Sean Atkins

Sean Atkins is a songwriter from Pittsburgh. I was immediately taken by his sound; a heartfelt simplicity with a good dose of melancholic introspection and regret, while all the while underpinned by a faint hint of hope. This is an achingly beautiful release from someone who deserves much wider attention. Volume 2 and numerous other releases are available on Bandcamp for free.

Castanets

Castanets is the moniker Ray Raposa, a Portland resident with quite a few albums already under his belt. Unfortunately I have only recently stumbled across him but am looking forward to exploring backwards through his catalogue. Check out the Keith Whitley cover below.

Matt Olsson

Matt Olsson, from New Jersey, has that American acoustic sound that brings to mind Bob Dylan and Tallest Man On Earth. ‘Snakes’ is the first single from his new album The Sabotage and is available free on Bandcamp.

Reuben Bullock

Reuben Bullock, a songwriterfrom Calgary, has formed a band called Rueben And The Dark. They have a much fuller sound than the previous artists on the list but are no less enthralling. I’m hearing some similarities to band such as Hip Hatchet, which is no bad thing.

Jo Schornikow

I first caught Jo Schornikow on The Waiting Room radio show where she played a session (along with Scott Rudd, who we wrote about here). The Australian plays piano/keyboards for The Shivers and is now going it alone with her various bandmates in support. Here a song below.

Water Liars

Water Liars, fronted by Theodore’s Justin Kinkel-Schuster, have released their debut album Phantom Limb on Misra Records. A superb blend of loud and quiet (as opening track ’$100’ displays below), like Damien Jurado singing on Pope Killdragon. An album that is well worth your time.

While it would be better to give each of these their own post (and therefore the attention and focus they deserve), time isn’t something I have in abundance right now. You have my apologies but this will have to suffice.

The post Folk Grab-Bag appeared first on Various Small Flames.

First up is Paul Stewart from Vancouver BC, who makes “Defeatist Folk” and definitely deserves your attention. His latest EP, Permanence, was released in late 2011 (so late in fact that I didn’t find it in time to put it in my Best of 2011 Free Music posts) and has been on steady rotation in my headphones for the last few months. Check out the lead track in the player below. Stewart released another EP, called Parkade Songs, back in 2009 and that record is also well worth your time. Both are available on a name your price basis, including nothing at all, but both records are definitely worth a donation, however small.

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Second is Scott Rudd who is a “Lo-fi Indie Folk” artist from Brooklyn, NYC. Rudd’s bandcamp currently has an album, a set of very promising demos and a brand new track (released last month) for your listening pleasure. Check out the track below and then purchase these releases (very reasonably priced too). He is also starting a UK tour at the end of the month which stretches throughout July and sees him visiting an impressive variety of towns and cities (from Edinburgh to Brighton and many places in between – look at his bandcamp for the full list). Why not pop along and support him?

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Next we have Matthew DeLoach, who also has two great EPs available on his bandcamp which were also criminally left off my 2011 Free Music List. DeLoach still has that bedroom vibe but changes things up with some nice samples and beats, creating an experimental cocktail of downbeat Lo-fi vocals and swirling electronics. The closing track contains no vocals at all, instead using a recording of children yelling and playing as a background to the track.  My current favourite track, Son of God, is available in the player below. As with Paul Stewart, the EPs are available on a pay-what-you-want basis and again I’m sure it would be appreciated if you could donate what you can.

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Last but not least is the latest release by The Wandering Lake (who I featured a few weeks ago here) called Maj Deegan. Brian Kupilass (the artist that works under The Wandering Lake moniker) says the album was inspired by a trip he took on the Maj Deegan Expressway, travelling north to meet a new family member. The cool double exposure photograph on the cover was taken by Euan Baker. The album presents a departure from the ethereal nature of his previous record, sounding far more Lo-fi and grungey (and a lot louder). Listen to my favourite track, One Day, in the player below and then download the album for as much as you please on bandcamp.

The post Lo-Fi Grab-Bag appeared first on Various Small Flames.