Fern Knight - Fern Knight - 2008

Quality: CBR 320 kbps
Label: VHF Records, VHF 110, US

01 Bemused
02 Silver Fox
03 Sundew
04 Loch Na Fooey
05 Hawk Mountain
06 Synge's Chair
     Magpie Suite:
07 Prelude
08 Part II
09 Part III

Credits:
Jim Ayre: electric guitar (Flying V), drums, percussion
Jesse Sparhawk: harp, bass (electric bass)
James Wolf: violin
Margaret Wienk: vocals (singing), acoustic guitar, cello, double bass, harmonium, triangle, synthesizer (Arp Odyssey), metallophone, written-by (all songs), producer
Gillian Chadwick: backing vocals (07), choir (Boys' Choir) (09)
Orion Rigel Dommisse: backing vocals (07), choir (Boys' Choir) (09)
Greg Weeks: backing vocals, drums, synthesizer (Arp Odyssey) (07), recorder (08), electric guitar (09)

Notes:
Recorded by Greg Weeks, at Hexham Head, Philadelphia, PA
Photos by Alissa Anderson ©2007

Thanks to:
Ex Reverie, Jack Rose, A Fine Tooth, The Big Huge, Greg Weeks, Orion Rigel Dommisse, Arborea, Silver Summit, Moutain Home, Berry and Maurice at VPRO, Irene Trudel, David Garland, Ed Hardy at Eclipse, Alissa Anderson, Brooke Sietinsons, Howard and Amy Wuelfing, Katt Hernandez, Helena Espvall, Jay and
Joanne Eisenberg, Sam Cusumano, Julia Hebner, Lord Whimsy, Mark Schoneveld, The Honeymoon Compound and our families and friends.

Fern Knight - Music For Witches And Alchemists - 2006

Quality: CBR 320 kbps

Label: CD - VHF Records, VHF 101, US / LP - Eclipse Records, ECL-057, US

01 Song For Ireland

02 Awake, Angel Snake

03 W. Memphis

04 Murder Of Crows

05 Lintworme, Pt. I

06 Marble Grey

07 Shingle River

08 The Dirty South

09 Summer Of Throg

10 What The Crows Left Behind

11 Lullaby

Credits:

Alec K. Redfearn: accordion

Otto Hauser: drums, percussion

Orion Rigel Dommisse: harmonium, synthesizer

Jesse Sparhawk: harp

Christine Saraullo: saw

Meg Baird: vocals

Margie Wienk: vocals, guitar, cello, bells, triangle, producer, written & lyrics by

Greg Weeks: vocals, recorded by

Notes:

CD comes in a digifolder.

LP Hand-numbered, limited to 800 copies.

Espers - III - 2009

Quality: CBR 192 kbps
Label: Drag City, DC416CD, US / Wichita, UK

01 I Can't See Clear
02 The Road of Golden Dust
03 Caroline
04 The Pearl
05 That Which Darkly Thrives
06 Sightings
07 Meridian
08 Another Moon Song
09 Colony
10 Trollslända

Espers III CD/LP will be released October 20, 2009

"Recorded over the Winter and Spring of 2009, Espers III was intended to be an aural tonic to the layered fullness of the band's second offering. The idea was to record as little as possible in the hope of achieving a stronger, more oxygenated sonic presence. Where II was meant to be almost claustrophobic in its density and darkness, III was envisioned as being a lighter affair; less heavy and more nuanced. The band attempted to create something that would be perhaps cheery at times, though that mark may have been missed. As more time passed in the recording process, a growing dementia within both song and lyrics occurred, such that even the lightest of fare from III seems oddly unwholesome at heart".
"This album's shift in cover aesthetic mirrors the band's themes and their desire to reach beyond what might be expected of an Espers album. Gone is the folk art two-dimensionality so skilfully provided by the band's guitarist Brooke Sietinsons. Welcome to the three-dimensionality and metaphoric imagery of the new Espers aesthetic".
"Now officially a five piece, Espers III features bass by Greg Weeks, this being the only structural change from previous efforts. Espers II was the last full length album recorded in Greg's Hexham Head studio. Weeks and the studio have moved from city locale to pastoral backdrop, a relocation that will no doubt factor into the sonics of future Espers endeavours".

"Who says that sequels can't be better than their predecessor? With psychedelic-folk-experimentalists Espers, the music not only gets better with age, but better with each release".

Recomended!!!

Espers - II - 2006

Quality: CBR 320 kbps (incl. covers for jewel case)
Label: Drag City, DC310CD, US / Wichita, WEBB110CD, UK

01 Dead Queen
02 Widow's Weed
03 Cruel Storm
04 Children of Stone
05 Mansfield & Cyclops
06 Dead King
07 Moon Occults the Sun

Credits:
Performer: Meg Baird, Helena Espvall, Otto Hauser, Brooke Sietinsons, Chris Smith, Greg Weeks
Featuring: Alex Abrash, Jesse Sparhawk, Willie Lane, Gary Olsen, Lord Whimsey and Paul Sommerstein, Esq.
Instruments: Martin 6-string acoustic guitars, male & female larynx, Fender Jazz Bass, cello, recorder, flute (as played by Laura Baird), sleigh bells, gongs, bells, '78 Les Paul Custom, Space Echo, Echoplex, Crumar Toccata, Crumar Performer, Univox Mini-Korg, dulcimer, Yamaha 12-string acoustic guitar, Arp Odyssey, Omnichord, Doric transistorised organ, singing bowels, drum kit, doumbek, dholak, bongos, Crybaby, Blue Box, Big Muff (Russian), and Fuzzrite.

Espers - The Weed Tree - 2005

Quality: CBR 320 kbps (incl. covers)
Label: Locust Music, LOCUST 73, US

01 Rosemary Lane
02 Tomorrow
03 Black Is the Color
04 Afraid
05 Blue Mountain
06 Flaming Telepaths
07 Dead King

Credits:
Meg Baird: acoustic guitar, organ, vocals
Brooke Sietinsons: acoustic guitar
Chris Smith: bass,  percussion
Helena Espvall: cello
Otto Hauser: drums, harmonium, percussion
Greg Weeks: percussion, recorder, synthesizer, vocals

Espers - Espers - 2003

Quality: CBR 320 kbps (incl. covers)
Label: Locust Music, LOCUST 44, US / Wichita, WEBB084CD, UK

01 Flowery Noontide
02 Meadow
03 Riding
04 Voices
05 Hearts & Daggers
06 Byss & Abyss
07 Daughter
08 Travel Mountains

Credits:
Brooke Sietinsons: acoustic guitar, guitar 12-string, finger cymbal, percussion, chimes, harmonica
Margie Wienk: cello
Quentin Stoltzfus: effects, tone generator
Laura Baird: flute
Matt Everett: viola
Tara Burke: vocals
Meg Baird: vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, bowed guitar, dulcimer
Greg Weeks: vocals, electric guitar, dulcimer, keyboards, recorder, autoharp, bass, violin, percussion, chimes, recorded

Marissa Nadler - Ivy and the Clovers - 2006 (Compilation)

Quality: CBR 192 Kbps
Label: Eclipse Records, none, US

01 The Story Of Daisy & Violet
02 Farewell Heartbreak
03 Air Inside My Lungs
04 Salutations In The Dark
05 Space Out Holy Ghost
06 Summer Of Love Is Over
07 Conjuring Spirit Worlds
08 Clowne Towne
09 Cortez The Killer
10 Silver Summers
11 All Love Must Die

Notes:
Accessable only though Marissa's grassroots program through her website, this is a compilation of 2 other unreleased albums.

Credits:
Marissa Nadler: written by, vocals, guitar, vocals harmony
Helena Espvall: cello (07)
Otto Hauser: drums (07)
Greg Weeks: synthesizer (07); recorded (07)
Kyle Stumpe: recorded (01 to 06, 08)

Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird On The Water - 2007

Quality: CBR 320 kbps
Label: Kemado Records, KEM 055, US

01 Diamond Heart
02 Dying Breed
03 Mexican Summer
04 Thinking of You
05 Silvia
06 Bird on Your Grave
07 Rachel
08 Feathers
09 Famous Blue Raincoat ( written-By - Leonard Cohen)
10 My Love and I
11 Leather Made Shoes

Credits:
Helena Espval: cello
Jesse Sparhawk: mandolin, harp
Otto Hauser: percussion
Orion Rigel Dommisse: synthesizer
Greg Weeks: synthesizer, vocals, producer
Marissa Nadler: vocals, guitar, producer

Mountain Home - Mountain Home - 2007

Quality: CBR 192 kbps
Label: Language of Stone, LoS002, US

01 The Sparrow
02 Battle, We Were
03 Comes, the Winter
04 Omie Wise
05 Nottamun Town

Credits:
Joshua Blatchley: vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonium
Kristin Sherer: dulcimer, mountain dulcimer
Ilya Monosov: banjo, acoustic guitar, hurdy gurdy
Margie Wienk (Fern Knight): cello
Greg Weeks (Espers): producer, strings (arranged by), guitar, harmonium & vocal
Anonymous: vocal (after listening to first song "The Sparrow" we bet you can guess the lead singer...)

Written-By: Joshua Blatchley , Kristen Sherer (1,2,3)
Traditional, Arranged By: Joshua Blatchley (4,5)

Vocals: Marissa Nadler (1-4)
Vocals: Greg Weeks (5)

Boasting contributions from Greg Weeks and Marissa Nadler, Mountain Home's debut album stands as quite a first effort. Swathed in much the same haunting narrative and melancholy candor that marks Nadler and Weeks' own works its easy to see why Weeks chose this as one of the initial offerings from his Language of Stone label.
The album is short but packs a lot of emotional depth into its few tracks; shifting from orchestral tinges to more traditional interpretations of folk standards over the course of the album.
No matter how the band's style changes however, there remains an overwhelming tone of sadness that clings to the songs like a constant film of fog. This sadness keeps you coming back more and more to discover the source of the ache that hangs in both the male and female vocals. The band is about to embark on a short Californian Tour with Marissa Nadler so if you're on the West Coast keep an eye out.