Folk
Taylor Swift Announces New Album Folklore, Featuring The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver
Surprise, surprise: Taylor Swift has announced the release of her eighth studio album. It’s called folklore, spans 16 tracks, and arrives TONIGHT at midnight ET. Co-produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, who co-wrote/produced 11 tracks, the album also features collaborations with Bon Iver, Jack Antonoff, and William Bower. “Most of the things I had planned this summer didn’t end up happening, but there is something I hadn’t planned on that DID happen,” Swift announced on socials. “Tonight at midnight I’ll be releasing my entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into. I wrote and recorded this music in isolation but got to collaborate with some musical heroes of mine; Aaron Dessner (who has co-written or produced 11 of the 16 songs), Bon Ive...
Dawes Announce New Album, Share “Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?”: Stream
Dawes have today announced the October 2nd release of a new album called Good Luck with Whatever. In anticipation, they’ve shared the lead single, “Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?”. Marking the band’s seventh full-length overall, Good Luck with Whatever is the band’s first with new label Rounder Records. It follows a series of self-released records including 2018’s Passwords, 2016’s We’re All Gonna Die, and 2015’s All Your Favorite Bands. For Good Luck with Whatever, Dawes teamed with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) at Nashville’s landmark RCA Studio A. According to a press statement from frontman Taylor Goldsmith, the recording process saw him opening up more to his bandmates’ input: “In the past, I’ve definitely been mo...
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James on The Waterfall II, Another New Album, and Justice for Breonna Taylor
Kyle Meredith With… My Morning Jacket Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public After a brief hiatus, My Morning Jacket have returned with their first record in five years, The Waterfall II. Frontman Jim James calls up Kyle Meredith to discuss why they sat on this other half of songs for so long and how the world has changed in the interim. One of the songs, “Magic Bullet”, was originally released in response to a 2016 gun-related killing, and James discusses what the song means today with his hometown of Louisville at the center of a similar story involving the murder of Breonna Taylor. James also talks about the water concept that flows throughout the set, producing S.G. Goodman’s record, and — get ...
Willie Nelson Releases New Album First Rose of Spring: Stream
Willie Nelson has officially released his new album, First Rose of Spring. After a slight delay due to the ongoing pandemic, the album is available to stream below via Apple Music and Spotify. First Rose of Spring is Nelson’s 70th album to date (!) and follows his Grammy-winning record Ride Me Back Home from 2019. Out of the 11 songs on his new album, three are reinterpretations of tracks originally written by Chris Stapleton (“Our Song”), Toby Keith (“Don’t Let the Old Man In”), and Billy Joe Shaver (“We Are The Cowboys”). Since pushing back the release of his new record, Nelson has been busying performing at livestream benefit concerts, penning a collaborative memoir with his sibling Bobbie Nelson, blazing it on 4/20 with “Come and Toke It”, and celebrating his 87th birthday safely at ho...
Father John Misty Releasing Anthem +3 Covers EP for Bandcamp Day
In the early days of the pandemic, Father John Misty released his live album Off-Key in Hamburg to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. As the country continues to face unprecedented health and social challenges, the indie folk artist is back with another charity release, this time aligned with Bandcamp’s final scheduled fee-free event. On Friday, July 3rd, FJM unveils a new covers EP called Anthem +3. The EP’s title is pretty autological: It features a new rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” plus three other previously released covers. Father John Misty recorded his take on “Anthem” just a few weeks back, according to a press release, alongside producer Jonathan Wilson at his Fivestar Studios in Topanga, California. Also on the EP are Wilson-produced versions of Cohen’s “One of U...
Neil Young Steps Out Onto the Porch, Covers Bob Dylan for Latest Fireside Session: Watch
A few weeks after releasing his long “lost” album Homegrown, Neil Young is back with the latest edition of his Fireside Sessions. After playing at every fire pit and fireplace in his Colorado home over the first four episodes, the folk icon took to the barn for the most recent entry. Now, Young steps out onto his front porch — and into his personal teepee — for Fireside Session No. 6. With his wife Daryl Hannah behind the camera, Young delivered a set of politically pertinent songs from throughout his storied catalog. He opened with “Alabama” from Harvest before going into the Decade rarity “Campaigner”, his first time playing the song since 2008. He also dusted off the enduring Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young protest song “Ohio”, as well as the terribly...
John Prine Named Illinois’ First Honorary Poet Laureat
John Prine has long been heralded as a man of wise words and even sweeter songs. Now, he will be forever remembered for such. Earlier today, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that the Maywood-born singer-songwriter will be named an Honorary Poet Laureate, making him the first in Illinois’ history. “It’s my honor to name our state’s first honorary poet laureate,” tweeted Governor Pritzker. “John Prine leaves behind an unparalleled musical legacy and was beloved by family and millions of fans who hope that in Heaven he finds Paradise waitin’ just as he longed for.” Prine learned how to play guitar at the Old Town School of Music in Chicago, and following a brief stint in the military, he worked in the city as a mailman. While on his routes, he wrote songs in his head. Eventually, Prine...
Phoebe Bridgers Releases Proper Studio Recording of John Prine’s “Summer’s End”: Stream
Back in April, legendary songwriter John Prine passed away after a battle with COVID-19. Dozens of artists covered his songs to pay tribute to his life and long-lasting influence. One of those musicians was Phoebe Bridgers, who performed his late single “Summer’s End” on Instagram earlier this spring. Now, months later, she’s unveiled a more polished up version for SiriusXM. Listen below (via Stereogum). In her original cover of “Summer’s End”, Bridgers could be seen in her house playing the song live to a computer camera while dressed in pajamas. The setting may have been extremely casual, but her vocals — however poorly mic’d they were, if at all — sounded gorgeous and empathetic. It seems like she was quite moved by Prine’s track, because this new touched-up take sounds much fuller and ...
Marcus King on El Dorado, Dan Auerbach, and Why He’ll Never Sing About White Claws
Kyle Meredith With… Marcus King Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Marcus King calls into Kyle Meredith to speak about his new album, El Dorado. The South Carolina-born singer-songwriter discusses the album’s production by The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, leaving home for a life on the road, the loss of style and character, and finding a strong metaphor in old Cadillacs. He also talks about taking inspiration from Willie Nelson, his Grand Ole Opry debut, what Beatles song he listened to every morning before school, and singing about whiskey. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Fri...
Marcus King on El Dorado, Dan Auerbach, and Why He’ll Never Sing About White Claws
Kyle Meredith With… Marcus King Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Marcus King calls into Kyle Meredith to speak about his new album, El Dorado. The South Carolina-born singer-songwriter discusses the album’s production by The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach, leaving home for a life on the road, the loss of style and character, and finding a strong metaphor in old Cadillacs. He also talks about taking inspiration from Willie Nelson, his Grand Ole Opry debut, what Beatles song he listened to every morning before school, and singing about whiskey. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Fri...
Paris Jackson’s The Soundflowers Release Debut EP: Stream
The Soundflowers, the new musical project of Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson and her partner Gabriel Glenn, have today released their self-titled debut EP. Stream the five-track effort below via Apple Music and Spotify. Jackson and Glenn first connected on the Sunset Strip after the former caught a performance of the latter’s band, TrashDögs. The pair began sharing music and writing together, finding themselves a natural artistic fit. With Jackson encouraged to share her own music for the first time, they entered the studio with producer Mike Malchicoff (King Princess) and GRAMMY-winning mixer Rob Kinelski (Billie Eilish). The results are something far away from Jackson’s pop lineage, with The Soundflowers focusing instead on acoustic and indie folk sounds with hints of “bluegrass...
Bob Dylan Releases New Album Rough and Rowdy Ways: Stream
Bob Dylan returns today with Rough and Rowdy Ways, the legendary bard’s first collection of new music in eight years. Stream the record in full below via Apple Music and Spotify. The 10-track effort is Dylan’s first album of original material since 2012’s Tempest. In the interim, he’s released three collections of classic Americana songs: the Frank Sinatra covers albums Shadows in the Night (2015) and Fallen Angels (2016), along with the triple-album Triplicate (2017). The new effort was previewed with a handful of singles: “False Prophet”, “I Contain Multitudes”, and “Murder Most Foul”. Clocking in at 17 minutes, the latter song has the distinction of being Dylan’s first-ever No. 1 single on the Billboard charts. In addition to his frequent members of his backing band, Dyla...
