The Wilders, with a brand new album, "Someone's Got To Pay", produced in Louisiana by the legendary Dirk Powell, are confirmed for a well-deserved return for another week-long run at The Famous Spiegeltent during Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, 2008. Joining them for a separate run at the same fantastic venue will be Special Ed & The Shortbus. Both bands will also play a select string of dates together as well as headline shows in  their own right elsewhere in the UK. Check back for updates. 

Those who were lucky enough to catch the deliciously appealing Kirsty McGee and Mat Martin when they appeared here prior to their on-air session at BBC Radio Scotland earlier this year, will be thrilled to know that they have landed a prime slot supporting Capercaillie at The Old Fruitmarket during Celtic Connections, with the full, wonderful band – The Kirsty McGee Hobopop Collective.

This is the latest development in a career that has seen the talented singer songwriter go from strength to strength. The quartet has her constant musical sidekick and collaborator, Mat joined by jazz bassist Nick Blacka and Rob Turner (drums) to bring a new dimension to the material and add a grainy groove to their already woody and mellow sound. We recommend this as another of the festival’s superb events. A wee birdie told us that there will be someone very special making a guest appearance with the band. File under Not To Be Missed!

DIARY DATE: Saturday, February 2: Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow. 9pm. Tickets (£16.00) online from the www.celticconnections.com website or the box office on 0141 353 8000.

As Britain gets ready for the arrival of Sam Baker, the great reviews continue to roll in. Writing in Maverick magazine about his appearance at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Oklahoma, Nick Dalton says:

"I had seen him at SXSW earlier this year where he just blew me away and this time was no different.

"He doesn't sing in a conventional fashion, he talks, almost rasps his way through seemingly simple songs, but what an impact they have. I can see why Bob Harris said recently after playing Broken Fingers on his Saturday show, that he had received more enquiries about it than any other song/artist for years.

The good news is that plans are at an advanced stage for a UK tour later this year. Don't miss this guy".

Meanwhile. awarding Pretty World four stars, Sylvie Simmons tells readers of Mojo: “Despite the six-piece band and various guests (including Gurf Morlix), this is understated, affecting music, and even the songs that don't quote old gospel standards (Orphan; Odessa) sound like you've always known them”.

Once again, we are proud to announce that we have several artistes appearing at the forthcoming Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, with The Packway Handle Band set to play their own headline slot at Oran Mor (January 25) and Alastair Moock and Tim Gearan both participating with Kris Delmhorst and Rose Polenzani in the Boston Tea Party event, spread over three nights (January 22, 23 and 24) on The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour.

Book online at the www.celticconnections.com website or by calling the box office on 0141 353 8000.

The Wilders’ triumphant return to Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the scene of last year’s sell-out run - The Famous Spiegeltent – created even more excitement this time…and a resulted in second-year-running 5-star review from The Herald’s top music critic, Rob Adams.

It just gets better and better. Rob said:

“They're being called the Hillbilly Hurricane and while there's a force of nature quality about the Wilders as they return to the scene of last year's Herald Angel-winning performances, the over-riding impression is of human engineering, a machine with a heart and fire in its soul.

“Standing closely grouped, the quartet emphasise their music's physical togetherness. All hard-driving rhythm and sweetly dovetailing fiddle and dobro lines, they're an unstoppable honky-tonk choo-choo, with Betse Ellis step dancing in her exuberance at sharing these fiddle tunes.

“Ellis is the revelation this time. While Ike Sheldon's heart-stoppingly honest, homespun ballad singing is a now familiar component, Ellis has blossomed into a blues singer with an old soul. Her reading of Memphis Minnie's My Girlish Days seemed to come from some deep, dark recollection and in her all-round contribution she was quite simply on fire.

The result is that The Wilders are giving even more of a one-band American roots music festival - and the best of it is, they construct the set list as they go. What feels right comes next, be it broken-hearted Hank Williams revision, the happiest song ever written about drowning or a Going to Memphis that could have got them there on elbow grease and tough, direct musical acumen alone.”

We have a feeling they'll be back in 2008.