"The Ruins of our age"

"A masterful songwriter" - Pamela Philips Oland

Listen on your favorite platform or buy here
Love songs, Folk, Americana, acoustic, lyrics

"For a Song"

“Really good traditional folk lyricism. I was in from the first line.”

In your tie-dye shirt and your dangling beads 
Like your teardrops he left in the dirt 
You hung out your pain on guitar strings 
With a voice that would crack in the places that hurt 

Listen
Love songs, heartbreak, folk, Americana, acoustic, lyrics

"Blasphemous Kiss"

A heartbreaking lament

"So here's to the times you betrayed me, yes, every last beautiful, blasphemous kiss"

 

Listen
Folk, Americana, Acoustic, Ballad, Songs about women, existential, lyrics

Just to Keep Breathin'

"A strong, heady lyric and a powerful melody"

Neo-Western surrealism

Listen now

New single - "Movin' on"

Release date - July 22, 2021

"I was just about to like this town, fits me like a worn-out shoe..." Maybe you've felt that way.  "Movin' On" received an honorable mention in the Dallas Songwriters Association song contest. Not sure about the honorable part, but it's nice to get mentioned. Keep an eye out for it on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, etc., or get it here on this website.  

Get it here

Global rising song

featuring "Homeless Sky"

Well, I’m too old for American Idol, and too lazy to busk in the streets, so I’m playing in Global Rising Song this week until Sunday, July 19 at 9 pm. It’s a mix of song competition, fundraiser and support for musicians, where fans vote for their favorites. It’s a fun thing I’ve done before on my visits to Nashville, and during COVID they moved online. Everyone who votes for me will get a free song for your trouble. You can check it out by going to the link below:

Vote Here

Michael R.J. Roth on Folk Music Notebook's "Artist in Residence Showcase"

July 2-4, 2021

Catch the premiere Friday, July 2, at noon ET / 9am PT - and you can watch the video premiere on YouTube! You can watch replays on Saturday at 1 am and 10 pm ET, and Sunday at 10 am and 2 pm ET. See the video on YouTube here.

www.FolkMusicNotebook.com

Folk Music Notebook

"the ruins of our age"

Great American Song contest top five

Just announced today - “The Ruins of Our Age” is a Top 5 winner in the Lyric Writing category of the Great American Song Contest, and "Gun for Hire" is a folk/Americana finalist 

Read the lyrics

VALENTINE'S day special!

A MASSACRE OF VALENTINES

Not available in stores! For a limited time, a custom collection of 17 songs of love and its effects are on sale, exclusively on this website. Only $4.99, while supplies last!

Love on sale here!

If it pains you to shelter in place

try sheltering in no place to live

I’ve been working with a project called The Longest Night, an event to commemorate the homeless on December 21. You can find out more about this event here:

https://www.hope4restoration.org/

The Songwriters Association of Washington has created a video wall that you are all invited to submit to.  Share your music and help the homeless. You can also just watch. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1480080092223632/permalink/2830065170558444/

Go to SAW Serves the Homeless

two songs semi-finalists in Dallas

"Just to Keep Breathin'" and "The Things I Didn't Do for You"

The Dallas Songwriters Association has announced its list of semi-finalists for its 2020 Song Contest, which includes "Just to Keep Breathin'" in the Americana/Folk'Bluegrass category and "The Things I Didn't Do for You" (Co-written with Eric Ramsey) in Love Longs/Easy Listening. Winners will be announced on January 16.

View the semi-finalists here

Songs for Easy Heroes