Idyll Swords

Released the Week of October 30th, 2000
Idyll Swords	II CD
The Communion Label is pleased to release the second album by North Carolina trio Idyll Swords, titled II - almost an hour of natural and fluidly morphing American folk and blues, along with the buzzy and sublime sounds of India, Persia and Turkey, all baked by three hot-shit guitarists. Dave Brylawski played guitar in Polvo and has recently completed his masters in social work at Columbia. Chuck Johnson played in Spatula and continues to work with innumerable other projects, including the Micro-East Collective, modelled after the Mills College-based Micro-Collective. Chuck is also studying Hindustani classical	noted sarod-player K. Sridhar and a Hindustani vocal teacher. Grant Tennille is the quiet genius type, responsible for some of the most epic 'Swords work, and likes to collect bootlegs on the Internet. For those who have to put the peg in the hole, well, he does session work for Trans Am, all right? The Swords' music is stunning, influenced by many worlds while retaining the flavor of its own place. Those who'd like to take Pocahantas back to the city will be thrilled to introduce this charming entity to their friends.
References: the Takoma Records triumvirate (Fahey, Basho, Kottke), Vishwan Mohan Bhatt, Davey Graham, the kudzu plant, a train ride in Rajhastan, the smell of wood powder and spice, Ankara International Airport. Grant Tennille guitar, sitar-guitar, tamboura, cumbus (a 12-string banjolin from Turkey), voice, percussion, baglama saz Chuck Johnson 6- and 12-string guitar, banjo, pushpa veena (Indian, played with a slide lap-steel-style), voice, oud, ruan (Chinese lute), bass guitar, tambura, percussion, field recordings, audio editing Dave Brylawski guitar, oud, rubab, baglama saz, voice, percussion, cumbus, tambura Pedigree includes Polvo, Spatula, session work with Trans Am, and sharing beaucoup roll-yr-owns with TFUL282 The trio's debut CD was critically acclaimed by everybody who managed to notice it Inspiring, genuinely wonderful, ethno-acoustic, mystical, modal folk. Occidental or Oriental? Mmm, it all sounds good. Acoustic string bands are IN, baby! Knocked 'em dead at the Transmissions Festival on Chapel Hill Will be heralded by ambulance-chasers and carpetbaggers the world over. Download a free MP3 track from Idyll Swords' II CD: Kashal In Rag Pilu 30-second RealAudio excerpts from Idyll Swords' II CD: Tantz Lake Palace Escutcheon Ascent / Biza's Theme Kashal in Rag Pilu A Bridge to a Bridge Ucalegon Blues Moab (Arches) Morning in Miniature Bani Park Abreaction The Mezereon Dynasty Nile Monitor Steep Creek Released the Week of June 21st, 1999
Idyll Swords	self-titled CD
Many of us intitially found great pleasure and freedom in the revelation of the initial sound of "indie rock," a term that has become some tarnished it hurts to even write it. Unfortunately, when something has its roots in purity, inevitably, its dread opposite-- corruption-- ensues. Spiritual indie warriors naturally found themselves struggling against thousands of pale wannabes glutting and profaning the sacred tone. When one has no choice but to move with the great cycle and change, masterminds call this evolution. The silver lining has been the discovery of new, or, rather, older, traditional sounds: folk; ethnic music from Europe and Asia/India; the leanings of the neo-classic. The class of '92 has graduated to more holistic sounds. Enter Idyll Swords, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Two of the trio's members, Dave Brylawski and Chuck Johnson, honed their craft with Polvo and Spatula, respectively.	Yet both found themselves limited by the sounds in which their bands excelled. Stepping off the plane returning from Turkey-- before anyone could say "modal"-- Mister Brylawski went directly from the airport to a local music store and bought himself an oud. The rest? History. Idyll Swords' debut CD is full of sounds found in other traditions. There's the blues cover of Fred McDowell's "When the Train Comes Along" and generous doses of Indo-Asian styles throughout the rest of the tracks. Credit third member Grant Tenille for some of the most skillful passages, especially a bowed guitar piece that conjures the sound of an Indian saraangi. All the disenchanted out there in the dispora have greeted indiological evolution with high praise; one listen to the lush landscapes and topography of Idyll Swords will prove similarly rewarding.
Download a free MP3 track from Idyll Swords' self-titled CD: Autumn In Empire 30-second RealAudio excerpts from Idyll Swords' self-titled CD: Wild Geese Descend on Level Sands Strawberry Airwaves The Destination Anhinga Negra Turistan / Night Approach Kehen Yorum Billa Autumn in Empire Portals to a Land Silver Silk Dawn Approach Sagarika When the Train Comes Along Birch Eye Waltz Japanese Lantern

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