Post Description

“This is more than a great album for October, it’s a great introduction to all of the beautiful, enchanting music that Tucker has made throughout the years. Her affinity for fusing folklore and acoustic folk pop is made evident over and again.”
The daily album today comes from S.J. Tucker, a musical journey-woman born in Arkansas, but who seemingly travels to just about wherever her whimsy takes her. Tucker has had quite the busy and complex life so far; there are some truly touching stories in her bio, which you can check out here on her Facebook page, if it strikes you. Suffice it to say that between her experiences and her influences, there is plenty for this pixie singer to express musically. Per her Bandcamp page, this album is “A special Halloween collection especially for Shape Shifters, Spooks, and Witchkas everywhere”, and the tracks come from her catalog of music over the past eight or nine years. Perfect timing!
The album opens with “Witchka”, from her 2010 release Mischief. One gets a sense of Tucker’s vibe immediately — folksy acoustic with a themed twist. Comparisons to DiFranco and Joni Mitchell are pretty damn fair. “Witchka” is a little heavier on the pop and soul than some of Tucker’s other tracks, but it’s a very nice introduction to this collection. Tucker draws material from a plethora of pagan, earthlore and magick sources, making her a perennial favorite at festivals and events across the country. “Song of the Witches” follows, with more classical inspiration and less pop than “Witchka”. Recipes abound in this track; the presentation is fantastic — it sounds like it’s straight out of a musical about the tyrannical oppression of witches. This one is coming out on Tucker’s upcoming Wonders, a good sign to be sure.
Tracks like “City of Marrow” fuse powerful acoustic chord progressions with beautiful layered vocals. Alternatively, tracks like “Kashkash” lays down lyrics in rounds, a thumping bevy of harmonious chants. “Hymn to Herne” is an ode to the antlered ghost/god, Herne. If this is your first time listening to
Tucker, you could spend the next few hours jumping around Wikipedia trying to track down all of the tales and allusions in Tucker’s music. The liner notes claim that Tucker hand picked these tracks herself, and it can be said that she did a very nice job of getting a great mix here.
Witchy Ways: an October Mixtape is more than a great album for October, it’s a great introduction to all of the beautiful, enchanting music that Tucker has made throughout the years. Her affinity for fusing folklore and acoustic folk pop is made evident over and again.

Tracklisting:
01 – Witchka (Mischief, 2010)
02 – Song of the Witches (Wonders, 2013)
03 – Tam Lin (Tricky Pixie – Mythcreants, 2008)
04 – Winter’s Ritual (Ember Days, 2013)
05 – City of Marrow (Solace & Sorrow, 2007)
06 – Salad of Doom (Mischief, 2010)
07 – Kashkash (Solace & Sorrow, 2007)
08 – Were-Owl (Mischief, 2010)
09 – Firebird’s Child (Blessings, 2007)
10 – Rootless (2011)
11 – Darker State of Grace (Tales from the Road Live, 2006)
12 – Daughter of the Glade (Tricky Pixie – Mythcreants 2008)
13 – Hymn to Herne (Blessings, 2007)
14 – The Kingdom of Mice (Solace & Sorrow, 2007)
15 – Treachery is Afoot (Ember Days, 2013)
16 – Witches’ Rune (Blessings, 2007)
17 – Come to the Labyrinth (Tricky Pixie – Unreleased)

Extra Informatie:
Aantal Discs: 1xCD
Genre: Folk
Format: MP3 @ 256-320kbit
Year of Release: 2013
Speelduur: 79 minuten
Cover: Front is in de RARs verwerkt