Black Francis is the stage name used by Pixies singer, Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV. Inspired by a quip by the late Warren Zevon after the group's 1993 disbandment, Francis embarked upon a successful solo career under the inverted pseudonym, Frank Black; in addition to releasing a prolific number of stylistically departed records with Frank Black and the Catholics; until the 2004 reunion of the Pixies.
Bruce Cockburn, (pronounced "CO-burn"), has had a long and distinguished career with much success in his native Canada. His first albums were fairly straight ahead folk music spotlighting his brilliant guitar playing. In fact, there were a good number of instrumental guitar numbers on those early recordings. A Christian element came into his music around the time of the album Salt, Sun And Time, and over time his writing has taken on a stronger and stronger political orientation.
Blackmore's Night is an English Renaissance-inspired medieval folk rock band led by UK guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (electric and acoustic guitars) and Candice Night (lyricist and lead vocals). The origins of the band lie in 1990 when Candice was working at a local New York rock music radio station, and as part of her work first encountered Ritchie (now ex-Deep Purple/Rainbow guitarist), then with Deep Purple, at a soccer game he was playing in. The two became romantically entwined and discovered that they shared a passionate interest in the Renaissance.
On the go since 1990, Bushplant have long been County Clare's best-kept secret. Perhaps the last of the great Irish folk-rock bands, they are hitting the road now to show the rest of the world what it's been missing. The first free track here "Make Somebody Happy Here", is a pounding beast of a thing, a bastard offspring such as might occur after an illicit encounter between Alabama3 and S-Express at a Clare Fleadh, a mutant fostered by Hawkwind and all the while delicately embroidered with the silvery fiddling of Mary Custy, a star in her own right with 3 solo albums of her own.
There are at least 9 active bands using the name Tundra. 1) Tundra (as Morgan Packard) from Canada, drum'n'bass.
2) Tundra from Canada. Hardcore/Gabber/ Breakcore.
3) Tundra from Italy. Black metal. FKA Afterglow.
4) Tundra from Canada. Progressive House, Leftfield, Techno, Ambient.
5) Tundra from Denmark AKA Sure Miner. Danish Pop/western/country/folk.
6) Tundra from Brighton in UK. Post-rock. AKA Tom de Grunwald
7) Tundra from Norway. Black Metal / Progressive Rock.
8) Tundra from The Netherlands. Deephouse / Techno
British folk, English Ceilidh dance band. Very good to listen to, rather hard to dance to sometimes! Great fun music. Website: http://www.whapweasel.com/
Iain Matthews (and from the late 1960s until 1989 known as Ian Matthews) is an English musician and songwriter. A member of Fairport Convention during their early period, Ian Matthews had a successful solo career and fronted the bands Plainsong and Matthews Southern Comfort. He was born Iain Matthew McDonald, 16 June 1946, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. Influenced by both rock and roll and folk music, he has performed mainly as a solo act, although he was a member of Fairport Convention during the early period when they were heavily influenced by American West Coast folk rock.
1) An American teen singer signed to Motown in the 1960s.
2) An Australian pop and country singer. 1) Recording for Motown as Little Lisa, she was the daugher of The Lewis Sisters. Later she recorded as Lisa Miller (her real name) and Leeza Miller. Her only release under her own name was the album Within Myself on Canterbury in 1968. The album only got a promotional pressing however, at it wasn't widely available until the Sundazed reissue in 2010. She continues to perform and scored a #4 hit in Brazil in 1983, singing on Sergio Mendes' "Never Gonna Let You Go".
Plainsong was formed by Ian Matthews (previously in Fairport Convention) in 1972 with Andy Roberts, Bob Ronga, and Dave Richards. In Search of Amelia Earhart was released the same year with relatively poor sales. However the critical response was largley positive. Their follow-up, Plainsong III was more country orientated. During its production, Ronga quit and Matthews and Richards were unable to agree on future direction. They disbanded before the album's completion. The early 90s brought renewed interest in the band, with several subsequent releases:
Ben Taylor (born Benjamin Simon Taylor on January 22, 1977) is a musician and actor. He is the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. His sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician. On his first released album Famous Among the Barns and his EP #1, Taylor collaborated with friends Adam MacDougall and Larry Ciancia to form The Ben Taylor Band. However, ultimately deciding that this path (which yielded music that Taylor describes as "neo-psychodelic folk funk") was not his true musical nature...