The Most Influential Singer You've Never Heard Of: Little Miss Cornshucks

Celebrating Vocalist Nancy Wilson for #JazzAppreciationMonth (LISTEN)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson) In continued celebration of #JazzAppreciationMonth, today we drop in on the underappreciated yet cherished and deeply talented song stylist Nancy Wilson, who was at one time in the 1960s the second most popular act on Capitol Records behind only the Beatles. To read about Wilson, read on. To hear about her, press…

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Singer Mildred Cummings

WH Lung - humming synth-pop trio from Manchester

WH Lung bring us some cracking slightly retro but forward looking dynamic synth-pop. Visionary in itself, the track Second Death of My Face is a truly beautiful piece of music. And there's more. A double LP has just been released on vinyl and you can get it here. We've got plenty more besides too, Willy Tea Taylor leaves his impressions upon first time listener Tobin. Listen on the get his full reaction. Hey, and while you're here we'd like to tell you about some exclusive content we've got coming up. To get to this extra bonus content you need to be on our mailing list otherwise it won't get to you. Show your loyalty to the show by signing up and you'll receive this exclusive show content not available anywhere else. Oh, and you'll receive a discount code too that you can use in our merchandise store! If you have anymore free time left please consider supporting our work. Track Listing You Found Me Willy Tea TaylorDon't Marry Too Soon Little Miss CornshucksThe Thing About Things Amanda PalmerSecond Death of My Face WH LungI Am Not Afraid Charley CrockettThem Changes ThundercatHummingbird Willy Tea Taylor (function(t,e,i,d){var o=t.getElementById(i),n=t.createElement(e);o.style.height=90;o.style.width=728;o.style.display='inline-block';n.id='ibb-widget',n.setAttribute('src',('https:'===t.location.protocol?'https://':'http://')+d),n.setAttribute('width','728'),n.setAttribute('height','90'),n.setAttribute('frameborder','0'),n.setAttribute('scrolling','no'),o.appendChild(n)})(document,'iframe','ibb-widget-root-1044815601',"banners.itunes.apple.com/banner.html?partnerId=&aId=1010lStF&bt=catalog&t=catalog_white&id=1044815601&c=gb&l=en-GB&w=728&h=90&store=appleMusic");

WH Lung's debut LP Incidental Music is out now. WH Lung and the debut LP Humming synth-pop meets insistent, driving rhythms from this "little known about" Manchester trio. Debut album is out now and what a journey it has been to get there. WH Lung's rise to fame can only be described as unconventional. They decided early on that they were not a live act, instead preferring a studio-based project. However, after the release of their debut 10" release in 2017 the tis offers started to flood in despite them not even being able to fill a 30 minute set. When we recorded ‘Inspiration!’ none of us had a clue about synths or drum machines Band member Tom S recalls "When we confirmed these performances we didn’t even have enough songs to fill a half an hour set. The transition was exciting because we had to start from scratch. We had to write the songs, find people to play in the live band and put a decent set together in about three months." Despite these sporadic pin-sharp live performances WH Lung have stayed remarkably true to their initial concept. They are still mainly studio-based, enjoying a couple of live acts here and there. They have allowed a good 2 years since the initial buzz for this LP to gestate. Resisting the temptation to knee jerk a release was well thought out. Incidental Music is a crisp and considered production as a result. I thought it was funny juxtaposing those kind of austere associations with W. H. Auden and other initialed poets, writers, artists, etc. with the fact that it’s really just a Chinese supermarket.Band member Tom P Record Store Day 2019 (function(t,e,i,d){var o=t.getElementById(i),n=t.createElement(e);o.style.height=90;o.style.width=728;o.style.display='inline-block';n.id='ibb-widget',n.setAttribute('src',('https:'===t.location.protocol?'https://':'http://')+d),n.setAttribute('width','728'),n.setAttribute('height','90'),n.setAttribute('frameborder','0'),n.setAttribute('scrolling','no'),o.appendChild(n)})(document,'iframe','ibb-widget-root-477752370',"banners.itunes.apple.com/banner.html?partnerId=&aId=1010lStF&bt=catalog&t=catalog_white&id=477752370&c=gb&l=en-GB&w=728&h=90&store=appleMusic"); So I visited my local record store today, something I love to do whatever the day, Record Store Day or not. Always a pleasure to chat with Steve and James at x-records. They have managed to stock all 500 RSD releases and also had a live set downstairs from local lads Our Fold. The store was rammed, more rammed than usual in fact. I did want to get to speak to Our Fold to learn more about what they are creating but didn't get the opportunity - it was the usual RSD chaos. Perhaps I'll get the opportunity soon. So - what did I buy, well it wasn't an RSD release, but it is relevant nonetheless. I picked up WH Lung's debut LP of course, and it's wonderful. Even managed to stop for a cold beer on the way home!

Wow! What a day. Record Store Day 2019 and I can barely contain my excitement. I travelled to the Northern town of Bury and walked through the old flea market there which was a regular stomping ground for me when I was younger. I regularly wax lyrical to my wife when we walk through there that "on this very spot used to be a record store that I visited each week as a youngster". Well, what a delight to bump into the guys from Vinyl Demand who have set up camp there. Really nice guys - had a proper chinwag and learned that they regularly operate out of Huddersfield market but decided to spread their wings a bit further. We're sure glad they did. Yeah of course I made a purchase - here it is!

Charley Crockett tour dates If you were hoping to catch Charley Crockett on tour this year here's an itinerary of tour dates from his official website. Read the full article

"Try a Little Tenderness" - Little Miss Cornshucks

Little Miss Cornshucks - Cornshucks Blues

Little Miss Cornshucks "So Long" (From the LP The Loneliest Girl in Town, 1960)

Mildred Cummings is the name of a forgotten early R&B legend, that by her stage name of Little Miss Cornshucks racked up a string of definitive singles during the postwar years right into the early 1950s. She was so idolized that LaVern Baker started her career as the copycat "Little Miss Sharecropper."

But for the rest of the 1950s, her vaudevillian performance character fell out of favor and by the time she was brought out of semi-retirement for a one off LP for Chess in the fall of 1960, little could be done to revive her career. Unfortunate, because her breathtaking style is just as influential as Dinah Washington or Ruth Brown.

What is the good of me by myself?

Little Miss Cornshucks  — “Why Was I Born”, 1948

Little Miss Cornshucks singing " 'Cause I Lost My Helping Hand" (1951)