Some bands you should check out

Horse to Water is the soulful project of someone I've known for awhile but in a very different, non-musical context. So this is, of course, a pleasant surprise. There is a great deal of range in Joe's work. I can't decide which I like best: the folksy Americana or the quicker-paced songs with bits of distortion. Either way, check out his website and stream some songs.

On a similar note, two bands from 307 Knox Records:
Humble Tripe's Counting Stars features a gorgeous layering of the harmonica and an acoustic guitar with a quick enough tempo to balance out the forlorn, but smart, lyrics. The band, originating from Durham, NC, has a vocalist who sounds like a cross between Natalie Merchant, Bob Dylan, and Sam Beam. Serendipitously, I listened to this album while driving back from a recent trip to Durham, and it was the perfect soundtrack to the passing landscapes.

Humble Tripe: Traveled

Birds and Arrows joins a long list of married-partner duos that I enjoy, like Mates of State and the Submarines but with a distinctly southern warble. Their album, Starmaker, is nothing if not earnest. The complexity of all of the production techniques make it sound as if there is a soundtrack of rain showers and slow, sad violins playing in the background of two lovers singing one another throaty songs.

Birds and Arrows: Starmaker