#folk rock

Cristina Vane Reclaims American Identity on Debut LP Nowhere Sounds Lovely

On her debut LP Nowhere Sounds Lovely, released April 2nd, the Nashville singer-songwriter documents her experiences on a...

Lacy Strong

Joan Osborne Tackles Abuse of Power, Climate Change, and Immigration on Trouble and Strife

She's earned seven Grammy nominations along the way, a testament to her...

Annie White

Margalee Offers a Tender Slice of Familial Love With Let the Mad World Spin

This “tidbit” style of album creation appeals to me for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one, I believe, is that it normalizes the process of creation. By no means am I suggesting making a themed or shorter...

Sophia Vaccaro

PLAYING ATLANTACicada Rhythm Brings It Back Home with "Cecilia"

I'm a nostalgic person. I love anything that reminds me of the classic rock, country, and introspective singer-songwriters, like Joni Mitchell or Simon and Garfunkel, I listened to growing up. Having wiled away many a day to the sound of harmony-laden songs playing through a radio, the overwhelming...

Luci Turner

PLAYING DETROITFrontier Ruckus Share "Enter the Kingdom" Video

Frontier Ruckus has been dishing out deeply personal, heavy-hearted folk rock for fifteen years. Their latest installment of polite devastation comes in the form of Enter the Kingdom. Their fifth record (released in the February of this year) comes full circle with the striking visual for the...

Jerilyn Jordan

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ALBUM REVIEWVagabon "Infinite Worlds"

Vagabon press photo by Ebru Yildiz Laetitia Tamko opens her debut record with “The Embers,” painting herself as “a small fish” in a world of fiercer creatures. “You’re a shark that hates everything,” she repeats. “You’re a shark that eats every fish.” In the music video, Tamko sits on a bus,...

Emily Daly

PLAYING DETROITFrontier Ruckus "Our Flowers Are Still Burning" Video

Frontier Ruckus Matthew Milia and his gaggle of lovelorn folkies - otherwise known as Frontier Ruckus - return with a sardonic make-out party prelude to their forthcoming record Enter the Kingdom. The sad, sensual clip for latest single "Our Flowers Are Still Burning" offers a camcorder view of...

Jerilyn Jordan

#NEWMUSICMONDAYDRISKILL "Worn"

For this week's New Music Monday, we have the debut track "Worn" from indie-folk rockers DRISKILL. DRISKILL was birthed in Wilmington, NC by the joined forces of banjo player Ethan Driskill, and guitarist JD Williamson. The duo is climbing their way through the Wilmington music scene and out across...

Sophie Saint Thomas

VIDEO REVIEWCourtney Barnett "Pedestrian At Best"

Courtney Barnett is one busy Australian. She's a record label owner, visual artist, and of course a singing, songwriting, guitar-playing musician. If her 2013 release The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas left you in desperate need of an official album from the Melbourne musician, the wait is nearly...

Emily Daly

TRACK OF THE WEEKThe Apache Relay “Katie Queen of Tennessee”

Instant charm seems to be the direction of The Apache Relay’s new sound, at least according to their single, “Katie Queen of Tennessee.” A swirling violin swings us into this catchy track that sounds like an oldie from the radio. Perhaps that is its sweet allure, as it harkens back to the 50’s-60’s...

Sarah Ramirez

LIVE REVIEWQuilt @ Mercury Lounge

Quilt’s show on Feb. 28 was supposed to take place at Rough Trade, so obviously it took place at Mercury Lounge instead. It was an early show, with Quilt mounting the stage promptly at 9pm, but that seemed to suit the night’s comfortable vibe. Natalie Mering, otherwise known as Weyes Blood, opened...

Raquel Dalarossa

LIVE REVIEWNicole Atkins @ Bowery Ballroom

By mid-February, NYC concertgoers have grown just about impervious to the slushy trek from subway to venue. Anyway, I wasn't about to miss Nicole Atkins' set at the Bowery Ballroom on Thursday on account of what I'll optimistically say was a “wintry mix.” It rained, it snowed, it rained again;...

Carena Liptak