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Enjoying established acts | Championing new and independent artists | Event promotions | Press kits, demos, EPKs, press passes, tickets etc. welcome: therealmusicobserver (at) gmail (dot) com

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Showing posts with the label alt-folk

Posts

Carla Aakre: Through

on December 05, 2024

alt-folk Carla Aakre Finland singer-songwriter

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Blue Violet: Out of the rabbit hole [Interview]

on November 20, 2024

alt-folk alt-rock Blue Violet indie interview

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Bottlemoth: Even Us Ghosts [Album]

on October 28, 2024

Album alt-country alt-folk alt-rock alternative Americana Bottlemoth

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The Howl & The Hum: Same Mistake Twice [Album]

on September 19, 2024

Album alt-folk alt-rock indie The Howl and the Hum

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Beau: Talk To Me

on August 27, 2024

alt-folk alt-pop alt-rock alternative Beau dreampop New York

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Casii Stephan: Without A Box

on August 22, 2024

alt-folk alternative American Casii Stephan Minnesota singer-songwriter

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Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department: the Anthology [Album]

on April 24, 2024

Album alt-country alt-folk American pop Taylor Swift

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Francis of Delirium: Lighthouse [Album]

on April 16, 2024

Album alt-folk alt-rock alternative Canada Francis of Delirium Luxembourg

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Mae Krell: Discovery [Interview]

on April 09, 2024

alt-folk alternative American indie interview Mae Krell singer-songwriter

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Katherine Priddy: In tune with the pendulum [Interview] [Album]

on February 15, 2024

Album alt-folk folk interview Katherine Priddy

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Charlotte Carpenter: Awakenings [Interview]

on December 07, 2023

alt-folk alternative Charlotte Carpenter indie interview Leicester singer-songwriter

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New release horizon scanner:

11/1/25 - Rosie Gault: Dim lights
29/1/25 - Dictator: Middle of the road (EP)
7/2/25 - Arliston: Disappointment machine (Album)
28/2/25 - Hachiku: The joys of being pure at heart (Album(

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Popular Posts

All I want for Christmas ...

No, not a review of the Mariah Carey classic (love it or hate it, you can't escape it...) Instead, I put some Christmas-tinted questions to a big group of my favourite musical artists: the answers are in and they're bangers. There's a taster below, and you can read the full post on my new Substack site: musicobserved.substack.com Please consider subscribing - it's free, don't worry! - so you don't miss any posts in future :-) What do you most hope for this Christmas? Alexandra Leaving: "You could get deep with this one. 2024 has been a defining year. Whilst so much is uncertain, I hope we all find ways, big or small, to channel our energy into kindness - for each other and toward the planet." Amy Papiransky : "I live hours away from where I was brought up and don’t get to go home as much as I would like. I am REALLY looking forward to quality time with my close family and friends – it’s what Christmas is all about. We are staying with my uncle ...

Jodie Nicholson: Safe Hands [Album]

I first saw Jodie Nicholson perform at Twisterella Festival '21. It was one of those unforgettable live music moments - an extended time of pin-drop hush and electric tension. A great memory. But it was a short festival set, and I've been wanting to hear more from her ever since. More on the live experience soon … for now, there's a beautiful new album to talk about. 'Safe Hands' is such an appropriate name for a record with this level of intimacy and close warmth. It's an embrace, and an expression of Jodie's pure self. There are 12 tracks, and each one is carefully and tenderly built. The whole record is considered and thoughtful, and all of it feels important. Jodie is never one to waste any time in her music, and she's extended that attitude across the whole 49 minutes of the album. It's also somewhat of a progressive record, showing a new side to Jodie while remaining steadfastly true to her innate style, and her constant commitment to quality...

Norah Jones: Jesus, etc.

I'm writing about this song for a simple reason: I just really love it. It was written by Wilco, a band from Chicago, and originally released in 2002. The version I've been listening too (linked below) was recorded live by Norah Jones in 2009, at that year's Bridge School Benefit Concert. You can find it on the 25th Anniversary album - there are some other amazing performances on there too - I highly recommend Thom Yorke's cover of After the Gold Rush. As you'd expect, Norah Jones covers this song beautifully, and simply. In fact this is a lesson in simplicity done right. It's basically just Norah and a guitar, plus a little bit of backing harmony in the chorus section - and that's enough when a song is sung thoughtfully and carefully. I think the 'X factor here' - that almost undefinable ingredient which turns this from a nice cover to something memorable (and worth writing about) - is that Norah Jones really makes this her own. She, reportedly, p...

Dictator: Moonlight

A short post to highlight a beautiful song by yet another band I have recently discovered thanks to the fabulous indie music Twitter community.* 'Moonlight' has only been out for about a week at the time of writing, but is getting a great reception. I'm not quite sure how, but Dictator's track has succeeded in capturing moonlight in musical form. It's hard to describe adequately in words, but 'dreamlike soundscape' is probably a good place to start. The pining, haunting vocals paint some serious atmosphere, swimming on a bed of reverbed instrumentation. There are some nicely minimal electronic drums in there too, keeping things ticking along as we float through space. Towards the end the vocals are subjected to some subtle effects, leaving them smudged and slightly dissolved then all is resolved and the voice sings us out alone. My only complaint is that this all ends in under 3 minutes - but being left wanting more is not necessarily a bad thing I'm su...

The Howl & The Hum: Thumbs up? [Interview]

The Howl & The Hum are a band apart - charting their own course, writing and singing about the things they want to, staying honest, and connecting with fans in a truly unique way. I had the pleasure of speaking to front man Sam Griffiths and bassist Brad Blackwell ahead of their Revive Live / Music Venue Trust gig at The Soundhouse (a fantastic 200-cap pub style venue) in Leicester on 21st January. Fuelled by a local curry and sitting in a nondescript back room shortly before taking to the stage, the pair seemed relaxed and happy - glad to be on the road again and having the chance to share their music with everyone who came out to hear it. You're here in Leicester as part of a Revive Live tour - these shows have been great for venues like this, for fans, and for the local support acts who get to play to a guaranteed crowd. What do you get out of it? Sam : It's bonkers for us because it means we can continue doing the band and go out and sell merch, and that then turns in...

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