Philip Murray Warson EP out now

https://soundcloud.com/philipmurraywarson/following-time

Fans of fine English folk can stop whining over Mumford and Sons’ change of direction and refocus on new music now, thanks to the arrival of one Philip Murray Warson. A songwriter who prefers the gentle strum of an acoustic to the fevered pluck of a banjo (judging by his new EP at least), his sound is a pure, classy take on laid back folk.

‘Following Time’ (above) is joined on the two track EP by the evocative ‘Last of the Hunted’, which also brings a spooky spin to things. It all serves as a rather excellent teaser for what Warson could be capable of.

Hopefully an album will be on the way soon to see how this promising start can be built upon. in the meantime, if you’re a roots fan who likes discovering new tunes, head over to Bandcamp for your very own copy – well worth a couple of quid.

80s pop star Carmel returns with new band and new singles

An old school vocalist with an old school sound, Carmel is an artist who is returning to the music industry with new songs for the first time since some huge hits in the 80s. In the meantime, she’s picked up a brand new band and new-old sound.

There’s something delightfully 60s about the first of her new double A side single ‘Sad Situation’. The layered vocals and spaced out production calls to mind those summer vibes in the lead up to the glam rock of the 70s. ‘Second Wife Blues’ however is something of a different beast, still traditional in sound (blues rock) but quite forward thinking lyrically.

These are grown up songs with grown up points to make – fine counter programming to the youthful angst of today’s chart scene.

New EP and Tour from veteran vocalist Ann Wilson

The video above, ‘Fool No More’, is the opening track from a stunning new EP from well known US vocalist Ann Wilson. Although perhaps not a household name in her own right, she found fame as a member of sibling duo Heart, and has even been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Now though, she’s stepping out on her own for her first solo EP ‘The Ann Wilson Thing’, and it’s full of great quality tracks like the one above. There are few finer things in music than a talented vocalist who pulls out all the stops, and the four tracks on show here demonstrate an artists who is able to do that and then some. It’s a throwback to old school music, when talent was more important than in the reality TV era of today.

In other great news, the EP is being supported by a tour in the US – dates are below, head over to the website for more info:

Sept 21 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up

Oct 6 – Hartford, CT – The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center

Oct 7 – New York, NY – City Winery (two shows)

Oct 9 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head on Stage

Oct 10 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head on Stage

Oct 12 – Vienna, VA – The Barns at Wolf Trap

Oct 13 – Vienna, VA – The Barns at Wolf Trap

Oct 15 – Nashville, TN – City Winery

Nov 23 – Oakland, CA – Yoshi’s

Nov 24 – Oakland, CA – Yoshi’s (two shows)

Politically minded new EP from E Mute – ‘I Can Pay For It’

Raw but unblemished, the new EP from songwriter Theo Mak and his musical collective E Mute is a poltically minded indie project who have just released a brand new EP.

To give it it’s full title, ‘I Can Pay For It: A Collection of Songs for the Current Political & Socio-economic Crisis’ takes a gritty look at the political landscape, and doesn’t pull any punches in the lyrics. This fully formed base of opinions forms the core of the four tracks on offer here, and the fact that the tracks are well constructed and suitably raucous for the genre is something of a bonus too.

So, if you enjoy good music that also has a point to make, check it out at the links below.

Spotify / Amazon / Google Play / Rdio