by David Wilikofsky
In a world of information overload, how can you reliably discover great new music? For us, the answer is record labels. Great labels act as a stamp of quality; for the best, any album they put out is well worth your time. Labels need our support now more than ever, so if you like what you hear please head over to their site and order some music!
Like cosmic Americana? Banjo breakdowns? Modern takes on British folk tradition? Paradise of Bachelors’ has all this and more. With releasing stretching back to 2010, the label has amassed an incredibly strong and rich back catalog. Dedicated to “documenting, curating, and releasing under-recognized vernacular music and art, historical and contemporary alike, with an emphasis on the American South—very broadly defined—and its global sound diaspora”, the label has brought some of the finest, most adventurous country and folk adjacent music of the past decade into the world. Take some time to get lost in it on their Bandcamp or site, and check out some of our favorites releases below (although, as always with these features, picking only five records is the most challenging part of writing the article).
DOLPHINE | MEGA BOG Erin Birgy’s mutant pop project been a longtime favorite in these parts (their live show is not to be missed). Dolphine perfectly captures the beauty and offbeat energy of the best Mega Bog performances. Despite tinges of recognizable genres such as smooth jazz and Laurel Canyon folk, the album creates its own singular sonic language. This is the most fully formed statement from Mega Bog to date, and we can’t wait to hear more.
OPEN TO CHANCE | ITASCA “Buddy” alone is worth the price of admission for Open to Chance. It’s an almost impossibly beautiful and delicate country-tinged folk song with Kayla Cohen’s angelic voice floating above it. The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint, with ten more nearly perfect sunsoaked tracks. Other Itasca albums are well worth seeking out, but this is the one I turn to for warmth on cold winter nights.
SNAPSHOT OF A BEGINNER | NAP EYES You could pick pretty much any Nap Eyes record for this list; they are one of the most consistent bands operating today. Snapshot of a Beginner ends up here only because of recently bias. Released at the end of March, it’s the fullest sounding album from the band to date. The songwriting is the true star here. Nigel Chapman’s writing brims with empathy and a deep understanding of the human condition. Highly recommended.
LUBBOCK (ON EVERYTHING) | TERRY ALLEN Paradise of Bachelors, as curators, are concerned with the past as much as the present. Unsurprisingly, their reissue game is strong. There’s a lot of gems (Mike Cooper and Lavender Country get shoutouts) but we’re partial to this Terry Allen cult classic. Chock full of vignettes and character studies, it’s a fascinating relic of the outlaw country scene that manages to sound timeless.
LOYALTY | THE WEATHER STATION Tamara Lindeman started out her artistic career as an actor, appearing in HBO and CTV productions. As The Weather Station, she makes hushed, offbeat folk music that sounds like little else out there. Stars like Joni Mitchell and freak folk auteurs like Vashti Bunyan or Linda Perhacs come to mind as forebearers, but Lindeman carves out a sound all her own on Loyalty. The album is an exercise in restrained beauty that’s not to be missed.