
Burn The Ladder – The Rabbit & The Crone
Similar artists: The Crane Wives, The Decemberists, The Mountain Goats, Jesca Hoop
Genre: Folk
Folk music is much too terrifying to be included on regular Halloween playlists. This happens because traditional Halloween tunes, and the ones daringly making themselves known within thi style, are playful, campy and can’t really be taken seriously. On the other hand, a great deal of traditional music has at it embers of true, harsh horror.
Burn The Ladder’s music belongs to the second category. These are songs that are part of an ancient tradition that involves good and bad spirits, terrible and hopeful omens, and the idea that art and creativity are meant to change the world and the people in it. This is sacred music that dives head first into the kinds of things that regular pop songs might want to ignore.
Burn The Ladder’s “The Rabbit & The Crone” is a terrifying folk ballad, that does not require any investment in creepy sound effects, aggressive vocals, or sudden shifts in tone or instrumentation. No, the thrills and the terror arrive just by doing this straight, telling the story and letting the ideasbe shown for what they are to the public. The result is a plain and evil-sounding folk record for modern listneers that have not broken with tradition just yet.
Aaron Rizzo – Back in Five
Similar artists: Noah Kahan, Caamp, Mt. Joy
Genre: Indie Folk, Folk rock, Alt Country
Most people grow up thinking that the world simply does not care about them. But this is false. Most of the people out there in the world like to be told something about themselves, yes, but they also want someone like them to tell their stories. This is why every generation anoints rock stars and celebrated singer-songwriters. Aaron Rizzo brings not only his musical ability but also his charisma to the service of his cause.
While indifference may be the default setting of the world, it only takes doing something amazing once to make it change its mind. It’s amazing to consider that songwriters like Bob Dylan or John Lennon rival Shakespeare or Tolstoy in the amount of books that are written about them. This interest isn’t only owed to how well they wrote songs. A lot of it has to do with their own personalities and the ways in which they managed to showcase them.
Aaron Rizzo’s “Back in Five” is a poppy, acoustic-based single that gets by on charm. The singer-songwriter isn’t merely chanting lines about his hometown and its hardships. No, the musician takes you on a guided tour and drops a few jokes and knowing winks along the way. The folks in the world care about people who care about them, and this is the impression that some of the best songwriters are able to transmit.