Indie Folk 101 — An Intro to Today’s Most Compelling Artists and Their Music

Indie Folk 101 — An Intro to Today’s Most Compelling Artists and Their Music

As the host of The Coffeehouse on Pittsburgh's WYEP-FM, I am tasked with providing the Sunday morning soundtrack for listeners who value independent, non-commercial radio. For many, Sunday morning is a time of reflection and relaxation. Often, I receive calls from listeners who are drinking coffee and doing the NYT crossword, getting ready for church, or doing laundry and other household chores. The common theme of these conversations is a general feeling of contentment and contemplation. Rushing around and meeting deadlines are a part of life. But Sunday mornings give us all the opportunity to recharge. With that in mind, I often sprinkle "indie folk" into the mix of music that I play, as it is the perfect complement to early Sunday mornings. By "indie artists," I mean those who generally produce non-mainstream music, independent of major record labels. What follows is an overview of those I consider to be today's most interesting and important indie folk artists. An article by contributor Adam Kukic, host of The Coffeehouse on WYEP fm.

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Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers: From Van Session Covers to a Sound All Their Own

Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers: From Van Session Covers to a Sound All Their Own

Back in 2012, a little known group of vagabonds hit the road, recording song covers in their van as they drove from city to city. The group was Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, and the result of their musical odyssey was a series of videos that became known as the “Van Sessions.” They posted a few on YouTube, hopeful they'd pique the interest of a handful of viewers. Little did they foresee the massive audience they'd attract, and the success these covers would garner. As of today, their version of Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That” has had almost two and a half million views. In fact, Hall & Oates themselves are fans of the cover! This bluesy six piece band quickly progressed from making music in a van to recording in a studio. Their self-titled debut release is well worth a listen. A review by contributor Adam Kukic, host of The Coffeehouse on WYEP fm.

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Sharing White Toast with Hayden: My Musical Journey with an Artist & His Work

Sharing White Toast with Hayden: My Musical Journey with an Artist & His Work

I've been following Canadian singer/songwriter Hayden (Paul Hayden Desser) since 1996, when his debut album "Everything I Long For" was released in the United States. Such is my fandom that when the artist came to Pittsburgh in 2004 to perform, I had gotten in touch with his manager, “Skinny,” ahead of time and volunteered to be part of the “street team” to help promote the concert. Following the performance, my future wife Allison Hoge and I, plus Hayden, Skinny, and a few others all went to a 24-hour greasy-spoon diner. A highlight from that late night includes a slightly-overweight middle-aged waitress apologizing to Hayden when attempting to pour him coffee: “Sorry babe, didn’t mean to shove my tits in your face.” But my wife’s favorite memory of the evening is her keepsake from the outing -- a vinyl press of Hayden's third album, “Skyscraper National Park,” which he signed for her: “We shared white toast on September 10 / 2004.” I have a long history with Hayden's work, right up through his February 2013 release, "Us Alone," which I'll be reviewing in detail. But to fully appreciate the significance of his latest gem, allow me to shed a little light on the earlier pieces that all come together to form the total picture of Hayden's recording career to date. A review by contributor Adam Kukic, host of The Coffeehouse on WYEP fm.

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Sam Cooke: Calling on Cupid

Sam Cooke: Calling on Cupid

When you're looking for a last-chance miracle to draw a crush object close to your heart, who do you call upon but Cupid, the god of desire, erotic love, and affection. In 1961, silky-smoky-voiced Sam Cooke penned his soulful plea to the boy with the bow and arrow, asking him to work his magic. Combining Latin rhythms with jazz and R&B, Sam created a perfect pop song. How could Cupid not fulfill his desperate wish? Here's a man who's in distress, in danger of losing all his happiness. For he loves a girl who doesn't know he exists. And it's all up to Cupid to fix. This really hits home, doesn't it? How many of us have pined for someone - a person we probably saw every day at school or at work - who was barely aware of our existence?

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Tom Waits – A Man Named Sue

Tom Waits – A Man Named Sue

Snarly, salty Tom Waits is one of the few singer/songwriters never to sell out by allowing his songs to be used in TV commercials. Through the years he's filed lawsuits against lots of big companies that attempted to use his songs – or rips-offs of his music – in TV ads. And he won every case.

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