Kings of A&R — Cat Clyde releases her new single The River. Although the scene can be littered with americana/ folk acts, this Ontario bred storyteller stands out. Drawing influences from Etta James to Lead Belly, the new track follows her debut album, Ivory Castan... more info

New York Times — A "Pinocchio" opera, an Amy Beach concerto and Puccini are among the highlights. more info

Aquarium Drunkard — It’s been 10 years since Raymond Raposa’s Castanets released Cathedral, a powerful work of skeletal folk and dread. Since then The songwriter has been consistent – releasing a string of Castanets albums, each one stretching out in strange and ... more info

Stereogum — “Out For The West,” the first song we heard from Castanets’ Decimation Blues, established that Raymond Raposa had developed a distinctly haunting take on sparse, somber folk music with a digital fringe. “Tell Them Memphis” — which could p... more info

Stereogum — Raymond Raposa has been giving us itinerant folk songs as Castanets since the heyday of freak-folk, but he’s survived and evolved. “Out For The West,” the lead single from Castanets’ upcoming Decimation Blues, provides ample evidence of that ... more info

Consequence of Sound — Along with members of The Mars Volta, Castanets, and Cryptacize. more info

DrownedInSound — Single of the Week! The Insomniax - ‘Love She Wants’ EP (Earnest Endeavours) At the tail end of summer I get on a rescue mission, clinging to singles with any kind of bright aspect, as if they could prolong what little daylight is left, be... more info

78s — Ray Raposa heisst nun auch Byron und tauscht die Castanets mal eben mit the White Freighter. Er zeigt sich etwas volksnaher, das besondere Quentchen Weirdness geht aber nicht verloren. Wer die fünf Alben von Castanets kennt weiss, dass Ray Raposa ei... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — by Andrew Sacher DOWNLOAD: Raymond Byron & the White Freighter - "Allegiance" (MP3) Ray Raposa, the brains behind Asthmatic Kitty-signed freak folk project Castanets, hasn't officially retired the Castanets moniker, but he is on to a new project whic... more info

Impose Magazine — This is perhaps the most wide-spanning diy tape-recorder vintage compilation of recordings I've ever personally come across. Feel free to let me know what I'm missing pre or post-LAFMs, but this project - 93-minutes of Carter Family covers by... more info