1/5 definintely not suitable for children, one song inparticular, March 15, 2003 By A Customer I bought this CD, and I ended up throwing it in the bin the very next day. I bought it and I’m a bit of a ghost freak and I saw the song “Banshee,” I put the record in and […]
This record will catch you off your guard. Put up your usual bias against radical feminist records, flex your hatred of 3rd-wave feminism, despise your own insecurity about all things political, and you will do what most people do when they see this record: laugh and put it back. Certainly when I read about this […]
Probably the best known Folkways box sets around. These are really an outstanding overview of all genres of american folk music. It goes without saying that as usual with Folkways you get a highly informative booklet to accompany each volume. If you don’t have these you just aren’t folk music and could be a poser.
Another Folkways box along the lines of the excellent “Anthologies” LPs. This double LP box dates from 1959 and focuses on field recordings from all genres of american folk music. The comprehensive liner note booklet (including lyrics) is written by Charles Edward Smith and the songs were compiled by Harold Courlander. One of several Folkways […]
Bedroom electronics from a relatively unknown experimental composer on Folkways circa 1980. This one is the first of a two part “Reelizations” series. While there are a few acoustic guitar-only tracks on here, the majority of the record contains a real wide selection of instruments; ranging from heavily processed synthesizers to Roland drum machines to […]
I picked this album up recently half-expecting some excessively artsy, self-indulgent improv noodling with maybe a redeemable moment or two sprinkled within. The “Theatre Ensemble” part of the name kind of just gave me the willies for some reason. On the other hand, it is on Folkways and it has a cool cover with some […]
From the back cover: A brilliant first album by a totally original group performing their own compositions in an experimental – spiritualistic environment. A synergism of instrumental sound (including saxophone, keyboards, percussion, viola, recorder, guitar, drums, and thumb piano, etc.) The Entourage Music and Theatre Ensemble is a collective reflecting techniques found in Noh Theatre, […]
Well if you are like me and consider yourself a bedroom cowboy, then you’re gonna need a helpful record such as this to get your cattle calls up to scratch. Luckily this record comes will everything you need to get your cowpoke game down. This was released on Folkways in 1964 and in true Folkways […]
Put aside whatever bias you might have against inter-species communication for a few minutes and give Jim Nollman a try. Sure, I know your cat doesn’t listen when you scream, “Stop clawing the god damn furniture, you horrible fiend!!!” – but, have you ever tried jamming with the little fella on, say, a Viheula? Didn’t […]
Simply put; this is one of the most amazing and entertaining records I’ve ever heard. It’s a truly fascinating slice of life that does not cease to astonish upon repeated listens, and makes one wish that more things like this had been preserved for the ages. The songs, anecdotes, and a capella gang wars of […]
This will make you toss out your yawnfest Folkways LPs of bug sounds and jugbands or whatever and force you to rethink your intentions as a record collector. Miss Cotten is the real Folkways deal and this is probably one of the best records they ever put out (up there with the Anthologies of American […]
Here’s the first of four volumes in Folkways’ New American Music series. You know it’s new American music because the Eagle on the cover is playing a harp. Eagles mean America, harps mean music and new means new. But this record is actually 30 years old, so I guess in this case new means old. […]
Awesome electronics from the coolest mustache man in the business, J.D. Robb! It’s basically just synth bleeps and crude samples of Opera, but it makes for a thoroughly compelling listen all the way through. I like how his sound is really mellow and spooky rather than a harsh Subotnick-like freak-out that is a trial to […]
Outstanding set of early electronics on the ever-popular Folkways label. It’s hard to imagine the nerdish looking dudes pictured in the included booklet would be the ones producing these totally bizarre sound structures. The first song, “Dripsody,” makes you aware of the kind of experimentation the folks at the University of Toronto’s Electronic Music Studio […]
I suppose that Pygmies, being so naturally small, have a bit of a head start when it come to “getting down”. Bad jokes aside, this is a pretty amazing record. The ambiance is just awesome and on many tracks the jungle is as much a part of the music as the Pygmies. It is a […]
This is the kind of record that brings joy to my life and reminds me of why I got into collecting oddball records in the first place. It’s a local bay area lp from the early 80’s of a guy who, just as the name implies, recorded the sounds of cable cars. Side A is […]
Another one I don’t have. I cry.
Great record of field recordings that I’m happy to have finally recently acquired. It’s of an Indian woman sitting around eating mushrooms with her friend. Her friend seems much more helpful than mine was the time I ate mushrooms. We put them on cold pizza & sat around drinking tea & listening to a Zombies […]
There’s a lot of words I would use to describe the folkways catalog. But sexy is not one of them. Despite being a rather handsome man himself, Mo Asch resisted the allure of the sexy. And this is probably a good approach for recording the music of indigenous peoples. The Murat musicians of North Borneo […]
Absolutely compelling music made by little black school children. I often see this described as a “funk record”, but I feel that is somewhat misleading and probably has some people expecting a Jackson 5/Sylvers type thing, which it isn’t. What we do have here is far more interesting. Just Dupree on piano & the kid’s […]
Follow up to his “Clouds” lp. Same deal here – music intended to be played in old folks homes & drug rehab clinics. This one is all echoed out trombones, or at least one whole side is. I like Clouds a bit better, but this one is still very, very cool.
First of all, I’d just like to say that I celebrate this dude’s entire catalog. But, this may very well be my favorite. I believe I once described this to a friend as Brian Eno meets spiritual jazz. Released on Folkways in 1981 or so, this along with it’s sister album “Crystals” was intended as […]
I am a sucker for both word jazz and Folkways so I figured I’d give it a try. Glad I did! Crazy beatnik vibe the likes of which so many records with wild covers promise but rarely deliver. The Alan Neil Quartet is backing him on this, and are super tight, but in no way […]