Fiddles on Friday XI

Todays fiddler is awardwinning Jeremy Kittel

Kittel was born in Michigan, where he grew up alternating between classical training and various fiddle camps and music festivals, experiences he sees as more than just inspirational. “There’s such an honesty in those places,” he says, “an honesty in everyone’s love for music. And there’s a real lack of ego, more than I’ve experienced in any environment I’ve been in. It’s an amazing scene to be a part of.” Those fiddle festivals influenced his music style of course and the proof is in the pudding so let's listen to "Remember Blake" from his latest album "Chasing Sparks"

As you can hear, Jeremy is one of the foremost among a new breed of fiddlers and violinists who easily navigate a multitude of musical styles and traditions. Some of his recent exploits include: performing as a world-class jazz improviser in the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet; leading his namesake group, the Jeremy Kittel Band, co-arranging and recording strings for rock band My Morning Jacket‘s latest record, performing at Bonnaroo & Telluride Bluegrass Festival with singer-songwriter Abigail Washburn; and teaching internationally as one of the world’s leading Scots-Irish fiddlers. Here we can see him at work with his own band

And here's the song "Disconnect" also from his album "Chasing sparks", enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Thunder on Thursday X

This items getting more and more followers, nice to get some feedback. Today it's up to John Coffey to give us the raw and deafening noise we need on a thundersday.

John Coffey is a character from the Green Mile (you know, the big black guy) but it's also a Dutch punkrock/post-hardcoreband. John Coffey is influenced by bands such as Refused, Every Time I Die and The Ghost of a Thousand. In september this year their second album called "Bright Companions" was released by the German music label Redfield Records. And it's a killer! But first take a look at the beautiful video from the second single of this album "Featherless Redheads" On their album "Bright Companions" they start with "Announce" and it's a hard but nice way to get attention with such an announce :). By the way, they partly could make this album with the help of their fans, In 2011 they completed a fundraising campaign. Another nice way to get attention is the fact that the first 1000 editions of their debut album Vanity (2009) were pierced with a bullit...now thats what i like.

Here's the soundcloud link to the full "Bright Companions", enjoy this thundersday!

Warm Wednesday IX

It could be a lot worser because the 3 sisters of HAIM are giving us a warm wednesday today :)

Haim is Danielle Haim (vocals, lead guitar), Alana Haim (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion), Este Haim (vocals, bass)and don't forget the drummer Dash Hutton. They are from Los Angeles and that sunny LA sound is a strong influence in their music It's a bit of R&B, a bit of folk and a lot of 80's pop... think Cyndi Lauper meets Destiny's Child or Gloria Estefan meets En Vogue. They were the talk of SXSW and since then it's going hard with them. Not bad for a band with just one EP on their shelve. Their debut EP is called "Forever" and it's also the title of their single, here's your warm wednesday video Here is the soundcloud link to 4 tracks of the forever EP and a bonus track a remix of Forever by Dan Lissvik, enjoy!

Tuesdays got Talent IX

Were back! and todays talent is Square Attic
 

Square Attic is a Dutch band consisting of: Alwi Kruize, Randy Schilder, Tommie Janssen and Roy Laane. Formed in 2008 on a dusty attic, between lots of old boxes, all with a story. Those stories are transformed and translated into nice uplifting popsongs. Nice guitar riffs going well together with the driving drum and on top of it all Alwi's beautiful voice, sometimes they remind me a bit of "The Doves" Here's the soundcloud link to their second EP "Daily Stories". Here's the video of "Bring Me Home"

Misty Monday IX

Today its really misty over here. So a perfect day for Lau Nau

Lau Nau or Laura Naukkarinen, (born 1980) is a singer-songwriter and musician from Helsinki, Finland. She is also a member of free improv and psych folk bands Kiila, Päivänsäde, the Anaksimandros, Avarus, Maailma, and the trio Hertta Lussu Ässä formed by fellow acid folk singer-songwriters Islaja and Kuupuu. She's credited as playing anything from "colorful juice glasses" and "witch laugh megaphone" to "beer cans". Lau Nau lives in the Finnish countryside of Kimito island with her husband and two sons. Overall you can say it's mesmerizing and tantalizing folk/ethnic music. First lets take a look to an older song she made, called "Painovoimaa valoa" from her 2008 album "Nukkuu" (Finnish for Sleep). Nice monday song isn't it? Her new album "VALOHIUKKANEN" is released a week ago via Fonal, here you can hear 3 songs from the 9 track album, I love the strings in the song "Valolle" Here's the video of the more uptempo song "Kuoleman tappajan kuolema"
 

Fiddles on Friday X

Our fiddler of today is Bertrand Déraspe

Bertrand is a fiddler from the Magdalan Islands (part of the Canadian province of Quebec), he was born in Point-aux-Loups and works as a lobster fisherman when not busy fiddling. He inherited a large répertoire of Acadian and "madelinots" tunes from his father, Arnold Deraspe and other Acadian fiddlers. First lets take a look at a video found on youtube. Here you see Bertrand playing some old tunes with his father on the kitchen table, I love it. He demonstrates how Madelinots fiddlers have a different bow stroke than Cape Breton fiddlers. The Madelinot fiddlers, who were mostly fishermen with calloused hands and sometimes missing fingers, would tend to play with less notes and more rhythm :) Bertrand started playing fiddle when he was 4 years old and was already playing for weddings when he was 6. He has been a member of various music groups, including Suroit, Les Clapotis, and Vent'arrière. He recorded a solo album called "Mes Racines" (my roots). From that Album the title track "Mes Racines" Here you can see him at work with a young fiddler Whilst searching for Bertrand videos and music files I also found the brothers Deraspe, or Les Frères Dèraspe, I have got a hunch that they are relatives or even the sons of Bertrand, but my French is "miserable" so it's a wild guess and please correct me if I'm wrong or if you got more info. And finally here's a compilation of songs by Bertrand and relatives, enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Thunder on Thursday IX

Today its "For Today" day :)

Metalcore band For Today is Mattie Montgomery (lead vocals) – Ryan Leitru (lead guitar, vocals) – Brandon Leitru (bass) - Michael Reynolds (rhythm guitar) – David Puckett (drums, percussion), they were formed in 2005 and origin from Sioux City, Iowa oh ...and they are a Christian group. Although I'm not religious, I am not a lyrics man but more a music man so it's okay by me. And their music is great and "Thundersday" worthy. They have a very dedicated and loyal fanbase, screaming or grunting every word from a to z. In may they released their fourth album called "Immortal" under the Razor and Tie label. Lets listen to the opening track(s) "The King" a very nice spooky violin combined with samples and nice soft guitarpicking, slowly building up to a crescendo and to the next song "Fearless" where they blow your socks off. okay so we are wake now? Then it's time for "Foundation" Here you can listen to the entire album, sorry it's a youtube link but soundcloud nor bandcamp has a stream to offer, still.. enjoy.

Warm Wednesday IX

It will be such a warm wednesday that it's safe to have
 "The First Aid Kit" within reach.

The First Aid Kit is a Swedish Folk duo composed of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg. They started writing songs in 2007, songs with close vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk/country-influenced sounds. They also remind me of the "Secret Sisters". Last Januari they released their album "The Lion's Roar" with some beautiful heartwarming songs packed with beautiful harmonies and wheeping lapguitar hooks like "Emmylou" And here you can hear the song "Wolf" with a native American feeling And to end this warm wednesday here's the title track
"The Lion's Roar" and a selection of other new & old First Aid Kit songs

Tuesdays got Talent VIII

Today its Maths Time Joy in the talent issue. Maths Time Joy is an anagram of Timothy James

Maths Time Joy is a 22 year old producer/singer-songwriter from the UK. Yesterday he released the EP "Hideaway" and it's a beauty. Soft electronic beats, nice relaxed flow, pitched vocal samples.. layer on layer but still with enough room in the mix so it's not cramped....it could be a nice misty monday artist :) Here's the opening track "Let Go" And here's the Title track "Hideaway" And for the visualy orientated people this is the song "Walk With Me" released in september...yes he likes to produce :) and to end with the last track from Hideaway "Always"

Misty Monday VIII

Today its up to the Danish group Efterklang to give us the misty mondayfeeling we need after this weekend.

Efterklang is a Danish group formed in 2000 by Casper Clausen, Mads Christian Brauer and Rasmus Stolberg. They are known for their beautiful orchestrated songs often starting with a little minimal pattern and build up to a a crescendo with trumpets, horns, strings, choirs and drums. Listen for example to "Modern Drift" from the album Magic Chairs (2010). Last september they released their 10 track album "Piramida" . Here's the openingtrack "Hollow Mountain". And here's "Apples". And to end with, one of my favourite songs, also from their album Magic Chairs, "I was playing drums"

Fiddles on Friday IX

And again a loopminded fiddleplayer like my hero Andrew Bird, and this time its artist Kishi Bashi

photo by Monica McGivern

Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym of singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter K (Kaoru) Ishibashi (born November 4, 1975). Born in Seattle, Washington, but growing up predominantly on the east coast in Norfolk, Virginia. Ishibashi has recorded with and toured internationally as a violinist with diverse artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and most recently, the Athens, Georgia based indie rock group of Montreal. Ishibashi is also the singer and founding member of the New York synth rock outfit, Jupiter One. In 2011, he started to record and perform as a solo artist. In that year he also released his debut EP "Room For dream" and in april this year he released his 9 track album "151A" with 2 old songs from his EP (Manchester + Bright Whites) But first let's take a look at his live performance for the Tiny Desk Sessions on NPR radio where he demonstrates his loopstation & fiddle skills. Here's the soundcloud link to 3 tracks from 151a, enjoy your weekend and see you back on Misty monday.

Thunder on Thursday VIII

Okay we're back and fasten your safety belts for METZ

Photo by Colin Medley

Metz is a French city with irritating one-way tracks so you can't reach the cathedral or center, luckily METZ is also a Toronto rock trio with Alex Edkins, Hayden Menzies and Chris Slorach. "They play like one brutally heavy instrument with three heads" is a phrase about them and its true. They have developed a reputation for head-splitting live performances and released the album "Metz" october this year. So..are you ready??? Here's their song "Wet Blanket" Warmed up enough? Then let's get on to the full album..here's Metz with Metz

Warm Wednesday VIII

Were back in business and today Daughn Gibson is giving us the warmth we need.

 (photo via www.tellallyourfriendspr.com)

I told you earlier that I like to compare voices with materials, Placebo for example has got an aluminium voice and Jonathan Jeremiah an oak one. Daughn Gibsons voice is a Red Cedar for me (like Ian Curtis) but a real big old Red Cedar :).  He released the LP "All Hell" april this year at the White Denim label and its a beauty. Nice build up songs with electronic beats, spheric soundscapyish synths all dressed up with his warm voice. Reminds me also of James Blake. Anyway, it's all well Daughn! Listen for example to the song  "Reach into the Fire"
Daugh Gibson grew up in Nazareth, Pennsylvania which was an hour and a half from New York, and an hour and a half from Philly. So bands that were touring came through one way or another. He got to see stuff people in other small towns didn't, like Wesley Willis. Daughn couldn't have asked for a better place to grow up and be into music. Here's a soundcloud link to the song "In the Beginning" And one of my favourites "Tiffany Lou".

Fiddles on Friday VIII

Today it's up to Wim Baeck to give us some shivers.

Wim Baeck from Belgium started playing the violin at the age of 7. Later on he went to study the art of painting at St-Lukas in Brussels, Belgium. And he became familiar with sculpting and goldsmith's art. Eventually he found a way to bring together his several passions: becoming a violin maker. He followed classes and internships in Belgium and Norway. Besides building violins he is still very active in the music scene. He teaches violin at the Muziekpublique Academy and is a part of the music group Balacordes together with Tristan Driessens. In this video where he plays the song "Joot" on a self made hardanger fiddle (Norwegian violin) with gut strings which at the end of the tune suffered from the heat of the spots :) Here he is playing with his band Sourdine. which unfortunately ceases to exist. Its a compilation of songs. Enjoy and have a nice weekend.

Thunder on Thursday VII

"Do you wanna fight? Fight me!" Famous words Bruce Lee spoke and `Bruce Lee´ is the opening track of the new album
 "Civil Disobedience for Losers" from Indian Handcrafts

photo credit: Brad Conrad 
Indian Handcrafts is a Canadian (Toronto) Rockduo with drummer/vocalist Brandyn James Aikins and guitarist/vocalist Daniel Brandon Allen. The fresh released album (oct.30th) was recorded in Los Angeles last March with Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business, Red Sparowes). Impressively, the press release explains that guitarist/vocalist Daniel Brandon Allen delivered the album's heavy riffery with a broken hand!!
"The doctor said if you go and record then it´s your problem if it gets worse," Allen said in a statement. "It was a little painful some days, but because of being there in the surroundings it was easy to get around that. It healed fine." If you ask me I don´t hear any modest or demure riff.. so be glad that his hand was injured otherwise our ears probably were :) Enjoy the complete album here and here´s some live footage from the duo that sounds like a hundred bands :) here´s the song (track 2) `Red Action´