New Music 2016 - Part 26 - 9Bach - Anian

There is so much interesting music that is being released in the UK at the moment that I often find it hard where to start and what to choose. This one wasn't difficult to include. It's the third LP from North Wales' 9Bach and follows on from Tincian (2014). Once again, although sung entirely in Welsh, its musical influences go far beyond that - particularly in the direction of Greek, Balkan and near Middle Eastern traditions. In comparison with its predecessor it is also more outward looking in terms of time as well as place. That is not to say that what Lisa Jên articulates here is optimistic. It isn't and it is often rather challenging. Anian means nature and, because Welsh is economical and subtly nuanced in its use of words, also related concepts like natural order, morality and such.
If you find modern mainstream chart music rather bland, repetitive and commercial what's not to like?

Anian is released by Real World Records on 29 April 2016 in the UK.

It was recorded with the same musicians as Tincian, but the process and resultant mood is very different. This is the track list:

• Llyn Du
• Anian
• Yr Olaf
• Ifan
• Si Hwi Hwi
• Cyfaddefa
• Brain
• Heno
• Deryn

The first track to be released is Llyn Du (Black Lake) and the video is all shot in the Glyderau, North Wales.

New Music 2016 - Part 13 - Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog IV

It's been a while since I mentioned any new music from Wales. It has been far longer since I mentioned seeing Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog play live at the only edition of No Direction Home Festival back in June 2012. That was around the time of the release of their album 'Draw Dros Y Mynydd', which I've just been listening to once again. Here is the briefest of summaries - country-inflected rock sung entirely in Welsh.

It's been a while in the making but the new LP - Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog IV - is due 25 March.

Beyond that I know almost nothing at all. I'd love to see the band live at a festival again. Maybe Green Man (away across the mountains but still in their native Wales) or End Of The Road?

Note added June 2016:
Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog is now confirmed to appear at Green Man 2016.

New Music 2015 - Part 37 - Gwenno - Y Dydd Olaf

In the recent times of political and even cultural uncertainty in the UK this album just became an obvious choice for what, to me at least, is a difficult post to write. One thing I pride myself on is a willingness to tackle cross-genre music including that in other languages and this is certainly no exception.
I did a quick survey of my collection yesterday evening and just now: most of my music is unsurprisingly in English. Spanish language albums are in third place. In between those and by some margin...

Gwenno - Y Dydd Olaf was released, in a very limited edition, by Peski Records late last year.

It gets a very much deserved full release - vinyl, CD & d/l - by Heavenly Records on 24 July 2015.

Although - aside from a single track (sung in Cornish) - it is all sung in Welsh that is not to say that, lovely though that might be, it is full of plaintive harp and lilting tradition. The title comes from Owain Owain's 1976 novel that depicts an overbearing dystopia controlled by distant, often malign, robots.

Musically it is gently electronic kraut-pop, or at least that's the best description I can muster at this moment. This is the track-list:

1. Chwyldro 5:18 
2. Patriarchaeth 3:29
3. Calon Peiriant 5:08
4. Sisial Y Môr 5:41
5. Dawns Y Blaned Dirion 1:30
6. Golau Arall 3:31
7. Stwff 4:59
8. Y Dydd Olaf 4:15
9. Amser 4:45

It is a political concept album. It won't appeal to all, I fully understand that, but it is a curiously soothing kind of revolution even if you don't actually understand a word of it.

This is the opening track 'Chwyldro' ('revolution', but also 'rotation' and 'orbit' - generally, that which goes around).

GWENNO - Chwyldro (2014) from Peski TV on Vimeo.

As we often share a similar taste in music, and there's nothing wrong with that at all, I'd be very interested to see what De krenten uit de pop makes of this LP and not least because music in a language other than their own is their normal diet.

New Music - Part 29 - Plu

Only yesterday I wrote that my next my next post on forthcoming albums would be from acts and artists at the rockier, more electric end of the spectrum. That will happen very soon but, in part due to very much consideration of the acoustic aspects of EOTR and particularly sibling acts, that plan got wrecked by discovering this.
My excuse is that on a technicality this album does not contravene the forgoing as it is already released.

Plu is a sibling three-piece comprising Elan, Gwilym and Marged Rhys who hail from Bethel in Gwynedd, North Wales. The best short description of their music I can provide would be of imagining that Sweden's First Aid Kit suddenly discovered they had a brother and then all three decided to write and record in Welsh, rather than English. I know that might be a little tricky even if you are well acquainted with the music of First Aid Kit, so here is a sampling of the music of Plu.


The album Plu has thirteen tracks and the listing is below:

1. sgwennaf lythyr
2. gyfaill
3. cwm pennant
4. tyrd yn ol
5. garth celyn
6. hiraeth
7. geiriau allweddol
8. fyddai'm yn ddiarth
9. glaw du
10. blodau oll
11. fel llwynog
12. yr ysfa
13. tra bo dau

It is released on CD by label Sbrigyn Ymborth (SY016) and the best place to source it is Sadwrn where you can also find a fascinating range of other music from Wales.  If you are aware of of the work of Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, that includes brothers, another Sbrigyn Ymborth act, and Siddi (again siblings) then you will have a better idea of where I am coming from.

'Plu' is the welsh word for 'feathers'. If you search Google or similar for plu you will also discover that it is an acronym for many and varied things.

New Music - Part 10 - Siddi - Un Tro

There are three terms that frequently cause alarm in many readers and, in no rational order, they are thus...

• folk music
• concept album
• foreign language lyric

I'm delighted to say that I have found one that is so wonderful - it combines all three. That, in itself, is not a particularly difficult quest but this is the one I want to mention specifically...

... and it is constructed around a fairy tale, just to make it even more improbable.

It is the début album by Siddi, the sibling duo of Osian and Branwen Williams. They also have previous convictions for appearing with (fraternal trio Hughes) Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. That includes live performance. The album Draw Dros Y Mynydd was amongst my favourites of 2012.
I just don't get the problem with things such as this.

Don't Look Down - lyrics in other languages.

Arlington Way

Arlington way syniad pwy oedd e anyway, i aros y nos, trwy'r nos, heb un co

unwaith mewn bywyddaw na freuddwyd yn wir, mi fyddai'n cerdded gyda ti

yn ysgafn fy ngham a lliwiau mhobv man a by ni'n camu mewn drwy'r drws

Arlington Way, cer lawr i'r lle, na fe os ti isie

sa'i byth angen dallt dy fusnes, dim ystryw i mi, dwi'n iawn ar fi hun

ond doedd na neb oedd yn gystal a thi

swllt yn syrthio at y parfin, ac yn troelli yn y man,

sa'i byth yn gwybod heth i ddymuno-pen? ti'n gweld taw (cynffon)... ti y'wr un

unwaith mewn bywyd daw na freuddwyd yn wir mi fyddai'n cerdded mewn da ti,

gyda chalon yn curo a dyddiau da i'w cofio a by ni'n aros mas tan hwyr

wnaeth neb ddweud y byddai n teimlo mor natoriol

dim ystryw i mi, dwi'n iawn ar fy hyn ond doedd na neb oedd gystal â thi

ne ti ddod a dweud fod na lot mwy i'w wneud nac a wyddwn i

but it's not the same... it's not the same, a na'i byth bod mor ffôl

ond does dim amser nawr ar ôl

naeth neb ddweud y byddai'n hawdd naeth neb dweud na ellid ei wneud

neb i ddweud y byddai'n teimlo mor naturiol

Mae Angen Llong Ar Capten

Dwy law yn erfyn a mi ges fy bun ar lannau'r afon Nil

paid edrych lan a phaid edrych i lawr on ir a goll ac on i braidd ar ddi-hun

galwodd rhywun am ambiwlans clywes i'r rhybydd yn uchel a'n ghr

a phlymiais i mewn i'r dwr yn ddwfn ac anelu an y ffin

dyw e ddim mor anodd ar anorfio gydar llif

pan wyt ti ynghanol breuddwydion hâf neu canol dydd

mae angen awel ar longwr er mewn morio drwy dywydd gwael

mae angen awel ar longwr er mwyn hwylio o lan i lan

mae blodau'r Delta'n tyfi'n hadau mae'r gwair yn tyfu'n wyllt

ond ei di fyth i'r nefoedd os arhosi d'in rhy hir os mynni di fyw am byth

mae'n bryd rhoi'r ffidil yn y to, gwnest dy wely meddai'r Capten

ond allai ddim gwneud hyn a ni alla'i wneudy llall os dwi yn gaeth yn Argae Aswann

paid edrych lan a phaid edrych i lawr paid gweneud hwna a phaid gweneud y llall.

Carolina

Nawr ti'n dweud bo ti'n gadael i weld y byd, a gweld y cefnfor maith

wnai ddim crio na na, na byth difaru dim gof yn lle wyt ti chwaith

mae llgad yr haul ar Carolina mae'n disgleirio i lawr ar Tupelo

na'i ofalu am y deryn a'r gwenyn i gyd a naiff fy meddwl ddim crwydro nôl,

ddim crwydro yn ôl atat ti. Ac os ddoi o hyd i ti ar ddiwrnod da

yr awyr yn las, neb i gwyno'n gas yn gadarn a chywir ar ochr y bryn gydag afon yn ei lli a Luciano y ci

os mai dyna ti moy'n, pacia dim fag, s'dim angen nodyn,

cet at t drws,'drycha' nôl am un tro arall tro'r golau mas

cym un cam at y chwith ac un arall at y dde a cherdda i ffwrdd.

Y Corryn ar Pry

Dwi an ddangos paradwys i ti, meddai'r corryn wrth y pry, ti am aros da fi: mynd â chwmpawd drwy'r ddinas

fyddai'n disgwyl na a ti, i ddangod y ffordd dwi am droi y gofod rhyngon a'i wneud e yn gan gradd,

am i ni fod da'n gilydd, wyt ti'n barod am noson fel hon?

os rhoi di bobleth sy gen ti, fe gei di bopeth sy gen i a cchymaint nwy

maen cymryd dau i neud y Tango mae gennym wahaniaethau mowr, ti byth yn gof yn dim,

dwi am droi y gofod rhyngom a'i wneud e yn dan dradd, am i ni fod da'n gylidd,

wyt ti'n barod am noson fel hon? fel hon? fflaau yn fy mhen, fy mer, fy nghalonn, fy enaid,

tyrd yn gosach, gad i mi deimlo dy fysedd arna i, fflamau, fflamau, fflamau.

Y Gwydr Argyfwng

Pam nad wyf fi'n dy gredu pam ti'n dweud dy fod di angen fi?

ti oedd y cyntaf i gyrraedd fel rhyw Twm Sion Cati ag os ma ngho i'n gweithio o hyd

mi o ti'n angel ar y penffordd ond yn ddiafol ar y pentan

o ro tin dda ac y barod... i dynnu pen o'i ysgwyddai a rhoi'r drwg yn y caws

ne nes ti neud? be nes to neud? arhosaf ar fy ochr i or dref

yn ara deg mae mynd ymhell ond calon wan sy'n dod heb ymdrech

a gwydr argyfwng syn galw arna i rhoddaf gic a'i chwalu cofn pawb ar ei domen ei hun

pam nad wyf fi'n dy gredu pan ti'n dweud dy fod ti'n caru fi

gwell peidia dweud y gair bach, gwell pedio meddwl am y peth

a bydd e btth amharu ar neb. Mi wn taw bachgen y wlad wyt ti,

wel, merch y wlad wyf fi, torra di wallt yn hir

dy hyn yn werth dim byd ond d-fe ddawnsiaf wrth adael y ty...

Lleuad Gwener

Daeth Lleuad Gwener yn rhy gynnar fe syrthiais I a gwrthod yn hyn oedd ddim gen I

rhyw gynllun gwael, y gwey'n oer, aros yn hwyr a gwylio sothach ar y teledu

am galon lân fy nhim fy hun, am fwy o graiad o llai o siriad gwan

rhyw gynllun oer, rhy gyflym o hyd. aros yn gwely a gwylio rhaglenni gwag

o hyd ac o hyd yn aros anm y dyddiau da

a hyd ac o hyd yn aros am hwyl gwell na hyn.

I Drive, Adref

Un dydd arall i ffeindio'r amser i sgrifennu rhestr,

i groesi un peth mas wedyn ychwanegu rhywbeth arall

na'i ware'r gitar am funed and dyw e byth yn ddigion a dwi'n gorffen y gân heb ei offen

ac yn cerdded i'r mailbox - des in gyfarwydd a hwnna

a gobeithio bydd na ddim dyledion i dalu,

dwi'n gyrru  ffindo llythyren ac yn agor yr amlemn...

Cyfarchion o'r gogledd pam na ddoi di adref?

mae Maine yn oer amser yma'r  flwyddyn ond na'i cadw'r tân yn llosgi..

dwi'n gyrru a dwi'n gyrru, tryd adref

Dydd Mercher , a mae'r plant yn ar ysgol, dyma'r diwrnod cyntaf mewn saith mis i

mi fod ar ben fy hyn a sai'n really gwybod beth i neud...

dyma fi'n mynd i siopa. Siopa dim credit yw e le chi'n prynu pethe wedyn mynd a nhw nôl at y siop

syn grêt tan i chi sylweddoli faint o wastraff amser yw'ch bywyd i gyd, am beth i fi'n disgwl?

am rhywun i alw? pwy? o le? wi'n mynd nôl at y car a dwi'n gyrru undrhyw le

o le i le.... o be i beth?

Evelyn

Drwy y coed fe ffeindiodd hi ei ffordd drwy y dail yn araf ei lliwiau hi a drodd. does dim dryll wrth dy

gefn i'th fygwth di nawr: dyw lladd ddim yn gelfyddyd, oriau a wyr cadw rhag lladd dy galon, ei lladd yn

llywr, ac edrychais ar yr haul, sy'n boddir lawr... fe ddoi di a theimaid newydd... Evelyn.

Tryw'r Drych

Os wyt ti am droedio'r ddear hon, paid dweud, cymer bwyll, gad i dy lygaid arfer â'r goleun

Os wyt ti am droedio'r ddear hon, paid dweud, cymer bwyll, gad i dylygaid arfer â'r goleun

dere'n ara deg Os wyt ti am droedio'r ddacar hon, paid siarad, cymer bwyll

yn dy sgidie gwaith, dilyn yr un daith yna'n droeon

dere'n ara deg dere'n ara deg, (dere'n ara deg ataf i),

rho di ben ar fy nghlun, dy groen ar f'un i,

dy wallt fel y frân. Ddu fel y frân na wyddai erioed am y te rfyn.

Awyrennau

Di awyrennau'n gwneud dim byd i mi dim ond dy weld di a dwi mhell bell i fwrdd

cer âfi i'r un cyfeiriad a dwi'n codi i lle danni'n dau'n cwrdd

ac mea'n ffordd hir lawr pan ti mor bell o'r llawr ac yn bradu bob awr

Di awyrennau'n gwneud dim byd i mi dim ond dy weld di a dwi mhell bell i fwrdd

rho rhyw losin melys imi ac fe gei di bob dim sy ar y bwrdd

ista, ymlacia, ewn yn rhydd anghofia dy flinderau am weddill y dydd

at mae'n ffordd hir lawr pan ti mor bell o'r llawr ac yn bradu bob awr

awyren trên a cheir a chychod di-ri, falle âi ero, un-waith

o ddod a thi yn nes i mi, o ddod â thi yn nes.

Orenau i Florida

Mor ddu a'r môr ar brynhawn ystormus

yn corddi fel corwynt yn dy ymyl fe gerddais,

a son am forladron, mewn trefydd newydd morwyr suddedig a llygaid alaeth

ac fe gerddais yn dy ymyl ne imi beidio, nes imi beidio clywed dy lais

orenau i Florida blodau i Amsterdam gwnaiff dydd o dristwch arall

ddim yn helpu deall pam hydd diwrnod arall o ymaladd

ddim  yn trochi'r eira, orenau  i Florida a moroedd i Galilea

mae'n rhydd cymysgu anrhefn gyda'r bai a'da'ni'n gwneud

mae cariad ym mhob maddeuant, ynysoedd colledig yn arnofio ymhell or lan

milltiroedd a milltiroedd yn arnofio i rywle yn dweud rywbeth ond mae'r ystyr ar goll i fi nawr

orenau i Florida blodau  i Amsterdam gwnaiff dydd  o dristwch arall

ddim gwneud i fi ddeal pam, diwrnod arall o frwydro a'n cantref newydd yn fflam

orenau i Florida a blodau i Amsterdam.

Y Creyr

Fe ddihunodd creyr ym dyhem am goffi, roedd e hanner ffordd

adre felly arhosodd am sbel i brynu cylchgrawn i wybod popeth wrth ddarllen ei gylchgrawn

Ac fe ddaeth hi fewn fel corwynt o egni yn goesau diderfyn a'n sodlau i gyd

am beth wyt ti'n chwilie? Mae bob dim yma'n fy myd

dyweda be ti moi'n pam ti ar bigau'r drain? gad i fi ddywn y dagrau o dy lygaid

ti'n lico swn gitar wrth i ti grwydro mhobman

wyt ti di bod ir Parthenon? ti di bod i India? ti di bod i Manchester?

Ond ai'r gadael fynd yw'r hyn sy'n bwysig?

Dw I'n gwastraffu oriau yn syllu ar wynebau cylchgronnau

yn esgus taw'r  ffasiynau sydd ore, nawr dy fod di'n addor cwbwl I fi

meddianna fi, am i fi brofi blas dy addewid, ond Duw nid oes benadur

Fe wedoedd y creyr dy fod yn y man iawn ti'n lico swn gitar wrth i ti grwydro polman

wyt ti di bod ir Parthenon? ti di bod i Africa? wyt di ti clywed am Salif Keita? ti di bod ar afon y Seine,

a clywed y diafol yn gwaith Skip James? Ond ai'r gadael fynd yw'r hyn sy'n bwysig?

dwi'n gwastraffu oariau ag oriau yn syllu ar wynebau perffaith cylchgronnau

Dw I ddim am godi gwrychyn ond mae'n ffordd rhyfedd i fynd ar drws

gorau yw'r ur sy'n dy gau allan fel y gwynt

cana'r record ac efallai fe ddywedi di riau, fel hen benillion ond y gwir sydd orau

Fe ddisgleiria'r haul yn y gornel dywylla , rhaid gwneud y pethau pwysig yn y fagddu weithiau

Bydd dim diwedd i'r ddefod - na phryn oni bydd angen

ond diawch ferch ti'n gwneud i fi ganu fel hen gytgan.

My incentive is that I will now reward myself by buying her latest album, Tir (2010), which is a recording of sixteen traditional songs and therefore available in Welsh only.

And, odd though that may seem, it is actually still some real incentive.

What next? Well some more from Latitude 2010, including a whole lot of Americana, perhaps?  And some rock and then who knows...

Memories Live Longer Than Dreams --- Don't Look Down

It is something of a change, to say the least, to go to a gig with a group of friends. That was Bellowhead at the Cheese & Grain in Frome yesterday evening and what a show it was. I can quite truthfully say that I haven't seen one obviously better this year, and not for want of trying either, but personal preference might play a part. I have however seen a few that run it close, which only serves to show just how fortunate I have been, and it was on my doorstep! It was so good to have company that I never even thought to take any pictures, let alone take the measures needed to stand a chance of getting anything worthwhile, and I don't regret it for a moment.

The title of the post is however double-edged - it is also that of the final installment of the Leyland Kirby double-vinyl trilogy - and yes, I have! Now that is dealt with I think it time for another more sensible, or simply more varied, selection of new music I want.

That however is not a prospect that is going to test me any less...

Never judge the artist from the album cover...

I'm taking a week off, starting tomorrow, and I've just decided that - as a matter of principle - I'm not going to take any music away with me! What I hear over the next ten days or so will almost entirely be that which a French ski resort (Les Arcs, as it happens) serves up in one way or another and that could be quite instructive but I rather doubt much of it will be of French origin. To be honest you'll probably find more of that here on this blog but it is said that 'a change is a good as a rest' and, at the very least, it will be interesting to see which artists they have picked up on.

My disappointment earlier this week with Not Too Late, the new album by Norah Jones, served to remind me that (and it was something I had stupidly forgotten for a moment) often the best things are not the ones that come with the biggest hype.
Somewhat obscure albums are good escapism as you are unlikely to be asked your opinion of them, unless of course you choose to offer it, and foreign language ones are even better because as long as they sound good there is no real need to analyse, or even really listen to, the lyrics. Or you even could try both at once but I find ignoring the lyrics hard to do nonetheless - even if they are incomprehensible!

There is some bleating at the moment that the UK chart music scene is stagnating but even if it is there is no excuse whatsoever; it is more easily changed by public opinion and marketing than it has ever been.
This is slightly more contentous: there has been much hubris on message-boards in the last year or so about the methods that certain artists (possibly helped by labels) have used to position themselves, firstly on My Space (Lily Allen, and others) and more recently on You Tube (Mia Rose is this week's bête noire in this respect) but it is just a case of new medium, old tactics; something that seems utterly lost on the "new moralists" of the internet forums (sic) who have, we can only assume, never illegally downloaded a single song between them!

As for the perceived lack of diversity in music, well I'm not having a word of it! If you can't find something of interest then you simply aren't trying hard enough!

The album below was included, strictly on its own merits, in my 'Top 10' of 2006 and if you think that The Pipettes are a strange throwback - three girls (l to r; Rosay, Gwenno and Becki) singing cleverly constructed faux early '60s pop, backed by their four-piece male backing band 'The Cassettes' - then you are taking the polka dots far too seriously. The lyrics are often so very NOT pop circa 1961' and you need to check out their 2006 début album We Are The Pipettes released on CD and 12" vinyl by Memphis Industries (MI), along with several 7" and CD singles, in 2006.

You might reasonably think that the blonde one, Gwenno Saunders, is just a 'pretty face' as she was recruited (at a gig where they were support to MI label-mates Go!Team in Cardiff) after one of the original members left in the early days of The Pipettes and because she had already appeared in Welsh language soap Pobl Y Cwm and, slightly later, as a presenter on BBC Wales.
Well maybe, but she had also already released two solo EPs on CD and they are both mainly sung in Welsh, with the exception of a few tracks sung in Cornish or English. The first of them was Môr Hud, released by Caernarfon-based CRAI Records (CRAI CD086) on 5th September 2002.

It is still available at a reasonable price but might take a little finding. The second, Vodya (CRAI CD089), was released slightly later but can equally be found and this time the title track is sung in Cornish.