Joel Ansett is making a name for himself by bridging folk-pop with R&B, crafting songs that are at once infectiously catchy and full of depth. The Denver based singer-songwriter managed to raise $25,000 via Kickstarter, proving not only that he’s bursting at the seams with potential, but also that he’s hit a note with a vast number of people. His latest album The Nature of Us hit number #23 on the iTunes singer-songwriter charts, an impressive milestone for any independent artist trying to stand out in a fiercely competitive crowd, but it’s not hard to see how he’s done it. 

Album opener, ‘Kingdom Come’ is a sleek track balancing poppy melodies with a sophisticated and artfully arranged backdrop that, at times, is bared to nothing but finger clicks and ethereal harmonies and at other times features brass and slinky bass lines. The song is layered with such deftness and subtlety that it’s easy to miss all the nuanced sounds appearing in the background which bring the song to life, but it’s this skilful production that lends ‘Kingdom Come’ such a draw-you-in atmosphere. In fact, this production wizardry gives a magic touch to every song on the album, which sounds at once warm and intimate yet also larger than life.

At various moments the album feels unmistakably reminiscent of early John Mayer, from the ‘Waiting On The World to Change’ folk-pop sound heard on ‘Already In Love’ to the bluesy-er grooves of ‘In The Eye’ and ‘The Cycle’, there’s no doubting Mayer’s 2006 album Continuum was a big point of inspiration for Ansett. One of the strongest tracks on The Nature of Us is ‘Give Our Hearts Some Weight’, a delicate acoustic tune that draws resemblance to The Civil Wars with its airy harmonies and vulnerable display of emotion.

Joel Ansett has produced a record that’s likely to stick in your head, and for all the right reasons. The Nature of Us is a sophisticated album that’s hard to pin down to a single genre, and while Ansett’s inspirations are clear, he has certainly carved a sound of his own.

The Nature of Us is available from Amazon and iTunes. 

Nashville rocker Billy Crain has lived a life that sounds like it’s been pulled straight out of Almost Famous (2000). Over the years, Crain has played with country superstars Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks, as well having toured extensively with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Doobie Brothers.

As of late, Crain’s career as a session musician has taken a back seat, and instead, he’s focusing on making a name for himself as a solo artist. Family Matters is his latest album, 10 songs of stories from the road set to rootsy Southern rock. Opening track ‘Dark House’ kicks off the album, somewhat surprisingly, with bagpipes to lead the way for a melodic, upbeat number to follow. Crain’s countrified, twangy voice lends his words a straight-from-the-soul sense of sincerity, and feels all the more country-inspired with sugar-sweet harmonies added on top.

Title track ‘Family Matters’ is a piano ballad that speaks frankly about Crain’s family members, in particular, his children: “I watched an angry boy grow up/From a half-empty glass to an overflowing cup. He left town and never looked back/That Portland rain had what he lacked”. While the track is certainly heartfelt, it retains the upbeat, driving momentum home to the rest of the album. Crain keeps these songs light and never really crossing over into somber territory, which suits him best.

‘Road Warriors’ is a nostalgic look back on some of Crain’s more raucous touring days of being “young and dumb living life on the run”. Arriving at the album’s close is ‘Joe Parker’, a percussive slow-burner which, apart from Crain’s distinctively twangy vocal style, breaks the country-inspired mould of the album. A screeching guitar solo segues ‘Joe Parker’ into the record’s final song ‘1928’, which, in similar fashion, ends with Crain doing what he does best, flaunting his jaw-dropping guitar skills.

Family Matters is a culmination of Billy Crain’s lifelong career in the music industry, and it proves that he is far more than gun-for-hire session work.

Family Matters is available from Amazon and iTunes.

Midwest Soul Xchange is taking on the traditionally rooty genre that is Americana, but with a fresh approach that blends synthesizers into the mix. The Wisconsin duo comprised of Nate Cherrier and Ryan Summers have cooked up a melting pot of prog-rock, pop and folk-rock with Americana at the core; the result is - in a word - eclectic.

Their latest release is New American Century. The 11-track album was recorded with Summers in Wisconsin and Cherrier in Phoenix, meaning “every note and beat was literally an ‘exchange’ of ideas”. Opening track ‘Set A Course For Common Worlds’ could be seen as a nod to that across-the-country songwriting partnership: “So set a course for common worlds, if by air or by sea/ And make your way back down and home to me”. The blissful tune sets the tone from the get-go for the album to follow, vanilla-sweet harmonies, countrified electric guitars and a generous serving of wailing harmonica.

Track two ‘Roots’ leans more on the folk side, employing acoustic guitars to lead the way, but it’s not before long that a high-rising synth makes an entrance and lends the song a distinct indie vibe. ‘Truth Attention’ is where the duo really starts to play with experimentation, a dark, and vaguely psychedelic five-minute track that takes the pair’s sound in a new direction. This mood is revisited on ‘Sun Dried’, a song which is also spiced with hints of Eastern influence, while ‘Occupy The Piper’ combines a Wild west-Americana feel with overriding synthesizers. Its an odd idea, but one that the band manages to pull off.

New American Century is a ‘mixed bag’ kind of an album. Midwest Soul Xchange clearly aren’t afraid to dip their toes in new waters, and the result is a record that never stands in one place for too long. 

New American Century is available from Amazon. 

Edinburgh garage rock band The No-Things have been gigging around the local area for the past year or so, and have certainly won themselves much admiration. They appeared at the Inaugural Franklin Fest 2015 (Edinburgh’s very first garage and beat festival), and have to date supported the likes of The Thanes, Les Grys Grys, The Wildebeest, Barrence Whitfield & The Savages, and King Khan & The BBQ Show. So if you’ve been lucky enough to catch them, you’ll know just how fabulous they are. They’ve certainly been one of MG’s favourites in 2015, and we were delighted to hear that they had finally laid down no less than 9 tracks in November.  

You may know Laurent (vox) from French 60’s garage rock band Les BOF!, Alex (guitar) from French garage band The Carpet Sellers, Calvin (drums) from the longest running Ramones tribute act in the world - Carbona Not Glue (to name but a few), and Scott (bass) from Dabster Productions!

There are three tracks available to listen to here, and are just as expected from their live shows; Lo-fi, primitive, garage rock n roll!

For more info and regular updates check their Facebook page, and to listen their first recordings please see the link at the very bottom of the screen: