#TuesdayTop10: Newport Folk Festival ’13

602233_10151450535411288_2103913407_nIt’s time once again for the best kept secrete on the summer festival docket. Newport is the Liz Lemon of festivals, industrious, organized and over-looked as an asset. With ticket prices, attendance and the hassle at most festivals skyrocketing, Newport takes a more relaxed, laid back approach. They’ve been in business since before your ma and pa were grooving on the Beatles and the Stones and will likely be kicking it to the freshest and best blues/folk/Americana long after your progeny starts wishing they’d never been born. If you couldn’t get tickets, and I’m willing to bet you couldn’t, enjoy this profile of highly anticipated acts.

10. Kinglsey Flood
Boston’s own, Kingsley Flood have seen their shoestring career blossom to new heights after the release of the critical smash Battles. But can their live performance equal or exceed their recorded material? Time will tell, but give this track a listen in the meantime.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77195756″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

And if that piques you’re interest be sure to check out our review of Battles here: https://survivingthegoldenage.com/kingsley-flood-battles/

9. Bonnie Prince Billy/ Linda McCarthy
Soft spoken, heart wrenching, level headed Bonnie Prince Billy takes his music just as seriously as you do with your WoW account, and the addition of Ms. Linda McCarthy keeps the catharsis in check as well as adding a fine feminine touch to the male dominated folk scene.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/15560480″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

See the shakedown on their latest effort What the Brother Sang here

8. Andrew Bird
Prolific whistler, instrumentalist extraordinaire, and all around good guy Andrew Bird deserves every ounce of success he’s earned over his non-traditional career. He’s been playing that fiddle since shortly after his departure from the womb, and if his melodies don’t make you just wanna weep then you my friend hate music and are probably mentally ill.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/38883558″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

To fulfill my quota of shameless self-promotion see my article on the superb EP Hands of Glory

7. Old Crow Medicine Show
StGA’s legions of ravenous fans are probably tired of hearing about OCMS by now, but we’re looking into expanding our market. For our Chinese readership OCMS is the group behind that song ‘Wagon Wheel,’ all your annoying guitar playing friends keep covering at your house parties. Trust me when I say they don’t do it justice to the real deal live performance.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/5281017″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

And to show you we are neutral in our views, not beholden in any way to conventional tastes and popular opinion see us trash their last record.

6. Lumineers
Everybody knows the Lumineers. Their inclusion was obligatory. Keep your opinions to yourself until you steal ours after their Newport performance. They better bring their A game after dropping out of Firefly.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/67168033″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

5. Father John Misty

I know what you’re thinking… I wish he were my dad too. Despite the ouvert rip off of the Beatles on several tracks Fear Fun was considered by many to be the best release of 2012. Father John Misty‘s got it all, none the least after breaking off with the Fleet Foxes to go solo. For most artists, going from the lucrative minimal responsibility of pounding skins for a nationally respected act to forging a path alone would doom one to certain obscurity. Father John takes chances, and if there is no real fun without some element of danger involved then Fear Fun is not only a premium grade listen, it’s also the most appropriately titled album since The Dwarves are Young and Good Looking.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/39997215″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

And read us gloat over getting there first.

4. Feist
She made your mixtape (remember those?) with her catchy hit “1,2,3,4” through the heavy rotation of her video featured on MTV (remember those?) back in 2005. Feist is no one-hit wonder though. Despite not quite reaching the early success of “1,2,3,4” she has nothing to be ashamed about as a musician.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/30573957″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

3. Nicky Bluhm
Full Disclosure: I have no idea who this woman is, but she is very pretty. We still gotta fill this list out though, so pride yourself on research well done by downloading the following track.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/48304225″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

2. Hurray for the Riff Raff
And hurray for My Dearest Darkest Neighbor. Ms. Alynda Lee Segara is the real deal hobo-troubadour in the form of a pretty young lady and not the usual stabby old bearded manbum. Whether hopping freight trains or else kick starting entire albums Hurray for the Riff Raff deserve this space more than any other act. If you’re a go it alone folk purist, Hurray for the Riff Raff should be the only thing you need to follow after Newport.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/57103991″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

1. Shovels and Rope
You’re welcome Shovel and Rope. We made you famous and here’s the proof.

From our last nearly violent encounter where Shovels and Rope were the bar band opener we’ve always known there was something special about Ms. Carry Ann Hearst and Mr. Micheal Trent. We’re happy to see their success, and while we may not draw the same numbers as their Letterman appearance earlier in the year, we sure as shit love hyping ya all the same. And though our repeated requests for interviews have fallen on deaf ears, you’ll always be our Newport #Ten Tuesday Top 10 first pick.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/26857691″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

And don’t miss our review of their last album, O be Joyful.

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