It seems there’s little left for groundbreaking within the experimental psychedelic noise sub-genre. Crystal Antlers impressed greatly with their debut self-titled EP, packed with intense solos and wild, infectious screams. And recently we were wowed by Magic Lantern, whose primarily instrumental sound is seemingly inundated with the term acid. Both are outstanding – don’t confuse the lack of groundbreaking with ineffective songwriting and performance.

Folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov brings his masterful songs to the West Coast early next month. Hailed as one of Denver’s greatest folk artists, Isakov is set to treat audiences to songs off his recent LP, This Empty Northern Hemisphere. One thing’s for sure, whether you see him at Seattle’s High Dive, visit him at Mississippi Studios in Portland, or stop by one of his several California dates, his mystical acoustic songs will entrance you and lay waste on your emotions. Each song is heartfelt – a …

Swedish folk musician turned Denver resident, Elin Palmer varies her song-craft between orchestration and experimentation. Her songs mesh the two arenas of folk, often dabbling in a fairly sizable amount of pop as well. Palmer’s brilliance is partly due to her mystic voice — the Swedish accent is truly what does it. But wherever the unique instrumentation dominates, sheer brilliance ensues.