Harv - Must

Harv - Must (2000)

"Going from Jimi Hendrix covers to traditional Scandinavian fiddle music might seem like a giant leap of imagination, but it's exactly what the Swedish duo of Harv has managed. Magnus Stinnerbom and Daniel Sandén-Warg first played together in 1992, when they were 14, while attending a high school for musicians in their hometown of Karlstad. In Harv's very earliest incarnation, Stinnerbom played drums and Sandén-Warg guitar, as they jammed on old Hendrix songs, aiming to be rock stars. The idea of moving to traditional music came a year later. Stinnerbom had grown up with the music, his father having been a fiddle player with the seminal Swedish folk band Groupa, and when he finally played some of the old sounds for his friend, Sandén-Warg was an instant convert. However, it would still be a while before the pair appeared in public. Their debut as Harv (which translates as "harrow") came in 1996, when they provided the music for a production of Hamlet by the Västanå Theatre, and their eponymous first CD arrived a year later." (From the group's iTunes page)

01 | A-kassa
02 | Båten
03 | EF
04 | Olov
05 | Lumiainen
06 | Kvartetten
07 | Spaken
08 | Reinlender
09 | Svempa
10 | Björk-arab
11 | Björklund
12 | Brudmarsch (Wedding March)
13 | Blää!
14 | Vandringjen / Fiskaren
15 | Hamlet

Availability: Out of print in the U.S. but physical copies are readily available.  No MP3.

Synnøve S. Bjørset - Slåttar

Synnøve S. Bjørset - Slåttar (2009)

"Synnøve S. Bjørset ranks among the foremost performers and interpreters of traditional Hardanger fiddle music today.  With uncommon strength and spirit, she presents a tasteful, melodious collection of little-known tunes and reinterpretations of familiar standards, playing a wide range of scordatura tunings.  Over the past few years, her performances have won her a string of awards.  She has released a number of albums, and also performs regularly with Majorstuen."  (Website)

01 | Grålysingspringar
02 | Fanitullen
03 | Seint o kveldo
04 | Sagenspringar
05 | Fanteladda, springar
06 | Purka sat fast i grindi, halling
07 | Øvrebøspringar
08 | Reishagenspringar
09 | Storren, springar
10 | Haugetspringar
11 | Solundspringar
12 | Reisetonar
13 | Gygri frå Trollebotn, springar
14 | Hesjevollspringar
15 | Valdresguten, halling
16 | Skreddarslåtten, springar
17 | Klunkespringaren
18 | Tomasklokkene

Availability: Available used or in MP3 format in the U.S.

Bazar Blå - Nordic City

Bazar Blå - Nordic City (1998)

"Bazar Blå is one of the leading bands on the new folkmusic-scene in sweden. Their original compositions are clearly influenced by swedish traditions and heritage but always with a very modern touch of rhythms and soundscapes. Coming from different musical backgrounds each member brings very individual experiences to the band. This specific blend of personalities, repertoire and fantastic musicianship is what gives their music its unmistakeable character. With percussion, nyckelharpa (a medieval swedish folk instrument) and bass-guitars there are many ways to travel with Bazar Blå. The result is a distinctly new folk-music which the trio calls Transglobal Tripfolk - Music inspired by traditions from all over the world with the ambition to invite you as a listener on a trip through time and space." (Website)

01 | Nordic City
02 | Leafsong
03 | Just Add Water
04 | Solpolskan
05 | Altair
06 | Norsken
07 | Dalaimama part one
08 | Dalaimama part two
09 | I Grevens Tid
10 | Däbädäbärä
11 | Haijaja
12 | Blues for Elks
13 | Björnpolskan

Availability: Available used in the U.S.

Bukkene Bruse - Åre

Bukkene Bruse - Åre (1995)

"Bukkene Bruse is a Norwegian musical group, focusing on a varied repertoire of traditional and folk-style Norwegian songs, but also including many new compositions based on various Norwegian musical traditions. The members of the group include Annbjørg Lien, a prominent Hardanger fiddle and nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) player, fiddle player and vocalist Arve Moen Bergset, flautist Steinar Ofsdal, and pipe organist Bjørn Ole Rasch.

The group was formed in 1988 in Norway, and has travelled and performed widely in Scandinavia and elsewhere. They were selected as official Olympic Musicians for the Lillehammer Olympic Games, and performed at the closing ceremony." (Last.fm)

01 | Norafjølls
02 | The Fair Haired Child (An Páistín Fionn)
03 | Olav Høljesen
04 | O Vis Gud
05 | Tordis
06 | Haugelåt
07 | Syng i Stille Morgonstunder
08 | Bendik og Årolilja
09 | Fenta
10 | Høstkveld
11 | Hølje Plassen
12 | Halling-Jorånn
13 | The Foggy Dew

Availability: Available used on Amazon; no MP3 available in the U.S.

Nordic - Metropol

Nordic - Metropol (2008)

Nordic are a Swedish folk music group established in 2004.  The group's sound is usually characterised as experimental folk music, where traditional Swedish folk music is blended with jazz, bluegrass, Latin, and reggae.  Nordic is made up of Anders Löfberg (cello), Magnus Zetterlund (mandolin) and Erik Rydvall (nyckelharpa). The three met in 2004 at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and thoughts of a musical collaboration were born. (Wikipedia)

01 | Varacion andina
02 | Skatan
03 | Begåvningsmarschen
04 | Barriären
05 | The Breakdown
06 | Av längtan av glädje
07 | Vigselregn
08 | Balsamvals
09 | Ditte i Finnskogen
10 | Sigrid och småfolket
11 | Metropolitan
12 | Efter dig

Availability: Available on MP3 from CDUniverse; otherwise unavailable in the U.S.