Video of the Month : Lisa O'Neill : Rock The Machine
Lisa O'Neill is a hugely talented and authentic folk-inspired singer-songwriter from Ireland. This short, informally-set film features her performing Rock the Machine, and is an excerpt from an edition of This Ain't No Disco - Donal Dineen & Myles O'Reilly's superbly curated online music showcase. The song itself (which she wrote) is a moving docker's lament.
There is a chance to see O'Neill live very soon - she will be playing 81 Renshaw Street in Liverpool on Friday 19th October, the day her new album, Heard a Long Gone Song, is released. [More : Full Tour Dates I Twitter I Website I Bandcamp]
First Impressions
Siobhan McCrudden
Siobhan McCrudden's first single, The Mermaid in Your Glass, is exquisite folk-noir from Cardiff. Already gathering unrestrained praise and significant airplay, the song heralds what should be an extraordinary debut album to be released this December.
Read More
Findlay Napier
Glaswegian Findlay Napier has worked with Boo Hewerdine on two solo albums - the most recent, Glasgow, is a carefully selected mix of covers, self and co-written songs that enable Napier to sketch a heartfelt but at times stark image of his home town.
Read More
[Recent First Impressions : Carw I Nick Ellis I Mary Miller] [Top of Page]
Essential Autumn Diary Dates
Nick Ellis I Sat 6 October
Liverpool's lauded singer-songwriter, Nick Ellis, is launching his third solo LP, Speakers' Corner, with a special show in the atmospheric Leggate Theatre. Ellis' sound is 'a conversation between Elvis Costello and John Martyn', his songs and performance quietly stunning.
The Leggate Theatre [Liverpool] 5.00-10.00pm / Details & Tickets £11.25
Aberystwyth Comedy Festival
A vibrant new sibling for Machynlleth's established event, the first Aberystwyth Comedy Festival has a stellar line-up that includes Lloyd Langford, Tudur Owen, Rob Newman, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Josh Widdicombe & runs for three days starting October 5th.
Website & Tickets
Jack Lukeman I Tue 6 November
After a rousing set at Liverpool's first Feis, Jack Lukeman returns to the city for a solo show. The combination of voice, songs and high octane charisma the Irish singer-songwriter brings to a stage guarantees that the Philharmonic gig will be a compelling musical spectacle.
Philharmonic [Liverpool] 8.00pm / Tickets £12/£15
[Full Gig Listings] [Top of Page]
From the Archive
- Blodau Gwylltion : Llifo Fel Oed
An exquisite, muted mix of folk and country influences, this debut album from duo Manon Steffan Ros and Elwyn Williams will be one of the first chiselled into 2018 end of year lists.
- Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage : Awake
English folk duo Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, who released their acclaimed debut album Before the Sun in 2016 now have a follow up collection, Awake. Awake is stunning in its grace and flawlessness - with a brilliant cover of Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key as a keystone.
- Live : Matthew Frederick @ 3rd Space
Performing solo in Llandudno, Climbing Trees' frontman Matthew Frederick used keyboard, guitar, kazoo and vocal to conjure up a minor-key delight of a show.
- Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion : Dal i 'Redig Dipyn Bach
Fourteen years after Dore, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion have released a new album, Dal i 'Redig Dipyn Bach (Still ploughing on a little bit). From a band credited with putting fire into the 90's Welsh folk revival, the new album does their heritage full justice.
- Toby Hay : The Gathering
Released in March 2017, guitarist Toby Hay's debut album (after a series of evocative EPs) confirms he is emerging as a significant figure, taking the tradition that runs from Davey Graham and Bert Jansch a compelling, creative step further forward.
- Daoiri Farrell / Elidyr Glyn : Galeri : 15.05.18
Award winning Irish folk musician Daoirí Farrell and support, singer-songwriter Elidyr Glyn, offered remarkable performances at Caernarfon's Galeri
- Colorama : Some Things Just Take Time
Worth the wait, this latest Colorama album shows Carwyn Ellis' vital force as a songwriter, arranger and performer is undimmed. Some Things Just Take Time is a burst of superb, elegant retro-pop. Like the collaborative Bendith project he spent some of 2016 so fruitfully on, the recording of this set of songs seemingly brought together extraordinary talent, and then delivered something more than the sum of the parts.
- Band Pres Llareggub : Kurn
Band Pres Llareggub fuse hip hop and New Orleans brass with the influences from their North West Wales roots in a new release that it is impossible not to love - second album Kurn is quite superb: exuberant, joyful, inventive and full of life.
- 9Bach : Anian
'... challenging, experimental and a graceful triumph'.
- Bendith : Bendith
A collaborative project between Carwyn Ellis of Colorama and Snowdonia's Plu has produced a beautiful collection of songs.
