Thanks, GP. I almost missed your answer. I swear a linguistic told me, many years ago, that it was zuzu. I'm glad I asked. BTW, Ivor is a funny sounding train. Cute.
Inspired by their work together with the Future Trad Collective, Andy Dinan and Ian Fletcher here lead a similar band, whose aim - to be a little bit more traditional than FTC - certainly hasnt dimmed their ambitions of creating grandiose, complex pieces of music.
They are joined in Ducie (an old Mancunian word, hence the albums title) by Richard Silwa and Jon Thorne, better known for their work in rock and electronic music. It makes for an intriguing proposition.
Mancunia kicks off in energetic style with The Fox, three reels characterised by unstoppable fiddle lines, funky, jazzy guitar battles and dense, dancey percussion. Mike McGoldrick adds flute to Lusignac, an absorbing tune dominated by flamenco-style handclaps and shimmying Latin rhythms. Its an interesting take thats hard to imagine when listening to Chris Woods slower, considered original - but the inventiveness is just beginning.
Solstice and Sunset Barmaid are the albums first lengthy pieces, at seven minutes-plus, and they really allow the band to get into their stride. Dizzying violin and guitar play around a variety of salsa, reggae and trip-hop beats, with Silwas bass adding a booming pulse. Its intense, complex listening - though for a track so full of invention it is a little disappointing that Solstice simply fades out.
The group blend modern elements with the tradition expertly. The ghostly Song of the Strings wisely puts the violin centre stage, but some subtle electronic accompaniments give the Donegal air a fresh lease of life. Similarly, some synthetic slurs give the whirling reels that comprise Boudiccas Set an interesting new context. And Grianán Bear It blends reggae with Irish jig as if it had always been done that way.
The album ends with Slowlife, in which the frantic pace relents - as you might expect - and Mumbai Highway, which has a strong Indian feel to it - as you might expect. But thats about all thats predictable about the tunes. Slowlife evokes a woozy, drunken feeling, before the quick-fire percussion and guitar work of the final track.
Mancunia is dense and intense, full of clever moments that reveal themselves only with repeated listening. The musicianship is hard to fault, and its also a slick and cleanly produced record: indeed, some will find it a little airless. But for those who like their folk inventive, progressive and percussive, there is much to digest here.
Thanks Lowlife, currently, slowly, downloading (still at just under 1 Mbps, even though I have had a BT engineer around who says it should be at least 4 to 6 Mbps, and if our house was 200 or so metres south we would be on 38Mbps fibre optics!). Currently it takes me about 15 to 20 mins or so to download a typical emusic album.
Our local branch of HMV is closing soon, so have a sale on. Even with 30% off most CDs were still more than you'd get them at Amazon, which shows why they have had financial problems (HMV is the only national chain selling CDs beyond chart CDs and went into receivership recently) One of the two things I did buy was the 3 CD remastered 35th Anniversary pack of Rumours. I have just finished the main CD, now onto CD 2 which is a live set from the Rumours tour. Not that different so far, other than crowd noises and poorer sound!!
Meh. The album is fine, but no more than that. I'm glad I waited until the $1.99 sale to get it. I was originally thinking about getting it when it was $5, but it would have been very disappointing at that price.
@Craig - My thoughts exactly. I enjoyed it, but took it off my saved list until it dropped to $1.99. Worth it for that. ETA: I agree on the PVT, too. Another great discovery that to the almighty drip.
I'm really gonna miss you picking fights
And me, falling for it screaming that I'm right
And you, will hide away and find your piece of mind
with some indie record that's much cooler than mine
From We are never ever ever ever getting back together.
Comments
@GP - sadly Ivor no longer seems to be on TV here now. It is all Chuggingtons now. I'll get a clip later! Thomas is still, of course, around.
Thanks for the jazz tips will research later today, might have some new Bandcamp postings as well
You are welcome Lowlife.
Source: Bright Young Folk
Fine Brit pop from A Fine Day for Sailing, reminds me of St Etienne in places
NYOP Bandcamp
Info @ Emusers.
Quality shoegaze from the Camera Shy
NYOP Bancamp
NYOP Bandcamp
My first Fiona Apple album. Thanks amazonemusers!
$10 at 7Dig, thanks to the BoxSet thread...
Jan Garbarek - Eventyr.
Jazz for lovers of ambient field recordings.
Pat Metheny Group - Travels
@kargatron, yes, The Fields, the Sky is nice.
Early Garbarek being avant garde. Filed at Guvera under Jon Christensen.
Mapstation - The Africa Chamber.
To Rococo Rot side project.
PVT - Homosapien
Via the Ghostly drip. This is a really good album.
Craig
Gu.
Good use of 5 Guv credits. Check out Hamid Drake's drumming on "Ballad for Rita"
Our local branch of HMV is closing soon, so have a sale on. Even with 30% off most CDs were still more than you'd get them at Amazon, which shows why they have had financial problems (HMV is the only national chain selling CDs beyond chart CDs and went into receivership recently) One of the two things I did buy was the 3 CD remastered 35th Anniversary pack of Rumours. I have just finished the main CD, now onto CD 2 which is a live set from the Rumours tour. Not that different so far, other than crowd noises and poorer sound!!
As is Dark Day / Live in Verona, seven long tracks.
Meh. The album is fine, but no more than that. I'm glad I waited until the $1.99 sale to get it. I was originally thinking about getting it when it was $5, but it would have been very disappointing at that price.
Craig
How's that for naked cover art?
"Ain't no sin, to take off your skin, and dance around in your bones." William S. Burroughs in a Tom Waits song.
.
gu-gaze.
Stephan Micus, Bold as Light
Thanks, BT.
Eta; ha ha:
From We are never ever ever ever getting back together.
New Weird Australia - Western Schism