New Music 2017 - Part 33 - Dryadic - In My Blood EP

You might know about my love of the EP format by now. This is a shining example of why that is so.

In My Blood EP - Dryadic (self-released, 20 October 2017).

Dryadic is a Brighton-based two-piece one half of which is Zora Macdonald, formerly the lead of The Tatsmiths. We are going back a few years but that is fine by me. The Tatsmiths recorded an LP Curiosity Shop (2012) here in my home town of Frome, Somerset. That was followed by the Occupy EP (2015). You need to listen to these and not least because they place the new direction and therefore this release in a context that makes complete sense.
This latest is a true EP, comprising just three songs, and includes the use of a fantastically rare English language verb in a song title. Sometimes less is actually rather more than you bargained for.
It is a wonderful thing.

Dryadic - In My Blood:

• Colours of the Hedgerow
• Gongoozling for Two
• In My Blood

New Music 2017 - Part 32 - Eilen Jewell - Down Hearted Blues

I intended to write about this a few weeks back and did nothing.  This is the latest release from a prolific songwriter, touring artist and, as in this case, an interpreter of the songs of others and she did this on the album 'Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn' (2010).

This is all about the last mentioned trait but here it is blues and for the most part it is not blues 'standards' that is the focus of attention here.

Down Hearted Blues - Eilen Jewell (Signature Sounds, 22 September 2017).

Eilen Jewell - Down Hearted Blues:

• It's Your Voodoo Working
• Another Night to Cry
• You'll Be Mine
• Down Hearted Blues
• I'm a Little Mixed Up
• You Gonna Miss Me
• Walking with Frankie
• Nothing in Rambling
• Don't Leave Poor Me
• Crazy Mixed Up World
• You Know My Love
• The Poor Girls Story

I thought about mentioning the sources of the songs here but decided that it is probably more fun if you explore them for yourself, should you wish to do so. Another point to note is that Eilen and her regular band have not been slavish to the original and have added whatever interpretation that was felt to be appropriate.

All this as well as her own music with the band, her gospel-influenced recordings with The Sacred Shakers, a young family and a vast touring schedule.

New Music 2017 - Part 31 - Half Deaf Clatch - CrowSoul

As well as starting my consideration of all the new music that I have had the pleasure of finding or otherwise being introduced to in 2017 there is absolutely no shortage of brand new releases that are coming my way.  This is one of them.

A solo acoustic blues artist from the UK that I have seen live a couple of times --- Half Deaf Clatch is the project of Kingston-upon-Hull based Andrew McClatchie. This is stomp-box and (often slide) guitar accompanied music from the Humber "delta" of  East Yorkshire.  This is his latest release and whilst running for over forty minutes it comprises just two tracks. He is possibly a 'Marmite' thing – love or hate but nothing between.

CrowSoul - Half Deaf Clatch (Speak Up Recordings, 12 October 2017).

He is a determinedly independent artist (Speak Up Recordings is his self-run label) and also an extremely prolific one so if you like this style of music you are in luck. CrowSoul is his second full-length release of 2017. The other, which is of songs inspired by consideration of The Great War, is 'Forever Forward' that came hot on the heels of  'Simple Songs for These Complicated Times' (2016) and 'The Life and Death of A.J Rail (2015).

If you are having a Hallowe'en themed occasion in the coming weeks you could use this as part of the soundtrack.