I’ve been working on this post for a while, in fact I started this post in early 2007 but never feel it’s complete. I have been hesitant to publish it since I’m bound to leave someone off. I also keep putting this off because I want to put a nice long description after each artist. So this post has been stalled by ‘Perfection is the enemy of good enough’. This post has probably been ‘good enough’ for over 5 years. I’m pressing publish now before it gets even more out of date. At the time it was originally written I was living in Maine, organized concerts and was volunteering at WERU. I sadly can no longer can claim any of those things but instead of re-editing the whole thing I’m just publishing it as a flashback to me at that time.
But for the record, if you’re a musician who knows me who isn’t on this list, odds are I just forgot. You know I buy your stuff. Send me a reminder and I’ll do a custom blog entry just on you 🙂
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Since I host a monthly show on the local exponentially cool community radio station, WERU 89.9 FM, and also organize concerts on occasion, I’m often asked what musicians I’d recommend. Well that’s a big list, but I figured start with a list of musicians that I’d buy a new CD from before hearing a single note, ones where they’ve repeatedly earned my trust, and I know their worth it.
- Mike Agranoff – The “modern folk musician” with a witty sense of humor, great ear for good songs and general geekiness about him that reminds me of my nerdy friends. Great songs and stories, and a nice guy too.
- emma’s revolution – Pat Humphries and Sandy Opotow. Great harmonies, great lyrics, great people. Who else could make political and topical music so amazingly beautiful?
- Gaelic Storm – in the movie ‘Titanic’, you remember the irish ‘steerage band’ that was playing down below? That was this group. High energy, High Speed, High proof performers. Great covers of traditional tunes as well as fun originals. A ‘must see them perform live’ group, worth whatever the ticket may cost.
- Great Big Sea – Newfoundland shanties & pop music. I prefer their more folky stuff, but regardless of the genre it’s all done with traditional instruments and is high energy and fun. Another ‘must see them perform live’ group.
- Billy Jonas – Industrial recycled Re-percussion. Great music for kids & adults. Amazing to see perform live.
- Joel Mabus
- David Mallet
- Jay Mankita
- Red Molly
- Darryl Purpose
- Stan Rogers – Though he died in a plane fire many years before I first head of him, his music is still amazing and they release some unreleased gems of his live recordings every now and then. I’d love to attend one of the StanFest festivals someday.
- Schooner Fare – I first saw them open for Tommy Makem in Boston back in 1990 and have been a big fan ever since. I only got to see them once more after that, and even though I’ve been in Maine for 11 years I haven’t had a chance to see them since moving up here. One of the founding members, Dave Rowe, died a few years agobut the other two members still perform on occasion.
- Pete Seeger – Do I need to explain this one?
- David Wilcox – I’ll admit some of David’s more recent stuff hasn’t resonated with me, but since I’m still in love with his first few CDs I always give him a listen. I’ve written about him before in my blog https://matt.baya.net/david-wilcox/
- Dar Williams