Folk

(Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Jewel)

Steep Ravine

Feel the warmth of the American heritage with Steep Ravine’s self-titled album. Mixing bluegrass and folk, their sound is like setting foot in the mountains with leather boots and a cowboy hat.

Odd Folk: Die Young

Blooming in its own pace, Odd Folk‘s 2012 musical project Die Young crafts honest and tasteful folk music fit for anyone’s taste. Featuring five radio-polished pieces, the Chicago-based band brings us back to vivid images of rolling hills and country landscapes. Odd Folk consists of Paul Cherewick (songwriter/guitar/vocals), Madely Strutz (banjo/vocals), Monty Weber (violin), and Chace Wall (mandolin/organ/vocals).

Siblings: My Brother

What an apt move for a band of ‘Siblings’ to make an EP about ‘brothers’? Well, excuse the pun, but seriously, the newcomer British quartet makes blood relations sound cool in last year’s My Brother EP. Though only containing three radio-sized tracks, each one is jam-packed with that ambient folk vibe which haunts their influences, such as Bon Iver and The Shins.

Mason James: So I Pressed Record

Mason James is a talented musician hailing from San Diego. Using only his acoustic guitar and splendid voice to create music, this charmer released his EP entitled So I Pressed the Record last June 2013. The EP was an epic ambition boasting of guitar harmonies powered by the creative lyrics.

The Gorgeous Chans: Jaguar Club

Another band to hit the UK indie music scene is The Gorgeous Chans, and it looks like their fiesta beats are here to stay. After releasing two hit EPs last year, the 6-piece act returns with a 3-track collection – Jaguar Club – of fun, folk-infused, upbeat pop that might just take your playlists by storm.

Daniel Greenwood: Goldsmoor

Goldsmoor is a hit goldmine, the one of the recent releases from the wildly-tasteful British music machine. Coming forth in the vein of Ed Sheeran, it’s not hard to adore how Daniel Greenwood crafts his music: smooth, heartfelt, and consciously ostentatious – but that naturally comes with the excitement and the youthful exuberance that comes with being a normal 20 year old.

Sean Rodman: Trains of Thought

Recorded and produced by Sean Rodman, Trains of Thought is composed of band members Nick Fuss (electric guitar, harmonica), Kyra Soko (bass), Ian Bezubiak (drums), Michael Mloszewski (slide guitar), Brynne Herbison (violin), and Katrina Archer (cello). The EP was released on May 2013. The album is something of a roller coaster of musical styles, songwriting approaches, and emotions. But most notably, surpassing it all is the vocalist’s flabbergasting power to make us hang on every word.