Small adventures in the English language, by Helen Zaltzman from @AnswerMeThis for @Radiotopia from PRX.

Visit http://theallusionist.org, and/or subscribe on iTunes http://tinyurl.com/iTunesAllusionist.

Tom Robinson (b.1950) is a songwriter and broadcaster who's released 14 studio albums and won two Sony awards for his radio work. He champions new independent artists on his podcast The BBC Introducing Mixtape on 6 Music and sponsors the music blog Fresh On The Net. He's also co-written songs with Elton John, Peter Gabriel and Dan Hartman over the years. The original Tom Robinson Band first became known in the 1970s as supporters of Rock Against Racism and LGBT rights, following their breakthrough hit  ‘2-4-6-8 Motorway’

Midlands 103 is the independent local radio station serving counties Laois, Offaly and Westmeath. All audio on this page is pre-July 2022.

To hear the latest Midlands 103 Podcast content please visit https://www.midlands103.com/podcasts/ or find your favourite talk show on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Irish raconteur, Hubert, has a voice bursting from the soul. His songs feature lost loves, inner demons, compulsive liars & day dreamers, rounded out with a masterful hand over the fret board. His performances embody all that is best in modern roots music, combining energy, soul and storytelling. 

Lost in a house of mixed tapes and stacks of old blues, folk & soul records, he sifted through each one, de-composing melodies under the wings of his older siblings. By the age of 14 he was performing on stages in pubs and clubs, lying about his age just to get on stage. After ten years of gigging and busking under his belt, he moved to London, immersing himself in the folk and bluegrass world. Fronting two genre bending bluegrass/old time bands, gigging and touring relentlessly. Quickly, they gained the reputation as some of the finest players and performers in Ireland and the UK. His sound bows a head to the masters of melody and word such as; Tom Waits, Van Morrison, Lightnin' Hopkins,The Beatles, Townes Van Zandt, Kavanagh, Bukowski and Laura Marling.
“Hubert Murray is one to watch for. Both an inspiring songwriter and a fine instrumentalist. He delivers his message with conviction and passion”. Niall Toner, Roots Freeway, RTE Radio One

4/5   "An excellent songwriter" Spiral Earth

"Tomorrow, then " out now
Download from Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/tomorrow-then/id961114352 
https://conradvingoe.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-then-2
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5nVSSOLvzsgBdchPdDsxOU
website : www.conradvingoe.co.uk 

**** - AAA music
**** - Culturefly
"Effortlessly charms" - Indie London
8/10 - Floatation Suite
"filled with quiet simplicity...this collection reveals much and delivers more" - Folkwords
"Dreamy, 1970s-inspired folk"-Time Out

Conrad Vingoe is a Brighton/London(UK) based writer and performer of songs. His new album "Tomorrow, then" was mixed and engineered by Phill Brown. Featuring John Parker on double Bass and Martyn Barker on drums. Sarah Howells from Paper Aeroplanes also sings on Hand on my Heart. 

"Vingoe has effortlessly created the perfect soundtrack for lovers : the beginnings of a beautiful dusk, and the deep racing emotions of a passionate heart. Definitely worth a listen” – Acoustic Magazine

"Folk music has been dragged the wrong way in recent years, and Conrad Vingoe embodies the simplistic ideals that have been lost… With Simple Secrets you are treated to something not just of beauty, but a brief look into the heart and soul of a man." - Audio Scribbler

9/10 - Ark Magazine

"Conrad Vingoe’s output on “Simple Secrets” is more in keeping with stateside artists such as Great Lake Swimmers, Monsters Of Folk and Ryan Adams."- XYZ Magazine

Navá is a group of young musicians exploring the relationship between the ancient musical cultures of Ireland and Persia. It is comprised of folk/bluegrass musicians Paddy Kiernan and Niall Hughes, and Iranian born brothers Shahab and Shayan Coohe. Since forming in early 2016 they have performed at The Silk Road Film Festival, Bray Jazz Festival, Electric Picnic, as part of the 'Listen At' and ‘Kaleidoscope’ concert series, and have received national airplay on RTE1's 'Arena Arts Show' and RTE Lyric FM's 'The Blue of the Night' radio show.

Their debut album, ‘Tapestry’ was recorded at Hellfire Studios, an intimate studio in the Dublin Mountains, overseen by Adrian Hart (I Draw Slow, Yurodny) and Tony Byrne (Julie Fowlis, Danù), and supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

The album charts a unique sonic landscape, weaving material from the Irish and Persian traditions into a beguiling tapestry of sound, and treats listeners to a joyous exploration of the connection between two venerable musical cultures.
"Listening to the cross-cultural blend of Navá one would think the two musical cultures of Persia and Ireland had been historically connected. They haven’t...until now. A pioneering musical collaboration."
Carl Corcoran, presenter of ‘The Blue of the Night’,  RTE Lyric FM.

Fresh On The Net is a music blog hosted by Tom Robinson and Team Freshnet, offering independent artists an open door and a level playing field for their music. Our inbox is open at http://freshonthenet.co.uk every Monday to Thursday morning - if you share a track with us there it will be heard by every member of our moderation team.

IMPORTANT: 
Only send ONE track, and make sure the dropbox says "OPEN".  Sorry, but tracks sent while the dropbox is closed - or shared drectly with this Soundcloud account - will not get heard.

Hubert is following