Pefkin have released an ethereal masterpiece. From their Bandcamp site: “On her fourth full-length for Morc, Gayle Brogan raises the bar once more. The familiar Pefkin elements are present: melodies that unfold patiently and graciously, with textures so vivid they feel almost tangible. Across six tracks, around forty minutes in Continue Reading
Folk
M. John Henry – Early Songs, Of Late
Somewhere on the borders of indie rock and folk music sits Scottish singer M. John Henry. From his Bandcamp site: “…founder of the band De Rosa. Between 2006-2016 De Rosa released three critically acclaimed albums on the Chemikal Underground and Rock Action labels. Henry released his first solo LP in 2011, Continue Reading
Hikari Honda – Japanese Folk 1
This will be the last post of 2025. I’ve had a long year, and the burnout is nasty, so expect a flood in 2026. I had the pleasure of being introduced to the music of Hikari Honda, a Japanese folk singer (oh, hell, yes, they still exist!) who is based Continue Reading
Seabuckthorn – A Path Within A Path
Ambient folk sound artist Seabuckthorn has become a favorite by developing a hazy, psych-folk sound that blends the best of Lustmørd and Current 93 with more traditional acts, all the while keeping their experimental music bona fides intact.
Fred Elias & Buddy Sarkissian – Outtakes from Magic Fingers Play Cleopatra’s Favorites & Hellenic Near East Gems: Near Eastern Music in New England ca. 1957
From Canary Records’ Bandcamp Site: “These recordings were released on Aris/Aristophone in the early ’60s on two LPs, tracks 1-8 from the album Magic Fingers Play Cleopatra’s Favorites and tracks 9-14 from an album divided between them and the Greek clarinettist George Mirros titled Hellenic Near East Gems. Both seem Continue Reading
Fred Elias with Buddy Sarkissian & his Mecca Four – Soul of the East: New England Near Eastern Dance Instrumentals ca. 1960
The story of Syro-Lebanese violinist Fred Elias reads almost like a movie script, and we have Ian Nagoski from Canary Records to thank for bringing his story to light. The music itself is energetic and percussion-heavy, with Elias skillfully playing his violin to a lively 9/8 rhythm. It’s the kind Continue Reading
穆拉特·謝力扎提 Murar Sherizat – Küy Guitar：三粒谷 Three Grains Valley
From the Modern Sky World Music Bandcamp site: “From 2008 to 2015, Murat served as the principal guitarist for the Philharmonic Orchestra in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Following this, he was invited to compose music in Xi’an, China. In October 2019, Murat recorded his classical guitar album titled “Küy Continue Reading
Zeresh – The End
Over the past few days, I’ve been organizing music I found on a hard drive to enjoy on the hi-fi stereo this weekend. Some of the files are 20 years old, which is hard to believe, and among them are many old 1970s acid-folk and proto-metal albums. Our beloved friends Continue Reading
Lao Dan (老丹) – 逐雲追夢 Going After Clouds and Dreams
Lao Dan is one of the most interesting improv artists operating in China at the moment. This release comes from Modern Sky World Music, based in my current home, Beijing. Going through their catalog, there is going to be more than a few releases getting featured on the blog soon Continue Reading
Various Artists – Canary Records: I’m Not Going: A Macedonian Band from Lorain, Ohio ca. 1954
Canary Records provides yet another stunning archive album, this time from the Macedonian community in Ohio. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Bob Nicoloff’s Macedonian band remained active for at least 20 years, playing for dances organized by the Macedonian Patriotic Organization, weddings, and restaurants. Like the two other mid-Western Macedonian Continue Reading