Chris Riffle at Spike Hill 8.23

Chris Riffle could be New York’s unlikely mellowcore champion of the year. A mix of folk authenticity and offbeat sentimentality, Riffle has just released his second full-length ‘Another Dream‘ that charts many of his unrequited hopes for love, with topics ranging from his wishes for the shapes of stars, to his wishes for the names of stars. In songs like ‘Kiss On The Cheek‘ and his fantastic cover of ‘And I Love Him,’ Riffle proves New York is still a home for hopeless romantics at heart. Like Bright Eyes and M. Ward, Riffle’s tenor brings home passionate urgency to matters of the heart. See the troubadour when he plays this Thursday, August 23rd at Spike Hill. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)