Folk music is pretty much our bread and butter around here, so we love when we still find new folk bands. Whether they sound classic like Peter, Paul, and Mary or new like Fleet Foxes, we always find the folk stylings to be a delight.
Houston Heard – “Don’t Ask”
-Speaking of Fleet Foxes, from the moment the vocals enter this Houston Heard song, I fell in love. The vocal sounds like Fleet Foxes and even the easy strolling style is endearing. I find this to be one of the better folk submissions we’ve heard in months. I’m eager to hear more from this talented emerging folk band.
Huckleberry – “Working Backwards”
-The line between folk and Americana is pretty thin, so maybe you’d put this track in the latter category. In any event, the rock fusion style here is absolutely stunning. The lead vocal reminds me of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. The full composition feels like a great summer folk festival, so hopefully I’ll get to find Huckleberry there this year.
East Love – “Sweet Arizona”
-If indie folk is your thing, East Love is an immediate like/love/follow. East Love has a really addictive style that is as harmonic as a country artist like Rascal Flatts, but also has a pop sensibility that doesn’t quite jive with mainstream country. You might feel this is folk in its purest sense, but the adventure and traveler narrative here all works for a snazzy new folk flavor that we enjoy.
Blueprint Blue – “You and Me”
-I can’t really explain how much I like this song. I don’t know who they sound like, but it gives me the feeling I had when I first heard Otis Redding’s “Sittin on the Dock of the Bay.” There’s a blues sensibility in the guitars that works really well with the sweetness in the vocal. I can just picture this band playing a gig full of people paying attention to their drinks, then hearing this song and having their jaws drop. Who are THEY? Blueprint Blue and they’re here to make you feel it all.
Swingin Hammers – “Roots”
-This gritty folk or Americana track is one that makes you want to bear down and work hard. It’s an anthemic track for the mill workers, grave diggers, dirt farmers, and truck drivers we all know and love. There’s a real aggressive, expressive element to this song that keeps me coming back for more. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think this one would go down smoother with a stiff drink.
