Folk
Aimee Mann on Sad Songs, Mental Health, and Queens of The Summer Hotel
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Aimee Mann catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Queens of The Summer Hotel, an album that was written as the musical accompaniment for a planned stage adaptation of the book Girl, Interrupted. Advertisement Related Video The singer-songwriter discusses the heavy subject matter, her own experiences with depression and mental health, dissociation, spending time in a treatment center, and how it all relates to the characters and lyrics within the songs. Mann also tells us about the freeing nature of writing stage music and directing the music towards the Burt Bacharach period of the late-’60s. Elsewhere, she also talks abo...
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Perform “Trouble With My Lover” and “Can’t Let Go” on Colbert: Watch
On Friday (November 19th), Robert Plant and Alison Krauss released Raise the Roof, their long-awaited new collaborative album composed largely of covers made famous by blues, country, folk, and soul pioneers. To celebrate the occasion, the Led Zeppelin frontman and the bluegrass singer stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, playing “Trouble With My Lover” and “Can’t Let Go.” With their band set up remotely in a studio filled with rustic decor, Plant and Krauss’ performance only further testifies to their incredible musical chemistry. On “Trouble With My Lover” — a moody number originally sung by New Orleans blues icon Betty Harris in 1969 — Krauss takes the lead, showing off her powerhouse vocals. “Can’t Let Go,” which was written by Randy Weeks and later covered by Lucin...
Basia Bulat Announces New Album The Garden, Shares Title Track: Stream
Basia Bulat has announced The Garden, a new album that features string quartet reimaginings of 16 songs from her discography. The record is set to hit streaming services February 25th via Street City Records, with physical copies releasing March 25th. To preview the album, Bulat has shared its title track, which you can stream below. While Bulat has been known to play with string instruments (including her go-to autoharp), The Garden beefs up the Canadian folk singer’s past songs with complete arrangements by composers Owen Pallett, Paul Frith, and Zou Zou Robidoux. She co-produced the record with Mark Lawson, known for his work with Arcade Fire and Beirut. In a statement, Bulat said The Garden allowed her to revisit songs whose meanings have changed since she first wro...
Greta Van Fleet, The Swell Season, Dropkick Murphys, and More Tours on Sale This Week
After moving our clocks back an hour this past weekend, some people might be looking forward to holiday preparations. Don’t forget about yourself, however, as there are plenty of intriguing options for tickets going on sale this week, whether it’s indie folk, punk, hip-hop, or hard rock that tickles your fancy. Breakout Michigan rockers Greta Van Fleet are embarking on a headlining world tour, while Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard are reuniting for the 15th anniversary of their breakout film, Once, for a trek that will also feature their music as the indie folk duo The Swell Season. Meanwhile, Chicago rapper Saba is gearing up for his upcoming third album with the “Back Home Tour.” Rounding out this week’s sales are a trio of punk acts at different points in their...
New Video for Leonard Cohen’s “Puppets” Marks Fifth Anniversary of Passing: Watch
It’s hard to believe Leonard Cohen’s been gone for five years, but a new music video seeks to keep the master writer’s memory alive. Director Daniel Askill has just revealed the video for “Puppets,” a song from Cohen’s 2019 posthumous album Thanks for the Dance. Watch the video below. “Puppets” marks the fifth music video from Thanks for the Dance and the second offering from Askill, who also directed “Happens to the Heart.” Cohen’s son Adam served as producer for his father’s last album and worked closely with Askill on its accompanying visuals. “It has been such a gift to have the opportunity to create these visual responses to the music of Leonard Cohen,” Askill said in a statement. “Cohen has an incredible ability to create a bridge between the sublime and the prosaic — the metaph...
Midlake Announce New Album For the Sake of Bethel Woods, Share “Meanwhile…”: Stream
After nearly a decade away, Midlake are gearing up to release their fifth studio album, which is the band’s first since 2013. It’s called For the Sake of Bethel Woods and arrives March 18th, 2022 via ATO Records in the States and Bella Union in the UK. As a preview, the Texas folk rockers have shared “Meanwhile…,” the record’s first single. For the Sake of Bethel Woods marks Midlake’s first time working with an outside producer, having teamed up with studio vet John Congleton, whose recent credits include St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, and Explosions in the Sky. The album is billed as a “warming expression of resolve and renewal,” signaling Midlake’s turning of a new leaf while staying true to their origins. “At age 16 my father and his friend hitchhiked from Ridgewood, NJ to the...
Brandi Carlile Makes Saturday Night Live Debut: Watch
Some 18 years into her brilliant career, Brandi Carlile finally got her turn as Saturday Night Live’s musical guest. The six-time Grammy Award winner supported her latest album, In These Silent Days, by performing “Broken Horses” and “Right On Time.” Watch replays of both below. Carlile appeared opposite host SNL alumnus and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, whose return to Studio 8H was well worth the wait. Together, the Sudeikis-Carlile combo made for a standout episode in SNL’s still-young 47th season. Carlile has yet to announce a proper tour in support of In These Silent Days, but has spent plenty of time on stage as of late. In addition to playing SNL, she recently shared the stage with both Pearl Jam and the surviving members of Soundgarden, and covered Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” Spe...
Matty Healy Makes Surprise Appearance at Phoebe Bridgers’ Los Angeles Show: Watch
Back before, y’know, all this happened, Phoebe Bridgers was slated to open for The 1975 on their tour in support of 2020’s Notes on a Conditional Form. On Friday night, however, the two acts finally got to team up in person. The band’s frontman Matty Healy made a surprise appearance opening up for Bridgers’ gig at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater, and the pair performed NOACF highlight “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America” live for the very first time. Just a few hours before the show, Bridgers offered some sage advice on Twitter: “Come early tonight. Trust me.” And the surprise was well worth it. In addition to their duet, Healy debuted two new songs — one of which is titled “New York” — as well as a self-described “emo” rendition of the band’s Tumblr-era anthem, “Sex.” Chec...
Andrew Bird and Lucius Share Live Performance of The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs”: Watch
Andrew Bird and Lucius were among a slew of high-profile acts who contributed to the recently released track-by-track covers album I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico, and now they have shared an intimate live recording of their take on “Venus in Furs.” Of course, “Venus in Furs” wouldn’t be complete without John Cale’s iconic viola solo. It makes sense that Bird — who’s a bit of a violin legend in his own right — would put his own spin on the track, using loop pedals to fill out the live performance as he then plucks the four-stringed instrument like a banjo alongside Lucius’ flawless vocal harmonies. Though nobody could compete with Lou Reed and company, this is one cover that rivals its original. Check out their living room performance of “Venus In ...
Beirut Announce Compilation Album Artifacts, Share “Fisher Island Sound”: Stream
Beirut are back — kind of. Today, Zach Condon’s beloved baroque-pop project has announced Artifacts, a forthcoming double album that compiles material from the band’s entire history. Ahead of its release on January 28th via Condon’s own Pompeii Records, he’s previewing the compilation with a never-before-released Beirut track called “Fisher Island Sound.” Condon began pouring over old Beirut material in an effort to assemble a proper EP, but Artifacts seemed like the best route to take in order to document his evolution since he began making music at 14. On the double album, you’ll hear a few familiar Beirut standards like “Elephant Gun,” though this is largely a deep dive into Condon’s unreleased work. “When the decision came to re-release this collection, I found myself di...
José González on Effective Altruism, Doomsday Dudes, and New Album Local Valley
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS José González catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Local Valley, his first album since 2015’s Vestiges & Claws. Advertisement Related Video The Swedish singer-songwriter talks about effective altruism as a way to make the world a better place and how that concept fits in with his lyrics. He also discusses his frustrated with “doomsday dudes,” and how a line like, “We’re all in this together” is both a statement and a plea. González also touches on incorporating Western African music into his personal style and covering “Line of Fire” by his other band, Junip. Listen to this new episode of Kyle Meredith With above or...
Andrew Bird Joins Forces with Iron & Wine in Yosemite to Perform “Manifest” and “Fixed Positions”: Watch
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine have collaborated for the first time for a new video series set in Yosemite National Park. In the first episode of Lucky Brand and La Blogothèque’s new Play the Parks series, the two alternative singer-songwriters teamed up to perform an intimate, acoustic rendition of Bird’s My Finest Work Yet highlight “Manifest” as well as his yet-to-be-released track “Fixed Positions.” Barefoot, the pair wander through the park before arriving at the edge of Tenaya Lake and wading right in as they perform “Manifest.” Then, Bird follows up by delivering his brand new song from atop a giant rock formation with a stunning view. Advertisement Related Video “When your position remains fixed, my dear,” he croons on “Fixed Positions” while playing the acoustic guitar. “Results ...
