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The endless debate and dire predictions surrounding the 'death of the CD' and the irrepressible rise of the download continue unabated, but now a new contender enters the ring. Well, actually it’s not new because it’s older than both of them but many years. According to those that know (and I recently spoke to a few of them) the vinyl LP is no longer the province of nerdy collectors, dusty second hand music shops and Sunday market stalls – the LP is in resurgence.

So there it is – it must be true. This morning the BBC ran a short piece on television and radio stating that folk music is on the rise, more popular than ever before and has become “as popular as rock music”. They also inferred that its leading performers are approaching the status of rock stars. Oh yes? Perhaps some of those leading performers they refer to would like to know that their status equates to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Kiss. Any use for a Fairport Convention jumbo jet or perhaps some Seth Lakeman character figures anyone?

It’s not often there’s a project in the folk world that one can accurately describe as ‘groundbreaking. Adding that word to a project usually means that the project is so bizarre that it will only interest a tiny percentage of the population. The other use of the word is to brand the project as incomprehensible. This time it’s usually employed to avoid reviewers resorting to: “I have no idea what it’s about.”

Why has FolkWords taken to focusing on Americana, what about British folk? Strange question given the rich cornucopia and wide variety of music that falls (however obliquely) under the folk banner and appears on FolkWords. Nevertheless, the question was asked so let's consider the answer. Could it be that some of our American cousins are sending more folk for review?