Craig Lawlor - If You Knew

Howdy. It's Sunday afternoon, a time for quiet contemplation, cups of tea and Songs of Praise at 5.00pm. Before we reach this orgasmic pinnacle, I've just got time to bring you some brilliant brand new music from an act I've never featured before on these pages, but one I hope will now be a regular fixture.

Craig Lawlor, hails, like me, from Lancashire, and he really kindly emailed me his new single "If You Knew" last week and I'm so pleased to be bringing it to you today.

First of all, you'll need to know where to listen/buy it from - so here you go:

itunes.apple.com/gb/album/if-you-knew/id956169359?i=956169391

and you can also watch the video for the song here:

...and I highly recommend you do both. This is a wonderful single with a fantastic vibe to it. Brilliant guitars with a great drive to them and a slightly off kilter, distorted vocal which gives the song a slightly psychedelic feel in places. It's a nicely paced number too, it never loses its way and since I've been playing it, I've found it's got stuck in my head (which is always the sign of a great song, if you ask me)

Craig is an immensely talented musician and the video to go with the song is just lovely - nicely muted and sepia tinged. It supports the song really well and shows off Craig's cheekbones quite nicely too.

So all in all, this is a great number, perfect for a Sunday afternoon and I for one, really hope to hear more from Craig really soon. MORE PLEASE CRAIG.

Co-Pilgrim - Plumes

A second post for Blog Super Sunday and I'm back with something else to tickle your aural muscles and give you something to smile about.

What can I offer you? Well, I can offer you this, gentle, lovely readers (at least one of you must be gentle and lovely...admit it, go on...). The new album by Co-Pilgrim, called "Plumes" - and more specifically the new single to be taken from it, a wonderful track called "Pushover".

Of course I know by now you're all dying to hear it - so without further ado, here's a link to the video, so you can see/hear:

The first thing that struck me, apart from the lovely guitar sounds, were the harmonies. Such really clear, pitch perfect harmonies. I'm a bit of a sucker for anything like that and this track has them in abundance - it's a sort of Simon and Garfunkel-y/Alt-Country-y tinged wonderfulness that makes you feel a little bit like you're being hugged by a wall of comforting voices. 

Co-Pilgrim are another act that are new to thegeneral's radar, but a very welcome one - especially given my fondness for lo-fi, maudlin tunesmithery with wonderfully morose and sepia tinged lyrics. "Plumes" is a pretty excellent album which, given how much I've fallen in love with "Pushover" was a given. So, I urge you to give Mike Gale and friends (for it is they who make up this super act) a go...

You can check out the band's site here:

co-pilgrim.co.uk/

And you can make your purchase of the new album from here:

battle.greedbag.com/buy/plumes-0/

Do it. That's all. 

Jon Byrne - The Bitch And Her Greed

Yeah. I'm back. Back and badder than a bad thing that went to Bad University and graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Bad. Read me and weep. Weep for my badness and realise you'll never, ever be as bad as me, even if you try and copy. So ner.

Now then, for this second offering today, I'm going in a totally opposite direction to the previous post and kind of semi slowing things down a little.

I'd really like to introduce you to the wonderful, wonderful sound of Jon Byrne. Eye candy with proper talent. Something for everyone. Just what we all need.

First of all, some necessaries - here's Jon's website:

jonbyrne.co.uk/

...so you can go and familiarise yourselves with his work so far, his blog and his all round genuinely lovely awesomeoness.

Now here's the link to his new single "The Bitch And Her Greed"

soundcloud.com/jonbyrneraretracks/the-bitch-and-her-greed

Before we go any further, I'd just like to thank Jon for taking the time and trouble to write my life story and turn it into a song...wait...what...what...you mean it isn't about me? Oh...must try harder next time.

Anyway, what can I tell you about it. Well, it's great. Yeah! Seriously, this is another kind of departure for the blog as it's probably one of the first times I've ever featured a more blues inspired artist and not before time either. Jon's style is superb, it's witty, it's laid back yet very caustic and his lyrics go straight for the jugular. "The Bitch And Her Greed" is a cracking little number, one of those songs that you need to hear only once or twice till it sticks with you. A genuine delight to listen to and someone who really does deserve to be heard, not only for the great music, but for his clever, urbane lyrics.

If you like a departure from indie, or really heavy guitar based bands - and want someone fresh and inventive to listen to then give Jon Byrne some serious time. "The Bitch And Her Greed" should become an instant classic.

The August List - O Hinterland

Yes. I know. It seems you can't get enough of me today. A hat trick of blog posts for this very very musical Sunday. What can I offer you for this final installment? Something very different, and very very most outstanding.

Eagle eyed readers of these pages (yes, I'm looking at you...I LOVE what you've done to your hair, by the way...) will know by now that I've featured marvellous purveyors of alt-country perfectness The August List twice already. I really love them a lot, and their last single "Cut Yr Teeth" was a precursor to their new album "O Hinterland" which has now, gloriously been released.

First of all, as always, the necessaries. Hoik your tramtracks over to their bandcamp page, have a listen and make your purchase thereof.

theaugustlist.bandcamp.com/

This is, as expected, a pretty phenomenal album. It contains the previously mentioned single "Cut Yr Teeth" plus last year's brilliant "High Town Crow".

But that's not all. No. There are some other real gems too. In particular, thegeneral really loved "All To Break", "Snake In The Eagle's Shadow" and closing track "Cabin Fever". "All To Break" in particular is a really raw, powerful song. One of those tracks that seems to come from the band's feet and spread upwards in a glorious breakout of emotionally charged depth. "Cabin Fever" is a really superb way to close the album, gently lulling us out - the calm after the energetic storm.

I like the fact that both Kerraleigh and Martin are not afraid to trade vocal places, that they both get an equal footing in the songs and that it doesn't detract from the power of the tracks, having them do so. Both bring their own level of emotional intensity to the tracks, but both are different and unique enough to make it not sound like they're competing with each other.

I always bemoan the fact I never get enough alt-country/blues type acts to feature on these pages. The August List have justifiably become a regular feature of mine and long may they continue. "O Hinterland" is quite simply a brilliant album and one I urge you to give a try - even if you're new to this genre and unsure. You really won't regret it.

The Whereabouts - I Don't Care

Two blog posts for the price of one. You can't say fairer than that of a weekend, can you? Thegeneral is actually in swinging sixties mode today, so following on from the brilliance of The Everglows, I'm keeping up the theme and bringing The Whereabouts to your attention.

I was genuinely really excited to get be contacted and asked to review these guys. They've been on my radar for a little while after the release of their initial recordings last year and their new EP "I Don't Care" has just been released. You can buy it by clicking on the following link:

i-dont-care/id914085170

The Whereabouts are a genuinely exciting prospect for the future. First of all, they've got real raw, musical talent. "I Don't Care" is a massively exciting EP. It's easy to see who their influences are, and who they take inspiration from, but there's more to them than just being a "painting by numbers" copycat band. Their songs are original, really interesting and solidly constructed. If the opening track to this collection of songs does not hook you in with it's awesome kick arse riff, then you have no soul. NO SOUL, I TELL YOU - AND WE CANNOT BE FRIENDS. SO THERE.

I mentioned in my last review of The Everglows, there were flashes of early *whispers* Status Quo. Here, in this EP, particularly in track two "Money and Fame" the guitars have that same feel, that same, real force and power, the same type of catchy hooks.

There simply isn't a bad track here. Every one of them will draw you in, in some way. The Whereabouts are an exciting, fresh act - with a real genuine energy to their music and their approach. Thegeneral cannot wait to see what they come up with next and in the meantime, spend some of your hard earned pennies on buying "I Don't Care".

The August List - Cut Yr Teeth

It's been over a month. I can only apologise to my one reader. "I'm sorry, darling". There. Now it's all OK again.

My absence from the blogosphere can be easily explained - but I'll keep you guessing as to where I've been. I'll simply tell you a) it's been very nice and b) I won't ever be able to look at Dream Topping in the same way again.

Anyway - meaningless meanders aside I'm back with a belter. Eagle eyed readers will remember that last year I featured sparkily brilliant Oxford band The August List on these very pages and I admitted it was probably the first time I'd ever written about an alt-country-blues tinged act. I loved their last EP "High Town Crow" and was mightily pleased to be asked to feature them again.

Now the duo are back with a brand spanking new single, released prior to their new album which is out on 29th September and is entitled "O Hinterland".

First things first - as always, the link to the band's bandcamp page so you can listen, enjoy and buy:

theaugustlist.bandcamp.com/

"Cut Yr Teeth" is absolutely brilliant. It's really alive, it's full of energy, it bounces and it's got an ace spark to it. The repetition of the lyrics helps to drive the rhythm of the chords along and make it something that you really only need one listen of to get it stuck in your head.

It's a double A side single and the second track "Red Light On The Tower" is a wonderful complement. It's a nicely swirling number - with a calmness and slowness that provides a nice juxtaposition to the opener. There's a real power to it, the vocal performance is so beautifully nuanced - it soars in all the right places and is gently tapered in others.

I've said it before that I don't feature enough acts like this on the blog and listening to this new single makes me really excited for the release of the album which I'm so looking forward to reviewing when it comes out. In the meantime, please spend some of your heard earned cash and but this single, because you need it in your lives. The August List are a great duo really worthy of your time. Give them a listen!