FolkWorld #46 11/2011

CD & DVD Reviews

Gerry Griffin "Moment to Moment"
Own label; 2011

www.gerrygriffinmusic.com

When sadly learning of the passing of Bert Jansch,[46] it was appropriate that next on my pile of CDs to review was that of a guitarist/singer playing blues and folk. Gerry Griffn may not be up to the level of Bert Jansch (few are and most of those would probably not even admit that they were). Griffin does a nice job here with a bit more blues than folk, but he blurs the lines enough to make it simply an interesting set of sparse songs. There is a surprising amount of additional instruments and production moves that do work their way in. “Chasing the Dragon” works extremely well starting softly and building in intensity with vibes and some lush string/synthesizer arrangements that build the stirring vocals. The vocals take a Tom Waits rasp to an even higher level, but they are expressive and flexible. The guitar is always leading the way musically and the songs have enough complexity to them to warrant further listens. This one kind of snuck on me and I have the feeling it will even improve with age. But it’s good enough right now for another listen.
© David Hintz


Marcus Eaton "As if You Had Wings"
Own label; 2010

www.marcuseaton.com

This one straddles the line between mainstream pop and rock without much of a nod to the rootsier genres of folk and blues. It kind of reminds me of Loggins & Messina, although I confess that comes from 35-year old memories, as I do not keep up with Loggins & Messina. There are some nice rocking drums and some propulsive studio moves that were pretty clever. The rock moments are pretty good and the California singer-songwriter songs may appeal to some, but the overall effect did not leave me with anything standing out enough to excite me enough to put this one back on replay pile.
© David Hintz


Ma Rain "Glory Runner"
Own label; 2011

www.marain.nl

Ma Rain is short for Marijn Wijnands. She is from the Netherlands and possesses a lovely voice that carries her songs to nice heights. The music is full band singer-songwriter styled folk-rock. Everything is sung in English and the feeling of these songs has a European/Americana crossbred vibe working. I particularly enjoyed “Rescue Pollyanna” which had a Pentangly sound that was in the direction of “Light Flight” (although without the dazzling swinging 60s feel). There’s also a nice pace in the title cut with a great vocal melody cutting into the banjo and rhythm. Some songs lapse into average pop-rock, but more often than not, there is something nice going on in this album.
© David Hintz


Blitzen Trapper "American Goldwing"
SubPop; 2011

www.blitzentrapper.net

I never quite know what to expect from this intriguing band from the Pacific Northwest—Portland, Oregon here. Eric Earley is the sole songwriter and bandleader, so it is his eclectic vision that dictates proceedings from album to album. The band is versatile enough to have had elements of the Kinks, Tomorrow and even Queen present in the previous album. I also noted some Dylan and Americana in the last record. Well, it’s out with the UK this time around and the Dylan-Americana sound is front and center and holds up steadily in these ten songs. It is far from a lazy homage, as these songs sound fresh and crackle with sharp acoustic guitar parts offset by slide moves, harmonica and more. I should note that “Street Fighting Sun” is the one oddball on this record, as it is a hard fuzzed-out rocker that sounded only a bit smarter than a Ted Nugent or Black Oak Arkansas tune drifting around in my teenage memory. But the slightly up-tempo, striking Americana songs are what carry this album forward. This is catchy, crackling rock music here. It is another interesting step for this band as they continue to become one of the more interesting bands south of Arcade Fire and north of Elliott Brood.
© David Hintz


Martin Simpson "Purpose + Grace"
Topic Records, 2011

www.martinsimpson.com

When you slap on a record from the famous Topic label, you do expect classic UK folk. And when you see the name Martin Simpson, then you can pretty confident that the album will deliver. Simpson is a veteran singer/guitarist with a rich voice that is as striking as the steel guitar strings carrying the melodies. Of course when you feel you can add in some even better voices and guitar, why not get Dick Gaughan or June Tabor to sing a few songs or have Richard Thompson lay down some electric guitar? These guests and plenty of quality musicians add their talents to these mostly traditional tunes. There are some nice covers of Bruce Springsteen and Richard Thompson (Tabor and Simpson are the only two that play on “Strange Affair”). I really enjoyed hearing Gaughan again, although Simpson does well enough himself on a great vocal performance with “In the Pines”. It is always a pleasure to hear an album that features grace and a deft touch in interpreting such quality songs. What it lacks in innovation, it makes up for in quality that is fresh and invigorating.
© David Hintz


Megafaun "Megafaun"
Crammed Discs, 2011

www.megafaun.com

There is a more modern approach to Americana that many heartland bands in the US are employing. Bon Iver, Gayngs, Iron and Wine, and many more take a dreamy approach to the music and may employ some modern electronica sounds and treated instruments in varying degrees of subtlety. Megafaun is a trio mostly from North Carolina that appears to fit right in with this approach. There is a lush, well-produced quality to their songs, which could have been easily been played with voice and acoustic guitars. But instead, they eschew the easy and employ a full production. The songs are gentle and slow with more harmonized vocals than not. There is a nice hypnotic effect to it as piano notes fade out with the damper pedal down. The guys playing bass and drums work hard at keeping a slow steady beat early in the album. Just when you lounge back, a song like “Isadora” comes along with a crazy sax and a heavy drums opening before settling into more of a mid-tempo number with touches of lounge jazz. This one is certainly tough to categorize, even with a few mostly straight folk numbers and a classic western themed song like “Scorned” that could fit right into the soundtrack of an Italian western. If you like Iron & Wine (and a lot of people do), I would give this a try. Most moderately adventurous folk-rock lovers would enjoy hearing this album.
© David Hintz


Jason McNiff "April Cruel"
Fledg’ling Records, 2011

www.jasonmcniff.com

Just when I was thinking this was simply another good singer songwriter record in the folk arena, the opening cut took a fascinating twist with sharp guitar strumming and banjo runs. Then it simply ended creating a shudder as it had me surprised. The key here is that the arrangements are the key to bringing to life these good songs. Obviously, there are not too many Dylans and Springsteens in the world, but there are plenty of people at the next level. Jason McNiff may be one of those as his songs are decent and his approach to arranging and recording indeed elevates this well above the pack. McNiff has the full package, but I think his voice is also important to the success here. Guitar work is also quite good and again, it comes down to interesting arrangements. Well worth a listen here, for both old folk fans and newer indie folk-rock lovers.
© David Hintz


David Stockdale "Dark Riders"
Tanzan Music, 2011

www.davidstockdale.it

This American singer/songwriter has released his fourth album and has constructed another fine effort. Stockdale’s universal songs are given life by several musicians who mix in many contemporary rock, jazz, and blues moves. And although Stockdale is from California and this was recorded at Pacific Studio, the studio is in Italy and the backing musicians all appear Italian. That likely does add a slightly more universal quality to things, staying away from pure ethnic sounds on either continent. However the formula works, the results are good with Stockdale’s assured vocals leading the way. It gets a little less interesting by album’s end (although the closer “Right from the Heart” is quite nice), but the quality is still there. And the earlier songs on this album are worth a listen for all who like well produced singer songwriter material.
© David Hintz


Sal Valentino "Dreamin’ Man"
Global Recording Artists, 2011

www.beaubrummels.com

Valentino has one of the best and most famous voices from the 1960s as the lead singer for the Beau Brummels. There are three cover songs here with the remaining seven songs co-written between Valentino and John Blakely who played guitar and did the production. The music is not the Beau Brummels, but that was clearly not the goal, nor should it have been. It is mature rock music on the lighter side. Valentino’s voice has weathered well, but it has weathered. He has a little more breathiness and it does not soar as it did in his younger days. He still has a good sense of melody and a decent range. It is worth a listen to find the cuts that are most appealing. For me, Joan Armatrading’s “Weakness in Me” was a good interpretation. Their original song “Dreamin’ Man” had the best timeless qualities—or rather, maybe it took me back to the San Francisco of the 1960s. But most songs were merely nice, so I would think fans will be more interested than new listeners. But it is great to hear Sal Valentino still active as a solo artist and at times with the Brummels.
© David Hintz


Simone Stevens "Right on Time"
Own label; 2011

www.simonestevensmusic.com

Some song arrangements read like a blueprint, others a tapestry—“Right on Time” is a tapestry. This style of folk-rock is woven into the twelve engaging songs presented here. I have heard Ms. Stevens before on the Fiery Blue album (reviewed above) so I was ready for a good vocal performance. The additional musicians and song quality were the unknowns, but both are successful elements here. The musicians can slip in country moves and searing electric guitar solos without disrupting the flow of the song or album. Not a bad note here, although there were only a few tracks that jumped out at me. Instead, it was a nice full flowing album that is worth listening to in its entirety. Simone Stevens is a talent to be watched closely. There is not much distance between her and some other singer-songwriters selling out the larger clubs.
© David Hintz


Indigo Girls "Beauty Queen Sister"
Vanguard; 2011

www.indigogirls.com

A quarter of century worth of experience goes a long way, especially when you have achieved as much as this duo has over that time. This is their twelfth studio album, so most people will be aware of their talents and abilities. I have not heard all of their music, but this sounds like a solid entry in their canon. The first cut, “Share the Moon”, is traditional and has a lovely mystical feeling present. The rest of the album leans a little more to folk and country with light rock moves here and there. I enjoyed the powerful singing in “Birthday Song” with its surprisingly intensity and vibrant melody. “Drano” is a nice little rocker, which adds some nice variety just when I thought things were starting to sound a bit too similar. The album ends strongly with “Yoke” with its rustic heart and mystical guitar notes. After a couple of a few listens, the complexity of the songs really strikes a strong chord. The Indigo Girls still have a lot to offer. Fans should not be disappointed and newcomers can jump in any time and enjoy the rich offerings on this record.
© David Hintz


John York and Kim Fowley "West Coast Revelation"
Global Record Artists, 2011

The name Kim Fowley on a record will always perk up my interest. He is probably most famous for managing (and other terms may be appropriate) the all female LA rock band, the Runaways (where Joan Jett got her start). But he goes well back into the psychedelic sixties with novelty hits like “The Trip” and many behind the scenes efforts that can be read about elsewhere. John York is the musical presence here with electric guitar and vocals. There is a bit of drumming and back-up vocals, but it is mostly the veteran York creating the bluesy electric folk rock sound. Kim Fowley joins in “as interrogator” with loads of questions about music with John York. York has plenty to talk about as he’s worked with the Byrds, the Sir Douglass Quintet, the Mamas and the Papas, and plenty more. It is interesting history and Fowley is always a pleasure to listen to with his droll style and intelligent questions. There is a good flow all of this—the music is decent and the interviews are interesting and tell a nice bit of history in the music of LA and the 60s. In a similar vein, I once saw John Sinclair (manager of the MC5) read his historical poetry on the Blues with an acoustic guitarist. I wish there were more creative ways to merge history and music together. This is a success.
© David Hintz


Stone Iris "Silhouettes"
Kamekorn; 2010

www.stoneiris.com

This is a five-song ep, so there is only a taste of what Stone Iris is all about. I had read something about reggae, but only really heard that in the second cut, “Supple Young Couple”. And that was a good thing, since the rest of the songs were more interesting indie rock songs that do not quite hit shoegaze or psychedelia, but have a slight otherworldly quality to them. There are some interesting beats within and everything is quite slick. That is for the most part a compliment, aside from the reggae tune, which would do better with a raw production. Just a taste, but it is a good one and I would not mind having a larger meal the next time around.
© David Hintz


The Waterboys "An Appointment with Mr. Yeats"
Proper; 2011

www.mikescottwaterboys.com

The Waterboys are quite the cult band, at least on this side of the pond. They have been making interesting Celtic folk rock albums for some time that connect better in Europe than in the US. But for those of us that dig into the whole Celtic scene, we have found this highly entertaining band that always seems to do things a little differently. Members come and go, but Mike Scott carries on with making his unique brand of music. Many of the cuts have an accessible rock tone with catchy melodies delivered with his accented breathiness. What really works for me is when the mystical reachings merge with creative rock moves in songs like “News for the Delphic Oracle” and “A Full Moon in March”. Folk fans should also enjoy “Before the World was Made” with its male and female vocal tradeoffs above a shimmering guitar complete with some spacey effects. This is not for the light-hearted folkies. There is a bite in all of these songs, especially in the guitar. But the melodies and folk feelings are embedded within. This material is worth several listens and I will be enjoying each and every one.
© David Hintz


Various Artists "Hymns from Home -
That Thing that’s a Whole Lot Bigger than This"
Hemifrån, 2011

German CD Review

This is a compilation of folk artists ranging from those who have been around a long, long time to newer artists. There are twenty songs here and it is hard not to find something to enjoy, if not every bit of this. Some cuts don’t rise to the heights of others, but there are not many compilations you could not say that about. Dan Krikorian’s “Angels Sing” is a brilliant cut and had me digging out his 2009 album “Colors and Chords” which I reviewed here in a previous issue.[41] Marc Black’s “Sometime a Spark” was intriguing with its mystical verses and left turn into a startlingly ordinary chorus—quite odd, but interesting. Elliott Murphy and the Plastic Pals each have a nice cut. There is plenty of folk to take in here and much more to explore further. But be ready for JD Souther’s jazzy cut or Judy Collins atop a gospel choir, as there is some nice variety here.
© David Hintz


Kasey Chambers "Little Bird"
Sugar Hill Records, 2011

www.kaseychambers.com
Kasey Chambers is a country singer songwriter, but her western landscapes are in the Australian outback, not Nashville or Austin. Chambers has an attractive voice that would work as well or better in the pop world. The songs are rich and full and lacking the clichéd country moves that generally turn me off. I am not sure if this is alt country, but there is something gutsier and folkier than in most country airings. There are even some big band jazz touches with horns in “Bring Back my Heart”. “Train Wreck” is a solid rock song and is a nice finisher. Although she is certainly better known in her native country than abroad, she has shown some success in the US that I am aware of. And the material warrants further success, although these days it is pretty hard to achieve that without comprehensive touring. I do not see any touring scheduled, but perhaps giving birth to a baby girl a couple of weeks prior to this review (October 2011) just may have something to do with that. So congratulations to Kasey Chambers and may she have good fortune resuming the music career. She has the talent to continue to do well for a long time.
© David Hintz

Smithfield Fair "Every New Day"
Stevenson Productions; 2011

www.smithfieldfair.com

I hope I will be forgiven for listening to the Smithfield Fair for only the first time on this, their 27th album in 39 years. The album clearly shows a mature professional band that has full command of their folk sound. This is a family affair reminiscent of a Carthy-Watersons album. However, this contains a bit more modern sounding songs (maybe like Show of Hands) and all of them are original. There is a nice mix of folk with a traditional base as well as good singer-songwriter light rock. There are some nice shifts like the wistful solo piano on “Snow Child’ as it leads into a worldly song like “Just a Lullaby”. Although I am comparing them to the Watersons, I should note that they are from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which is another part of the world that takes pride in their great musical traditions. The Smithfield Fair certainly are a part of that great musical culture in southern Louisiana.
© David Hintz


Daniel Glen Timms "Life’s an Illusion"
Blue Earth Records; 2011

www.danielglentimms.com

This is a likable moderate paced rock album. The songs are decent and the playing acceptable with a slick mainstream sound. “Do it Right” is a nice rocker that stands a little taller than the rest. A lot of it would slip out of mind for me were it not for the horn arrangements by Darrell Leonard. This production touch elevates this record into something above the usual fair of blues-based classic rock. On the negative side, I would like to hear lyrics beyond lonesome roads, farmer’s daughters, and endless seas. But musically, this is sharp quality material and worth a listen.
© David Hintz


Tori Sparks "Until Morning/Come out of the Dark"
Glass Mountain Records; 2011

www.torisparks.com

Tori Sparks is an American born and bred singer/songwriter who left the musical comforts of Nashville and headed to Barcelona. That is a gutsy move and can only help broaden her already extensive musical palette. Sparks has a soulful style and a wide, wide range. The worldly influences are clearly evident here from the gutsy Americana based folk rock to lounge room soul to the tropicalia stylings of someone like Gal Costa. And the best part is that each song has the extra pop to it in both the instrumentation and the vocal interpretations. This is a major work here and is as deserving of a broad based audience as much as anything I have heard in the last few months. Unlike her fine lyric “you can’t judge a book even after you’ve read it”, I don’t think it took me even a full listen for me to judge this as one of the better albums of the year. One thing to keep in mind, that although this has two CDs, it is set up like a Side 1 and Side 2 complete with 50 minutes of music.
© David Hintz


Steve Mednick "Immigrants …and other Americans"
Cottage Sound; 2011

www.stevemednick.com

This record has some guts to it. There is a blues-rock foundation, but it often has more of a jangly indie folk-rock with a lot of electric bite and some wailing violin. The vocals remind me a bit too much of Bob Dylan in the way he pushes and pulls back his words, but the lyrics bring some nice weight to the songs. And his gift with words is no surprise as he is a practicing lawyer ala Tom Rapp (Pearls Before Swine). But he has been writing and recording music for some time and the professionalism of his songs and ability to choose quality backing musicians is quite clear here. Electric Dylan or Ron Kavana fans take notice, but keep your expectations a little on the low side, as some songs succeed nicely while others kind of sit there in the background.
© David Hintz


Simon Elvnäs "Words Unspoken"
Own label; 2010

www.simonelvnas.com

Elvnäs is a Swedish singer/guitarist playing with a full band. The songs are all original, aside from one Pete Seeger cover, “Water is Wide”. I particularly enjoyed the arrangement on “I Will Change it All” which started with voice and acoustic guitar before a female voice took over with orchestration joining in. Eventually voices merge and the full delivery of this lovely song is complete. The rest of this album is mixed with simple folk rock songs and some that have full arrangements. He has an appealing voice and nice style with a song. Definitely worth a further listen and a name to keep an eye on.
© David Hintz


Leon Rosselson "The World Turned Upside
Down – Rosselsongs 1960-2010"
PM Press; 2011

www.leonrosselson.co.uk

As a part-time collector of Leon Rosseslon, I am pleased to see this comprehensive four CD set spanning a full half-century of original folk music. Like Dominic Behan and others, he actually started playing well before some of the more famous acoustic guitarists in the UK. In fact he was 27 years old in 1961 where this collection starts. His work with vocalist Roy Bailey in the 1970s is some of the strongest folk material from the UK in that era. There is plenty of bite in the lyrics of his songs, yet the delivery is comfortable and welcoming. His guitar work is excellent in a classic style, lacking the audacity in Davy Graham’s style making him more of a fitting partner for Martin Carthy. There is an intelligence and wit to his music that seems to set the stage for an artist like Robyn Hitchcock to come along after (listen to “She was Crazy, He was Mad and see if you hear Hitchcock). Although his hard left protestations are more prevalent and less ambiguous, reminding me more of Phil Ochs.
The first CD covers the sixties and begins in 1961 with good topical folk music. Martin Carthy and Liz Mansfield assist on the gorgeous “Across the Hills” with Carthy present in several songs including full folk band cuts by The 3 City 4. There is a nice mix of songs and even some jazz piano and bass that sneaks in. The second CD moves into the 1970s with Roy Bailey joining in on many of the vocals. The themes are still sharp edged and topical. There are some nice nearly experimental vocal moves on “Plan” which features John Kirkpatrick and songs stretch to five and seven minutes. CD Number Three heads to the 80s with Martin Carthy still assisting at times. Frankie Armstrong joins in on vocals with a piano also featuring in several songs. The synthesizer is odd, but the Oyster Band electrifying things on one song is a nice touch. Finally, the fourth disc covers the past twenty years. The style and lyrical bite is similar, but there is a more forceful message sung politely, but by a crusty older man. “It’s Just the Song” is directed my way (as a critic) to tell me that he does not need me to tell me his songs are good and that we have it all wrong anyway.
Even if I do have it all wrong, this is a compelling set of songs. If you are not politically hard to the left, some of the lyrics will push you more than you like. Of course, any perspective over four discs will get a little tiring. But each song is strong in its own right and most are thought provoking. The sound quality is uniformly excellent and the booklet with lengthy explanations of the songs is interesting even by itself. Hopefully this release will help elevate Rosselson’s status around the world, as he does not seem quite as well known as some of the other famous UK guitarist singer/songwriters.
© David Hintz


Luke Ritchie "The Water’s Edge"
Angel Falls; 2011

www.lukeritchie.co.uk

Luke Ritchie may begin at a folk perspective, but with a producer that has worked with Mogwai and Franz Ferdinand and a slick arranger specializing in strings, it is easy to hear the strong production wrap its arms around these songs. Thankfully the songs are strong and Luke Ritchie’s vocals are more than up to staying atop any instrumentation in the mix. His voice really soars, but has a tough quality when needed. “The Lighthouse” opens things off with full production and sets things off soaring nicely along. “Shanty” follows things up with a gutsier earthen-based guitar that takes things to yet another level. I see the name John Martyn mentioned a few places and I can see the comparison. I would also add Michael Chapman with some of his more produced efforts, but the voice is more like Martyn’s. The other similarity is both their abilities to take folk starting points and add layers of sound to achieve proximity to smart pop music. Have a listen to my favorite cut “Butterfly” at his website and see if you agree with me that Luke Ritchie has captured this delicate balance of styles. The record plays beautifully with just enough variety to keep a listener tuned in. Luke Ritchie is an artist to keep an eye on, but take a listen for now.
© David Hintz


Various Artists "About Christmas Songs Volume 4"
Devil Duck Records, 2011

FolkWorld Xmas

Another Christmas compilation? I imagine we all have had moments where we have had our fill of Christmas compilations. I had a friend who sent a Christmas card with a homemade compilation on cassette or CD with a couple dozen jazz, soul, pop, and folk interpretations which he mined from the vast cornucopia of holiday albums. There was always amazing variety and occasionally an interesting original song. And that originality is what makes this an interesting choice if you are predisposed to not wanting an 18th version of “Oh Holy Night”. The fourteen songs here are all original songs, save one, written about Christmas. There are some major artists here such as Sufjan Stevens, Low, and the Wombats (and unlike the other songs here, these three are older recordings). Stevens’ take starts with a light whimsical vocal line before an interesting droning rock passage kicks in. Low does a cover of “Silent Night” which is a perfect match for the Low style. Other highlights include the worldly “Oh No” by Friska Viljor and “No Room for Mistakes” which features some fine vocal work and a nice folk arrangement by a band called Murder. Most of the other songs are light folk rock or delicate folk arrangements and all our successful to varying degrees. Do you have room in your Christmas collection for one more album? And are you lacking for folk oriented Christmas songs? If you answer yes to both questions, then this would make a fine addition for you.
© David Hintz


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

www.ahabofficial.com

ahab "kmvt" (EP, Navigator Records, 2011). The English quartet's debut album will be released in 2012. Seek out their alt-country folk pop with this introductory 5 song EP or while supporting Bellowhead[38] on their UK tour.

www.pospolite.ruszenie.pl

Pospolite Ruszenie "Świebodność" (Download EP, 2011). Polish folk rock band Pospolite Ruszenie is mixing distorted electric guitars with powerful bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy and jolly flutes and fiddles. Early music and rock'n'roll, histrionic Slavionic and sinister metal chant create an attractive contrast. Live it's probably a killer.

kevinridley.groovemachine.net

Kevin Ridley "Flying in the Face of Logic" (DR2 Records, 2011). Skyclad were pioneers of folk metal, their frontman Kevin Ridley explores more traditional-style folk rock on his debut solo album. It contains 14 original tracks, mainly inspired by the singer’s native North East England roots, featuring Northumbrian piper Andy May.[40]

www.davidrovics.com

David Rovics "Big Red Sessions" (Own label, 2011). The "Big Red Sessions"[45] is now on CD. It is, in David's own humble opinion, the best recording he's ever made, both in terms of the selection of songs as well as the execution. You can buy the CD for $10 (plus shipping costs) via his online store, or buy as many CDs as you want for $5 each until end of 2011, on the condition that you will give one CD away to someone who is involved with media -- radio, print, internet, whatever. Just go to www.davidrovics.com!

Union Starr "I Know About Art" (Digital Single, Woodenhouse Records, 2011). "I Know About Art" is the first single of Union Starr's forthcoming album, and these guys certainly know their art. It took Jason Applin and Roger Wells a painful pregnancy of ten years to deliver it, but it grew a beautiful baby, which rambles freely between Liverpool and Louisiana.

Various Artists "The Celtic Connection 2 - An Irish & Scottish Collection" (Weltenklang Records, 2011). Beautiful sampler from the Austrian Weltenklang agency, featuring some of the best of today's Irish artists such as Diarmuid & Donncha Moynihan,[43] Slide,[42] Flook,[22] Beoga,[38] Gerry O'Connor,[31] Lunasa,[42] Mairtin O'Connor,[22] Nuala Kennedy,[42] Caladh Nua,[41] Cora Smyth,[36] Grada,[42] Charlie Lennon,[34] Scottish as Lauren MacColl,[33] Maeve MacKinnon,[37] Rachel Hair,[39] Bodega,[37] the Paul McKenna Band,[38] Jeana Leslie & Siobhan Miller,[37] Emily Smith & James McClennan,[41] and Welsh with Anna Esslemont's Uiscedwr.[39]

Various Artists "Danish Roots - Growing in the World 2010-2011" (Danish Roots/GO' Folk, 2011). Beautiful introduction to the current Danish folk and roots music scene: Rannok,[45] Fiol Ministeriet,[45] Stine Michel,[40] Habadekuk,[45] Morild,[44] Jensen & Bugge,[44] Basco,[46] Klezmofobia,[40] ...

Various Artists "Italia 4 - Atlante di Musica Tradizionale - Roots Music Atlas" (Felmay, 2011). United Italy is 150 years old, the trad music scene is alive and kicking, though the economic situation is nearly as bad as in Greece. Felmay's latest anthology dedicated to traditional and roots music from Italy, featuring Yo Yo Mundi,[46] Trobairitz d'Oc,[45] Gattamolesta,[41] Gai Saber,[44] Filippo Gambetta,[39] Massimo Ferrante,[41] Liguriani,[45] ...

Various Artists "New Folk Records Sampler II" (New Folk Records, 2011). New Folk Records' artists we continue to work with and believe in, featuring recent recordings of Fingal,[38] The Hibs,[38] Letho & Wright,[34] Dáithí Sproule,[46] Todd Menton,[38] Paddy O'Brien,[46] The Irish Brigade,[23] Randal Bays,[39] ...



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