Runnin With My Rhythm

If you haven’t yet heard the name Eve Horne, allow me to rectify that. Because you’re about to see it everywhere , on song-writing credits, on industry boards, in mentoring programmes, and crucially, in your headphones under her artist alias Magpie . From honing her craft at the Brit School to earning a seat on the Ivors Academy board and all the transformative steps in-between, Magpie is not just a musician,   Eve Horne is a trailblazer, songwriter, producer, artist, mentor, activist wearing, more hats than a millenary convention but  rocking every one of them.  She is one of the voices demanding real inclusion in an industry that often seems stuck in the past and uses her platforms to shine a spotlight on the often stubborn gender and racial gaps in the music industry. A power house of a woman she doesn't just  talk the talk when it comes to helping others. As founder of " We are the unheard " Academy offering music production training and  ment...

It only seems like yesterday I was reviewing the poptastic debut of  Watfords  very own teen writer, musician, producer Lew Elliott after a chance meeting during Lockdown last year and the discovery that he was a neighbour, and here he is again with  debut E.P "Spirits Up.  First track up is "Lover" and what I've gaged since meeting  Lew is, he not only has a knack of writing catchy, memorable intros, he also has an annoying habit of writing that one line that holds your brain hostage like it or not  and then escapes out of your mouth, and that was the very reason I was given dodgy looks in the supermarket checkout queue the other day on    realizing  I was mumbling "She's not my lover, lover, lover, lover" Oops! I dare you not to succumb to the same fate?  Second track up is " Right With You (RWY) " and as if on cue there goes that intro and instrumental hook, it's got such an upbeat summer vibe with a production that wouldn't sound o...

    Let  a mischievous   bull loose in a china shop, Out the way I'm coming through Stylee  and you have the sound of The Sheratons,  Raving And Drooling  is   kickass exhilarating, an overdose of B12 injections, and despite my bones saying differently I feel like 17 again and upfront at one of their gigs .                                                      Describing themselves as an indie rock band  with frontman & Guitarist Kane Bulleyment, Emma Liu on drums, Finley Ryan on Guitar and Alex Creasy on Bass, this four piece from Leeds UK are deservedly gaining attention with support from local and national radio stations including Steve Lamacq BBC Radio 6  & BBC Introducing to name just a few. This young band with an average age of 20 caught the attention of Producers at Sugar House ...

If there's any  positives to come out of Lockdown, it's that people have got to connect with their community more and speak to neighbours they'd never spoken to before, and I for one was surprised to find  that just a few doors down from me lived the talented Lew Elliott, and it just so happened he was releasing his debut single "Spinning"  seemed rude not to review it really?  The impressive thing about Lew, who is  studying music production at West Herts College is that he didn't just write the track, proving that men can multitask after all  he sang, played guitar and produced it, and as Pop offerings go it's a track he should be proud of. He certainly knows how to craft a song, musically, lyrically and vocally and produce it extremely well. While I rarely offer up a review at the start of a young persons journey as I like to watch them gain some experience and grow a bit first. Lew and his track "Spinning"  were worth making an exception for...

So picture the story if you will? Girl from one band and boy from another band who happen to know each other meet up and chat  about recording a Christmas song that girl has written ...fast forward 10yrs ( And I thought I was slow?)  girl, a.k.a Vocalist/Guitarist Louise Eastlock stumbles upon the song again and  writes  a new verse especially for 2020 , only this time she books a studio too and calls upon boy, a.k.a  Bassist  Matt Newman and they called upon Drummer Toby Balson and backing vocalists Sophie Gregory and  Krysia Newnan and The Eli-Lillies were formed and the song "Christmas is the  season of Love"  finally got recorded...Hurrah! But wait,... that wasn't the end?  The band who describe their sound as Brit/Pop, Indie 90's say the song is an anti pill shaming song that encourages  people to get the help and treatment they need and deserve If their  brain doesn't produce  enough neurotransmitters on it...

  It's a slightly longer article this time for reasons that will become clear,  as well as giving artists/bands a music platform in the form of an interview/ review, there's also a  human element  and in some cases subjects that deserve the time and space, so grab a cuppa or something stronger and I'll begin?  As  "Birds"  taken from the folky roots based   "Waiting For Leaves"  album scrolled by on my Twitter feed, I hit play and went from slouched to instant upright, mouth open and  a little intake of breath, also known as a gasp, not even a coffee has me moving that quickly, I  could've sworn I'd stumbled across the captivating  angelic vocals of  Lucinda Drayton , she of  "A hundred thousand angels" toonage?  Turns out I was wrong, which as you know, as a woman, doesn't happen very often?   This  celestial sound was coming from an artist called Nic Evennett and from the moment the alb...

Robert Lane has been on my radar for some time, I've just never gotten around to giving the talented chap the review he evidently deserves, but what shifted me into  gear was when I saw his latest offering "Listen In" .....so I did Listen In by Robert Lane    My first reaction was that it would make an awesome theme song for a TV Comedy Drama, think Bread? Shameless? Citizen Smith etc? I'm hoping you're old enough to remember those blasts from the past? Robert has a down to earth vibe about him as does his sound, the type of guy you could chat with down the pub over a bottle of Bud and packet of salt and vinegar crisps, but i'm not sure he has time to do that with everything he packs into life ? Mega multitalented, he's a Singer/Songwriter, Guitar teacher, actor, who runs workshops from songwriting to comedy improvisation, he also runs regular music and drama sessions for Midland Mencap, and has his own podcast  "The Robert Lane Creative ...

I'm sure we've all had those moments when we hear a track and  it starts with such great musical promise that we stop what we're doing and allow that rush of  excitement to rise up from our toes to around the midway mark in anticipation, and then the vocals come in and hope and everything else drop quicker than an elevator ride at Disney?  Well thankfully that's not the case with Alex Francis. Alex is one of those Singer/Songwriters that could warble about a chip butty and make it sound sexy & credible. Already a fan of this talented chap based in London but originally from Hitchin after I reviewed him back in in 2017 , I couldn't wait to get my ears around his forthcoming 4 track E.P Live In Munich, and boy it doesn't disappoint .   The first  acoustic  soul track  "Make Believe" had me melting within 30 seconds via accomplished musicianship and vocals that slid down like honey, Just as Opera singers can shatter glass via a high p...

I rarely offer up reviews straight away, I sit on someone's Twitter profile, not literally of course, apart from being extremely uncomfortable  it would probably get me  arrested?  But if I keep going back then it's for good reason and that's exactly what happened in the  case of  Road Man a.k.a Funk, Soul, Roots, Reggae man  Jon Petronzio  . When I checked out his work, and  I'll get  to his new album shortly, it was the discovery of his 2014  album "Light At The Speed Of Life" and the opening track "Dangerous Road- Feat John Browns Body"  that kept reeling me back for another listen.    Jons vocals are  very clean cut and while in a lot cases that could equate to boring, it's anything but, in fact there's a vulnerability in his tone and an honesty in his delivery which is all part of the draw. With  "Chosen"  and it's Old School Funk vibe, I was transported at the speed of a Starsky & Hutch Ca...

When the furthest you've travelled is to the local shops to pick up  a jar of coffee and a bag of mint imperials, it's rather mind blowing to hear that a young boy was on his own at 16 and went on to journey through  42 countries in search of  themself and their own unique musical sound. Welcome Dax Brook with his  debut release  "Only Human." I asked him, why so long & why now?     Dax: "Releasing a body of work (songs) has always been a dream of mine, I've written many songs for film and television but none really for myself. Only Human is the first of many songs to come. This is a personal labor of love project that finally found its way out of my system and into the world. "   And who inspires him? well, it turns out a very surprising mixed bag, from his dad's love of classic rock,  to his own curiosities in reggae and jazz and the likes of Sam Cook and Otis Redding.  I have to say, when I  hear...

Just like good food can excite your taste buds & leave you wanting more, the similar can be said for Music & my ears have just experienced a gastronomic gourmet in the shape of Album "The Rise And Fall Of Babylon"   First track up, Freedom, & anti Trumpsters are going to love this, with lyrics:  "Oppress us no more We've waited for this day Our rights have been taken Your rule is coming to an end The faster that we rise above And we scream from our lungs FREEDOM! GIVE US FREEDOM BACK  WE CRAVE FREEDOM  WE STAND STRONG"  Cue Kickass guitar and my automatic response was to whack the volume up to max & watch as my morning cup of coffee rocked into life on top of the speaker, who the hell are these guys?   Disciples of Babylon from California Hollywood, that's who.  Founded in 2012, Eric Knight -Lead vocals & Rhythm Guitar, Ramon Blanco on Lead guitar, Gui Bodi on Bass Guitar & Drummer Chris Toeller . ...