January 3, 2019 | Folk Roots Radio

Folk Roots Radio Episode 420: feat. Jesse Matas & More New Releases

Jan 03 2019

Jesse Matas joins us on Episode 420 of Folk Roots Radio to chat about his great new solo album “Tamarock”, our favourite album of 2018. Jesse Matas has a great vocal style, and the album features some fine playing, with a lovely sonic palate and a production that really gives all the instruments space to breath. But, above all, it’s full of really interesting songs with great lyrical imagery – and that’s what makes this album a recording that you really need to check out. You can listen to the rest of our Top Ten favourite albums of the year on Episode 417, and The Next 15 on Episode 418. We also take a look at more of the new music we’ve received, and this time around we check out albums from Johnsmith, Paul & Trevor Mills, Youngtree and The Blooms, Rich Krueger, The Slocan Ramblers and Wes Collins. Check out the full playlist below.

Folk Roots Radio Episode 419: feat. Mara Levine & More New Releases

Jan 03 2019

Mara Levine from New Jersey joins us on Episode 419 of Folk Roots Radio for a wonderful conversation about her music. Mara Levine is not a songwriter, but she is a fine, fine singer, and a great interpreter of other people’s songs. She’s just released a fabulous new album “Facets of Folk”, which features 13 tracks that showcase various different faces of folk music, often with a strong social conscience, and including favourites from Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen and Christine Lavin alongside some new discoveries from contemporary songwriters. And while Mara is with us, she also sings a song from Facets of Folk live. We also check out more of the new albums we’ve received including new music from Jesse Parent, T Buckley, Dave McEathron, Jenie Thai, Andrea Bettger, Niall Teague and the Fast Company, Merry Hell, Mike T. Kerr and Ben Heffernan. Check out the full playlist below.

Shawn William Clarke Topaz - Folk Roots Radio at FMO

Jan 03 2019

Shawn William Clarke is a wonderfully quirky and engaging singer-songwriter who really deserves a wider audience. His last two solo albums “William” (2014) and “Topaz” (2017) were very well-received, and both made our long list for favourite albums of the year. A second trip to Europe on tour, another visit to Iceland for some off-venue gigs at the Iceland Airwaves festival, alongside picking up Folk Music Ontario‘s 2018 Songs from the Heart award for best instrumental for “Bellwoods Park” (from the William album) and a very well-received official showcase at the FMO conference, made 2018 a year to remember. It’s always fun to chat to Shawn about his music. We sat down with him at FMO for a great conversation and a couple of live songs, including another new song. Visit Shawn William Clarke online at shawnwilliamclarke.com. Music: Shawn William Clarke “Young In Love (At The End Of The World)” (Live), “Everybody Gets Sad Sometimes” (Live) and “The Tourists” from “Topaz” (2017, Self) CDN.