...I'm sitting here tweaking Sensitize © and watching the Mercury Prize Awards on BBC2. They've just had the most amazing female quartet on from the North-East of England called Rachael Unthank & the Winterset.
They performed a cover version of a traditional English Folk song that was frankly, mind-blowing. In their follow-up award acceptance speech they spoke of wanting to keep old English Folk songs that have been handed down for generations alive. An admirable goal in my opinion...
Here is a small interview with them from last week when the Mercury Prize Awards' show was recorded:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWdyiIWN_7Y
I think the comment from laseruser is very true:
This next link will take you to their website where you can listen to extracts from their 2005 album - Cruel Sister:laseruser on YouTube wrote:Just been listening to her album the Bairns, bloody brilliant me thinks. Nice to hear some English folk that's comparable to what we hear from our Scottish and Irish cousins
http://www.rachelunthank.com/
Here are Rachael Unthank & the Winterset performing Blackbird (not The Beatles' song) Please note that the sound quality is a bit off on the next few links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BcyyTc16k
Here are a few more links and when some kind soul uploads the show from tonight I'll link you to that as well:
Rachael Unthank & the Winterset - Fareweel Regality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bf85eWoUCY
^ Beautiful. Simply beautiful...
Rachael Unthank & the Winterset - Sea Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09PRtSYP ... re=related
Here is a bit on Wikipedia about them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Unt ... _Winterset
I am completely hooked and will be buying a copy of The Bairns as soon as it becomes available (couldn't find it on amazon.com which is odd. It's listed but leads a dud link currently). The catalogue number for ordering The BAIRNS is; EMI 5099950438020 ...