Best New folk songs

Sure, a calendar year is a construct that doesn't have much to do with waves of creative expression and music releases. But, that doesn't mean it's any less fun to start a new year with a list of predictions about what's likely to be notable as the months march on.

The artists and bands in this brief list are not brand new, but they all happen to be at a place in their careers where a wider audience and more attention just seems to be in the cards. Whether you're interested in moody, introspective songs or rumpus music that gets you up and dancing, there will be plenty of new life breezing through the folk music world in 2014.

Here are some artists you won't want to miss:

Hurray for the Riff Raff

Granted, this New Orleans-based outfit is not exactly brand new on the scene, but they are poised to become one of the new folk crossover bands this year. Their sophomore full-length album (aptly titled Small Town Heroes) doesn't drop until Feb. 11, but already bloggers and critics are buzzing about the impact of the music it contains. NPR's Ann Powers has a profile of frontwoman Alynda Lee Segarra due this week, while Spin and Village Voice have also shone spotlights on the release. It may just be one of those rare albums on which folk devotees and mainstream critics alike, can agree.

Leyla McCalla

Also from New Orleans, Leyla McCalla's stunning new album Vari-Colored Songs marries together the stirring poetry of Langston Hughes with traditional Haitian folk music and some of her own, original arrangements. Performed mostly on cello and banjo, the disc is part old timey folk, part jazz, part something else altogether. Besides, McCalla has a stamp of approval from friend, collaborator, and former Carolina Chocolate Drop, Dom Flemmons, who hooked her up with the Haitian music that inspired part of this project.

Parker Millsap

Oklahoma native Parker Millsap has risen to the attention of the folk and Americana communities in the past year or two, fresh out of high school with an intuitive songwriting skill well beyond his years. Now, he's teamed up with the folks at Thirty Tigers for a self-titled full-length debut that places him neck-and-neck with fellow Oklahoman John Fullbright in the arena of gritty, emphatic folk-blues. No doubt the disc will make a mark with unsuspecting audiences across the folk world, and beyond, this year.

James Vincent McMorrow

Following up on the arresting emotionalism of his self-produced debut, Early in the Morning, James Vincent McMorrow has done it again, with a stunning collection of heartbreak songs titled Post Tropical. Though he has bristled at the notion of being called a folksinger, McMorrow's lyrical song-stories fit neatly with more contemporary interpretations of the form. Think Bon Iver and Ray LaMontagne, wrapped up in a cold wind and blown over a grey sea.

Show Ponies

This energetic Southern California-based quintet hops on the trail of big-sound duos like Birds of Chicago and Shovels + Rope (the band began as a duo, and still contains a lot of the duo energy). They pull together pieces of old time Appalachian folk with strong harmonies and rhythms to create a bouncy, fervent energy that's starting to make waves. No doubt they'll attract even more attention on the festival circuit this summer.