Hello, Everyone!
I’m excited to begin sharing my music findings with you all! My focus for many of my pieces for The Write Teacher(s) will be folk/indie folk/folk rock artists. Folk has proven to be quite the force in the last few years, as artists like Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, the Lumineers, Ray Lamontagne, and Alison Krauss have put a fresh face on a genre that some might associate with names like Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan. But, better-known bands such as these won’t be the focus of my posts on The Write Teacher(s).
I’ll be focusing on artists that haven’t received quite the attention and fan base of the above folk giants (well, they haven’t to MY knowledge, anyway…) but, despite being under the radar, you’ll still be able to find their music in stores and on Internet radio.
Most of the musicians I’ll be writing about probably won’t sound like what you might imagine when you hear the word “folk”—loaded with banjos and slide guitar and fiddle, the kind of music that you might associate with O Brother, Where Art Thou? or with hoedowns….
…but some of it might! I’m taking this musical journey right alongside you, dear reader; this is a genre that I only recently discovered but that I’ve grown to love, and I want to explore every corner of it. I am no music critic or expert, just a humble average listener looking for new ways to feed my soul.
The first band that’s been on my radar lately is Dawes, a quartet that I first learned about through Mumford & Sons. Funny story: when I first heard Mumford & Sons utter the name “Dawes,” their English accents made them sound like they were saying “Doors,” as in the 1960’s band headed by Jim Morrison. And I was confused. Alas, Jim Morrison has not come back from the dead, but those Mumford boys sure do have good taste.
Originally from North Hills, California, Dawes is the first band I’ve encountered that has been described as “Americana soul,” and many descriptions I’ve read liken them to Jackson Browne (I’ve never listened to him, but I trust those who say that). Americana soul is certainly an apt description of some of their slower songs, such as “If You Let Me Be Your Anchor,” from their 2009 debut, North Hills. Lead vocalist Taylor Goldsmith sings of love and longing (“I want love to stretch its fingers wide/and touch on all your wandering parts./Come sit by my Californian side/with your Carolina heart”) before easing into a crooning chorus with lush harmonies from band mates Griffin Goldsmith, Wylie Gelber, and Tay Strathairn. If slower music isn’t your thing, though, don’t worry; their lazy Sunday afternoon sound is nicely balanced with a dose of some more rock-and-roll tracks. Their debut album contains perhaps their best-known track, “When My Time Comes,” which has a thunderous bass line and drums to match. And the electric guitar, piano, and drums on “If I Wanted Somebody,” from 2011’s Nothing is Wrong, combine to form a sound that’s somewhat reminiscent of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
Dawes toured extensively with Mumford & Sons in 2012, and they only have a few 2013 gigs listed on their website right now; they’ll be in Jay, Vermont in late March, and they’ll be co-headlining with Dr. Dog in Seattle and Portland, Oregon in late April.
Visit www.dawestheband.com to buy tickets, to view photos, and more. Their music can be found in many chain music stores, as well as on Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. Their website even includes a link that lets you locate record stores that carry their music, so you can enjoy their albums while supporting local small businesses.
Thanks for reading! I’ll be back in a few weeks with a new artist.
Be on the lookout for a monthly playlist from me, too!
Live, Love, Learn,