Breizh Napoli – Démo

Two places I have been enamored with for at least half of my life are Brittany in France and Naples, perhaps my favorite Italian city.  Breizh Napoli, as the name clearly indicates, combines both Breton and Neapolitan music seamlessly.  This is a fine demo of choral music that brings out Continue Reading

LeiLuo Studio (磊落声音艺术) – An Ancient Tune of Shanha

LeiLuo Studio is a small record label based in my former home of Beijing, China.  The track reviewed today is a fusion of musics from Zhejiang from the She ethnic group.  The label/band’s Bandcamp site explains further below: This is a piece of new fusion single composed and arranged by Continue Reading

Rapt – None Of This Will Matter

This Z Tapes release left me floored.  Rapt are a folk band out of London who have an ethereal sound which reminded me of musicians like Nick Drake fronting a band on 4AD.  Think, perhaps, of a more airy-sounding This Mortal Coil gone neofolk. The sound is folky without being stale, Continue Reading

Various Artists – Canary Records: Let’s Add Raki to Wine: Women in Istanbul ca. 1931​-​46

Canary Records are the kings of shellac-era reissues, and this is one of their most fabulous.  It’s a collection of female singers who were active in Turkey’s cultural capital, and Ian Nagoski, musicologist and venerable head of the company, has made these recordings sound as clear as possible, despite being Continue Reading

Gralitsa – Little Mosquitoes Are Sleeping This Night

Some time ago I had reviewed the work of an ethno-folk-jazz band from Kostroma, Russia called Gralitsa, and I found them favorable.  I have to say that I find this album at least as favorable, but it sounds like a totally different band.  This sound is far more affected by Continue Reading

Clara Engel – A New Skin

Clara Engel is based in Toronto, Canada.  Her work has been described as “Folk-Noir” or “minimalist holy blues,” and who am I to disagree?  This takes the best elements of neofolk, stripped-down to just voice, cigar box guitar, electric guitar, melodica and harmonica, and it sounds like a rare self-pressed Continue Reading