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Best Folk Music Blog & Promotion

McKay exhibited cybernetic sickness in their indie folk punk single, Plugged

Posted on 14 September 2023
https://soundcloud.com/mckay-608898721/plugged/s-KL9ziCSNpVD?si=96964519eb94489d9d6a39b352cda082&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

If the Beatles psychedelically strode across Pavement’s indie rock obscurity and checked into the Neutral Milk Hotel, the sonic result would groove in the same vein as McKay’s single, Unplugged.

The indie folk punk outpour of raw striking rancour inhibits nothing as the track veers from kaleidoscopic psychedelia to gritty instrumentation and lyrical volition that allows you to feel the inward visceral frustration that encompasses our inability to be a perfect portrait when the landscape that surrounds us warped by increasingly digital dystopia.

I’m pretty sure we can all relate to the exposition of how toxic dopamine habits compel us to stay hooked up to all the wrong lifebloods and leave us at further odds with ourselves. Given the evocative immersion Plugged provides, it is no surprise that McKay has become one of the hottest indie acts in the Nashville scene.

Plugged will debut on September 14; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s ‘Gemini’ season in the latest blues folk single by Goldschatz

Posted on 8 September 2023

Genres are defied and the soul transcends in the latest dual-harmony-driven single, Gemini, from the duo Goldschatz. Despite Timothy Jaromir and Rykka hailing from Switzerland and Canada, respectively, nothing was lost in translation in the spiritually spirited acoustic blues-folk release, which teases the soul-affirming singles to come in the upcoming EP, TWIN FLAME.

Even if Father John Misty and Stevie Nicks joined melodic forces in a euphonic portal back to 70s blues, the alchemy wouldn’t sound as sweet as the synergy that breathes through the power couple’s sound, which has seen them become one of the hottest breakthrough artists in Switzerland.

Whether they’re gracing the airwaves or live music venues, Goldschatz never fails to make an impression when they share their poetic introspection over their timelessly enrapturing antidotes to ennui. If you need to reinvigorate your lust for life by exposing yourself to the potential magic of it, delve into their rich discography of soul-rendered singles.

Gemini officially released on September 1st; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unknown River set the bar for honkytonk hits plateau-high with ‘Outlaws on My Trail’

Posted on 6 September 2023

The Floridan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Unknown River set the bar for penning immersive escapist honkytonk hits plateau-high with the standout single, Outlaws on My Trail, taken from his debut album, The Dead River Passage.

The fiddle and banjo-driven single delivers a vignette of a man coming to regret the repercussions of his down-and-out actions; the combination of the simple country living exposition and the upbeat arrangement and vocals is enough to make the experience of outlaw-evading sound like a riotous way to see the sands of time slip away, and therein lies the beauty of Unknown River’s indomitable magnetism.

By taking the influence of bluegrass, delta blues, country, rock and old-timey traditional tunes, Unknown River’s amalgamated Americana signature is designed to strip away the plight of modern-day malaise and entrench you in the ease and euphoria of eras that are far from bygone – roots-crafted sanctuaries are just one hit on play away. Press it.

Outlaws on My Trail is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ensemble Voyagers took us far out and back in time with their latest medieval folk single, Ductia

Posted on 6 September 2023

If Americana is the first thing that springs to mind when you hear the word folk, the open collective of folk purveyors and traditionalists, Ensemble Voyagers, with their medieval music creations, will show you there is plenty more to the genre.

Ensemble Voyagers, led by Daniele Montagner who started the ensemble in 2017, may be a complete antithesis to Heilung in terms of the atmospheres and sonic aesthetics, but the two truly traditional outfits achieve the same end goal of evoking history through melody.

Their latest single, Ductia, strips away the past few centuries to immerse you in a vibrant flute and trombone-driven production. The effortlessly jovial quintessential folk instrumental release is the kind of soundscape our European ancestors would use to mark an occasion for celebration or tavern revelry; European folk roots rarely get as deep as this; dig in.

Stream Ductia on YouTube and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Laney Ryan visualised an indie-folk dream for her latest single, This Path

Posted on 5 September 2023

‘This Path’ is the latest dreamy indie-folk single from the Boston-based singer-songwriter Laney Ryan, whose superlative ethereal atmospheres are always haunted by soulful possession.

With This Path, she delivered the reminder that what is lost will always be found; regardless of how lost and directionless you feel on your path, if you are moving forward, you will always find a way to find your way. The lush with choral reverb shoegaze guitars and the desert folk rhythm section create a captivating soundscape to contemplate the trajectory of your own journey while Ryan’s vocals deliver all of the assuring sanctity you could expect to soak up from a single.

Even though she sounds right at home in her indie folk sound, as a teen, Ryan had heavier music tastes; she eventually joined the LA alt-rock band The Brink, which became well-known in the Hollywood touring circuit. After five years of crafting high-octane hits, Ryan moved back to her hometown and started experimenting with a more acoustic sound that rings through in her contemporary material.

This Path will hit the airwaves on September 5; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matangi Devi euphonised Vedic astrology in her single, Saraswati Mantra 12 Names of Saraswati

Posted on 4 September 2023

Ancient Indian folk, contemporary art folk, and Vedic astrology converged in the divinity of the debut album, Shakti Ma, from the up-and-coming New Age singer-songwriter, Matangi Devi. The mantra-focused seminal single, Saraswati Mantra 12 Names of Saraswati, is a beguiling exhibition of her deep sense of spirituality, effortlessly projected through her ever-ascending vocal lines and instrumentals which amalgamate to offer a transcendental experience your soul won’t be quick to forget.

To prepare for the album, the Australian composer and performer spent 17 years as a hatha yoga teacher and studied the Sanskrit language with the world-famous teacher, Dr. Lekhmani Tripathi. After acknowledging the profound positive impact of the vibrations of mantras, including how they awake cosmic energy that lingers within us all, she set out to share the divine nature of our universe and enable others to reach enlightenment as a soul-affirming songstress whose music could salve the sickness that this modern age has imparted.

Stream Shakti Ma in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alexander Joseph illuminated the airwaves with his elevated folk-pop single, Guiding Star

Posted on 3 September 2023

If your folk-pop playlists need a boost, the evocatively uplifting latest single, Guiding Star, from Alexander Joseph will elevate them until they reach a new plateau of accordant soul.

If you know all too well how it feels to fear fading into obscurity, Guiding Star will deliver illuminating resonance. Traversing themes of desperation to escape while having no sense of direction was the ultimate affirmation that the singer-songwriter crafted this compassionately melodic single straight from his jaded soul.

There may not be any way to abstract the complexities and uncertainties of life, but hitting play on a track and knowing you’re not the only dog in the disjointing fight is as close to a sanctuary this society can provide.

If you can’t get enough of Alexander Joseph’s consoling lyricism, you don’t have long to wait for the UK artist’s EP, Stop and Breathe, which is due out in October. The EP will be used to raise funds for the charity One Tree Planted, which is combatting the impact of global warming through vital reforestation work.

Guiding Star was officially released on August 25; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skittish became the ultimate purveyor of folk-rock nostalgia with ‘Mannequin’

Posted on 2 September 2023

The LA-residing indie folk-rock artist Skittish is fresh from the release of their eclectic era and genre-spanning seventh LP, Midwest Handshake. Genre-fluidity may have become the default position for artists in the 21st century, but few succeed in making a smorgasbord of style as cohesively electrifying as Skittish.

Midwest Handshake is a route back to the golden era of emo via a road never taken. Jeff Noller’s vocation in film sound production in recent years allowed him to sonically visualise his concept in panoramic colour.

This time, Skittish enlisted Ben Etter (Deer Hunter, Kaiser Chiefs) to mix and master the album in his analog-centric studio, resulting in a project that draws you in with nostalgia and quells modern malaise with lyrical resonance that could have only been rendered in our blighted with dystopic blues era.

With the Weezer-esque guitars lending themselves well to the earwormy hooks and the drawling with deadpan attitude vocals in the verses evolving into adrenalized harmonies in the standout track, Mannequin, you couldn’t ask for more serotonin from a single. The raucously riled deliverance of unity is the ultimate olive branch to the disenfranchised by ennui outliers. After one hit, you will want to devour the cinematic album whole.

Mannequin hit the airwaves on August 25; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sahara CyberStars illuminated the airwaves with their alt-folk-rock score, Light Shines into a Space

Posted on 21 August 2023

After unveiling six LPs and six singles to date, the Dublin-forged, Australia-residing duo Sahara CyberStars, comprising the award-winning singer-songwriters Dave and Trish Long, exhibited how honed their synergistic sound has become in their latest single, Light Shines into a Space.

The duo may have gone down under, but their arcane Irish folk roots still linger at the epicentre of their theatrically inviting sound in Light Shines into a Space, which allows you to imagine how New Model Army’s post-punk musings would unravel with more ornate and orchestral instrumentals infused into their atmospheric stylings.

The deeply original score’s authenticity is only matched by the evocative pull of the release; from the first verse, you’ll be inseparably combined with the celestially scintillating experimentalism, which bends genres with the grace of an Olympian contortionist.

Light Shines into a Space is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ted brewed the ultimate blend of jazzy indie-folk dream pop with ‘The Coffee Shop’

Posted on 18 August 2023

There was no forgetting Ted’s folk-meets-dream-pop hit, Revolution Then, which reminisced on the times when revolution action was a feasible act of retribution amongst the repressed masses.

In his latest single, the Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist waltzed into The Coffee Shop to share a jazzy and intimate vignette of an unassuming female protagonist who inspired the laidback with luxe style from the fleeting observations made on her curious reticence.

With touches of the Beatles melding with a dreamy iteration of the 70s folk style, The Coffee Shop is far from short of beguile. Ted captured the coffee shop mood perfectly. The snug comforting atmosphere breathes right through the sax-infused kaleidoscopic melodies.

Visit The Coffee Shop for yourselves by heading over to Spotify first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast