#ff Wooden Dinosaur, The Oh Hellos, Josh Netsky + Kopecky Family Band

Words // Scott Pingeton

New thing here that I'll try to keep going for at least 2 weeks.  You tweeters might recognize #ff as the hash tag for "friday follow"...or basically "it's friday, follow these people".  That's kind of the idea here too.  Cool stuff that's new or old, but I'm digging it and want to share.

Wooden Dinosaur - "Good Winter"
These Vermonters are one of my favorite New England bands.  Songwriter Michael Roberts writes literate, heartfelt folk songs that are perfectly suited for summer dusk porchlight or winter's coldest nights.  On their brand new (and excellent) album Spaces, the sound expands a bit from 2010's Nearly Lost Stars - expect more electric guitar and more yodeling (both good things).  Roberts is a master of wringing pure emotion from the strings of an electric guitar - listen to his work on David Wax Museum's excllent Everything Is Saved and on "Good Winter" off Spaces.  This song will singlehandedly propel me through the dreary final days of winter still to come and usher me into spring's embrace.  Absolutely love it.

Wooden Dinosaur - Good Winter

The Oh Hellos - "Hello My Old Heart"
When Jay Sweet, Newport Folk Festival producer and musical tastemaker, tweets about a new band he's digging, you listen.  That's how you discover bands like The Oh Hellos.  The band cites Mumford & Sons as an influence, and I believe it after hearing how "Hello My Old Heart" builds from a beautifully simple folk tune into a majestic anthem complete with layered vocals, handclaps and strings.  Grab their excellent 4-song EP right here (pay what you want!).

The Oh Hellos - Hello My Old Heart

Josh Netsky - "The Spirits"
Reverby vocals  give "The Spirits" a dream-like quality, but a military march propels the song forward - alternately staggering through a hazy psych-folk fog and bouncing along on plucked banjo notes.  Rochester NY's Josh Netsky is brand new to me, but I can't get enough of this song.  Grab "The Spirits" for free on his bandcamp page, or get the whole album for just $5 (recommended).

Josh Netsky - The Spirits

Kopecky Family Band
I'll leave you with this, because it's just freaking fantastic and needs no introduction...