What a revelation to hear so much talent in different styles based on the musicians roots.
Not to be missed.  See you next year in Nürnberg.

Dallas Burrow's upcoming album, "The Way The West Was Won," is a collection of cowboy songs set in the Old West. Produced by Lloyd Maines, it features guest appearances from Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kelly Willis, and Jim Lauderdale. The album, set to be released on September 26th, 2025, is a tribute to Burrow's "trail-riding heroes" and his love for Texas, its traditions, and its tall tales. 

This eclectic trio composed an enchanting instrumental album. Listen several times and enjoy the melodic lines.

A few months ago, the Atomicat label launched its new series, ‘Rockin' Country Style’. The first volume was an immediate hit, showcasing country and western artists blending their own genre with the new one, rock 'n' roll.
On the second volume, compiler Mark Armstrong once again brings together 33 tracks that showcase the beautiful blend of both genres.
The album opens strongly with Jack Cardwell and ‘Whiskey, Women And Loaded Dice,’ featuring excellent collaboration between steel guitar and harmonica. The presence of sax and piano then makes ‘I Ain't Got Time To Rock’ by Glenn Reeves & His Town And Country Playboys lean more towards rock 'n' roll. What follows is a delightful and danceable version of the classic ‘Oh Lonesome Me’ by Luke Simmons & His Blue Mountain Boys. Fiddle and percussion simulating the sound of horses' hooves then grace Roger Miller's ‘Poor Little John’. Rockabilly then leads Carmol Taylor's ‘Free As A Breeze,’ complete with a beautiful echo-drenched guitar solo. Rockabilly is also the key ingredient in Bill Flagg's ‘Doin' My Time’. Late last year, a sublime three-CD box set featuring Billy Barton recordings was released. This box set included several acetate recordings. On ‘Country Style, Vol. 2,’ Billy is billed as Hillbilly Barton with ‘You Make Me Cry’. This is also an acetate recording. Another acetate recording is featured later on with ‘On the Rhythm Range’ by Sons of the Pioneers. Also on acetate is the instrumental ‘Virgil's Juke Box Boogie,’ by an unknown artist. An extensive search for the identity of the guitarist who delivers formidable work here brought no solution. Despite this, it's an extremely enjoyable track! Sheb Wooley was both an actor and a singer. His exceptional performance in the latter is evident in the up-tempo ‘Oklahoma Honky-Tonk Gal’. Beautiful harmonies can be found in the country rocker ‘So Called Friends’ by Billy Barnoski & Bill Woods. Beautiful harmonies also feature in ‘Finger Poppin' Time’ by the Stanley Brothers, as well as in ‘Hamburger Hop’ by Johnny Hicks & His Troubadors. It's remarkable how well music from the mid-20th century has been preserved. This is why Eddie Noacks' ‘Shotgun House’ still has a brilliant sound today. The backing in ‘The Road To Your Heart’ by Bob Roark & ​​The Country Band feels distinctly Johnny Cash. Brothers Floyd and Dennis of the Blankenship Bros. were originally active in bluegrass. In ‘That's Why I Am Blue,’ they clearly flirt with rockabilly and country. Betty Jo of Betty Jo & Johnny Starr became the national yodeling champion in 1953. You won't hear any yodeling in ‘Eskimo Boogie,’ but it's definitely a danceable number. Johnny Tyler became famous with his version of ‘Okie Boogie’. Here you can hear him telling stories in ‘Hillbilly Preacher’. Clay Eager's ‘Helen Jo’ is also stirring. A well-known figure is Skeets McDonald. He's best known for his ‘You Oughta See Grandma Rock,’ featuring a young Eddie Cochran on guitar, but ‘Fingertips’, featured here with excellent backing vocals, is just as great. Sublime swinging fiddle work can be heard on Jack Cardwell's rocking ‘Day Done Broke Too Soon This Morning’.
Closing is reserved for the great George Jones with ‘Don't Stop The Music,’ which he recorded in 1957 for the Armed Forces Radio and TV Broadcasts to boost military morale.
That country artists impressively combined their country & western music with the prevailing rock 'n' roll is once again evident in this second volume of ‘Rockin' Country Style’. Look forward eagerly to the third volume. Luckily, you won't have to wait long, as its release is already scheduled for October.

BGO Records rereleased remastered versions - with bonus tracks – of two albums with Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jackie McAuley as protagonist: Trader Horne’s ‘Morning Way’ [1970] with Judy Dyble and his only, self-titled solo album from a year later.
By then, McAuley had made a name for himself as a member of Them and The Other Them aka Belfast Gypsies [1965-1967], while Judy Dyble’s claim to fame included co-founding Fairport Convention. The McAuley -Dyble duo under the name ‘Trader Horne’ turns out to be a winning combination: both are skilled song-writers, with Dyble adding her unique voice and McAuley showing his talents on a range of instruments.
Both albums mainly consist of original compositions and both feature an array of instruments such as celeste, harpsichord, flute, congas, violin, clarinet, etc.  Both start from the softer side of folk and blues, slightly veering into acid folk and psychedelia, thanks to particular arrangements, Eastern influences, [the raga-like ‘Bangerine’], unusual instrumentation, and, of course, Dyble’s unique singing.
McAuley is still very busy and this lovely set reminds us of his versatility.
Radio 68  plays choice tracks from both albums on Wednsday 24 September from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. 

The tropical summer temperatures are behind us again. Nature is gradually transforming into beautiful autumn colors, immediately suggesting that another year is drawing to its end. Before that happens, however, several annual events are still on the agenda. The first event that will soon be announced is Halloween, which has come over from America and has been enjoying a great deal of popularity here for several years now. The fact that Halloween has long been celebrated in America has also inspired artists to create songs about it, usually including horror cries. The Atomicat label previously released three volumes in the ‘Hallowscream!’ series, packed with songs that form the soundtrack for the terrifying celebration. However, because there were still quite a few songs left on the shelves, the fourth volume in this series is now available.
Once again, you'll find 30 songs from the mid-20th century that will undoubtedly get you in the Halloween spirit. Merv Griffin immediately introduces you to the primarily instrumental ‘House Of Horrors’. A fine guitar-driven rocker arrives later with The Metropolitans' ‘Screaming (Part 1)’. It's odd, though, that the second part of the song was released on a different 45 rpm. Voodoo, of course, is a must-see. The vocal group The Kingsfive, backed by The New Redtops Orchestra, provides that on ‘Voodoo Man’. The spoken ‘Count Drunkula,’ a private, one-off pressing by The Starlits, is also enjoyable. Leroy Bowman & The Arrows rock out, including a catchy piano solo, on ‘Graveyard’. Rod Willis presents more brilliant rock on ‘The Cat,’ with Big John Taylor on the six strings. The Verdicts doo-wop their way through the up-tempo ‘The Mummy's Ball,’ as do The Combinations on ‘Voodoo’. More formidable doo-wop comes from The Monotones on the captivating ‘Zombi’. A truly impressive track is Jim Burgett's ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. It's a song that uses minimal screams, yet precisely because of that, it blossoms into a timeless rocking number. John Sowell also touches on classic rock in ‘Nightmares’. Halloween can be found in all roots genres. Popcorn lovers will definitely find something to their liking in ‘The Vampire's Ghost’ by Jimmy Bowers. More popcorn can be found in ‘Igor's Lament’ by Tony & The Monstrosities. A song that, aside from a few vocal interventions, is mainly instrumental, noting the sublime sax. The Cre-Shells are instrumental, surfing, and nodding to the great Link Wray in ‘Dracula’. Other impressive instrumental work can be found in Pete Drake's ‘The Spook’. With minimal use of instruments and the jungle drum as a foundation, Darrell Glenn invokes ‘Hoo Doo The Voo Doo’. For a song-long, challenging laugh on an organ-driven instrumental, skip to The Madmen and their ‘Haunted’. A touch of steel guitar can be found in the surprising ‘Skeleton Bookie’ by Abe Link & The Western Spotlighters, a song that also has a country feel. ‘The Howl’ by the powerfully vocal Johnny Eager will appeal to both rhythm & blues and popcorn fans. Cool harmonies and swing then characterize ‘Frankenstein's Party’ by The Swingin' Phillies, marinated in a fine sax solo. ‘Monster Dinner (Seven Corpse Dinner)’ by Roger Sherman sounds special, even a bit jazzy. A bass intro sets the tone for ‘Voo Doo Twist (Voo Doo Voo Doo)’ by the French band Les Pingouins, performed in their native tongue. The song was a classic for LaVern Baker, but here it gets a more rock-inspired twist. With ‘Surfer Smash,’ a vocal surf track, it's time for one last ‘scare and shiver’ with Johnn (Boris) Jones.
‘Hallowscream! 4,’ like its three predecessors, offers an impressive mix of Halloween-themed songs. ‘Frightening and shivering,’ the 30 tracks will definitely guide you through Halloween. Highly recommended!

Germany's Cat Lee King and His Cocks present their latest album, ‘Shootin' Crap’. In 2018, tee band garnered excellent reviews for their debut, ‘Cock Tales’. When the coronavirus struck, the world went into lockdown, and performances were canceled, singer and pianist Cat Lee King locked himself in his studio. This resulted in his beautiful solo album, aptly titled ‘The Quarantine Tapes’. Fortunately, social life resumed, immediately giving Cat Lee King the opportunity to collaborate on new songs with his Cocks. They now are 14 in total. Cat Lee King and His Cocks are unique in the current landscape of rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. The genre they explore was previously performed by small big bands in the mid-20th century, in which the horn section played a prominent role. The band doesn't feature any horns, but this is certainly not a drawback. This shortcoming is more than compensated for by Cat Lee's sublime black and white keyboard playing, as well as the guitars of Tommy J. Croole and Sidney Ramone. The band also consists of Lucky Luciano on upright bass and René Lieutenant on drums. Guest musician on xylophone is that other well-known German, Ray Collins.
The band opens immediately with the title track, a boogie floating on a simple but effective riff. With the follow-up, ‘Headin' For The Cottonfield’, kicked off by a great guitar, the band takes a rock 'n' roll approach, complete with a catchy piano and guitar solo. The style of the former little big band surfaces in the swinging, partly declaimed ‘Sound 'n' Smoke’, where the intervention of the former horn section is perfectly complemented by guitar and piano. ‘Blame It On Elvis’ has a somewhat Latin feel. Brilliant song! The band's gift for composing original songs with a sense of a bygone era is evident in tracks like ‘Nobody’, written by drummer René Lieutenant, who, alongside F. Wirths, also has credits on several tracks. More stunning guitar work can be discovered in the beautiful rhythm & blues ‘Miss Bourbon’. Jump and swing come to the forefront in ‘Mr. Big Time,’ while ‘Tomorrow’ evokes a charleton atmosphere. For a cover of a classic, the band returned to ‘Pretend’, made famous by Nat King Cole. A cover version that can be considered one of the very best.
Swinging and full of atmosphere, Cat Lee King and His Cocks close the album with the well-known ‘Last Call For Alcohol’.
‘Shootin' Crap’ is an album of which far too few are made. Excellent compositions, talented musicians, and Cat Lee King, whose vocals are incredibly close to the legendary artists of this genre, are the ingredients used here.
There's only one band that can perform this age-old genre in a contemporary, original, and expert way. That band goes by the name of Cat Lee King and His Cocks.

The release ‘Luv in the New World’ was recorded live off the floor in Los Angeles with an all-star lineup, including Jay Bellerose on drums (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson) and Sebastian Steinberg on bass (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucinda Williams). Set for release in 2025, get ready—Joe Nolan is about to become a name everyone’s talking about. A virtuoso guitarist, elusive poet, and musical chameleon, Nolan was raised in the rural community of Sturgeon County, Alberta. Caught between two small northern towns, he found his place in this world at an early age, growing up alongside the North Saskatchewan River.

​It's been four years since the Swedish band The Kokomo Kings overwhelmed us with their formidable fourth album, ‘A Drive-By Love Affair.’ Anyone who thought the band had lost all their strengths with that album would do well to wrap themselves in shame. On the new album ‘Turbomouth,’ Jonas Holmberg, Martin Abrahamsson, Magnus Lanshammar, and Daniel Winerö convincingly prove otherwise. The 11 original tracks were all penned by bassist Magnus Lanshammar, who also serves as backing vocalist. Over the years, The Kokomo Kings have developed their own unique sound. A sound they thankfully remain true to on the new album, resulting in a new album packed with infectious roots rock of the highest order. They open immediately with the title track, a roots boogie driven by a delightful riff, built on a solid rhythm section where lead singer Martin pulls out all the stops. Another moving boogie follows later with ‘Third Class Second Hand Man.’ Catchy riffs have become The Kokomo Kings' trademark. This is also evident in their follow-up, ‘Between Nothing And Nowhere.’ The interplay between guitarists Jonas Holmberg and Martin Abrahmsson, who also handles lead vocals throughout the album, is also incredibly impressive. Apparently, fishing is a hobby of songwriter Magnus. This surfaces in ‘Fishing In The Deep Waters,’ which also serves as a metaphor. For a ‘love song’ in the Kokomo Kings' vein, skip to the striking ‘Something In Her Eyes.’ A track that will definitely resonate with audiences during live performances is the rocking ‘But I Like It.’ The gentlemen's intimate knowledge of roots genres is also evident in ‘Titanium Heart,’ which features subtle country influences. For a creative, slightly Eastern-sounding guitar performance, ‘At The Graveyard’ is the place to be. The Kokomo Kings close the album rocking in style with ‘Afternoon Tea.’
We want to reiterate: The Kokomo Kings are among the best contemporary roots rock has to offer. A rock-solid rhythm section, excellent guitar work, a dynamic lead singer, and incredibly clever compositions. See for yourself, because you simply don’t want to miss ‘Turbomouth.’

One of the best eclectic jazz albums of 2025.  Impressive compositions and performances. Recommended.

​Because of Yates’s lifelong, intense dedication to blues and roots music, he has developed a direct line from his soul to whatever instrument he holds. When he sings and plays, you don’t just hear it, you feel it…deeply. On these recordings you will find him not only singing and playing guitar, but also playing drums, bass guitar, upright bass and organ.But, aside from Yates’s abilities and accomplishments, he is my son! It is the joy of my life to record and perform with him. The amazing musicians on this album are also our closest friends. We hope you will feel the love when you listen. Kevin McKendree

Once again east meets west with the beautiful voice of Elena Hristova and her enchanting music.

Jon Hines will release his first band recording, called Memphis Sun. Featuring seven masterfully crafted blues-roots songs backed by a powerful rhythm section. Memphis Sun highlights Hines’ swampy, gritty guitar playing, coupled with haunting vocals and storytelling.

Beautiful new releases from the British label Fruits de Mer Records. The label remains true to its mission of keeping psychedelia and acid folk alive.
Soon, the fourth album by the Swedish duo Us And Them will be released. Britt and Anders create dreamy folk-pop with a poetic touch. Britt’s vocals radiate calm while Anders gently caresses his acoustic guitar. The new album The Lights and The Shadows also reveals another, darker side. Just like in real life, you’ll experience both. The album revisits several tracks from a previous EP, such as the Sandy Denny–styled If the Summer Lingers and the fantastic Tear Apart with synths and mellotron.
Faithful favorite Crystal Jacqueline has gathered new songs for her double album Smoke Road. She charmed a few friends into providing musical support, including Leo O’Kelly (Tir Na nOg), Icarus Peel (sublime guitarist), Mark McDowell (additional vocals), Rob Gould (keyboards), Jay Tausig (drums, flute), and not to be forgotten, Mordecai Smyth (mellotron). Crystal Jacqueline herself delivers her steady, pitch-perfect vocals as usual, with a razor-sharp edge of purity. Nineteen angelic songs with enough variety to lose yourself in for a cozy hour.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the debut album La Nouvelle Musique by the duo Joanna Beck & Ian de Silva is shaping up to be the best psych-folk album of 2025. Their “cinematic psychedelia,” as they describe it, gives you goosebumps and received a five-star review in the music magazine Shindig. The album is, for now, still available at Norman Records, the only distributor shipping from the UK with VAT included (so no extra customs fees!!).

The band Big Shoes was born over a decade ago in Nashville, when we formed as a tribute band to Little Feat. After featuring a number of their songs in our sets, we began writing our own material, which culminated in two self-released albums. Three years ago we were signed by Qualified Records, helmed by GRAMMY-winning producer Kevin McKendree and managing partner John Heithaus, and this is our second release for the label, after the #1 worldwide charting and critically acclaimed album, “Fresh Tracks.”

In celebration of his 89th birthday, the album showcases Buddy’s unrelenting dedication to the blues. With featured artists such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Joe Walsh, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Joe Bonamassa, and Peter Frampton, Ain’t Done With The Blues was produced at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, TN. With the passing of B.B. King in 2015, Buddy Guy is practically the only remaining legendary blues artist. And even though he's a shrewd businessman, he continues to amaze us musically. Buddy Guy no longer needs interpretation from a seasoned blues fanatic.