ROAD TRIP!!  We're heading down to Portland from sunny Seattle to enjoy the first ever Portland Folk Festival, and goddamn if we aren't totally impressed at the scope of this event!!  4 Days, 20 Venues, 60+ bands??  And the best part is that you can buy a pass for the whole event and simply skip from venue to venue as you please. Otherwise, how could you keep all those events straight?

We'll be blogging about the Portland Folk Festival while we're down this weekend, and we'll even be "tweettering" (oh how we hate twitter). So keep an eye to this blog and our Twitter page.

Big kudos to the festival organizers for having the guts to move beyond the NW's obsession with indie music, and to include folk and traditional artists who are deserving of new audiences and new venues.  This looks to be a great event and we're happy to welcome a new folk festival to the Northwest. (Speaking of which... Save the Date for the 2010 Seattle Folk Festival, December 12 @ Town Hall Seattle).

Here are some artists we're looking forward to at the Portland Folk Festival, August 19-22.

Thomas Mapfumo: The Lion of Zimbabwe. Outspoken African musician who fused traditional mbira music with electric guitars and hard-hitting lyrics that got him banned from his own country. His chimurenga music has brought him all over the world and we're lucky to have him so close to home (he lives in Eugene!). He used to come in to the Buy & Sell Center in Eugene, where I was working, and  haggle with the owner. His band were the nicest guys ever. He is a real Northwest musical treasure.


Strange and disturbing video from 1988: Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited

Saturday, August 21
Wonder Ballroom
128 Northeast Russell St., 503.284.8686
doors at 7:30pm, $14 advance / $16 day of show, all-ages
 

Caleb Klauder Country Band. Caleb blew us out of the water with his powerhouse set at KEXP in Seattle with Joel Savoy and Jesse Lege. Now he's released his brand new roots album, Western Country, which we are luck enough to be promoting this month! Which means we get first dibs on streaming music from the new album, so enjoy!  PS: Go to our Listening Lounge for more audio from Caleb and many others.

Worn Out Shoes: Caleb Klauder Country Band

Saturday, August 21
White Eagle
836 N. Russell St., 503.335.8900
doors at 9pm, $6, 21+
 

Woody Guthrie Tribute Concert w/Special Guests. This is an all-star guest lineup, including Dan Bern, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), and indie-folk darling Laura Gibson. Since Portland basically gives birth to a new Woody Guthrie every day, we've no doubt that minds will be blown!
Thursday, August 19
Mission Theater
1624 Northwest Glisan St., 503.223.4527
doors at 7:30pm, $14 advance / $16 day of show, 21+
 

Earl White Band. Though Earl is one of the few African-Americans playing old-time music today, he's also a font of knowledge and stories about the music. We attended a house concert by Earl at Bruce Reid's house a while back and were ridiculously entertained by him and his band. Great stories, great tunes, so this should be lots of fun! Plus Mary Flower is a sweet country blues guitarist with a number of fun CDs under her belt. Don't miss this show!!

EXCLUSIVE Track from the Earl White Stringband
(Earl White (fiddle), Brendan Doyle (banjo), Dan Warrick (guitar), Martha Hawthorne (bass))


Killer old-time jam w/Earl White and Erynn Marshall at the 2010 PDX Old-Time Gathering
 
Saturday, August 21
Mississippi Studios' Bar Bar
3943 N. Mississippi Ave., 503.288.3895
doors at 3pm, FREE, 21+

Fast Rattler. We're excited about this band. Led by Utah Phillips son, Brendan, we're hoping that Fast Rattler will bring a new generation's perspective to Phillips' legacy and a fresh take on his music. Rather than going after Phillips' canon, young Brendan Phillips has worked off of obscure and lost lyrics that were never recorded or set to music by his father. This is going to be a very interesting concert and a must-attend for anyone connected to Utah Phillips music or looking to understand what his music means to a younger generation.
Thursday, August 19
Sisters of the Road Café
133 NW 6th Ave., 503.222.5694
doors at 5:30pm, FREE, all-ages

Alberta Rose Theatre. We're actually really excited just to check out this cool new venue in Portland! But luckily, our friends at the Portland Folk Festival have put together a sweet lineup for Friday night!  Don't know much about Celso Machado, but he comes really highly recommended. Bharatanatyan dance is always fun to watch, and Vagabond Opera represent some of the great neo-cabaret music and entertainment coming out of our region. I talked about them in a recent blog about the indie stringband Black Prairie.  

But supposedly the Alberta Rose Theater is just beautiful. 300-seats, great vintage building, I think after The Woods, this might become my new favorite Portland concert venue.
Friday August 20
Alberta Rose Theatre
3000 NE Alberta St., 503.719.6055
doors at 7:30 pm, $14 advance / $16 day of show, those under 21 must be accompanied by parent or guardian
individual tickets for this event available in advance here
8pm: Tragos Amargos feat. Luz Elena of Y La Bamba
8:45pm: Celso Machado
10pm: Natya Leela (Classical Indian Dance)
10:30pm: Vagabond Opera
 

So if you're already in Portland, plan on stopping by one or more of these showcases! You can buy the weekend pass or you can by tickets at the door or at the venues' website. Hope to see you there!


 

Whew, we had two great radio shows so far this month and are having a blast with our online radio show: Hearth Music Radio. Every WED 10am-NOON on Cascade Community Radio. Listen online: www.radio23.org/ccr

Next week (08/18) the theme will be NEW AFRICA. I dropped like $100 at Silver Platters, the local record store, so it's gonna be great fun! 

08/04 PLAYLIST
Theme = SWEAT

* = Brand New
# = Highly Recommended
-Artist: Song Title (Album)

Damon Albarn's Mali Music: Ko Kan Ko Sata Doumbia on River #
Damon Albarn's Mali Music: Sunset Coming On #
Yeasayer: Rome *
T Model Ford: To the Left, To the Right *
The Gregory Brothers: Double Rainbow Song *
Gary Numan & The Tubeway Army: Cars
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys: Creole Stomp
Caleb Klauder: My Time is Gonna Come *#
Jace Everett: Bad Things
The Roots: Don't Say Nuthin
Scott H. Biram: Hard Time  *#
K'naan: America  #
Tinariwen: Cler Achel
Wu-Tang: Sound the Horns
The Builders and the Butchers: Bottom of the Lake
Orishas: 537 C.U.B.A.
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley: It Was Written
Jedi Mind Tricks: Godflesh
Nas & Damian Marley: Nah Mean *#
Blackbird Raum: Turning Away
Balkan Beat Box: Sunday Arak
Somali Mustafa: Kemal Paşa Çiftetelli
Paquito la del Barrio: La Pistolita
Jim Byrnes: Didn't It Rain
Sassparilla: Devil *#
Majik Click: Kamarade
Tip Maraton: Motorcycle
Dengue Fever: Sui Bong
MIDIval PunditZ: Piya
Pink Martini feat. Chavela Vargas: Piensa en Mi *
Shankar-Jaiskishan: Title Music from Bombay Talkie

Whew, that was music ranging from Thai mo lam, to Cambodian-LA surf rock, Haitian and Cuban hip-hop, Mexican ranchera, Jamaican dancehall, Santa Cruz folk-punk, Somali rap, roots country, Cajun, and electric blues.

 
08/11 PLAYLIST
Theme = STRAIGHT UP FOLK
(lots of new music in this playlist!)

* = Brand New
# = Highly Recommended
-Artist: Song Title (Album)

Tim O'Brien: The Sun Jumped Up  *
Adam Hurt: Cumberland Gap #
Sean Hayes: Gunnin' *
Della Mae: Blues Have Got Me Down *
Ruthie Dornfeld: Billy in the Lowground *
Avatar Young Blaze: I Am King  *#
Sam Amidon: Relief  *#
The Great Republic of Rough and Ready: God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign  *#
Sassparilla: Ticket to Ride  *#
Gogol Bordello: Wonderlust King
Blackbird Raum: Catherine's Wheel  #
Jason and Pharis Romero feat. Sophie Vitells: Jimmy Shank *#
Yves Lambert & Florent Vallant: Sur la rivière
The Haints Old-Time Stringband: Lowe Bonnnie  #
Hot Club Sandwich: Dejah Vu  *
Chris Coole & Ivan Rosenberg: Willie Duncan  *
Water Tower Bucket Boys: Bread *#
Caleb Klauder: Joking Henry *#
The Stringband: Bob Douglas, John Berquist, John & Susie Everett: I Wanna Be Your Man
Old Man Luedecke: Woe Betide the Doer of the Deed *
Mary Jane Lamond: Mo Nighean Donn As Boidhehe
Dervish: Gypsies, Tramps and Theives
The Chapin Sisters: Sweet Light  *
Huck Notari: Very Long Dream
Olentangy John: Pretty Mary - John Brown's Dream *
Uncle Earl: Sisters of the Road
RedDog: How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live
Foghorn Stringband: Lost Girl
George Penk, Clyde Curley, Sue Songer & Creighton Lindsay: Miss Monaghan/The Cottage in the Grove/The Mason's Apron
Ginny Hawker: Love Will Roll the Clouds Away
Clyde Curley & The Oxymorons: Cruel Willie #
Kepa Junkera w/Bela Fleck: Nondik Jo Maurizia
Danielle Doyle: Pompeii *
Yves Lambert et la Bébert Orchestre feat. The Duhks: Buvons mes chers ami  #

We're proud to announce that we're working with three new stellar artists to promote their CDs via our VIP Mailing Campaign. Hit us up if you're a media contact (radio/print/online) and would like a copy of any or all of these CDs. And send this blog along to your friends so they can get a taste of this great music.

Hanneke Cassel: For Reasons Unseen
2009. self-released.

There’s a brand new folk music movement afoot in Boston, Massachusetts, and fiddle prodigy Hanneke Cassel is at the forefront. This movement blends fiery fiddling from Celtic and American traditions with a rich knowledge of improvisation and an almost classical sensibility. In Hanneke, this new perspective on folk music has found an outgoing and charismatic spokesperson.

On her latest CD, For Reasons Unseen, Hanneke Cassel has invited an all-star cast of powerhouse folk musicians, most of whom are household names on the American folk scene: Alasdair Fraser, Natalie Haas, Casey Driessen, Crooked Still members/alumni Rushad Eggleston (cello), Brittany Haas (fiddle), and Corey Dimario (bass); The McKassons, guitarist Keith Murphy and ace fiddlers Lissa Schneckenburger, Laura Cortese and Kimber Ludicker. With a guest list like this, you can expect string arrangements as lush and promising as an acre of rainforest, but the real surprise of the album is how Hanneke’s fiddle soars over the canopy of all these guest musicians. It’s a distinctly American approach to Scottish traditions, but also a testament to a new generation of tradition-bearers who have grown up in a world of global possibility and international music-making.

LISTEN TO: "Leila's Birthday"

  

Leon Rosselson & Robb Johnson: The Liberty Tree
2010. Trade Root Music.

Eclectic and political British songwriters Leon Rosselson and Robb Johnson have teamed up on this project to examine the controversial writings of American patriot Thomas Paine in the light of today's world. Interweaving spoken word interpretations of Paine's writing with hard-biting songs inspired by Paine's ideas but taken from today's headlines, this double-CD casts a brand-new light on the American philosopher Teddy Roosevelt once called a "filthy little atheist".

Leon Rosselson has been at the forefront of songwriting in Britain for 50 years. His songs range from the lyrical to the satirical, from the personal to the political, from the humorous to the poignant. His song The World Turned Upside Down has been recorded & popularised by, amongst others, Dick Gaughan and Billy Bragg, and has been sung at demonstrations in Britain and the U.S.

Robb Johnson is now widely recognised as one of the finest songwriters working in the UK today. His songs feature in the repertoires of a wide variety of musicians, and he enjoys a similarly diverse spectrum of critical acclaim.

LISTEN TO "We All Said Stop the War"

Nils Olof Söderbäck & Peter Michaelsen: Kvarnresan
2010. Soulfelt Music.
 

Welcome to rural Sweden, around 150 years ago, where the tradition of twin fiddling entwined in intricate harmonies was still the predominant form of music, and the rhythms of the countryside propelled the fiddling.

Nils Olof Söderbäck and Peter Michaelsen learned this music from fiddlers steeped in these traditions. It was a different age, but it has things to say about our own age, and Olof and Peter deliberately emulate this old sound. As Olof says, “This is not University Music!” Olof and Peter like to preserve some of the rough character, the folkiness of their original models. The tunes on Kvarnresan were all recorded straight through, in Olof’s barn in rural Oregon.

Swedish fiddler Nils Olof Söderbäck is one of the Pacific Northwest's musical treasures. Born in 1954 in Flen, Södermanland, Olof grew up on the family farm, working with the dairy cows and forests that provided their income. At age 17 he gave himself over to the traditional folk music of Sweden. Now Olof lives in Talent, Oregon, where he teaches Swedish fiddling and explores his other musical interests: Balkan and Indian music. He's an eclectic musician, at home in a great number of different traditions, but when he settles into the groove of Swedish fiddling, his true mastery of this music is evident.
 

LISTEN TO "Kvarnresan"

We're proud to welcome the first guest blog from our friend and self-professed hillbilly banjo picker, Clayton Kelly Walter.  This blog is a review of the debut CD from old-time wunderkind Frank Fairfield. We'll let Kelly tell you about it, but please note that Frank is playing a killer show with Blind Boy Paxton and Baby Gramps THIS SATURDAY NIGHT (07/31/2010) at the Columbia City Theater.

THE REAL DEAL

by Clayton Kelly Walter

The real deal. I hear that a lot these days; especially when people tell me about some new old time band they like. “So-and-so is the real deal” or “their/his/her sound is the real deal”. After decades of hearing this type of comment, then actually experiencing the bands, I somewhat bitterly shake my head, or if in a crotchety mood, might roll my eyes. It’s not that I don’t want it to be true; I really do...but it rarely ever is.

So many times I’ve wanted to raise both of my arms, palms extended, and holler, “They are *not* the real deal! They’re wearing work clothes to play at a concert! No real old time musician would wear anything but their Sunday meeting clothes to play for their neighbors! Haven’t you ever been to the South?” this or some related comment usually directed at the laundry list of affectations many bands tote around proudly like boy scout merit badges.

Another comment that really gets me is, “They/he/she sound/s just like they were ripped right out of a 78 R.P.M. record!” Well, anybody that’s reading the reviews on the wonderful Hearth Music blog probably has a cd(or twelve) of 78 R.P.M. transcriptions, so you tell me…is there, if you were alone and free to admit it unpunished, one such band that you can think of? I suspect not.

The only musician today that I now feel accomplishes this in full is Frank Fairfield. His self-titled cd on the Tompkins Square label is the rarest of the rare; a new old time album that sounds profoundly old time. His guitar picking, his fiddling, his banjo playing, his singing…all are so genuine and so rustic, so raw and so…real. I had to stop everything that I was doing and sit, and stare, and listen.

At moments I felt like I was listening to a Dick Justice recording, or Frank Hutcheson or Blind Willie Johnson backing up Leadbelly’s singing…is that Emmet W. Lundy playing that fiddle? The tracks have the honesty of field recordings, mostly due to natural blend of influences in Frank’s playing, but also in the relaxed recording atmosphere of the album. There’s a natural feeling to everything that Frank Fairfield plays. A mesmerizing sense of immediacy; one doesn’t want to turn away, for fear of missing what comes next. The blues permeates every song on this album, yet it is rooted in that rural white country sound.

He looks the part, as well; Youtube has a number of his videos, and I’ll be danged if he doesn’t come off like a young Clarence Ashley. He’d blend right in to the Skillet Lickers or an old timey medicine show hawking magical tonics. He has the relaxed country vibe of a guy like Charlie Poole. I’ve yet to hear him live, but by all accounts this isn’t a show that he puts on…the Frank Fairfield on the record is the one and the same Frank Fairfield that you might meet on the street.

The “real deal”, if you will…
 

"Call Me a Dog When I'm Gone": Frank Fairfield LIVE on KEXP

"Rye Whiskey": Frank Fairfield LIVE on KEXP ("I think everything's just as it should be")

BUY THE CD: