If you have set your folk radar to scan the landscape a bit deeper, you may already be familiar with Sarah-Jane (fiddle, Scotland) and Juhani (guitars, Finland), both long time residents in Norway. Both have their own, widely respected careers in contemporary music but together, they have created several works that both retain and renew … Continue reading Superb creativity: “How To Raise The Wind” by Sarah-Jane Summers & Juhani Silvola
Category: Artists – S
The fantastic earlier years of Sam Carter: Keepsakes (2009) and The No Testament (2012)
So it's been another lengthy radio silence from me due to two reasons: - my summer vacation, which I dedicated to some quite long e-bike treks with my wife. Didn't really listen to music during those weeks, other than from the bluetooth speakers hanging from the handlebars of my bike; that was just road music … Continue reading The fantastic earlier years of Sam Carter: Keepsakes (2009) and The No Testament (2012)
Finally checking out some fine music on my checklist
Whoa - an entire month has flown by without any blog posts. Good excuses, though: day job hassles, preparing for some gigs with my band (rock, not folk) and - most of all - a nine-day visit to the Southern and Inner Hebrides + one day in Oban. Loved Islay, adored Iona, was blown away … Continue reading Finally checking out some fine music on my checklist
A triple dose of Shane Cook: talk about a blazin’ fiddle, eh?
Canada's fiddle wizard Shane Cook's music has kept me going these past couple of weeks when the dying Finnish winter first turned into grey slush, followed by winter's comebacj (of course) and then more slush, with the sun nowhere in sight. The gloomy scenes outdoors have been successfully countered by the Cook magic! If you … Continue reading A triple dose of Shane Cook: talk about a blazin’ fiddle, eh?
Amazing music with and without words: Siobhan Miller; Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhríain
For yet another inexplicable reason, I completely missed Siobhan Miller's 2022 album Bloom - until now. Her previous outing, 2020's All Is Not Forgotten, had been a low-key, intimate acoustic work, and Bloom, with its bright sky blue cover and a return to the sound feel almost like a counterargument to its predecessor. I absolutely … Continue reading Amazing music with and without words: Siobhan Miller; Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhríain
Shine: Sugarcane (2001)
This is one of my "rummaging the vault" pieces where I either discover or return to an older release. Shine was (I presume it's "was" rather than "is" but please correct me if I'm wrong) a trio of three remarkable Scottish musicians: Corrina Hewat, Alyth McCormack and Mary Macmaster. As a band, they were 3 … Continue reading Shine: Sugarcane (2001)
Skáld: Huldufólk (or, actually, some thoughts inspired by it)
…and now for something different - at least for this blog… Over the past year, I have developed a taste for what’s called Dark Folk, Pagan Folk or Nordic Neofolk. But I really don’t care about all the labels; I’m referring to new music based on actual old folk music from different areas of Northern … Continue reading Skáld: Huldufólk (or, actually, some thoughts inspired by it)
Album Review / Seth Lakeman: Make Your Mark
The big guy of British folk released a new album late in 2021 and I got to listening to it this week. And to take this one thing off the table right away: I think the album cover is just ****ing great. That axe-hewn face in huge closeup in stark monochrome - you instantly know … Continue reading Album Review / Seth Lakeman: Make Your Mark
Album Review / Staran: Staran
Featuring five top musicians in Scottish folk and trad scene, Staran call themselves a collective instead a band. In the olden days of arena rock, this would have been called a supergroup; fortunately we are in another time and another musical cosmos. The lineup of Carnie-Smedley-Lowrie-White-Lindsay leaves no doubts about musicianship - it is what … Continue reading Album Review / Staran: Staran
Album Review / Skipinnish: Steer By The Stars
Ah, Skipinnish... I don't even try to write a deep review because Steer By The Stars is just full of the solid, uplifting, tap-your-foot-and-smile music the band is so well known for. It picks me up when I'm down and gives me that extra charge when I'm already up - my happy soul music 😊🏴🎶 … Continue reading Album Review / Skipinnish: Steer By The Stars
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