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Tag: Folk

  • Runway by Marc-Alan Prince

    Runway by Marc-Alan Prince

    Artist: Marc-Alan Prince 

    Album: Runway

    Release: May 5, 2026; Travel Well Records  

    To say that Marc-Alan Prince has been around the block is somewhat of an understatement. Hailing from Milwaukee, he has spent almost 2 decades touring the country, acoustic guitar in hand. He is a traveling man, if you will. His newest record, Runway, showcases that experience quite nicely. 

    The first two songs on this EP fall into a category I call outcast anthems. Track 1 “Runway” starts with some really punchy guitar that carries the song. This song is about feeling a lack of belonging and leaving town. The chorus is pretty hype. Marc-Alan’s raspy voice really delivers here and starts the album out on a good footing. “The Damned” is thematically very similar to the first track. I find myself wondering why they are right next to each other on the album. Just listen, y’all will get what I mean about outcast anthems. However, theming hardly matters when you taken into account the harmonica laid out on the track. Damn! I love it! Ultimately, I get why the song made the album. The harmonica alone sells the song for me; however, I am still left wondering why they are right next to each other in track order. It leaves me feeling a little overwhelmed with that particular theme. 

    “The Devil And Me” is a song about self-doubt built from a childhood that made you feel less than, the struggle to come to terms with it and the desire to love yourself. Learning to love yourself is the only way to set yourself free. ‘If there is a hell, I’ve been there. The devil is me.” It is that line that illustrates the point of the song the best. Your in hell, but ultimately you are the only one holding yourself there. Change is hard, especially when it means dealing with life long trauma. I love the analogy. Marc-Alan’s vocal performance is wonderful. You feel the struggle through his vocals in a visceral way. This is by far my favorite song on the EP. 

    In “Fighting Man”, the harmonica is back and once again it is fabulous. I am honestly all in on the harmonica. The song is the perfect capstone. Ending an album that is about struggle and survival with a fight song is great. The fight song is performed in a nonchalant style instead of the typical high energy you get from most fight songs. You know the type. The kind of song that is upbeat and metaphorically screams—I have finally found what I needed to keep fighting. This song isn’t that. It instead, invokes a resolute feeling that says— Of course I am going to fight because that is what I have been doing this entire time. It’s so matter of fact; it’s deeply inspiring.

    Runaway is a nice inclusion to the folk punk lexicon. If you are a fan of the genre, this is an album for you check out. It’s punk, it’s Americana, and it’s timeless in a way that only folk can be.

  • Johnson Road (Music Video)by Friends In Real Life

    Johnson Road (Music Video)by Friends In Real Life

    Note From The Editor: This article was written by my 13 old son. We both share a love for the work of Patrick Schneeweis. Naturally my son was super hyped about the new Friends In Real Life album and thought he would try his hand at doing what I do. Please enjoy his review.

    Artist: Friends In Real Life

    Album: ??? ??A??????

    Music Video: Johnson Road

    Released: March 06, 2026; Self Release

    Johnson Road is the first single from Friends In Real Life’s new album, and if it’s anything like the first album, it will be bliss. The song brings upbeat, cheerful story telling despite being on real world issues. The song focuses on a nature loving office worker, as said by the description of the official music video, who faces a difficult decision that changes his life.

    The horns and upbeat music really transfer you into the moment. It makes you feel what it means when Pat says “I got a low fuel light down on Johnson Road”. As the story progresses, it goes on to say that sure, not everyone has time, but you gotta be in the moment and witness the world’s “marvels”. The song is very chill, Pat has a calming voice and it is just the kind of song to listen to if you need to get out of a funk. 

              Due to Datacorps plans, the office worker stands up and quits. This particular action really lets us see the person he is because sure, he could just let them build the datacenter, and they probably still will, if this was real, but it’s actions like these that really drive home that he wants to protect the nature that he loves. It made me realize in a way that maybe more music is like storytelling. Pat could have written it, so if he didn’t stand up, the datacenter was built. 

    Theme, see the theme would have changed because of it. It could have gone from cheery and upbeat to sad and reconciling, but Pat didn’t write it like that and due to that the song has a stronger narrative and overall impact.

    Friends In Real Life’s Johnson Road shows the challenges we face in society and the things we can do to handle it. The music video shows great cinematics and further explains the story they are trying to tell. Despite all of this, the story is incomplete because it is but one of a series, so I can’t wait to listen, watch and maybe even review the others.