Kate Wash CD Review: Folking Cool

“Argh nooo, not ANOTHER female singer-songwriter moaning about men!” I hear you cry. But fear not, shush your grumbles and give Kate Walsh a go. You’ll soon realise that she’s far superior to any of the girlies presently taking over the UK charts.

Kate Walsh is bloody good and the proof is in the pudding. Back in 2007 this Brighton-based lady knocked super-group Take That off the top of the download charts with her debut album Tim’s House. This year sees the release of Kate’s third record Light and Dark.

Light and Dark is a brazenly morose album centred upon Walsh’s tempestuous love life. A romantic at heart, Walsh has confessed that she enjoys wallowing in failed romances: “Yes my heart is on my sleeve all the time. I mope more than anyone else”. But it’s not all self-pitying doom and gloom. Kate’s dark lyrics are a striking contrast to her breathy melodious vocals which have earned her comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Regina Spektor.

The lyrics to the album’s title track are refreshingly honest and full of raw emotion as Kate recalls a messy love affair involving two men. A sensitive soul, Walsh cried on stage whilst performing the track at London’s Union Chapel as she sang, “When I think of how you held me, like I was the one and only. I wish that I could love you, like I ought to, like I wanted to”.

Released on Blueberry Pie, Light and Dark is packed with lush productions and gentle guitar riffs. Fans of Turin Brakes will most likely have already heard Kate’s songs The Greatest Love and Light and Dark which both feature guest vocals from Brakes frontman Olly Knight. His involvement with the record will hopefully help Kate Walsh to achieve the mainstream recognition which she deserves. Not that she cares what you think…she’s adamant that she is uninterested in fame.

Light and Dark is a highly personal album. Listening to Walsh’s heart-rending lyrics is like poring over her personal diary extracts. However, her tales of messy breakups and love triangles are something of which we can all relate. It’s the perfect album to have a sniffle and drown your sorrows to.

Sam Baker CD Review: Folking Cool

Imagine sitting around a campfire next to Johnny Cash and Steve Earle on a balmy summer’s evening. Add to that a pair of cowboy boots, a bottle of moonshine and some gold ol’ thigh-slapping country blues and you have Texan singer songwriter Sam Baker.

Cotton is the 55 year old’s third album and the follow up to 2007’s Pretty World.

The record is a hotchpotch of tales against a backdrop of elegant and understated piano and guitar arrangements. Baker plays out the lives of a whole host of characters, including a Mexican metal worker who swaps praying for partying. (“He bought a pale snap shirt stitched with horses and stars. A handsome pair of boots, started driving past bars. Where women wore short skirts they made out in cars. Drank beer by the quart out of mason jars”.)

Although tracks such as Mennonite are the perfect accompaniment to a good knees-up, Cotton is not your stereotypical country twang. In 1986 whilst travelling through Peru, Baker found himself at the centre of a terrorist attack. When the train he had boarded was blown up, seven people died, leaving Baker deaf and brain-damaged with a mangled hand and leg.

Baker’s three albums have been presented as a trilogy, Cotton being the third instalment. His records have charted his recovery as he explores the fragility of life. Whereas the first album Mercy saw him attempt to come to terms with his experiences, Cotton depicts love and lifes blows through poignant and melancholy lyrics alongside delightful harmonies.

Even though Cotton is tinged with sadness, Baker’s poetic lyrics and delicate instrumentals leave you feeling uplifted. Who’s Gonna Be Your Man sees singer Roxie Dean duet with Baker. Her sweet, flowery vocals are a charming contrast to Baker’s raw expression as he asks her “Who’s going to kiss your red ruby lips?”

Cotton might depict a life stained with heartache and tragedy but the album is a joy to hear. The guitarist’s blend of blues, Americana and folk is country music at its best as well as great introduction to Baker’s life and work.

Alessi's Ark Interview: Folking Cool

Jenni Stalmach is charmed.

Chatting to Alessi’s Ark is like a little ray of sunshine on a dull day. “I’m not like anyone else,” chuckles Alessi Laurant-Marc as we natter about the release of her debut album Notes From The Treehouse. And after speaking to the teenage songbird I can’t help but agree.

Alessi Laurant-Marc, who’s just turned 19, is part of the capital’s flourishing nu-folk movement and the London-born teen has quickly caught the eye of the UK folk scene with her honeyed, indie-rock, fairy tales.

She happily chats to me about her new album and enthuses about the final product. “I’m so, so happy with how the album turned out,” she says, “There are special things that I love about every song but I must say I’m supremely pleased with The Dog. I’ve had chance to work with so many special people on the record.”

Despite Alessi being a fresh addition to the bundle of acoustic songsters touring the UK, she has already had the chance to record with one of her musical heroes on her debut. Notes From The Treehouse sees Alessi collaborate with producer and Bright Eyes guitarist Mike Mogis, much to her surprise.

“When I signed with EMI they said ‘who would be your dream guy?’ and I said Mike Mogis, but I didn’t know what my chances were. At the time he was on tour with Bright Eyes in London so the timing was more than amazing. I got to meet up with him and I liked him straight away, he’s a warm guy. He managed to find a block of time towards the end of that summer to start recording. I was extremely lucky; in fact I couldn’t believe it!”

After their initial meeting in London, Alessi travelled to Omaha in the summer of 2007 to start recording the album with Mogis. The result is a breathtaking brew of sugary sweet melodies laced with harps and hushed vocals.

“At the time of recording I was just 17,” she explains, “I was a minor so my mum came with me to Omaha. We set up camp there but came back and forth for my dad’s birthday and things like that. The whole process was maybe about half a year.” She adds, “Nebraska is such a great place you should definitely visit.”

As Notes From the Treehouse gently trickles from your speakers you are invited into Alessi’s dream world. Her psychedelic lullabies tell tales of enchanted creatures, freckles and space. However her lyrics are not as twee and innocent as they first appear. Although the majority of her tracks remain untarnished by the outside world, songs such as Over The Hill depict heartache and melancholy, surprising subject matters from someone so young.

“I’m definitely not old enough to have experienced a worldly amount of things so some of my lyrics I completely make up,” she says, “At times though I do base my songs on my own experiences and things that have happened to friends and family.”

A homebody at heart, Alessi’s not your typical teenager. She confesses, “I don’t really go out that much maybe I should! I go out to see bands sometimes but I spend a lot of time with my family. We go out to eat or to the cinema. I like to go for walks I don’t really go out clubbing to be honest.”

Softly spoken, witty and engaging Alessi is eager to chat about her favourite bands, her artwork as well as her friends and family.

“Mainly I listen to guys,” she says, “I do like some women but I mostly listen to men. I like Graham Nash and Neil Young and I like some really early T-Rex. My dad, he likes The Jam, Paul Weller and all these mod bands. Whereas my mum really loves David Bowie. She introduced me to things like Crosby, Stills and Nash.”

After completing her GCSEs Alessi left school to pursue her music career. Her parents granted her permission to continue with her music under the condition that something happened within a year. She explains how her parents’ continued support is the key to her success:

“I did my GCSEs and we agreed that afterwards they would just let me play,” she explains, “They said if nothing comes about you will have to go back and that seemed more than a cool enough deal. I was daunted by not having any kind of routine though because at school you’ve got homework, timetables and revision I just thought
‘argh I don’t know what I’m doing!’ You can go through waves of having a definite plan of the week and other times I’m just pottering around. She says enthusiastically “My parents have been amazing and I know that this is all down to their support”.

Whilst at school Alessi began creating a fanzine entitled The Brain Bulletin which she packed with music and film reviews and illustrations.

“I started writing The Brain Bulletin when I was 14 and I did it for a few years,” she explains, “I used to make up names so if anyone ever picked one up they thought that more people were involved in it,” she giggles. “I started drawing in it and writing about films and books and slowly people started to submit.” She adds, “I now try to do a digital version of the fanzine but it’s not tangible. I prefer to have things that are handmade.”

DIY culture is something which the young folkstrel is extremely passionate about, so much so that this month she launched her own exhibition of line drawings at Riverside Studios in London.

“The exhibition is curated by a friend of mine,” Alessi explains. “She puts on events in a secretive way under the name The Velvet Sneaker. The theme is handmade. They’re all black and white line drawings that have been collected over time. The oldest one in the exhibition is one that I drew for The Brain Bulletin.”

Alessi feels her art and music are connected: “A lot of the drawings that are up in the exhibition came to me whilst I was thinking about songs. I’ve incorporated lyrics into quite a few of them. I do think there’s a definite kind of theme that gels between the two. There’s an owl with me tucked up in the wing, I drew that with my Nana in mind and there’s my interpretation of what the ark looks like from the inside. A lot of the drawings I did whilst on tour and posted them out to people that were joining the mailing list. They are quite special prints, I like the fact that they are just roaming
around in the world.”

Alessi’s Ark has just come back off an extensive UK tour to promote the release of her album. She speaks fondly of her time in Middlesbrough, which was her favourite gig of the tour.

“I’ve played in a few strange places but they’ve always been fun,” she says, “I played in a bookshop in Long Beach, California once which was really cool. It was a really nice place to hang out. This week I’m playing at a bird hide in Stoke Newington as well. This really cool organisation called Hunger Munger are trying to protect and restore the reservoir there by raising money.”

Despite her originality Alessi finds it difficult to brush off comparisons to the likes of Laura Marling. “Our music is pretty different we get pigeon-holed together because we are of a similar age, we don’t live far from each other each and we both play the guitar and sing. She’s a nice girl but she does do something different to me. Everyone loves to say that you’re doing something like someone else”. When asked to give her opinion on the lashings of ladies currently occupying the UK charts, Alessi remains the epitome of all things lovely and keeps schtum. “I don’t think it’s fair to judge! I haven’t gone out of my way to give any of them a listen so I’m going to sit on the fence.”

So far Notes From the Treehouse has met with a glowing reviews. Over the next year Alessi hopes to travel with her music, serenading her mushrooming fanbase with folk fairy stories. “My mum is half French so I would like to play there, perhaps in a nice café. I want to keep on playing and working on different incarnations of the ark”.

Mundy Interview: Folking Cool

Jenni Stalmach talks comebacks, busking and Shane MacGowan with Irish singer-songwriter Mundy.

“I’ve always believed that my songs were good enough to get to number one,” declares Mundy as he recounts the success of his third album Raining Down Arrows. Released in 2004, the record reached number one in the Irish album charts and achieved platinum status in the singer songwriter’s home country. This year has seen the release of Strawberry Blood, the long-awaited follow-up to his best-seller.

Strawberry Blood has been described as Mundy’s most accomplished disc to date and is his first record to get worldwide release since his debut Jelly Legs. “This album is a lot more poppy than my last records,” he says, “The songs are very strong lyrically and musically. I definitely get more back from Strawberry Blood than I do with Jelly Legs.”

Mundy – whose real name is Edmund Enright – started his music career as a busker on Dublin’s Grafton Street. Influenced by Tom Waits, Dylan, REM and the Pixies, he honed his musical talents by performing at open-mic nights in the city centre. “I was only about 18 or 19 when I started busking,” he says, “I was able to meet so many different people. We all used to get together and go to this singer-songwriters bar called The International to perform”.

It was at The International where Mundy met his manager Dave O’Grady and began to establish his recording career. “I met Dave through Hazel O’Connor,” he explains, “gave him a demo and very quickly he got a lot of positive responses from publishing companies. It was there that everything started”.

Mundy is huge in his native Ireland and his debut single To You I Bestow was featured on the soundtrack for Baz Lurhman’s blockbuster Romeo and Juliet. Despite his early success, Mundy was dropped from major label Sony shortly after the release of his debut album. “I was gutted because I felt that I was really starting to take shape,” he says, “When I got dropped another 40 or 50 bands did too. The record label was doing kind of a spring clean. I was told that singer-songwriters weren’t sellable at the time”.

After being dropped by Sony Mundy contemplated giving up his music career for good but decided against the idea because “You always write songs about giving up”. Mundy’s response to Sony was to set up his own independent label Camcor Recordings.

“At first I thought how do I do this on my own? How do I run a business when I have absolutely no experience?” he says, “I was skint by this point but it doesn’t cost a lot of money to register a record name. To finance the label I went on the road and saved the money. I built up my confidence slowly but surely and I realised that there were a lot of people in Ireland that hadn’t seen me play that really wanted to”.

Mundy is perhaps best-known for his collaboration with Sharon Shannon on the Steve Earle track Galway Girl. The song was Ireland’s most downloaded track of 2007 and 2008. The pair were introduced to each other by Luka Bloom after a Sinead O’Connor concert. “I invited Sharon as a special guest to play Galway Girl with me when we were recording my DVD Live and Confusion,” says Mundy. “All of a sudden people started ringing into radio stations asking them to play it. It was never released as a single but it became a bit of a phenomenon on its own. It was one of those lucky freak accidents”.

On Strawberry Blood Mundy has again collaborated with a number of big-name acts. On his favorite track Love is a Casino, he teams up with fellow Irishman and hell-raiser Shane MacGowan. “Shane was great to work with. He’s completely unique; I’ve never met anybody like him. Years ago when the song was a demo, I thought, ‘I can definitely hear Shane MacGowan in this song’, It kind of had a Johnny Cash feel to it,” he laughs, “So I rang him up and went over to his house, we stayed up drinking all night and he agreed to come in and record the track the next day”.

Asked who he would like to collaborate with in the future Mundy replies, “There are millions. Nick Cave would be one, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, I love Wilco as well, Flaming Lips, Bonnie Prince Billy, there’s so many people out there”.

This summer Mundy will be busy promoting his new album with a number of tour dates across the globe: “I’m going to be in the UK and New York in September and then Australia in October. I’m all over Ireland at the moment, I’m playing a big festival here called the Electric Picnic, I’ve got a good slot at that.”

Last summer Mundy made his debut appearance at Glastonbury both as a performer and a festival-goer. “I don’t know why I’m not playing Glastonbury this year perhaps it’s because I didn’t have the album out in time. I hope that I will be doing it next year. Glastonbury blew my mind; it was great because I was a Glastonbury virgin”.

The Sunday World described Mundy’s new album as being “a tonic for difficult times”. Whilst many artists have taken to singing about politics and current affairs Mundy has avoided these topics and created an uplifting and lighthearted album. “A lot of my heroes wrote about the war or current affairs but I just find it too obvious to write about stuff like that,” he says, “I like to write what’s in my own tiny little mind rather than in the papers. I try to avoid what’s corny and obvious but people don’t enjoy clever stuff. I’m always fighting against that maybe I should try to embrace it”.

Recognition for my degree project: Huddersfield Examiner

I was very pleased to read that journalist Denis Kilcommons wrote an article about my dissertation project in his Huddersfield Examiner columm! :)

STUDENT Jenni Stalmach produced a unique piece of work for her degree at Huddersfield University – a fanzine devoted to the town’s reggae history.

Jenni (pictured) researched the changing scene from the 1960s when the only club in town for that type of music was Venn Street in the town centre.

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Venn Street was a popular haunt for Huddersfield’s reggae fans, famed in the local community for its impressive history of dances and live acts.

Originally the Empress Ballroom, Venn Street, opened as The West Indian Social Club in 1967. The venue changed names over the years and became Cleopatra’s in the 1970s and Silver Sands in the 1980s.

For many, Venn Street was THE place to hear reggae music at the weekend. Playing host to reggae superstars such as Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown, Venn Street was also popular as it was the only bar in Huddersfield to open into the early hours of Saturday night.

Situated in the town centre where Kingsgate Shopping Centre now lies, the old stone building was nothing special to look at, scruffy and run down with palm trees and Jamaican imagery adorning the walls. Scruffy on the outside it may have been, but the music played inside made the club a legend.

Stephen Dorril went there as a 17-year-old in 1974.

"It was strange because there was always little applause for excellent bands,’’ he said. "Everyone was just ultra-cool and just stood there. When I saw Aswad at Venn Street it was an odd experience because they were brilliant, but nobody clapped until the encore."

The club was eventually demolished to make way for a car park in 1992 but the memories – they linger on.

Reggae Hit The Town! Dissertation project

For my disseration I made my own fanzine detailing the history of reggae in Huddersfield. The fanzine features reggae culture in the town centre dating back to the 1960's to present. 30 pages of photographs, interviews, reviews and flyers plus fabulous art work by Robert Walker. Roots & culture from Venn Street, Huddersfield Poly, Axis Soundsystem & more!
*Grab a copy from Wall of Sound Records in Huddersfield or Jumbo Records in Leeds...only £2! or follow the link below to order the fanzine online!*

Chicken Scratch Review: Huddersfield Examiner

DURING the 1970’s Huddersfield was a hot spot for reggae.

King Street Recording studios could be found in the town centre alongside leading reggae clubs Venn Street and Montego. Eventually the scene began to wane in Huddersfield, but recently there has been a resurgence in dub and reggae nights throughout the town centre.

One of these nights is Chicken Scratch held in Coffee Evolution on the first Saturday of every month. DJs Rob Walker and Dave Hunt – known collectivelyŠ as Home Taping – play a selection of lovers rock and roots reggae alongside 70’s punk, new wave and electro.

The homemade posters, stickers and flyers promoting the night have obviously been a success as the small café bar was packed when I went – so much so that the windows steamed up and people were spilling out into the street.

For the first two hours, Home Taping play a set consisting entirely of reggae. The mellifluous vocals of veteran Studio One recording artist Jennifer Lara and her song, I Am In Love, went down well with the crowd, who began to move their feet awkwardly. By the time reggae fans heard The Blood Sisters cover of Anita Ward’s Ring My Bell, Frankie Paul’s Pass The Tu Sheng Peng and Althia and Donna’s Up Town Top Rankin’, self conscious foot tapping has been replaced with full on dancing.

As the night drew to a close, reggae eventually morphed into punk as the likes of ESG, Tom Tom Club, The B52’s and Devo resounded from the huge speakers set up in the corner of the bar.

It was the first time Home Taping organised a night together and, prior to this, Rob Walker had never played a DJ set before. However, this was not apparent throughout the evening and the night proved a success. With free entry and cracking music from 8pm to 11pm, it is an excellent way to start your night and a refreshing change from the indie nights which dominate Huddersfield’s music scene.

Salford Film Festival: Manchester Confidential

Jenni Stalmach previews the neighbour city’s latest cultural explosion

Saturday 15 November sees the opening night of the Salford Film Festival. This is a free event over nine days jam packed with screenings, exhibitions and workshops. There’ll be local talent, cult classics and world cinema lighting up screens right across the city.

Highlights include a look into the underbelly of Salford with the film Frank. This short film depicts the tale of a small time gangster who realises that his presence in the local community is not as formidable as he first thought. In contrast director Lee Mishkin provides light relief from the more serious side of film making with his nine minute animation Butterfly Ball, a 60s inspired, psychedelic fairytale starring woodland critters.

The first Salford film festival took place at Red Cinema in 2003. Since its début the festival has attracted a growing number of film fans, with over 2000 people descending on Salford last year. A main focus as usual will be upon new work, promoting the film making skills and ideas of fresh, local talent. A number of shorts and documentaries will publicise the work of those at the centre of Salford's re-generation programme – which we trust will make for better viewing than it sounds.

The Vue Cinema, The Lowry, Peel Hall and Salford Museum and Art Gallery are some of the venues set to celebrate the city’s cinematic history.

Salford Museum and Art Gallery, for instance, as part of Riffs, Tiffs and Quiffs, a history of the Salford music scene will be showing a special screening of 'Joy Division: The Documentary' alongside rare footage of the band from the Manchester District Music Archive.

The festival opens at Blue Print Studios, just over the River Irwell from the city centre, and features preview screenings of Intercom, Adopt or Die and Ryan.

Indie Labels Dead From Downloads?: Manchester Confidential

Jenni Stalmach discovers the story behind Manchester's independent labels

Factory Records folded in 1992 due to crippling debts however it continues to assert a huge influence over Manchester's musical landscape. The legacy of Factory is known to the majority of music fans but what about the independents based in the city today? Are these labels able to prosper in the age of digital downloading or is a successful independent now impossible to establish?

Although there is no longer one dominant label in Manchester there continues to be a wealth of independents releasing an eclectic mix of music. There are currently more than 100 indie labels based in the city.

“It's probably not the most secure financial decision you'll ever make. Ultimately though if it's not a labour of love you may as well quit now.”

One of these labels is Humble Soul. The label was formed in 2006 by Howard Mills and Pete Fillery. The idea came about when the pair decided to invite local bands to perform at the studio that Howard Mills was running.

“I had started noticing a groundswell of really amazingly talented artists performing on the Manchester circuit,” explains Mills. “We decided to invite some of these to the studio with a view to releasing some of the results.” Although it's in its infancy Humble Soul has managed to achieve a modest amount of mainstream success.

“Liz Green is the most high-profile artist on the label. Even without having released an album she has had airplay on 6Music, articles in Mojo and played some pretty high-profile shows including the recent Nico tribute show at the Royal Festival Hall.”

Humble Soul released its first EP two years ago. At this point downloading had already become a well established phenomenon, but the label owners find it difficult to chart whether it has had an adverse affect on their business. Instead their biggest threat comes from the distribution of cheap CDs.

Says Mills: “One of the biggest problems we face was created by the majors several years ago when they were complicit in allowing supermarkets to use CD sales as a loss-leader. This has resulted in an expectation amongst the music-buying public that they shouldn't have to pay much for music.”

Independent labels have to stick to a tight budget at all times – it's why Humble Soul is run on a voluntary basis. The label has a small group of willing volunteers and artists who help out on a regular basis. Although running your own label is a risky business there are ways in which independents can produce and advertise their acts without breaking the bank.

“There is a new music magazine, Bearded, which has been set up solely to promote and support independent music. The advertising rates are kept low to make them affordable for small labels.”

Lab Records is another independent label based in Manchester. It started out as a Blackpool-based promotions company in 2006, then quickly morphed into a record label and online clothing store in 2007.

Founder of Lab Records, Mark Orr, states that downloads and competition from big labels have had little effect on his business.

“The only way majors affect us is by our bands striving to impress them, something we have no problem with. As for downloads, the majority of our bands sell a large percentage of units at shows. We keep a close eye on file sharing websites to ensure our releases don't appear. As a result, I'm not sure they have too great an effect on our sales.”

Although Lab Records was initially funded by part-time work and money from the promotions side of the business, it's now primarily self sufficient. Lab Records rely heavily upon positive reviews from the print media as publicity. Their main source of advertising however comes from the internet. Websites now play a vital role in the running of a record label. Rather than being a burden, the internet can help establish a label and keep it afloat.

Says Orr: “The internet is a huge source of advertising for a small label – websites like MySpace and Facebook, as well as music forums, are something of a necessary evil.”

Like Humble Soul, Lab Records have signed a number of artists who are enjoying a promising amount of success. Currently the label has five acts signed to its roster. Their most successful act, Mimi Mimi Soya, performed at Wembley Stadium's Nike event earlier this year.

The label is run by four members of staff, with Mark Orr managing the bands, a head of design and promotion, and two others dealing with the day-to-day running of the business.

Some may question why a person would want to set up their own label when it has never been a guaranteed way to make money.

“It's probably not the most secure financial decision you'll ever make,” Orr says. “Of course we remain optimistic that one of our current or future roster will have mainstream success, as that would set us up for the future. Ultimately though, if it isn't a labour of love, you may as well quit now.”

The incentive behind establishing your own label has remained the same – a passion for music. There will continue to be people who will dedicate themselves to raising the profile of fresh talent. Various counter-cultures are constantly emerging from the city, many of which are willing to support Manchester's precious independents. Labels like Lab Records and Humble Soul will always have to compete with developments in modern technology but there will always be music fans that want to dedicate their time and money to more diverse, underground forms of music.

Visit Lab Records online at:
www.labrecords.co.uk
www.labrecords.co.uk/store
www.myspace.cpm/labrecordsuk
Specialising in acoustic, pop-punk and indie.

Visit Humble Soul Records online at: www.humblesoul.net
Their latest release, 12 Ways to Count, the debut album from The Miserable Rich is out on 24 November, but you can buy it now from Piccadilly Records.