
One of my favourite UK bands The Barker Band have kindly sent me a copy of their latest album Dig Me A Hole , the album is the bands fifth and given I'm a huge fan of the previous four albums, and I'm a glass half empty kind of guy - despite having already been able to listen to some tracks from the album on-line I was a little apprehensive before listening to the whole album fearing it may not reach the heights of the previous releases and would end in disappointment, my fears I'm pleased to report were totally unfounded as it's a [...]
Posted some news about this back in September of 2011, now the band have an official release date for the album April 1st and a new website to go with it. Recorded live at the betsey trotwood, clerkenwell.

Beat Surrender's Halloween mix-tape Cat Power - Werewolf (BBC) ( buy ) Willard Grant Conspiracy -Bring the Monster Inside ( buy ) Rachel Harrington - Halloween Leaves ( buy ) Jon Langford And His Sadies - Little Vampires ( buy ) Halfway - Monster City ( buy ) Deadman - Ghost Story ( buy ) Eric Ambel -Vampire Blues ( buy ) Jolie Holland - Ghostly Girl ( buy ) Betty & The Werewolves - Werewolves ( buy ) Mekons -Big [...]

Beat Surrender's Halloween mix-tape Cat Power - Werewolf (BBC) ( buy ) Willard Grant Conspiracy -Bring the Monster Inside ( buy ) Rachel Harrington - Halloween Leaves ( buy ) Jon Langford And His Sadies - Little Vampires ( buy ) Halfway - Monster City ( buy ) Deadman - Ghost Story ( buy ) Eric Ambel -Vampire Blues ( buy ) Jolie Holland - Ghostly Girl ( buy ) Betty & The Werewolves - Werewolves ( buy ) Mekons -Big [...]

I spent an hour or two last night trawling through the WWW trying to catch up on what a few favourite bands I'd not heard any news on in a while and lo-and-behold I find out The Barker Band are getting around to releasing a new album that they've being working on for sometime now - not on a Guns N Roses / Gilliam Welch timescale I should add, but it's must be two years ago when it was first mentioned - anyway the goods news is according to a recent Facebook post the new record is due out in [...]

Mindful my twang output has being tempered of late thought I'd remedy it with Volume III of More Twang. Twenty one hand picked selections culled from the Beat Surrender archives, some familiar names and I hope some new ones that'll have you wanting more. Caitlin Rose - Gorilla Man Pt. 1 ( buy ) Joey Allcorn - Honky Tonkin' Ramblin' Man Laura Cantrell - Too Late For Tonight ( buy ) Cracker - The Bottle Let Me Down Shannon McNally - [...]

The Barker Band - Live Webcast Great Best of 09 compilation from Hear Ya The Duke & The King [...]

If you're not familar with London based roots group the Barker Band you're missing out on a treat, the band have been around since 2004 and have released four long players, the first "demo" album is no longer available commercially - but well worth tracking down, you can get details of where to buy two, three and four from the band's website . The band started as a family bluegrass outfit with twins Jake and Sam Barker, their father Lenny and an old friend Laurie Sherman, they [...]

Wednesday started with the first ever donewaiting.com day show we've ever put together at SXSW. Along with our friends the Midgetmen, we assembled basically the greatest event that happened yesterday. I hope you were there. Many were. Videos are coming very soon. See more photos here . Thanks to El Jesus de Magico, Catfish Haven, Goes Cube, AA Bondy, Joseph Arthur, Division Day, Midgetmen, and Spinto Band for your great performances and everyone who came out. I started the evening off at the KCRW showcase seeing Jesca Hoop . I really like the choices [...]

It's the first of March. Saint David's Day for those unaware of all things Welsh. Anyway, time to cast my mind back over what I was liking in February. Album of the Month Alasdair Roberts – The Amber Gatherers No contest here. I waxed lyrical about it last week . But there hasn't been an album in ages that I've listened to so consistently and still loved it. I can't recommend this highly [...]

The other week I was in Rough Trade buying some music when I stumbled across a small pile of CDs which looked like they might be free. Sure enough they were, and never one to resist an interesting-looking freebie I happily snapped it up. It intrigued me because it was a folk CD - Folking it Up - compiled by DJs du jour Queens of Noize , denizens of the London indie clubs, and now with their own weekly show on BBC 6Music . I hadn't really thought of them as [...]