If It's Too Loud...

Willie Watson, Photo by Ken Sears Old Crow Medicine Show are one of the giants of modern folk music. Earlier this year, Willie Watson released an excellent solo album that sucked me straight into fandom for the modern traditionalist. When it was announced that Watson was touring behind that album, I couldn't resist checking out his show at The Sinclair. It wasn't until just before the show that I found out Viv & Riley, one of my favorite folk duos, was opening the show, which just sweetened the deal. Willie Watson, Photo by Ken Sears Playing as a trio with a standup bass player and a fiddler, Willie Watson took the stage in front of an adoring crowd. Throughout the set, Watson had to battle a loud HVAC unit (New England in the winter...), but I don't think it bothered the crowd as much as he was concerned it did. Playing in support of September's self-titled album, Watson chose to play more traditional covers instead of the usual playing the new album that most arti...

For their latest single, folk duo Viv & Riley (aka Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno) go a little lighter than their previous single about the climate apocalypse. "Imaginary People" is the kind of light and cheery traditional folk meets pop that we came to love about Viv & Riley. It's an uptempo and dreamy folk song that really gives the pair a chance to shine, both musically and lyrically. Leva's vocals instantly grab your attention, and the song is of the impossible to resist variety. It seems like we're in a resurgence of great folk duos lately, and Viv & Riley are one of the finest ones. Songwriter Vivian Leva says of the new single: "‘Imaginary People’ is about evaluating and juggling all of the different versions of myself. Was I adventurous and a little reckless? Or was I grounded and measured? Am I kind to myself or too judgemental?" You can listen to "Imaginary People" below. Imaginary People , the album, is due out September ...

Viv & Riley, the duo of Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno, make some of the prettiest and most endearing modern day traditional folk pop out there. Their latest single, "Is It All Over," gets much more serious than what we'd expect from the North Carolina group. The song is about the climate apocalypse and billionaires racing into space. The song is more restrained and dour than we're used to from from Viv & Riley. It's still beautiful, but much more serious and somber. It's also interesting that the climate crisis is more of a subject for traditional and folk artists than punk rockers. You can watch the video for "Is It All Over" below. Imaginary People is due out September 15 on Free Dirt Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Viv & Riley, check out the artist's website .

We adored Viv & Riley's (aka Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno) 2021 self-titled album. It's blend of classic folk and modern folk delivered with gorgeous harmonies hits us right in our sweet spot, so we're thrilled to bring you a new single from the duo. "Kygers Hill" doesn't reinvent their sound. This is vintage folk meets modern pop folk, but it does show off some growth in Viv & Riley. The new song has more than a little sun-drenched California AM radio vibes, which somehow make their music even more lovely than their previous album.  You can watch the video for "Kygers Hill" below. Imaginary People is due out September 15 on Free Dirt Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Viv & Riley, check out the artist's website .

I absolutely adored Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno's debut album back in 2021. It hit that perfect sweet spot for me of being a modern take on traditional folk. Since it was released in March of that year, I had been waiting for them to make it up to New England, but either they hadn't, or I completely missed it. (Could be either, it's been a weird two years.) As soon as I saw they had a few local dates, I knew I had to make it to one, and you just can't miss go wrong when it's at the legendary Club Passim. I had high expectations for the show, but once they started their set with "Will You," I knew they would be exceeded. Leva and Calcagno were at such ease playing together and are just naturally charismatic performers that it didn't quite feel like watching friends play music on a back porch... but it also didn't quite feel like a formal performance. It was somewhere in between, like we were all watching something truly special just for us. Songs...

I absolutely loved Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno's self-titled album from earlier this year. It breaks my heart that it didn't quite make my top 10, but it would be my # 11 or 12, easily. The duo have released an incredible and powerful new single. "Sanctuary Song" is about the death of  Óscar Alberto Martínez Ramirez ,  an d his daughter Valeria in the Rio Grande along the US/Mexico border. The song was written by Richard Fortmann, who invited Leva and Calgano to record their own version for the Sanctuary Song project. The song tells the tragic story of their deaths. The fact that the song is so beautiful makes the story even more haunting and heartbreaking. Riley Calcagno says of the story behind the song: “Óscar and Valeria were ultimately the tragic casualties of American interventionism that has created widespread displacement and hardship through its military and capital occupations. What Óscar and Valeria found at the end of a long journey was the other side o...

On a housekeeping note, I'm trying a different format for First Listen for the next few weeks. Smaller capsule reviews = more highlights, and I'm piloting a mix of my favorite tracks, which you can find below. Let us know what you think. Artist : Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno Album : Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno Quick Thoughts : Man, we love some well-crafted roots music here. This is some really gorgeous stuff, with the right mix of more upbeat bluegrassy tunes alongside the more midtempo fare. Plus, the musicianship here is incredible. There's not a bad moment in this record, and it's absolutely a favorite this week. Songs of Note : "Good and Gone," "My Teardrops Say" Artist : The Anchoress Album : The Art of Losing Quick Thoughts : The Anchoress gives off solid PJ Harvey vibes for me, and I basically loved every moment of this album. The sum is great, but some of these parts are just awesome. If you like your rockin' women wit...

Last month I was smitten with the latest single from Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno, and luckily they Portland, OR duo is back with another song. "Love and Chains" runs a little more to the folk pop side of things than "Will You" did, but when a song is this perfectly done, it's impossible to complain. "Love and Chains" is a gorgeous folk/pop duet between Leva and Calcagno. It's a quiet, contemplative folk song that's going to make you long for the days of summer. It personally has me fantasizing about seeing these two at some outdoor venue just as the sun starts setting, so let's all hope that can be possible this year. You can watch the video for "Love and Chains" below. The self-titled album from Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno is due out March 12 on Free Dirt Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno, check out their website .

Photo by Brendon Burton The new song from Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno isn't reinventing the folk genre. "Will You" is a straightforward, modern folk song that keeps one foot in traditional folk. You've heard songs like "Will You" before, and you will again. But you might not hear one done quite this well for a long, long time. Leva and Calcagno have put together an absolutely perfect folk song. This is a song that is going to be beloved by both folk purists and fans of pop folk. I can't really explain what works so well with this pairing of artists. Sometimes musicians just click, and the result it pure magic. That's the case with "Will You." You can watch the live performance video of "Will You" below. The self-titled album from Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno is due out on March 12 via Free Dirt Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno, check out their website .