#7 European Folk: Noah and The Whale

Have you ever listened to Dog is Dead or Paper Lions? This band is like a combination of them and the Cinematic Orchestra if it were stripped down to an acoustic guitar, some drums and accordian, a fiddle and a few other instruments.

.

Ok that was a horrible description, but they're pretty awesome. They're the most popular act I've posted in this series. I admit it, I posted three British acts in a row. Sue me. 

Head bob to Life Goes On below

Aren't they just adorable? 

Listen to Joccasta below!

I like them. I'm definitely adding them to my summer playlist.

Take a look at all of my posts from this series here!

Read more!

#5 European Folk: Laura Marling

Part Alanis Morisette part Regina Spektor, Laura Marling won best female artist at the Brit awards at only 22 years old.

With three albums already under her belt, her simply sung songs are usually backed by an acoustic guitar and  have a darker feel than Daughter's wistful tunes. Marling's voice is assertive and not necessarily beautiful, kinda like Morisette. She has a mix of a country and a "dramatic ending to a Felicity episode" feel. Very 90s.

Listen up. She actually has something to say.

 

Read more!

#4 European Folk! Jonas Alaska

Remember that post I wrote about Mikhael Paskalev? When I first discovered him, I did some digging for new songs by the singer and I came across a video of him singing backup vocals for Jonas Alaska, another dude from Norway with incredible musical talent.

Singles In the Backseat (a fun driving song that I've added it to my roadtrip playlist, which I'll post eventually) and October (sobering lyrics, but is performed simply and lightly) are sung with his soft vocals over his acoustic. I love his sound.

Watch In the Backseat live below. 

I had no idea that Norwegian's could be so hip. 

Listen to Tonight posted below! 

Enjoying the series so far? Check back everyday for my posts for this 7 day! Listen to yesterday's artist here. 

Read more!

#3 European Folk: First Aid Kit

Photo: Neil Krug

These Swedish youtubers rose to fame when viewers poured over their cover of Fleetwood Foxes' Tiger Mountain Peasant Song and even performed with the American folk group when they toured in the Netherlands. The teen-ish sisters have released two critically acclaimed albums and 5 successful singles. Unlike Daughter, they're really folk. So if you don't like old classic country music...then stop reading now.

I found them on youtube too, somewhere under related videos (I think I was watching Birdy sing Skinny Love). The Söderberg sisters' new album features darker lyrics all tied with the bow of southern twang.

Listen to 5 of their tracks below including their title single The Lion's Roar.

First Aid Kit by First Aid Kit Read more!

#2 European Folk Daughter

I fell in love with her voice before really listening to her words. 

I follow the self proclaimed Kim Kardashian of tumblr, Jamie Ryan Dee. He posted Youth by Daughter which was featured in a Skins trailer on Channel 4. I listened to it over and over again.

 She was quite obscure then so after some desperate internet searching up popped Elena Tonra. The bowl cut haired and high-waist shorts wearing Brit is one half of the act Daughter. Her boyfriend backs her gentle (but lovely) singing. Last summer she was Vogue's artist of the week where she described how the sound evolved from just her playing a guitar to incorporating industrial undertones and light atmospheric sounds to support her incredible lyrics.

Yes, she's more alternative/experimental (Listen to Love) than folk, but she uses several folk elements to sing the stories of her songs.

Check back tomorrow for my next post on the European Folk series! 

Read more!

NEW SERIES! European Folk #1

New Series!

Photo by Chris La Putt

Thanks for taking the time to read and listen to my posts for my MashUps series! Since it was so popular, I've decided to keep the series going but switch it up a bit. This week's roster will be a list of my new obsession: European Folk acts. We've all heard of the American Mumford and Sons and Fleetwood Foxes so I wanted to pass along a few (mainstream as some are) folk acts from Europe that are staples in any growing musical library.

I'll start with one of my absolute favourites The Tallest Man on Earth. He's actually not the tallest man on earth...but he's awesome. The first song I heard by him was Over the Hills last year and I fell in love with his voice and sound. I ordered his second CD The Wild Hunt. And died. Of happiness.

From the first time I looked him up I found a post online from the Secret Garden Series and I did some digging to find it again for you all.

I don't know what it is, but his voice is just *no words*

Check back tomorrow for my next post in my European Folk series! Follow all of the posts here. 

Read more!