Hello dear readers, It will come as no surprise to you that I am of the opinion that birds are the finest class of creature to inhabit this planet. Our singing voices are remarkable (some better than others, though I for one can stretch from bass to contralto parts, if necessary). Our wit is...
We were very honoured to be invited to takeover part of Tom Robinson’s show on BBC 6 Music tonight. Tom and his team were celebrating Laura Marling’s forthcoming album Once I Was An Eagle with a LM-inspired playlist, and knowing just how much we love Ms Marling, they asked us to pick a few...
When sister site of the Yellow Bird Project, analog.am approached us and asked us if we’d like to pick our favourite albums for an FFS-themed vinyl shelf, it was a foregone conclusion. There is nothing Team FFS likes more than pondering our favourite records. When you’re in your front room with a glass of...
Anais Mitchell took to facebook today to announce a gig at London’s Cecil Sharp House, showcasing material from her forthcoming album of traditional folk songs. The Vermont singer told FFS in a recent interview that she would be releasing a record of English and Scottish folk ballads with songwriter Jefferson Hamer. The album, Child Ballads,...
After 2010′s triumphant folk opera Hadestown, it was hard to see where Anais Mitchell had left to go. And with Young Man In America, she’s taken it down a notch: quieter and more introspective, it’s Young Man‘s characters that make the record just as good as its predecessor. FFS met an ebullient and wriggly Anais before...
If you’re free this weekend, team FFS’s advice is to get yourself over to the Cambridge Folk Festival website and snap up their last remaining tickets for this weekend’s event. There are still places for Friday, when you can see the legendary John Prine, the excellent James Vincent McMorrow and intruguing newcomer Jake Bugg....
Anais Mitchell wrote one of my favourite albums of recent years, majestic folk opera Hadestown. When FFS spoke to her about that incredible album, she told us that her next project was to be an album of old folk songs. And in some ways that’s what Young Man in America is. Although all the songs...
In the second in our series of interviews with Schmercury award nominees we speak to Devon Sproule – a Canadian-born musician now living in Virginia, US. As well as her beautiful albums, she’s an absolute joy to watch live, with a natural musicianship and easygoing charm. FFS’s writer Chris Woolfrey called her latest album,...
Anais Mitchell leapt into our consciousness with last year’s stunning folk-opera Hadestown, a sprawling masterpiece with a lengthy cast of distinguished contributers, not least Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, the Low Anthem’s Ben Knox Miller and Ani DiFranco. Lush instrumentation and a mix of jazz, blues, ragtime and gospel helped tell the tale of the...
There’s not much lovelier than a stroll along Southbank in the Spring sunshine, so it seems the perfect place for the 4-month long Festival of Britain, starting this month at the Southbank Centre. The festival will feature music of all genres, as well as comedy and talks. Below we choose our top ten of...
#77 Dodos - Confidence May 19th, 2013
#76 The Wood Brothers - Midnight Rider May 18th, 2013
#75 Hero & Leander - Kiss Me By The Water Cooler May 17th, 2013