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Sidmouth FolkWeek (3rd – 10th August) is looking to be a promising week with a great line-up, location and musical adventures for all the family, this is the last chance to get your hands on best value Early Bird tickets for your seaside festival holiday if you book before the midnight Saturday 31st March deadline. The festival are keeping their 2011 prices and there are no booking fees. Some Highlights: …

Back in October 2009 we introduced readers to the music of The Destroyers. They are now making a very big noise and finally getting some well deserved recognition. The fifteen member band offer a stylish infusion of cutting edge Balkan Brass with a hint of the anarchic and cabaret showmanship. They build a powerhouse sound that imbibes an audience, all of which is is topped off by frontman songwriter/beat-poet Paul …

I am literally just back from the Isambard Folk Award finals. This is the first time I have ever had to judge such an award and it was no easy task. All five finalists were incredibly strong candidates that reinvigorated my belief that the folk scene is as strong as it has ever been. The winner of the evening was Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker who put on an incredible …

As you may have picked up in previous articles Folk Radio UK is co-sponsoring this years Isambard Folk Award along with our good friend Songs from the Shed. The finals take place this evening when the judges, ourselves and Songs from the Shed included, will have the difficult task of choosing between the five finalists: Evening Chorus (from Cardiff) and London-based Common Tongues and Mishaped Pearls plus duos Solarference (Devon/Bristol) …

I‘ve chosen two songs today for ‘Song of the Day’ simply because they’re from a split 7″ double A side and I couldn’t decide between them and it didn’t seem right just choosing one seeing as this is their first joint release. The first is Rob St. John with Your Phantom Limb and the second is Ian Humberstone with House on the Hill.  Ian Humberstone and Rob St. John …

A meeting of hearts and minds: from London The Magpie’s Nest, Cut A Shine and the Midnight Specials: This year the Fire in the Mountain Festival will be held 1st – 5th June 2012, Cwmnewidion Isaf, nr Aberystwyth, Mid Wales and will welcome a host of bands from Bristol, Liverpool and London. Each day is loosely themed around headliners. Saturday is Celtic Day featuring the young Scottish pipers Ross Ainslee …

Back in January (article here) we mentioned that The Magic Lantern had been busy writing and rehearsing for a new album. You can now lisen to a demo recording of their new song ‘Hercules’ below: Vocals – Jamie Doe Piano, percussion, cello – Fred Thomas Clarinet – Dave Shulman Their seasonal residency at The Green Note is also nearly at an end. Their final show is on 25th April when …

First Aid Kit recently performed a great Tiny Desk Concert for NPR which you can watch below. All the tracks they performed were from their latest release The Lion’s Roar. Set List: “New Year’s Eve” “The Lion’s Roar” “Emmylou” Audio Session (mp3) The girls are overjoyed to announce that they are going on tour with JACK WHITE in Europe this June & July. Dates below. You can check out their …

Swedish folk artist The Tallest Man On Earth has completed work on a new album. ‘There’s No Leaving Now‘ will be out on June 11th (June 12 in the USA) on Dead Oceans. The early Bob Dylan influence on his music is unmistakable but it is his stage presence and energy that made him such a sensation when he opened for Bon Iver in 2008. Since then his fan base …

Curtis Eller prefers to be called a song and dance man rather than a folk singer. When you see him perform you’ll probably agree, his moves outmatch Elvis and borders on contortionism…he started in show business at the age of seven as a juggler…he moved onto banjo as ‘that’s where the money is’. He’s a regular on Folk Radio UK. Dan Wilby made this great mini-documentary which features live performances …

Earl Scruggs has died at the age of 88. He was born in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, an area that was rich in the banjo playing traditon. His father, brothers and sisters all played banjo but Earl had a gift that set him aside from others…his unique three finger style of playing caught the ears of many! Whilst best known for performing his Grammy winning ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ …

alt-J (∆) have released a new captivating video for Breezeblocks…captivating because you want to know the motive behind the opening scene…the video runs backwards! Story behind the name alt-J (∆)’s name takes a little explaining. Pronounced “alt-J”, it’s creates the delta sign you get when you hold down the alt key on your computer keyboard and punch ‘J’, providing your computer is a Mac and not a PC, that is. …