Brìghde Chaimbeul – Carry Them With Us

A big and hearty thanks goes out to my dear friend and brother in music, Hubert, for turning me on to this album.  Brìghde Chaimbeul plays smallpipes, a wonderful instrument criminally neglected in comparison to its more famous cousin, the Highland pipes.  These smallpipes have a more ethereal sound to Continue Reading

Petar Vujačić – Made in Ovto​č​i​ć​: Songs from Montenegro

Amazing.  The ever excellent Antonovka Records are now producing music outside of the former USSR.  We have a description of the recordings below, courtesy of the label’s Bandcamp site: “Gusle (not to be confused with Russian gusli) is a Balkan (mainly Montenegrin and Serbian) bowed instrument. There is only one Continue Reading

Kara Jackson – Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?

Kara Jackson certainly knows how to leave a strong impression!  If you can imagine Nick Drake’s guitar being willed to Nina Simone with a touch of the spirit of David Bowie (see the track brain for reference), then you have this incredibly powerful album.  I had no idea what to Continue Reading

George Macreyannes (Nesereos) – Blue Series | Mar 21

George Macreyannes (Γιώργος Μακρυγιάννης) was a violinist active during the early part of the 20th century.  Some of these archival recordings are nearing 100 years old, so it is quite nice to get a glimpse of music that has such a remarkable history.  Respect to 1tracktape for a job well Continue Reading

Egari, Paata Chakaberia – In Qvevri Veritas. Original Soundtrack

Egari and Paata Chakaberia provide a stunningly good instrumental music from the Republic of Georgia serving originally as a soundtrack to a film about Georgian winemaking.  From the release’s Bandcamp site: “This music was composed as the soundtrack for Leonid Parfyonov’s documentary In Qvevri Veritas. The film is dedicated to Continue Reading

Willos’ – From Now On

Willos’ are an Italian/Irish/Canadian folk band currently based in lovely Siena, Italy.  The name of the band is a play on Will o’ the Wisp, the band’s original name.  According to their bio, a French journalist that named the band “les willos”, it the name stuck. The music is bright, fresh, Continue Reading

Marc Almond – Heart On Snow

20 years ago, Marc Almond collaborated with musicians in St. Petersburg and recorded a magnificent album of Russian chanson.  It’s as good as you would expect.  The gems of the album include the title track and Gosudaryunia, penned by Russian rock legend Boris Grebenshchikov. A fine reissue, and I thank Continue Reading

Various Artists – Fly, Fly, You Hardened Arrow: Round Dance Songs of “Polish” Old Believers from Altai

The now-legendary Antonovka Records have done astounding work documenting music from Russia’s myriad of ethnic communities.  This one is from the so-called “Polish” Old Believers in the Altai region.  From the label’s Bandcamp site: “The ancestors of the Altai “Polish” Old Believers were peasants of the Vetka-Starodub territory of the Continue Reading