Reviews by kuvien

I live in a big, modern city with every technology you can think of. And on this most recent listen, it just happened to come up in rotation as I was leaving work one rainy night. I thought, wow what a perfect start to the evening, here amid the tech lights of the metropolis. And then a bit later I just burst out laughing. Did they just sing "business, numbers"? All I could think about was Princess Unikitty!

I don’t understand a word, of course, but musically it’s clear this band is testing its chops against what a lot of other bands in Western Europe were doing at the time. A great album for people who really want to fall into a prog rabbit hole as they explore the scene outside England, France, and Belgium.

This obscure recording contains old Serbian chanting, Gregorian singing, and Koran reading, and like any multi-instrumentalist folk artist, Kovač boldly employs saxophone, flute, (bass) clarinet, tárogató (eastern European woodwind that looks like a soprano sax), and zither... as well as hand-made instruments. The artist's desire to revive and reignite interest in traditional music is plain, so in his mission, he recruits the help of musicians in his local scene to help tell the old tales and express the old sounds. As observed elsewhere, Kovač inhabits that isthmus "where contemporary composition and folk music touch."

Vocals so good Kandia's got her own gravity well, and once you're in her orbit, there's no escaping this ngara. There are certain singers you hear and instantly know you're listening to the soul of a country: Fairuz for Lebanon, Amália Rodrigues for Portugal, and Kandia Kouyaté for Mali. Undeniable talent singing from a specific tradition.

For being folk from New York City - record scratch - this is pretty darn good. These twins are fine singers and pickers!

Holy shit. Eight songs in six minutes! It's the premature ejaculation of punk, and they're not the least bit embarrassed by their lack of longevity.

Fuck you, guy who finished the 1001+ album listening challenge and then submitted this trash to the hall of fame.

I prefer this to his harder stuff. I mean, I love Yoshida's projects, but this one is more my speed because it's prog folk. The delicacy matches the technical skill on display here to give us a product of pure joy, showing me just how good wood and metal sound close up.

This is another one of Yoshida Tatsuya’s projects, and I really enjoy the moments of sweet melodic guitar phrasings over the brutal prog frame as well as the minimal interludes of the guitar and drums playing off each other.

When a wizard spell calls for some sort of guitar playing as a somatic component, this is what it means. This shit conjures, and what follows is precise, controlled pandemonium.

What in the Cat Stevens is this trash?

I have to agree with the general assessment that the fusion of Turkish folk music and psychedelic rock is masterfully done here. This is an essential gem for anyone interested in music beyond your own borders. Hypnotic. Undulating.

Yet another one-and-done from the magical year of 1971. Carousel and madhouse carnival from beginning to end. This would be a perfect album if not for the farting noises.

Equally proficient at playing it smooth as diving into more experimental structures and textures. The first track hooked me in, what with its minimal, exploratory interludes where each instrument gets its moment to shine but without going overboard and just "jamming" or showing off. Wonderful restraint, actually. The notion of vertical-ness keeps coming to my mind, as if the music explores heights and depths but not breadth.

Kolyadin, in his first solo project, collected some dudes from Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, and Marillion to guest. Although I'm not too terribly impressed with any of those bands, Kolyadin's classical influence seals the deal for me here. I'm a sucker for the tones of a grand piano.

The first track--with its length, jarring transitions, and multi-sectional approach--is clearly the centerpiece for me. Strange it comes first, I guess. A couple of new (for me) instruments being used here: gardon and cornamuse. And others I love: zither, oboe, and flute. The close, controlled harmonies of the vocals are spot-on, true to their regional folk roots. I like this. I feel, though, like it's restrained. Not bad. Just their style. No one is getting his hands dirty. It's like going to Oktoberfest: the music is tight and clean, making sure everyone is having a good time. The last track brings more passion, what with the fiery strings that open the song.

There's nothing like a plucked fiddle to grab my attention despite the fragile sound of the instrument. There's a hidden strength there. Voice, banjo, and violin keep folk tradition alive on this debut album without falling into a stale retreading of tracks already worn.

A beautiful, earnest exploration of what it meant (and means) to celebrate the beginning of summer, as it once was celebrated on May 1st. A very English album, attempting to keep alive traditions that many people know only vaguely. Knapp's delicate, affected vocals are a perfect vehicle for describing those pagan notions of fecundity.

Established voices in the English folk world, the guitar of Martin Carthy, and even a Chinese zither make an appearance on this lovely little folk album by a lovely little sailor of the folk seas, and though Knapp makes use of electronics here and there, her creativity and dedication to playing with and respecting tradition make sure she doesn't stray far from the spirit of the Second British Folk Revival. Maritime sound effects and accidentally-mythological ruminations on a familial brush with deteriorating mental health complete the magic of this album.

An album that is a single track with fourteen parts. Not an album with fourteen tracks. So what's the difference? Intent or result? Perhaps a bit of both. For me, it comes down to not being able to look at my music player and see where I am in the tracklist. It's all one thing, one experience, even though it has discrete episodes. The ghost of Elvis is here to help you chill out.