Magic Tuber Stringband - Needlefall (2024)

North Carolina duo Magic Tuber Stringband shepherd Appalachian folk into new territory on 'Needlefall', wondering how Terry Riley and Don Cherry's improvisational methods might skew their musical logic. On 'Needlefall', Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan asked themselves what a modern string band might sound like. They're both old hands at this now, having already released a slew of tapes and EPs, and both dedicated themselves to the preservation of Appalachian traditional sounds. But they're not interested in sitting on that knowledge and letting it marinate in historical conservatism - they wanted to push the formula into the future, so set about re-arranging traditional songs and original material that would capture the sacred dimensions of the natural world. The title track is a good place to start; on the surface it's a relatively straightforward folk jam, but take a closer listen and the fiddle repetitions and rhythmic meter betrays their love of Terry Riley. On 'Days of Longing' meanwhile, the duo stretch their folk phrases to their limit - it's still trackable as Appalachian music, but there's something more meditative, more cosmic going on. They're more forceful on tracks like 'The Hermit's Passage' and 'The Long-Suffering'; the former is a ghostly whisper of piercing overtones and bells that sounds like a moonlit forest ritual, and the latter a jazzy romp, led by what sounds like theremin warbles and Don Cherry-inspired horn blasts.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Magic Tuber Stringband - A Dance on a Sunday Night (4:27)
1.02 - Magic Tuber Stringband - Days of Longing (4:43)
1.03 - Magic Tuber Stringband - The Hermit's Passage (5:11)
1.04 - Magic Tuber Stringband - Water Dripped Upwards (4:18)
1.05 - Magic Tuber Stringband - The Long-Suffering (6:57)
1.06 - Magic Tuber Stringband - Needlefall (3:44)
1.07 - Magic Tuber Stringband - Twelfth House (4:10)
1.08 - Magic Tuber Stringband - Piney Woods Burn (5:08)