Tag Archives: folk

electronic, Folk, Groove, magical, Music to write to

The Beta Band – The Three EPs

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Definitely coming under the ‘not for everybody’ category, if you don’t hate this you’ll probably think it’s the genius. I’t been labeled trip hop, folktronica and a number of other things, none of which quite prepare you for the journey that is the three EPs. At it’s heart this is a band who play some very enjoyable jams and weave together some honey sounding vocal melodies. When you throw on top all of the fun experimental stuff they put on top, you get the whole picture.

An intriguing mix of sounds that can sound like honeyed folk one moment, then acid and electronic tinged folk, to hip hop and Beatlesque number nine like flights of fancy on tracks like the 15.48 minutes “Monolith.” I think this album just gets better as you listen to it.

They never made it super huge, but they’ve been name checked in movies like Hi Fidelity as the album you put on when you want to sell five copies of an album in a really short time.

Not surprisingly it is made up of the first three EPs to be produced by the anglo scottish Beta Band. The EPs are in order Champion Versions, The Patty Patty Sound, and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos. You’ll probably have your own favourite one even if you listen to it as one. My favouritee is the Patty Patty sound that goes a little crazy in a good way.

Released
1998

Lyrics
Yes, and they are great. Also quite a few samples thrown in as well.

Mood
This is a fun album, lots of folky very rhythmic folky sing along, wight eh trip hop and a bit of weirdness throw in. I find this a really enjoyable piece of music as a whole. Really I’m a big fan. This would be one of my all time favourite albums if I’m being honest.

Good to work to
Well I like slightly weird music so it’s always going to be good for me, but this album is folky and groove based so large parts of it will work for anyone. When it veers off and gets triply it’s not going to appeal to everyone, but those who like it will really like it.

Like
I know not everyone might agree but there is a bit of Beck in the folk hip hop electronic vibe of his earlier work that I’m reminded of. Maybe not the other albums on this site, but something like Beck’s Odelay.

The Artist/s
Hailing from Scotland, forming in 1996 and disbanding in 20014 the Beta Band are…

John Maclean
Richard Greentree
Steve Mason
Robin Jones
Gordon Anderson
Steve Duffield

Other works
This is one of those albums that herald the birth of creative genius where you think they are going to become absolutely massive, but never quite happens. The Beta band released 2 other albums Hot Shots II in 2001, and Heroes to Zeros in 2004.

While they received some critical acclaim, the three Eps is the stand out work in my mind. Steve Mason the Beta Band’s lead singer alson released music as King Biscuit Boy.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
The CD and electronic versions of the album have been in constant circulation. If you love vinyl the original three individual Eps have been re-released.

The Verdict
Pass the crazy pills this is a great album where folk and a big dollop of imagination combine

acoustic, bluegrass, country, Folk, magical

Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

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I love this album, it chills me out, it chills my lady out, it chills the cat out. Like an injection of hypnotic happy flavoured valium, you won’t regret putting this album on. Iron & Wine is Sam Beam and his friends. File under calm and folk. The name Iron & Wine came from a dietary supplement called ‘Beef Iron & Wine” that he came across.

This folky album is full of finger picking, understated vocals, sweet harmonies and catchy tunes. Please, please play a sample, it won’t take you very long to work out if you like it, if you don’t move on as there is not a hidden hard rocking number anywhere in his catalogue.

Released
2004

Lyrics
Yes very laid back chilled out vocals, the guitar is probably more of the featured instrument though.

Mood
Calm with a capitol C is the way I’d describe this album. This is the album I play to defuse any tension that might be moving around the Toyota hatchback on a long drive. I don’t always find driving to be relaxing by the way.

Good to work to
I find this is a great album to strip away whatever is bothering you in the moment. It’s like he’s almost whisper singing it’s so laid back.

The guitar is very rythmic and dare I say it hypnotic. A lot of the guitaring is finger picking and at least with the way my brain works I just hook into the rythms.

Like
He’s the ultimate folky, there is a similar era latino artist with laid back vocals over the top of the guitar which he lets star. Not quite country, but in the ball park. I can’t for the life of me remember his name at the moment, but I will put in a link at some later stage when it comes to me.

But… If you like this you’ll like the two Beck albums I review that are similarly smokey in their vibe

The Artist/s
Iron & Wine a.k.a. Sam Beam and friends is an accidental musician. A track he wrote was given to a friend of his brother and serendipity set his career rolling. But that said he is a very talented man who was always goign to be discovered I hope. And he’s got a great name.

The crew on this album are

Sam Beam – vocals, guitar, slide guitar, banjo, mandolin
Brian Deck – drums, percussion, keyboards
EJ Holowicki – bass
Patrick McKinney – guitar
Jeff McGriff – percussion
Jonathan Bradley – percussion
Sarah Beam – harmony vocals, percussion

Other works
At last an artist where I can unreservedly reccomend their entire catalogue. It’s not so samey you don’t need to bother listening to it. But even though it is different it keeps the same laid back vibe which is great for writing.

It’s hard to recommend just one, so I won’t these two are great

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You can get this album everywhere and of course through iTunes. Also should still be available on vinyl. Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days, do it

The Verdict
An absolute cracker, why else would I write about it. I have no idea why I even keep this category in these reviews.

Folk, World

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul

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Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul

There is a depth and gentleness to this album that will put you into a good place to write. But, unless you are one of the handul of people who can speak Yolgnu or one of the other aboriginal languages the lyrics aren’t going to distract you.

There is a deep beauty and emotion put into the delivery of the lyrics and songs on this album that goes beyond words. You can get lost this set of songs, gentle lullabies with depth.

Released
2008

Lyrics
Yes but in a mixture of languages spoken by very few people that will not distract you.

Mood
Calming and perfect for meditative works.

Good to work to
Great to work when you need to be calmed.

Like
I can’t imagine what I could compare this to aside from indigenous lullabies.

If you like the idea of exploring Australian Indigenous music I can point you in a few directions. There is in my favourite aboriginal band, a black and white collaboration called the Warumpi Band from the early eighties, although it’s definitely not music to write to.

If you like that but want something less raw Christine Anu did a beautiful cover of one of their most famous songs my Island home.

MIA is a Sri Lankan Tamil Englishwoman, and she collaborated with some aboriginal kids in this great track “Mango Pickle Down River” from her earliest album

The Artist/s
Geoffrey “Gurrumul” Yunupingu a blind Yolgnu guy who plays a right hand strung guitar left handed, didgeridoo, drums and organ. He is a very shy bloke who can’t read braille, and speaks little English. He sings in Galpu, Gumatj, or Djanbarrpuyna languages. He was born and grew up in Arnhem land, and a remote area aborigin’d knocked around in bands such as Yothu Yindi. Despite the success of his youth he was plucked from obscurity in the remote Northern Territory of Australia, to release a breakout album in a mixture of English, Yolgnu, and other aboriginal dialects.

Other works
Gurrumul has released later albums but this is my favourite so far.

Before his breakout album Gurrumul, Geoffrey “Gurrumul” Yunupingu had already had a career in one of the biggest Australian aboriginal rock bands Yothu Yindi many years before. Yothu Yindi was the first band Gurrumul was in and a hugely successful one of the nineties with their song treaty, after the hoped for treaty between the aboriginal nations of Australia and the Australian government. This treaty has still not eventuated.

In Latter days Gurrumul has been a member of the Saltwater band.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
It has been re-released on vinyl as well. An absolute cracker of an album, and of course on itunes

The Verdict
Yes get it as soon as possible. It is calming, and will work for you.

Folk

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever ago

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Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever ago

This is a folk album for those who like to listen to warm sounding music that takes you on a comfortable sad journey. This is an album that you will enjoy listening to, and can savour but never overpowers you. Warm vocal harmonies and relaxing sounds are the order of the day.

Bon Iver is apparently pronounced Bon ee -vare, thought you might like to know that. Bon Iver is a french expression meaning Good Winter. This album has a great story behind it that if anything enhances the listen.

Basically it was your classic dumping. Spurned men and women always love to write music, and in this case the one thing better than going off to your room to write sad love songs, is going off to a log cabin in the snow and writing a whole album after the break-up of your band, relationship and a bout of hepatitus. His father’s cabin in Dunn County, Wisconsis. When he was in the midst of his bout of Hepatitus he watched the old TV series Northern Exposure on DVD. In one scene the characters wishes the others bon hiver at the first snowfall of the year. Apparently he thought hive was too close to liver, where the hepatitis was kicking him.

So after recuperating all of these songs together and with a miss mash of recording gear from friends and others he recorded the whole thing himself. After playing the album to friends who liked it he did a first run of 500 CDs himself, before the album went crazy. Blogs and other indie music reviewers decided they loved the thing and it went crazy with sales.

Released
2007

Lyrics
Yes all over this release, but whilst at the same time central they are also not overpowering. There is no way I would ever suggest an album like this otherwise but it soothes and allows me to plow on typing quite happily

Mood
This is a really cool cruisy album that moves up and down. There is a real warmth to this album that sucks you in. Breathy multi tracked vocals and gorgeous arrangements make it a complete pleasure to listen to. Think calm.

Good to work to
If you need to speed type this perhaps isn’t the album.

I work to this album when I need a warm feeling that supports me. It’s beautifully arranged and put together, has peaks and troughs and supports rather than drives me when making writing decisions. This might be the perfect album to listen to when you are filling in the gaps or have a firm story in your mind.

Like
This is a folksy album that is like a latter day Crosby, Stills and Nash album, only not quite as clicked. It perhaps got a bit of Fleet Foxes southern californian thrown in. Maybe the best description might be to describe it as a folksy singer songwriter beach boys style album.

The other good album that shares something similar is the Fleet Foxes album of around the same time.

I think for warmth this album is akin to some of the Beck albums I have spoken about like Morning Phase and Sea Change. I could even describe it as sharing the warmth of indigenous Australian artist Gurrumul Yunupingu’s first album.

The Artist/s
Justin Vernon is Bon Iver, but he does have a whole group who are now Bon Iver, but for the purposes of this it’s pretty much him.

When he performs live he adds collaborators and uses musicians such as Colin Stetson and Greg Leisz.

Other works
Bon Iver have a follow up self-titled album. I personally am a much bigger rap for one of his other vehicles Volcano Choir. The first Volcano Choir album is Unmap, and I would say it is a good reference.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
This is an album you can find everywhere in multiple formats. It’s a classic that I see little chance of going out of print in vinyl, CD (while they exist), and electronic

The Verdict
Yeah definitely, go and grab it. If you don’t want to work to it you’ll still love this asa  classic album. I can imagine writing a novel in a lonely cabin next to a log fire listening to this album.

Folk

Beck – Sea Change

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Beck Sea Change
I can’t believe it this review is almost identical to the review of Morning Phase, probably because Morning Phase is pretty much a continuation of Sea Change.

When work is stressing me out I need something that not only allows me to work, but gives me an extra push. An album that can put me into a different mental state and immerse myself into is worth an extra thousand words to me. The words come out, and I don’t feel the passage of time. Beck’s voice and warm guitar, bass, harmonies, acoustic arrangements succeed in taking me to that place quickly. This album is a companion piece to Morning Phase which was released 12 years later in 2012. It was written after the breakup of  his long term relationship.

Although there are a few standout tracks on Sea Change, like most music I like to work to it retains an even feeling throughout. There is no doubt Beck is an outstanding performer and musician, but his performance does not dominate my workspace. I feel there is plenty of room  for me to overlay whatever I am working on. Most importantly this feeling persists when played at louder volumes.

Released
2002

Lyrics
Yes, but not abrasive lyrics. Beck has a warm soothing voice complemented by relaxing arrangements to the songs. I find it easy to listen to his voice as it were another instrument in a mood ensemble. My only concern is that I may be biased as I have listened to a lot of Beck so think I may be slightly biased in his favour.

Mood
Beck is a specialist in the mood album and has gone through an eclectic range of styles. Sea Change is no exception but for the writer of any style this is the kind of Beck album for you. While I would not recommend all Beck albums this one puts me into a relaxed mood ideal for immersing myself in the written work. There is a sad quality to this music which makes me feel somber, but focussed. Likewise I would fin this an ideal album for an intimate dinner or curling up on the couch with a mice glass of wine or three.

Good to work to
I could write anything to this. I may have difficulty writing a chase scene, but I could write fiction or non-fiction. It might be a little harder to write a fight scene while listening to it, but it would be far from impossible. I’m finding it hard to describe exactly what it is good for, but more than anything it puts me in a contemplative, internalised headspace that makes it easy for me to block out the world, and be present in the moment.

Like
I hesitate to compare this to Nick Drake as it has a far more polished american feel. This is the album of a polished performer confident in their musicality, and with an ability to surprise at times.

The Artist/s
Beck has been lauded as a musical wunderkind, specialising in genre hopping sonic collages of beats, soul, country, and everything in between. His earliest hit was 1994s “I’m a loser baby so why don’t you kill me. Other performers such as the Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne have branded him a d**k, something Beck has explained as something of a misunderstanding due to an illness during their tour. What is certain is that Beck is a virtuoso, but what is not so sure is that someone who can make such fine music is indeed a d**k. His musically eclectic style is no doubt influenced by his visual artist mother Bibbe Hansen (one of Andy Warhol’s superstars) and prolific composer and arranger David Campbell.

Other works
This came out off the back of his largely eclectic back catalogue and there were thoughts that it would not get the air play his earlier more successful works had received. This prediction proved to be incorrect and this proved to be one of his most critically acclaimed and successful albums.

His earlier and highly successful albums, mellow Gold, Odelay, and Midnight Vultures are not of the ilk of this. If you are after more of the same try the later sister album Morning Phase.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
Like everything these days you’ll find it everywhere, except on Vinyl. I would recommend Morning Phase its later (2014) sister album which you might still be able to find on vinyl.

The Verdict
For me a winner. I rarely like lyrics, but these ones are soothing, rather than demanding.

Folk

Beck – Morning Phase

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Beck – Morning Phase – Best Music to Write to
When work is stressing me out I need music that not only allows me to work, but will also give me an extra push. An album that I can fully immerse myself in, that can change my mental state, is worth an extra thousand words to me. The words come out, and I don’t feel the passage of time. Beck’s voice, harmonies, warm guitar, bass, and acoustic arrangements succeed calming and taking me to that place. This album is a companion piece to Sea Change released in 2002, and written after the breakup of a long term relationship. Some of the same musicians appear in the line up, as although Sea Change wasn’t released until 2014, recording began in 2005.

Although there are a few standout tracks on Morning Phase, it retains an even feeling throughout – like most music I like to work to. There is no doubt Beck is an outstanding performer and musician, but his performance does not dominate my workspace. There is plenty of room  for me to overlay it with whatever I am working on. More importantly, this feeling persists when played at louder volumes.

Released
2014

Lyrics
Yes, but not abrasive lyrics. Beck has a warm, soothing voice that is complemented by smooth arrangements. I find it easy to listen to his voice – another instrument in his mood ensemble. My only concern is that I may be biased as I have listened to a lot of Beck over time.

Mood
Beck is a specialist in the mood album and has progressed through an eclectic range of styles. It’s a folk album at heart. Morning Phase is no exception, but this is the kind of Beck album for the writer-of-any-style. While I do not recommend all Beck albums, this one puts me into a relaxed mood – ideal for immersing myself in whatever I’m working on. There is a sad quality to this music which makes me feel sombre but focussed. Likewise, this an ideal album for an intimate dinner or curling up on the couch with a nice glass of wine or three.

Best music to write to
I could write anything while I listen to this. It might be difficult to write a fight or chase scene, but it’s well-suited to writing fiction or non-fiction. I’m finding it hard to describe exactly what writing mood it’s most compatible with but, more than anything, it puts me in a contemplative, internal space that makes it easy to block out the troubles of the world, and to be present in the moment.

Like
I hesitate to compare this to Nick Drake because it has a far more polished, American feel. This is the album of a performer who is confident in his musicality, a performer who has still has the ability to surprise.

The Artist(s)
Beck has been lauded as a musical wunderkind, specialising in genre-hopping sonic collages of beats, soul, country, and everything in between. His earliest hit was his 1994 track, I’m a loser baby so why don’t you kill me. Other performers such as Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne have branded him a d**k – a label Beck has refuted as something of a misunderstanding and that was due to an illness that kept him subdued during their tour. What is certain is that Beck is a virtuoso, but what is not so sure is that someone who can make such fine music is a d**k. His musically eclectic style is no doubt influenced by his visual artist mother, Bibbe Hansen (one of Andy Warhol’s moviestars), and by prolific composer and arranger David Campbell.

Other works
I recommend only Sea Change to write to. Some say it is a superior album but, for me, both Morning Phase and Sea Change fit the ‘best music to write to’ mould.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
You can buy Morning Phase pretty much everywhere at the moment. For audiophiles who prefer vinyl, you had better get in quick. Most Beck albums don’t get re-released on vinyl after the initial pressings. I was sadly disappointed when I tried to get the earlier album Sea Change in this format.

The Verdict
For me, a winner. I rarely like lyrics in a writing album, but these ones are soothing rather than demanding.