When I woke up today there was a nice layer of fog across the back yard. The trees were tucked in, looking like they didn’t want to be awake any more than I did. It had a crisp chill in the air that made the hot cup of coffee cut through all the better. Here’s a soundtrack I put together for that moment.
Strong Water – “If I Was”
-This type of folk music is rare but welcome. There’s a punctuated joy to the way the lines fit together. I love the hand clapping that make it feel like you’re together with a group of friends. It’s tailor made to sing in a round with your friends. All I can ask is what color flannel are you wearing when you listen to this?
Altameda – “Rolling Back to You”
-Altameda’s sound reminds me of something from the 70s blended with the fresh rock sound of Dawes in the modern era. It’s an incredibly interesting sound. I really appreciate the syncopation and organ that feels so vintage. It takes me back to some wood paneling and shag carpeting halcyon days, ya know?
Herbert Bail Orchestra – “Cherokee”
-When you think of folk music, this is probably a sound you have in mind. The lyrically-driven sound is deeply moving, the vocal lead cuts through the air, and the overall vibe feels comfortable. You just can’t help but lean in and listen to it a bit more closely. This is what good storytelling music ought to do. Some of us have the blessing of experiencing an evocative interaction like this. How wonderful.
Eli Lev – “Chasing Daylight”
-When the days start getting shorter in the fall, this metaphor of chasing daylight is even more vivid. The near-pop sound of Lev’s vocal-heavy acoustic work is intriguing enough to keep us coming back for more. Sometimes feeling a bit country, other times positively pop, it’s a sound that is fun for the whole family. There’s lots of positive vibes coming from this one, for sure.
David Ayscue – “New York”
-Ayscue’s acoustic guitar work is calming and pulls you in to the song overall. The vocal feels familiar. It’s like listening to your friend from college who always carried a guitar to the party. Ayscue seems like you’ve heard him before, but he’s brand new and we’re really enjoying his music. Fans of our old buddy Ben Rector should give Ayscue a spin.
Philippe Bronchtein – “Me and the Moon”
-Well if this ain’t folk music at its by-God best… Bronchtein writes with a thoughtful melancholy here. The song’s body rises out of the guitar with artsy fervor. There are all sorts of turns and sonic hues in the backing track. It’s so much more than a guy and his guitar, but that is definitely the root of what makes the song great. It makes you want to unplug and just lay under the stars for a long, long time. It’s glorious.
Jordan Lovelis – “Adelina”
-I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; songs named after a girl’s name are either beautifully swoon worthy or are full of lots of anger. In this case, it’s the first. There’s clearly a case of love here. The easy going pop composition style almost takes it out of the folk world. That said, we enjoy the toe-tapping, feel-good vibe here and want to support the style. You’ll find yourself singing along to “Adelina” even though you don’t even know her.
Five Islands – “No More Dancing”
-This sweet fiddle-based track highlights some fantastic songwriting and even more inspiring vocal harmonies. If you have been around ETTG for a while, you know we love these kind of bands. Five Islands are an exceptionally talented duo in the vein of Mandolin Orange. We look forward to spinning their full album and following their promising career.
Braden Lam – “Driftwood People”
-I grew up a few miles from the mighty Ohio River, so the concept of driftwood is not lost on me by a long shot. Something about us river valley people can make this concept pretty true; we can be transient types. I admire the mixed style here from Lam. It seems like at its heart it’s a basic three chord folk song, but it has elements of pop production to change the texture a bit. I wouldn’t mind hearing a stripped down acoustic version of this one.
Luke De Sciscio – “Buck”
-Not all vocals are created equal, which is a fantastic part of what we get to do here listening to so many different songs. De Sciscio’s vocal is truly unique with just a touch of vibrato and some thoughtful depth to it. He’s one of those singers who uses the full range, especially up into the heights, to provoke the listener’s attention. It won’t put you to sleep, but it will lull you to listen.
