Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 02 Mar 24 - 11:28 AM

If you're into that sort of thing, the Rte folk awards, concert etc is here:

RTE folk awards 2024

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 06:27 AM

From: GUEST, JoeG Date: 28 Feb 24 - 01:22 PM

'"They're one of the most important Irish bands of their generation," says Jim Carroll, chairman of the RTE Choice Music Prize,
an annual award akin to the UK's Mercury Prize.'

I assume that is a different Jim Carroll? Unless he has had a Damascene conversion ;-)


This Jim Carroll is the editor of RTÉ Brainstorm. Combining opinion, analysis and features, and edited by RTÉ,
this initiative aims to provide readers with informed views and perspectives on a vast range of topics.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 05:38 AM

" There is no explanation of the personal circumstances that have caused them to cancel their tours in 2024. I hope things will be resolved happily. "

They've said a few things about this on social media, giving the impression that it's largely to do with most of them being parents. I got the impression they won't ever be doing hugely extensive international touring. Which is fair enough - you can't do the school pickup if you're in Spain.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,JoeG
Date: 28 Feb 24 - 01:22 PM

'"They're one of the most important Irish bands of their generation," says Jim Carroll, chairman of the RTE Choice Music Prize, an annual award akin to the UK's Mercury Prize.'

I assume that is a different Jim Carroll? Unless he has had a Damascene conversion ;-)

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 28 Feb 24 - 11:06 AM

Lankum, predictably, did we in the Rte folk awards

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 27 Feb 24 - 06:09 AM

Hyperbole is exaggeration used for emphasis or humour. It is not meant to be taken literally!

The interview is relaxed and informal, but largely devoted to their background.

"They're one of the most important Irish bands of their generation," says Jim Carroll, chairman of the RTE Choice Music Prize, an annual award akin to the UK's Mercury Prize.

There is no explanation of the personal circumstances that have caused them to cancel their tours in 2024. I hope things will be resolved happily.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 26 Feb 24 - 09:52 AM

And she is using extreme hyperbole to make the point. He is not unique as a late starter and we could argue over the difficulty. Personally, I find the fiddle much harder.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 26 Feb 24 - 09:35 AM

That's rather taken out of context! One of the examples, of course, is Ian Lynch.

"It takes a long time before you can produce anything that is more than noise," Ian says. "What Ian did - which is take up the pipes in his 20s, and get as good as fast as he did - is amazing," Peat avers. "Nobody takes up the pipes in their 20s because it's just so hard."

She's just emphasising how difficult an instrument it is to learn to play.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 26 Feb 24 - 06:54 AM

In the srticle they say:

'“Nobody takes up the pipes in their 20s because it’s just so hard.”'

That a load of, well, nonsense Plenty of examples to disprove this hype.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 26 Feb 24 - 05:54 AM

HTSI 24 February 2024 No folk like Lankum https://www.ft.com/content/52a3668d-c24a-459d-bd1c-efeaccda1a12

No folk like Lankum; Dublin's most thrilling traditional band discuss uilleann pipes, punk and poisoning.
Interview with Ludovic Hunter Tilney

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 29 Jan 24 - 12:13 PM

In fact, this review of their recent London gig totally sums up the visceral live experience

Lankum live review

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 29 Jan 24 - 12:06 PM

Saw Lankum on Friday at a packed Manchester Albert Hall. I’ve been to 100s of gigs over the years since I saw the Clash 45 years ago aged 15. I can honestly say this was one of the best gigs I’ve ever experienced - the intensity of the drones, the solo, unison and harmony singing, the incredible arrangements and playing. I was completely blown away.

Sandman, your comment about Jimi Hendrix is fair enough (even if he did go on to fill big venues and play to huge festival crowds). Most of the gigs I go to have been ti y- I prefer small venues. And Lankum have spent plenty of time playing the small venues and are still happy to join in pub sessions etc. I just think it’s good to see a folk group - especially one so uncompromising in their vision - do well these days. And yes- I’m sure they have a good manager!

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 02:04 PM

I saw Molly solo at The Greystones, Sheffield back in 2019 - she played a great hour-long set to a packed house (including some UK Folk-music luminaries, such as Kate Rusby and Martin Simpson), and wowed everyone.

I’m not by any means a fan of TE but, if they had a date close enough, I’d go to see them. Sadly, it ain’t so.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 21 Jan 24 - 08:36 AM

NB Molly Tuttle - supporting Tommy Emmanuel
JAN 21 SUN Buxton Opera House
JAN 23 TUE Corn Exchange Theatre Kings Lynn
JAN 24 WED Theatre Severn SOLD OUT
JAN 25 THU Alban Arena St Albans
JAN 26 FRI Floral Pavilion Wirral
JAN 27 SAT Royal Hall Harrogate

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 20 Jan 24 - 04:11 AM

Good to see Lankum’s ‘False Lankum’ in the list of nominees for the International Folk Music Awards 2024 - Album of the Year. Also great to see Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s ‘City of Gold’, which would get my personal vote for the award.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Jan 24 - 02:45 AM

They’re playing good sized venues on their upcoming tour so they must be doing something right"
Or being promoted and managed well.
I remember seeng jimi hendrix in a small venue with not many people in attendance, it was no reflection on ihs ability as a performer or his music

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 13 Jan 24 - 04:13 AM

They’re playing good sized venues on their upcoming tour so they must be doing something right. More power to them!

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 07 Jan 24 - 05:52 AM

Have a look on Youtube at a more considered performance of Smuggling the Tin and The Blue Tar Road. I feel the lads are making a bob or two—more power to them.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 06 Jan 24 - 03:15 PM

The Mary Wallopers? Bit of a good time party band. Great live by all accounts but you wouldn’t necessarily want to listen at home…

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jan 24 - 04:47 PM

Yep…

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Jan 24 - 03:55 PM

I thought the Jools outfit were awful.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jan 24 - 03:36 PM

I tend to agree with many of your points sandman.
Back to the band Lankum, though, which was the original topic, have a look at their performance at the Mercury prize show, which went out on BBC and is available on iPlayer. The jazz band, who I thought were brilliant also by the way, got the gong, but if you haven’t heard or seen Lankum it would be interesting to have your thoughts. They were certainly a different flavour from the outfit on Jools Holland’s New Year show, who came over as a Pogues tribute act.
I’m old enough to remember the Pogues themselves debut, thinking ‘ isn’t this what we had Planxty and The Bothy Band to rid us of ?’
Happy new year !

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 03:44 PM

aAguardian journalist and an irish times journalist siobhan long, BOTH think their album is excellent

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 02:13 PM

GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 01:34 PM
CCE Funding

The day to day activities of Comhaltas are funded partly by members, partly from the proceeds of events such as Fleadhanna and partly from a grant from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.

Also Comhaltas is currently in receipt of grant funding from the Government of Ireland – Emigrant Support Programme, coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs, to support its activities in Britain, North America, Japan, Australia, South America and Brussels.
Government Funding         2021 (€)1,850,000                  2022 (€)3,300,000
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports & Media         1,850,000         3,300,000
Government of Ireland - Emigrant Support Programme ( Department of Foreign Affairs)         209,067         198,541

young people in ireland play music because they want to, but, because it is funded well and money is spent on encouraging them to do so, there are better facilites etc etc
AND
False Lankum – Landmark collection with surprising light ...
The Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com › music › review › 2023/03/17
17 Mar 2023 — Siobhán Long. False Lankum – Landmark collection with surprising light ...
The Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com › music › review › 2023/03/17
17 Mar 2023 — Siobhán Long. Siobhán Long, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about traditional music and the wider arts. Lankum. IN THIS, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about traditional music and the wider arts. Lankum. IN THIS, SO GUESTFalse Lankum – Landmark collection with surprising light ...
The Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com › music › review › 2023/03/17
17 Mar 2023 — Siobhán Long. Siobhán Long, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about traditional music and the wider arts. Lankum. IN THIS
False Lankum – Landmark collection with surprising light ...
The Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com › music › review › 2023/03/17
17 Mar 2023 — Siobhán Long. Siobhán Long, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about traditional music and the wider arts. Lankum. IN THIS

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 01:34 PM

Young people in Ireldnd play music because there's a social context and appreciation for it. Not primarily because money is spent on it.You can't bring a culture to life by throwing money at it, there needs to be a societal context for it.


And Siobhan Long never came into any of this.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 01:14 PM

So cause for hope? yes its good young people are playing trad music or trad related music, and publicity is always good.
vic smith quote
It could be that albums like False Lankum will be getting young people to play music. quote
maybe, maybe not we do not know
what i do know is that in ireland there is comparably MUCH more money spent on traditionaL Music and there are more youngsters performing it as a result of money spent on workshops tuition competitions, fleadhs,and these factors appears to me to be much more effective than an opinion made by siobhan long which opened this thread

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 08:00 AM

As for the EFDSS, I used to be a member but I’m not any more. I have mixed feelings about the whole ‘official’ youth folk tuition scene in England. Whilst it’s great it exists, and that parents who want their kids to learn to play folk music can access it (and I do worry that it’s mainly accessed by children whose parents are part of the folk scene) there’s always a risk it will produce identikit players and singers who do a very polite form of folk that ends up sounding like state-sanctioned music. I guess people like Lankum, who were probably Comhaltas kids, show that it doesn’t have to be that way. quote
CCE encourages a CCE style through their competitions and discourages regional styles in their national judging, that illustrates that you are not correctly informed.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:54 AM

It’s not a zero sum game. I think it’s possible have album reviews and end-of-year-lists in newspapers and magazines *and* to push for making music tuition accessible for all. It’s not particularly about folk music: access to extracurricular music lessons - in England at least - is increasingly a postcode lottery favouring the middle class. This is why my friend - a classical musician - set this charity up to help poorer kids in Manchester access music:

Olympias Music Foundation

As for the EFDSS, I used to be a member but I’m not any more. I have mixed feelings about the whole ‘official’ youth folk tuition scene in England. Whilst it’s great it exists, and that parents who want their kids to learn to play folk music can access it (and I do worry that it’s mainly accessed by children whose parents are part of the folk scene) there’s always a risk it will produce identikit players and singers who do a very polite form of folk that ends up sounding like state-sanctioned music. I guess people like Lankum, who were probably Comhaltas kids, show that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:33 AM

I Wonder how many contributors to thIs thread are meMbers of EFDSS, being a member is helpful to the uk folk revival, the organisation has its faults, but it is what we have and if it was funded better ,it might do better.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:27 AM

So, they are articles, reflecting one persons subjective taste.
funding for the uk folk revival is an important issue, it is an issue that i thought it was necessary to mention, because in my opinion it is linked to the fundaments of the uk folk revival.
what is the purpose of the uk folk revival, does in exist to be inclusive and to encourage everyone to participate in an active way, has the uk folk revival lost its way? and is this an example of the uk folk revival going off the rails and into the sidings?
these are questions, not statements

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:13 AM

“Trot out” - I’m doing a performative eye roll at your pejorative language here

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:12 AM

Dick, it’s not an award. It’s an article by the Guardian folk reviewer covering her ten favourite albums of the year. The idea is that people will read the article and if they don’t know the albums reviewed, they might go out and listen to them. It really is as simple as that. Funding for music lessons is a completely different issue.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:07 AM

They're not awards, dick. These are mere end of year listings where critics and journalists trot out their favourites of the year.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:03 AM

The awards illustrate what is wrong with the uk folk revival.
in my opinion a more important priority should be increased funding at grass roots performerlevel, funding similiar to CCE funding from the irish government, to be allocated to organstions such as EFDSS and newcastle degree course and other tuition courses and workshops.
These awards might bring in new people[ how many we do not know] ok that is not a bad thing.
But in my opinion there are more important issues to be adressed,that would help the uk folk revival in a more positive community participatory way.
The awards are only of little importance in increasing the standard and number of participating creative musicians and singers, which is in my opinion one of the aspects of the uk folk revival which needs further development.
the awards are not bad, and congratulations to all who got awarded, but how much difference do they make, none of us know

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Joe G
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 05:02 AM

I don't like the term 'best'. 'Our favourite 'would be more accurate. Having said that it is a perfectly good list and Lankum probably deserve their position at the top of it (though I haven't listened to most of the others)

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 04:16 AM

Malcolm, please could you help me understand what your problem is with the Guardian folk albums of the year?

They include a collaborative album that fuses traditional Arabic and British folk music; an album by a member of the Waterson family featuring other acclaimed folk musicians; three albums featuring innovative and exploratory arrangements of traditional songs made by musicians who came out of the Irish traditional music scene; an album of unaccompanied sean nós singing; an album by a young Scottish small pipes player; an album of new recordings of folk songs from the Welsh National Library; an album by a much loved and respected veteran of the English folk scene; and an album by an Irish singer songwriter whose music is deeply steeped in Irish traditional music. I can’t imagine any reason why a folk fan would be upset or disappointed by this selection unless it’s based on some weird complaint that there aren’t enough English records: I guess English folk musicians might be spurred on to make better albums next year. Anyway, if this is music you don’t know, what a treat you’re in for, listening to it for the first time. I’m quite jealous!

By the way you ask “who writes this shite?” I realise this was a rhetorical question asked for effect, but the answer is Jude Rogers, a journalist and long-time folk music fan. She has done a brilliant job of ensuring that lots of folk albums who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance in a national paper get covered. So may be give her a little more respect than calling her work “shite”, eh?

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Dec 23 - 03:15 AM

Is it the fault of Jim Carroll?

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Malcolm Storey - heart on sleeve
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 06:19 PM

Just had a look at the Griniads ten best.
Who writes this shite?
"Draws attention to people the general public might not know."
I and the majority of folk music devotees can also be added to the general public on that basis!!!!!

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,North Country Primitive
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 04:35 PM

I don’t know why an album with traditional music as part of its DNA that gets critically acclaimed needs to be seen as some sort of entry point to folk music more generally, tbh. Just enjoy it for what it is. It doesn’t have to be put to work on behalf of the folk massive.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Rain Dog
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 01:54 PM

It might be more fuel to the fire for people who read this list.
It draws attention to people who the general public might not know. That is a good thing.some of those people might well want to explore the music even further.

We all have to start somewhere.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 01:20 PM

Just gone up snd perhaps adding more fuel to the fire:

The Guardian's ten best folk albums of 2023

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 12:51 PM

Amen to that, Dick!
Happy New Year!

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Dec 23 - 05:51 AM

I believe discussion should provoke thought, so on occasions I act devils advocate.
So you are right and I am wrong.
how much good we never know, but some good is better than none

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Dec 23 - 05:58 AM

cause for hope, perhaps a little.
If EFDSS was to have serious government funding similiar to CCE That would be a much more cause for rejoicing.
At this time of year which is supposed to be about good will if all governments stopped fighting that would be even better and more important, if the armament industry was forced to stop for a year that would be much more important

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: GUEST,Greenie
Date: 25 Dec 23 - 04:30 AM

Thank you, Steve Gardham!

I was beginning to think my initial statement, that this has to be cause for hope, was a mistake.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Dec 23 - 02:37 PM

Happy Christmas

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 24 Dec 23 - 12:38 PM

Whatever they want to call themselves that's up to them. They obviously know a lot about folk music judging by their involvement and projects. You can like them or dislike them, but, whatever, they are pleasing a lot of people, and IMO they are bringing folk music to new audiences in a very positive way. The hypocrites can moan all they like, it won't alter anything.

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Dec 23 - 02:26 AM

Steve, that is a lovely story, and sounds true, .Apparantly lankum do attend sessions etc , so it could well have been them

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Dec 23 - 07:26 PM

I keep looking at the photos of those guys. In 2006 I spent an evening at the Cobblestone and played a few tunes on the harmonica (as a result I got invited to another session in a pub just up from the Auld Triangle the next evening by a lovely lady called Marion McEvoy). Early in that Cobblestone evening a bunch of three blokes came to the pub and played for about an hour (allegedly for a few euros!), then moved on to somewhere else. They invited me to bust into their performance to play a set of tunes. God knows what they thought! The Lankum photos look uncannily like a couple of the chaps who were there that evening. I'm probably completely deluded but I'm hanging on to my theory that it was probably them!

Subject: RE: Lankum - Guardian Album of the Year UK
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Dec 23 - 01:30 PM

From an Irish Times interview March 13th, 2023
With their triumphant return to live performance in Vicar Street last December, with further May dates sold out at the same venue, and a recent hairpin bend to London where they scored the show for Simone Rocha’s latest fashion collection, Lankum are back. One thing they’re clear about is that theirs is a sound that defies neat categorisation, challenging algorithms with each successive track.
“We definitely wouldn’t consider our albums to be traditional music,” Ian offers as we all part company. “It’s obviously one strong element but it’s not what you’d call folk or traditional music. Those things are just ingredients or elements. Sometimes people refer to us as folk or folk punk but we’re not. We’re not claiming that this is traditional or folk. It’s just its own thing. It’s music.”