The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site

Label: Epitaph
Genre: Folk Rock
Year: 2003
Recommended by: Abe Martinez

The first time I listened to The Weakerthans was because of their curling themed song "Tournament of Hearts". They are a Canadian Folk-Punk_Rock band. They are pretty great and I enjoy it every single time I hear a song of theirs. However, there is something that doesn't hook me in the way other bands do.

It's because they are Canadian I think.

The album is full of great songs. "One Great City!" is a pretty fantastic song, that is full of digs at the city of Winnipeg. It's great.

Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales

Label: Everloving
Genre: Folk Rock
Year: 2001
Recommended by: Sarah Sherry

I know this entire album by heart. It was released right before I went to high school. I remember listening to "Mud Football" on repeat one morning on vacation in the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. 

I had a pair of crappy headphones, a portable disc player, and Brushfire Fairytales. I walked around for about an hour from about 6 AM to 7 AM listening to one song on this album. One that I don't entirely love, but I think i was just sick of my family at the time and it was a song that illustrated the difference of moving from Middle School to a high school knowing many fewer people. I've still never really had a game of improptu football, but I still like the visualization.

I also enjoy "Inaudible Melodies" because a weird reference to Bruce Lee moving too quickly for the 30 FPS cameras to catch everything he was doing. The album itself is only good. It's not transcendent and many people can be annoyed by the Johnson's voice. It will always be important to me. No matter what I say about any album in any review, it always means more to the person who recommended it.

Dan Wilson - Love Without Fear

Label: +180 Records
Year: 2014
Genre: Folk Rock
Recommended by: Melissa Jarotkiewicz

Dan Wilson was the front man for Semi-Sonic. Dan Wilson wrote Adele's "Someone Like You". Dan Wilson is an acclaimed songwriter. I like Dan Wilson. I like his song writing. I just like it.

It isn't going to change my life, but it would be a lot better than the mall rock that currently plays in stores across America. If you are interested in great song writing and listening to great female vocalists Love Without Fear is a perfect album for you.

George Ezra - Wanted on Voyage

Label: Columbia
Genre: Folk, Blues
Year: 2014
Recommended by: Todd Tompkins

The bluesy folk rock singer who is inspired by his childhood hero Paddington Bear has a very good debut album. "Wanted on Voyage" is a sticker on the suitcase that Paddington Bear was always lugging around. I'm unfamiliar with Paddington Bear, but I feel as a teddy bear he didn't need a lot of extra items. Maybe he sweats a lot and needs several identical outfits to change over the course of a day. Still it's just an overcoat and a hat. I guess it's more exercise.

The record is good. It should be a bit more popular here in the States, but it'll just continue the tradition of a British band getting a cult following in America.

Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman

Label: A&M
Genre: Folk Rock
Year: 1970
Recommended by: Rose Sherry
 

This is one album my mom would play growing up quite often. It's a fantastic work that wasn't really critically acclaimed at the time of it's release. "Father and Son" is one of my favorite songs of all-time and there are still five other great songs on the record. 

I think the strongest thing about the record is that ten different people could listen to it and strongly disagree on which song is the best on the album. It's a great feat.

Houndmouth - From the Hills Below the City

Label: Rough Trade
Year: 2013
Genre: Alt Country, Americana, Folk Rock
Recommending Person: Todd Tompkins

I wish this was what country was all the time. It's a bit of southern rock, some folk rock, some kick ass guitar licks, and a story. 

It seems more of a testament to country than any of the current pop country phenomena going on throughout the scene currently. They still sing with the familiar country affectation, but it seems more natural and reminds me of the great The Band. Mighty praise for a band I hadn't yet heard before this journey. 

I hope they get huge. Bigger than big. Because then country will lean towards this fantastic sound and I want more of it.
 

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers - Gift Horse

Label: Vanguard
Year: 2011
Genre: Americana, Folk Rock
Recommending Person: Sarah Ward

Did you need a band sounding like John Cougar Mellencamp in 2011? If you did then Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers are the band for you. While Stephen Kellogg is definitely the stronger songwriter the music sounds dated even though it was released less than 4 years ago. 

The song "1993" could have come out
on Mellencamp's American Fool or Uh Huh between "Pink Houses" and "Crumblin' Down". It may be that Heartland or Americana are genres that do not suit me, but they seem to praise the stories of the uninteresting. I'd much rather listen to anything from Billy Joel than the SK6ers, fun nickname I must admit, or John Mellencamp.
 

Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

February 14th, 2015
Label: Columbia
Year: 1970
Genre: Folk Rock
Recommending Person: Rose Sherry

This is one of the all time classic albums. It is the final album from the duo of musician Paul Simon and the artist Art Garfunkel.

Everyone loves "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Cecilia", "The Boxer", and "The Only Living Boy in New York". Besides the hits the album tracks are absolutely fabulous as well.

My question is that when an incredibly popular and successful duo each have solo albums and only one of them remains successful does that lessen the importance of the 'lesser' artist?

I think no, as Art Garfunkel may be one of the most interesting artist in the last 50 years. I think he is infinitely more interesting than Andy Warhol. He was a Mathematics professor, a painter, an Oscar nominated actor, and you know that whole half of one of the best American Acts ever.

Fun Fact: ArtGarfunkel.com leads you to Ugg boots. I think this may detract from my previous statement.

David Byrne - Look Into the Eyeball

Label: Virgin
Year: 2001
Genre: Folk Rock, World Beat,  Alternative Rock
Recommending Person: Denise Erazmus

I was really excited when I saw this recommended because who doesn't love David Byrne? Then I heard "Like Humans Do" and immediately got sent back to high school. THIS IS THE SONG THAT IS ON EVERY COMPUTER WITH XP ON THE PLANET! 

One, a nerdy person, would re-format your computer and Like Humans Do would appear. Being dumb and 14 I didn't know David Byrne was formerly the lead singer of the Talking Heads and I figured it was just someone who was talented at Microsoft and decided he could sneak in his song onto every computer on the planet. Again, I was dumb.

The record itself is enjoyable if a bit into itself, it's become a staple of Byrne, and it drifts into a multilingual album with "Desconocido Soy". It was catchy enough on the first listen, but it really succeeds on the 3rd listen and I would only layer more the more time I give it. 

Grateful Dead - American Beauty

Label: Warner Brothers
Year: 1970
Genre: Folk Rock
Recommending Person: Tom Goszcynski

This album was much better than I was fearing. I'm used to the Grateful Dead that plays for a couple dozen minutes. The Album tracks are nice and short and sweet. The songs all have a nice hook with a fun rhythm and a enjoyable lyrics in the verses. I can see why they got so popular, especially with the way "Truckin" can get suck in your head all day.