A regular pick of unsigned or independent artists.

Phil Kellogg has two tunes available to download at mp3.com, and while they are pretty impressive, they fail to do justice in representing the breadth and quality of the music on his CD Passive-Aggressive, which has been more than just a pleasant surprise 'round these parts.

Mostly instrumental and entirely acoustic, Phil is a tremendous guitarist / songwriter who is the first to admit that he has paid specific attention to the fretwork of John Fahey: "Fahey's misleadingly simple-sounding guitar style gave me hope for my own somewhat secret musical ambitions. I attempted blatantly to copy his finger style... but I never got it."

The first tune on this CD, "Chutes & Ladders", is particularly breathtaking; a flamenco-tinged Delta Blues with snatches of slide and fingers akimbo - arresting in its complexity and with a sumptuous delicacy despite the occasionally fierce and frantic attack. No matter how wild and almost out of control it may seem to get Kellogg manages to prevent the ceiling from falling in on top of him and ably hauls it back on track every time.

Elsewhere Kellogg plays with a real tenderness which skilful avoids either mawkishness or cliché, producing often beautiful and sparkling sounds.

More than worthy of further investigation.

You can download two examples of Phil's music at mp3.com. You may also want to have a look at the beginnings of a web-site for his own independent, Hands Solo Records. For more information about obtaining Passive-Aggressive, contact Phil direct.