That far in, it was the most interesting song sonically, having ditched the previous five tracks’ uniform dreary piano chords, muted drums and plaintive, stiff vocal melodies. Sarah Blasko’s voice turned girlish and alluring, more like that of Twin Sister singer Andrea Estella than her previous hopeful folk goddess. Despite the repeating starch of piano […]
folk
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Riley Jantzen and the Spirits — Feathers
Anybody who knows Jantzen knows that couldn’t be further from the reality, and “Feathers,” his first effort as Riley Jantzen and the Spirits, should dispel his scary-guy image for those who don’t. It’s a wonderfully intimate album lyrically, and musically enriched by his absurd skill as a player. He’s credited as playing all the instruments, […]
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Shenandoah’s valley
Attention, songwriters in the making: Seattle-based chamber-pop musician Shenandoah Davis has a few words of advice for you. “If you’re an aspiring artist who doesn’t feel like you have enough experiences to write genuine songs about yet, then go and travel and get into a couple doomed romantic relationships and get your hands dirty and […]
Posted inMusic
Shenandoah’s valley
Attention, songwriters in the making: Seattle-based chamber-pop musician Shenandoah Davis has a few words of advice for you. “If you’re an aspiring artist who doesn’t feel like you have enough experiences to write genuine songs about yet, then go and travel and get into a couple doomed romantic relationships and get your hands dirty and […]
Posted inMusic
Shenandoah’s valley
Attention, songwriters in the making: Seattle-based chamber-pop musician Shenandoah Davis has a few words of advice for you. “If you’re an aspiring artist who doesn’t feel like you have enough experiences to write genuine songs about yet, then go and travel and get into a couple doomed romantic relationships and get your hands dirty and […]
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Terra Lightfoot — Terra Lightfoot
It’s a far, more pleasant cry from the rough-worn, truth-saying voices of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie and the usually sparse, simple arrangements that accompanied them. Terra Lightfoot is one such contemporary. The artist from Waterdown Canada has also played with country band The Dinner Belles. Here we have her solo debut, which calls upon […]
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Zach Winters — They Were Longing For a Better Country
No, Mumford & Sons hasn’t released their second album yet. Norman singer/songwriter Zach Winters’ fourth LP, “They Were Longing for a Better Country,” blends all the aforementioned into a haunting, but peaceful work that’s more personally convicting and beautifully recorded than what you’ll typically find in the local coffee shop after hours. “Country” is rich […]
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Growth pattern
Drew Grow could have planted his roots anywhere, but he could hardly be happier with his decision to do so in Rose City. “Portland has a loose-cannon quirkiness,” he said. “It’s a pretty great place to play music. There’s a lot of support for all sorts of creative endeavors and a lot of energy from […]
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Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
So much of the 21-year-old’s third LP, “A Creature I Don’t Know,” comes in styles more nuanced and technically difficult to perform than pure, simple folk, while it simultaneously avoids lazily dipping into other stylistic offshoots for guidance or song structure. Stories are told here in country, British folk, American folk and plenty of other […]
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Soundcheck: ‘This Machine’
Well, yeah, he did. But his legacy carries on well after Huntington’s disease claimed his body on Oct. 3, 1967, and not just in the folk genre he mastered. His legacy is one that was hell-bent on tearing down authoritarianism and replacing it with tolerance and understanding. “Woody was a social conscience as much as […]