Coinciding with her 80th Birthday, Vashti Bunyan announces Lookaftering – Expanded Edition, a reissue of her legendary second album, that includes demos, alternate takes and a live performance. Listen to a demo recording of ‘If I Were’.
From recordings discovered on some dusty tapes in Yuma County Library, Charles ‘Poppy Bob’ Walker’s ‘Dirt Bike Vacation is quietly groundbreaking while containing some of the most modest guitar music you will hear. It’s probably my favourite release of the year.
Very much in a classic 60s coffee house folk troubadour vein, ‘Love, Dan’ is C. Daniel Boling’s latest offering; he just keeps on producing albums of outstanding quality.
Throughout the gig at Whelan’s, Oisín Leech was in his element, deferring to the traditions that taught him so well. He’s that rare thing – a songwriter of the highest order who is also breathtakingly humble.
Beth Malcolm’s Folkmosis is a spellbinding album that speaks not only to the music and heritage that lives within her heart but also to how the music of our homelands can root us in identity and place, however far away from home we may be.
I cannot recall feeling the Royal Albert Hall more alive with restless anticipation minutes before Bob Dylan’s arrival, nor can I think of a more joyous roar erupting when the main attraction arrives on stage for a night of plentiful highlights and some revelations.
Listen to the latest Monday Morning Brew Playlist ft. Alynda Segarra, Niamh Regan, Rosie Miles, Lemoncello, Rachel Sermanni, Isobel Campbell, Josienne Clarke, Julia Holter, John Cale and more.
From Michele Ducci’s rich, soft timbre and Letizia Mandolesi’s dreamy lifting accents, ‘It’s Hard to be Easily Loved’ conjures a jazz-hued languid warmth that could melt the edges of an early morning frost. A beautifully crafted song, it’s also our Song of the Day.
Beirut shares the new single and video “Caspian Tiger” from Zach Condon’s collaboration with Swedish contemporary circus company Kompani Giraff and their free-interpretation of ‘A Study of Losses’, a book by Judith Schalansky and announces the first Beirut tour in six years.
OVA shows no let-up in Afro Celt Soundsystem’s recording of thrilling, incredibly varied music that knows no boundaries. It is a fitting final testament to Simon Emmerson’s vision and his immense feat in making it happen.
Janice Burns and Jon Doran announce ‘Great Joy to the New’, a collaborative winter album. Watch the excellent video for their lead single ‘Derby Ram’, the filming of which “felt like a celebration of the Newcastle folk scene”.
Seeds of Light, the new single from Rose City Band, featuring additional vocals from Sanae Yamada is our Song of the Day. It’s taken from their new album Sol Y Sombra, out January 24th, 2025, on Thrill Jockey.
