Folk Night at Cafe Royale

Ian Alexy, Mary Bue and Josh Garrels, three of the finest folk musicians in the Midwest stopped by Cafe Royale last weekend.

Ian Alexy describes himself a singer-songwriter but I don't think the label really does him justice. His songs belie his diverse influences and you can hear folk, jazz and blues resonating through his songwriting. His debut CD "Rootedness" had more folksy, bluegrass influences while his new project "Broken Billy" is much more ambitious, with more complex melodies and a great slow country feel.

My favorite songs he played during the night were:

"Blame Me" (from his new project, Broken Billy which features Mary Bue on vocals)
"Love is Letting Go" (off his debut album rootedness)

Mary Bue is from Minnesota and has built up quite the reputation as a talented folk musician, performer and songwriter. Her songs are multifaceted, sometimes playful, sometimes mournful and always honest. It is like stealing a peek into someone else’s journal, except the words are accompanied by beautiful piano melodies. One thing struck me in particular, I noticed, that despite the boisterous coffee house surroundings, the room stayed quiet during most of her set. It is rather difficult to hold a conversation when someone seems to be playing the story of your life. Such are the songs of Mary Bue.

My favourite songs she played were:

"Found Myself Sad"
"Red Dirt Trails"
"Love"

Josh Garrels took the stage last and I absolutely loved him. His signature beats, folksy guitars, abstract hip-hop and insightful lyrics are unlike anything I've ever heard. I listened to “Joyful Boy”, and I can hear strains of gospel, folk, soul, hip-hop and spoken word united in a way that sounds unforced.

Check out:

"Joyful Boy" (Pure Brilliance)
"Roll on John"
"Stomp Your Feet" (Sweet Bongos)


Read my review of the show in this weeks Tipp-C