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2 Various Artists The Blues (Charly/Vee Jay SNAX629CD) The seminal city blues LP that was in every UK early adopter’s collec- tion in the ‘60s, expanded to two CDs with more related and locally-influential tracks from the likes of Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hook- er, Elmore James, Billy Boy Arnold etc. Nice hardback package keeps the period theme too. www.snappermusic.co.uk


2 Keith Christmas Fat Cat (Big Fish BECN 002). Great little four-track disc (an EP?) from Keith Christmas, featuring his distinctive powerful guitar style and high-energy vocals. Good songs too, particularly the topical title track about fat cats! www.keithchristmas.co.uk


The albums – good (2), adequate (1) and bad (@) – which didn’t get the full-length treatment, contributed individually by a selection of our various reviewers cowering under the cloak of collective anonymity.


1 Various Rangapang: Pre-revolution- ary Iranian Pop (VampiSoul VAMPICD138) As kitsch as knitted hotpants – actually there are some of those in the package – this has pretty much no roots relevance though it reflects geography in the way it looks in sev- eral directions, straddling a strange tinny geo-pop borderline between ‘swinging Lon- don’, early disco and proto-Bollywood. You can guess why zealous Ayatollahs wanted none of it. A work of impressive dedication: 2 CDs, in depth packaging, period photos to scorch your eyeballs. You may want one on sight but you’ll probably not play it a lot unless an Iranian exile of a certain age.


@ Various Artists South African Women With A Voice/ South African Women With A Voice Chapter 2 (Skip 9066-2 / 9078-2). Gruesome middle-of-the road sub-jazz/soul, often with drum machines, by South African ‘divas’. They must have tried hard to find such unrepresentative supper-club naffity by the likes of the Mahotella Queens and a desper- ately off-key Miriam Makeba track. www.skiprecords.com


1 Arthur Kitchener The Hobo Manifesto (HMICD 001). Useful bunch of songs on every- thing from Derek Bentley and Blind Lemon Jefferson to Sir Oswald Moseley, much inspired stylistically by Woody Guthrie. Only reserva- tion is that if Woody had come from South London, he’d have sung in a local accent – would much prefer to hear Arthur do that too. www.myspace.com/arthurkitchener


My Darling Clementine


2 Various Artists Music And Song From Scotland – Celebrating The 25th Anniver- sary Of Greentrax (Greentrax, CDTRAX8611). These 27 tracks present the cream of the Greentrax label, showcasing some absolute gems. Includes Seudan, Daimh, Siobhan Miller, Alasdair Fraser, Gor- don Duncan, Dick Gaughan, Xose Manuel Tejedor, Eric Bogle, Donnie Munro and many more. Unbelievable value for money. www.greentrax.com


2 Various Artists Rough Guide to African Lullabies (Rough Guides/World Music Network RGNET 1251CD). A decently somniferous assortment. But would you go to sleep while Miriam Makeba was singing to you? I should think not. The accompanying album of Virginia Mukwesha’s mbira is for a deeper land of Nod experience entirely. Pure sorcery. www.worldmusic.net


1 Crooked Still Friends Of Fall (Signature Sounds SIG2041). More clean-living sounds from contemporary US string band Crooked Still. Aoife O’Donovan’s pure, sonorous vocals lead the way for the clever and accomplished players. More polish than spit. www.crookedstill.com


1 Three Metre Day Coasting Notes (3MD 2011). To be honest, this is on the periphery of relevance here, but included if just to rec- ommend the quirky and intelligent Joan As Policewoman-reminiscent artistry of songs like Stay That Way and the charm and bleak- ness of the pump organ, steel and fiddle backing to the breathy vocals of Michelle Willis. www.threemetreday.com


2 My Darling Clementine How Do You Plead? (Drumfire DRMFR006). You’d think they were American if you weren’t told (they’re actually Brits). Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish do classic (but original) country duets in a George/Tammy, Dolly/Porter and occasionally Gram/Emmylou style: the secret weapon is the guitar of Mar- tin Belmont. www.drumfirerecords.com


2 Kidnap Alice Kidnap Alice (Two For Joy). Kidnap Alice are among the happy crop of UK-based bluegrass bands that would add spirit to any festival or club bill. In condensed CD form, there is ample evidence of intelli- gent songwriting, brooding smoky ballads and both sensitive and butane-propelled instrumental playing (Fits). Alice Ballantine’s potent husky tones lend élan to proceedings whilst the likes of Joe Hymas’s mandolin and Jerry Bloom’s fiddle emit steam. Check ’em out. www.kidnapalice.com


2 Troy Faid Solus (Troy Faid 2011). He is an unexpectedly fresh and bright guitarist and songwriter. Clearly schooled in sparkly folk blues guitar arts (and apparently often likened to Jansch and Korner) and with a straightforward no-nonsense Northern vocal delivery (akin to Alex Turner of Arctic Mon- keys), this young performer effervesces with energy and potential. www.troyfaid.co.uk


2 The Once Row Upon Row Of The Peo- ple They Know (Borealis BCD212). Bell-clear vocals, understated but expert playing (gui- tar, mandolin, fiddle and bouzouki) muted old-time country leaning trad/arr and self- penned material inoffensively executed by this Newfoundland trio. Tasteful. www.theonce.ca


1 Pete Kiddle Gunpowder Tea (HayHo 001CD). Somerset-based Pete’s first solo record is an intelligently-researched collec- tion gleaned from source singers and printed collections. The songs (and some interpolated tunes) sport pleasingly animated bouzouki or concertina work, and Pete’s readings are both reliable and genuine (if perhaps sometimes lacking a little in interpretive distinction). www.petekiddle.com


2 Phil Odgers Sunday Morning Coming Down (Vinyl Star Records VSREP001). Fond acoustic collection from Men They Couldn’t Hang alumni, the man who was Swill does it all himself with ever-reliable Mick Glossop as producer. Nothing fancy – each of the five tracks has a back-story and best of all is per- haps the intimate, sparse reading of The Part- ing Glass. www.tmtch.net


1 Barbara Dymock Hilbert’s Hotel (Lift- fire Recordings SCG570). Scottish traditional singer and erstwhile Ceolbeg founder returns from 20-year ‘real career’ break. A nice voice, mainly familiar material, and eminently com- petent musicians, but rather stodgy produc- tion and arrangements: things just don’t quite flow. Close, but no coconut. www.barbaradymock.com


2 Cheyenne Brown Parallel Latitude (Bird Creek Records BCR001). Solo album from Alaskan-born but Scottish-resident harpist (often seen in a duo with cellist Seylan Baxter). Could perhaps do with slightly less improvisa- tional noodling but a fine collection of tunes both old and new nonetheless, played with more than a nod in Savourna Stevenson’s direction. www.cheyenneharp.com


2 Carol Anderson & Martin Macdonald Single Track Road Trip (Living Tradition LTCD5001). An album from LT’s Tradition Bearers series. Ably and sympathetically accompanied by guitarist Martin MacDonald, Aberdeenshire fiddler Carol Anderson effort- lessly plays mainly Scottish pipe tunes with a lightness of touch and lack of fuss that belies her youth. Excellent and delightful. www.folkmusic.net


1 Across The Border FolkPunkAir-Raid (Twisted Chord TC089). 20 years together German/Irish punks Across The Border leave the thrash alone and go for a cheery, ska jig mosh-up with (would you believe) a capella harmonies? Some dodgy moments such as simulated vomiting aside, FolkPunkAir-Raid isn’t half as gobby and awkward as you might expect. Sleepers Awake comes over as chunky, decent powered-up roots. www.acrosstheborder.de


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