Category Archives: folk

folk, Free Music, Indie

Free Christmas music 4: Indie Folker – Monster in the Christmas album

In spirit of the Holidays and in support of the re-release of “Monsters In The Christmas Album”, here’s a music video starring a puppet for the original Christmas song “The Eyes, The Beard, The Nose, The Stomach, The Lungs” by unsigned Transylvanian singer-songwriter, Indie Folker.

“The Eyes, The Beard, The Nose, The Stomach, The Lungs” is part of the “Monsters In The Christmas Album” by Indie Folker. A collection of original, genuine indie Christmas songs for the fans of alt-folk and indie!

From their bandcamp web page:
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Country, folk, Free Music, Indie, Video

Free Christmas music 3: Over The Rhine – Snow Angels

Today we’ve found a real treat for you! One of my favourite Christmas albums , now completely free via Noisetrade. The southern Ohio-based husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Linford Detweiler and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Karin Bergquist, otherwise known as Over the Rhine, released this collection of wistful holiday music back in 2006.

Some info from Wikipedia:

Snow Angels is the ninth studio album, and second Christmas album, by Over the Rhine, released independently in 2006. The album was released by Great Speckled Dog on October 2, 2007.

Snow Angels was released ten years after the group’s first Christmas disc, 1996’s The Darkest Night of the Year. While Darkest Night was largely composed of interpretations of traditional Christmas songs, Snow Angels was almost entirely original material. The only non-original track in the album is a lounge-inspired take on “Jingle Bells” that debuted during the 2004 Christmas tour.

Over The Rhine – Snow Angels:

Here’s a nice  jazzy live version of North Pole Man:

Or you can stream it on Spotify:

– Hallgeir

Country, folk, pop, Video

Look out for: Lily and Madeleine

Lily and Madeleine are two songwriting sisters  from Indianapolis. Lily is 15 and Madeleine is 18. I’ve only heard one song, the beautiful “In The Middle”, but it is enough to get us exited about their new EP “The Weight of the globe”. It will be released early next year.

The Web site “My Old Kentucky Blog”(MOKB ) compares them to First Aid Kit, and it’s an understandeable comparison. Young sisters singing wonderful harmony infused americana. So thanks to MOKB for this find, check out the site, it’s one of the best.

We are really looking forward to hear their new EP and following them in the future.

Lily & Madeleine – In The Middle:

Written by Lily & Madeleine with Kenny Childers
The Weight of the Globe EP coming in January
Recorded at White Arc Studio with Paul Mahern
Video by Stuart Hotwagner and Nicole Lehrman

(the pictures are from their Facebook page)

– Hallgeir

Country, folk, Free Music

Free Christmas music 2: Andrew Ripp – Light of mine

Andrew Ripp is a singer-songwriter from Palatine, Illinois.

Ripp released his debut album, Fifty Miles to Chicago, in January 2008. Musicians Pete Maloney (Dishwalla, Tonic), keyboard player Will Hollis (Eagles), and steel guitar player Eric Heywood (Ray LaMontagne) were brought in to accompany Ripp’s vocals and guitar.

Ripp co-wrote and co-produced Fifty Miles to Chicago with songwriter, Randy Coleman and brought on Dan Lavery, former bass player of the rock band Tonic, as producer. Funded by Andrew himself, the majority of the album was recorded in Lavery’s back-house studio in Los Angeles

Here’s a cute photo from his official website:

In early 2008, Andrew was invited to attend the annual “Fool’s Banquet” songwriters gathering in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This event was hosted by the Hanson brothers. Also in attendance that year were Pat McGee, Keaton Simons, Jesse Laz-Hirsch, Kai Kennedy, Stephen Kellogg, Chris Sligh, and Jason Mraz.

Operating independently of a label, Ripp tours regularly and has shared the stage with Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Fiction Family (Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek) and Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, among others. In the spring of 2009, Ripp and his band toured Europe and the Middle East to play for the U.S. troops stationed abroad in a tour sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment.

Andrew’s highly acclaimed second album, She Remains the Same was released in September 2010. The album was produced by Dave Barnes, with whom Andrew toured in the fall of 2010.

On November 22, 2011, Ripp released the Christmas EP Light of Mine.

Andrew Ripp – Light of Mine (EP)

Great voice!

– Hallgeir

(source: Wikipedia and Andrew Ripp’s official web site)

Country, folk, Music Calendar

Today: Gene Clark was born 17 November in 1944

Harold Eugene “Gene” Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds. He did write some of The Byrds’ best songs, among them: “Feel A Whole Lot Better”, “Here Without You” and “Set You Free This Time”.

Backstage Pass  1979 with Chris Hillmann and Roger McGuinn, taken from the album, McGuinn, Clark & Hillman:

Gene Clark will always be remembered for his two years as a vocalist with the Byrds between 1964 and 1966 (+ a brief period in 1967 and one in 1973). A fine legacy to be sure, but he did so much more and it’s a shame  that Clark’s work outside The Byrds is not more known ; he was a superb songwriter, one of the founding fathers of country-rock, and recorded a number of fine albums (with an impressive array of collaborators) whose quality far outstripped their modest sales figures. So enough about the Byrds, that’s another story.

Here’s the song Gypsy Rider from the album, So Rebellious a Lover (1986) with Carla Olson:

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