The RGM Inbox - July 2022
Welcome to the latest edition of the RGM Inbox. This time we’ve a new venture for a man best known as the drummer for a legendary classic rock act and another artist who will release his debut solo album after a thirty-year hiatus from the music business exploring philanthropic causes. We round out our quartet with an Australian singer/songwriter based in France and throw in a curveball with a trio from Luton in the UK who would probably be more at home in a New York nightclub in the late 70s.
First up on this edition of the RGM Inbox we’ve industry veterans nailing it with seemingly ridiculous ease. The Speaker Wars features Stan Lynch, Jon Christopher Davis (aka JCD) and Andy Timmons and ‘It Ain’t Easy’ is a powerfull introduction to the band. The relationship between drummer/producer/songwriter Lynch (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers/Don Henley etc) and JCD who has written songs for and collaborated with Steve Lukather (Toto), Timothy B. Schmit (Eagles), Vince Gill, Dolly Parton and The Go-Go’s actually dates back to 2001 so they’ve not actually rushed into a band situation but timing is everything as they say. ‘It Ain’t Easy’ and the other track released so far ‘Never Ready To Go’ are prime examples of classic rock/Americana that will feel instantly familiar yet fresh to fans of many of the acts mentioned in this feature. For ‘Never Ready To Go’ JCD enlisted the help of his neighbour, guitar ace Andy Timmons (Danger Danger, Kip Winger, Olivia Newton-John etc) and a duo now looks like a trio and a fully fledged band.
https://www.thespeakerwars.com/
Listen in here: https://open.spotify.com/track/5rNY8jebc5dUCDfmcSpB7C?si=5ddd14d8967d44e9
PHOTO CREDIT: LUIS KRAMER
As is usually the case with the RGM inbox we take a sharp left turn to Luton in the UK where Regressive Left (Simon Tyrie (vocals, electronics), Georgia Hardy (drums, backing vocals) and Will Crosby (guitars, backing vocals)) are making waves with an impressive EP ‘On The Wrong Side Of History’ recorded earlier this year in Sheffield with producer and musician Ross Orton (Amyl & The Sniffers, MIA, Add N To (X)) and avaialble now via Bad Vibrations Records. Check out latest video ‘World On Fire’, with animated visuals by Dante Traynor, if you fancy a pulsatingly slab of Talking Heads influenced post-punk/disco/funk with some particularly fiery guitar work then Regressive Left is the band for you. The band will be on the road later this year, so see ‘em now because this lot could be huge.
https://www.facebook.com/regressleft/
SEP
26 Birmingham - Hare & Hounds
28 Glasgow - Hug & Pint
30 Manchester - YES
OCT
2 Bedford - Esquires
4 Brighton - Prince Albert
6 Margate - Elsewhere
20 London - The Lexington
Steve Wallis (Bretagne, #1, photo by Déborah Lesage)
Originally from Australia but now based in France, Steve Wallis will release his debut album 'Nothing Stays The Same Way For Long' on September 16th, 2022. The singer and songwriter has a lovely grasp on the melancholy delivering the sadness with wit and honesty. Check out ‘The Wolf’, which features a perfectly judged harmony vocal from English songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Boon (the pair met on a songwriting camp in New York hosted by The Milk Carton Kids). Looking for something a little more country, with added pedal steel, then ‘Waiting For Someday’ might be more your thing'. Purely on the strength of these two tracks, 'Nothing Stays The Same Way For Long' should be high on your musical radar.
One of the most interesting things to appear in the RGM inbox recently was a single ‘Charity Town’ by Dan Pallotta. Dan is probably best known as an entrepreneur, author, speaker and for his involvement in multi-day charity events such as AIDSRides, the Breast Cancer 3-Day walks, and the Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention walks which raised almost $600 million in nine years. As it turns out, Dan was inspired by music growing up, and an early meeting with John Denver sealed the deal. Unfortunately, despite having the likes of Clive Davis and Edgar Winter in his corner, the dream of being a hit singer/songwriter remained a dream and now in 2022, Dan has returned to music. ‘Charity Town’ is an excellent single, backed by an equally impressive video. For such a melancholy theme, you might think Dan would take a slow and solemn approach, but the arrangement utilises a surprisingly insistent, rhythmic approach to the percussion, and with the addition of a subtle string part, the song maintains a musical positivity. I'd like to think there might be a little bit of hope just below the surface in ‘Charity Town’. Dan will release ‘American Pictures’ his debut album on October 5th. For more about Dan Pallotta, check out his website and first single, the equally impressive ‘John F. Kennedy’.
When it comes to LP Box Sets there can’t be too many acts more suited to the format than Pentangle. The Folk supergroup released six albums in a mere four-year period from 1968-1972 and these are now collected, with a host of bonus material, on a very smart-looking 14 LP deluxe box set via Svart Records on 16th April 2025. A breakdown of the release including a full tracklisting follows: