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Album:Stories From The Moon

Website: http://www.storiesfromthemoon.com/

Have you seen the original of Nosferatu? Watched The Company Of Wolves? Two fantastic movies with a dark narrative. Both were dealing with the coming of age and the awakening of sexuality. You can now add to that canon Ben Golomstock's "Stories From The Moon". Brooding and sensuous, Golomstock has delivered an album that is cinematic in scale. "Stories From The Moon" is a collection of tales that take the hidden shadowy tracks through fairyland's evil wood. It's a road you'll want to return to time and time again

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

This one's not out for a little while, but it's definitely keeping your eyes and ears out for. Odi, reinforces the strength of music coming out of Leeds at the moment. "Crawl" moves along the fine line between acoustic pop and folk rock. The title track shows that Odi can do the power stuff, the second track, "Mariposa" shows that she can also do the intense emotional songs without making them sound twee. Her songs demand to be listened to. I'm not a fan of camparisons, but if Suzanne Vega had been born in Leeds she would have been Odi.

Chris And Siobhan Nelson

Album:Day Has Dawned

Website: http://www.cnelson.plus.com

Chris and Siobhan Nelson have put together a great set of songs, not just from England, but taking in far flung parts of the Empire and former colonies. It also helps to emphasise that it's not just the 'Celtic' inspired tunes that travelled the world. That wouldn't matter a jot if Chris & Siobhan weren't up to the task musically. Without the passion and playing albums like "Day Has Dawned" risk being boring history lessons. As it is "Day Has Dawned" sparkles like the sun on the dew in the morning. Better still it's a sun that helps cast the odd dark shadow.

Album:If The Blues Come Calling

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

Bluegrass in the UK seems to be heading for the same sort of boom that Cajun/Zydeco did a few years back. As with that renascence this one isn't just about importing a few bands and cds from the other side of the pond. The UK has a great tradition with stinged folk musics of all genres, so why should bluegrass be any different? The Toy Hearts are just such a band. Great players and performers, writing their own songs so they make a contribution rather than just take. Well worth seeking out. Click Here for a full review

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

Call it crustie, call it cowpunk, call it angry folk, call it what you like, it won't change the facts. This is folk music with an agressive edge. The delivery is absolutely suffused with passion and energy. Don't just listen to how the songs are delivered, the lyrics capture many social ills. Let's not forget that unemployment and rascism and alcohol abuse amongst others do cast long shadows into many lives. There is a pot boiling over, in places even love is hard. The Clay Faces capture that and reflect it back like a cracked mirror.

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

Mat Walklate, puts a lot into his music, not only as a teacher and session player, but also as a performer in his ownright. Hopefully, "Cold In April", will see Mat starting to reap the wind from the whirlwind he's sowing. Mat specialises in wind instruments, both blown and tucked under his arm. You can hear that enthusiasm in pretty much every note he breathes life through. He's not a bad vocalist either, when it comes to that. Drawing on traditional tunes for most of the album, Mat also throws in a few of his own and it's difficult to find the line. A really enjoyable experience.

Album:Fortune Never Sleeps

Label:Talking Elephant

Website: http://www.talkingelephant.com

If ever there was going to be a band to redifine the term contemporary in folk music, Rainbow Chaser would be at the front of the pack, if not leading it. Any band that features Ashley Hutchings knows that you need to do more than just draw on a tradition, you need to add to it, twist it, bend it, give it new direction. It's got an English feel to it, but one that has also absorbed influence from neighbours. The songs are strong and well written. "Fortune Never Sleeps" delivers to the high expectations placed on it.

Album:Stars & Fireflies

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

There are some artists that have a certain, something, a tone of vocal, an inflection that makes them distinct from those around them. Often they do not have the best voices, but there is something about the flaws that give them something lots of other artists don't have. Benita Johnson is just such an artist. She carries emotion on her voice so well. She could make turning twenty seem like the end of the world, similarly she could bring hope to the hopeless. She keeps it simple, but by doing so makes sure it matters.

Album:Blue Satin Alley

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

"Blue Satin Alley" has been out for a while now, but it's new to us, as I guess it will be to most of you. Even with today's multimedia approach to self releases and self promotion, it can still be difficulty to get yourself noticed. Unfortunately the song remains the same. If people don't know about you, they tend not to be there. It's a shame because Abigail Hopkins is an artist that deserves to be noticed. She uses power and energy more than most of her contemporaries and matches it with her strong voice. "Blue Satin Alley" draws on a number of styles and delivers with panache

Album:Breathe With Me

Website: http://www.athenaandreadis.com

Athena, is an artist that I think I would struggle with live. "Breathe With Me" is an album that exploits the emotion. It wallows in your selfpity and endulges your melcholia. You really need to have had your heart shattered to get full benefit from this album. It's about reflecting in your lounge or your bedroom, maybe with another wounded soul. It would take a real masochist to go out to a theatre and do it in public. Athena knew where she was when the hunter killed Bambi's mother and the songs trip off her lips like she needs absolution.

Album:Quip...Something Odd

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

There's an old joke, I like children, but I couldn't eat a whole one. For me it's similar for Michael & Quinn. I like their material, but I couldn't listen to a whole album. It's not their fault, it's about the style. It's like an English Simon & Garfunkle. There is only so much tight harmony I can take at one sitting, even when it's right out of the top draw and "Quip..Something Odd" really is out of the top draw. The instrumentation is as strong as the harmonies and so is the writting to boot. In short this is a great album, not a filler track on it. Take in small doses at least twice a day for maximum benefit

Kevin Buxton & Kontra Band

Label:Coalshed Music

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

It's not that long ago we reviewed Kevin Buxton & Kontra Band's previous cut, "Through Any Window". Well Kevin's moved on, he's out of the small country lanesd and village pubs and onto wide highways and honky-tonks. "Down Any Road" sees Kevin and the band planting their flag firmly in the blues camp. The song list plays homage to the great Robert Johnson, "The Devil, Robert Johnson And Me", as well as covering one of his songs. Buxton has taken another step on the road to success.