Watch Jake Xerxes Fussell’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert for NPR.
“On his fourth album, Good and Green Again, Fussell and the producer James Elkington avoid a period pose, casting songs in lush arrangements that belong to the modern indie landscape.” — The New Yorker
“The leading interpreter of American folk music right now … a really richly arranged, fantastic record.” — NPR Music
“For his fourth and latest album, Good and Green Again, Fussell worked with James Elkington to bring rich, subtle shadings to these reconstructed songs, achieving a melancholy clarity and modern-day resonance in music first conceived centuries ago.” — Aquarium Drunkard
Jake Xerxes Fussell “has the charm of the best bar raconteur, a storyteller who can sell fantastical yarns in a companionable way” (MOJO). This is immediate throughout his new album, Good and Green Again, released last week. Today, he unveils his captivating Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, which only further cements his intimate storytelling capabilities. Filmed at the home of PoB pals Lindsey Alexander and Sal Borriello in Pittsboro, North Carolina by Jesse Paddock, it presents Fussell playing songs from Good and Green Again, 2019’s Out of Sight, and 2017’s What in the Natural World. His sound is fleshed out by Libby Rodenbough (violin, harmonium, backing vocals) and Casey Toll (upright bass).
Fussell is currently on a solo tour now throughout North America in support of Good and Green Again. A full list of upcoming dates are below, and tickets are on sale now.
$9.00 – $29.00
Purchase from PoB above or support via
- Bandcamp (LP/CD/digital)
- Other Options (physical/digital/int’l)
9/10, Album of the Month. Good and Green Again is his most thoughtful, his most eloquent, and his most poignant explication of the idea … [that] for him a song is no older than the last time it was sung.
– Uncut
On his fourth album, Good and Green Again, Fussell and the producer James Elkington avoid a period pose, casting songs in lush arrangements that belong to the modern indie landscape… The most dramatic shift is emotional… A creature of his own time, Fussell sounds unfailingly downcast.
– The New Yorker
4 stars; lead Filter review. Fussell’s the sort of folk singer who makes an art of picking the richest songs, honoring their cultural and historical contexts, and making something new and idiosyncratic out of them. He has the charm of the best bar raconteur, a storyteller who can sell fantastical yarns in a companionable way.
– MOJO
His most poignant album.
– The Guardian
[‘Love Farewell’ is] a heartbreaking song of love during war time that Fussell reinterprets and refreshes masterfully, his tender vocals and acoustic guitar turning the minimal source material into something rich and beautiful.
— NPR Music
4 stars. A cohesive, brilliant collection… [of] breathtaking, empathic power.
– Record Collector Magazine
Roundly among Fussell’s most inquiring albums to date. With songs soaked in hurt and hubris, there’s a melancholy that matches the age we occupy. Here, as always, Fussell uses his curatorial skills to reflect the uncertainty, the anguish, and the unease of our times through antique notions and contemporary cloths alike.
– Raven Sings the Blues
A work of lush folk, gorgeous orchestration and rich lyrical imagery,
– Brooklyn Vegan
Another spell-binding album from the inimitable Jake Xerxes Fussell.
– Folk Radio UK
Equal parts earthy and ethereal, melancholic and hopeful, its nine songs also deliver several career superlatives for the Durham-based folk song interpreter, guitarist, and singer.
– INDY Week
4.5 stars. There’s something special about Fussell’s music that is both transporting and deeply relaxing. Listening to Good and Green Again is like visiting a warm little den where the songs of yesteryear spend an easy hour catching up on the news of the present. His is a peculiar gift, but one he’s learned how to use to great effect.
– AllMusic
Fussell is creating his own legacy within the long lineage of traditional folk musicians and storytellers that have come before him.
– The New York Times
- Deluxe LP edition features 140g virgin vinyl; heavy-duty board jacket with song sources, credits, & artwork by Art Rosenbaum; & high-res Bandcamp download code.
- CD edition features gatefold jacket with LP replica art.
- All preorders include an immediate 320k MP3 download of lead single “Love Farewell” (featuring Bonnie “Prince” Billy)
- RIYL: Bob Dylan, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, Ry Cooder, Bill Frisell, Dave Van Ronk, Michael Chapman, Jim Dickinson, Michael Hurley, The Youngbloods, Raccoon Records, James Elkington, Nathan Salsburg, William Tyler, Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Jake Xerxes Fussell 2022 Tour Dates
Tue. Jan. 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA #
Wed. Jan. 26 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory <>
Thu. Jan. 27 – Boston, MA @ Club Passim
Fri. Jan 28 – Keene, NH @ Nova Arts
Sat. Jan. 29 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Caffe Lena
Fri. Feb 4 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Nightlight (rescheduled album release show) ^
Thu. Feb. 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers *
Sat. Feb 19 – Santa Monica, CA @ McCabe’s Guitar Shop *
Tue. Feb 22 – Portland, OR @ The Old Church *
Wed. Feb 23 – Seattle, WA @ Fremont Abbey *
Sun. May 1 – Kilkenny, IE @ Kilkenny Roots
Mon. May 2 – Kilkenny, IE @ Kilkenny Roots
Tue. May 3 – Dublin, IE @ Bello Bar
Wed. May 4 – Belfast, UK @ Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
Fri. May 6 – Manchester, UK @ Gulliver’s
Sat. May 7 – London, UK @ Oslo
Sun. May 8 – Glasgow, UK @ Glad Cafe
Mon. May 9 – York, UK @ Fulford Arms
Wed. May 11 – Ultrecht, NL @ Tivoli (Club Nine)
Thu. May 12 – Antwerp, BE @ Het Bos
Fri. May 13 – Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
Sat. May 14 – Cologne, DE @ King Georg
Mon. May 16 – Hamburg, DE @ Aalhaus
Tue. May 17 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
^ w/ Rosali
# w/ Mike Polizze
<> w/ Allegra Krieger
* w/ Tom Brosseau
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Jake Xerxes Fussell: Good and Green Again
$9.00 – $29.00Jake Xerxes Fussell: Hills of Mexico
$1.00 – $2.00Jake Xerxes Fussell: Copper Kettle
$1.00 – $2.00Jake Xerxes Fussell: Out of Sight
$9.00 – $29.00Jake Xerxes Fussell: What in the Natural World
$9.00 – $29.00Jake’s self-titled 2015 album is a casualty of the current vinyl supply-chain shortages and manufacturing delays, but rest assured, we have an LP repressing in process, and you can purchase it now on backorder. All other Fussell titles are currently in print and shipping. Thank you for your patience as we navigate the Great Vinyl Doldrums of 2021–22.
Jake Xerxes Fussell Links
Paradise of Bachelors | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp | Artist Website
