The Message Tapes

Echoes From The Mountain

13 Oct 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Releases Tags: Corncrow, Dave Evans, Ian A Anderson, Jane Weaver, Jason Steel, Katie Rose, Mark Fry, Pamela Wyn Shannon, Rif Mountain, Starless & Black Bible, Stephen Cracknell, Steve Tilston, Straw Bear Band, The A. Lords, The Owl Service, Village Thing, Wizz Jones

* Echoes From the Mountain sees the Rif Mountain collective paying homage to legendary folk label Village Thing.

* Village Thing was self-dubbed ‘the alternative folk label’ way back when it began in 1970, and although it lasted only 4 years (and 20-odd releases) the music they released continues to be revered today with key albums being reissued by the likes of Light in the Attic and Sunbeam.

* The Rif Mountain artists all cite various VT albums as having a major influence on their music, particularly the work of Dave Evans, Wizz Jones and Sun Also Rises, all of whom are re-interpreted on this collection. This 15 track album features Rif Mountain mainstays The Owl Service, Jason Steel and the Straw Bear Band, plus special guests Jane Weaver, Starless & Bible Black, Stephen Cracknell (The Memory Band/Gorodisch), The A Lords & Mark Fry, Lemez Duo feat. Ben Mandelson, Pamela Wyn Shannon, Adam Leonard, Katie Rose and Corncrow. It also includes new recordings from original Village Thing artists Wizz Jones and Steve Tilston. All tracks are exclusive to this release.

Tracklisting:

Ghosts and Echoes

01 Oct 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Gigs

A piece on the ‘Ghosts From The Basement’ day has appeared on the Spiral Earth website here.

Haunted

28 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Gigs

The ‘Ghosts From The Basement’ day was great. I played ‘See How The Time Is Flying’ (Wizz Jones cover) , ‘Lillian, I Love You’ and a solo ‘An Aperture To Myself’. Gareth and Steven backed me as planned, and they were both brilliant. It was amazing to see Dave Evans play live, and The Owl Service too (Steven called me up to sing during their set on ‘Willie O’Winsbury’). Other highlights for me were the Nancy Wallace/Jason Steel set in the evening, and of course headlining Wizz Jones, who also played ‘See How The Time Is Flying’ which gave the day a nice full circle feel. The whole thing was filmed and recorded through the desk, so I look forward to seeing/hearing that.

Ghosts From The Basement event

13 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Gigs Tags: Alison O'Donnell, Bristol Folk, Colin Irwin, Dave Evans, Dennis Homes, Electric Eden, Ellen Mary McGee, Galactic Ramble, Gareth Davies, Ian A Anderson, Ian Hunt, In Search Of Albion, Jason Steel, Jeanette Leech, Keith Christmas, Keith Warmington, Maggie Holland, Mark Fry, Mark Jones, Mellow Candle, Nancy Wallace, Pamela Wyn Shannon, Pete Berryman, Richard Morton Jack, Rif Mountain, Rob Young, Seasons They Change, Steve Tilston, The A. Lords, The Ballad Of Britain, The Owl Service, Tucker Zimmerman, Village Thing, Will Hodgkinson, Wizz Jones

I’m playing at this in the afternoon, hopefully helped out by Gareth Davies (elec. guitar) and Steven Collins (bass).

Saturday 25th September, at Cecil Sharp House, London.

Weekend Beatnik, Rif Mountain & the EFDSS present:

Ghosts from the Basement

A 40th anniversary celebration of Village Thing and the lost songs, dreams and folkadelia of the early 1970s

Concerts • Sessions • Author Slam!

Among the artists who will be appearing: From Village Thing’s basement: Wizz Jones (and Pete Berryman), Steve Tilston, Tucker Zimmerman, Ian A. Anderson, Dave Evans, Ian Hunt, Maggie Holland, Keith Christmas and Keith Warmington.

From up yonder Rif Mountain and beyond: Nancy Wallace, Jason Steel, The Owl Service, The Straw Bear Band, Pamela Wyn Shannon, Adam Leonard, Ellen Mary McGee, The A. Lords with Mark Fry and more special guests t.b.c.

In the literature lounge: Rob Young (Electric Eden), Jeanette Leech (Seasons They Change), Mark Jones (Bristol Folk), Will Hodgkinson (The Ballad Of Britain), Richard Morton Jack (Galactic Ramble) and Colin Irwin (In Search Of Albion) will perhaps illuminate the answer to that troubling philosophical question “what the f*** is psych folk anyway?”

All day ticket £20 (£25 on door)

Evening only ticket £15 (£20 on door)

Doors: 2.00pm, Ends: 11.00pm

Tickets: http://folkshop.efdss.org/Tickets/Ticket%2C+Ghosts+From+the+Basement%2C+Full+Day+25.09.10.html

Rough Trade Shops: Psych Folk 10

09 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Releases Tags: Alasdair Roberts, C Joynes, Espers, Hush Arbors, Jack Rose, Jason Steel, Kath Bloom, Kevin Barker, Lau Nau, Men-An-Tol, Pete Greenwood, Pisces, Sam Amidon, Six Organs Of Admittance, Sleepy Sun, The Owl Service, Trembling Bells, Ulaan Khol, Voice Of The Seven Thunders, Woods, Zak Riles

The following compilation has been released, featuring tracks from Jack Rose, Espers, Alasdair Roberts, Trembling Bells, The Owl Service and many more. I’m only mentioning it as I sing backing vocals on the Owl Service track featured – ‘Ladies Don’t Go A Thieving’.

There’s a review here, and you can also listen to a snippets of the tracks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/8qzb

New album news

14 Jul 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Releases Tags: Adam Leonard, Eighth Tower, Great Pop Supplement, Incredible String Band, Irrlicht, John Cale, Klaus Schulze, Michael Nyman, Nature Recordings, Nico, P.G. Six, Pat Gubler, Roy Harper, Syd Barrett, The Owl Service, Tower Recordings

The wonderful Great Pop Supplement label will be releasing my next album ‘Nature Recordings’ in the Autumn. The album has guest appearances from Pat Gubler (aka P.G. Six) and Steven Collins from The Owl Service and contains all 4 parts of ‘The Eighth Tower’ suite + other new songs.

Inspirations and influences for this one: Klaus Schulze’s ‘Irrlicht’ album, Roy Harper in ’69, Michael Nyman, Tower Recordings, Nico and Cale, Syd Barrett & the String Band. More news soonish.

Singing With The Owl Service

02 Jun 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in Releases

May saw the release of the following fine album from The Owl Service. And I’m not just saying that because I sing on a few of the songs. Fans of classic early British electric folk (think Steeleye Span playing on Summerisle in 1973) will not be disappointed. In fact, they’ll be bloody chuffed to bits.

THE OWL SERVICE
The View From a Hill
Rif Mountain / RM-004CD

Part two of The Owl Service’s Pattern Beneath the Plough series. 15 track single CD in digipack sleeve with 8 page booklet containing notes and photographs. As well as the seven-strong collective these new recordings also feature guest appearances from Joolie Wood (Current 93, Simon Finn), Roshi Nasehi, Derry-based singer Adam Leonard and regular collaborator Alison O’Donnell (Mellow Candle). This epic suite of traditional British songs sees the band refining both their sound and their approach to arranging traditional song. The result is a timeless collection of exquisitely produced folk-rock which, like their debut album, recalls past giants of the genre such as Mellow Candle, Fairport Convention and Trees, but is stamped with the band’s own sound, a sound that’s becoming ever more distinctive.

Released May 31st 2010.

Echoes In Rows

22 May 2010 1 Comment

by Adam in Releases Tags: 1980, Analogue, Brian Aldiss, David Ansara, Everett True, John Foxx, Metamatic

This is a new project I’m involved in with analogue synth genius David Ansara. We’ve called ourselves ‘Echoes In Rows’ after a line from the John Foxx song ‘Underpass’, because Foxx is the primary influence on what we are doing. Hopefully an album will come of this, but the first fruits of the project is the song ‘Brian Aldiss’.

Music critic Everett True (NME, Melody Maker, Plan B) had this to say:

“It’s pure, fully rounded-out, delightfully and un-regretfully, late 70s retro electronica (OMD, Gary Numan). Or, as Adam himself puts it, “2 males, one with a moustache and one with eyeliner. The Sparks template”. The song is called ‘Brian Aldiss’, after the sci-fi writer – and it’s very of its times. The late 70s. I hope I made that clear already. Most excellent stuff if totally retro.”

It can be heard here: Brian Aliss

Hello

09 Jan 2010 Leave a comment

by Adam in General

Happy New Year. I am Adam Leonard and this is a blog/website about my musical activities.

I can no longer update my old Eden’s Engine website, so I’m going to use this place from now on. There’s not much here at the moment, but bear with me. I plan to build up a comprehensive discography, and also post up news if anything is happening. Not a lot does really. I’m not U2.