a music blog
A couple of years ago now I started to notice a buzzing, pounding and whooshing in my ears. It felt like I was in a boxing match underwater. Sometimes I would also hear a high pitched noise, like a radio frequency out of tune. Mostly it only bothered me at night, which was annoying but I could cope.
Continue reading “Dealing with Tinnitus as a Live Music Fan “
Juliana Hatfield has been hugely prolific in the period since this blog started in 2017, releasing albums Pussycat, Weird and Blood along with her cover albums of songs by Olivia Newton John, The Police and ELO. It’s been hard to keep up, even for dedicated long time fans like myself. She’s also been writing a brilliant Substack newsletter too. This new album Lightning Might Strike was recorded after she moved to the countryside and went through a difficult period in her life.
Continue reading “Album Review: Juliana Hatfield – Lighting Might Strike”
As it’s December I am beginning my end of year posts with a little round up of the most read new articles of the year.
Continue reading “Most Read Posts of the Year”
One of the most heartening stories of the year is the rise to success of Kaitlin Butts. After going viral with her song You Ain’t Gotta Die (to be Dead to Me) she got the support slot on Lainey Wilson’s tour and subsequently signed a major record label deal.
Continue reading “E.P. Review: Kaitlin Butts – Yeehaw Sessions “
This week I started using Substack for the first time. I know I’m seriously behind the times but after looking at the abysmal current state of social media, I thought an app focused on writing would be worth investigating.
Continue reading “Women in Music to Follow on Substack! “
When I started blogging in 2017 one of my favourite discoveries was Caroline Spence. I have since reviewed both her albums Mint Condition and True North, and believe they are two of the best recent releases in the Americana genre. She’s a compassionate and poetic songwriter with a beautifully sweet voice.
Continue reading “Album Review: Caroline Spence – Heart Go Wild”
Since starting Blogmas earlier this week, I’ve been thinking about my blogging strategy going forward into 2026. The last few years I’ve only been reviewing sporadically but now I’m looking for new writing motivation and different ways of sharing my posts.
Continue reading “Why I Finally Started a Substack Newsletter “
One of the joys of blogging has been the chance to celebrate older artists like Mavis Staples who are still out here, in their 80s, singing and spreading the good word of peace, love and understanding. On her new album ‘Sad & Beautiful World’ she brings together a collection of songs which she says are ‘part of me and what I’ve been singing about my whole life.’
Continue reading “Album Review: Mavis Staples – Sad & Beautiful World”
In 1975 Emmylou was reportedly unhappy with an Esquire magazine feature about her new album Elite Hotel. The article didn’t mention her ‘Hot Band’, so she took out an advert in a trade press to credit the players she felt were so central to her sound.
The Hot Band, of course, were brilliant. No question this album benefits from her working with such high calibre musicians. Emmylou had invested a considerable amount of money in getting the best musicians who deserve acclaim.
However there’s something about that decision which feels very 1975. What woman nowadays would take out a press release crediting her male collaborators? It almost reads like Emmylou felt the need to downplay her own talent and give men the spotlight. Maybe she was just trying to keep her band happy. Or maybe this was honestly how she felt about herself – still suffering from the lack of self-confidence which stalled her early career after the release of Gliding Bird (and led her to mainly becoming an ‘interpreter’ of songs rather than a writer).
Emmylou’s name is on this record for a reason. Listening to Elite Hotel you know this album wouldn’t have succeeded without that voice. Emmylou was going to be a star with or without this band, as great as they are.
Continue reading “Emmylou Harris’s Discography – Elite Hotel (1975) “
Highway Queens 