Text in quotes is either reproduced with thanks from the featured website or Songbook reviews or features.
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Acoustic Music Across the Pond
Acoustic Music Resources in the UK. Web base of Paul Castle, the PDC Independent Acoustic Music Label, and The Rosinators.
Ahab
"AHAB are a progressive Folk Rock six-piece from The Lakes who have a big, warm, energetic (yet sensitive) sound and stage presence. AHAB offer refreshing arrangements of traditional music from across the British Isles nuanced with an eclectic range of influences and complimented by outstanding original material.
Band members have played with/alongside the likes of Archie Fisher, Martin Carthy, Trykster and Alter-native. The AHAB line up includes drums/percussion, bass, guitars, fiddle and female vocals."
A New Day Records
Jethro Tull zine, 'A New Day' released two Jethro Tull-related CDs in the early
90's as special subscribers editions. Later, in 1995, A New Day Records was officially
formed, financed by the Tull magazine. Their intention was "to release quality albums of good music that 'real'
record companies were overlooking because there was little chance
of making huge profits from them ... It was little more than a hobby, but, as with the Tull-zine, it just kept
getting bigger and bigger to the point where it has become well
established within the UK record industry and boasts an
impressive roster of talent."
Kevin Ayers
The Official Homepage.
'Why We Are Sleeping'
Kevin Ayers fansite
"An erratic fanzine dedicated to the past, present,
future and eternity of Kevin Ayers"
Back To Base
Back To Base play a mixture of modern dub and dance rhythms.
The band had its first gig in the Summer of '96 and went on to
perform 150 gigs at over 40 different locations, including
the "Media launch gig for John Peel's C4 programme
'Sounds of the Suburbs' at the Garage, London."
They tell us: "Back to Base are the only Hull band to
sell out their local venue, the Adelphi, since the Housemartins
and Kingmaker; FIVE TIMES!!"
Banner and Dave Rogers
"Dave Rogers’s stepfather worked in the foundry trade, and his first
contact with folk music came at an evening class run by a BBC radio
producer. He went on to be a club singer in his own right. Together they
founded Banner. Since then it seems Rogers has written on every major
industrial dispute and social injustice in the UK, and countless others
across the globe... He collaborates with predominantly black performers,
bringing reggae, dub, rap and dance styles to a colourful and persuasive
collective. It’s clear Rogers appreciates the subtleties of street music
from all cultures, which permeate the urban landscape of Birmingham." - from Nick Burbridge's review in Songbook Issue 8.
Beltaine
"The Polish music group Beltaine was created in the year of 2002. The band quickly gained the hearts of the audiences all over the country ... Beltaine’s music – it does not leave one indifferent. At times it gives birth to an atmosphere of mystery – inducing one to dream, far more often however, it seizes a person in an unstoppable dance. Six young people, inspired by Irish and Bretonian folk music, perform it in a unique way. Both old, traditional melodies, as well as own compositions - inspired by the former ones, are distinguished by an unusual sound, which the band owes mainly to interesting musical adaptations using modern achievements of present-day music. ... One of the fastest developing Celtic music groups in Poland."
Blue Horses
Billing themselves as 'Celtadelic', female-fiddle-driven Blue Horses
hail from Wales and claim to be "very much a 21st Century band, but with a nod
toward the big stage presence of the psychedelic 60's, 70's
Woodstock retro and the classic rock and folk-rock bands."
'Dragons Milk and Coal' (on the Native Spirit label) was MOJO
Album of the Month in October '99.
Blyth Power
Blyth Power have been described by one leading music journal as "a cross between Steeleye-Span,
The Rubettes and The Clash"
"Tuneful, intelligent,
and no one's puppy-dog," their blurb continues "Blyth Power evince a feline dynamism which is
happiest when walking alone, and takes a fierce pride in its
inscrutability. Non-aligned and non-alignable the band is based in a
permanent slate grey winter's morning and reserves the right at all
times not to conform." Gosh!
Archie Brown And The Young Bucks
Knocking on thirty years since first lifting their name from the Bogart movie Key Largo
("I'm looking for a couple of young bucks in fancy shirts who busted out of prison"),
The Young Bucks' highway is littered with eight albums and ghosts of (mainly) unlauded
contenders like The Upset, The Bureau, The Flag, The Coal Porters, the tube (that's the
London subway, not the TV show), Leni Hoffmann, Lindisfarne and Viz magazine. Each has a story worthy of the telling...
Capercaillie Official Webpage
Comprehensive Cappercaillie Official website - biogs, links to their
fanclub, merchandise and mail order...
The Cockburn Project
The 'Cockburn Project' website aims to document the
work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The
Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music,
and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates,
and other current information.
Comes With A Smile
Matt Dornan's and Paul Heartfield's music magazine-plus-CD. Dornan writes: "As my time as editor of Undergrad (the Thames Valley University Students' Union magazine no less) came to an end I somewhat foolishly entertained the idea of combining the only two enjoyable elements of that job (design and music) into a little fanzine... With long-term pal, photographer and fellow designer Paul Heartfield at a similar post-university crossroads it made sense to combine our limited expertise and, over a Notting Hill latte, we came up with Comes with a Smile - the title of which derives from a lyric in Red House Painters' 24, not some cheap innuendo as you all seem to think..."
Chris Conway
"The site celebrating the life and multifarious music of
singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Chris Conway.
... jazz, folk, Indo-fusion, world music, singer-songwriters, filk,
acoustic, electronic music, new age music/ambient,
and Songs of Love & Peace & Outer Space..."
Cooking Vinyl Records
In 1986 Michelle Shocked's 'Texas Campfire Tapes' - "recorded on a Sony Walkman
with a recording budget of a few batteries" - became one
of the first releases on the Cooking Vinyl label. Since then it has boasted
talents such as Oysterband, Sweet Honey In The Rock, The Mekons,
Incantation, the Bhundu Boys, Ewan MacColl, Tom Robinson, June Tabor, Bert
Jansch, The Wedding Present, The Lilac Time, and Billy Bragg.
Corazong
Corazong's website states: "We are not restricting ourselves to one genre of music.
We are selfish people with broad tastes and will only release music we really like
and understand ourselves. This can be Blues, Americana, Rock or any other type of
music as long as it is played on real instruments by real artists who can perform
live as well as they do on record. And of course always music from the heart!"
Counting Crows FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions resource maintained by Barry Spendlove
in association with the Counting Crows Mailing List.
CountingCrows.Com
Counting Crows website, with news, streamed video and music, fan club (Cloudkookooland) and message board, online store and more...
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Dark Lantern
In description of themselves, Dark Lantern's site quotes Guitar Techniques magazine:
"Dark Lantern are a duo whose
music exists at a point where folk touches the ethereal,
and hence various Irish sounding reels are offet against backwashes
of synthesiser, while acoustic guitar duels with Celtic flavoured
fiddle."
Dexys Midnight Runners
The Dexys Midnight Runners MSN Group.
"If you've been searching for the spirit of Dexys Midnight Runners but couldn't
find it anywhere, hello and welcome. Whether you already believe in your soul
or are just looking, hold out your hand, let's make a stand, forget their plans
and their demands.
This group has been created to allow fellow Young Soul Rebels, Celtic Soul
Brothers and Wildhearted Outsiders like myself to share and discuss news, views,
images and information relating to Dexys Midnight Runners, Kevin Rowland, The Bureau,
Blue Ox Babes and any other related topics."
Equation
Website charting the complex evolution of folk-rockers Kathryn Roberts' and Sean Lakeman's Equation.
Flook
Official Flook website containing info and news, and a 'News From the Road'
section: "a special section of the website where we, the band,
get to share with you some of the adventures we've been having out there,
a kind of travelogue that hopefully might give an insight into the inner
workings of our lives as travellers and players of music."
Folk and Roots
"A guide to the folk and acoustic scene, with information about UK folk gigs, folk concerts, folk festivals and hundreds of links!"
Folking.Com
"Folking.com is a Folk - Roots and Acoustic music development
organisation created for fans and artists alike. Our mission is to educate,
inform and simply entertain you."
Folk Music Images
Roger Liptrot writes: "Over the past twenty five years I've been to many Folk
Music events, based mainly in the North West of England. As a result, I have
amassed a number of photos that have never seen the light of day.
The Photo Galleries include a selection of these photos along with a number of
publicity shots that I've taken along the way."
Folk-Rock.Com
This website takes the stance that "the best music ever made was created in the sixties and the
seventies. The reasons for that, are far to complicated for me to get into, but never
has there been a time in which so much wonderful music was made in all kinds of
different genres. One of the most ignored of these is Folk-Rock, mainly British.
Everybody knows Bob Dylan and the Byrds, but how many of you have seriously
listened to Steeleye Span or Fairport Convention? These two groups are actually just
the tip of the iceberg, since there are many exciting bands of which some are so
obscure, I believe you have never even come across their names: Mushroom, Mellow
Candle, Mr. Fox, The Woods Band, Tir Na Nog... ever heard of them? Believe me,
you don't know what you're missing!"
Free / Paul Rodgers
Fan site dedicated to Free, singer Paul Rodgers, and the bands and music
that developed out of the classic original band.
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Gadki z Chatki
English-language website based on the 'Gadki z Chatki' magazine: "the only periodical in Poland that deals with folk (not only Polish) and its cultural context. It was initiated in 1996 by members of St. Nicolas Orchestra, and is published by The Association of Folk Movement Animators and Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin. ... Folk began to be perceived as a separate current in music only in the late 1980s. It was, and it is now, a grass-roots movement, created by people fascinated with folk music and culture ... The site contains basic information about the folklore-inspired Polish musical scene. Here, our visitor can find a handful of articles concerning the issues of tradition, terms specific to Polish folk, the history of its development and its situation for today. We wish to present the best artists, who make the most of both the native folk tradition and the experience of other nations. We also include descriptions of top festivals, as well as profiles of authorities in the field of folklore and folk - people of vast knowledge and connections."
Mary Gauthier
Jim Gillan, writing for Songbook: "‘Lord knows how many dead dogs she has had …’ wrote Sylvie Simmons of
Mary Gauthier, nailing in those nine words all the painful, busted, worn-out,
low-down, fractious, addictive, desperate and all too real experiences that
Gauthier (pronounced ‘Go-Shay’) draws on. But that’s only part of the story
for, from somewhere, and against all the odds, Mary has also found hope, beauty,
dignity and belief. Her songs reflect that, somehow capturing in three minutes
or so a slice of life that others might need a whole symphony to set out.
Though it is at a cost to her." Read the whole article here.
Girls With Guitars
"'Girls With Guitars' is a rotating cast of individual female songwriters, performing all original acoustic material, in a wide variety of styles & music genres. Each show is an evening of female songwriters, performing their own original material, in the tradition of a Nashville songwriter night. The performers are made up of a rotating cast of a core group of women song writers with occasional guest appearances and feature acts.
The show originated in Nashville, Tennessee USA in 1996 when Cindy Kalmenson asked two of her girlfriends to play a gig with her... After seven years in Music City, USA, the show was finally brought east of the Atlantic, and is spearheaded by it's London host, singer/songwriter Jae Avery."
Green Man Review
"GMR provides in-depth reviews of books, printed and audio, in fiction
(such as the wonderful novels of Emma Bull, Kage Baker, Jane Yolen,
Neil Gaiman, Sean Stewart, Terri Windling, Alan Garner, Charles de Lint,
Ellen Kushner, and Pamela Dean), and non-fiction (biographies of folks
who fit within our folk motif, folktales, folklore, cooking
(historical and actual), musiclore, and related non-fiction.)
...Our musical focus, whether CDs or live performances, is folk music in all
its aspects from really hardcore trad to the latest innovations, whether it
be the Celtic and English traditions or folk rock or world music --
even roots music (such as jazz, cajun, English ceilidh, contradance, bluegrass,
old-timey, country, and blues). Some 7,000 CDs are reviewed on our site as of now.
...We cover newly released films and films on video and DVD in the genres of fantasy, folklore,
and fairy tales -- even horror and dark fantasy... ...We also have interviews, essays
on folk tales, upcoming major
festivals, and even in-depth profiles of performers and authors."
Bob Harris
TV and Radio Broadcaster Bob Harris's own website contains a biography,
details of his current radio shows and archive
material from the classic 'Old Grey Whistle Test' TV show which
he chaired for perhaps its most memorable years. Plus photos and
up to date information about forthcoming concerts, tours,
CD releases and more. There's also a chat area called - appropriately enough - 'Whispers'!
Chris Hillman fan page
"What do The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Bros., Manassas, McGuinn,
Clark and Hillman and The Desert Rose Band have in common?
Answer: Multi-talented singer/songwriter/bassist/mandolinist
and guitarist Chris Hillman."
Iona
Iona's web presence, charting their history and music since it was formed by David Fitzgerald and Dave Bainbridge in 1988. News, background, bios and much more...
Independent Records
Independent Records Limited (irl), a record label: "...primarily formed to release the best of contemporary Irish music and has already expanded to include exciting roots music from other parts of the globe."
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J-Tull.Com
The official Jethro Tull website, with contributions from
Ian Anderson and other band members, news, diary entries, features and
media presentations about albums.
Lucy Kaplanski - Official Website
Lucy Kaplansky came from the Greenwich
Village folk scene, making her mark singing with Shawn Colvin
and recording with artists such as Suzanne Vega
and Nanci Griffith. "She gets to the heart of a song, touching listeners and leaving them wanting more."
Leeds Music Scene
Excellent resource website for bands and live music centred around Leeds UK.
Levellers
The Official Levellers Web Site: "Here you'll find a mindfield of Levellers merchandise, news and more!!!"
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Virginia MacNaughton
"For singer-songwriter Virginia MacNaughton, truth, and its effect on relationships, is at the core of all her material. ... If Suzanne Vega is art house, Virginia is public house. She's no less articulate than Suzanne (whose work she likes a lot), just a lot more meaningful." - Jim Gillan, Songbook issue one, Autumn 2003.
Mad Dogs And Englishmen
Official Website of Mad Dogs and Englishmen, an acoustic trio formed in
2000, featuring Gary Miller and Glenn Miller of The Whisky Priests and
Joseph Porter of Blyth Power.
Mad Fiddler
Electric violinist with K-Passa and Tricks Upon Travellers, Mark Knight's personal homepage.
The Medicine Show
"The Medicine Show is broadcast from the beautiful fishing village of Ullapool to the West Highlands and Islands of Scotland courtesy of Loch Broom FM. The show each week is streamed on The Medicine Music Web Site. Medicine Music tends a trail for Songwriters in The Highlands and takes The Medicine Show on the Road around Europe."
The Men They Couldn't Hang
"The Men They Couldn't Hang began their career in 1984, appearing at a number of alternative country music festivals. They followed-up their live performances with the release of a cover version of Eric Bogle's 'Green Fields Of France', which soon became a big hit on the UK Indie charts. ... At the height of their career, TMTCH recorded the brilliant 'Domino Club' (1990)... Unfortunately, this appeared to be their last studio album - shortly after the following tour, TMTCH disbanded. ... Much to the delight of their fans, TMTCH reunited in 1996. ... Their most recent releases, 'Six Pack EP' (1997) and the 'Best Of' collection, 'Majestic Grill' (1998) are the next steps forward for the Men in their long and illustrious history...."
Movinmusic R'n'B Guide
"The Movinmusic/Digital Blues Radio Blues and Rn'B Regional Blues Gig Search. Movinmusic, in partnership with Ashwyn Smyth and his Digital Blues radio show on PhoenixFM, has developed a unique regional blues gig guide which may well have details of great gigs in your neck of the woods."
Oysterband
The Official Oysterband Website, including 'The F-Word' fanzine: "As you may have noticed,
Oysterband are interested in more than just playing good music.
They tend to live and breathe what they're doing, they get involved, they get steamed up.
So if you're interested in the band's personal take on the world, here,
in the aptly-named F-Word, is where you'll find it."
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
"With eight albums selling over two million records and worldwide hits like 'Jackie Blue' and 'If You Want To Get To Heaven' the Ozark Mountain Daredevils have come a long way from the Missouri bars and porches where their music was born. It all began for the Daredevils in 1971 when a collection of singer songwriters from the Springfield area put together a band as an outlet for their songwriting. ... [The band] continues to build their audience through records and touring across the U.S. and Canada, performing for their large cult following."
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Jacqui McShee's Pentangle
In the late 1960's, the original Pentangle was formed, comprised of
Jacqui McShee, John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox.
The band's distinctive style fused folk and jazz influences.
Jacqui McShee began her
own new incarnation of the band in 1995 with Gerry Conway and
Spencer Cozens, recording the album 'About Thyme'...
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Stackridge
"Welcome to the home of all things Stackridgean. There's plenty of info here
to while away a wet Wednesday ... and all the recordings - old and new - are
available on CD for you to purchase from the merch page.
And now ... without more ado ... Come on in to find out more ...."
Stormcock
'Stormcock' is Paul Davison's unmoderated mailing list run from
this site. The website itself "allows a forum for Harper fans the world
over to receive news, talk about Roy and Nick's music, and explore
a wide ranging list of topics."
StrawbsWeb
Folk / folk rock / progrock band The Strawbs may have disappeared from the
mainstream music charts in the late '70's / early '80's, but they still
tour regularly for their fanbase, and demand for
their distinctive style and sound has developed a thriving cottage industry
around the band and its members, past and present. This website - designed
and owned by Dick Greener, a personal friend of the band - is a real hub
of their fan community. Chock full of Strawbs goodies, from news and recent
gig reviews, to historical and musicological facts and features, to album
and merchandise sales info and more...
Judie Tzuke
Judie Tzuke web presence, containing her history, tour dates and news, merchandise etc...
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Vinyl Tap
Vinyl Tap is: "an online rare record shop for record
collecting, specialising in buying/selling rare collectables of CD's, vinyl,
promos, hard to find out of date rarities and music memorabilia."
Vixen Records
"Vixen Records is an independent record label in Scotland and the
official website for Allie Fox, British singer-songwriter and
acoustic guitarist, whose acclaimed CD Diving for Pearls has
been described as '...a beautiful debut album.' (Mojo)
and '...a really exceptional release' (Music Week)."
Waterbug
American singer-songwriter/folk label.
The Whisky Priests
"The Whisky Priests is the musical project of twin brothers Gary and Glenn Miller,
who founded this legendary 5-piece group in 1985, when they were teenagers.
The Whisky Priests are now an established recording and live act, with a huge
international loyal cult following, nine critically acclaimed albums and well
over a thousand live performances, including more than 100 festival appearances,
plus TV and radio shows throughout Europe to their credit."
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Yothu Yindi
"Yothu Yindi hail from the Yolngu (Aboriginal) homelands on
the north-east coast of Australia's Northern Territory. A country
the Yolngu have occupied and protected for perhaps 40,000 years or more.
The Yolngu members of the band celebrate their deep spiritual
connections with the land, connections that are kept alive through
song and dance and ceremony, public aspects of which are found within the
band's recordings and live performances."
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