E.P. Review: St Beauty – Running to the Sun

Alexe Belle and Isis Valentino met when working at a vintage store in Atlanta and bonded over a shared love of Diana Ross, Sade and Frank Ocean. They began working on music together and soon formed a band, naming themselves after a Stevie Wonder song and performing regularly in the basement of the shop, which had become more like a cultural hub. These shows brought them to the attention of Janelle Monae who signed them to her label Wondaland. Running to the Sun is billed as an EP, although with seven full length songs and some interludes it feels like a complete body of work. It’s a glittering mix of ultra modern RnB beats and sweet neo-Soul which sounds fresh and free. Continue reading “E.P. Review: St Beauty – Running to the Sun” →

0

Album Review: First Aid Kit – Ruins

The word Ruins suggests the destruction of something but at the same time what’s left behind can be valuable too – a glimpse of the past to help us understand where we come from, where we’ve been, who we once were. This new album from First Aid Kit was written after a difficult period personally and professionally when sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg had begun living apart for the first time. It’s an album about heartbreak, growing up and making mistakes, and while it’s true this band have always had wisdom beyond their years, Ruins is filled with a sense of grace and hard won maturity. Continue reading “Album Review: First Aid Kit – Ruins” →

0

On ‘Libba’ & How Folk Musician Elizabeth Cotten Inspired Laura Veirs

Acclaimed singer songwriter Laura Veirs is a longtime fan of the music of Elizabeth Cotten, the folk musician known as ‘Libba’, who is the subject of her beautiful picture book published by Chronicle Books. Cotten’s story is astonishing – a self taught guitarist who was only discovered in later life due to an unexpectedly wonderful twist of fate. Continue reading “On ‘Libba’ & How Folk Musician Elizabeth Cotten Inspired Laura Veirs” →

0

Album Review: Caitlyn Smith – Starfire

There’s been some brilliant albums by renowned Nashville songwriters released recently, as though now is the time for the real talent to step out from the shadows. Albums by Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose were quiet, understated affairs but Starfire by Caitlyn Smith has the confidence and bravado of a true performer, with vocals so stunning you find yourself thinking back to the first time you heard Chris Stapleton in terms of the command she has of her instrument. How this woman is only now releasing her debut album when she’s in her thirties seems utterly incredible. Continue reading “Album Review: Caitlyn Smith – Starfire” →

4

Dolly’s Discography: Hello, I’m Dolly

One of my 2018 blog resolutions was to review an artist’s entire discography, inspired by the incredible blog The Diana Ross Project. I contemplated a few possible artists but in the end the chosen one could only be Dolly Parton. These posts will consist of track by track reviews of the solo albums in order of release.

In February 1967 Dolly Parton announced herself to the world with her debut album Hello, I’m Dolly. She was only 21 but had been singing since she was a child and trying to make a name for herself after moving to Nashville when she graduated high school. Initially her record label Monument hoped she could be a pop singer but her early singles failed to chart. She was paid $50 a week to write for the label and when songs she penned with her uncle Bill Owens became hits for other artists, Dolly was finally given a chance to record a country album. And boy, did she grab the opportunity with both hands, and she’s never let go since. Dolly wrote or co-wrote ten of the twelve songs, covering themes of sexism, adultery and heartbreak. This album generated her first hits and eventually brought her to the attention of Porter Wagoner. Continue reading “Dolly’s Discography: Hello, I’m Dolly” →

0

Album Review: CupcakKe – Ephorize

When analysing the album of the year polls in December one thing was clear: rap is the dominant genre in music right now. Yet in 2017 albums by female rappers were almost completely shut out from critical and commercial success. In the Stereogum Rap Top 40 Albums of the Year only a handful of women appeared, most of whom were somewhat underground artists like Princess Nokia and Rapsody, in comparison to most of the men on the lists who are populating the mainstream.

Cardi B might have had one of the biggest songs of the year but she’s not an album artist yet, concerning herself with singles and mixtapes instead. Her music is going stratospheric but will she just end up being the one woman who is successful in this era (as per this Pitchfork ‘women in rap’ theory), or can she open the door for a wider range of female rappers to enter the music scene?

Rapper CupcakKe has made a promising start to the year, presenting her unique vision on this engaging and exhilarating album Ephorize. Continue reading “Album Review: CupcakKe – Ephorize” →

0

Most Anticipated Music of 2018

At this moment it’s hard to believe that 2018 could be as good a year for music as 2017, such was the breadth and depth of brilliant albums released by female artists. Still this time last year I hadn’t even heard of many of the acts who ended up on my favourite albums list so I’m hoping for more hidden gems to surprise me over the next few months. Read on to find out who you might be listening to this year. Continue reading “Most Anticipated Music of 2018” →

8

2018 Blog Resolutions

I loved reading the old Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash new year resolutions that have been making the rounds on Twitter so much that I have decided to write a few of my own. I would definitely steal most of Woody’s including ‘read lots of good books’, ‘love everybody’ and ‘dream good’ but this post will focus on my personal blogging resolutions for 2018. Continue reading “2018 Blog Resolutions” →

3

What the ‘Album of the Year’ Polls Tell Us About Female Representation in Music

The ubiquitous end of year album lists might seem arbitrary but they are an important way for people to find new music and I believe they have a significant impact on an artist’s overall career. So this year I decided to do a very unscientific analysis of various polls to see how well female voices were represented overall. Continue reading “What the ‘Album of the Year’ Polls Tell Us About Female Representation in Music” →

5

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑