PSYCHE VAN HET FOLK, Radio Centraal, Antwerpen, Belgium 2005, Wednesday Febr 2nd, 09-30 - 12.00 AM NEW SINGER/SONGWRITER RELEASES (+ a few psych folkpop related releases) * Jagjaguwar Richard Youngs : River through howling Sky (UK,2004)**°’ (g->ex) Tr.2, "Blossom" (fragment) 4 min Tr.3, "Sky is upon you" 5 min Very minimal slowly evolutions of electric guitars mostly, carrying the song, with a flavour of avant garde only because of its slow movement. Once concentrated on the music it works fine. "The Sky is upon you" is the most "normal" track, with guitars and electronica and textured sounds. Best to listen with full concentration and attention to details. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Domino Rec. Bonnie "Prince" Billie : No More Workhorse Blues -EP-(US,2004)***' (ex) Tr.1, "No More workhorse Blues" 3 min Tr.2, "Ruby" 5 min 8 New fine EP from the "Palace" stallion. New for BPB is a metal guitar expression effect on "Ruby", with some of the effects used here. I have the impression there's more work done on production of the song than before. I had the impression direct expression mattered most on the earliest releases. Here the production and arrangements are done very well. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Asthmatic Kitty R. Liz Janes : Poison & Snakes (US,2004)*°°'(ok->ex) Tr.5, "Ocean" 6 min Tr.8, "Desert" 7 min (shortened) Singer-songwriter here and there with a country-folkrock flavour, with a varied sound and creativity : for the first four tracks a bit obvious in inspiration mode, but most other tracks have its own originality of a kind of acid folk sensitivity. "Ocean" is my favourite track, with a great intuitive drumming that fits perfectly with Liz's voice. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Private Ruth Minnikin : EP (CAN,2003)**°° (g->ex) Tr.1, "Maiden Voyage" 4 min Very beautiful voice. Singer-songwriter release accompanied by a kind of folk- rock / country-folk band. I like especially this track. Other songs have a more country-folk flavour, where for me, Ruth emotionality in her voice doesn't come out as much as on this favourite. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Private Ruth Minnikin :Marooned and Blue (CAN,2004)**°'(g->ex) Tr.2, "NYC" 4 min Tr.3, "Behind Bars" 4 min Tr.6, "Marooned and Blue" 5 min Tr.9, "Horsetail Clouds" 4 min 17 Full release, worked out with equal share of band sound and singer's expression. I had to listen a couple of times before it revealed its true emotionality. Some tracks have more country-folk in them. I chose, I think, the most personal independent from any style expressions. These are good songs with nice arrangements. I also pretty much like the French horn. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Domino Rec. Adem : These are your friends -EP-(UK,2004)**** Tr.1, "These are your friends (radio edit)" 5 min Tr.3, "After the Storm" 5 min Tr.5, "Let it burn" 6 min In contradiction to my review I preferred to airplay the short version of the title. The titletrack is a nicely arranged warm fantasy story. "After the storm" is not a post-Tsunami song but it surely sounds like it is one. A visionary song or just coincidental inspiration ? "Let it burn" is very sad emotional song, as a cross between Robert Wyatt and the first Bonnie "Prince" Billie release mixed with a gentle and sweet fantasy touch. Highly recommended ! Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Secretely Canadian Jens Lekman : "When I said I wanted to be your dog" (US,2004)°°° (~->vg) Tr.10, "When I said I wanted to be your dog" 5 min Sweet voice, a bit like Tim Hardin perhaps in sphere, with gentle accompaniment, but in text-writing very in-mature, often even child-like. This is my favourite song. This particular text I think really is fine. Nice accompaniment too. Here Jens talent shows itself best. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Backwater Rec. Jamie Clements : Sleep Creases (UK,2004)***° (perf) Tr.2, "a tape of our voices" 2 min Tr.3, "your hair" 4 min Tr.4, "A Small black sock" 5 min 11 A different example of simplicity which stylistically works and which goes Deep, without having to deal with attitude / struggle from a personality level, from a growing up process naivity, like Jens music does. Highly recommended ! With nice acoustic guitar. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html * Rough Trade Emiliana Torrini : Fisherman's Woman (ICE,2004)****° (classic) Tr.1, "Nothing brings me down" 5 min Tr.2, "Sunnyroad" 4 min Tr.3, "Snow" 2 min Tr.4, "Lifesaver" 5 min Tr.8, "Heartstopper" 4 min Tr.10, "Fisherman's Woman" 2 min 22 Very beautiful gentle music, highly recommended ! One of the best s-sw releases of 2004. Couldn’t airplay less. All these tracks are essential listen. Full review : http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-5.html She plays Wednesday 23rd in Botanique, Brussels. Info : http://www.koninklijk-circus.org/index.asp?id=628711212200312155602566&eventid=810910977200412075512122 * Private Diane Cluck : Macey's Day Bird (US,2001)***°° (vg->classic) Tr.3, "God made it rain" 5 min Tr.4, "Heat from every corner" 4 min Tr.8, "A beast in a barn" 4 min Tr.10, "I liked you as soon as I saw you" 5 min 18 Second private CDR release of very talented & sensitively rich (or how do you say that) Diane Cluck, with booklet with lyrics included. I guess these are homerecorded tracks. On the second track telephone rings near the end. Very fine release. Beautiful texts and songs. These tracks are essential and are like literature. Review expected on http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-4.html Latest release reviewed on : http://singersong.homestead.com/newwriters-2.html * private Diane Cluck : Black with Green Leaves (US,2002)**°°-? 19 minute only release. Recorded louder, live ?, with more contrast, and with a more aggressive style, lo-fi. I preferred to play more of the 2001 release instead. Review expected on http://singersong.homestead.com/newsingers-4.html * Eclipse Rec. Marissa Nadler : Ballads of living and dying (US,2004)****° (perf->classic) Tr.2, "Hay Tantos Muertos" (P.Neruda) 3 min Tr.3, "Stallions" 4 min Demo finally published on CD. Very beautiful melancholic songs. Voice reminds a bit of Elizabeth Rapp. A new demo is ready for release. I’ll keep you informed about that. Review and info : http://singersong.homestead.com/folk2.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Psych-folkpop outro : * Locust Music Cyann & Ben : Happy Like an autumn Tree (F,2004)***° (vg->ex) Tr.1, "Circle" 6 min Beautiful psychfolkpop, with large instrumental psychedelic passages, different from debut. I might airplay more in the next psych-folk related radioshow. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/psychfolkpopreview2.html * Social Registry Samara Lubelski : The Fleeting Skies (US,2004)**°° (vg) Tr.1, "The Fleeting Skies" 4 min Tr.7, "Follow you" 4 min (shortened) Voice and accompaniment slightly in waters of Agincourt. New psychfolk-pop. More on Samara (and Tower Recordings, Hall of Fame,..) in first upcoming psych- folk related radioshow. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview8.html * Social Registry Hall of Fame : Paradise Now (US,2004)***° Tr.2, "Endless returns" 8 min (slightly shortened) Tr.5, "Hall of Fire" 3 min) Dreamy laidback psychfolk kind of music with improvised and stretched modes. More about Hall of Fame, also on their earlier works, expected somewhere in March. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview8.html * Communion Label : The Tower Recordings : The Galaxies' Incredibly Sensual Transmission Field of.. (US,2005)***° Tr.4, “Ibiza within you” 4 min Tr.1, “Harvester” 8 min Very improvised group recording. Group with Samara, P.G.Six,.. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview8.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2005.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/index.html Receive weekly this playlist before the radioshow with new reviews and additional comments : / ontvang wekelijks playlist vňňr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com