News, reviews and more
The summer may have been hot and hazy, long and lazy but that hasn’t stopped the songsmiths of Canada. They’ve been beavering away over there, cooking up more musical missives and sending them eastward. At usual here at RGM, we’ve gathered them all up and sifted through hours of tunes to bring you the very best of the bunch. So, to ease you into the autumn months we humbly offer to you the tenth instalment of the Maple Leaf Roundup.
Read MoreNashville based singer-songwriter Rod Picott will release his latest album ‘Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil’ via Welding Rod Records on September 6th 2019. After a health scare this past winter Rod Picott took stock of his situation, sat down and thought hard about the type of album he wanted to make next. The result is a stripped back acoustic record that would prove to be his most personal release to date. Rod Picott will be bringing the songs from ‘Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil’ to the UK in October 2019 for a run of live shows. More about Rod Picott, those tour dates, and ‘Mama’s Boy’ a track from the album follows:
Read MorePaul Cauthen returns with a new album ‘Room 41’ via Lightning Rod Records on Sept 6th. A single/video from the album ‘Cocaine Country Dancing’ is out today (June 14th). Cauthen is blessed with a fantastic baritone voice and his music is an eclectic mix of country, southern soul and gospel influences. ‘Room 41’ is his third solo release following ‘My Gospel’ from 2016 and the more recent ‘Have Mercy’ EP. In advance of the album release Cauthen is in Europe with a run of dates that include The Slaughtered Lamb in London and the Black Deer Festival. More about Paul Cauthen including the tour dates and the video for ‘Cocaine Country Dancing’ follow:
Read MoreThe RGM inbox has been very busy of late so we thought we’d corral a selection of recent news items all in one place. We listen to a wide range of stuff here at RGM from the biggest names to newer artists just starting out so you never know what you might find. Discovering new music is always exciting so we urge you to take a moment and check out the selection of recent news. Your next favourite artist might be just one click away.
Read MoreThe Black Deer Festival will return to the leafy confines of Eridge Park in Kent on June 21st - 23rd 2019. The festival recently won Best New UK Festival at the AIF Independent Festival Awards 2018 and is looking to build on that momentum in 2019. The lineup looks strong with Band of Horses, John Butler Trio, The Staves, The Mavericks and legendary singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson already announced. Recent additions to the bill include Billy Bragg, Ethan Johns (solo), Yola, Treetop Flyers and Sam Morrow while a few of RGM’s personal favourites are also set to appear including The Sheepdogs, Ferris & Sylvester and Worry Dolls. Much more about the festival including ticket details follows:
Read MoreOh, Canada! How we are overwhelmed by all your musical offerings! Yes, our cousins over yonder have been working harder than ever since our last Maple Leaf column and here at RGM we have been hand-selecting the very best of the bunch so that you, dear reader, can sample (probably) the very finest in new Canadian music.
Read MoreThe Long Road festival in Stanford Hall, Leicestershire launched in 2018 and will return to the venue in 2019 on September 6th - 8th for three days of the very best in country, Americana and roots music. The first wave of acts for 2019 include headliners Josh Turner (making his UK debut) and Kip Moore. The Steel Woods, John Paul White, Asleep At The Wheel. Rhiannon Giddens, Eric Paslay, Charley Crockett, Morgan Evans, LANCO and Lainey Wilson are among the impressive names confirmed for the festival. Tickets are on sale from 9am on Friday March 15th. A full list of the acts announced today and loads more about The Long Road festival follows:
Read MoreAfter a brief period of winter hibernation our Canadian friends have re-emerged, bright-eyed as ever and begun sending their musical magic across the water to us once again. 2019 looks like it will hold riches aplenty and we feel it our duty to share with you some of the very best new Canadian releases in this, our first Maple Leaf roundup of the year.
Read MoreOn April 12th, 2019 Melissa Etheridge will release her latest album ‘The Medicine Show’ via Concord Records and Snakefarm Records in the UK. Etheridge has reunited with producer John Shanks (Bon Jovi) for ‘The Medicine Show’ her 15th studio recording. Always a superb live performer you can catch Melissa Etheridge in the UK starting February 18th in Manchester. Full tour dates and much more about ‘The Medicine Show’ follows:
Read MoreAmigo The Devil’s Everything Is Fine was one of my highlights of 2018. Macabre and gothic but not without humour ‘Everything Is Fine’ is a terrific album (RGM review) and I urge you to track it down and give it a listen. With just a banjo for company Amigo has stripped down ‘Hell And You’ from the album for his Grotto Sessions project and you can check out the video for the track and learn more about Amigo The Devil here at RGM.
Read MoreOn the 26th April Because Music will release ‘Stay Around’ an album of previously unreleased songs by the late JJ Cale. The album has been compiled by his widow Christine Lakeland Cale and longtime friend and manager Mike Kappas. The first single from the album ‘Chasing You’ is released today and the video for the track and more about the compilation of the album by an artist universally respected by his peers follows:
Read MoreJosh Ritter will release his tenth album ‘Fever Breaks’ on April 26th 2019 via Pytheas Recordings/Thirty Tigers. The new album was produced by Jason Isbell and features Isbell’s band the 400 Unit. If lead single ‘Old Black Magic’ is anything to go by then April 26th should be added to your diary right now. The press release for the album including more about Josh Ritter and the single ‘Old Black Magic’ follows:
Read MoreOn February 15th 2019 Ashley Monroe will release a five track EP featuring acoustic versions of tracks from her acclaimed ‘Sparrow’ album. Monroe is currently touring in Europe and has two Sold-Out shows booked for Bush Hall in London on January 29/30 so the version of ‘Wild Love’ that is now available will surely just add to the anticipation. More about Ashley Monroe, the video for ‘Wild Love’ and those tour dates follow:
Read MoreThe Nashville Meets London Presents Series will be bringing the best in country music from both sides of the Atlantic to London in 2019. A monthly residency at Pizza Express Live, 99 High Holborn, London will launch on Tuesday February 19th with Sonia Leigh and O&O set to perform while DJ Baylen Leonard will compare the evening. More about Nashville Meets London, future dates, Sonia Leigh and O&O follows:
Read MoreThe good folk of Canada continue to shower the RGM inbox with their musical missives and we’re delighted to be able to share with you another selection of exciting new tunes from over the water.
Read MoreCanadian singer-songwriter Steve Brockley has released ‘A Fire, The Cold To Fight’ the first single from his new album ‘Is Not Was’ due January 25th 2019 via Afterlife Music/Membran. Sometimes a first look at the the cover of an album is all that is required to get you interested and ‘Is Not Was’ just looks right. Judging a book by its cover might not be a scientific approach but I’m pleased to report that 'A Fire, The Cold To Fight' is more than enough to build anticipation for ‘Is Not Was’. You can judge for yourself as the single and a little more about Steve Brockley follows:
Read MoreNorth Carolina Americana/folk duo Mandolin Orange will release a new album ‘Tides Of A Teardrop’ on February 1st 2019 via Yep Roc Records. The video for ‘Golden Embers’ from the new record is out now and is sure to please fans of the band. It’s a superb, heartfelt song with an equally impressive video. A tour of Europe, including a London date, has also been announced with tickets on sale November 30th. The video for ‘Golden Embers’, more about Mandolin Orange and the tour dates follow:
Read MoreOur Canadian cousins are apparently incapable of producing anything other than top-quality new music and October alone has yielded yet another bumper crop of goodies. We’d love to be able to cover more of these acts in an in-depth way but, frankly, we need occasionally to sleep. Nevertheless, carefully curated just for you, we present our latest selection of must-hears from the land of the common loon.
Read MoreLondon based singer-songwriter Keeva has released a new single ‘The Kindest Thing’ her first new music since the excellent ‘Whiskey’ appeared late last year. ‘The Kindest Thing’ is taken from her upcoming EP the intriguingly titled ‘Four Sad Songs and a Ballad’ due October 26th. ‘The Kindest Thing’ features the kind of songwriting honesty that I’m sure will strike a chord with many listeners. A stream of the single and a little more about Keeva follows:
Read MoreRecently signed to Broken Bow Records Lainey Wilson will visit the UK for the first time to play shows at Country Music Week in London later this month. Lainey independently released her debut EP earlier this year and as a songwriter has placed songs with Luke Combs and Kasey Tyndall. If you were lucky enough to grab tickets you can catch Lainey when she opens for Chase Rice at Bush Hall on October 23rd with a further date set for The Borderline on October 27th at the CMW Daytime Hub. More about Lainey including a track from her EP ‘Workin' Overtime’ follows:
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