In these uncertain times it would be remiss not to address a very obvious issue around the Godiva Festival: there were fewer stages & fewer local artists than in previous years. Which is sad. However the underlying dynamic is existential and a reduced festival which the organisers have fought to keep is far better than none at all which remains a distinct possibility. Therefore I for one offer them my support to keep things going & offer my appreciation for their efforts.

I reconciled any sense of sadness by considering that the number of artists I'd be focusing on may have gone down but the quality of those I saw was of great height. And as you'll see by reading on, there are many things to celebrate & feel hopeful for. Also with fewer to report on, those I do write about should get more from me.

Firstly, to quantify a little, I was pleased that half a dozen of the artists we feature were onstage: Project Overload, The Session, Chasing Deer, What About Eric?, The New Obsession & Danny Ansell. So that's great.

I also saw Nathan Wade of Creaking Twitch performing improvisational comedy so maybe that counts as seven.

What really lifted me however was the Coventry Music takeover of the Cov Stage on Sunday. I really believe that these takeovers breath real life and diversity into the lineup (and Boudica presented Du Blonde as their takeover which is now an annual occurrence).

You know my thoughts about what Coventry Music and their partners are doing: there have been many articles over the past year or more. To give them this high a profile was superb and I was glad to see both BBC Coventry & Warwickshire radio and BBC Midlands Today pick up on this aspect of the festival. To see so many young, enthusiastic and talented musicians at very many stages of their careers up there enjoying themselves & being applauded was for me a big highlight. I also was delighted to see the Coventry Music young journalists to whom I spoke for their podcast early in the year busy at work covering everything: they covered an awful lot of ground & I suspect if you check out their work you'll get a better picture than I can provide.

The artists they featured included not only vast ensembles which stretched the capacity of the stage but were so fresh that they didn't really have precise band names in the traditional manner I report in usually. A mighty lineup from Sidney Stringer Academy seemed to be (from what I was told, certainly not from what I heard and saw) the least experienced: none had been playing any instrument very long at all so Mason Le Long joined them on guitar to help anchor the sound: goodness knows how confident and experienced they will all be in a year's time. I look forwards to seeing them in other settings.

These were billed under the umbrella of the "Positive Choices" project as was an energetic pair of rappers from another school who I thought brought a freshness to the genre. They certainly didn't lack the moves.

From Coventry Music's work with Coventry University came another vast ensemble under the "SoundLab" banner. Now these must have been further down the road of instrumental experience. How do I know? Because after every number, most of them changed instruments & roles. It was dazzling I must say. Again, plenty of stars in the making must have been up there. I wonder which bands I'll see them in next?

Confidence is clearly what these programmes help build & this is set in their approaches. Project Overload, What About Eric? and The New Obsession are all graduates of the "Live On Stage" project in collaboration with The Tin & I've reported on them a lot. Yet they continue to have the capacity to amaze.

Firstly is the song quality: they all write totally idiosyncratic tracks & these are so exciting in their originality. I popped over to The Main Stage a few times during the Festival & I am in no doubt whatsoever that these bands are producing material which excited me more than anything I heard over there bar of course the major headliners who are all of a different generation anyway.

The other aspect is movement: this tends to grow with confidence. I've photographed Project Overload plenty of times and I've never had a more difficult time as they are now in constant flow (unless sitting behind the drums). There was ever jumping up and down which I'd not seen before. Their current single "Wildfire" sees them in pugnacious mood & this is now a reflection of their stage act.

What About Eric? have caught a similar bug and look as dynamic as they sound. The most obvious example is bassist Noah: if you were lucky enough (as I was) to see Paul Simonon when The Clash were at their peak, it's like he was reincarnated (though thankfully he's still with us so that's not possible). It wasn't just me either: compere David Marshall Barrett of BBC CWR who's seen a band or two in his time praised his stage moves the moment the set ended. And the music is possibly the most forward moving in all our area currently as the band bring such different styles together from individual preferences & forge a magnificent alloy.

It's been a great few weeks for The New Obsession too: their track "Their Eyes" is getting many streams via being on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Fifteen' and his love of it caused Keith Fabrique to invite them onto his HillzFM show. They have an imminent new single, they won the Battle of the Bands at ZoesFest and Midlands Today interviewed Lauren after the set.

So the future for local original music is looking bright, Coventry Music are at the heart of making this so & Godiva Festival offers a showcase of what's going on in this respect to a more general public: those who realistically are less likely to check out a new band by buying a ticket & so come to them via public festivals.

It's all about sustainability as well as diversity.

My focus as always is on our local bands but I do like to get a takeaway from Godiva of artists I hadn't necessarily planned to see but am glad I had.

One such were Nyotta + Credo whom I had seen before: I made a real resolution to try & engage more with them in future as they are excellent.

Make of me what you will, but I really enjoyed YolanDa's Band Jam - "as seen on CBeebies". Now they aren't local nor aimed at any audience including me but I found their genuine (she was exactly the same off stage as on) love & enthusiasm for what they were doing a real tonic. Probably shan't see them again but that was a real bonus for me. Their real audience certainly enjoyed them a lot too.

Many of us are still rather reeling from the news that as well as celebrating a full decade of making us happy, The Upsiders have decided to end their project & move onto new ones. I'm sure you'll join me in wishing them luck & in catching them in their new contexts.

Thankfully they are parting in friendship (which sadly isn't always the case) and I am pleased that we managed to showcase their considerable talents back in February at one of our "Hot Music Live Presents" fundraisers for The Tin. Those present are unlikely to easily forget the intensity of the audience reaction.

 Much as I enjoyed reporting on their excellent original songs, I suspect that the ratio of gigs they've played in recent years has skewed excessively towards their covers incarnation (they are in huge demand in that department) but a consolation is that they are some of their own material still to share.

 First out of the gate today is Nathan's song "10 Miles Away".

 To be honest, I had rather assumed that the wretched cloud of Covid19 had departed from casting its shadow over my articles but then I reported on the recent Superhooch album ‘Gallons of Gold' which began before the pandemic and here Nathan uses it as the basis for his song about his Mum and the frustrations of separation despite geographic proximity.

Perhaps we all need the passage of time to process that era as objectively as possible.

At any rate, would you expect an Upsiders song to dwell on the obviously melancholy aspects of familial separation & worry? Most bands understandably would but it's not in their DNA.

 This will make your heart leap up: like their best work it brings together all sorts of styles that are so disparate they you'd normally consider them incompatible: a bit of Queen here, into 1930s big band crooning and little funk passages. Pretty much a run through of their trademark types of  music really and hence a sort of mini career round up. Credit to producer Ian Todd for helping with the weaving.

The lyrics radiate positivity & hope and therefore also sum up the Upsider philosophy of life: if one can survive the pangs of the pandemic, then don't be too downhearted by the end of the band. They are certainly far from the sort of band to be so calculating as to deliberately conjure up the sort of track which helps prepare us for December, but it really does work the trick nicely as fate would have it.

And it's not their final release so look out for what they'll be sharing in the next few months.

I think the consensus is that Euan Blackman's recent single "girl" was a watershed career moment: now he has to follow that & he's gone for "forgive". He seems to have marked the paradigm shift by ditching upper case for song titles which naturally I respect & reproduce but am still keen to lay the decision at his door before I get blamed for typos.

I must say the mood in "girl" hasn't lasted long in terms of an emotional journey through his growing body of work: he's straight into a  "break up anthem".

However from what he himself says of the track, it was written during Phase 1 of his writing career & certainly fits (lyrically at least) with the overwhelming melancholia of that era:

"I have a tendency to be quite self-critical of myself when friendships and relationships don't work out, and I guess this track is about trying to be kinder to yourself. It has helped me a lot over the years as a way of grounding me, so I'm super excited to share it with you and I hope it can help you even a fraction of the amount that writing it has helped me."

That said, selecting it for release early in Phase 2 means that it benefits from the current musical sound he has: I think it would have sounded significantly different had he put it out this time last year for example. Now it has an emphasis on positivity in the arrangement pointing towards an assumption that those to whom it applies will "get through tough times". As he hopes to inspire others with what started as a "personal mantra" I think it was wise to adopt this approach: uplifting music can inspire can't it, while introspective tunes, however moving & emotionally powerful do run more of a risk of exacerbating that melancholia.

So Euan 2.0 still has a significant dash of Euan 1.0 but it's also clearly a new formulation: one which certainly requires no forgiveness.

So after last week's guerilla release of "Pure" and "Carnage", now we have the chance to hear Katherine Abbott's scheduled new single "Pinch of Salt" in all its glory.

It took guts to unleash two songs that strong just before a set piece but under the ethereal surface of her songs, Katherine always manifests strength of purpose and the courage to take on tough subjects.

She of course knew precisely what she was doing: "Pinch of Salt" is in no way competing with her other songs of the week: it is much closer to the "alternative rock" label which adheres to her songs when you buy them (which I trust you will).

It's a bit obvious but I think it's legitimate to ponder whether Katherine's recent work as part of a sort of roots/folk-rock band (WLDFLWRS) has played a part in her creating a song which sounds like this, though it's perfectly possible that it dates from further back. I did quiz her on the song but she was adamant that she'd like you to engage with it purely on its own many merits & I can definitely respect that.

As perhaps with "Carnage", Katherine delves into vocabulary & ideas less visited in popular music and I salute her for this. It's a heavy song especially in the context of her previously released work and the pulsating arrangement gives it an almost sinister aspect at times: it's good to  hear such a prominent bassline on one of her singles: not something we've encountered much before.

For such a positive songwriter, the innate cynicism in the lyric is another novelty but why should she not be expected to make judgements on the deficiencies in veracity she observes in others? Calling out hypocrisy sounds good to me.

Katherine lives by her principles & doesn't much respect those who "twist and turn" trying to please all sides as well as talking the talk but not demonstrating equivalent action. And I think I can detect inter-personal politics in the take down as well as broader ethics.

Strong stuff & for Katherine it's her most polemical song to date: but it is not purely judgemental & dismissive: it offers the subject a roadmap to put their house in order if they possess or can summon up the necessary moral strength.

So one might say (I think many will say) that "Pinch of Salt" is Katherine's most powerful song to date. I'm not sure how one measures an artist's "best" but what I do think is that it can sit alongside the likes of "Pure" as a contender in a wholly uncompetitive way. There is room for both in her body of work & so there should be. Diversity adds a potency of its own.

I'm afraid that there is no necessary correlation between my respect or liking for a piece of music and how easy I find it to write about it for you. Would that there were.

I've just finished (I think) composing a review of the upcoming Batsch album (look out for that next week or so) which set me plenty of challenges when along came the second Floating Palace release: a duo under the name of ‘Palo Santo' comprising the pieces "Palo Santo" and "Camino". We reviewed their eponymous debut which they made in 2023 and included the haunting "Oudh" on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Twelve'.

Consisting of a pair of "psychedelic funk-rock instrumentals", I'm deprived immediately of lyrical cues/clues as to "meaning" and must therefor work with what I've got in terms of titles & music.

I pretty much ascribed the action on their first record to the Maghreb: this time I think it's shifted north to Spain and thence to the wider Spanish speaking world. Of course the native culture of that country is more flamenco than "psychedelic funk-rock" and if you are looking for a Leamington based perspective in the mode of ‘Sketches of Spain" then you won't find what would in all honesty be such an over obvious move here.

Floating Palace these days have a heavy personnel overlap with the rather more vocal Green Hands and use this route to express themselves via non-verbal communication. Both still sit comfortably under the Stingo Collective umbrella,

One song refers (I assume) to the herbal remedy/incense source from Latin America and the other to the way of pilgrimage. In which case I think we can fold in senses of spirituality and well-being. If I'm right about the latter then the Floating Palace track joins ones by both Katherine Abbott & Wes Finch inspired by or written on said journey.

Consequently although the psychedelic quotients do ramp up, the tracks are closer to meditations than wig-outs. After the recent loss of Sly Stone my thoughts initially went in his direction when I saw the style description used by the band: but it's a long way from the mayhem & madness of his Family and I'd say a lot healthier mentally for it. Given the mood & dynamics and a potential spiritual aspect, can you have funk-rock mindfulness music? Well if that's possible, then ‘Palo Santo' is what it could sound like.

There was I gearing myself up to review Katherine Abbott's new single "Pinch of Salt" on 1^st July when out of the blue she drops two extra tracks today: "Pure" and "Carnage".

This could constitute playfulness on her part (well it must  do to some extent I think) but the explanation she gives is that these are somewhat older tracks and "….if I don't release them now they'll just stay hidden away in my Google drive forever so today I'm setting them free" which is kind to them & kind to us.

Engineered by Olly Green (who also provides "his psychedelic electric guitar & other instrumentation") and mastered by Joshua Woolf, just looking at the titles, I can conceive of a Katherine Abbott song called "Pure" but one called "Carnage" certainly raised my eyebrow. I suppose there may in some people have been a temptation to couple them into a ‘Pure Carnage' EP  but that would devalue the virtues of each by suggesting connections which probably don't exist and Katherine is an artist above such things.

And so I played them: as I hope you will too. I'll go further & state to have withheld these from us might have constituted an act of cruel cultural punishment.

"Pure" is definitely a live set highlight and letting us have our own copies at home is not just generous but fulfilling a basic need for her fans. Those people who cite it as their favourite of her songs and those who feel it's the best they've heard from her so far are not going to lack respect from me. I might even share their views. Many songs are well rounded & full of quality but it's a rare one which seems artistically complete as this one: it says precisely what needs saying and no more, music and words complement each other fully and I'd also suggest that it's her most accessible song. It deserves a wide audience and I just hope it doesn't get placed in the shade by the upcoming scheduled release.

"Carnage" is also an essential possession as it demonstrates a very different side to Katherine: the style being as close as I've heard her get to a dance track yet thankfully none of the unKatherine images I had in my head initially apply: this isn't a tale of a single literal bloodbath but it's nonetheless an arresting title which pulls one in.

Typically it's the writer ruminating and singing some philosophy. This is one thoughtful writer and on this occasion she muses about time & culture and the latter changing in response to the former. Ideas fly thick and fast: does humanity ever learn or just repeat its mistakes? Just how bright are we as a species? How do personal politics mirror international ones? There is her usual preference for expressing sorrow over pity but beneath the beguiling delivery and the gentle grooving beat, you can't really doubt that she's not impressed by what she sees.

And we still have "Pinch of Salt" to come next week… it's got a high bar to surpass with this pair.

We are delighted to announce ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Fifteen': eleven more of the finest original songs from Coventry & Warwickshire artists, demonstrating the staggering quality and diversity of the local music scene.

On this occasion we are delighted to share with you the following songs:

"Picking Up Pieces" by Permanent Daylight

"All Through Space" by Robert James Grey

"I Never Knew What I Wanted" by Esore Alle

"141 and 2/3% Chance" by Concrete Fun House

"Liar's Lament" by  Superhooch

"Their Eyes" by The New Obsession

"Take Me Here" by DANE-O

"Where Am I Going" by Coybito

"Loaded Weapon 1: Part 2" by Drunk Bat Rescue Team

"Psychic Flashes" by Sofa So Good

"The Jam Tasting Contest Was Rigged All Along" by BUMF

They can be downloaded for free via this link: https://hotmusiclivepresents.bandcamp.com/album/hot-music-live-presents-volume-fifteen

ALABAMA 3 ANNOUNCE NEW UK TOUR DATES THIS DECEMBER

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

This December, Alabama 3 will return to the road for a run of UK dates, concluding with a hometown show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Last December, Alabama 3 set out on tour to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of their signature track, "Woke Up This Morning", soundtracking the hit TV series The Sopranos. Since then, the Brixton-born roots-futurists have spent a large proportion of their time on the road, treating audiences to the sweet sounds of ‘Exile On Cold Harbour Lane' and ‘La Peste' a quarter of a decade after they were first released. 

Although the anniversary tour has now come to an close, Alabama 3's love affair with the road is never-ending. The band have now announced a run of dates across the UK this winter, kicking off at SWG3 in Glasgow on 4th December. From there, the band will take to stages in Manchester, Coventry and Bristol before concluding the tour with a huge homecoming show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on 13th December.

The full list of dates can be found below. Tickets are available here.
 

About Alabama 3

We're the Alabama 3. We make sweet pretty muthafuckin country acid house music. All night long. We're not from Alabama, and there's not three of us. We're from Brixton, London. We're the fellas that did that Sopranos theme tune. That tune bought someone a swimming pool, but it sure wasn't any of us…

Alabama 3 is a pop band, a punk rock, blues and country techno situationist crypto-Marxist-Leninist electro band. We never went on X Factor or Pop Idol or Stooge Quest. We did it the old fashioned way. Back in 1996, we threw a big old party, invited all our friends. We took a fistful of blotterd and half a dozen disco biscuits and then made it up as we went along. Geffen Records bought it… for a million dollars! We never needed a self-appointed quango of jaded vampires to tell us how to sing the blues… we got mojo. We have the power to raise the dead.

We spent half of our advance from Geffen on various contraband items and with the rest we made an over-produced, brilliant situationist masterpiece called ‘Exile on Coldharbour Lane'. Ever since then we've been preaching our Gospel all over the world. They've tried to stop us. Many, many time. They say we were degenerates, corrupters of morals, they say we were too political, too contrived, too ugly. We've been in and out of the charts, in and out of fashion, in and out of rehab. We've been skint and we've been minted… and you know what? It makes no difference to us. Because we're never gonna stop. 

And we want to make you feel good. We know you've had trouble in your life, real bad trouble. We know you've got debts. We know you've had your heart broken so many times you're still finding pieces of it in your pillow. Maybe you've done some good things in your life, maybe you've done some bad things. We forgive you. Forgive yourself. Then dress up real sexy and come and party with us some time. We'll look after you. That's a promise. 

Alabama 3 UK Live Dates:

• 4th December - SWG3, Glasgow
• 5th December - O2 Ritz, Manchester
• 11th December - HMV Empire, Coventry
• 12th December - O2 Academy, Bristol
• 13th December - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London 

Tickets are available here. 

For more information:
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Some music lies so far beyond my capability to describe it to others that stressing myself in a fruitless attempt to do so is not a great idea.

I've long since established through previous reviews that Lucifer Sky falls into such a category but that in no way lessens my desire to at least bring to your attention the release of her latest album 'PrinCess Pit' so you can experience it & process it with your own skillsets.

As I've said before, it's admirable that someone should carry out these experiments in sound and since they connect with others on record & live, they are successful ones. It's just that if the vocabulary exists to reflect the outcomes then it's unknown to me. This really is music to experience & make of it what you will without necessarily having frameworks of reference or cultural expectation to guide you: which of course in theory is how music should be enjoyed. It's just the reviewer who can't cope & since our role, however well meant is also intrusive between artist & audience then that isn't terribly important I suppose.

In this case, we have Indira offering us half a dozen tracks, ("PrinCess", "When I Am H****y", "Saint Valentine", "Fun In The Jaws Of Death", "You And I Are Not The Same" and "Pink Moon" (not, unless I'm greatly mistaken, a Nick Drake cover)

That the album  is dedicated "to all the beautiful people in my life who have given me a reason to carry on living. I love you immeasurably" may offer extra clues to intention beyond the individual titles (as do the taglines of "Stages, waves, it's never really over" and "Art is Forever. Noise is Forever") though such is the dissonance & vehemence of much of the music that I can't class them as love songs as such: though I totally respect the right of people to experience love in the ways told here: or to express it these ways. You may very well do so yourselves.

The only other credit is for mastering (plus mixing "Pink Moon") by GENDERISTHEBASTARD which collaboration again offers some insight into the aims of 'PrinCess Pit' (is that pun I see there intended I wonder?) and of the respect in which Indira is held.

Volume 15 (opens in BandCamp)

This collection is the fifteenth in a series celebrating the inspiring & diverse talent of Coventry & Warwickshire musicians of yesterday, today & tomorrow.

When you have enjoyed the music yourself, please do share the album with others to help promote & support the creativity of these innovative, authentic, dedicated & skilled musicians.

The previous volumes can all still be downloaded for free from: hotmusiclivepresents.bandcamp.com

You can find out what each artist is up to on their individual websites or by following "Hot Music Live Presents" & “Hot Music Live” magazine on social media:

• facebook.com/groups/1059868484187225/
• facebook.com/HotMusicLive
• twitter.com/HotPresents
• twitter.com/HotMusicLive
• instagram.com/hotmusiclive/
• youtube.com/channel/UC_BLgRK3chKctKbwU3KGQtQ
• open.spotify.com/user/8prllnhc70fhudsra764m1aix?si=f1cd762f4a50422c

Many thanks to every single one of the generous & supportive musicians who have contributed their considerable talent to this project. The music scene of Coventry & Warwickshire has so many artists of vision, integrity & sense of community: hopefully this project can give a sense of some of this.

Credits:

Hot Music Live Presents Volume Fifteen

© all rights reserved

1. Permanent Daylight - "Picking Up Pieces" 02:47 2. Robert James Grey - "All Through Space" 03:15 3. Esore Alle - "I Never Knew What I Wanted" 03:14 4. Concrete Fun House - "141 and 2/3% Chance" 02:56 5. Superhooch - "Liar's Lament" 06:29 6. The New Obsession - "Their Eyes" 04:19 7. DANE-O - "Take Me Here" 03:29 8. Coybito - "Where Am I Going?" 03:43 9. Drunk Bat Rescue Team - "Loaded Weapon 1: Part 2" 03:15 10. Sofa So Good - "Psychic Flashes" 03:59 11. BUMF - "The Jam Tasting Contest Was Rigged All Along" 02:51

You are going to so love the subject of today's article: I'm speaking from my experience having already sampled the new Project Overload single "Wildfire" which comes out on Friday.

Actually you probably know & love it yourself already as it's been in their live set for a while now. I remember the first time that I heard it, I remarked to Tom that it sounded apt for a single release but such are the riches amongst the new material they've been recording with Mason Le Long at Studio Subw?f for their second album that he was equivocal at that point as to whether it would be. I'm glad that after plenty of reflection that they've gone with it as it really does represent the band at the current pinnacle of their powers (though naturally their potential indicates that this bar is only going to rise over the years).

As the follow up to "Silhouettes", it could not be more different: in fact that seems wholly deliberate on their part. Not only is indicating your range no bad thing for a band making their way into a wider and wider context, but in some ways the songs form a pair of contrasting emotions. It's great that they played both live on RawSound TV to demonstrate their versatility to the world.

The Valentine's Day release was definitely the atypical one for the band: an "evocation of romance springing into life" appropriate to the day it came out, "Wildfire" provides if not a corrective then at least a contrasting perspective of what happens when things turn sour.

Prefab Sprout of course sang compellingly of "When Love Breaks Down" as do Project Overload here but the former skirted feelings of rage & being used unlike the latter. Those sharp elbows, furled for the last single are redeployed here as Emily unleashes "an explosion of fury I can't suppress". It's made especially effective because her onstage persona has been established as one of cool, calm control. Now we learn that this is not a woman to be crossed. Her rage is visceral. Even the official press release talks of being "ready to fight".

However again, the power does not come from incoherent shouty anger: as with Izzie Derry and her stiletto sharp "If They Knew What You Did", counterpointing lyrics with a honed arrangement sharpens the blade. Project Overload's instrumentalists Tom, Lucas, Callum & Joe run a very tight ship and this keeps the focus of "Wildfire" laser accurate.

What distinguishes their own contribution to the song from previous performances though is the ferocity of the playing: not a word I've yet needed to use about them. Something adrenalised the performance you will hear as it goes even beyond the live version in my opinion: a most unusual way round & hats off to the band and Mason for capturing the mood of the song as well as the notes & words.

There are plenty of analogies to previous bands amongst the reviews they've been enjoying: to me "Wildfire" reminds me the edgy and provocative New Wave bands such as Blondie (circa ‘Plastic Letters') or The Attractions (circa ‘This Year's Model'): melodic yet with attitude to spare. Comparisons are odious but since Emily doesn't sing like Debbie Harry let alone Elvis Costello and since Project Overload don't feature prominent keyboards like those two bands, I think the analogy holds up in respect of  the attributes I've just mentioned.

"Wildfire" (and songs like it if such characterises the album) ought to kickstart audiences into even wilder behaviour than I've seen so far at their gigs and I look forwards to seeing that development. I also anticipate plenty of "Project Overload's best one to date" type reviews & just hope I get in first with that one.

They've been in our ears & hearts for a while: now they are right in our faces too.

You can experience Project Overload live & locally on Saturday 5th July at Godiva Festival (stage time 1430) & supporting Batsch for their album launch at The Tin on July 11^th.

Out for the Summer Solstice is the debut album by The Mudlands String Band.

Ten songs from America's Deep South (from cajun to bluegrass) played with love & exuberance by this local quintet, some relatively familiar like "John Hardy" (I've long loved The Gun Club's version) and others being deeper cuts for you to be introduced to, this is pretty much a roots set of arrangements. However since members of the group also play in punk mode, don't expect polite drawing room folk tunes. These aim for authenticity but also to convey the life still in the old songs and the innate dynamics which have kept people dancing to them since they were first conceived of. This is Americana as a living tradition rather than nostalgia and apt for live performance.

Half were captured in Birmingham's Mosaic Audio Labs and the others at home by Ben Jennings and you can't see the join.

The full track listing is "Up Jumped a Rabbit", "La Coulée Rodair", "Old Joe Clarke", "Old Ark's A Movin'"  "Mes Tits Cochons" ,"Pretty Polly", "Hide Away", "Turn Your Radio On", "Joe Pitre" and "John Hardy" and I loved them all. I think you will too.