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Christine Hanson

Album:The Cremation Of Sam McGee

Website: http://www.christinehanson.com

It's been out a while, but only recently dropped into the office. "The Cremation Of Sam McGee" is a remakable album from Scottish cellist Christine Hanson. Based on the Robert Service poem of the same name, Christine takes the narrative and turns it into a song cycle over six acts. The narrative is delivered by Michael Marra, the musicians read like a who's who of the Scottish scene. Christine follows that with six highly evocative tracks inspired by the poem, but with no narration, for an album that intrigues, tantalises and overflows with originality.

Single:Life's A Treat

Website: http://www.shaunthesheep.com

You know the festival season is starting to get in full swing when shows like the X Factor start cranking up and the novelty records start to hit the shelves. Well this year one of those novelty records comes from one of my kids favourite shows, Shaun The Sheep. "Life's A Treat" is the shows theme tune and the video makes some great references. It's from Aardman productions so you know the quality is there. Anything to keep which ever non entinity wins X Factor off the number one slot. Humorous without being trite, It's Shaun The Sheep.

Ali Campbell Featuring Bitty McLean

Single:Would I Lie To You

Label:Crumbs The Label

Website: http://www.myspace.com/alicampbellofficial

Taken from Ali Campbell's duets album "Running Free", Ali teams up with Bitty McLean to cover the 1992, Charles & Eddy number 1, "Would I Lie To You". It's got all the pop reggae hallmarks that you would expect from Bitty and the voice of UB40. Throw in a rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare and it's not long before you're looking at a track that stands proud alongside the original. "Would I lie To You" delivers the vocal goods and shows that there is still plenty of life in the man Campbell and the pop-reggae-soul theme

Album:The River Wherever

Website: http://www.myspace.com/damianclarkeuk

Quite simply, "The River Wherever" is a cracking album. A bit rough and ready around the edges perhaps, but so what. You can feel the passion that Damian Clarke puts into his music, sense the appreciation he has for the tracks that he's unearthed. Some songs are ment to be played on hurdy gurdy and hammered dulcimer. Some songs sound better with a regional accent because the words aren't right in Queen's English. This album is brimming over with songs like that. Clarke has assemble a collection of our heritage and put it back into the 21st century. An album of flare and fire.

Album:Blazin' Fiddles Live

Website: http://www.blazin-fiddles.com

Unbelievably, Blazin' Fiddles have now got ten years under their belts. This live set shows the band remain as fresh and vibrant as they were way back when they were younger and caravans felt threatened. The great advantage of seven musicians is the way that they can be used in combinations as well as a full band. All listen to different tunes when away from the band and bring back something different. Old songs, new ones, self penned. The result is an album that reflects many different styles of fiddle playing. The live album captures not only the band, but their interaction with the audience

The Carrivick Sisters

Album:Better Than 6 Cakes

Website: www.myspace.com/thecarrivicksisters

"Better Than 6 Cakes" is a bold boast, unless you're local baker is as bad as ours then it becomes somewhat easier. Fortunately, The Carrivick Sisters, Laura & Charlotte, would put most bakers to shame. They take a huge slice of Americana and run a huge dollop of Devon cream right through the middle. Bluegrass themes are followed and then localised, tales of outlaws become highwaymen, local legends, "Martha Wichalse" for example inspire songs. It's laid back and easy, but the harmonies and songs penetrate deep. Mainly self penned, it entertains through out.

Funky String Band

Album:And You May Find Yourself

Label:Shoogle Records

Website: http://www.myspace.com/funkystringband

"And You May Find Yourself" sounds like it was a really fun album to have worked on. Avant garde, with a touch of caberet, off the wall to the point of having to avoid the bushes in the garden. It manages to achieve all that without getting too clever and vanishing up it's own arse. To pull off this sort of record you really have to be at the top of your craft. The Cover of "Once In A Lifetime" combines with "Lazy River" to make a song that once heard is not going to be forgotten. A misnomer I'm sure, but "Belle Of Bernbeccula" reminded me of Camberwick Green meets Laurel & Hardy.

Album:A Town Like This

Website: http://www.myspace.com/nestonboy

Despite hailing from The Wirral, it's a different West Coast that has provided most of the inspration for both Paul's songwriting style and delivery. "A Town Like This" has more than a touch of Americana to it. How much seems to vary on how personal a song is. Reaney can write both the macro and wide angle view. It's the more personal heart wrenching songs that have the most American feel, the loss of a child, divorce. The bigger songs about the social issues, death of a town feel more at home. He can write the lighter moments as well, check out "Suburban Cowboy".

EP:Nature Laughs Last

Website: http://www.waterhorse.co.uk

"Nature Laughs Last" allows me to make a very important point. If you have a limited budget you are better producing an EP with four strong songs than an album of ten songs that you know could be better. Waterhorse have taken the former route and delivered an ep that is solid from the first note to the final one. Waterhouse have produced an ep of contemporary folk that covers life, politics and people and laid down a foundation on which to build. The reference to Mary Shelley in the title track shows real thought and inspiration, the disaster of man trying to triumph over nature

Album:Take Us The Foxes

Website: http://www.myspace.com/jameshara

"Take Us The Foxes" is the debut cut from aspiring singer/songwriter James Hara. Irish by birth, James has been honing his writing and performing skills on the Glasgow Open Mic Circuit. The result is nine deceptively simple songs, assembled for an album that has a remarkably live feel to it. It's unfortunate, but string slide distracts from both the guitar and voice. Unfortunately it's something that seems to afflict lower budget albums. It also says something that this is my main criticism of the album. Hara, puts together a good narrative & knows his way around his instrument.

Album:The Hills Of Glengarry

Website: http://scottishfiddle.org/angusgrant/

South paw fiddlers are even rarer than left handed bass players. Self taught ones that go on and win national cups are rarer than hens teeth. I was particularly pleased to see a collaboration between Shoogle Record amnd the Scottish Arts Council is giving Aonghas an opportunity to reach the wider audience he deserves. He can play such a variety of song styles and has been tireless in promoting fiddle music both as a player and tutor. "The Hills Of Glengarry" will provide a master class that newcomers to the genre can use to understand that it's not all about speed and power.

Single:Was Young Once

Label:4 Real Records

Website: http://www.joeynightmare.com

More indie-pop than a lot of artists that grace these pages, Joey Nightmare, the name of the band, not the singer, are more than welcome. Joey Nightmare have come quite a way in a couple of short years. Whilst they wear their influences on their sleeve, you find yourself hard pushed to remember who has used them in this combination before. It's to move at least one body part whilst listening to three diverse tracks. The uniting factors are the voacl phrasings of lead singer Tiffany and the way the rhythm section lay down the structures on which the tracks are built.