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2 The Skatalites Occupation Ska! The
Very Best Of The Skatalites (Nascente
NSDCD014) 40 tracks, two CDs, and just one
rhythm – but what a rhythm! Over the top of
that upbeat offbeat from the mid-sixties
there is some gloriously chunky yet surpris-
ingly subtle bursts of brass. In addition to the
usual Guns Of Navarone and versions of
James Bond themes, there’s a tribute to Mar-
cus Garvey that makes its debut appearance
on CD. What’s not to like?
2 Alamaailman Vasarat Huuro Kolkko
(Laskeuma LR02/NN027) Off-Womex show-
cased, but while definitely ‘from out there’,
Hammers of the Underworld’s Apocalyptical-
ly-throbbing cellos, deep saxes, trombone,
2 Ginger Drifted (Leiselaut LLCD 1-010)
wheezy-harmonium, theremin-floating,
Essentially a duo of Nils Nolte and Klaus
splashy-drumkit original instrumentals are
Feketics, this German outfit purloin Irish and
more international eclectic, hefty, energetic
semi Celtic strains for inspiration. Nolte’s flute
rock-filmic-quirky than anything local. Finnish
work and Feketics’ guitar and bouzouki
in its intense manic wackiness, though, and
blend harmoniously in a gracefully spacious
certainly fun.
www.alamaailmanvasarat.com
manner. Quietly reflective and equally bois- 1 Casey Joe Abair & Hunter Robertson
terous by turn, but curiously restrained yet If You Want To Go To Sleep, Go To Bed
nonetheless impressive.
www.leiselaut.com (Yodel-Ay-Hee 074) 17 old-time songs and
1 Mdungu Afro What!? (ZimBraz/ Music &
tunes played on fiddle and banjo. Tunes are
Words MWCD 3035) Comprehensive sort of
well played, spirited with great technique.
band, mainly Dutch: they do griot music from
Good reference to sources, but singing, of
Mali, Afrobeat from Nigeria, mbalax from
which there is thankfully little, is painful.
Senegal, with roots in jazz, rock, funk and
www.hunterrobertson.com
surf – and samba. The result is predictable – 1 The Machine Breakers The Land Was
dutiful, well enough played, zero frisson. Stolen (Tinfoil TIN06) Somewhat serious, if a
www.mdungu.com; distributed by Proper. bit too studious, TMB have a sense of history
2 Various Nordeste Contemporain:
and justice that echoes around the album in a
North-East Brazilian Music 1997-2004
Bob Pegg meets Billy Bragg vibe. Heavy on the
(Frémeaux & Associés FA 5212) Unusual for a
gothic and literate in arrangement and lyric,
label known for excellent vintage material,
this requires sit-down listening. I know acous-
this collection draws on Sao Paulo’s indepen-
tic is easy, but given the weight of the inspira-
dent label CPC UMES. A perky overview, show-
tions, perhaps Julian Pollard might lean a bit
ing forró and its sub-genres are far from dead.
towards the odd electric arrangement to give
Notable artists include poet Luiz Carlos Bahia,
gravity.
www.themachinebreakers.com
Pernambucan ‘girl group’ Comadre Florzinha, @ Fidil Fidil 3 (own label FID002CD) Some-
Anastácia and Trio Sabia.
www.fremeaux.com, thing’s gone horribly awry since Ciarán Ó
distributed in the UK by Discovery. Maonaigh and Aidan O’Donnell’s debut (see
@ State Of Undress Livin’ It, Lovin’ It
fR306). That’s not the fault of the third fid-
(Rosebud SOU005) Apparently this is the
dler added (Damien McGeehan), but just a
credit-crunch-busting release that gives us an
wonder why this triumvirate doesn’t just
opportunity to sample killer tracks from the
learn the uilleann pipes instead of imperson-
State Of Undress repertoire. Oh dear. I’m sure
ating them. Great tunes – shame about the
that they’re a bundle of fun on a summer
renditions.
www.fidilmusic.com
afternoon at the local festival, but this just 2 Síle Ní Fhlaithearta Is Duitse A Bheir-
doesn’t cut it. Killer tracks that are murder! im Grá (Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 181) Power-
www.stateofundress.com ful and emotive sean-nós singing from the
2 Various The Songs Of Sandy Wright
Spiddal-born singer, though the impact is
(Navigator NAVIGATOR 23) Veteran Edinburgh
sometimes diminished by syrupy backing.
songwriter’s debut CD of bittersweet ballads
www.cic.ie
(in the mould of Tom Waits) comes with a sec- 2 Zwei Mannborgs Zwei Mannborgs
ond CD of cover versions by the likes of Kris (Kansanmusiikki-instituutti KICD 103) Marches,
Drever, Chris Wood, Karine Polwart, Eddi polskas, minuets from the Kaustinen area in
Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Heidi Talbot. Lots the region’s traditional pelimanni style, on the
of dark accordeon!
www.myspace.com/sandy-
instrument normally at the back of the band,
wrightmusic; distributed by Proper.
the harmonium. Actually two of them, vintage
2 Suo Mieltäni Meri Ajaa (Texicalli TEXCD
Mannborgs. Sampo Korva plays the pleasing,
101) Finnish runo-song lyrics of nature-myth,
unflashily memorable melodies, Jaakko Järvelä
magic and eroticism set to inventive new tunes
vamps accompaniment, making a warm, some-
of wider compass and more varied rhythm but what barrel-organish and slightly humorous
deeply tradition-rooted in their winding sound.
www.myspace.com/zweimannborgs
melodies, from singer Veera Voima, 5-string
2 Dave Rawlings Machine A Friend Of A
fiddler Emilia Lajunen and guitarist Roope
Friend (Acony ACNY-0908) With Gillian
Aarnio, adding kantele, nyckelharpa, man-
Welch contributing creatively to over half the
dolin, overtone whistle etc.
www.texicalli.net
songs, an illustrious partnership adopts a new
2 Anne Hills Points Of View (Appleseed Los Angeles-influenced stance. Their Bells Of
APR CD 1119) An exquisite album from a Harlem sounds positively mellow with heav-
Pennsylvania associate of Bob Gibson. Playing enly strings. Rawlings’s guitar skills comple-
banjo and guitar, and with masterly backing ment his expressive tenor to fine effect.
from Scott Petito and others, Hills lends her
www.daverawlingsmachine.com
limpid vibrato-less voice to Leonard Cohen,
2 Anna Shannon Over Land (Chloë Pro-
Peter Mayer and a rich stock of original
ductions CP 30) North-Yorks-based Anna’s
songs.
www.appleseedmusic.com
fifth CD of self-penned songs embraces the
2 Hilde Kirkebøen Tjednbalen (Etnisk loose theme of life on the land. Evocative and
Musikklubb EM41) Hardanger-fiddle tunes lyrical writing, a stunning singing voice and
from Kirkebøen’s native Ål in the valley of distinctive guitar style (equal-parts classical
Hallingdal. She’s a dancer and it shows in the Spanish and folk). With production guidance
fine lift of her playing, her fiddle’s rich high- and other assistance from Mike Silver, this is
ringing tone enhanced by the reverb of Oslo’s possibly Anna’s most fully realised collection
Tøyen church so the notes overlap and seem yet (if not as intimate as its predecessor When
to multiply.
www.emcd.no We Were Young).
www.annashannon.co.uk
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