In honour of the season and all the traffic hereabouts about Christmas songs, I thought I would revisit an article I wrote a year ago about The Albion Christmas Band. There is actually a degree of guilt in this - I was supposed to see them again last week, as their guest, but couldn't due to unforeseen…

Pete Seeger has called Scott Alarik “one of the best writers in America.”  It’s true.  Alarik is one of the most foremost purveyors of prose about folk music who has even put words on paper or a computer screen.  Know primarily as a folk music critic and analyst, he tried his hand at writing a novel and the result was Revival: A Folk Music Novel.  This book highlights the highs and lows of a seasoned musician and a brand-new-to-the-scene musician and their musical connection…

Newcomer to the dark roots and folk blues scene, one Joakim Malmborg, who goes by the moniker Old Kerry McKee, has recently released his debut full-length album, titled "Wooden Songs." For this album, which is remarkably good for his first, Old Kerry McKee has given outsider music fans nine raw and layered songs which occupy a small portion of the space between haunting old-timey roots and gritty blues. While his sound may exist between the two aforementioned styles, it also exists…

1.0 – What’s the best thing about Barn Sessions?

Perhaps that it’s real, it’s live, and you can see a mouse suddenly appear behind John’s lovely head in the “Hiding”‘ video.  That’s just my personal opinion.

Go past the Nu-Folk section and turn right at Lo-Fi

Well; let’s get this out of the way first; Joyce the Librarian is a stupid name for a band; but…..it did make me take notice when I opened the envelope; so perhaps there is method in their madness.

As I listened to the first track; Traps, I had a horrible feeling that this was just going to be an homage to Nick Drake or Sufjan Stevens; but by the time I’d finished listening to the whole album I’d…

Guggenheim Grotto is a folk-pop duo from County Mayo, Ireland.  Kevin May and Mick Lynch have been playing as a duo for nearly a decade.

Their sound has a pop feel to it but it’s definitely hugely influenced by the folk / singer-songwriter tradition.  In fact, Guggenheim Grotto won a coveted Independent Music Award for “A Lifetime in Heat.”  Their music has also appeared on major network TV shows.  Their lives shows have been greatly received in the United States, especially…

The wintry breath of Alaska envelops the homespun folk of singer/songwriter Lindianne Sarno, otherwise known as simply Lindianne. On her latest album, American Man, Freedom Songs from the Peace Line, Lindianne crafts heartfelt, unpretentious acoustic music that have a certain atmospheric quality to them. She isn’t simply strumming her guitar to provide a backdrop for her lyrics; rather, her words merely add emotional weight to the depth of her playing. Nowhere is this more…

Interview with RANDY BERGIDA

1.0 – What’s the best thing about The Letter Yellow’s WALKING DOWN THE STREETS?

I really connect to these songs.  They were extremely natural to write and being that the majority of the songs were written one after the next in a span of a few months, there is a continuity that weaves

throughout all the different feels and colors of Walking…

How many of you out there knew that there was an entity called Folk Alliance International?  The organization defines “folk” as anything that is rooted in tradition, indigenous to one’s culture.  FAI is made up all types such as songwriters, story tellers, bluegrass, blues, soul, world music, spoken word, zydeco and oh so much more.  They hold a huge conference every winter and it attracts hundreds of people interested in the music business:…

Robby Hecht’s music is the real deal.  His lyrics deal with everyday issues and his gentle voice makes you feel like ‘everything’s gonna be all right’ as they say.  Honest  songwriting isn’t as common as one would think but Robby has got it down.  Sing Outcompares Robby’s music to “comfort food.”  I can see that comparison.  His music is warm and it’s comfortable and it fills your heart and soul til they’re overflowing. 

Robby is opening for Girls, Guns, and Glory at the…

Upbeat, harmonious, infectious folksy power pop, are not often words used to describe music coming out of the Seattle scene; the new album by The Local Strangers is about to change that. The duo of Aubrey Zoli and Matt Hart, released a debut EP last year, did some globetrotting, built a full band and enlisted producer Kevin Matley (The Head and the Heart, Bryan John Appleby) to record their full length…

San Francisco based neo folk Americana group Goodnight Texas was formed by four fellows who grew up in diverse parts of the country and got together to write new songs in the time old tradition of Appalachian folk songs, southern hymns, and country blues. The group’s debut album A Long Life of Living is a collection of eleven strong songs fans of Mumford and Sons and Avett bros and the ever emerging genre of neo folk should take notice of. The quartet features Avi Vinocur and…

Garnet Rogers asked me to edit this to make him more human and likable.  Whoa!  This man is one of the most human and likable musician I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet and I told him that there was no need for editing. 

 Garnet Rogers is a presence.  He’s a skyscraper of a man; his baritone voice is a mighty instrument and his guitar playing is impeccably pure.  He sings and plays with conviction.  It’s impossible not to be moved by his music.  Give it a listen.

 For more…

In what  I have to say is our best TST "Download Den" offering yet, we are passing along the opportunity to download the Joshua James' 2009 masterfully rustic, gorgeous LP, Build Me This, courtesy of NoiseTrade. James is a breathtaking songwriter, and this sophomore release presented him as a peerless, young artist with a weathered, old soul digging up skeletons from American soil…

Linda Sharar is a talented musician whose lyrics resound with emotional honesty and whose guitar playing is reminiscent of the best folk-rock sounds you’ll ever hear.  Linda’s lovely alto voice wraps itself around all the poetic images in her words and makes one sit still and listen. 

To hear some of Linda’s tunes, visit her  MySpace page. …

Footstompin’ Townbilly for people who don’t like old-time Country or Folk Music

Well, you can blow me down with a feather! If you are a regular reader of my reviews you will know that I have an open mind about music but also can be very opinionated; which leads me to Police Dog Hogan.

For some inexplicable reason I had them tagged as some kind of Indie-Folk band; probably because I’d seen their name on various Festival posters and adverts in young people’s…

If you’re reading this, odds are you purchased Mumford & Sons’ strong sophomore album, Babel, in the past two weeks (if you’ve bought any albums at all). Mumford & Sons are a rare bird; they are great songwriters with a central focus on heart and emotion, an infectious live band, radio kings, and one the few breakout smashes of recent years who actually play instruments, write their own songs, and can be classified as a rock band by any stretch of…

Aubrey Zoli and Matt Hart formed the neo-folk duo The Local Strangers in 2010 and quickly realized that they shared a common musical vision. Within one month, The Local Strangers played a debut show and entered the studio to record their first EP, Devils and Ghosts. Emboldened by Seattle's supportive music community and a sold-out EP release show, they hit the road to reach a national audience at venues such as The Hotel Cafe (LA), The Casbah (San Diego), and The Elbo Room…

 I like Sam Baker but wouldn't describe myself as a fan; even though this was the third time I’d seen him play live. The first time; which doesn't seem five minutes ago the singer had long curly golden locks and was wearing a buckskin jacket with long fringes making him look every inch the Rock Star. Tonight he looked for all the world like a genial History teacher.

There was no support act and Baker played two sets; which was just as well because he still struggled to…

If you like harmony, you’ll like Beggar’s Ride.  If you like thoughtful and reflective lyrics with superb guitar accompaniment, you’ll like Beggar’s Ride.  If you like to have a relaxing and engaging time at a concert, you’ll like Beggar’s Ride.

Claudia SanSoucie and Kate Maguire are Beggar’s Ride.  They have only been playing together a couple of years but you’d think they had been together for much longer because their musical styles are so in synch. 

For more information…