73 f
2 Various Artists The Rough Guide to African Music For Children (Rough Guides RGNET1292CD). Never mind the ‘for children’ tag – this is one of the best samplers of African music you can get. From Cape to Sahara and sideways, each track is a stunner – eg Vieux Farka Toure’s Fafa and Gati Bongo by the lovely Cameroonian Orchestre Baka Bgine.
www.worldmusic.net
@ Skip & Die Riots in the Jungle (Crammed CRAM 199). Post-MIA globally con- scious electronic pop, but lacking good tunes. Some decent sounds but all a bit of a mess, and the singer’s voice grates.
skipndie.withtank.com
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 Frugal Puritan Frugal Puritan (Folk Police PENDLE 03). On first encounter a classic example of early ’70s lo-fi twee godfolk (or psych folk as it gets called nowadays), com- plete with extensively fawning reissue notes. But then you smell a small furry rodent and spot that the release date was 1st April. Aha! Musicality rating 1; work of art rating 10 (it is, frankly, authentically awful – but a clever and classic spoof). Galactic Ramble Vol 2 ahoy.
www.folkpolicerecordings.com
2 The Louvin Brothers The Christian Life – The Definitive Louvin Brothers Story (Proper Music Properbox 175). What’s not to like? Four-CD box set of wall-to-wall spine- tingling blood harmony from the masters, with a sugar-coated message of redemption for all us heathens. When I stop dreaming, that’s when I’ll stop loving the Louvin Brothers.
www.properbox.com
1 Nynke Alter (Crammed Discs CRAM 209). Elegant European chanson from Dutch gold disc winning singer/writer Nynke Laverman with declared Mediterranean and Latin inspi- ration but, despite producer Javier Limón’s guitar and guest flamenco vocal breaks, clos- er in style to, say, Norway’s Kari Bremnes. Main unusual aspect is that she sings mostly in her native Frisian.
www.crammed.be
1 Shanti Bremer Lights Low (6 20969 99369 6). EP from Canada-based banjo play- ing singer. Pleasant with much better than average banjo tunes.
www.shantibremer.com
1 Linde Nijland & Bert Ridderbos A Musical Journey (DaVid 8). Attractive CD/DVD package of Dutch duo’s 2008 road- trip to Bhutan: via Serbia, Iran and India. Interesting collaborations with local musi- cians include an intoxicating Iranian version of The Snows They Melt The Soonest. Songs by Thompson & Denny, and DVD narration by Iain Matthews, for Fairport devotees.
www.lindenijland.nl
2 Alice Wylde Songs Of Old Appalachia (WildGoose WGS394CD). Subtitled: “Authen- tic, Traditional and Old Time Mountain Singing”. Reputedly reluctant recording artist nevertheless delivers a strong set, unaccom- panied, or with banjo, guitar and dulcimer. She shines brightest on the tracks featuring her own simple-yet-effective clawhammer.
www.wildgoose.co.uk
1 Elemotho My Africa (Arc Music EUCD2432). Not often you hear music from Namibia. This is OK but not exactly mind- blowing. Good singer, workmanlike songs, dull production. If he could break the shack- les just a little more – defy the producer – sing like a madman – invite chaos.
www.arcmusic.co.uk
1 Peter Solo Analog Vodoo (Buda/Uni- versal 3726612) Piper at the gates of Lomé, James Brown or Country Joe and the Fish? Odd Togolese hybrid of – I’m quoting – “voodoo-funk, afro-groove and ’70s psychedelia”. Also contains traces of reggae and more to boot. Unbelievably flaky, brave, and determined.
www.petersolo.com
1 Woody Pines Rabbits Motel (Own label, no cat no). Woody Pines has obvious roots in country, swing, blues rockabilly and so on. Unfortunately the bits that rise above the ground are not very memorable
www.woodypines.com
1 The Jake Leg Jug Band Cotton Mouth (OS 001-02). From Stoke On Trent neither suf- fering from a Jake Leg epidemic or with a reputation as a blues homeland. It shows.
www.thejakelegjugband.com
1 Dave Arcari & The Hellsinki Hellrais- ers Whiskey In My Blood (Blue North BNCD012). Arcari on gruff vocals, guitars, banjo, one-string cigar box, with two Finnish chums on bass and percussion, bash the hell out of fourteen songs. Think hyper Booker White mixed with rockabilly. Extremely ener- getic, but subtlety… no chance!
www.davearcari.com
2 Nathan Abshire Master Of The Cajun Accordeon: The Classic Swallow Record- ings (Ace CDCHD 1348). Not a word of exag- geration – Abshire’s tough, rocking accordeon and vocals, here with the Pine Grove Boys and the Balfa Brothers, set the standard in the 1960s and 1970s. Excellent sleeve notes complement a great selection.
acerecords.co.uk
Nynke
2 Devils Water Small Pictures Tall Tales (Whap Music ww0009). Ostensibly a vehicle for Northumberland-born singer-songwriter Richard Ridley’s original songs and traditional northeast fare, this combo has a commend- ably fluid-lineup enabling it to take in inti- mately evocative portraits of bygone industry and sparky folk-rocked-up takes on ubiqui- tous regional chestnuts, with equal artistry. Splendid, actually.
www.devilswater.co.uk
1 Various Artists Kvenskfinsk Tradisjon I Norge (Etnisk Musikklubb EM59). For cen- turies there have been Finnish communities in northern Norway. Those from eastern Fin- land were known as Kvens. At home and work they sang Finnish songs. To preserve now fading memory this double CD has 40 tracks of domestic singing recorded, at vari- able quality, since 1980.
www.emcd.no
2 Marc Block The Hawthorn Spring (Hair- pin Records Hairpin 003). Emerging talent from Nottingham gains full support from East Midlands’ young folk mafia on impressive debut full-lengther confirming his stature and presence as both singer and songwriter, also a passionate adapter of traditional song. The latter, along with some striking own- compositions, mark Marc out as one to watch. (Distribution: Proper.)
www.marcblock.co.uk
@ Johnny High-Hat Heart Of A Clown (Bottle CD 1014). Decidedly inferior versions of old country standards. Could call himself Rank Snow.
www.johnnyhigh-hat.com
2 Stuart Forester A Yard Of Ale (Melon- stone Records MLNR001). A nice line in self- penned songs inspired by real-life trials and triumphs, sung with heartfelt affection and an appealing directness of purpose and expression, self-accompanied with stylishly fingerpicked guitar or dulcimer and sparing but well-coordinated musical contributions from a couple of friends. Formidably persua- sive.
www.stuartforester.com
2 Jed Grimes Heart And Hand (Folksound FSCD84). Although Jed’s been away a decade since The Hush (and even longer since his pio- neering Hedgehog Pie), he makes a welcome return here with fresh, richly upholstered, bravely cross-genre and spicily syncopated arrangements of mainly traditional material, which can fairly be judged a success.
www.jedgrimes.com
@ The Dustbowl Revival Carry Me Home (Own label, no cat no). Great name for a band, but things get iffier once actual listen- ing commences. This ten-member outfit from Los Angeles traffics in show-offy arrange- ments of folkish originals and trad standards intended for the less discerning out there. If not exactly the New Christy Minstrels with a brass section, still too close for comfort.
www.dustbowlrevival.com
1 Cara Luft Darlingford (Blue Case Tunes (BCT BCTCD349). Original songs, Canadian, acoustic and better than the average but there are far too many similar entries from which to derive this average.
www.caraluft.com
2 Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Vol 3: The Skeletal Essences Of Afro Funk (Analog Africa AACD 073). Third volume culled from Samy Ben Redjeb’s musical archaeology in Benin. Extraordinary energy and groove on fourteen tracks never before released outside Africa mean dance-floor heaven for the faithful. Quality stuff, with a fat booklet. Vinyl available.
www.facebook.com/AnalogAfrica
1 Slagr & Camilla Granlien Songs By Geirr Tveitt (Ozella OZ 048 CD). Composi- tions – instrumentals and settings of poems – by folk-inspired Norwegian composer Tveitt (1901–1981) given delicately, mistily floating new arrangements by the unusual instrumen- tal combination of vibraphone, tuned glasses, Hardanger fiddle and cello, with trad singer Granlien.
www.ozellamusic.com
Photo: Femke Teussink
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