Nordic Roots: Northside Sampler

Amazon.com
In recent years, Northside Records has carved a unique niche as the American home of some of Scandinavia's finest folk and folk-rock artists. This compilation gives you 20 tracks by 15 of the brightest Northern Lights, including the Gothic, almost grind core rock of Hedningarna, winners of a Swedish Grammy for previous efforts, virtuosic fiddling and world percussion from Väsen, culture-clashing Celtic music from Swåp, a British-Swedish quartet, mutant swamp funk from Hoven Droven and the strangely compelling music of Tapani Varis's jews harp. As might be expected from people who spend half the year in frozen darkness, some of the tracks have a deeply melancholy feel, but the playing is always energetic enough to cast off a few rays of sunshine. --j. poet

Tracks:

30-Year Jig - Vasen
Toadeater - Hedningarna
Imeland - Groupa
The Great Pie Pols - Chateau Neuf
Red Jacket - Swap
My Kantele - Loituma
One Day He'll Cry - Garmarna
Wedding March/Rowers Go Berserk - Vasen
Delivering The Light - Hege Rimestad
Foxwoman - Hedningarna
Weathervane - Wimme
Fanitullen - Tapani Varis
Sea Duck's Waltz - Olov Johansson
The Skvader - Hoven Droven
The Bear - Hedningarna
Texas - Wimme
The Blue Tune/The Legless Lizard - Den Fule
Klockar Aleksanteri - Troka
All The Young Men - Triakel
Way Down In Smaland/Swingpolska - Vasen

Amazon.com

In recent years, Northside Records has carved a unique niche as the American home of some of Scandinavia's finest folk and folk-rock artists. This compilation gives you 20 tracks by 15 of the brightest Northern Lights, including the Gothic, almost grind core rock of Hedningarna, winners of a Swedish Grammy for previous efforts, virtuosic fiddling and world percussion from Väsen, culture-clashing Celtic music from Swåp, a British-Swedish quartet, mutant swamp funk from Hoven Droven and the strangely compelling music of Tapani Varis's jews harp. As might be expected from people who spend half the year in frozen darkness, some of the tracks have a deeply melancholy feel, but the playing is always energetic enough to cast off a few rays of sunshine. --j. poet

Customer Reviews:

Great Transaction.......2007-06-27

Product arrived in time for a Swedish dinner that I was throwing. This was a wonderful addition to the event. Thank you!

Really tasty combo.......2007-02-13

Sometimes when musicians try to combine traditional and contemporary ideas, it does not appeal to me. But this one is a winner! I've been playing traditional Scandinavian folk music for 30+ years, and enjoy the addition of non-traditional sounds such as the African and electronic ones found on some of these cuts. This is really tasty music. Buy it.

Various artists and various quality.......2005-08-14

About half the music is really good and catching, but just as many of the melodies are boring or too similar to each other. The quality is very varied and while some of the music should rate as 5 stars, I choose 3 stars as an average for the whole cd.

This ain't ABBA..........2004-04-11

...and that's a relief. No, this is something better -- a truly unique compilation of equally unique artistes blending pre-Medieval tradition with post-modern flourishes.
I had heard of Garmarna and Hedningarna before buying this disc, but my knowledge of them was scant at best. As for the rest, I knew not a thing. But I took a chance and what a surprise. This disc touches on music that covers both ends of the spectrum: from quaint, straight ahead renditions from groups such as Chateau Neuf, Den Fule, and the instrumentally exciting Väsen, to the experimental stylings of fiddler Hege Rimestad, riff rockers Hoven Droven and the aforementioned Hedningarna.
The thing that will surprise most about this style of music is how immediate it all sounds, both foriegn and familiar at the same time. Hints of jazz and classical seem to pepper certain aspects of the arrangements of some, but the most obvious is the connection it bares to Irish folk music.
If you want a new musical experience and like what you've read here, I say take a chance on this and the other Nordic Roots compilations. From there, buy individual albums by the artists themselves, especially Hedningarna and Garmarna. (The Garmarna track here is not really representative of their newer material by the way, but still worth checking out!)

Unexpected and very cool!.......2003-05-25

"20 tracks, 78 minutes, Cheaper than Food!" proclaimed the sticker on this CD, peeking out at me from a store's disorganized rows of miscellaneous world music discs. `Cheaper than food?!' I thought, bewildered. `What sort of thing is that to say about a recording? If that's the best praise anyone can offer, it doesn't bode well for the quality of the content ...' But economy and curiosity won out and I bought it anyway. What a surprise--it was great! A caption from the back of the package sums up my reaction perfectly: "An ideal introduction to the vibrant traditional music scene developing across the Nordic lands: incredible playing, catchy tunes, brilliant arrangements and strange instruments playing pre-medieval as well as modern compositions. All this music at a very special price." Neo-traditional would probably be a better description of most of the selections, as they combine the quaintness of traditional tunes and folk instruments with elements of rock, technopop, jazz, world fusion music and new age. Swedish and Sami, Finnish and Norweigan, the groups featured on "Nordic Roots" display verve and virtousity, inviting the listener to delve deeper into this fascinating genre--obviously the reason for such an inexpensive sampler. Featured artists include Vasen, Hedningarna, Garmarna, Groupa, Hoven Droven and Wimme. Despite the fact that I actually have Scandinavian roots, I'd never had any exposure to the music of that region. So this album was well worth the price I originally paid--a totally new musical experience. Happily, NorthSide has continued this intriguing series, further introducing and promoting their artisits in "Nordic Roots 2" and "Nordic Roots 3", both of which are also "cheaper than food". Give one a try!

Average customer rating:

OK, this one's fantastic, too
Only thing missing!
The Best Of the NorthSide Samplers
Full of fun and energy!
Intriguing and Beguiling Music

Nordic Roots, Vol. 2: Northside Sampler
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Northside Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00001ZSTQ
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Tracks:

Wild Honey - Boot
Forest Maiden - Hedningarna
Schankheden/Terry Crehan's - Swap
Antin Mikko - JPP
My Wedding Day - Rosenberg 7
Summer Night Twist - Troka
Heaven And Earth - Ale Moller
Ploska - Vasen
Vengeance - Garmarna
2 Sisters - Sorten Muld
Loki - Annbjorg Lien
Polska Release - Sanna Kurki-Suonio
Enchantment - Wimme
Secret Tears - Loituma
The Village Awaits The Next Moon - Varttina
Polonaise From Sexdrega - Bask
Starts/The Glutton - Frifot
The Thrasher's Waltz - Anon Egeland
'Tis Time To Celebrate - Sari & Mari Kaasinen
Wedding March From Osterdalen - Bukkene Bruse
Lavalek - Groupa
Brekken - Hoven Droven

Customer Reviews:

OK, this one's fantastic, too.......2007-02-13

Nordic Roots, Vol. 2 is a bit further out than the first volume, but definitely to my liking. My guess is that the selections, even when rocky, are performed with enough folk idiom to be enjoyable to me. The final cuts, "Lavalek" and "Brekken" are rockiest, but even those felt OK. (I am not a lover of hard rock.) My favorite is "Polonaise from Sexdraga" which reminds me strongly of a nyckelharpa tune I've always loved to play on flute. Nice selection. Nice price. (original review 2/13/07)

3/16/07: Did I say I liked this CD? Well, I LOVE it! Over a few weeks of listening to it from time to time, this music has really grown on me. Good work, folks!

Only thing missing!.......2006-11-16

The album is awesome!! Only thing missing would be a Sugarcubes/Bjork song. "Regina" would be a great song for this album to represent Iceland.

The Best Of the NorthSide Samplers.......2004-04-11

Again, NorthSide brings us some wonderful samples from the fertile Scandinavian folk scene on this Nordic Roots 2 CD. After taking a chance on the first one (after all, it was so cheap!) and being wowed, I had to get this one. Many of the same artistes from the previous collection can be found here, along with other interesting groups. From the infectious openers Vildhonung (Wild Honey) from Boot and Mettsän Tytto (Forest Maiden) from Hedningarna, through ultra modern twists from Garmarna (Vedergällningen, or Vengeance), Sorten Muld (2 Søstre, or 2 Sisters), to the jazz stylings of Lavalek by Groupa and the driving hard rock of Brekken by Hoven Droven, one would have to be dead not to find something to like here. Just one warning: this stuff is addictive.

Full of fun and energy!.......2003-05-25

Ranging in mood from joyful and jaunty to dark and driving, this is my favorite of the three "Nordic Roots" samplers that the NorthSide label has released to date. Intense stuff is to be found here; there is nothing half-way about this music! To those not familiar with the genre, I'm not sure how to describe it. There are elements similar to Celtic and folk, as well as liberal doses of rock and techno influence. But what shines through most noticeably are the traditional Scandinavian roots of the selections - strident and visceral, perhaps reflecting the harshness of the climate, the Nordic peoples' fierce pride in their native cultures, and the darkness of their mythology. At first listen, the music might seem eclectic to a neophyte, abundant with the sounds of hardanger fiddle, nyckelharpa and unfamiliar languages, but it all becomes quite addictive. In addition to many of the same artists featured on the previous "Nordic Roots" release, new groups include Annbjorg Lien, Sorten Muld, Varttina, Bask, Boot, and Bukkene Bruse. I find this particular CD to contain great motivational music to work by, especially in the first half. Give it a listen and see for yourself--after all, at its price, it's "still cheaper than food", as the sticker on the casing brags! (Well, some foods, anyway.)

Intriguing and Beguiling Music.......2002-12-27

Music from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland has magical qualities that are beyond word descriptions, as beautiful as the fjords and the night-time clear skies with falling stars, an Impressionistic painting as hard to describe as the Northern Lights. The female vocalists are enchanting like the Celts and Hungarians (& just as hard to describe, ancient languages with equally mysterious origins). There is violin music played on the hardanger fiddle which has sympathetic vibrating strings, that provide a drone, amazingly hypnotic and trance-like. The music is slightly familiar if you are acquainted with Appalachian fiddle music or bluegrass, add to it some Austrian waltzes, and an occasional Polish mazurka: then once-in-awhile give it a soft velvet feeling. The fact that much of it is over 100 years old, makes it true roots music, occasionally it is up-dated with an electrified sound amplifying the intensity and magical qualities ... sometimes flutes, other times a viola, the nyckelharpa, and other ancient Scandinavian instruments provide the intrigue and enchantment. Having heard "Nordic Roots" Volume 1 (& bought it), I looked forward to Volume 2. The best and most talented musical artists provide extraordinairy examples of this genre for an unbelievable price. Undoubtedly, the captivating musical sounds by these artists will hypnotize you into wanting a full CD by one or more of these musicians. Northside is truly providing us "food for the soul" and with gratitude! Erika Borsos (erikab93).

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