A Fil de Ciel - A Fil de Ciel (Italy 2005) @VBR

The pure air of the Occitanian valleys on the French border of Italypervades the music of this new Piedmontese band. Their debut album blends traditional and modern sounds, making a new contribution to the native music from this strip of Europe tucked between Italy and France. Special guest Riccardo Tesi adds his two-row melodeon.
Si respira l'aria pura delle vallate Occitane nella musica di questa nuova formazione piemontese. Il disco d'esordio coniuga tradizione e modernità fornendo un prezioso contributo alla valorizzazione delle radici musicali di questo lembo d'Europa incastonato tra l'Italia e la Francia. Ospite d'eccezione, per questa opera prima del gruppo, l'organetto di Riccardo Tesi.

Originally posted on the blog Italian Folk Music

01 - Quand lo boier
02 - Oltre le mura
03 - Saltarello
04 - Nové grassenc / Strumentale I
05 - Marche du roi René
06 - L'estaca / Strumentale II
07 - Venetz embe ieu
08 - Sicut lupi / Strumentale III
09 - Lhi carn marinas / Coda
10 - L'estrange deluge / Strumentale IV


Davide Arneodo: Violino, mandolino turco, glockenspiel, djémbè, cajon, darbouka, doumbek
Gabriella Brun: Ghironda, flauti dolci (sopranino, soprano), tamburo del mare, coro in 4
Roberto Fresia: Tastiere (pianoforte, clavicembalo, hammond), organetto diatonico, coro in 4
Marco Lovera: Cornamusa in sol, cornamusa in re, galobet, tamborin, coro in 4, 7
Rosella Pellerino: Voce solista, coro in 4, 6, 7
with
Riccardo Tesi: Organetto diatonico on 'Sicut lupi' & 'Lhi carn marinas'

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Alboka - Lau Anaiak (Spain-Basque/Ireland 2004) @VBR

Basque accordionist Joxan Goikoetxea and Irish multi-instrumentalist Alan Griffin (whistle, gaita, alboka, flutes) are Alboka. On this 2004 release they present instrumentals and songs, some based on old traditions and some originals, all acoustic and decidely contemporary.


01 - Urrutiko polkak (Las polkas lejanas)
02 - Lau anaiak (Los cuatro hermanos)
03 - Sakabiren biribilketa
04 - Gizonak eztau bear (Al hombre no le pese)
05 - Hariztarren balada (Balada de la gente del roble)
06 - Bonbolostina
07 - Urrestillako festetan
08 - Tilosetako txistua
09 - Bihotzeko Peru Gorri (Jacinto de mis amores)
10 - Ekihaizea (El viento del Este)
11 - Euntegietan (En los cuartos de coser)
12 - Gizon pipartzaleak (Los fumadores de pipa)
13 - Neronek tirako nizkin (Tal vez fui yo quien los tiró)


Joxan Goikoetxea: Accordion
Alan Griffin: Flute, Alboka, Whistle, Gaita
Benito Lertxundi: Vocals
Fiachra Mac Gabhann: Bouzouki, Mandolin
Fon Roman: Guitar
Juanjo Otxandorena: Bouzouki
Mikel Artieda: Bass
Peter Maund: Percussion
Xabi San Sebastian: Vocals
Zohar Fresco: Percussion

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Folque - Fredløs (Norway 1980) @320

Folk rock in that it's both very folksy and quite rockin'. At the risk of sounding stupid I'll attempt to argue that time may have made this album better now than it ever was: A lot of things have happened in the field of crossbreeding folk music and rock styles in the almost 30 years that have passed since Fredløs was released, with bands like Ym:stammen, Gåte and Valkyrien Allstars being some of the recent examples. While little has changed in the mediævality of the songs on Fredløs, to my mind the rock element might have been dated in
1980. With the passage of time and the retro craze and all, a seventies rock sound is more palatable again. Or maybe not. The point is, the songs sound suitably mediæval (in most cases, but never less than quite old) and are perfectly matched by a modern band introducing modern instruments like accordeon and, you know, electric guitars, drums etc. Favourite track: "Reinlender fra Vingelen", which never gets old.


01. Åleina
02. Hjuringstev
03. Reinlender fra Vingelen
04. Juljeitsån
05. Nøkken
06. Det er ikkje hær
07. Reinlender & Ril
08. Liti Kjersti og alvekongen
09. Tel dæ
10. Veslejenta/ Kvernjenta
11. Sidsel og Monas vals


Jenn Mortensen: vocals
Lars Helljesen: vocals, guitar
Øyvind Rauset: fiddle
Morten Bing: mandolin, guitar, dulcimer, banjo
Per Vestaby: bass
Morten Jacobsen: drums

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The Arboreal Quartet (2009 Canada) - Free Promotion

Free Group Promotion

It's instrumental music with improvisation, and I play the sarod, the Indian stringed instrument.  The other instruments are acoustic guitar, upright bass and drums.  I've written the tunes, which have a variety of influences including many of the groups on your site.  It's been difficult finding a genre for it, but I have been saying it "..draws from folk/roots, jazz and North Indian Classical music."

- John Wrinch Williams -


01 - Theme
02 - Lucky
03 - Shift
04 - Mountain
05 - Dang
06 - Cycle
07 - Snap
08 - Upswing
09 - Asleep
10 - Dee

Fernando Gelso - Drums
J.F. Martins - Bass
John Wrinch Williams - Sarode
Compositions / Arrangements:  John Wrinch Williams

Listen and download at the official site:
http://arborealquartet.com