We are delighted to share the video premiere of ‘West of Juarez’, the latest single from the acclaimed Stephie James. The song is taken from the well-received EP ‘These Days’, which is a favourite here at AUK. Check out the review here. The cinematic video is full of drama, the perfect complement to James’s weary, story-telling vocal.
Martin Ruby – who also goes under the name Marco North – is a songwriter who finds a lot to draw on for inspiration in his life. He started off in the New York music scene where, as he says, “Jeff Buckley literally played two doors over.” He recalls playing in the World Trade Center, and he recalls watching them fall. Then there’s the twist of fate which has led him to live in Moscow for the last fourteen years.
Some songs – they get to you from the first listen. Sometimes its a hard rocking punch that lifts and energises and informs and sometimes its the capture of an emotion so familiar it is as if someone has been rooting around in your soul. ‘Tomorrow’s had Enough of Me‘, as you might guess from the title, is one of the latter. James Houlahan inhabits an empty weariness that’s shot through with regrets over wasted times, wasted efforts and the endless exhaustion of not quite achieving. He sings “endless hours on the road, where I’m busy being free” and it is exactly how it feels to have gone one drink further than you planned to. A song doesn’t get to be so perfect by accident, and you’ll quickly note the presence of the unmistakable Scarlet Rivera who’s violin gives some additional ache to the song. Other notable names are drummer Danny Frankel. ‘Tomorrow’s had Enough of Me‘ comes from the new album ‘Ordinary Eye‘ which was produced by Fernando Perdomo – who has previously worked with the younger Dylan. READ MORE…
It’s normally a safe assumption that you can tell most of what you need to know about a person by the company that they keep. So, when a young singer-songwriter can boast of work done for Dan Auerbach and tours in support of Nikki Lane—it makes sense to give them your undivided attention. Of course, there’s always a possibility that you set your expectations too high and come away disappointed. At the same time, there’s a chance that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
A lush sound and a lovely vocal melody elevate ‘Some Days’ by the band Wayne Graham, led by brothers Kenny and Hayden Miles. The band, named after the brothers’ characterful grandfathers, has put out six albums and an EP, honing their blend of roots genres over the years. READ MORE…