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Best Folk Music Blog & Promotion

Cenzontle’s fusionist sound is sweeter than ‘Nectar’ in their latest seminal Latin folk release.

Posted on 18 November 2023

After enchanting audiences under the GlowStone Leaf Orchestra banner and producing 13 albums that weave a tapestry of profound narratives and complex harmonies, the delectably talented Berlin-based artist, Jorge Hernandez, who has been honing his rhythmic and raconteurial crafts for over a decade stepped into a new ensemble when he assembled the three-piece Cenzontle with Lucie Nana and Kim Kong in 2019.

Monikers don’t come much more apt than Cenzontle, which translates to “400 voices”; it is a nod to the Mexican heritage of Hernandez and the multi-layered essence of his work, which breaks the monocultural mould while proving music is a universal language.

The eponymous LP, which hit the airwaves earlier this year is an opportunity for immersion in a captivating fusion of traditional Latin American Folk and electrifying Rock, delivered with a digital twist. Whether you delve into the vibrant recording or witness the emotional and innovative depth via the live performance of the standout single, ‘Nectar’, you’re sure to be stirred by the spiritually transcendent experience which solidifies Cenzontle’s position at the forefront of genre-bending music exploration.

Stream the Cenzontle LP on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shashaa Tirupati & Elephant Gym orchestrated an Eastern art-rock masterpiece with Jhalleyaa

Posted on 16 November 2023

With almost 8 million monthly listeners and endless internationally revered accolades behind her, the Indo-Canadian singer-songwriter and music producer Shashaa Tirupati is one of the biggest artists of this era; her recent collaboration with Elephant Gym on ‘Jhalleyaa’ is set to cement her legacy into the world music arena.

The richly vibrant instrumental arrangement evolves from a soulfully quiescent score of pure artful beguile into an Eastern rock earworm with ever-ascending rhythmics. It is effortless for your rhythmic pulses to get in sync with the sublime sonics delivered by Shashaa Tirupati and Elephant Gym who conjured alchemy while aurally exploring unchartered ground. The celestial timbre of Shashaa Tirupati’s signature Bollywood-esque vocals against the progressively intricate instrumentals is a one-way ticket to transcendence.

Jhalleyaa was officially released on November 3rd; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Settle in for a ‘Long Hard Winter’ with Ben Brooks’ Americana Folk single, ft EG Vines

Posted on 9 November 2023

If you can already feel Seasonal Affective Disorder kicking in, sink into the latest single, Long Hard Winter, by the Americana folk raconteur Ben Brooks.

Created in collaboration with EG Vines, the meta single cleverly runs in the parallels between the winter phases of our lifetimes and the bitterly cold season which leaves serotonin in short supply; both of which leave us yearning for the spring and summer of youth and the warmth that allows the trees to blossom.

With a sonic style as arrestingly affecting as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Ben Brooks, who has recently found his voice and inspiration again post-Covid, is perceptibly back in his stride. This bitter-sweet earworm will undoubtedly become a great source of comfort for many as the leaf litter thickens and days darken. Even though it was written during the hardest winter during the pandemic, it’s a smorgasbord of sun-toned soul.

Stream Long Hard Winter on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grainne Eve paid a poignant homage to Sam Henry with her cover of ‘Maid of Culmore’

Posted on 31 October 2023

Taken from Grainne Eve’s debut album, The Songs of Sam Henry, the standout orchestral folk single, Maid of Culmore, is so much more than a narrative tale; the inexplicably anachronistic arrangement conjures panoramic imagery to ensure you’re not solely looking at a portrait of the lyrical protagonist, you are in the landscape within her, completely abstracted from the 21st century.

The debut LP is just a scratch on the surface of the Portstewart, Northern Ireland-hailing folk singer-songwriter’s lifelong mission to understand and pay homage to the legacy of the folklorist and ballad crafter Sam Henry, who was integral to the preservation of Northern Irish folk tradition. Grainne Eve is currently in the final stages of writing her PhD, which focuses on Henry’s vast folk collection after completing a BA and MA in Music at Newcastle University.

‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ made its official debut on July 8th, 2022, at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine. The album launch event was graciously introduced by the renowned TV presenter Joe Mahon. It was also presented live on Raidio Failte as part of the Belfast TradFest 2022 and received airplay on BBC Radio Ulster. Notably, ‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ earned a nomination for the NI Music Prize in 2022. Here’s to hoping we hear plenty more from Eve in the not-too-distant future.

Stream Maid of Culmore on Spotify and find out more about the exemplary artist and aural academic by visiting her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jayacus rose from the ‘Wreckage’ in his indie folk-punk debut

Posted on 26 October 2023

With all the magnetism, poetry, and soul of an acoustic B-side by the Manic Street Preachers and all the brashy folk-punk intimacy of Neutral Milk Hotel, Wreckage is a deeply affecting debut from the UK-based indie folk singer-songwriter, Jayacus.

After living a life of loss, alienation, and despair, Jayacus has finally come into his artistic stride with Wreckage which shares the message of resilience and hope while delivering an affirmation that as long as you are still breathing, you have reason to keep your dreams alive and pursuing what ignites your passion.

Following a stint in hospital, Jayacus picked up his guitar and recorded Wreckage in his bedroom; here’s to hoping the sophomore release is already in the works.

Wreckage was officially released on October 20; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gain a lesson in virtue with Cagri Raydemir’s Absence of Patience

Posted on 25 October 2023

Taken from the four-track EP, Absence, which extolls the virtues of patience, candour, courtesy and tolerance, the opening single, Absence of Patience, featuring Julian Hesse on trumpet, is some of the Munich-based singer-songwriter and producer, Cagri Raydemir’s finest work to date.

After teasing a post-punk atmosphere in the intro, exotic folk nuances begin to weave their way into the progressively avant-garde production before Cagri Raydemir’s vocals become a magnetic centrepiece in the sonic pool of beguile. Imagine Serj Tankian turning his talents to folkish prog rock, and you will get an idea of the organic alchemy caged within this exemplary feat of artistry.

12 LPs and 7 EPs down, it is safe to say the qualified recording engineer and artist has honed his sound and his ability to bring lyrical concepts which explore the human condition to life within his soundscapes. We can’t wait to hear what he conjures next.

The Absence EP was officially released on October 16th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ava Valianti reigned indie folk pop supreme in her debut single, Bubble Wrap

Posted on 20 October 2023

At 14 years old, the Massachusetts-hailing indie folk-pop breakthrough artist Ava Valianti is delivering definitive proof that maturity doesn’t come with age; it comes with emotional intelligence, and her emotional IQ is lyrical leagues above the rest.

Her debut single, Bubble Wrap, distinguished her as one of the most promising new arrivals of 2023. The sharpened poetic volition is a magnetic juxtaposition against her harmonically rich and airy vocal timbre which effervesces against the acoustic guitar notes.

The power in her metaphors is one thing; her ability to entice you into a relatable vignette which comes to life with the vindication delivered to anyone who knows how it feels to be made small by people with petulant and puerile minds puts her on an entirely other level. We’re stoked to hear what she and her producer, Chris Plante, will create for her sophomore release.

Bubble Wrap is due for official release on October 20. Check it out on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TuskHead blurred the boundaries between acoustic pop-punk and folk in ‘Breaking the Man’

Posted on 17 October 2023

The boundaries between Americana, acoustic pop-punk and folk blurred beyond recognition in the rhythmically arresting latest single, Breaking the Man, by the Dutch musician, singer, and songwriter TuskHead.

With the bends of bluegrass weaving around the pull of the percussion, which won’t fail to awaken your rhythmic pulses and the lyrics, which sting with vulnerable volition, Breaking the Man is a hard lyrical pill to swallow, but the upbeat rhythmics take some of the sting from the deeply relatable pensiveness, allowing it to unravel as a cathartic olive branch to anyone unwilling to do the same and make the admission of ‘I’m not alright’.

Asking the time-old question, “how can you love me if I hate myself” and alluding to the fight from within that pills can salve but can’t solve, the heartache with the world is heart-wrenchingly affecting.

Breaking the Man was officially released on October 13th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The everyman’s folk raconteur Matt McManamon reached a new plateau with  ‘Circles in the Sky’

Posted on 15 October 2023

The Liverpudlian-Irish singer-songwriter Matt McManamon set the bar plateau-high with his critically acclaimed debut LP, Scally Folk, after breaking away from his band, The Dead 60s, but he transcended it all the same with his latest single, Circles in the Sky.

The everyman’s folk raconteur took the inspiration for his latest single from a trite positivity post found online and spun lyrical gold from the sentiment which was an attestation to how fear, failure and inspiration will always be components of the same formula. The consoling compassion which equally emanates from the assuredly steady guitar chords and his tender vocal timbre also goes a fair way in proving the chaos in life won’t always make it easy for you to succeed – perseverance is the trick.

If you can’t get enough of the psych-tinted alt-90s nostalgia in Circles in the Sky, you won’t have long to wait until your next retro indie-folk fix; the single was the first to drop from the illustrious artist’s upcoming EP, Seventy-Two Hours.

Or you can always delve into The Dead 60s discography; with Matt McManamon at the helm, the band toured with Morrissey, Kasabian, and their Deltasonic label mates The Coral when they weren’t playing Glasto and appearing on Top of the Pops.

Circles in the Sky dropped on September 29; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maverick lived up to their moniker with their folksy easy listening debut single, I love coffee culture

Posted on 15 October 2023

The debut single, I love coffee culture, from Maverick is a tongue-in-cheek, bean-in-cup twee triumph. The twinkling piano keys atop the simple yet as delicious as a caramel macchiato easy guitar chords orchestrate the same kind of laidback atmosphere you would want to sink into in your favourite den of caffeine as the vocals prove it is the small things in life, especially if those small things are made by the hands of a barista who can take the mundanity of the corporate world away.

It is somewhat ironic that Maverick is a virtual band composing songs for tangible experiences, but given the sticky-sweet feel-good factor of the folksy easy listening release, we can easily forgive the band spearheaded by the song crafter and vocalist, John Crystal and feel stoked for the singles we have been promised will follow. We already need our next fix.

I love coffee culture was officially released on October 4; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast