Five troubadours to make your late summer dreams come true

Stephanie Sanders – “Mountain City or Sea”
-Sanders makes the kind of music you might expect to find on a folk and Americana blog. The vocals are sweet and fulfilling. The lyrics are poetic. The whole composition rolls gently from line to line. If you’re a fan of old timey harmony-driven music, this song from Sanders will tickle your fancy. It’s a delightful little track that’s fun for the whole family.

Corey Kilgannon – “As Above, So Below”
-Corey Kilgannon is one of the cleverest lyricists in music today. You can quote me on that. Kilgannon writes with witty charm that always makes you think, “hey, wait a minute!” The lyrical turns are honestly timeless. The easy going folk style makes it easy to focus on the words. Kilgannon’s statements need to be decoded a bit, but he’s fascinating and worth the time devoted to understanding the message.

Joshua Chase Miller – “Chaos”
-This is a mesmerizing song. Miller’s style is a dash of pop with a lot of conviction. You can tell from the delivery that he believes every word he’s singing. It’s about the importance of slowing down in life to enjoy what is in front of you. It’s such an important reminder heading into a new school year when so many people ramp back up to “busy all the time.” I like the balanced mix on the track between rock intensity and chill meaning.

Brady Jo – “The River of Time”
-The easy going acoustic work at the beginning of this track is really satisfying. Once the vocal enters, you’ll think you accidentally put on your parents’ Dylan album. I really appreciate the way the vocal gives a sense of distance. The “up in north country” really gives away the inspiration of this song, clearly based on “Girl from the North Country.” I’m not mad, though, because Brady Jo pulls it off really well. It’s a brilliant homage.

Travis Bretzer – “Love is of me”
-Bretzer brings a sound that you swear you’ve heard before, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. There’s a dash of Beck here, maybe a little bit of Buckley. I feel like the earnestness in the vocal really makes this song work. Heck, I even hear some Clapton energy in this. The fact that it’s so hard to nail down gives credit to the originality Bretzer brings to this innovative singer songwriter based rock music.

Beth Bombara – “I only cry when I’m alone/upside down”
-Beth Bombara has been around the music scene for a while now and this song is an announcement that she’s not going away any time soon. Categorized as “country” this track definitely feels like a folk rock tune to me. It’s got a lot of heart behind it, expressing raw emotions in a genre space that often seems vapid and full of references to just having a good time. This one cuts to the quick of songs from timeless artists who see art as an expression of the deeper self. The tone on the guitar fits the attitude of the vocal perfectly. Fans of David Ramirez and similar Americana rock music will get a kick out of this one.

Ella Joy Meir – “Blue Days”
-Stop what you are doing. Don’t listen to this track and multitask. Just stop and listen to it. Do you feel that chill up your spine? That’s because Ella Joy Meir is the real deal. This song is about experiencing something in your life, whether physical or emotional, that makes you take stock and reevaluate. It’s deeply human and incredibly moving. The stripped down production of this track gives is magnificent meaning. I am stunned by this one and hope you will share it with someone you love.