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LP
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THRILL 613LP
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"Much like the North Carolina wilds it reflects, Needlefall waxes and wanes from mysterious and unsettling to ecstatic and awe-inspiring, capturing the sacred dimensions of the natural world. Magic Tuber Stringband draw on a host of fellow travelers to realize Needlefall's intricate arrangements, exemplifying the diversity of contemporary folk movements, placing their work in the tradition of modern innovators like Moondog, Harry Partch, Pauline Oliveros, and labelmate Sally Anne Morgan. The vast forests and mountains that inspire the band as a metaphor for living music traditions -- ever-changing and yet still standing, shaped over time by human hands while equally shaping the human experience. Magic Tuber Stringband, from North Carolina, are Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan, accompanied by their regular bassist Mike DeVito. Morgan is an organizer within the local music community, and Werner is a dedicated naturalist involved in local land stewardship. Needlefall answers the question 'what does a modern string band sound like?' with powerful new arrangements of traditional songs and transcendent originals. The album is teeming with life, translating abundant ecosystems into arcing melodies and shimmering, mystic drones. The band explains: 'If you spend enough time out in the woods you inevitably see or hear things that are hard to explain. I've been in caves where it's total darkness and you're enveloped by the disorienting sound of dripping water. The natural sights and sounds in these places are often repetitive, percussive, expressive, sometimes unsettling -- the way that water carves patterns into rock or tree trunks appear in endless rows.'"
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LP
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THRILL 613X-LP
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Purple color vinyl version. "Much like the North Carolina wilds it reflects, Needlefall waxes and wanes from mysterious and unsettling to ecstatic and awe-inspiring, capturing the sacred dimensions of the natural world. Magic Tuber Stringband draw on a host of fellow travelers to realize Needlefall's intricate arrangements, exemplifying the diversity of contemporary folk movements, placing their work in the tradition of modern innovators like Moondog, Harry Partch, Pauline Oliveros, and labelmate Sally Anne Morgan. The vast forests and mountains that inspire the band as a metaphor for living music traditions -- ever-changing and yet still standing, shaped over time by human hands while equally shaping the human experience. Magic Tuber Stringband, from North Carolina, are Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan, accompanied by their regular bassist Mike DeVito. Morgan is an organizer within the local music community, and Werner is a dedicated naturalist involved in local land stewardship. Needlefall answers the question 'what does a modern string band sound like?' with powerful new arrangements of traditional songs and transcendent originals. The album is teeming with life, translating abundant ecosystems into arcing melodies and shimmering, mystic drones. The band explains: 'If you spend enough time out in the woods you inevitably see or hear things that are hard to explain. I've been in caves where it's total darkness and you're enveloped by the disorienting sound of dripping water. The natural sights and sounds in these places are often repetitive, percussive, expressive, sometimes unsettling -- the way that water carves patterns into rock or tree trunks appear in endless rows.'"
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LP
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FTR 647LP
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"The fourth release by this Durham NC-based duo is also their second on Feeding Tube. We did their excellent When Sorrows Encompass Me 'Round cassette in 2021 (FTR 378CS), and are delighted to be able to do this new one on 45 RPM vinyl. The players, as always are Courtney Werner on cello and fiddle, with Evan Morgan playing guitars, banjo, pump organ, and shruti box. Tarantism came together in the depths of the Plague in the spring and summer of 2020 while the pair was living on a mountainside near Hayesville NC. As with their other recordings, the musical textures they play with have traditional Appalachian resonances, but their compositional approach often cuts against any orthodox grain. Courtney writes about the strange juxtaposition of the death throes going on in the world then, as contrasted with the bursting blooms of nature surrounding them in their rural retreat. And you can hear that on the album, as harsher globs of sound merge into softer edged drones that twist into Magic Tuber's more trad folk instrumentals. As with many good things, it's a journey. A totally wonderful record whether you suffer from Tarantism or not." --Byron Coley, 2022
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Cassette
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FTR 378CS
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"Magic Tuber Stringband is Durham NC-based duo, made up of Evan Morgan and Courtney Werner. Their primary instruments are guitar and fiddle, but they are not married to these particular axes and follow their instincts when they feel other instruments are called for. Playing music with its bite rooted in the Piedmont tradition, Magic Tuber mostly write their own material, while exploring and expanding dynamics of string interaction that are as old as the hills. Treading a line that begins in equal parts of blues and Anglo-Scottish lineage, they introduce different motific elements at points. 'Teo's Farewell' has a central portion with a very Middle Eastern feel. 'Wood Thrush Song' is a modernist collage of field recordings and layered violin tones. But mostly, Evan's playing (and occasional singing) mixes traditional and American Primitive approaches with casual surety, and Courtney does the same. As on their first album, Wayward Airs for Earthbound Vagrants (Blue Hole MC), Magic Tuber also display a somewhat Fahey-esque hand with song titles. The first three on this one are 'Quarry Ate the Mountain,' 'Waltz for Things with Wings,' and 'Devil on a Root Monster.' But as good as those titles are, the tunes are better. The vibe reminds me of a pared-down version of Jack Rose's work with the Black Twig Pickers, in the way it manages to keep one foot in the tradition without sounding at all hidebound. Magic Tuber Stringband is a great (and dare I say, joyous) sophomore effort by a most wonderful band. I hope to hear more from them soon, and so will you." -Byron Coley, 2021
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