FolkBlog

This week’s featured artist (7/5 to 7/11) is progressive folk/rock band Tempest. They are a little more rock and roll than the bands I usually feature. Based out of northern California, they have band members from around the world and feature progressive rock treatments of Celtic and Scandinavian music. Although I’ve never seen them live, I’ve heard them in studio on WCBE numerous times, and they are a killer live band. They are scheduled to play at the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival and I will be there. Richard Thompson’s coming too, as a re Wolfstone and the Saw Doctors.

Other new adds

Okay, I’ve bought into the hype on Ollabelle. They are the real deal. Gospel music with influences from most major modern music forms. One of the singers is Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm of The Band), and the disk is produced by T-Bone Burnett. Who am I to say no?

Maura O’Connell has a new CD out, Don’t I Know on Sugar Hill, and as is her practice, she covers more great songs by great songwriters like Patty Griffin and just sings the heck out of them.

Scottish band Rise, from the Isle of Bute, has a new CD as well. Posing as Human broadens the scope of the band’s style, as it seems to incorporate a little more polished production, and goes in a little more of a pop/rock direction than their debut CD. There are also some hints of jazz here. The stylistic variety serves the band well. Highlights include covers of Nanci Griffith and Dick Gaughan.

Les Femmes d’Enfer is an all-female band based in the Pacific Northwest playing traditional cajun music. The band’s name is a play on the classic cajun song “Les Flamme d’Enfer” (”The Flames of Hell). This is well-played cajun dance music, and I’m sure you’ll be hearing this group a lot on the OFF.