I’ve decided that my weekly ADSOP-related updates are going to be done via Twitter now.
You can find the ADSOP Twitter at:
Links to new artists played on ADSOP, music news, and links to the weekly podcast, all in a convenient micro-blogging format!
For your persusal, my top 25 picks of 2008 overall, and reviews for my A Darker Shade of Pagan top ten of 2008.
ADSOP’s Top Ten Albums of 2008
10. sToa - “Silmand” [Purchase]
Veteran neoclassical darkwave band sToa returns after a seven-year hiatus stronger than ever. New lead singer Mandy Bernhardt ably fills the shoes of her predecessors, while the album as a whole is enriched from contributions by Louisa John-Krol and Love is Colder Than Death vocalist Ralf Jehnert. This is a beautiful autumnal disc that displays a mature and complex melancholy. Perfect for fans of bands like Ataraxia, Amber Asylum, and Dead Can Dance.
09. Arcana - “Raspail” [Purchase]
Arcana, lead by Swedish songwriter and musician Peter Bjargo, continue to evolve from their starker darkwave past and into territories mapped out by the legendary Dead Can Dance. While the DCD comparisons are inevitable on this disc, the final product is something altogether colder and grimmer than the emotive pessimism of Brendan Perry (or the transcendent glossolalia of Lisa Gerrard) . Whether he’s singing about alienation or environmental destruction, Bjargo brings an almost stoic resolve to present the world as it is, rather than how we wish it would be.
08. Various - “Perfect As Cats” [Purchase]
While tribute albums are often a dime a dozen, this tribute to The Cure, with proceeds benefiting the “invisible children” of Uganda, shines thanks to a unique and diverse lineup of talent. Indeed the mixture of goth/darkwave, psych-folk, and experimental artists seemed almost custom-tailored for a show like A Darker Shade of Pagan. Worth the admission price for stellar efforts from Bat For Lashes, Silver Summit, Ex Reverie, and Mariee Sioux alone.
07. Trobar de Morte - “Legends of Blood and Light” [Purchase]
For those sad that 2008 didn’t see any new material from European Pagan folk bands like Omnia or Faun, perhaps Trobar de Morte, a band that exists in a “world of dreams” where “fairies exist”, and where “the witches dance around the bonfire and share their desires with the night and the stars”, can fill the gap. This is music for the otherworld, complete with songs about sorceresses, and a rousing ode to the goddess Morrigan.
06. Mirabilis - “Sub Rosa” [Purchase]
Few groups can match the intertwined heavenly vocals of Summer Bowman and Dru Allen. I’ve been a fan of Mirabilis since their 2004 debut Pleiades, and Sub Rosa doesn’t fail to deliver another excellent set of songs that expertly meld classical, medieval, and electronic elements. Only Mirabilis can work from sources as diverse as middle-age chants, Beatles’ tunes, and jazz-age standards and have them all sound as if they were written specifically for the album. Throw in some strong originals, and you have an entrancing example of transcendent vocal mastery.
05. Ex Reverie - “The Door Into Summer” [Purchase]
Gillian Chadwick’s Ex Reverie provides the kind of music I always imagined the glory days of 1970s folk-rock would have sounded like, a heretical fusion of psychedelic (sometimes bordering on early heavy metal) rock riffs with complex folk ballads from “ye olde countryside”. A deeply esoteric record, The Door Into Summer is almost shamanistic in orientation, complete with songs about sea goddesses and natural forces. A natural fit in-between your Fairport Convention and Led Zeppelin albums.
04. Sigur Ros - “Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust” [Purchase]
I’m not sure I can add anything to the mountains of praise that Iceland’s Sigur Ros have garnered over the years. Needless to say, their latest album is another strong collection of orchestral post-rock that have caused endless critics to come up with different ways to say “otherworldly”. Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust sees them breaking out of their mold a bit with some tracks that come close to being downright poppy, and, for the first time ever, a song sung in English (”All Alright”).
03. Fern Knight - “Fern Knight” [Purchase]
A mix of folk, prog, and classical elements that serves as “an ode to all things green and living”, and showcases the amazing songwriting abilities of Margaret Wienk. This self-titled album, like its predecessor Music For Witches and Alchemists, contains songs that are darkly magical in construction and explore subject matter close to the Pagan soul. It’s pastoral and romantic, but unafraid to face the harshness of reality. An album I have returned to many times without it running out of new things to say to me.
02. Silver Summit - “Silver Summit” [Purchase]
A heady mix of psychedelic folk and mysticism, Silver Summit’s debut album is an ode to what lays beyond. The album plays like an initiatory journey to the otherworld, from the opening chimes of Music In the Afterlife, to the breathy chant-like In-Between Place (appropriately placed near the the middle of the album) to somber and spooky closer The Bridge. You are left feeling changed and deeper entwined in mystery than before you started. It is little wonder that other reviewers are describing Silver Summit as “bewitched”, “a collision of heaven and earth, fire and water”, or for “sonic voyagers seeking to ascend to the next level.”
01. Sharron Kraus - “The Fox’s Wedding” [Purchase]
Fans of pastoral British folk are in for a treat. Sharron Kraus, who has been generating buzz for some time now among fans of darkly-inflected folk music, delivers a masterwork that is both mythic and deeply personal. There isn’t a weak track to be found here, all the songs seem to lead you towards an ever-shifting seasonal journey that reminds you how deeply personal turning the wheel can truly be. That sacrifice and rebirth are simultaneously inside and outside of us. For fans of The Wicker Man soundtrack, surely, but also for those wondering who is envisioning the future of folk music. Wonderful.
Top 25 0f 2008:
25. The Faint - “Fasciinatiion”
24. The Cure - “4.13 Dream”
23. A Silver Mt. Zion - “13 Blues For Thirteen Moons”
22. DJ Cheb I Sabbah - “Devotion”
21. Trobar de Morte - “Legends of Blood and Light” (#7 ADSOP)
20. Hercules and Love Affair - “Hercules and Love Affair”
19. Lux Interna - “A Lantern Carried in Blood and Skin”
18. Wolf Parade - “At Mount Zoomer”
17. sToa - “Silmand” (#10 ADSOP)
16. Falling You - “Faith”
15. Bon Iver - “For Emma, Forever Ago”
14. Mirabilis - “Sub Rosa” (#6 ADSOP)
13. Ex Reverie - “The Door Into Summer” (#5 ADSOP)
12. Fern Knight - “Fern Knight” (#3 ADSOP)
11. Mikey Peterson - “Songs From The Park View”
10. M83 - “Saturdays = Youth”
09. Various - “Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to The Cure” (#8 ADSOP)
08. Arcana - “Raspail” (#9 ADSOP)
07. Sigur Ros - “Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust” (#4 ADSOP)
06. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - “Dig! Lazarus Dig!”
05. Silver Summit - “Silver Summit” (#2 ADSOP)
04. Ladytron - “Velocifero”
03. Fleet Foxes - “Fleet Foxes”
02. Sharron Kraus - “The Fox’s Wedding” (#1 ADSOP)
01. Portishead - “Third”
A Darker Shade of Pagan: Podcast for 12/07/08
10. sToa - “Silmand” [Purchase]
Song played on show: La Luna Blanche
09. Arcana - “Raspail” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Abrakt
08. Various - “Perfect As Cats” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Love Song (Mariee Sioux)
07. Trobar de Morte - “Legends of Blood and Light” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Morrigan
06. Mirabilis - “Sub Rosa” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Odyle
05. Ex Reverie - “The Door Into Summer” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Clouds? Or Smoke?
04. Sigur Ros - “Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust” [Purchase]
Song played on show: All Alright
03. Fern Knight - “Fern Knight” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Silver Fox
02. Silver Summit - “Silver Summit” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Apple Tree
01. Sharron Kraus - “The Fox’s Wedding” [Purchase]
Song played on show: Brigid
Other notes: Why not become a “fan” of A Darker Shade of Pagan on Facebook? Also, if you feel inspired to buy something you hear on this show, why not drop the artist or label a line and tell them you heard it here?
In the future: Special December lineup. December 7th: Best of 2008 Show. December 14th: Annual Holiday Music Special. December 21st: Encore presentation of 2007’s Holiday Music Special. December 28th: Special archive edition of the ADSOP program.
It has been awhile since I discussed music here, so I thought I would provide some capsule reviews of recently released music that sings to the Pagan soul (or at least my Pagan soul). All of these artists can be heard on my weekly A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast, and are easily obtainable through mail-order or digital download.
Falling You - “Faith”
John Zorko and his rotating band of “magicians” have created yet another magnificent collection of haunting ethereal soundscapes enhanced by masterful female vocals. This album, like previous Falling You efforts, explores a common theme as expressed through a variety of guest vocalists including Suzanne Perry, Amanda Kramer, and Dru Allen (among others). While “Faith” and Falling You’s previous albums may engender admiration from the New Age music scene, don’t let that fool you. These compositions are dynamic, engaging, and deeply moving. You can purchase a digital copy of “Faith” from Magnatune for a sliding scale charge of $5-$18 dollars. Physical copies will be available later this month through a variety of online distributors (CD Baby, Amazon).
Incus - “Fire and Bone”
While Incus has always evoked the word “tribal” when discussing the band’s sound, it hardly seems adequate in discussing the festival-touring juggernaut (including stops at Starwood and the Pagan Spirit Festival) this ever-evolving group of individuals, lead by singer and composer Jason Cohen, has become. As a result, “Fire and Bone”, unlike their previous release “Burning Thread”, seems to carry the aspirations of a group trying to capture the magic of its hard-won live energy. At times this is successful, like on the energetic opening cut “Claudia Always Eyes”, or the slow burn into Russian folk-jam of “Weight (Wait)”. However, elsewhere, this album strikes me as transitional, with some missteps keeping the album from eliciting an unreserved endorsement. “Fire and Bone” is a snapshot of an evolving band that hasn’t quite captured its lightning in a bottle. This album hasn’t been released yet, though you should be able to order it from CD Baby soon.
Sharron Kraus - “The Fox’s Wedding”
Fans of pastoral British folk are in for a treat. Sharron Kraus, who has been generating buzz for some time now among fans of darkly-inflected folk music, delivers a masterwork that is both mythic and deeply personal. There isn’t a weak track to be found here, all the songs seem to lead you towards an ever-shifting seasonal journey that reminds you how deeply personal turning the wheel can truly be. That sacrifice and rebirth are simultaneously inside and outside of us. For fans of “The Wicker Man” soundtrack, surely, but also for those wondering who is envisioning the future of folk music. Wonderful. You can buy a digitial version of “The Fox’s Wedding” at Amazon, or order a physical copy from Jnana Records (or Amazon).
Silver Summit - “Silver Summit”
A heady mix of psychedelic folk and mysticism, Silver Summit’s debut album is an ode to what lays beyond. The album plays like an initiatory journey to the otherworld, from the opening chimes of “Music In the Afterlife”, to the breathy chant-like “In-Between Place” (appropriately placed near the the middle of the album) to somber and spooky closer “The Bridge”. You are left feeling changed and deeper entwined in mystery than before you started. It is little wonder that other reviewers are describing Silver Summit as “bewitched”, “a collision of heaven and earth, fire and water”, or for “sonic voyagers seeking to ascend to the next level.” You can buy a digital copy of “Silver Summit” from Amazon, or you can order a physical copy through Drag City/Language of Stone.
Other picks:
Fern Knight - “Fern Knight” - A mix of folk, prog, and classical elements that serves as “an ode to all things green and living”, and showcases the amazing songwriting abilities of Margaret Wienk. [Purchase]
Lux Interna - [a lantern carried in blood and skin] - A retrospective collection of haunting neo-folk that explores a Gnostic band finding the “inner light” in a world of illusions. [Purchase]
Pamela Wyn Shannon - “Courting Autumn”: A psych/pastoral-folk exploration of the waning year that highlights a shining musical talent. [Purchase]
This past few weeks has seen announcements from two Pagan-friendly music labels/distributors that they are closing up shop. First, at the end of June, the online folk music resource Woven Wheat Whispers called it quits.
“We didn’t have to close WWW, it was paying it’s way and no money was lost. It was just a decision about the future taken calmly at a point where we had time to think… It was meant to be fun and would have turned into slog at some point in the near future … We could have continued and would have done alright, but with Myspace starting to sell downloads, Amazon coming in and iTunes level of market dominance, there was little point. Even CDBaby now sell downloads alongside the CD. Exiting in a positive way seemed the best thing to do at the right time. WWW didn’t collapse, we have all the money needed. It was a decision taken about how far to push what was a small home operation delivered in my spare time.”
I mentioned Woven Wheat Whispers on this blog last year when they released (with Cold Spring Records) the amazing “John Barleycorn Reborn” compilation. Woven Wheat Whispers introduced me to some great artists, including The Owl Service, Cunnan, Arrowwood, Novemthree, Sharron Kraus, and The Horses of The Gods. It at times felt like the label/service was especially created for fans of The Wicker Man soundtrack (a high compliment in my book). Needless to say, WWW artists got, and continue to get, at lot of airplay on my podcast/streaming radio show.
Meanwhile, just yesterday, Dancing Ferret/Noir Records founder Patrick Rodgers announced that his popular goth/darkwave label would be closing down in November.
“After November, Dancing Ferret Discs (and Noir Records) will stop releasing new material. Of course this does NOT mean that our wonderful artists are hanging up their hats, nor that their albums will disappear. It also does NOT mean that anything will happen to Nocturne, Dracula’s Ball, Digital Ferret or IsoTank. It simply means that in the future, new albums by the DFD bands that you love will be released by other labels (or in some cases, by the artists themselves).”
DFD/Noir, aside from representing popular darkwave acts like The Cruxshadows, also introduced America to great European neo-medieval, ethereal, Pagan-folk, and darkwave bands like Corvus Corax, Irfan, The Dreamside, Faun, and Omnia.
Both of these labels/services have been instrumental in helping to expand the idea of a “Pagan music” beyond the New Age mediocrities and sub-par folk that many assumed was the norm. It showed that there were new generations of musicians across America, the UK, and Europe, that were making challenging and exciting music that dealt with themes near and dear to the Pagan soul. To say that the exit of Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir leaves a hole is an understatement. So I raise my glass in toast to both of them, they have enriched us more than most will ever know.
You can expect tributes to both Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir in upcoming episodes of my A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast.
Looking for Pagan music but aren’t a fan of folk music, neo-medieval stylings, or darkwave? Then you might want to check out the latest offering from Jazz musician Jordi Rossy. His trio’s new album is entitled “Wicca”, and according to All About Jazz, it’s “mesmerizing”.
“Wicca is a largely ruminative album, Rossy somewhere on the piano spectrum between George Winston and his sometimes employer Mehldau … Whether the piano is in the lead, organ droning behind, or organ leads, in churchy mode, with piano chords underneath, that sound is consistent and, at its best, mesmerizing. A comfort zone is established and observed, only breached noticeably on the title track, the CD’s longest, adding trumpet and tenor sax and combining disparate elements of tempo and form into an intricate yet harmonious texture.”
You can order the album from this web site.
The Independent has a feature up on the tradition of Morris Dancing, specifically how two troupes are bringing a decidedly modern aesthetic to these venerable folk traditions.
“One reason for the recent growth of Border morris is that it is easier to learn (while more spectacular) than other forms. Another is an increase in the number of British neo-pagans, many of whom are drawn to it. “We quite consciously work with ideas of shamanism,” says [Wolfshead founder Philip] Kane. “It’s a form of ritual theatre, a magical space embracing both dancers and audience.” There are radical politics at work too: he sees the dance, and “neo-pagan carnivals” such as the Rochester Sweeps, as a way of resisting the “complacent nostalgia” of Englishness “founded on the detritus of imperialism, Christianity, racism and xenophobia”. His England has more primitive, inclusive roots, and for him the morris is a way of expressing that.”
Of course there are still several traditional Morris “sides” (albeit aging rapidly) performing in England. Unlike the Pagan and goth troupes, they see what they are doing as safely within the bounds of their Christian faith, and downplay any esoteric aspects connected to Morris dancing by folklorists in the past.
“So, what do they think they’re up to? Norman Hopson, the 56-year-old squire, is a technical manager for BT but has the no-nonsense manner of a bluff countryman. “Some say the handkerchiefs are there to frighten away spirits, and the same for the bells,” he says. “We say they are there to accentuate the movements.” Nor is there anything mystical about his experience of dancing: “I see myself as a street entertainer.” … Hopson doesn’t see it as a symbol of fertility, or anything else, thank you. “The Long Man is a local landmark,” he says. “It’s just a carving on a hill. I don’t think it has any further significance.” The side’s bagman, Alan Vaughan, puts it more strongly: “We would go against that pagan idea,” he says. ‘Traditionally, morris dancing has been connected with the church. I personally have danced in Durham Cathedral.’”
Of course the pagan and esoteric undertones to modern Morris dancing (true or not) are irrevocably wrapped into it thanks to folklorists like Cecil Sharp, who felt that folk-traditions were cultural fossils of England’s primitive past (what Ronald Hutton calls the “geological model” of human culture). This notion of pagan survivals helped pave the way for the emergence of modern Pagan religion, and still casts a long shadow in the public mind when considering Morris dances and other folk traditions.
“The folk singers of today … are the last of a long line that stretches back into the mists of far-off days.” - Cecil Sharp, English Folk Song: Some Conclusions, 1907
Nor is England the only place where Pagans and other subcultural groups are staking their own claims to the Morris legacy. Pagans in America, most notably in California, have started up their own Morris traditions. Before long, the Victorian folklorists may turn out to be prophets, as more and more Morris troupes embrace a Pagan aesthetic.
PS - Speaking of traditions, today is Mother’s Day. Check out my post concerning the holiday from last year, I think it says all I want to say about the subject.
Life has been good for director Guillermo del Toro lately. His 2006 film “Pan’s Labyrinth” was widely acclaimed by critics (winning three Academy Awards), and he was recently tapped to direct the two Hobbit films (under the watchful eye of Peter Jackson). In between these two momentous events comes the July release of “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”, which continues to mine the rich themes of myth, faith, choice, and the imagination.
“I think it’s the primal motor of human endeavor,” said del Toro about his fascination with exploring mythology and fantasy in his films. “All human endeavor: spiritual, physical, social. I think myth makes humans what we are, it is the essence of being human, the capacity to invent. No raccoon worships the god of the trash can and we do. There are plenty of people that worship in search of a spiritual meaning. Anyone that says, ‘Okay, we are this or that many chromosomes away from being an ape,’ they should consider imagination as one thing that is a huge chasm between us.”
“The focus is more on the folklore and fairy tale aspect of Hellboy. It’s not Nazis, machines and mad scientists but the old gods and characters who have been kind of shoved out of our world. I kind of equate it to the whole American Indian situation. The Indians were shoved onto reservations. You had your old, wise Indians who said, “You know, this is the way it is. We can’t fight anymore. We just have to accept our fate.” You then have your Geronimo character saying, “Or we could just kill the White Man.” That’s kind of the situation we have in the film. We have our elf characters resigning to the way things are and then there’s one saying, “Or we could take the world back.” The main difference is - what if the Indians had a nuclear warhead? The elves have their equivalent of the weapon that is too terrible to use. What if this guy decided to use it?”
Building on that theme, a viral marketing web site called HETFET, Humans for the Ethical Treatment of Fairies, Elves, and Trolls, has emerged.
Needless to say, the Pagan overtones of the site, complete with a real petition to save old-growth forests, are palpable. With the otherworldly action, a film preview sporting massive pre-historic Venus figurines, and a trip through a “Troll market” (not to mention a horned god/king!), this Hellboy film is shaping up to be a real treat for the Pagan film-goer. I’m very much looking forward to seeing it in July.
Play Louder reviews a recent concert by veteran Pagan goth-rockers Inkubus Sukkubus, and asks some essential questions.
“Finding them to be an unlikely but consistent pop-goth songwriting machine and completely and utterly stuck in a time warp of their own invention, I found there to be something incredibly endearing about Inkubus Sukkubus. How many songs can you write about Pan, the injustices of the Catholic church, and seasonal pagan festivals? Well, the answer, fortunately, is sh**loads…”
Despite being stuck in an “endearing time warp”, the band manages to win over the reviewer, not to mention their legions of loyal fans.
“…one can’t help but feel a tremendous attachment to them, and respect for them. They’re the rebellious aunt and uncle I never had. They’ve invented their own reality, and reached a modest number of people in a lot of places in a way that no other band could. From the big beardy old men to the leather-clad, off-the-rails cyber goth girls (both equally intimidating), there’s nobody not willing to raise their devil horns in salute and chant ‘Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna…’ till they’re hoarse.”
If that rousing endorsement has peaked your interest, you can download a variety of Inkubus Sukkubus songs at their SoundClick page. Maybe you too can be won over by the world’s most famous Pagan band.
Heathen Harvest’s new issue features an interview with darkwave band Hexperos, a band featured several times on my A Darker Shade of Pagan podcast.
“The world of dreams and the world of women. Each song of ‘The garden of the Hesperides’ is sung by one of these nymphs (who are inspiring muses for me) and the album talks about various women. For example the song entitled ‘Artemisia’ is dedicated to Artemisia Gentileschi, a great and mysterious female painter, who lived in the ‘600 and whose style belongs to Caravaggio school. ‘Nana’ is a song from the ‘Siete canciones populares Españolas’ by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, it is a sad ‘cante jondo’, a lullaby. Each song represents a different aspect of the feminine world, so it is for ‘Ave Maria’ by the baroque composer Giulio Caccini, for ‘The Magnificence of the Night’ whose lyric is an extract from the novel ‘Woman in love’ by D. H. Lawrence, for Hesperos. “
For my own review of Hexperos’ new album “The Garden of the Hesperides”, click here.
I just discovered the band Jacula, a prog-rock Italian band made up of occultists and mediums.
You can find a MySpace page for the band, here (it seems like almost any band, no matter obscure these days has a MySpace page). Band member Antonio Bartoccetti went on to form the musical project Antonius Rex. The band seems to be named after a pulp-horror vampire character.
Two English reviews of Goldfrapp’s new album “Seventh Tree”, a work that is inspired by the idea of paganism, reference the cult film The Wicker Man and actress Britt Ekland (who performed a famous nude dance scene in the film).
“But does it really amount to a folk album, “surreal” or otherwise? Well yes, if only in the impure sense understood by people who barely knew their trad arrs from their elbows when they first saw Britt Eckland’s stunt double disrobing amid the pagan weirdness of The Wicker Man. You can quibble over terms later. But while Seventh Tree is playing, you’ll want to do little other than bask. “
“Seventh Tree’s accompanying blurb depicts Goldfrapp and Gregory, secluded in Somerset, coming up with the notion of making a Wicker Man-influenced psychedelic folk album. This seems a bit much, given the legions of artists that have made Wicker Man-influenced psychedelic folk albums in recent years: walk into any new-folk club and you risk being deafened by the slap of twigs on Britt Ekland’s bum. “
So does pagan-influenced in England automatically call up that classic cult film? It should be interesting to see what other parallels reviewers make in the near future.
Check out this live clip of Trobar de Morte performing “Morrigan” from their brand new album “Legends of Blood and Light”, available now from Prikosnovenie.
You can also hear the song on this week’s episode of “A Darker Shade of Pagan”.
TradWitch, a web site servicing Traditionalist Witches/Wiccans, has posted clips from a “lost” recording of groundbreaking Pagan singer/songwriter Gwydion Pendderwen.
“The Late Gwydion Pendderwen performed a rare live concert at the 1980 Pan Pagan Festival held in Hammond Indiana. I recorded that event with Gwydions permission and believe that my tape of it is one of the few which was made. I am in process of digitizing it and trying to clean it up as best i can. “
You can find clips of “I’ll Be Reborn” and “Trees of Annywn” at the site. If you have never heard of Gwydion, be sure to check out my review of Gwydion’s re-released albums.
My Podcast
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]