"Gritty folk rock tune 'Ace Of Spades' is Stinger's latest single. A reimagination of the Motorhead classic!

The track is a darkly noir piece of earthy musicianship. As if the writer's mind has been twisted and tangled, neatly punctuated by a rumbling guitar line with occasional outbursts of bluesy twang. It is a more mature piece of recording and musicianship from Stringer, following his folk pop outings with The Rocketeers, but it is a natural progression too.

For fans of Townes Van Zandt, Muddy Waters and Richard Thompson."

Chris Stringer - Ace Of Spades

"You don't sound like anyone else," said Danny Thompson - renowned bass player for Nick Drake and Joe Strummer - about English musician Conil.

The GRAMMY-winning engineer for Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, Tchad Blake said: "Strange Part of the Country is an awesome album! I still listen to it."

Fleetwood Mac legend Peter Green liked Conil's music so much he stopped by Conil’s house to record with him. They recorded a version of Conil's homage to the jazz greats "Round Midnight". 

Strange Part of the Country never conformed to any current trends and has remained timeless. Now, people are discovering this album and it is becoming an all-time favourite. 

When the album was released in the UK, it received some amazing press. Britain's biggest selling music monthly Q magazine gave it: "Four stars - Q Recommends". Blues Matters magazine wrote: "One of the most original artists out there". In the next issue, Blues Matters put him on the front cover.

Conil left London after Strange Part of the Country was released and has spent the last ten years living in the United States and Europe - including New Orleans, New York City, and Berlin.

Latin was my first love, and music is my second. I've utterly fallen for those of the soulful, creative, inspiring and inciting kind. The one composed with heart and soul, the one performed with passion and aplomb. Searching for a way to express my love for and enthusiasm about music, I've found twitter is a decent and effective place to do so, yet given my wordy nature 140 characters one day simply didn't suffice to promote the music I enjoy anymore. This is how my music blog - carpe carmina - came into being (a heartfelt thank-you goes out to my favourite UK band High/Low for the encouragement to start writing about music, to my all time favourite band for so many years by now, Midnight Hour, for making me realize my affection for music and my wish to help those artists in whose talent I believe in, and to all those people who read my blog, who recommend and submit music for it). Find me under @NessiHolt on twitter and make sure to listen to @RadioKC to catch a playlist of mine each tuesday at 10pm (UK). Listen to Radio Kaos Caribou, Dr. Bones music show and Dave Monk's BBC Introducing Merseyside in general. It's worth it, it's where I - among others - find the music I eventually embossom. 



Inspired by the soulfulness of folk music, the grit of rock and the spirit of 80s pop!

Songs from the edge of somewhere. A place that doesn’t announce itself. You step in and can’t tell if you’ve walked into a protest, a party, or the end of something.

Conil’s music comes from the blues and from the life that followed it. A voice marked by the places it’s been.

People heard it early.
Danny Thompson said, “You don’t sound like anyone else.”
Tchad Blake still plays Strange Part of the Country.
Peter Green walked into the studio one afternoon and cut a track.

The record didn’t arrive with noise. It surfaced—four stars in Q Magazine, a Blues Matters cover, a single reaching number three on the U.S. Alternative Radio Chart.

The early years were England. Then came New Orleans, New York, Berlin, the Himalayas, Kilimanjaro.

The second album is close now. Marc Ribot on guitar. Danny Thompson’s final sessions. Tchad Blake in Wales.

Some things reveal themselves only at the end.

Chris Stringer - Ace Of Spades

Chris_Stringer