small town folk

01. the garden of earthly delights ~ josephine foster
02. god how i miss her ~ caethua
03. wishy washy ~ kelly nesbitt
04. dark is the night (in the wind) ~ arborea
05. nothing hides ~ james jackson toth
06. flume ~ bon iver
07. fall on my kness ~ sam amidon
08. you remind me of something ~ bonnie prince billy
09. bless our tiny hearts ~ adrian crowley
10. the orange miller ~ the big eyes family players
11. it's so hard to come home ~ loren mazzacane connors & kath bloom
12. miles and miles away ~ caethua
13. river of no return ~ scout niblett (& bonnie prince billy)
14. come wander with me ~ jeff alexander
15. lovely like wine ~ meg ashling
16. big waving hands ~ sunnybrook
17. hymn ~ hello, blue roses
18. i built the sea ~ the battle of land and sea
19. sundrum ladies ~ wooden wand
20. freight train ~ laura gibson
21. drown ~ silje nes

foto: caracoleando

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brethren of the free spirit

brethren of the free spirit - all things are from him, through him and in him (audiomer 2008)

"Inspirado na mística francesa Marguerite Porete que foi condenada como herege e queimada em 1310, James Blackshaw e Jozef Van Wissem apresentam-nos aqui a sua primeira colaboração. Quatro belos temas conduzidos pela guitarra de doze cordas de Blackshaw e acompanhadas lindamente pelo alaúde de Wissem. Excelente álbum, um marco na carreira dos dois músicos." amplificasom

"James Blackshaw & Jozef Van Wissem form a Holy Alliance on this palindromatic masterwork. The great new duo record from James Blackshaw and Jozef van Wissem, creating a great synthesis of their two distinct styles. Both mighty in their own right, and great to hear together." audiomer

"This is the work of two consummate stringed instrument manipulators working in the improvised avant-folk idiom...Together, it's a perfect pairing, Blackshaw and Van Wissem conjuring a delicately dense intertwining of forward-flowing fingerpicked minimalist melodies... stately spiritual praises that are all instrumental but for a brief Current 93ish spoken coda to track one, "...The Lifting Of The Veil". And track three, "How The Unencumbered Soul Advises That One Not Refuse The Calls Of A Good Spirit", is more of an electrically-charged, expansive soundscape of moody string-strike. Electronics and the "feline vocals" of one Bun Bun are also woven into the mix with Blackshaw's 12 string and Van Wissem's baroque lute." aquarius

*click* & *click*

kelly nesbitt

kelly nesbitt - beaks that could smile (l'animaux tryst 2008)

"Kelly Nesbitt's debut on L'animaux Tryst is a beautiful lullaby of an album, which I mean in the best of all possible ways. Really, a dreamy haze permeates the entirety of "Beaks that Could Smile" and Nesbitt's subtle, well-crafted music makes it all to easy to be drawn into the enticing world of this album. While most songs make use of only her amazing voice and acoustic guitar, Nesbitt still manages to incorporate elements as far-flung as field recordings and kazoo into her folk sound, and makes it all work together.

The disc opens with the lighthearted "Wishy Washy," which is a minimal song backed by a simple acoustic guitar line. Nesbitt declares, "I'm an animated fool who believes / while my loveliness fades from memory / and impostors grab hold of me." This is just the first of many of the great lyrics. "Glorified Renter" is the next song and it shifts into much darker lyrical content and atmosphere than the opener. She sings, "biting the bullet, leaping with faith, / if this is growing up then I'll do what it takes / in the dirty old stinking old town."

There's something special in every one of the songs on this album, but I'll try and focus on just a few more tracks. In particular, one standout is "Earbait #4," which has lyrics that were allegedly taken "from a note found in a beer can in a parking lot." What makes this track great, aside from the crude, funny lyrics, is the use of light strings to back up Nesbitt's acoustic guitar. Also, the song is punctuated by background recordings of laughing voices and the ambient sound of crickets, imparting a calm, dusky feeling. Another winner is "Tabloids," featuring dual lead vocals, light guitar, and an eerie saw part. In the lyrics, Nesbitt begs, "no don't let the tabloids cause your cancer / or the fluorescent creep".

 ...there aren't enough nice things to say about this album. It's emotional, it's thoughtful, it's pretty, and at times, it's even funny. What could be better? "Beaks that Could Smile" is a an extremely strong, ambitious effort and it leaves me excited to hear more music from Kelly Nesbitt. Get your hands on this one, if you can. 10/10" foxy digitalis

un disco para derretirse de lo bonito y perfecto que es. canciones como "Kelly goes country" o "Wishy Washy" ayudan a no echar tanto de menos a Castlemusic. merece la pena comprar una de las cincuenta copias limitadas en preciosos sobres de felpa, y acercarse a the Gargoylez por esa curiosa versión de Violeta Parra y porque, además de Kelly, también está la fotógrafa Somira Sao.

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wondrous horse

wondrous horse - cavallo meraviglioso (fire museum 2008)

"Welcome one and all to the world of Wondrous Horse! Cavallo Meraviglisio is the debut offering of the italian duo of Vanessa Rossetto (Pulga, The Mighty Acts of God, ...) and Salvatore Borrelli ((etre) & Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia). These two musicians continue to evolve in fascinating ways, and the sounds to be found on Cavallo Meravigliso may come as a surprise to some, which makes it all the more exciting to hear.

An avant folk tour de force combining elements of electroacoustic music, glitch and many other experimental forms, Cavallo Meraviglisio gallops upon the scene assured and ready. Performing with an arsenal of instrumentation at the ready (violin, viola, balalaika, theremin, guitar, dulcetina, concertina, autoharp, bells, xylophone, voice, baritone guitar, tablas, darbukas, turkish saz, xylophone, esraj, dulcimer, resonant ukulele, celtic "droned" harp, banjo, kalimba, shruti box, irish bouzouki, lap steel guitar, toys, & drum machine since you asked) the duo have crafted a recording that successfully combines the myriad of influences of its creators into an organic and unique whole.

It takes a wondrous horse such as this to take the intelligent listener on a trip through such a unique and appealing sonic journey, so hop on and ride away today!
Special Guest on “Questi Orizzonti Scomparsi”: Valerio Cosi" fire museum

siguiendo con las felices coincidencias y a propósito de Fire Museum (sello del último disco de Arborea y "Käärmeenkääntopiiri") el propio Salvatore Borrelli aka (etre) me descubría uno de sus últimos proyectos junto a Vanessa Rossetto (The Mighty Acts of God y ese pequeño caramelo a dúo con Valerio Cosi llamado Pulga): Wondrous Horse. de Kemialliset Ystavat a Davenport. de Town & Country a Keenan Lawler. "Ogni Intuizione e Il Tangibile Segno del Declino", once minutos de auténtica montaña rusa, tribal y melódica a partes iguales, mezcla la voz de Vanessa, que recuerda a Lau Nau o Kuupuu, con flautas, percusiones, slides, darbukas y un sinfín de instrumentos exóticos. mucha variedad, mucha versatilidad, y momentos aislados que me recuerdan a Lee Ranaldo, Matt valentine & Erika Elder e incluso The Zoo Wheel (ese final con fuegos artificiales de "Mentre Ci Vediamo Misti A Foglie"). al final sólo queda el deseo de escuchar enterito Harps of Fuchsia Kalmia

arborea

arborea - s/t (fire museum 2008)

"This self titled collection is the second release for Arborea. Hailing from Maine, the duo of Buck and Shanti Curran (on vocals, guitars, banjos, percussion) are joined on two numbers by Helena Espvall of Espers on cello. Here they conjure up a musical offering that is equal parts Appalachian music, traditional English folk music, and contemporary psychedelic folk with experimental touches creating a sound that stands out as unique while touching upon something that feels as ancient as the urge to create music..." fire museum

pensaba que después de Valerie Webb & Paul Labrecque no habría nada comparable a ese aura de indescriptible magia pastoril que desprende Trees, Chants & Hollers, pero me equivoqué. en su segundo disco los arbóreos Buck y Shanti hacen cosas tan bonitas como Idles of March (rozando a Grails, Bruce Langhorne, Greg Malcolm,...), Seadrift (una canción perfecta, mucho mucho banjo, casi Valerie Webb & Paul Labrecque, casi Kath Bloom, casi...todo), Black Mountain Road (cantos, árboles y banjos, Meg Baird, Edison Woods, The Spectral Light & Moonshine Firefly Snakeoil Jamboree y otros seres multicolores en un solo cuerpo), y la esencia y semilla del folk: Dark is the Night in the Wind. un suavísimo appalachian up & holler que dura un suspiro, a ritmo de delicios mmmms mmmms...mmmms y banjos de algodón. Valerie & Paul siguen siendo muy especiales para mí, pero esta canción es demasiado, demasiado, demasiado bonita.

filed under:...buena sombra le cobija :)

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two by treesquel

ngetal

!!!feliiiz, feliiiiz en tu díaaa, amiguita que dios te bendigaaa, que reine la paz en tu díaaa y que cuuuumplas muuuchos maaaás!!!

*cumpreanos ledo mirtamirta*

festival

festival - come, arrow, come! (language of stone 2008)

"On the way to the top of the mountain/ We’d been staring, inhaling the light of the sun/ All these days, spent re-telling the stories"

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essie jain

*glory*

paavoharju

paavoharju - laulu laakson kukista (fonal 2008)

"...If you've never heard the music of Paavoharju, prepare yourself for one of life's more considerable and uncontained pleasures. They are a band who take in influence from the "Radio India" style shortwave pop transmissions of the Sublime Frequencies label, freak folk, Europop, modern classical, plunderphonics, choral, devotional, experimental and multicoloured music of almost every description imaginable - and yet they embody a specific sound that's unmistakably their own..." boomkat

 "Sounds of raindrops falling on sheet metal roof melted together with old television's random-dot-pattern-noise. Leena Uotila's soft voice echoed in empty, dusty rooms. Catowls gathered to the sky, appletrees were blooming and waves rocked a barrell against the pier. Suddenly all this started to form esoteric mildew to cassette's magnetic tape. I finished our work with prayer only a moment before the cold winds rose from Saimaa. Laulu laakson kukista (A song about flowers of the valley) is dedicated to Marja Ainala." fonal

 

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 (gracias and the world smiles with you)

 siguen siendo tan fascinantes, esa extraña combinación de cocteau twins y sublime frequencies (preciosas 'kevätrumpu' y el piano de 'tuoksu tarttuu meihin'). y siempre es un placer volver a contemplarlos y oirlos en dos de las canciones más perturbadoramente bonitas del mundo

lau nau

lau nau - nukkuu (locust/fonal 2008)

"Nukkuu (Finnish for Sleeps) is the long awaited sophomore album by celebrated Finnish femme folk fave Lau Nau. Nukkuu is psychedelic, abstract & emotionally captivating. Nukkuu is an album of changes. In the years since her debut album Kuutarha, Laura became a mother, moved to the Finnish countryside and took valuable time to carve out a space for her enchanted art in the new found tranquility of her remote surroundings. Conceived in tight attics & vacant dens on off hours when her young son Nuutti was fast asleep, this is an intimately crafted 9 song collection that unfolds like dreamlike musical ribbons for the senses and delivers the listener to a place of unhurried contentedness." fonal

(el mejor regalo posible, de jorge de ...and the world smiles with you)

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lights

lights - lights (language of stone 2008)

"Brooklyn's Lights enchant on their self-titled Language of Stone debut. Produced by Espers' Greg Weeks, the three-girl harmonizing (by Sophia Knapp, Linnea, and...Wizard Smoke) combined with forest spirit mythology and gothic undertones make for deliciously psychedelic, and sometimes dark, treat. Like being stuck inside the Wicker Man and actually enjoying it." othermusic

"Lights are Sophia Knapp (guitar, vox), Linnea Vedder (drums, vox), Wizard Smoke (light show, vox, jew’s harp) and Andy MacLeod (bass) (formerly of White Magic). Lights toured in 2005 with Jana Hunter and in 2007 with Bright Black Morning Light and Mariee Sioux as part of the Crystal Totem Tour.
The album ‘Lights’ was recorded and mixed at Hexham Head by Espers's Greg Weeks." inertia

“Here, for every virginal vocal harmony a vampiric riff lies in wait, each dulcet tone risks transformation into snarling beast, and ghost-like apparitions infest the rafters, unseen but duly felt. Lights embody the mixture of pop beauty and psychedelic horror that has compelled millions to shiver in fright and ecstasy. Join us.” lights

download part I & II

foto: fancyclaps

goliath bird eater

goliath bird eater - black pentagon (ruralfaune 2008)

"New directions in spectral doom from Mr Bobb Bruno with help from Pocahaunted. Goliath Bird Eater are endlessly reverbed vox smeared into washes of tone while single chord doom/fuzz jams move from wasted refusals of any notion of forward momentum through to psychoactive repeat-minimalism. Edition of 77 copies with a whole bunch of alternative covers included." volcanic tongue

"Goliath Bird Eater...In simple terms, “Pentagon Black” is a trio of dense, metal-inspired drone pieces. But there’s more to it than that: The assistance from Rafe Mandel (The For Carnation) and the Pocahaunted girls on “Loop of Pine”, the mid-song silence breaks in “Shiranui”, and the title track, which could be an alternate soundtrack for the intro of Holy Mountain. All of these elements make “Pentagon Black” transcend all things drone and metal. As a matter of fact, I take the first sentence of this paragraph back. This record comprises a trio of complex sonic rituals bearing subtle hints of doom, drone, metal, Slint, Jodorowsky and you fuckin’ name it! It’s a damn great record, and it’s got some of the slickest cover art ever to grace a cd-r! Highly recommended!!! 9/10" foxy digitalis

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familiar trees

sunspot

cloaks

cloaks - serene (students of decay 2008)

"Cloaks is a solo project from Spencer Doran, who also performs with RV Paintings. For this limited cdr, Doran has combined two amazing pieces recorded in 2006 and 2007. Both tracks on "Serene" are drastically different, but manage to fit together very well and definitely live up to the title of the release.

...Altogether, "Serene" is a thoughtful and beautiful disc that flourishes through a perfect implementation of simple ideas. Doran seems to know just how to place each sound to make his music interesting and moving. Above all, once you start listening, you won't be able to stop. Seriously, "Serene" is hugely addictive, and needs to be heard in its entirety, no matter how many times you've listened to it. In every way, this really is a small piece of musical bliss and, yes, serenity. 9/10" foxy digitalis

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festival

festival - come, arrow, come! (language of stone 2008)

"sisters. we love them. we dream about them. they hold some mystical fascination for us, and with good reason. when sisterly voices conjoin the vibration that arises goes beyond even metaphysical explanation. it enters our cores and seemingly. if momentarily, triples our double helixes. that's solid science. friends. thank goodness then the Spears sisters don't have any designs on a duo record any time soon. such core breaches must be avoided at all cost! if any sister duo could contain such a disaster it would be Lindsay and Alexis Powell, otherwise known as Festival. tribal drone, backwoods spiritual, basement psychedelia, hilltop roots romp... whatever element they touch upon filters through the genetics of sisterly song and descends on eager ears like a misty rain. but hey, if you're at all in doubt, ask them to do their rendition of the song from The Jerk. believers you shall become" language of stone

blown light (mp3)

boxcar (mp3)

fair and true (mp3 de raven sings the blues)

valentine (mp3 de raven sings the blues)