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» Folk

December 25, 2009

Alternative/Rock - Folk

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

[Folk/Pop][Video] Benno Herz – The Sound

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I got to come clean and say I have a little bit too much alcohol in my body thanks to all the delicious wine in the house but I could not help but to sneaky one post before the day is over. I guess ill fix any errors the spell checker does not catch in the morning lol .. I’ve kind of become a professional at drunk typing!

A delightful piece from German singer/songwriter Benno Herz and his band. Although for such a cheerful song the video comes off a bit creepy, still this acoustically driven song makes up for it with its charm and energy. After being in a couple unsuccessful bands, Bruno Herz decided to take matters into his own hands and record his debut album “The Right To Be Weak” ENTIRELY from home! It is incredible, really, the amazing sound/production of the album as all notes and vocals are crisp, clear and completely soothing. Not to mention, calm yet powerful vocals that paired with the guitar’s soft melodies creates a steady harmonic road that takes you back to a warmer place. Not sure if it is because of Christmas but they are giving away this track for free on his website

Benno Herz – The Sound

the_sound.mp3

icon download [Folk/Pop][Video] Benno Herz The Sound

December 21, 2009

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

[Folk] A sad but strangely compelling tune

Six Feet Under by Folk Singer Louis Aguilar

LouisAguilar SixFeetUnder2 [Folk] A sad but strangely compelling tune

I apologize. It is uncalled for putting up a sad folky mellow tune on a Monday. You might be already depressed for knowing that the weekend is over and this tune might not help you feel any better. But in the interest for GREAT music, I must continue. Six Feet Under is a bitter sweet song from French born folk singer Louis Aguilar, who know resides in Marshall, Missouri.

With a calm rusty voice, Louis shares a tale about a man who is going through an important change in his life. Whether it is a metaphorical change about life, or simply a much literal reference to death itself, Louis reminds us to enjoy life and all its glory. No matter what we are or believe in, the truth of it all is that life is short for a reason, so we can treasure every minute of it… and ill stop there before I sound too corny! Such a powerful tune can be found on his album Old Man Poems and much more on his myspace.

Louis Aguilar – Six Feet Under

LouisAguilar-SixFeetUnder.mp3

icon download [Folk] A sad but strangely compelling tune

LouisAguilar-SixFeetUnder.mp3
[This Song was released under a CC license by Bad Panda Records.]

December 9, 2009

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

[Folk] Fleet Foxes' (somewhat) New Direction

fleet foxes small2 [Folk] Fleet Foxes' (somewhat) New Direction

Fork Knife Music proclaims that 2009 was the year of forgetting the wonderful five-piece Seattle-based band Fleet Foxes saying, “They were the darlings of ’08, and that summer was filled with complete, non-stop Fleet Foxes, listening to album so much that every musical nook and cranny became memorized and cherished.” With over a quarter of plays on their myspaces just on the two months after they went online, they had established themselves as THE indie folk band to talk about.

At the end of 2008, their first album Fleet Foxes was rated album of the year by Billboard’s Critic’s Choice and in Metacritic’s end of year best album round-up it appeared in 17 lists, topping six of them.

They toured for most of 2009 and yet without releasing new content it almost seemed that they had been forgotten this year.

Will 2010 be the same? I doubt it! Even though there is not clear date for the release of the next album, they have guaranteed a release in mid 2010. This time Fleet Foxes will be heading into a much softer direction. Lead vocalist Robin Pecknold told Pitchfork that while it is not going to be a darker album, they will definitely tone down the tempo a notch to to provide a much softer mellow sound.

I found it interesting that Hot Cakes decided to quote this specific part from the Pitchfork interview.

“I want the recording to be really fast. I want to do all the vocal takes in one go, so even if there are fuck-ups, I want them to be on there. I want there to be guitar mistakes. I want there to be not totally flawless vocals. I want to record it and have that kind of cohesive sound.”

With a lot of artists spending too much time inside the studio, the genuine guys of Fleet Foxes understand that music is a form of expression and they dont want anything to stand in the way between their music and their listeners.

Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal

Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal.mp3

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Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains

10-fleet_foxes-blue_ridge_mountains.mp3

icon download [Folk] Fleet Foxes' (somewhat) New Direction

December 7, 2009

Alternative/Rock - Experimental - Folk

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

The Perfect Album for a Mellow Christmas in 2009! + FREE Giveaway for 3 Music Ninja Readers

happy christmas from the music ninja2 The Perfect Album for a Mellow Christmas in 2009! + FREE Giveaway for 3 Music Ninja Readers

Its here! The 2009 Music Playlist for Christmas! Now I wish I could take credit for this awesome compilation of chill songs but it was really the guys from Indiecater Records that made this possible!

After their success with their first Christmas album last year, they decided to step it up a notch and improve their selection for 2009. Most of the songs on this collection were written especially for the occasion and even includes bands we had previously covered like Adam and Darcie

You can stream the songs or buy it off their website.

And what is Christmas without giving presents!? We Love each an every one of our readers! and to show how much we care we will be having a lot of contests & giveaways throughout December. If you like these songs and would like to recieve a FREE copy heres what you have to do!

FREE CONTEST DETAILS!
Very Simple.
1) Comment below with your real name and email address (just so we can contact you!)
2) Join our Facebook page and wish us a Happy Christmas! on our Wall
AND (optional if you want to be counted twice, increasing your winning chances)
3) Follow us on Twitter and tweet “Hook me up with The Perfect Album for a Mellow Christmas in 2009 @themusicninja http://bit.ly/7Ep7LB”

And thats it! We will select 3 people at RANDOM this Friday 11th and you will recieve your free digital copy by email!

Tracklist
1) The Garlands – Christmas Song (Carving Ice Sculptures In Stockholm)
2) Candy Claws – Snowdrift Wish (Writing Gift Lists In Fort Collins)
3) Loxsly – Mrs. Kris Kringle (Overdoing The Outdoor Lights In Austin)
4) Adam and Darcie – It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Calling Round To Neighbours In Provo)
5) Allo Darlin’ – Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Buying More Stamps In London)
6) Woodpigeon – Little Nemo (Winter Lullabye) (Making Festive Mixtapes In Calgary)
7) Boca Chica – Snow Angels (Humming Stop The Cavalry In Pittsburgh)
8 ) Oldfolks Home – We Don’t Cry At Christmas (Suffering Indigestion In Winnipeg)
9) Betty & The Cavaleros – Hey! I’m Your Gift Today (Googling Eggnog In Fredrikstad)
10) Standard Fare – Tinsel Politics (Taping Good TV In Sheffield)

Standard Fare – Tinsel Politics.mp3

icon download The Perfect Album for a Mellow Christmas in 2009! + FREE Giveaway for 3 Music Ninja Readers

Standard Fare – Tinsel Politics.mp3
11) Sunset – New York Love (Making Snow Angels In Austin)
12) I Hate You Just Kidding – It’s Fun To Do Bad Things (Cleaning The Chimney In Costa Mesa)
13) Sweet Jane – Silent Night (Downing Hot Toddy’s In Dublin)

UPDATE! THE WINNERS ARE:

list2 The Perfect Album for a Mellow Christmas in 2009! + FREE Giveaway for 3 Music Ninja Readers
I made a list of all the people that participated in the contest (and added your name twice if you tweeted ) and thanks to RANDOM.ORG, it randomized the order of my original list. I simply chose the TOP 3! If you are gonna blame anyone blame the random website!! lol The winners are Michelle Dillman, Gustavo Bernal and Lydia Simmons and should be receiving their digital copies via email. Thanks to everyone that participated and be sure to check back with us soon as we have another GIVEAWAY/CONTEST planned for next week.

December 6, 2009

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

[Folk] Bobby Long's Dirty Pond Songs

November 29, 2009

Alternative/Rock - Experimental - Folk - Hip/Hop - Remixes

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

Great Songs You've Never Heard Before! [Indie/Folk/Alternative/Chillax/Mash-up]

All these songs have been brought straight from my inbox! Been posting a lot of electronic and remixes lately (not that there’s ANYTHING wrong with that) but I needed a very chill Sunday morning and decided to just skip all the electronic and remixes on my inbox and simply make a post that was more instrumental.

[Folk]

William The Contractor explains “I´m the contractor that refuses to become what the society wants me to be. I prefer to see myself as a happy man, it really doesn´t have to be more complicated than that”. And this is exactly why I like him so much. Getting back to the basics and create music that comes from the heart. Paying tribute to his late father, William The Contractor acts as a turning point to say Goodbye to death and hello to life. A mellow folk song that while at times its life-reflecting lyrics can sound depressing, the tender and hopeful vocals through the choruses transforms the song into a much charming piece.

William The Contractor -Warehouseman

warehouseman_demoversion.mp3

icon download Great Songs You've Never Heard Before! [Indie/Folk/Alternative/Chillax/Mash up]

warehouseman_demoversion.mp3

[Mash-up]

Objektiv One is a producer from Dallas, Texas that has recently released his long titled EP: Beer Pong Champion: White Boy Party Mash Ups that contain three pretty awesome mash-ups. One of which is an amazing clash of Notorious B.I.G. “Juicy” Vs. Coconut Records “West Coast”.

Objektiv One – Juicy MashUp

ObjektivOne_JuicyMashUp.mp3

icon download Great Songs You've Never Heard Before! [Indie/Folk/Alternative/Chillax/Mash up]

ObjektivOne_JuicyMashUp.mp3

[Indie/Alternative]

Releasing their third album called For New Beginnings the swedish band Friska Viljor have sent us a fantastic track titled “Wohlwill”. A marching pop beat

Friska Viljor Wohlwill

FriskaViljor_Wohlwill.mp3

icon download Great Songs You've Never Heard Before! [Indie/Folk/Alternative/Chillax/Mash up]

FriskaViljor_Wohlwill.mp3

[Chillax/Ambient]
It wasn’t until I started brining my iPod to work that I discovered Ambient music. I laughed at the very description of the genre. “Ambient” for me sounded like another way to say elevator music… which in some cases this is true. But the more I listen to this genre while I was doing something that required some type of thinking, the more I began to appreciate its effect on me. Songs like “And I Smile” by Glide & Swerve work extremely well when needing to concentrate as its slow tempo calms down the body while its easy listen does not distract you from the task at hand. In many cases, ambient music can put you in a trance of focus that many other genres are not able to.

Glide & Swerve – And I Smile

02 And I Smile.mp3

icon download Great Songs You've Never Heard Before! [Indie/Folk/Alternative/Chillax/Mash up]

02 And I Smile.mp3

November 26, 2009

Electronic - Folk

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

[Folktronica] James Yuill – This Sweet Love

being human2 [Folktronica] James Yuill This Sweet Love

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thinking about my family right now and how I, for the most part, will be spending some quality time with them today. I am not really the kind of person that associates songs for the “soundtrack” of my life but as I was listening to this warm and calm song by James Yuill (photo above), I could not help but mash the song with my imagination. If you watch movies… especially in TV shows, there is always this recurring scene as the show is about to end where a family is interacting over a dinner table as they are muted by a song playing the scene out. Everyone is happy and having a good time. I would definitely pick this song to plays us out.

Even though this post is definitely a more personal one, I think the feelings that the song “This Sweet Love” made me experience is a good enough description for it. A song which coats your heart with a warmth that combined with its positive melodies, protects you, if only for those few seconds, from the many unknowns of life.

James Yuill is an English folktronica musician from London. Just 2 days ago his song This Sweet Love was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week. His songs combine the intimate, emotional roots of folk with the cold, stark production style of modern electronica. -last.fm

James Yuill – This Sweet Love

06-This-Sweet-Love.mp3

icon download [Folktronica] James Yuill This Sweet Love

06-This-Sweet-Love.mp3

September 9, 2009

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Home on Letterman HD

About 2 months ago I wrote a post about the wonderful and energetic songs from the folk group Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. I am always mesmerized to the energy and chemistry they demonstrate when playing live shows. This is a video of their performance to the Late Night Show with David Letterman.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – Home

Home

icon download Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Home on Letterman HD

Home
Amazon - iTunes
For more information you can check my previous post and make sure you check out theirmyspace

July 28, 2009

Alternative/Rock - Folk - Interview

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

[Interview] & [Album Review]: Adam and Darcie "California Trail"

adam and darcie california trail2 [Interview] & [Album Review]: Adam and Darcie "California Trail"
Poetic Version Review:
From the first time you are able to ride the bicycle without any help, to almost falling in love with someone that you just met, sometimes in life things just click and although you may not understand the why or the how, all questions become mute as the moment takes over and puts you in a different place and time. Equally, on a musical scale, this is how I felt when I listened to Adam and Darcie’s latest album “California Trail”. As I was checking my Inbox for new music, I was provided a link to listen to their new single “Hands/Mind”. A very simple task I thought to myself, I opened the link and started playing the song. About twenty minutes in I came to the realization that I was not just listening to one song but the entire album available for streaming on their website. It was purely magical, their album and my ears had just clicked, love at first listen one can say. Before I was able to answer the how or the why, their carefully crafted melodies, delicate to the ear but strong with emotions, had taken me to another place that although unfamiliar to me, had never felt closer to home, I was walking on the California Trail.

Regular Version Review:
I am a little embarrassed to admit that the above is 100% the truth. I enjoyed their album so much; it inspired me in many ways. The best answer is always the simplest one and when you add instrumental melodies, intertwined vocals between wife and husband and the passion to create, you get Adam and Darcie definition to what music means to them. California Trail is a story telling venture about longing for a peaceful, family life and a place to call a home.

Adam And Darcie – I Need To Let Go Of What I Wont Miss

Adam And Darcie – I Need To Let Go Of What I Wont Miss.mp3

icon download [Interview] & [Album Review]: Adam and Darcie "California Trail"

Adam And Darcie – The Fox, Hare, And Doe

Adam And Darcie – The Fox Hare And Doe.mp3

icon download [Interview] & [Album Review]: Adam and Darcie "California Trail"

Free Download: Adam And Darcie – Hands-Mind

Adam And Darcie – Hands-Mind.mp3

icon download [Interview] & [Album Review]: Adam and Darcie "California Trail"

Adam And Darcie – Hands-Mind.mp3
Buy

I got a chance to bounce a couple of questions with Adam and Darcie, and here is what they had to say. Read More

July 21, 2009

Alternative/Rock - Folk

Posted by: Blas Yaselli

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros singlehandedly opened the Folk Category

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros2 Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros singlehandedly opened the Folk Category

I still consider myself relatively new to writing and having a music blog and The Music Ninja keeps evolving and changing according to the incredible people that keep emailing me with their recommendations and promotions. Unfortunately, due to the little exposure I have had in Metal music, I deleted the metal category on this website and in its place I am opening the “Folk” Category that is partly inspired by listening to the “Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros” new album.

The very first song from their album “Up From Below” titled “40 Day Dream” completely left me speechless. To describe it first you have to understand their unique style as this is a 11is-12 member band. Songs are rock influenced with distingushible folk styles and full of big open-hearted anthems and incredible back up choruses. The lead singer Alex Ebert, who apart from looking like Jesus Himself, is able to glide through each song with his warm and soothing predominantly folky voice that even reminds me of Bob Shane from the Kingston Trio. Their single “40 Day Dream” is very uplifting, just perfect for waking up every morning with its clapping and thumping crescendos, long and sustained violin notes and a playful piano that will definitely get you out of bed in a good mood.

There is definitely something magical and inspiring when listening to ES&MZ because of how cheerful the songs become when you have a relatively large number of band members singing, clapping and even whistling along. “Home” another favorite of mine, is a witty, sharp, and sweet song where Jade joins Alex in a short battle of interchangeble verses that ultimately leads them to join forces with the rest of the band as they sing away the choruses. Seeing them live must be insanely awesome!

Folk-rock is definitely a genre I have not explored too well over the years but thanks to Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros I can definitely add folk-rock to my favorite genres.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream

40 day dream

icon download Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros singlehandedly opened the Folk Category

40 day dream
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Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – Home

Home

icon download Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros singlehandedly opened the Folk Category

Home
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