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.

As part of our ongoing coverage of Beyond The Marches / Dros y Ffin, Helen heads to Cecil Sharp House to catch the final performance featuring: Lucy Ward, David Gibb, Elan Rhys, Patrick Rimes, Georgia Ruth and Archie Churchill-Moss.

The latest offering from Telling the Bees sees them performing with an expanded line-up and what is a record full of constant, impressive surprises. Its striking cover art is once more the work of Rima Staines, whose eerie, timeless, pagan flourishes give some hint as to the musical content.

To mark the release of their self-titled album, out today, (New York, NY) Nashville-based, heartland rock band, Midnight Pilot, are to release four new live session videos which will be shown exclusively on Folk Radio UK through the month of May. Watch the first ‘Elizabeth’ here.

With a talent partly forged in Florida and fuelled by French cinema’s New Wave Robert Chaney’s Cracked Picture Frames marks the arrival of a notable new voice on the London music scene. The album is sharp, intelligent, thoughtful and moving, as Robert sings, “I got some simple words to say,” but he says them so well, you can’t fail to be mightily impressed.

Serene and subtle on the surface, with a deeper undercurrent running through – Rozi Plain’s aptly-titled third record, see’s her joined by a host of alt-folk familiars. The results are utterly spellbinding.

The stunningly direct, positive live feel of Robb Johnson & The Irregulars latest album commands maximum respect, not least for its driven, joyful spontaneity, and, when played at full volume especially, is fabulously resplendent in its punchy detail and all that glory.

With ‘Into the Well’ The Poozies have created another sparkling contemporary gem of an album. The band’s skilful arrangements and thrilling playing ensure that the their original pieces sit comfortably alongside carefully chosen covers and traditional high-energy Gaelic puirt-a-beul, jigs and reels.

We have a video teaser from Beyond The Marches / Dros y Ffin and an update from Elan Rhys about their performance at Hoddinott Hall in the Millennium Centre, Cardiff. Their final performance is this evening at Cecil Sharp House.

In her notes on the album, Thea writes that listening back to the old songs was like being haunted by the ghosts of her past. Rather than exorcise them, she’s given them new life while continuing to graffiti the wall of the music industry with music that matters, music with a heart and a mind rather than a corporate game plan. Long may she be “the girl that went and …

22 Strings finds Seckou Keita at the top of his game in a never less than compelling collection which draws together many threads: musings on identity, place, history, of music viewed through the lenses of past and present. An absorbing document of his inner search for answers to some of the essential questions of existence, filtered through his deep respect for tradition while facing the future with an irrepressible positivity.

Elan Rhys of Welsh band Plu updates us on Beyond The Marches / Dros y Ffin – Day Five. The live performances take place over this weekend and Monday. Try and see them if you can, they really do deserve the support for all the hard work they’ve put in.