A pretty short one for tonight, because it’s suddenly 3am and I still haven’t done this. The music journey starts from Kansas City with the new album from songwriter Kelly Hunt. The album is called Even the Sparrow and it came out on the 17th of May on Rare Bird Records. This is the captivating album opener Across the Great Divide from this excellent album.

Kelly Hunt Website

Some of the big music news of the week in my bubble was the announcement of a new Joseph Huber album Moondog on the 12th of July. He is a tremendous songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I can’t wait to hear the album in about a month. There’s two songs available on Bandcamp page for the impatient ones. Listen to When the Waters Were One below and check out the other great new song at Bandcamp during your pre-ordering routine.

Joseph Huber Website

Next station for this train is Asheville, NC and the new album Autumn Of the World from The Resonant Rogues. The title song of the album is a heavy one that tackles demons like substance abuse and depression, but does it with love and compassion. Watch the video until the end, because there’s an important message. Be there for the ones who are struggling. Actually just be there for everyone, because you can’t always see if someone is struggling. Being kind doesn’t cost a dime, but still makes everyone’s life richer.

The Resonant Rogues Website

Last stop tonight is Boston, Massachusetts and a folk band called Lula Wiles. Their album What Will We Do came out 25th of January on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and therefore should have been featured on this little blog months ago (it was on the weekly playlists, but that’s not a whole lot). Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland and Mali Obomsawin have written a wonderful roots album and they sing it so beautifully. I could listen to them sing all day long. Here’s a couple of personal favorites. The album opener Love Gone Wrong and a live video of Nashville Man from the LR Baggs sessions.

Lula Wiles Website

Four Arms to Hold You is an ongoing feature with a weird name. It might not contain a whole lot of words, but it does contain a whole lot of love towards the featured songs. Basicly this is just four albums / songs / artists that have done their part in holding me together and therefore I want to tell the world or the seven readers of this blog how much I love them. Not entirely sure do these kind of posts serve any kind of purpose and I do hope I manage to write longer posts too. Right now it just feels like the playlists and these kind of short posts are the only way to keep this dear hobby alive. Plus it’s really the music that matters, not my random ramblings and these posts will always contain magical music.

Another short one for tonight, because the pile isn’t getting any shorter. Note to self: do these regularly. Trying to cover months of music in 1-2 weeks, doesn’t work all at well. Who would have guessed?

Tonight’s music journey begins from New Orleans with the folk/country songwriter Esther Rose. I raved about her earlier single Don’t Blame It On The Moon a few months ago and since then we’ve gotten two more singles, Handyman and Only Loving You. Not a whole lot has changed in my feelings towards her music. It’s still all love and I’m so eager to hear her new album You Made It This Far, which will be released by Father/Daughter Records on the 21st of August. The legendary GemsOnVHS made a music video for the latest single Only Loving You. Watch that below and join me in counting the days to the release. I desperately need that, because I’m horrible at math.

Esther Rose Website

Travelling north to Toronto, Canada for a get together with the new Steven Lambke album Dark Blue that came out on the 29th of March. I really suck at being a music blogger these days, because I haven’t even covered the music that matters the most to me (other than on the playlist). The hushed poetic indie rock brilliance of Dark Blue falls into that category. It’s not the most instantly catchy record you’ll hear, but given a chance, it stays with you for a long time. Here’s a couple of personal favorites from the new album. Oh and you might see a familiar looking chap playing guitar on that live video of White Horses. He also played a big role in the making of this beauty of an album. There’s also another live video + two music videos on youtube, so check them out if you like what you heard.

Steven Lambke Website

Another new one from the Keeled Scales treasure vaults. Jordan Moser is a folk-country songwriter from Austin, Texas who has been making and releasing music on his own for the past ten years. His label debut Long Night will come out on Keeled Scales on the 26th of July. GoldFlakePaint premiered the first single The Devil a couple of days ago and it sure lifts the album expectations sky high. Irresistible folk song that features Molly Burch on the beautiful harmonies.

Jordan Moser Website

Last one for tonight is a bit of a hidden gem from Los Angeles, California. Rachel Toups is a singer-songwriter and her magical, eerie and expiremental folk album Sundog came out 8th of March on Peconic. Especially these songs Foxes and There have been beautifully haunting me ever since. Not that I have any desire whatsoever to shake them out of my mind.

Rachel Toups Website

Four Arms to Hold You is an ongoing feature with a weird name. It might not contain a whole lot of words, but it does contain a whole lot of love towards the featured songs. Basicly this is just four albums / songs / artists that have done their part in holding me together and therefore I want to tell the world or the seven readers of this blog how much I love them. Not entirely sure do these kind of posts serve any kind of purpose and I do hope I manage to write longer posts too. Right now it just feels like the playlists and these kind of short posts are the only way to keep this dear hobby alive. Plus it’s really the music that matters, not my random ramblings and these posts will always contain magical music.