It’s that time again, where we like to promote some of our favourite fellow blogs and find out some of their current favourite music. This month it’s the turn of the lovely Abby from US blog Indientry, based in Columbus, Ohio. I consider myself well versed in music, but even I feel lost amongst all that’s offered on Indientry. The site is like a lucky dip, even if there’s no names that immediately jump out at you, you can be sure that you can dive in anywhere and expect to find something new and exciting. There are few sites so diverse when it comes to genre. Anything you can imagine, and some things that I doubt I ever could, can be found within. If I’ve caught your interest then here’s a taste of what you can find over at Indientry. Continue reading
guest author
Critic’s Choice: Peanut Mixtape
This month’s edition of “Critic’s Choice” brings you five fresh picks from Dale from Peanut Mixtape. Music writers are music fans first and foremost, and all the best reviews are written lovingly. Browsing through Peanut Mixtape you find reviews written with a whole lot of heart, and a dash of humour to boot. When someone connects with the music, they in turn are better equipt to get you to form a connection with it, and it soon becomes clear reading the site that here is someone who really believes in the music. So, without further ado, here’s a selection of some of PM’s most loved bands: Continue reading
Critic’s Choice: gigsandfreudianslips
Welcome to the first installment of a new feature, where we welcome other music bloggers that we know and love to share some of their favourite up-and-coming artists and underrated acts. Kicking things off is Georgia from gigsandfreudianslips: “In the music blogging game, you naturally come across a ton of acts who are unsigned and you just think ‘this is audacious; they aren’t signed yet the freaking Chainsmokers are??!’. Unsigned and smaller acts struggle to obtain the same amount of promotion as the bigger names, and work A LOT HARDER for slithers of column inches talking about their music, which is why a large emphasis on my blog has been on acts who fall in this bracket. Here are five unsigned / signed but still upcoming acts I take pleasure in introducing the readers of Belwood Music to.”
Must Own Albums: Country Classics
Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison
Following the success of his hit song “Folsom Prison Blues” and the numerous letters he had received from inmates, Cash had aspired to record a concert at a prison. Sadly his dream was put on hold. After many years of struggling to keep his career afloat due to his drug addiction he finally played his Folsom Prison concert which proved to be one of the most successful albums he ever produced. (I’m breaking my own rules by including a live album, but it is one of the most famous performances in history!)
Dolly Parton – Jolene
Although her best-selling album is ‘Eagle When She Flies’, the album everyone needs is her 13th studio album, ‘Jolene’, one of her more traditional country albums released during her split from Porter Wagoner. With the exception of ‘It Must Be You’, the entire album was written by Dolly herself and includes two of her best hits, the catchy ‘Jolene’ and the beautiful ‘I Will Always Love You’ which topped the country charts twice making Dolly the first artist to earn a number 1 twice with the same song as a singer and three times as a writer following Whitney Houston’s cover.
Willie Nelson – Always On My Mind
Described as one of the finest country singer-songwriters, Nelson’s catalogue of 68 studio albums proves this. But the album to have is 1982’s ‘Always On My Mind’. Featuring the single ‘Always On My Mind’ which has been recorded by many artists both before and since Nelson’s version including Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley and which gave Nelson 3 wins at the 1983 Grammy’s and 4 CMA’s at the 1982 and 1983 CMA Awards. The album also includes a recording of Paul Simon’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ and Procul Harum’s ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’.
Tammy Wynette – Stand By Your Man
The First Lady of Country Music. The title track ‘Stand By Your Man’ was the most successful song of Wynette’s career and the best-selling hit single of any woman in country music until Dolly Parton’s 9-5. Despite its success, the song was controversial, the lyrics suggesting that women stand by their men despite their faults, and was derided by the 1960s feminist movement in the US. The album however, went platinum and has been described as a classic country album.
T
he Carter Family – Wildwood Flower
Predating all country music charts, the Carter Family’s music has influenced bluegrass, southern gospel, pop, rock and country. They became the first country music stars and their album ‘Wildwood Flower’ includes many of their hits including the song ‘Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow Tree’ which has become a timeless country song.
(Contribution from guest author Ailish Barker-Brown)
Live Review: Handmade Festival 2015
Right when I was about to burst from stress, with only the prospect of the summer’s music keeping me going, a free pass was dropped in my metaphorical lap. Leicester’s ever growing genre-bending independent music festival was just the weekend I needed. I headed down to the O2 Academy representing LUSH Radio and it was the first time (though hopefully not the last) that I entered a venue with my name legitimately on the press list. It could technically be considered my first festival experience and I was determined to make the most of it.
Live Review: Little Big Town, The Ritz Manchester, 11th Feb 2015
(Guest Author: Ailish Barker-Brown)
American Country band, Little Big Town, had an extremely successful 2014 with the release of their sixth studio album, ‘Painkiller’ of which the lead single, ‘Day Drinking’, went on to reach number 2 on Country Airplay. They also won Vocal Group of the Year at the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards in November, beating Lady Antebellum, and were invited to join the Grand Ole Opry by country legend Reba McEntire. They’re all set for a successful 2015 too, beginning with their UK ‘Painkiller’ tour and the release of their latest single, ‘Girl Crush’. I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see them perform at The Ritz. Continue reading
Belwood Music 