2020 has been a surprise, but before the worldwide pandemic shut the music industry down, Drew Dixon was able to record four new songs, including his latest single, 'Good Time', all of which will be released one track at a time over the course of this Fall, and will ultimately make up Dixon's new EP. A mix of Delta Blues and Southern Gothic, Dixon's voice provides texture and warmth. His lyrics give characters their life. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, for the last nine years, Dixon has called Nashville home, while continuing to tour extensively, including both CMA Fest and Bonnaroo last Summer, followed by Europe in the Fall for his first headlining tour, and then opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Grand Funk Railroad in the USA.

Amy Montgomery will release her debut EP, 'Intangible', on Friday 20th November via 7Hz Music (ADA), of which the title track, and her first single to be released, is today's Bjork-inspired Video Of The Day. The track itself is a shimmering work of Nineties-influenced Alternative Rock with its squalls of guitar feedback lifted by bright, fluttering synths and, like most of Montgomery’s work, the track is very lyrically powerful. Already a musical force of nature, performing with great intensity on both guitar and keyboards, it’s her powerful vocal that has captured attention in big ways, drawing immediate comparisons to Janis Joplin, Anna Calvi and Alanis Morrisette, but with a very modern attitude. A voice with exceptional power but with an individuality all of its own.

oday's Track Of The Day of 'Diamonds and Rust', featuring Danny Stoakes, Sicilian guitarist Antonello Giliberto and Tygers of Pan Tang drummer Craig Ellis, is the third single taken from 'The Isolation Sessions', a charity album released yesterday, with all money going to the National Emergencies Trust Covid appeal. The album sees Danny performing with a whole host of musicians on an album of his ten favourite re-imagined songs, all reworked and recorded in isolation. From Heavy Metal to Country, Rock and Roll to Folk, it's a huge cross section of music delivered in an entirely different style, thanks to collaborations with the creme de la creme of the current Rock scene.

Howlin Rain will release 'Under The Wheels: Live From The Coasts, Vol. 2', the second edition in a planned series of live album recordings, on Friday 30th October on Silver Current Records, of which they have recently shared the album's first single 'Calling Lightning Pt. 2'. The new album sees Howlin Rain's trademark Rock 'n' Roll bombast and intricately woven, extended improv passages, swirl into a distinct form of storytelling, expressed through spiraling energy and a near constant flow of form and melody. As a companion to its Vol. 1 predecessor, this latest offering is also drawn from North American coastal tours in 2018 and 2019 that came in support of the band's most recent studio album, 'The Alligator Bride'. Curated by Howlin Rain founder Ethan Miller, it presents favourite song performances selected from different shows along the way.

Last Wednesday saw the release of The Ocean Dwellers debut album, 'Echoes From The Deep', now available to stream on all good music streaming platforms including Spotify here and YouTube here, of which the Progtastic 'Gulf Stream Part I - V' is today's Video Of The Day. A sort of "Tubular Bells Under The Waves", the music is all instrumentals and soundscapes and could be described as Psychedelic Prog Rock, and indeed is heavily influenced by late 60's/early 70's period bands such as Pink Floyd, Gong, Hawkwind, Mike Oldfield, Daevid Allan, Steve Hillage, Tangerine Dream, and minimalist composers such as La Monte Young and Steve Reich. Recorded live at C-Bed Studios, London, all tracks were composed and arranged by Steven C. Gilbert on guitars and sound effects, who not only also sound engineered, but produced and mixed the album with Shak Cohen. All tracks were mastered by Simon Trought at Soup Studios, London, coincidentally the same studio Rosalie Cunningham is currently recording at, following on from Steve's review of Rosalie's gigs last year!

Today's latest Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day is another two hours of non stop Best in Blues and beyond with More Music and Less Chat, featuring new releases, classic tracks and UK IBBA Presenters' Picks, including music from Rory Gallagher (pictured), Malaya Blue, Jimmie Vaughan, Kat Riggins, Johnnie Johnson, Reloaded Norway, Reverend Freakchild, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Hurricane Ruth, Howlin Wolf, Lisa Marini, Kirsten Thien, John Lee Hooker, Chris Bevington Organisation, Peter Karp, BB King and many more.

Starting tonight, UK Rock legends Marillion will come together with thousands of fans globally, for their first, and in the own words ‘hopefully only’, Marillion Couch Convention. The band will broadcast their three most popular gig films on YouTube across this weekend, with support acts, introductions from the band and even a live Q&A hosted by Prog Magazine editor Jerry Ewing. The band will also be hosting virtual Q&A’s with fans, music masterclasses, a quiz, fan club meetups with band members, and even a run-along with keyboard player Mark Kelly and a cocktail class with guitarist Steve Rothery. There are opportunities to win a virtual photo with the band, virtual coffee with a band member and all sorts of other competitions, including an online dog show and prizes for the best photos from the weekend.

Voodoo Six are set to release their new studio album, 'Simulation Game', on Friday 16th October, and their first single from the album, 'Gone Forever', released last month, is today's Video Of The Day. It's the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2016 album 'Make Way For The King', and now boasting the talent of new vocalist and frontman Nik Taylor-Stoakes, the critical consensus is that they’ve raised themselves to another level with this release. The band are ready to make their music resonate across the pond as well as in the UK, Europe and beyond, specialising in delivering driving, contemporary Rock with an undercurrent of Blues and cut through with killer riffs. Tom Gentry (Gun, Marco Mendoza) also joins the band on guitar, which brings an added dynamic to the six-string assault.

Following the outstanding success of their 2019 American tour, Yes are to release, 'The Royal Affair Tour, Live From Las Vegas', through BMG Records on Friday 30th October. All Yes tours are special events for their legions of fans and this was no exception, conceived as a wonderful celebration of the best of British Progressive music, with special guests Asia (with Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood and a special appearance by Steve Howe), John Lodge of The Moody Blues and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy featuring Arthur Brown. Consisting of Howe (guitar) who joined in 1970, Alan White, drums since 1972 (Jay Schellen played additional drums), Downes (keyboards) who first joined in 1980, Jon Davison vocalist since 2011, Sherwood, who played guitar/keyboards in the 1990's and was the late Chris Squire’s choice to take over bass/vocals in 2015, the show features many classic tracks across the period 1970 – 1980. Recorded at the Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, the album reaches a climax with two of the best-loved Yes tracks, 'Roundabout' and 'Starship Trooper', always a high note on which to close the set!

Philadelphia-duo Rise Twain released their eponymous debut album last September and today's Track Of The Day is an excerpt from a three song live performance recorded at Chateau Fornance (Brett William Kull's home studio). Both Rise Twain's Kull (producer, audio engineer, and member of Echolyn, Grey Eye Glances, and Francis Dunnery’s New Progressives) and J.D. Beck (The Scenic Route, Beck-Fields, author and playwright), along with Katie Barbato (a songwriter also from Philadelphia), wanted to creatively share their music in an intimate, comfortable setting during the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic. The performance is live, no edits, pure and in the moment. It was shot on smart phones then edited in a creative manner to add context and emotional dynamics. Indeed, the union of their collective years of direct and varied experience in writing, is fully reflected in this video, performing and recording music together for their impressive debut.

Our good buddies, The Mojo Preachers, released their brand new track, 'Sane', here last Sunday, written by Carleton Van Selman on keys and vocalist Sophie Hammerton, and it's just one of the tracks destined for a brand new studio release. Also with Andy Walker - guitar, Matt Furness - drums and Trev Turley - bass, the five-piece are a boundary-pushing outfit, delivering hard-hitting original tunes; conjuring up a melodiously intricate, authentic yet unconventional sound. Think raw riffs, Psychedelic waves, rooted rhythms and thought-provoking lyrics, all with an occasional touch of sweeping, soaring, musical emotion that only Progressive Blues can bring!

Hailing from Curitiba, Brazil, Landfall, who release their debut album, 'The Turning Point', this Friday 4th September, can be described as a mixture of Classic Melodic Rock like Journey and heavier influences such as classic era Dokken, White Lion and Extreme, as testified by today's Video Of The Day, 'Rush Hour'. However, the band is far more than the sum of its influences and also incorporate elements of Prog and Hard Rock to create a truly magical sound topped off by a singer in Gui Oliver (formerly of Auras) with a voice that perfectly and powerfully matches the music. His bandmates Felipe Souzza and guitarist Marcelo Gelbcke are childhood friends who have been playing together since their mid-teens, eventually being joined by bassist Thiago Forbeci. Having made records under other names and toured throughout their home territory, opening for acts such as Glenn Hughes and Mike Vescera in the process, they eventually joined forces with Oliver to create 'The Turning Point'.