An absurdly-good month, with all the diversity you can handle:
Yes, early ‘7o’s folk nostalgia. Don’t try to fight it:
A Piedmont blues/sweet country mash-up:
Remember the name–I think you’ll be hearing it/him a lot:
Do you call this Chamber Bluegrass? Simply amazing:
Won’t hear it on the radio, can’t get it on Spotify. But it flat-out kicks:
Husker Du propulsiveness? An earworm of a tune? I have never, never, been so confident in predicting that this is Nathan Arizona’s Fave Tune Of The Month:
Think he’ll like this one, too:
Yes, love the Tubs, love the song.
“California Blues” is very interesting. Music and pictures seem right out of the ’70s, but I looked up Alex Amen and he’s in his 20s and his nostalgia for California is apparently for the California he lived in all the way back in 2020 or so. But he did live in a commune! And it’s nice to see the young folks enjoying what the old folks enjoy(ed). I like the song (nostalgia is not my enemy).
I like the idea of “chamber bluegrass,” but the Punch Brothers song started to bore me a little. On the other hand, “In the Pines” works nicely for me. As you know, it’s from opera singer Renee Fleming’s album of folk songs with Bela Fleck and guest singers. The voices she uses here are well-suited to this great song.
The guys in This is Lorelei could be the guys in “California Blues” 50 years later (if they were actually filmed in the ’70s). I’m fascinated by the Futurebirds’ video and it’s a nice tune. “Sluglife” is a little strange but I like it. Can’t make up my mind about the Chanel Beads tune. I like the Jalen Ngonda song, but he has others I like better; look forward to hearing more. I’ve never been a fan of Slyvan Esso and this song doesn’t change my mind.
I love the Sylvan Esso tune.
I’m such a sucker for any shade of Americana these days.