HAY FRINGE

Hay-on-Wye, Powys

As expected, the rain fell on Hay for the first weekend of the annual literature festival. But not before guitar wizard Simon Onions gave an impromptu set in the town's market square on the Saturday afternoon, advertising the presence of To Hell With Publishing's Fringe event.

Unafraid to mix books and music – as evidenced by their recent collectors' edition of Kevin Cummins' Joy Division photographs – To Hell have for a second year taken over the British Legion to present two nights of readings interspersed with musical interludes.

A veteran of last year's Fringe, Onions' sound has undergone a metamorphosis, lacing his dark folk-blues with psychedelic FX, the emphasis more on atmospherics than song.  This is perhaps altogether more appropriate to the quiet nature of the event. However, as the weather closes in and the Legion proves more inviting than the main site's marquees, gypsy-punkers Walking Wounded soon warm the throng with their Balkans-via-Hackney floor fillers.

By Sunday, the rain has truly taken over and the outdoor stage moves indoors for a second rousing set from the Wounded, delving back into their past for a completely different set from the night before. A third set is different again, and a good advert for their career-spanning anthology due later in the year.

After two more pieces from Onions, author Erica Wagner reads from her novel Seizure, accompanied by Cambrian traditional singer and storyteller Nick Hennessey, before the night's headliner, the Missouri-raised Wales-based Jab Loy Nichols.

Nichols' balmy folk-country-cum-reggae is a tonic and his gentle humour reaches out to the bedraggled. Referencing Buck Owens, Smokey Robinson AND Gregory Isaacs in a single set is no mean feat, while 'Poor Little Barn' from his recent Days Are Mighty album is a direct line to the wild rain and windswept Welsh borders.

Les Feuer

Various "What's Kickin' Vol 3" (Stove Pony, 2008)

Can they kick it? Yes they can.

What's Cookin' has been making waves in East London for 4 years, and this, its 3rd collection of the best of the acts who've trod the boards, shows what a healthy, if eclectic state Americana and alt-country are in. What's nicest is to see the hot young things like Ryan O'Reilly sitting alongside the old-timers. There are some medium sized names here, bluegrass bandits Southern Tenant Folk Union, and still with his Hefner sense of humour, a bluegrass Darren Hayman Watkins Trout and Lee. On this evidence, its an old-timey and bluegrass furture as here's where the excitement seems to be, whilst some of the country rock is less than thrilling (and Some Dogs cover of Jackson shouldn't have made the cut). It's nice to say that the stand out track is from a stalwarts - Gareth Rowan does the low key 'Black Candle' with BJ Cole and Deke Martin: if he ever writes a better song, I'll eat his hat. 18 songs and a little bit of birdsong to start and finish; if your Americana-uk subscriber's monthly cd isn't compilation enough for you, try this. And if you're not a subscriber, subscribe, and try this too.

Date review added:  Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Reviewer:  Lynne Pettinger
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  see what's cookin, ma

VARIOUS ARTISTS

*****

What's Kickin' Vol 3

(STOVEPONY)

The proprietors of East London Americana club have showed their knack at picking a winner, with the likes of Pete Molinari and next-big-things Attic Lights cropping up on their previous What's Kickin' compilations. There are no obvious names this time around (save a guest appearance from the legendary BJ Cole), but there's no doubting the sheer quality of talent contained herein.

North Wales' Loving Cup open this particular rodeo with some Faces/Crowes-style roots rock from their forthcoming album, but most of the tracks here are exclusives, including offerings from hot new bluegrass supergroup Southern Tenant Folk Union, Southend powerpoppers Cusack and gypsy punk legends Walking Wounded, whose Waterboys-ish 'Angels At Dawn' is one of the stand-outs here.

The goodtime quotient is high, with a rambunctious 'Jackson' from Some Dogs, The Shivers' Stonesy 'Sweet Lil' Cheat' and a garagey 'Dixiefied' courtesy of the Fabulous Penetrators. But this makes the gentler pop of Green Peppers, the acoustic balladry of Ryan O'Reilly and the glorious harmonies of Hillbilly And The Bonfire shine all the brighter, like the stars they deserve to be. Roll on Vol 4.

You'll no doubt be pleased to learn that your favourite record label has now entered the world of fashion with the Stovepony Records t-shirt!

Sporting the the Stovepony logo on a fetching good quality yellow tee, there are a range of no fewer than SIX sizes!  That's small, medium and large for blokes and birds. Very sorry if your goodself doesn't fit into any of those sizes. That's all we could afford for the first run. But we'll have more later so don't be afraid to pester us.

We'll be selling the tees at the launch of our fabulous What's Kickin' Vol 3 compilation this Wednesday 23 April at The Sheepwalk, 692 High Road, Leytonstone, London featuring loads of great bands. The price of this must-have garment is a bargainous £10 but I'm sure we can work out a special deal if you buy a CD or two. What yer reckon?

Once upon a time there was a band called the Rockingbirds. They released a couple of albums featuring a bunch of genius songs written by a ginger-haired Nikki Sudden fan called Alan Tyler. After they appeared on Top Of The Pops doing a cover of Deeply Dippy to the benefit of the Terrence Higgins Trust, they split up.

Alan began hosting Sunday afternoon sessions at a pub in Camden Town and called it Come Down And Meet The Folks. That was in 1996. Eleven years and three albums down the line, the club's still running and Alan's still writing the most passionate and honest country songs ever to be written by a non-American, all delivered in his inimitable passionate and honest baritone.

We at Stovepony think he's great.

For those about to cry in their beer, WE SALUTE YOU!

1. The Broken Family Band - You Broke My Fucking Heart
2. Leeroy Stagger & The Sinking Hearts - Lay Down Your Guns
3. Dan Raza - There's Nothing Left Here For Me
4. The Smoke Fairies - Troubles
5. The Rosinators - Little Sadie
6. Daniel Wylie - Keep It To Yourself
7. Alan Tyler & Jason McNiff - Guns
8. Attic Lights - Bring You Down
9. Foghorn Leghorn - Madeleine
10. The Dials - Lonely Boy
11. Pete Molinari - God Dam Lonesome Blues
12. The Surgens - Mean Cheatin' Man
13. Steve Roberts & The Bank Of England - The Ballad Of Alaska
14. Mike Gibson & The City Farmers - Goodnight And Good Luck
15. Blimus - Penultimate Slacker Anthem
16. Redlands Palomino Co. - She Is Yours

Well, the Fourth Estate has voted on our glorious second release, the Onions album The Old Straight Track.  The first review we saw was by lovely Helen Keen in Maverick magazine.  She gave it three stars, which may not seem much, but it's the same as what the Dylan and Jansch albums got in that issue, so we're pretty pleased about it.

Next up was the one by Les Feuer in the relaunched - and frankly, boss - Rock'n'Reel.  Les saw fit to give it  A FULL FIVE STARS!!!!!  Yeah, like, don't go mad Les.  Four would have done!  But thanks anyway!

Then there's the guy whose name we can't recall from Americana-UK.com.  He said some very interesting things, acknowledging the kid's influences - Jansch, Graham, Fahey, etc - but then said more of the songs should have vocals.  Then he gave it 3 out of 10.  Hmmm.....  Still, they're an alt.country site and we gave 'em folk so probably a mistake on our part.  So no hard feelings - we still love the irrascible old scousers.

Still, when all is said and done, it's you, our adoring public that we care about most.  So do please tell us what you think.  Who knows?  You might win a prize!

And remember what the man said: more singing would do us all the power of good!