News, reviews and more
Welcome to the latest instalment of the RGM inbox feature where we shine a light on a range of artists and recent releases you might have missed. With so much music being released daily it’s tough to keep up and there are many, many artists releasing quality music that could get lost in the shuffle. As usual, the RGM Inbox is an international affair with contributions from the USA, North Wales and an Australian based in the UK.
Read MoreIt’s always a thrill to discover new tunes from our brothers and sisters in Canada and, as the Maple Leaf Roundup turns two years old, I feel particularly warm and fuzzy to think of the sixty or seventy artists we’ve met along the road so far. If you’re only just joining us on the journey, the good news is that the nation’s musical gifts never seem to stop giving, so climb on board and allow us to introduce your newest (and soon to be bestest) Canadian friends.
Read MoreWelcome to the belated May edition of the RGM Inbox. In this latest instalment, we feature two names that I’m sure will be familiar to many readers in Emily Zuzik and David Berkeley. Rounding out this months quartet we’ve David Ramirez, the Texas-based singer-songwriter with a cool-sounding new record in the can and virtuoso guitarist Jon Gomm who revisits his past as he embarks on the next phase of his career with a new record label.
Read MoreWith the walls starting to close in you begin to wonder how things are going, both mentally and physically, when out of the blue an old friend comes back into your life and things seem to be a little bit better. The old friend, in this case, is not someone I know personally but a new song by The Jayhawks. ‘This Forgotten Town’ is the new single from their upcoming XOXO album due July 10th via Sham/Thirty Tigers. The really good news is it sounds exactly how you’d like a new Jayhawks song to sound and that works for me. More info about the album and the first single follows:
Read MoreWelcome back to The Hard Place, where the hair is big, the guitars are pointy and the teeth have almost certainly undergone a recent whitening procedure. In this, our second all-killer-no-filler roundup, we aim to pleasure you guiltily with the news of the latest melodic hard rock from all four corners of the globe; and we know that - for you - only the best will do. So, sit back, relax and remember, in The Hard Place, no-one can see you playing air guitar.
Read MoreAlthough probably best known for his drum prowess, and for his time in Spock’s Beard, the multi-instrumentalist Nick D’Virgilio has also played with many great bands including Big Big Train, Genesis and Tears For Fears. On June 26th NDV will release his second solo album a mere nineteen years after his first. The album features a stunning list of great players including Paul Gilbert (Racer X/Mr. Big), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) and Carl Verheyen (Supertramp). Much more about NDV and the new album including ‘Where’s The Passion’ the first track released from the record follows:
Read MoreShannon LaBrie was born in Lincoln, Nebraska but has been based in Nashville since 2008. Newly signed to the Moraine Music Group Shannon delivers a powerful bluesy/soulful take on Americana with the release of her new single ‘Firewalker’ on May 1st, 2020. The track was penned by Shannon with Tia Sillers and exceptional Australian guitarist Joe Robinson. If ‘Firewalker’ is a taster for an upcoming album then I’m going to be in the queue to check that out. Please read on for more about Shannon, including an isolation version of ‘Firewalker’ and a live stream via Rockwood Music Hall in the early hours of 2nd May UK time:
Read MoreWhile life for all of us is pretty weird, here at RGM we’ve been taking comfort in the things that never change. Spring keeps springing; socks still inexplicably disappear in the laundry and singers - in their thousands - keep singing songs. That remains as true as ever for the musicians of Canada, the very best of whose recent releases are gathered here for you in this, the thirteenth instalment of the Maple Leaf Roundup.
Read MoreMusic Venue Trust has announced #saveourvenues, a new national campaign to save hundreds of grassroots music venues at imminent risk of being closed down – permanently. Registered charity the Music Venue Trust currently has 556 venues up and down the UK at risk of closure. Venues that play an essential role in promoting talent and often as a community hub for many other endeavours. Please read on to find out more about #saveourvenues and how you can get involved:
Read MoreWelcome to the latest, long overdue, delve into the RGM Inbox. As usual, we’ve been inundated with a host of musical pleasures and with many of us following the rules on self-isolation this seems like an ideal time to check out some great new music. So please join us on this latest voyage of musical discovery.
Read MoreDustbowl Revival have been keeping busy curating their very own Sway-At-Home music festival. Eighteen acts over three days including Steve Poltz, Shook Twins, Luther Dickinson and Birds Of Chicago. The music commences at 10pm (UK Time) this Friday, April 17th. More about Dustbowl Revival, Sway-At-Home and the acts involved follows:
Read MoreItalian label Frontiers Music has been forced to delay their release schedule as the COVID-19 continues to impact the world. Not wanting to let a day pass unnoticed when they had five new releases planned they’ve put together a 20 track sampler that features recent and upcoming releases from the label. The tracks are available to download for FREE via the official Frontiers website or to stream via Spotify and Youtube. This seems like an ideal time to check out a slew of melodic hard rock as you never know what you might discover. Full details and a little more about Frontiers Music follows:
Read MoreKip Moore will release his latest album ‘Wild World’ on May 29th via Snakefarm Records in the UK with a vinyl pressing to follow June 26th. To set the scene, and build anticipation for the release, Kip has embarked on the ‘In The Wild’ sessions initially recorded in the Mojave Desert, with cherry-picked indie musicians, the series will also include solo acoustic performances now that Kip is in self-isolation in Kentucky. Much more about Kip, the new album and the first ‘In The Wild’ session video featuring India Carney and Melissa Dougherty follows:
Read MoreBack in 1980, The Vapors burst onto the scene with their ‘Turning Japanese’ single a classic slab of spiky power pop/new wave that still sounds remarkably fresh in 2020. I’m pleased to report the band are celebrating the forty years since that landmark release with a new album fittingly entitled ‘Together’ due May 15th via Absolute. The first single from the album ‘Crazy’ shows that despite the passing of time The Vapors are staying true to their roots. The band hope to tour later this year with a show set to include tracks from the new album and their ‘New Clear Days debut record performed in full. Please read on for much more about The Vapors and music from ‘Together’:
Read MoreGuaranteed to brighten your day in these tough times The Bacon Brothers are back with a new single. The recording of music via file sharing is the norm and has been for quite a few years now but who thought it’d become our main avenue for musical expression? The video for ‘She-Zee-Zee (Easy On My Eyes)’ should strike a chord for many folks and raise a smile if you’re stuck in the house. Loads more about The Bacon Brothers including a link to the video follows:
Read MoreWelcome to The Hard Place, a tight-trousered treasure trove of new melodic hard rock from all over the world. Here at RGM we’re pretty picky when it comes to our big hair and braying guitars so, as ever, our focus is on quality over quantity.
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Jack Broadbent has a new video and single ‘If’ available. The track is from his excellent ‘Moonshine Blue’ album that received great reviews late last year. Since the album release, Jack has been keeping busy on the road with a run of dates that included shows opening for Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood. Jack will be hitting the road again in May opening for Peter Frampton and also has a show booked at the Black Deer Festival (a festival that comes very highly recommended). More about Jack and those tour dates follow:
Read MoreWelcome to the Maple Leaf, the regular RGM column that brings you news of the best sounds emerging from Canada. Since the decade turned we’ve been deluged with music but have meticulously sifted to bring you a carefully curated consignment of Canadian confections. Or something.
Read MoreToday, February 28th sees the release of the latest single ‘Devil’s In Town’ from the wonderfully monikered Silas J. Dirge. The single is the second release from his upcoming sophomore album and follows the rather wonderful murder ballad ‘Flowers On Her Grave’ a tale of death, vengeance and homicidal cows… Mr Dirge aka Jan Kooiker might be familiar to some readers from his time in alt-country act The Information. More about Silas J. Dirge follows:
Read MoreIt’s time once again to delve into the murky depths of the RGM inbox. The first edition of this new feature was surprisingly well received so we’re back with part two. Please join us as we share a quartet of impressive releases that reinforce the theory that there’s plenty of great music if you know where to look.
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