I have absolutely adored Emily Portman's previous albums, Hatchling (2012) and Coracle (2015). They presented a very original artist whose outwardly fragile voice contains immense strength and whose music integrates traditional British folk elements into a unique, dreamlike soundscape, with lyrics to match. I totally loved them both and I am very happy to say … Continue reading Emily Portman & Rob Harbron: Time Was Away
Tag: alternative folk music
Headbangers Ball at FolkNotes: Blackbeard’s Tea Party & Ritva Nero
Something different for a change… 🤘 There is a metal subgenre called Folk Metal where folk melodies spice up the metal attack, or sometimes function as a launching pad for the riffs and melodies. However, the two great albums I checked out this week I’d like to label Metal Folk: tunes very much in the … Continue reading Headbangers Ball at FolkNotes: Blackbeard’s Tea Party & Ritva Nero
Celtic Connections 2023: Ross & Ali Trio, with Startijenn and Beinn Lee
The evening of Sunday 29th at St Luke’s was a nicely balanced three-layer cake of music. We caught most of the Hebrides band Beinn Lee’s set and were duly delighted and entertained by the solid performance. Their trad stylings lean occasionally towards pop and, for me, it sometimes works for them and sometimes not so … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Ross & Ali Trio, with Startijenn and Beinn Lee
Celtic Connections 2023: Malin Lewis
Sunday 29th of Celtic Connections saw something extraordinary happen. The piper-composer-innovator Malin Lewis (see also Malin Makes Music on the internet and social media) was included in this year’s New Voices series and it’s no overstatement to say that they blew the roof off the Strathclyde Suite. Malin’s work for this event was a dizzying … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Malin Lewis
Celtic Connections 2023: Ímar with FullSet and ‘Ndiaz
It was a full house in the Old Fruitmarket on Fri 27th as the music crowd gathered to witness three quite different acts. Ireland’s FullSet have been around for quite a few years now but I only discovered them in 2021. I loved their show, a pretty damn excellent serving of contemporary Irish trad. Fine … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Ímar with FullSet and ‘Ndiaz
The Magpies: Undertow
So… Today is October 24 in the strange and scary year of 2022 and I have decided to begin writing this blog using a dictation app, a speech to text app, which probably makes it a lot more fun and easy for me to say something about the music that I listen to. The album … Continue reading The Magpies: Undertow
Pipes galore! Ross Ainslie & Brigdhe Chaimbeul, Fraser Fifield
There is no piper culture here in Finland. Some of our Middle Age stone churches have wall paintings that do feature pipers - I have seen them myself - but the instrument seems to have pretty much left our country during the 16th and 17th centuries. The reason is not known to me and it … Continue reading Pipes galore! Ross Ainslie & Brigdhe Chaimbeul, Fraser Fifield
Listening Diary for June 6-12, 2022: Natalie MacMaster, Mishra, James Harper, the olllam, Eabhal
Master fiddlers are one of my favorite things in this world and Natalie MacMaster 🇨🇦 is one of the greatest. I love the energy in her playing; so much light and joy there. Her 2019 album Sketches was just the right soundtrack for a leisurly walk in the sunny and warm Finnish Saturday. I've never … Continue reading Listening Diary for June 6-12, 2022: Natalie MacMaster, Mishra, James Harper, the olllam, Eabhal
Album Review / Ringlefinch: Tall Tales
England’s Ringlefinch have been around for several years before the release of this, their first album, this summer. And it shows: Tall Tales does not feel and sound like a debutante’s performance. It is a solid, excellently executed showcase by a band capable of both irrerestible grooves and introspective mood pieces. I have noticed some … Continue reading Album Review / Ringlefinch: Tall Tales
A Somewhat Belated Album Review / Gráinne Brady: Newcomer
(Since I’m not a music professional, I sometimes - quite often, really - miss a noteworthy release and wake up to it much later. This is one of those cases. The text below is written almost six months after the album’s release) Glasgow-based Irish composer-fiddler Gráinne Brady’s exceptional debut album The Road Across The Hills … Continue reading A Somewhat Belated Album Review / Gráinne Brady: Newcomer
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