Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway have been friends for more than 30 years. Stalwarts in the contemporary folk community, they’ve had successful careers, as solo artists, as members of musical partnerships (Kim & Reggie Harris and Brother Sun) and regulars on the Phil Ochs Song Nights. Early on, they found they shared an interest in the place of race in America. That’s led now to a unique presentation, Deeper Than the Skin.
Read MoreWith virtually all concerts cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, artists have turned to the internet to get their music heard. New Folk has curated a list of our favorites. Some are ticketed, many have a tipjar. You'll find more on Facebook at Social Distancing Streaming Concerts.
Read MoreThe first person you encounter in Coal Country, the new play now running at the Public Theater, is Steve Earle. He’s best known, of course, as a Grammy-winning artist, but his talents extend to literature (a book of short stories and a novel) and acting (television roles on The Wire and Treme and Off-Broadway in Richard Maxwell’s Samara, for which he also contributed music ).
Read MoreEvery month the New Folk Initiative selects 10 tracks from new or recent releases to be highlighted as "Choice Cuts," based on airplay on WFUV's "Sunday Supper." Here is this month's list.
Read MoreAlmost 44 years after his death, the music of Phil Ochs remains as resonant as ever. Chalk it up to politicized times, but also great melodies and empathy for the human condition. …Now add Days of Decision: A Tribute to Phil Ochs by Martyn Joseph to the catalogue. It’s this month’s Sunday Supper Spotlight album.
Read MoreThe New Group has produced an Off-Broadway musical version of the 1969 film, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, with music by Duncan Sheik and a cast including Suzanne Vega. Here's a review.
Read MoreEvery month the New Folk Initiative selects 10 tracks from new or recent releases to be highlighted as "Choice Cuts," based on airplay on WFUV's "Sunday Supper." Here is this month's list.
Read MoreThe theme of this year’s Folk Alliance was “The Story of People and Place,” with a conscious attempt to explore diversity, equity, and inclusion – appropriate indeed in the melting pot that is New Orleans. As with the 2017 conference, coming in the wake of Trump’s inauguration, there was a strong thread of activism among the speakers.
Read MoreVance Gilbert is a bit of a chameleon. “I’m black, I sing, I play an acoustic guitar, and I don’t play the blues,” he says. What he has played for more than 25 years is contemporary folk, dipped in soul with a hint of jazz, powered by a rich, supple voice and a fluid guitar style.
Read MoreEvery month the New Folk Initiative will post the Top 10 new tracks of the month based on airplay on the Sunday Supper on WFUV.
Read MoreFor 14 years I've created a mixtape of holiday songs for my family which I called Xmix.
Read MoreAs one of WFUV's online features, I was persuaded to share some insights into my personal life. All G-rated, of course...
Read MoreEvery November for 15 years or so I’ve made a pilgrimage to the Northeastern Regional Folk Alliance (a.k.a. NERFA). The objective is to hear as many artists as humanly possible over three days and nights in brief showcases onstage and in hotel rooms – and just as important, catch up with friends in the folk community.
Read MoreDavid Byrne has never been your standard-issue rock star, going back to Talking Heads and the iconic oversized suit of the “Once in a Lifetime” video.
Read MoreTwo new American plays now on Broadway provide food for thought at a time when the commercial theater is dominated by revivals and musicals. Slave Play and The Sound Inside succeed to varying degrees.
Read MoreWhen I first saw Harold Pinter’s Betrayal in its first Broadway production in 1980, it had a high-octane cast with Raul Julia, Blythe Danner, and Roy Scheider in a naturalistic setting. The current Broadway revival (the third since then) at the Bernard Jacobs Theatre takes a different tack.
Read MoreThe New Folk Initiative is delighted to offer an exclusive preview of a new video by Bobtown. They’re a New York-based, but quintessentially Americana band.
Read MoreYou may have noticed that there’ve been a ton of rock-themed movies, most prominently Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocket Man. There are a couple of recent additions to the genre, and, interestingly, they also come with English accents.
Read MoreFor the last decade New Jersey-based Sharon Goldman has consistently been one of contemporary folk's most imaginative, warm, and honest singer-songwriters. Her latest album, "Every Trip Around the Sun, is about journeys through life, on a personal and political level.
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