“This is The Man America Loves.” It’s the announcement at the beginning of Steven Walker’s new single, a scathing portrayal of some villainous epitaph. Within our capitalist legacy we’ve known this person over and over again. Someone able to cloak themself as a hero while stealing off the backs of our countrymen’s hard earned labels. Their monopolies are unavoidable and tied to every facet of our routine. Take the cellphone, for example. We lived without them in these new advanced times for decades but now you quite literally cannot do many daily tasks without one as so many functions are tied to their utility.
It also represents political heroes who win loyalty beyond comprehension, where they no longer need to be accountable for their actions. Walker can’t help but give them a fitting tribute. He dresses the song in a stylistic flavor known to folks first heroes, writers like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. We also think fans of new folk troubadours like The Tallest Man On Earth will dig this vibe, but for us Walker rings like a vintage classic which adds to the charm of this presentation.
Steven Walker is featured on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
Named after a pseudo-mythical Louisiana shark, the Brooklyn-based band Rookin began as a college class project on the Civil War. Years later, it has become a long-term endeavor to craft a new kind of Americana music.
Over the past 5 years stylistic evolutions have arrived in their new album Shark Week. The dynamic collections features stand outs like Where You Are, an entrancing novella in song that translates like an indie folk version of The National. There are also dreamy post rock induced introspective moments like Astronaut’s Wife. For us it’s how Explosions In The Sky might sound if they wrote more conventional songs. It’s a testament to Rookin’s melodic touch, remaining presentable within an approachable melodic framework.
Rookin are featured on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
Emerging songwriter Sophia Stephens has a prolific compositional touch. Barely 18 years old she’s already penned 300 pieces, some of which she’ll be releasing this year. Her recent 4 song EP Remnantal sets the bar high. Stephens has a poetic lyrical touch that’s graced with an imaginative cinematic brilliance. Productions like the epic Submerge showcase her in an orchestral light.
Her classic tendencies blend with an indie instinct. An affect that she amplifies with the theatrical electro pop heard on Familiar. In that style she recalls the dramatic flair of Lana Del Rey with some of the abstract pop presence known to St Vincent.
Her essence as a songwriter is offered pure on the introductory Shadowlit. The narrative shines with the innocence of young love in all its splendor and wonder. It’s works like this that help us reconnect with what matters and see past the scars formed from trials with adulthood. It’s a detail that gives young writer like Sophia extra sparkle while also speaking to her own generation looking to relate with someone true.
Sophia Stephens is featured on our Emerging Folk Playlist.
Folk punk at its essence has more in common with roots music than the indie folk of late. Like the classics it offers in the moment social commentary and the kind of lyrical truth mainstream music just hates. It lurks in the underground partially because it’s champions prefer life out of the commercial public eye. It’s a testament to their sacred status as common poets, common as they speak to the trials of every day folk. Hence the term “folk music.”
Like our cultures first musical catalogs these works are often documented by institutions or organizations with equally meaningful intentions. In that manner DCxPC LIVE digs into the folk scene with their recent Volume 22. As an institution they’ve mostly showcased the Northeast punk scene, but Volume 22 is folk punk specific. The volume include pop punk inspired Sticky Steve, Appalachian folkster Jacob Daneilsen-Moore, the Nashville anti-consumer flash of Borrowed Sparks, and the psychobilly insanity of Dougie Flesh. This live compilation includes an exclusive limited vinyl release. Own a true piece of Americana history and add to your collectors stash, we know we will!
We’ve included Sticky Steve’s Cathedral on our Emerging Folk Playlist
The Wild Is Calling 