Golden Irish Ballads Vol. 1 & 2 - The Original Recordings is a expansive 40-track double-CD retrospective by renowned Irish folk outfit The Wolfe Tones, released in 2002 by Dolphin Records. Gathering material primarily recorded during the band's foundational 1960s sessions, this collection captures the raw energy, fiery vocal harmonies, and passionate instrumentation that defined the internationally acclaimed quartet early in their career. Spanning two full discs, the set features timeless folk classics, patriotic ballads, and pub favorites including The Foggy Dew, Deportees, Follow Me Up To Carlow, The Long Black Veil, The Boys Of Wexford, and Wrap The Green Flag Round Me. Brimming with vintage charm and storytelling prowess, it stands as an essential anthology of classic Irish folk.

Rifles of the I.R.A. is the fourth studio album by quintessential Irish folk and rebel ballad group The Wolfe Tones, originally released in 1970 and digitally remastered for CD reissue in 1991 by Shanachie. Named after the Irish Republican Army, the album captures the group at a pivotal moment in their career, delivering a spirited mix of historic rebel ballads, traditional Irish folk songs, and topical anti-war tracks. The collection features iconic renditions of God Save Ireland, Big Strong Man, Skibbereen, and the famous title track, alongside the anti-nuclear anthem The Sun Is Burning and the whimsical Uncle Nobby's Steamboat. Digitally remastered by Robert Vosgien, this release stands as an enduring benchmark of 1970s Irish rebel music.

Legends Of Folk Rock is a comprehensive 2-CD anthology released in 2001 by Retro Records, celebrating the rich, traditional soundscape and electrical innovations of the British folk rock movement. Spanning two hours across 32 tracks, this double album gathers defining performances and rare cuts from the most influential icons of the genre. Disc One highlights the vibrant harmonies of Steeleye Span, Lindisfarne's upbeat Geordie folk pop, the progressive symphonic folk of Renaissance, and intimate acoustic duos by Tim Hart & Maddy Prior. Disc Two delves deep into classic Fairport Convention anthems, moving solo tracks by the legendary Sandy Denny, the whimsical psych-folk of The Incredible String Band, and traditional balladry from Shirley Collins accompanied by The Albion Band. Essential for collectors and enthusiasts of 1960s and 70s British folk music.

Tomorrow Is My Turn is the triumphant 2015 solo debut album from Grammy-winning singer, banjoist, and former Carolina Chocolate Drops co-founder Rhiannon Giddens, released via Nonesuch Records. Produced by legendary producer T Bone Burnett, the album pays powerful tribute to the groundbreaking women who shaped American roots music, reinterpreting classics made famous by Nina Simone, Dolly Parton, Odetta, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Patsy Cline, and Geeshie Wiley. Giddens' virtuosic vocal range and instrumental brilliance seamlessly bridge genres, moving from the haunting Delta blues of "Last Kind Word" and gospel-fueled energy of "Up Above My Head" to the soaring orchestral title track and her soulful original composition "Angel City". Critically acclaimed as a masterwork of Americana and folk, Tomorrow Is My Turn stands as a vibrant celebration of American musical history.

Originally released in 1975 on Rounder Records (often referred to as 'Rounder 0044') and reissued here in 2002 via Cracker Barrel's Music Catalogue, this self-titled masterwork is universally recognized as one of the most influential and revolutionary bluegrass albums ever recorded. Fronted by master banjoist J.D. Crowe, this landmark session features an astonishing "supergroup" lineup consisting of a young Ricky Skaggs on mandolin and fiddle, Tony Rice on his legendary acoustic guitar, Jerry Douglas on dobro, and Bobby Slone on bass. Together, they completely revitalized the genre, injecting traditional mountain music with flawless timing, sophisticated country-rock phrasing, and breathtaking three-part vocal harmonies. From the definitive opening drive of Old Home Place to the soulful interpretation of Ian Tyson's Summer Wages and Gordon Lightfoot's Ten Degrees and Getting Colder, this pristine high-fidelity archive preserves an absolute pinnacle of acoustic string music history.

On this deeply intimate and historically rich 1996 studio release, legendary King of Australian Country Music Slim Dusty takes a nostalgic journey backward to the very roots of his musical upbringing. Songs My Father Sang To Me is a beautifully stark, acoustic-driven tribute featuring pristine, high-fidelity digital remastering by EMI, capturing the raw emotional gravity of traditional storytelling. The album serves as a poignant time capsule, preserving the classic bush ballads, Irish folk melodies, and old-time parlor tunes that Slim’s father, David Kirkpatrick, sang to him during his childhood on the family farm. Stripped of modern production excess, the arrangements highlight Slim's warm, signature weathered baritone vocals accompanied by gentle, rhythmic acoustic guitar plucking. From the wistful longing of "Granny's Hieland Hame" and the tragic narrative of "The Ship That Never Returned" to the timeless Americana of "My Old Kentucky Home," this deeply personal session resonates with unmatched authenticity, organic warmth, and historical reverence.

A great deal of today's Celtic music has ventured far from its roots, adding a wash of new age keyboards and heavenly harmony. Fortunately for hardcore traditionalists, singers and musicians like Andy Irvine stick closer to their acoustic roots. Even when Irvine writes his own songs, they retain a strong flavor of traditional music. Way Out Yonder is a lovely album comprised of a number of ballads and jigs, and filled with good singing and fitting arrangements. Irvine adds words to the "The Girl I Left Behind," a song of love, betrayal, and reborn love. An American version of this piece, "Forsaken Love," ends in suicide, so this more upbeat version, while still melancholy, is refreshing. "Gladiators" covers the biography of one Tom Barker, a radical union worker (a Wobbly) from Australia who fought against conscription during WW I. "They'll Never Believe It's True/Froggy's Jig" conjures up Irish folklore in the form of faeries dancing, while the title cut is a lively Bulgarian jig with some nice harmonica work by Brendan Power. Many of the songs on Way Out Yonder are long because Irvine likes to spin a yarn, and fortunately for the audience, he's good at it. The acoustic guitars and whistles underline the music perfectly.

Gen X-ers will instantly recognize Burl Ives's voice from his appearance as a rotund snowman in the animated TV classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. But more mature listeners should remember that Ives was a key figure in the folk explosion of the '50s. His pop handling of traditional tunes brought him great success, and this CD collects some of his best. A few tracks, like a swinging "Blue Tail Fly," complete with Andrews Sisters-style background singing, may seem anathema to the folk aesthetic, but that's splitting hairs. If nothing else, this is exceedingly friendly music, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Amalie Bruun has always paved her own path, challenging underground preconceptions of heavy metal ever since the release of her debut Myrkur EP in 2014. Her first two full-length studio albums, 2015’s M and 2017’s Mareridt, recast black metal in the most personal yet expansive of terms, their blending of Amalie’s Danish folk roots with tempestuous internal struggles breathing new life into a subgenre whose followers can be rigidly possessive. With the release of her new album, Folkesange, Amalie Bruun has set out to journey into the very heart of the Scandinavian culture that marked her childhood. Folkesange relinquishes black metal for a refined yet far-reaching evocation of traditional folk, combining songs ancient and new to sublimely resonant effect.