The wife and I are big fans of Loreena McKennitt. Not only is she an excellent singer, she is also something different. Her music isn’t your standard fare, she mixes folk and rock while using “different” kinds of instruments to augment her sound. It isn’t just bass, guitar and piano. There is a layered approach to it all that carries you away. Lucky me, Loreena isn’t the only one making this kind of great music.
For a couple of years now, the wife has been listening to Martine Lund Hoel, a Norwegian artist that plays a hardangerfiddle (think twinked out violin). Every time she plays a tune, I ask, “Who is that again?” This time I chose to remember, to store it in my memory and to also share. While instrumental, each piece tells a unique tale. Where Loreena has her voice and lyrics to transport you… Martine uses her instrument to the same effect. The girl knows how to rock out on a “fiddle” and how it should be accompanied. I happen to really like instrumental music because it’s about all I can listen to when writing. If you can stand to listen to something without words, give it a try! Tell me you can’t see yourself walking along a craggy shore overlooking the north atlantic while listening to this stuff. Let’s face it, I won’t be listening to classical music any time soon. This is a nice way to get some “strings” into my audio diet and to enjoy it!
One of my favorite tunes is called “Thisle Dew”… it’s basically her and a piano. It’s somber but then I like stuff like that. If you want something a little more rockin’ try “Villdans”. Cheers Martine, love your stuff… and thanks for the inspiration! Here’s to hoping some others here in the US start hearing your music.
