THE OWL SERVICE
The Petrifying Well - collected early recordings (CD-r)
Midwich Records / WYND005CD
13 tracks taken from various releases which preceeded "A Garland of Song". 9 tracks are no longer available anywhere and 3 have never been on CD before. CD-r in hand-stamped gatefold card wallet sleeve (thick 18pt. brown 100% PCW eco-friendly recycled chipboard from the same Portland, Oregon based supplier who printed our Hobby-Horse 7" sleeves) with vellum insert. Limited to a single run of 100 hand-numbered copies, the first 50 include a second disc with 4 extra tracks (1 of which will remain totally exclusive to this release).
This is the very last time that the pre-Garland material will be releasesd. Shipping in October 2008
SOLD OUT
THE OWL SERVICE AND ALISON O'DONNELL
The Fabric of Folk EP (special edition CD)
Static Caravan / VAN142
The story of this release goes back to a brief exchange between Owl Service main man Steven Collins and Alison O'Donnell (of the legendary Irish prog-folk group Mellow Candle) on a social networking website in the Spring of 2007. The Fabric of Folk is a collision between two ages of folk-rock; Alison was intrigued by the sound of The Owl Service, Steven had been in awe of Swaddling Songs for many years and so a collaboration seemed inevitable. Fabric... contains two original Collins/O'Donnell compositions (one with lyrics penned by Dominic Cooper of the Straw Bear Band), a short instrumental interlude, and two traditional reworkings. The original songs bookend the EP in perfect fashion and Alison's treatment of the traditional material in between is masterful. From the ominous opening track The Wooden Coat to the epic finale The Fabric of Life, the listener is taken on a journey through themes of life and death, all handled with a pathos and poignancy so rarely heard in modern folk music.
The special edition is a copy of the CD signed by Steven & Alison housed in a brown corduroy slipcase with a Fabric of Folk button badge. Strictly limited to 30 copies.
SOLD OUT
THE OWL SERVICE
The Bitter Night EP (clear vinyl lathe-cut 7")
Hobby-Horse / OAK008LC
The Bitter Night EP is the first new material from The Owl Service since A Garland of Song and it sees the band progressing at a ferocious pace. Beginning on familiar ground, A Lyke Wake Dirge is a heavy-psych-drone take on a stunning traditional ballad, sung beautifully by Rebsie Fairholm. Two short, dark instrumentals imbue a sense of foreboding before a reworking of Lal Waterson's Fine Horseman (this time sung by Nancy Wallace) brings the EP to an end. Limited to 100 copies in a Hobby-Horse sleeve with hand-numbered postcard insert.
SOLD OUT
NANCY WALLACE
Young Hearts EP (four track CD)
Hungry Hill / SLOPE003
"It's easy to get blasŽ about artists covering disco/pop/rock songs in a stripped down acoustic style, but as was recently proved by JosŽ Gonzales' interpretation of Kylie's Hand on your Heart; when it's done well, it's a blinding concept. With her 9-5 occupied as lead-singer of The Memory Band, Nancy Wallace (joined here by her violinist Jennymay Logan) has devoted her free-time to coaxing the bruised acoustic heart from four disco/soul staples. Opening with a gorgeous take on Candi Staton's Young Hearts Run Free, it's enough to fully expunge all memories of vodka & Red Bull drenched dance floors at 2am - turning it into a sweetly addictive composition that wouldn't look out of place in Hanne Hukkelberg's back-catalogue. Similarly the versions of The Spinners'/Elton John's Are You Ready For Love, Chic's At Last I'm Free and Barry White's Your The First, The Last, My Everything are given a new lease of life through airy and generous refits that firmly places the onus on the oddly melancholic vocals and utterly addictive melodies. Compulsive, feelgood listening."
£3.50 (incl. UK shipping)
£4.50 (incl. non-UK shipping)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Moonshine, Murder, Mountains & Mudflats:
songs & tunes from the Leigh Folk Festival
2008 (CD album)
The Thames Delta Recording Co. / MUD001CD
1 compact disc, 20 tracks, 78 minutes, full colour 8 page booklet - Moonshine, Murder, Mountains & Mudflats is a fantastic collection showcasing the broad range of folk and roots music represented at the 17th Leigh Folk Festival, from internationally acclaimed to local heroes. Includes Turpin Hero from the Owl Service album A Garland of Song plus tracks from Rachel Unthank & the Winterset, The Kittiwakes, The Rural Tradition, Drohne, Rubus and many more.
The links below are for UK shipping only, please contact us for International rates.
£5.00 + £1.50 P&P (UK standard delivery)
£5.00 + £2.00 P&P (UK recorded delivery)
THE STRAW BEAR BAND
From the Sea to the Stars (CD album)
Hobby-Horse / OAK004CD
From the Sea to the Stars tells the story of a car that turns into a boy; the boy suffers migraines and dreams of the stars to escape; upon waking he sees those stars drip and form a girl, a girl who he spends only a short time with before they both turn in to a red giant. 30 minutes, 10 tracks, 4 page booklet containing full lyrics, limited edition of 300. "...a wonderful collection of delicate acoustic songs,
that are lifted by warm vocals and an attention to detail." Terrascope Online
£5.00 (incl. UK shipping)
£5.50 (incl. non-UK shipping)
MIDWICH RECORDS is manufactured and distributed by
Southern Records
