Slightly extended version of my review from The Nottingham Post.   This Grammy nominated singer-songwriter from Oklahoma is just 24 and comes with a head of critical steam plus a debut TV appearance on BBC2’s Later this Friday. Fullbright has a rich voice, a rootsy sound and a wide range of material that recalls songwriters as far apart as Ryan Adams and Randy Newman.   In the intimate Glee Studio, he comes on solo with two new, promising songs, then is joined by veteran Oklahoma guitarist Terry Ware. The older man contributes tasty licks and whatever else is needed for the rest of the evening, creating a surprisingly full sound for a duo.   About half of Fullbright’s debut album, From The Ground Up, is…

This review first appeared in Thursday’s Nottingham Post   “WE’RE really smoking tonight,” says Animals singer and bassist Pete Barton. And it’s true. An amp has caught fire, halfway through a set of classics from the sixties. Barton replaces Eric Burdon, who sued to get the name from original drummer John Steel. And lost. Keyboard player Mickey Gallagher, best known as one of the Blockheads, replaced Alan Price at short notice in 1965 and returned in 2003. Danny Handley on guitar and vocals completes the new team. It’s My Life, Dimples and others roar by, with covers like I Believe To My Soul. They sound like a terrific tribute band with a fantastic keyboard player, but this is only the warm-up. After a break, they…

  My thirty albums of the year, ordered by how much I’ve enjoyed them rather than attempts at spurious objectivity. A terrific top 21 & the best of the also-rans. Downloads of many featured artists in the post below. A tight fight for the top spot, Leonard’s first. Hopefully, Frank will have plenty more opportunities to compete for this coveted honour. 1   Leonard Cohen – Old Ways 2   Frank Ocean – Channel Orange 3   The XX – Coexist 4   Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill 5   Dirty Projectors – Swing Low Magellan 6   Bob Dylan – Tempest 7   Aimee Mann – Charmer 8   Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe 9   Simone Felice 10= Rumer – Boys Don’t Cry 10= Beth…

This is the last post of the year bar my best songs of the year cd countdown, which starts tomorrow. I’ve been to three gigs in the last four nights. Follow the links to read about Squeeze (disappointing) and Beth Orton (outstanding) in the Nottingham Post. I wasn’t reviewing last night’s gig. In fact, until a week ago, I didn’t have a ticket. Tried to get good seats the moment they went on sale, months ago (couldn’t stand, because of going with an ill friend) but was only offered ones at the back. Finally found a pair near the front on eBay and they arrived on Tuesday. Phew. Funnily enough, the seats were very close to where Mike and I sat the first time I…

Last year I did a reading and talk at Leicester De Montfort University, after which the organiser, author and academic Jonathan Taylor, asked me whether he could use the story I’d just tried out in a new anthology that he was hoping to get published. My copy of Overheard: stories to read aloud arrived last week and I’ve been dipping into it ever since. It’s a very nifty idea for an anthology, with nothing over 3,000 words long (I had to ruthlessly edit my story, Games In Bed, to get it down to 2,999 words!), so each story take only a few minutes to read or – at most – fifteen minutes to read aloud. I’m one of those people who will read a poem or story aloud…