This week’s Folk Show features a number of new releases from Luke James Williams, Allysen Callery, Lleuwen, Shooglenifty & Dhun Dora, Briana Di Mara, Sver and Hjalte Ross. We have a double helping from Fàrsan and Rosie Hodgson & Rowan Piggott. Plus some personal favourites from Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, Sandra and Nancy Kerr as well as Roy Bailey and Bill Caddick who recently passed away.
Music Played
00:00 Nick Drake – Black Eyed Dog
from Made to Love Magic (2004)
03:19 Luke James Williams – You are the Captain
from Drove, out on 23 November and available via Bandcamp.
06:53 Allysen Callery – November Man
This is the first single from Allysen’s upcoming album Ghost Folk, coming soon in 2019. Find out more here.
09:22 Lleuwen – Y Garddwr
from Gwn Glân Beibl Budr, out on 23 November. Lleuwen returns with her most rooted and experimental album to date.
Twisting ancient hymns to her own compositions Gwn Glân Beibl Budr (Clean Gun Dirty Bible) takes the Welsh hymn book and throws it into the Age of Misinformation. Live, raw and often improvised, Lleuwen has brought together an extremely varied mix of musicians including traditional triple harpist Llio Rhydderch, jazz pianist Neil Cowley, classical tenor Rhys Meirion and brothers Aled and Dafydd Hughes of alt-rock-country band Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog.
12:45 Sandra and Nancy Kerr – George Collins
from Neat and Complete (1996).
16:30 Rosie Hodgson & Rowan Piggott – Port na bPúcaí | The Song Of The Whale
from The Wilderness Yet. Order via Bandcamp.
“We want to share all our favourite songs with you as we choose them, so ‘The Wilderness Yet’ is like an ever-expanding song diary. We hope that a totally unplanned album, one track at a time, recorded in different places & at different times will be charming and not horrendous! Each track is available to download individually for a quid so you can just have the ones you want to listen to over and over!”
21:44 Fàrsan – Gun Togainn Air Hùgan / Shout For Joy
From their self-titled album set for release tomorrow – 24 November 2018. More here.
Powered by four of the brightest voices in a new generation of traditional folk music, Fàrsan unites song, dance and instrumental music from the Gaelic traditions of Scotland and Cape Breton. Their unique blend of fiddle, pipes, whistles, piano and accordion with percussive stepdance and puirt-à-beul brings a sparkling energy to every performance.
27:09 Shooglenifty & Dhun Dhora – Dhoriye
from Written in Water. Out now and reviewed here.
“…The album really is a beautifully inventive merge of the two traditions, and it’s one that works just as effectively with a lament, as it does with a celebration. Dhoriye opens with a Gaelic lament (Milleadh Nam Bràithrean) emerging from an eerie, misty, mournful, soundscape before drifting, seamlessly, to a Rajasthani lament, Dhoriye, sung by Dayam. Dayam sings while Kaela’s lament still drifts on the wind, and even the hint of the wild in James Mackintosh’s percussion seems to convey the passion in both songs.” Read Neil McFadyen’s full review here.
33:37 Briana Di Mara – Home
from Haven (out now). Violinist Briana Di Mara releases her debut album, “Haven”, along with stellar Bay Area guest artists such as Ali Paris (Palestinian qanun player), Evan Fraser (of Dirtwire), Dan Cantrell (accordion), and many more. The album title refers to her relationship with music as a mode of healing and transcendence of our physical reality. Her compositions reflect her many years studying a wide variety of world music genres including Celtic, Balkan and Middle Eastern. Featured are unique instruments such as Arabic qanun, Persian santur, Indian tabla, saraz handpans, kalimba, and n’goni, as well as bass, guitar and percussion. Briana also makes use of a 5 string violin to create harmonic string layers. Each track offers a different feeling and experience and therefore the album exists mostly outside of the realm of genre and offers the listener a completely unique experience.
37:50 Sver – E14
from Reverie, out on 30 November 2018.
When Norwegian/Swedish folk-rockers SVER took Womex by storm just a few weeks ago, many commentators marvelled at the power and joie de vivre of the performance.
A new discovery they may have been for some, yet they are no new kids on the block and have been steadily gaining prominence playing extensively in Europe and the USA, to become regarded as one of the most dynamic bands to emerge from the Nordic folk scene. More here.
41:35 Hjalte Ross – Summertimes
from Embody, due for release on 7 December 2018.
Debut album Embody, produced by the legendary John Wood, in Nordjylland, Denmark during spring of 2018. A uniquely affecting record – all soft guitar strums and hushed, melancholy vocals – inspired by the stark isolation found in its roots. More here.
45:08 Roy Bailey – Clark Saunders
From Roy’s self-titled debut album on Trailer from 1971. Roy sadly passed away this week. Read our recent article here.
48:39 Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick – Man of Newlyn Town
from Both Ears and the Tail (a live acoustic set from 1966 – a folk classic).
50:54 Fairport Convention – Matty Groves (Take 1)
from Sandy Denny – The Notes And The Words: A Collection Of Demos And Rarities
58:33 Richard Thompson – Nobody’s Wedding
from Henry the Human Fly (1972)
01:01:32 Rosie Hodgson & Rowan Piggott – Lake Isle Of Innisfree
see above
01:04:26 Fàrsan – Òran An Ròin / Song Of The Seal
see above
01:08:40 Bill Caddick – John O Dreams
From Unicorns (2002). Another great loss…Bill Caddick sadly passed away earlier this week. Read our recent article here.
Photo of Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, United States by Casey Horner on Unsplash