Tag: folk

Emily Hines Offer UFO

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I was completely unaware of Emily Hines until she signed up with Austin label Keeled Scales, but I’ll own up to falling under her spell as she readies the release of These Days. This song alone has so much of the delicate moments that make Hines work intoxicating; it opens up for nearly a minute on what honestly felt like a field recording, lost in history. Around the 54 second mark, the recording seems to change, with a metronomic beat and a little recording fuzz blanketing Emily’s voice, all the while little brushstrokes continue to add more layers of enchantment to the piece. She seems to have mastered this fragility that seems potent and personal all at once. Really looking forward to These Days, out on August 1st.

Emily Hines Joins Keeled Scales Roster

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Austin-based label Keeled Scales has one of the strongest rosters around, particularly if you’re one that is inclined towards folk leaning songwriters. Over the years they’ve introduced us to Katy Kirby, Jordan Moser, Julia Lucille…and now they’ve signed Emily Hines. With her signing, she’s released the below single, with this beautiful warmth in the recording that immediately draws in the listener. The strum creates this reverberation that just hangs in the atmosphere while Hines voice gently wafts across the room; it’s a marvelously intimate performance that reveals the sincerity we can expect when a full length comes our way. If you’re in town for SXSW, she’s be playing at the Keeled Scales/First Date Touring Showcase at Chess Club.

Anders Jornesten Shares On the Outskirts of Town

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Admittedly, I was surprised to hear this new single from Anders Jornesten and realize the songwriter was from Sweden (name aside of course); his sound feels like something you’d find at any number of folk festivals here in the States. For me, the songwriting was solid as it gets, but the vocal inflections that were slight carried the song through my ears. I loved the way the pitch kind of has this hiccup in it when he delivers “on the outskirts of town,” with the word “town” yanking at my heart in its curl. If you’re seeking a striking voice to start your Monday, then press play below.

Field Guides Share Margaret Single

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There’s some really breath-taking music being made as of late, and I’ve really need those voices in my listening rotation. One such artist is Brooklyn’s Field Guides, crafting these striking folk tunes with moving arrangements supporting the gentle strum, like on this “Margaret” single. Honestly, it feels like this is the sort of link between the likes of Bill Callahan and David Berman; I can’t quit playing this song. Listen closely, as there’s a nice vocal accompaniment that begins to filter into the tune as it bends around your ears; this track is filled with delicate little flourishes that will certainly charm. This tune appears on the new LP, Ginkgo, out on June 1st via Whatever’s Clever.

Twain Shares King of Fools Single

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New Austinite Matthew Davidson, aka Twain, has a new track out there, and with it, we can only hope that it signals a new LP on the horizon. There’s something special about Davidson’s songwriting, something that feels naturally cinematic in nature. Through the verses on this song, there’s something both wistful and spritely, setting up the vocal meandering of the chorus, where Matthew clearly flexes his voice for the audience. Honestly, his range is all over this track, stretching to his unexpected notes here, settling into angelic moments there, all letting us rejoice in his craft. This single is out now via Keeled Scales, so let’s hope we get something more real real soon!

Louise Weseth Releases Woodlands EP

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Last week I brought you the title track from Louise Weseth‘s Woodlands EP, and today, I just want to give her an extra bump, as the EP is officially out today. The entirety of the EP seems to match the title, taking on this sort of woodland creature brand of folk, then mixing it with dreamy arrangements that build texture throughout each little track. For instance, “Retrograde” opens with this great light strum and Weseth’s voice, then you hear faint piano tinkering, and the song gradually begins to swell with emotion as the song even builds in some distant percussion; the arrangements make for a marvel track after track. This feels like a great day to wrap up your week, letting your mind drift off into the weekend.

Vern Matz Share Getting Older, Drop New LP

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Last year we stumbled into Vern Matz, and we were really grateful for their mellow guitar pop. It’s simplicity proved the power of the songwriting, with little need for extra brush strokes, and it seems that we get the much of the same on the newest release, Strange Songs from a Lifetime of Unfinished iPhone Demos. The name hints at the tunes being unpolished, and perhaps even incomplete, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that listening through the strumming and little atmosphere lurking in the background. If you’re settling in for the day, as the blistering whether lurks outside, then perhaps you should settle down with this new album; it’s sure to warm you right up!

Tim Wilds Shares Debut Single

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This pandemic is fucking with my head. One moment, I’m sitting there, you know, contemplating and what not. Then I’m off ready to run and rock. With this track from Tim Wilds, I think it’s perfect for the first state. It opens with quietly picked notes; you can hear Wild’s slide his hand up and down the neck of the guitar changing notes. When Tim comes into the picture with his voice, it offers deepened tones, calming as he carries syllables into the next. There’s something so narrative in the presentation, as if the song is some newspaper boat set adrift on a small stream, carried by Wilds’ voice. Something gentle to set your mind at peace.

 

More New Music from the Little Hands of Asphalt

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Every few weeks (two to be exact) Fika Recordings shares new music with us from the forthcoming Little Hands of Asphalt LP. Last time out, I think I finally clicked on why I love the way Sjur crafts his songs, even going so far as to compare the tunes to my favorite John K. Samson. Here, there’s one track that still has that inclination, but on “Writing About Music,” there’s great arrangement work that really builds on the song’s emotional pull; I love how it’s almost broken down to bare bones before bounding off with buoyant strings and rolling drum work to close the song out. We’re still about a month away from the March 27th release date of Half Empty, and I’m every bit as excited…hope you are too!

Fresh Music from Holding Hands

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We took off at the tail end of last week, but one thing I was listening to was the latest release from Montreal’s Holding Hands, Exile. First, all proceeds from the release go to the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, so please be sure to throw what you can spare that way. Second, I’d probably stick around this song for the chorus alone; it has that familiar feel to it, that place that in music that just makes you feel like you’ve been welcomed home. In the end, the song takes up this casual jam, illustrating the craft in the songwriting, but of course, you were already hooked by the balladry up front, eh? Keep on listening here friends.

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