The wonderment that is

often does scintillating playlists and reviews of collections and none more interesting than it's occasional forays into Bandcamp whom we also love to bits . . . . . . . so this:

they posted these guys today and as it's hotter n hell here (I'm from the North of England so that big burny shiny round thing in the sky frightens me)

The Fossil Lickers: You could easily call The Fossil Lickers’ debut effort “old-timey” – the trio’s music definitely conjures up visions of front-porch picking sessions from days gone by. But there’s a freshness and liveliness to the 15 tracks here that take it out of the throwback realm. The players (violinist James Trimble, banjo player Cameron Knowler and guitarist Will Csorba) have an easy, joyous rapport; everything flows beautifully from moment to moment.

Matthew De Gennaro – Conversation With A Roadside Skull: Not entirely sure what to call the latest effort from Matthew De Gennaro … mystic loner folk? There are moments when I’m reminded vaguely of Vic Chesnutt or Howe Gelb, but De Gennaro has a distinct/unique vibe, accented by his gorgeous viola da gamba and easygoing guitar work. A mix of instrumentals and vocal numbers, Conversation With A Roadside Skull feels personal and deeply felt, a little universe of its own.

Duck Baker – Les Blues Du Richmond | Demos & Outtakes 1973-1979: Duck Baker put out a bunch of excellent LPs on Stefan Grossman and Eugene “ED” Denson’s Kicking Mule label in the 1970s, and these previously unheard recordings come from that halcyon era. Baker is a ragtime specialist, expertly translating the complicated syncopations of that genre to acoustic guitar — though occasionally he sounds as though he’s drawing from Ornette Coleman as much as Scott Joplin. A total pleasure from start to finish.

words / t wilcox

check out the rest here . . . . .