Three new tracks in the folk and folk rock genres that you’ll want to add to your late summer playlist

VANCAMP – “House Parties in the Avenues”
-From the first time I clicked play on this track, I knew it was one that fit with the sound we curate here. The melodic structure feels satisfying and the lead vocal is solid. The overall energy makes you want to live in the world that the song creates. I really appreciate the group vocal on the chorus; it makes me want to go hear this band live and sing with them. There’s such a dynamic energy here that captures the best of what we all loved in the early 2000s “ho hey” style folk revival, all with this gloss of folk pop that feels infectious in its own right. This is a great tune with just the right energy.

Twin Temple – “Haunt Me”
-There’s something going around in the music industry right now that feels like it’s capturing some of the best work done in the mid-20th century. I am thinking of the rising popularity of the Red Clay Strays and the myriad pop jazz vocalists on the top 40. This track from Twin Temple fits right in with that vintage, glowing sound. The sound is deeply satisfying, capturing those early bluesy tones that influenced the very roots of rock n’ roll. The “only one who haunts me” line on the chorus is sung with a depth and sincerity that feels perfectly timeless. This whole track seems like it could have been a deep cut from a 60s band that someone found at the bottom of a crate at a rummage sale; that is to say it feels more like a genuine article than a contemporary remake. I mean that as the sincerest of compliments.

Kevin Herig – “Falling Up”
-If you’re a fan of the Jack Johnson pop music making from a few decades ago, there’s a lot to like about the sound of Kevin Herig. There are two things that I particularly appreciate about the song… one, that it has that percussive energy that encourages the listener to sit back and let the song come to you. Second, that the song is unafraid to use space. There’s no rush to this song; it moves along, but it’s not forcing you to consider a perspective or tap your toes (necessarily). It’s just art, there for the taking. It reminds me of walking past a really good piece of visual art somewhere unexpected, like in an office building, and just stopping to say, “wow, that’s outstanding” while everyone else is filing TPS reports and rushing off to a meeting. Just do me a favor and take this song in, sip your favorite beverage and stop rushing to the next thing. My sense of this message may be completely off, but it’s the vibe I felt and I’m sticking with it. Give it a spin; it’s worth your consideration, that’s for sure.