A lot of folk-pop gets shoveled down our throats, and the majority of it is very hard to define where the folk part of it is located. These guys are doing it right, and if the radios get hold of them they will be getting pretty big pretty quick in my opinion.
Have A Listen
Old Bear Mountain – British Columbia
Old bear mountain are very much a folk string-band playing traditional style music, but man can they write a catchy song.
You can get this album as a pay what you want from here: http://oldbearmountain.bandcamp.com/album/northwest-hymnal
One For The Road
Old Bear Mountain – Hood River
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An older album, but one I still play a lot.
Have A Listen
J. Tillman – golden string for your nest
J. Tillman went on to make a lot of music after this album, but to me this is probably his most intimate of albums.
This album is pretty old now, but if you look around you can find it still.
One For The Road
J. Tillman – Lilac Hem
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James Jackson Toth is a prolific music maker, some times good, sometime not so much. That said 2009 was a great year with a couple of great albums, of which this was one.
Have A Listen
Wooden Wand – Chrome
Great lyric driven folk, with some interesting ideas thrown in.
His website is here: http://www.woodenwand.org/, though this album seems to be sold out at the moment. I am sure a smart cookie like yourself can find somewhere else to buy it.
One For The Road
Wooden Wand – Arriving
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This is what I love about american folk. Simple tunes that bleed with emotion. Oh and how I do love clawhammer banjo.
Have A Listen
The Honey Dewdrops – No More Trouble
This girl has a great voice that just relaxes me back into my chair and releases my worries just a little. (Getting a little cheesy there Roy)
Get the album from their website: http://www.thehoneydewdrops.com/
One For The Road
The Honey Dewdrops – Silver Lining.mp3
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Sometime I need a good dose of some more traditional folk music. Ahhhh, yes much better.
Have A Listen
Éamonn Coyne & Kris Drever – Farewell to Stromness
I have only found Eamonn Coyne recently, but it is a great find and you always need something a little more uplifting to put on when the wife has had enough of all that “sad” music I seem to play.
Grab the album here: http://www.eamonncoyne.com/
One For The Road
Éamonn Coyne & Kris Drever – Marches & Reels
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How have I never written about this album before? It has some of the best sad songs you will ever hear.
Have A Listen
Richmond Fontaine – $87 and a guilty conscience that gets worse the longer I go
Willy Vlautin is an amazing storyteller, and I consider this his album to have the best songs he has ever done, but maybe just not as consistent as ‘The Fitzgerald” which I have written about previously. This album does have that fantastic slightly Mexican country feel to it with the horns and quick guitar rhythms.
Get the CDs or links to downloads here: http://richmondfontaine.com/
One For The Road
Richmond Fontaine – Capsized
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Is this guy on my stereo singing about Townes? Yep, I think that he is.
Have A Listen
Peter Cooper – Take Care
Great country music, from someone who lectures on country music apparently.
Go grab his music here: http://www.petercoopermusic.com/
One For The Road
Peter Cooper – All The Way To Heaven
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A great album of unsavory characters and horrible tragedies. Just a warning that some of the songs are a little graphic in the detail.
Have a Listen
Bob Frank & John Murry – Joaquin Murietta 1853
Both of these guys are great on their own and I listen to their solo work all the time. But this was the first I had heard of them and whenever I come back to it it always impresses me how well they combine their respective styles on this album.
You can get the album all over the place, otherwise go look here: http://www.johnmurry.com/store
One For The Road
Bob Frnk & John Murry – Jesse Washington 1916
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When I started listening to Star Anna years ago I kind of classed her as country. This latest album is from the same roots, but is drifting to the punk side of the street.
Have A Listen
Star Anna – Let Me Be
Whatever she is playing it is good, and has been getting a lot of airplay on my walkman (do they still get called that?).
You can link to an album download through her site: http://www.staranna.com/
One For The Road
Star Anna – Mean Kind of Love
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This album has been getting plenty of air time in my house, but most of it is just me alone singing the following two songs to my young daughter as I try walk her to sleep.
Have A Listen
The Wood Brothers – Sing About It
Great bluesy folk, with some great catchy songs and some great vocals.
Get the album from there website here: http://www.thewoodbros.com/music/
One For The Road
The Wood Brothers – I Got Loaded
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