Showing posts with label folk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label folk. Show all posts

Monday, September 12, 2011

Ryley Walker and Daniel Bachman - Of Deathly Premonitions

These two guitar virtuosos have been crisscrossing the country all summer playing shows in every nook and cranny possible. Ryley Walker is one of the most talented guitar players I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. This music is right up the alley of John Fahey, Sandy Bull, and Leo Kottke. Recorded in a barn in Virginia, this album offers up incredible variations on acoustic fingerpicking in open tunings complimented by an esoteric electric guitar, and at times, an air organ. This has just the right amount of psychedelia spread over a thick foundation of "traditional" folk music. Serious talent here. Daniel Bachman also plays under the name Sacred Harp which is in a similar vein. You can order this tape and other Ryley Walker recordings from Plustapes. Listen to the premonitions.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Hoyt Axton - The Balladeer

Hoyt Axton had a long and varied career as a country-folk musician/actor from the early 60's and in to the 80's. This is his first album recorded during the early 60's in San Francisco. I should point out that this is missing the first and fourth track because of it being a pretty bad rip from Limewire as I had an extremely hard time tracking down this album. Normally I wouldn't post an incomplete album like this, but I think this one is worth it anyway. The rest of the songs are fine though. Hoyt had a booming voice that could fill an arena. The sound on this record fits in quite nicely with the folk revival that was going on in Greenwich Village at the same time. It would be easy to write Hoyt Axton off as a squarish folky from that era but I think that undermines some true talent here. He has some serious soulful moments on this record and plays one of my favorite versions of "John Henry" ever recorded.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Guy Blakeslee-13 Unreleased Songs 2002-2006


Guy Blakeslee is the front man for the LA based psych-rock outfit, The Entrance Band. Guy's early material is much more folk/blues based and was released under the name "Entrance." i found out he self-released this CD-R of songs a year or two ago and i asked him about it when i saw the band play Denver last year. He said i could order it through his website but since i didn't have a credit card i just gave him cash on the spot. After a few months of emails and returned mail, i finally received this homemade cd from him. There's a couple alternate versions of Entrance songs on here, mostly in the folk/blues vein as well as a a few covers of some traditional tunes like "Cocaine Blues" and "Mary, Don't You Weep." There's also a really great Joan Armatrading cover on here. Really good stuff. Guy's voice can be quite chilling at times but completely spot on. His range is just incredible. Check it out, Darling.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

This Old World's In A Hell Of A Fix


This old-timey, religious folk/blues comp was ripped from vinyl and given to me by my good buddy, Ben. The story of how he came across this is pretty neat. Ben worked at a now defunct record store in Colorado where, some years ago, a relative of Dawn Greening came in to sell the recently deceased's record collection. Dawn Greening was essentially the founder of Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, conducting the first classes from her living room in 1957. More info on Dawn Greening can be found here. Ben picked up the majority of the store's purchase at a reasonable rate and scored a buttload of cool stuff. This comp is downright stunning at times. It includes "Let Jesus Lead You," a very early Skip James recording (later adapted by Beck on "One Foot In The Grave"), as well as a track by Washington Phillips. Both of these artists had recordings reissued years later by our beloved Mississippi Records. One of my favorite tracks is the Reverend Robert Wilkins singing "Old Time Religion" which may or may not be the origin that Captain Beefheart pays homage to when he sings similar lines. i don't know much about the label or the year this comp was issued as Ben owns the original vinyl. Maybe he'll post in the comments? Be forewarned that the rip is a bit crackly, due mostly to the age and quality of the record. i think it adds to the overall listening experience, though. Thanks to Ben for this. We certainly are in a hell of a fix.