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Album:Live At Exeter Pheonix

Website: http://www.longdogs.co.uk/soh/exetercd

I'm not going to review this, it's a Show Of Hands release so you know it's going to be good. This album has been released through the Show Of Hands fanclub, Longdogs, to raise money for two cancer charities, CLIC Sargent & The Bramble Oncology Ward at Exeter Hospital. Everyone has given their time and services for this release free. Both charities are involved in making life better for children with cancer. This release has been put together as a thank you to Show Of Hands vocalist Steve Knightly and the many other families, that have been helped over the years. Thank You

Album:Take Yourself A Wife

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

"Take Yourself A Wife" is a collection of folk songs presented and arranged by Megson. The songs stretch back to the seventeen hundreds, but many still have a strong resonance today. Most of the songs are set in harsh times, but the overriding theme seems to be 'don't let the b@stards get you down'. Some of the songs, 'The Oakey Strike Evictions', are instantly recognisable, but most of the songs on album came new to me. The arrangements, capture both the character and the pride in the songs. It's a rich vein of material that Stu and Debs have mined, another great album.

Robb Johnson & The Irregulars

Album:Love & Death & Politics - The Basement Version

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

There seems to have been something of a revival of the political/social songwriter over the last couple or so years, so it's good to welcome back one of the long marchers, Robb Johnson and his band the Irregulars. "Love & Death & Politics" is pretty much that. You just need to remember not all death is physical, hope, dreams, society can also find themselves at the end of the grim reaper scythe. And love isn't the only thing that can betray. Robb Johnson ensures that conscience has a song, a tune and a bit of folk rock. This is a ltd edt, a full blown release is set to follow the appettiser

EP:Bring On The Waves

Label:Tantrum Records

Website: http://www.myspace.com/6dayriot

6 day Riot are one hell of a cocktail of music and spirit. Twenty first century vaudville, blended with the sounds of the left bank, shaken with a dash of kletzmer and splash of the fairground. It's dramatic, full of colour, a sense of theatre and a lust for life. "Bring On The Waves" captures the vibrancy of a band that know the first rule of music is to enjoy it. 6 Day Riot are a showband in the widest sense of the word, entertainers. A band that's right at home on the stage and capable of bringing that stage to cd. This is fun par excellance what more could you ask for?

Album:fired-Up & Ready

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

It seems strange to introduce an album as a one man band...and guests, but that's exactly what this is. Mike Whellans is a one man blues band. If he was American he would probably be hailed as a folk hero and ride to gigs in the back of of a frieght train, but he's Scottish so he's been labelled as eccentric and tucked away in obscurity corner, which is a shame as he's a man that knows his craft and really puts his heart, soul and everything into his blues. It's folk blues with an r'n'b bite. Scottish folk musicians guest on a number of tracks, giving the blues a Celtic kick around the edges.

Gabby Young And Other Animals

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

I first came across Gabby Young via her MySpace page and some interesting, but in development ideas. Well I'm pleased to report Gabby has fleshed those ideas, put a six piece band together to support them and turn them into really exciting songs. Gypsy pop is perhaps the easiest description with some swing thropwn in for good measure. Strings and wind instruments, both wood and brass, make up the core of the sound with the accordion and drums filling out the sound. "Bear With Me" is a vibrant and effervesent ep and a great showcase.

Paul Mark & The Van Dorens

Album:Blood & Treasure

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

There is a real growl to Paul Mark's blues. He combines the classical elements, guitar, hammond organ, angel voiced backing singers to contrast the rougher, get down and dirty lead vocal. There's an element of the preacher in the delivery to boot, almost Elvis like spoken word sections built into the songs. The Van Dorens are a strong bunch of sidemen and women that allow Mark to build the songs, sometimes switching from vocal refrain to an almost brutal gob iron. "Blood And Treasure" has a bucket load of energy that occasionaly powers it into rock 'n' roll

Album:At Home With The Foo Fighters

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

Whatever happened to the good old fashioned light and frothy three minute pop song? It looks like The Foster Kids have been rounding them up for an album more than capable of livening up any party. There's the obligatory focus on teen angst and jingly jangly guitars. Vocal duties switch between Gillian and Ian for that boy girl thing. Jackie De Shannon to Dion if you like. There's also a touch of the Richard Hawleys about the album, which is never a bad thing. Life doesn't always come from the school of hard knocks there's fun to be had out there. Highschool romances an all.

Album:timetravellersexmachine

Website: http://www.seanwalshband.com

Sean Walsh and his band have a sense of the dramatic as they take blues on a tour, visiting hard rocking blues, country blues and an number of stations in between. For the most part this is electric blues, Walsh's guitar licks blending with the Kai Liebrand's flying fingers on mr hammonds finest organ. "One More For The Happy Few" spins off at one of a tangent at the end, sounding like the illegitimate of Marc Bolan and the Bonzo Dog Do Dah band. The tongue is firmly in the cheek on a couple of the numbers, but avoids being cheesy. Walsh knows that he can pull of eccentric.

Album:Grip Of The Blues

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

The only cliche that holds true about this album is that female blues players have to work twice as hard for half the recognition, harder if they're from Europe. Fortunately RUF are a label that realises that you don't have to have testosterone in the system to play the blues oestrogen really is just as good. Lyytinen gives full range to her emotions through voice and guitar, with the latter providing the majority of that feeling. "Grip Of The Blues" really does feature an artist that immerses herself in her music. You can almost feel her setting up home inside her songs. Full gutsy perfomance.

Album:This Is Navigator Records

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

Navigator, together with sister label Reveal have become the premier labels for contemporary folk from this sacred isle. "This Is Navigator Records" shows just what a solid roster the label has. Seventeen tracks from albums past, present and future and not a hint of weakness anywhere. The essemble shows just how much talent there is in English folk music at the moment, male, female, groups, solo artists. It doesn't neglect the Celtic cousins either, the common thread great songs and tunes. A fantastic introduction to the music & reassurance for the converted.

Deborah Coleman, Candye Kane, Dani Wilde

Album:Ruf's Blues caravan - Guitars & Feathers

Website: http://www.rufrecords.de

Guitars & Feathers is the latest in RUF's Blues Caravan series and as the name implies, it's a live album, featuring three of the labels top vocalists/guitarists. Having praised RUF for their attitude to signing great female blues artists, this repreresents the downside, no matter how good the blues are, and they are good. The three protagonist have all produced great albums as solo artists, but appear to have been brought together for this release because they're women. That they combine their prodigious talents into a sublime album vindicates, but does that make it right?