From the album Cabin Fever, this track is full of evocative lyrics dealing with a topic most pop songs veer away from: social collapse and the end of oil. “Gettin’ Down On The Mountain” sets the stage of these heavy words with chunky guitars, a driving beat and just enough twang to call it Corb Lund.
“Every time George sings Here Comes The Sun, Every time Sam sings A Change Is Gonna Come, It’s Ok, It’s Alright, I’m Alive”
Bahamas’ name checks slide by so effortlessly. He doesn’t need to bash you over the head with the cool references. In his own charming and subtle way he just wants to introduce you to his friends George Harrison and Sam Cooke.
Off Avec Pas D’casque’s Polaris Music Prize long listed album Astronomie, “Intuition # 1”is a slow build with each turn taking on new layers, adding up to a sonic depth that transcends the traditional boundaries of most folk influenced offerings to find incorporeal footing in the ether of experimental sounds.
[“Intuition #1” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3]
With influences drawn from the softer side of the rock spectrum, The Archers merry brand of music brings together warm harmonies, direct lyrics and pointed guitars. If the groups’ aim with “The Sun Will Rise” was to create winning whimsical folk-pop, then The Archers have hit their target.
[“The Sun Will Rise” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3]
From the album Bird Eyes, The Wind Up Radio Sessions‘ ”Little Bird” has a comfortable low-key charisma that’s warm and welcoming like a mid-summer night backyard barbecue.
[“Little Bird” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3]
Featuring members of Blood Meridian, Hard Drugs piece together a shimmering, piano-addled song that builds to a huge finish. It’s as warm and bright as chrome in the summertime.
[“Hardest Part II” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3]
This plunking mood-setter waltzes in with Patrick Watson’s vocals casting a smokey spell on the accoutrement of slapping drums, disjointed steel-slides, fuzzed out elements and hollow piano keys. “Step Out For A While” is the perfect track for music fans looking to take a break from the everyday norm.
[“Step Out For A While” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio]
Calgary’s Michael Bernard Fitzgerald brings his latest song ”Follow” to Radio 3, a folk-rock soulful track with masterful acoustic guitar meanderings, heartwarming strings and hushed organs. Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is known for crafting joyous songs and a friendly atmospheres, and with “Follow”, good times are definitely in tow.
[“Follow” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3]
Let’s face it, there isn’t room for a whole lot of innovation in the folk/roots genre. Those looking for seismic paradigm shifts might be better off looking somewhere else. But this is music that’s based on deep traditions and the genius of the great folk acts is finding something new in something old.
Winnipeg outfit The Wailin’ Jennys understand this, making songs that feel deeply familiar but still manage to surprise. “Glory Bound”, from their 2006 album Firecracker, could have been written a hundred years ago or yesterday, and there’s something magical about that.
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From the album, Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon A Sun, “Child Of The Valley” by The Wooden Sky encapsulates the stark beauty of a frontier from years past with ethereal harmonies blanketing the landscape while Gavin Gardiner’s honest, straight-forward singing lights the path.
[“Child Of The Valley” was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3]
