A traditional song from the region of Cantabria, Spain, courtesy of a project by José Ignacio H. Toquero (also see his Google+ page), who plays Spanish guitar for this band.
Folk
[Music] Maraca – Time In Time
I’m lucky enough to be served some amazing dishes by Premek over at Indies Records from Prague. The Czech Republic’s coolest label put out another gem with Maraca, who produce a type of indie rock that should be appealing to a wide audience. Mellow and very tasteful stuff, especially with the fine vocal work turned in by Gabriela Vermelho.
[Music] Bel Canto Choir Vilnius – Shchedryk [Щедрик] (Carol of the Bells)
What a wonderful chorus! The Bel Canto Choir of Vilnius, Lithuania, do a standout performance of the Christmas classic written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych.
[Music] Various Artists – The Lost 45s of Sudan (ShellacHead Annual 2015)
I feel like I struck solid gold today! Thanks to the brilliant lads over at Shellac Head, a fine reissue label one should explore deeply, I’m able to dig into a pile of fine Sudanese music. Only the most committed bin divers know about these tracks. At $5, it’s a steal!
[Music] Sparklehorse – Weird Sisters
A real tragedy. Sparklehorse, led by Mark Linkous, were indie rock darlings, collaborating and touring with artists as wide-ranging as Fennesz and Radiohead. Unfortunately, Linkous also suffered with drug addiction and ensuing health problems for years, and took his life in 2010.
[Music] Usnija Redžepova – Kazuj krčmo džerimo
The Macedonian Gypsy singer Usnija Redžepova passed away today at the age of 69. I cannot say if she is related to her fellow Gypsy countrywoman, Esma, but when Usnija was young, she looked like Monica Belluci fronting a Roma band. RIP.
[Music] Love (Japan) – Time Gives Life
Folk-psych from 1977. The band Love is not the legendary Los Angeles band fronted by Arthur Lee, but a Japanese group who churned out at least one magnificent album before disappearing into the aether.
[Music] Sophia Mavrogenidou & Alfio Antico – Ninna Nanna
A gorgeous interpretation of a classic Italian lullaby by Greek-Czech vocalist and flautist Sophia Mavrogenidou & Italian percussionist Alfio Antico
[Music] Johanna Warren – Nūmūn
Johanna Warren is a folk singer from Portland, Oregon, who caught my ear. There’s a very sweet tone to her voice that I’m not used to hearing from other American folkies. This is my first encounter with her work, and I’d say I’m looking forward to hearing more from her.
[Music] Rodriguez – Sugar Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyE9vFGKogs
Sixto Rodriguez’s story is a pretty incredible one. A Mexican-American folk singer from Detroit who didn’t sell too many albums, but did manage to have a good tour of Australia, and then fell into obscurity, or so he thought. He ended up outselling Elvis Presley in South Africa, and fans from there hunted him down. The movie Searching For Sugar Man documents his rise, fall, and rise back to popularity.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 