On this week’s Monday Morning Tape…

…we’ll do some sad folk, sadder folk, sparse and desolate folk, lonely folk… and then a few songs from Vandaveer and the Lawsuits.

Hopefully you’re already having a Happy Monday, because this music sure isn’t gonna help.

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Courtney Marie Andrews – How Quickly Your Heart Mends / Irene

In a few months, the forthcoming record by Courtney Marie Andrews, plainly-titled Honest Life, will be on many writers’ and critics’ Album of the Year lists.

And it’ll be on those lists for some very, very good reasons.

It’s a work of uniquely American art.  It’s charming, organic, and earnest.  It’s heart-breaking, hopeful, and timeless.

I’ve listened to it front-to-back three times now, which is about equal to the amount of time it has been in my possession.

August 19th, friends — mark your calendars.

RIYL: Joni Mitchell, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Gillian Welch, good music

(via songsfortheday)

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Ivory Tusk – Waves

Here’s some lonesome, thoughtful, evocative, sparse folk, care of Buenos Aries, Argentina.

If you enjoy The Tallest Man on Earth, this stuff will probably be right up your proverbial alley.

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Julien Baker – Funeral Pyre (live)

Holy heartache, folks — here’s a fantastic unreleased song from Ms. Baker.

It’ll ruin your day in the most wonderful of ways.

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Chris Staples – Park Bench

When you’re buying that Courtney Marie Andrews record up there on August 19th, you’ll probably want to pick up Golden Age too.

RIYL: Gregory Alan Isakov, Iron & Wine, good music, generalized pessimism

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Vandaveer – The Wild Mercury

We officially made it through the sad bastard morass.  Are your wrists ok?  Good deal.

Here’s some moody, beguiling indie rock from Washington, D.C.

The title track to The Wild Mercury is below.

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The Lawsuits – Wasted / Good Time to Change

Let’s finish up with something that’s 2 parts groovy, 1 part weird, and 1 part old-fashioned rock n’ roll.

Moon Son is out now.

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Until next week, cheers.