FolkWorld #49 11/2012

CD & DVD Reviews

Marci Geller "Open Book"
Sonic Underground; 2012

www.marcigeller.com

Full band singer-songwriter light rock workout is the quick and easy description for this record. I have heard this all before, as have we all, but it is a likable record. It may even be perhaps too likable as it has such a nice, easy going style in lyric and music that it is not digging too deep into my conscious. So if you like it clean and pleasant, you may want to give this a listen.
© David Hintz


Robert Hill "What are We Waiting for"
Own label; 2012

www.facebook.com/roberthillsongs

This is classic folksinger with acoustic guitar with some second guitar in there as well (mostly slide work). When it works, he employs a soft Wizz Jones-like voice over his acoustic runs which vary from blues to folk. When it does not work, well… to paraphrase from his dubious lyrics (where pretty much everything is “Against the Law”…I truly wish it was against the law to write new songs including that same old shopworn descending blues pattern that throws me into convulsions every time I hear it in an “original” song.) And then there is so much Woodie Guthrie styling, which is obvious and tiring. His lyrics are so clichéd, as they make you want to go back and listen to Guthrie or others. And am I being a little too hard here? Maybe, but one look at the cover photo of the slouch shouldered musician with guitar case walking in the middle of railroad tracks, and I’ll just say no more.
© David Hintz


Craig Herbertson "Communication Breakdown"
Steeplejack, 2012

www.craigherbertson.com

No Led Zeppelin covers here, but the fiddle solos in the title cut are almost as intense as a Jimmy Page solo. Edinburgh born Craig Herbertson has crafted a nifty little album here. There is a classic folk sense to it, yet the songs are sung with a fresh innocence that heightens both the intensity and charm of the moment. There is not a set of concrete principles that make this work, but just that overriding sense of purpose and execution.
© David Hintz


Geoff Bartley "Mercy for the Dispossessed"
Magic Crow Records; 2012

www.geoffbartley.com

This album interests me for a couple of reasons. First, and most obviously, Geoff Bartley has great skill with his guitar work and deep homespun vocals. He may be best known for being Tom Paxton’s ‘second’ for many a year, but here he proves his solo work is highly skilled. There is a mix of blues, folk, and rural eastern US styled old time sound that cover a number of years. It is half original and half covers, although it is not instantly obvious which is which (a good thing). Second, this album kind of proves that there is some truth to the theories of Cecil Sharp and others who felt that Appalachian tunes were evolved out of English folk songs. You do hear a little of the English tradition in some of these songs making them quite universal. But you don’t have to be a theorist to enjoy this well produced, well-played album. If you like the blues, folk music, gutsy acoustic playing, there is enough to here to satisfy you.
© David Hintz


Skerryvore "World of Chances"
Tyree; 2012

German CD Review

www.skerryvore.com

Quite simply, there is much too much of a cloying mainstream sound here with naïve lyrics that seem less innocent than tiresome. If slick midstream rock music is what you are after, head this way. I gave up on this sort of music some time in the early 1970s and I am surprised it is still around. There is a market out there for this music and they will probably find it.
© David Hintz


Simone Felice "Simone Felice"
Reveal, 2011

www.simonefelice.com

The Felice Brothers are a vibrant high quality heartland folk rock band from New York. For the last couple of years, the three Felices have been reduced to two, as Simon Felice apparently wanted to spend more time in front of the drum kit singing and playing guitar as well as writing his songs. Often, this is not a wise career move, but Simone Felice is a clear exception to this ‘rule’. Simone Felice showed me as much in a live show earlier this year. This album is every bit as successful with ten heartfelt songs that are sparsely delivered with sometimes as little as one voice and one guitar. Sparse as the sound is, the vocals are so warm and inviting, both when he delivers the deep melancholic songs or when he lightens the mood a bit. The mood is deep but not depressing as if Felice is carefully dealing with emotions in a calm rational manner as he sorts out the problems and takes a positive direction outward. Lovely arrangements complete the journey and listeners will take a deep breath at the end of this one.
© David Hintz


Ben Bedford "What We Lost"
Waterbug; 2012

www.benbedford.com

Ben Bedford creates the sound of heartland America that is as it should be, since that is right where he is from. And although his cover the world and all history, such as in “John the Baptist”, I think his finest moment is “Vachel” about poet Vachel Lindsay from his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. The playing is clean and meaningful in all of these songs, as acoustic guitar leads the way with an organ sneaking in like an evening fog and electric guitar entering with a bit more presence. Bedford’s voice is hearty, but he keeps things clean and melodic rather than gruff or harsh. All in all, this is a solid record and pleasurable listening experience with enough lyrical content to dig in a second time.
© David Hintz


Oscar and the Wolf "Summer Skin"
Pias Recordings, 2012

www.oscarandthewolf.com

This record started up as I was finishing another review, and I had to double check what was playing as I thought maybe Robin Pecknold was singing with one of the Fleet Foxes records. Well, it can’t be them as there are no three-part harmonies, although the female voice that occasionally comes in is a great touch. The music continues much in that dreamy Fleet Foxes modern folk vein, although it is a bit more urbane and less Americana, which is logical as the band is Belgian. They have rightly attracted attention as they have opened for many diverse acts including Mercury Rev and Lou Reed. Their slow, dreamy modern sounds fit nearly everywhere and not quite anywhere at the same time. This is a five-song EP and my taste buds are just getting tantalized here. I hope to follow this band’s progress over the years to come. They could be big.
© David Hintz


Buskin & Batteau "Love Remembered Love Forgot"
Own label; 2012

www.buskinandbatteau.com

This is for the mature folk/singer-songwriter fan. Yeah, these two have plenty of experience between them, but the songs have that mature assurance to them. Fans of Tom Rush should like them, not only for the style, but also for the Tom Rush appearance on the smartly titled “One Month Crazier than You”. I thought “Christine” with Christine Lavin guesting, was a brilliant song that could sound great on any number of albums. They have a full band lightly playing in the background much of the time, but it may just be guitars or piano that takes the sole accompanying role when they keep it stripped down. Nothing shocking here, other than the occasional high quality, but plenty of solid music.
© David Hintz


Sorry Gilberto "Construction Work & Stormy Weather"
Rough Trade; 2012

www.sorrygilberto.com

This is a very cute record that should work with listeners who don’t like ‘cute’ records. There is light playful acoustic pop music with male and female vocals that are childlike without being condescending. Yet I detect some Leonard Cohen stylized singing/talking like that in “The Jury”. And there is even an exotic quality between the vocalists that reminds me of the great early Elly & Rikkert albums from the Netherlands. These arrangements are so sparse and spooky that when a lightly fuzzed electric guitar comes in during “Blockbuster” it sounds like a Motorhead by comparison. It is a little too quirky to be mystical, but these two handle that tight ropewalk between those two adjectives with elegance and grace. This is a pleasant surprise.
© David Hintz


Buford Pope "Matching Numbers"
Unchained; 2012

www.bufordpope.com

Smooth yet raspy voiced country/Americana folk-rock music is the steady sounds you hear on this album. The production is solid and all the usual instruments are there. I can almost detect a few Pogues moves in there and Pope is from the Swedish island of Gotland, so he brings a European perspective to Americana. His flexible voice is the most interesting sound coming through as it has Rod Stewart qualities (the good kind, and yes there was a good Rod Stewart many decades back). There are some pretty solid hooks here. It did not blow me away, but that is hard to do with this sort of music. If you are looking for something a little unique in this field, Buford Pope is worth a listen.
© David Hintz


Delen "Bonanova"
Musica Global Discografica; 2012

delenmusic.blogspot.com

Delicate female vocals alternating with easy going male voices grace lovely arrangements with happy, earthy folk tones and space to breathe in between the sounds. This reminds me of Shide & Acorn, Oriental Sunshine or Ithaca or many other quiet post-hippie folk acts of the early seventies. The lyrics are Catalan and the warmth they communicate is clear no matter what your language. Autoharps, glockenspiels supplement the usual sounds and it all adds up to a lovely vibe that will put smiles to faces on all but the most cynical listener. There are even some songs that veer toward the indie rock domain, so this band is capable of pulling in a lot of varied music fans into their world.
© David Hintz


Sean O’Brien "Future Harvest"
First Cold Press; 2012

www.myspace.com/seanobrienandhisdirtyhands

This is more of a rock record than a folk record but it is in that classic direction of Springsteen/Petty/Mellencamp where blues, folk, and some country come into the mix. The first cut “Shadow Sharks” is a fabulous rock song that could hold its own on any rock radio station. It is more a mixed bag after that with some songs pulling back a bit and others going blues or country. There are still some decent songs that fare almost as well as the opener, so this is well worth a listen. Although this is well produced, I have that old feeling that this material would be perfect for a stellar live show.
© David Hintz


Luke Mitchem "Winter Kissing on the Spring"
Own label; 2012

www.lukemitchem.com

It is not terribly surprising that Luke Mitchem performs the opening number with Josh Ritter as they are quite similar in their modern folk rock artistry. The arrangements are lovely with light steady percussion anchoring the guitars that move in and out from the keyboards and bass. This is a mature album balanced with heart and skill. It succeeds in transporting the listener deep into the song without being overly gothic and intense, but through the sharp song writing and vocal delivery. I particularly liked “Omaha Lillie” with its delicate lead vocal and a female backing vocal that adds a haunting quality that coupled with the subtle yet startling raga quality makes this song a real gem. Luke Mitchem has crafted a sharp album that can hold up to any singer songwriter working today.
© David Hintz


Trixie Whitley "Fourth Corner"
StrongBlood Records; 2013

www.trixiewhitley.com

Trixie Whitley has a classic bluesy voice but showcases it in some interesting arrangements on this album. Ever imagine Siouxsie Sioux singing the blues? Yeah, me neither, but it may be somewhat in this direction. There are some PJ Harvey elements in here as well as it embraces that modernist approach, yet the vocals lean a bit more to the traditional blues and folk elements. But only a little, as there are classical rock and soul touches (such as in "Breathe You in my Dreams"). “Hotel No Name” has intense electric guitar startles in the manner that it does in Roy Harper's work. Jefferson Airplane meets Nick Cave here. Everything sounds so fresh here and there is much power at the heart of this album. Even as it gets that smoky lounge feeling at times. There is plenty of versatility here and it is all fun and vibrant much of the time. Trixie Whitley is well worth seeking out and giving a listen to.
© David Hintz


Wes Tucker & the Skillets "Afterlens"
Own label; 2012

www.westucker.com

Wes Tucker is one of the better Americana styled songwriters in the Washington DC area who showcases his songs in solo shows or with the Skillets, a full rock band. But it only takes one note to tell you the full band is here raring to rock. It's a couple of guitars, bass, drums, and keyboards all maxxed out with just enough space left for Wes Tucker's hearty vocals. Things vary quite a bit thereafter with folky numbers, a brief touch of Byrdsian country-rock, and some more of the strong stuff. It all holds together with Tucker's smooth vocals and assured songwriting. The band pushes and pulls back and it flows as all good albums should. It closes with the quieter "Oncoming Train" which features Roseanne Cash (!) on guest vocals. This album is his most assured yet. The record release party is coming up soon, so be sure to give Mr. Tucker a listen live and pick this up for many more listens at home.
© David Hintz


Ripoff Raskovnikov "Lenin Street"
Lindo Records, 2012

www.ripoffraskolnikov.com

This begins as many records do with a tried and true bluesy style. Yet, there are some exotic qualities that come out in folkier ways. He is based in Austria, singing his own songs in English with one traditional Hungarian folk tune nicely added to the mix. He’s got some nice backing musicians that add light textures to his songs, but it is the starker material that really gets me to take notice. “Far Side of Town” is a wonderfully haunting song that I will go back to often. Folk fans should easily gravitate to this as it balances the familiar with just enough unique moves to stand out from the pack.
© David Hintz


DC Cardwell "Some Hope"
Madcar Records; 2010

www.dccardwell.com

16 songs from down under head my through two continents to find me here at home with a space in my CD changer. There is a nice mix of low-key folkesque light rock songs with some more up-tempo indie rock tunes. There is a Byrdsian guitar jangle, although the vocals are more like Flaming Lips (or other indie bands). When the songs are loose like “A Minute of Your Time” or retro like “We Fell”, it works. Other times it is a bit labored in the lyrics and too much like other indie bands in the music. This is decent enough music and I would go see them in a club a mile away, but not travel over many continents to seek out. But when in Melbourne, give it a listen, you may find a few cool songs here.
© David Hintz


Jason Plumb and the Willing "All is More than Both"
Soccer Mom Records; 2012

www.jasonplumb.com

Let us cut to the chase. If you remember the glory days of Rick Springfield and Jon Bon Jovi, you will be able to recreate some of that here. This is a slick hard rocking outfit that can pull it back for the ballads. There is some gutsy effort here, but it was whizzing right by me with no connection. Not to say it is bad, just music I have never been interested in.
© David Hintz


Hion Martell "Ultimate High"
Own label; 2012

www.hionmartell.com

The initial cut had me thinking that this was going to be an album of bar-room blues that me thinking more of Black Oak Arkansas than John Mayall. Thankfully, I stayed with it and liked some of the song variations thereafter. There were some folkier numbers and a deeper blend of blues and rock that was sincere and moving. A few more rockers which worked well enough for what they were and do have an audience who will enjoy them. So, this is a decent little album with some hits and misses, showcasing a nice blues rock band that may be able to turn it up in the juke joints.
© David Hintz


Annbjørg Lien "Khoom Loy"
Heilo, 2012

www.annbjorglien.com

Norway's leading Hardanger fiddle player here continues her musical explorations with an engaging selection of her own melodies and songs ranging from the traditional Norwegian Den Største Daarlighed to the distinctly Bollywood sounds of Til. In addition to her fiddle and nyckelharpe, Annbjørg provides vocals on five tracks, three of them full-length songs. Her angelic playing is matched by a pure sweet voice in Norwegian, contrastingly starkly with the English lyrics of the title track which she sings in an accent from the rough end of Stoneybatter. It took me some time to accept that this Dublin bar singer was the same person! With a great backing band and several guests, this is a full and polished production.
Khoom Loy puts Annbjørg on a par with the best singing fiddlers - Jenna Reid, Bella Hardy, Sam Robichaud, maybe even Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh. The range of styles here is prodigious: gypsy rhythms on Tareq, modern improvisations on Natten, plus the full beauty of Scandinavian fiddle music in Dancing Larry and Gode Gut. My favourite is probably Needle's Eye, traditional fiddle virtuosity meets hard rock! This recording finishes with an achingly gorgeous solo fiddle air, Psalm, which incidentally wins this year's prize for best use of a choir and a string quartet on a non-classical album. More information on Khoom Loy can be found at www.grappa.no - you might want to check out Annbjørg's other recordings there too. Where will she take us next?
© Alex Monaghan


Mick Conneely & David Munnelly "'Tis What It Is"
Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2012

German CD Review

www.mickconneely.com
www.davidmunnelly.com

Mick Conneely, fiddler with the re-formed but unreformed De Danann, joins the button boxplaying Bullet from Belmullet Dave Munnelly for a towering duet recording. The pair lash into tunes from classic Irish recordings, no holding back, with accomplices Ringo McDonagh, Ryan Molloy and Jonas Fromseier. Fiddle and box forge ahead alone on some tracks, but the old frame drum batters a path through most of this CD. Piano and banjo bring up the rear in fine style, adding even more punch to an already pugnacious sound.
On 'Tis What It Is, Mick and Dave have collected more old favourites than a racehorse retirement home. Sporting Paddy, The First of May, Shoe the Donkey, The Maid in the Meadow, Denis Murphy's Slide, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, and a whole set of reels revolving around tinkers, so there's no shortage of great tunes. There are a couple of surprises too: a rich dark take on Hughie Travers' Reel which runs smoothly into Spoil the Dance, a big box air with hints of both Tony MacMahon and Phil Cunningham, and a version of The Rakes of Kildare in a major key. For the most part, however, this recording is pretty much what you'd expect from a De Danann fiddler and a Mayo box-player if you tied them together by the tail: fast and furious, fur flying, everything from the Flanagan Brothers to Peter Milne, claws and teeth working on great raw chunks of tasty music.
© Alex Monaghan


Goitse "Transformed"
Own Label, 2012

www.goitse.ie

The second album from young Irish quintet Goitse deserves its title: the cute hairy caterpillar has become a beautiful butterfly. Scintillating, graceful, soaring music from fiddle, banjo, accordion, bodhrán and guitar, with three charming vocal tracks from Áine McGeeney including a duet with guest David Curley, Transformed is an impressive album by anyone's standards, and a great second outing for this exciting new band. McGeeney's fiddle is at the heart of most things here, and ranges convincingly from stateside shownmanship to down-to-earth Donegal reels. With four of her own compositions in this selection, a pair of thoughtful slip-jigs and a couple of striking tunes on the title track, Áine certainly plays a central role in the instrumentals - but she's not alone. James Harvey's banjo is a force to be reckoned with from start to finish, whether duetting or vamping. It also combines perfectly with Tadhg Ó Meachair's piano box, for instance on the driving Road to Malvern and Jimmy Keane's Charleston.
Conal O'Kane's guitars are a crucial part of the rhythmic power and creativity of Goitse. They come to the fore on the front-porch classic Chicken & Dumplings, and on the delightful Swedish air A och O. The other vital ingredient of the Goitse beat is the bodhrán of Colm Phelan, a man with a solo CD under his belt and a history of disaster below the belt. This is commemorated by the Burst Togs Set, marrying Tadhg's rumbustuous polka Ardaigh with the stunning reel Lost Time by currently popular composer and fiddler Jeremy Kittel. Conal's Philadelphia provenance is similarly celebrated with the Cheesesteak Reels which end this CD. It's worth noting that while nothing on Transformed is jarringly modern, none of the tunes here are traditional and every composer is acknowledged - with the exception of two songs. Erin on the Rhine and One Day for Recreation are both firmly trad arr, both delivered in Áine's light clear soprano, and both excellent: the closest comparison I can think of is Fiona Kelleher's contribution to North Cregg's third album Summer at my Feet. The other vocal number here, Finbar Magee's My Belfast Love, has a more contemporary feel with piano and guitar backing - but no glockenspiel - and David Curley's rich gentle tones complement Áine's voice superbly. In Goitse's no-messing style, the high-cholesterol final set of reels kicks straight in and leaves a lingering taste in the mouth long after the last morsel of music has died away. Definitely a 2012 Top Ten album!
© Alex Monaghan


Nuala Kennedy "Noble Stranger"
Compass Records, 2012

www.nualakennedy.com

Dundalk has always been a slightly crazy place - right on the border between North and South, with an eccentric one-way system and an eclectic mix of music. The Irish tradition is strong here, but the modern vibe is stronger. Nuala Kennedy moved beyond the confines of Dundalk long ago, but she's never shaken off its traditions - or its craziness. There's plenty of both on this recording, from the worldly weirdness of Gabriel Sings to the earthy roots of The Bonny Labouring Boy. Nuala sings and plays flute - recently it's been more of the former and less of the latter. Her songs span a wide sweep frim the New Age soul of Lord Duneagle to the post-Pogues punk of Paddy's Lamentation. Twice as many vocals as instrumentals on this album, and some great arrangements which remind me of Nuala's duets with the late great Oliver Schroer, but it's still the tunes which stand out for me. When she purses her lips and picks up the old timber trombone, her sound is magical indeed: Nuala's flute soars, dances, capers and chuckles its way through Love at the Swimming Pool and Voodoo, with two tremendous selections of Asturian music in between.. The notes I have don't tell me what is old and what is new, who does what when, or even why Noble Stranger seemed like a good title. They do say that Mike Bryan's guitar, Iain Macleod's mandolin, and Donald Hay's percussion form the basis of the adventurous and progressive backing here, and there is also mention of a vintage Casio keyboard, but like many great traditional recipes, the ingredients are less appetising than the result - and this result is tasty indeed. Perhaps even strangely noble.
© Alex Monaghan


Quempallou "Once Anos Mallando"
Zouma, 2010

www.quempallou.com

One of several informal Galician session groups which have emerged recently- usually from some underground Compostella drinking den - revealing the enormous hidden musical talent of this Celtic corner of Spain, Quempallou is a loose double handful of musicians and singers who produce joyful music with the feel-good factor of accordions and gaitas, flutes and tambourines. Their vocals are at times rude and rustic - probably the words are too, but my Gallego isn't up to translating and there are no printed lyrics. Instrumentally, Quempallou boast virtuosos on pipes, flutes, guitars and percussion, as well as a pretty hot piano box. There are only three tracks without singing, which is a shame as the dance music here is exceptionally good. Several tracks feature complex arrangements and great melodies with only occasional vocal interludes: Xan, Xota, Os Sucos and Rosiña for example. Some have strong lead singers and rousing choruses, still others follow a song with a carefully chosen tune. This banquet of overlapping colours and flavours invites comparisons with tapas, fiestas, the bocage landscapes of subsistence farming - let's not go there. Instead, let's enjoy and celebrate the outstanding passion and brilliance of Galicia's isolated tradition. This recording captures the guts of a vibrant musical collective and serves them up unadorned: everything from soulful harp to beatbox rap, street songs to sublime solos. Once Anos Mallando is true folk music, a magnificently entertaining collection, very highly recommended.
© Alex Monaghan


Michelle Mulcahy "Suaimhneas"
Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2012

German CD Review

An album of pure solo harp music is a challenging thing, both for the harpist and for the listener. How to maintain the interest and variety with only the limited resources of one instrument? I suppose the Gaelic bards managed for centuries, but their audiences didn't have today's shorterned concentration spans and multi-media expectations. Michelle Mulcahy has bravely put aside her fiddle and concertina, and dismissed her many musical friends and relations, to present a full selection of Hovis-style harp music: nothing added, nothing taken away. The restful and tranquil mood suggested by the CD title is only the tip of the iceberg: in fourteen tracks Michelle spans dance music, marches and only three slow airs. The majority of Suaimhneas is jigs, reels and hornpipes, admittedly with the serene overtones of the harp, and generally not at excessive speed, but still a match for most fiddle, flute and fingers-on-buttons players.
The airs Michelle has chosen here are thought-provoking indeed. From the singing of the great Nan Tom De Búrca, Amhrán Mháinse is a Connemara song about a wife's dying request that she should be buried in her childhood home a few miles away. A sad sentiment, perhaps - but how much more acute was the homesickness and sense of abandonment felt by the generations of emigrants to England and America, if they still had such a powerful attachment to the place of their birth? Michelle's other song air, An Bhuatais, comes from a time of just such emigration, the great Irish famine, and tells of a priest who buys himself fancy boots while his parishioners starve. A shocking tale, and a powerful melody to go with it. The remaining slow track is less controversial, a Carolan version of Ar Bhruach na Carraige Báine, played here as a waltz, but Miss Mulcahy is not done with her stories of woe: she composed The Karen March, a poignant piece and one of this CD's highlights, in honour of a community of ethnic refugees whom she visited on the Thai-Burmese border. The Karen people are suffering today in much the same way as the Irish suffered a century or more ago, and I had never heard of them until I read Michelle's sleevenotes.
Suaimhneas is not all doom and gloom - far from it. There's a spirited version of Martin Wynne's #2, a sprightly rendition of The Cordal Jig, and plenty more fine reels and jigs, plus a couple of tasty hornpipes which just lack a little snap. I was pleasantly reintroduced to Cathair Rua, The Shallow, Matt Peoples' and Whelan's Old Sow amongst others. At times the harp versions of these faster tunes are less ornamented or less crisp in the right hand than I am used to: the left hand is doing its own thing at the same time, of course, but I wonder if there isn't a way of damping the soundbox to enhance the intricacies of the reels and jigs. Just a thought. In any case, Suaimhneas is both relaxing and invigorating, and the sleevenotes are exceptional, including some beautiful photos of Michelle and her harp.
© Alex Monaghan


Bougnat Sound "Bon Esprit!"
AEPEM, 2012

www.myspace.com/bougnatsound

If someone had asked me how to improve on the classic bagpipe and accordion sound of the Auvergne, I would never have thought of saying "Add a banjo!" Yet that's exactly what Bougnat Sound have done. Olivier Sulpice wields an Irish-style short-necked tenor banjo, concentrating on the low octave, while Julien Barbances claims the musical high ground with squealing pipes, fiddle and voice. The low percussive notes of the banjo add something akin to the hurdy-gurdy, and combined with a staccato diatonic style from Loïc Etienne, you can almost hear the ghost of a vielle à roue on several tracks, turning this trio into a virtual quartet. There's also a hint of Arab music about one or two of Bougnat Sound's selections, as Julien's pipes imitate a shawm on Scottish à Gatineau while Olivier's banjo reverberates round the kasbah for Amusons-Nous Fillettes.
Aside from these idiosyncracies, Bon Esprit! is pretty much standard Auvergnat music: Bourrée de Saint-Amour, Bonjour Belle Bergère, Lo Rossignol, Pierre Labora, and the ever-popular bourrée Le Deuxième Thème. Barbances has a showman's flourish on the pipes, storming into Méfiez-Vous and Cinq Noisettes, finishing strongly on Rossignolet Sauvage and Polka du Chêne Saint-Louis. Sulpice keeps up well, and when Etienne comes to the fore he plays with considerable grace, but the box and banjo are often eclipsed by the shrill wild notes of the cabrette. This is as it should be, from a piper's perspective, which is sometimes all that matters!
© Alex Monaghan


Joanny Niolou & Lucien Pillot "Face à Phasmes"
AEPEM, 2012

Short and sweet - not words which are often applied to French bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy music, but in this case I feel they are more than justified. I could have listened to another ten tracks from Nioulou and Pillot without any discomfort: their music is tight, tuneful, toe-tapping stuff, beautifully played, and cut from the fillet of the Central French tradition. Joanny (a chap, by the way) plays French pipes with a meaty low drone, in keys around G. The chanter sound is rounded and firm, with enough power to drive a dance. Most of the melodies on Face à Phasmes are dance music, simple but engaging, and the pipes tackle them effortlessly.
Lucien Pillot provides the engine room, gurdy drones cutting through the mellower pipe bass, while his wheel catches the rhythm. Two- three- and four-stroke techique is flawlessly executed, the mark of a hurdy-gurdy master, maintaining a solid beat throughout. Pillot occasionally leads the melody, demonstrating great left-hand dexterity, but his instrument is much more suited to accompaniment: the drone strings far outdo the treble strings. There are more flamboyant gurdy players, but I can't think of a more pleasant one: not a broken rhythm or a bum note to be heard, and his wrist-work is surprisingly imaginative.
Together, pipes and hurdy-gurdy provide that elusive wall of sound, deep and full, which characterises French music at its best. Polkas, bourrées, schottisches and waltzes are all delightful. Plenty of new tunes, too, at least for me. The only point where I raised an eyebrow was the Bourrée de Saint-Julien which has some rather unexpected dissonances. Apart from that, Face à Phasmes washed over me like a cool stream on a summer's day, intense but brief, leaving a pleasant tingle on the skin. Seek this young duo out for yourself: there's a myspace page faceaphasmes, and an email address lucienpillot@gmail.com, so it shouldn't be too difficult.
© Alex Monaghan


Various Artists "Fonn Ratharsair - Sounds of Raasay"
Brechin All Records, 2012

German CD Review

This CD is probably not what you expect. Raasay is a small island between Skye and the Scottish mainland, but the artists on this album come from a much larger area: Lochaber, Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and even Ireland. Canada too, possibly. There are some Skyemen here, and perhaps even a Raasay body or two, but this is not a collection of local talent. Fonn Ratharsair - Sounds of Raasay was commissioned and compiled to celebrate the new community hall on Raasay, a great excuse for many things, including making music. Some of this material is specially written for the project, some is older. The style varies from contemporary upbeat ceilidh, through thoughtfully arranged folk ensemble pieces, to the type of Gaelic singalong song popular in the seventies, complete with Hammond organ effects. With top class musicianship from the likes of Sandy Brechin, Bruce MacGregor, Ronan Martin, Gabe McVarish, Angus MacKenzie and Brian McAlpine, this album is highly entertaining in its own right, and provides a revealing snapshot of Inner Hebridean musical tastes.
The band kicks off with the classic highland 2/4 march James Cameron's, perfect for the Canadian Barn Dance at an island hop, before switching to an unmistakably modern jig and reel by Bruce. The first of two songs follows, both written and sung by Brian Ó hEadhra: Duisg Duisg emulates the early Gaelic swing of Na h-Oganaich, while An t-Eilean Beag Bòidheach oscillates between music hall moothie and sober ballad. The vocal tracks sandwich a 4-part suite by Ronan Martin and Jonny Hardie: this pair of fiddlers treat us to two exquisite slow airs, a metamorphosing tune written for Raasay garden enthusiast Sadie MacLeod, and a medley of march, reel and jig. The air Churchton Bay is a clear highlight for me. Fonn Ratharsair ends with three powerful tracks, two slow and one fast. The harp air Temptation Hill pays tribute to a Raasay landmark whose name is probably best left unexplained, and is beautifully played by local lass Aoife MacLeod. Tommy Darkie's Welcome to Raasay commemorates many things, and features most of the local supergroup Dàimh on pipes, fiddle and drums. The final air Loch na Mna is a keyboards duet between accordion and piano, surprisingly delicate and haunting, a fine end to a very varied and enjoyable CD.
© Alex Monaghan


Belzébuth "Suite 8"
Own label, 2011

German CD Review

www.bzb.qc.ca

Pronounced something like Belzayboot, their demonic name betrays a taste for the darker side of Quebec music. Fiddle, accordion and jaw harp are joined by tenor banjo - surely the devil's own instrument - and there's even a female singer, something I don't remember hearing in French Canadian music since Héritage in the seventies. Songs and tunes mix and mingle, with the usual themes of illicit love, deception, long sea voyages, death, and Ziguezon Zons. Belzébuth have been around for more than a decade, this is their third album, but it's the first time I've heard them. Suite 8 adds a few classic Irish tunes to the traditional Québécois reels and gigues. Naturally, the whole recording is suffused with the joyous twin fiddling, foot percussion, vocal harmonies and general exuberance of Canadian music. Five songs are interspersed between a range of powerful and sometimes menacing instrumentals. Les Croisades conjures Arabian nights and bloodthirsty days in twelfth-century Palestine, not so different from Montreal at the weekend. The title tune is a crepuscular little jig, and its minor cadences are echoed by several spooky reels on this recording. Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Further into the Fire is not nearly as sinister as the title suggests, but it does have something of Deliverance about it. Perhaps the final track captures the essence of Belzébuth's music best, a thumping set of reels for dancing with a strong melody and plenty of percussion, while the screams of the damned ring out in the background. Raw, rustic, and richly rewarding: this satanic sextet is certainly worth seeking out.
© Alex Monaghan


Session A9 "Session A9"
RAJ Records, 2012

www.sessiona9.com

German CD Review

After two studio CDs and a long-lasting live recording, the same seven Scots have decided to release an eponymous fourth album - a feat perhaps never attempted before. No title, just a tartan hankie draped over the cover. Maybe the famous White Album and Black Album will soon be joined by the Stripey Album in music's hall of fame - because make no mistake, this is a fine collection of fiddle tunes. Fire and finesse from Shetland to Sheriffmuir: four fiddlers from the North East perform six sets of their own and other people's compositions, ranging from the incredible Gordon Duncan's flamboyant Bellydancer to the starkly beautiful air The Birds Have Gone by band member Gordon Gunn. The opening medley of Charlie McKerron originals is breathtaking, as is the set of reels spanning Deeside, Cape Breton and Shetland.
It's not all fiddles, of course. There's a mandolin too. Plus a trio of backing musicians on guitar, keyboards and percussion, providing multiple textures on the instrumentals and leading the vocals. Three songs, all fronted by Marc Clement, set Karine Polwart's work in the exalted company of Jackson Browne and John Martyn. On this showing, there isn't much to choose between the three of them. Browne's philosophical musings in These Days are arranged as a country ballad, while the final One for the Road is much closer to the Celtic soul of Blair Douglas or Van Morrison. Polwart's ditty Dig a Little Well for Zoe isits somewhere in between, funky and full of soul, but with a serious side and a sad edge to the melody. Session A9 handle all three with skill and sensitivity, branching out from their Scottish fiddle sound to embrace Americana, soul and light classical with an easy wave of their bows. Shortbread Tin? Mini Kilt? Blazing Venetian Fiddles? Whatever this album is known as, it won't be quickly forgotten.
© Alex Monaghan


Emma Sweeney "Pangea"
Own Label, 2012

www.emmasweeneymusic.com

This young Manchester fiddler has a vision of a world where all the continents are joined up, with a musical continuum from Europe to India or America. Such a place once existed, millions of years ago, and geologists call it Pangea - but of course there was no music then, only percussion. Nevertheless, Emma Sweeney's vision allows her music to embrace Ireland, India and America. Her debut CD has its roots in Irish fiddle music, and Emma has broadened her own horizons and enlisted the help of many friends to extend her musical reach across three continents. Half of Flook, much of Capercaillie, and all of Matheu Watson appears on this recording, coordinated by producer Mike McGoldrick. The CD is nicely packaged too, with beautiful artwork and informative notes.
Emma's playing is exquisite, light and delicate on the opening Flooded Road to Glenties, gutsy and growling on Marian's Favourite, with ornamentation in both hands. Her hallmark glissandos are established in the first two tracks, and truly come into their own on the American swing waltz The Golden Fiddle by Nashville veteran Randy Howard. There are several Sweeney compositions on Pangea, often paired with McGoldrick tunes: the juxtaposition of Mike's Treasures Money Can't Buy with Emma's Flying Statue is one of my favourite tracks here, the gently blurred pipes combining with carefully slurred fiddle for these two perfectly-paced slow jigs. Mucky Fingers and The Last Straw are two more of Emma's tunes which instantly grabbed me, the latter a bittersweet slow reel which shows the expressive power of her fiddle, the former joined in inspired fashion to the traditional Mountain Top.
Emma also indulges in low whistle and vocal cameos, her one song the Nick Drake favourite A Place to Be. Musings on the change of philosophical perspective afforded by maturity and life experiences seem to be in vogue - the new Session A9 CD features a similar song by Jackson Browne - and Emma sings this one sweetly enough. More traditional jigs and reels bring us to the final three tracks on Pangea: a set of jigs culminating in a collaborative composition between Emma and Mike, an atmospheric bluesy air wonderfully arranged for jaw harp and dobro, and finally a fabulous Indian piece by Emma which recalls her time teaching tin whistle to Calcutta street children - but that's another story. With breadth and depth aplenty, Pangea shows great understanding and skill from a young musician who is more than capable of holding her own in such exalted company. Emma Sweeney's playing is a delight, and her live performances are every bit as enjoyable as this recording.
© Alex Monaghan


Various Artists "Doutor Apertas: Tributo a Magín Blanco"
Fol Musica/BOA, 2012

Magín Blanco is a musician from Galicia (NW Spain) that developed a creative career during the 1980s in the local rock & pop music scene with the band La Rosa. The last part of that decade was also the end of a long cycle of young & innovative pop music that took place in several Spanish cities after the death of Spain’s dictator General Franco in 1976.[41] It was the time when for instance, British bands such as The Jam, The Police or Dire Straits broke up, and their leaders (Paul Weller, Sting, Mark Knopfler) went on with their solo careers. Many 1980’s Spanish rock & pop bands also progressively disappeared as their members (and their fans) started to get into a certain age, and younger generations brought new ideas. Several of those founder members continued in the music business, for example as singers-songwriters, in most cases after getting rid of their 1980s looks from the punk/new wave/techno-pop era. Leaving such trends aside, musicians such as Magín Blanco always wrote great songs that still remain in the memory of at least a big minority of the audience in Galicia and many other parts of Spain. Unfortunately, his skills on guitar playing were severely damaged after a car crash that he suffered in the summer of 2011. This CD, ‘Doutor Apertas’ (Doctor Hugs) is a crowd founding project that was launched by a group of friends & fans, as a tribute and support to Magín Blanco and his career. Although the 32 songs in this double CD are mostly pop & rock style, there are some great folk musicians (from Galicia & Madrid) also participating in this project: Javier Bergia, Ugía Pedreira, Guadi Galego (ex-Berrogüetto), Uxía (Senlle), Pedro Pascual, Xabier Díaz & Guilherme Fernández (Berrogüetto), Faltriqueira, Malvela,… Some songs that I specially enjoyed: ‘Volveré’, ‘Dolores’, ‘Maldito viento’, ‘Quiero irme’, ‘Nena botánica’, ‘Llevame lejos’, and ‘O meu país’. A large compilation of great tunes, played in a variety of styles and sonorities.
© Pío Fernández


Yesca "Triste Quedaba: Canciones
del Norte de Burgos (Las Merindades)"
Tecnosaga, S.A., 2012

Yesca (tinder) is an experienced band born in the province of Burgos (Spain). This CD ‘Triste Quedaba’, is a good representation of the oral music tradition from this northwestern corner of the Castilla y León community, a peculiar geographical area having borders with the communities of Cantabria, Basque Country and La Rioja. Most of the songs in the album are traditional in the northern part of the Burgos province, more precisely in a number of villages of the traditional region known as ‘Las Merindades’. The 23 songs compiled in this CD show in many cases clear similarities with the style of coral singing also typical in other northern parts of Spain such as: León, Palencia, Asturias or Cantabria. Their rhythms are the popular ones: seguidillas, jotas, habaneras,... sometimes showing peculiar variations on speed and melody. Although the vibrant and colorful voices are the strongest melodic element in all these songs, there are also a number of traditional musical instruments played in this recording. Besides the guitar, the lute and mostly the traditional percussions (tambourines, frame drum, drum,…) you will hear also a dulzaina (traditional Castilian double reed oboe) in ‘Dicen que el águila real..’, rabel (rebec) in ‘Canterito pica el canto’ & ‘Te quedaste dormida’, and three-holed flute in ‘Anda morenita’ & ‘Caracoles van’. Not to forget the violin and the accordion beautifully played by Diego Galaz & Jorge Arribas (from the folk band La Musgaña), collaborating as guest musicians in the last song: ‘El paso de la galante estudiantina’. Songs that I specially enjoyed are: ‘La zorra bailadora’, ‘Ella lloraba’, ‘Rizosa rizosa’, or the romance ‘La hermana cautiva’. The singers in Triste Quedaba are: María Jesús Santamaría, Mª Ángeles Pérez, Fernando Aguirre, Gaspar Hidalgo, and Ramón Pérez-Trascasa. Ramón Pérez-Trascasa is also the conductor of a radio program specialised on traditional singing in the Spanish national broadcasting company, RTVE/RNE, as it has been previously covered in an article in FW#43.[43] ‘Triste Quedaba’ is a great recording, with brilliant singers who show the richness and the diversity of the traditional music in the northern Castilian land.
© Pío Fernández


Banda Crebinsky "Jet Lag"
Fol Musica/BOA, 2012

www.crebinsky.com

Back in 2011, we heard about Banda Crebinsky after the release of the movie & DVD ‘Os Crebinsky’ in Galicia, NW Spain.[47] The band that composed & recorded the soundtrack for that movie comes back with their unique project, immersed in the fruitful scene of the Galician folk music, but following a distinctive alternative path. A path significantly based on music traditions from eastern Europe, but fussed with jazz, rock, ska, tango, psychedelic punk or country. Same as on their previous CD/DVD, Banda Crebinsky presents 12 songs all of them composed by Pablo Pérez-Sanmamed (double bass), and performed by the Bayan accordion player from Belarus (but living in A Coruña, Galicia) Vadim Yukhnevich, together with: Fernando Abreu (clarinet, mandolin & lyrics), Xacobe Lamas (violin), Enrique Otero (keyboards & lyrics), Carlos Castro (marimba & percussions), Pablo Rega (guitar & lyrics), Miguel Queixas (drum set). The first song ‘Jet Lag’ starts as an accelerated rock beat that switches to a gypsy style with lyrics in Russian. The second one, ‘Ma Mére la Musique’ is a sophisticated jazzy tune with lyrics in French. The following ones, ‘Intro Romanza’ & ‘Romanza’ introduce the listener in a fusion that alternates ska & klezmer. There is even a canzone in Italian (‘Un Piatto’) whose lyrics are a recipe for cooking the focaccia barese. ‘Pui, Pui, Pui’ is a mix of ska & tango. The last tune is a fictitious jingle for a commercial of the famous 1980’s Russian Lada Niva off-road car, with lyrics in Spanish and a country music melody ending with the first 6 notes of the Russian national anthem in the marimba. The least that you can say about Banda Crebisnky’s ‘Jet Lag’ is that, it is an energetic display of musical talent with great sense of humour, as they well demonstrate in their live performances.
© Pío Fernández


Llares Folk "De Vetonia a Lusitania"
Several Records, 2012

www.llaresfolk.com

Llares Folk is a band born in 1978 in the central south Spanish autonomous community of Extremadura. This double CD is their 9th recording, containing 32 songs mostly inspired in the traditional music from their region. The instruments that set the foundations of their music are: accordion (Roberto Jimenez), lute & mandolin (Enrique Fernández), electric bass guitar (Jorge Sánchez), drum set (Juan José Timón), guitars (Francisco Fernández, Santiago Timón), percussions and voice (Emilia Granados & all the band members). The songs are the traditional rhythms from the central south part of Spain (jotas, rondeñas, seguidillas, polkas,…), but they also include some corridinhos from the neighboring country, Portugal. The central subject of this two CDs, are the lands of the Iberian Peninsula that extend from the central-west part of Spain to the central-south part of Portugal. Those are territories that the ancient Roman conquerors designated as Vetonia and Lusitania, taking the names of the Celtic-Iberian tribes that since the 6th century B.C. populated the area. Obviously the repertoire that ‘Llares Folk’ play today are traditional songs that cannot go back in time much more than two or three centuries, but they are very representative of the music most typical still today in Extremadura and Castile. There is an interesting version of the Entradilla Castellana, that became quite popular in the 1970s thru the performances of the folklorist & dulzainero (shawm player) Agapito Marazuela (Segovia, 1891-1983). The CD-2 starts with a song of Andean sonorities, which has lyrics that make some reference to the clash of cultures that took place in the 16th century between the Peruvian Inca peoples and the Spanish conquistadores (some of them born in Extremadura, like the cousins Francisco Pizarro and Hernán Cortés). The transhumance, the seasonal movement of people with their livestock in the search for fresh pastures in summer and winter, is another source of traditional repertoire in the music of central Spain. Llares Folk includes several songs on this subject in this record. ‘De Vetonia a Lusitania’ is a highly recommendable introduction to the music from Extremadura, both in its traditional and re-elaborated versions.
© Pío Fernández


Menaya Folk "Eclipse"
Several Records, 2012

www.menayafolk.es

Menaya Folk is a band born in 2001 in the province of Soria, which in the past developed a repertoire mainly inspired by the traditions of their Castilla y León community in north-central Spain. Nevertheless, their music is now also a fusion with other styles: from Galicia (NW Spain), from Ireland, from the German medieval Minnesängers, from the Caribbean, … Their melodies are skillfully played by Alesander Guzmán and Carlos Lázaro with traditional woodwind instruments such as dulzaina castellana (double reed shawm oboe from Castile), pito castellano (Castilian whistle), gaita bagpipes and sax, but also having a powerful background with electric bass guitar (Alberto Sanz), drum set (Galo Gómez), electric guitar & keyboards (Breogán Prego). There are also traditional percussions (congas, djembe, darbouka,…) played by Javier Lázaro. The sound of the dulzainas & the gaita together with the folk-rock instrumentation, can remind you of the music from the classic Celtic bands from French Brittany, with their bombardes & binioù kozh (Gwendal, Tri Yann, Bleizi Ruz, Ar Re Yaouank,…). Such is the case in the tunes ‘Danza Medieval’ or ‘Luna’. There is one beautiful tune based on a traditional melody that was recorded by Alan Lomax during his field work in the early 1950s in Galicia: ‘Asubíasme de lonxe’. It is composed by Breogán Prego, who is also the writer of most of the songs in Eclipse. The pito castellano is a wooden recorder with metal keys, that is normally used as a sort of practice chanter instead of the harder & noisier dulzaina. For Menaya Folk it becomes a more complex substitute for the Irish tin whistle in many of the songs: ‘Eclipse’, ‘Brujas de Barhona’, ‘Danza de Derroñadas’, ‘Los Pastores’, and of course, ‘Play this Whistle again’. Although there is some Celtic music essence floating around in many of these tunes, others show a different personality sometimes more Castilian or Mediterranean (‘La made del topo’, ‘Baile Ribereño’), other times more Afro-Caribbean (‘El Decálitro’, ‘Ya se verá’, ‘Funky Metal’). We can truly say that Eclipse is a widely eclectic, but also nicely created and well performed, musical exercise.
© Pío Fernández


Son del Cordel "Cantos Rodados:
Musica Tradicional Leonesa"
Tecnosaga, S.A., 2012

www.sondelcordel.com

The folk music in northern Spain, in the regions directly facing the Atlantic Ocean such as Galicia, Asturias, or Cantabria, is usually differentiated from the folklore in the rest of the country as having some kind of ‘Celtic’ flavor.[2] This is probably because of the kind of gaita bagpipes and the traditional jigs (muiñeiras) over there. But we tend to forget that there is a kind of transition zone just to the south of those regions, which keeps musical traditions related to both the north and the center (Castille) of the Iberian Peninsula. We are talking about provinces such as Zamora or León, where there is also an important tradition of gaita bagpipes music, strongly related to the one in Galicia and Asturias, or even Portugal. ‘Son del Cordel’ is a band from the León province (Castilla y León Autonomous Community), which has northern borders with both Galicia and Asturias. The music that they have worked on since the 1980s is strictly traditional, researched and compiled in a number of towns & villages in their province. In those early years the band was called Parva y Sosiega. Now in the 2010’s Son del Cordel keep working on the “música tradicional leonesa”, and they release their record ‘Cantos Rodados’ (Rolling Stones), beautifully edited in a 67 pages booklet, and including a 15 song CD. By the way, the word ‘canto’ has several meanings in Spanish: one of them is ‘stone’, ‘pebble’ , another one is ‘song’, ‘chant’,… In ‘Cantos Rodados’, the tunes are sung by: Marisa Diez, Viki Herrero and Xana Prieto. The traditional instruments from León that ‘Son del Cordel’ play in this record are quite diverse. A single musician (Luis Santos) plays together chifla y tamboril (3 holed flute & tabor), a couple of instruments are also traditional in other provinces of the Castilla y León community (Zamora, Salamanca,…), and in other regions of Spain: Extremadura, Andalusia, Basque Country, Catalonia,… They also play gaita de fole (bagpipes), similar to the ones in Galicia & Asturias, but probably even more similar to the ones that are typical in Zamora or Portugal (Luis Santos, Antolín Cardeñoso “Tolo”). The dulzaina (double reed shawm oboe from Castile) is another important element in this music. The combination of the just mentioned instruments, plus the zanfona (hurdy gurdy), are a clear example of how the music from ‘Son del Cordel’ integrates traditions from both: the Atlantic and the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula. There are also panderetas (tambourines) and panderos (frame drums), played by Marili & Paula Baños ), tambor (drum) & tarrañuelas (bones) played by Manuel de San Mateo, diatonic accordion (and zanfona) played by Fernando de San Mateo. Same as with the instruments, the style of rhythms & melodies also show similarities with the music from both regions: Castile (‘Jota del Torero’) and Galicia/Asturias (‘Os Castiñeiros’). ‘Cantos Rodados’: a nicely performed set of songs providing a new perspective about the traditional music in the centre north part of Spain’s province León.
© Pío Fernández


Alvariza "Once Badaladas"
Zouma Records, 2012

Alvariza is a purely traditional music band that after eleven years of playing together, presents in this CD its eleven songs, or bell strokes which is what badaladas means in Galician language, and not to get confused with the similar word ‘balada’ (ballad). The band bases the principles of their work on the recovery and the protection of the traditional music roots in Galicia (NW Spain). Consequently, the kind of songs that they recover & compose are those dance rhythms most typical in this kind of old style musical ensembles: muiñeira, jota, pasodobre, rumba, vals, bolero, … The band integrates instruments such as: gaita bagpipes (Luis Sanmarco), requinta traverse flute (Hugo González), snare drum (Manoliño Edreira), bass drum with clash cymbals (Chema Cebeiro), accordion (Rubén ‘Flo’ Fernández), clarinet (Rober Sánchez), soprano sax (Manuel Cebeiro). The bass clarinet, played by Davide Nogueira, provides a quite peculiar sound in many of the tunes of the CD, such as: Pasodobre de Padernes, Muiñeira de Alvariza, A Ponte do Ulla, Valse dos Lamas, or Valse das Casas Novas. The strict adherence to the traditions has the risk of imposing too many limitations on the creativity, and for sure, on the innovation. In the case of Alvariza and their eleven badaladas, they have brightly succeeded with the challenge of staying pure while at the same time bringing something new to the audience. Not only the melodies are distinctively fresh and peculiar of this band, but it is also the beautiful orchestrations that Alvariza makes with the instruments in the different parts of the songs. From that perspective, tunes that I specially like are: Bolero de Pontecaldelas, Muiñeira da Discusón, Pasodobre – Tango, Jota dos Monfortinos, … But for sure all of the bell strokes in this record deserve to be listened to and enjoyed with good care. About the band’s name, Alvariza I guess that it refers to an ancient Galician traditional man-made construction, built with stone walls normally in circular shape, that was intended to keep the artificial beehives protected mostly from bears and cold winds.
© Pío Fernández


Daniel Minimalia "Cuentos Sonoros"
Zouma Records, 2012

www.danielminimalia.com

Although the Galician label Zouma Records is primarily dedicated to folk music, this time it fosters the promotion of a great electric guitar player whose artistic name is Daniel Minimalia. Born in the 1980s in Vitoria (Basque Country, NW Spain), but raised in the Galician city of Ourense, he started playing the electric guitar at the age of 13, following the stele of bands such as Led Zepellin, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Heroes del Silencio, or Los Suaves. After playing in several rock bands and finishing his studies at the university, he went deeper into the playing of classic guitar, bass guitar, and piano. In early 2012, he published his first EP, “Akainik” (Zouma Records) in anticipation to this full CD “Cuentos Sonoros” (Sound Tales). The twelve and a half ‘tales’ (the last one is quite short, and does not even have a title) in Daniel Minimalia’s record are developed as purely instrumental compositions, where the sound & the smooth style of the electric guitar might remind one for example of Mike Oldfield, but with a differentiating personal imprint. The booklet in this CD does not provide any single piece of data on the different instruments and the other musicians playing with Daniel (something very unusual in most trad music and folk recordings). Nevertheless, in his web page you can find some information about the ‘suspects’ usually playing with him, and how they seem to merge in a truly promising & powerful fusion of rock, folk & classical music backgrounds. “Cuentos Sonoros” is mostly a colourful creative exercise, based on talented mellow guitar playing (electric & acoustic) and synthesized sounds, where you will also find beautiful piano passages, vibrant percussions, and enchanting female voices. The style of the different tunes (all of them with quite poetic titles) swings from symphonic rock (Páramos lejanos, Un extraño viaje), to relaxed modern dance music (Akainik, El eco de un sueño, Interferencias), but also with some classical guitar (El vals del trapecista, La piel de una gota, Al decir adiós) and piano (Sonata para un día cualquiera). The song ‘En calma’ might remind you of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédies. Several times the work benches of FolkWorld get some ‘non-folk’ music to be analyzed & reviewed. That does not mean that we will not discover very enjoyable surprises, and that will remind us of the fuzzy simplistic lines that we establish to separate different kinds of music. Mostly when you also realize that for example, Daniel Minimalia also plays the electric bass guitar in the Galician traditional band Coanhadeira.
© Pío Fernández


Various Artists [Samplers, EP's, Demo CD's, Downloads, ...]

www.actofcongressmusic.com

FolkWorld Xmas

Act of Congress "Christmas, Vol. 1" (EP, Own label, 2011). From Birmingham, Alabama, comes this acoustic pop group with a selection of four Christmas songs after a stint with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in December 2011. Minus orchestration, plus loads of Americana: male and female harmonies, mandolin and fiddle swap leads on God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Sleigh Ride, Carol Of The Bells, O Holy Night.

www.myspace.com/abenvenuti

Alessandro Benvenuti "Decidilo tu - Canzone per l'abruzzo" (Materiali Sonori, 2009). Three times "Decidilo tu" (White As Dust) - extended cut, radio edit, and English version - written by Alessandro Benvenuti two months after the L'Aquila earthquake that hit the Abruzzo in central Italy in 2009: The song was born at home to just voice and guitar, and from there started a 'work in progress' that brought the song to pass from hand to hand, from studio to studio, from group to group, to become an open composition where those who wish can make your own musical contribution. A different way to think constantly to the people of Abruzzo, a song in continuous movement that never stops, never stops acquiring new life, new arrangements, always different and always current...

www.branchesmusic.com

FolkWorld Xmas

Branches "Songs for Christmas" (EP, Download, 2012). Mumford-and-Sons-alike nu folk from a band based in L.A. However, compared to the Mumfords this is really cool... Here 6 traditional Christmas songs - such as "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "O Come Emmanuel" and "Silent Night" - in a relaxed Californian folk rock style where snow and cold are only a vague recollection. "Songs for Christmas" is a great appetizer for their only full-length album to date, "Thou Art The Dream," released in early 2012.
Download "Songs for Christmas" for free from www.noisetrade.com!

www.tupelo.ie

James Cramer "The Lights of Lisnakay" (Crashed Records, 2012). James Cramer (banjo, guitar, harmonica), singer and songwriter of Dublin-based Americana band Tupelo,[49] was inspired by a poetry book of Matt Duggan (1914-79) to put a string of seven poems to some fine and engaging music. View the YouTube video for more background on the album!

www.billevansbanjo.com

Bill Evans "In Good Company" (Native & Fine Records, 2012). The US West Coast 5-string-banjo virtuoso, teacher and author of tutorials and DVDs is still exploring the fusion of bluegrass with jazz, rock and world music on original instrumentals, a Beatles medley and songs from John Martyn and Sarah Siskind. He is in good company, suppported by his former student's bands Chris Pandolfi (Infamous Stringdusters) and Wes Corbett (Joy Kills Sorrow),[42] as well as Tim O’Brien,[11] Darol Anger,[3] Matt Flinner,[41] Missy Raines,[39] ...

www.evarusnik.com

Evarusnik "High Collar Dark Sky" (Rapanui Records, 2010). New Mexican duo Andrew Tumason (piano) and Miranda Scott (vocals) are joined by more than a dozen musicians to weave a tapestry of Irish harps and ethnic drumming around cinematic piano compositions and gratifying vocals. World beat as eclectic as can be!

www.cotyhogue.com

Coty Hogue "When We Get To Shore" (Perpetual Hoedown Music, 2012). Original songs, Appalachian ballads, Southern old-time music - you name it, US Northwest singer-songwriter Coty Hogue does it with excellence. Recorded live in Seattle. Our favorites: the traditional "Motherless Children" and the Springsteen cover "I’m On Fire".

www.sethlakeman.co.uk

Seth Lakeman "Live with the BBC Concert Orchestra" (EP, Honour Oak Records, 2012). Highest accolades! British singer-songwriter-fiddler-guitarist Seth Lakeman[43][48] was accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Matthew Coorey in March 2012 at Plymouth Pavilions, this EP featuring five of his unmistakeably songs from his four solo albums.

www.maryjaneandwendy.com

Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac "Seinn" (Turtlemusik Records, 2012). Two ambassadors of Cape Breton's traditional music, singer Mary Jane Lamond[3][23] and fiddler Wendy MacIsaac,[2] romping through a set of Nova Scotian music, both melancholic songs and lively dances. Enchanting, energetic, excellent!

www.fionamackenzie.org

FolkWorld Xmas

Fiona J Mackenzie "Air a chiad Latha den Nollaig" (Download Single, Greentrax, 2012). The Scots Gaelic singer Fiona J Mackenzie[49] is releasing a special remix of the traditional song "Air a chiad Latha den Nollaig" (On The First Day of Christmas) from her popular 2007 album "Duan Nollaig" (A Gaelic Christmas).[35] The CD track has been stripped down to Fiona’s vocals only and then re-mixed by Sandy Jones, who played all the instruments on the re-mastered track.
The single will be available on iTunes, Amazon and other download stores. A sample of the single is also available on the Greentrax website.

www.crowmedicine.com

Chance McCoy "Debut" (Appalachian Music Group, 2008). West Virginian old-time fiddler Chance McCoy of Old Crow Medicine Show[43] performs familiar and unfamiliar tunes on his 5 string fiddle. Old-time string band music in its purest form, recorded live, undiluted by any studio pyrotechniques.

www.morfemedia.com

Morfe "Ziziaq" (2012). Debut album of a Belarusian instrumental ethno-fusion band, founded by Armenian percussionist Hovhannes S. Avanesyan in 2007 in Minsk. Seven tracks display a Warsaw Village Band-like,[49] trance-like, funky fusion of folk tunes, jazz music and avant garde. Very particular and unheard of!

www.lesogres.com

Les Ogres de Barback "La Fabrique a Chansons" (EP, Irfan, 2012). French sibling band,[46] whose music is inspired by both French chanson, independent rock and Gypsy music, presents excerpts from the forthcoming live CD/DVD, featuring members of Les Hurlements d’Leo[45] and Somi de Granadas.

www.kellyjoephelps.net

Kelly Joe Phelps "Brother Sinner & The Whale" (Black Hen Music, 2012). American flat-picking and slide guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps returns to his early folk blues, spreading the Christian gospel. Incredible guitar technique, soulful vocals, and on the whole a testimony to his relationship with the Christian faith.

www.davidrovics.com

David Rovics "Meanwhile in Afganistan (Acoustic Version)" (Download, 2012). US singer-songwriter David Rovics[32][44] launched a fundraising campaign to send out a thousand CDs of his latest studio recordings, featuring rock star Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), to radio stations around the world. Anyone who makes a donation whatever size will receive an exclusive link to an acoustic version as well as sneak peeks of mixes that will be on the CD.

www.urusen.co.uk

Urusen "This Is Where We Meet" (Almighty Rooftop Rec, 2012). Around for a decade, British band Urusen never really made it with their mix of Brit-Pop and American roots music. Being frequent performers on the British festival circuit, they eventually found the perfect pop song: "In Search of the Delta".

www.michaelwardmusic.com

Michael Ward with Dogs & Fishes "Working For The One Percent" (Single, Hyde Street, 2012). Political rant (the title "Working For The One Percent" says it all, eh?) of a veteran singer-songwriter from San Francisco. It's groovy, and a revolution you can dance to!

FolkWorld Xmas

Various Artists "Antologie moravské lidové hudby - Čas adventu a Vánoc" (Indies Scope, 2012). Part 5 of Indies' anthology of traditional Moravian music (dedicated to specific regions and their contemporary representatives),[47][47][47][49] here seasonal Advent and Christmas songs from all over the Central European region in the east of the Czech Republic. 32 tracks, nearly 80 minutes - West meets East in the Carpathian Mountains with a selection of the finest Moravian Christmas music.

Various Artists "Gaelic Ireland" (ARC Music, 2012). Great compilation by journalist/broadcaster John O'Regan of 18 Irish language songs, both a capella sean-nos and accompanied, trad and modern, from young and old, such as Altan's Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh,[38] the Chieftains' Kevin Conneff,[48] Brendan Begley,[48] Éilís Kennedy,[22] Ger Wolfe,[46] Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola,[24] ... Nice: a brief explaination of the evolution of the Irish language in the booklet (in English and German).

Various Artists "Putumayo Presents Bluegrass" (Putumayo, 2012). From old-time, blues and gospel music Bill Monroe almost single-handly invented the so-called bluegrass string band music in the late 1930s. This excellent compilation features recordings from 1992 to 2011 from mandolinists David Grisman[27] and Sam Bush,[48] banjoist Alison Brown,[46] guitarists Peter Rowan[44] (a reggae-take on "Man of Constant Sorrow") and James Alan Shelton,[49] as well as young groups such as Railroad Earth.[40]

Various Artists "The Rough Guide to the Music of Hungary" (World Music Network, 2012). A tour de force of Hungarian music - Slavic folk, Gypsy and Jewish music - featuring a range of artists such as cimbalom virtuoso Kálmán Balogh[48] Hungarian-Serbian group Söndörgö[46] klezmer band Di Naye Kapelye, led by fiddler Bob Cohen,[39] Our favorite track: singer Szilvia Bognár's trad-made-modern "A Szeretet Próbája" (A Test of True Love). A bonus CD is introducing Tárkány-Müvek with its interesting fusion of Hungarian cimbalom, jazz and classical music.

Various Artists "The Rough Guide to the Music of Scandinavia" (World Music Network, 2012). Scandinavian artists can often be found on the cutting edge of musical innovation. This compilation highlights some of the most adventurous sounds from Copenhagen to Hammerfest, ft. music from Iceland, Norway (Benedicte Maurseth,[43] Annbjørg Lien,[49] Frigg[35]), Denmark (Valravn,[39] Sorten Muld[49]), Sweden (Katzen Kapell[38]), Finland (Maria Kalaniemi & Timo Alakotila,[23] Värttinä,[47] Kimmo Pohjonen,[47] Wimme[42]). The bonus CD is capturing the Finnish quartet Kardemimmit, (kantele playing and harmony singing) with their entire second album from 2009.

The Rough Guide booklets are in English and French. Rough Guide also offers to download a free world music sampler @ www.worldmusic.net/free!



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