Music I Liked – Pickathon 2019 Lineup

Yob

I’ve wanted to see Yob for years! I never expected it to be at a bluegrass festival.

Damien Jurado

I really like Damien Jurado. I have a bad habit of discovering bands, liking their current album intensely, and then not noticing when new albums come out. But I discovered Jurado in the lead-up to Maraqopa, and haven’t lost track of him since. I’m including music from The Horizon Just Laughed because it’s easier to embed from Bandcamp.

Julia Jacklin

How appropriate that Pickathon would book Julia Jacklin this year. Earlier this year, I heard Jacklin’s Crushing and compared it to Frasie Ford, whose music I discovered at Pickathon last year.

Fruit Bats

Another band on the “I already know I like these guys,” list – Fruit Bats.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats

Tearing at the Seams by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats reminds me of the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. They both create nostalgia for an era and a sound that are better in memory than they were in the original. Rateliff is doing a solo set at Pickathon, too. That will be more folksy than the one with the full band, and I might like it even better.

Khruangbin

Pop music filtered through a global lens. Khruangbin fit on a playlist with Dengue Fever but their sound is less specific and comes across less gimmicky.

Mandolin Orange

Mandolin Orange is my kind of folky Americana.

Tyler Childers

I’m not always in the mood for straightforward country music, but when I am, Tyler Childers‘ Purgatory fits the bill.

Makaya McCraven

I’m not always in the mood for jazz, but when I am, it sounds like Makaya McCraven.

Miya Folick

To tell the truth, I can’t make up my mind about Miya Folick. Like Julia Jacklin, she’s a pop singer with classical training, and I love what that does for the voice. She also has strong echoes of Fiona Apple. At various times I’ve been an ardent fan of Apple and also found her grating. In Folick’s case, I listened to her whole album and still can’t decide if I love it or it bugs me. You know what helps in that situation? Seeing the artist live.