Together, Witching Hour and Fable & Fire showcase Marlin’s ingenious ways of dwelling in a tune and turning it inside out, grounding it in tradition but carrying out to new heights through brilliant innovation.
On this Bandcamp Friday, Devon Léger spotlights seven artists performing at this year's Folk Alliance International online conference, Folk Unlocked from February 22-26.
Revolutionary Love shines with a brilliant light that uncovers the darkness of hatred in ourselves and others; it burns with the fire of a passion to embrace the world around us and the world inside us, both worlds that ignite sparks of fierce anger and turbulent love. Sparks of DiFranco’s songwriting genius emanate from her heart, lighting our paths with her intimate candor, her fervor for the power of revolutionary love, and her embrace of the power of such love to change us and the world, if we have the ears to hear these moving songs.
Every song on this anniversary album showcases the brilliance of the artist and the genius of the label in bringing this diverse and deeply appealing music to the world. We are fortunate that Signature Sounds has been bringing us such excellent music for the past 25 years, and we look forward to music they bring us over the next 25 years.
2020 was uhhhh… quite a year. It upended most of American civil society, and turned the music industry upside down. Let’s hope that 2021 will turn it all around, and with that hopeful thought in mind, here are the new trad releases coming in early 2021 that I’m most excited about. We’re still not seeing as many albums released because artists are waiting for touring to open up, so the artists that are releasing music in this difficult time need your support more than ever! Have a listen and buy an album if you can to make 2021 a better year for our favorite artists.
The ragged beauty and raw emotions of J.T. create a fitting tribute from father to son, and Earle invites us to celebrate Justin’s life and to allow his words to dwell in our own emotional terrain for a while.
The River Flows is perfectly titled because Hurlbut’s and Kaukonen’s brilliant, dazzling guitars and vocals indeed flow over us with crystalline beauty and wave after wave of cascading notes and surging chords. These songs wash over us, transporting us with their clarifying beauty and genius.
Highway Angels…Full Moon Rain delivers to us a loving gift. Every song on the album is a beauty in its own way, from the propulsive folk blues of “Rt. 66 One More Time” to the haunting splendor of “The Price of Love.” The album gives us the chance to hear one of our favorite songwriters developing his considerable talents, and it allows to live in his presence just a little longer.
It’s the last Bandcamp Friday of the year! Much love to everyone at Bandcamp for being so willing to support artists by waiving their fees and creating a tidal wave of album sales each first Friday of the month for most of 2020. Did you know that you can also buy merch from bands via Bandcamp? It’s just as easy as buying CDs, vinyl, and cassettes from bands and the perfect way to support your favorite artists AND get your holiday shopping done right!
Kelsey Waldon’s timing couldn’t be more perfect. In a time swirling in the eddies of unrest, muddied by the hypocrisy of political leaders, and bloodied by the club-swinging, vicious forces of “law and order,” she delivers bold covers of seven songs that stir the waters of protests for justice, freedom, and inequality.
