Folk
KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFOLKER!
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Experiência - Passo a PassoI bought this LP in Lissabon some eight years ago. I’d never seen it before or since. Rock is not my expertise, but it seems to me this is a record that should be better known. I’m afraid it’s really rare though. They play folk-funk with some latin-rock influences, cool percussion in the mix. It […]
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Les Moore: S/TDecent folkie man from NOLA with an warbley, nasal voice. He’s got the lonely room ambiance, and his style is likable enough, but he sorta kinda comes up short in the song department. Oddly enough it’s his cover of Lennon’s “A Day in the Life” that sticks with ya. If some of his originals took […]
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Bob Reidenbach - Come Touch The Air SoftlyAs interest continues to surge in the softer sounds of yesteryear, it is apparent that a Soft Renaissance is upon us. This is no secret to deep diggers around the globe: rival collectors are frantically scouring the earth, scrambling to Out-Soft each other with unheard obscurities of extreme gentleness. Every now and then, the collecting […]
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Fuat Saka - Ayrılık TürküsüWith it’s use of delayed percussion, eastern scales and jazzy ney (flute), this folk pop album manages to create a nice psychedelic mood, despite the release date (1984). The 10 songs featured on it are very contemplative, sung with a dark brooding voice, but still there’s a drive to the music, not in the […]
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Jean Yves Tourbin - GayanJean Yves Tourbin managed to peek out of his nest of gratuitous facial hair and somehow emerge with a tender eastern instrument augmented folk album. The grueling frenchness* of the vocals may repel most, but most tracks are filled with gorgeous finger picked guitars, harps, strings and flutes. For some reason this found its […]
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Bob Fietsam: Presenting…Bob Fietsam it seems was a local student of the classical guitar. This is the only lp of his I’ve run across. He was a student of O.A. “Red” McCutcheon, who in his own right was a famed guitar instructor from West Virginia. Besides classical standards, Bob put to wax two original compositions for this […]
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Lightdreams - Islands in SpaceI was listening to this album hardcore at the same time I started reading William Gibson’s Neuromancer. They seemed to compliment each other well, each depicted a world in space so daring and different. Paul Marcano, the mind behind Lightdreams, dedicates the album to the colonization of space and this really sets the tone […]
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Bruce D. McElheny - For The RecordThis is a really solid private press (I think) LP that covers acoustic blues, country & folk territory. All the songs are originals by McElheny and the instrumentation is various combinations of voice, guitar, banjo, electric bass, drums and dobro. Recorded in October 1976 at Bickley Studios, Houston and released on the […]
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Ecology Sea in Song and Ballad“Hey, I know, let’s get ripped and record some songs about the ocean for kids.” I suppose one of the beauties of making your own record is that there’s no one to tell you no… as is evident on this custom job devoted to stoner octopus ballads and the like. Not that I’m knocking […]
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Christian Lee - ‘Magic Wand’ - White WonderObscure 45rpm artifact on a one-off label - the artist remains mysterious, originally from Detroit, apparently he later relocated to the Southwest. An anthem of sorts, the rough-hewn yet melodic folk sound of ‘Magic Wand’ oddly foreshadows the sound of early 90s bedroom-four-trackers.
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Bernie, Bill, and CharlieEasily one of my best scores this year were two cassettes by this homegrown basement folk trio out of Peekskill, NY. I met Bernie while hiking the Appalachian Trail this summer, at the Greymoor Monastery for Franciscan Monks. He was painting the shelter they provide there for hikers when I walked up. […]
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Yathubhutha: Seeing Things as They Really AreHere is a nice Xian/Folk Lp off of Rite Records in Cincinnati, OH. Apart from having a great cover shot, this Lp delivers like no other religious Lp I’ve heard. Granted I’m not a huge fan of the genre, so my knowledge is limited to just what I pick up. Most being garbage.
The female vocals […]
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Chris Madsen - In Black and WhiteGreat private press from Vancouver, BC featuring one-half dark, haunted ssw moves with reverberated vocals, these songs being the best on the LP. Chris has a deep voice which must issue some sort of web as you are drawn to listen to him sing as he covers topics like nature, love and loss. The other […]
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Richard Crandell - In The Flower of Our YouthNice solo instrumental guitar album that would appeal to fans of Fahey/Basho/Kottke etc. One of my favorite records of the genre for sure as Richard is a fantastic guitar player. Richard is still playing music these days, also well worth seeking out is his album “Mbira Magic” from 2004 on Tzadik.
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Tangerine - De l’autre cote de la foret…Tangerine’s first album from 1972 is the full package. From the beautiful cover art to the long-haired pose on the back, you know you are getting something great. And they deliver. One of the few albums that I can say stood up to its cover. Well instrumented psychedelic folk with the tiniest hints of their […]
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Lost John Lyle and the Lonesome Ornery Polecasts - Bootleg PowerheadThis private from 1971 has quickly become my most listened to record of the summer, despite finding it as late as August. Housed in a blank sleeve with hand-written labels, it’s no wonder this artifact of the early singer songwriter scene in B.C., Canada remained unknown until its recent rediscovery. I have found it difficult […]
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Autumn - Michigan Christian College PresentsThis is the sort of odd gospel LP that makes me keep digging for odd gospel LPs when I run out of other “good” records to dig through. The first side of this record is great acoustic based pop gospel folk. Nice songs, nice arrangements & nice singing. Side two doesn’t fare quite as well […]
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Ella Jenkins - This Is RhythmAnother great educational folk record by Ella Jenkins. This one endeavours to teach children all about the element of rhythm and a variety of ethnic percussion instruments. Side One is dedicated to the extended minimalist piece ‘This Is Rhythm’ and then Ella proceeds to demonstrate a number of different rhythmic instruments. Side two consists of […]
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Ella Jenkins - Counting Games & Rhythms For The Little OnesElla Jenkins is probably the most legendary name as far as childrens instructional records are concerned. This record is on Scholastic/Folkways and focusses on teaching kids to count. There are heaps of cool little counting songs that everyone should recognise, with Ella accompanied by acoustic guitar and children from Lake Meadows Nursery School. Ella Jenkins […]
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Kurt Van Arsdel - Golden LonelinessPrivate press californian gospel LP from 1981. On the back cover Van Arsdel looked so much like the bearded Dennis Wilson that I had to give it a spin. I know this is the first pressing because it says so on the label, helpful. You can google Kurt van Arsdel and find […]