LAURA MARLING Short Movie Ribbon Records www.ribbonmusic.com For her fifth studio record, British folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling “went electric” – a point many will highlight while overlooking the deeper transitions at play on Short Movie. … Continue reading →
BUBE DAME KÖNIG Traumländlein – Neue Folkmusik CPI Music 005 www.neue-volkslieder.de Ich spreche kein Deutsch. I speak so little that I had to look up how to say, “I don’t speak German,” just as … Continue reading →
TOM BROSSEAU Perfect Abandon Crossbill 030 www.crossbillrecords.com The press sheet sent to reviewers for Tom Brosseau’s quite intrepid latest solo project quotes the transfixing yet eerily intimate indie folk singer and deft songwriter on … Continue reading →
JOHN REISCHMAN and THE JAYBIRDS On A Winter’s Night Corvus 023 www.johnreischman.com Premier mandolinist, former Good Old Person, producer and stellar bandleader, John Reischman epitomizes the “true-vine” spirit of bluegrass music in the 21st … Continue reading →
ANNA FALKENAU Féileacán na Saoirse Scroll Music 1401 www.annafalkenau.com The Irish-to-English translation of Anna Falkenau’s solo fiddle album is, roughly, “Butterfly of Freedom,” an apt descriptor. It reminds me of Kevin Burke projects in … Continue reading →
STEVE EARLE and THE DUKES Terraplane New West 6329 www.newwestrecords.com As a teenager in Texas, Steve Earle heard plenty of blues … though, until now, the blues had usually been less in his own … Continue reading →
VARIOUS ARTISTS Through The Streets of the City: New Orleans Brass Bands Smithsonian/Folkways 40212 www.folkways.si.edu As well known as the brass band is as a musical symbol of New Orleans, there’s no question that … Continue reading →
VARIOUS ARTISTS(Field recordings by Deben Battacharya) Murshidi and Sufi Songs ARC Music 2555 www.arcmusic.co.uk This collection of vivacious and colorful field recordings from Bengal and Bangladesh were recorded by Deben Bhattacharya in 2001. The music … Continue reading →
JAYME STONE and friends Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project Borealis 235 www.borealisrecords.com There is a recording of John Hartford in the studio giving direction to the musicians he’s gathered there. Whatever the song they were … Continue reading →
ANDREA ROTONDO Tom Petty: Rock ‘n’ Roll Guardian Omnibus Press www.omnibuspress.com I’ve been a fan of Petty’s since his Southern Accents album, a work that really showcased his stellar songwriting. He’s a rocker with … Continue reading →
