Aslan Realigned
Friday, June 20th, 2008Caedmon, the Scottish folk band responsible for one of my all time favorite folk rock records, has been born again. While I remain skeptical of any new recordings (as always in these situations), the very least we can hope for with this reawakening will be an official, widely available reissue of their lone self-titled album. Caedmon was released in 1978, more than half a decade after the first wave of British folk-rock broke, and clearly shows the influence of the Fairport Convention, Pentangle, and Steeleye Span’s modern interpretations of traditional folk songs from the British Isles.
There’s something that sets it apart though. An eclectic mix of sounds, the album has a charming everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach- acoustic instrumentation mixes with cello, organ, fuzz guitar, primitive percussion, and more. The analog recording adds a warmness and intimacy (which may or may not be emphasized by the source of the bootleg LP copy I own). The vocals of Angela Naylor weave amongs the mellower passages, blending with the voices of the other band members like some melancholic choir a-caroling. The song “Aslan” shines the brightest here, full of dueling guitar and cello leads it’s staccato rhythm propels it at a pace where it seems the band might fall off the tracks. Truly the most compelling of their arrangements, the intricate counter-melodies and arresting interplay in between the members found here create an a haunting urgency.
A new official website contains quite a bit of info on Caedmon form the members themselves, which may be a the first for a one-off private press cult band. The smashing of an original of their much sought, $500+ album shows they are not too interested in reliving/living off of the past, so perhaps the spirit lingers.
Elsewhere, an interview with the Melvins courtesy of Joe Preston, published in his zine “Matt Lukin’s Legs” from the late 80’s. Happy 50th, Jello. Musicogenic Epilepsy: seizing to Sean Paul. Not quite as serious, obsessive compulsive media libray cataloging.
Some photography: Cinerama, a photoset. Alexey Titarenko’s City of Shadows captures kinetic energy as ghostly shadows. More haunting images from Martina Hoogland Ivanow. Portraits of people and pouring, Meg Wachter’s Dumped!. WhereWeDoWhatWeDo collects photos of workspaces. The mesmerizing peril of Mark Thiessen’s forest fire photography for National Geographic (via Shoot!).
Magcloud allows one to publish and distribute a magazine from a PDF file. Will there be a resurgence in zines thanks to the long tail?
Bullit, a theme for NetNewsWire. The Wrong House: The Architecture of Alfred Hitchcock, a book (via We Make Money Not Art). The fabulous Mystery on Fifth Avenue, a house as clues (as seen throughout the web but worth another link).