Mike Wilson - ProfilesArchive

About Me

I am a freelance music journalist with a particular interest in traditional, folk, country and roots-based music. I write for The Living Tradition magazine, Folking.com , Rambles and Green Man Review .

My reviews and articles that are published can be found in my myspace blog ! It would be great if you'd pay a visit and leave me a comment!

The stunning photograph that forms the background for my page is by my wonderful friend, the fork-bendingly talented Lieve Boussauw . Lieve is as talented an artist as any of the musicians you will find on my page, and her work is a huge inspiration -- visit Lieve's blog and prepare to be in absolute awe of what you will find there!

I'm really pleased to be involved in folkscene LIVE! -- an innovative collaboration with my great friends Debbie Koritsas and Lieve Boussauw.

folkscene LIVE! is an entirely new (and dare we say it, refreshing?) idea - reporting this scene AS IT HAPPENS; honestly, democratically, quietly, discreetly - as we live, breathe and see it - through photographs & reports - but our prime motive is to report live events, as close to them happening as possible.

Please visit us by clicking on the photo below, add us to your friends list and support us in any way at all possible!

My Interests

My reviews and articles that are published can be found in my myspace blog ! It would be great if you'd pay a visit and leave me a comment!

If you are ever in Bangor, North Wales then you must visit the amazing COB Records... a proper record shop with staff that are so knowledgable about all kinds of music! Visit their myspace page and say hello!

As well as music, I love socialising, food & cooking, gardening and generally being outdoors (usually walking my dog, Tess!).

I'd like to meet:

People with a passion for music.... folk, roots, country, singer-songwriter... but I keep a fairly open mind where music's concerned! I'm keen to meet people who play music, write songs or those involved in any other aspects of the music industry.

Music:

A is for...
Ryan Adams, Altan

B is for...
Joan Baez, Charlie Barker, Bellowhead, The Beautiful South, Bellevue Rendezvous, The Black Family, Darren Black, Frances Black, Mary Black, Michael Black, Luka Bloom, The Blue Nile, Eric Bogle, Robin Huw Bowen, Paul Brady, Billy Bragg, Brother Crow, Jackson Browne, Buena Vista Social Club, Sam Bush

C is for...
Capercaillie, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Paul Carrack, Eliza Carthy, Eva Cassidy, Jim Causley, Tracy Chapman, Beth Nielsen Chapman, The Chieftains, The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Guy Clark, Bruce Cockburn, Mark Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Comas, The Corrs, Mary Coughlan, The Cranberries, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sheryl Crow, Rodney Crowell

D is for...
Danu, De Dannan, Sandy Denny, Cara Dillon, Dixie Chicks, Dochas, Nick Drake, Kris Drever, The Dubliners, Johnny Duhan, The Duhks, Bob Dylan

E is for...
Steve Earle, Seamus Ennis

F is for...
Faerd, Fairport Convention, Fernhill, Ella Fitzgerald, Fleetwood Mac, Radney Foster, Fotheringay, Julie Fowlis, The Fureys & Davey Arthur, Martin Furey

G is for...
Dick Gaughan, Mary Gauthier, Gwenan Gibbard, Thea Gilmore, Kevin Gordon, John Gorka, Kieran Goss, James Graham, James Grant, David Gray Patty Griffin, Nanci Griffith

H is for...
Rachel Hair, Robert Harbron & Emma Reid, Ben Harper, Emmylou Harris, Edwina Hayes, Christie Hennessy, Boo Hewerdine, John Hiatt, Laura Hockenhull, Jools Holland, Shane Howard, Hummingbird

I is for...
Janis Ian, Indigo Girls

J is for...
Bert Jansch, Delyth Jenkins, Nic Jones, Norah Jones, Martyn Joseph

K is for...
Lucy Kaplansky, Niamh Kavanagh, Dolores Keane, Luke Kelly, Paul Kelly, Bap Kennedy, Brian Kennedy, Nuala Kennedy, Ross Kennedy, Carol King, Lisa Knapp, Alison Krauss

L is for...
Lady Jane Grey, Doug Lang, Last Nights Fun, Eileen Laverty, Alana Levandoski, Lisa Loeb, Sinead Lohan, Lunasa

M is for...
Kirsty MacColl, Lauren MacColl, Dougie MacLean, David Ross Macdonald, Maeve Mackinnon, Calum Alex MacMillan, Siobhan Maher-Kennedy, John Martyn, Karen Matheson, Kathy Mattea, Archie McAllister, Eleanor McEvoy, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Sarah McLachlan, Ralph McTell, Katie Melua, Natalie Merchant, Tift Merrit, Don Mescall, Cass Meurig, Mike & The Mechanics, Buddy Miller, Julie Miller, Joni Mitchell, Christy Moore, Jim Moray, Van Morrison, Moving Hearts, Paul Mulligan, Briege Murphy

N is for...
Mark Nevin, Niamh Ni Charra, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

O is for...
Tim O'Brien, Maura O'Connell, Danny O'Reilly, Judith Owen

P is for...
Gram Parsons, Dolly Parton, Pentangle, Gretchen Peters, Planxty, Karine Polwart, John Prine

Q is for...

R is for...
Bonnie Raitt, Rallion, Chris Rea, Josh Rouse, Eddi Reader, Jenna Reid, Bonnie Rideout, Linda Ronstadt, Kate Rusby, Tom Russell

S is for...
The Saw Doctors, Sharon Shannon, Show Of Hands, Martin Simpson, Skipinnish, Simon & Garfunkel, Emily Smith, Mindy Smith, John Spillane, Bruce Springsteen, Peggy Seeger, Garrison Starr, David Stevenson, Christina Stewart, Marsha Swanson, Swill & The Swaggerband

T is for...
June Tabor, John Tams, James Taylor, Ten-Thousand Maniacs, Chris Thile, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Inge Thomson, Steve Tilston, Racquel Badalament Tirrell, Ciaran Tourish, Juliet Turner, Turin Brakes

U is for...
U2, Uiscedwr, The Unusual Suspects

V is for...
Tim Van Eyken, Townes Van Zandt, Suzanne Vega

W is for...
The Waifs, Rufus Wainwright, Rachel Walker, The Watersons, Norma Waterson, Gillian Welch, Paul Weller, Gavin Whelan, Kathryn Williams, Lucinda Williams, Sean Watkins, Kelly Willis

X is for...

Y is for...
Neil Young

Z is for...

Television:

There are (sometimes infrequently) some great music programmes shown on BBC4 , which are always worth checking out.

Books:

Bob Dylan's extraordinarily well written autobiography, 'Chronicles - Volume 1'

Christy Moore's excellent autobiography, 'One Voice - My Life in Song' -- for daring to be different and for being SO Christy!!
Clinton Heylin's somewhat controversial Sandy Denny biography, 'No More Sad Refrains'

Alfred Wainwright's 'Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells' -- I'm collecting the set!!

Colin Irwin's 'In Search of the Craic'

My Blog

DVD REVIEW : Tony Palmers film of Fairport Convention & Matthews Southern Comfort

This is a must have video-record of our finest folk-rock exponents, filmed at a summer fair in 1970! Great picture... fantastic sound... brimming with enigma and ambience... what more can I say...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:20:00 PST

ALBUM REVIEW : Wendy Arrowsmith - ’Now Then?’

Wendy Arrowsmith is a Scottish-born lass who has relocated to North Yorkshire. 'Now Then?' showcases Wendy's ample singing talents, but more importantly an emerging songwriting talent that is w...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:33:00 PST

Happy New Year (The January Man)

I always find New Year less a cause for mindless celebration and more an opportunity for deep and meaningful reflection on the year that's gone and the year that lies ahead. It always makes ...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:26:00 PST

Christie Hennessy - Just Another Man

It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of the Irish singer-songwriter, Christie Hennessy, just before Christmas. Christie was truly an original voice, whose songs are as instantly ident...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 03:20:00 PST

Folkscene LIVE!

This is a really exciting project for me to be involved with, not just because of the subject matter, but also because it brings me together with two of my most creative and talented friends on mys...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:47:00 PST

ALBUM REVIEW : ’Give US Your Poor’ (Various Artists)

Give US Your Poor is a campaign aimed at raising the awareness of homelessness in the United States. Their mission statement is: The Give US Your Poor mission is to create a revolution in public aw...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:34:00 PST

ALBUM REVIEW : James Graham - ’Greisean Grèine’

This is a beautiful album... I love finding these little hidden treasures... Skipinnish Records has them in abundance! I was particularly thrilled to hear that Rachel Walker was producing this album...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:25:00 PST

ALBUM REVIEW : Marsha Swanson - ’Sentient Stardust’

Marsha Swanson is talented singer-songwriter who is sure to be destined for much success and praise. Covering similar eccentricities and lyrical insight as Kate Bush or Suzanne Ve...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 02:39:00 PST

ALBUM REVIEW : Robin Huw Bowen - Y Ffordd I Aberystwyth

'Y Ffordd I Aberystwyth' (The Road To Aberystwyth) is a beautiful album of Welsh triple harp music, from one of the instrument's finest exponents. A great way to continue my exploration of traditiona...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:37:00 PST

Lisa Knapp - The Sound Of The Underground

Lisa Knapp is one of the most exciting female voices to emerge from the English folk scene in recent years. From the first few notes of her performance at this year's Celtic Connections festival in Gl...
Posted by Mike Wilson on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:08:00 PST