FolkWorld Issue 35 02/2008

FolkWorld CD Reviews

Rameses III "Basilica"
Label:
Important; 182; 2008
Rameses III is an electronic band with two guitars, noises and keyboards. This latest double CD contains 2006 and 2007 live recordings and a CD with remixes of these recordings. The CD with the original songs have a peaceful nature, compositions that would fit a cold landscape and would fit perfectly to video art. The music creates its own landscape. The remixes contains the same style of music but than with added sounds and overdubs. They have a bit more dark and aggressive feeling. Two CD’s with intriguing music, but a bit out of place in this folk magazine.
www.ramesesiii.com
Eelco Schilder


Chieko Mori, Helena Espvall, James Blackshaw & Josef van Wissem "The Garden of Forking Paths"
Label:
Important; 162; 2008
Guitarist James Blackshaw compiled especially for the Important label this five track CD. All compositions are unique and especially recorded for this CD. The goal was to compile a collection of experimental music for solo stringed instruments. He couldn’t do me a bigger favour, because some of my favourite musicians are on this CD. Ever since I reviewed Chieko Mori her solo CD Katyou fuugetsu about a year ago, I’m a fan of this Japanese Koto player. On this CD she shows her skills in an almost psychedelic solo on the Koto called Spiral wave. What a fantastic way to start a CD! She is followed by James Blackshaw himself on guitar. His composition The broken hourglass shows a top guitarist, such a pure sound. Absolutely haunting is Helene Espvall on her cello. She is known as one of the Espers members, but here she shows her more avant-garde side, a solo on Cello that crawls under my skin and eats me from the inside. Jozef van Wissem is a Dutch lute player and his composition called The mirror of the eternal light shows how his minimalistic approach is very effective. An excellent compiled CD, with modern acoustic music.
www.importantrecords.com
Eelco Schilder


Kurt Weisman "Spiritual Sci-fi"
Label:
Important; 150; 2008
Kurt Weisman is a US multi instrumentalist who has been active in several music styles including Folk. This Spirirtual sci-fi CD is the result of ten years work and contains, acoording to the promo sheet, some musical experimental pop-folk recordings. The CD starts with a mystic, dreamy song called Cat people of the new ice age. A song full of strange sounds, it reminds me a bit of the Icelandic band Sigur ros. Very nice is the song The great flood with soft percussion and his falsetto vocals. This one is followed by heavy electronics in The young pioneers discover magic, a strange song sung in a child like song with impossible to follow electronic sounds and beats. Very creative, but only for the more experienced listener. Same for Close-up of reflection in insect’s shell. Starts with heavy sounds as well, but it turns out to be a nice, bit psychedelic song with classical sounding violins and guitar. An almost Mediaeval atmosphere has the nice tune Camp arden. Final conclusion? Hard to say, so many ideas, so many styles so many ... sounds. Sometimes I find this CD having beautiful songs and melodies but occasionally I also wished he would have kept it a bit more sober.
www.importantrecords.com
Eelco Schilder


Daniel Menche "Glass Forest"
Label:
Important; 176; 2008
When listening to this new CD by Daniel Menche, it’s like a strange and cold world is taking over my life. Menche has a past in electronic music for both film and performances and that can be heard on this new CD Glass forest. The CD is a concept CD in three parts and is a fascinating piece of music. His electronics create an own universe which would be fantastic to a performance or video art. I like his minimilistic approach a lot, slowly new sounds are added and the music crawls deeper and deeper under my skin. I know this is a folk magazine, so I have to keep the review short because this is not folk music in any way. But if you, like me, are into good electronic music with minimalistic character as well, you might love this Glass forest.
www.importantrecords.com
Eelco Schilder


Taraf de Häidouks "Maškaradă"
Label:
Crammed; CRAW 40; 2007
The Taraf de Häidouks is one of the best known gypsy bands worldwide. The band, originally from Romania, released it’s debut CD in 1991 and has great success ever since. Everybody who have seen them play live on stage, know how they can turn a concert hall into a party tent. On this new CD the band doesn’t focus on traditional music, but play classical theme’s and soundtrack music in their typical gypsy style. Including work by Bartok and de Falla. This CD is a bit less energetic than previous work, a bit more ‘studied’ music so to say. Still great work on the Cimbalom at the start of Ostinato and in Lezghinka. But their version of Manuel de Falla’s Danza ritual del fuego is nice, but this tune has been played so many times before and the band didn’t manage to reinvent the tune. Actually that’s the feeling that keeps coming back while listening to this CD. It’s good music, well done but ... it could have been more outspoken. Listen to Waltz, original composition by Aram Khachaturian, it’s like a Strauss waltz played in a conventional way but on different instruments, nothing more, nothing less. Taraf de Häidouks is at their best in the Bartok compositions like the many Romanian folk dances, or in their own compositions. This is music that they understand with their heart, while on some other tunes they play more with their head instead of the heart and that can be heard. So this new CD, nothing wrong with it. Some good music, well played but I keep having the feeling that it could have been so much more.
www.crammed.be
Eelco Schilder


The Polina Shepherd Vocal Experience "Baym Taykh"
Label:
Oriente; RIEN CD 64; 2007
Polina Markovna Shepherd is originally from Russia and she composes Yiddish music which she sings herself. Besides that she plays the piano and conducts a Yiddish choir. This new CD she recorded with the vocal quartet Ashkenazim and besides herself on piano it has Merlin Shepherd on clarinet, sax and guitar and Simon Russell on bass. This CD contains fourteen Yiddish songs and tunes of high quality. Starting with the nice instrumental Ai yai yai. Which changes from a nice saxophone piece into a strong piece of happy vocal art. A bit more calm is Shpitsn berg and Nit ikh veyn un nit ikh lakh in which the vocal quartet Ashkenazim shows their skills. But besides these nice and peaceful songs, an occasional electric guitar gives some fire to the music. A very nice Yiddish CD with strong vocal work.
www.polinashepherd.co.uk
Eelco Schilder


Tiris "Sandtracks"
Label:
Sandblast; 001; 2007
Between Morocco and Mauritania you can find the West-Sahara were the Sharawi people life. They have been Nomadic people for centuries and their land has been a Spanish colony until 1975 when Morocco claimed the ground. This band exists out of eight Sharawi refugees who are formed out of talent competitions held in their refugee camps. This is their first CD, a true presentation of their musical culture in a fine mixture of tradition and modern music. Besides the strong vocals the CD contains traditional instruments mixed with keyboards and electric guitar. After the short opening track Desert Chant the CD shows it’s true nature. In Ma zein wada the band creates an exiting and warm Western African sound. In Tiris nibreeha the band mixes the African sounds with a slight touch of Southern Spanish guitar music. This influence can be heard in several other songs as well, including the beautiful El Nabi. In Ya daeni the band starts with a traditional sound at first but ends with a light ska rhythm. A very nice CD with friendly, well played and accessible music from the Sharwai people from Western Africa.
www.sandblast-arts.org
Eelco Schilder


Tom Paxton "Comedians & Angels"
Label:
Appleseed; APR CD 1105; 2007
Next year it’s 45 years after Tom Paxton recorded his first LP. During those years he got to be one of the best known and highly appreciated US folksingers. Now, at the age of seventy, he has recorded his latest CD called Comedians and angels. Together with many great musicians including Nancy Griffith he recorded fifteen new songs. The opening track How beautiful upon the mountain sounds like a gospel folk song. The piano, the harmony vocals and the lyrics it has everything a folk-gospel song need. Out on the ocean is more in the Americana style. An easy going song with a fragile Tom Paxton singing. I love his vocals in the sad song What a friend you are, one of the highlights on this CD. But also in the more happy songs like I like the way you look Tom Paxton knows how to entertain. This Comedians & angels is not a revolutionary album. It stays close to his former work and shows the constant quality Tom Paxton has.
www.tompaxton.com
Eelco Schilder


Janos & Gilles "Janos & Gilles"
Label: Own label; 2007
In one of my other reviews for this issue of Folkworld you can read about the Dutch rare folk CD which contains music from the folky seventies and eighties. On this CD you will find the band Crackerhash which has played an important role in the Dutch folk history. Gilles Rullmann is the son of two of the Crackerhash members and in this way he was folked from a very early age. Since 2002 he works as a full time musician and he has played with Dutch groups like the earlier mentioned Crackerhash, Tjane and the Foo foo band. He gives violin workshops and now a days he plays in the band Maalstroom and with Janos Koolen. Their first CD contains a mixture of Celtic traditionals, original material but also a Django Reinhard composition. Fiddle, guitar, mandolin and vocals is all you get. That this is more than enough proof these two talented musician on many of the recorded songs. It’s a bit brave, but well played. They stay close to the original atmosphere of a melody which makes their music very authentic. It’s clear that they like what they are doing and play the music straight from their hearts. A very nice CD with friendly, peaceful and acoustic folk music. No doubt that we will be hearing more of these two gentleman in future.
www.gillesrullmann.com; www.myspace.com/janoskoolen
Eelco Schilder


Klezmic Zirkus "Vitamine K"
Label:
Homerecords; 2007
Just about a year old and already their first CD recorded! Klezmic zirkus was founded in 2006 and this Belgian quintet brings the Klezmer vitamins in an energetic way. The CD starts with a great Kermesse boogie. This is klezmer-big-band-jazz-boogie-swing-it-away music. The band shows not only a lot of energy in this song but also the capability of creating an own recognisable sound. Listen to Kingston Krakow a scary tune with strange sounds and a roaring electric guitar. Klezmer rock with unexpected twists and moves. Listen to Kilimandjaro where they create a dark and cold night in which anything can happen at any moment. Spooky-klezmer. This debut CD is impossible to explain, so many things are going on. Not for the traditional klezmer fans but a great adventure for those who love klezmer versus rock and other styles. Final conclusion? One can never have to much Vitamine K.
www.klezmic-zirkus.be
Eelco Schilder


Kristine Heebøll "10 Point"
Label:
GO Folk; 1107; 2007
Kristine Heebøll is a Danish violinist who is building a solid reputation as traditional musician in the past few years. She is one of the members of the Danish traditional Trio mio, with whom she released the CD Stories around a holy goat earlier this year. So this solo CD is the second CD in one year where she takes one of the leading roles. On this second solo CD she is backed by five musicians on violin, cello, viola, accordion and Dan Gisen Malmquist on clarinet. The main ingredient for the CD are the string instruments, which create a warm, full and rich sound. Besides the Danish traditional music, she took influences from Cuba, Germany, The UK and other Nordic countries. Another nice CD from the active promoters of Danish folk Go Dansk.
www.kristineheeboll.dk
Eelco Schilder


Colm Ó Snodaigh "Giving"
Label:
Kila Records; KRCD 401; 2007
Colm Ó Snodaigh is better known as one of the members of the Irish Folk-rock band Kila. He has been part of this successful band since 1988 as the flutist, guitarist percussionist and singer. This Giving is his second solo CD with thirteen original songs. His music is a nice mixture of Singer-Songwriter with soft touches of Irish folk and jazz music. Very different from the Kila music, much more introvert and intimate. The opening track Adieu is a nice jazz song. Followed by a beautiful acoustic song called Fós liom féim including Kila member Dee Armstrong on fiddle. I think Ó Snodaigh is at his best in these small, personal songs with a, more or less, acoustic sound. Other examples are Leochaileach Aris, ró lán which has a authentic Irish atmosphere and Is tú mo Ghrá in which he is only accompanied by pianist Trini Armstrong. The final song is based on a poem about the sea and is a beautiful end to a pure and honest hour of music.
www.kila.ie
Eelco Schilder


Kalman Balogh Gypsy Cimbalom Band "Live in Germany"
Label:
Traditional Crossroads; 4333; 2007
For many years now, Kalman Balogh has been one of Hungary’s best known Cimbalom players. He has performed with groups such as Muzsikas, Meta, ökrös ensemble, Vizonto and many more. Besides his cooperation with other musicians he has a successful solo career which brings him all over the world. Last year two new cd’s were released and the latest one is a registration of a concert in Germany. If you ever saw Balogh perform live on stag, you know how fast and furious but also how intense his play can be. Sometimes you hardly see his hands move, but you hear beautiful music coming out of his instrument. This live CD is recorded together with his Gypsy cimbalom band containing some fine musicians on trumpet, violin, guitar, bass etc. Balogh shows how easy he mixes traditional music with jazz. You will recognize his Hungarian roots and the gypsy spirits taken from many corners of Eastern Europe. But this live Cd also shows his jazz qualities and his experience in other styles such as Klezmer and classical music. A great souvenir after visiting the concert but also a great introduction to the work of one of Hungarians finest musicians.
www.balogh-kalman.fu.hu
Eelco Schilder


Maalstroom "Open Window"
Label: Pigeon; 005; 2007
Maalstroom is a Dutch quartet which plays acoustic music inspired by Irish, English and Dutch traditional sounds. They released their first CD in 2000 and Maalstroom is their third release. The eleven songs on this new cd are all original except for the song Sorrow is a lonesome bluebird which is based on a Swedish traditional. This song was recorded by Hedningarna before and it’s good to hear that Maalstroom has a totally different interpretation of the song and make it almost sing like a long lost English folk song. And except for the song The cocks are crowing / Reel for kent which is a traditional as well. Besides these two tracks, the CD has nice other well played and pure tunes. I like the soft acoustic sound of the band. They keep the music very small and integer, which gives the songs and tunes a personal sound.
www.maalstroom.net
Eelco Schilder


Jo Freya "LAL"
Label:
No Masters; NMCD 27; 2007
Jo Freya, this name might ring a bell. She was a member of the Old swan band and Blowzabella and played together with Pete Morton and Lal waterson. This solo CD is a project around the music and songs of Lal waterson. She honours him by recording fifteen of his songs together with Jim Boyes and many others. The CD has a strange start. Her version of Midnight feast has a bit slow SKA rhythm and to be honest it didn’t do the song much good. Much better is the introvert version of Dazed in which the combination of Freya's vocals with Mary MacMasters on harp is fantastic. These two songs show exactly the two sides of this CD. Sometimes the music sound a bit boring, too much of the same. While in songs like Bath time and the earlier mentioned Dazed Freya shows great quality. Overall I find the CD too careful and monotonous and it leaves me with the feeling that it could have been so much more.
www.nomasters.co.uk
Eelco Schilder


Brian Bender and the World Beatniks "Urban Jungle"
Label: Face the Music; FTM-2007; 2007
The American musician Brian Bender has played a wide range of styles. He is a master on the trombone but plays several other instruments such as trumpet and keyboard as well. He cooperated with African, Latin, Celtic and klezmer musician from all around the world and performed in several Sun Ra tribute concerts. On his latest CD Urban jungle he plays nine of his own compositions together with the World Beatniks. Each tune has a different style. Like the opening track Blue horizon has a reggae beat while on This place it’s eight minutes of easy going Afrobeat. Also some Turkish elements on Atik and Klezmer on Hebraish. Brian Bender makes jazz music with touches of world music. His music is nice but a bit predictable and it stays to much on the surface of styles to interest me with my more world music orientated taste. But I can imagine lovers of the jazz genre likes his exotic arrangements a lot because it’s well played and done very professionally.
www.brianbender.com; www.worldbeatniks.com
Eelco Schilder


V/A "Gypsy Songs and Fiddles"
Label:
Airmail; SA 141151; 2007
A new CD in the Airmail music budget series. This time Russian Gypsy songs and dances performed by Rada & Nikolay Volsganinov on vocals, Willy Farkacz on violin and the BRNO radio orchestra. A collection of eleven Russian sung songs and Gypsy style dances. This is Rada Volshaninov second CD and it has the prototype Russian traditional sound. Sometimes very sad, while on other moments almost like a Russian musical. A bit old fashioned but not bad at all. Volshaninov has a voice with many possibilities and she uses them all. A good example is Kajlodle in which she starts very melancholic and ends cheerful and almost over the top. Made for those who never heard Russian Gypsy music before and like a popular, orchestral approach.
www.airmail-music.com
Eelco Schilder


R Carlos Nakai & Nawang Khechog "Winds of Devotion"
Label:
Sounds True; M12190; 2007
Ok, let's be honest. I did not write very nice things about R. Carlos Nakai's CD People of peace. To much new age style to my personal taste. But he is one of the best known players of the Native American flute and on this latest release he shows exactly why. Together with the Tibetan flutist Nawang Khechog he recorded four songs all with a length of at least seventeen minutes. I’m still not a big fan of their new age approach, all those synthesiser sounds and moody background vocals are only disturbing and taking all the attention away from what really counts; the two fine musicians. If I close my eyes and just pretend the new age sounds are away, a beautiful style of music is left with fragile flute sounds, Tibetan prayers, cello and very soft percussion. Absolutely two masters at work, but I still think it’s a pity that they use all these unnecessary additions.
www.rcarlosnakai.com; www.nawangkhechog.com
Eelco Schilder


David Buchbinder "Odessa / Havana"
Label: Tzadik; 8121; 2007
David Buchbinder plays the trumpet and plays in several bands including the Flying Bulgar Klezmer band. This Odessa / Havana is his debut solo Cd and contains a mix of Jewish and Cuban music. He composed the music himself and is backed by a band including pianist Hilario Duran, violin, drums and a guest oud player. In Lailadance he shows how easily the Jewish and Cuban rhythms can be mixed. It’s almost like a natural combination. Buchbinder turns out to be a fine songwriter and a professional musician. The CD has a good atmosphere and contains a strong mixture of jazz music with early mentioned Jewish and Cuban sounds and rhythms. Both piano and trumpet play a central role in the music which makes it more a jazz CD than a world music adventure. But nevertheless a recommended debut CD by a gifted musician / composer.
www.davidbuchbinder.ca
Eelco Schilder


V/A "Dutch Rare Folk"
Label:
Food for Thought; fft7060157; 2007
In the last issue of Folkworld I already announced the release of a nice Dutch project. Now the CD is launched and for the first time a collection of 43 songs out of the Dutch folk history are available on CD. Compiler Matthijs Linneman is one of the many people in Holland that are shocked about the fact that hardly any of the legendary folk LP’s from the past are available on CD. The difference between Linneman and most of the others is that he decided to do something about it and after hard work a 2 CD collection is for sale now. The two CD’s contain Linnemans personal choice and, although many singers and groups are included, it’s not a CD which gives a complete picture of the Dutch folk history. It’s more to interest people worldwide in the often hard to find Dutch folk songs from the past. He included legendary names such as Wolverlei (which I agree with him that the record company Stoof/Munich and universe should be VERY ashamed that until today both their records are not available on CD as they can be seen as two of the landmark albums in the history of Dutch music in general) Fungus, Irolt and Törf. But also less known artists such as Jan Duindam with his beautiful English ballade Happiness and tears or one of my personal favourites the progressive folk by the band Chimera. This double CD is the perfect start to get to know the Dutch folk, folk-rock, psych-folk and progressive folk styles. It has many Dutch and English sung songs with female and male lead vocals, ancient instruments and so on. Tracks from impossible to find albums by bands like Mayfly, Booze Hoister band and Deining. One warning, after hearing this CD you probably want more and you will start a long search for the original LP’s by many of these fine Dutch artists.
www.fonos.nl
Eelco Schilder


Monsdrum "Folktronic"
Label:
GO Folk; 207; 2007
Folktronic, one of the strangest CD I got in a long time. First of all, you can't buy it but only download it on the webpage, and second of all, what to think about this music? David Mondrup is the person behind Monsdrum and he is a creator of sound. The CD starts with Ouverture which at the beginning sounds nice, but after a minute I don’t know what to think anymore. It starts to sound like a kind of Goblin dance. I love the harpsichord sound mixed with the accordion, but after two minutes the music is so over the top happy that my room is turning pink and it starts to make me laugh. Totally opposite is the second song Hr Pederse sørejse. A beautiful ballad with subtle electronics and earthy typical Danish female vocals, an absolute masterpiece. The third piece is a piano piece with added sounds which gives me exactly the same feeling as the first tune. And again it’s followed by a ballad called Den døden mand which is the second masterpiece on this CD. Than a tune called Pause and that’s exactly what it is. A piano solo for the background. This CD gives me the feeling that I’m listening to two totally different CD’s. The vocal parts are fantastic and to my opinion belong to top of the Danish folk, but the instrumental parts I just don’t know what to do with them. I get the feeling that Monsdrum has me where he wants me. That his goal is to confuse me and he loves it to leave me with a strange unsatisfied feeling. Unsatisfied because I want more, much and much more songs like the above mentioned ballades. But I’m not sure if I want more of this Goblin dances.
www.monsdrum.com
Eelco Schilder


Klezzmates "Reflections"
Label:
Tylkomuzyka; 016; 2007
Two years ago I reviewed the debut CD of this Polish klezmer band. At the end of my review I wrote the wish that this band would stay together and record more music for many years, as their debut CD showed a band with great potential. What makes this band so special is the totally different backgrounds of the musicians and their new and fresh approach of Klezmer music. This second cd called Reflections made all my dreams come true and is even better than I expected. In Intro the band immediately catches my full attention with dark, spooky music of high quality. The Klezmattes know exactly how to build up a song. They do this carefully with small changes in both melody and rhythms. Listen to Spring fantasy which is a small masterpiece that takes over seven minutes. It starts so fragile and slowly builds up to an energetic piece of klez-jazz. Almost like music from an ancient sad love movie is All and nothing at all. Such a melancholic sound. Same for the almost ten minutes song Sad song for D. This song makes a cold wind blowing through my house and gives me the feeling something is on it’s way, something sad or something beautiful, I don’t know. What I do now is that it must be something pure. With Reflections this Polish band issued one of the top CD’s of 2007. I hope that on their next German tour they will visit the lowlands of Holland as well for at least one concert. Preferably on a day I don’t have to work and in a place close to my home, I will be there.
www.klezzmates.pl
Eelco Schilder


Klezmer Alliance "Mir Basaraber"
Label:
Oriente; CD 65; 2007
The Klezmer alliance is a cooperation between musicians from three nationalities. The lead singer Efim Chorny is from Moldavia and has a long career in Yiddish music including leading the Jewish song theatre in Kishinev. Together with musicians from Germany and the UK he forms this Klezmer sextet. Besides vocals you can hear the piano, drums, clarinet, guitar, mandolin and bass. The CD starts with a short song called A gutn ovnt. I have to get used to the specific sound of Chorny’s lead vocals. In this song, and at a few other moments for example in Tsigele-tsigele I have the feeling he sings a fragment of a second faster than the band, which sometimes sounds a bit strange. Overall this CD has seventeen nice, standard Yiddish songs. Especially Berl Spehl plays very nice on clarinet, he has passion in his music. On the other hand, personally, I’m not so enthusiastic about the bass and drums. I miss some variation, or call it fantasy, in their way of playing. Now it’s often the same drone. It’s good possible that it’s not the musicians but the way of producing the CD’s, if the drum and bass would have been put more at the centre of the band instead behind the other musicians I think this CD would have had a more balanced and warm sound. But that’s only a guess from an amateur. Mir basaraber is a nice debut CD, but I keep having this feeling that this band has more possibilities than this CD shows.
www.klezmeralliance.com
Eelco Schilder


Jai Uttal "Dial M for Mantra"
Label:
Sounds True; M1173D; 2007
Jai Uttal is a musician from the US with a big love for Indian music. He studied the traditional style of singing and learned to play the sarod (string instrument) This CD is a compilation of his solo CD Kirtan and of the CD’s he recorded with Ben Leinbach. Uttal tries to blending the Indian and Asian music with Western sounds and stacks of electronics. It’s a kind of remix CD with easy going lounge music that is nice for relaxation. It all sounds nice at the background, but it’s too much of the same for me to get really enthusiastic about the compositions. But than, I have many moments I love to relax and lounge a bit, this CD might be the perfect one to put in my CD player at these moments.
www.jaiuttal.com
Eelco Schilder


Eddie Nünning & Lara Schallenberg "From a Wooden House"
Label:
Acoustic Music; 319.1392.2; 2007
Talking about ambition, Eddie Nünning and Lara Schallenberg have recorded thirteen songs including songs from James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Tom Waits. I have to admit that I was a bit prejudiced before listening. Such great songs, how will this (to me unknown) duo interpretate them without making a total fool out of themselves? Well, they just did it. The CD opens with Taylor’s Fire & Rain and Lara'sstrong and beautiful voice catches me from the first moment. Besides that the highly skilled guitar play by Eddie Nünning and the result is an intense, warm CD of high quality. I love their version of Maybe I’m amazed once written by a certain Paul McCartney. They bring this song so beautifully fragile, absolutely impossible not to love it. With The man with the child in his eyes, they even manage to record an acceptable Kate Bush cover. The CD ends in style with the Tom waits song Take it with me. Nünning & Schallenberg recorded with From a wooden house a surprisingly good album. A fine choice of material, pure and sober interpretations and an impressing vocalist and guitarist.
www.nuenning-schallenberg.de
Eelco Schilder


Carolina Chocolate Drops "Dona Got a Rambling Mind"
Label:
Music Maker; MM76; 2007
The Carolina chocolate drops is a band that origins from, what a surprise, Carolina. It’s an enthusiastic group of Afro-American musicians that play string music from the foothills and mountains from North and South Carolina. The band has a traditional line up with two fiddles, banjo, jug, harmonica etc. Besides that, they have their (harmony) vocals. Dona got a rambling mind is their second CD and contains sixteen energetic interpretations of traditional tunes and songs. Besides uplifting dances, great hornpipe’s also beautiful sung small ballades like Little Margaret, which is one of the highlights on this album. Fantastically sung by Rhiannon Giddens, the female part of the band. In this song she shows a great quality for singing folksongs. The Carolina chocolate drops have a pure and authentic sound, it must a fantastic experience to see this band live in concert. Their music is so full of joy, that it’s impossible not to get in a good mood and love their music.
www.carolinachocolatedrops.com
Eelco Schilder


Shantel "Disko Partizani"
Label:
Crammed; 41-p; 2007
After his well known Bucovina CD’s, now it’s time for a new solo release by this great DJ/musician. The disc contains fourteen great dance songs in the tradition of Balkan, Arabic and South European music. This disko partizani is his best album by far. It contains a much more divers collection of songs and somehow it has more humour and good feeling. Great start with the title song Disko partizani, in which he takes us back to the seventies disco feeling. But also some strong and wild beats in Fige ki ase me in which the brass section heats up the dance floor. Greek influences in Manolis and a moment of rest with Andante levante. Perfect collection for each dance party or just to listen at home to get this great and happy feeling running through your whole body. Best medicine against winter depression.
www.bucovina.de
Eelco Schilder


Ersatzmusika "Voice Letter"
Label:
Asphalt Tango; 1407; 2007
Ersatzmusika is a 6 piece band from Berlin. All six members have lived a big part of their lives in Russia, which explains the Russian lyrics, although the song titles are printed in English. The band is formed in 2006 and now, about a year after their start, their first CD was released. Front musician Irina Doubrovskaja plays a central role in composing the music and she is also the female vocalist and plays the keyboard and accordion. Although the record company wants us to file the CD under folk music, the music doesn’t even come close to folk music. It’s underground pop with drums, electronics, guitar etc. This voice letter has a good overall atmosphere, although the compositions could use a bit more variation. And I miss the English translations of the lyrics. For example The mushroom hunter is one of the best songs on the CD but I also get the feeling the lyrics are very important in this song. But now I can’t judge that. A nice CD if you like alternative Russian pop music, but if you are into Russian folk this is not the right CD.
www.asphalt-tango.de
Eelco Schilder


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