This is fantastic folk music. The harmonies on His Majesty by the Prince of Spain are some of the best I’ve heard in a very good 2013. Everything from pop major chords to infectious handclap sections, this album emerged at exactly the right …
All posts by Greg Jones (2319)
Bradley Hathaway – How Long – Candid acoustic singer songwriter with simple, beautiful sound
Bradley Hathaway’s music is multigenerational and totally satisfying. From the full acoustic sound to the backing (and plunking) banjo, Hathaway provides a simple, beautiful sound. Nearly indescribable, the music soothes while provoking the listener to pay attention. With hat tips toward several past …
Artist Interview: Ben Doerr from Seattle’s St. Paul de Vence – Folk music Kickstarter!
Introducing St. Paul de Vence, folk music from what seems to be the Mecca of the movement, Seattle, WA. From their historically-themed and beautifully-written self titled album last year, this band has been near the top of my list. When I found out …
Stacy Lantz – Ready This Time – Classic female vocalist keeps Nashville honest
Stacy Lantz is the picture of Nashville’s music scene. No longer “just country” the classic intricacies of Lantz’s style keep listeners happy and craving more. Her bandcamp page describes her vocals as “piercing,” which might be the single best word for her. To …
Lily and Madeleine – Sister harmonies create authentic music
Lily and Madeleine beg descriptive terms like “adorable” and “cute,” but really those are almost insults to two accomplished vocalists. Their songwriting and vocal blending serves to provide one of the most unique and enjoyable sounds to emerge in 2013. Their self-titled album …
Jus Post Bellum – Oh July – Folk music album of the year contender has American Civil War theme
From the opening vocal blending of Jus Post Bellum’s Oh July there’s clearly something special about this band. This is not the toe-tapping banjo-driven poppy folk music that seems to be dominating the scene in the 21st century. No, instead, it’s a lyric-driven, …
Johnny Flynn – “The Lady is Risen” – Acoustic fingerpicking alive and well
Johnny Flynn is the personification of folk music. His guitar chops are incredible. His songwriting is a joy. Enjoy this stellar display of Johnny’s work in a high quality recording from WFUV. Please, share Johnny and try to pick up a copy of …
Top 5 Things I’ve Learned about the Music Industry
I’ve been a relatively serious music writer now for over two years. I’ve gotten a chance to meet some of my favorite musicians. I’ve covered shows in several states in a wide variety of venues. Here are a few of my observations from …
Wayfarer’s Full Length in Production – Help Them!
Friends, You may recall my album of the year for 2012 was Wayfarer’s *The River*. Most of the readers of the site had never heard of them. Their “repurposed hymns” undoubtedly put off some listeners, but I found them remarkable, energetic, exciting, worshipful, …
Double Feature: Jonathan Byrd and the Barn Birds – Doing traditional country music justice
Jonathan Byrd’s solo album Cackalack has some great songs on it and his duet work in the Barn Birds is really great as well. I decided to put these two projects together to highlight solid songwriting and two enjoyable albums. Cackalack’s cover depicts …
