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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist, now updated every Wednesday.

Four years after his last solo album, Andy Shauf is back with “The Neon Skyline”. Just like its predecessor “The Party”, it’s (you guessed) another concept album about something that happened over the course of one night. So, of course, feel free to our selection and go listen to the record with the lyrics in front of you. In case you’re not into it, well, we got you covered with one hour and a half of new tracks by Jackie Lynn, U.S. Girls, 070 Shake, Rosalía, Margaret Glaspy, Mitski, Okay Kaya, Waxahatchee, Squirrel Flower, Wye Oak, M. Ward, Bonny Light Horseman, Terry Allen, Yorkston/Thorne/Khan, Nathaniel Rateliff, Natural Child, Drive-By Truckers, Watkins Family Hour, Tiña, Wolf Parade, Kiwi jr, and Haha Charade.

Bolachas Now Playing, 04/2020 (#216): http://bit.ly/bolachasnowplaying

Jackie Lynn - Casino Queen U.S. Girls - Overtime 070 Shake - Guilty Conscience Rosalía - Juro Que Margaret Glaspy - Killing What Keeps Us Alive Mitski - Cop Car Okay Kaya - Psych Ward Waxahatchee - Fire Andy Shauf - Where Are You Judy Andy Shauf - Changer Squirrel Flower - Streetlight Blues Wye Oak - Fear of Heights M. Ward - Unreal City Bonny Light Horseman - Mountain Rain Terry Allen - Houdini Didn't Like the Spiritualists (feat. Shannon McNally) Yorkston/Thorne/Khan - The Shearing's Not for You Nathaniel Rateliff - What A Drag Natural Child - Time Is Money Drive-By Truckers - Thoughts and Prayers Watkins Family Hour - Just Another Reason Tiña - Dip Wolf Parade - Wandering Son Kiwi jr. - Football Money Haha Charade - Forgotten Words

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist, now updated every Wednesday.

20 days into the new year and we’re already in love with one of the most beautiful albums 2020 will have to offer. Bill Fay’s third album since breaking a decades-long absence is not only a spotless collection of new songs by the veteran singer-songwriter. The deluxe version is where the true gems are: full band versions of some of the best tracks off the album, plus two bonus tracks and a new arrangement of an old favorite. Fortunately you don’t need to buy a fancy Japanese version of it or stand in line for a RSD release. It’s all on Spotify, just like all these new tracks by The Innocence Mission, Nadia Reid, Aoife Nessa Frances, Samantha Crain, Madison Cunningham, Possessed by Paul James/Official, James Steinle, Margo Price, Soccer Mommy, TORRES, Nap Eyes, David Dondero, The Panhandlers, John Moreland, Hawktail, Thundercat, John Carroll Kirby, Khruangbin & Leon Bridges, Swamp Dogg ft. John Prine, Alabaster dePlume, and LINA_ RAÜL Refree.

Bolachas Now Playing, 03/2020 (#215):

The Innocence Mission - The Brothers Williams Said Nadia Reid - Get the Devil Out Aoife Nessa Frances - Land of No Junction Samantha Crain - An Echo Madison Cunningham - No One Else to Blame Bill Fay - Your Little Face Bill Fay - Filled with Wonder Once Again (Band Version) Possessed by Paul James - When It Breaks James Steinle - Back Out on the Road Margo Price - Stone Me Soccer Mommy - Circle the Drain Torres - Dressing America Nap Eyes - Mark Zuckerberg David Dondero - Underwater Sculpture Garden The Panhandlers - No Handle John Moreland - When My Fever Breaks Hawktail - The Tobogganist Thundercat - Black Qualls John Carroll Kirby - Blueberry Beads Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - C-Side Swamp Dogg - Memories (feat. John Prine) Alabaster Deplume - Whisky Story Time Lina_Raül Refree - Cuidei que tinha morrido

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist, now updated every Wednesday.

Field Music’s new record is an odd but interesting one - a concept album about the after-effects of the First World War (and not about the war itself), worth reading about on the band’s Bandcamp page. It’s a slow first half of January when it comes to album releases, as always, but there are plenty of singles coming out every day. On our second playlist of the year, enjoy new tracks from the likes of The Men, MICH, Wolf Parade, Alan Power, Destroyer, Aoife Nessa Frances, The Shins, Califone , Nathaniel Rateliff, Christopher Paul Stelling, Andy Shauf, Grandaddy, Susanne Sundfør, Kyle McEvoy & Ed Askew, Moses Sumney, Bonny Light Horseman, Frazey Ford, Lilly Hiatt, Frances Quinlan, Anna Burch, Tennis, and The Black Lips.

Bolachas Now Playing, 02/2020 (#214):

The Men - Children All Over the World MICH - Morning Wolf Parade - Julia Take Your Man Home Alan Power - Irene Field Music - Best Kept Garden Field Music - Do You Read Me? Destroyer - Cue Synthesizer Aoife Nessa Frances - Geranium The Shins - The Gloating Sun Califone - Romans Nathaniel Rateliff - And It's Still Alright Christopher Paul Stelling - Lucky Stars Andy Shauf - Living Room Grandaddy - RIP Coyote Condo #5 Susanne Sundfør - When The Lord Kyle McEvoy & Ed Askew - Good At Love Moses Sumney - Me in 20 Years Bonny Light Horseman - The Roving Frazey Ford - Azad Lilly Hiatt - Brightest Star Frances Quinlan - Your Reply Anna Burch - Not So Bad Tennis - Need Your Love Black Lips - Rumbler

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist, now updated every Wednesday.

Our first playlist of the year looks back into December, picking some of the best singles released last month and focusing on Duster’s self-titled record, their first album in 19 years. The lo-fi indie rock trio’s first two albums were largely forgotten by the general public after they were released in the twilight of last century, but an online cult following surged in the last few years. This has culminated on the release of a Numero Group issued boxset earlier in 2019, and a new studio album followed later in the year.

Plus: new singles and songs from forthcoming albums by Khruangbin & Leon Bridges, Son Little, Caroline Rose, Los Coast, Whiskey Wolves of the West, The Yearlings, Jonathan Wilson, Spider Bags, Jung Shackleton & Buck Meek, LEYA, Pop. 1280, BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE/ official, Bill Fay, John Moreland, Terry Allen Art/Music, Holly Macve, Nadia Reid, Squirrel flower, Shannon Lay, Soccer Mommy, Marem Ladson, Branko / Ana Moura / Conan Osiris, and Natalia Lafourcade Oficial.

Bolachas Now Playing, 01/2020 (#213): 

Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - Texas Sun Son Little - Mahalia Caroline Rose - Feel the Way I Want Los Coast - Untitled #2 Whiskey Wolves of the West - End of My Rope The Yearlings - Slamming the Dog Around Jonathan Wilson - In Heaven Making Love Spider Bags - Bleed for You Jung Shackleton & Buck Meek - Proof of Life LEYA & GABI - Weight Pop. 1280 - Home Sweet Hole Duster - I'm Lost Duster - Copernicus Crater Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Sollen es doch Alle wissen Bill Fay - Salt of The Earth John Moreland - Harder Dreams Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band - All That's Left Is Fare-Thee-Well (feat. Charlie Sexton) Holly Macve - Another Day Nadia Reid - Best Thing Squirrel Flower - Headlights Shannon Lay - Blue Soccer Mommy - Feed Marem Ladson - Fight Branko, Ana Moura & Conan Osiris - Vinte Vinte Natalia Lafourcade - Una Vida

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

Twain has just released their new album, “Adventure”. Physical copies will only be out next year through our beloved Keeled Scales, but you can listen to its nine new tunes right now, just in time for winter. “Rare Feeling” was one of our favourite song-oriented albums of the latter half of the 10s. It is in great company now. Our last new music playlist of 2019 also features tracks by Sam Sanford, Toby Hay, Benjamin Tod, Soccer Mommy, The Secret Sisters, The String Cheese Incident, Luke Lalonde, The Hanging Stars, Roger Harvey, Hollow Ship, Les Big Byrd, Ondness, Action Bronson, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley, Coldplay, El Khat, The Good Ones, Adam Green, Bombay Bicycle club, and Scott & Charlene's Wedding.

Bolachas Now Playing, 42/2019 (#212):

Twain - Inner Beauty Twain - Longing Sam Sanford - Failure Toby Hay - Morning Song Benjamin Tod - We Ain't Even Kin Soccer Mommy - yellow is the color of her eyes The Secret Sisters - Cabin The String Cheese Incident - Stories for Another Day (feat. Jim Lauderdale) Luke Lalonde - Waiting for the Light to Change The Hanging Stars - (I've Seen) The Summer in Her Eyes Roger Harvey - Raining in LA Hollow Ship - We Were Kings Les Big Byrd - Karlstadögon Ondness - Na Ronda Action Bronson - Dmtri Gyedu-Blay Ambolley - Ignorance Coldplay - Arabesque (feat. Stromae, Femi Kuti et al.) El Khat - Ya Raiyat The Good Ones - A Long, Sad Journey Watching You Die (feat. Kevin Shields) Adam Green - Dreidels of Fire Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Outside World

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

Hailing from Viana do Castelo, Portugal, Francisco da Concertina - or Chico da Tina - is the only trap star we know that plays concertina, would rather have a 18th century neoclassical painting on his neck instead of golden chains, buys his wares from local markets instead of “flea markets” or vintage shops, and whose notion of a good time is more likely to be a small village romaria instead of a club in the city. You won’t get it if you don’t know the language, but it’s your fault anyway. Plus: new tracks by Destroyer, Girl Ray, Jaakko Eino Kalevi, Lalalar, Health&Beauty, Black Bombaim & João Pais Filipe, Clark, Maria Reis, Josienne Clarke, Basia Bulat, Frances Quinlan, Hoops, Tōth, Califone, SUSS, Twain, Futurebirds, Tuomo & Markus, Drive-By Truckers, Honey Harper, and Leonard Cohen.

Bolachas Now Playing, 41/2019 (#211):

Destroyer - It Just Doesn't Happen Girl Ray - Show Me More Jaakko Eino Kalevi - Dissolution Lalalar - Hata Benim Göbek Adım Health&Beauty - Bottom Leaves Black Bombaim & João Pais Filipe - Birds Clark - Amor Chico da Tina - Cabral Moncada Chico da Tina - Triangle Chest Maria Reis - Resquício Josienne Clarke - Seconds Basia Bulat - Your Girl Frances Quinlan - Now That I'm Back Hoops - They Say Tōth - Juliette Califone - Snow Angel V2 SUSS - Road Trip Part 3 (The Lonely Path) Twain - Searching Futurebirds - Crazy Boys Tuomo & Markus – Predator (feat. Jonathan Wilson) Drive-By Truckers - Armageddon's Back in Town Honey Harper - In Light of Us Leonard Cohen - Thanks for the Dance

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The TakeRoot 2019 review

Garrett T. Capps. Photo by Knelis / TakeRoot 

It’s midnight in Groningen. It’s the end of an abnormally warm November saturday and it should also have been the end of an eight hour marathon of roots and americana across six rooms in the De Oosterpoort complex. But Garrett T. Capps and his NASA Country have different ideas. Suddenly, a “curfew” seems like a malleable concept as fellow Texans Robert Ellis and James Steinle join the band on stage for a sprawling and ecstatic “Born in San Antone” and a version of the classic “She’s About a Mover”, penned by San Antonio’s very own Doug Sahm. Capps seems comfortable as the frontman to a 21st century version of the mighty Texas Tornados, powered by a strong rhythm section and an unusual synth that takes his brand of Americana to another dimension. I’ve been calling it krautcountry after seeing them in Paradiso’s small room in the same evening as Faust and Camera, and you should too.

The legs of young and old seem to have forgotten they spent the last eight hours standing and rushing to the next stage with little or no time to rest and nobody can stand still. Believe me when I say “young and old” – the audience here is clearly older than your average “indie” festival, embarrassing not only boomers across the continent who think they’re too old to leave the house after dinner time, but also Gen X-ers and millennials who gave up on live music and the having of fun as soon as they got kids to feed. Anyway. Find me someone who was in the room and didn’t leave the festival with a smile on their face and I’ll try to cheer them up in 2020. Maybe they missed on the amazing frietjes topped with stoofvlees we had earlier that evening?

Orville Peck. Photo by Knelis / TakeRoot

Just before that closing show, AA Bondy played the most exquisite show of the evening in the small, scorching hot basement of De Oosterpoort. There were zero guitars on stage. It was just a man, his sunglasses, his synth, colorful stage lights, video projections and some of the best songs of 2019. I had watched his show in Amsterdam the night before, so I knew Bondy’s beautiful updated version of his own “Oh the Vampyre”, close to the end of the set, would be one of the highlights of his set, so I had to be there for that. A few hours earlier, outside that very same stage, people were queuing for what seemed like half an hour in order to not miss a second of Orville Peck’s show. In 45 minutes that sounded like 25, the masked Pink Cowboy (my personal favorite Halloween costume of 2019, from what I’ve seen on Instagram) and his cowboy-hat wearing five piece band went through most of Peck’s debut and only album so far, Pony, with a single break for a cover of the Parsons/Harris duet Ooh Las Vegas alongside FRIGS’ Bria Salmena, who’s part of Peck’s touring band. 

Erin Rae. Photo by Knelis / TakeRoot

Earlier at the Binnenzaal, both Erin Rae and Caroline Spence debuted some new songs. The high points of Rae’s set, though, were the beautiful “Minolta” from 2015′s Soon Enough and the brilliant “Wild Blue Wind” off last year’s breakthrough Putting On Airs. Likewise, Spence’s infectious “Who’s Gonna Make My Mistakes” off the brand new Mint Condition was the first big highlight of a festival that, for one more year, was able to put up the “sold out” sign – and I learned it the hard way as I tried to get in the already packed room. This is no ordinary festival, and the artists know it, too. It was common for them to give a shout out to some of their friends who were also playing, and most seemed excited with the idea of playing a festival where artists would rather be amongst the public seeing other shows than to get wasted backstage. Rae was having the time of her life seeing Drive-By Truckers, and, just like any other festival goer, had to manage her time to be able to catch a bit of AA Bondy’s show. After all, we’re all the same, we just happen to not be as gifted with words as they are.

The Delines’ Amy Boone. Photo by Knelis / TakeRoot

On the bigger room of the complex, the only disappointing moment of the festival, as Josh Ritter took the stage without a backing band. Sure, it was great to hear acoustic versions of classics like “Wolves” or “Henrietta, Indiana”, but make sure you bring a full band next time, pal. Meanwhile, in an absurdly packed and sweaty basement, Tyler Ramsey and his band were playing a few selections from his past albums, but focusing on his latest For the Morning; in an also packed, half-seated Kleine Zaal, The Delines, were presenting The Imperial alongside a few new songs whose names sound like they’re out of a concept album about going up on a hotel elevator (“Eight Floors Up”, “A Room in the Tenth Floor”). They’re self-described as a “retro country band”, and that’s exactly what you get from their live show. “Retro” as in “you’re transported to a smokeless smoky room in some other time”, not as some sort of nostalgic pastiche of influences that makes you cringe. If you’re familiar with Vlautin’s songwriting with Richmond Fontaine you’ll notice the same lyrical themes of beaten-up common folk trying to make it in a world that wasn’t exactly made for them. Boone’s voice projects those stories into a half-empty room of a provincial bar somewhere in the western United States, and you’re sitting there wishing there was a friendly person on the other side of the bar pouring you another whiskey. (Shout out to the kind and very knowledgeable barkeeper at Café de Koffer, where yours truly went to get a nightcap after the mandatory midnight döner, and ended up sitting at the bar sharing some beautiful Cantillon until 4am.)

Robert Ellis. Photo by Knelis / TakeRoot

But no matter how good a festival is, if this guy is playing, the highlight is bound to be the same every single time, even though plenty of his best songs were left out of the set. Robert Ellis. One of our favorite songwriters of the past decade keeps reinventing himself. This time around he presents himself as the Texas Piano Man, the title of his stellar latest record. He guides us through the piano-driven album (“Fucking Crazy”, “When You’re Away”, “Passive Aggressive”, the sad-as-fuck “Father”, or the closer “Nobody Smokes Anymore”) with a few stops to pick up a guitar, playing two absolute classics: “Happy Birthday” (yes, that one) and “What a Wonderful World” (also, yes, that one) and his own “Elephant”. But the most surprising number from the covers department had to be either the George Strait classic “Amarillo by Morning” (originally written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser), or Ellis’ assumption that people in the audience wouldn’t know who Strait is. It’s the Netherlands, dude. The best place in Europe for open minded music enthusiasts who don’t think country music is for people who marry their cousins. And, year after year, TakeRoot is still the closest to a Disneyland for people who wish they owned a nudie suit we can get on this side of the ocean.

TakeRoot will be back next Saturday, 7 November 2020 at SPOT/De Oosterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands.

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

The second coming of tindersticks (official) keeps yielding fruits. Everything the band has released since the mid-00s lineup change, from the Constellation to the City Slang eras, has been consistently good. Their 12th album, “No Treasure But Hope”, is amongst the best of the bunch. Don’t be that person who reads “12th album” and instantly looks the other way. Staples and co not only still have it in them; they seem like they’re ageing too gracefully.

Plus: new tracks by Chuck Prophet Official, Federale, Jesca Hoop, Bill Fay, Joe Henry, Andy Shauf, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Pan•American, Land of kush, Tinashe, Rosalía, Jessie Ware, of Montreal, Wye Oak, William Doyle, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, Ratboys, Hot Snakes, and black midi.

Bolachas Now Playing, 40/2019 (#210): 

Chuck Prophet - High as Johnny Thunders Federale - Trouble Jesca Hoop - Song for a Bygone Era Bill Fay - Filled With Wonder Once Again Tindersticks - Trees Fall Tindersticks - Tough Love Joe Henry - Orson Welles Andy Shauf - Try Again Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Squid Eye Pan-American - Brewthru Land of Kush - Aha (feat. Nadah El Shazly) Tinashe - Touch & Go (feat. 6LACK) Rosalía - A Palé Jessie Ware - Mirage (Don’t Stop) of Montreal - Peace To All Freaks Wye Oak - Fortune William Doyle - Design Guide (feat. Brian Eno) ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Don't Look Down Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Back in the Corner Ratboys - Alien With a Sleep Mask On Hot Snakes - Checkmate black midi - 7-eleven

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

We’re back from Le Guess Who?, one of the few festivals in Europe where we could choose between four or five quality club nights in various venues or a packed Xylouris White gig post-midnight on a Saturday. We were lucky to get in and witness one of the best concerts of the festival, which doubled as a release show, since the duo composed of Greek singer/laouto player George Xylouris and Dirty Three’s Jim White has just released their fourth album in six years, The Sisypheans. Plus: new tracks by Oiseaux-Tempête, 10 000 Russos, Katie Gately, FKA twigs, SebastiAn, Moor Mother, Vanishing Twin, Gus Seyffert, Wolf Parade, Jeffrey Lewis, Jonathan Wilson, Itasca, Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron, The Delines, Twain, Sea Lion, and The Good Ones.

Bolachas Now Playing, 39/2019 (#209):

Oiseaux-Tempête - He Is Afraid and So Am I 10 000 Russos - The Wheel Xylouris White - Inland Xylouris White - Ascension Katie Gately - Bracer FKA twigs - thousand eyes SebastiAn - Doorman (feat. Syd) Moor Mother - Black Flight (feat. Saul Williams) Vanishing Twin - Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life Gus Seyffert - Make It Out Wolf Parade - Forest Green Jeffrey Lewis - Depression! Despair! Jonathan Wilson - 69 Corvette Itasca - Plains Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron - Enduring the Waves The Delines - Eight Floors Up Twain - Royal Road Sea Lion - Some Peace At All The Good Ones - My Smartest Friend Has Lost His Mind

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

After two more layered, denser, and less critically popular records where we saw Andy Cabic holler at soft rock and psychedelia, “Up on High” is the sound of Vetiver returning to their acoustic beginnings. Welcome to your new favourite Saturday morning breakfast prep folk rock record. Plus: new tracks by Terry Allen, Simon Joyner, Tindersticks, Lambchop, Itasca, Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron, Michael Kiwanuka, Dylan LeBlanc, Theo Lawrence, Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker, Squirrel Flower, The Deer, Cate Le Bon & Bradford Cox, The Growlers, Pinegrove, Iguana Death Cult, Imperial Wax, Pop. 1280, DJ Nigga Fox, Peel Dream Magazine, and Warmduscher.

Bolachas Now Playing, 38/2019 (#208): 

Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band - Death of the Last Stripper Vetiver - The Living End Vetiver - All We Could Want Simon Joyner - Sean Foley's Blues Tindersticks - Pinky in the Daylight Lambchop - So Modern and So Tight Itasca - Voice of the Beloved Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron - Belief Pt. 2 Michael Kiwanuka - Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love) Dylan LeBlanc - Unanswered Questions Theo Lawrence - Prairie Fire Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker - Menebhi Squirrel Flower - Red Shoulder The Deer - Nothing Hurt Cate le Bon & Bradford Cox - Canto! The Growlers - Tune Out Pinegrove - Phase Iguana Death Cult - Tuesday's Lament Imperial Wax - Bromidic Thrills Pop. 1280 - Under Duress DJ Nigga Fox - Faz A Minha Peel Dream Magazine - Up and Up Warmduscher - Tiny Letters

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Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

YĪN YĪN’s debut album is another gem coming from the same vibrant Dutch scene that brought us the great Altin Gün. But instead of looking at Turkish folk and psychedelia for influence, the lads from Maastricht infuse South East Asian textures in their Moroder-inspired disco – with a nod to the Ghanaian institution that is Kiki Gyan’s “24 Hours in a Disco” in their single “Dis kô dis kô”. Plus: new tracks by 10 000 Russos, Heavy Lungs, Ancient Shapes, Battles, PAUS, Maria Reis, Chairlift's Caroline Polachek, Hop Along's Frances Quinlan, Sarah Pagé, Destroyer, Mikal Cronin, WHY?, Common Holly, Simone White, Andy Shauf, Frazey Ford, courtney barnett, Youbet, LANKUM, Leonard Cohen, and Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster.

Bolachas Now Playing, 37/2019 (#207):

10 000 Russos - Runnin' Escapin' Heavy Lungs - (A Bit of a) Birthday Ancient Shapes - Separation Anxiety Battles - Juice B Crypts Paus - Iran Costa Yin Yin - Alpaca Mountain Yin Yin - Dis kô dis kô Maria Reis - Odeio-te Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings Frances Quinlan - Rare Thing Sarah Pagé - Stasis Destroyer - Crimson Tide Mikal Cronin - Sold WHY? - We Are Real Common Holly - I Try Simone White - This Is All You Felt Andy Shauf - Things I Do Frazey Ford - The Kids Are Having None of It Courtney Barnett - Keep On youbet - Bite Lankum - The Pride of Petravore Leonard Cohen - Happens to the Heart Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster - There is a Vine

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TakeRoot Festival 2019: our picks

The Grote Zaal of De Oosterpoort during the 2018′s TakeRoot festival.

TakeRoot Festival. Saturday, 2 November 2019, at De Oosterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands. Tickets for sale here.

Coming of age in the era of MySpace meant stumbling into a lot of “A little bit of everything, except country and rap” on your fellow scenester’s profiles. Fast forward some 15 years, and there’s a rapper headlining your favorite indie festival, much to the disgust of a few folks who haven’t grown from their proud everything-except-country-and-rap pedestal. But most young alternative Europeans still look at country music with the same disgusted look that your aunt made the first time she stumbled upon a 50 Cent music video.

“Country” might be a term that is too generic to describe what TakeRoot is all about - so let’s go with their definition. TakeRoot is a festival for “past, present and future American music”. Its focus on “americana” – a more palatable term that encompasses not only country music, but also every genre that developed in its margins – would mean a ticket office disaster in most places in mainland Europe, but this is different. We are in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, the most americana-positive country in the continent, and the only place where the best European festival of the genre could take place. Young and old, coming from other Dutch cities or from abroad, you’ll struggle to find an unhappy face in the crowd. It’s our fourth time in a row visiting Groningen for the TakeRoot festival, and this year we decided to tell you all about it. Because if there’s a festival that your friends at Bolachas are jealous of not having invented it, it’s definitely TakeRoot. Bear with us while we swoon over one of the most #bolachascore events of the festival season.

TakeRoot 2018′s aftermovie, featuring Father John Misty, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Marlon Williams, and more.

24 artists playing 6 stages in 8 hours might seem like an overload, and it’s not always easy to find time for a bathroom, drink or food break. (Truth be told, we can always find time for a quick drink break in the amazing gift from God that is that craft beer bar just below the foyer stage.) Every year, some painful clashes end up breaking your heart. But, unlike most festivals, those don’t happen because of poor planning – they happen because the odds of a fan of the genre not liking even 1/4 of the artists are just too small. Fortunately, we’re here to help you navigate the lineup.

16:00. You’ve just arrived, found a place upstairs to hang your coat for a couple of euros (it’s going to be freezing outside after midnight, kids), you’re trying to make a sense of the huge Oosterpoort building, with its multiple rooms and stairways. It’s very likely that you’ll end up in the spacious Foyer stage where you’ll find some of the most energetic bands of the lineup. But, if you’re in the know and got there early enough, you know you cannot miss Caroline Spence (Binnenzaal, 16:00). Located to your left as soon as you get inside the building, Binnenzaal is not the biggest room in the venue, and it might get crowded as soon as the artist takes the stage, so be quick if you want to see her. But if you do, you’ll be rewarded with some of the catchiest tunes of 2019 (“Who’s Gonna Make My Mistakes” and “Long Haul” were featured in our playlist earlier this year). Spence’s second LP Mint Condition earned her comparisons to the likes of Emmylou Harris, who features in the chorus of the album’s title track.

17:00. You’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to decide where to go next, and so did I. To my amazement, I just realized I’ve never seen Josh Ritter (Grote Zaal, 17:00) live, so this ends up being an easier choice than I was expecting. The singer-songwriter has been around for a while, releasing stellar albums since 1999, and is still getting it right in 2019. The recent triad Sermon on the Rocks/Gathering/Fever Breaks is too good for me to skip him (there are more tracks on our playlists than I expected), but if he’s not your thing, you’re lucky because it’s one of the most packed hours of the fest. If you liked Caroline Spence, Molly Tuttle (Attic, 17:00) is the most logic sequence. Her latest album When You’re Ready, released last spring, is almost as catchy as Spence’s; if you’re looking for something else, Tyler Ramsey (Basement, 17:00) is your man. The former Band of Horses lead guitar player brings not one, but two new records with him (including the soundtrack for the Italian film L’ospite), the first since 2011′s The Valley Wind. Or, you know, you can try to watch a bit of each of the three shows. But beware: the Attic and the Basement stages are the smallest in the building.

18:00. Did Josh Ritter let you down, or did any of the other two shows end already? My favorite room in the Oosterpoort is hosting the magnificent The Delines (Kleine Zaal, 17:45). With their latest album The Imperial still somewhat fresh, and with a new single that was featured in last week’s playlist, the self-described retro country band fronted by Amy Boone has the songwriter and novelist Willy Vlautin in its ranks. And you don’t want to miss a chance to see Vlautin, especially now that he has put the beloved Richmond Fontaine to sleep. If they’re not your thing, and you’re looking for something more energetic, you’ll always have Lilly Hiatt (Foyer, 18:00). 2017′s Trinity Lane still spins at least once every couple of months, and we haven’t seen her live yet, so this might be it.

Another tough choice as 19:00 approaches. Orville Peck’s (Basement, 18:45) debut album ended up not being the magnificent work of art we wanted it to be from the first couple of singles, but we’re still curious to see him after the raving reviews his live show got at last week’s London Calling festival in Amsterdam. At the big room, Jay Farrar’s Son Volt (Grote Zaal, 19:00) are headlining. Regarded in the beginning as the true heirs of Uncle Tupelo following their demise in the early 90s, they failed to crossover to the “indie” world as their counterparts Wilco did, but they’re still a solid reference in the American roots world.

20:00. Hopefully, you found a bit of space in this schedule for a bite, because it ain’t over yet. Erin Rae (Binnenzaal, 20:15) was one of our highlights at last year’s Once in a Blue Moon festival despite the very early stage time on a rainy day; we can’t wait to see her in a seated venue with one more year of road experience. 

21:00. In that same festival we also saw this year’s TakeRoot headliners, Drive-By Truckers (Grote Zaal, 21:15), so we’re going to skip them in favor of one of our favorite American songwriters of the decade. Three years after we had an epiphany while seeing him in the same exact room, at roughly the same time, Robert Ellis (Kleine Zaal, 21:15) brings his latest album Texas Piano Man to an audience that knows him too well not to go see him again. He’s been extensively covered in our website, and his latest two albums were our album of the week in two different occasions. If you follow us, you don’t need us to tell you his live show is unmissable; if you don’t, well, now you know.

22:00. An hour went by and you’re still in wonder. Will you check out DBT? Will you go recharge with some well deserved beverage (my choice three years ago was an excellent single malt in a small specialty bar that I hope is back this year) or will you follow me into the basement for A.A. Bondy (Basement, 22:15)? The synth-heavy and strangely addictive Enderness, his first album in eight years, might seem a bit removed from the rest of a guitar-heavy lineup, but excellent songwriting is excellent songwriting, and Bondy makes total sense here.

23:00. It’s almost over, and we refuse to help you on this one, because we have no clue. But there’s something for every mood: folk singer Willie Watson (Binnenzaal, 22:45) is there for the contemplative, tea drinking crowd; if you want to put your dancing boots on, follow Quaker City Night Hawks (Foyer, 22:45); if you're into what I can only describe as “krautcountry” and want to see a modular synth and a pedal steel in the same stage, Garrett T. Capps (Kleine Zaal, 23:00) comes from San Antone to be your man. 

Don’t forget your coat - it’s cold outside and it’s still a bit of a walk to your nightcap whiskey at De Toeter and your kapsalon at Şafak, before you lose all hope of getting into Vera and go back into your hotel room, half drunk and very, very happy. Trust us, we’ve all been there before. And we intend on doing so as long as we can.

[bolachasgratis]

Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday. 

The fourth volume of Matana Roberts' "Coin Coin" series on Constellation Records, "Memphis", is our album of the week. It finds the American composer and saxophonist developing her ethnographic work through spoken word traditionals and blues, punctuated by free jazz bursts that make it an essential listen. Plus: new tracks by Dead Combo, Jaimie Breezy Branch, Yazz Ahmed, Vive la Void, Warmduscher, Comet Gain, Wolf Parade, Peggy Sue, Allah-Las, Jennah Barry, Julien Baker, The National's Matt Berninger & Phoebe Bridgers, Gus Seyffert, Cass McCombs, John Moreland, Christopher Paul Stelling, Richard Dawson, Lankum, Daniel Martin Moore, and Andre Ethier.

Bolachas Now Playing, 36/2019 (#206): 

Dead Combo - Sul Main Theme Matana Roberts - Her Mighty Waters Run Matana Roberts - Fit To Be Tied Jaimie Branch - Love Song Yazz Ahmed - Ruby Bridges Vive la Void - Rock River Warmduscher - Disco Peanuts Comet Gain - We're All Fucking Morons Wolf Parade - Against the Day Peggy Sue - Motorcade Allah-Las - Keeping Dry Jennah Barry - The Real Moon Julien Baker - Tokyo Matt Berninger, Phoebe Bridgers - Walking on a String Gus Seyffert - Hold On Cass McCombs - Confidence Man John Moreland - East October Christopher Paul Stelling - Trouble Don't Follow Me Richard Dawson - Heart Emoji Lankum - The Young People Daniel Martin Moore - Loud & Clear Andre Ethier - Foolish Love

[bolachasgratis]

Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

Yes, they did it again. Five months after releasing their third album in four years, Big Thief are back with yet another record that might even surpass its predecessor. Can't wait to see what the future brings for them. Plus: new tracks by Twain, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Vetiver, Michael Nau, Pat Hull, Illiterate Light, BODEGA, Caribou, Girl Ray, Nilüfer Yanya, Kim Gordon, Girl Band, Lightning Bolt, Angélica Salvi, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Eric Bachmann, The Delines, Jason James, Elijah Ocean, Theo Lawrence, and Sharaya Summers.

Bolachas Now Playing, 35/2019 (#205):

Twain - Inner Beauty Bonnie “Prince” Billy - In Good Faith Big Thief - Cut My Hair Big Thief - Two Hands Vetiver - Wanted, Never Asked Michael Nau - Boomtappin Pat Hull - Bring Me Closer Illiterate Light - Nuthin's Fair BODEGA - Shiny New Model Caribou - Home Girl Ray - Girl Nilüfer Yanya - H34T RISES Kim Gordon - Air BnB Girl Band - Couch Combover Lightning Bolt - Big Banger Angélica Salvi - Wisteria Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Waiting for You Eric Bachmann - Misinformation Age The Delines - A Room on the Tenth Floor Jason James - Achin’ Takin’ Place Elijah Ocean - Cleaned up in Vegas Theo Lawrence - Come on Back to My Love Sharaya Summers - Away

[bolachasgratis]

Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

Wilco’s eleventh full length is probably their most inspired since insert the name of your favorite Wilco record here. After two less remarkable albums and a small hiatus, they're back with an album that may sound quieter because we're really supposed to focus on Jeff Tweedy's superior songwriting and Glenn Kotche's exquisite drumming style, the stars of this show. It's a pleasure to be living in the same timeline as Wilco.

Plus: new tracks by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Angel Olsen, Johanna Warren, Lightning Dust, Big Thief, Kacy & Clayton, Marinho, Carla dal Forno, Kelsey Waldon, Colter Wall, The Avett Brothers, Craig Finn, Mikal Cronin, The Growlers, Altın Gün, Chromatics, Land of kush, The Messthetics, and Penguin Cafe.

Bolachas Now Playing, 34/2019 (#204):

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Spinning Song Angel Olsen - Chance Johanna Warren - Witchsickness Lightning Dust - A Pretty Picture (feat. Stephen Malkmus) Big Thief - Forgotten Eyes Wilco - We Were Lucky Wilco - Hold Me Anyway Kacy & Clayton - Intervention Marinho - I Give Up and It's Ok Carla dal Forno - Leaving For Japan Kelsey Waldon - Very Old Barton Colter Wall - Bob Fudge The Avett Brothers - Tell The Truth Craig Finn - It's Never Been A Fair Fight Mikal Cronin - I’ve Got Reason The Growlers - Pulp of Youth Altin Gün - Gelin Halayı Chromatics - On the Wall Land Of Kush - Domyat 1331 The Messthetics - Pacifica Penguin Cafe - Gentoo Origin

[bolachasgratis]

Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday.

Wow, every now and then we also feature non-"songwriter" music as our album of the week! It's only been half a week of listening to it on repeat, but Moon Duo's seventh LP is probably their most interesting offering so far. "Stars Are the Light" finds the American psych duo at their grooviest and we simply can't get enough.

And there's more: brand new tracks by The Deer, The New Pornographers, Chastity Belt, Vivian Girls, Cate Le Bon and Bradford Cox, The Comet is Coming, Mão Morta, Weeping Icon, Xylouris White, Telefon Tel Aviv, Sturgill Simpson, Loving, Red River Dialect, Darrin Bradbury and Margo Price, Colter Wall, Molly Sarlé, Dori Freeman, Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron, Donivan Berube, Will Johnson, The Milk Carton Kids, the Mountain Goats, and Jim James with The Louisville Orchestra.

Bolachas Now Playing, 33/2019 (#203):

The Deer - Confetti to the Hurricane The New Pornographers - Falling Down The Stairs Of Your Smile Chastity Belt - Pissed Pants Vivian Girls - Sludge Cate le Bon, Bradford Cox - Secretary Moon Duo - Flying Moon Duo - Stars Are the Light The Comet Is Coming - Journey Through the Asteroid Belt Mão Morta - Um Ser Que Não Se Ilumina Weeping Icon - Ankles Xylouris White - Black Sea Telefon Tel Aviv - arms aloft, Sturgill Simpson - Last Man Standing Loving - Only She Knows Red River Dialect - Salvation Darrin Bradbury, Margo Price - The Trouble with Time Colter Wall - Happy Reunion Molly Sarlé - Faith For Doubt Dori Freeman - Go On Mount Eerie, Julie Doiron - Love Without Possession Donivan Berube - Stevie Will Johnson - To the Shepherd, To the Lion The Milk Carton Kids - I'll Be Gone The Mountain Goats - Get High and Listen to The Cure Jim James, Teddy Abrams, Louisville Orchestra - Back To The End Of The World

[bolachasgratis]

Bolachas Now Playing, a new music Spotify playlist updated every Tuesday. 

Hiss Golden Messenger’s eleventh record in eleven years, “Terms of Surrender”, is our album of the week. Another gem, as usual from one of our favourite songwriters of the 2010s. Plus: new tracks by Andrew Combs, Longriver, Vetiver, Wilco, Jonathan Wilson, Kacy & Clayton, Caitlin Jemma, Leonard Cohen, Simon Joyner, Itasca, Brittany Howard, Leslie Stevens, Anna Ash, Soccer Mommy, Karl Blau, Jim Lauderdale, Jason James, Giant Sand, LIFE, Mikal Cronin, The New Pornographers, Nico LaOnda, YĪN YĪN, and Les Big Byrd.

Bolachas Now Playing, 32/2019 (#202): 

Andrew Combs - Shipwreck Man Longriver - Song for Norma Desmond Vetiver - Swaying Wilco - Everyone Hides Jonathan Wilson - So Alive Kacy & Clayton - That Sweet Orchestra Sound Hiss Golden Messenger - Katy (You Don’t Have to Be Good Yet) Hiss Golden Messenger - Terms of Surrender Caitlin Jemma - Home Means Nevada Leonard Cohen - The Goal Simon Joyner - Yellow Jacket Blues Itasca - Lily Brittany Howard - Georgia Leslie Stevens - Teen Bride Anna Ash - Some Kind of Miracle Soccer Mommy - lucy Karl Blau - Twilight Jim Lauderdale - When Carolina Comes Home Again Jason James - Move A Little Closer Giant Sand - Desperate Man LIFE - Half Pint Fatherhood Mikal Cronin - Shelter The New Pornographers - One Kind Of Solomon Nico LaOnda - Sottobanco Yin Yin - Pingpxng Les Big Byrd - Snö-Golem