News

Directed by Aaron Schock, the documentary film ‘Circo’ opens in the UK this month. Set within a century-old traveling circus, ‘Circo’ is an intimate portrait of a Mexican family struggling to keep their tradition alive.

As part of BRASS 2011 a lively genre busting annual festival held in Durham The Unthanks will unveil their latest collaboration with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band. The project focuses on the folk songbook of the coal-mining industry.

Our latest FRUK Session is from You Are Wolf, the pseudonym of London based composer and performer Kerry Andrew, who has just released her debut EP Hunting Little Songs. You Are Wolf is taking traditional folk and twisting it on its head to create a unique and new sound, stripped back to its bare bones.

Kyla La Grange put on a fine performance at this years philosophy and music festival HowTheLightGetsIn. Watch her performance and savour her new video for her new single Been Better.

American clawhammer banjo player Allison Williams is over in the UK and is putting in her last few appearances before heading over to Knoxville, TN. You can catch her tonight at Willesdon Folk Union, London.

Vetiver’s forthcoming album The Errant Charm is due for release next Tuesday June 14th. They have released a new video for their new track Wonder Why which you can watch and download below.

Beirut have announced the release of their first album in four years titled ‘The Rip Tide’. Listen to the new track East Harlem which also features on their new limited edition single. Plus get their UK tour dates.

The Phoenix Foundation have been purveying their own brand of psychedelic pop which has been catching the interest of the British press. Their album ‘Buffalo’ which is out now on Memphis Industries has been declared by The Guardian as “An album that already seems destined to be among the best of 2011”.

There is a gentle subtlety about Snorri Helgason’s performances, both in his singing and his playing. It also captures some of that classic essence that calls to mind the likes of Neil Young and Harry Nilsson, both of whom he has been compared to. He is currently recording his sophomore solo album with Icelandic indie-pop great Sindri Már Sigfússon (Seabear, Sin Fang) manning the consoles.

It’s been a while since we shared a playlist so here is what played out yesterday on Folk Radio UK. This isn’t all our music but it will give you a taster of the breadth of what we play. We have a whole heap of new music waiting to be included, a large amount of which will be added this week.

The Balearic Folk Orchestra came about as a result of a conversation about what makes a great house track. Now, together with a group of like-minded friends including Serafina Steer and Olivia Chaney, they re-interpret classic acid house tunes and balearic beats in an acoustic style.

Today is Bob Dylan’s 70th Birthday. So without getting too over-sentimental and expansive about the whole thing I’ve put together a heap of tracks that I’ve enjoyed as well a few rare or less heard tracks which will playout from today.