Moonshine Moods – Folk Off
For this instalment of Moonshine Moods, I curated a playlist with a more stripped-down, earthy and organic genre.
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of country and folk music, in fact, I, like many people I know, see the genre as more of a gimmick than one of serious acclaim. I mean, consider the fact how the most generic examples you’ll be familiar with is something by Dolly Parton or Lil Nas. And, even then they’re country acts – yes there’s a difference.
However, I’ve found through my research that there is a justifiable reason why country music is, by and large, one of the most popular music genres. Surely, there’s actually something to it.
A cute kick-off to the playlist with a pop-punk tenacity and lyrics, but dressed with acoustic plucks and willing strings that’s almost like a cliche ho-down. From the name alone you can probably guess what this song is about. When you remove the quirky country style jam, it’s actually a really raw cussing out of someone dear to you. – but there’s some intellect in the song, The Electric Shoes really conceptualised a meta idea here.
Tejon Street Corner Thieves – Whiskey
These guys are like a squad of bikers who hang around a sad dive-bar, with a melody and energy kind of like Mumford and Son. The melrose track about substance dependency is something really heartfelt and truly outlines some innate darkness maneuvered in an almost upbeat good-time style. So much so that I’m sure I’d be drinking and singing along with these guys given the chance!
A really beautiful string piece with no lyrics but all the energy of any warm, glowing, and homeward country/folk song, whereby each string acts as a voice chiming in seamlessly into the melody. Actually, all of White’s work has the same earnest and hearty technique and manner that I find difficult to locate in a lot of overproduced works of music today.
Songwriting nowadays lacks a certain poeticism that was really music’s driving force back in the day, but acoustic interments always force a writer to delve into that deep element of creating music. So it’s actually refreshing to find artists like Red Steppe who hold on to these traditional values of the art form. Not much is out by the band, and in a way, I’m thankful for that so that they can remain some hidden gem that I can run back to when I need something to soothe the soul. Considering that, perhaps you might need them too.
Nick Mulvey – In The Anthropocene
English songwriter Nick Mulvey has recently released a quirky track about the current way of living in the western world, using the song as a means of comparing the quality of life to what it was expected to be once in the past. With the final refrain “what does your freedom mean” crescendoing in some sonic whirlwind? Bearing that mind, it’s not as bleak as you’d expect – instead, it’s chirpy and radiates hope; it’s invigorating.
Haunted Continents – Your Server Had a Bad Day
A recent release by Haunted Continent – this is a short and sweet anthem for anyone who has had to buss tables, pour pints, or make ends meet with whatever tip money they managed to scrape up that week; a big f*** you to big shot’s with expensive wristwatches and lunch appointments at The Ivy.
Ring Around The Moon – Elephant Revival
Each instrumental component in this track adds it’s own sombre and whimsical voice like slowly dissipating fog in the dead of night, even the singer’s voice possesses the quality of the wind bellowing through hollow trees. Listening to this song makes me feel like I’m in some forest in the midlands, decorated in mushrooms, moss, and dew, dancing along to the wind in the pale moonlight like some earthly witch.
By David Lazarevic
