
A highly anticipated new release from Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer is starting to make the rounds, and though it's only early February, we're going to go out on a limb and declare Child Ballads an early contender for best tradfolk album of the year. And we're clearly not going to be alone, either: with 6 weeks left to its March 19th US release date, the seven track album has already garnered high and well-deserved praise from Pitchfork, and a full-page feature in today's edition of The Sun seems a harbinger of loud and voluminious [...]

What's in your ears as the holiday fare fades? Here at Cover Lay Down, we're still catching up on 2012 after finding some prize otherwise-unknowns on the top albums lists of several trusted folkblogs, plus a hint of missed opportunities and a spate of tracks that - with one brand-new exception from Boston-based newgrass quintet The Deadly Gentlemen - turn out to have been recorded before the calendrical turn. We're grateful of the opportunity to clear the air before moving forward. So before we start in earnest with the next big and promising things to [...]

Like a rain-swollen river, the late Spring rush of music from blogs, readers, labels, and other friendly pass-along sources continues unabated. The bounty is rich, and though we remain committed to bringing you only the best and brightest of the coverfolk world, there's more than enough gems to tempt the palate and confound our preference for tightly organized artist-centered features and themes. Happily, however, much of this month's flood calls us back to themes and artists previously covered in these pages. Which makes it high time for yet another edition of [...]
Annalivia is a Boston-based acoustic quintet adept at combining neo-traditional Anglo-Celtic folk with its Appalachian-styled American off-spring. Fronted by singers Liz Simmons and Flynn Cohen , the group juxtaposes lamenting ballads with spry uptempo reels with a virtuosic array of string instruments from Cape Breton fiddle to clawhammer banjo to acoustic bass. New sophomore album Barrier Falls (May 18, 5 String) is another shining example of classic folk moving easily into a modern setting as traditional compositions sit comfortably next to original songs. We [...]
Throwing a multi-venue music festival in the dead of a finally frigid New England winter may seem a bit anomalous, especially so soon after the streets have been swept clean of the detritus of First Night celebrations. But music has always been a way to drive away the chill. And with the weather slowing touring schedules for many local musicians, winter can also bring a high concentration of well-rested musicians back home to roost, just waiting for a catalyst to celebrate. At its best, then, heading out to see local live music [...]