Dar Williams' new album "In The Time of Gods", other paganish music?

[garlicandmint]

Is excellent. It's based loosely on the stories of Greek gods. The tracklist, with my detected deity affiliations, is:

1. I Am The One Who Will Remember Everything (I don't know if this is specific, I couldn't discern it, anyway)
2. This Earth (Hephaestus?)
3. I Have Been Around The World (Hestia)
4. The Light and the Sea (Poseidon)
5. You Will Ride With Me Tonight (Hermes- a standout song, for me.)
6. Crystal Creek (Artemis)
7. The Summer Child (Persephone)
8. I Will Free Myself (Unsure)
9. Write This Number Down (It's a song about justice, she describes it as Athena-esque)
10. Storm King (A play on Zeus' title and legend, but not about him specifically.)

I'm really loving it, particularly track 5. You can listen for free here: http://www.myspace.com/darwilliams/m...-gods-18481315

What's your favorite pagan/paganish music?

[yewberry]

Is excellent. It's based loosely on the stories of Greek gods.

I only have her first album (which is a little folk gem). I'll have to check this out.

Brina

[Celtag]

I only have her first album (which is a little folk gem). I'll have to check this out.

Brina

I listen to the band Folkearth a lot. They are mostly songs about Norse mythology, but they do have some songs about the Celts as well.

[Elani Temperance]

Is excellent. It's based loosely on the stories of Greek gods. The tracklist, with my detected deity affiliations, is:

1. I Am The One Who Will Remember Everything (I don't know if this is specific, I couldn't discern it, anyway)
2. This Earth (Hephaestus?)
3. I Have Been Around The World (Hestia)
4. The Light and the Sea (Poseidon)
5. You Will Ride With Me Tonight (Hermes- a standout song, for me.)
6. Crystal Creek (Artemis)
7. The Summer Child (Persephone)
8. I Will Free Myself (Unsure)
9. Write This Number Down (It's a song about justice, she describes it as Athena-esque)
10. Storm King (A play on Zeus' title and legend, but not about him specifically.)

I'm really loving it, particularly track 5. You can listen for free here: http://www.myspace.com/darwilliams/m...-gods-18481315

What's your favorite pagan/paganish music?

I love Dar! Thank you, I'll check out her new album a little sooner than I had planned

[Waldhexe]

Is excellent. It's based loosely on the stories of Greek gods. The tracklist, with my detected deity affiliations, is:

1. I Am The One Who Will Remember Everything (I don't know if this is specific, I couldn't discern it, anyway)
2. This Earth (Hephaestus?)
3. I Have Been Around The World (Hestia)
4. The Light and the Sea (Poseidon)
5. You Will Ride With Me Tonight (Hermes- a standout song, for me.)
6. Crystal Creek (Artemis)
7. The Summer Child (Persephone)
8. I Will Free Myself (Unsure)
9. Write This Number Down (It's a song about justice, she describes it as Athena-esque)
10. Storm King (A play on Zeus' title and legend, but not about him specifically.)

I'm really loving it, particularly track 5. You can listen for free here: http://www.myspace.com/darwilliams/m...-gods-18481315

I'm a fan of her since 2 years or something. This album was a great surprise, because most of her songs aren't about gods or in any way pagan themed...with exception of 'The Christians and the Pagans' and maybe a couple others.

I always liked that she has a broader range of themes and isn't just another middle age-nostalgic pagan folk artist - not that I don't like pagan folk, but Dar's texts are really very original, intelligent and about the here and now.

[yewberry]

I always liked that she has a broader range of themes and isn't just another middle age-nostalgic pagan folk artist - not that I don't like pagan folk, but Dar's texts are really very original, intelligent and about the here and now.

I don't really consider her a pagan folk artist at all. Until now she just had a handful of songs with themes that could loosely be construed as "pagan". Her first album is completely devoid of such reference, and I think it's her best.

Full disclosure: I really don't like "pagan" music for the most part. Especially of the ultra-earnest, New-Agey variety. There are a few songs I like with overt pagan themes, like XTC's "The Wheel and the Maypole", but that's because I often like XTC. For the most part I enjoy more oblique references. Such as:

• Florida Silver Springs by The Impossible Shapes. Kemetic folks who enjoy freak folk should check out "Tum", their 2006 album with lots of Egyptian themes.
• Wizard Flurry Home by Mariee Sioux -- Native American/nature themes. And just the most beautiful song. There's another version on the full-length album, but I like this more spartan one with the gorgeous harmonies.
• Sawdust and Diamonds by Joanna Newsom -- "Push me back into a tree/bind my buttons with salt/and fill my long ears with bees/prayin' please...please...please, oh you ought not" always sounds like a spell to me. She's very fond of mythological and Buddhist imagery too.
• Fairy Paradise by CocoRosie - a post-apocalyptic fairytale. The live version is so much better than the album.

Obviously I like non-traditional voices and general weirdness, so YMMV.

Brina