One of the greatest sub-genres of indie rock music over the past couple of decades has been the indie folk-rock movement. The stellar rise in popularity of indie folk-rock from the early 2000s through the 2010s, was especially noteworthy. The list of artists and bands is epic: Fleet Foxes; Bon Iver; Bright Eyes; Sufjan Stevens; Iron & Wine; Mumford & Sons; The Decemberists; The Lumineers; Band of Horses, to name just a few.
While many indie music lovers know the ‘big’ names of indie folk-rock, there are ten times as many talented indie folk/folk-rock musicians and bands recording and dropping impressive albums and singles every month, but they rarely get covered.
Over the past 15+ years that we’ve been covering indie rock, there are hundreds of posts featuring both popular and DIY indie-folk artists and bands.
Kicking off this post is one of the best DIY, or non-DIY, indie-folk songs of the past year by way of South Carolina musician and songwriter Thomas LaVine. Together with heartfelt songwriting, feel-good, melodic acoustic guitar playing, banjo interludes, and LaVine’s, and Luna Keller’s, expressive and silky vocals, “By The Coast,” is one of the exceptional folk tracks that were largely unheard.
Watch and listen to four other splendid choice picks include recent singles from N. Kerbin, Jacksonport, Jordan Hart, and last, but definitely not least, is the amazing folk instrumental, “As The Ice Thaws,” from the exciting and accomplished guitarist Shae Lentz who plays a style similar to the late and truly great Michael Hedges (see last video below).
And the Legendary Guitarist Michael Hedges