It’s been a while since I’ve put together a Lost in Transmission series mix and this one kicks out of the starting gate thanks to Sam Amidon and his tribute to Harry Smith with a track from his new EP ‘Fatal Flower Garden’. We’ll have an interview up soon from the man so keep your eyes peeled. Amidon’s forward-thrusting musical attitude pretty much sets the tone for the next 50 minutes on a mix which is both rebelliously edgy and progressive – from Dublin’s post-punk band The Deadlians to the alternative folk-poetry of James P Honey’s with his Buriers project.
Those powerful initial surges soon turn to gentler moments courtesy of Cynefin, the brain-child of West Wales native Owen Shiers (we’ll have more to say on this project soon), then playful, as Nettlebone continue their joyful journey through time.
Among the tracks played are also two tracks from Featured Albums of the Month from Harp and a Monkey and Edd Donovan. More on all the music played can be found below.
Click here, to listen via Mixcloud here
Music Played
00:00 Sam Amidon – Train On The Island
from ‘Fatal Flower Garden’, Sam’s tribute to the elusive spirit of Harry Smith and to his wondrous Anthology of American Folk Music. Order it via Bandcamp.
02:09 The Deadlians – I don’t wanna ride yer aul one anymore
It’s thanks to Lankum that I was introduced to The Deadlians who also hail from Dublin. You can buy this single on Bandcamp where there’s also a great album of demos worth checking out. Bandcamp.
04:49 BURIERS – fool’s errand
This is taken from the new self-titled London-based Buriers led by poet and singer James P Honey who we recently shared this short documentary on. Grab this one on Bandcamp where it’s also available on some lovely vinyl.
07:39 Bird In The Belly – Coal Black Wine
From Neighbour and Sisters which we recently reviewed here, a potent brew from this Brighton quartet. “They have a knack for exhuming and reanimating old songs with the glee of graverobbers. If last year’s debut, The Crowing, set the scene, its follow-up, Neighbours And Sisters provides a glut of action.”
11:14 Rachael Dadd – Knot
From Rachael’s latest offering Flux which we reviewed here. “‘Flux’ takes tide and time as its theme, but uses it ferociously to highlight the inequality and selfishness that we have introduced into our world. This is surely Rachael Dadd’s most potent work to date.” Rachael also wrote a track by track guide to the album exclusively for Folk Radio which you can read here. On this track, she says “Knot was born when I became a parent and suddenly felt connected to all other parents through a common love we share for those we nurture. At the time I started hearing a lot of devastating stories of refugee mothers and fathers carrying their refugee children and babies, on harrowing journeys often ending in such hostility at our borders.”
16:17 Cynefin – Cân O Glod I’r Clettwr
This is a name you are going to become more familiar with as Own Shiers, under the name of Cynefin prepares to release his debut album Dilyn Afon (Following a River) into the world in late January 2020. All seem agreed that his musical offerings are something very special and this album is the result of three years of research and work which provides a unique window into the past and to a vibrant oral culture of story and song.
18:43 Nettlebone – May Day
I can’t seem to get enough of this album, a track from which also appeared in our Folk Show Episode 66. A musical collaboration between two brothers (Dominic and Justin Forrest) with significant additions from two wonderful musicians, Jude Rees and Jon Loomes. Their album Revel and Rhyme deals with historical themes and is described as a journey through England’s largely neglected social and political history using a wide range of traditional instrumentation, evocative lyrics and atmospheric musical soundscapes.
23:09 Edd Donovan and The Wandering Moles – Folk Man Blues
From Guardians of Our Time, one of our current Featured Albums of the Month which we reviewed here. On this particular track, Danny Neill had this to say – “…focusing its attention on death, is a simultaneously devastating and spiritually uplifting hymn. Like a transmission straight from heaven, the angelic voices that float in halfway through are Emma Parker and Martha Donovan whose harmonies are delightfully sprinkled throughout. The other members of the Wandering Moles featured this time around are Paul Arthurs on drums and bass alongside some, fantastically vibrant, cameos by Chris Cundy on bass clarinet. Collectively they all blend into Edd’s colourful world, kneading, nurturing and feeding songs that sound vital.”
27:23 Harp and a Monkey – Bendigo
From The Victorians, another Featured Album of the Month which you can read the review for here. On this track, Thomas Blake wrote in his review: “Andy Smith’s banjo dominates the musical landscape of Bendigo, which is full of ripe period detail about the Nottinghamshire bare-knuckle boxer William ‘Bendigo’ Thompson. Arthur Conan Doyle was a contemporary and fan of Thompson, and his poem, Bendigo’s Sermon provides the first verse of this song. It is the kind of colourful character study that Harp & a Monkey do so well, seamlessly combining their own writing with pre-existing songs and adapting old tunes – in this case To The Beggin’ I Will Go – to new purposes.”
30:45 Bonnie “Prince” Billy – The Devil’s Throat
Taken from Will Oldham’s latest ‘I Made a Place’ which Bob Fish recently reviewed for us here and who wrote “This is an album full of moments that challenges how people look at life. Opening with fiddle and acoustic guitar, The Devil’s Throat suggests that despite the best of intentions there can be surprises aplenty, “That’s what there is, that’s all she wrote. My friends you won’t hear the song that rolls from the devil’s throat.” With a guitar lick that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Richard Thompson album.”
34:09 Gabriel Birnbaum – Mistakes
From Not Alone, which Bob Fish also reviewed here. “Gabriel Birnbaum in his here to fore unknown role as a solo artist has done more than merely celebrated a birthday. This is more like a coming-out party for an artist no longer content to be one of many. With Not Alone, he has exposed himself as a full-fledged artist in his own right, one deserving of a much wider audience.”
38:13 adult mom – I Think I’m Old Enough
This is a New York trio featuring Steph Knipe, Bruce Hamilton and Liv Battell. It’s from their album ‘Sometimes Bad Happens’ which I discovered on Bandcamp a while back, it was released in 2014. You can grab it here.
39:45 Xylouris White – Ascension
I’m over the moon that the Australian drum legend Jim White and Cretan lutenist George Xylouris have stuck together this long to release their fourth offering The Sisypheans which also marks their Drag City debut. We actually premiered the video for this track here.
44:04 Doug Tielli – Highwayside Weeds
A well-established artist on the Toronto music scene since 1999, Doug Tielli has been steadily spreading his reach with each release and from Truth and Elseness, his latest offering is no exception which has been picking up some welcome airplay on BBC 6 Music where Lauren Laverne is definitely a fan of Doug’s music. It’s available on Bandcamp here.
46:13 Jakub Šimanský – Enfant Terrible Death Ride
This is from a cracking album on the Czech record label Stoned to Death titled “Face to Face Against American Primitivism in Eastern Europe vol. 2”. The album is available on bandcamp along with a special offer to get the “Tance neznámé” LP with this release. If you’ve never come across this label whose focus is on “Czech underground / experimental / avantgarde scene”, then make sure you check them out here – https://stoned-to-death.bandcamp.com/
Photo by Conor Luddy