Ian Parker, Albums Editor extraordinaire, is uncontested for the title of For Folk’s Sake’s resident physicals enthusiast. While some of us were busy watching Johnny Flynn’s baby singing his dad’s songs or pretending to be this guy, Ian was freezing in the line outside Piccadilly Records to try to pick up the WHOLE of the...
If you’ve got any budget left from reading parts one and two of the shopping guide, we can help you find a few more ways to spend it in part three. Tift Merritt – Markings | Merritt revisits the title track of her 2012 album Travelling Alone, offering up an acoustic version along with...
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...
There are end-of-year lists aplenty around, but few from so musical an ear as our guest playlist-maker Nick Hemming of the Leisure Society. The band have spent 2012 holed up writing, rehearsing and recording album number three (due out early next year – we are excite) but Nick’s had a chance to listen to...
Tom Robinson and his team kindly invited us to pick some tracks for his Now Playing show tonight. It’s always so exciting to get to work with 6 Music. The station does such a wonderful service for new music, and the DJs and producers are all so knowledgeable and passionate. Anyway, enough gushing… here’s...
Tom Williams’ dial is clearly set to ‘overachieve’ at the moment. He and The Boat are currently on the promo trail for their second album, Teenage Blood, and getting revved up for their pledge-funded national tour. Supposedly they’re not gunning for any city in particular to be among the five that top the pledge...
We were very pleased to discover Anja McCloskey, the girl with the big voice and even bigger accordion. Combining a traditional aesthetic with a quirky, alt sound, McCloskey brings an old-world gypsy romanticism to the 21st century. Last year’s EP, Turn Turn Turn is a surreal, narcotic journey that makes you want to...
Much like St. Vincent prior to the release of her 2011 album Strange Mercy, Sharon Van Etten’s music has seemed to linger on the periphery of reaching a deservedly larger audience. This is despite her two previous albums, 2009’s Because I Was In Love and 2010’s Epic, receiving much critical acclaim and displaying moments...
It’s radio a go-go round these parts. On Sunday I did my third set of recommendations for the marvellous Poison Oak show on Spark fm. Here’s what I suggested the good folk of Sunderland might like to take a listen to… The Holy Modal Rounders, who were a folk/punk duo from New York who...
1. My friend Anika reminded me of the fascinating story of Sibylle Baier recently. Sibylle lived in Germany in the 1970s and wrote and recorded simple, beautifully melodic songs tinged with darkness. But she didn’t release anything – deciding not to pursue a singing career. It wasn’t until her son Robby compiled an album from...
#78 Natalie Evans - Library Days May 20th, 2013
#77 Dodos - Confidence May 19th, 2013
#76 The Wood Brothers - Midnight Rider May 18th, 2013