River of Amber/Frozen Waterfall (Rusted Rail)
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Rusted Rail is excited to announce the release of a double album by Galway's psychedelic folk-voyagers Cubs - 'River of Amber/FrozenWaterfall'.
The fourth album by the left-of-field folky group emerges at a time when folk-influenced music has risen again in Ireland, though Cubs have
been ploughing their own furrow since 2006. Comprised of members of A Lilac Decline, Loner Deluxe, Phantom Dog Beneath The Moon and United
Bible Studies, this Cubs double-album is made up of many parallel tributaries from upbeat
forest-folk fingerpicking to mellow mood pieces, with detours into sun-dappled songcraft and snowbound fireside folk melodies.
The fruits of remote recording sessions conducted during the ongoing global pandemic, these twin albums reflect the times they were made in. 'Frozen Waterfall' was originally a download-only release in the summer of 2020 and now finds a home on Compact Disc (in a gorgeous 6-panel gatefold sleeve) alongside the newer suite of recordings that make up 'River of Amber': the sister-albums share similar musical DNA and act as sonic mirrors to each other. These songs veer from dream-folk balladry to meditative tone poems, high-energy mandolin-melodies and atmospheric acoustic mirages - the album investigates the cosmic pastoral,gazing at the night time sky. River of Amber/Frozen Waterfall is home to dusty banjo, shuddering and shimmering tremolo guitar, lunar blues, head-nodding hypno-folk and countrified kosmische - all underpinned by hypnotic drones, laced with cello, baritone clarinet and occasional fluttering electronic radiophonics. The album finds Cubs traversing territories and sonic space inhabited by ghosts, birds and bells, weaving together a fine patchwork of spooked campfire ballads and space-age folk transmissions. From their homes to yours, may this album provide solace to all.
Read an interview with Cubs here - https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/122841/to-the-waters-and-the-wild
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Frozen Waterfall (Rusted Rail)
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Rusted Rail is proud to announce the release of 'Frozen Waterfall', the third album from Irish psychedelic folksters Cubs. This
album by the left-of-field folky group emerges at a time when folk-influenced music has risen again in Ireland, though Cubs
have been ploughing their own furrow since 2006. Cubs is comprised of members of A Lilac Decline, Phantom Dog
Beneath The Moon, United Bible Studies and Loner Deluxe and their third album was recorded in a quick three week burst of
collective activity. 'Frozen Waterfall' veers from upbeat forest-folk fingerpicking to mellow moodpieces, with detours into sun-baked
songcraft, acoustic atmospherics and even a dash of folk-metal. Recorded in Galway, Belfast, Huddersfield and Atlanta, the album
finds Cubs traversing territories and sonic space inhabited by ghosts, birds and bells, weaving together a fine patchwork of lysergic
lullabies, spooked campfire ballads and drifting folk transmissions. The album's cover is a suitably dreamy yet earthy
photomontage of postcards from the 1930's discovered at a Belfast car boot sale.
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Darkr Earlyr (Rusted Rail)
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Rusted Rail is proud to announce the release of "Darkr Earlyr" by Cubs.
The sophomore album by the left-of-field folky group has been gestating
for a while but far from being a difficult second album, Darkr Earlyr
emerges at a time when folk-influenced music is on the rise in Ireland again.
Featuring members of A Lilac Decline, Phantom Dog Beneath The Moon,
United Bible Studies, The Driftwood Manor and Loner Deluxe,
the album veers from dream-folk mirages to more grounded acoustic
songcraft, as the Cubs collective explore both the outer reaches
of cloudy improvisation and groupthink rustic anthems.
Backwoods progressions sit side-by-side with heartstring playing,
as Darkr Earlyr combines fireside folk and stargazing songs.
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"Perpetual Light" (Rusted Rail)
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Rusted Rail is proud to announce the release of "Perpetual Light" a ten-track 3inch extended player by folk voyagers Cubs.
Recorded in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Sweden, "Perpetual Light" emerges as a loose sequel to their
"Willowfield" EP from 2012. Traversing territories and sonic space, inhabited by ghosts, birds and bells, this 3"
EP is housed in a hand-assembled and hand-stamped card sleeve featuring a cover photo of a Super8 still from a
film by Cecilia Danell.
Click here to read the liner notes |
"Willowfield" (Rusted Rail)
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Rusted Rail is proud to announce the release of "Willowfield" a
ten-track 3inch extended player by outsider-folk outfit Cubs. Recorded
in Belfast, Cork, Galway and Sheffield, these bijou pieces form an
intriguing mosaic of 21st century psychedelic-folk. For this
recording, Cubs comprise six collaborators: Aaron Hurley (Phantom Dog
Beneath The Moon), Cecilia Danell, Eddie Keenan (The Driftwood Manor),
Paul O'Reilly, James Rider (United Bible Studies) and Keith Wallace
(Loner Deluxe) who craft a fine patchwork of lysergic late night
lullabies, spooked campfire ballads and space age folk transmissions.
This 3" EP is housed in a hand-assembled and hand-stamped card sleeve
featuring a cover photo by Cecilia Danell of an acoustic guitar that
perished during the recording of the EP. Click here for some reminiscences on the recording of the Willowfield e.p. |
Video for "Aunt Myrtle" by Cubs |
Video for "Embers" by Cubs |
Video for "Swallows Will Be Leaving" by Cubs |
Video for "Little Cave/Howling on the Hill" by Cubs. |
Video for "Lunar Electrification Program" by Cubs. Made by tinyEpics. |
Video for "Blackberry Lane" by Cubs. |
Video for "Willowfield" by Cubs. |
Video for "Gulliver" by Cubs. |
Video for "Lowering of Ropes" by Cubs. |
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