We have a couple of new single releases and a look at some of the Bluegrass festivals coming up in mainland Europe.
First up, a new single from German band Lambs & Wolves. Originally based in the vibrant university city of Freiburg, in southwest Germany’s Black Forest, the band describe their music as “indie folk” but there’s clearly a significant americana element to their sound. In more recent times, some band members have moved away from Freiburg and Lambs & Wolves are now more of a collective of like-minded musicians built around a central core of the original band. The band line up on this recording is Julian Tröndle (vocals & piano), Louis Groß (electric guitar & backing vocals), Stefan Bercher (guitar & backing vocals), Jamie D. W. Craig (drums & backing vocals), Phil Zur (bass & backing vocals) and Leo Schmolck (backing vocals) but they also called on fellow musicians Rolf Arndt, Johanna Lauppe, and Magdalena Belm to add pedal steel, trombone and backing vocals respectively.
‘TV Vultures’ is the second track of a double single, which premiered back in April with the release of ‘Language of Bees’, which got its first airing on Robert Rotifer’s radio show Heartbeat on FM4. ‘TV Vultures’ was released at the end of last month and is a brooding, atmospheric track that is bound to have appeal. We have it here in a stripped-down, live performance that is slightly removed from the well-produced recorded version but has its own particular charm. This double single deserves to do well, and you can check out both tracks via the band’s Bandcamp page.
Norwegian band, Licking the Moose, who were our featured artist last month, are back with another new single, trailing their coming album, “Songs from the Valley of the Nearly Dead”. Released just last week, ‘Scent of Her Hair’ is the third track from the expected new album to be released as a single. The band have said that, with this track, they wanted to capture a sound reminiscent of Tom Waits’ 1973 “Closing Time” album. They’ve certainly done that, but there’s also an element of late-period Elvis about the delivery of this track that makes you take notice. This will be an interesting album when it finally makes its appearance in the autumn.
Last month, we looked at some of the general americana music festivals coming up across mainland Europe. This month, we’re diving into the world of European Bluegrass Festivals. Bluegrass has been steadily growing in popularity across the continent for some years, and many countries now offer some quite sizeable bluegrass festivals. Two of the larger festivals, Germany’s Internationales Bühler Bluegrass Festival and the Netherlands’ European World of Bluegrass festival, have already been held (we’ll try to be more on the ball with these next year), but there’s still plenty going on around the region. In fact, staying in the Netherlands, we have the Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, taking place in the city itself, in the heart of Rotterdam North, in just a few days, running from the 4th to the 6th July inclusive. The days are long and packed with performances and jam sessions. There’s also a Fringe Programme, with some truly bizarre events (Belly Dancing, anyone?), and the Rotterdam Bluegrass Academy, for those looking for some tuition and the opportunity to add to their picking skills. This year’s lineup includes U.S bands Daddy Long Legs, Pixie & the Partygrass Boys, and The Devil Makes Three, among others. There’s also the cream of Dutch bluegrass bands as well as the likes of Taff Rapids from the U.K. Day tickets cost just 17 Euros, and a pass for the full weekend is a bargain at 45 Euros. The full lineup and all necessary information can be found at the event’s excellent web page.
The Nääsville Bluegrass Music Festival is a two-day festival at the Sjöviken Festival Place in Ätran, Sweden. This seems to be strongly pitched as a family event, and Sjöviken’s festival site is a classic Swedish folk park, beautifully situated in lush birch forest on a promontory out into Lake Eseredssjön. The concerts take place under a rotunda roof, so there is shelter if the weather turns unpleasant, but there are plenty of picnic spots around the park to take advantage of if the sun is shining. Dates are the 11th & 12th of July, and the bands, 14 of them over the two days, are drawn from all across Europe, including Old Baby Mackerel from the UK, Hanny Hill & Blue Night from Germany, and popular Polish bluegrass outfit, Piotr Bulas & Garage Folks. A full list of the bands and all relevant information is available on the festival website.
Next up is the La Roche Bluegrass Festival, held in the French Alps from July 30th to Aug. 3rd. I mentioned this earlier in the year when we covered the early announcement of some of the headliners.
Celebrating its 20th edition this year, La Roche is widely acknowledged as Europe’s premier Bluegrass festival and has been nominated for IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Event of the Year on no less than five separate occasions. It’s a full-on event that takes over the small town of La Roche-sur-Foron and the neighbouring area. Tickets are even cheaper than the Rotterdam festival, with a three-day weekend pass costing just 20 Euros, and the opening pre-event evening on the Thursday (July 29th), featuring the La Roche Bluegrass All Star Band, plus two American bands, is completely free. With this sort of incentive, the campsite and available accommodation in the area all fill up quickly, so if you’re thinking of going, don’t leave it to the last minute to make your reservations. This year’s headliners include America’s Della Mae, A.J Lee & Blue Summit, and Gypsy Cattle Drive. There are also musicians from France (obviously), the UK, Belgium, Sweden, Russia and other countries, including Argentina. There will be a lot of outstanding pickers at this event, and, being France, the food and drink available at the festival will be exceptional. All details are on the website.
Finally, for this month, we’re taking a look at an upcoming Bluegrass festival at Trafaria, in Portugal. On the banks of the river Tagus, almost opposite the city of Lisbon, Trafaria is a riverside village in the municipality of Almada, where the Tagus meets the sea. Now happening for the 4th time, the Trafaria Bluegrass Festival will run from the 12th to the 14th September inclusive. There are six bands appearing over the course of the festival, with the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band from the USA being the main name, but the bill also includes top bluegrass bands from the Netherlands, Poland, Northern Ireland and Portugal itself. This is one of the last European bluegrass festivals of the year, taking place in an idyllic location that would make for a great long weekend break. Entry to the main festival concerts is free, and there are various musical workshops and other cultural events connected with the festival over the course of the three days. As ever, all the relevant details are on the festival website.
If you are an americana-influenced artist operating out of mainland Europe and have new music or a tour to promote, let me know. Contact information is on the webzine page under ‘Info’. This column goes out on the last Thursday of the month throughout the year. Remember to Keep it Continental!
