Two views of the Josh Rouse Dingwalls show:
"The rigours of live performance do demand a certain degree of stage presence and projection ... on this showing Rouse and his band lacked the necessary sparkle to take them to the next level." David Sinclair in The Times yesterday.
"For one so inexpressive he makes a convincing rocker...he is well on his way." John Aizlewood in The Guardian today. I'm with John...

There's a feature/interview with Rouse just up at Nashville Scene - "he's had the kind of marginal success that's almost preferable to superstardom in the consumptive contemporary rock scene." And this flourishing 'under the radar' scene was examined in Tuesday's Chicago Tribune: "I stand to have financially the best year I've ever had in music. And I own my album! That's an unbelievably good feeling," says Joe Pernice...

Richard Hawley came down from Sheffield to play the groovy railway arches of the Cargo club last night. "Hello London - let's ballad!" was his opening line. And how we did. A gorgeous set succeeded in reproducing the reverb-heavy, nostalgic tones of his 2 releases. And the northern drollery was on tap throughout: "This one's our dance anthem - if you can waltz." The technical term, I believe, is 'top geezer' (and high marks to the venue, as well - cool in every sense)...