'Alone on stage, his picking sharp without being aggressive, he allowed every note to ring and do its work. By the time he had sounded the final chord, he had drawn everyone into the bar.'
From a recent review of Denison Witmer somewhere in England - not last weekend at the Windmill tho' it might just as well be. Pretty damned heartening to witness the incremental creep of awareness and appreciation for this guy. From a mere committed handful at this venue last time round to what can fairly be described as a polite throng now lapped up Denison's sincere, succint folk-rockery. Hey, there was even a bit of whoopin' to be heard after the concluding chord of 24 turned 25 and it certainly wasn't just reallyrather. The tour's nearly over now but there's a stop press addition this coming Sunday (30th) when Denison (along with notional tour headliners Charlemagne) will apparently swing by the Sensible Sundays all-day free session at Nambucca in north London (playing after 8pm)...

Elsewhere on that Windmill bill, the presence of Neil Halstead and most of the rest of Mojave3 in his backing band was surely as much a factor as Justin Rutledge himself in drawing the biggest crowd of the night. And the combination didn't disappoint, dishing up a sterling, assured set of twangsome Americana. It's not quite this blog's cup of tea but the album's sure to please anyone of a Gram Parsons persuasion...

...and it's released by Neil Halstead's own label, Shady Lane Records. Next up from this stable should be a debut full-length from Coley Park: "We're all very exited about Down at the Devillin Tree, its gonna blow a few minds with its psychedelic pop hooks and country flair". If the fact that they're from Reading doesn't dim your curiousity check them out when they play there June 25, opening Josh Rouse's pre-Glastonbury warm-up show at 21 South Street...
Coley Park | Shady Lane Records

'They are not a bunch of indie-rockers making a fun country side-project..this is not another alt-country album..this is true American roots music.' That'll be Portland trio Clampitt, Gaddis & Buck whose Nine tracks debut was engineered by Adam Selzer (Norfolk & Western, M. Ward, etc) and as such has to be worth a look...
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...ditto Magic wand, the new album from another of Selzer's gigs, Little Wings (due 17 Aug.) and, if it ever appears, a Selzer-produced full-length from low-key songstress Anamude...

Definitely out there already is the latest Matt Pond PA release, Emblems: 'The hooks are sharper and there are a bunch of really catchy choruses..call it some of the finest emotionally charged chamber pop you are liable to hear in 2004,' reckons Allmusic. If you're happy to wait, it's been picked up for an autumn UK release by b-unique (who also just signed Mull Historical Society)...

"I realize not only that I'd rather listen to Dreamer's Book than Rumours this week, but that I can imagine in time thinking of them as peers." Easy, Tiger! The War Against Silence takes a shine to the Mascott album...

...and anyone who feels similarly might also want to hunt down the delectable slice of Aussie wist that is Bilby's Life in the slow lane. Reinforcing the slacker idyll of it's title, the 11 songs suggest doing nothing much more strident than putting the kettle on, say, or getting a bit of sun on your face. Gently pointed domestic observations and a semi-detached sweetness pervade the spartan but warm sound; picked electric guitars, spare percussion and duo girl vocals carrying tunes like Saltfree, Molokai and Collingwood which sidle up and tap you on the shoulder. Indie pop with a faint twist of twang, it's a slender beaut...

...and works nicely as a counterpoint to the chunkier but no less chiming indie guitar rock of Where the words go, the second full-length from Seattle's Andrea Maxand. (Bilby's Seize my day could in fact slot right beside the nine tracks here and not seem out of place.) It's rare that sample tracks provided by the label turn out not to be the best things on a record and Ghostweed Press prove no different. Clear standouts here are The shape of hands, a super-smart lattice of guitars and kickass drums with a driving chorus which calls to mind late (lamented?) bands like The RockingHorse Winner and Sunday's Best, and the plunking arm-waver Bedroom window. Not far behind are Half-a-joke with more great clanging, driving guitars, the tougher riffing Everyone can see you and the U2-esque opener, Cassie's song. If you're currently deciding whether or not you really need the new PJ Harvey album reallyrather suggests you ring the changes and give Ms. Maxand a go...

Nothing much on here as yet but some kind soul has posted a couple of tracks from the forthcoming Rilo Kiley album More adventurous elsewhere...

...and there's more than a touch of Jenny Lewis (and the Mamas & the Papas, and the Beatles) about I feel love, an early offering from new harmonising folk-pop duo Jessica Vohs and Miranda Zeiger aka Willow Willow. Nothing released as yet but watch this space...