Recorded over three afternoons at Livingston Studios, London, in 2005, with contributions from Orlando ‘Cachaíto’ López on bass, ‘Ali & Toumani’ is Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté’s second and final album together. Produced by Nick Gold and beautifully recorded by Jerry Boys, this is the successor to the GRAMMY winning ‘In the Heart of the Moon’ and the last album recorded by both Ali Farka Touré and Cachaíto López. “I believe this album to be stronger and wiser, better than ‘In The Heart’”. Toumani Diabaté [click to continue…]

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Chumbawamba – ABCDEFG plus free track

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Chumbawamba’s ‘ABCDEFG’ is musically eclectic and wide-ranging, from acapella to pop to folk to jazz, a mix-up of ideas to reflect its subject matter. That subject matter includes a gentle hymn to teenage under-the-pillow discovery of music heard on late-night transistor radio;

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O’Hooley & Tidow – Silent June (+free tracks)

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Silent June is a Stunning debut album from ex-Unthanks pianist, Belinda O’Hooley and Yorkshire songwriter Heidi Tidow. Haunting piano, soaring strings and warm harmonies combine beautifully. O’Hooley is best known for her work as songwriter and pianist with Rachel Unthank & the Winterset (now The Unthanks).

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Seamus Ennis in Drumcondra by Dermot Bolger

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I got this wondeful message this morning from Alan O’Leary of Copperplate: Thought I would share this beautiful heartbreakingly sad poem of Dermot Bolgers with you all.

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Kris Drever – Mark The Hard Earth

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Kris Drever is doubtlessly one of the most appealing singers of his generation working the current folk scene. He approaches each song in such a laid-back manner, without sacrificing a scrap of intensity or subtlety. With a distinct talent for interpretation of song that manges to be both robust and sympathetic, Drever’s delivery is unassumingly [...]

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Tegan and Sara – Sainthood

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Tegan and Sara released Sainthood, their sixth album, in October 2009 . They chose to have Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) return to produce the album.

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Mark Linkous – RIP

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Rollingstone have reported that Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse has comitted suicide.

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Orla Wren – The Fish And The Doll

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Stop motion animation by Rima Staines for the Orla Wren track ‘The Fish and the Doll’ from the album ‘The One Two Bird And The Half Horse’ released in 2009 on the FLAU label. Vocals by Russudan Meipariani.

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Krista Detor – Chocolate Paper Suites

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Krista Detor is one of those slow-burning artists, who quietly turns out albums brimming with classy and engaging songs, portraying a view of life that is sometimes wry, and always thoughtful. Listeners fall at her feet following their first encounter, and whole audiences find themselves quickly under Krista’s spell, eating out of the palm of [...]

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Seth Lakeman – New Album + April Dates

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Taking place in more intimate venues, Seth Lakeman will be showcasing some brand new songs on his latest tour in the run-up to the release of his new studio album ‘Hearts and Minds’ later this Spring. Get your tickets quickly to avoid missing out! Just follow the links below:

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Adelaide’s Cape – New act to watch out for

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Adeliade’s Cape is the name given to the work of Edinburgh born songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Taylor, and the often changing collective of musicians that contribute and bring that larger sound to his work. His influences vary from Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Fleet Foxes, Martin Simpson, Johnny Flynn, samba, John Betjeman, Ted Hughes to the [...]

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Laura Gibson & Ethan Rose – Review of Bridge Carols (plus free download)

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Bridge Carols, the new project from Portland, OR friends Laura Gibson and Ethan Rose, began as a conversation of mutual appreciation and curiosity – a shared desire to challenge old ways of working. Ethan had mostly distanced his music from words, while Laura had often felt bound by them.

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Lawrence Arabia with their Swinging Video! plus free download

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Whilst Bella Union try and persuade fans that it is untrue that the only bands they sign are american with a tinge of beardy folk they lump in artist LAWRENCE ARABIA to their ever growing roster of artists that we can never get enough of. Lawrence Arabia is the pseudonym of James Milne, born 1981 [...]

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Low Anthem performing in Grand Central Station

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La Blogotheque have been working their magic again and managed to film The Low Anthem in the middle of the Great Hall at Grand Central Station:

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The Man who Recorded the World

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Writer, musicologist, archivist, singer, DJ, filmmaker, record, radio and TV producer, Alan Lomax was a man of many parts. Without him the history of popular music would have been very different.
Armed with a tape-recorder and his own near-flawless good taste, Lomax spent years travelling the US, particularly the south, recording its heritage of music and [...]

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