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Blues Music Blog & Promotion

Chris Harris and Erin Newman send our minds into a deep place with the excellent, ‘Ballad of a Broken Friend’

Posted on 22 April 2022

Created at the cosy Quay West Studio, Chris Harris and Erin Newman show us inside a deep story about hopelessness when someone we care about is battling badly and you are worried about what will happen on, ‘Ballad of a Broken Friend‘.

Chris Harris and Erin Newman is a sweet combination of indie blues/soul and alternative rock who are both based in the UK.

”A requiem of a tragic story told by a close friend. Everyone at some point has felt the harsh pain of their closest friend. They feel powerless in their efforts to help. They worry, stress and panic that the worst could happen. Ballad of a Broken Friend is an attempt to capture the emotions of anxiety, depression, and helplessness that we can all feel when a loved one is suffering.” ~ Chris Harris and Erin Newman

Bringing so much beauty to a worrying story that shall have you crying softly if you have dealt with this intense moment or been exposed to the emotions attached, Chris Harris and Erin Newman lead us inside one of 2022’s most authentic singles. They converge so wonderfully and you will find yourself getting lost in your own thoughts here, which has you wondering if you could have done more.

‘Ballad of a Broken Friend‘ from the UK-based duo indie blues/soul and alternative rock Chris Harris and Erin Newman, is a tremendous release that crashes hard into your healing soul. They sing with such love and tenderness, as each note has been made with that ultimate care that is so rare in this seemingly selfish world. This is a single to embrace warmly with your partner or friend, as you look above to try and find that star of hope to help you recover from previous worry and tragedy.

Music with heart and a real message certainly still exists.

Hear this fine new single on Soundcloud and see more on Erin’s IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Smethwick-based guitarist Skidders takes us to a happy place on ‘Aunty Bulgaria’

Posted on 22 April 2022

Taken off his brand new album that is due for a 4th May release, Skidders returns with the instrumental gem that will have you sliding your sunglasses on and living life to the fullest with ‘Aunty Bulgaria‘.

Steve Skidmore aka Skidders is a Smethwick, UK guitarist and writer who combines his love for blues, rock and jazz and makes vocal-less music to get our hearts smiling again.

”Song selection is very eclectic, so hard to umbrella under one genre. But compositions range from rock, to blues, to reggae, to Celtic.” ~ Skidders 

Bringing us his West Brom toughness and blessing us with something so calm and catchy at the same time, this is a single that shall have you tapping your feet and clicking your fingers in utter delight from the humble Skidders. There are no flashy moves here, only pure love for music and guitar-playing of the very highest standard imaginable.

”Most self-penned songs are instrumental allowing him to showcase his unique style and sound. This also ensures compositions are well suited to TV and Film ‘sync’ use.” ~ Skidders 

‘Aunty Bulgaria‘ from the prolific UK-based guitarist/writer Skidders is a superb instrumentally compelling single from an underground artist who has total respect from his peers. There is so much to like here about the intricate sound here, that seems to blast a ray of sunshine out from the moody clouds that have been so prevalent lately. A single to get a tan with, this is one of those releases to flip your frown around so that you may see the positive vibes again.

Listen up to this new single on Spotify and see more via the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Post-Punk Meets Nashville Rock and Roll in The Rhythm Bullies’ Latest Snarling Triumph, Smoke Rings

Posted on 20 April 2022
The Rhythm Bullies

Just when I thought I was getting to the aurally jaded stage of being unable to drop my jaw at new sonic amalgamations, The Rhythm Bullies came along with their discordant cocktail of 80s post-punk & Nashville rock and roll in their latest single ‘Smoke Rings’.

The bluesy psychobilly-Esque heat meeting the chillier post-punk tones under the Gothically drawled vocals and blisters of surf rock proved to be a viscerally alchemic combination. That’s before you factor in the hedonistic nihilist lyrics, such as “the world is burning baby, so grab a cigarette”. Smoke Rings finds a generously subversive way of saying the world is burning, whether we want to see it or not, so you may as well get accustomed to the noxious air.

With riffed-out solos that make the Black Keys and Bauhaus simultaneously sound pedestrian, The Rhythm Bullies have an immense amount of snarling potential. We can’t wait see what they do with it.

You can check them out via Facebook, their official website and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robbie Maroon has released his catchier than Corona funk-pop track, Rewind

Posted on 24 March 2022

“Rewind” is the latest jazzy rock-licked funk-pop track from the raw-soul-peddling Australian singer-songwriter Robbie Maroon. After being introduced to his sombre and spacey sound in 2019 through his single, Stepping Stone, this new profoundly hopeful approach to production is quite literally music to our ears. You can’t help but catch the positive vibes that radiate through the release that captures the chaos of our lives and releases us from it with the era-spanning old school grooves.

With vocals that sit somewhere in between Shinedown and the sultry timbre of George Michael, it’s all too easy to find yourself in the heart of the hook-filled track which comes complete with stabbing horns and layers of funk-riding progressions which pull together to deliver a nostalgia hit you’ve never tasted before.

Rewind was officially released on March 18th. You can check it out for yourselves on Robbie Maroon’s website or via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find a ‘Moment of Joy’ in Firebug’s Bluesy Desert Rock Single

Posted on 20 March 2022

The immensely and immeasurably talented Joshua Tree recording artist, Firebug, has given us a taste of what’s to come on their forthcoming psychedelic desert-rock album by teasing us with the old-school-rock-but-never-as-you’ve-heard-it-before single, Moment of Joy.

They kicked up the dust on the archetypal desert rock vibes by adding a little New Orleans flavour and nuances of folk and blues. If I could take a bath in the arcanely psychedelic tones that are swathed in 60’s and 70’s nostalgia, I’d be hesitant to get out. For impious musos, sonic experiences don’t get much more spiritual than Moment of Joy which grips you by the scruff of the neck and drags you into the feel-good bliss with the striking vocals as a guide.

So far, the successes counted by Firebug include performing at SXSW in Austin, CMJ in NYC, Sonisphere Festival, and the Viper Room in LA. After this release, it is easy to see that Firebug is only just getting started.

Moment of Joy is part of Firebug’s album, No Return, which will drop on March 18th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves via Firebug’s official website and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK blues artist Adam Leaver shows us that New Orleans mentality with ‘Give Me The Rain’

Posted on 9 March 2022

Taken off his debut album ‘Vanilla and Cyanide‘, Adam Leaver returns with a much-anticipated single all about wanting that shower to cool down the veins and breathe new life into the day with, ‘Give Me The Rain‘.

Adam Leaver is a UK-based indie blues singer-songwriter who brings us that old school mentality with groovy gems attached that are such a terrific listen.

Adding so much value to a worrying time that can drag you down if you get too wrapped up in the noise, Adam Leaver is at his articulate best as this ultimate storyteller grabs your attention and takes you into his world that is filled with opportunity and love.

‘Give Me The Rain‘ from UK-based indie blues singer-songwriter Adam Leaver, is a superb single from a genuine soul who sings with gritty greatness that makes everything better again. This is the story about looking up to the skies and wishing that things would flow down from above, to soak the souls of those who need to calm down and get the sense that the world is on their side again. This is a bluesy tune for all those who miss that real intent on the speakers, from an artist who keeps it real and never waivers from his morals.

Listen in to this new single on Spotify and see more via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Post-punk meets jazz blues in The Illucid’s defiantly protestive single, Stone Cold Soldier

Posted on 2 March 2022

Taken from their debut EP, Somebody Else, The Illucid’s jazzy post-punk standout single, Stone Cold Soldier, couldn’t have fallen onto our radar at a more sobering time. The catchy rock hooks from the British Indie band almost feel like an act of defiance in today’s chilling geopolitical climate.

On the basis of the frantic bluesy piano keys, the theatrical vocal lines and their ability to squeeze euphoria from darkness, The Illucid almost becomes the thinking man’s Nekrogoblikon while they deliver their Magazine-style enigmatic energy in the single that shames the cold inhumanity behind the eyes of stone-cold soldiers.

Not many bands can convince me that they’re worthy of seeing live with just one single, but the Illucid are easily one of the best outfits to come around since Melt Yourself Down. Get them on your radar.

Stone Cold Soldier is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

James Gale sings the ‘Summer Blues’ in his resonantly seductive debut EP, Medicine

Posted on 1 March 2022

If James Gale’s debut 2021 EP, Medicine, passed you by, you missed a sweetly psychotropic slice of alt-rock that more than has what it takes to unite fans of Nick Cave, Nirvana, Elliott Smith and the Beatles.

The standout single, Summer Blues, which has now racked up over 14k streams on Spotify, is an indulgent cocktail of psych, blues, indie, and grunge. The dark narrative is delectably handled by the Bruges, Belgium-hailing singer-songwriter and artist. The way the accordant momentum picks up under Gale’s taunting vocals that question if you’re afraid to lose control before bluesily winding the soundscape back down into kaleidoscopically choral grooves is nothing short of arrestive.

We seriously hope that there’s a sophomore release in the pipeline.

Summer Blues is available to stream along with James Gale’s debut EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare your funk-rock playlists for Alexander Godman’s zen hip hop track, Reconciliation Day

Posted on 27 February 2022

Funk rock fuses with zen hip hop in Alexander Godman’s standout release, Reconciliation Day. The London, UK-based alternative artist’s spoken-word style is instantly ensnaring for the way it flows against the minimalist funk-riding rock instrumentals.

The woody and organic bass lines bring the warmth and structure to Reconciliation Day while the bluesy and sunny guitars evolve through the raw chords and intricate finger-picked notes. It isn’t every day that we discover an up-and-coming artist with the confidence to follow their flow and style so confidently, and it shows on the Waitsy and folky B-side single, Out There Glow.

Alexander Godman’s debut is now available to stream on Spotify.

Connect with Alexander Godman via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The West Australian Alt-Country Singer-Songwriter, Siobhan Cotchin, Takes us to Tucson in Her Latest Ethereally Luminous Release

Posted on 27 February 2022

After garnering over 100k streams on Spotify with her 2020 single Do You Know What I Mean? Siobhan Cotchin has returned to the airwaves with her ethereally bluesy Americana single, Tucson. It will undoubtedly be a hit with fans of Big Thief, Angel Olsen and Bonny Light Horsemen.

The West Australian alt-country/rock singer-songwriter’s career has already taken off in Australia. Based on the luminous accordance of Tucson, paired with Cotchin’s determination to weave immersive introspective narratives, she has everything it takes to become an international country-rock icon. In a similar style to Kurt Vile, the award-winning artist caresses the roots of Americana while securing its place in the 21st-century. Her minimalist angular melodies fall into the cavernous production just as succinctly as the lyrics that allude to the subjective desolateness of Tucson.

Tuscon is now available to stream and purchase on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast