bands

Acoustically Electrifying:The Bombadils (Interview)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments

“I even played bass for a while. Besides playing electric guitar, I’d also get asked to play some acoustic stuff. But, since I didn’t have an acoustic guitar at the time, I used to borrow one from a friend so I could play folk joints. “
-Mark Knopfler

The  Bombadils from Montréal, Québec captured my attention with their energetic playing, catchy melodies and interesting combination of styles. From Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass and Celtic; the mix will keep listeners engaged until the last track is played. This interview started out with Luke Fraser and then everyone got involved in answering the questions.

Listening to Ally Bally is quite an experience. There are tender as well as frenetic moments that can be found in one track alone. The Jazz and folk influences are unmistakable but you guys are able to make everything sound controlled. How is it possible to come up with such distinct mix?

It’s a result of our various backgrounds and influences and the fact that first and foremost we are close friends, secondly band members. We all have classical training which Luke, Sarah, and Noam are currently furthering, while Anh and Evan have branched off to jazz. We wanted to start a folk music group and it was only natural for these influences to come through. The accessibility of music in the digital age makes it easy to be influenced by a variety of styles, but it’s the live exposure to music that really gives us a reason to play it. Montreal is a very culturally rich city so it allows us to experience the styles we love in a live setting, be it listening, jamming, or performing.

I noticed that Luke’s guitar playing in Galway Girl(A Steve Earle original) is very clear together with beautiful lead vocals and harmony. I love the unique percussion here. What’s the inspiration for this arrangement?And what made you guys decide to record this track?

Galway Girl is a song Luke used to sing with Tristan Legg in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The first few months of The Bombadils were actually before we met Luke. We finally met him at a party and Galway Girl was one of the songs we jammed. One of the many great things Luke brought to the band was this song, and since then it has gone over well around the campfire and on stage. It’s one of those songs that doesn’t seem to get old no matter how much we play it.
All credit for the percussion goes to Noam. In this group he plays a South American instrument called the cajon– basically a drum-kit in a box.

Would you please tell us the story behind the instrumental track The Scholar?

Sarah and Luke had to learn some Irish sets for a wedding they played with Jean Duval, a notable flute player from Quebec, and this set was in his repertoire. It’s also a set that Sarah has been working on with the renowned Irish fiddler, James Kelly.

The Bombadils:Luke Fraser,Evan Peter Hodgson Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Sarah Frank and Anh Phung . Photo by Marshall Gayman

The Bombadils:Luke Fraser,Evan Peter Hodgson Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Sarah Frank and Anh Phung . Photo by Marshall Gayman

Sarah Frank’s vocals are beautiful! And her violin playing is always jaw dropping. Angeline Baker is a very old song which dates back to 1850. I see a reference here. What made you guys decide to sweep off the dust form this old tune and make it new?

This is a popular tune in the bluegrass and old time world. We were mostly inspired by two arrangements: by Chris Thile and by Crooked Still. The High Reel and Mountain Road are a couple fiddle tunes we threw in to put a Celtic stamp on it.

Tullochgorum is a popular piece done by the likes of Dougie MacLean, Natalie Macmaster and Ashley McIsaac among others.Are there traditional pieces you wish made it to the recording?

The tracks we have are only the beginning of  what we would like to record. We will be working on a full-length CD this fall and would definitely like to include a variety of traditional tunes. Montreal inspires us put in some Quebecois and Irish tunes, and being so close to the United States, we’re able to travel and get a taste of bluegrass and old time styles.

You guys came from McGill Univeristy. How was it possible for you all to sit down together to form band? I am sure there are musician cliques out there but how was this decided-and even the name Bombadils. Who made this up?

Again, it starts with friendship. That’s what this music is about, it’s about socializing and sharing music. Evan and Sarah have known each other since high school and they moved to Montreal at the same time. Sarah and Anh became fast friends within the first week of school, and met Noam shortly after. As far as we knew, he was a percussion player like any of the others. Lucky for us, he’s one of the best!

Tom Bombadil is a character in The Fellowship of the Ring (first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy). He speaks in seven beat metre which is our guess to why Nickel Creek used 7/4 time to write a tune called “In the House of Tom Bombadil.” We’re all very inspired by Nickel Creek’s virtuoso mandolinist Chris Thile.

How do you describe each member’s personality in a few words?

We could try to answer this question properly but it’s really just an opportunity for us to make fun of each other…

Links:

http://www.thebombadils.com/

http://www.myspace.com/thebombadils

http://www.reverbnation.com/thebombadils

 

Pipers and Rockers:Ease the Pain with Music

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 1 Comment

There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.
~ Mother Teresa

Healing yourself is connected with healing others.
— Yoko Ono

I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.
— Billy Joel

I admit that if I feel sad or bad I listen to lively music. Somehow it eases the pain and make focus more on what I should do. When I need a quiet time alone then then that the time for Enya , Clannad or Loreena Mckennitt.

I was riding to work this evening while listening to Hayley Griffiths new album Celtic Rose. Somehow it eased the melancholy I experienced in the afternoon. It is hard when one remembers something that triggers these bouts of depression. I am missing somebody. I am missing the little things. But what is really hard is no longer doing the things you used to do when you were with that someone.

But there are moments that get better. I experience this when I hear a beautiful music. I thank life for that. After all, music is the only gift we can give one another that is not really material. I found this wonderful poem and I think this is what happens every time we meet the muse:

When I Met My Muse

I glanced at her and took my glasses
off–they were still singing. They buzzed
like a locust on the coffee table and then
ceased. Her voice belled forth, and the
sunlight bent. I felt the ceiling arch, and
knew that nails up there took a new grip
on whatever they touched. “I am your own
way of looking at things,” she said. “When
you allow me to live with you, every
glance at the world around you will be
a sort of salvation.” And I took her hand.

William Stafford

The Screaming Orphans: This  is a new band that kept me swaying tonight. Their music is a mixture of modern rock and traditional Irish music. What is Irish music after all? Is it the instruments? The style of singing? The language? I think it is a slice of everything.

Screaming Orphans

Joan Diver – drums, vocals

Angela Diver – bass, violin, vocals

Gráinne Diver – guitar, vocals

Marie Thérèse Diver – keys, accordion, vocals

Info from their website: The Screaming Orphans are four funny, high-spirited, musically-obsessed sisters with the good fortune to have been raised in the magic of Bundoran in County Donegal Ireland.    There is a great tradition of music to be found in Irish homes especially in the Gaeltacht or Irish-speaking areas which have produced the likes of Clannad, Enya and Mairead, Micheal and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill. Our home was no exception. From we were young, we’ve been singing and playing traditional Irish music but when we hit our teenage years we knew it was time to start our own rock band.

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When I first heard of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, I thought it was a typo. I was thinking of a famous American rock band. But seeing these guys in kilt and pipes , I realised they’re the real deal. They play a variety of music ranging from the more traditional to the re-interpretation of mainstream rock favorites. I see that they don’t really take themselves seriously which is nice because it makes them get away with whatever they do.

Pipe music has been one of my passion and I love listening to all kinds of piping. be it Irish uilleann pipes, the Scottish bag pipes of the Gaita, they’re all amazing in their own way and their own unique and distinctive sounds. Right now they will be performing in Pipes in the valley. See details here: http://www.pipesinthevalley.com/

Ffynnon and Other Events

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

Thanks to Jeremy of  Poitin , I was able to get to know this wonderful Welsh band called Ffynnon. If you look   at the individual bio of these guys, you’ll know that though they perform traditional Welsh music, they all have been trained in Classical, Jazz and World Music. Each has his or her own collaborative project with other musicians, extending the branches of the band’s repertoire into heights of musical discoveries.

What I like about Ffynnon, is that they are not an exclusive instrumental band. The mesmerizing voice of lead vocalist Lynne Denman will move even the most jaded listeners as the band embellish the tracks in gossamer but oftentimes challenging instrumentations.

Here the samples here: http://www.ffynnon.com/music.php

Lynne Denman:singer

Stacey Blythe: accordion, harp, whistle, vocals, piano, harpsichord

Chris O’Connor: double bass

Oliver Wilson-Dickson: fiddle

Mark O’Connor: drums/percussion

:

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You can now enjoy Paul Taggart’s painting workshop c/o blip tv. Paul has been active in the Scottish  art scene:

http://artworkshopwithpaultaggart.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc

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From Ireland to Cornwall,  Jamie Lawson will make hearts smile with his brand of sad songs laced with sunny melodies. Catch him in Up Close and Personal Sessions  on March 12  20:00 – 23:00, at The Thatch Rahan – Tullamore – Co. Offaly.

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Other events:

Donal Lunny, Padraig Rynne, Sylvain Barou Trio

where: An Droichead

20 Cook Street
Belfast, United Kingdom
when: 

11 March · 19:30 – 22:30
Donal Lunny – Bouzouki, Pádraig Rynne – Concertina, Sylvain Barou – Flute & Uilleann Pipes. 

Trio perform first of 2 nights concerts in March.
12/03/11 trio play Paris as part of Festival Irlandays.

Buy tickets for Belfast concert from:
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/105978

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Julie Feeney Boston Debut at Club Passim
when: 

07 March · 19:30 – 21:30
where: Club Passim 

47 Palmer St., Cambridge, MA 02138
$15 (general)/$13 (member)
Show 8pm, doors at 6:30pm 

http://tickets.passim.org/ordertickets.asp?p=1577&backurl=%2Fdefault.asp%3FSearchMonth%3D3%26monthsubmit%3Dx%26SearchText%3D%26Go.x%3D%26Go.y%3D%26pg%3D1%23abc

Take Red Line to Harvard Square T stop.

• Exit via Church Street entrance Walk one block down Church Street past Harvard Square Theater to Palmer Street on left. We are in the basement just around the corner on the left.

•Exit via Harvard Square main entrance Cross Massachusetts Ave. to Harvard Coop building. Stay left by newsstand on Brattle Street to first right (Palmer Street) which is 200 feet from the corner. Turn right and walk one block. We are on the right in the basement just before you reach Church St.
We are in the basement of an 1830 brick delivery building and carriage house on the corner of Church and Palmer streets.

Poitin’s Evocative Spirit:An Interview

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 10 Comments

The Celtic band from the Czech republic is keeping the world under a spell…




Jeremy Poitin

Jeremy Poitin

Irresistible spirit, frisky optimism and Gypsy charm-all these elements meshed into patterns that make Poitin really worth you ears.  I’d say, without my curiosity then this band would be something on an album cover or a magazine-interesting to hear or look at but never definable. Talking to the band’s lead man Jeremy, gave me a glimpse not only of the band but the personality of  the one who help shape it, the little things that make up the albums interesting and yes-that dear little goblin!

Personally I subscribe to their newsletter a year ago. So that gives me up to date news as to what they will be doing next. The country Czech Republic has always been a source of curiosity to me–from Franz Kafka, Dvorak and other colorful personalities, I also have a friend who lives there but we lost contact through the years. I wish he comes across someday -like a message in a bottle. Here’s the wonderful Interview I did with  the band’s frontman Jeremy. Enjoy!

Recording....

Recording....

1. I love your approach in traditional music. It is energetic,brave and it has a lot of mix on it. how did you develop this sound?

Glad you like the energy, Baxter. The energy comes from the musicians as much as the music, I suppose. Irish dance music naturally has a lot of energy in it, but it’s important to not let the energy and enthusiasm take over from the rhythm and melody. That energy needs to be focused, and when it is, and everything comes together there’s nothing like it. Each of us brings his or her own influences to what we play-Kuba (guitar) and Honza (bouzouki, banjo, whistles) actually have a background in traditional Czech folk music and dance, and Honza really likes Eastern European melodies and rhythms, so most of our albums have at least something ‘Slavonic’ or ‘Balkan’ tucked away in there. The title track from Bofiguifluki is a good example of that-it’s actually made of two tunes written by Kuba and Honza respectively, finished off with a traditional Eastern European tune. It’s got everything apart from the kitchen sink in there-sax, darbuka, bouzouki plus the more traditional Celtic instruments. We had a great time putting that set together and it always surprises me how all these different instruments complement each other so well.

2.Czech republic  is a country bursting with literary, artistic and musical talents. What is it about your country that brings out the best in her people?

It’s true. And the Czech Republic is also a country bursting with artistic talent, too! It’s a small country with a complex history, so some people aren’t sure exactly where it is or what it’s called (some think it’s still Czechoslovakia). I mean, when I first headed out this way from England, I wasn’t sure exactly where it was either! Maybe because the Czech Republic is in the centre of Europe it is a mixing pot of cultural influences. It has Germany and Austria on one side and Slovakia and Poland on the other and it’s not far north of Italy. All of these countries have rich cultures and I guess it’s inevitable that some of this should be seen in Czech culture too. The Czech Republic also gave birth to the term ‘bohemian’ which has all kinds of connotations, mostly good!

3.You play a number of instruments. What’s your favorite?

I only play the bodhran and sing, but it’s true the band uses and has used loads of different instruments-harp, accordion, banjo, bouzouki, whistles and flutes, sax (alto and soprano), guitar, fiddle, didgeridoo…I’m sure there’s more. I don’t have a particular favourite, although I do have a soft spot for the bouzouki-I love the bell-like tones that Honza gets out of it.

4. Tell us about your current albums and anything we can expect after this year?

The two albums we have out now are Jiggery Pokery and Bofiguifluki. Jiggery Pokery was released last year as an introduction to the band and looks at what Poitin has achieved since it got together back in 1996. It takes tunes from all our previous album releases, ‘Poitin’, ‘De la Basse Bretagne’ and ‘Hot Days’ plus some new experimental remixes by DSPI. I think it shows how the band has changed and developed and evolved really well over the years; the raw energy of the first album with accordion and harp, the melancholic and haunting second album with Neige our French vocalist and her Breton influences and the third album where Helena’s saxophones have a strong role in the whole feel of the album. I think that the new album Bofiguifluki combines all of these feelings and emotions and is a great expression of where we are now as a band. We’re already talking about recording a new album for the end of next year, which is great. We’re always getting new ideas, and as you’ve heard, we’re also experimenting with DSPI and celtic electronica. This week we’re debut-ing a live set incorporating acoustic instruments and DSPI remixing live on stage. I’ll let you know how it goes!

5.I noticed this little dwarf?elf/ in your band pic. What’s the significance?

Oh yes, that little goblin! Our first bodhran player, Tonda Mužík, is a sculptor and painter(yes, the country really is bursting with artistic talent) and we took the photo in the old vicarage where lives. As he wasn’t in the band any more, we wanted to have something that reminded us of him and this little guy happened to be lurking in the corner so we asked him to join us. I also just realised that in Czech, ‘mužík’ means ‘little man’, so it’s quite appropriate,really! He could also be a stand-in for Dick(the didge) Savage who couldn’t make the photo shoot-but Dick is a little more active on stage than the wooden goblin!

6. There are elements of fusion in your music. I hear a little bit of Gypsy,Jazz and other styles. So far this is working because a lot people nowadays are open about music. Do you see your band incorporating this in your future recordings?

I think we’ve always been influenced by other styles of music. Otik previously played jazz guitar before founding Poitin, and now he plays fiddle, so he’s bound to have brought some jazz with him, and there’s bound to be a gypsy/klezmer influence in there somewhere what with our central European location, especially when we’re incorporating instruments such as Helena’s alto and soprano saxes. And our latest experimentations have been with electronic sounds courtesy of DSPI. Thank goodness there are a lot of open-minded listeners out there! However, we had a Bob Dylan ‘Judas!’ moment the other day when we premiered some of our electrocelt material. Remember that famous live recording of Dylan when he played on an electric guitar and someone in the audience cried out ‘Judas’? Well, a similar thing happened to us, and Dick (DSPI) was booed by someone as he started his live mix with us. The majority though were really ecstatic at this development in the music and were really getting into vibe and dancing fit to burst! We’d kind of expected some sort of criticism, but I think music should not be static, otherwise it can stagnate, and if you don’t experiment, then you don’t evolve. Sure, you’re going to maybe make mistakes along the way, and upset a few people, but all of the greatest musicians upset people by taking their genres (and their listeners) to places they’ve never been before. I mean, it’s hard to believe that the Bothy Band, the Chieftains and Planxty were all considered revolutionary in their day, but now look at them, they’re thought of as being the ‘establishment’ nowadays. So, to answer your question, yes, we’ll continue to incorporate elements from other genres into our music and see where it takes us!

7. Do you think social networking sites such as facebook and twitter helped in spreading the music out there-the mediums which weren’t available 10 years ago?

Goodness, yes! When we started, back in 1996, nobody knew what the Internet was. We were still listening to music on vinyl in the Czech Republic! Oh, and cassettes, too. Nowadays it’s much easier to let people know what you’re doing by posting a YouTube video or uploading an MP3 to MySpace or any one of the myriad other music websites. And of course, unlike 10-15 years ago, it’s not just people in your own home town who get to hear the music; it’s people like your good self on the other side of the planet who we can have a dialogue with. I just had a look at recent CD sales on CDBaby-something else which wasn’t around 10 years ago- and people from the Philippines to Italy to LA have all downloaded our music-it’s crazy and wonderful! Having social networking allows us to have a relationship with our fans and vice versa wherever they are in the world. That must be a good thing!

8.It’s winter and I read about upcoming shows. How do you guys prepare yourselves for gigs?
Winter-right! It’s been a snowy and cold one so far in the Czech Republic. We’ve all been pretty healthy (apart from me-I’m suffering from a cold at the moment!), and we have a regular Tuesday night session in a very accommodating pub in Pilsen which serves as a rehearsal and a fun night out for everybody, including guests. No special preparation needed, just a love of the music, a warm coat, and maybe a drop of the rare old mountain dew to warm the cockles 🙂

Thanks for the great answers.

You’re very welcome, Baxter-I hope they make some kind of sense! It was a pleasure. Thanks so much for being interested. All the best to you and thanks for everything you’re doing for Celtic music. Jeremy and Poitin.

Links

http://www.myspace.com/poitinkapela

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Poitin

www.soundclick.com/poitin

www.reverbnation.com/poitin

www.poitin.cz (in Czech)

www.facebook.com/pages/Poitin-Celtic-World-Music

www.facebook.com/jeremy.poitin (Jeremy on FaceBook)

www.twitter.com/poitincz

http://www.youtube.com/PoitinCZ

Jaroslav „Oto“ Macháček - housle Jakub Siegl - kytary Jan Brabec - bouzouki, tin whistle Jeremy Marc King - zpěv, bodhrán Saša Šantorová - příčná flétna Dick Savage j.h. - didgeridoo, spoons

Jaroslav „Oto“ Macháček - housle Jakub Siegl - kytary Jan Brabec - bouzouki, tin whistle Jeremy Marc King - zpěv, bodhrán Saša Šantorová - příčná flétna Dick Savage j.h. - didgeridoo, spoons

The BibleCode Sundays :Refreshing!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 1 Comment

 

Melodic, Alternative, London Pub Rock and Totally Irish!

It is a lazy Sunday. I want to make a bit of noise. And I want to represent this band. The BibleCode Sundays:Ah, great sound, beautiful album and interesting members.

Ghost Of Our Pasts is an album of party vibes in an Irish sense-they are composed both of English and Irish members. From the first track Dockside Lullabies up to the last track McBratney From The Kitchen, you will be guaranteed of the fun this lads will bring into your living room with your speakers tuned to a high volume.

There are jigs interlaced with alternative rock guitars and vocals sounding like a cross between Chris Isaak and Tony Hadley(of Spandau Ballet). If you are into 80′s and 90′s Alternative Rock and appreciate Irish music in between then this will make your Sundays.

Dockside Lullabies
Lyrics by Ronan MacManus

I hear you knocking but you can’t come in
Don’t tell ‘em where you live you gotta shed your skin
Liverpool echoes to the sound of drums
& if you wanna work then don’t sing your songs
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies in my head
Walking down the dockside you could be walking through the Bogside
Change your name, play the game, don’t get on the wrong side
Liverpool echoes to the sound of drums
You’re staring down the barrel of a Thompson Gun
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies in my head
Liverpool echoes to the sound of drums
Keep your face hidden when the boss man comes
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies in my head
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)
Dockside lullabies (too ra loo ra)

Buy the album here:

http://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Past-Bible-Code-Sundays/dp/B001CW7LW0