​First album from indie folkband Barnill Brothers.  Poetic lyrics and great acoustic guitar are the main ingredients of ‘A Better Place’.  For the late quiet evenings.

​Often cover versions were more successful than their original. In the series ‘Cherries On The Lose’, the Atomicat label pays attention to the originals and also mentions who covered them. On volume 3 we again get 28 songs that sometimes did better as a cover than the original. Every song on this album has its own story.
‘Cherries On The Lose’ is a series that ‘gives credit to where credit is due’, namely the original songs and the artists who performed them.

​Great second album from the German trio Riot In The Attic: immersive headbangers and melodic guitarriffs.  You will love it!

​Most likely, the name Cliffie Stone does not immediately evoke any association. And yet this legendary artist on the double bass had an influence that should not be underestimated. Stone was not only a giant on the upright bass, he also earned his spurs behind the microphone. Perhaps most importantly, he was invaluable to Capitol Records as a session musician and arranger.
The emphasis here is on recordings between 1947 and 1958. The first 8 tracks show Cliffie with his own band or solo. The other tracks highlight his collaboration with others. 30 uptempo tracks that all put Cliffie's talent in the spotlights. Hillbilly, country boogie, instrumentals and fragments of rock and roll that have lost nothing of their strength after more than half a century.
This collector of Cliffie Stone’s work for Capitol is an unmissable release. Lovers of the other hillbilly albums released by Atomicat, don’t miss this one!

​Every year a new EP, a promise from the Swedish band Slim Loris.  Last year I loved  ‘One Kind Of Bull’.  On this short album  I was really charmed by ‘Flowers’ and ‘Changed’.  Especially the contribution of singer Leon Lindström.

​Bass player George Anderson (from the band Shakatak) his fifth solo album is a very nice project that shows his talent. He composed and recorded it last year during the pandemic. Jazz funk fans will love this! 

​Two older albums, one from 1998, and one from 2001 are together on this reissue. A very nice double album, with jazz funk & smooth jazz, for those who don’t own it yet, don’t hesitate, buy it!

​With ‘Rock And Roll Vixens, Vol. 1', the Koko-Mojo label focuses on the recordings of African-American female singers from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s. These were the heyday of the blues, rhythm & blues and early soul, but also recordings by women's groups that guaranteed harmony vocals were very popular.
Keeping in mind the Koko-Mojo slogan ‘No Fillers, Just Killers’, we can only conclude that this has once again been 100% successful.

​This is the busker’s rebirth as a solo artist, and as a new “One Woman Band”. The magic, her philosophy and a month-long train journey with the renowned Armtrak. Even now it was no longer necessary to acquire a lot of inspiration for her writing talent. Fortunately, she had the bright idea to profile her as "One Woman Band". In November she moved to legendary Royal Sound Studios in Memphis. Almost in real time the songs were canned in a vintage way. Along with Lawrence Boo Mitchell Volt is also responsible for the production.
The release ‘One Woman Band’ is a beautiful, cheerful and inspiring album. And this in difficult times. Thanks Ghalia ...

​Traditional and more recent folksongs taken to a higher level by five-piece band Spilar.  Classic and modern inspirations gives this album a warm appearance.  Recommended!

​The result of this album is peaceful music, and that was Dominic’s intention. Because his instrumental music is food for the soul, heals our souls and generates a feeling of well-being. A mixture of new jazz, world music, funk and pop. Rather enjoyable to listen to. 

For almost a decade, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers stood for rocking, swinging, fast and furious R&B and soul. In fact, these guys form an essential part of the history of British soul. Their many beautiful singles and wonderful LPs failed to secure commercial success, except for Top 10 hits ‘One Way Love’ and ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’. Bennett thought it was time to go with the flow, first setting up ‘Rebellion’, then recruiting Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake en John Glascock of The Gods to go ‘hard’ and ‘progressive’as Toe Fat. Both albums are typical hard rock LPs of the era (1970), though the R&B roots are clearly recognizable and at times even prominent. And of course, there’s the pillar of everything Bennett did: that big, gritty and soulish voice of his. I’ve always felt there’s a bit of a mismatch between that exceptional voice and the hard rock format. Also, Bennett was a great interpreter and that asset is missing here. At any rate, Toe Fat didn’t make it. The best songs here are those that give credit to Bennett’s voice and his original musical background. Cherry Red gathered both albums and a 1972 single onto 2 CDs (re-mastered), adding a nice booklet featuring an exclusive interview with Bennett.
Radio 68  brings you choice tracks in ‘Rock On!’ of Wednesdays 27 Jan. and 3 Feb. 

​Back to the sound of the seventies with this West Coast pop. In any case, this album is a worthy tribute to the West Coast sound, although it is coming from the Netherlands! I want definitely more of that! 

​Volume 2 in the series' Hoodlums, Rockers and Racketeers Wildest Wingding!’ namely 'Rockers Wildest Wingding!' catapults you with a sledgehammer back to the decade of ‘wild rock & roll and rockabilly’, with 27 tracks all recorded in the fifties. A decade that produced a multiple of well-known and lesser-known groundbreaking songs. ‘Rocker's Wildest Wingding!’ is herefore your perfect guide.

Cherry Red’s new imprint ‘Strawberry’ kicks off with a triple CD covering all the genres the Mods liked to dance to in the sixties, viz. R&B, soul, ska, jazz and  beat – including beat with a creative bonus now known as ‘freakbeat’.  It’s not exactly the first collection of its kind, but it’s good to come across one that first and foremost stresses what we called ‘beat’ at the time – an inclusive term that could encompass a fuzzy guitar, a jazzy Hammond or a repetitive ska rhythm. After all, it’s the beat you dance to. The first disc focuses on a  broad spectrum of  black American influences, with quite some jazz and R&B, mainly by long-forgotten acts (The Union, SW4, Barry St. John) or overlooked tracks from the earliest days of artists that did make it – The Animals, Rod Stewart, Zoot Money et al. Disc 2 sounds a bit tougher (The Kinks, The Yardbirds) and some  experimentation may be present, think The Creation or a young David Bowie. Again, the number of overlooked or forgotten artists is impressive. Disc 3 takes the Mods’ preferences a bit further, already introducing the end of an era as the music become more complicated and ‘progressive’, e.g. a ‘heavy’ Plastic Penny, a great cover of ‘I’m A Man’ by former light pop group The Web or Arthur Brown. The surprises keep coming. How about Paul & Barry Ryan, Quiet Melon (feat. Rod Stewart) and underrated British soul singer Kris Ife?
There’s an awful lot to discover here, even if you think you’ve seen and heard it all. A nice booklet comments each track and is fully illustrated. Radio 68 plays choice tracks in ‘My Generation’ of Sunday 24 and  Tuesday 26 Jan., and in Rock On!’ of Wednesdays 27 Jan. and 3 Feb.

​Early Times is a music veteran from Sacramento, CA affectionately known as the "Hobo Deluxe". From New York City he abandoned his musicality. And it is diverging like never before. Heavy blues rock, great instrumentals, some funky and jazzy tunes have almost become his tradmark here. This is a great and exciting CD!

A lockdown inspires creation.  Singer-songwriter KB Bayley goes very intimate and is causing an emotional storm.  

​Patrick Bradley hopes that this new album brings an inspiring message of hope. It’s a very nice contemporary jazz album, with hints of fusion, rock, R&B, blues and funk. Highly recommended!

​Several compilation albums have already been filled with ’lovesongs’ that give you a good feeling. It is a pity, however, that those albums often fell into the ‘repeat trap’, which meant that the purchaser several times had to add some songs in an identical version. Releasing a surprisingly ‘love songs’ filled compilation is therefore a challenge. The Atomicat label shows that challenges can lead to great results with this ‘Think Me A Kiss’, filled with ‘30 Rock 'n' Roll Songs Of Happiness’. The excellent rhythm & blues, doo-wop, rock-n-roll and rockabilly of this album provide the ideal soundtrack for a romantic and successful ‘Valentine’s Day’. Enjoy!

​Alternative songs beautiful sweet and abstruse (!)  in its simplicity. That’s real art and  I love it…!

​A very nice anthology, with older and new tracks. A nice introduction to SouLutions. They bring real soul music and sometimes disco, that harks back to the seventies. Highly recommended to soul fans!

​In the past, Rick Shea has worked with greats such as Dave Alvin, Katy Moffatt and ‘Queen of Rockabilly’ Wanda Jackson. It is therefore not surprising that Shea packages his songs in the almost unbelievable mixes of genres. Rockabilly, blues, country and Cajun pop up with the regularity of a clock in 12 awesome songs. To discover!

​This very nice contemporary jazz EP, with 7 tracks, proves that Dee Lucas is a talented saxophonist. Recommended to those who love contemporary & smooth jazz!

​Nathan Carter can easily warm up his fans with country and folk structures in a popular canvas.  Great appearance.

​Progressive metal full of melody and a touch of gothic inside.  Wonderful debut from this Dutch band Meadows, indeed!