Silverkin

Good point re local pub bands etc. Maybe more artists could use that route temporarily eg play covers to get booked but include plenty of their own material in each gig too and have their CDs for sale so at least their music is getting out there. I suggested to HMV that they have local talent play live gigs in their stores (or have them playing on a big screen in the store) to encourage footfall and new artists. Then they could have a nationwide competition where the 'best' artists actually get played on the screens (or invited to gig live) in stores across the country - and have their CDs for sale too of course. They said they were considering it. There are great forums like this one and networks like the Creative Arts Federation which are worth joining plus the Indie Music Newsletter which is full of suggestions and routes to get your music played or self released so you can cut out the middle man a bit. But that sure= a lot of work so maybe there is a major gap in the market for some middle men with a more ethical and 'fairplay to the artists' mindset? Don't you think the tide is slowly turning though with the help of social media etc?

AAAhhh but a quick internet check of my favourite album 'Brothers in Arms' comes in at 55 mins :-)

Crikey! I've never actually paid much attention to the actual time length of an album - I guess if I'm really enjoying it might go on for ever without my realising it (but then I am into classical music too which is a bit renowned for long pieces). You've got me thinking though and I'm gonna flipping check my collection tonight and see whether my favourite albums have long play times or not!

I had no idea it was so little the artists got! Maybe it'd be better if Spotify were only allowed to put part of an album on their site - a bit like radio stations who play a few tracks from an album if they are having it as 'Album of the week'. Then if someone listened and loved the bits they heard they may be encouraged to go buy the full album. It does seem that slowly the wheel is turning and other platforms are gaining ground which do want to see artists getting their fair share though. Or at least, the problem is getting more discussion and recognition lately.

Hmmm but i'm the one who loves to travel

Ah but it really is a small world

Poor Karpetface

Awww am I creating an internet war? It all feels very civilised If the one writing the songs is the main constant I reckon that makes a big difference too though. Like Bob Dylan (if I'm allowed to mention folk singers on a rock site ) His radical changes in sound make no difference to me, I more or less love everything he writes as you can 'hear' him throughout . Then again, if a band has done multiple albums with the same lineup then I would probably take a while to get used to a new frontman. I couldn't imagine Depeche Mode without Dave Gahan for example buuuuuuuuttttt I think if it turned out that it was one member of the band who had written all the songs and he released something new without Dave then it would make a world of difference as long as it still had strong elements of the Depeche Mode sound. So I reckon we're all actually in agreement with each other with slight deviations. I do know that Kostas Kyriakidis wrote all the tracks for Silk Under the Skin as well this 2nd album The Borders of Light. He's written other music which he released under a different band name as the sound was radically different to Raw Silk so I'm sure he'll have stuck to the original sound to some extent with this one.

Should I admit I've heard the whole album and love it? I believe Rockchicks radio in Germany are planning to do a show playing several tracks from it sometime soon (on DJ Sonny's Easy Monday slot) so you could watch out for that if you wanted a preview, although it's not too long til it's released fully. Re song lengths, there's only one really long track on the album, the others are pretty standard length I'd say. Even the long track doesn't feel long to me though. I'd say it's in the same vein as Stairway to Heaven or Bohemian Rhapsody but then I'm no expert or true music critic.

Have you heard any Spoil Engine? They're a Belgian band. When I listened to Bringer of Pain it made me think of them but having listened to some of their other tracks I think I'm actually a bit off track suggesting they're similar in sound

Yeah, no reason. Just that it is in no way shape or form the "real" Raw Silk. Imagine, for the sake of the discussion, the drummer from Trouble Tribe released an album with 3 random dudes this year, but used the name Trouble Tribe. Would that be okay? Valid comments depending on how you view things Did get me wondering though what "real" Raw Silk (or any other band) actually means. Is it the sound? the members? the concept? A lot of bands change their sound over the years while retaining the original line-up. Others change the line-up but keep the sound. Judging from the album artwork and the 1st single (Nobody Fills the Loneliness) I'd say the Raw Silk concept and original elements are still there 100% but just moved on a bit so it's giving something back to the original fans while also hopefully offering something for new listeners. That'd be my take on it anyways

I'm pretty excited about the new album. Not sure if people realise that the drummer was also the composer of all the tracks on Silk Under the Skin so created the original Raw Silk sound and I'm sure he'll have included continuity with this album - although it's hopefully progressed somewhat after 27years.