http://www.folkalley.com/ The best of folk, traditional, celtic, and world music with 24-hour streaming, buzz info on artists, and more. en-us 2008-05-07T15:05:37-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001033.php We ended up sending out three sets of weekend passes to MerleFest last month in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. There were 57 contest entries, making narrowing the list very difficult. One person originally selected could not, in the end, attend and one did not respond to our E-mails. So, the lucky recipients were (in no particular order): Hank & Barbara Lynn from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Matt & Cathie Davis from Milton, Tennessee John Osborne from Statesville, North Carolina Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter! Ann VerWiebe 2008-05-07T15:05:37-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001032.php As part of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame week on American Idol, the final 4 contestants on the music "reality" show had their run of the 500 songs that shaped the rock world. Dreadlocked hippie Jason Castro (who, I swear, is going to put out a Folk Alley-friendly CD in the next year) picked the Dylan arrangement of Mr. Tambourine Man. Halfway through the first verse, everything went south, he hummed a bit and went into the chorus. As much as I would love a singer/songwriter to win this show and bring a folkie bent to the AM Idol tour, I really hope he goes home tonight. Ann VerWiebe 2008-05-07T10:46:30-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001031.php Find links for CDs added to the Folk Alley playlist as listed in the May AlleyChat: Oliver Schroer - Hymns and Hers Old Man Luedecke - Proof of Love Lissa Schneckenburger - Song Steppin' In It - Simple Tunes for Troubled Times Capercaillie - Roses and Tears Willie Nelson - Moment of Forever Andy Cohen - Ridiculous Instrumentals Railroad Earth - Amen Corner Corbet/Chrisman/Tice - Early Sirens - Look Up John McCutcheon - Sermon on the Mound The Wilders - Someone's Got to Pay Robert Bowlin - Six String Soliloquy Sarah Sample - Never Close Enough The Biscuit Burners - Take Me Home Terence Martin - Even Trade South Austin Jug Band - Strange Invitation Spring Creek - Lonesome Way To Go Joe Crookston - Able Baker Charlie and Dog Joel Rafael - Thirteen Stories High Ann VerWiebe 2008-05-06T12:21:47-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001030.php Not at all because I just like writing "Noam Pikelny" (it's like a line out of Lewis Carroll), I found this YouTube gem of Noam poking fun at Punch Brothers bandmate Chris Thile. On the same topic, check out this month's Live from Folk Alley featuring the aforementioned Punch Brothers. Buzz Ann VerWiebe 2008-05-05T17:45:09-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001028.php Steeleye Span is currently on tour in England with a handful of dates left on this tour. Ken Nicol from the band has been posting special podcasts with video while on tour from backstage and behind the scenes. Check it out here: www.folkcast.co.uk/ken/diaryindex.html Steeleye's Tour Schedule for May: 1st May Roses Theatre TEWKESBURY 2nd May Reading Concert Hall READING 4th May Buxton Opera House BUXTON 5th May Preston Guildhall PRESTON 6th May Forum 28 BARROW IN FURNESS 7th May Victoria Theatre HALIFAX 8th May Palace Theatre MANSFIELD 9th May Mercury Theatre COLCHESTER 11th May Assembly Hall TUNBRIDGE WELLS 13th May Colston Hall BRISTOL 14th May Pavilion Theatre BOURNEMOUTH 15th May Birmingham Town Hall BIRMINGHAM 16th May The Derngate NORTHAMPTON STEELEYE SPAN WEB PAGE Buzz Chris Boros 2008-04-30T16:34:18-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001026.php This week XM's Channel 15 - The Village - will be airing 2 hours of Folk Alley hosted by Jim Blum. This is part of their Village Liberation program that spotlights regional folk radio shows from around the US. Jim's program can be heard Tuesday, April 29 at noon (EDT/-5GMT) and then repeated on Friday, May 2 at midnight-2:00am. Buzz Linda Fahey 2008-04-29T00:57:26-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001025.php And this is why I shouldn't cruise YouTube at lunch... William H. Macy writes a song about the film Wild Hogs and performs it on ukulele on the Oprah show: Ann VerWiebe 2008-04-28T14:11:56-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001022.php Kensington Prairie ~ Captured in Still Life With the number of submissions to Folk Alley increasing every month (easily over 200), it has become cumbersome to find the good ones. An artistic eye-catching cover can help. That's what made us notice the Kensington Prairie CD, and the group is being rewarded for their detail, because once we heard what was inside we knew you had to as well. The overall mood is dreamlike, yet thoughtful. The instrumental mix is unusual: guitar, cello, vibraphone, harmonica, Wurlitzer, glockenspiel, and an unconventional and understated banjo. The various combinations support singer and writer Rebecca Rowan who is the main focus of this band (or maybe orchestra?). Rowan uses her imagination well. In "A Million Skies" she looks up on a clear night and sees another's eyes in the stars. She smartly uses analogy in the song "Bluebird," comparing a slipping memory to the fleeting bird. During "Crooked Things Straight" she helps us realize that we can't always change sadness, but she provides kindness through a wish. Kensington Prairie may eventually be referred to as Vancouver's version of Brooklyn's "Hem," the easiest comparison for me to make. Listening to Captured in Still Life is like being treated to a new restaurant where every meal is rewarding. This CD is that good. Joe Crookston ~ Able Baker Charlie and Dog Joe Crookston has arrived. He has matured as a writer and has filled out his sound with choice musicians. Most of the songs uncover for us the stories of ordinary people from today and from history, in challenging situations. "John Jones" was a Virginia slave who escaped but dared to return and helped gain freedom for 800 others. "Freddy the Falcon" is a 17 year-old skateboarder and artist who came from a difficult background. Joe spent time with incarcerated youth in the Seattle area and created songs documentary style; he sings as Freddy, 1st person narrative. The album's title is about his grandfather who was stationed on Tinian Island during World War II and made runways such as the one used by the Enola Gay. These songs are smart, offering the listener insight as well as entertainment. Richie Stearns and Judy Hyman of "The Horseflies" fill out the sound and add variety. This album leaves you feeling impressed, and continuing with our restaurant analogy, you'll come back for seconds. Peech ~ Peech Ouch. This one hurts. Here's an example of an eye-catching cover that rewards you with nothing. "Peech" is Chelsea Dohermann and Megan Osborn from L.A. They are young singers who recorded too early in their careers. The songs are full of cliches about broken hearts and they resort to foul language which is not only childish and offensive, it's a cheap shortcut to good writing. Every song sounds the same and it's all noise. Perhaps Peech was sent to us by mistake. This CD is a mistake. Jackson Browne ~ Solo Acoustic Volume 2 When we received Solo Acoustic Volume 1 a couple years back we were instantly anxious for Vol 2. Both recordings are intimate performances with Jackson and his collection of guitars and reminiscences. (He switches to piano on occasion.) This latest collection doesn't include as many instantly familiar songs as the first, but if you are a Jackson Browne fan you'll know them or you'll want to. "Enough of the Night" offers comfort to someone who's really down, and reminds that person of his or her reputation for spirit, daring, and satisfaction. This act of kindness is admirable and a reminder for us how necessary we can be as friends. "Alive in the World" is another wonderful message directed straight to someone who has lost interest in participating in life. We've all met people this down. We've all been this down. My question is - how did Browne know? How is he able to look into your soul and then offer a hand up through music when no one else is able? He is a songwriter and melody maker to be sure, but he is also a counselor and part-time angel. Listening to these very folk-like recordings when you're feeling good will make you feel better. When you're down, Jackson Browne will pick you back up. Either or both of these volumes would make excellent gifts to important friends - or to yourself! Jim Blum 4/19/08 Buzz Jim Blum 2008-04-19T12:46:16-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001024.php Former Idol Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift were big winners at the CMT Awards (all fan voted) on April 14. But, truth be told, the nominees and presenters won just by showing up. You or I could live very well for a month or two if we Ebay'd the contents of the gift bag given ceremony participants, which included: a pair of jeans worth $225, a fancy skin care system, a one-night stay at a resort in East Tennessee, a pair of Australian shoes ($150), a year's supply of cafe con leche with bricks of coffee, a 6-month membership in a high-end Nashville fitness center, spa treatments and a two-night stay at a lodge in Colorado, two large Dooney & Bourke totes, a full year of Rhapsody, jewelry, spa treatments, tee shirts, watches, and a waterless car wash with microfiber towels. Well, at least I have the microfiber towels. Buzz Ann VerWiebe 2008-04-18T17:20:16-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001021.php Download The Alleycast for April to hear Folk Alley's exclusive concert recording with Bill Evans' Soulgrass concert featuring Sam Bush. You'll also hear Folk Alley's exclusive in-studio session recording with Diana Jones and Dave Cousins from Strawbs. Plus, the sweet sounds of The Starlings - Folk Alley's featured Open Mic artist for April. Download the Alleycast today. Chris Boros 2008-04-10T17:25:56-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001017.php Dave Cosuins from Strawbs has been playing music for close to 40 years. In that time, he has never done a solo tour - until now. Just recently Dave finished up a small tour with just him and a guitar. One stop found him at the Kent Stage near Folk Alley, so I invited him to the studio to play a couple songs and chat. Dave's brand new solo album is called Secret Paths. Strawbs are certainly in the top-five most important bands in the world of English Folk. Yes, later in their career, it became more of a progressive rock outfit, but early on, Sandy Denny was a member of the band - even before they recorded an album. It was her involvement with Strawbs that led her to Fairport Convention. From that point, English Folk-Rock was born with help from a young Dave Cousins. Check out the interview with Dave below and two songs he played in the studio. In the coming months, there will be much Strawbs activity with a full tour of the electric band - featuring the 1974 line-up. A new studio album is also in the works. Take a look at the official Strawbs web page - it's very well done with tons of information, reviews, lyrics to every song, and up to date news. I've also posted some You Tube videos of Strawbs in action throughout the years. Thanks for making it into the studio Dave! Visit Strawbs Official Web Page Folk Alley's exclusive Dave Cousins Session Recording and Interview var so = new SWFObject("http://www.folkalley.com/tools/audio_player/player.swf", "player1", "290", "24", "7", "#000000"); so.addParam("quality", "high"); so.addParam("wmode", "transparent"); so.addParam('allowscriptaccess','always'); so.addVariable("playerId", "1"); so.addVariable("soundFile", "http://www.folkalley.com/community/blog/audio/dave-cousins/Interview.mp3"); so.write("interview"); Dave Cousins - "Ringing Down the Years" from the Folk Alley Studios var so = new SWFObject("http://www.folkalley.com/tools/audio_player/player.swf", "player1", "290", "24", "7", "#000000"); so.addParam("quality", "high"); so.addParam("wmode", "transparent"); so.addParam('allowscriptaccess','always'); so.addVariable("playerId", "1"); so.addVariable("soundFile", "http://www.folkalley.com/community/blog/audio/dave-cousins/Ringing-Down-The Years.mp3"); so.write("song1"); Dave Cousins - "I Turned My Face Into the Wind" from the Folk Alley Studios var so = new SWFObject("http://www.folkalley.com/tools/audio_player/player.swf", "player1", "290", "24", "7", "#000000"); so.addParam("quality", "high"); so.addParam("wmode", "transparent"); so.addParam('allowscriptaccess','always'); so.addVariable("playerId", "1"); so.addVariable("soundFile", "http://www.folkalley.com/community/blog/audio/dave-cousins/Turned-My-Face-Into-The-Wind.mp3"); so.write("song2"); Dave Cousins Live from the Kent Stage - March 15th, 2008. "Blue Angel" Dave Cousins Live from the Kent Stage - March 15th, 2008 "Grace Darling" See the Second Page for Classic Strawbs Videos admin 2008-04-09T15:29:00-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001019.php Find links for CDs added to the Folk Alley playlist as listed in the April AlleyChat: The Weepies - Hideaway Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2 David Wilcox - Airstream Tim O'Brien - Chameleon Kensington Prairie - Captured in Still Life The Gibson Brothers - Iron & Diamonds Brian Henke - Tree of Life The Waybacks - Loaded Fayssoux McLean - Early The Waifs - sundirtwater The Bobs - Get your Monkey off my Dog Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder - Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947 Kathy Mattea - Coal Karan Casey - Ships in the Forest Dave Cousins - Secret Paths Lindsay Mac - Small Revolution Steve Dawson - Waiting for the Lights to Come Up Shannon Wurst - Sunday Pie Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic Shawn Mullins - Honeydew Eric Bibb - Get Onboard Mozaik - Changing Trains Victoria Vox - Chameleon Van Morrison - Keep it Simple Ann VerWiebe 2008-04-07T11:39:35-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001016.php Al sends this to the Folk Alley blog: Eva Cassidy had such a pure voice, and this version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is truly unique. Ironically, she didn't like this after she recorded it. But, like all of her music, it's a gift to us. Now that Eva is somewhere over the rainbow, her approach sounds more Angelic. I give you this song of hope, enjoy. Ann VerWiebe 2008-03-27T15:59:32-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001015.php Over Spring Break, a lot of kids head south to get into trouble. Not our Zak Kruszynski. Zak, who is a Kent State student and works on our graphics, made a 4-string banjo. He got some help from his uncle and his brother, but he really made the entire thing himself (no kit involved). What's most impressive is that he was inspired to make instruments because of his love of truly old-time folk music. Here's the video: Buzz Ann VerWiebe 2008-03-25T13:32:33-05:00 http://www.folkalley.com/archives/001007.php Dixie Bee-Liners ~ Ripe I'm sure at some point someone has recommended a restaurant to you, but you've never made time to go. Then you keep hearing about how good the food is from others. The Dixie Bee-Liners showcased at the recently completed Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis. I was there, and never saw them, despite encouragement from many. Now that I've sampled their debut CD, I really regret the missed opportunity. Led by singer and writer Brandi Hart and co-writer and multi-instrumentalist Buddy Woodward, the band presents original material almost exclusively. Each story is different from the next, the harmony blend is stunning, and the arrangements are well thought out. Bil Vorndick is the producer. There is a civil war ballad with a twist, and a delightful mother daughter song "She's my Angel" in which as Brandi writes: "I'm watching my mother watch me grow up." Two members of Ricky Skaggs band join in, fiddler and mandolinist Andy Leftwich and bassist Mark Fain. David Talbot (The Grascals) plays banjo. There is some concern as to why they needed help as the band should be solid on its own, but on the other hand, CDs offer chances for repeated listening (hopefully), so each song should really shine. For the most part this whole album shines. The Punch Brothers ~ Punch When Nickel Creek disbanded members became excited about individual projects. Sean Watkins went first with Blinders On, and now it's founder Chris Thile's turn. We were warned that parts of the album were avant-garde and they are, but most of this CD is very accessible despite the lengthy cuts. Thile's 4-movement epic "The Blind Leaving the Blind" is based on his reaction to his 2004 divorce. You'll hear the 2nd movement and the first 1/2 of the 4th movement on Folk Alley. Movement #2 is the longest individual song we have ever played at nearly 13 minutes, but it weaves and changes so frequently that it holds your interest. In fact, your ear begins to perk up anticipating the next surprise. As long as it is, when it's over, you want more. Part of the reason is this band - there are young stars at every position. Noam Pikelny on banjo (Leftover Salmon, John Cowan), Gabe Witcher on fiddle (Jerry Douglas) Greg Garrison on bass, and Chris Eldridge (Infamous Stringdusters) on guitar. Each player is at home improvising to Thile's ideas; each can play fast, or slowly, and they know how to back up one another. LisaBeth Weber & Maggie Marshall ~ The Fire Tower Sessions One of folk music's most cherished gifts is its invitation to join in. Most singers in concert hope you'll sing along at some point. Most fans also own an instrument and play it for diversion and release. And of course at a dance, square or contra, everybody dances. If you've done one or more of these things, good for you, because most of America just sits there and watches everybody else. The next step can lead to problems. Not everybody needs to record an album. It's easy to do these days - you can go digital in your basement and create your own artwork on your own Mac. You can even go a step further and hire a talented and experienced producer, such as Bil Vorndick who produced "The Firetower Sessions." It starts, however, with material and ends with performance. I met LisaBeth and Maggie at the Folk Alliance Conference - they are wonderful people and this event was a positive experience for them. Unfortunately, and despite some excellent session players, there is nothing on this album that is strong enough to replace what is already airing on Folk Alley. I often tell those who offer submissions to name their most admired musician and their favorite song. I then remind them that whatever they are sending us has to be good enough to replace what they've just named. I couldn't find anything here. Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny's MOZAIK ~ Changing Trains Andy Irvine is one of our most gifted writers of history. From Irish famine to Antarctic explorers to Raoul Wallenburg, Irvine doesn't just tell stories, he knows how to take us inside the people and their struggles. Finally, he's turned toward someone he knows best - himself. "O'Donoghue's" is a narrative about the first Irish pub with music that Andy experienced in 1962. Through the fast moving song we share in his discovery and his continuous love for tunes and tales. MOZAIK is a project shared with instrumental whiz Donal Lunny. What makes this band different is that Andy and Donal share Celtic music with the far corners of the earth. The influence and instruments spread from Romania to West Virginia. "Reuben's Transatlantic Express" traces the old timey "Rueben's Train" to Danville, Dublin, Budapest and Timisoara. As the tune begins, you might recognize it, but suddenly new doors open as unfamiliar instruments and an amusing arrangement presents itself. This album is like going to 5 ethnic restaurants at once, but with these two chefs, and their parcel of players (Bruce Molsky, Nikola Parov, & Rens van der Zalm) mixing up the meals, nothing tastes out of place. How will we ever settle for less next time? Buzz Jim Blum 2008-03-17T14:13:31-05:00