This is a montage of Baskery, performing a two hour set at the 'Luckenbach Festival' in Texas, U.S.A (more info here.. luckenbachtexas.com) Those three Swedish sisters look like they rocked the locals with their high tempo punky take on American country and roots music. What a cracking venue for a chilled out gig, taking in the vibes in the sun with a cool beer in your hand, all set against the backdrop of what looks like the local store from 'The Little House On The Prairie' It looks like a good time was had by all...
Many thanks to Matt Bynum for alerting me to his handiwork, it makes a pleasant change to see a nifty bit of film footage of a band, that's smoothly shot, high res and jolly smartly edited, rather than the usual shaky grainy mobile murky view of the backs of people's heads, which is unfortunately the norm on YouTube these days.
Baskery - Selected highlights - live at Luckenbach Texas on September 5 2009.
Directed by Matt Bynum, check out his camerawork at mattbynumfilms
Gig List
Baskery are coming the end of a long year of international touring, so American and U.K fans, you have missed your chance to catch them this time round, but the hoedown continues to roll out in Denmark!
Oct 14 2009 Heming, Denmark Fermaten
Oct 15 2009 Kolding, Denmark Godset
Oct 16 2009 Esbjerg, Denmark Tobakken
Oct 17 2009 Grenaa, Denmark Pavillionen
Oct 18 2009 Odense, Denmark Dexter
www.baskery.com/
http://www.myspace.com/baskery
http://www.verandarecords.com/
http://www.youtube.com/verandarecords
http://www.youtube.com/user/mattbynumfilms
Showing posts with label Country. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country. Show all posts
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Baskery - Live Review
Date: Thursday 05th February 09 Location: Southampton U.K Venue: Joiners Arms Scratchy's resident folk expert Morris Chancer had put out the word that this was a show worth checking out. There was a a good turnout at the legendary earthy venue, considering the midweek slot and the intermittent sleet and rain outside. Those who made the effort, were rewarded with a thrilling set from these Swedish trio of sisters known as Baskery, who put in a thigh slapping, high energy burst of music described as 'killbilly' 'banjo punk' and 'mud-country' However you describe it, the effect warmed the chilly bones of the enthralled audience.
Greta Bondesson manages to play six-stringed banjo, tambourine, kick, snare, harmonica and sing some vocals sometimes all at once, it's an impressive feat of musicianship for sure. Sunniva attacks her acoustic guitar with intensity whilst holding the primary vocal duties and Stella grapples with the Double bass with aplomb and completes the vocal duties. Together, they served their musical apprenticeship in in a family band, forming The Slaptones in 1999, with their father on drumming duties. They signed to EMI, released two albums, 'Simplify' in 2003 and 'Amplify' in 2004, as well as touring the U.S.A.
In 2006 they streamlined the band to the three piece and acquired the Baskery moniker and have released a debut album called 'Fall Among Thieves' on the independent Veranda label. The sessions were guided by the expertise of Lasse Mårtén (Lykke Li, Pink, Peter Bjorn & John etc) at Decibel Studios in Stockholm. The focus was to recreate the energy of the live performances by capturing the songs "live" in the studio in a couple of takes without the need for overdubs, if possible. Baskery are essentially a living breathing live band, who function best in front of a crowd, that appreciate charged up traditional music.
These girls are, in truth, a bit of a marketing team dream, with a photogenic image combining with a confident stage manner built from ten years of gigging under their belts and a lifetime of sibling interaction to draw from. Their sound conjures up an image of Throwing Muses doing Johnny Cash songs with a chirp towards the Dixie Chicks. The three way harmonies brought to my mind, the sirens in the river scene from the film Oh Brother Where Art Thou, with Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris performing a sultry 'Didn't Leave Nobody but The Baby' but cranked up to top speed in a perky punk style. They head out to the States for a short tour. Just as The Rolling Stones took their influences from traditional American blues, back in the early 1960's, then sent back a souped up version to it's homeland, Baskery are set to do the same, this time though it's the Swedish invasion...
Last night's result: Swedes 3 - Turnips 1derful night
(with apologies to The Sun headline writers and Graham Taylor)
Baskery - Veranda Records - Promo Piece
In 2006 they streamlined the band to the three piece and acquired the Baskery moniker and have released a debut album called 'Fall Among Thieves' on the independent Veranda label. The sessions were guided by the expertise of Lasse Mårtén (Lykke Li, Pink, Peter Bjorn & John etc) at Decibel Studios in Stockholm. The focus was to recreate the energy of the live performances by capturing the songs "live" in the studio in a couple of takes without the need for overdubs, if possible. Baskery are essentially a living breathing live band, who function best in front of a crowd, that appreciate charged up traditional music.These girls are, in truth, a bit of a marketing team dream, with a photogenic image combining with a confident stage manner built from ten years of gigging under their belts and a lifetime of sibling interaction to draw from. Their sound conjures up an image of Throwing Muses doing Johnny Cash songs with a chirp towards the Dixie Chicks. The three way harmonies brought to my mind, the sirens in the river scene from the film Oh Brother Where Art Thou, with Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris performing a sultry 'Didn't Leave Nobody but The Baby' but cranked up to top speed in a perky punk style. They head out to the States for a short tour. Just as The Rolling Stones took their influences from traditional American blues, back in the early 1960's, then sent back a souped up version to it's homeland, Baskery are set to do the same, this time though it's the Swedish invasion...
Last night's result: Swedes 3 - Turnips 1derful night
(with apologies to The Sun headline writers and Graham Taylor)
Baskery - Veranda Records - Promo Piece
Baskery - One Horse Down - from 'Fall among Thieves'
Tours Dates
Feb 16 2009 New York, USA Rodeo Bar
Feb 18-22 2009 Memphis, USA Folk Alliance Conference website
Feb 22 2009 Nashville, USA 3rd and Lindsley website
Mar 28 2009 Bonn, Germany Rockpalast-Crossroads
May 30 2009 Beverungen, Germany O.B.S. Festival
May 31 2009 Beverungen, Germany
Tours Dates
Feb 16 2009 New York, USA Rodeo Bar
Feb 18-22 2009 Memphis, USA Folk Alliance Conference website
Feb 22 2009 Nashville, USA 3rd and Lindsley website
Mar 28 2009 Bonn, Germany Rockpalast-Crossroads
May 30 2009 Beverungen, Germany O.B.S. Festival
May 31 2009 Beverungen, Germany
Monday, 15 December 2008
Hamnavoe Scottish Dance Band
What did comedy curmudgeon Victor Meldrew do before he settled into an endearingly grumpy "I don't belieeeve it" routine of light family television sitcom farce in One Foot In The Grave?
Well, the storyline has it that he was prematurely retired from his job as a security guard, replaced by an automated machine. However, the Hamnavoe Scottish Dance Band have provided the answer with their (slightly out of focus) front cover of the vinyl release 'Going To An Orkney Barn Dance' produced by Jim Johnston and issued back in 1973 on Grampian Records, based in Wick, Caithness, Scotland.
He was in a traditional Sottish folk band. There he is, sitting in the front row on the left, looking non too plussed, despite getting to sit next to the bonny lass. He looks like someone who was left with cold porridge leftovers for breakfast and as the others appear to be having a fine old time of it, even though it looks as though they've been standing next to that semi- derelict building for hours in sub zero temperatures.
Well, the storyline has it that he was prematurely retired from his job as a security guard, replaced by an automated machine. However, the Hamnavoe Scottish Dance Band have provided the answer with their (slightly out of focus) front cover of the vinyl release 'Going To An Orkney Barn Dance' produced by Jim Johnston and issued back in 1973 on Grampian Records, based in Wick, Caithness, Scotland.
He was in a traditional Sottish folk band. There he is, sitting in the front row on the left, looking non too plussed, despite getting to sit next to the bonny lass. He looks like someone who was left with cold porridge leftovers for breakfast and as the others appear to be having a fine old time of it, even though it looks as though they've been standing next to that semi- derelict building for hours in sub zero temperatures.
"A barn dance is any kind of dance held in a barn, but usually involves traditional or folk music with traditional dancing. Folk dancing events are often also referred to as "barn dances", despite being held in locations other than barns"
"A barn dance can be a Ceilidh, with traditional Irish or Scottish dancing, and people unfamiliar with either format often confuse the two terms. However, a barn dance can also feature square dancing, Morris dancing, Contra dancing,English country dancing, dancing to Country and western music, or any other kind of dancing, often with a live band and a caller" sourced from Wikipedia
For those of you who have never had the opportunity to go to a barn dance, it's a rambunctious run through lots of traditional music at a community event, with plenty of dancing, eating and drinking and can be tremendous fun as long as you don't mind making a bit of a fool of yourself as you mess up the dance routines and step on other people's feet. I don't know how different the Orkney versions of barn dances are to others, but I suspect that this band played at most of the one's held in that region during the early Seventies.
The band members credited on the back covers are Jack Yorston on accordion, Elaine Wilson on fiddle, Alan Drever on piano, Jackie Miller on Guitar, Arthur Sinclair on bass guitar and William Marwick on drums. They were based in Stromness in Orkney and had been going for about four years, when they cut this platter. I haven't managed to uncover any other extra information on the interweb, so any further snippets would be appreciated. My hunch, is that the cheerily challenged fellow is accordion playing Jack, who arranged the songs as well.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
The Stoneman Family
When I sit out on the veranda looking out over the prairie, whilst flobbing my chewing baccy into the spit bucket, I think of the joys of taking a punt on a band that I've never heard of and coming up trumps. Now I like a bit of authentic country roots music but it's a genre I'm not overly familiar with and so buying blind in a chazzer raid gives me a chance to explore this avenue further. Two albums caught my eye recently, namely The Stoneman Family 'Live' and The Stonemans 'In All Honesty' I was delighted to find that these are chock full of banjo picking from one of America's foremost families of bluegrass/country music. Ernest 'Pop' Stoneman recorded hundreds of songs and performed with six of his 23 children as the aforementioned The Stoneman Family. His reputation for playing traditional material put him on the map alongside The Carter Family.
After his death in 1968, his children carried on with more contemporary vibe including covering John Fogerty tunes to good effect. I particulary like the cover photograph on 'Honesty' where they have a Haight-Ashbury clashing with Dollywood image. This is recommended if you loved the 'O Brother Where Art Thou' film soundtrack and appreciate authentic American folk music.
Watch a fab version of 'Goin up Cripple Creek' here.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsRgZRjJfts
Listen to tracks from 'In All Honesty' here.. http://www.boomkat.com/artist.cfm?a=16749
Good discography here.. http://www.lpdiscography.com/s/Stonemans/stonemans.htm
Details of O Brother Where Art Thou
Reviews of Anthology Of American Folk Music
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Bobbie Gentry
Happy New Year and may 2008 be full of lovely fresh musical delights. One of my last finds of 2007 was 60's/70's singer Bobbie Gentry. For some reason I had never bothered to investigate her back catalogue before.. perhaps I assumed that she was too middle of the road. However, I picked up 'Way Down South' on Music For Pleasure which seems to be the U.K release of her second album 'The Delta Sweete' and what a little belter it was to. She possesses a dusky voice that can knock out a southern delta stomp with aplomb. This is earthy country music in the best sense of the genre and despite the dodgy production values of my copy (it sounds like it's been mastered off an 8track player (( kids ask yer grandparents)) the quality still shines through. Now I just need to track down the rest of her recording career and I'll be sorted..
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