Folk Off! [Finners]

[Joe.]

I'm warning you now before I start this, I'm expecting to hate it. I expect the feelings are mutual. Anyway Finners, surprise me.

1. Vin Garbutt - Away From The Pits

I just can't take it seriously, I guess it's the strong little Irish accent right at the beginning. I didn't particularly enjoy the song. It's your typical folk kind of thing though, it should have been expected I guess... 3/10

2. The New Bushbury Mountain Daredevils - London Road

Yes ukulele! Better than the last track, purely for this reason. 5/10

3. Great Western Squares - Ace of Spades

Well, it's hard to dislike I guess. I'm sure it'd be much better watching it live though, can imagine that going down well somwhere. 6/10

4. Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia

I'm very partial to a lot of melodic acoustic stuff so this was decent enough for me. Yep, something I'd choose to listen to again, a success here. 7.5/10

5. Brett Dennen - There Is So Much More

Well, well, well. I actually liked this, much more my kind of thing. As mentioned before, I do enjoy a good bit of acoustic music, and this fits the bill pretty nicely indeed. Bravo sir. 8/10

6. The New Bushbury Mountain Daredevils - Bushbury Mountain

Instrumental's are alright sometimes, but this one's just a little too repetetive for me. There can't be more than two or three different parts to it. Pffft. Still, it's pretty inoffensive and easy on the ears. 4/10

7. Spirit Of The West - Home For a Rest

I thought I was going to like it until about 55 seconds through it. Ruined I tell you, ruined! Still, I found myself tapping my foot through it so it couldn't have been too bad. 5/10

8. Dafydd Iwan - Yma O Hyd

It's definitely not something I'd choose to listen to again unfortunately. I'm sure Iwan Roberts would love this in his council flat though. 3/10

9. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

Obviously Billy Bragg is a much more familiar name than the others, so I've heard a little bit of his stuff before. And yeah, I liked this one too actually. Unlike most of this mix, I'd actually consider listening to this again. Like the piano in it, and the rawness of the guitar. 7.5/10

10. Vin Garbutt - A Man Of The Earth

Oh no, not again! Skipped to avoid further punishment.

11. The Tossers - Finnegan's Wake

You couldn't resist putting this one on here could you for the namesake? It's interesting anyway; still a bit meh-ish but yeah. 4/10

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Well, I did warn you I probably wouldn't like it! I've given it my honest opinion, I'm sure you'd prefer that than me testiculating my way through it, pretending I liked most of it! To be honest, much of it is very similar so if you don't like one song, the chances are you won't like many with this. Still, it proved to me that I don't like Folk music anyway, so cheers for that.

Anyway there are three songs on here which I'm going to keep, which in my book is still pretty decent. Cheers Finners. I don't think my mix could be anymore the opposite of this if it tried to be...

[Fez of Mahrez]

I thought the best way to approach this one was to play the whole thing through and see what grabbed my attention. I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to music but there's something about folk and country music that I just cannot deal with at all. The first three tracks were a bit of a write-off for me unfortunately.

The Iron & Wine track stood out from the first three obviously. I have to be in the right mood for music like this but it's a good song that I can imagine listening to again in the future. The Brett Dennen track I liked as well, and Bushbury Mountain is excellent, something I will listen to again for sure, and my favourite of the whole compilation by far.

Can't cope with the rest of it but I gave it all a listen which is pretty good by my standards when it comes to folk music.

Cheers mate.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Downloaded - I'll listen later.

Thanks for keeping it short and sweet (I've just seen Flynny's listing and feel like crying! )

[shen]

1. Garbutt - Away From The Pits

Catchy song, although his nasal voice is a bit much and I tend to find it get’s rather repetitive. I always associate folk with sitting down the local Irish pub and have a good sing-along Even though I’m no great folk enthusiast, I love it on occasions like those.

2. NBMDD - London Road

This one didn’t do much for me though, but listenable.

3. Great western Squares - Ace of Spades

Shame about the quality, but I like this version.

4. I&W - Sodom, South Georgia

Could’ve been de-essed a bit during mixing (almost hurts the ears every time he makes ‘s’ sounds). It’s almost lullaby-ish, and together with the lyrics it makes for a rather uneasy listening. That sad but pragmatic feeling I guess. Like it.

5. Brett Dennen - So Much More

A 9/11 song… great. I don’t know really, it get’s a bit on my nerves, and his voice didn’t help. I know he’s not trying to explicitly convey feelings about 9/11, but he could’ve just not mentioned it I guess… Ugh.

6. NBMDD - Bushbury Mountain

Yeah, I dig this. Really like the harmonica and bass rhythms. I liked the texture of it, but then again I’ve always liked good instrumentals. The imagery this one conveyed was wild and vivid, so a very fitting title I’d say.

7. Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest

Wasn’t in the mood for this exciting piece End of song sounded much too familiar though. It’s been done umpteen times before and doesn’t do much for me any longer.

8. Dafydd Iwan - Yma o Hyd

Hmm, no. I don’t care that I don’t understand the lyrics, but the music did nothing for me. What’s he singing about?

9. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

Hmmm, didn’t do much for me either. Sounded like a bunch of drunk pub boys at the end, which I guess is quite fun when you’re in the middle of it…

10. Garbutt - Man of the Earth

Couldn’t hear what he mumbled, so didn’t understand his joke at the beginning. His nasal voice is still very prominent though, and I don’t like the trembling he does. I’m having trouble understanding a few of the words (especially when he builds up to the chorus) as well, which might be down to me being foreigner or something, I don’t know…

11. The Tossers - Finnegan's Wake

Argh, no. Should’ve stopped it after the tirade if that was all you were after

I’ll admit I have my prejudices about folk. I think the format is rather rigid and it’s musically not very interesting. I’m one of those that finds lyrics to be of secondary importance in music, so it’s obviously hard to convince me, but having said that, I’m a lot more open to this than hip hop which is similarly focused around lyrics rather than the music. A few good tunes in there, and like Fez I found the instrumental one to stand out of this. It will get more listens for sure. Many thanks for the effort!

Ps. I must be the only one who didn’t like Brett Dennen

[James.]

1. Garbutt - Away from the pits

Ok, so the chances of this ever making it in to my collection are pretty much zero BUT I did enjoy the song. It's a nice song, it made me smile. Maybe I was just in the right mood. 6

2. NBMDD - London Road

Again, exactly what I wouldn't listen to but fuck it I like it. Maybe I will listen to more folk music. It's melodic, it's fun, it's catchy and it's different to what I'm used to. And it speeds up towards the end, nice. 7

3. Great western Squares - Ace of Spades

Hmm. Maybe I won't listen to folk music after all. Poor quality recording and maybe they should have just left this song alone. 4

4. Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia

Like the acoustic guitar. Didn't like his voice to start with but it's growing on me now. This sounds like the sort of song you'd hear in Donnie Darko. It has that Mad World kind of feel to it. Finnegan will probably hate me for saying that. 6

5. Brett Dennen - So Much More

This is a good song. Original sounding voice, music that flows like water - very pleasant. I'd be keen to hear another song by this chap. 7

6. NBMDD - Bushbury Mountain

Yeah these guys are pretty good aren't they. Like the way this builds and builds throughout the song. Just read a bit about their history on MySpace. Must admit I was a bit gutted to learn they're from Birmingham. Still, decent song. 6

7. Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest

That flute is the saving grace. It's definitely too hectic for me. If I was blind drunk I'd jump around like a bit of a nob to this song. But I'm sober and it's annoying me. 4

8. Dafydd Iwan - Yma o Hyd

I reckon this song gets absolutely pelted out on a Friday night in Llanelli. I can imagine a lot of drunk Welshman singing that. It should be your national anthem. Not for me though. 4

9. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

Wahey. A reference to Fidel Castro. Good to see your politics influencing your choice of music. Or maybe it's the other way round? Hmm. Interesting question that. I might start a thread on it. It's a decent song. Not my thing but listenable, which is something. 6

10. Garbutt - Man of the Earth

One thing this compilation does is flow well. Nicely brought back to where it started and my view of this song is pretty much the same as my view for the first Garbutt song. 6

11. The Tossers - Finnegan's Wake

"and steal his shoes too"... haha. I've never heard anything by The Tossers before. I can't say I've particularly missed out on this evidence but it's a good way to finish the compilation and again it's listenable. Just. 6

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Pleasantly surprised pretty much sums this up. I expected to hate it. I didn't hate it. I actually quite enjoyed it. The main reason being that I was listening to music I would NEVER have listened to had I not downloaded it and at the end of the day, for me, that's what this CD Swap is all about. Hell, if you didn't like ANY of the songs chances are you've still expanded your musical horizons just by listening to them. And that's never a bad thing. Cheers mate.

Overall 7/10.

[Smudge]

Can you relist it Finners,? The listing period has expired and on the basis of listening to "Aint No Reason" I'd like to hear the rest.

[Daggers]

Can you relist it Finners,? The listing period has expired and on the basis of listening to "Aint No Reason" I'd like to hear the rest.

What Smudge said.

Relist it.

Now.

[Finnegan]

What Smudge said.

Relist it.

Now.

It's uploading as I type.

[Finnegan]

There you go https://www.yousendit.com/download/MnFpSkhaY3lqV0FLSkE9PQ

Edit: Oh and yes, James, as we've said the Great Western Squares song has a terrible audio quality. The only version I could find anywhere was on YouTube so I had to steal it from there.

[Daggers]

There you go https://www.yousendit.com/download/MnFpSkhaY3lqV0FLSkE9PQ

Edit: Oh and yes, James, as we've said the Great Western Squares song has a terrible audio quality. The only version I could find anywhere was on YouTube so I had to steal it from there.

x

[AoWW]

Can't wait to listen to this but as I'm broadband-less at the mo there's zero point trying to download as I'd be here till Christmas. Sorry Finners, but I may be begging you to relist this again.

The only track I've already heard is the I&W one, but I'm curious to hear the rest - even though there's a fair proportion I'm sure I'll hate - I'm hoping I'll be surprised by a few others.

[Finnegan]

Not a problem. On either count, really, I went into this well aware it wasn't really everyone if anyone's taste in music, I figured it'd be more interesting that way.

I hope Daggers isn't expecting the loud, rawcus noise I put in the last one.

[Daggers]

Folk music is the history of this country, its traditional form has existed for centuries changing slightly and has to be appreciated as such. I'm always unlikely to stick on a Christy Moore album as I drive long distance, but it is very suitable for a Sunday afternoon in the lounge while reading or a sunny afternoon outside drinking.

I'm a fan of protest and protest songs most of all, and the unplugged nature of it all sings summer to me.

There, table laid, I'm partial to a bit of folk, me. Here we go:

1. Vin Garbutt - Away from the pits

Fortunately the song balances out the nasal tones. I see no reason for it. Up at the Folk Club in Sunderland a load of us used to go to there was this lad, only 15-odd, used to sing like this only with his finger in his ear too. It's stupid. Don't do it. It's fine that they did that in the 1800's but not now.

2. NBMDD - London Road

You can't beat a bit of regular thumping, a song beer can be spilled to.

3. Great western Squares - Ace of Spades

Give me a decent recording and I can live with this.

Without the Mouth Harp - they are shit.

Not Hayseed Dixie though is it. They do this kind of stuff properly.

4. Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia

Wooo, very Elliott Smith.

That means I like it, I've recorded stuff very similar to this.

5. Brett Dennen - So Much More

Overtones of Springsteen on the rhythm and melody, but moving on from that I'm an instant fan. Good call Finners.

6. NBMDD - Bushbury Mountain

Where can I download more of this?

7. Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest

I want to slap people whose voices warble like this. This is nothing more than a poor version of The Men They Couldn't Hang. Bleurgh.

8. Dafydd Iwan - Yma o Hyd

Is he the only folkie in the village? Is he trying to compete with the local male voice choir? Is this an entry for Eurovision? It's not folk. More than that, I don't like it.

9. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

When we were witnessing the decline of the last Tory administration, full of their greed, corruption and lies, this was played on the jukebox in our kitchen almost daily. Reminds me of good times and hope for the future - which Blair and Brown pissed all over. Bragg was immense at the first Phoenix festival. Immense.

10. Vin Garbutt - Man of the Earth

"...ah mean, granted, they weren't my cabbages..."

Nasal and warbles, so it says a lot about the song-writing that I don't hate this.

11. The Tossers - Finnegan's Wake

"Finnegan ain't shit!"

This second-rate Pogues sloooooow, fast, sloooooow, fast is though.

Overall impressions, cheers Finners - good sounds for a Sunday. I enjoyed this as much as I've loved Jay's previous mixes.

[Finnegan]

It's actually one of the Tossers' worst songs, I never listen to that version of Finnegan's Wake myself. I was going to leave it at ten tracks but I'd recently downloaded the album that's on and was giving it a whirl. When the intro came on I just had to put it in

If you find Vin Garbutt's sense of humour worth a chuckle then the rest of the live album that came off is pretty good, really. It's like folk stand-up, definitely amused me.

As for the Bushbury Mountain Daredevils - uhmmm, normally I'd really be against uploading an entire album of a band so small as I figure they need the money. That said, I don't know if you can actually buy the CD anymore and they've all gone their seperate ways so I don't think it'll hurt. If you want I can zip it up and host it for you to download?

I warn you, though, Bushbury Mountain is a stand-out track and a majority of it is more like London Road. It's nice, though, I enjoy it - very easy listening. The only really bad song on there is called something like You Decide My Love which they even take the piss out of on their live show. They let the bassist write / sing it and it's pretty dire but they justify this by pointing out "he drives the van."

[Daggers]

As for the Bushbury Mountain Daredevils - uhmmm, normally I'd really be against uploading an entire album of a band so small as I figure they need the money. That said, I don't know if you can actually buy the CD anymore and they've all gone their seperate ways so I don't think it'll hurt. If you want I can zip it up and host it for you to download?

Moral dilemmas of music thieves!

If it's of any use to you, I promise to buy it if I like the album.

If I don't like the entire album I promise to keep it on my hard drive just to piss off Phube.

[Finnegan]

If they were a signed, mainstream band I'd have no problem with it. It's just they're a semi-pro bunch of folkies.

Like I said, I'll do it though. Will get onto that in a bit once my lungs stop exploding.

[shen]

10. Vin Garbutt - Man of the Earth

"...ah mean, granted, they weren't my cabbages..."

So that was the punchline I couldn't make out

[Daggers]

I love the songs of 76 - 82. I was 19 in 76 when punk arrived.

Those songs were the soundtrack to my life as I went through Uni and started pretending to be a comedian. I loved the noise, the faces and the attitude.

I love making music. Got my first guitar when I was 13 and along the way I've picked up ten other guitars, a banjo, a ukelele, two trumpets, a banjolele, a mandolin, an autoharp, a charanga, two pianos, a tenor guitar, a triangle and even made myself some Coconuts (strangely enough - from a coconut).

I also love folk music, I love the noise - at its live best its the most exciting music to be in the same room with. It occured to me that punk was the folk music of its day.

I decided to form a band to reflect all of the above. It would be great if you came along for the ride.

Cheers, Adrian

Try it, like it, buy it

[Finnegan]

Bad Shepherds?

A friend of mine was telling me about this a little while ago, coincidentally, it's folk style covers isn't it? Totally giving that a listen.

[Smudge]

1. Garbutt - Away from the pits

Didn't jive for me lyrics and melody didn't sync.

2. NBMDD - London Road

Enjoyed it; reminded me of the second half of Copperhead Rd by Steve Earl. 7/10

3. Great western Squares - Ace of Spades

Liked it more the second time around.

4. Iron & Wine - Sodom, South Georgia

Brilliant, will be buying this. White mens tongues, are they gravestones? Not my theory but shows I was prompted to find out more about the writer.

5. Brett Dennen - So Much More

Superb! Definitely a new find for me

6. NBMDD - Bushbury Mountain

I must admit I was waiting for a song. Enjoyed first three minutes.

7. Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest

What Daggers said

8. Dafydd Iwan - Yma o Hyd

If I can't understand the language, something else has to be going on and I didn't enjoy this.

9. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

Interesting guy, I should like to listen to more of what he has to say

10. Garbutt - Man of the Earth

I like emotional music, singing about an allotment didn't get me there.

11. The Tossers - Finnegan's Wake

Ok in small doses.

Thanks so much Finners, you have got me into at least two new singers. I'll be getting their CD's this week.

[Jay]

Like Finners I have a liking for the likes of The Tossers, Molly, Gogo etc so looked forward to this mix

1. Garbutt - Away From The Pits

I started off thinking this was ok and by the end this had moved to pretty good enjoyable song!!

2. NBMDD - London Road

It's ok for some reason reminds me of the theme tune to Auf Weidershen Pet goes a bit to fidly towards the end but it's easy to listen to

3. Great western Squares - Ace of Spades

mmmm It's ANOTHER cover of Ace of Spades but this time with Rolf Harris doing some solo thing in the middle

4. I&W - Sodom, South Georgia

as Churchill would say (the dog not Winston) OH YES!!!! Great song

5. Brett Dennen - So Much More

The song made me go mmmm but in a good way youtubed a bit deeper and listened to a song called ain't no reason and enjoyed that as well might even risk a download on this one!!

6. NBMDD - Bushbury Mountain

I like my Folky stuff to have a bit of a political edge in terms of lyrics, this didn't have any lyrics and to be honest 6minutes is a bit to long

7. Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest

it's ok like The Pogues but not as good as them but then not many are

8. Dafydd Iwan - Yma o Hyd

Oh dear.... sounds like a Welsh Eurovision entry.... I am a bit of a music snob when it comes to songs not in English I once bought a CD of French Hip Hop Artists and didn't have a clue what they were going on about and tend not to like things I can't understand

9. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

Billy Bragg!! what more can you say the mans a genius have you heard the Billy Bragg and Wilco albums covering Woody Guthrie songs I am sure it would be right up your street

10. Garbutt - Man of the Earth

When his songs start of I am not impressed but by the the end I seem to really enjoy them

11. The Tossers - Finnegan's Wake

I love The Tossers should have used Young Ned of the Hill or Maidrin Rua Tell me Ma though I love those songs

[Finnegan]

The original plan was to put the Pogues version of Ned of the Hill on. But then I thought everyone will surely have heard the Pogues so I was going to put the Tossers' version on because it's a bit edgier. So I downloed that album realizing I didn't have it and then remembered the start of Finnegan's Wake and had to put that on instead.

And yeah, Bragg & Wilco is genius.

[Leicfox]

Listened to it all, and i won't go into much detail as on the whole it just wasn't my kind of thing.

Highlight of the mix for me, and the song i liked best is.....

Iron & Wine - Sodom South Georgia - I loved this, i have the album so i'd heard it before. Melancholic, beautiful and sad, one of Iron & Wine's best. 8/10

[lou]

are you a Levellers fan Finners? My friend Ju is good friends with a couple of them, well shes good friends with the fiddlers wife anyway (fiddler as in Violin not a paedo )

[Finnegan]

I very, very nearly put a Levellers song on but I didn't think it would be especially new to many people. Cracking band.