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Recent Posts
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Hrafnfreistuor (A Letter to Anna)
- What’s New for the 26th of November: Music we’re thankful for; fairy tales and myths; a graphic novel about a pandemic; an Old Hag, a Piglet, Canadian television, and hot chocolate!
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Greening the Estate (A Letter to Anna)
- What’s New for the 12th of November: a grab bag of adult and YA fiction and nonfiction; Russian and Eastern European folk-rock, classical, Celtic, blues music and more; Sons of Anarchy; an intrepid air hostess
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Guy Fawkes Day (A Letter to Anna)
- What’s New for the 29th of October: Halloween is Nigh on Us!
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Summer afternoon (A Letter to Anna)
- What’s New for the 15th of October: Music in fiction and non-fiction; Psycho and its sequels; Two Fat Ladies; some Gaiman; folk music from all over, plus some Zappa and some jazz
- What’s New for the 12th of October:
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Tunes
- What’s New for the 1st of the October: Horror, time travel, murder and fantasy, and comics journalism; personal Scandinavian jazz, ancient Persian songs, bluegrass, Americana, and a podcast; Johnny Cash on TV; chocolate and empanadas
- A Kinrowan Estate Story: Béla
- What’s New for the 17th of September: WWII (and other) mysteries; jazz, Americana, Celtic music and more; Doc Martin; summer beer and ale
- A Kinrowan Estate story: My Library
- What’s New for the 3rd of September: Gary pens a short tribute to Jimmy Buffett, New jazz and Americana music, a grab bag of styles from the archives, books about English folk rock, books about breakfast and brunch, a black and white world, a panned comic, and more
- A Kinrowan Estate story: A Library and Its Librarian
- What’s New for the 20th of August: Some favorite mysteries; jazz, country, RT, and a musical grab bag; a hoedown, a big dragon, Hellboy, and of course ice cream!
- A Kinrowan Estate story: A Guest Lecturer
- What’s New for the 6th of August: Weird westerns and singing cowboys, Jane Lindskold and two from Patricia McKillip; ska, Spanish jazz, klezmer, and songs about fishing; Mary Poppins and lonely Vampires, Roman emperors and superheroes; and a couple of Oregon ales in a British style pub
- What’s New for the 3rd of September:
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Chasing Fireflies
- What’s New for the 23rd of July: Books by Roger Zelazny; Scottish music, SCOTS music, dance music and Asian Underground; chocolate-peanut butter cookies, rock poster art, and a little primal horror
- A Kinrowan Estate Story: A Theological Anthropologist
- What’s New for the 9th of July: All Sorts of Good Things
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Musical Ganeshas (A Letter to Svetlana)
- What’s New for the 25th of June: Steeleye Span edition
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Danse Macabre (A Letter to Anna)
- What’s New for the 11th of June: Space Opera, Folkmanis Rat in a Tin Can, Lots of folk rock – Steeleye Span, Orthodox Celts – Maddy Prior interview, some contradance and some bluegrass; a catty film review; Vess’s Ballads & Sagas; and some new Norwegian folk rock
- A Kinrowan Estate story: Reading Groups (A Letter to Anna)
- What’s New for the 28th of May: All Sorts of Interesting Reviews, Page and Plant’s ‘Kashmir’ and Kage’s Favourite Folk Song
Tag Archives: Nordic music
Silver Arm’s Never Despair
The world is a strange place, full of people who think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. In Europe, where I live, we are crowded with singers and musicians who do their best to sound … Continue reading
Posted in Music
Tagged Balkan music, Celtic music, Nordic music
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Lena Jonsson Trio’s Elements
If you’re like me you can’t get enough of the neo-traditional Swedish folk sound represented by Väsen, and you’re always ready for more along that line. Well, we’re in luck, because Lena Jonsson has a new release. I know it’s … Continue reading
Nils Økland & Sigbjørn Apeland’s Glimmer
Norwegian violinist Nils Økland and keyboardist Sigbjørn Apeland have been collaborating for 30 years, largely exploring the place where Norwegian traditional music and improvisation meet. On Glimmer they delve into a collection of folk music and originals arranged for Økland’s … Continue reading
Knut Buen & Sigmund Groven’s Kjenslevev
I’m a big fan of modern Norwegian folk music and jazz, but I’m not very familiar with strictly traditional Norwegian folk music. On the basis of this generous album of modern Norwegian folk songs done in the traditional style, I’d … Continue reading
Posted in Music
Tagged folk music, Nordic music
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Nils Økland’s Glødetrådar
For some reason I didn’t get around to reviewing this lovely album when it came out, and have had some sort of mental block against it ever since. There’s some confusion about its release date – one streaming service says … Continue reading
Aly Bain & Ale Möller’s Beyond the Stacks
One of the finest concerts my wife and I ever saw was Aly Bain and Ale Möller at the Center for Cultural Exchange in Portland, Maine, several years back. Like the music of Frifot, of which Ale is a member, … Continue reading
Posted in Music
Tagged Nordic music, Scottish music
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Aly Bain and Ale Möller at the Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland, Maine, May 12, 2005
Donna Bird and Cat Eldridge co-wrote this review. Maine-dwellers will remember May 2005 as the month of ceaseless rain, wind and unseasonably cold temperatures. The weather was at its worst on the weekends. Most of us were house-bound against our … Continue reading
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Tagged Nordic music, Scottish music
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Okra Playground’s Itku
Itku is an exciting new album by the Finnish folk pop group Okra Playground. Their third full-length, following their 2015 debut Turmio and 2018’s Ääneni yli vesien, it was released in late 2022. The three powerful singing women of Okra … Continue reading
Maria Kalaniemi and Aldergaz’s Ahma
Accordion fans, take note! This one’s for you. Accordionist Maria Kalaniemi and Aldergaz play some fine tunes on this album. It seems effortlessly delivered and should be a welcome acquisition fans of the squeeze box. All others, well … I … Continue reading
Færd’s Færd, Harv’s Töst!, Spælimenninir’s Spælimenninir Í Hoydølum, Rekavidur – Hinvegin, and Umaftur, and Bukkene Bruse’s The Loveliest Rose
You’ll likely remember Karen Tweed (accordion) and Ian Carr (guitar) from Swåp, but both of ’em also played in Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell’s band, as well as more projects than one should attempt to remember! I’d expect anything that they … Continue reading
Posted in Music
Tagged Nordic music
Comments Off on Færd’s Færd, Harv’s Töst!, Spælimenninir’s Spælimenninir Í Hoydølum, Rekavidur – Hinvegin, and Umaftur, and Bukkene Bruse’s The Loveliest Rose