We’re not even halfway through the year but we’ve already seen a number of astonishingly high quality records from many quarters; even so, Murmurs stands head and shoulders against much of this extraordinarily stiff competition. By anybody’s standards it’s a top-notch album by three of our best musicians and, if there’s any justice in this world, will soon find its way into the collections of all self-respecting fans of folk …

This is what happens when you have a chat down the pub and decide to mix traditional Irish music with hip hop beats from the 1990s. Meet Jiggy: Daire Bracken (fiddle) Éamonn Galldubh (pipes), Niwel Tsumbu (guitar), Anttoin Bracken (guitar), Robbie Harris (percussion) and DJayzus on decks…and occasional guests including Beatboxer MIC Bandit.

For their sixth album, A Forest of Arms, the Great Lake Swimmers find their principal songwriter and lead voice, Tony Dekker, at his most potent. The album bristles with some of their strongest tunes and the most dynamic playing that the band have realised so far.

Called one of the ‘best voices in England’ by Ralph McTell, Bob Fox has a busy month ahead as he tours across England and Wales. Dates include Tredegar House Folk Festival in South Wales. Watch this performance from Songs from the Shed from 2013.

Today is Christy Moore’s Birthday, and we have a Song of the Day from the great man with a cover of Black is the Colour, a traditional song he learned from Hamish Imlach who he first met in 1967. Christy also has a big tour kicking off this month so get your tickets quick.

Theming an album around a book as intense as The Bell Jar was never going to be an easy task but to her credit, Kathryn Williams has brought great sensitivity and empathy to her writing of the nine songs on Hypoxia. The result is a fine collection of contemporary folk songs which can be enjoyed at face value but which, on deeper listening, reveal an intelligent and thoughtful reevaluation of …

The sheer exuberance of The Sweet Lowdown’s playing is infectious and when they combine in harmony the bar is sure raised. An eminently desirable album that will keep your CD machine well occupied and very likely locked on repeat play.

On Saturday June 6th 2015 Halsway Manor will be running a 24 hour fund raiser to help secure their future with live folk music, dance and storytelling. Get involved and please help spread the word as the work they do is great.

Esteesee – Along the Coleridge Way is a new folk music project featuring BBC Folk Award nominee Ange Hardy along with Steve Knightley, Patsy Reid, Lukas Drinkwater, Archie Churchill-Moss, Jonny Dyer and more.

I’m with Her is Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins. Paul headed to London’s Union Chapel to catch them and got a double helping with a top support slot by Sussex born Samuel Ford and a surprise appearance from John Paul Jones.

Our Song of the Day is from Steve Ashley, one of our most gifted songwriters in the British Isles today. The Last Deeds Of Love is a beautifully moving song taken from his latest album This Little Game.

Celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary, for their 28th album Howe Gelb has put together a sort of retrospective, revisiting not old songs, but rather the styles the band has embraced over the years. Its tripartite musical nature makes it an eclectic listen, a reminder of what a diverse, influential and inspired Howe Gelb really is.