I’ve never had the chance to meet Otis Gibbs, but I’m loving him anyhow. Both his records and his podcasts have meant a great deal to me and have kept me company for hours and hours.

Otis Gibbs recorded a new album on his 50th birthday in his living room. The album is called Mount Renraw and it came out on the 13th of January. It’s obviously rather stripped-down and bare, but this is actually a perfect fit to these songs. Otis Gibbs is a folksinger and a teller of real American stories. Mount Renraw is an excellent album and might even turn out to be my favourite Otis Gibbs release. You can a grap copy from his website or bandcamp.

There’s a lot of great songs and stories to choose from, but I think my early favourite is this one below. This is a story about Sputnik Monroe. A professional wrestler from the fifties who refused to wrestle unless his black friends were allowed to sit anywhere they wanted. This eventually led to first desegregated sporting events in the southern states. Thanks for the great song and history lesson Otis and thanks Sputnik for standing up for what is right.

And here’s also an official video for the song.

Otis Gibbs Website

Hip Hatchet put out a wonderful new EP Hellhound in the House on 20th of January. These are all protest songs and we would all be better off, if the world was in a state where there wasn’t a need for these songs to be born. Unfortunately that’s not the case and therefore we must live, love and resist. The poems, songs and arts in general are an important part of this and Hip Hatchet is fighting the good fight by presenting a really powerful EP Hellhound in the House. My biggest favourite is Burden of an Empath that leaves me teary-eyed each and every time. Despite all the overwhelming sadness, I still feel like the beauty, warmness and love is able to overshadow the darkness in that song. That is where the hope lies and that is what we are also seeing taking place. People coming together and standing up against the lack of compassion and empathy. To love is not a weakness. Love is the way.

Hip Hatchet Website

Ags Connolly is a country singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire, England and his new album Nothin’ Unexpected came out on the always great UK-label At The Helm Records on 3rd of February. If you are into traditional country music, you’ll need to hear this one. Ags is sort of beating most American country troubadours in their own game. Honky tonk and old-school country balladry delivered into your heart with an extremely convincing singing voice. He sure has both the songs and the voice and Nothin’ Unexpected is a country gem.

After falling for this second album, I’ve red a lot of good things about his debut album How About Now. I need to check out that one as well, because I’m often a slow learner and had not heard anything about Ags Connolly before late last year. This however is I Hope You’re Unhappy from the new album.

Ags Connolly Website

MAITA is a chamber-folk songwriter from Portland, Oregon and her debut EP Waterbearer came out on the 27th of January. I didn’t know anything about her a week ago, but this EP easily won my heart over. There’s a large amount of songwriters writing beautiful indie folk these days, but this one has the quality to stand up from the crowd. Well-crafted folk songs with beautiful melodies and intriquing structures. Another Portland-based songwriter Laura Veirs might be a good comparison. Maybe not all the time, but especially the fantastic title track reminds me a bit of Laura Veirs. Waterbearer is my biggest personal favourite, but all five songs are winners.

As a fellow shy and anti-social wallflower, I’m also very intriqued to hear MAITA singing her heart out and sharing her views of life through these songs. She has found the confidence with these songs that I’m still searching with my silly blog ramblings, but in some very small way I do feel like I’m doing something similar as she is with her songs. Expressing my thoughts and emotions in a social situation often gets too overwhelming and downwright impossible, but by doing this blog I’ve found a way to divide my extreme shyness into something manageable and share my love for the world, you and MAITA. This is the amazing title track Waterbearer that is a perfect ending to this marvellous release.

And here’s the video for the excellent opening song Kinder Than Most.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c51DnoXuvOM

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