Here's a lovely song from Tom Martin. Tom comes from Ireland and his music covers a wide range of styles. Widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists to come out of Ireland, but primarily a brilliant songwriter of longstanding cult status...Easy to listen to, hard to define with a melodic touch of Paul Simon and lyrical insight of a John Prine, but with a sound and a songwriting skill that is undeniably his own. - Belfast Telegraph

Listen: / Download Twisting In the Wind (right-click or option-click to download...)

Tom Martin Artist Page

Lee Hayes describes himself as a wordy person, but "somewhere else, not quite with it, whatever 'it' is." - his life-view is pretty sound: "I walk upright and like the rest of humanity often speak before I think  but at least I don’t go around killing others, which sets me apart from lower forms of life (Tony Blair, George W. Bush, Kim Jong Ill and the multitude of deluded fanatics who follow some old book or whatever...)".

As he says, "you can't believe politicians or bankers", but WE know that singers and songwriters heed a higher calling, without truth we are nothing, empty hats, and probably auto-tuned to boot. Listen and download a track if you like it:

/ Download MP3 Divine Stream Lee Hayes Artist Page

What started as the solo project of Columbus, OH, singer/songwriter Jason Dutton (ex-Nixon Ford and Carter) has morphed into a quartet featuring two known locals-viola player Emily Ng of Super Desserts and vocalist Counterfeit Madison of Trains Across the Sea and the Dewdroppers, plus new-to-the-scene cellist Natalie Manny. The young band, Audrey & Orwell, has made some live appearances in the last year and is now releasing its first recording in the form of a four-song EP, Stairwells, recorded by Josh Landis of Old Son Studios.

This is very cool music, the instrumentation give them a unique sound to support Dutton's songs- the arrangements are hip, the production quality is first-rate. Listen to this track, download if you like it, you can say you knew about them before they got famous:

/ Download Rapture Audrey & Orwell Artist Page

Here's a jaunty, self-penned uptempo contemporary folk song about the pain, but also the freedom of breaking away from a relationship, from Peter Webster.  Peter  grew up in a small seaside town on the south coast of England; his musical influences include Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Nic Jones and British folk music in general, 70s new wave, various flavours of Americana and latin. After gaining a degree in English literature from a northern university, Peter moved back to Sussex and later emigrated to the snowy wastes of Bedfordshire, where he formed the Peter Webster band.

Without You / Listen:  Peter Webster Artist Page

Download track (right-click or option-click to download)

Alexia Spieler: "Fallon Cush is an album that cannot be set into one genre or stereotyped under one category and features a diversity of styles from simple acoustic to classic rock and brings it all to the table and serves up an exceptional album."

This is an excellent Australian band fronted by one Steve Smith, who also penned the songs. This is smart stuff, hope this band gets to the States! 

Tiny Town from Fallon Cush / Listen:  Fallon Cush Artist Page

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It's hot, and there's nation-plenty of info for fans- April 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the U.S. Civil War, and to mark the event Smithsonian Folkways presents two collections of Civil War songs: Civil War Naval Songs by Dan Milner, David Coffin, and Jeff Davis is a newly recorded collection that brings to life the patriotic spirit and brave exploits of our nation's Civil War-era sailors;  A Treasury of Civil War Songs by Tom Glazer is a reissue of a 1973 collection of classic wartime anthems with re-mastered audio and newly

Free Downloads from these fine albums: Tom Glazer singing When Johnny Comes Marching Home and Tom Milner's The Monitor & Merrimac- Thanks to Smithsonian Folkways, a supporter of efolkMusic!

Smithsonian Folkways @ efolkMusic