WOOD BURNT RED – HOLD ON TIGHT – album review
Independent Wood Burnt Red come out swinging on Hold On Tight, a debut that plants its boots firmly in Southern rock territory while letting country, Americana and blues notations seep into the cracks. This is music with muscle, attitude and, crucially, something to say. Across eleven tracks, the UK four-piece prove they can deliver a […]
JIMMY REGAL AND THE ROYALS – SNAP BACK – Album review
Independent Ever since I reviewed this band’s first album, I have to say that I have been a huge fan and advocate of these guys. They have a rawness about them, gritty, full of energy, attitude, attributes that help them stand out from the crowd. Snap Back has eleven tunes that contain all of the […]
KATIE KNIPP – LIVE AT THEATER 5150 – album review
Independent Katie Knipp has long built her reputation on electrifying live performances, and Live At Theater 5150finally captures that magic in full flight. Recorded before a packed California audience, this expansive 16-track set isn’t simply a greatest hits package performed on stage; it’s a vivid snapshot of an artist and band thriving on spontaneity, chemistry […]
THE BONESHAKERSPULL – UP THE ROOTS – album review
Gulf Coast Records The Boneshakers return to the fundamentals of great roots music: groove, chemistry, feel, and songs with room to breathe on this mini album of six tracks. Eschewing studio gloss, the band puts Jenny Langer’s powerhouse vocals and Randy Jacobs’ expressive guitar firmly at the heart of the sound. Opening with Your Luck […]
Erja Lyytinen toughens up ‘Hard as Stone’ for new live single
Erja Lyytinen has released a heavier new live version of ‘Hard as Stone’, the second single from her forthcoming 50th Birthday Live 2026 album. The Finnish guitarist originally recorded the song for her 2019 studio album Another World, but seven years on she felt it was time to revisit it. And her reason is refreshingly […]
Ally Venable to livestream London 100 Club show worldwide
Ally Venable will livestream her London show from the legendary 100 Club on Thursday 10 September, giving fans around the world the chance to watch her latest UK tour from home. The Texan blues-rock guitarist is currently making her way across the UK with Canadian guitarist Garret T. Willie as special guest, with tonight’s show […]
Manchester Blues Festival returns this October with international and homegrown talent
Manchester Blues Festival returns on Sunday 18 October, bringing a full day of live blues to The Carlton Club in Whalley Range. Founded in 2024, the grassroots festival will run from the afternoon through to midnight, mixing established international names with musicians from Manchester and the wider UK blues scene. This year’s programme moves between […]
Wood Burnt Red release debut album ‘Hold On Tight’
UK Southern rock four-piece Wood Burnt Red have released their debut album Hold On Tight, an eleven-track collection that brings together country storytelling, blues-rock muscle and the chemistry of a band built on years of friendship. Released today, 4 September, the album arrives alongside new single ‘Best Things’, a tongue-in-cheek Southern rock stomper that takes […]
Ben Poole shares upbeat new single ‘Time Has No Mercy’
Ben Poole has released ‘Time Has No Mercy’, the third single from his forthcoming album Post-Midnight Behaviour, due on 25 September through Gypsy Soul Records. Following the darker tone of previous singles ‘No Second Chances’ and ‘Empty’, the new track deliberately changes direction. Built around punchy power chords and a more urgent rock feel, it […]
Steve Cropper’s final album arrives with Brian May and Billy Gibbons on ‘My Angels Are Calling’
Steve Cropper’s posthumous album Watching The Tide is out now through Provogue / Artone Label Group, accompanied by the release of the deeply moving ‘My Angels Are Calling’, featuring Brian May and Billy Gibbons. The track brings together three of rock and soul’s most recognisable guitar names, although May takes an unexpected role at its […]