Swannanoa Tunnel
This is the first in a series of three posts on “Swannanoa Tunnel.” Read the second here and the third here. Those of you who have found your way to Murder Ballad Monday by way of our Facebook page may … Continue reading →
STEELEYE SPAN: Now We Are Six Again
STEELEYE SPAN Now We Are Six Again Park 113 www.parkrecords.com No one else does it like Steeleye Span does it. Their unique blend of elegant singing (both lead and those perfect close harmonies) and … Continue reading →
CHRIS JONES & THE NIGHT DRIVERS: Lost Souls & Free Spirits
CHRIS JONES & THE NIGHT DRIVERS Lost Souls & Free Spirits Rebel 7518 www.rebelrecords.com Though his voice is familiar to thousands as a DJ on Sirius XM radio’s bluegrass channel (a gig that has … Continue reading →
The Fower Maries – part two – The Heart of Sadness.
On Monday I introduced the song The Fower Maries and shared some of the historical back story to this song. Today I want to introduce another version of the song that tells us more of the story. Indeed there is something … Continue reading →
HEGE RIMESTAD: The Seed Keeper
HEGE RIMESTAD The Seed Keeper Turn Left 28 euridice.no Subtitled ‘A musical tribute to the farmers of India,’ this is a document of a trip Norweigan fiddler Rimestad took to the subcontinent, travelling and … Continue reading →
MAJORSTUEN: Live in Concert
MAJORSTUEN Live in Concert Majorstuen Fiddler’s Co. 04 www.majorstuen.biz/ They may not be widely known outside Norway, but the five-piece fiddler’s collective Majorstuen (which once included Ragnhild Furebotten) has been around for a decade and … Continue reading →
The Fower Maries – power, love & death
Glimpses behind the veil of power and majesty are quite rare. All too often the ‘official’ version is the one that gets carried throughout the ages. However, every now and again, we come across something that shows us the humanity … Continue reading →
KONGERO: Bakvända Världen
KONGERO Bakvända Världen Dimma 010 www.dimmaswe.com The second outing by the four female voices that make up Kongero weaves an even lovelier blanket of song than their debut. No overdubs, no auto tune, this … Continue reading →
Woody at 100 – “…they tied their laws with a hang knot.”
In our centennial celebration of Woody Guthrie’s murder ballads, we’ve seen that murder and death in his songs are tools to illustrate his fundamental concept of justice. Sometimes it’s personal, as with “The Philadelphia Lawyer” and “East Texas Red“. More … Continue reading →
BEWARE! Arlo Guthrie imposter on the loose
Being that tomorrow is Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday, you’d think Woody would be the only Guthrie in the news right now… Not so! On Thursday July 12th, Rising Son Records’ website posted that an imposter Arlo Guthrie is on the … Continue reading →