The release will be available via Western Vinyl both digital and on vinyl, including a limited deluxe edition which includes liner notes by 2024 National Book Award winner Jason De León (Soldiers and Kings) and poetry from National Book Critics Circle Award Winner Ross Gay (Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude). Both editions of the vinyl include photography from Pulitzer Foundation Grant Awardee Greg Constantine and cover art by Reena Saini Kallat, which is taken from the series Ruled Paper (red, blue, white) which depicts contested geographies around the world. All proceeds will be shared between two Texas-based organisations, American Gateways and Casa Marianella, who provide all manner of support for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, including food, shelter, access to health care, legal services and other essential things. Plus, on the 4th December, Tim Heidecker will host a live variety show and raffle/auction on his call-in show Office Hours to further support the two organisations.

In preview of the December release, the offerings of Alan Sparhawk and Benjamin Booker have been made available to stream. Both offered statements to explain the context behind the tracks. “Here is a song that came from the struggle to know what to say to someone who is having a hard time,” Sparhawk explains of his song ‘No More Darkness’. “There are real things that we can do to lift each other out of suffering—sometimes it is tangible charity, like this compilation to raise funds and awareness for the plight of immigrants and those who have been displaced. Sometimes it is words of encouragement. It can also just be time spent with someone who needs help getting through the moment. Let’s do our best to turn up the light.”

Fittingly for the compilation’s themes, Booker’s track ‘A Place for Us’ is warm, welcoming and nakedly emotive. Lucid whispered truths over gentle but stark guitar. “The human struggle is a family struggle,” he explains of its ethos. “We rise together and we suffer together. There are so many things out of our control, but we can always open our hearts to love and understanding. May you find light in the darkness.”

Passages: Artists in Solidarity with Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers will be released on the 5th December via Western Vinyl and you can pre-order it now.

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The Estok’Gna have survived hundreds of years of genocide and oppression since the arrival of Europeans, and continue to face severe threats to their culture, history and way of life. Now, three natural gas pipelines are planned on traditional Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe territory, which would destroy scared sites and make it a felony for the Estok’Gna to occupy them. Not to mention the project’s lack of consideration to it’s non-human impacts—current plans will see it destroy over 300 acres of important habitat that is home to 21 endangered species.

As you would expect from Keeled Scales, the album contains recordings from a whole host of great artists. From indie rock heavyweights like Big Thief and Sharon Van Etten, to the countless whose releases we have written about and loved over the last few years, including (takes breath) Black Belt Eagle Scout, Erin Durant, Jess Williamson, Jo Schornikow, Karima Walker, Sun June, Will Johnson, and Tenci.

There is considerable diversity across the 31 tracks, but all are united by a common spirit. Renée Reed brings her distinctive and dreamlike Cajun folk with ‘J’ai Trouve’, while Christelle Bofale shows off her wonderful soulful vocals with a stripped-back demo titled ‘And I’ll Go’ and Aisha Burns sets the tone with the collection’s first track, the beautiful and immersive ‘Chinati’. A personal favourite is Little Mazarn’s take on the classic cowboy folk song ‘Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie,’ which sounds at once bright and mournful.

100% of donations from the album will go directly to the Estok’Gna to support their fight for their land, culture and very existence. As Keeled Scales put it: “As indigenous people continue to lead the fight against the reckless fossil fuel industry, we are honored to offer this compilation and its earnings in solidarity with everyone in the fight for racial justice and a livable future for all beings on planet earth.”

To the People of the Land is out now and available via the Keeled Scales Bandcamp page.

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Aisha Burns

Violinist, singer-songwriter and member of instrumental outfit Balmorhea, Aisha Burns is multi-talented. She has recently released her debut full length album, Life In The Midwater, on Western Vinyl. It is a dark and brooding album, capped off with Burns’s superb vocals. Listen to my current favourite track, ‘Requiem’, burn with restrained intensity in the player below.

Dave Van Ronk

Dave Van Ronk was a folk artist who died back in 2002. A leading figure in the Greenich Village music scene, he gave help and advice to many upcoming folk acts, including a young Bob Dylan. Van Ronk is about to re-enter the limelight as the Coen brothers have made a film (the upcoming, Inside Llewyn Davis) based on his autobiography. To coincide with this, the ever brilliant Smithsonian Folkways are releasing Down In Washington Square: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection, a 3CD collection of recordings, from early live performances in 1958, to his final studio sessions in 2001, shortly before his death. The film contains Van Ronk’s version of the track ‘Fare Thee Well (Dink’s Song)’, which is included on the set and available now as a digital download from the Smithsonian Folkways website.

Inlet Sound

Canadian band Inlet Sound recently performed a lovely rendition of ‘Fake Empire’ for Southern Souls. The band have also graced the site before, with this session last year. If you like what you hear the band’s debut album, The Romantics, was released last year.

If you don’t regularly check up on what the good folks at Southern Souls are doing you really are missing out.

The River Has Many Voices

The River Has Many Voices (aka Matthew Payne) released his latest album, Division, back in June. It is an introspective album, six romantic country songs full of sorrow and yearning. It’s really pretty and really, really good and amazingly, available as a free download over at the band’s Bandcamp page. I highly recommend you give it a try.

Sam Moss

Sam Moss is back with a new single ahead of the release of his new record, No Kingdom, later in October.  ‘Hammer’ is a taste of what the Vermont based songwriter has to offer, and you can also get ‘Ocean’ from October’s edition of Textura. The album is shaping up to be a special one and we will write a full review in the next few weeks.

Nathaniel Rateliff

Nathaniel Rateliff is back with a new album, Falling Faster Than You Can Run, which is available to buy now. Those familiar with Rateliff’s previous album will be delighted to hear this follows the same recipe, stirring folk songs that seem to grant the same importance to the silence between words and notes as they do to the words and notes themselves. We aren’t quite there yet but this is sounding like the perfect winter album, contemplative with moments of fury, elemental outpourings of emotion.

Noah Gundersen

We’ll leave you with a promo for a new Noah Gundersen album that is due out early next year.

See you next month!

P.S. As ever, a stellar collection of Soundcloud picks were posted last week. Check out Head In The Clouds here.

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