Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

I am so excited to head up to San Francisco this weekend to attend the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. It's going to be a great reunion of friends and a chance for me to bask in all things bluegrass. Sure there are some non-grass bands there, Broken Social Scene will make one of their last appearances as well as Bright Eyes doing an extra long set due to The Civil Wars having to back out. However, what I am excited for more than anything is the chance to finally see the love of my life Gillian Welch, who in my opinion is one of the best folk songwriters of this generation or any. I also plan on catching Punch Brothers, Dr. John, Ralph Stanley, Elbow, The Devil Makes Three and so many more amazing bluegrass and roots music. I can't believe this whole shindig is free! Get on this Los Angeles, subsidized concert events.

Download via Mediafire:
Gillian Welch - One Morning

The Band - Rock of Ages

Driving back to Las Vegas I decided to turn my attention to The Band's 1971 live album Rock of Ages an amazing compolation of music that features 28 tracks of The Band's best stuff recorded during a stint in New York. What is incredible about this live album is that not only is The Band one of Canada (or anywhere)'s most unique live acts at the time but it also features a tremendous five-piece New Orleans horn section composed by jazz legend Allen Toussaint. So what we have here is a unique mix of musical culture. The Band's woodsy songs about farm life and The Civil War meld together with the brass blasts of The Big Easy and create something completely original and exciting. Towards the end of the show Bob Dylan comes on and closes the show with his former band. I could go on about The Band forever and talk about how they are one of the most underated and influential artists of all time, but I'd rather let the music do the talking. Check out their cover of Marvin Gaye's "Baby Don't You Do It" that kicks off this tremendous collection of live material.

Download via Mediafire:
Don't Do It.

A.A. Bondy

 

 A.A. Bondy has been quietly releasing solid folk albums for the past few years and it is really time this man became a marquee name. The swirling tones and ominous stomp of "The Heart is Willing" the first track off of his third release Believers is a perfect example of his unique spin on traditional folk music. This is a song that reminds us all that autumn is here. The summer has come and gone people, it's time to get dark.

Download via Mediafire:

The Heart is Willing

Cass McCombs

 

 Cass McCombs will release his second album of this year very soon. I have been meaning to get into him for quite awhile and after his teriffic FYF set, I have been listening to him more often. His newest single from the supposedly more upbeat Humor Risk is titled "The Same Thing." If this track is any sort of barometer for the rest of the record then this year we will have seen two solid albums from McCombs making him one of the most active musicians of the year. 

Download via Mediafire:

The Same Thing

St. Vincent

The queen of solidarity St. Vincent returns with another strong batch oddball kitchness with Strange Mercy. This will be on everyone's top five of the year I guarantee it. St. Vincent has proven to be an artist of considerable skill and uniqueness about her. I don't know if I like this record more than Actor yet, but I do know that St. Vincent is one of those people who is going to be relevant for a long long time.

Download via Mediafire:
Northern Lights

Richard Swift

Richard Swift has a new 12" coming out in October entitled Walt Wolfman, and has already released the first single "Whitman" of course about Walt Whitman. I love Swift's music, it's such good piano-pop music, Swift is one of those artists I can rely on to make a good mixtape into a great one.

Download via Mediafire:
Whitman

Mister Heavenly

If you're going to FYF tomorrow, which you should because for $40 it's a killer lineup make sure you check out this group Mister Heavenly, a supergroup featuring members of Man Man, Modest Mouse and Islands. Who know's maybe even their touring bassist Michael Cera (yes that one) will show up? Their debut album is a pretty solid effort and fans of Modest Mouse and Man Man will definitely relate to it.

Download via Mediafire:
I Am a Hologram