Fans of Stylusboy's 2023 release ‘Back in the Day' will hopefully be pleased to hear that he's back with another EP comprising songs based on stories from older memories of community members.

This time with ‘The Coleshill Tapes' he is (you guessed it) in Coleshill and the songs ("Pockets Full of Life and Freedom", "The Journey that Never Came Back", "A Better Tomorrow" and "Raise a Glass") are inspired by stories of life during the Second World War experienced by some of the residents to whom he spoke.

Funded by Creative Coleshill (Rural Hub Towns) through Live and Local and Arts Council England, this project is obviously centred on the unique narratives of individuals.

Consequently, he needed to create around these, whatever shape they may have taken: to insert his own creative voice, even in editing would have been an act of manipulation if not distortion & certainly lacking in the respect appropriate to the project.

Therefore the lightest of creative touches was required yet he also had to shape the stories into song formats which could connect with listeners: not an easy balance I'd have thought.

Of course, as with the previous time (the experience must have helped), he achieved this but it's worth noting that to complement this accessibility of form & authenticity of lyric, he chose to record them live in his own The Truffle Room studio. I'm sure any significant "production" detectable by the audience or convoluted arrangement would restrict the qualities he was aiming for. (It was mixed and mastered by Dave Pollard in The Wood Room).

It's impossible to fault his choice of song titles either: the aim is transparency and so you are prepared for each when you see what they are called. In fact you plunge straight into each narrative.

I'm sure you will be prepared for what lies within: any songs written from the viewpoint of elderly people looking back both to childhood and a period of trauma are bound to be emotionally charged: loss of places, times & people are the hallmarks so don't venture in unless you can handle pathos: though of course there are elements of optimism and ability to process which if they don't balance the sadnesses, at least offer compensatory feelings.

Steve as ever doesn't fall into the trap of amplification of emotion: the articulation of the residents is quite sufficient to shape the hearts of the tracks. Instead he sings with understanding & empathy: this is about them, not him.

That said, though these are person specifics, in his capable hands he takes the particular & offers it to us in ways which give us the chance, where we can, to relate to our own lives of those of our own families from that generation. His ‘Back in the Day' songs are important ones in his "regular" set to audiences from outside the community which inspired them & I don't doubt that the same will apply to ‘The Coleshill Tapes'.

If (like me) you greatly enjoyed Ellie Gowers' ‘You, The Passenger' EP which is about to celebrate its first birthday, then you'll be delighted to hear of the Extended Edition which has come out: presumably to mark the milestone.

I delight too in how busy she is: it's only three weeks since I reviewed ‘The One Thing That I Know' by her group The Magpies & here she is with a release and starting her national tour (it kicked off last evening in Guildford). I would draw your attention to the only local stop (in Kenilworth) but I strongly suspect that it's sold out.

The new edition is also her debut vinyl release (in red) though you can also access downloads via Bandcamp.

Whereas the original was recorded with TJ Allen at J&J Studios in Bristol, this time Ellie went into 300 Acre Studios with Matt Cotterill producing.

The original EP is pretty stunning and she certainly stands by it: what has happened since is that through the many live renditions with drummer Scarlett Churchill and bassist Joss Mann-Hazell, she's found new aspects to them and the exploration has taken her so far that she decided to commit the outcomes to posterity: thus Scarlett & Joss join her on live takes of "A Moment", "Testing the Water" and "Sorrow" and Ellie performs "I Can Be Right For You" by herself.

I can (and have plenty of times before) go on about the high quality of Ellie as a writer and a performer but maybe any emphasis on her as a musical philosopher has tended to zoom in on various individual songs: she is a deep songwriter and her compositions usually need study. Sometimes I have even got my analysis somewhere near her intentions. I haven't really gone into her broader visions but I think she articulates them herself most openly on this occasion.

Firstly is as I've just mentioned: she clearly sees a recorded version of a song as merely one step along her own path (but presumably that of her audience, albeit a step behind her) to understanding the potential meanings of each one. Isn't that more or less what Bob Dylan does too?

Secondly she comes out with the incredible five words "I only wrote the songs": what a thing to say: humble yes but also totally reflective of her understanding of the collaborative creative process.

I first heard her play them in a solo context but thankfully not only have I heard the recorded versions, but I've seen her play them live with her trio. I have to admit that conditioning must shape our perceptions: I've only seen her play her own material in this fashion once (and never yet with The Magpies) and in contrast  goodness knows how many times I've caught her solo.

I need to adjust to this newer, more collaborative Ellie and I think to some extent she's doing something similar: you might see the Extended Edition both as evidence and celebration. It might also be a statement of vision and intent.

The four reimagined songs without a doubt take off into different territory: the exercise is artistically justified. But then of course we ask ourselves "which do I prefer"? I guess as a reviewer you look to me for a definitive response: but it's hard and anyway you might quite reasonably differ from me. Or I could try and wriggle out by saying both versions of each has its attractions.

Certainly "I Can Be Right For You" (which I did actually first hear in a solo version) does come across incredibly powerfully with less arrangement: in my heart I feel the new take edges even the original one… but that's just me.

The other three as a set do neatly evidence the many extra months of playing by the same team: no one has radically altered words or chords but much more subtle qualities have evolved. So much so that I got caught in a labyrinth of imagination trying to definitely pin down differences. Too much of that and false perceptions would have multiplied, but the assurance factor is probably increased. I'm certain this leads to the tendency towards & courage to linger longer over notes: space is embraced & enjoyed. Each moment (which is appropriate given the theme of the first track) is savoured to the full. They seem to love playing the songs and to love playing them together.

I'll come back too to what I've said before. Ellie Gowers is without question regarded as one of the great recent additions to the folk world & graces folk festivals. This however could be filed under "jazz" in your local record store. It's luxuriant.

To finish, I'll go back to Ellie's own words: specifically how she found the original recording to be "fun and cathartic". Perhaps only Ellie could combine the two concepts. I review cathartic music surprisingly often and by it's nature, the writer/performer often doesn't sound like the inspiration had been much fun. These songs, if cathartic don't really take the raw route, but in the melancholia which underpins the melodies & words, you can detect it, but with writers of this subtlety, it's a nuance and not abruptly thrust into your sensibility.

When I reviewed The Caroline Bomb's EP ‘From the Back Room' about sixteen months ago, I commented  on how each track was presented as a demo.

This was, I felt, a strength given the immediacy of their music and I felt the version of "Dead Eyed Nation" which we featured subsequently on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Thirteen' told newcomers what they needed to know about the band at that time.

Since then, I've intermittently returned to the theme and in the context of various other artists pondered how well releasing "demo" versions serves the interests of their music. I think in each case, I felt that they made the right choice. My own instincts definitely favour the lighter touch in preference to over-production.

But here we are with The Caroline Bomb's ‘Wired' EP which features a new recording of one "From the Back Room' song in "Green ‘n' Knobbly" plus three new songs "Wired", "Marginalised" and "Chicken Pen" recorded at Leamington LAMP & mixed and mastered by Timothy Ellis of Jackdaw with Crowbar.

If you don't mind, I'll start with "Green ‘n' Knobbly" since it gives me a chance to compare the two versions of the same song & see what can be said as a result of the different takes.

Well it's definitely the same song and you certainly can tell the differences alright so that strategy works. Basically, it can be confidently said that the distinction between a homegrown demo and formal studio recording are easy enough to spot: though you'd expect that wouldn't you?

I appreciate that they played the song a lot live between the two recordings and we must factor their increased familiarity into the equation: not that there are major arrangement changes.

Certainly rougher edges have been smoothed off & the sound (both instrumental and vocal) is less abrasive. A big plus is the easier access to the words. The big question is not around difference but about whether they've improved the song: or at least our interaction with it. I liked the abrasion of their sound & there are plenty of great songs whose lyrics are not easy to fully discern. I imagine part of their attraction to their audience back in 2024 were these qualities. Given the nature & full force of their stage act, I question whether everyone is fully concentrating on processing all the words given the aural & visual distractions.

This is sounding an awful lot like me taking a long time to say "I don't know" and I think it's my duty as a reviewer to commit to an answer, so I'll say that if in doubt, respect the artistic choices of the artist and applaud them for progressing their music.

In fact, moving on from the philosophy of production, bands with something to say owe it to themselves and potential fans to spread the word as widely as possible. The Caroline Bomb have been attracting much attention on the local live circuit and the next step is to reach beyond that & give thought to first contacts with other people which are via recorded media not on stage. ‘Wired' is probably a better vehicle for this than ‘From the Back Room' which in hindsight might be considered as a gift to their fans as a reproduction of what they've experienced to take home & enjoy there.

This is a thoughtful, articulate band with excellent musical skills and sympathetic production such as this helps communicate these qualities.

The songs now have a bit more groove to them though if you feel you would like to write one called "Wired" (which is pretty outstanding here) you do have to leave the edges on it.

In fact this one does showcase really great bass & drum sounds as well as clear vocals & a warmer guitar sound. Placed at the start, they may well agree with me that as an introduction to the band for neophytes, it's the prime pick.

You probably could have bet that this band, given their lyrical interests might create a track called "Marginalised" and this one epitomises the thoughtfulness and detail of the writing as well as offering a signpost as to where they might be heading next musically: again the rhythm section is given a prominent role & it grooves rather more than the overwhelming onslaught of other (presumably older) tracks.

"Chicken Pen" is another curious case altogether: the lyrics and their delivery are more akin to the "no holds barred" rampages of before but come across clearly over a fantastic post punk riff based arrangement: almost rockabilly in style. If  you would like a point of comparison (and you're going to get one), it reminded me of the thrilling & captivating work of the Au Pairs.

This is The Caroline Bomb at the new level I think & ‘Wired' is a fine calling card which will open new doors for them. It's conventional (and who likes convention?) is some cynical circles (including too many ‘proper' reviewers) to sneer at more polished releases following rawer debuts. You know the names which people get called: I won't repeat them. The Caroline Bomb are something of a cult band right now, but who sets the limit on how many people can be in the club? It's cool to be one of a few hundred initiated into such a secret but it's a bit selfish to resent letting new members in. I think ‘Wired' will tempt many in.

When I broke my duck for attending allotment based gigs back in September when I went to the Coventry Food Union "Song & Soil" event at their base on the Sherbourne Valley Allotments to see Izzie Derry, I was rather pleased to be experiencing what was to me, a unique occasion.

But not for long as I was back yesterday for the next one featuring Donnelly & South with the bonfire playing a more central role.

Their set was later, timed for dusk & if you look at my photos on Facebook you'll see the full range from the last of daylight to night time: I particularly like the colour in the background of the betwixt moment.

What (thankfully) they do not show is the torrential downpour which bisected the set & explains why some photos are in one location & others under cover.

Quite apart from the magic of these sessions with so much else going on (young children were prominent in the vibe until the deluge made their departure prudent), I was looking forward to hearing Lauren & Keith performing their storytelling set. I go and see them as often as possible but I'd not yet caught this side to what they do: though to be fair it's tailored to specific settings including schools. I hadn't seen the guitar Keith uses for gigs with young audiences either: it's quite something as hopefully the photos show.

Thus although they played excerpts from their regular set, such as "My Sister and Laura and Me" and "Tiny Boat" plus a brace of Lauren's most recent fiddle pieces (which we got to hear one and half times since it was during their performance that the rain forced the relocation), we also heard Keith tell a number of his stories (appropriately Hallowe'en orientated) while Lauren played successively an arpeggiated tenor guitar part, her "haunted briefcase" shruti box & fiddle as really effective spooky accompaniments. They got scarier once the children had left and the weather added to the atmosphere.

These are great stories and I hope you get to hear them: though realistically these specific ones probably only get told once a year. I bet the ones they tell at other times are just as good though.

Hats off to them both for being such troupers and carrying on despite getting wet and I'm afraid their instruments did too due to the suddenness and strength of the rain. Their commitment to the excellent cause was commendable & I'm sorry that part of the price was that if you were hoping to catch them tonight at Willow & Tool's Music Parlour at the Harvester in Long Itchington then I'm afraid Lauren has had to take the path of prudence given the effects on her voice. (Incidentally, if you had not heard of the hospitalisation of John McIntosh, aka ‘Tool' then I hope you'll join me in sending best wishes to him & his family).

I'd also like to drop into the review my appreciation of the apple cake (nothing like consuming produce at the place it originates in) and the spookiness of the firework which sounded like a gun shot the moment Keith told a Trump joke.

Donnelly & South have Christmas gigs coming up: look out for the details of these.

The next Food Union Crypt Session is on December 19^th with Stylusboy (tickets via: https://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/events/the-crypt-sessions-2) and on December 21^st they have their Winter Solstice edition of "Song & Soil".

A very happy fifth birthday to ‘Black Cat': which is in many ways the beginning of the now legendary career of Duke Keats, being the first project he produced & released independently. ("Don't Fall Apart" which featured on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Ten' had its original home on this album).

To celebrate, he's gifting us (not the usual way birthday presents work is it: but it's most generous) ‘Black Cat 2'.

Again it's made up of eight tracks, but whereas many artists marking milestones of albums tend to remaster & remix the original songs and then add in extra demos and the odd one which didn't make the cut, Duke opts for eight we've never heard before: it's actually a brand new album, albeit constructed from 2020 recordings rather than the contemporary ones he's been sharing recently such as ‘Avalon'.

The obvious statement that "what talent he has if he left these off first time round" is so necessary to say that I'll get it out of the way right now. Such is the embarrassment of riches that the song "Black Cat" itself, though I guess the intended as the title track of the original, only appears now. This, in my opinion is a darned shame as it can only have been squeezed out by the merits of the eight which made the cut: it's a great track and ideal for Hallowe'en… a rather disconcerting and spooky meld of a jazz groove with slivers of rock jabbing into it.

The second set is consistent with the feline concept of its predecessor and with its All Saints Eve/Day of the Dead vibe and I suppose both fills out the story & adds shadings to it. The other seven songs are "Once in a Black Moon", "Hattie", "I May Cry For You", "A Spider in the Middle of a Web", "Nice Guys Finish Last (It's Just Like That)", "More Lassis" and "The Sound of Love".

I've mused over the issue of releasing "demoes" several times recently so I won't repeat myself. With ‘Black Cat.2' we have several factors to take into our consideration. The firstly is that however good these songs are (and I'd fervently thank him for not keeping them to himself any longer), he's progressed even further in the intervening half decade. This is not juvenilia but they are also less complex conceptually to begin with and in their relatively stripped back arrangements, there aren't the myriad of little touches that we've since become used to. Clearly he feels that his art has developed and with all the exciting new material to share, going back & working further on them isn't a priority: they are an honest window into his work of the time.

That said, through luck or something else, we can delight (well I did) in strange sounds which are more interesting than had layers of polish been applied: levels of reverb or vocal balances which probably wouldn't have escaped a full production process for example. I think they add character & originality.

In terms of potentially the biggest production deficit, "The Sound of Love" which is a rather agreeable 80's styled instrumental here, could also perhaps be a backing track for a song which didn't in the end receive lyrics. In its present form he should try selling it as incidental television music: it'd work just fine.

As you'd imagine, his use of visual & cinematic stimuli for writing music was in place then & stories are being told, extended & augmented & vivid scenes are being set throughout.

His curiosity as to varying styles is also noticeable: you might discern in "Hattie" not just a flavour of flamenco but maybe a precursor to the acoustic phase he's currently exploring.

I think you'll be a bit shocked that it's taken five years for these excellent songs to come out (some Royal scandals have been quicker) but the feeling of pleasure and justice served will overcome that of surprise.

Knowing Duke, who'd bet against a ‘Black Cat.3' emerging in 2030? There are for all I know, probably ‘Dirty Glamour.2' and ‘Post-Internet.2' to boot. This man is prolific.

I do like sharing with you music which not only inspires my writing but also challenges my communication skills such as they are.

This review scores on two fronts in that respect: the inherent qualities of the song and in the interesting route by which it came to my attention.

Let's start with the latter as the former is consequent upon it.

I certainly have written about vocalist Claire Glasbey in the magazine on several previous occasions. You'll find her under her stage name of Miss Songbird. However I've not managed to review her for seven years: mostly I think due to other arcs in her life heading off into other directions. However given that this act of hers was essentially a covers one (I saw her play with the likes of this magazine's Paul Englefield and with Chris Gibbons), there wasn't a great deal of scope for releases etc. However behind the scenes she has been a strong supporter of what we've done & that's probably not terribly well known.

However I was greatly & pleasantly surprised when she told me some months ago that she was working with the band Ieere on new, original material: which immediately opened the door for articles like this one. Moreover, the album (it's called 'Sad Moon, Sleepy Heads'  and is out next year) is centred around the work & ideas of Goethe. Well that scores full marks on the culture register and frankly I never anticipated writing those words. Even without Claire's involvement, I believe that this is the sort of thing we need to share & promote given the likelihood of mainstream media attention being sadly far from assured.

Begore plunging into telling you about taster single  "Ginkgo Biloba"  (out on World Tree Day on November 21^st), I'd better say a bit about the band: especially since they've been around for over twenty years (a personal record for belatedness in writing about).

Taking their name from the German for "emptiness", the lineup here is Simon Monaghan (lead vocal/electric guitar), Dom Hanway (bass guitar/electric guitar), Jon Fisher (trumpet) and Claire Glasbey on backing vocals (look out for Claire on lead vocals on "Earth Spirit": the next single).

I say "band": they identify as a collective and publish poetry books as well as having put out albums including 'Compassionate Ride' (2005), 'An Alleluia Of Sorts' (2009) and 'Ever Being On Lark Lane' (2011) and singles such as "Ubuntu" (2014), "Yellow Tango Ball" (2023) and "Dolorosa" (2024). Their work generally explores spiritual and social themes: again plenty of rationale for me writing about them.

Recorded at Gighouse Studios with Andie Thomson as sound engineer, "Ginkgo Biloba" did not strike me as any sort of quote from Goethe (and in fact it's the name of the maidenhair tree) but I was wrong: he actually wrote a poem on the subject in 1815 which concerns his muse Marianne von Willemer and leaves from the tree formed tokens of their relationship.

If, like me, your acquaintanceship with Goethe is based around  ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther' then, also like me, "Ginkgo Biloba" can be a very helpful nudge into looking into other aspects of his work & life. And what an excellent inspiration for a song!

So what does it sound like? Well you might speculate reasonably around possibilities which might include nods to Beethoven given the subject or perhaps given the information given above, something in the realms of high art and limited accessibility. But you'd be wrong: musically it's contemporary and very welcoming. To be honest you could fully enjoy the song without engaging with the thought & tribute in the lyrics and equally the penny drops as to why Claire is now part of the picture.

This is a soul record.

Which I guess does connect with the sentiment and you might make a tortuous point that if one of the giants of German Romanticism was to make a record, soul might be the genre of choice.

I suppose the first reference point for me was Blue Rondo à la Turk: they too were a collective and their exploration of funk, jazz, pop & soul in the very early 1980s reminded me a little of what Ieere are doing here with  "Ginkgo Biloba". I don't know how helpful that is but it assisted my thinking. At any rate their experience & taste ensures that they play a potentially complex hybrid with assurance & no little verve.

Lyrically you can tell they write poetry and have no fear of using polysyllabic words nor imaginative phrasings: which they make fit the tune snugly. One would hope that a postulated  time travelling Johann Wolfgang would not only embrace the musical form but appreciate his heartfelt sentiments being expressed in the twenty first century idiom.

A couple of years before Blue Rondo à la Turk materialised, Madness had a slogan "Fuck Art, Let's Dance". If you pardon the vulgarity,  I think "Ginkgo Biloba" proves that the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

The release campaign of dogmarket is picking up moment as they've just stepped up to a dual simultaneous single release with "Interlude 1" and "Turner Michael's Hunting Rifle" appearing side by side, though given that Thom also describes them as "Un-alike in Dignity", probably not necessarily hand-in-hand.

It's been about a month since "baby blue" so hopefully you've managed to process that one to the fullest extent possible and they obviously feel confident that their fan base can double their engagement resources.

I haven't yet mentioned that dogmarket self describe as "SADGAYELECTRONICA" which might help finding an entry point to the music, though in fairness "Interlude 1" is characterised by a (processed) guitar sound as much as by chips and wires: at haunting atmospheric piece which indeed lives up to its title: it feels like it has a home in some wider context: a film soundtrack would probably be grateful to welcome it aboard.

"Turner Michael's Hunting Rifle" fits the mission statement more closely: it's a denser and more obviously generated but ironically, it's also got quite a jaunty pop feel with a friendly keyboard hook prominent amidst the layers of sound. Since "Interlude 1" has a stately dignity to it, I suppose it's possible that defining the obvious contrast between the pair in terms of "dignity" may refer to this catchiness, but I'd certainly not class it as lacking in the quality. In fact (after I'd played it a few times), Thom revealed that the sound inspiration was They Might Be Giants: which neatly accounts for why I was attracted to it.

As for the subject matter (or perhaps target?) I found (it's not part of social media I'd normally wander through) a Michael Turner who posts stuff encouraging youngsters to become snipers. Lovely. I hope it's about him rather than a distant relative of mine who didn't fetish firearms.

Discussing the duo with Thom after writing most of the above, their insights clarified that the distinction was more about personal perspective: one tending towards personal vulnerability and opening up emotionally, the other "more upbeat and less prima facie depressing": perhaps offering contrast to some of their other work? At any rate, if one chooses to pair releases, then a juxtaposition of sensitivities of such contrast is an effective one: were dogmarket a more commercially orientated project than I suspect is the case, it's a good shop window for creative range also.

This is the first review in the magazine of The Magpies and I'm sorry about that: I am not entirely sure why that's the case but it's probably down to the fact that I'm still yet to see them live and because they represent precisely what I've always hoped for in the career of member Ellie Gowers: a context for her musicianship beyond our local area.

In this case we are not just talking a national but an international profile as the band describe themselves as "transatlantic folk".

It's not of course just Ellie in the band: she works with Bella Gaffney (guitarist and banjoist) and Holly Brandon (fiddle) and in reviewing her great EP ‘You, The Passenger', I rather skated over the fact that the songs on that release inspired & written in Canada were in fact done so on tour with The Magpies.

Consequently, while delighted how Ellie is getting the wider recognition I predicted over numerous years, The Magpies as a trio do not have her personal connection to Coventry nor Warwickshire and so do not play round here: upcoming shows are in York, Birmingham & London.

Nevertheless, it was remiss of me to fail to tell you of albums including their debut ‘Tidings' and its follow up ‘Undertow' given the presence in their ranks of one of our most acclaimed & beloved musicians so here I am jumping aboard the wagon on the release of their ‘The One Thing That I Know' EP.

Obviously  the project is one of those fortunate supergroups where their personal & musical chemistry transcends the sum of the considerable parts and all three bring different styles & interests to the communal pot: which range from more European/Celtic/British ones to American ones like bluegrass and Appalachian folk.

Factor in three top notch writers, three top notch singers and instrumentalists of a similar standard & clearly you have a recipe for much success, but the key (and hardly surprising if you know Ellie) is that it is not about just the beauty of the sound they combine to make but what they choose to focus their talents upon: they have a mission to "champion gender equality in the music industry, with a fervent thread of feminism running through their music" which gives the records more value and greater impact than just musicality.

(As an aside which isn't really as profound as the preceding paragraph admittedly, I'm hardly surprised to find Ellie in a band named after one of our feathered friends given so many of her previous solo live & recorded songs.. although she probably would have also been happy if they'd named themselves after a breed of horse: one of which, perhaps not uncoincidentally, appears on the EP artwork).

So what of ‘The One Thing That I Know'? Well it has a quartet of tracks: "Painted Pony", "Ebb and Flow", "Marigold's" (sic) and "All Night". They were augmented by Kate Griffin (vocals, dobro), Fred Claridge (drums, percussion) and Jim Moray (bass, organ, percussion and mandola) with Jim producing & mixing them all (Dan Webster recorded "All Night", Jim the other three).

Well from that start I expected tasteful and compelling playing: I can tick that off as I can exquisite harmonies. You can listen to this & simply enjoy the sound. But that's wasting opportunities to dig deeper and it's also not terribly respectful of the writing.

What they nail down most potently is their catalysing of generally traditional musical forms with contemporary lyrics: this is fresh and urgent with plenty of wit and acerbic humour to delight in: I must say I took it to my heart instantly. Cue a bout of regret at entering The Magpies world so late. If that's what you are doing too, fortunately their canon is easily available on Bandcamp for exploration: including a startling version of Eurhythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". Startling more in the sense of not being what I'd expected: the interpretation is frankly superb. I do hope the original artists have heard it.

Returning to the EP, like all folk & roots artists, the band like stories and telling them in ways which engage and I suppose the whole collection ("Marigold's" is an instrumental so says what they want to say in a non verbal manner) is an articulation of life lessons to date learned. Some of these may be familiar from Ellie's work but clearly getting together with Bella & Holly was predicated upon sharing values so it's not surprising to find digs at creeping urbanisation, societal disfunction, loss of communal connection, personal vanities etc plus a sea related song.

It's all terribly beautiful but all the more so because of the sentiments being expressed: you get plenty of humanity and empathy amidst the more critical perspectives.

I'm hooked & although the chances of seeing them live seem a bit remote, at least I can hear them on record and be pleased at how well they are being received by other writers and by the prestige of the places in which they are being asked to play.

I'll go a bit more parochial to finish with (this is a local music magazine after all) and remind you that you can see Ellie play live locally at Kenilworth United Reformed Church on December 5^th at the conclusion of her UK tour (tickets at https://www.bandsintown.com/a/12260707-ellie-gowers though last I heard was that there were only eight left so you'd best hurry).

Following on from ‘Aetherstone'  ("Take Me Here" which features on it is also to be found on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Fifteen') and in advance of a full album scheduled for the end of November, Dane-O has today released a new single called "Spoken Word".

In accordance with what seems to be a growing trend (see for example recent releases by The Caroline Bomb and Reign The Girl Band), he's decided to put it out in what he calls "demo" form and of course that was how he described "Various Land" on  ‘Aetherstone'  too).

As I said in reviews of both of the other cases cited above, I feel that the artistic decisions made are justified and that what the bands feel were spontaneous takes or relatively stripped back arrangements suited the songs in question: other production options were considered and not adopted for good reasons. Consequently I think on these occasions we need to interpret the word "demo" is those senses and not in the traditional one of being part of a work in progress intended for the artist's ears only and which they fully intended to develop further before sharing in public.

I think that presenting material in much the same format that audiences will hear & hopefully have already appreciated is more than just valid: it captures the inherent truth of the songs.

That said, I think it's only fair to also salute fuller versions which can complement the simpler ones & offer chances to explore songs in new ways. In this case, DANE-O has decided to favour these "demo" takes with his other eye on sharing "complete and fulfilled" ones on the album: so in effect you can glimpse not only the end products of his creativity but aspects of his process.

The first thing you'll notice about "Spoken Word" is the artwork depicting blood spatters under guitar strings: I think no further comment on what that's saying is necessary?

The song itself (it is actually sung not spoken) is another haunting & powerful one by the artist with a sense of gloom eliding into one of doom: he really is impressing right from the start of his career with his ability to write memorable & atmospheric songs: there is a sense of space in this one which really helps it brood splendidly in a Ry Cooder style landscape & that rather validates DANE O's decision to go with this approach & my comments above. It sounds complete to my ears but then I'm sure what he has in mind for the final form will be tasteful & tease out some extra aspect.

This obviously talented and enthusiastic musician has certainly hit the ground running in terms of his recording career and I admire the clarity of vision he already has for this.  However just because I've not yet been able to review his live act, doesn't mean that it should be overlooked: I see him cropping up regularly on bills (look out for him playing a HMLP gig at The Tin next year too) across the region.

I'm glad to be able to share with you on this quintessentially autumnal day, news of the new Liam Vincent and the Odd Foxes single: it's called "Summer's Secrets" and comes out on Friday. It's a follow up to last month's very well received "Keep Running" but also it casts its eye forwards towards their new six song EP ‘Breath, Blood and Bone' which should be with us before the turn of the year.

'Ah', the casual reader may think on looking at the title, 'the Odd Foxes have dimmed their fire: this sounds like some sort of romantic track'. Such a person would of course be guilty of poor judgement & lack of faith in this fiery five piece. These people don't tread such roads: they only know the highway to liberation.

Of course it's true to say that they also compel you to listen to their songs by not giving away too many hints as to the content in the titles: fair enough. Otherwise they'd be putting out plenty of songs called "We're Really Furious About This And Want To Bring It Forcibly To Your Attention" or similar.

Not only does the Odd-Foxometer remain stuck at its highest intensity setting with "Summer's Secrets" but they consider it to be "their most ambitious work to date": which considering that they are not only a band who care a great deal but also have tremendous musical skills and experience, is quite a self assessment.

I see what they mean though. The Odd Foxes don't mince their messages: they obviously don't want to run any risk of people misunderstanding them. However this does not translate into one dimensional polemics.

They are articulate writers both lyrically & musically and if one had to focus in on one aspect of their appeal & hence the most effective way they put their ideas across, it's that they draw you into the beating heart of the songs so you become part of a sense of communal experience and frankly they get their audiences dancing. During which they absorb the words.

This articulacy is probably indeed at its apogee (to date) here: there is a basic premise to the song but its developed and enhanced by allusions and detailed expositions. And that's just the words. You might say much the same of the accompaniment.

To start with the premise: yes summer does play a part and no, this isn't an example of them writing a summer song and not being able to release it until October through things not going right: it's definitely designed for now as it's  "steeped in seasonal change" and in addition  "mortality, and the yearning for freedom from modern constraints". All of which are good subjects to write songs about.

But that's just the jumping off point as it also "conjures a journey of escape: from the grim monotony of a factory floor to the blaze of autumnal forests, where human resilience meets nature's permanence".

Quite a lot for just one song, though it does extend to over five minutes in order to achieve all those ends.

The music tends towards the keywords of "blaze", "escape" and "freedom" and thankfully leaves us to picture for ourselves any sense of grim monotony.

The quality of the playing is superb of course but I honestly can't ignore the sense that it's not just about five great players but about their own community: you sense how much they share the values & enjoy playing as a band. Frankly you get this even more live and as I said earlier, these are songs to be danced to & inhabited: therefore you'd probably like to know about the single's launch on the same day as its release at The Crew in Nuneaton.

This is an epic in more than its length, building with grace & dignity to a zenith, moving from a sense of never wanting to go back to a place where everything is balanced and everything is connected. It's going to be dubbed an anthem and I can't see what's wrong with that.

That's the big picture but during those minutes there is plenty of space for a myriad of instrumental and vocal touches & details which enhance the lyrics and each of which pushes the uplift up another notch.

The commitment is such that the artwork is also part of the message: it "captures this tension too - a 1995 photograph of Liam as a teenager, guitar in hand, with static crackling on a TV behind him, a snapshot of past and present colliding". You cannot overlook anything here for it all holds significance.

Liam Vincent and the Odd Foxes self identify as "Folk-Rock with Heart and Conscience" and that's certainly still the case: however I find it interesting that in addition to citing influences from that world, they are now name checking Bob Vylan too. Their sound comes from a particular place but the ideas transcend genre boundaries: and indeed any cultural ones.

All sorts of institutions, organisations and hegemonies will try and persuade you that popular music is ephemeral and "doesn't matter" (I refer you to Orwell but I could equally cite Spotify or the global record industry. Or most radio stations). So why do the same people run in fear from the songs of certain artists? Certainly Bob Vylan, Kneecap, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Dolly Mavies have drawn down howls of execration in 2025 from those who have access to nuclear arsenals. Popular music can matter & does matter & Liam Vincent and the Odd Foxes epitomise this purely and powerfully.

If, like me, you are in general accord with their philosophy, then there probably isn't much capacity for conversion. However immersing yourself in "Summer's Secrets" will do two things: it will uplift you and it will remind you that however dark the road seems, you are not alone upon it.

Now play the single a few times, find yourself some autumnal woodland, take a walk in it and observe how more positive your thoughts now are.

Here we are again: another week, another single from Zaruna: "Monkey News" coming out seventeen days after "Indigo": a relative slowing down one might say but certainly not in absolute terms.

To some extent operating in the same territory as Elvis Costello's 2004 "Monkey To Man" in that some aspects (shall we say the upper surface) make wry observations about just how far our species have actually evolved given certain behaviours. On the other hand they've packed other thoughts neatly into the song too, posing questions about religion and free will and the couplet "I never knew that you weren't dead/You never could say what you wanted to say" hints enigmatically at the whole rest of the song being aimed at a single being: suggesting their actions may have given rise to the pondering in the first place.

A sense of enigma and elusive lyrics like this add value to songs & make you want to figure them out: which is just what I like.

Just as the words are thoughtful & reflective, so is the music: a rather gorgeous groove which invites you into the track to consider what Zaruna are saying. If this is the first Zaruna track you have encountered, then I think it will convert you to the cause by itself. From my perspective as a serial reviewer of their music, it's yet another example of the eclectic tastes & talents.

If they are thinking of compiling this great run of singles into an album, the quality & diversity are going to be incredibly impressive: I don't envy them the task of sequencing though…..

As predicted in my review of its release, Concrete Fun House duly launched their debut album 'I Guess It's Time We Got Into This' later that same day at Just Dropped In with support from What About Eric? and the Stoke based Christian Music.

It truly was a launch party: the venue was festooned in balloons & inflatable moths (you don't see those too often do you?) and more balloons & much confetti came into play as the evening progressed.

In theory, seeing a band as often as I've seen What About Eric? this year (three times in the last month alone) is not going to help find new things to say as the sequence progresses. However this band are not getting the acclaim which continues to build through simply being good: they bring novelty to each gig even when only a week or so has elapsed.

This time out, the set had evolved: not only was the forthcoming single played but an even newer song completed earlier the same day. Inevitably the fresh material & shorter (support) slot meant that at least one song I particularly like had to be dropped but as an indicator of a band going somewhere fast, that's powerful.

Here's another. Afterwards, I put it to Libbi that they get better and better each time, to which she simply answered "yes". A perfect articulation of quiet & steely self confidence, the sort which is driving them on the way they are going, unalloyed by the slightest trace of egotism. That's why (well one reason) I rate them so highly.

It's hard to put my finger on what I noticed compared with a couple of weeks ago: I've attributed a number of adjectives to them (all of which I stand by) but maybe there is a developed suppleness to their playing (especially of the songs which have been in their set the longest): they seem so at ease playing, so comfortable in their own skins as a band. Given their chosen genre, that's a really helpful attribute.

Concrete Fun House played the whole of their album (and more) and I'd better cut to the chase immediately and address the issue of my characterising the songs as "sombre" (amongst other epithets). So joyous was the delivery at the launch that this adjective couldn't apply. So what went wrong? Could it be my take on the album was way off? Or do Concrete Fun House possess a duality which permits both descriptions to be true depending on the context. Or are they Schrödinger's band?

One crucial piece of evidence might be the most upbeat of all the songs they played: an encore of what came across as a genuine party piece. Since this so far unrecorded song is actually called "Summer Cholera" and its lyrics are inspired by Dostoevsky: I think that helps prove the point that they can be two apparently different and even possibly contradictory bands simultaneously.

The audience showed them unconditional love throughout: this is a band who over only two years have built a devoted following: I think it's fair to call them an underground phenomenon as a sense of crossover into something the mainstream is hard to detect, but I think they are comfortable with that: it helps protect their integrity which is a major part of their identity & with the passion of their audience is justified.

So it was party mood throughout and regardless of the anger & ferocity of many songs, the cholera references & the seriousness of so many songs. I think people take the dark humour I mentioned in the previous review to heart and celebrate it & in truth the set isn't a single emotional tone: "What Happened to the Caterpillars" for example provides a popular touch of whimsy and to be personal, I  found "Erica 2: Electric Boogaloo" to be a new live favourite: it's unlike any of the other songs in its gentler performance (Joe played it seated) and provides dynamic variety to the sequence. In the interests of balance, "Headlines: Everybody's Dead Dave" seems to have emerged as a potential rival to "Caught Wanking" as the zenith of the furious end of the live repertoire.

And as far as I could see, the moths survived the mayhem to live to see another gig.