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2 Alamaailman Vasarat Valta (Laskeu- ma/Nordic Notes LR05/NN046). Finland’s ‘Hammers of the Underworld’ sextet of reeds, horns, cellos, harmonium or piano and drums with a vivid, picture-flickering, deep-grinding mesh of hefty, shifting swung rhythms, writ- ten by extravagantly bearded, top-hatted contrabass-clarinettist/saxist Stakula. Music for a mad world circus. www.nordic-notes.de


2 Various Artists Folk Album (Sketis SKMR-093). Tradition-rooted bands, from some of Russia’s many cultures plus a couple from beyond, who’ve appeared in connection with Radio Russia at European Broadcasting Union events, some such as Sergey Starostin, Yat-Kha and Stepanida known abroad, others deserving to be. No detailed notes, but a widely varied, ear-opening listen. www.sketismusic.ru


The albums – good (2), adequate (1) and bad (@) – which didn’ t get the full-length treatment, contributed individually by a selection of our various reviewers cowering under the cloak of collective anonymity.


2 Various Artists Oh Michael, Look What You’ve Done (Tompkins Square TSQ2707). Subtitled “Friends play Michael Chapman” you wouldn’t expect it to start with a great old-time string band version of Life On The Ceiling (The Black Twig Pickers) but it does. Elsewhere everybody from a Lou Reed-ish Thurston Moore to Lucinda Williams via Maddy Prior, Meg Baird and Bridget St John do great justice to His Mas- ter’s Works in often unpredictable ways. www.tompkinssquare.com


@ Damon Albarn Dr Dee (Parlophone P9538932). Reviewers’ Law states thou shalt not say anything rude about His Highness Damon Albarn, but this slow, precious and tortuous indulgence of thematic choral and Elizabethan music inspired by the life of mathematician and royal advisor Dr Dee stretches the patience to breaking point. www.dr-dee.info


2 Susan Palma Nidel Elegante (Flutewine Productions, no cat no). Elegant indeed, a former classical flute player teams up with other excellent and stylish musicians includ- ing cello, bandoneon, guitar and sax for a suite of music inspired by South American tra- ditions and composers. Full marks for making something very beautiful out of what could have so easily been insufferably twee. www.flutewineproductions.com


2 Rafe & Clelia Stefanini Lady On The Green (Old Willow Tree 001). Exiled Italian living in America Rafe plays superb old-time fiddle as does his daughter Clelia. He also plays good old-time banjo and guitar and only their solo singing lets them down. There are nine instrumentals out of the 13 tracks and they are quite outstanding. Well played and sourced old-time tunes. www.hearthmusic.com


1 Pancho Álvarez Sonche Atlántico (Fol 100FOL 1059). Galician multi-instrumentalist, formerly of Na Lúa and Matto Congrio and currently Carlos Núñez’s band, with tradition- al tunes and his own music to lyrics by con- temporary Galicians. On most tracks he plays all the instruments, largely fretted, bowed and percussion, drawing on Galician and wider Atlantic influences, through which he threads a gritty but rather monotone recita- tive vocal. www.folmusica.com


2 Myshkin’s Ruby Warblers That Dia- mond Lust (DoubleSalt DS4). Haunting, sparse tales of love and loss, elliptically told and richly layered by Myshkin’s many voices, aided by her multi-instrumental jazz-electronic- nu-folk backings. It’s all at the experimental edge of storytelling, and is well worth explo- ration. www.myshkinsrubywarblers.com


1 Sutaras The Wonders Of the Beggar’s Kingdom (Kuku SMF 049). “Bearded and hunched, they slurp their drinks from wood- en clogs, and those without arms devour a ham while sprawled on their stomachs”. To reflect the economic crisis, a strange panora- ma of mostly Lithuanian trad songs about beggars, in masculine voices, occasionally with folk-instrument, jazz or rock accompani- ment, and in one case eight songs sung simul- taneously. www.sutaras.lt


@ Ani Di Franco Which Side Are You On? (Righteous Babe PRO20731). Whatever hap- pened to Ani Di Franco? Once such a vehe- ment, original lyricist, potent singer and sharp arranger, she is now beginning to sound like every other American singer song- writer on the block. Despite the promise of the title, this is toothless. www.righteousbabe.com


2 Kirjava Lintu Unilintu (Kuu KUUREC002). Minsku Tammela, often multi-tracked, sings lyrics part trad and part original, or vocalises wordlessly, to winding, intricate melodies by sophisticated, full-sounding band of some of Finland’s current fine crop of musicians, including violinists Emilia Lajunen and Tommi Asplund, piano or harmonium, double bass and percussion. www.kirjavalintu.com


1 Thistledown Thistledown (own label, no cat no). Debut EP from Swansea good- time rockers. Tumbling, rolling tunes and craggy, lived-in vocals all contribute to the immediate, lo fi appeal. When they really motor as on Rags & Riches they recall Vancou- ver’s Paperboys though long term they might have to get a more flexible singer. http://thistledownband.wordpress.com/


Myshkin


2 Peggy Seeger Live (Appleseed APR CD 129). Recorded live in New Zealand 2010 this excellent recording finds Peggy in fine form with songs and stories. A nice Best Of set to overlook the fact that she is no longer at her peak. www.appleseedmusic.com


2 Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala Tyt- törinki (Suvi Sounds SUVISCD03). Quite a glut of Suvi Oskala releases this year. On this one she and fellow fine fiddler Lajunen develop ten traditional Finnish dance tunes – mazurka, waltz, polka, polonaise and polskas – into extended pieces, exploring and impro- vising on five-string fiddles. 2 Various Artists Deeyah Presents Nordic Woman (Heilo HCD7268). Norden resounds with strong female musicians. Nor- way’s Deeyah compiles 18 tracks by a percep- tive choice from all the Nordic countries of leading adventurous women performers, largely singers, in the tradition-rooted realm. Inevitable omissions, but excellent, often non-obvious tracks well programmed to make a flowing, varied, powerful listen. www.grappa.no


2 Viper Central Thump And Howl (No label or cat no). Highly accomplished Canadi- an outfit performing original material along with a Bill Monroe song and a couple of older fiddle tunes. More acoustic country music than anything and lots of talent on show in writing singing and playing. www.vipercentral.ca


1 Lucky Luke Travelling For A Living (Chaffinch CHAFF5). Lucky Luke inhabit a space in which indie and free folk worlds col- lide. The Glasgow collective competently pre- sent richly-textured vocal harmonies, ringing folk rock guitars and soaring fiddle on origi- nal, yet retro, songs. www.myspace.com/ luckyluke


2 Hiss Golden Messenger Poor Moon (Tompkins Square TSQ2660). Watertight country soul featuring all the best elements of the good stuff – minor keys, whining gui- tars, lonesome vocals, double-stopping fid- dles, Hammond organ, loose drumming plus front porch sound effects for good measure. www.myspace.com/hissgoldenmessenger


1 The Raven Black Is The Colour (own label, no cat no). London folk duo with sparse, atmospheric, even slightly spaced arrangements of familiar trad items, guitar and flute to the fore. It could do with filling out, a bit of scratchy electric guitar, electro bubble, keyboard wash. You get the idea. www.theraven.me


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