From the great Canary Records Bandcamp site: “A catalog published by Asllan in the ’40s gave Gadinis the honorific “The Greek Benny Goodman.” A story circulates that Dave Tarras took Goodman, who was both the most popular clarinetist of the 1930s-50s and one of the most popular and respected musicians Continue Reading
Greece
adarcah – Ordeal
adarcah is, by far, the most prolific dark ambient composer working out of Greece, and his releases are consistently good. There is a sort of quiet terror vibe to his work, and this latest mini-album is no exception.
Various Artists – Mississippi Records: Aman Aman – Greek Anatolian Laments
From the Mississippi Records Bandcamp site: ““Aman Aman” cry the singers on these recordings, their voices preserved on 78rpm discs cut between 1911-1935. The phrase roughly translates to “mercy,” a call of despair, but also one of joy and admiration. On many of these sides, that full range of emotion Continue Reading
Fr. Dionysios Tabakis – Paradise Metal
Eastern Orthodox priests and monastics can be pretty cool at times. There are quite a few instances of monks who are or were musicians, balancing that world with the Christian one. My first monastery visit in (North) Macedonia many years ago included a stay at St. Dmitrij Markov Monastery, where Continue Reading
Bethnal Greener – Πεδίο
Bethnal Greener is a band from Greece who do an admirable job of blending a mid-70’s-era Pink Floyd sound with vocals that would fit better in the post-punk/Bauhaus medium. Relaxed music meant to trip out to.
Various Artists – Mellow Label Productions: Omaggio a Demetrio Stratos
Demetrio Stratos was an Egyptian-born Greek who lived in Italy and served as the frontman and vocalist of the legendary progressive rock band Area, as well as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music researcher. Mellow Label Productions, a venerable Italian record label, has produced a tribute to his work.
Tassos Chalkias – Divine Reeds
Radio Martiko usually does a fine job remastering old shellac recordings and making them sound vibrant. This album by Tassos Chalkias is an incredible example. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Epirótika! Greek psych folk as a soul medicine. A shepherd’s fever dream or spiritual jazz from an ancient world? The Continue Reading
Dust Of Time – The Waking Hours
Greek composer Manolis Fasoulakis (Dust Of Time) joins with the Last American Poet, Shane Beck for an album which deftly combines Fasoulakis’ ethereal sonic landscapes with the haunting poetry of Beck. If you are into bands like Dead Can Dance, Lycia, Zahmia Lehmanni-era SPK or bands of this caliber, The Continue Reading
mastroKristo – Passage
mastroKristo is a band out of Greece whom I was able to glean little information about, but considering they are being released by Lost Tribe Sound, I expected this to be good. I was not disappointed at all. The acoustic guitar is achingly sparse, with a hint of neofolk without Continue Reading
Various Artists – Canary Records: Hellenic Hinterlands: Independent Greek-American 78rpm Discs from Baltimore, Boston, and Cleveland ca. 1953-57
From the Canary Records Bandcamp site: “When middle-class Americans in the 1950s found that they could get access to a tape recorder and a microphone, it then became possible for them to make recordings that they could pay to have pressed into discs. One didn’t need to go to dedicated Continue Reading