Rachel Unthank and the Winterset

There has never been a better time to be a folk musician, a genre that thrives on the live circuit and word of mouth. In a world of mp3s and internet cottage industries there are an extraordinary set of artists making extraordinary music right now, and many of them are from one branch of folk or another. Artists that aren't afraid to make themselves available directly to not only their fans, but everyone with an internet connection. I have heard more excellent folk albums this year already than I have in the past five, and Rachel Unthank's is amongst the very, very best.

Listen - Rachel Unthank - Blackbird

Listen: Rachel Unthank - White Thorn

Official

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Close harmony twangy goodness

This time last week, I was in a small and silent venue in the heartland of Leeds, part of a crowd waiting with baited breath for the next song from Fleet Foxes. They were amazing and I've been mulling over what to post about them ever since.

Well, in typical contrary fashion, I've decided that there is already far too much of their stuff doing the online rounds - the album and the EPs are all superb and you owe it to yourself and the band to go out and buy them.

Instead, I'm going to share of their elder musical brothers - prodigious vocal talent, loud and close harmony - lovely.

Nashville Bluegrass Band (with The Fairfield Four) - Roll Jordan Roll

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Find the Cost of Freedom

Buy Fleet Foxes, CSNY, or Nashville Bluegrass Band.

Shelagh McDonald - Stargazer

Is there a more perfect name for a primary school teacher than Mrs. Eden? It is perfect, isn't it? And it's also Lonesome shorthand between Howard and I to describe a certain timbre of vintage lady folk. And it's normally a sure sign of quality.

So, onto the point.

Why don't more people know about Shelagh McDonald? Hers is such an intriguing story - having made two superb albums in the late 60s, she then promptly disappeared in 1971 for the best part of 25 years, before resurfacing in the Scotland Daily Mail office a few years back. Move over, Vashti. Beat that for quality control.

I think it's really beautiful - let us know what you think.

Listen: Shelagh McDonald - Sweet Sunlight

Listen: Shelagh McDonald - Stargazer

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34 years and 10 stone

I must be getting forgetful, so I can't thank anyone specifically, but someone gave me a copy of Alexi Murdoch's album Time without consequence, which having listened to it quite a lot recently I'd guess that I'd obviously been playing them Nick Drake and John Martyn and they had reciprocated.

Anyway, months later it pops up again whilst on my way to work in the car (hurrah for built-in mp3 players) and has become a permanent fixture of late.

Knowing next to nothing about him I trawled the net to find the album is from 2006 and nothing since apart from a few live bootlegs from last year so hopefully there'll be some more soon.

I hear Nick Drake & John Martyn with the soft cashmere touch of Mark Eitzel's voice, and a good looking young man to boot. Since I don't have a copy of John Martyn's Church with one bell, I'll have to rely on someone's charity to post it in the comments...are you still out there Bosh?

Listen: Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky

Listen: Mark Eitzel - Western Sky

Listen: Nick Drake - Northern Sky

Alexi Murdoch - Official
Mark Eiztel - Official
Nick Drake.com, with an interview withe Kathryn Williams, although there's no end of sites that have been offering Nick Drake love for a lot longer.

Liz Tormes - Limelight

I've been listening to this album for months now - it has crept under my skin in the same way that Mindy Smith's Long Island Shores did, but this heartbreak is less raw and bloody, more knowing and deft in its cynicism. A couple of famous names pop up too - Teddy Thompson and Jason Molina, fact fans.

Self-produced and self-released, it's dark melancholy alright - sample line: "happiness is fleeting" - but manages still be quite pretty.

Innocence and experience, indeed.

Listen: Liz Tormes - Black Luck

Listen: Liz Tormes - Maybe You Won't

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The Ballad of Sneaky Pete

The Ballad of Sneaky Pete: A Guide to Country Rock’s Greatest Pedal Steel Player is up on Gibson's website, under their 'lifestyle' section. Really it's just an excuse to post loads of youtube clips, most of which I hadn't seen before. So if you fancy a bit of pedal steel in your Friday with added Gram goodness go check it out.

Deke Dickerson - King of the Whole Wide World

Howard, I've found the perfect soundtrack for this summer's barbeque.

Readers, what do you play when confronted with several overtired children wanting an after-hours kid rave (complete with glowsticks)? Well, I think we'll be testing out a spot of Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-fonics.

Country soul, rockabilly hotrod bluegrass surf - it's bound to be a family favourite. Highly recommended.

Listen: Deke Dickerson - Make Way for a Better Man

Listen: Deke Dickerson - Do You Think Of Me?

Armless musicians, gospel midgets and one man bands a-plenty on Deke's official site. Yes, really. I mean come on, how can you resist a link like that?

Buy, on vinyl too. Or maybe just treat yourself to a read about his double neck guitar.

Christian Williams - songs from his new-ish album of gothic prairie music

Purveyor of the finest gothic prairie music (country is too generic, but prairie - now we're getting specific), Christian Williams was kind enough to send us some more of his songs from his new album called 'To the Trees'. He sent it quite a while back, and I've been mulling them over ever since. One guitar with his voice sounding like he could have had a career writing/being covered for/by Johnny Cash, the other a banjo led ditty which doesn't help with the GAS.

I've been listening to a lot of clawhammer just lately, but it drives the wife mad and so remains a private pleasure between me and my headphones.

Listen: Christian Williams - Lake Effect
Listen: Christian Williams - the Recluse Anna Brown


Official - you can stream the whole album from here.

Southern Tenant Folk Union

We've posted this lot last year and they've got a spankingly good new album out. It's full of clawhammer and fiddle and melancholic bluegrass. Still seems incongruous that they hail from London. They seem to be permanently on tour (have a look at their MySpace), and are playing the very nice Luminaire in London on 21 June for a Club Ugly night, which sounds like a good time.

Howard, sadly, is no closer to being allowed a banjo.

Listen: Southern Tenant Folk Union - Never Got the Best of Me

Listen: Southern Tenant Folk Union - Here In The Dock

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Dennis Wilson POB to be reissued at last

Firstly apologies for not posting much, work is proving very demanding. Anyway, there's a head of media hype/steam building up to the release of Dennis Wilson's solo album Pacific Ocean Blue. Long term readers will know that I'm a sucker for a bit of mid-period Beach boys, this article in the Guardian is one of the better ones - Richard Williams revisits the musical masterwork of former Beach Boy, Dennis Wilson (yes I know my writing leaves an awful lot to be desired).

Anyway I was going to post the 'masterwork' from the article - Only with you, but I realised that for me it's actually a different song that does it for me. Listening back to it again before posting also made me realise the deeper connection between spiritualized and the beach boys. Your comments are as always, most welcome.

Listen: Dennis Wilson - Carry Me Home