Newport Folk Festival - 2013 Slide Show

The Newport Folk Festival does a great job of recognizing its illustrious history without being burdened by it. The times are always a-changing, and the festival has done a masterful job of adapting along with it.

In fact, some of the weekend’s best attended and most memorable acts hardly belong within the folk genre. Like Bombino, whose guitar playing wizardry conjures up sandstorms of hypnotic grooves; or the UK-punk rock of Frank Turner; or Trombone Shorty, who has successfully weaponized jazz and funk for mass consumption.

 The festival has broken new wave artists and expanded bands’ audiences, audiences that now stretch multiple generations. And each year sell-out crowds come to experience music that push buttons, blur borders and even inspire change - and that’s what folk music, and the Festival, is all about.

Enjoy some memorable moments from NFF 2013 in this slide show!

Photos // Adam Richert

Words // Photos // Brian Hodge

#ff River City Extension, Father John Misty and more

Words // Scott Pingeton

River City Extension - There & Back Again
We're just a couple weeks away from the announcement of the 2012 Newport Folk Festival lineup, and the most exciting part for me every year (after recovering from the shock of how damn good the lineup is) is to comb through and pick out the bands I'm not familiar with and start listening.  River City Extension was one of those new discoveries for me from NFF 2011, and it didn't take me long to fall in love.  Here's a first look at their upcoming LP "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger".

Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
J Tillman returns with a new project as Father John Misty.  A driving beat and electric guitars give the song more punch than you might have expected if you're familiar with Tillman's previous solo work (or his work with Fleet Foxes for that matter) - a promising hint of what may be to come for Father John Misty/J Tillman.

The Pharmacy - Dig Your Grave
One of my great loves is simple garage rock.  The Pharmacy's new track "Dig Your Grave" checks all the boxes for me - loud guitars, 2 minutes or less, organ fills, 3 chords and a great melody.  Turn it up.

Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls (The Bowery Presents Live)
The ascent of Alabama Shakes has been staggaring - and it's not slowing down anytime soon.  Their EP was my favorite of 2011, and I knew they deserved this kind of success...I just didn't expect it to be quite this meteoric.  Sold out headlining tours, major festivals, an Austin City Limits episode(!), a new 7" out now and a highly anticipated debut album on the way.  Catch them in Boston at the Paradise on April 15, I'm guessing it will be your last chance to see them at a venue that small.  Jump on the bandwagon now or it's going to leave without you...you don't need no ticket, just get on board.