a music blog
The Grammys have been too long dominated by major-label mega-artists (and their stan armies) and yet I still find the ceremony to be the only music award show with enough depth of categories to make it vital. The prestige a nomination gives cannot be understated, especially for lesser known artists.
Continue reading “Thoughts on the 2023 Grammy Award Nominations”
Country music legend Loretta Lynn has today died peacefully in her sleep, aged 90. Some of the many artists paying tribute to Loretta online included Dolly Parton, Carole King, Wynnona Judd, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Drive By Truckers, Waxahatchee and Valerie June. Her influence runs deeper than the well in Butcher Hollow from where she once drew water.
Loretta’s straight-talking spirit, absolute authenticity and often confrontational style has few parallels in country music, or any genre. She was an icon of individuality, and an irreplaceable loss.
Read on to find some of the best examples of songs which pay tribute to Loretta or which echo her work. Feel free to add any further suggestions to the comments or on social media and I will add them to a playlist.
Continue reading “Under Her Influence – Songs Inspired by Loretta Lynn”
The widescreen, windswept cover of ‘Big Time’ has Angel Olsen looking off towards the light, somewhere in the far distance. Fitting imagery for a collection of songs which move away from who she once was and embrace new love and a new outlook, after a turbulent time in her personal life.
Continue reading “Album Review: Angel Olsen – Big Time “
Two years after My Echo, her vulnerable pre-divorce album Laura Veirs returns with a fresh start on Found Light. Her ex-husband & producer Tucker Martine is now gone from her music, and consequently you can hear an exhalation of sorts throughout the record.
Continue reading “Album Review: Laura Veirs – Found Light”
Welcome to this new weekly feature where I recommend you three songs and discuss something loosely topical in the music industry. I will still be reviewing full length albums but I have been wanting a quicker way to highlight some songs and stories while also sharing my weekly playlist here on the blog.
So without further ado, here is what I’m currently listening to and thinking about!
Continue reading “Three Songs & the Truth about Dolly’s ‘Rock Hall’ Nomination”
In 2021 I have reviewed nearly forty albums and which have all connected with me on some personal level. Overall I have found this year tough as I have struggled to really love a lot of the albums released this year, compared with the last few years.
So for this end of year list I have tried to single out the fifteen albums which really stood out among the gloom, ones which have helped me in some way.
For the top spot I have gone with the criteria which I have used since I started this blog: most listened to solo female artist with the majority of songs on the album solo written. This choice has helped me single out the talent from a sea of quality offerings.
Please note that this list only includes albums I have reviewed so obviously I don’t include any male artists.
This list includes links to my original album reviews, rather than risk repeating myself. Happy new year and thanks for reading!
Well this has been the strangest year of my blogging life. The triple whammy of a pandemic, lack of live music and mid-life apathy has caused me to struggle to connect with new music. The less I blogged, the more I felt out of touch, the more writing became harder and social media became terrifying, until you wonder why you ever started in the first place.
In the end what brings me back here are the songs. There are so many amazing female artists whose music inspires me to write, helps me, entertains me, moves me and that will never change even if the world does.
If you’re reading this then thank you for bearing with my sporadic blogging schedule this year. Here are a list of songs that got me through, that kept me believing in something, anything, everything. I hope you find a kindred spirit & song in this post. Continue reading “Songs of the Year 2021”
What a long, strange year it’s been. The fact that we’re even having an almost normal 2022 Grammy ceremony is a miracle in itself, considering the pandemic has caused havoc to the music industry on so many different levels. Consequently it’s been a variable year in terms of quality releases, so I’m thankful to have these nominations to remind us of what good stuff deserves further attention. Continue reading “Thoughts on the 2022 Grammy Nominations”
Doesn’t everyone at some point dream of going back in time to their youth? Who wouldn’t want to experience life again without the crushing reality of adult human existence weighing us all down?
After the last eighteen months of coronavirus hell, I was craving such a moment. So when I saw the chance to get tickets to see two bands I had loved as a teenager – Britpop legends Sleeper and the Bluetones – it felt like a strange kind of serendipity. Restrictions had just been lifted in Scotland. I was double jagged and desperate to get some kind of normality back to my flatlined existence. Continue reading “Slight Return”
Highway Queens 