If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Chantal Anderson Fruit Bats (aka Eric D. Johnson) continue to make some of the most captivating mainstream neo-folk out in the world today. Their latest single, "It All Comes Back," is this warm folk/rock song that stands firmly in the world of the mainstream while having just enough of an almost experimental sound to keep things interesting. As with anything Johnson is involved with, "It All Comes Back" is a stunningly lovely track. It's the kind of song that could be good but middle of the road in another artist's hands, but Johnson just has this knack for being irresistible and elevating his songs to an entirely new level. You can listen to "It All Comes Back" below. A River Running to Your Heart is due out April 14 on Merge Records. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Fruit Bats, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. 3/16-17 –  Austin, TX  – SXSW 4/12 –  Indianapolis, IN  – Hi-Fi 4/13 ...

Photo by Chantal Anderson Eric D. Johnson is back with new music from Fruit Bats. The latest single, "Rushin' River Valley," is a perfect sun swept, laid back, California sounding, 70's AM radio style song. It's hardly a throwback, though, as the song sounds like a completely modern version of those sounds. Despite how laid back the song's vibes are, it's still an up tempo track. "Rushin' River Valley" is just about as mainstream as folk/rock gets, but when it's done as perfectly as Fruit Bats do it, I can't imagine even the biggest music snobs could find anything to complain about. Eric D. Johnson says of the new song: “This song is about true love, and the question of whether we are fated to be together or if it's all just universal chaos tossing us around. It's also about ghosts and bad dreams and trying to move forward and climbing over a mountain and hoping to glimpse the other side.” You can listen to "Rushin' R...

Photo by D. James Goodwin The fact that a new song from Bonny Light Horseman is great shouldn't be surprising at this point. What's surprising about "Exile" is just how great it is. In other hands the song could easily slip into the easy listening/yacht rock side of things, and that's not to say that Bonny Light Horseman aren't edging into 70's AM radio territory here. But with just the intermingling vocals of Anais Mitchell and Eric D. Johnson's vocals, along with piano, banjo, and synths, the folk rock supergroup have crafted a song that is truly special.  Eric D. Johnson says of the new song: “ The lyrics of this one, open-ended as they may be, are filled with primal and mythological fears — lion's dens, hurricanes, wild eyes and the deep dark. Fears that are conquered by, naturally, love love love. But please, feel free to take what you want from this one, story-wise. And if nothing more, throw it on and do a slow-spin groove in front of your s...

Photo by D. James Goodwin The folk supergroup of Bonny Light Horseman completely won me over when I saw them last year at the Green River Festival, and I finally have a new song to play incessantly. Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman have released "California," and it fits right in with what we love about Bonny Light Horseman. This is modern folk done at its finest. It's all gorgeous vocal harmonies with hynpotic guitar. Bonny Light Horseman are simply mesmerizing in their music, and this one of their more magnificent ones. Eric D. Johnson says of the new song: “This one started off as a little crooked minor-key old timey tune. Then the three of us took it through the ringer together and it became what you’re hearing now. We sat in a room in the woods of New York and clawed and pawed at it until it turned into a little bittersweet shuffler. Our first record was largely centered on the old world, whether it was some sort of mythical sweeping landscape on som...