John Edward Prine was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, often with elements of social commentary and satire, as well as sweet songs and melancholy ballads. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death.
"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962. It was released as a single and included on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. It has been described as a protest song and poses a series of rhetorical questions about peace, war, and freedom. The refrain "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" has been described as "impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind".
The Proclaimers are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid. They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America", which reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the 1988 single "I'm Gonna Be ", which topped charts in Australia, Iceland and New Zealand. The duo's biggest album, Sunshine on Leith (1988) has been certified multi-Platinum in Australia and Canada, selling over 2 million copies worldwide, including around 700,000 in the United States. The Proclaimers have sold over 5 million albums worldwide.
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a song by the English rock band the Verve, released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings and Virgin Records as the lead single from their third album, Urban Hymns (1997). It was produced by Youth at Olympic Studios, London.
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer are a musical duo who perform folk, bluegrass and children’s music. They have performed with Pete Seeger, Theodore Bikel, Tom Paxton, Patsy Montana, Riders in the Sky and others. The Washington Area Music Association has recognized the duo with over 60 Wammie Awards for folk, bluegrass, and children’s music.
Anaïs Mitchell is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including Hadestown (2010), Young Man in America (2012), Child Ballads (2013), and Anaïs Mitchell (2022).
Aoife O'Donovan is an American singer and Grammy award-winning songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer for the string band Crooked Still and she also co-founded the Grammy Award-winning female folk trio I'm with Her. She has released three critically acclaimed studio albums: Fossils (2013), In the Magic Hour (2016), and Age of Apathy, as well as multiple noteworthy live recordings and EPs, including Blue Light (2010), Peachstone (2012), Man in a Neon Coat: Live From Cambridge (2016), In the Magic Hour: Solo Sessions (2019), and Bull Frog's Croon (2020). She also spent a decade contributing to the radio variety shows Live from Here and A Prairie Home Companion. Her first professional engagement was singing lead for the folk group The Wayfaring Strangers.
Ruins is the fourth studio album by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit. The album was produced by Tucker Martine and features contributions from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Wilco's Glenn Kotche and Midlake's McKenzie Smith. The album was released on 19 January 2018. The lead single "It's a Shame" was released on 28 September 2017.
Yolanda Claire Quartey, known professionally as Yola or Yola Carter, is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. Her debut studio album Walk Through Fire (2019) received critical acclaim and earned her four Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist. Her follow-up, Stand for Myself (2021), received similar acclaim and earned her two more Grammy nominations. Yola made her acting debut in 2022, portraying "the Godmother of rock and roll" Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrman's biopic Elvis, and later made her Broadway debut in 2024 when she began playing Persephone in Anaïs Mitchell's musical Hadestown.
U.F.O.F. is the third studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through 4AD on May 3, 2019.
Saves the World is the second studio album by American band Muna, released through RCA Records on September 6, 2019. The album was promoted by the singles "Number One Fan", "Who", "Stayaway", and "Taken", receiving positive reviews.
Life Support is the debut studio album by American singer Madison Beer. It was released on February 26, 2021, by Access and Epic Records. Beer herself co-wrote the entire album, and co-produced most of the record, which is a concept album created in the midst of a major depressive episode and Beer's diagnosis with borderline personality disorder. The album lyrically revolves around themes of mental health, grief and heartbreak, as well as Beer's experiences with public scrutiny and building resilience during the making of the record. Musically, Life Support is a pop and R&B record with elements of indie pop.
Two Hands is the fourth studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through 4AD on October 11, 2019. The album comes five months after the release of the band's third studio album, U.F.O.F., and is described as its "earth twin". It was preceded by the singles "Not" and "Forgotten Eyes".
Silver Landings is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mandy Moore, released on March 6, 2020, via Verve Forecast Records. It is her first studio album in 11 years, following her fifth studio album Amanda Leigh (2009). Moore was due to promote the album with a North American tour, before it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who Are You Now is the second studio album by American singer Madison Cunningham, released on August 16, 2019 by Verve Forecast. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Americana Album.
Madison Cunningham is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Rolling Stone described her music as "a new spin on West Coast folk-rock, with classical tendencies, electric guitars, jazz-school chord changes and alt-rock strut all living under the same roof". Her 2019 album, Who Are You Now, was nominated for the best Americana album in the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Her 2022 album Revealer won the Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2023.
No Stranger is the tenth studio album by American contemporary Christian music singer Natalie Grant. Curb Records released the album on September 25, 2020.
Salem Ilese Davern is an American singer-songwriter best known for her viral singles "Mad at Disney" and "PS5". She has also co-written songs for artists such as Bella Poarch and Demi Lovato and co-wrote K-pop girl group Illit's hit single "Magnetic".
"Carolina" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for the soundtrack of the 2022 murder mystery film Where the Crawdads Sing. Released via Republic Records on June 24, 2022, the song is titled after the Carolinas region in the United States, and sung from the perspective of the film's protagonist, Kya. "Carolina" was met with strong acclaim from music critics, most of whom felt the song's ambience matched the film's atmosphere, and is reminiscent of Swift's 2020 indie folk albums, Folklore and Evermore. Reviews commended the song for Swift's vocals, songwriting style, and the overall "haunting" mood.
Bright Future is the sixth solo studio album by Adrianne Lenker. It was released on March 22, 2024, through 4AD.
