Artist: River Whyless

A cedar dream must mean a great deal more if you live close to the woods. It is something pastoral, nature cast as wild but ultimately tameable behind lyrics like, "And where will I sleep, if the trees we felled never stand as beams." This, we assume, the metaphorical house to be built with another among the pines and the birches. And images like these offer an update to the themes of

Here's another one I picked up through my Soundcloud dropbox (hint hint). MP3: River Whyless - Cedar Dream Part II River Whyless have a great understanding of the interplay of songwriting and production. There's a slow-burn intro here that drops out just as the vocal jump in. It couldn't be more effective if the song [...]

• River Whyless - Cedar Dream Part II

River Whyless came to us via an email from one of their fans. She said, "If you have some time to take a listen you won't be sorry." No lofty band comparisons included and no hipster name-dropping - just a bold proclamation. Not knowing if I was about to hear electronica, metal or some blend of the both, I took a listen and was immediately floored. Turns out they are a four piece from Boone, NC and they kick out an earnest, upbeat brand of Appalachian folk. The two main songwriters are Ryan O'Keefe and Halli Anderson and [...]

• River Whyless - Stone