No year on this one but my guess is early seventies. This came out on the Dragons Egg label out of Wisconsin. I’m not sure what else came out on this label but I am very curious. In the tradition of John Fahey, this is a great solo acoustic guitar record. Subtle slide guitar and […]
Dave released this nice little album in 1978 on the small Wild Eye record label outta Oakland. I’m always on a mission to find acoustic guitar records, this is definitely one that I listen to often. Aside from two vocal cuts, the other nine tracks are all instrumental. Dave Fritz is a pretty great guitar […]
Here’s one I found a few weeks ago while digging in a massive basement of records. It’s a very stripped down and introspective affair, Bonnie and Edna supply the vocals and guitar work while Gary Morton plays bass and Ron Ussery plays flute. This record sound’s like a Joe Pass or Joe Diorio lp with […]
This is maybe my favorite record that I’ve ever purchased from a local junkmonger I call “Van Guy” – a guy who drives around to flea markets selling books, records, furniture, etc out of his van. Quite a character. Anyhow, I find that with this type of stuff you either “get it”, or don’t. Not […]
Rick Stanley’s musical presence in the late 60s was ethereal at best, with his most prominent recording garnering no less than three of Pokora’s coveted stars. The Gentle Soul’s (Rick Stanley and vocalist Pamela Polland) self-titled release boasted an association with Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder and Terry Melcher, and secured its place in the annals […]
Doreen bears it all on this solo journey. While there are some standard (original) folk and bluegrass songs, the real interesting parts are on the spoken-word tracks. On these songs she opens up on a personal level which at first made me feel uncomfortable, but over time became bearable owing to the poetic nature of […]
After nearly a year of trying to track down this album, I finally did. Although Windflower hail from Alaska, this album was recorded in Munich, West Germany. I can’t find a date anywhere on this one but by the sounds of it, my guess is this came out in the early seventies. The playing and […]
“Why should the devil have the best tunes?”. Apparently Martin Luther was the inspiration for the “folkmass”, which was an attempt at reforming the “mass” into the modern, folky era. From this, and further descriptions on the back, I had high hopes for this album. Alas, I was fairly dissapointed. The majority of the album […]
Beautifully sparse and poetic album by this mysterious Ohio native, Marr’Del. The songs blend between spoken word poetry and singing with only the company of her guitar, harp, and sometimes the rain. Amazingly Marr’Del had no formal musical training, which really enhances the personal element of the album. There is so much more I want […]
Vadan Records, 1978 I was initially excited to pull this from the LPs stewing in my storage this afternoon. At first glance, the album looks to be a new age LP, perhaps played with synths or electronics. To my surprise, the LP is all solo guitar and solo vox, with a voice that is slightly […]
The only info on this one is that it was released in 1978. No liner notes, no record label, just a beautiful handmade looking sleeve, the design on the cover appears to have been done with a magic marker. If I was asked what the record sounds like I’d have to say it sounds somewhat […]
Here’s a double lp by Mairiis “Mossy” Davidson on the small label “north woods”. This was recorded in Anchorage, Alaska and Seattle, Washington. This is a nice rural femme folk lp with a really mellow vibe to it. Mossy’s delicate vocals and acoustic playing are accompanied by recorders, the homestead flute, piano and steel guitar. […]
Along with Bent Wind this is one of the most rare psych/folk lp’s outta Canada. It usually sells for over $1000 so I was excited when this was reissued in a limited print run of 300. From what I can tell it’s a high school record from 1974. It’s a nice mellow delicate folk/psych record […]
Finger-picking folk meets Scott Joplin rags. Bob was an early disciple of John Fahey and cut this lp during “the height of the Joplin revival,” which apparently happened in 1972. Despite the inevitable comparison, Bob seems comfortable in his role as Fahey protege and plays with a lot of heart. His execution is less than […]
From the liner notes: “This album was recorded on a sony home tape recorder. Mostly at parties, it’s mostly first takes. There are no overdubs. No one in New York had anything to do with it.” As you can imagine, this lp is a pretty lo-fi affair, which gives it a very intimate and sparse […]
Nicodemus is an outsider biker folk fella from Michigan. This album was recorded “live” in 1977, complete with fake applause track. Total “smoking a jay around the campfire” jams. Amazingly the guy actually has a pretty good voice. He repressed 500 copies of the LP a few years ago, it can still be found for […]
Dave Porter is a complex man.
Here’s a nice instrumental lp that’s still under the radar. This was released in 1978 and would appeal to fans of John Fahey, Leo Kottke and other guitarist’s similar in that vein. I’ve been trying to find out if Tom released any more albums but I think this is his lone effort. What a shame, […]
Private press hippie commune stuff by guru dude Bhagavan Das. Unfortunately, three fourths of this double lp is the clan “getting their Om on” which I find somewhat less than compelling. I believe it is an honest and respectful attempt at traditional Indian music but it really does not work very well as far as […]
$500 good
Folk-psych mends an aching heart. Granted, too much will make you lactate (or so I’ve been warned), but a little is good medicine. I suppose everybody knows about this record by now, but because I just discovered it and I think the cover art is so very nifty, I’m going to share it anyway. Basically, […]
Every so often you come across an album that, but for one track, is just another addition to the endless heap of profoundly mediocre music. This baffles me; I don’t understand how a band recording an otherwise crappy LP manages to create the one fantastic track. Maybe, after a long session and a lot of […]
Along with the early Fahey stuff, the first few Basho lp’s are probably pretty much ground zero for the “modern” sound of the solo acoustic steel string guitar music that would become popular on through the 70’s. This is Basho’s first record, and one of the first non-Fahey releases on Fahey’s Takoma label. Much more […]
Before becoming a mystery thriller author, Daniel Hecht put out a handful of records. This one is in the same vein as Fahey/Basho’s recordings. His lp on windham hill called “willow” is one of my favorite dollar bin records. Definitely worth seeking out imo.
Nice mellow private issue folk lp on Burntoothbrush records circa 1987. The music sounds more like it came out in the early to mid seventies. My favorite track on here is “purple martin”. Brian looks like Charles Manson’s twin brother on the back cover, freaky.