Macon as in bacona tumblelog

Here are some  radio shows about folklorists, amongst others one I believe about Alan Lomax. I haven’t given them a listen yet but I think they sound pretty good…

Cath and Phil Tyler play old timey tinged sparse folk music. I’ve seen them at Supersonic Festival in Birmingham, which to those in the know might show they’re not your average folk fare. I guess you might bundle them into an ‘alternative folk’ or ‘freak folk’ bracket, like Bonnie Prince Billy or Joanna Newsom… but they do actually cover a lot of old folk songs, and at least play in the musical tradition.

It’s not often you hear new, hip bands that use old time instruments played ‘properly’. I know that sounds very, very snobby but I recently went to see PJ Harvey and John Parrish doinjg a gig together and John Parrish came on at one point with an open back banjo and then proceeded to play with a plectrum, strumming it like a guitar. He looked so pleased with himself to be playing a ‘novelty’ instrument, it was horrible.

So, it’s refreshing to hear Balmorhea playing a banjo in what sounds like something along the lines of a slow frail, or picking pattern. It’s certainly not musically an old time sound, more like post-rock I’d say, but I like the way it comes together.