Joshua Radin – “What Would You Do (Refugee Song)”-Listen to the words. Think about these lyrics. Think about what you should do about the crisis Radin’s writing about. Radin’s heart is on his sleeve with this beautifully engaging acoustic anthem. The song is …
Tag Archives: brilliant songwriting
Soul-moving music for your weekend
ViVii – “Savant” (Live) -I can’t explain what this song does to me, but it cuts through the air and speaks to me. I am not sure if it’s the beautiful guitar work or the soaring, delightful lead vocal. Whatever it is, the …
Album Review: Canyon City – Midnight Waves (#NewMusicFriday – Ep. 34 Winner!)
Canyon City is a he, not a they. It’s the moniker for Nashville-based singer songwriter Paul Johnson. It’s an atmospheric, beautiful indie folk style that you’ll really enjoy. It’s hard not to compare him with artists like Sleeping at Last. He deserves to …
Cape Canyon – Bluebonnet EP – Classic, beautiful sound with sophisticated folk, rock, and country songwriting elements
Cape Canyon are one of my favorite finds of 2014. They have absolutely stunning harmonies and a truly unique overall sound. There’s a certain raw authenticity in their writing. It’s not to say that they are inexperienced so much as to say that …
Gretchen Lohse- Primal Rumble
Gretchen Lohse. Primal Rumble. 2013. http://gretchenlohse.bandcamp.com Gretchen Lohse is a Philadelphia native, and recently released her first solo album. She’s trained on the violin, but also plays a number of other instruments, and turns VHS home-videos into a source of sound for her work. …
Planes on Paper – The East End Session – Phenomenal folk music duo with breathtaking debut EP
The adjective “breathtaking” might be one of the most misused words in the English language, but I have to say the first (and several subsequent) listen of this duo, Planes on Paper, made me stop in my audio tracks. With a solo electric …
Brown Bird- Fits of Reason: Reason to give a second (third, fourth) listen…
Brown Bird. Fits of Reason Brown Bird, 2013. http://brownbird.net/ Brown Bird is a group that’s been working together since the late aughts, drawing on a number of musical influences while carving their own niche at the same time. Blues, grunge, folk, and punk …
Maia Jelavic- The Less I See: And more to love
Maia Jelavic. The Less I See. Maia Jelavic, 2013. Maia Jelavic: https://www.facebook.com/maiajmusic Here’s another great album coming out of Australia, a hot seat of music innovation this year especially. While they might share a country, Australia’s a big place with lots of diversity, and …
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, …
Sykamore – Petal – Powerhouse female singer songwriter Jordan Ostram
Sykamore is the moniker for powerhouse independent singer songwriter Jordan Ostram. Her commanding presence and confident musical ability soar on her new Canadian-influenced album. One part pop star, another part country artist, what Sykamore brings to the table is a rich talent and …
