Itasca – Grace Riders on the Road

I hardly ever post something where the full tracklist isn’t available to listen, but the 6 tracks that are on this one are sooo good, particularly the experimental one at number 6 but I love whole caboodle. I’m even tempted to buy it on payday, despite the fact I hardly ever buy stuff where I haven’t heard the whole thing first but, as I say, these are just sooo good.

This is described on the page as the solo project of Kayla Cohen, so maybe she’s also involved in some other projects though a very lazy google search just now yielded no results (I’m an information professional, I am. Really).

So it’s largely a lady and acoustic guitar, really chilled, reminds me personally of Nick Drake in guitar style. I have heard music of some of the names mentioned on the review quoted on the page but I can’t actually bring them to mind so I don’t know whether they are also accurate descriptors, inasmuch as anything descriptive can do justice to the ineffable. I mean, how do you describe a language using a different language? But anywho, if chilled acoustic music with an experimental vibe sounds like your thing then give this a whirl. It is particularly appropriate for a Sunday, for it was last Sunday afternoon when I heard Milk Tea on a show on NTS.

As I type this, I’m listening to her first release and it is proper experimental, addled tape music, not at all like this. But I’m strongly liking that too.

Haress – Ghosts

Haress are a bit good. Their wonderful debut album has been a regular on the Soundbergs Stereo since I bought it at the beginning of the pandemic so I was very pleased when they decided to be one of those bands that do more than one album. Even better, it’s all paranormal and shit; at least, the stories they tell of its recording are. Not really listened to the lyrics that closely yet.

As someone who likes well written words and even tries to write them well at times, I oddly don’t pay much attention to lyrics. Not initially, anyway. It might be because my favourite music is all about transportation of the spirit, so I get lost in transporting my spirit with the music. Haress are really good at making music that aids that thing.

Here’s hoping they decide to be one of those bands that make a third album.

18th Day Of May – self titled

Now, we all know that Assumption is the Mother of all Fuck-ups. However, piqued as I am by unusual artist names, I find myself assuming that they probably formed on an 18th of May. Otherwise, why that day in particular? Unless they pulled a date out of a hat. Depends if they have a hat. Most people have hats. I have a hat. Actually, 3. I count a baseball cap as a hat. Otherwise its 2.

They’re no longer active as an artist. I wonder if the date they decided to not be active – if decided they did – was the same, or different? Or did they pull that out of a hat as well? These are important questions!

Should you feel the need for something mellower after Banshee, this is your thang. Not unlike the equally intriguingly named Trimdon Grange Explosion.

If you’re going to buy from Bandcamp…

…buy today. I’ve released my ‘thou shalt not buy anything non-essential’ shackles just enough to buy the Haress album.

Bandcamp is foregoing their usual cut to help artists, see.

I will shortly be working from home, which does have some positives. The one big one is that I can catch up on some of the almost infinite amount of music out there that is really worth listening to, which is more than I can imagine.

I could invite you to go through my post history for some wonderful music, and indeed you have that option. But, you know what? Use serendipity. Find something by just looking round. And tell me what it is; I might even get a chance to listen to it.

Be not afraid, and look out for each other. Compassion should be your go-to state of being. We’ve got this.

 

 

Meadowsilver (self titled)

A younger me would probably have reacted with disbelief at the thought that folky music would end up comprising so many very favourite releases as my life went on, although hopefully said younger self would have had the sense to imagine the gradual opening of the mind, both musical and otherwise (well, the one usually insists on the other following it).

So Meadowsilver join with Espers, Horse Cult, Laughing Eye Weeping Eye, Haress, The Iditarod, etc in making really good folk inspired hypnosis. I like being in a trance.

It may be that they or some of them used to be The Hare and The Moon, not an artist I was previously familiar with so I’ll probably hunt and listen at some point.

 

Rokurokubi – Saturn in Pisces

This album so makes me wish I had the money to buy it, it’s wonderful. Maybe it’s time to try out this St. Expedite lark? Would need to learn to make pound cakes. What even is a pound cake?

Haress

This is unbelievably good psychedelic folk, for want of a better term. There’s elements of americana in some of the tracks and most of the reference points I can think of are probably US based, but Haress is based in Shropshire. Also, someone from Hey Colossus plays somewhere on this album and I fancy I can hear that influence but maybe I is trying too hard. Lurgee still lurking, see.

The artist picture they use at the top of their bandcamp page is well good, too.