Dudes, the Block of the Writer means that there are approximately 37 tabs open on this here computer, things I’ve been saving until I had the wherewithal to conjure up some proper words about. That might not happen anytime soon it seems and so, let’s just throw all this glorious musical bidness up and see what happens, shall we?
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Frightened Rabbit :: ‘State Hospital’
So, this band once wrote a song called ‘FootShooter’ and that song replayed here over and over. And over again, for real. Are Frightened Rabbit my favorite Scottish indie rock band. Yeah, maybe. On 24 September the band will release a new EP, their major label debut with Atlantic, and we’re stoked as shit for it. This is a song from that EP.
I wonder if other music bloggers are lucky enough to occasionally find an artist they’ll fall in love with via Twitter. The usefulness of that site is often underrated when it comes to music discovery — if someone is following us it most likely because they too have an affection for folk jams and as such, we’d probably be good pals in real life.
Bauer followed Folk Hive the other day. Checked out his jams. DO LIKE.
It’s becoming more and more obvious that we have a love affair with a delicate, rusty voice backed by banjo and folk stylings (see Azevedo and Olentangy John, sir) and the songs of Roof Beams fit that bill.
Unbeknownst to us, Lord Huron’s upcoming (no doubt, awesome) album is based on the stories of George Ranger Johnson, thus amplifying the badass factor. Lonesome Dreams is out in October. YESSSSS.
Carolina Story :: Daytrotter, A New Album, and Home
You’re gonna want to get this Carolina Story Daytrotter session in your life and this band on your radar. We’ve been obsessed for days after discovering their album from late last year, Home, a few days ago.
FIRE AND FOREMOST, Y’ALL: In retrospect, it is in your best interest to check out that Wake Owl track first. Clearly all of this squizzness contained herein is delicious but holy balls of Thor, if ‘Wild Country’ isn’t the best thing you hear today, we’ll eat our hat. Carry on…
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The following is an accounting of all the tabs open on this computer, a list of things we find worth your time. Please gander through these bits with us, won’t you?
If my life had a Tabs Mode like an internet browser does, it would look something like this:
There is a tab that depicts an epic battle with a sinus infection that is keeping away the sleep, making me delusional. Which, it just so happens, is a great way to listen to music. When delusional, we mean. If I queue up that Typhoon jam below right before bed, I dream of scientifically impossible quadruple rainbows that bring with them unicorns with ribbons flowing from their asses. WHICH IS AN ACTUAL SCENARIO FROM MY DREAM LAST NIGHT. I’m gonna write a bitchin’ science fiction novel about it. I’ll make a million dollars and then book Typhoon for the back yard. FULL CIRCLE.
There would be a tab up there detailing my weekend last. All the friends at the bar, with its missing ceiling panels and drunken bar owner. With the local legend up front and all my friends of today and yesterday around. Part of that tab would deal with text messages about Tolstoy and sacred harp music, too.
A tab detailing an impending week-long vacation, during which we will populate every goddamn bit of woods in this state. A tent will be our home. We will rejoice with the unzipping of the front door every morning and revel in the lake waters of this county and those surrounding it.
Enough about us. This is about music. It’s always about music…
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The Sheepdogs :: The Way It Is
FUCK ME, DUDES ONE AND ALL! At this point, our proverbial boner for The Sheepdogs is apparent and after being disappointed first thing this morning with a list of tour dates that included nothing in our tri-state region — it’s okay, the Midwest hates rock anyway, IT’S NOT LIKE WE NEED GUITAR JAMS, TOO! — my heart was mended ever-so-slightly by the unveiling of a new jam from the forthcoming album. Clearly, Pat Carney produced this bitch. But shades of The Black Keys never hurt anyone and I, for one, dig the fuck out of this. Head over to Rolling Stone and stream this mother…
Speaking of rock, oh hey, you guys, look what I found! The Heavy’s got an album out next month. I’ll buy that shit, TRUST.
[Ed. Note: Shit man, half that guitar riff sounds kinda like that Sheepdogs jam and this was just noticed on our end. Well, this is weird now. AWKWARD.]
The part of me that is true female, all .2%, makes the other 99.8% of me love Dry The River. It cannot be helped. This jam is nothing new as it comes from their album Shallow Bed, released in April, but I stumbled upon it again the other day and have put it on repeat again…
From the inbox, a jam from Pebaluna that we happen to like. Typically, it’s a hard road for a singing chick to my heart but this makes it through all those roadblocks.
A nice little jam from Wild Owl, a nice little band that released a nice little EP, Wild Country EP, late last year. This one slipped by us. Apologies. 1:30 is a moment that is perfection in song.
From Music Savage’s June 2012 mix, comes this gem. I’d heard numerous other folk aficionados ramble on about the awesomeness of Right Away, Great Captain! previously and sat on this like a dunce. If nothing else, this situation should tell you that when a friend recommends something to you, a friend with musical tastes you trust, you should get off your ass and listen. This is your friend telling you to listen to Right Away, Great Captain!. Do not repeat our mistakes.
Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil are Folk Hive favorites. Or obsessions, whichever. So when the band tells us that they’re looking to release a new album we jump at the chance to pitch in. Victims, Enemies, and Old Friends is STILL on heavy rotation here at Folk Hive HQ and if the song showcased in the video up there is any indication, this forthcoming album, Catch The Presidents, will be a treat for your eustachians.
This time (as opposed to this time), with a little less talk and a lot more tab. Seriously, this shit up here is just out of control and all of it good, so let’s preserve it here for posterity, eh? Eh. (Note: The ass end of this post is video heavy. But don’t get your knickers in a twist; watch all those movin’ pictures and get happy.)
Brought to my attention by drummer man extraordinaire Daniel T Hall as the Whiskey Folk Ramblers happen to be playing a CD release with his band, Fox and The Bird. Good jams, good jams.
Tab Two :: Dead Man’s Bones live video for ‘Name In Stone’
This here is a gem and one that I cannot say for sure how I located it or why. But who gives a shit, yo. I’ve hit replay on this video about a million times in the past week and I still find myself jonesing for this tune on the regular. The choir moves me, the quiet weight of Gosling’s voice (yes, that Gosling), the fucking cemetery. I raise my flag up into your heart, you let the wind come tear it apart. Now clap along, kids. [Sidenote: NOT CLOSING THIS TAB.]
Dead Man’s Bones :: Name In Stone (recorded live in a cemetery that is all) [MP3]
Do not be confused, Pigeon Row is not a band (though, admittedly, I dig that as a band name), but instead a PR firm out of Nova Scotia. But this looks to me like yet another tab I’ll need to keep open to further investigate. After all, anyone (or any firm, whatever) working towards getting all the world acquainted with The Sheepdogs is good people in my book. But the particular thing I’m jamming on via Pigeon Row? I’ll just leave it down here for you…
Having never heard of Irish band (yes?) I Draw Slow, I wasn’t expecting much but I happen to love this song. I’ve got a feeling I’ma need to be locating and downloading this album.
Had never heard of Violitionist either but hell, I’m down with it to the max. Have heard of Lost In The Trees of course and also, down with that. The combination of the two, below, is so so sweet.
Seriously, you guys, ‘Victory’ has been my fucking jam for a week (along with all this other shit up in here I said was my jam this week). So naturally, I was really excited to run across notice of this just released HearYa Session yesterday. On top of the awesomeness of my current fave jam being included, we were gifted with a new tune, ‘Widower’s Heart’. It’s stunning.
Watch that video, seriously. You cannot tell me there is anything much better in the world than a bunch of bearded dudes, sitting in a half circle, banjo and mandolin and fiddle abounding. This video is the best 4:33 of my week, I shit you not.
Best cover of any Winwood song in the history of always. HANDS FUCKING DOWN. If you listen to that breakdown and disagree, we will fight. With fists and shit.
You think your birthday rocks? You think that time your uncle gave you a pint of SoCo to commemorate your day of birth was rad? You think your mother baking you a Star Wars cake was the shit? Bullshit. The universe is giving me a new Megafaun album on my birthday. I WIN.
I tweeted earlier tonight (I hate this fucking sentence already) concerning the tabs I have open here in my nifty little browser. Because I am a blogger, it made sense to write about this. Plus, I need an excuse to close these fuckin’ tabs, man.
I’ve got a bunch of shit sitting atop. Have a gander…
Dude, I’ve got a serious clit stiffy for this dude and his band. I’ve wrote about The Sheepdogs before, they’ve made it to the top 2 of this Rolling Stone contest for the cover, and despite that, I do not like them less. I commented to Mr Currie the other night that instead of dating these jams 1954, they should have been dated 1974, just like The Allman’s Eat A Peach album. He responded that that album was released in 1972. I have that shit tattooed on me and I wasn’t even getting my dates proper. Touché, long hair badass, touché.
One Cody Caudill (of Folk Hive favorites Harlowe and the Great North Woods) recommended this to me and I appreciate it when people actually take the time to suggest shit that isn’t shit. Dude, she sings, “Save a spot on the porch swing for me.” Obviously, I’m gonna like that, bros.
I’m gonna be honest: I have no idea from whence this came and I have no idea what the fuck it is, but I’m kind of diggin’ on it. Let this be a lesson to you: AVOID INTERNET RABBIT HOLES! I think these are religious jams but there’s windwoods in those jams, so we’ll let it slide. I wonder what in the hell these dudes are doing now. Believe this album was released around 1975.
Every blog you love has talked about this and most are giving it glowing reviews. I’m pretty sure that in a week’s time, my review will be entitled “Breaking Up With Bon Iver”, but alas, I’m buying this anyway. Bon Iver shirt is probs a way better idea than Bon Iver tattoo.
Apparently, I listened to and liked this in 2007. Found my recommendation for it on an old blog last night. In all honesty, if this is the worst of what I was listening to 4 years ago, then my shit was at least halfway together.
I’ve listened to nothing but this track from The Middle East’s last effort, I Want That You Are Always Happy, for the past two mornings. Keep coming back to it, keep losing myself in the distant banjo and slide guitar. Spent the time locating the lyrics and then marveled at it.
While the stars bear down from their throne
And the old southern cross is shown
And it points down the sad road home.
To the land of the hunter dancing under the trigger
and the bride washing up on the shore.
Yeah. I like that. The new album will make it’s way to the US on 12 July. Make note.