It’s been nearly three years since Beth Jeans Houghton burst my iPods with her jaunty, melodic folk pop EP Hot Toast Volume 1, and three years on I’m still listening to it, even though dreams of Volume Two long since…
Category: Records
Album | Foxes! – Foxes!
There’s something glorious about indie-pop. I dunno. Possibly it’s the images of chunky, patterned, jumpers that it conjures. The thought of skinny jean clad, Morrissey quiff sporting, men throwing flowers in the air and catching tears in their eyes. Perhaps…
Album | Django Django – Django Django
Django Django opens like a tribal video game, revs up to the happy dancing of ‘Hail Bop’ then launches into the near-irresistible beat of ‘Default’. It’s a great start and reminds me heavily of The Beta Band, but this is…
Album | Diagrams – Black Light
This slice of quirky loveliness comes from former Tunng frontman, Sam Genders, plus a host of supporting musicians that reads like a roll call of up and coming folk artists. These include Hannah Peel on backing vocals and trombone, Danyal…
Album | Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur
The glittering cast list attached to Kathleen Edwards’ new record promises a huge amount. Produced by her sometime spouse and fellow Wisconsin dweller Justin Vernon and featuring guest appearances from the likes of Stornoway, Norah Jones and Francis Farewell Starlite,…
Album | Laura J Martin – The Hangman Tree
The eagerly awaited debut album from Laura J Martin promises much, and on first listen, (and second and third…) The Hangman Tree certainly delivers. At a time when female folk-based singer-songwriters are enjoying something of a renaissance, it would be…
Album | Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes
FFS is not, generally speaking, the place to come for news on the Hold Steady. Much as some of us here may love the Minneapolis-via-Brooklyn band on the side, rock ‘n’ roll is not really what we’re here for. But…
Album | First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
“There’s nothing new under the sun / All that will happen has already begun” Sometimes you don’t need to say a lot to get a point across. In this simple couplet from the dark, tidal ‘Dance To Another Tune’, First…
Album | Darren Hayman – January Songs
Just over a year ago, Darren Hayman embarked on an ambitious songwriting project – a new song every day for a whole month, original compositions – written, recorded and online by midnight or he’d turn into a pumpkin and calamity…
Album | Jim Moray – Skulk
When Jim Moray’s last album came out in 2010, I featured it in the new release section of a folk music show I then hosted on student radio. Lively, complex and with all sorts of ideas and stylings from popular…