I like few singers passionately. Most of them, admittedly, are women. All of them write poetry which sounds like music. I actually have quite a few friends who are making this kind of music - what I consider magical, true music that seems so rare this day. The kind of music that goes right to your heart with a wrench and the toolkit. I guess it’s what they used to call ‘folk’.
What I find hardest to believe about these amazing friends of mine is their lack of fame. Not that I want to see them on the red carpet anytime soon; for purely selfish reasons: I love to secretly love the artists I enjoy. I like to cuddle up with them when I’m sad or depressed or lonely. I stick them in my ear buds and somehow that equals my heart. But it occurred to me that you guys might have friends making music like this too, and maybe we could work out some kind of a deal? Because I’m feeling needy and raw lately. And I need as much soul-harmony as I can get!
So here is one of my good friends for you, Carrie Lennard. I first met her when she came with her dad in the early nineties to Finca la Mota, the B&B I managed in South Spain, on a bicycle tour. One evening, late and (most of us) drunk, she sat at a barful of tough, working farmers and horsemen from Alhaurín el Grande. All of these guys know their Flamenco; this is how we spent most of our late evenings - singing and telling stories (all of us speaking over one another at full volume) with flamenco guitar-chords providing emphasis from the corner. After a lot of yelling, negotiating and hand-gestures, somebody finally, hesitantly loaned her a guitar. Within thirty seconds flat Carrie had all of those guys yelling “OLÉ” and every single one of us in the bar had tears in our eyes.
Will you make the trade even for me? If you feel like it, send me music or poetry from one of your friends who should be famous but somehow, mysteriously hasn’t “made it” past you into as many hearts and souls as they can… yet. And please, if you send anything- make it something that will balm the ragged parts of a soul. I need it right now.
For more from Carrie, drop me an email and I’ll be sure to put you in touch. Her first album; Kayla (my favorite) is available as linked in the name.
(post to be edited later to add pics)
October 14th, 2008 at
Dallas Jones. ummm… he is basically a really good folk singer from home, and he is a rock climber. (my favorite is ´The Morelock Sessions`)
another Springfield-en is Cindy Woolf. She sings sometimes with Dallas and is good, but I am not as familiar with her, so she is not really my hidden treasure… but you might like her.
Those are my local secrets… but other good chill music that it sounds like you may be wanting right now: Bon Iver, Jose Gonzalez, and Great Lake Swimmers. They are all on the top of my list for easy folk listening.
Other things to consider: Matt Costa can be nice to listen to, but he is definitly a bit more pop-y (which can be good)- so he is on my maybe-look-into-if-you-have-time list for you.
Rosie Thomas has a really beautiful voice and plays wonderful folk music. I am not really familiar with all of her cds, though, and some of them I have just found to be OK. Sometimes I hear a song by her and have to keep playing it over and over again because I love it so much.
Gregory and the Hawk… They are also folk, but again I am not super familiar with them. There are a few songs that I like by them, but I will get back to you with more info- whether they are worth your time or not.
Old Crow Medicine Show- I love them. Their self titled album is worth checking out, for sure.
A band that is not so much in the folk genre, but rather rock or something is Born in the Flood, Amanda introduced me to them. I think they would be her hidden treasure. They are still very small, but I don´t think they will be for long. A band called The Wheel has some of the same band members as Born in the Flood. I think The Wheel is the lead singers side project. The Wheel is a lot more chill than Born in the Flood, but still not really folk-y at all. Worth looking into though.
I will be at your place in less than a week (on Friday…) and will get you all sorted out.
Until then, check out Dallas Jones, Bon Iver, and Great Lake Swimmers. Otherwise, you will hear them in less than a weeks time.