WXPN Radio

The premier guide for new and significant artists in rock, blues, and folk - including NPR-syndicated World Cafe ®

Listen Xpo

24/7 Musical discovery. A unique mix of emerging and heritage blues, rock, world, folk, and alt-country artists.

Singer Songwriter Radio

Featuring classics from heritage troubadours to new musicians and bands in the singer-songwriter tradition.

Folk Radio

Folk music radio streaming on the web; Americana, Roots Music, recordings, and stories from folk's best.
Listen Live

Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers - Zoe/Rounder

On her third full-length album, Canadian Kathleen Edwards has once again proven herself to be among the very best of the young songwriters out there. Combining an interesting worldview with a very honest voice and plenty of attitude, this 29-year-old has stepped up in several ways on this new release, Asking For Flowers.

Edwards\' main strength remains her songwriting, but her voice is a close second. Certainly not a classic \"great\" vocalist, she uses what she has better than just about any other singer-songwriter, never overdoing the emotions. It\'s certainly refreshing to the ear to hear a vocalist stay in their comfort zone, and it adds overall credibility to all of the proceedings. Her witty rocker \"The Cheapest Key\" starts with an alphabetical list of her problems with her lover, and culminates in a sweet, simple chorus that\'ll have you humming it for days. Elsewhere, weightier world issues are explored, not the least of which is the striking \"O Canada\" that reminds us that the U.S.A. hasn\'t cornered the market on creepy people. \"Oil Man\'s War\" is a great story, a movie script in the making, if you ask me, buoyed once again by a simple, effective riff and melody. The countrified \"I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory\" name checks Marty McSorely and a Dodge Fargo in the same verse, which is pretty damn funny in and of itself.

A great third album, and I just know she\'s not going to let us down any time soon (if ever).

Written by Dan Reed

XPN Featured Album of the Week March 3, 2008
CD of the Month - May 2008

Make Music Philly Spotlight: Sylvia Platypus

If the name alone wasn’t enough to pique your curiosity, then the bagpipes will. Philly’s own six-piece...Read More

Light Heat’s new album now streaming at The New York Times website (appearing on XPN Philly Local...

Light Heat‘s self-titled debut is due out on June 25th via Ribbon Music, but if you’re itching to hear it now, the album...Read More

Folkadelphia Session: Balto (performing at Lickety Split this Wednesday)

Because you love to discover great music, this week we’ll be debuting 3 new Folkadelphia Sessions for you to fall in love with....Read More

How some Philly punk rockers are giving back to the community with the Big Footprints Project

Brendan Lukens is used to watching things grow right before his eyes. The frontman and founder of Philly local pop punk band Modern...Read More

Watch a conversation with instrumental duo El Ten Eleven, shot at the North Star (playing Johnny Brenda’s on...

El Ten Eleven is a duo that doesn’t like to be captured in a label.  They make powerful instrumental music that spans various...Read More