DVA return with their crazy made up language for a freeing indie folk jam. The post DVA return with their unique brand of odd kitchen sink electro-folk with ‘Kung Fu’ appeared first on Higher Plain Music ..read more

Dreamy Aussie folk with a Nordic twist The post Introducing… Hazlett appeared first on Higher Plain Music ..read more

Experimental indie folk mixing traditional Portuguese music with alternative beats, synths and found sounds. The post Ana Lua Caiano – Vou Ficar Neste Quadrado Review appeared first on Higher Plain Music ..read more

What does Emiliana Torrini sound like? Trip-hop Icelandic quirky pop-infused seduction and melancholy. The review of ‘Miss Flower’ by Emiliana Torrini A decade since her last solo album, Emiliana Torrini and her silky dreamy voice returns with one of her more eclectic releases to date. As someone who pendulum swings around folk, trip-hop, electronica, Icelandic pop and classic rock, it’s incredibly difficult to pin Torrini down into one area. This album merges elements from all that and introduces us to the playful and sultry side. That said, this is closer to ‘Love In The Time of Science’ fro ..read more

Mike Lindsay is one of the founding members of English folk band Tunng and whilst the band is between albums, Mike Lindsay has delved into a solo career. His debut album ‘supershapes volume 1’ is due out on the 14th of June. With two singles out already, the initial impressions mark it up as a woodwind and brass twist on Tunng’s folk. Think folksy guitars, heartfelt vocals and lyrics, weird electronic fits and starts and some unusual dreamy psychedelic qualities and you are there. Mike says the album is about finding “the miraculous in the mundane and the majestic in the domestic”. It’s someth ..read more

Abbey Masonbrink uses her dusty Kansas landscape as the backdrop for a curious mesh of ideas and genres. The banjo plays a central role in Abbey’s music but she doesn’t create folk music in a traditional way. Instead, she transforms it using drums and her angular vocals into a mystical art pop. It is still grounded in its folk origins though, making it an unusual mix of ideas and sounds. To try and help anchor people – think what would Chelsea Wolfe make if she made an ethereal banjo pop album. Somewhere in that ballpark sits Abbey Masonbrink. She’s released three singles ahead of her debut al ..read more

What does Louis Jucker sound like? Early Bon Iver with a rustic homemade edge… out of suitcases. The review of Louis Jucker & le Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain – Suitcase Suite There is a lot more to indie folk gem ‘Suitcase Suite’ if you knew exactly what was going on with the instruments themselves. This collaboration between Swiss musician and instrument builder Louis Jucker and le Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (NEC) is built entirely out of second-hand suitcases. Every single instrument was constructed inside a suitcase. Sometimes that might mean placing a tiny instrument inside a suitcas ..read more

What does Bibio sound like? Guitar electronica artist embraces his full soul funk side. The review of Bibio – Sunbursting EP Following on from his Bib10 album, Bibio fully embraces the smooth and seductive blend of R&B, funk, soul and what I’d call 70s supermarket jingle music. That album explored it for the first half before Bibio spiralled off into other genres. This EP fully explores that style of music. It’s probably the only EP I own that could score a ’70s TV show, an ’80s grocery shop and a ’90s sex scene. Bibio Part of what makes this album shine is just how effortlessly seductive ..read more

What does Ásgeir sound like? Smooth Icelandic folk-pop with sizzling electronica – this time given an acoustic lo-fi treatment, The review of Ásgeir – Time On My Hands (Lo-Fi Version) I didn’t get the chance to review Ásgeir’s 2022 album ‘Time On My Hands’ as it was released slap bang in the middle of my father’s cancer treatment, but the album was one of my favourite releases of the year. It’s smooth electric pianos, mellow but complex synth work and acoustic roots allowed Ásgeir’s evocative voice to soothe you to sleep. The album felt like a love letter to giving yourself space to breathe an ..read more

What does Stereossauro sound like? Fado folk music draped in experimental electronica. The review of Stereossauro – Tristana Fado is a Portuguese folk variant that often pulls from Blues. It is a purge of strong emotions and so often will be overwhelming sad and perhaps melodramatic to some. Outside of Eurovision avant-garde artist Conan Osiris, my experience with it has been almost zero, but I’ve now discovered Stereossauro. Experimental electronica, Fado vocals from guest vocalist Ana Magalhães and an unusual mix of sounds conspire to make his latest release a fascinating one. Stereossauro ..read more