like that.
Exchange, Feb 06 & 07
This band are touring their newest release All a Man Should Do and yet rather than do the obvious thing, they’re playing two nights at the Exchange – promising something special as neither night will feature the same set list. The band are a riot live – a background in punk and metal means plenty of passion and commitment in their playing, and as self-confessed hardcore players who learnt to play country / soul on stage and on the road, they provide a refreshing take on those genres. There’s always a great vibe at their shows – something like early Pogues gigs, back and forth between band & crowd, plenty of crowd participation and song requests and a lot of drinking. Trying to fit the band and their sound on to a relatively small stage and in a smaller room guarantees a sweatbox of unbridled mayhem: expect heartfelt lyrics, sweat, & passion; and to return home hoarse from singing along and with aching feet
Fleece, Feb 09
According to an ever so reliable free online encyclopaedia updated by the pubic K, D & L play “…music (is) influenced heavily by R&B, swing, jump blues, country and Western, blues, Hawaiian and rock ‘n’ roll” so given our remit of busting genres they fit in nicely. The siblings (who often play with their parents – a family affair indeed) have been playing, touring and recording since they were nippers and it shows in their seamless harmonies and playing – multi instrumentalists who aren’t afraid to play with genre expectations. Bring your dancing shoes and expect to work up a sweat (and if you’ve got some spare dosh you can always pick up their new LP The Third as a 78rpm box set).
The New Moon, Feb 13
Our very own Husky Tones are in the middle of an extensive tour supporting their rather tasty new LP Time for a Change but are back in town for the 6 Music festival. The songs on the LP really come in to their own on stage, they’re superbly crafted modern blues tunes that swing & groove and the HT crowd knows how to dance. Although steeped in blues lore the band are set on taking their sound further out there, twisting the blues in to new and interesting shapes. More importantly the band know how to have fun on stage and that ensures the crowd have fun too, you’ll be sure to leave with a hell of a grin on your face (and if you’re sensible a copy of the LP in your pocket).
Tunnels, Feb 16
Labor Against Waste is the latest recording from Stelling (released on ANTI—, where he shares the roster with names like Mavis Staples, Wilco, & Tom Waits) and he’s bringing those tunes and back catalogue to the Tunnels. He’s been making quite a stir across the pond, including a placing in the Rolling Stone Top Ten to Watch in 2015. His sound is at the folkier end of the spectrum, beautiful chiming guitar and a mellow singing style, although the recordings feature additional instrumentation. He’s travelled the length and breadth of the States, racking up the road miles and playing everywhere from SXSW & the Newport Folk Festival to house parties and appearances unannounced wherever he can blag a spot on stage. Don’t expect a mellow night mind, he rocks out too with some blues and RnR hollering so expect to tap your foot for a few of the tunes.
Exchange, Feb 22
Dan Stuart’s had a wild ride of a career – time served with the mighty Green on Red, duo work with Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) as Danny & Dusty; and then sporadic projects during a lengthy on-off layoff from the music business that also involved relocating to Mexico. More recently he, or possibly his alter ego Marlowe Billings, have released a “false” memoir and a rather good LP The Deliverance of Marlowe Billings, with an accompanying tour that called in at St Bonaventures. A second LP is fresh out of the can – Marlowe’s Revenge – recorded with Twin Tones, a young Mexican band, and due for release this month. He’s playing solo on this outing and will no doubt provide an evening of spikey songs with a sweet core and plenty of dry banter.
Further Ahead
If you’re hankering for more Beards, Blues & Twang, then here’s a look ahead to some shows that will satisfy your ears and feet:
Bros Landreth, Tunnels: Wednesday, 02 Mar
Long Ryders, Fleece: Thursday, 03 Mar
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, 02 Academy: Wednesday, 09 Mar
King King, Fleece: Thursday, 10 Mar
J W Jones, Tunnels: Thursday, 31 Mar
Ruzz Guitars Blues Revue, Tunnels: Friday, 08 Apr
Sam Outlaw, Tunnels: Sunday 10 Apr
Charles Bradley, Colston Hall: Friday, 15 Apr
Richmond Fontaine, Tunnels: Monday, 18 Apr
Hayes Carll, Tunnels: Friday, 22 Apr
Diana Jones, Tunnels: Monday 25 Apr
Blues Festival, Cheese n Grain: Sunday, 08 May
Laura Cantrell, Lantern, Friday 13 May
Simon Mcbride, Tunnels: Wednesday, 18 May
Jo Harman, Tunnels: Thursday, 19 May
Ian Siegel / Jimbo Mathus, Tunnels: Wednesday, 25 May
Eric Bibb, Cheese n Grain: Sunday, 29 May
Bonnie Rait, Colston Hall: Thursday, 02 Jun
Urban Voodoo Machine, Fleece: Sunday, 05 Jun
Joe Bonamassa, Colston Hall: Tuesday, 05 Jul
Beth Hart, Colston Hall: Thursday, 17 Nov
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