MAXEL TOFT: 31
MAXEL TOFT 31 Self Released www.maxeltoft.com Toft’s 31 showed up at Sing Out!’s offices in a sandwich bag. Physically speaking, it’s a white CDR with “31” written in Sharpie and “Maxel Toft” written in … Continue reading →
PLAINSONG: Reinventing Richard: The Songs of Richard Fariña
PLAINSONG Reinventing Richard: The Songs of Richard Fariña Omnivore www.omnivorerecordings.com There is a clear line between recitation and interpretation. Interpretation, hopefully, takes a song someplace it hasn’t been before, someplace new. Iain Matthews and … Continue reading →
APRIL MAE & THE JUNE BUGS with MIKE METTALIA: Grease It Up And Go!
APRIL MAE & THE JUNE BUGS with MIKE METTALIA Grease It Up And Go! April Mae and the June Bugs www.aprilmaeandthejunebugs.com Pure fun end-to-end, April Mae & The June Bugs’ Grease It Up & Go! … Continue reading →
HILARY DIRLAM: Tunes From Here and There
HILARY DIRLAM Tunes From Here and There Self-Released www.hilarydirlam.com Hilary Dirlam first visited Nepal, in 1993, to further her understanding of Buddhist practice. One of the impressions that most stayed with her from the … Continue reading →
DANNY SCHMIDT: Owls
DANNY SCHMIDT Owls Live Once www.dannyschmidt.com Schmidt’s smoky voice and rocking band make this an easy album to enjoy. Recorded at the Fire Station in San Marcos, Texas, the songs combine a rootsy feel … Continue reading →
Podcast: In The Fam, pt 2
Episode #15-41 | airing 10-07-15
This week we complete our two part feature focusing on family members who play music together. We’ll hear some Celtic family bands old and new, some classic Bluegrass families and some contemporary organizations. There’s something very special about playing music … Continue reading →
Jerry Epstein, 1941-2015
On September 23, the folk music community lost one of its guiding lights with the passing of Jerry Epstein. To sum up all the contributions and inspiration this man provided is an impossible task. Labels of folklorist, singer, arranger, conductor, … Continue reading →
Spoon River Murder Ballads
“At first I suspected something” Tucked in between covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Johnny 99” and Norman Blake’s “Billy Gray” on Mark Erelli and Jeffrey Foucault’s excellent murder ballad compilation, Seven Curses, is the short, mysterious “Tom Merritt.” It is a song of … Continue reading →
Folkfinds: Harriers of Discord and Mark A Pierce’s “Gold Watch and Chain”
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/224907734″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] This week’s duet is a first-time collaboration between Mark Pierce of North East England and Californian Aimee Oliver. Mark is a folk hobbyist with a keen ear for American old-time and British … Continue reading →
Podcast: In The Fam
Episode #15-40 | airing 9-30-15
There is a long standing tradition of family performers in folk music. Many of the classic old-time country bands such as the Carter Family were comprised of family members. Many traditional musicians learned by osmosis through attending dances and being … Continue reading →