new music

Songs for the Long Road Home: Ashley Davis Revisits the Golden Age of Folk

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Folk music is alive and well…

The first time I heard Ashley Davis was through the release of Night Travels. She emerged from the same rich folk tradition that gave us June Tabor and Sandy Denny: dusky contraltos, weathered storytelling, and voices that shimmer like “golden silver,” to borrow a phrase from Judy Collins. Listening to her for the first time felt less like discovering a new artist and more like opening a forgotten cedar chest filled with old letters, faded photographs, and songs that still breathe.

Art created using AI

This year, Davis returns with Songs I Was Raised On: Songs of Love, Peace, & Hope (Side B), the companion piece to last year’s Side A. To fully appreciate this new release, I found myself revisiting the earlier volume, and together they form a deeply personal and lovingly curated musical memoir. The project itself is ambitious: two albums devoted entirely to the songs that shaped her upbringing and musical identity. Yet what could have been a simple nostalgia exercise instead becomes something intimate and quietly moving.

If you have not yet heard Side A, seek it out immediately, especially for Davis’ rendition of Someday Soon by Ian Tyson, famously interpreted by Judy Collins. That track alone carries enough warmth to put a smile on your face before the first chorus fully lands. The album as a whole serves as a love letter to the folk revival era of the 1960s and 1970s, a period many still consider the golden age of modern folk music.

Side B continues that thread with grace and sincerity, drawing from the songbooks of artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, and Peter, Paul and Mary. One of the highlights is her interpretation of Fire and Rain by James Taylor, where she is joined by Shane Hennessy. Their duet feels wonderfully unforced, like two old friends trading stories by lamplight while the rest of the world sleeps.

Musically, the album favors subtlety over spectacle. Percussion is used sparingly, allowing the arrangements to breathe naturally through acoustic textures, gentle folk instrumentation, and the warm embrace of string arrangements. Davis wisely avoids overproduction; these songs are allowed to stand on the strength of melody, memory, and emotional honesty. Her voice remains the guiding lantern throughout, smoky yet comforting, equally capable of tenderness and quiet ache.

What makes Songs I Was Raised On: Songs of Love, Peace, & Hope (Side B) resonate is not merely its nostalgia, but its sincerity. These are songs many listeners grew up with, now filtered through the perspective of an artist who clearly loves and understands them. Ashley Davis does not attempt to reinvent these classics beyond recognition. Instead, she polishes them gently, giving them fresh light while preserving the soul that made them endure in the first place.

If the modern world has left you weary, restless, or heartsore, this album offers a kind of refuge. Sit beside Ashley Davis for a while, and let these songs remind you that folk music was never merely entertainment. At its best, it is companionship for the journey.

You can get the new album via her website: https://www.ashleydavisband.com/

You can also listen here: https://music.apple.com/ph/album/songs-i-was-raised-on-songs-of-love-peace-hope-side-b/1896182645

(Time Machine 2019) The Old Speakeasy by Barleyjuice

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If you are like me, then you might consider music as an integral part of our lives. Music not only helps us sort things out when we are trying to solve a problem, but it is also our time machine to a time when things were happier and gentler. I admit I do that when I feel terrible. I listen to songs from my childhood, and things start to feel better. If I want to feel energetic, then a rocking album is a perfect fit. One example is The Old Speakeasy by Barleyjuice. As I mentioned, I have not been keeping track of my email updates and subscriptions, so I lost track of the artists in my list and their releases. But I will try harder in 2024 as I am sure it will be an exciting year for music. Now, going back to The Old Speakeasy by Barleyjuice, it is the kind of album you can listen to when looking for rock music with Irish and Scottish flavor. You must admire this band for sticking around since the late 90s and continue to have that pop-rock attitude. The history of Barleyjuice began as an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They formed in 1998 as a side project for musicians Keith Swanson and Kyf Brewer. The two met as bagpipers in the Loch Rannoch Pipes & Drums of Pineville, Pennsylvania. The rest is history. The album reminds me of listening to the late Shane MacGowan, who passed away this year. The Old Speakeasy is a Celtic alternative rock album that is a fine companion for your day, and I look forward to their future releases. Note: A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro-style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies.- Wikipedia article

You can listen to the album here: https://youtu.be/CQwFTXstiww?si=XAoXExZSD6k_TUKc

Introducing Harpist Ellen Gibling

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It is a great honor to listen to a new album by Harpist Ellen GibIing. I am listening to this at 5:00 a.m., which is a perfect time to meditate over coffee and the intricacies of life. This album is a work of art where the harp shines as a solo instrument, and I think it’s a fantastic decision on her part to create an album without other instruments. Her playing is superb, precise, and at times fast. While The Bend in the Light is a relaxing listening experience, it is far from being sterile as her mastery of the instrument proves that she can jam with other artists and has proper command of her musical skills. Her jigs, reels, polkas, and airs are refreshing because although they sound traditional, they reflect her modern embellishments. It is a pleasure to hear her fantastic artistry, and I think this is the start of a remarkable career. If you want a new harpist to listen to, I recommend Ellen Gibling. I do have a lot of collections when it comes to this type of instrument. Yet, I feel that her music is an excellent introduction to the harp instrument itself, so whether you are a person who likes to study harp or a listener who happens to love the sound of the instrument, then The Bend in the Light is a good introduction. You can find her music through Spotify and some streaming services, or you can visit her website, and please download her album to listen to it offline. It would be better if you also buy her physical albums. That way, you can support the artist, and don’t forget to go to her live performances because I’m pretty sure it will be a wonderful experience!

Special thanks to Nick Storring for introducing her music to me.

Thirsty for Irish traditional music? Listen to Music In The Glen!

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Take a fish out of the water and it will struggle to find its way back. This is what Traditional Irish music is like to true lovers of the genre-we thirst when we have been deprived for so long!

Music in the Glen is a new album by the trio of Brendan Mulholland (flute) and founding Réalta members Conor Lamb (uilleann pipes, whistles) and Deirdre Galway (guitar). Check out the album liner notes for more info about the background of each track and also the contributing artists.

I admire the clarity of each instrument and the passion that all contributing artists have put forth in this project. You have fast and slow tracks creating a balance of mood all throughout this recording. I’ve already featured these musicians previously, Brendan Mulholland (with Jen’s Hill and Tuned Up), Conor Lamb  and Deirdre Galway (for Réalta). So you see, I expect nothing less and my excitement has been rewarded with a grand listening experience which makes me smile track by track.

Music in the Glen has eleven tracks.  Reels, waltzes, jigs and airs all featured with creative twists and turns that make traditional music such an exciting experience to listen to. My personal faves are The Sweetheart (because I am writing this on a Valentine’s day), Lament for Limerick (because it is not often to hear a piano in a trad recording), My Sister’s Cat(listen to the instrumental duel between Mulholland and Lamb starting at 2:13, and how I held my breath until Deirdre Galway resolved in with her guitar, I think I died there!) and many more.

If you are a purist or just new to Traditional Irish music- or just trying to learn how to play the instruments; then get this album! I assure you that you will enjoy it.

 

Watch this stunning video and check out that fantastic duel I was talking about.

 

Post St Patrick’s Day Hangover

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I mean tunes not drink haha!

St Patrick’s has taught us that music is alive and well!

I admit it’s the first time I came across this YouTube vlogger by the name of Jack. Now I have to warn you. There are lots of expletives here. If you are like me who don’t care jumping from childlike innocence to morbidity in a split second then this is for you! Why? Because St. Paddy’s day covers everything under the sun!

Irish Time With Jack ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyZw-…

►Twitter : https://twitter.com/Jack_Septic_Eye
►Instagram: http://instagram.com/jacksepticeye
►Facebook : https://facebook.com/officialjacksept…
►Merchandise: http://jacksepticeye.fanfiber.com/

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Celtic Thunder Billboard St Patrick’s Day

I love these guys. They continue to make good music in the midst these dark times. Wonderful performance of Galway Girl and many more!

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So fitting for the times: And the Wasters are making music for the millennials!

This post originally appeared in http://www.spheremusic.me. I thought of sharing in here because I want more people to take notice.

Music is a substitute for caffeine. If you wake up in the morning and the music is right then the day is auspicious! I am always looking forward to releases from this group (Now called And the Wasters) as their subsequent albums have proven to be really good! Notice the change in the line-up(and name). Here’s a blurb from their site:Screen Shot 2017-03-21 at 1.27.06 PM

2016 saw the band change name and take on a new lineup to play main stages at UK festivals such as Bearded Theory and Boomtown Fair, complete an extensive tour of Europe and bring global influences into their sound with their instrumental diversity of accordion, trumpet and violin.

They are the most hard-working group I’ve known and they get better every year in both their studio and live recordings. It is no brainer that everyone in the group has his or her own musical influence and the diversity makes And the Wasters appealing to all music lovers. There is also nuance and complexity I’ve noticed in their music as they strive for artistic growth:

Lyrically, the EP reflects on a sense of sadness, anxiety and uncertainty faced in the modern world, while also promoting an empowering message of solidarity, DIY culture and collective action in their rowdy Punk sound and spirit.

I think this is shown in their song Small Victories. I get that mournful tune on top of the ska-powered rhythm. It is fitting for the times. This contradicting forces are present in all songs. Notably in Reduce, Reuse, Rebel. The Wasters are showing us that the punk spirit is still alive. Despite the excesses and the entitlement that litter this generation, there are still those going against the flow. The production quality is noted here:

Recorded in 2016 across at Music Ape studios & Worse than Bad studio. Mixed and mastered by Matt Martin at Made of Ale (Pumpkin Records). Overdubs on ‘Intro Dub’ by Ian Upsettah.

So the album just dropped. Check out their awesome video below:

Give this band your two thumbs up and buy their albums! It’s a pay-as-you-fee download. Free if ya like 😉 Show your support by giving the world conscience through music!