Conversation with Victor Herrero

Conversation with Victor Herrero. Videos by Harry Wheeler
Architects of Harmonic Rooms

Josephine Foster

Conversation with Josephine Foster. Video by Harry Wheeler
Architects of Harmonic Rooms

Rich Osborn - Guitar Explorations

Today is the release of Rich Osborn's new album 'Giving Voice: Guitar Explorations'. Rich creates sublime music on the acoustic guitar, playing in a 'Free Raga Style'...a style developed from his initial lessons with Robbie Basho in the 1970's. Rich also contributed a track to the album 'Beyond Berkeley Guitar' curated
by Sean Smith. Rich gives insight to Robbie Basho in the article 'Voice of the Eagle' Winter 2012 Issue 24 of Fretboard Journal

Guest Mix from Arborea on Folk Radio UK

We did a 'Guest Mix' for one of our very favorite music sites
Folk Radio UK
The mix includes music that kept us company on long road trips while touring across the US this past Autumn. Some of the
songs also helped us get through a long cold January. Some highlights include songs from
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter from their latest 'Marble Son' ...as well as songs by Chris Whitley, Gillian Welch, Tim Buckley, and Meg Baird.

Sunday Afternoon in February

We were rehearsing today and the light coming through the window was amazing...
Photos by Buck Curran 26 February 2012
p.s. Shanti is playing her new OME 'North Star' Banjo

Arborea, Sean Smith, Curious Mystery, Mirel Wagner and SXSW and 'The Year of Avant Folk'

Arborea' 'Seadrift'


Shana Cleveland 'And, In The Night, Home'


Mirel Wagner's 'Dream'


Sean Smith 'Live at La Pena'


Curious Mystery (featuring Shana Cleveland) 'Black Sand'


The 2012 SXSW will feature several Psych Folk/Avant Folk acts. Aside from catching Arborea's showcase on Friday
at Bethell Hall which will feature an arsenal of banjo, banjo-dulcimer, ukulele, harmonium, acoustic and electric guitars...three other recommended acts are Sean Smith, Curious Mystery and Mirel Wagner. Sean Smith, Shana Cleveland of Curious Mystery, and Mirel Wagner are schooled in a Haunting 'American Primitive'/Minimilist Folk Blues style of acoustic guitar playing.
Sean Smith's latest album on the Strange Attractors label 'Huge Fluid Freedom', is a synthesis of acoustic and heavier electric 'Prog' guitar styles.

SXSW Official Showcases
Arborea @ Bethell Hall in St David's, Friday, March 16th, 10pm
Curious Mystery @ The Bat Bar, Thursday, March 15th, 10pm
Mirel Wagner @ Red 7, Thursday, March 15th, 7:30pm
Sean Smith @ Headhunters Patio, Tuesday, March 13th, 11pm

Arborea signs with Windish Agency Music Licensing

Arborea is happy to announce we are now working with
Windish Music Licensing

SXSW and March - April Tour Dates

March
3 Rockwood Music Hall (3pm afternoon series)/NYC
4 Jammin java/Vienna, VA (DC Area)
8 Blue Tomato Cafe/Watertown, TN
9 House Concert(with Jeff Zentner)/Nashville, TN
11 Standpipe Coffee House/Lufkin, TX
13-18 SXSW/Austin, TX
15 Waterloo Ice House (38th & Lamar)5-6pm/Austin, TX
16 Bethell Hall @ St David's (SXSW)/Austin, TX
29 WorkandWorry Presents/Pittsburgh, PA
30 Hitt House Concert/Fairview, PA
31 State College/PA
April
5 Spotty Dog Books & Ale/Hudson, NY
6 Montague Bookmill (w/200 Years-Ben Chasny) & Kath Bloom)/Montague, MA
7 The Landing-University of Maine/Farmington, ME
11 Knitting Factory (w/Bejamin Francis Leftwhich)/Brooklyn, NY
13 Tea Bazaar (w/200 Years - Ben Chasny)/Charlottesville, VA
18 Fairgrounds Coffee House in Ghent (w/Christian Garthright, Skye Zentz, Jake Hull)/Norfolk, VA
22 Studio 34/Philadelphia, PA
25 Speakeasy Under Local 121/Providence, RI
27 Guthries (w/Curious Mystery)/Lewiston, ME
28 Free Range Festival/Belfast, ME

by the Light of Stars

Winterscape...



Photos/Art by
Shanti Curran
January 2012

Yair Yona - World Behind Curtains

Today is the release of Israeli guitarist Yair Yona's new album 'World Behind Curtains' on Strange Attractors Audio House. On this new album Yair's musical vision has moved well past the American Primitive Guitar style of guitarists John Fahey, Jack Rose, and Glenn Jones who influenced his musical path and dominated the feel of his previous album 'Remember'. Tracks like 'Kottke and the Orchids' and 'Mad About You' are perfect examples of Yair's new musical vision. On Mad About You Yair (using a combination of acoustic guitar, strings and winds) creates a gorgeous musical landscape that is
utterly Breathtaking and Unique!

Arborea's Daytrotter Session

On November 1st, while on our two and half month US cross country tour we made a trip to the Daytrotter 'Horseshack' studio in Rock Island, Illinois and recorded a Daytrotter Session. We've wanted to record a session since 2007, so it was incredible for us to 'Finally' work with Sean Moeller, Mike Gentry (who engineered our session), and the rest of the crew. These guys are definitely doing some of the most essential work in the music business today...curating and recording sessions and presenting them to the world, without advertisements while offering everything for a subscription fee of only 2 dollars a month. Today is the official release of Arborea's Daytrotter Session, but there are many great sessions already posted that are worth listening to....Dave Rawlings Machine, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Jesse Sykes, Marissa Nadler, and many others.

Dust Radio: A Film About Chris Whitley Kickstarter Project

Help Support this important Kickstarter Project! Dust Radio: A Film About Chris Whitley . Chris made some incredibly passionate, beautiful and unique music that definitely inspired Arborea in our own musical path over the years.
Photo by Shanti Curran taken at the Unity Centre on Valentines Day, Feb 14th, 2004

Rolling Stone names Arborea's Red Planet 'Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011'

Arborea's 2011 release 'Red Planet' has made a few notable 'Year End' lists. Among them Rolling Stone 'Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011', Portland Phoenix 'Top 10' Albums of 2011, Textura's 'Top 20' (No. 3) Albums of 2011, Wild Hunt/ADSOP 'Top 10 Albums of 2011. Amoeba Blog's 'Top 50 Albums of 2011', XPN Host Gene Shay's 'Year End Host Picks', Uncut Editor John Mulvey's 'Top 100' Albums of 2011, Small Town Romance. The album also made Editors Top Pick in the December 2011 issue of Guitar Player Magazine, KEXP 'Song of the Day' in August, and 'Top Vinyl Pick' in the September 2011 issue of Mojo Magazine. Thanks 'So Much' to Everyone who took the time to listen to the album, write about it, and share it with the World!!

To Purchase 'Red Planet' go to iTunes or directly to Strange Attractors Audio House
To purchase in the UK go here iTunes UK

This husband-and-wife duo plays a trance-folk that, at every turn in the slipstream, seems to hail from another country: the murder ballads of Appalachia; the plucked-string stasis and Om drone of New York minimalism; the iridescent-Middle East imagination of the Incredible String Band. Singer Shanti and guitarist Buck Curran take Tim Buckley's "Phantasmagoria in Two" at a compelling near-standstill pace; their own "Wolves" is a long circular hush streaked with crying fuzz. Another primary instrument here: the soft oceans of reverb that cushion every minute of this stark and tender balladry.
~David Fricke/Rolling Stone 23 December 2011

Katey Sleeveless

Katey Sleeveless and two of her beautiful brilliant songs "The Government Seems To Have A Hard Time Passing Bills About Things That Are Free.", and "Sunshine and Water". Katey's music and tour dates can be found at Blank Tape Records

A New Year

The Sun is Shining In Wintertime...a song for the New Year! Video by La Forêt Des Renards 2011

Wolves by Arborea

Shanti's video for 'Wolves' from the album 'Red Planet'. Filmed on location in Maine

Phantasmagoria in Two (Tim Buckely cover)

Dismal Ax Red Bird

Playing the lastest Dismal Ax Red Bird Model made by George Downing! This guitar features a gorgeous curly Red Western Cedar top, and other reclaimed woods. This is an absolutely gorgeous guitar that we've been bringing with us on tour. Dismal Ax is taking orders on these beautiful custom guitars, so please visit their website for more details and information about this guitar.

New Tour Dates

2011
December
31 Open Sky New Year Celebration-One Longfellow Square/Portland, ME

2012
January
21 The Frontier/Brunswick ME
February
3 The Starving Artist/Keene, NH
4 Mindfull Books (w/Redwing Blackbird)/Jaffrey, NH
9 Workshop at Bates College/Lewiston, ME
19 Oak & The Axe (w/Jozef Van Wissem)/Biddeford, ME
March
1 The Landing-University of Maine/Farmington, ME
3 Rockwood Music Hall (3pm afternoon series)/NYC
4 Jammin java/Vienna, VA (DC Area)
8 Blue Tomato Cafe/Watertown, TN
9 tba House Concert (with Jeff Zentner)/Nashville, TN
13-18 SXSW/Austin, TX
16 Bethell Hall @ St David's (SXSW)/Austin, TX
30 Hitt House Concert/Fairview, PA
31 State College/PA

The Circle Is Unbroken - 40 Years of Psychedelic Folk Music by Gino Dal Soler

Gino Dal Soler's (Blow Up Magazine) 40 Year perspective on Psychedelic Folk Music 'The Circle is Unbroken'. We're very Honored that Gino asked Buck to write the Foreword for this book. Published 2011