podcast
Basic Folk 218 – Caitlin Canty
Urgency and patience are the two poles of New England songwriter Caitlin Canty’s magnetism. Her music invites you to quiet moments of reflection with unhurried confidence. When I first heard her song “Get Up” in 2015 I felt like I was receiving a very important magical message. Canty’s subsequent releases have further revealed her uncanny…
Read MoreBasic Folk 217 – Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks
Rissi Palmer and Miko Marks have been laying the foundation for country musicians and fans who are Black for almost 20 years. Back in the early 2000’s both women experienced the trials and tribulations of being Black women in country. Despite their success and large growing fanbase, both were separately discouraged by the ceilings and…
Read MoreBasic Folk: 216 – Performance vs Authenticity
Welcome to Folk Debate Club, our occasional crossover series with fellow folk-pod Why We Write! Today, to discuss Lyrics vs Melody, we welcome our panel of guests: music journalist and former singer/songwriter, Kim Ruehl, Isa Burke (Lula Wiles, Aoife O’Donovan), illustrious male folk singer Willi Carlisle, musician and Basic Folk guest host lizzie no, and yours truly, Cindy Howes, boss of Basic…
Read MoreBasic Folk 215 – Matt Sucich
Lately I have been fascinated by musicians who are creative not only in what they create, but also in terms of how they share it. This curiosity has made me a fan of Matt Sucich, an artist who has cultivated a passionate fanbase via his live performances, instagram livestreams, and thoughtful email newsletter. We are…
Read MoreBasic Folk 214 – Hanneke Cassel
Fiddler Hanneke Cassel has been a big Celtic star for decades and comes to the pod to try and teach me the difference between Irish and Scottish music. Just kidding all you Hanneke-heads! …. But seriously, she helps me keep some things straight. She’s been fusing all different styles of music for a long time…
Read MoreBasic Folk 213 – Dom Flemons
Dr. Dom Flemons comes off as older than his 40 years and I think it’s because he seems like he is of a different era. This is thanks in part to his work in teaching and interpreting such old songs, such as his work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops that he was in alongside Rhiannon…
Read MoreBasic Folk 212 – Libby Rodenbough
Libby Rodenbough’s second solo record sees the fiddler and songwriter further stretching from the bluegrass/old time style of her band Mipso. Born in Greensboro, SC, music was just another activity that Libby did along with soccer and going to girl scouts. She played violin in her school’s orchestra and thought she’d be a music major,…
Read MoreBasic Folk 211 David Wax Museum
David Wax Museum’s latest album, You Must Change Your Life, is the duo’s magnum-opus. According to Wax it’s ”THE record…. the one you dream about when you first fall in love with music.“ David also recently suffered a near-death experience that has totally rocked him and Suz Slezak, his wife and bandmate. We ask both…
Read MoreBasic Folk 210 – Alice Howe & Freebo
Tracking with her brand: “an old soul inside a 30-something millennial,” Alice Howe‘s latest was recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL. Although the legendary studio has seen massive icons like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Etta James recording their biggest hits, the building itself is quite unremarkable. Regardless, Alice was able to soak…
Read MoreBasic Folk 209 – The Tallest Man on Earth
Kristian Matson grew up in the Swedish countryside and came to be The Tallest Man on Earth in the country’s diverse and low-key music scene. He often speaks of his weird little brain and a wild imagination, which actually stems from a heap of anxiety that he lives with everyday. Growing up, he struggled to…
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