Belle and Sebastian, The Decemberists, Kathleen Edwards, Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

Sorry for the absence the last few days.

Belle and Sebastian-I believe these lads/lasses are from Scotland, but I'm not exactly sure. There from somewhere "across the pond". Anyway they make brilliant folk/pop music. They remind me of Nick Drake at times, who I don't know much about other than that he had some great acoustic songs and died at a young age. Belle and Sebastian have a great melodic sound, and the singer's accent comes through at times, which I enjoy on occasion. Their songs can make you feel very calm, or make you want to get up and shake your money maker. Good stuff. Their new record, "The Life Pursuit" is fantastic!

The Decemberists-I vaugely heard of these guys a few years back, but never really got into them. I finally bought their latest release "The Crane Wife", and was blown away. It's really good stuff. Like Belle and Sebastian, it's folk/pop style with some great acoustic guitar and piano. I also like the fact that there's a mariner/oceanic them to the entire album. Maybe I'm just out in left field, but it seems to me that every song has some sort of allusion to boats, water, fishermen, etc. Anyway, I recently purchased one of their other albums, "Picaresce" but haven't listened to it fully yet. The few songs I have heard though have been really good.

Kathleen Edwards-Switching gears from folk/pop to folk/country we go to Kathleen. I honestly don't know/haven't heard a ton from her, but what I've heard is really great. She's the folkin' country style I like. She doesn't have a thick accent, and uses just the right amount of twang in her music. I look forward to hearing more from her.

Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband-When I listen to a Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband album for the first time I'm blown away. I can listen repeatedly to their albums without getting tired of them. They're a local Utah band I guess you'd say, but they're getting fairly popular across the country. Their style of music crosses genres. Hopping from rollickin' country/bluegrass to rockin, to folky ballads. They use mandolins, fiddles, and banjos which make their music labeled country most of the time, but to do that doesn't give these boys justice. Having met them on multiple occasions, I know they're all very down to earth musicians, and their live show is amazing! They obviously love what they do and it shows on stage.