One of today’s best examples of a ‘songwriter’s songwriter,’ Wes Tirey uses his words to paint a rich and realistic small town atmosphere on this new single from the upcoming reissue of his brilliant No Winners in the Blues. Originally released in a small cassette run in 2019, No Winners in the Blues is availableContinue reading “Single Premiere: “Chestnut Street Blues,” by Wes Tirey”
Category Archives: folk
Nathan Salsburg – Landwerk No. 3
Nathan Salsburg duets with the most plaintive ghosts of his 78s collection on this new entry in his Landwerk series. Available this Friday from No Quarter Records, Landwerk No. 3 is a collection of startlingly unique guitar soundscapes that are built around spectral samples lifted from shellac recordings cut between the 1910’s and 1940’s. Salsburg’sContinue reading “Nathan Salsburg – Landwerk No. 3”
Lily Henley – Oras Dezaoradas
Lily Henley, a singer-songwriter, composer and fiddler, tapped into the ancient traditions of Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jews to create her latest work, the soul-stirring Oras Dezaoradas. Already known for finding the similarities between Sephardic and American folk music and fusing them together, Henley went even deeper for this release. She fully immersed herself into the oldContinue reading “Lily Henley – Oras Dezaoradas”
Joseph Allred Announces New Album with a New Video, “Sweetcorn Ramble”
Joseph Allred continues to prove themselves as being one of the most imaginative and skilled artists in folk-inspired music today with their new song, “Sweetcorn Ramble,” from their upcoming LP, The Rambles & Rags of Shiloh. The record, which comes out July 1 on Worried Songs and is available for preorder today, is a trulyContinue reading “Joseph Allred Announces New Album with a New Video, “Sweetcorn Ramble””
Single Premiere: “Wednesday” by J.M. Hart
J.M. Hart sings of the woes and wares of the working man on “Wednesday,” the lead single from his upcoming record, Slips, Trips, & Falls. If you’re new to RCU, Hart is an exceptionally personal and genuine singer-songwriter and podcaster based in Virginia. His music is often a blend of different aspects of the folkContinue reading “Single Premiere: “Wednesday” by J.M. Hart”
Single Premiere: “Lead Man,” by Ralph E. White
With the help of Jerry David DeCicca in the producer’s chair, Ralph E. White has returned with a new record of surreal folk-inspired music on Worried Songs called It’s More in My Body Than in My Mind. White is a wonderfully eccentric and sadly underestimated southwestern American artist that has been operating within the tangledContinue reading “Single Premiere: “Lead Man,” by Ralph E. White”
Joseph Allred – Branches & Leaves
Joseph Allred’s stirring new record, Branches & Leaves, is a masterpiece amalgamation of folk traditions and stylings. Available on vinyl through Feeding Tube Records and digitally from Allred’s Bandcamp page, Branches & Leaves features everything from spiritual choral singing to banjo fantasias and chamber string music. Allred breathes new life into these traditions of old,Continue reading “Joseph Allred – Branches & Leaves”
Devin Hoff – Voices From the Empty Moor (Songs of Anne Briggs)
Bassist Devin Hoff’s loving tribute to Anne Briggs explores the depth and the versatility of the British folk legend’s classic songbook. Most readers here would agree that Anne Briggs, along with Shirley Collins, is one of the foundational pillars of the English folk music revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She unquestionably inspired an entireContinue reading “Devin Hoff – Voices From the Empty Moor (Songs of Anne Briggs)”
Doran – s/t
Doran’s self-titled debut album is an absolute blessing for any fan of folk and freak folk music. Elizabeth LaPrelle (of Anna & Elizabeth) joined forces with musicians Channing Showalter and Annie Schermer (of West of Roan), and songwriter and producer Brian Dolphin to create this collection of beautifully rustic folk tunes. The Washington-centered group honedContinue reading “Doran – s/t”
Ruthann Friedman – Hurried Life: Lost Recordings, 1965-1971
For Record Store Day’s “Drop 2” this Saturday, keep an eye out for the first ever vinyl issue of Hurried Life: Lost Recordings, 1965-1971, by astral folk cult favorite, Ruthann Friedman. Originally released in 2006 on CD and finally pressed onto black plastic this year by Tompkins Square Records, Hurried Life features 15 demos, homeContinue reading “Ruthann Friedman – Hurried Life: Lost Recordings, 1965-1971”
Record Crates United 