Brother and sister duo me&you (Karlee and Connor Hormell), forge a plaintive ballad with S.O.L. that blends dual leads with beautiful two-part harmonies and a message that we have all shared at one point or another: down on our luck, shit out of luck. Yep, we’ve all been there. S.O.L. is lyrically minimal but gets the message across. Instrumentally, the single is alternately sparse and grand where it needs to be. me&you boil their music in a pot of Americana that is unmistakable, but accessible across pop and folk genres…
Read MoreVanWyck, the moniker used by singer-songwriter Christine Oele, has a road-weary vocal that lends itself perfectly to a folk song, and these are some magnificent folk songs indeed! Carolina’s Anatomy (seen/heard here) is from VanWyck’s latest long-player, Molten Rock (December 2019), a collection of twelve deep, observant prose with playful melodies. Think of VanWyck’s creations as detailed views of the ordinary and the extraordinary alike that take you on a deeply personal journey. VanWyck has been described as the female equivalent of Leonard Cohen, and I’ve got to say that there is…
Read MoreIt came as no surprise in January when Vodka favorite Meg Myers hit number 1 on the Billboard singles chart. What surprised me was that she made that number 1 chart-topper with a remake of Kate Bush’s 1985 hit Running Up That Hill (seen/heard here). Not that there’s anything wrong with that song. In fact, Myers’ interpretation of that song just reminds you what a great piece of music it actually is. The surprise comes that Myers’ own works haven’t made the same splash. They should! Vodka…
Read MoreCombining a bit of Americana, folk, and blues influences, Mampache, a duo made up of Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci, are preparing to release their second full-length, From Liberty Street on March 20, 2020. Life On Fire (seen/heard here) is the first single from that offering, and if it is any indication, From Liberty Street promises to be a great piece of work! Finch and Blasucci dole out relaxed vocals and close harmonies reminiscent of The Everly Brothers or Crosby, Stills…
Read MoreHelium Horses (seen/heard here) is from Clara Sanabras May 2019 long-player, Fugue to the Floating World, and it is an outstanding example of how folk-rock can still be great in this case, fantastic! This track is nothing short of an amazing mix of perfectly combined elements. Clara has a beautiful voice and even though this song rocks out at times, her vocals are never hidden beneath the instruments. That is as it should be! The vocals soar here like helium-pun intended. The music here is carefully crafted and far…
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