Radioshow “PVHF” on radio Centraal, Antwerp, 103.9 FM 2008-08-02 : 8-10 PM European Time (GT+1) + live on air : http://streaming.radiocentraal.be/ from folktronica-pop to singer-songwriter's rock to chamber-music-rock -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS. Gradings in playlists are judged on individual track listening, not on the whole album in one listen. * ok **g ***vg **** perf +°some tracks are better +‘perhaps better. Most new reviews will be checked by mid august 2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- intro 2 min from laptop-folkpop to singer-songwriters : * Intr.Version Avia Gardner : Mill Farm (US,2006)**’ Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/AviaGardner.html#anchor_569 * Intr.Version Avia Gardner : More then tongue can tell (US,2006)**° Tr.6, “dread and dreaming” (remix) 6 min->4 min Intro has school children and donkey ? on the background before a soft whispery song appears... Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/AviaGardner.html#anchor_559 --------------------------- -some great Belgian bands : * Matamore Soy Un Caballo : Les heures de raison (B,2007)***° Tr.1, “Sous les paupières” 1 min Tr.2, “volet” 4 min Tr.11,“la droiture” 3 min 8 -14 Beautiful electronic folkpop. It also features Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billie. Track 11 features Jesse D Vernon (singing in French). With guests from The High Llamas, This is the Kit,etc...) Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/SoyUnCaballo.html#anchor_261 * Matamore V.O. : Obstacles (B,2008)***° Tr.2, “Constant changes” 4 min Tr.6, “Where is your home?” 4 min 8 -22 One of Soy Un Caballo’s singers own songwriter band, accompanied by a huge soft (jazz & modern pop-)rock band : very moodily arranged songs. Ladt track is slightly comparable to Robert Wyatt/Talk Talk or so.. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/VO.html#anchor_261 * Matamore Sepia Hours : When we'll cross these days, these seasons and their closes (B,rec.2006-2007)**’ Laptop and loop-based semi-environmental soundtrack. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/SepiaHours.html#anchor_261 * Sonig Uské Orchestra (B,2005)***°’ Tr.1, “Elle et un théâtre de bambous” 5 min Tr.6, “Tout se détache” 7 min 13-35 Brilliant, well arranged and rather funny acoustic singsong-based but most often instrumental collage of structured nonsense and weirdness. For fans of Renaldo a The Loaf (the acoustic Residents), Salvador Cresta,.. Review : http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview26.html#anchor_912 * Mornington Ted Barnes : Portal Nou (UK,2008)****' Tr.1, “singing glasses” 1 min Tr.3, “all that’s real” 5 min Tr.10,“these foolish thoughts” 3 min Tr.11,“Trust me” 3 min Tr.12,“If the truth hurts” 4 min Tr.13,“Coot” 1 min 17-52 Great song and instrumental album with lots of ideas, alternated with a few Beth Orton songs. Last song sounds like a mixture of Talk Talk with old gospel- blues.. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.com/psychfolkpopreview6.html#anchor_269 * Fatcat Vetiver : Thing Of The Past (US,2008)*° A bit more straight forward retro based, remember old songs concept. It might make the group more popular, but I don’t think it’s an improvement for them… Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/Vetiver.html#anchor_362 * Fat-Cat David Karsten Daniels : Fear Of Flying (US,2008)****' Tr.1, “Wheelchairs” 3 min Tr.3, “Martha Ann” 3 min Tr.5, “A myoclonic Jerk” 2 min 8-60 David karsten Daniels however for me improves with each album.. Good emotionality, breathing expressions, brilliant arrangements too. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/DavidKarstenDaniels.html#anchor_270 * Addictive Miwa Gemini : This is how I found you (US,2008)**°° Tr.1, “Picnic” 4 min Tr.2, “Travelling Man” 3 min 7-67 It took a while before I could list this slightly “rockier” singer-songwriter. These are good songs, with strong performance, strong sounding voice too. I should have taken a longer time before reviewing. This grows on you. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/MiwaGemini.html * ReprinT Simon Kent : Pillo (UK,2008)**°° Tr.2, “Turned to Rust” 4 min Tr.10,“Silence between us” 4 min 8-75 Beautiful voice! Songwriter-based pop-rock music with honest and sometimes really great emotionality. Produced by former Talk Talk producer. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/simonkent.html#anchor_261 * private Silver Pines : Forces -EP- (US,2007)***' My cdr copy suffered from the usual cdr problems of noise, so no airplay. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/SilverPines.html#anchor_664 * BLR The Long Dead Sevens : The white waltz & Other stories (UK,2008)**°° Tr.8, “Our Lady Damned” 7 min -82 Definitely a Nick Cave-ish vibe here. Nice concept of well-hanging together collection of dark songs, sometimes as if coming from western contexts. Best listen is from start to finish. The separately taken songs sound less strong than when listening to the whole concept of songs on the cd. This might be the most personal song, so it is also a perfect one to take out for airplay. Review : http://singersong.homestead.com/TheLongDeadSevens.html#anchor_261 * Helmet Room Astrophagus : For Boating (US,2008)***° No time for it now, but this is a much better than average indie-rock band. Review : http://psychemusic.org/prog9B.html#anchor_157 --------------------------- (guitar)… * Cuneiform Richard Leo Johnson and Gregg Bendian : Who Knew Charlie Shoe ? (US,2008)***° Tr.1, “Swap meet Sunday” 1 min Tr.4, “first breath in a bean field” 3 min Tr.7, “Superman” 4 min Tr.11,“Looking for Vernon” 1 min 9 -91 Make a hero for the day that never existed, an Americano guitaro hero. With some great pickings and slides, andith sometimes rather semi-nonsense but intelligent percussion, like these water splashes on 4. But listen also to the brilliant percussion on 7. An album Track 11 is part of the “documentary”;). Review : http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/guitar3.html#anchor_75 ----------------------------- new chamber-music (rock) related : * Home Emmanuel Louis with The Gardening Group : Play some music about your garden (B,2008)*°°’ Tr.1, “In the garden” 2 min Tr.6, “Le blues des enfants” 5 min 7-98 A chamber folk-nonsense-cabaret-like concept inspired on a garden ? why not.. The songs themselves are the least interesting part of it, so I chose 2 of the well-arranged instrumentals. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/belgium4.html#anchor_143 * Cuneiform Lars Hollmer : Viandra (S,2008)**° Tr.10, “Baladeis” 4 min Tr.13, “Första” 3 min 7-105 Accordion-player and folk-chamber artist Lars Hollmer pretty much has his own distinctive often still rather minimal style. This is his latest work based upon compositions made during many of his side projects. I like especially these two pieces which have a slight Baroque (10) / dramatic or funeral music (13) flavour which filtered trough Lars Hollmer’s usual, mostly much lighter style. Review : http://psychemusic.org/chamberrock.html#anchor_275 * Cuneiform Beat Circus : Dreamland (US,2008)**°° Tr.1, “Gyp The Blood” 3 min Tr.3, “Hypnogogia” 2 min Tr.7, “The Good Witch” 1 min 6-111 Sometimes grotesque chamber-music rock referring to a huge fantasy fun far centre, from around the turn of the century. Review : http://psychemusic.org/chamberrock.html#anchor_270 * Cuneiform Univers Zero (=1313 revisited) (B,1977+1979,re.2008)****° Tr.2, “Carabose” 4 min -116 Tr.3, “Docteur Peliot” 8 min ->end of show Brilliant new music chamber-rock pioneer from Belgium, influenced by Magma, Third ear Band and contemporary classical music. A must-have. Now remastered and with one bonus live track predating a composition from their second album. Review : http://psychemusic.org/belgium2.html#anchor_126 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homepage radioshow : http://psychefolk.com/ Playlists : http://psychefolk.com/2008.html Newsletter with new reviews and playlists with some audio links : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/psychevanhetfolk/ Subscribe: psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com