Various venues, Digbeth This festival of heavier sounds from the fringes was a blast, from chilling Gazelle Twin to Daisy Rickman’s Krautrock-folk, noise icons Melt-Banana and locals Flesh Creep ‘And Ticketmaster crashed!” Stuart Maconie...
From Chat Pile’s apocalyptic noise to Nala Sinephro’s celestial bliss, plus posthumous releases from MC5 and Sophie, here are the albums and tours not to miss – while in classical, Kahchun Wong takes over at the Hallé Continue reading...
(Under the Arch) With guests including Will Oldham and Anaïs Mitchell, this record’s island setting seems to bring extra light and warmth to stories of the sea, love, work, war and migration The Greek island of Hydra is not the subject...
At over 900 pages, the countercultural icon’s new book covers everything from fifth-century Roma music to Miriam Makeba. But, he argues, the drum machine marked the end of history In 1987, a group of white British independent label...
Exciting British collectives such as Broadside Hacks and Shovel Dance Collective are embracing ancient traditions to create an ultra-inclusive form of folk Over a pint of bitter in a muggy Camberwell pub, Daniel S Evans of folk music...
My father, John White, who has died aged 104, was an English teacher in London. He became a humanist representative on the standing advisory council on religious education for the Inner London Education Authority (Ilea) in the late 1960s...
My friend John Foreman, who has died aged 93, was a folk singer and maker of broadsheets who played an important part in the UK folk revival of the 1950s and 60s. As well as playing in bands and recording a collection of music-hall...
Her 2023 feminist anthem Labour went viral; now, the English folk-pop artist with gothic sensibilities turns her attention to Greek myth “All day, every day, therapist, mother, maid/ Nymph then a virgin, nurse then a servant,” chants...
Ian A Anderson laments the lack of media coverage of folk festivals across England in favour of one in Cambridge. Plus a letter from Joel Griffiths Robin Denselow concludes his review of last week’s Cambridge folk festival ( Robert Plant...
Royal Festival Hall, London Six supremely talented jazz and classical instrumentalists, whose humility belies their mastery, show how malleable and moving their music can be The weight of prodigious talent at this one-off concert, fusing...
Singer with the 1960s folk group the Young Tradition, whose songs ranged from sea shanties to haunting treatments of traditional music Heather Wood, who has died aged 79, was the last surviving member of the Young Tradition, heroes of...
Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge The Led Zeppelin frontman’s latest band, Saving Grace, riffs on country, folk, rock and blues, but the weekend belongs to female American singer-songwriters Robert Plant is clearly enjoying himself. He may...
Charlton Park, Wiltshire Radically inclusive global lineup includes Sampa the Great’s feminist pizzazz, Young Fathers’ twisted genre-splicing and Bixiga 70’s full-tent conga Womad feels like an undervalued jewel in the UK’s festival...
Their punked-up versions of traditional Irish songs have wowed audiences. Ahead of recording a third album, the Dundalk band talk about their journey from playing for beer and whisky to this year’s Glastonbury On a Monday night in the...
(Unsound) This searching, soulful release conjures up the spirit of summers spent by the lake and in the forest Named after a Lithuanian snake spirit that supposedly brings families health and prosperity, Polish guitarist Raphael...
Member of the folk-rock band Stealers Wheel who co-wrote the classic hit Stuck in the Middle With You Stealers Wheel were more than one-hit wonders, but they will always be remembered for their trademark single Stuck in the Middle With...
Omeara, London Boundaries disappear as the extraordinary Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer showcases her lithe latest album, Night Reign – and hands out whiskey, T-shirts and roses… “There are reporters here, aren’t there?” says...
After six Top 10 hits, the singer-songwriter might ‘wind down’ her career at 34 – but not before a stunning new album that celebrates the psychedelic high of parenting Laura Marling is wondering whether to sacrifice her career for...
For over 150 years this rural Cuban area has been home to changüí: hyperlocal music holding out against an embattled economy. We join an all-night festival to find out how It’s 1.30am and the band El Guajiro y su Changüí, led by...
(NAWR Music) Violinist Rose Linn-Pearl and sound artist husband Dan weave their artistry into a vivid collection evoking the natural wonders of their Welsh home Peiriant (pronounced pie-ree-ant) is a Welsh word for a machine or an...
Australian guitar whizz D.C Cross has shared a video for 'A Harebrained Adventure of An Amateur Shaman', directed by Steve Hanft. The results speak for themselves, an experimental and adventurous collaboration...a total gem. Source
We met Jenny Sturgeon and Boo Hewerdine to talk about their new Outliers album, a beautiful celebration of spontaneity and space, blending strong songwriting with acoustic arrangements and subtle electronics. Source
Martin Simpson announces his new album Skydancers (Topic Records) and shares a stunning video for the title track, made in collaboration with Ballet Folk and Studio Bokego. Source
Natascha Rogers' 'Onaida' is a laid-back and immensely satisfying album. She has created a personalised aural space reflecting motifs such as her Native American ancestry, spirituality, compassion, humanity, the natural world, and...
Jo Bartlett shares her new music video for 'Drawing A Line' - a Kodachrome dream of analogue moments - taken from her new album ‘Ghost Tapes 1 to 9’, out on 26 April 2024. Source
Filmed in CoisCéim, Dublin and directed by Myles O'Reilly, watch Niamh Bury performing 'Budapest', from her debut album on Claddagh Records 'Yellow Roses', which was produced by Brian Brían Mac Gloinn of Ye Vagabonds. Source
Sive talks us through her album 'In Cloak & Womb'. Taking inspiration from the legacy of Brigid in her goddess and saint forms, she explores how her echo might resonate in the world today, particularly concerning themes of climate...
Owen Spafford & Louis Campbell celebrate the end of their incredible debut album cycle with a short run of tour dates and a new EP, 102 Metres East, to be released on Real World X, an imprint label of Peter Gabriel’s Real World...
We've put together a light-hearted Anti-Valentine playlist featuring 16 Horsepower, Jonathan Richman, Rosali, Cate Le Bon, Laura Veirs, Nina Simone, Herman Düne, Tom Waits, Sibylle Baier and more. Source
French-Moroccan power quartet Bab L' Bluz share their new single/video 'Imazighen', taken from their second album 'Swaken', out on 10 May 2024 on Real World Records. Source
Jess Silber invites audiences to embrace the celebration of self-love on Valentine's Day with her award-winning music video for It Hurts to Love a Woman, which follows the queer story of two almost-lovers on a quest for self-love,...
Abigail Lapell turns to the romantic ideal of growing old together on her forthcoming album Anniversary. Watch the video for her lead single Anniversary Song, recorded live with her band in a 200-year-old church. Source
Serious Sam Barrett drops his new album, A Drop of The Morning Dew on March 1st which was recorded live at Bacca Pipes folk club. Watch his new video for the beautiful title track...ancient advice on how to stay looking young. Source
In a tale that unfolds with almost Murakmi dream-like absurdity, Jake Sheppard's 'Bird Clock' manages to balance sorrow and comedy perfectly, a highwire act that leaves you wanting more. Source
Album release date: Friday 29th November 2019 on Pure Records. National tour – 1-21st December 2019, including Royal Festival Hall, London (10 December). There’s nothing [...] The post Kate Rusby announces new Christmas album...
Broomdasher begin their busiest ever Festival Season with a performance at the country’s biggest free Folk Festival at Leigh on Sea in June – followed [...] The post Crop of Festivals for Broomdasher appeared first on Folk...
A celebration of music without borders Whitby Pavilion, West Cliff, Whitby Y21 3EN October 18th-20th https://www.musicportfestival.comhttps://www.facebook.com/musicportevents/ Marking its 20th anniversary Musicport...
Tenterden Folk Festival is pleased to announce that, thanks to grant funding from Kent Community Foundation and The Overstone Trust, Tenterden Folk Festival will be organising and [...] The post Folk song, music and dance workshops for...
Gwanwyn is the first CD from Tŷhai, an exciting collaboration between three musicians from Wales, Dylan Fowler (guitar), Pete Stacey (saxophone/ flute) and Rajesh David [...] The post Tŷhai – Debut album “Gwanwyn”...
by Linda Fahey New releases featured this week on Folk Alley include music from Kelly Willis, The Fretless, Moira Smiley, Anna & Elizabeth, Birds of Chicago, Caitlin Canty, Cahalen Morrison's new project - Western Centuries; Kim Richey's...
by Linda Fahey This week on Folk Alley, Elena See features new releases with music from Phoebe Hunt & The Gatherers, Courtney Marie Andrews, The Mammals, the supergroup of Cory Chisel, Robert Ellis, and Jonny Fritz AKA Traveller, Rosanne...
by Linda Fahey, Folk Alley You're feeling tired, maybe a little defeated and heavy. Seriously, who doesn't want a "reset button" in those situations. For The Dustbowl Revival's Zach Lupetin, a spontaneous swim in the Pacific Ocean was...
by Linda Fahey This week on Folk Alley, in hour one, an exclusive Folk Alley Session from the 2018 30A Songwriters Festival featuring Kim Richey performing songs from her new album, 'Edgeland'; new music from Birds of Chicago, The...
by Kim Ruehl, Folk Alley An artist like Mary Chapin Carpenter will perform their best songs probably hundreds of times in their life, but most fans will remember those songs for the one time they were recorded on an album. This is a...
by Linda Fahey This week on Folk Alley, in hour one, an exclusive in-studio performance with Paul Thorn, recorded at this year's 30A Songwriters Festival; new music from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Altan, Kim Richey, Vivian...
by Linda Fahey This week on Folk Alley, Elena See spotlights new music by folk icon, Joan Baez, from her latest release, 'Whistle Down the Wind;' and more new tunes from the Massachusetts-based indie-folk quintet Parsonsfield, Tommy...
Using the Folk Alley Skill for Amazon Echo Smart Speakers is easy and allows you quick access to Folk Alley content. To use the Folk Alley Skill for Echo, follow these simple steps: 1. Open your Alexa app and go to the menu. 2. Scroll...
by Linda Fahey This week on Folk Alley, we'll celebrate to coming of St. Patrick's Day with music by The Chieftains featuring Bonnie Raitt, We Banjo 3, and Doolin'; new music from John Prine, Chris Smither, Parsonsfield, Darlingside,...
Folk Alley presents two screenings of the documentary THE KING at the 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival. Director Eugene Jarecki travels America in Elvis' 1963 Rolls Royce talking to people along the way about the...
by Elena See, Folk Alley I read something on Twitter the other day - and I can't remember who wrote it, so apologies if it was you. It went something like this: "Sometimes it's ok to acknowledge that you're tired. Sometimes it's ok to...