Nathan Bowles Trio Create Cosmic Americana on ‘Are Possible’
On their first official album as a trio, the Nathan Bowles Trio forsake egotism in favor of collective world-building with warm, inviting acoustic music.
folk jazz
Joni Mitchell’s Archival ‘Volume 3’ Documents Her Most Fertile Period
Joni Mitchell’s Archives Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) is a towering achievement and the live concert performances are a special treat.
Joni Mitchell Went Back to the Land on ‘For the Roses’ 50 Years Ago
In 1972, Joni Mitchell traded the hubbub of the big city for nature’s quiet solitude. There, she wrote an album of unparalleled earthy wonder, For the Roses.
Edith Judith Perform a Beguiling Style of Indie-Folk on ‘Bones & Structure’
Chicago experimentalists Edith Judith combine unique arrangements and beautifully crafted songs on their debut album, Bones & Structure.
Beth Orton Embraces Her Past on ‘Weather Alive’ to Shape Her Future
Having only put out five albums in the past two decades, Beth Orton’s Weather Alive embraces her electro-folk past while embracing a weathered, gorgeous future.
Angel Olsen Creates Her Most Accessible Album with ‘Big Time’
With Big Time, Angel Olsen draws inspiration from some of popular music’s most perennial templates, revamping them and reinventing herself.
Joni Mitchell’s Jazzy ‘Hejira’ Captured the Pitfalls of Life Untethered 45 Years Ago
On her last truly great album Hejira, Joni Mitchell designed a travelogue, awash with lush textures, and explored the implications of her lifelong itineracy.
Upstate’s “Everything Changes” Is Unexpectedly in Tune With the Times (premiere)
You can't plan for songs to sync with world events but when they do, the results can be remarkable, as on Upstate's "Everything Changes".
Counterbalance No. 15: Van Morrison – ‘Astral Weeks’
Van Morrison ventured in the slipstream between the viaducts of your dreams with his 1968 LP Astral Weeks and made it to Number 15 on the List. Klinger and Mendelsohn recount the journey in this latest installment of Counterbalance.
On ‘Last Flight Out’ Steve Dawson and Funeral Bonsai Wedding Create Sublime, Eerie Beauty
Orchestral-indie torch-song chamber-folk? Time to break out your music genre thesaurus for this gorgeous, impeccably crafted gem from Steve Dawson & Funeral Bonsai Wedding.
Pentangle’s ‘Sweet Child’ Turns 50
Reissued on vinyl by Real Gone Music, British folk-rock band Pentangle's second album Sweet Child is as good as ever.
The Sounds of the Mississippi Delta Radiate Through Luke Winslow-King’s ‘Blue Mesa’
Luke Winslow-King's Blue Mesa features his ever smoky vocals and sharp guitar playing while both lyrics and music ruminate deeply on inner journeying.