Monday, May 26, 2014

Harv - Direktör Deg EP




Harv - Direktör Deg EP (2005)

"Going from Jimi Hendrix covers to traditional Scandinavian fiddle music might seem like a giant leap of imagination, but it's exactly what the Swedish duo of Harv has managed. Magnus Stinnerbom and Daniel Sandén-Warg first played together in 1992, when they were 14, while attending a high school for musicians in their hometown of Karlstad. In Harv's very earliest incarnation, Stinnerbom played drums and Sandén-Warg guitar, as they jammed on old Hendrix songs, aiming to be rock stars. The idea of moving to traditional music came a year later. Stinnerbom had grown up with the music, his father having been a fiddle player with the seminal Swedish folk band Groupa, and when he finally played some of the old sounds for his friend, Sandén-Warg was an instant convert. However, it would still be a while before the pair appeared in public. Their debut as Harv (which translates as "harrow") came in 1996, when they provided the music for a production of Hamlet by the Västanå Theatre, and their eponymous first CD arrived a year later." (From the group's iTunes page)

01 | Direktör Deg
02 | Raggarvals (Yobbowaltz)
03 | Mor Åse (from Peer Gynt)
04 | Hälihövve (Live)
05 | Sviten (Live)

Availability: The EP can be purchased used and the first two tracks are on the Polka Raggioso album.  There is no MP3 version available of the last three tracks in the U.S.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Den Fule - Halling i köket


Den Fule - Halling i köket (2010)

"Den Fule (meaning “The ugly one”) was formed primarily from veterans of the 1970s Swedish folk rock scene. The band produced two albums through Xource Records in the early 1990s then disbanded. Their first album Lugumleik met with immediate critical acclaim and won the Swedish Grammy for “Best Folk Music Album of the Year 1993”. The album was described for the Swedish Grammy awards as a blend of jazz, rock, funk and traditional folk music." (Last.fm)

01 | Städa
02 | Norskorna
03 | Glimten
04 | Grum-Delta
05 | Rökschottis
06 | Knöltoppen
07 | Liabekken
08 | Halling i köket
09 | Hunden

Availability: Available new on Amazon, but listed under the wrong artist.  Also available in MP3 format.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Ahlberg, Ek & Roswall - Vintern


Ahlberg, Ek & Roswall - Vintern (2012)

"Ahlberg, Ek & Roswall offers a swinging and virtuosic interplay that invites
both listening and dancing. The repertoire is based on tradtional Swedish tunes, including slängpolskas from Skåne, triplet-based polskas from Medelpad, as well as their own compositions." (Website)

01 | Vintern
02 | Huldrasviten
03 | Nysnabben
04 | Jeppsons G-moll
05 | Stor-Anted trioler
06 | Visarkivet, Annell
07 | Jöns första vals
08 | Lagerfedt, Jeppson
09 | Juli
10 | Kvarnforsen
11 | 875
12 | Snigelschottis
13 | Grönby
14 | Jonk Jonas
15 | Gånglåt till Daniel

Availability: Available used or in MP3 format in the U.S.