While Around the World continued throughout the summer, I took something of a back seat to relax and travel. Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to catch up with a very large pile od new releases to choose the best for the show. I’ve published a list of my top albums around at the moment. The next list is albums going up or on the way out. There are a few singles too.
Listen to last week’s show here on Mixcloud:
Or get the mixtape only
Hear the show on the web on Sundays at 10:00 pm to midnight:
Slice Audio,
Ferry FM,
Radio Larne, and
Armagh City Radio .
And on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm on the radio and web
Bangor FM 107.9: http://radio.garden/listen/bangor-fm-107-9/IycUhUbT
Lisburn’s 98FM: http://radio.garden/listen/facebook/ASeqAEl8
FM105 Down Community Radio: http://radio.garden/listen/fm-105-down-community-radio/K8lBDGFf
Featured Album
Clare Sands - Clare Sands
Already a well established musician in Ireland, Clare Sands has invited some of other notable musicians to appear on her second album. Partnerships include Tommy Sands, Steve Cooney, Susan O'Neill, Fiachna O Braonain along with Irish writer Manchán Magan and former politician Bernadette Devlin McAliskey.
The album celebrates the seasons, the sea and the power of women. On International Woman’s Day for the video [below] Awe na Mná (Praise the Women), filmed in four locations throughout the summer of 2021, she was joined by 100 women celebrating sisterhood in all its colours.
The Cork born and bred sixth generation fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and composer whose been living and breathing music since she played my first note at age 3.
“With deep family roots in Co.Wexford and Northern Ireland, Sands took up the fiddle at the age of three, learning Irish traditional tunes from her father Seamus on a weekly basis., while her mother Susan introduced her to the Blues. After school, Clare went on to study Music & Italian in UCC, and a Masters in Composition & Creative Practice at the Irish World Academy, receiving first class honours. While at university, Clare developed her skills as a bilingual songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, playing 10 + instruments!
“Since then, Sands has been wowing audiences around Ireland & further afield with her groundbreaking traditional style and infinite energy. These electrifying live performances see Clare on fiddle, guitar, percussion & vocals combined with live electronics to create soundscapes of story and song. Playing with the likes of Hothouse Flowers, her musical soul brothers, as well as Kíla, Imelda May, Mary Coughlan and more, Clare is never shy and always fearless to share the stage.
“2021 saw Clare collaborate with Ireland’s finest Folk and Traditional musicians – Susan O’Neill, Steve Cooney & Tommy Sands, Brídín, & Liam Ó Maonlaí – for her unique project ‘Tírdhreacha agus Fuaimdhreacha.’
“Described by Mark Radcliffe (The Folk Show, BBC2) as ‘Hypnotic, Tribal, and Full of Life’ – these songs are a taste of the invigorating sound to come. Clare Sands official website.
The K-Music Festival
K-Music 2022 festival runs mainly in London from 5 October to 24 November 2022. We aren’t exposed to Korean music much in this part of the world. Sometimes it can be quite challenging. Most of the musicians in this sphere (as opposed to K-Pop), study classical and folk music from Korea. I’ll be featuring about six tracks on the show including the great Jambinai.
JAMBINAI 잠비나이 - TIME OF EXTINCTION 소멸의 시간
Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré has joined with Texan psychedelic trio Khruangbin for an album hot on the heels of Touré’s Les Racines album released only last June. Alexis Petridis in the Guardian gives the album 5 stars.
Vieux Farka Touré et Khruangbin - Diarabi (Official Video)
One of the big events of the summer in Southern Italy is the celebration of the Taranta in La Notte Della Taranta. In the small town Melpignano here’s a massive concert of traditional music and dance, but every year guest performers from elsewhere bring surprises and this year the Belgian rapper Stromae was one of the most impressive performers.Notte della Taranta - Alors on dance - Stromae with Dardust
Notte della Taranta - Alors on dance - Stromae with Dardust
I’ll be playing a track from his excellent Multitude (Video Album). One of Stromae’s creative strengths is video and his live performances include impressive use of video and light. Here’s a full concert.
Stromae - Racine Carrée Live
Oh, and Björk has a new album. You might have noticed that already.
björk : atopos
Also on the show this week:
Chico Trujillo, Compagnie Rassegna, dal:um, Doctor L, Dongyang Gozupa, Folkatomik, Girl Ultra & Little Jesus, Góbé, Lass, Lívia Mattos, Noori & His Dorpa Band, Päivi Hirvonen, Park Jiha, Sampa the Great, Sandy Denny, Silvana Estrada, The Movers and Toumastine