Hard-hitting songs from Dawn Landes and an imaginative performance from Declan O’Rourke, tonight on Folkadelphia

When it is released next week, Dawn Landes‘ new album, Bluebird, will set the bar very high for all music that follows in 2014. I know it’s early on, but nothing has hit me quite as hard, nothing has warranted as many repeated listens as Bluebird. Landes has crafted a showpiece album of extreme beauty, tenderness, and warmth. It’s a record flush with feeling, spanning the spectrum of emotions. I find it hard to not click “track 1” when I reach the end and start the journey again. With Bluebird, I hope that Dawn Landes will be recognized as one of today’s great American voices.

Dawn Landes performs this Friday, February 14th at the Boot & Saddle in Philadelphia. More information can be found here. Listen and watch the video for “track 1” aka “Bluebird” below:

On this episode of Folkadelphia, we’ll premiere an excerpt from Dublin, Ireland-based singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke‘s Folkadelphia Session. Lesser known in the States than overseas, O’Rourke is an extremely talented writer and musician, and on Mag Pai Zai, released last year, he displayed serious growth and imagination. Watch Declan O’Rourke perform “Time Machine” for a Transatlantic Session below:

Every Wednesday from 10-11 PM on WXPN, Folkadelphia Radio with Fred Knittel explores the world of folk, Americana, country, and more, old and new, ranging from the fringe to the familiar to the freaky and everything in between. They also premiere an excerpt from a new Folkadelphia Session, an in-studio recording featuring musicians in their live element.