Tag Archives: folk-rock

Abigail Lapell’s Anniversary

I haven’t closely followed Canadian singer-songwriter and indie folk artist Abigail Lapell, but I very much enjoyed her earlier album Getaway. Her emotionally direct but never overwrought lyrics, sturdy melodies, her unique voice and superb guitar fingerpicking style all added … Continue reading

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The Waterboys’ A Rock In The Weary Land

No’am Newman wrote this review. Oh No’am, I know you’re disappointed with this disc; I know that you were expecting The Waterboys of Whole Of The Moon and Fisherman’s Blues and instead you got something else. But it’s not my … Continue reading

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Slavyanochka Ensemble’s Molodoi Tud Wedding, and Vereya’s Soitua Maa

Here are two recent recordings by women’s vocal ensembles from different regions of Russia. In these reviews I compare them to other Eastern European women’s vocal groups. I offer the comparisons only as an aid for Western listeners. The comparisons … Continue reading

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Gangar’s Brobakken

The Norwegian folk (hard-) rock band Gangar, one of my current favorites, has a new single out, to keep their worldwide fans happy while they’re touring Australia. “Brobakken” is an instrumental reinlender (what the Norwegians call a schottisch) after the fiddling … Continue reading

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Toc de Crida’s Toc de Crida

Toc de Crida sounds kind of like your favorite Celtic folk rock band just returned from a long holiday in Mallorca. In fact that’s where they’re from, the Spanish island in the warm, sunny Mediterranean. On their debut self-titled album … Continue reading

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The Bushwackers’ Australian Songbook, 30th Anniversary Edition

The first time I became aware of The Bushwackers was over 30 years ago, when I had a telephone call from a friend who told me he was going to make a Lager-phone. The next part of the conversation was … Continue reading

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Narechie’s A Iz Pod Goroda, Аratseya’s Galki, Elem’s Northern Spirituals, Runara’s Way of the Sun, and Aina’s Northstar

Narechie’s A Iz Pod Goroda (From the Town) From the Town is the second album from Narechie, a folk rock group from Belgorod in the far west of Russia near the border with Ukraine. They specialize in the Russian style … Continue reading

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Gangar’s Stubb, Fränder’s Fränder II, and Rüüt’s Kiriküüt

Gangar’s Stubb Norwegian metal folk-rock is one of my new favorite things, thanks to Gangar. We already previewed the first single from Stubb back in June (2023). As I said of “Sukkeri er søtt” (“Sugar is Sweet”) at the time, … Continue reading

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Paula Frazer’s A Place Where I Know: 4-track songs 1992-2002

Paula Frazer has a voice like an angel. All her publicity says so. Hmmm. Is this what angels sound like? There’s a bit of Judy Collins in it, maybe a smidgeon of Marina Belica…well, they sound like angels too, so … Continue reading

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Spiral Dance: An interview

(Editor’s Note: Spiral Dance were interviewed by Folk Tales staff writer Michael Hunter. The two members of the band who were interviewed, Adrienne Piggott (AP) and Nick Carter (NC). MH: In the thriving South Australian Pagan Folk-Rock scene, where any … Continue reading

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