Blogcritics Category: Music: Folk

Music Review: O'Death - Broken Hymns, Limbs, And Skin

Tan The Man — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 09:11:50 EST

Dedicated to Eliza Sudol, the late fianc� of Rogers-Berry, O'Death's Broken Hymns, Limbs And Skin excitedly captures the blending of multiple musical genres.
After self-releasing their first two albums Carl Nemelka Family Photographs (2004) and Head Home (2006), Brooklyn-based quintet O'Death finally release their independent label (Kemado Records) debut for the band's third full-length LP Broken Hymns, Limbs And Skin.O'Death is unique in the sense that it features all of its original...

Music Review: Rory Block - Blues Walkin' Like A Man

Lou Novacheck — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 08:27:52 EST

�The blues got so bad that they manifested into human form and began walking down the road beside you ��
Rory Block is on a mission. She’s a missionary with a holy mission. She’s out to convince people to become more aware and appreciative of the Southern blues troubadours who started the Country Blues, the blues troubadours who made it famous, too, since they’re not always one and the same.Rory Block Blues Walkin’ Like A Man...

Music Review: Raffi - Songs of Our World

Jennifer Bogart — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 10:38:19 EST

If your family isn't aligned with Raffi's driving philosophies, you may want to skip this release.
Raffi is one of the world’s most beloved children’s entertainers. For over 30 years he has been penning songs, recording albums and performing live for little ones everywhere, encouraging them to help him fix that little green wagon. Like many in my generation, I grew up listening to him and am eager to share his unique talent with my...

Music Review: James Taylor - One Man Band

Nathalie Vanderheyden — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 18:05:38 EST

A back to basics performance that fails to connect and falls rather flat.
In the last few years, I’ve had the great privilege of getting to know and befriending some amazing musicians. As such I have found myself frequently going to small clubs and coffee shops to watch bare bones artists perfect and share their talents and artistry with those of us lucky enough to be present. It is from these great and brave souls...

Music Review: Novalima - Coba Coba

Richard Marcus — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 17:57:38 EST

Novalima sets the standard for all other bands wishing to bring modern technology into play when adapting traditional music.
Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, Peru was home to the sophisticated civilization of the Inca empire. Although the Inca had managed to subjugate their various neighbours and raise exquisite cities, they quickly fell to the Spaniards due to gunpowder, disease, and deceit. Once the conquistadors had sated their lust for gold, it...

Retro Redux: The Beau Brummels' Answer To The British Invasion

Big Geez — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 05:24:04 EST

Even though one member of the group was British, they weren't quite what they seemed.
Pop music in the 1960's sometimes seemed to be all about bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and others -- an era that came to be known as the British Invasion. But there was also a secondary effect. Many of the American groups scrambling for success during that period found themselves - consciously or not - emulating the British bands....

Presented By:

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 05:24:04 EST

Brandon Daviet's Top Ten Albums of 2008

Brandon Daviet — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:48:02 EST

BC Writer Brandon Daviet makes his picks for the best albums of 2008.
I always like to wait until the absolute last minute to make my album of the year list. The list is a sacred and cherished tradition for most music journalists and you never know what might creep onto shelves on the last Tuesday of the year. That said my list is decidedly mainstream this year and I admit that I am musically stuck in the past and...

Retro Redux: Ringing In The New Year With Auld Music

Big Geez — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:41:29 EST

With this information, you can be the envy of other party-goers...or maybe not.
I have to confess that I haven't been to a New Year's Eve party for a long time, but I would be willing to bet that at least a few party-goers will still follow the tradition of singing "Auld Lang Syne" when midnight arrives. I would also guess that most of them will have no idea of the origin of the song, and by that point of the...

Music Review: Rupa & The April Fishes - ExtraOrdinary Rendition

Richard Marcus — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:06:11 EST

Their music speaks to all of us and is in a language that all can understand.
If music from countries outside North America and England is considered world music, and music by people from English speaking North America is considered popular music, what would you call music performed by a band whose lead singer was born in the States to parents originally from the Punjab region of North India, who moved to the South of France...

Music Review: Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series, Volume 8 [Rare and Unreleased, 1989-2006]

Donald Gibson — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:26:56 EST

More than just an album, Tell Tale Signs is a revelation.
As the music released over the past twelve months is assessed, Bob Dylan’s Tell Tale Signs invariably emerges as one of the best albums of 2008. You won’t get any argument here that it ranks among the finest (if not the overall best) music released this year. Regarding it within the context of an album, though, strikes this writer as a...