I thought I’ll do a few really quick video/song posts of the stuff that I’ve loved during the recent months. So mostly just music, not a whole lot of words. A bit of a catch up before the year-end lists. First up are the brilliant new singles from the forthcoming Andy Shauf album The Neon Skyline that is due out on the 24th of January on Anti / Arts & Crafts. The previous album The Party was an album of the year a couple years back and I can’t wait to hear the new record. Both are great, but my favorite is Try Again that came out with a marvellous animated music video.

Andy Shauf at Facebook
Andy Shauf Website

I’m not so far behind with this one, because Gabriel Birnbaum’s new and excellent solo album Not Alone came out last Friday on the 22nd of November on Arrowhawk Records. Chris Weiss directed a lovely music video for the final single Blue Kentucky Mile. Check it out below along with another favorite from Bandcamp and then follow the links on the Bandcamp player to hear/buy whole great record.

Gabriel Birnbaum at Facebook
Gabriel Birnbaum Website

Ryan H. Walsh released a highly acclaimed debut book Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968 in early 2018, but it’s great to see that his band Hallelujah the Hills is also still going strong. The Boston-based rock band released their new album I’m You on the 15th of November and it might well be the best one as a whole. Here’s a couple of the lead singles Folk Music is Insane and Running Hot with Fate. Follow the links to hear/buy the whole gorgeous record.

Hallelujah the Hills at Facebook
Hallelujah the Hills Website

Let’s wrap this little blog entry in Montreal, Canada with some powerful words from Laurel Sprengelmeyer aka Little Scream. The album Speed Queen came out on Merge Records on the 25th of October. Here’s the moving and important advance music video Dear Leader and another choice cut from the awesome record.

Little Scream Website
Little Scream at Facebook

Another quick video post for tonight. Starting from New York City with Laetitia Tamko aka Vagabon. Her new self-titled album came out on the 18th of October on Nonesuch Records and it’s rather spectacular. I’m borderline obsessed with this single Every Woman and can easily listen to it on repeat for an hour. Lino Asana made a gorgeous music video and it’s a perfect fit for this song.

Vagabon at Facebook
Vagabon Website

Moving on to Los Angeles, California. Lately another big favourite of mine has been the latest single Flowers on the Highway by Dolly Valentine. I’ve followed their singles throughout the year on the playlist, but Dolly Valentine deserves far more love, because all singles have been wonderful. Maybe it’s partly because the song has the words Rhode Island on it, but this somehow reminds me of The Softies. Anyway, it’s really beautiful and I can’t wait to hear more of her songs.

Dolly Valentine at Facebook

Let’s stay in LA to wrap this quick video post with one of the advance singles of the new Wished Bone album Sap Season that is due out this Friday 1st of November. All singles have been winners, so I have high expectations for this one. This beauty is called Trees We Couldn’t Tell The Size Of.

Wished Bone at Facebook

I need to make some kind of final spurt during this next month or so, if I’m going to feature everything that I loved during the year. Let’s begin with another short double feature. We shall begin from Albuquerque, New Mexico with one of my new favorites D.H.Scott. Kind of accidentally stumbled upon his 2019 album My Body Longed For the Summer a while ago and instantly loved it. It reminds me a bit of that Wesley Randolph Eader album from a few years ago. Or well maybe they both just have a bit of Townes Van Zandt in them. Anyway, it’s a wonderful album full of great folk songwriting. A bit of hidden gem at least in my corner of the world, but hopefully not for too long.

D.H. Scott at Facebook

Traveling on to Canada to meet up with one of my long time favourites Zachary Lucky. His new album Midwestern was recorded live off the floor in Hamilton, Ontario and came out on the 18th of October on Wroxton Recordings. It sounds warm, beautiful and true and the songwriting is strong throughout the record. It’s early days, but definitely feels like its his finest record to date. Here’s a couple of awesome examples. A live video of Sometimes I Wonder (How I Got This Far) and the album opener There Was A Time When I Used To Run.

Zachary Lucky at Facebook
Zachary Lucky Website