Laurel Canyon Music

24 Blackbush Avenue Chadwell Heath, Romford, England, RM6 5TU United Kingdom

For fans and musicians of Folk, Americana, Country, Blues, Singer-Songwriter, Rock, Roots & Acoustic and music from the Laurel Canyon late 60’s/early 70’s era.

LCM is a new co-operative music community, promoter, event organiser and on-line magazine to promote & support the music that we love. All the latest news, reviews and interviews

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We aim to help music fans connect and discover great new music and help indie musicians promote their music and help them build relationships with supporters and industry professionals.

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Filtering by Category: Americana Music

Songs For The Living And Otherwise - The Mulligan Brothers (01/06/18)

July 07, 2018  /  Gary Smith

LCM ALBUM OF THE WEEK

  • Artist: The Mulligan Brothers

  • Release Date: 1st June, 2018

  • Genre: Americana, Alt Country, Folk-Rock, Southern Rock

  • Record Label: Southern Routes Records

  • Tracks: 11

  • Website: https://www.themulliganbrothers.com/

  • Review By: Gary Smith (LCM)

Some bands spend their whole careers trying to find their signature sound or create material that define them as a band. The Alabama based Mulligan Brothers have done just that on their third full-length album in five years, the fantastic self produced, ‘Songs For The Living and Otherwise‘. Following on from their excellent self-titled debut and sophomore record, ‘Via Portland‘, The Mulligan Brothers have built on the formula that has worked so well for them in the past and then supercharged it. If like me you love The Eagles, CSNY, Van Morrison, The Lumineers and Colter Wall, this album could be right up your street.

Since ‘Via Portland’ the group has parted ways with one of their original members, Gram Rea. They have very wisely added the first ‘Mulligan Sister’, Melody Duncan on fiddle, who also contributes some lead and backing vocals and brilliant vocal harmonies. The result is an excellent highly crafted and rich collection of great music.

The album opener the wonderful ‘The Deal’ is a perfect start, acoustic guitar led with the soothing tone and reflective lyrics of lead vocalist and songwriter Ross Newell. The song builds slowly adding pedal steel, gentle tambourine and percussion then heads for the upbeat bridge with it’s sing-a-long section. ‘Roseanne’ follows immediately with Ross becoming a little more soulful and the band joining in on harmony vocals. Blues harmonica accents complement the overall feel of the song. One of my favourite songs on the album is the Deep South bluesy ‘Possession in Gm’. It’s a great character based song which also sees Melody Duncan take her first lead vocal, dueting with Ross as the verses go back and forth. Throughout the album there are countless moments of real high quality and excellence. The chilled and catchy ‘Ghost Town’ is a classic ‘Mulligan Brothers’ song. Watch out for the super guitar solo.

The centrepiece and one of the album’s highlights is ‘Great Grandaddy’s War’, which is arguably the group’s best and most personal. A beautifully written introspective ballad with beautiful string arrangements and rich harmonies, which all contribute to something quite special. ‘I Know That Man’ a fast country narrative song featuring an extended fiddle solo, foot stomps and a gravelly vocal delivery. ‘Loving You Is Easy’ is another real earworm which will be stuck in your head for days. It reminded me of a cross between The Eagles and CSNY.

‘Divine Design’ is a harmony-filled, mid-paced track and would serve as a great introduction to the band. The pace slows for the personal and reflective ‘Not That Way’ a tale of lost love and regret. Blues harmonica once again setting the mournful tone. The beautifully written piano led ‘The Basement’ sees Melody take the lead vocals. It reminded me a little of Missy Higgins at her most reflective. ‘I Need To Get Out’ is the album’s closing song and it experiments with an electronic drum sound and other instrumental effects. It is quite simply a super culmination to a brilliant album.

‘Songs For The Living and Otherwise‘ is a precious gem and one to really savor and enjoy. From start to finish it is a real joy to listen to and hopefully one which will cement the band’s rising status as one of the biggest names in Americana, Alt Country and Folk-Rock.

Please let us know what you think?

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categories / Americana Music, Folk Music, Contemporary Folk
tags / The Mulligan Brothers, Songs For The Living And Otherwise, LCM New Releases 2018, June 2018

By The Night - Alden, Patterson and Dashwood (11/06/18)

June 26, 2018  /  Gary Smith

  • Artist: Alden, Patterson & Dashwood

  • Release Date: 11th June, 2018

  • Genre: Folk. Americana

  • Record Label:

  • Tracks: 10

  • Website:

  • Review By: Gary Smith (LCM)

 

Christina Alden (vocals/guitar), Alex Patterson (fiddle/vocals/occasional mandolin) and Noel Dashwood (dobro/vocals) are a fast rising folk and Americana trio from Norwich. Their second album 'By The Night' was recorded in late 2017 and early 2018 at a house in St Cross, South Elmham with Alex producing. It follows their critically acclaimed debut 'Call Me Home' released in 2016.

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categories / Indie Folk, Folk Music, Americana Music
tags / Alden Patterson and Dashwood, By The Night, LCM New Releases 2018, June 2018

Songs For The Lost & Found - Hatful Of Rain (13/07/18)

June 21, 2018  /  Gary Smith

  • Artist: Hatful Of Rain
  • Release Date: 13th July, 2018
  • Genre: Americana, Folk
  • Record Label: Long Way Home Music
  • Tracks:
  • Website: http://www.hatfulofrain.co.uk/

For their excellent third album and the second release on their own label, the Brighton-based quartet of Chloë Overton, Phil Jones, Fred Gregory and James Shenton again meld together the Celtic, American and English folk influences. 

Hatful of Rain are a British contemporary folk group that combine powerful songwriting with musical flare, inspired by English, Celtic and American Roots styles. They use a single microphone approach to performing. This creates an intimate and engaging atmosphere characteristic of every Hatful show. They have released two albums 'Way Up On the Hill' in 2012 and 'The Morning Key' in 2014.  EP 'Climb the Air' was released last year on their own 'Long Way Home Music label' and their third album Songs of the Lost and Found is due out on 13th July.

Hatful of Rain new.jpg
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categories / Americana Music, Folk Music, Acoustic Music
tags / Hatful Of Rain, Songs For The Lost And Found, LCM New Releases 2018, July 2018

Topspin - Cardboard Fox (08/06/18)

June 06, 2018  /  Gary Smith

Topspin, the new album from Cardboard Fox, leads the band in a subtly different direction. Drawing on a rich variety of influences, including jazz, folk and pop, but always rooted in bluegrass, the album uses a wide sonic palate with many layers of instrumentation and harmony. In addition to the core instruments of fiddle, mandolin, guitar and double bass, the band adds a selection of other instruments, with trumpet, banjo, lap steel, electric guitar and octave violin played by members of the band, and percussion provided by engineer and producer Josh Clark (Kate Rusby, Damien O'Kane, Ron Block, Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys).

Lead vocals are evenly split between twin sisters Charlotte and Laura Carrivick, with backing vocals from the other two band members, Joe Tozer and John Breese. Of the eleven tracks on the album, there are eight original songs, two covers and one original instrumental. The covers reflect the wide spectrum of the band's influences, ranging from legendary American roots songwriter, Gillian Welch's ‘Tear My Stillhouse Down’ to Owl City's synth-pop hit, ‘Fireflies’.

Topspin is the band's third release, preceded by their self-titled EP which won the 2015 Spiral Earth award for Best Debut, which was then followed by the band's first full length album, Out of Mind, in 2016 ("crisp and light, the arrangements delightfully layered" Country Music People). In the five years since their formation, Cardboard Fox have established themselves as a unique force on the UK roots scene and have successfully toured internationally, having performed across mainland Europe as well as Canada and the USA, building a reputation for explosive live performances.

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categories / Americana Music, Contemporary Folk, Folk Music, Jazz Music, Pop Music, Bluegrass Music
tags / Cardboard Fox, Topspin, LCM New Releases 2018, June 2018

Fire - Midnight Skyracer (02/02/18)

May 06, 2018  /  Gary Smith

Midnight Skyracer - Fire.jpg
  • Artists: Midnight Skyracer
  • Release Date: 2nd February, 2018
  • Genre: Bluegrass, Americana
  • Record Label: Midnight Skyracer
  • Tracks: 10
  • Website: http://midnightskyracer.com

Midnight Skyracer are a new, Anglo-Irish all-female 5 piece playing hard driving traditional and modern classics, lesser known songs and a few originals. Featuring an all-star lineup of some of the UK’s top instrumentalists and singers (Tabitha Agnew (Banjo); Charlotte Carrivick (Guitar), Laura Carrivick (Fiddle & Dobro); Leanne Thorose (Mandolin) and Eleanor Wilkie (Bass)) , the band takes inspiration from the likes of other great female artists such as Rhonda Vincent and Alison Krauss. We think that they are a real young supergroup of talent and have a very bright future ahead of them.

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categories / Bluegrass Music, Americana Music
tags / Midnight Skyracer, Fire, LCM New Releases 2018, February 2018

Awake - Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage (11/05/18)

May 04, 2018  /  Gary Smith

Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage - Awake.jpg

  • Artist: Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage

  • Release Date: 11th May, 2018

  • Genre: Folk, Americana

  • Record Label: Sungrazing Records

  • Tracks: 11

  • Website: https://www.hannahbenmusic.com

  • Review By: Gary Smith (LCM)

Spellbinding UK folk duo release the follow up to acclaimed debut Before The Sun, included in numerous 2016 Albums of The Year lists including the fRoots Critics Poll. Joining back up with Toronto producer David Travers-Smith (Wailin Jennys, Madison Violet, Ruth Moody) the pair create exquisite transatlantic soundscapes on which to base their beguiling, intimate indie-folk duets. A duo who delve into the mysterious and often like to release music in line with the lunar calendar, their live show sees them huddled around a single microphone, drawing the audience in. And so it is with this magnetic album, where their own intensely moving songs flow seamlessly among reinvigorated traditional gems and the Guthrie/Bragg americana classic Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key. Alongside their own guitars, mountain dulcimer and dobro they are joined by an all-star cast from both sides of the big pond including double bass from Jon Thorne (Lamb, Scott Matthews), vocals from Oh Susanna, Jess Morgan and Gilmore & Roberts, percussion from Evan Carson (The Willows, Sam Kelly), pedal steel from Burke Carroll (Kathleen Edwards, Justin Rutledge) and Chris Coole on banjo.

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categories / Folk Music, Contemporary Folk, Americana Music
tags / Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, Awake, LCM New Releases 2018, May 2018

Edgeland - Kim Richey (30/03/18)

April 21, 2018  /  Gary Smith

  • Artist: Kim Richie
  • Release Date: 30th March, 2018
  • Genre: Folk, Americana
  • Record Label: Yep Roc
  • Tracks: 12
  • Website:

Brand new Kim Richey studio album "Edgeland" Produced by Brad Jones. Since appearing on the Nashville music scene in the mid-90s, Kim Richey has been nominated for two Grammy awards, recorded seven studio albums, and collaborated with everyone from Trisha Yearwood to Jason Isbell. After a nearly five year hiatus, Richey returns with her eighth studio album Edgeland The term, "Edgeland," is defined as the lost zone between urban and rural environments, a concept which mimics Richey's constant fluctuation between the rigid genre definitions of country and Americana music. Richey naturally settles between the two, ignoring convention and instead allowing her own intuitive musical progression to shape her sound. On her latest record, Richey teamed up with producer Brad Jones at his studio Alex the Great Recording in Nashville during the summer of 2017. Following in the collaborative footsteps of her 2013 album, Thorn In My Heart, Richey brought in a few of her most talented friends to record Edgeland, filling the tracks with accompanying vocals and instrumental contributions that make for a pleasant surprise at every turn. The result is a 12-track collection of work showcasing both Richey's musical adaptability and knack for collaborative songwriting. Edgeland is Richey's second Yep Roc Records release. "Richey's doe-eyed, bittersweet approach perfectly captures the hurt and regret in her material…" - American Songwriter

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categories / Folk Music, Americana Music
tags / Kim Richey, Edgeland, LCM New Releases 2018, March 2018

Mind Of Mine EP - Lisa Wright (25/05/18)

April 17, 2018  /  Gary Smith

  • Artist: Lisa Wright
  • Release Date: 25th May, 2018
  • Genre: Country, Singer-Songwriter
  • Record Label: Lisa Wright (Independent)
  • Tracks: 4
  • Website: 

One of the most exciting voices in the UK’s homegrown country/Americana scene, Lisa Wright, has announced the May 25th 2018 release of her brand new EP ‘Mind of Mine’. Produced by Matt Greaves (Ward Thomas, The Girls Musical), ‘Mind of Mine’ contains four brand new songs, and is Lisa’s most personal work to date. Lead single, ‘Tennessee’, co-written by Lisa with Kaity Rae and currently gaining airplay on country shows & stations across the UK, was inspired by her trip to the US in late 2017, reflecting the notorious ups and downs of the music industry and the search for purpose in life.

Two of the tracks were solely written by Lisa, with ‘Giving Up The Ghost’ penned in collaboration with Jake Etheridge, known for his starring role as Sean McPherson on CMT’s Nashville TV show, and having also lent his songwriting talents to the show’s soundtrack.

Combining Lisa's staple of honest and emotive lyrics with a new exploration of sound and style, it’s obvious that ‘Mind of Mine’ will showcase this young artist’s ability to continually re-create herself, while staying true to her roots. Having opened for US country star Cam earlier this month and with support dates with the likes of Ward Thomas & Phil Vassar under her belt, it’s easy to see why the Nashville Songwriters Association (NSAI) have declared Lisa Wright “one to watch”.

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categories / Country Music, Americana Music, Singer-Songwriter
tags / Lisa Wright, Mind Of Mine EP, LCM New Releases 2018, May 2018

Freedom Singer - Khari Wendall McClelland (27/04/18)

March 23, 2018  /  Gary Smith

  • Artist: Khari Wendall McClelland
  • Release Date:27th April, 2018
  • Genre: Folk, Americana, Gospel, Roots Music
  • Record Label: Afterlife Music
  • Tracks: 7
  • Website: http://www.khariwendellmcclelland.com/

A modern-day interpretation of songs that have accompanied Khari´s great-great-great grandmother, who escaped US slavery through The Underground Railroad into Canada in the mid 1800s.

Khari Wendell McClelland is set to release the "Freedom Singer" album on April 27th. A true celebration of black history, the album is a collection of rare and forgotten songs that McClelland interprets through the many styles and genres that helped to shape him. Using folk, gospel, country, hip hop and soul to reinvigorate these songs and build a bridge from the 1800's to the present. Khari Wendell McClelland is a diversely talented and everevolving artist. Originally from Detroit, Khari has become a darling on the Canadian music scene with reviewers lauding his performances as a clever mix of soul and gospel. Khari’s songwriting crosses genres and generations, joyfully invoking the spirit of his ancestors who straddled the US-Canadian border in efforts to escape slavery and discrimination. His music draws from this rich history, integrating the rhythms and folklore of early African-Americans with contemporary sounds and stories of struggle. Recently, Khari received critical acclaim for his "Freedom Singer" project, recreating the music fugitive slaves carried on their journey north into Canada.

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categories / Folk Music, Americana Music, Gospel, Roots Music
tags / Khari Wendall McCelland, Freedom Singer, LCM New Releases 2018, April 2018

Inverse Alchemy - Rob Corcoran (01/12/17)

March 06, 2018  /  Gary Smith

Rob Corcoran - Inverse Alchemy.jpg
  • Artist: Rob Corcoran & The Necessary Evils
  • Release Date: 1st December, 2017
  • Genre: Contemporary Folk, Americana, Singer-Songwriter
  • Record Label: Independent
  • Tracks: 12
  • Website: https://www.robcorcoranmusic.com/

"Heart-on-sleeve, alt-folk Americana with a Dublin accent" - the debut studio album by Dublin-born troubadour Rob Corcoran in the company of his alt-folk super-group 'The Necessary Evils' 

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categories / Contemporary Folk, Americana Music, Singer-Songwriter
tags / Rob Corcoran, Rob Corcoran & The Necessary Evils, Inverse Alchemy, LCM New Releases 2017, December 2017

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