there's my head, this town, and arms.

Jeremy Quentin's delicate finger-picking folk music calls up thoughts of rolling hills and empty homes. Echoing the tones of The Tallest Man On Earth and some light shades of Bob Dylan, Quentin's songs are sparse and warm, like a patchy blanket that you've had for years. His lyrics are outstanding, the title of this post coming from "Oh, Hiding Out," the album opener of his latest album. Quentin composes under the name Small Houses.

His most recent album Exactly Where You Wanted To Be is all kinds of awesome. My favorite tune off of which is "The Last Day of Summer". That album really is pretty much perfect and it's available HERE. 

His album North is what initially drew me in. Particularly his song, "In The Lawn". It feels so much like a Tallest Man On Earth and I love it.



The best part of today's post though is that Small Houses is playing a free show TONIGHT in Lexington at Griffin's Modern Motel. It's Bring Your Own Refreshments and all donations go to the bands playing. It's hosted by the guys who run Shaker Steps in all their infinite glory. HERE'S THE FACEBOOK EVENT.

Introducing: Houndmouth

Houndmouth has roots in Kentucky and Indiana and, man, do they show. They've managed to perfect a kind of recession rock that's reminiscent of Alabama Shakes, but isn't as bluesy. You'll easily fall in love with these guys if you're a fan of bands like Lumineers, Alabama Shakes, or The Head And The Heart.
Their debut LP "From The Hills Below The City" just dropped yesterday and I picked it up from my local music shop for a test drive around Lexington. It was amazing. An album chock-full of harmony, guitar licks, and americana.
The opening track (and first single released from the album) "On The Road" is easily one of the catchiest tunes on the album and serves well as an introduction for a band that's quickly headed in the right direction.



My favorite song on the album, though, was "Ludlow".



Hop on the Houndmouth train before it's too late. These peeps will be playing a ton of festivals this summer, including Kentucky's own Forecastle Festival. I personally plan to see them play the Belle Of Louisville late night show.

My Love Is Older Than My Soul

 The Lone Bellow, formerly Zach Williams & The Bellows, started as a songwriting project after his wife was partially paralyzed due to a horseback riding accident. The overwhelming uncertainty and tragedy of the accident fueled much of Williams' songwriting for the band's first album, with the themes of hope, despair, doubt, uncertainty, and triumph dominating the album.



The Lone Bellow appeals to fans of The Civil Wars, The Head & The Heart, and The Avett Brothers. They define their sound as "Brooklyn Country Music", which puts them even more in a league with Avett & Co. Filled with harmonies and absolutely gorgeous folk instrumentation, The Lone Bellow's eponymous solo album is well worth your time.


THE LONE BELLOW - "Two Sides of Lonely" [live] from SerialBox Presents on Vimeo.

That video of my personal favorite Lone Bellow song ("Two Sides Of Lonely") was shot LIVE. LIVE, I TELL YOU! Which is, coincidentally, the way I'm going to see them this very day at WFPK's Waterfront Wednesday in Louisville. It's perfectly free and all you have to do is get down there. The Staves go on first around 6PM, then Lone Bellow around 7:30, and Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band around 9:00.

In The Southern Soil

Dillon Hodges plays soulful folk music with bluegrass tinges around the edges. He's a master flat-picker, as you can hear in his old-timey tunes. He has a captivating twang to him. This is music you would expect to hear on the soundtrack to FX's Justified.


His style doesn't hold him back though. He's found a way to sound modern in the middle of all that old school awesome. Try out his cover of Gorillaz' "Feel Good, Inc."


His debut album, Rumspringa, is available on iTunes today. Personally, I'm planning on grabbing a copy at his show tonight at Natasha's Bistro in Lexington, KY. It's gonna be an awesome show.

You're Only Where You Are

Chicken Little describes themselves as "half-pint folk punk". A singer/guitarist and an accordion player (joined by a fiddler at some gigs) are all that compromise this tiny folk powerhouse. They specialize in fantastic lyrics, rousing choruses, and gorgeous harmonies. This post's title comes from the opening track of their first album No One, Never, Nothing.


I got into these guys after I saw them at a folk punk festival in Berea, KY, at the now closed Black Feather Cafe of all places. I went there to see Paul Baribeau and Busman's Holiday, but they went on first and they blew me away. Their pure energy was captivating. I had to buy their album. Their most upbeat tune is the ode to giving in to alcohol "Off The Wagon", the title of which has now been changed to "The Sky Is Not Falling".


"The Devil Spoke Here" ruminates on religious themes and comes away feeling guilty. It's truly fantastic. I'll close the post with some potent lyrics from the tune: "May we always fail with the best of intentions with our hearts always pure and our souls only human."

Introducing: Roo & The Howl

Being the voracious blog reader that I am, when Pigeons And Planes does a piece called "12 Female Artists You Should Know" I pay attention. In that little piece, they brought an artist to my attention that goes by the nome-de-tune Roo & The Howl. According to her bio, the word "roo" is derived from an old English word meaning "quiet". So her name actually means "The Quiet And The Howl". That's a kick-ass name. The awesome person behind it is Bekah Wagner out of Colorado Springs, CO.



She's been quietly producing quality Americana/folk music for a little while now. She closed out 2012 with a gaggle of shows that included opening for Seattle folkies Ivan & Aloysha. Her tune "To The River" is pure indie folk bliss and "They Say" is one of the most delicate vocal pieces I've heard in quite some time. If those two songs are any indication, she's going to have a busy 2013 and a bright future (with an album on the docket for early 2014).