Weekly Playlist (3/25/2025)

March 25, 2025March 25, 2025 Bryce Russell Art & Entertainment, music

Photo Courtesy of Glen Hansard Official Spotify

Bryce Russell | Art & Entertainment Editor

One of folk singer Glen Hansard’s most unique songs, “Fallen From The Sky” is featured on the soundtrack to the 2007 movie Once, featuring Glen Hansard and fellow Swell Season member Markéta Irglová. If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it, for both its fantastic music and emotional story (though if you are going through a breakup maybe hold off a bit because this movie probably won’t help much). “Fallen From The Sky” features electronic instrumentation and a muffled drum machine, separating it from the rest of the album’s acoustic sound, but still featuring Hansard’s heartfelt lyrics.

“Is There a Place I Can Go” – Trudy and the Romance

Coming off of the band’s 2017 EP Junkyard Jazz, “Is There a Place I Can Go” seems to be influenced by both indie/alt rock and the pop sound of the late 50s and early 60s exemplified by artists like the Beach Boys. This ballad features background vocals in a doo-wop style, which when juxtaposed with the more traditional alt rock instrumentation proves for a pretty interesting sound.

“Dancing in the Club – MJ Lenderman Version” – This Is Lorelei, MJ Lenderman

If you’ve been reading these, you can probably tell that MJ Lenderman has quickly become one of my favourite artists recently. This week brought a new single from Lenderman. “Dancing in the Club,” is a cover of fellow indie/alt rocker This Is Lorelei’s 2024 album Box for Buddy, Box for Star. MJ Lenderman’s most recent tour featured a handful of covers from classic influences like Bob Dylan and Neil Young, as well as some from contemporary indie artists. “Dancing in the Club” proved to be a fan favorite, taking This Is Lorelei’s techno/pop influenced song and turning it into a country-tinged alternative rock song, complete with Lenderman’s signature lazy singing style.

“Tecumseh Valley” – Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt is one of the most underrated country artists when it comes to the public consciousness, but he has been named an influence by countless musicians and his songs have been covered by artists like Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan, Doc Watson, Willie Nelson, Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, and many more. His most popular song is probably “Pancho and Lefty,” which reached new heights after being covered by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard in 1983, becoming a country classic. “Tecumseh Valley” demonstrates Van Zandt’s storytelling ability, focusing on tragic characters and the poor situations they find themselves in.

“Tell Me What Is True Love” – Bert Jansch

Bert Jansch is hands down one of my favorite guitar players. His virtuosic fingerpicking style was influential to many artists (none more than maybe Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, who stole Jansch’s arrangement of “Black Waterside” and renamed it “Black Mountain Side” for the first Led Zeppelin album). “Tell Me What Is True Love” is the opening track off of Jansch’s 1971 album Rosemary Lane and is my favorite off the album. The gentle fingerpicking and Jansch’s simple lyrics about love are sure to make you feel something (whether that is happy or sad, that’s up to you).

“Arthur McBride” – Paul Brady

Though released on Paul Brady and Andy Irvine’s 1976 collaborative album, this song features only Brady playing acoustic guitar. Paul Brady is one of the greatest hybrid-picking guitar players (using a guitar pick while plucking other strings with his middle and ring finger), and “Arthur McBride” is a great example of that. This old Irish folk song has been performed by countless artists, but since Brady’s version was released in 1976, it has since been considered the definitive version. I’ve attached a live video of him performing the song, so you can see his brilliant guitar picking ability.