ILX Gonna Shine in My Backdoor Someday (new post-Fahey folk for ppl posting in Takoma/Tompkins Square threads Pt II)

Lots of new releases lately but other thread getting big and unwieldy and a resource hog. So! New thread for weird Fahey-esque instrumental folk guitar.

What did we have so far this year? Highlights for me:

William Tyler- Lost Colony (the kraut-country thing gets me going)
Steve Gunn- Way Out Weather
Nathan Bowles- Nansemond
Chris Forsyth- Intensity Ghost (think overall I liked Solar Motel better but I'm glad this one seems to be taking off)
Tashi Dorji- S/T

Seems like a lot of these folks made it into the limelight this year! And new Six Organs looks to be a monster.

Can we keep the Youtube embedding to a minimum in this incarnation? You can prevent them from embedding by having "https:" as opposed to just "http:" in the URL

thank you! I'll post a link on the old one unless someone does it first

am I correct that the Tashi Dorji S/T is older stuff compiled? really liked the new EP on Bandcamp page.

re: Richard Dawson, was gonna say that I hear a lot of Bill Orcutt's influence/style in his playing, anybody else? (sorry if this was noted previously)

― some kind of terrible IDM with guitars (sleeve), Saturday, December 13, 2014 11:41 AM

also ppl were talking about richard dawson, don't want to derail!

lol no worries there

doing some EOY catchup and I am not feeling this Steve Gunn at all, threadban me if you must

liked the Solar Motel (2 tracks on Spotify), really liked the new Tashi Dorji EP.

am I correct that the Tashi Dorji S/T is older stuff compiled?
yeah, pulled from several years' worth of cassette iirc. kind of a "greatest hits," i guess. he really is great, seems to get better every time i play his stuff.

sleeve - yeah a ton of orcutt & not to be super cynical but he seems to be getting a lot of praise from ppl I don't get the sense really know Orcutt

But i do like him

I just think it's a little like how when I finally heard gang of four reissues after growing up a fugazi fan

Oh hey folks.

Sleeve, that Gunn record definitely is a very specific kind of cool to me, I get why it wouldn't appeal to you. It is mostly very low-key and its charms can be extremely subtle, but I have personally found it to be deep and varied enough that I return to it pretty frequently. Maybe it'll grow on you, but it is definitely a song-based record that doesn't try to push the musicality as far as a lot of records touched on in this thread (and many of Gunn's other records do).

yeah i was actually wondering recently what I would think of gunn's latest if it was the first record of his I had heard. the context of his gradual development into a more straight-ahead singer-songwriter adds some flavor I think (if that makes sense). love the latest but at the same time, i hope he hasn't left behind his more avant leanings -- those gunn-truscinski records are still my faves out of everything he's done.

hey i have a question -- how do you pronounce cian of the name cian nugent?

rather how does one pronounce cian accurately

i thought it was like cyan but then realized it could be sean or shee-an or idk what and i would like to know

Kee An

i thought it was just pronounced "sean" for years though.

Like Ian preceded with a /k/ ?
Good to know! I have been meaning to ask this question for months.

yes, exactly!

haha apparently lots of blog posters and show hosters feel the need to lay this to rest too:
http://i61.tinypic.com/vgmyht.png

The Gunn/Mike Cooper and Gunn/Gangloff records both came out this year I think, and both contain a good range of playing outside of his "Way Out Weather" mode. It will be interesting to see what side of the divide the upcoming Gunn/Black Twig Pickers record will ride, but my guess is I will dig it. Hope some of it revisits this territory though:

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Black_Twig_Pickers_and_Steve_Gunn/NATCH_1/Salted_Caramel

Global mentioned notable records from this year, and I wanna bring up Bachman's "Orange Co. Serenade". Really enjoyed it & definitely revisit it pretty frequently. Feel like he is growing and really may be just hitting his stride now, though who knows. New record on Three Lobed apparently out in April or May. Saw him Saturday night and the new songs were great, no reason not to believe that this next record will be anything other than really good.

dammit I forgot about that in my EOY listening binge this weekend, will check it out!

fwiw my introduction to Gunn was his side of the "Not The Spaces You Know..." comp, which I loved

oh yeah, shouldn't have forgotten the Daniel Bachman one! I think I've come around on that one, seems like the most cohesive release he's done so far.

Also Charlie Parr doesn't usually fit in this thread but he did a release this year that definitely does. It's called Hollandale- some really nicely recorded exploratory fingerpicked instrumentals. All on a National resonator, which sounds awesome/immense at times. Some cool sounds and textures added... anyway, may have been overlooked in this thread... It's on Spotify

Has this been shared yet? HD video of Tashi playing on WFMU, last September.

vimeo.com/wfmu/review/106853495/6f23ec5808

gamelan for guitar

awesome

Whatever he's got there on the neck is partially under certain strings and on top of others. He accidentally bumps into it at one point and it seems very loose. I thought it was a capo at first. Such crazy sounds coming out of that guitar.

Watching the video as I'm commenting, probably not the best idea. Still don't know what that is, even with the close ups.

I thought it was a hairclip, it loops round the top string.

Think Ogmor is right, looks like a large barrette, the cheap kind you can get at CVS etc.

coupla good tashi things over on the FMA: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Tashi_Dorji/

for the record here are my fave ilx-brigade kinda things of 2014. the usuals!

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band - Intensity Ghost
Nathan Bowles - Nansemond
Steve Gunn - Way Out Weather
Daniel Bachman - Orange Co. Serenade
William Tyler - Lost Colony
Tashi Dorji - s/t
Don Bikoff - Hallowed Ground
Mike & Cara Gangloff - Black Ribbon of Death, Silver Thread of Life
Alvarius B. / Sir Richard Bishop - If You Don’t Like It … Don’t!
Bill Orcutt - VDSQ
Sir Richard Bishop - VDSQ
Anthony Pasquarosa - VDSQ
Robbie Basho - Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 12 & 6
Smoke Dawson - Fiddle

more singer-songwriter-y things, but joan shelley (feat. nathan salsburg on some tracks) and ryley walker LPs are recommended too!

shit i forgot about bikoff

also you might say me and global are slightly excited about playing this show

http://first-avenue.com/event/2015/01/americanprimitive

nice!
yeah, if you ignore the bikoff cover art, it's a really nice record.

that amy in quebec track is so close to wine&roses/red pony/approaching of the disco void its almost a cover

was watching some fahey live on youtube last night...here's an 81 gig, with apparently Michael Hedges opening (sorry folks no records available didn't get pressed in time)...Fahey is being really smarmy in his banter, the set itself verges from awkward to hypnotic, found his flopping down combover hair kind of distracting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP08Y3DsJvs

this is a 2000 set, he does a lot of dicking around/joking around at the beginning, but about the 7:40 mark on he gets going and it's actually pretty cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5jXrutGt2U

We going the "https:..." route to skip embeds? Not that I don't love opening this thread to shots of Fahey at his weirdest ....

oops sorry

A leaner/meaner thread for 2015 I guess. I'll miss the Fahey gut though.

Transmissions Fest footage is new to me, awesome. I wish more people openly talked about his later work without full on the talk of "well, I don't know about this, but look at what he used to do." The only thing that I can't fully grasp is the Hitomi material, some of it is played in that Transmissions Fest video. Kinda feel like it goes down easier when you get to watch him play like that, on record is another thing. There is another noodley electric gig on youtube that actually does have a lot of syncopation; and getting to hear old styles on an electric is pretty nice. There aren't many artists that went so far in the other direction, let alone an instance where you get to watch past material with a new technique. Defiantly would rather have had Fahey do all that then not. I dig The Mill Pond lots. It's not too different than some of the stuff that is out there today. Womblife gets so zonked in parts you can't help but grin.

Loving this Glenn Jones tune, "The Teething Necklace (For John Fahey)"
xxx.youtube.com/watch?v=6qd7pWITPQQ

Couple things I put together,

John Fahey's Adelphi Sessions, the Dance of Death outtakes. Uploaded as MP3's, posted on my blog:
http://broadcastsfrompoorfarm.tumblr.com/post/105403178308/john-fahey-adelphi-sessions-the-dance-of-death

Scanned my copy of the mail order catalog from Fonotone Records, interesting curio. Includes the numerous early Fahey comps Joe Bussard curated for Fonotone.
http://broadcastsfrompoorfarm.tumblr.com/post/105401770173/fonotone-records-mail-order-catalog-pdf-booklet

I finally put together some new lapstyle material and wanted to share it here. "Blue For al-Watawit of Yashkur" sits as is, in a sorta demo state. I didn't want to forget all the new ideas I've been having, yet also told myself I wouldn't record again until I bought a nice microphone. Of course, I got impatient, so here we are. Before they find a home somewhere, I do want to properly record them.
http://raglore.com/album/blue-for-al-watawit-of-yashkur

Link for the MP3's are posted here,
http://broadcastsfrompoorfarm.tumblr.com/post/105403934713/rag-lore-blue-for-al-watawit-of

Look forward to checking this stuff out

Cool, thanks Neal! Actually already listened to your "Blue For al-Watawit of Yashkur" tracks (Mr. Avant Ghetto threw them up on twitter yesterday), really enjoyed them. First track sucked me right in, so yeah make a recording you are happy with and I am on board!

neal - or others - what microphones/mic pres do you guys use? this coming year i need to get serious about recording an album

like your new stuff neal

the only Tashi Dorji song on Spotify is a cool little curio, electronic remix featuring his guitar of a song by some psychey dude name Al Lover

http://open.spotify.com/track/2HxzI5VuTvgdbTGolZ7x7G

Thanks dudes, I have always just been using a portable digital Tascam recorder from B&H Photo that I bought a while back. It fits in your pocket so I've used it while out and walking around, but it's not a good choice for recording guitar at this point, I loved it at first bc of how much of an improvement it was over using the internal MacBook mic. I sold my two amps (+all other musical electronics) years ago during collage, which I regret now. As I would like to record traditionally with a mic and amp set up. Either using the sound hole or install a pick up. How about USB mics? Been talked about here before I think. Decent clarity from the models available now?

I think the solution is to just meet someone in town with a set up :) - that way I can avoid all of this.

I've posted things upthread recorded with the Blue Yeti (120 new but you can def find a ton of these used on ebay, got mine for 80 on craigslist)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=857749&gclid=Cj0KEQiA8MSkBRCP5LaRlcOAusMBEiQAiqldkgFeoLzZuCr_Hg1GQ03TBk1qSggFdqEqo5fQpNn1jLgaAgF98P8HAQ&is=REG&Q=&A=details

you can hear the stuff i've done, which is minimally processed, a bit EQd and maybe compressed slighty with some audicity plugin reverb on it, but overall I'd say USB mics have come a long way

of course, I'm just plotting about how I want to get a USB DAC/Mic pre unit and a better XLR mic so I suppose one is always unsatisfied.

gonna check out yr new thing neal! i've dug the rag lore things i've heard so far.
just got hipped to this thing via soft abuse's twitter -- maybe it was mentioned on the old thread? https://moonbros.bandcamp.com/album/frijolillo - kind of low-key/dreamy/fieldrecording-y/acoustic action. i like it!

Neal there is also a USB model of the Blue Spark which is supposed to be great on acoustics

neal! good to hear from you, hope you're doing well. some cool recommendations, thx too budo, will check em out

I recommend Muireann Bradley from Ireland. She records exquisite renditions of American tunes. For those of you willing to stomach a little bit of Spotify, I added her take on "Buck Dancer's Choice" to the playlist I'm working on. All straight-forward guitar stuff, one song per artist. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4fEue63jCVJ0ldhHgC4rFg?si=f85989efa7b044d5

Posting it here because there's been a lot of Daniel Bachman talk itt, really disappointing X thread from him today re: the Three Lobed label:

I really don't want to post about this but I got let go from Three Lobed Records for speaking about how $ has gotten weird in the last 3 years. Cory told me that on 11/1 my records will no longer be available through Redeye distro & all remaining inventory will be "recycled". 🧵 pic.twitter.com/jpfYqdnMv0

— Daniel Bachman (@AlmanacBehind) October 2, 2024

Really bummed to see this, I've ordered a lot from Three Lobed over the years.

can you summarize for those of us without twitter accounts? seems not good

Here's my quick summary of what he posted in that series of tweets - shortly after Axacan came out in 2021, Bachman stopped receiving regular royalty payments from Three Lobed and was met with "next month/next quarter" responses and only got tiny amounts as he really pressed the issue. It led to a lot of struggles for Bachman and since he wasn't getting any traction, he tweeted about it. In response Three Lobed completely severed their working agreement, said they won't distribute his records after November 1st and would "recycle" whatever stock they have left.

He acknowledged that they didn't have a contract, so not much he can do, but he's confused and sad about how it's evolved.

(can't load X on my work computer to directly copy text of the tweets, it's not long, but maybe someone can do that)

oof yeah that looks bad

from his IG

I really don’t want to post about this but I got let go from Three Lobed Records for speaking about how $ has gotten weird in the last 3 years. Cory told me that on 11/1 my records will no longer be available through Redeye distro & all remaining inventory will be “recycled”. 🧵

From 2015-21 I was regularly paid quarterly royalties. Sometime after my Axacan record came out (2021) I stopped receiving regular payments & when I asked about it was “next month/next quarter” with random small amounts sent to me when I pressed it. This has gone on for years.

It became a cycle of putting out a new record before I knew when Id be paid for the last, a process that led me to extreme burnout & significant mental anguish. These royalties represent a large part of my yearly income & their delay/absence has made it even harder to do my work.

When I was feeling bad about this I tweeted about it, which Cory responded to by completely terminating our working agreement. Three Lobed & I have no contract, which has made me very vulnerable, a situation I’m sure a business attorney like Cory is well aware of.

So if you’d like to buy my records from Three Lobed this may be your last chance for the foreseeable future. Cory has listed them on “sale” & whatever doesn’t get bought by 11/1 will be “recycled”. I neither have the $ or the space at our place to buy & store all of them.

All this has been very sad & confusing & Im talking about it because I feel these are workers rights issues. Overall I learned a lot & think we made some pretty good records. For now all my stuff can be found on Bandcamp/streaming services. Thanks for the interest in my work.❤️‍🔥

meet the new boss, same as the old boss

thanks omar!

that sucks i've bought a few 3 lobed records, i liked that label

but yeah the same old shit

i will say meeting the tompkins square guy was pretty enlightening he was way more early 90s NY cokehead industry guy vibes than weirdo folk collector

Re Tompkins Square guy, that really explains my last couple of experiences ordering from them!

you expected someone wearing a caftan and Birks?

just to add something to this thread that isn't gossip, I've been reading good things about the new Jesse Sheppard / Mike Gangloff / Kaily Schenker band, Universal Light. Wish they were passing through here, the last Elkhorn show I saw was spectacular, and I've always adored Black Twig Pickers

That does sound like a great trio, well worth checking out. I've been leaning more towards the psychedelic rock meltdown side of Elkhorn recently, but I've enjoyed everything they've done.

you expected someone wearing a caftan and Birks?

― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, October 2, 2024 4:42 PM (twenty-one minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

no but he was just way more slick/hustler than i would have expected i guess

but yeah i guess i expected more of a nerdy record collector type, i don't see why that expectation would seem weird given what the label is

Fair, imho. I would have expected some sort of cross between the 78 collectors in Ghost World and a younger Joe Bussard.

I was just teasing. In my admittedly limited experience, these guys very rarely look anything like you would expect! Also, pretty sure I heard that the Tompkins Square guy was an a&r for a major in the 90s and signed some crazy people, so your impression is probably spot on

Daniel has been open about not enjoying his experience with the owner of Tompkins Square.

It's been my experience that indie labels (even tiny genre-specific ones) can be just as problematic and assholish as big ones. Also, never sign with a label run by a long-time corporate lawyer - no matter how cool their releases are.

don't really want to wade in but cory at three lobed has always been spoken of highly by every artist I've talked to — he's pretty beloved! but i don't know what's going on with the daniel situation.

yeah, I guess that's why I shared it since it surprised me as well!

I'm surprised too. My gut feeling is that post-pandemic cash flow w.r.t. vinyl production is a complete clusterfuck right now even though vinyl sales have never been higher. The 3LR page shows at least 6-7 albums scheduled for release in 2024 - that's a lot for any small label to cover. In the Twitter thread, DB mentions that his records did recoup but possibly not enough to keep everything juggling correctly?

erstwhile ilxor sund4r just released a lovely new album of solo guitar compositions and improvisations

https://sund4rsubramanian.bandcamp.com/album/opening

Ooh excited to listen to sund4r’s!

It’s a pretty high profile release so folks may already be aware of it but I’m digging Yasmin Williams’ new one. Her playing is so joyous, and maximalist in a very sweet-sounding way.

Yeah it's a fine thing, that! Also she and a ton of other folks in the field (and much more besides) are on this excellent charity monster (already raised over $130K, join in!)

https://cardinalsatthewindow.bandcamp.com/album/cardinals-at-the-window-2

It's been my experience that indie labels (even tiny genre-specific ones) can be just as problematic and assholish as big ones. Also, never sign with a label run by a long-time corporate lawyer - no matter how cool their releases are.

otm. but that works both ways, and I've seen unreasonable people who have an inflated sense of their own worth try to treat shoestring DIY operations like a bank. I think, more than ever, a lot of record labels' financial situations are just as precarious as those of the artists on their roster

Oh definitely in terms of label finances. Most people who start indie labels aren’t doing it for the money and are often not professional in terms of running a business…

I recommend Muireann Bradley from Ireland. She records exquisite renditions of American tunes. For those of you willing to stomach a little bit of Spotify, I added her take on "Buck Dancer's Choice" to the playlist I'm working on. All straight-forward guitar stuff, one song per artist. Enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4fEue63jCVJ0ldhHgC4rFg?si=f85989efa7b044d5
― toycrossbow, Friday, September 27, 2024 2:28 PM

Her album is also here:
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/i-kept-these-old-blues
-along with a new EP from Bobby Lee, an advance track from the live Basho, and still all of the 2021 Basho box etc.

catching up on yasmin williams. wasn’t expecting her to go the life-affirming william tyler modern country-esque route, but it suits her nicely. powerfully emotional album

small world - i did the exact same thing last night and was mildly blown away ... i didn't take to Urban Driftwood as much as others seemed to, but her new one is terrific, imo.

cool i'll check that out, i was also in the camp that i didn't like her stuff as much as i wanted to

Barry Archie Johnson! To me he has unspeakably beautiful guitar tone and a distinct technical angle. Definitely in the pleasant and meditative sector, but with stray string bends, tons of space, and calculated fingerpicking dynamics—also he’s a wonderful flautist? First Yasmin Williams with Acadia, this is a good year for instrumental guitar imo

https://barryarchiejohnson.bandcamp.com/album/fortunes-mirror

Also throughly enjoyed the languid alpine melodies in the new French guitarist Julien Ledru’s 2023 album Mellotone Valley.

https://julienledru.bandcamp.com/album/mellotone-valley

Thanks for the recs, will check 'em out...

currently falling in love with Daisy Rickman - Howl

https://daisyrickman.bandcamp.com/album/howl

Daniel Bachman update

Really happy to be releasing my Tompkins Square records material under a new title “Where The Tide Ebbs And Flows” with all bandcamp sales going to the Madison County African American Historical Association (MCAAHA). You can read more about my intentions…

https://danielbachman.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-tide-ebbs-and-flows

this sounds cool

https://vhfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/prodigal-son

and also

https://chuckroth.bandcamp.com/album/watergh0st-songs

and also

https://deathisnot.bandcamp.com/album/reminiscences-of-raktako-huayno-guitar-from-cuzco-and-ayacucho-1930-1940

Ooo looks interesting!

ok i was not expecting this

bob drake's new ep is right up the alley of folks here

https://bdstudio.bandcamp.com/album/splendens-giganteum

this is not his usual thing, although if you're into old-timey lovecraftian furry prog-rock i do highly recommend his "usual thing" as well

new Gwenifer Raymond is really excellent

Coming two weeks later to agree with UMS: Gwenifer Raymond album rules.

Had no idea until I heard her speak that she was Welsh (not that she's got a *typical* Welsh accent but still).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36nIHPQRAsI

The first Old Saw record (Country Topics) is one of my favourite Americana/folk records in recent memory. The new one is going to be their last by all accounts. Sounding good on first listen: https://lobbyartrecs.bandcamp.com/album/the-wringing-cloth

this compilation just dropped a month ago. not all of it fits this thread but there's some overlap.

https://northernspyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/across-the-horizon-volume-i

Northern Spy Records and Bob Holmes of SUSS invited eight innovators from the wide landscape of instrumental music to curate the first volume of the Across the Horizon series, with the mission of exploration, collaboration and discovery.

MISSION STATEMENT

The “Across the Horizon” series sets the goal of bringing together a like-minded community of instrumental pioneers and encouraging them to explore beyond their normal pathways, taking them, and their fans, into previously unexplored territories. By choosing a group of artist/curators each year and asking them to bring forth their favorite artist peers, we hope to broaden the landscape of instrumental music and emulate the kind of discovery that happens when artists sit down to chat about their influences. Finding connections, shared roots, and new inspiration in the process.

LINER NOTES

Across the Horizon is a bold exploration of where Americana’s roots intersect with the boundless expanse of ambient music. Curated by Bob Holmes and Northern Spy Records, this collection invites you into a realm where sound becomes landscape and music transcends genre, inviting listeners to wander through vast, uncharted spaces of sonic possibility.

These artists redefine the boundaries of sound, blending the organic with the ethereal to craft soundscapes that feel both familiar and otherworldly. The performances in this compilation evoke open skies, endless roads, and a sense of drifting between worlds, creating a space where time stretches and bend.

The 24 tracks gathered here offer an invitation to lose yourself in the immersive, introspective, and transformative power of music. Here, sound becomes a journey leading you beyond the familiar, into the vast and the unknown. Step into the experience, let the music guide you, and explore the sonic space across the horizon.

- Bryan Crow, Festival Director, Big Ears Festival

Is there a catch-all folk thread? I reminded myself of this 2023 album tonight, it's so beautiful.

https://carlenemusic.bandcamp.com/album/looking-out-my-window-2

Not really. There should be. But this 10-year-old thread is the one that tends to get revived most often:

Guy/Gal With a Guitar (Or Anything Else): Rolling Folk/Singer-Songwriter/Americana Thread 2015

The record Tabes linked to is lovely.

As is this: new one from Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington - soundtrack to the film Rebuilding: https://jakexerxesfussell.bandcamp.com/album/rebuilding

Basically how you imagine it might sound. Makes me think of the quietest of YLT and the Grizzly Man soundtrack.