After couple dates in Germany this last February, Tomas Thunberg a.k.a Old Lost John is currently in UK for few gigs… Check his website to listen to his recent live performance and be sure to check his british schedule.
Geordie, there’s also a special show for you, right around your corner : hope you’ll find time to join !
This is the schedule:
May 10 2008 8:00P - Cavendish Arms (Stockwell) London, United Kingdom
May 11 2008 6:00P - Come Down and Meet the Folks (The Apple Tree) London, United Kingdom
May 14 2008 8:30P - The Bee’s Mouth Brighton, United Kingdom
May 15 2008 8:00 - The Rooms St Leonards-on-Sea, United Kingdom
May 16 2008 8:00P - The Smugglers Hastings, United Kingdom
This is going to be a really personal post as I want to share with you part of my culture. Well for sure, speaking about music reveals something always personal, but this time, i’m going to speak about my roots !
Even if I’m living in the Pyrenees for couple years now, my heart-town is a small old harbor on the west coast of France called ‘Le Croisic‘ in French, ‘Little Cross’ in English and ‘Ar Groazig’ in Breton.
Brittany is my roots and historically a Celtic country with its own language : le ‘Breton’, and its own “Gwenn ha Du” Flag.
On my Father’s family side many were fishermen. Shanties, sing-along and other drinking songs are always my favorites - sounds a bit weird to shout them out in the middle of my current mountains… I’ve maried my wife - 10 years ago - under the sound of a single biniaoù - a kind of bag-pipe - playing ‘Amazing Grace‘, and we both opened the dancing time on ‘The Fairytale of New York‘ from the Pogues !
So I would like to introduce you to a part of this rich musical heritage : Gwerz ! With Kan ha Diskan (call and response singing), gwerz is the most common typical Breton vocal music. As many of ancient languages, Breton survives ages with oral tradition, story-tellers and singers. A Gwerz is a kind of lament where lyrics prevails. Most of the time, it describes tragic events.
For introducing this really specific singing, Denez Prigent is undoubtly the best and by far the most accessible singer. Denez is one of the leader of the new brittany songwriter generation mixing modern music with traditional instruments - uilleann pipes, bag-pipes - and singing - ‘gwerz’ and ‘kan ha diskan’ Breton styles. With five albums already released, his reputation exceeds our regional borders. Denez recorded couple duets with Lisa Gerrard, one was choosen by Ridley Scott for the movie ‘Black Hawk Down’. Even if this song is under the scope of the RIAA, I couldn’t resist to post it - may the record company understands my sharing point of view! Gortoz Az Ran (I’m Waiting) is also available on Denez’s Irvi album.
The other song i’ve selected is ‘Copsa Mica’ which is one of the most shivering live song i’ve ever heard. It’s a “gwerz” about the most polluted city in Europe : Copşa Mică in Romania. The original version has been recorded with Romanian singers Ludmila Dinova, Ivelina Baltcheva and Elena Bozova, and is available on the ‘Me’ Zalc’h Ennon Ur Fulenn Aour‘ full length.
Thanks to my friend Brigitte, native from another celtic country - Eire, who translated the Breton lyrics into English via a French version. Even, if it’s not an easy song - due to the use of Breton language, please be sure to listen it till the end and feel its entire power delivered with his unique voice and bag-pipes !
His previous album : Taking Up Serpents Again, has been critically acclaimed. Why ? Curtis Eller is billed as the world’s angriest banjo player/yodeler… And for sure, back in 2004, no one expected such an intense collection of compositions from a guy “who started his show-business career at the age of seven as a juggler and acrobat in the Hiller Olde Tyme Circus in Detroit”.
If you missed this album, be sure to be around by March 25th, Curtis Eller will released his third full length : ‘Wirewalkers & Assassins‘.
Time for me to introduce you couple artists from the French scene. Ladies first, let’s start this serie with Emily Loizeau !
With a double french-british culture, her music is a subtle result of eclectic inspirations from Brassens, Moreau to Dylan, Waits or R. Newman. Be sure this mixture brings unique and varied compositions based on piano, guitar and double bass !
In 2005, she has been signed by Fargo Records - an excellent french label - who allowed her to both released her first full length album ‘L’autre bout du monde’ and produced a surprising duet with Andrew Bird : London Town - a delicious french/english ballad.
As musically rich and joyful as a Manu Chao with La Mano Negra, as powerful and foot-taping dancing as a first Louise Attaque or Les Negresses Vertes - sorry for so much froggies - , as satanic as the Rolling Stones used to be, as drunken as some of the best irish Pogues, here’s the Firewater come-back…
After 3 years of silence since their last release ‘Songs we should have written’ - a collection of cover songs, Tod Ashley is back from an asian, eastern trip, full of inspirations, stories, sounds, silences, rhythms.
After streaming the first tracks of “The Golden Hour” from their myspace place, it’s sounds evident that Firewater imminent release is more than ever full of extraordinary world and music style melting : gipsy, klezmer, cabaret, ska, jazz…
Guest_2370 : just stumbled across your site today. good stuff. i think you might really like the new e.p. by Tall Tales, entitled Earthling.
Guest_1410 : ok...i looved this movie too..but whats that song thats playing when they are gardening with Joses dad? its just instrumental and some ai ai ais or something..its so beautiful..i want to know what it is.
Olivier : Oups sorry All... i've deleted couple valid comments while removing a list of 500 spams !
Sam : Kevin Pawlak thought I should email you about a new EP my band is putting out. He reviewed it favorably recently. Wanted to send you the information.
All audio posted on this site is meant for sampling purposes only. If you really like what you hear, show it and support the artist - buy an album, buy some merch, got to a show. If you represent or own any media on this site and woulk like something taken down please email us, and we will take the necessary action of removing the file(s).
After couple dates in Germany this last February, Tomas Thunberg a.k.a Old Lost John is currently in UK for few gigs… Check his website to listen to his recent live performance and be sure to check his british schedule.
So I would like to introduce you to a part of this rich musical heritage : Gwerz ! With Kan ha Diskan (call and response singing), gwerz is the most common typical Breton vocal music. As many of ancient languages, Breton survives ages with oral tradition, story-tellers and singers. A Gwerz is a kind of lament where lyrics prevails. Most of the time, it describes tragic events.
Latest Comments
RSS