Category: Folk

  • Parisian-born Marie Seyrat calls herself a jerk in the lyrics to “Die Tryin,” a song about how you can try to “get” someone — to figure them out or relate to them — and it can seem impossible. Still, as you could guess from the song’s title, you feel like you’ll “Die Tryin” to do…

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  • interview by Michael McCarthy Hudson Taylor, the duo comprised of Harry and Alfie Hudson Taylor, is not easy to pin down. As I said in the first question below, I hear so many genres all at once when I hear their upbeat songs. Folk, Americana, Country, Pop – it’s all in there. The more I…

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  • International duo Freedom Fry’s “Classic” is one of those wonderful, feel-good songs that just about anyone can fall in love with.  I understand they consider themselves alt-folk, but to me, they sound like pop that just so happens to have folk elements.  Very impressive pop, though.  The artistic variety, not the bubble gum sort.

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  • review and photos by Michael McCarthy This past Saturday night, 2/24/18, I had the opportunity to check out the English pop/folk singer/songwriter Gabrielle Aplin in concert for the first time at The Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, MA. Simply put, she was fabulous. The same can be said of her opening acts, Hudson Taylor and…

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  • interview by Michael McCarthy “Black flowers grow in a garden / I put them all in my vase,” sings Rebecca Lovell on “Freedom,” one of the most powerful songs on Peach, the new album by sister duo Larkin Poe. She sounds downright ferocious, like she might bite your head off if you look at her…

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  • interview by Michael McCarthy Several years ago, Megan Davies opened a Youtube account and posted a video of herself doing an experimental, classical guitar piece. It didn’t get many streams, but she kept the account open and eventually started posting other things. Those things being actual songs. Most of them were covers. Some of them…

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  • Brother and sister duo Angus & Julia Stone continue to take one’s breath away with their new single, “Snow,” which feels a lot more like summer than its namesake.  The overall ambiance of the track — particularly its lovely background music — reminds me of The Beach Boys.

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  • With all of the different ways to discover new music these days, it’s not very hard to find a great song. Finding one so beautiful that it gives you goosebumps, however, can be rather difficult. Well, that’s exactly what we have here today with Auni’s ethereal track “The River.” Honestly, I haven’t heard a song…

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  • “Hide and Seek” by Sam Levin is a wonderful folk-tronic tune that mixes acoustic guitars and electronic beats with vocals that split the difference between pop and folk. There’s a playful element to the song that reminds me of Ben Lee’s music. I’m also reminded of Ben Folds and, to a lesser degree, Regina Spektor.

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  • interview by Michael McCarthy On October 21st folk rockers Streets of Laredo will release their sophomore album, WILD, via Dine Alone Records. The album is a spectacular set of tunes rich in kaleidoscopic color with lyrics that are inspiring as they inspired. With several different percussive instruments, horns, bass, electric and acoustic guitars and both…

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  • onDeadWaves, the duo comprised of Polly Scattergood and James Chapman, have released Dusk Versions, two trippy tracks that will have you feeling like you’re gazing at the sun as it sets. First, is “California,” which is performed sans percussion, giving it a somewhat eerie vibe. You can almost hear ghosts calling from beyond way off…

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  • We last heard from singer/songwriter KT Tunstall in the form of her Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon album, which was a haunting and delicate, folky affair. Her latest single, “Evil Eye,” is perhaps best described as pop. Irresistible pop that’ll surely brighten your day and make you listen to it on repeat, the two qualities…

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  • reviews and photos by Michael McCarthy As I previously mentioned, I was unable to make Boston Calling on Saturday. First, I woke up late at 11 when I’d meant to get up at 9 and take the 11 train into Boston from Lowell. Then I went to the train station to take the 1 train,…

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