Thick Skin - Audrey Ryan

Thick Skin – Audrey Ryan

Extraordinary new album from Boston-based singer-songwriter Audrey Ryan. More here.

Songs of Gold and Shadow - Cleo T

Songs of Gold & Shadow – Cleo T

Produced by John Parish, French gothic folk rock from Cleo T. More here.

Lights Over The Lake - No Thee No Ess

Lights Over The Lake – No Thee No Ess

Stunning album from Welsh psych folk band No The No Ess. More here.

NEW RELEASE – Songs of Gold & Shadow – Cleo T

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Folkwit Records

A stunning new release from Parisian singer-songwriter Cleo T – her debut album Songs of Gold and Shadow was produced by John Parish (P J Harvey) and is released on Monday 21 May:

Songs of Gold and Shadow – Cleo T - £8.99 + P&P


Buy NOW at Bandcamp:

  1. I Love Me I Love Me Not
  2. We All
  3. Columbine
  4. Song to The Moon
  5. Kingdom of Smoke
  6. Whistles in the Night
  7. Trista Stella
  8. Little Girl Lost
  9. Me & The Ghost
  10. Dead and Gone
  11. Someday My Prince Will Come

Reviews:

“The Parisian chanteuse with the single-initial surname returns with an album boasting John Parish at the knobs and twiddles. ‘I Love Me I Love Me Not’ opens with dramatic woodland strings before Ms T emerges in her freaky garb for an atmospheric number, drunkenly stumbling into a woozy chorus backed by sublime irruptions of drum, piano and string. Perfect. ‘We All’ picks up the pace with more shrieky high notes over squalls of feedback and bouncy bass bits, plus a touchingly direct chorus: ‘We all need someone to hold on to.’ True that. ‘Song To The Moon’ is the tune Marlene Dietrich would’ve sung if she’d had to live with Hitler in the swampy Bavarian marshes until things “blew over.” Excellent wolf impressions and violins. ‘Kingdom Of Smoke’ is a dark, affecting piece of melancholic theatre. ‘Whistles In The Night’ continues this brooding sound. Parish is the perfect choice for Cleo’s twisted forays into the darker side of the woodland. This excellent album also contains a track penned for Cleo by Robert Wyatt, ‘So Long Ago Yesterday,’ and an appearance from my old favourite “instrument,” the theremin. Dark and seductive. An excellent collaboration that will send you slowly mad.”
- Mark Nicholls, Shout 4 Music

“It came as no surprise to discover that Cleo T is French. The black and white, pre-Raphelite sleeve hints at something from the left field, or should that be left bank, and that is pretty much confirmed from the opening track of “Songs Of Shadow And Gold”. A large range of instrumentation, including Theremin and crystal glasses combine with delightfully melancholic melodies to give the album a film noire feel, with Cleo T playing the role of the femme fatale. An album that drifts into your consciousness like a skiff emerging from the mist, cloaked figure in the prow.”
- Neil King, FATEA

“…diaphanous and ethereal ballads…folk compositions treated in the spirit of cabaret.”
- Rock & Folk, France

“…a wild side that contrasts with sweetness, while remaining deeply sensitive and melodic.”
- Rock’n'France

More here.

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Stop Press: Audrey Ryan live shows in Europe

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Folkwit Records

Audrey Ryan is doing some European shows over the next few days to promote the release of her new album Thick Skin:

Thurs, May 17th – Mullingar, IRELAND
Fri, May 18th – House Show, Athlone, IRELAND
Saturday, May 19th @9pm- Le Vieux Leon, Paris, FRANCE
Tuesday, May 22nd @8pm- Truskel, Paris, FRANCE

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Cleo T / Louise Le May / Jude Cowan – Live in London – 22 May 2012

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Folkwit Records

Tuesday 22 May 8pm at The Sebright Arms, Bethnal Green, London: an extraordinary line-up of talented featuring Cleo T, Louise Le May and Jude Cowan.

Tickets: £5.00
Buy in advance here: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/165322

An evening of eclectic music of the highest order from Folkwit Records:

Parisian songbird, Cleo T is in the UK to promote the release of her debut album Songs of Gold and Shadow – produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey) – “…diaphanous and ethereal ballads…folk compositions treated in the spirit of cabaret.” – Rock & Folk, France, “…a wild side that contrasts with sweetness, while remaining deeply sensitive and melodic.” – Rock’n'France

Louise Le May is an extraordinary talent – a singer-songwriter from Hackney who has made quite an impact with her unique voice and songs – “..exquisite and beguiling.” **** – Rock’n’Reel, “Exquisite…such a refreshingly original sound” – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music, “…absolutely beautiful and haunting songs” – Jonathan Coe, “…the steady delivery of Judee Sill, but the harmonic flavour of Kate Bush or Robert Wyatt.” – Sean O’Hagan (High Llamas)

Artist, poet and musician Jude Cowan will also be performing a selection of songs and poetry. Jude is an avant-folk singer-songwriter, poet and artist from London. Her most recent published work ‘For The Messengers’ attracted praise from the likes of Jon Snow (Channel 4 News) and Bill Neely (International Editor, ITN News) – “Outstanding..”

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NEW RELEASE – Thick Skin – Audrey

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Folkwit Records

We are delighted to release this extraordinary new album – the third on the label from Boston, Mass. based singer-songwriter Audrey Ryan:

Thick Skin – Audrey Ryan – £8.99 + P&P


Buy NOW at Bandcamp:

  1. Lost & Lonely
  2. Wherever You Are
  3. I Need The Blues
  4. Thick Skin
  5. Way I Am
  6. Nostalgia
  7. Dangling
  8. 4 Blocks
  9. Easy
  10. If You Go

Third album from the highly creative imagination of multi-instrumentalist Audrey Ryan.

“Audrey Ryan is picking up career traction after a near-decade of troubadouring with the likes of Beth Orton and Susanne Vega. This record follows fast on the heels of last year’s ‘I Know, I Know’. ‘Lost & Lonely’ opens with an orchestra being dragged underwater, then surfaces for a piano-led lament with airy vocals and lonesome violins, before dragging the brass below again. ‘I Need The Blues’ is spacey, affecting short one with toe-tapping tingles over wispy country lyrics, merging into the title track which acts as a mission statement for the album: self-preservation against all odds. The beautiful ‘Way I Am’ continues this theme in the most moving track on the album and provides the best showcase for Ryan’s understated vocals and somewhat lo-fi instrumental soup. This style is consistent through the record, bringing to mind a more indie Abigail Washburn. Her voice has the lazily defiant quality of Barbara Manning but eager for a stadium audience, so willing to push for those high notes when required. Her storytelling muscles are flexed on the lengthy ‘Dangeling’ and ‘Four Blocks.’ A gently powerful album with glittering instrumental brilliance and melancholy in the lyrics. Plus there’s nothing sexier than a woman with a squeezebox.”
- Mark Nicholls, Shout 4 Music

“Theatrical, quirky, feels orchestral while remaining stripped-down; the Decemberists with a female singer — a very good thing.”
- Mass. Live

“Make sure to check out Audrey Ryan. The sweet and quirky avant rocker – for fans of everyone from Flaming Lips to Nellie McKay…”
- Boston Globe

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Pulco’s The Man of Lists – Daily Post Review

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Folkwit Records

First review in for Pulco‘s upcoming album The Man of Lists – a collaboration with a plethora of fine musicians, it’s an eclectic album constructed around the poems of Ashley Cooke (aka Pulco):

More about Pulco here.

Pre-Order the album here.

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The Muffins get the ‘thumbs up’ from Fresh On The Net

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Folkwit Records

A nice piece extolling the virtues of the upcoming release by Mr & Mrs Muffins:

“Have you ever heard an album for the very first time that exactly fits the mood you are in?

I was lucky enough to have such an album come my way in this last week from those lovely people at Folkwit Records that is so enchanting,beautiful & beguiling it has not been off my stereogram radio-matic ipod ghetto boom box thing ever since it landed.

It’s called ‘The Raindrop Dance & Other Songs about Love’ and its from Seattle based storytellers Mr. and Mrs. Muffin and we at FOTN think its something you may well find yourselves smitten with.

I have been incorporating the sounds of my melodica into my own music recently and so I fell hook,line and sinker for the melodica loveliness of opening track ‘The Magic Cloud’ and never looked back.

This album is gentle,relaxing and wondrous,just like a mini fairytale orchestra is performing for you in your living room.

Totally enchanting.”
- http://freshonthenet.co.uk/mr-mrs-muffin/

More about Mr & Mrs Muffins here.

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Tree by Wim Oudijk – Outside the Cube Review

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Folkwit Records

Great review of Wim Oudijk’s album Tree from Outside the Cube:

“Opening with the modern instrumentation of piano and chainsaw, the first track on Wim Oudijk’s cd, Tree, quickly saunters into a baroque melody but spins itself into a 1960′s/70′s reminiscent progression of pop music magic. Part 2 of the album kicks a little bit harder. It informs us that our journey isn’t about the singular tracks on the cd as much as it’s about telling the entire story. We also notice that this beautifully thematic album must have been born or at least conceived in an era when the greatest name in acid jazz were in full force.

Wim really does take us through a theatrical stage performance of sound. He creates images that aren’t easy to shake. So many emotions are conjured up through listening to this cd the first time, and so many memories and feelings of nostalgia come to the surface. Still, it’s safe to say that you’ve never heard anything like it.
Wim Oudijk is certainly one of a kind. He’s the living embodiment of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Leonard Bernstein and his style and talent are timeless and fantastic. That is the perfect truth behind this creation. Reader, be aware, that when you listen to Tree, it won’t just grow on you… it will grow and grow and grow.”
- Eblison Grun

More about Wim Oudijk here.

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Pulco – new album preview on The Garden of Earthly Delights tonight

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Folkwit Records

Tracks from Pulco‘s new album The Man Of Lists going out tonight (27 April 2012) from 10pm on the excellent cult radio show The Garden Of Earthly Delights on CRMK.

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Pulco featured on Fresh On The Net’s Listening Post

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Folkwit Records

Check out a track from Pulco‘s upcoming album The Man of Lists on Fresh On The Net‘s Listening Post – songs selected by BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson & team – check it out here.

More about Pulco here.

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10th anniversary release of Des lendemains by Orwell

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Folkwit Records

To mark 10 years since its release, the excellent French band Orwell release their debut album, Des lendemains on Bandcamp:

More releases from Orwell here.

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