The hugely-influential Freeform Americana Radio “Best of 2011” Chart has just been published and shows Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers sitting pretty in two different categories – Album of The Year (No 9 slot), and with Zoe sandwiched nicely (at No 2) between Eilen Jewell and Gillian Welch in the Best Female Performer list.

Zoe and her band will be arriving in the UK soon for Celtic Connections festival and other ‘live’ dates.

It is very rewarding to see Gurf Morlix, another fine performer we have been proud to work with in 2011, featuring in three categories: Best Tribute Album (No 1), Best Male Artist (No 5 shared with Hayes Carll) and Best Instrumentalist (No 2). Results like this make it all worthwhile.

Link: www.tcmnradio.com/far/far_best2011.htm

Very happy to report that The Hot Seats will be flying back over the Atlantic again from Richmond, Virginia, to take part in this year's Shetland Folk Festival.

It's the third year that we have had an act involved, The Wiyos, Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three and The Wilders all having enjoyed the experience immensely at previous events.

Link: www.shetlandfolkfestival.com/index.php

Might seem like it's "unlucky for some" but when you end up with your album at the Number 13 slot in one of the most highly-regarded Best of The Year charts in the business and the names that are ahead of you include Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, Robbie Robertson, Ry Cooder and The Jayhawks, it's a very nice place to be.

That's how one of our all-time favourite singer-songwriters, Greg Trooper, ended 2011 with his superb album, Upside Down Town sitting pretty near the top of the Top 100 Roots Rock Albums of The Year chart published by the hugely-influential Roots Music Report in the USA, compiled from returns sent in from radio stations to record the albums that have had most airplay exposure from them over the past twelve months. That's a great start to the New Year for a man properly described by Bob Harris as "one of the great, great American singer-songwriters".and he'll be back in the UK soon.

The Wiyos' new album, Twist, has been picking up great reviews and loads of radio exposure since it's release in the UK on January 1, the latest (4 stars) from Robin Denselow in The Guardian, who predicts: "they look set to become celebrities of the Americana scene".

Check the band out 'live' when they arrive here soon for a string of dates that kicks off with a sensational double-header with Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns at The Old Fruitmarket during Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival (final weekend).

Full review here

There is no doubt that 2011 was a great year for Cahalen Morrison & Eli West and 2012 has begun in startling fashion too, with their stunning CD, The Holy Coming of The Storm featuring strongly in the hugely-influential Roots Music Report's annual Top 100 Folk Albums of 2011 chart in America. Compiled according to the number of spins registered throughout the year from radio stations all over the USA, the chart provides a true indication that, coast-to-coast, the duo has made a huge impact.

The album ended up at the Number 37 position - well ahead of acts such as The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Mary Gauthier, Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three, Laura Marling, Iron & Wine and Mumford and Sons.

Those who missed the duo during their last UK tour should look out for them when they are flown in later this month for an appearance at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival. A second UK tour is also being planned for the summer.

Web link

Zoe Muth and The Lost High Rollers couldn't have wished for a better start to the New Year!

As the band was just about to arrive on this side of the Atlantic for the first time, in a piece of perfect timing, it was announced that the fabulous Starlight Hotel album had finished the year in the Number 1 position on the hugely-influential Roots Music Report's annual Top True Country Albums of 2011 chart in America, compiled according to the number of radio plays registered from radio stations all over the USA - an indication that, coast-to-coast, the band has been played on the radio more than any other act over the past twelve months!

web link

The highly influential No Depression website has just revealed the Top Fifty Albums of The Year as voted for by the internet community who participate in what is widely regarded as the world “roots music authority” since 1995.

It is hugely rewarding to see that rising Brookfield-Knights stars Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers ended up in the Number 8 slot thanks to votes cast for the band’s superb album, Starlight Hotel.

Zoe and the band will be arriving in the UK soon to make their debut here with a show at The Arches on the opening weekend of Glasgow’s big Celtic Connections festival.

After that, the five-piece, one of the hottest Stateside properties currently working the circuit, embark on a tour schedule with dates in England and Ireland, including a big show in London.

What better way to round off a terrific year than to have two of our best acts releasing fabulous new albums that are bound to take them on to even greater things…

Fidil’s new CD, The Old Wheel of Fortune, impressed BBC Radio Scotland’s Bruce MacGregor so much that he told listeners to his Travelling Folk show it was "sensational - the best release I've heard in 2011 - truly jaw-dropping and inspiring."

He loved The Wiyos’ Twist too, describing it as “wonderful, weird and at times scary” and adding: “It’s well worth checking out!”

There could hardly be a better way to start 2012 either…Both bands have shows at Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

Its rewarding to reveal that Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three are to be one of the main acts included in the Later with Jools Hootenanny end-of-the-year special and we are pleased to have played our part in bringing that about.

We may no longer be working with the band in the UK but it’s good to know that one of the artists we helped along the way, is to get this major exposure and their presence is bound to make the show even more enjoyable than ever.

Tune in as 2011 draws to a close on December 31.

There are some superb acts and wonderful albums that deserve recognition in the Best of 2011 poll being run by Songlines magazine, including Sultans of String in the Best Group category and Cahalen Morrison & Eli West in the Best Newcomer section.

Both acts have UK tours in 2012.

There's a great "best of the year" indie roots selection in Magnet magazine from highly-respected authority Devon Leger, with the new one from Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers listed as one of his fave raves.

The band will be arriving next month for a big Celtic Connections show and a string of tour dates in Ireland and England.

The latest issue of fRoots magazine has a good feature on Väsen, tour news on The Wiyos, Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns and Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers, and reviews for new releases from The Quiet American ("simple and effective"), Pharis & Jason Romero ("lovely down-homey sounds") and The Two Man Gentleman Band ("smartly played and sharp").

Well done, Bloodygreatpr!

We are delighted to be welcoming one of our favourite bands, Furnace Mountain, back to these shores in June, 2012 and happy to confirm that there are two big shows already confirmed – at Devizes Street Festival on June 13 and Beverley Folk Festival on Sunday, June 17. Dates being firmed elsewhere include Scotland, Ireland and other parts of England.

Respected music writer David Innes, a regular contributor to R2 magazine nailed his colours to the mast in the latest issue in the Playlist section in which individuals with their fingers on the pulse are asked to spill the beans on the music they have been enjoying. He highlighted five cracking albums, among them Lake Street Dive’s new one. Such splendid taste!

Writing in The Herald, leading reviewer Rob Adams welcomed Cahalen Morison and Eli West to Scotland for their first tour here and, praising their album, ‘The Holy Coming of The Storm’, said it was “one of the most beguiling and musically-enriching releases to have reached these shores this year.”

Cahalen Morrison and Eli West’s arrival in the UK for their first major tour here coincided with Guy Fawkes night – and what a celebration it turned out to be.

As soon as the duo touched down, they were whisked into the BBC studios in London to record a session for Mary Ann Kennedy’s World on 3 programme, then later that night their opening London show turned out to be a sold-out event...

And, while they were wowing the capacity crowd packed into The Green Note in Camden, Ricky Ross played a track from their Holy Coming of The Storm album on his Another Country show on BBC Radio Scotland.

Suppose you could say it all went with a bang!

They're one of our favourite bands (many others feel the same way) and now it's been confirmed that the Coen Brothers are fans too.

For, Furnace Mountain's Aimee Curl has been asked to audition for a part in their next film after Ethan Coen instructed his people to make an approach. Go, Aimee!

We are delighted to announce that Brookfield-Knights will have eight great acts involved in the 2012 Celtic Connections Festival.

Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns join The Wiyos for a spectacular double-header at The Old Fruitmarket, Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers have their own headline show at The Arches, Väsen make a triumphant return, Sultans of String roll in to make their UK debut and Cahalen Morrison and Eli West get a chance to shine.

Fidil's superb collaboration with kora master Solo Cissokho, is given a well-deserved slot too and Bard will launch their stunning debut album at the event

. Meschiya and her band will be accompanied by two of the world's leading Lindy Hop exhibition dancers, by the way and The Wiyos arrive with a superb new album to promote.

Well-respected writer, Paul Kerr has declared himself a fan of Hillfolk Noir after listening to their Skinny Mammy’s Revenge release and telling readers of his Blabber ‘n’ Smoke blog that he found the vast majority of the album’s 20 tracks “a delight”.

“Hillfolk Noir manage to capture the essence of American music in spades,” he says. “They also have one of the best press quotes we’ve seen in a long time, namely: ‘Much better than the crap on the radio’.”

Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns feature on the soundtrack of a new film that follows a group of creative malcontents as they struggle to find love, money and marijuana in the surreal streets of post-Katrina New Orleans.

The genesis of Flood Streets began during the six-week mandatory evacuation that followed Hurricane Katrina. Forced from the home and two businesses they owned in New Orleans, Helen Kreiger and Joseph Meissner had time to contemplate how they might rebuild their lives from scratch if there was nothing left to come home to.

Despite fear and uncertainty, they grabbed the opportunity to start from scratch. For Krieger it was writing and for Meissner it was acting and directing, so they joined forces to tell the story unfolding around them.

It seems the couple’s risk taking is paying off with lots of positive reviews from critics who’ve already seen the film at festivals around the country.

The Village News called it “a heartfelt slice-of-life celluloid treasure.”

Good to hear Bruce MacGregor paying so many compliments to The Two Man Gentleman Band on his BBC Radio Scotland show, "Travelling Folk".

He said of the new album: 'Made me smile from start to finish - decidedly eccentric and supreme musicianship and great fun all the way through'. That's just what we were thinking too. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015pc4r#segments

Scorcher Shane, long ago recognised as one of the good guys thanks to his impeccable taste on The Gilded Palace show at Totallyradio.com, has continued to prove the point, playing tracks from Barbara Nesbitt, The Quiet American, Davina & The Vagabonds and The Woodshedders.

His promo copy of Cahalen Morrison and Eli West’s Holy Coming of The Storm album arrived just to late to be included in last week’s show but the man has confirmed he thinks it is “phenomenal”.

Ricky Ross is so impressed with Hillfolk Noir's classy 'Skinny Mammy's Revenge' album that he promises to re-visit it and tells listeners to his BBC Radio Scotland show: "I like this very much".

Be sure to catch this wonderful band from Boise, Idaho, when they land on these shores for the first time in June, 2012.

...And tell your friends...They'll thank you.

David Innes is widely recognised as one of the most in-touch writers on the roots music scene and so it is rewarding to find him saying very complimentary things about Lake Street Dive in the Sept/Oct issue of R2 (Rock 'n' Reel) magazine.

Reviewing the band's latest album, and clearly very impressed, he says it's a "rich, aromatic and nourishing aural casserole" and adds: "This is classic swinging, soulful adult pop, unafraid to be diverse, bold and experimental without self-indulgence". Yessir!

They’re one of our favourite bands and we’re excited to be bringing them over to the UK for the first time in June next year. So it’s great then, to see the Seattle Weekly describe Hillfolk Noir them as “one of the most incredible bands in town”.

Writing in the latest issue, music critic Chris Kornelis says: “They are as honest as it gets. With a couple of U.S. tours and lots of regional jaunts under their belts, numerous recordings, and endless community spirit, this band is an Idaho treasure, and will be for years to come.”

www.brookfield-knights.com/hillfolk-noir.html

Sweden’s leading world music ambassadors Väsen made a huge impact during their first ever Scottish tour, winning a standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd at The Tolbooth in Stirling, recording a killer studio session in front of an appreciative audience for Mary Ann Kennedy’s Global Gathering BBC Radio Scotland show (she crowned them “supreme rulers of the trad world”) and winning a 5-star review in The Herald from the paper’s top music writer, Rob Adams, who described the trio as “astonishing,” and added: “move heaven and earth for a ticket”.

After their opening night at the legendary Acoustic Music Club in Kirkcaldy, compere Fiona Forbes was happy to tell the world: “They were superb. If you get any chance to see them, then you must. One of the best bands ever”, and Brian Carson (Moving On Music), unquestionably the most switched-on promoter in Northern Ireland, thought they were superb too and after their Belfast debut declared: “Wonderful”.

Link to full Herald review

The Hot Seats have returned to Richmond, Virginia, after their most successful UK tour to date, with many rave reviews, triumphant performances at three summer festivals and eight sell-out shows.

Promo copies of the band’s new album are being circulated to the media this week as we start to plan ahead for a return visit for the band around the same time next year. Listen out for them on your local radio station. It’s bound to get loads of exposure.

It has just been announced that all the tickets are gone for the 2011 Newport Folk Festival, two weeks in advance of its July 30-31 dates - the first time in history that both days have sold out in advance. Ten thousand fans per day will celebrate the music at Fort Adams State Park on each day.

No surprise, of course, as Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three will be making a triumphant return after America's big-circulation Spin magazine last year conferred "best new find of the event" status on the band, leading the whole of the USA to "discover" their music.

This year's event also features appearances from tiop acts such as The Decemberists, Gillian Welch, The Felice Brothers, Justin Townes Earle, Trampled by Turtles, The Civil Wars, The Cave Singers and Dar Williams.

Writing in the Sunday Express, David Esson awards Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three his only 5-star rating for their new release - Middle of Everywhere, stating: "Like a man born – very luckily for us – in the wrong era, Pokey (along with his trio of astoundingly accomplished pals) gives the 21st Century a sparkling history lesson. His gumbo of 1930s ragtime, jazz, blues, country and swing is intoxicating, the self-penned tunes like So Long Honeybee and Drinkin' Whiskey Tonight sounding so authentic you'd swear they were written back in his favourite era. Catching them live only enhances the pleasure".

Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three's new release, Middle of Everywhere, has been picking up loads of radio plays – and compliments – with presenters in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland all giving the album air time.

It is especially rewarding to hear tracks featured on shows such as BBC Radio 3's Late Junction, where Verity Sharp got in the groove, and World on 3, with Mary Ann Kennedy also getting in on the act.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Aird gave the release a well-considered review for AmericanaUK and said: "If you're looking for a smooth blend of wise-cracking lyrics, hop-skipping banjo, fine picked blues guitar, washboard percussion and a beating bass then you should probably look right in the 'Middle Of Everywhere'."

Good to hear Paul Jones playing a track from Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three's new album, Middle of Everywhere, on his BBC Radio 2 show and telling listeners all about the current tour. Great to know the word is geting out there.

Great to hear Mary Ann Kennedy playing tracks from The Wilders' brand new album on her BBC Radio 3 show, and giving a spin to Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns too. The Wilders - "one of the finest 'live' bands around at the moment," were "in blistering form" she declared, telling listeners to watch out for rising star Meschiya and her hot band when they make their first visit to the UK early in 2012.

The Holy Coming of The Storm by Cahalen Morrison and Eli West gets a four-star rating in the latest issue of the UK's Songlines magazine, reviewer Rose Skelton saying it is "thoughtful, gentle, intricate and deep enough that the tracks go on and on giving".

It is called Middle of Everywhere but it went straight to the top of the Euro Americana Chart on its release on this side of the Atlantic, to sit at the No 3 position.

Pokey LaFarge and The South City Three were playing dates in The Netherlands, where the new release has been picking up almost saturation airplay from various radio stations, when the June Chart was published.

Radio presenters in the UK are starting to say complimentary things too. "Fantastic – it makes me smile", said Frank Hennessy at BBC Radio Wales, when he played a track on his popular Celtic Heartbeat programme.

Strong reviews continue to flow in as the UK starts to fall in love with the music of Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns. They have been showered with compliments about their debut release, Lucky Devil.

Writing for the Northern Sky music mag, Laim Wilkinson said it was "a steaming bowl of red hot Creole gumbo with a glass of bourbon on the side," and continued: "to add to the authenticity of the album, Lake and her band have chosen songs by Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton and, of course, Bessie Smith, whose ghost lingers distinctly within the roomy echo of this, at times eerily atmospheric gem of a record"

At the www.netRhythms.co.uk website, Mike Davies says: "Recent winner of the Big Easy Award for Best Female Performer, Lake has found her true destiny recreating the bluesy-jazz of pre WWII America and earlier. Not just an interpreter, she contributes two of her songs to the collection, the puttering hand percussion snake-charmer-rhythmed Slowburn and the frisky jelly roll Do For Myself which, pinned by washboard, serves mostly to showcase the swinging brass section. It goes without saying they fit seamlessly alongside numbers 70 years older. The sleeve notes describe the disc as 'one of the few that capture the essence of today's music scene in New Orleans.' If you can't travel there to confirm it for yourself, I'd just buy a Speakeasy and put this on the jukebox as the next best thing".

Then, the good folks at Spiral Earth have this to say: "Lake doesn't need to hide behind a microphone with her big bold ragtime jazz voice. It is something that singles out the leaders of a revival, their gifts revitalise the source, and that is what you hear all the way through this album".