eliot eidelman - different now

altanta, georgia based singer/songwriter eliot eidelman is back with an excellent new album called 'different now'. recorded in nashville on fine old equipment, this beautifully produced album gives eliot's huge, heart-on-the-sleeve songs a full early 70's, 'new morning' era bob dylan folk/gospel/rock treatment. the tones are on point; thick swirls of organ, sharp points of guitar, low rhythmic bass and drums that shuffle and stomp.

these songs are good enough that they would hit you as guitar/voice recordings, but the production here is perfectly realized. despite the tasteful restraint of the sound, the wild, emotional edge behind the jams cannot be fully held back, and the break out moments feel massive.



name your price for it here.

shawna virago - heaven sent delinquent

shawna virago is a san fransisco based transwoman singer/songwriter. i normally don't emphasize much about the identities of modern folk contributors but in light of the intolerance, ignorance and hatred that has found an unfortunately loud new space in the american conversation i want to affirm that i am happy to able to feature the music of all types of people here. that stuff aside, the purpose of this post is to encourage you to listen to shawna's music. her album 'heaven sent delinquent' is a collection of songs in a classic folk-rooted singer/songwriter style, with emotional and anthemic elements. her lyrics deal with her own struggles and those of other characters who find themselves marginalized just because of who they are in a vast, mythical america.

i hear a lot of bruce springsteen in these songs, with a fearless punk edge. the production is simple; voice and guitar with a few overdubs, a style which lets the craft of the songs and the stories within come through.
 

get it here.

onça de asas - geminis (video)

onça de asas is an argentine producer and MC. his latest song is called 'geminis'. it's a spacey, laid back track with a matching, trippy anime style video.

the rapping is in english and takes the form of a contradictory, self effacing boast; a popular move in the latest hip-hop. the chill delivery works well over the slow beat and airy synth pads.



check out more on the soundcloud.

raymond anderson - oh, day

raymond anderson is a portland, oregon singer/songwriter. 'oh, day' is his first recording for the one horse records label. nine personal, moon-lit songs recorded simply into a tascam four track in one night.

the stark production style reveals complex songwriting that magnifies and lays bare emotional moments in humble folk melodies.



name you price for it here.

beer - estrago (video)

google-unfriendly brazilian lofi artist beer is back with a new jam/video called 'estrago' (damage). its an low-and-slow rocker drowning in tape haze and homemade psychedelic vibes.

it starts with a finger-picked acoustic guitar, but a shambling rock band quickly jumps in. a ride cymbal abides throughout the track creating a continuous, lazy washed out shimmer. recommended.

check out more on the bandcamp.

the big drum in the sky religion - the big drum in the sky religion will rearrange your faith

prolific virginia based anarcho-shamanic noise/folk band the big drum in the sky religion is back with a new release called 'the big drum in the sky religion will rearrange your faith' on the centipede farm netlabel. another dose of their trademark blend of clattering, rattling percussion, mystical guitar chaos, and carefully placed samples.

i've written about this band a lot and there is not much more i can say by way of describing their sound, but i can say that music this free and ecstatic is a good antidote to our times and reminder that there are some human things that can never be fully suppressed.

get it here. name your price for the download or $2 for a DIY CDR.

lương huệ trinh - illusions

lương huệ trinh is a vietnamese keyboardist and electro-acoustic composer. her latest work, 'illusions', uses electronic drones and found sounds to create an abstract interpretation of a type of 19th century vietnamese traditional music called tai tu, which was developed in a time of displacement and is meant to evoke nostalgia.

these longform compositions use that tradition as an anchor but drift around it at irregular intervals, sinking into dense drones and rising in a clatter of machine noise.



get it for free here from pan y rosas discos.

todd fausnacht - keep busy

todd fausnacht is a rootsy singer/songwriter from philadelphia. his latest album is called 'keep busy'. its a collection of concise folk/country jammers with heavy old-time vibes, ranging from stomping jug band wails to high lonesome honky-tonk style country.

todd's music calls back to deep american traditions but is not without it's modern innovations, which you can hear in fresh melodies and reverby, almost new wave guitar riffs that pop up at times. highly recommended.



get it here, digital or CD.

annie and the station orchestra - bingo halls

annie and the station orchestra is a scottish experimental rock band. their latest album is called 'bingo halls'. their sound is a noir version of new wave with an injection of more modern hip-hop and dance beats. a tight rhythm section forms the foundation for a shadowy atmosphere formed of spooky synths, twisty guitar riffs and occasional vocals.

despite the dark vibes, the vintage synth tones and knowing pop moves keep some whimsy involved. this would be the right kind of music to score a great horror movie that had just the right amount of comic relief.



get it here, digital or limited edition CD, from bearsuit records.

victor perry - 4 AM nostalgia

'nostalgia', from the EP '4 AM nostalgia', by georgia based singer/songwriter victor perry is a modern pop torch song with pro ambitions. the production is slick and victor has a high, clear voice with an impressive range.

the song begins with just voice and piano (you can picture the singer at a baby grand in a spotlight), later adding strings, and ending with backup singers and drums in a big finale. there are some heavy vocal flourishes at the climax of the song.



check out the soundcloud for more.

hannah rose baker - hannah rose

hannah rose baker is a singer/songwriter from boston. her debut EP, 'hannah rose', is a tight collection of contemporary americana that draws heavily on the sounds of old nashville.

mournful pedal steel and hannah's own fiddle saw away behind lonesome vocal harmonies. the original songwriting is equally as steeped in the traditions of american roots music. you could easily two-step across the floor of a honky-tonk to this EP.



get it here, CD or digital.

monkey warhol - the darwin LP

monkey warhol is an electronic music artist based in minneapolis, minnesota. his compositions have high bpm, dance ready beats, fleshed out with aggressive synth action, some harsh tones, vocal samples and catchy hooks.

sounds like industrial disco from an 80's sci-fi movie made by a time traveling EDM DJ from 2015. his latest album, 'the darwin LP', is available on the free music archive, but i've got the bandcamp here:



get it here.

trees take ease - the alternative is nothing

trees take ease is a brooklyn based recording project working in the lofi/bedroom/experimental folk vein. their latest album, available now on limited edition cassette, is called 'the alternative is nothing'.

the sound is gauzy, whispery, highly melodic psych/folk with high pitched, distant vocals and touches of subdued noisy experimentation around the edges, sometimes in the center. good music for the cold winter mornings to come in the near future.

get it here.

tree on the rock - just about over

tree on the rock is a slovakian rock band. their debut album 'just about over' is out now on polish label resonating wood records.

the sound is tight, power trio indie rock with power-pop leanings. the vibe is dark and moody. recommended.



get it here.

pet;wolf - dance with the devil

pet;wolf is producer and rapper who hails from 'jupiter, america'. his debut track, 'dance with the devil' is a dark jam with a minimal beat based on a funky drum sample and a grinding synth bass, and the ominous hook 'you don't wanna dance with the devil cause the devil don't two step'.

pet;wolf's flow is deadpan but not overly technical, the controlled release of emotion that characterizes the best rap performances is there. I like this song a lot, kinda wish there was more pet;wolf to listen to right now.



check the soundcloud for what comes next.

n. penston - music is dead scene

new york musician n. penston creates instrumental music rich enough to be a movie soundtrack but that is also some mutant form of rock'n'roll on its own. he uses a wide (very wide) variety of instruments, beat machines, and tones to build intricate layers of melody and harmony.

influences from folk to classical music to prog-rock and even hip-hop can be heard in these wide-ranging compositions. this music is extremely singular in its vision, but it remains accessible. i recommend checking it out, as this is one of those cases where it's hard for me to nail down the description.



get it here.

lebo jenkins - i'll fly away

lebo jenkins is an atlanta, georgia based musician who specializes in ghostly, psychedelic appalachian music. his latest album, 'i'll fly away' features a number of collaborators bringing in some weirdo instrumentation.

the banjos and lap guitars are joined here by musical saw, keyboards and synthesizers for an extra dimension of space. music for drunkenly staring up and spotting UFOs with your feet on the ground on top of a bald mountain in north georgia. highly recommended.



get it here.

micah huang - primitivism

micah huang is an LA based musician. his album 'primitivism' is an exploration of mystical and musical roots of american folk traditions. it includes a few well worn traditionals ('freight train' and 'trouble in mind', actually two of my favorite songs ever), along with some improvised songs in traditional modes.

these live voice and guitar performances are recorded in a very raw manner, the rough country blues style finger picking at times almost fading into the ambient haze, in a way that's reminiscent of recordings from the 20's and 30's, the sources from which this material was mined. micah is also possessed of a great voice to interpret this music. highly recommended.



get it here.

joseph waya - understand

joseph waya is a singer/songwriter and folk musician based in portland, oregon. his latest album is called 'understand', available now digitally. the music has a distant, hazy feel, mostly just guitar and voice with a deep shine of reverb.

this is the sound of the melodies of ancient america played back slowly through a psychedelic kaleidoscope. the mood is of deep sorrow, relentlessly forlorn, with only moments of dark comedic relief in the cosmic country lyrics. good stuff.



get it here.

leisa haddad - the invisible woman

leisa haddad is a brooklyn, new york based singer/songwriter. her debut album is out now digitally and is called 'the invisible woman'. leisa's music is sophisticated, thinking person's folk/pop. there is a lot of wit in her literary, personal lyrics, and they are delivered in a clear voice with a wide emotional range, from deadpan humor to vulnerable sorrow. a tasteful trio of guitar, bass and drums, with occasional guitar embellishments, backs her up.

these wistful tunes are what i would call 'late night/early morning songs'...full of a potent mix of hope and regret, a place where opposites become the same thing. in her email to me, leisa said she 'prayed to the ghost of lou reed'...they share a certain expertise at that 'late night/early morning' vibe. recommended.



get it here.

unqualified nurse band - debasement tapes

i have covered many digital releases by UK noise punks unqualified nurse band over the years. 'debasement tapes' is their first full length LP, out now on vinyl from reckless yes records. this is by far the most polished unqualified nurse band release. the songs remain short and angry, but the sense of songwriting and melody is tightened.

the music winds around snaky post-punk grooves from the rhythm section (a newer addition, many early releases seemed to be just guitar and voice), with sneery vocals buried in effects and noisy bursts of guitar solos. 'debasement tapes' shows a musical range not foreshadowed by their previous work. highly recommended.



get it here.

the virginia southpaws - s/t

the virginia southpaws are a roots/rock band from, you guessed it, virginia. their self titled debut album is twelve tracks of non-stop, gritty rock with plenty of southern flavor baked into it. there are some serious lynyrd skynyrd vibes.

the influence of country music can be felt heavily in the subject matter and swagger of the songs, and the blues can be heard in the guitar playing, which frequently employs some nice slide licks. the rhythm section is pure rock'n'roll. there are a few folksier acoustic numbers as well, with touches of bluegrass instrumentation. these guys would sound very in-place as local openers for neo-southern rock champions, drive-by truckers.



get it here.

jon worthy - may you live happily ever after

jon worthy is nashville, tennessee based singer/songwriter. his latest album is called 'may you live happily ever after'. the album has high production values, with a capable rock band backing up these well put together verses and choruses.

the featured jam, 'like the wind', even features an elvis costello-esque white guy reggae strut. throughout the ten tracks, jon shows his songwriting range from slow-jamming ballads to country-inflected rockers, but the overall wheelhouse is heartfelt, classically styled rock'n'roll.



get it here.

sinnerman - all consuming

sinnerman is the recording name of musician sam jackson. not too much information about the artist was sent or could be found.

the one song he has released so far, 'all consuming', is a lush, melancholy slow-rock ballad full of soft, gleaming guitars and distant vocals. worth the time it takes to jam it.
 

check out the soundcloud for future releases.

stef silib - when the rain goes away

'when the rain goes away' is the latest album by LA based singer/songwriter stef silib. straightforward, solid, songwriter rock makes up the bulk of this release, recorded with a tight band made up of friends from stef's native country of italy.

many of the songs deal with a sense of being lost during travels through strange corners of the world, specifically the deserts of the southwestern united states, a place well known for its strange vibes. it inspired some decent, kinda vintage 90's feeling jams in this case.



get it here.