Folk
News: Red River Dialect’s David John Morris announces May solo outing – see the video for ‘New Safe’
SINGER with excellent British folkies Red River Dialect; a man who for many years breathed such essential life into the Cornish music scene, snaring artists such as Jack Rose, William Tyler and Damon & Naomi for performances down at the very bottom of our islands; all-round gentleman, actually, David John Morris, has revealed he’s set …
Album review: Renee Reed – ‘Renee Reed’: an excellent, ethereal debut from Louisiana folk chanteuse
Renée Reed’s debut is spun from very clever finery; a flow of tracks, folky and so American and yet so European, psychedelic in the way Devendra is, spectral in the way Marissa Nadler so is; Espers, but less mushroomy. Renée: she’s such a talent. I’m not sure if I want to wake from this particular spell.
News: Marisa Anderson and William Tyler announce an album together for Thrill Jockey; hear the title track, ‘Lost Futures’
TAKE two of the best instrumental guitarists currently working in instrumental Americana, Marisa Anderson and William Tyler; put them together in a studo; press record. It’s a simple idea, but an idea as brilliant as the results. In some ways it’s a surprise the two haven’t married their winding, mesmerising aesthetics before. In fact they …
Track: Marie Minet’s shimmering ‘Je Serais Tout Se Que Tu Veux’ is a gorgeous indie folk pop track touched with a world music magic
Marie Minet is a Portuguese-based French singer/songwriter with a silky, expressive voice, and her new single ‘Je Serais Tout Se Que Tu Veux’ (I Would Be Anything You Want) is an absolute mesmerising wonder. Intermingled into the sound is an element of African music (particularly Cape Verde) and what I detect to be a touch …
Track and Album News: New Morning Blues announces debut album and single
New Morning Blues is a new folk collaborative project from wife and husband Joanna Backovic and Ian de Sylva. They’ve just released their first single, A Face in the Mirror, and you can get it here. They’ve also announced their debut album – London – which is out on 5th June. They create a beguiling and …
Track: Organ Morgan – Dracula’s Toothache
The barrel piano comes to life and you’re immediately in a rural hostelry a 100 years ago, merrily drinking ale and listening to the music coming from the smartly dressed band on the tiny stage in the corner. The sound fights for attention through the smoke filled room and the noise of drunken revellers until …
Premiere: Bob Hillman and Spooky Ghost reveal new video for the brilliant noise-folk of Urban Wildlife
Following on from last years collaboration between Bob Hillman and Bowie/Rufus Wainright/Suzanne Vega guitarist/soundscape artist Gerry Leonard, aka Spooky Ghost, the pair are releasing a new video for the track Urban Wildlife, and we’re absolutely delighted to be premiering it right here on Backseat Mafia today. Of the track, Bob told us “Urban Wildlife is …
Premiere: Watch the video for Sasha & The Shades’ theatrical folk-blues, ‘Smile’; the magician’s assistant finally has her say
SOUTH-EAST London vaudeville blues-folk quintet Sasha & The Shades have a new EP, Grin & Bare It, lined up for release not just digitally, but on that sexiest and scarcest-used of formats, the 12″, too, and that’ll be with us next Friday; but they want you to draw close, so today here at Backseat Mafia …
Premiere: Ted Barnes feat. Kristin McClement – ‘Metal Man’: a dusky tale of yearning from Clayhill’s quiet genius
WE’VE been quietly adoring the erm, quietly very adorable work which Ted Barnes, the one-time Clayhill singer, who literally did run away and join the circus after that band broke up a decade and half ago now, has been dropping over past weeks in the run-up to the release of his first album in too …
Album review: Lake Street Dive delight with ‘Obviously’
HYPOTHETICALLY speaking, we were all waiting for this album to drop. Well, I was at least. Ever since I heard the now-viral acoustic cover of Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back’ on YouTube , I’ve been following Lake Street Dive (along with their side projects, such as Rachael and Vilray) with great admiration. They are …