If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen I had assumed that I'm With Her was going to be a one-off project. The folk supergroup of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, and Sara Watkins formed in 2015, released an album ( See You Around ) in 2018, and won a Grammy for Best American Roots song in 2020 for "Call My Name"). Now it's 2025 and the group has reformed. "Ancient Light" is exactly what we want from I'm With Her. It's laid back folk pop with strong roots in traditional folk music. Jarosz, O'Donovan, and Watkins have perfectly merged their individual styles into this project, so if you're a fan of any of these artists, you're going to love "Ancient Light." The song even meanders off into unexpected directions, making this one of the most interesting folk pop compositions we've heard in a long time. We're thrilled to welcome back I'm With Her, and we know you'll be as well. I'm With Her say of their latest single: “We start...

No one is making folk music quite like Kaia Kater is. For her latest single, the artist teams up with Aoife O'Donovan for "The Witch." The song is based in traditional folk, but it stretches into folk-pop and progressive folk territories as well. Those are three subgenres that don't typically play nicely together, but under Kater and O'Donovan's direction, "The Witch" melds all three expertly. It's a gorgeous and haunting song about how men have labelled women throughout the centuries. This is also the type of song you could listen to in the background for the vibe, but you will get a lot more out of the closer you pay attention. Kaia Kater says of her latest single: "I specifically wanted to write about the way men historically have branded women as temptresses, harlots, sirens and shrews, and then sought to reflect this visually – the letter A for adulteress, the burning of flesh to symbolize evil.  The first woman labeled a witch in Salem...

Artist : Elbow Album : AUDIO VERTIGO Quick Thoughts : Elbow's been one of the stalwarts from that early 2000s British rock era. They've gotten some popular love over the years, but never quite the heights of Coldplay or Doves, which is a shame. AUDIO VERTIGO , in many ways, reflects their consistency as a band and has a strong Asleep in the Back feel in a lot of ways. As a longtime fan, I really enjoyed this listen, and if you've fallen off with the band a bit, this is a great place to jump back in. Songs of Note : "Things I've Been Telling Myself for Years," "Her to the Earth," "From the River" Artist : Rosie Tucker Album : UTOPIA NOW! Quick Thoughts : Rosie Tucker has an all-time favorite song for me in "Lauren" from their album a few years back. I've chased that high ever since, but UTOPIA NOW! hits in a similar way and works so well. Whether it's the biting nature of "All My Exes" or the straigh...

Artist : Logan Lynn Album : New Money Quick Thoughts : This has no business being as good as it is. It's electro-pop with a sort of anti-folk bent, but I loved it over and over and then got to the Liz Phair cover, which is perfect . Logan Lynn won't be for everybody, but if you're looking for a Marc Rebillet-ish danceable record this week, check this out. Songs of Note : "It's Been Forever," "Fuck and Run" Artist : Che Noir Album : Food For Thought Quick Thoughts : This is a really great rap album this week. Che Noir offers up a record with some excellent low-key backing beats and one great song after another. She's more Sa-Roc than Nicki, and that's to her benefit as well. The whole thing is great, and is definitely my favorite rap album this week. Songs of Note : Artist : Artsick Album : Fingers Crossed Quick Thoughts : Sometimes Ken sends me things I've never heard of, and they're so good that I shoot him the "hol...

Photo by Ken Sears Freshgrass definitely has changed since the last time I made it back in 2012. The courtyard where the main stage was is now the smallest stage and the main stage is now in a large field. Well, large compared to a courtyard. As far as an outdoor festival is concerned, it's still relatively small giving the entire fest an intimate feel. The food choices have definitely improved, too. In 2012 we only had the museum cafeteria which quickly ran out of a lot of choices. Now we could choose from a variety of food trucks and caterers spread through the grounds of MASS MoCA.  I was unable to attend Friday evening, so this will be a Trampled By Turtles free review. I'm going to focus on my favorite aspects of Saturday and Sunday, with plenty of pleasant surprises and new discoveries. Rhiannon Giddens Having seen Caroline Chocolate Drops a few times in the past, I fully expected Rhiannon Giddens to be good, even great. Somehow I didn't expect her performanc...

NOW we're back in the swing of things! Album of the Week : Artist : Savages Album : Adore Life Quick Description : The much anticipated sophomore album from the Mercury-nominated indie rock band. Why You Should Listen : Their first album was incredible. Overall Thoughts : While it lacks the sort of immediacy that their debut had, Adore Life is still a very strong, very loud record in many regards. While a first listen doesn't result in any standout tracks, the cohesive whole easily makes it the best thing released in this two week period, and it might have some staying power to boot. A very strong follow-up. No sophomore slump here. Recommendation : A must-listen this week. And go back and listen to their debut again, too. Artist : Eleanor Friedberger Album : New View Quick Description : Third solo album from the Fiery Furnaces co-lead. Why You Should Listen : You like the Fiery Furnaces or you don't like the Fiery Furnaces because they're too weird...

These three women are among some of my favorite singer-songwriters at present, and they've been touring together recently. They've recorded a few things, and this was a Record Store Day song that really hit me. The three of them blend so well together, it's just absolutely haunting and brilliant all at once.

As I'm prone to do four or so times a year, I like to highlight some of the best music to come out in recent months. While I was really high on the first quarter of the year , the spring season of releases honestly left quite a bit to be desired. While we got a great song out of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," I feel as if it's been slim pickings on the music front as of late. Even if the new Jay-Z and Kanye albums are interesting , that doesn't necessarily mean I rank them as great , after all. With that said, some highlights: * Allison Weiss - Making It Up : I'll usually give any female-fronted alt-rock a listen, and Allison Weiss is a total 90s power-pop throwback. She's toured with Jenny Owen Youngs, which makes sense, and she makes some of the catchiest songs I've heard in some time. If you're a fan of Fountains of Wayne, or Veruca Salt, or excellent guitar-based rock with a female singer (or heck, even a good singer), you're not go...