English folk music for sonhouse

Originally posted by NoEarthlyReason
sonhouse, do you listen to much radio? Now that Internet radio has well-and-truly arrived, I sometimes listen to US stations as well as others around the world — I bookmark the ones I like in TuneIn. Are there any stations you'd particularly recommend?

I used to listen to folk music on XM radio but they killed that program, then I started listening to audio books on another channel and they killed that one and put in some dirty sex show, I think that was what it was called 'dirty sex'. Seems XM radio doesn't care for actual culture. There is one classical music channel and one opera channel but that is it for culture on XM now.

I have a long commute to work so don't have much to listen to now. There are some old time drama radio shows on, Dragnet on the radio, Dick Powell doing Richard Diamond, detective, some X minus 1 sci fi and such and comedies.

I listen to 'folk alley' sometimes,

http://www.folkalley.com/?gclid=CLOU4cnS_8ECFeJj7Aodr38ARg

They have streaming audio. Wish I could get it in my car. Don't want to pay 70 bucks a month for smart phone data though.

Originally posted by sonhouse
I used to listen to folk music on XM radio but they killed that program, then I started listening to audio books on another channel and they killed that one and put in some dirty sex show, I think that was what it was called 'dirty sex'. Seems XM radio doesn't care for actual culture. There is one classical music channel and one opera channel but that is it ...[text shortened]... . Wish I could get it in my car. Don't want to pay 70 bucks a month for smart phone data though.

Do US stations broadcast digitally? I think you can get DAB car radios now.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Thanks for bringing him here, a new one for me. One of the joys of folk music is finding new talented people, new to me anyway! He reminds me of my buddy George Winston.

There's also Bob Fox, who has never really been given the credit he deserves for being a great folk voice (although I think that accolade probably goes to Dave Swarbrick, who is pretty much the Court Jester of English folk) :

YouTube

If you broaden this out to include Scottish folk, you absolutely have to include the swing folk of Easy Club and Rod Paterson:

YouTube

On the US side, I think Tim O'Brien is the best folk artist around at the moment, and my father, who plays mandolin, fiddle and banjo and knows far more about these things than I ever will, rates him as every bit as good as Paul Brady - personally I think O'Brien is much more interesting, and Real Time is a classic newgrass album (looks like he's collaborating with Daryl Scott again at the moment, even better news).

Originally posted by Amaurote
There's also Bob Fox, who has never really been given the credit he deserves for being a great folk voice (although I think that accolade probably goes to Dave Swarbrick, who is pretty much the Court Jester of English folk) :

http://youtu.be/HM_cIGEtBio

If you broaden this out to include Scottish folk, you absolutely have to include the swing folk of ...[text shortened]... ss album (looks like he's collaborating with Daryl Scott again at the moment, even better news).

All good artists for sure! Where does your dad live? I play those instruments as well, played in 3 bands, got some national TV time. Be nice to play a few tunes with your dad.

Just found this great version of Galway girl, Mundy, with Sharon Shannon on button accordian:

YouTube

On the Irish Late Late show, a tribute to Shanon:

YouTube

Originally posted by sonhouse
All good artists for sure! Where does your dad live? I play those instruments as well, played in 3 bands, got some national TV time. Be nice to play a few tunes with your dad.

Just found this great version of Galway girl, Mundy, with Sharon Shannon on button accordian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3V-oXwCWL4

On the Irish Late Late show, a tribute to Shanon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMyIHfR7d4U

Ha, I'm sure he'd be delighted and honoured, sonhouse, but he's a bit out of your way in rainy old England - he's retired now, he mainly played part-time in a local ceilidh band around the local towns in Durham, so all he does now is occasionally take his fiddle round the local pub to play with his old friends. Of course, growing up I cordially loathed all folk music, only to embrace it (inevitably) in adulthood - the mandolin in particular is something I wish he'd play more.

I must say, these acts you're posting are fantastic - I thought I knew a bit about US folk, but these artists are pretty much unknown to me, and I suspect, my dad. Thanks for the links - I'll pass them on to him this week.

Originally posted by Amaurote
Ha, I'm sure he'd be delighted and honoured, sonhouse, but he's a bit out of your way in rainy old England - he's retired now, he mainly played part-time in a local ceilidh band around the local towns in Durham, so all he does now is occasionally take his fiddle round the local pub to play with his old friends. Of course, growing up I cordially loathed all ...[text shortened]... unknown to me, and I suspect, my dad. Thanks for the links - I'll pass them on to him this week.

So do you play? You mentioned mandolin. Mandolin and guitar are my best instruments. I write tunes on mandolin mainly, it's great as a melody instrument for new ideas.

Originally posted by sonhouse
So do you play? You mentioned mandolin. Mandolin and guitar are my best instruments. I write tunes on mandolin mainly, it's great as a melody instrument for new ideas.

No, I'm a musical nullity, no more than a spectator - my dad is a lovely bloke, but he's very laid-back, and he never really pushed me to learn, perhaps because he was an autodidact himself.

Very interesting to hear that you write this way, but also reassuring that it's not just the instrument of choice of rare players like Chris Thile. it's strange in a way watching my father stop playing...he seems to have lost interest in the banjo completely, the mandolin next and only partially, but the fiddle retains its pull for him.

Originally posted by Amaurote
No, I'm a musical nullity, no more than a spectator - my dad is a lovely bloke, but he's very laid-back, and he never really pushed me to learn, perhaps because he was an autodidact himself.

Very interesting to hear that you write this way, but also reassuring that it's not just the instrument of choice of rare players like Chris Thile. it's strange in ...[text shortened]... banjo completely, the mandolin next and only partially, but the fiddle retains its pull for him.

Well, I can see one thing, the fiddle is a lot less weight to haul around, lighter than the mandolin and a LOT lighter than banjo or guitar.

Tell him I said hi! You can hear some of my compositions at myspace:
myspace.com/donjenningsguitar