Tag: Folk

LISTEN: No-No Boy, “Gimme Chills”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: No-No Boy
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Song: “Gimme Chills”
Album: 1975
Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Release Date: April 2, 2021

In Their Words: “‘Gimme Chills’ is a laundry list of proper nouns from Filipino history working backwards from Duterte, ISIS, Marcos, Admiral Dewey, the Americans, López de Legazpi, the Spanish, and all the displacement, westernization, mixing, death, love, survival, and living which surround those heavy words. If you simply Google every one of those names, you’ll get a pretty good history lesson. A while back, one of my students called ‘Gimme Chills’ a ‘fucked up love letter to the Philippines’ — well put. When I sing it, I picture myself fronting one of the early 20th century Filipino transpacific cruise ship bands who helped spread jazz, blues, country and other sonic styles of their occupiers across Asia. Closest I ever got was a beautiful, one-night-only jam session with three of Providence, Rhode Island’s finest Filipino American musicians Marlon Battad, Jeff Prystowsky (Low Anthem) and Armand Aromin (Vox Hunters). It was January. It was New England cold. We played this song. Chills twice over.” — Julian Saporiti, No-No Boy

Photo credit: Diego Luis

Harmonics with Beth Behrs: Courtney Marie Andrews

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

This week, in the final installment of our Americana April series here on Harmonics, host Beth Behrs speaks with folk singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews, who has just released Old Monarch, a beautiful collection of poetry, and her very first of its kind. Beth’s own deep love of poetry makes for a perfect pair in this episode.

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On top of her songwriting and poetry, Andrews also had a deep passion for painting, and she and Beth discuss the difference between various artistic outlets and how she moves through a creative block, as well as the joy of creating art simply for the sake of creating art, not necessarily as something to be shared with the world — or with anyone, for that matter.

Growing up in the Sonoran desert of Arizona, Andrews has been influenced by the beauty and vastness of the desert since a young age, and the desert and nature in general continue to inspire her art and spirituality to this day. And as we will never know the answers to the major questions of the universe in this realm, she finds comfort in embracing the beauty in the mysteries of life, rather than in the answers.

Andrews discusses the feeling of recently playing her first live show to an audience since the pandemic began, reads us some poetry from Old Monarch, and so much more on this episode.

Also check out our first two installments of Americana April featuring Fiona Prine and Margo Price.

Listen and subscribe to Harmonics through all podcast platforms and follow Harmonics and Beth Behrs on Instagram for series updates!

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BGS 5+5: Eli West

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Eli West
Hometown: Olympia, Washington
Latest Album: Tapered Point of Stone

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Probably Paul Brady, as a singer and guitar player. While I don’t play Irish folk music much, the tradition, while having lots of shapes and inflection, isn’t inherently showy. You don’t see an Irish folk musician put their foot up on a monitor to take a solo. I think communicating something interesting in an understated way is so satisfying…. Leaving room for the listener, not hitting you over the head with an idea. Tim O’Brien is an American version of that as well.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I’m a visual learner. Visual and spatial art, woodworking, painting, all have something to do with my musical decisions. I love understated chaos, like arranging things that seem to already be there. Goldsworthy is an obvious example of this, but there are many folks who do this in a variety of mediums. I tend to overthink, so anything that helps me escape my head to see things in a simpler way.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Running, for my mental health. Also, getting to know a new town before a show. Also, eating. Big fan of eating.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I grew up on salt water, sailing, and kayaking with my dad. Also skiing and backpacking in the mountains of the Northwest. I think the understory of a dense cedar grove is pretty inspiring, usually quiet while full of life.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Huh… I love seafood. There is a restaurant in Tel Aviv called the Old Man and the Sea. I would love to sit outside, eating fish, talking to someone like Django or Jim Hall about guitars. Since both those guys are gone, maybe drunk BBQ with Sting or Mark Knopfler would be fun (all those things borrowing from my high school self).

Photo credit: Jenny Jimenez

WATCH: Bhi Bhiman, “Magic Carpet Ride”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Bhi Bhiman
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Song: “Magic Carpet Ride”
Album: Substitute Preacher II
Release Date: April 30, 2021
Label: BooCoo Music

In Their Words: “‘Magic Carpet Ride’ is such an instantly recognizable, iconic rock song, but I never realized the lyrics were actually about Aladdin and his magic lamp. The lyrics are super playful and I began playing it for my daughter, who I’ve been homeschooling during the pandemic. Country blues artists like Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Blind Blake have played a big part in my evolution as a guitarist. And it’s still one of my favorite styles to play because it just feels so good. So I took a song basically everybody knew and made it feel like an old country blues song that Steppenwolf merely covered. And I think this version is so soothing to hear, especially as a parent in these times, when everything is uncertain, and we wish we could just float above it all.” — Bhi Bhiman

Photo credit: David Andrako

WATCH: Avi Kaplan, “Song for the Thankful”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Avi Kaplan
Hometown: Visalia, California
Single: “Song for the Thankful”
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Label: Fantasy Recordings

In Their Words: “‘Song for the Thankful’ is about finding gratitude in every aspect of life. The good and the bad, in darkness and in light. There’s beauty to be found in all of it and I hope that anyone who listens can find gratitude in their life regardless of what end of the spectrum they are currently in.” — Avi Kaplan

Photo credit: Bree Marie Fish

LISTEN: Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose, “Heart of Mine”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Song: “Heart of Mine”
Album: Spark in Your Smile
Release Date: July 5, 2021

In Their Words: “I wrote this song about how it feels to not fit in and the things we do to get a sense of belonging. I imagine we can all get to feeling like we are on the outside looking in or that we are stuck between two worlds. For me I felt like I had to hide my queerness for a long time, but once I was out I felt like an impostor in queer spaces. Luckily, I have been supported by many of the people in my life and keep meeting more folks I can relate to (in part thanks to organizations like Bluegrass Pride). This song is brought to life by Joe D’Esposito on fiddle, Jean-Luc Davis on bass (both from The Railsplitters), Colton Liberatore on drums, Maggie Liberatore on harmony vocals and Aaron Youngberg on synthesizers.” — Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose

Photo credit: Grace Clark

WATCH: Casey Noel, “Page 52”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Casey Noel
Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Song: “Page 52”
Release Date: March 26, 2021

In Their Words: “This song is my favorite I’ve written to date. It was my way of processing what I did and didn’t want out of a romantic relationship. Having experienced a relationship where I was completely blindsided at the ending of it I reflected on how often I feel people want love but yet don’t want to work at it. I think many people have very warped definitions of love. It truly is so much more than a feeling and I want to be with someone who fully understands that. Hopefully this song resonates with others and helps them to not feel alone in their own experiences.” — Casey Noel

Photo credit: Gilbert Kolosieke

WATCH: Lady Nade, “Willing”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Lady Nade
Hometown: Bristol, UK
Song: “Willing”
Album: Willing
Release Date: June 18, 2021

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Willing’ as a message of acceptance, loyalty and friendship. I’ve often tried to fit in, which has meant I lost myself for a while, I’ve been working really hard in the last couple of years to be aware of that. Realising being individual is what being human means, these feelings are particularly poignant for everyone after this prolonged period of separation we’ve all been through. The video was filmed in my hometown in Bristol along the route of the BLM protests last summer. I end the video at the base of the statue of Slave Master Edward Colston, which was dismantled during those protests. The way the video and song came together portray the message of self, as well as community.” — Lady Nade

Photo credit: Arthur René Walwin

LISTEN: John R. Miller, “Faustina”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: John R. Miller
Hometown: Hedgesville, West Virginia
Song: “Faustina”
Release Date: April 23, 2021
Label: Rounder Records

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Faustina’ a few years ago as a salve when I needed one; one part road-ode, one part a nod to long hours spent in search of mystics and saints while navigating cycles of addiction. I love John Clay and Jonathan Beam’s comfortable groove here on drums and bass respectively, Adam Meisterhans’ backdrop of electric guitar flourishes, and Russ Pahl’s effortless-sounding pedal steel ebbing throughout the song.” — John R. Miller

Photo credit: David McClister

Mandolin Orange Changes Its Name, Unveils New Video as Watchhouse

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The duo Mandolin Orange have surprised fans with a new video and a name change to Watchhouse. Band members Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz shared on social media, explaining how their former band name didn’t necessarily encapsulate their personal songs.

They wrote, in part, “This past year has been the first time we’ve stayed still since we were 21, and the pause gave us the opportunity to sit with ourselves and set intentions. We have long been burdened by the dichotomy between our band name and the music we strive to create — if you’ve heard the songs, you know they are personal. Now that we can see a future where music is a shared experience again, we’re defining the space we share with you on a stage or in your headphones, and making it one that welcomes our creativity and anyone who wants to listen.”

The band’s most recent project has been 2019’s Tides of a Teardrop, although Marlin released two instrumental albums earlier this year. To coincide with the announcement revealing Watchhouse, the band released a new video for the song, “Better Way,” produced by Josh Kaufman and released via Tiptoe Tiger Music / Thirty Tigers. Take a look:

Photo credit: Kendall Bailey