psychedelic Folk Pop review page 5

Acuarela DiscsManyfingers : Our Worn Shadow (UK,2006)****

As a one man band, Chris Cole, cellist from the Third Eye Foundation (a band which I appreciated much with the neo-classic breakbeat album “Lost Little Soul”, but from which didn’t check much more other later albums) was occasional member from Movietone and still is drummer of post rock band Soeza. With help of Aaron Dewey on cornet and Ida Alfstad on vocals, together as Manyfingers they delivered a multi-coloured expression which I found at first hearing a bit difficult to categorize. The music is in fact built up with many instruments creating a multi-coloured vision based upon mostly minimalist ideas (especially with piano, some of the acoustic arrangements). The rhythms and a bit of mixing give the music a more modern feeling. Together with some bits of brass the mood lies also close to a moody jazz influence, even when this is built up upon rather classical minimalism. Within this form (of minimalism), there are built up some tensions (especially in the last few tracks) which gives it a more emotional richness and quality. A really nice and very pleasant album. Recommended.

As a bonus, a DVD is added with a really nice, almost abstract, graphic black-and-white artwork of moving fishes, sea, and marbling light, and a few live tracks. There we can see how Chris Cole manages with some loops and effects and tricks to play and build up several pieces completely on his own on stage.

Homepage : http://www.manyfingers.net/ & www.myspace.com/manyfingers

Review with 3 audiotracks : http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=22022

Other reviews : http://www.ear-rational.com/detail.php?id=23774

Label : http://www.acuareladiscos.com/

Description : http://www.cargorecords.co.uk/... (& here)

Earlier release : http://www.moteer.co.uk/info_manyfingers_page.htm

Locust Music Function : The Secret Miracle Fountain (AU,2006)****

This album shows lush, lukewarm and moody indiepop within a rock context seeing the medium as an art form. It has been recorded in over ten countries over a 3 ½ year period with the participation of too many friends to name them all, but with an overall consistent moody sphere effect. Leading figure is Matt Nicholson who led the band and project evolution. This is the first real album after a couple of limited releases. The moody, partly double layered echoed piano piece “Prayer in tonal Forest” used background sounds of a recording with some clicks (as if it came from an older recording on CDR which when storing it for too long always shows such extra sounds because of natural oxidation), which fit the music pretty well with its crickets and insects-like sounds until similar natural sounds come in and participate too. Many tracks are songs with a perfectly accompanying band, which almost surrounds the song with waters and sounds in the air, with moody and dreamy experimental band spheres. The mixing is done very cleverly, with a creative modern sound. Even the more ambient parts have very alive and quick evolving patterns, and waves. When I see Matt’s influences and musical interests I can see where he found relatives in ideas. I can grab some similar clever ideas like I found for instance with Tunng. In some way for the big production also Sufjan Stevens comes a few times to mind, although the musical aspect here is much more worked out as a true experimental element. “New Music for Bowed Animals” shows many more loops on top of each other, like waves on a shore. “The Broken Shaman” used a fragment of a performance of vocalist and percussionist Lakshmi Shankar and Subash Chandran, for another more ambient driven track. Lead vocals on "Sinai (freedom doesn't care what I do) are by Stephanie Watson. The last track, "Beloved, lost to begin with" adapted a text by Rainer Maria Rilke. A great, pretty long in length, album which fits perfectly with the newest heroes on the edge of the singer / songwriter teritory.

Audio : "beloved, lost to begin with"

Homepage : http://functionensemble.com/ & http://www.myspace.com/function108

Info on this release : http://www.allegro-music.com/online_catalog.asp?sku_tag=LST376

& http://www.locustmusic.com/function.html

-This item was listed in the singer-songwriter section but I prefered to add it here too :-

1.Now Here Rec.Safe Home : The Wide Wide World and all we know (NL,2005)****

Safe Home is a duo consisting of Esther Sprikkelman and Harry Otten. After release of some 7" singles since 2001, and one other release in 2002, this seems to be their second release. There’s a whispery delicacy and gentleness to be heard here, which usually is found with more psychfolk driven female vocalists. Belle and Sebastian might come in mind here, but this might be even closer to certain musical essences, with some deliberate pure sound and keeping-it-relatively-simpleness of effects. This means the arrangements are equally delicate (guitars, second vocals, bass, some rhythms, the tambura like buzz-e-bee, some moog and mellotron and Arp Odyssey, and occasional odd instruments like underwater guitars and oxygen guitars, electro-burble, viper fang,..). Only one song is in Dutch. Highly recommended !

Audio : "Suspended in Gaffa", "They say it"(or here or here), "After the shock"(or here), "Tell me something good", "Twilight wunderkind", "Stay awake", "Sea splits", "Skates and rays", "Shadowland"(or here), "Leda" (or hereor here or here), "Every other sigh", "Mirrorman", "Sick bones", "Houd de wacht", "Say hello to Spain"

Homepage : http://www.angelsinspace.com & http://profile.myspace.com/safehome

with label page : http://www.now-here-records.com

with entry of this release : http://www.xs4all.nl/~baytree/Angels_In_Space/widewideworld.htm

Info : http://cdbaby.com/cd/safehomeduo

Other review : http://www.wovenwheatwhispers.com/Label-Review-Safe_Home.htm

Dutch review : http://www.kindamuzik.net/artikel/11584

& http://www.fileunder.nl/archives/2006/01/safe_home_the_w.php

2.Sunday Rec.Safe Home : You can't undo what's already undid (NL,2002)***'

Of course also their debut has similarities with some of the early '70's psychfolk items, especially thanks to the multilayered arrangements of the whispery, heavenly sweet female vocals (which sound often just exactly like Agincourt,..), while the music is more a kind of sweet acid folk pop music arranged by lots of subtle and moody guitar and some keyboard instruments (according to the notes these are Disney keys, Arp Oddesey, acoustic guitar, fender telecaster, wah-wah guitar, Guild M80, cycle guitars, Welsh harmonium, electric organ, mellotron, electric piano, reed organ, grumblebox, spacestepper, electro-burble, Gibson, squisher, violin guitars, space glide guitar, clean guitar, tough guitars, underwater guitar, slide guitar, bass) with a handful of other instruments (egg, African hair-drum, didgeridoo, heartbeats, tape sections, wind sheet, glockenspiel, plonks, plinks, foot and feedback board). All songs are in English except one in Dutch.

Just "Ricket's Revenge" is a bit different, an instrumental with repetitive softpsych pattern. All other tracks are into the original dreamy sweetness.

Recommended !!

Audio : "Travel In Time", "Moortown Bluebay","Slow Girl"(or here), "Birthday","Star Of A Holiday","Boots",

"Next Time On The Back Of A Goose", "Moortown Bluebay"

More audio : http://www.mp3.com/albums/537805/summary.html

Info : http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/safehome

Info on group : http://mysticalbeast.blogspot.com/2005/08/so-its-come-to-this.html

Homepage : http://www.angelsinspace.com & http://profile.myspace.com/safehome

Label webpage : http://www.sundayrecords.com/

Other review : http://www.tonevendor.com/item/6053

Dutch review : http://www.thinksmall.nl/recensies.php?id=117

Wichita Rec.Euros Childs : Chops (WA,2006)**°'

Euros Childs brainchild from the Welsh pysch-pop group Gorky's Zygotic Mynci must have thought it was about time for a solo release, and this is it, with the original group sound obviously still recognisable, as well as some other ideas. I havenn't heard all GZM releases but I pretty much like the way they started, with a clearer psychedelic touch at first and longer tracks. I have one of the later albums which is a bit more focused on regular pop songs with its own typical colourful pleasantness. One of the first, "other" ideas is recognised in the first, homerecorded mini-track "Billy the seagull" which sounds familiar to an ethnical folk preservation grandpa recording, with some additional vocal arrangements. The 4th track, "Slip Slip Away", probably from the same tape session is a child-like idea of a unique “inspired” moment, focused as a be-as-inventive-as-a-child homerecording, with its fitting additional outsider electric toy piano and other vocal arrangements. This track sounds like one of these unique “Incredible Strange Recordings”. In general, I think that such ideas are again more generally accepted, after the I-know-what-I’m-doing attitude of the be-the-hippie things from Devendra Banhart or the hotel recording clever first CD project from Cocorosie. I could have accepted a complete album like this, which would have become something like the second Red Crayola album. But in between these two is a just somewhat annoying track. This first track of two, called "Donkey Island" is also available in a single version. It is somewhat deliberate, be-an-idiot, honky donkey dance music related, probably meant as a self-proclaimed humoristic note, which is forgivable, but if you don’t like disco, why make it ? (or make a lot). "Dawnsio dros y mor" has comparable funny(?) rhythms, and is a song in Spanish, or at least what sounds like Spanish learned from a Welsh book. "Costa Rita" after that, is a bright light, cheering up pop song, with city-music imitated exotic rhythms, and charming beach sunny day vocal sweetness, which I know could have expected to have come from Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. This also includes flutes, soft handclaps and parasols. "Stella is a Pigmy #1" is the most melancholic, and shortest song, which loses at once all its grieving emotionality at the point when one realises the absurdity of the title and the existence of this one line-song. "My country girl" is a romantic, but also fun making country song. The beautiful "Circus time" is the second melancholy moment, with piano and vocal arrangements, which is followed by the similar "Cynhaeaf" track. "Hi Mewn Socasau" starts as rockn' roll, with the voice coming from further away, but the singer with the song goes back to the beach sphere with more sweet "oooohs" and "aaaahs" arrangements (very much like GZM). Both "Stella is a Pigmy #2" and even more the track "Surf Rage" have beautiful melancholy and emotionality, with piano and at least some vocal arrangements. "First time I saw you" is a well fitting sweet psychpop track with acoustic guitars, piano and additional sequenced electronica. "Stella is a Pigmy #3" makes a perfect and beautiful conclusion (just voices and organ).

Homepage : http://www.euroschilds.com/

Label entry : http://www.wichita-recordings.com/bands.htm#euros

Other review : http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,,1706200,00.html &

& (with audio) http://www.mtve.com/article.php?ArticleId=6158

& (with audio) http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=20546

& http://www.musicomh.com/albums5/euros-childs_0206.htm

& http://www.angryape.com/reviews/2006/01/euros-childs-chops

Single review : http://www.soundsxp.com/2694.shtml

& http://www.musicomh.com/singles6/euros-childs_1105.htm

2001 radioshow webpage which included the Gorky's Zygotic Mynci here

Fig Records The Saffron Sect : Phosphorous Flash -EP- (CAN,2006)****

This EP is beautiful '60 folkpsych like I prefer to hear it. No neo style here. With "All leads back to you" they sound like a group that would have fitted perfectly live with Pink Floyd in 1968. Also the song "Clink Clink" (?) with happy sitar and hand percussion has some Floydian touch in the slide-guitar. The other more acoustic sitar and handpercussion song, "Phosphorous Flash" (?) is more psychfolk styled, bringing another, newer group in mind like Feathers. This is really nice ! Can't wait for the full release. My pre-release copy had 4 tracks out of 6.

Saffron Sect is all together : Gaven Dianda : vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, sitar, recorders, crumhorn ; Kathrin Larocci : flute, dulcimer, glockenspiel, organ, vocals ; Matthew MacLaren : double bass, mandolin, jug ; Jay Anderson : drums, finger cymbals, gong.

Description of the label : "The Saffron Sect play strangely appealing sounds, which to the listener seems to be a mixture of "modieval" flavoured folk rock, cosmic psychedelia, jug band ragas & Tolkien country blues. Cloud catching music for wild wooly peakers, lordly leapers and saffron twig tweakers;They intend to champion their Now sounds of Progressive Atavism and the William Norris_school of thought in and despite the modern age."

Homepage (with audio) : http://www.myspace.com/thesaffronsect & http://www.saffronsect.ca/

Label info : http://www.figrecords.com/saffronsect.html from http://www.figrecords.com

Info on group : http://www.newmusiccanada.com/genres/artist.cfm?mode=longBio&Band_Id=16515

Drag City Six Organs Of Admittance : The Sun awakens (US,2005)***'

Six Organs Of Admittance with this release is no longer built as much upon acoustic guitar ideas, but have evolved to a more independent band sound. Project leader Ben Chasney is now playing more different guitars and several additional other instruments. He has moved away one step from dependency on the acoustic. There is added a droning ambient sound with improvisational meditative vocals on the last track, “River of Transfiguration", which might recall vaguely Popul Vuh, in a more simplified version of independent rock droning track which still is a bit long for its wealth of ideas (almost 24 minutes). But also the second track “Bless your Blood”, with calm pulses and layers of guitars with some piano chords, gives once more the idea of some inspiration from Popol Vuh, but then taken over to an indierock area. Other mentioned inspirations on the press notes were the droney performance artist Hermann Nitsch, and the one chord-psych from 'Hapshash and the Coloured Coat'. There are just a few Americana guitar touches left over in the new cooking pot, that are now part of a menu that added its own form of a krautrock influence to some of the songs and instrumentals (-which is most psychedelic on "Attar"-). This is a new direction which I think still is successful.

Audio : "Black Wall"(or here), "Wolves Pup", "Bless Your Blood", "The Desert Is A Circle", "Attar", "River Of Transfiguration" (or here)

Info : http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=LDS3122

Label page : http://www.dragcity.com/bands/sixorgans.html

Homepage : http://www.sixorgansofadmittance.com/

Earlier albums of Six Organs of Admittance that I reviewed :

"School of the flower" (2005) : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview8.html#anchor_20

"For Octavio Paz" (2004) : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/guitar3.html#anchor_65

"The Manifestation" (2004),

"Dust & Chimes" (2000),

"Six Organs of Admittance" (1998) :

http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/acidfolkreview3.html#anchor_50

Beta-Lactam Ring RecordsBrunnen : The beekeeper’s dream (NL,rec.1992-2005,iss.2006)***°

Some years ago I was amazed to see how Nijmeghen (in the south of Holland, an area still in the Flemish language border) seemed to be hometown both of Use Of Ashes as well as Legendary Pink Dots/Edward Ka-Spel, and I found similarities of sounds in the subtle songs remarkable. Freek Kinkelaar, composer for this project, seemed to have produced something of a comparable quietness and gentleness. He produced these thirteen songs in thirteen years, including “Trust in me” by Sherman Brothers (composed for the Jungle Book movie), which I knew before in a very good more recent version by Siouxie and the Banshees. Some of the tracks found already publications on cdr’s of limited quantities.

The style is reminiscent to a simplified Use of Ashes but even more the calmest Edward Ka-Spel, which isn’t entirely coincidental. Late 1988 long time friend Edward Ka-Spel invited Freek for a support act, which he did with Frans De Waard, as Beequeen, a band which recorded several discs. The year after the group Brunnen was born. The idea was to create abstract soundscapes with songs, also resulting in three more LP’s, two singles and a tape. In 1995 they performed with Ryan Moore on bass (Legendary Pink Dots). This is a kind of well compiled and very nice compilation album, with 800 copies on cd, andh 200 more with a bonus picture disc, with two long harmonium pieces, and 400 on LP. Strangely enough on the cd cover the name Brunnen is nowhere to be found.

Those who like already Use Of Ashes and the calmest Edward Ka-Spel I'm sure will also like this album.

Info and audio : http://www.blrrecords.com/prod/856/the_beekeepers_dream.html

Other review : http://www.ear-rational.com/detail.php?id=25186

PS. Two recent Edward Ka-Spel releases were reviewed at http://progressive.homestead.com/prog9.html#anchor_110

Amish Rec.Theo Angell : Dearly Beloved (US,rec.2003-2005,iss.2006)**°°

Theo Angell (Jackie O’Motherfucker & Hall Of Fame and co-operator on one track of the Metabolismus album) now also released this solo album (with the help of the Tabernacle Hillside Singers on three tracks and a couple of other musicians). I’m not sure if there isn’t a deliberate weird sound to the music like some distorted voice combined with an American primitive folk influence (banjo,..) on "Cannonball" and "Gonna Wanna" (like an American Syd Barrett), with a confusing effect sometimes somewhere in between slightly unattractive but still rather interesting. Also last track "Charlie's Eye" is another weird combination of something like gospel with rather direct rhythms. But also all the undistorted tracks have something alternative in them. Not easy to review this. I can tell the expressions don’t reveal themselves for me easily but there’s a certain richness hidden too outside the desert(ed) and outside the world feeling, with a few more emotional moments (like the beautiful minor key “Thread of Grace” or the brilliant “Finally..dreams”) showing a more well-directed emotionally voice. Odd.

Audio : "Price of Prince", "Gonna Wanna", "Cannonball"

Info : http://www.amishrecords.com/ami025.html

Other reviews : http://www.ear-rational.com/detail.php?id=25477

& http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/6416/theo-angell-dearly-beloved/

& http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=23237

More recent album reviewed on http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview16.html

Reviews of three Hall Of Fame releases on http://psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview8.html