Now it starts to get crazy. This is the quarterfinals, or as my prog rock contest friend Friday likes to call it, the Elimination Round. This week, the eight winners from Round 1 are paired up and matched against each other.
This week, all four matches will be held at once, with the four winners going on to the semi-finals. Our remaining entries are:
1. Amigo the Devil - Everything Is Fine vs. Ksiezyc - Ksiezyc
Amigo the Devil
Everything Is Fine
Really fun and dark "Murderfolk" with a bluegrass twinge
https://open.spotify.com/album/59vkWqeq9otcDeUaLGKqfO
Ksiezyc
Ksiezyc
do you like your folk medieval, polish and like you're in some kind of apocalyptic luddite church? jam hard or die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUEuajM4Geg
2. Augie March - Sunset Studies vs. Clem Snide - Forever Just Beyond
Augie March
Sunset Studies
It's Chamber Folk/ Indie Folk. An Australian band, this was their debut, and had some cracking tracks.
https://open.spotify.com/album/7tEwWmdqrQk7LcOeWKzvt7?si=WSkEmwMOQxWVjVerv1jsBQ
Clem Snide
Forever Just Beyond
As I'm obsessed with it right now, a new release:
https://clemsnideband.bandcamp.com/releases
Also available on YouTube
3. Matt Elliott - Farewell to All We Know vs. Gordon Bok - A Song for November
Matt Elliott
Farewell to All We Know
Northern Skylark
Do you believe in resurrection? You don't? Well, I did when I first heard this. This is the second coming of Leonard Cohen, I mused. He breathes throughout this album somehow. How very odd, how wonderful! It is probably not true, but damn it, he used to play a mean guitar, too. Enjoy!
https://mattelliott.bandcamp.com/album/farewell-to-all-we-know
or spotify
Gordon Bok
A Tune for November
My pick is on YouTube, I saw it there. He is old school sea shanty New England type stuff pretty cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n6v45J3vGk
4. The Trees Community - Christ Tree vs. Fire on Fire - The Orchard
The Trees Community
Christ Tree
An early "freak folk" album mixing Christian liturgical music, psychedelia, and world music. This is probably the only album I could describe as simultaneously experimental harmonically (microtones in the Asian influences) and instrumentally (sitars, harps, weird percussion), yet quaintly old-fashion and homey (mainly their singing tone). The group's website states their influences "ranged from the Incredible String Band and Moody Blues to Indian Raga and Balinese Monkey Chant, from traditional American sacred folk music to Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Charles Ives, Bela Bartak and Claude Debussy."
https://youtu.be/kdeYjCq1poY
Fire On Fire
The Orchard
Very accessible spin on this sort of apocalyptic folk subgenre. Think a less evil sounding Comus.
On Spotify and Google Play.
