South Wales based Americana/Folk singer-songwriter AhGeeBe returns today with his second single Adain Ystlum (Batwing) released via Clwb Music. Relying heavily on instrumentation rather than lyrics, the single is still finessed with a beautifully soft Welsh language poem dedicated to a Bat soaring in the early evening sky.  

"Oh that is very filmic isn't it?"

Huw Stephens, BBC Radio Wales

Adain Ystlum (Batwing) offers something a little different compared to AhGeeBe's debut, while first outing Cocoona offered the opportunity to sing-along, this second single allows listeners to truly fixate on the short story. Even for those that don't speak the Welsh language, AhGeeBe's breathy tones cut through and land perfectly between each chord harking back to a time of traditional Welsh tales told around campfires.

"A few years ago I bought a guitar from a second hand shop in Roath. I’d seen it there a few times and had always been drawn to it, and was surprised it had never sold. Finally, during my monthly visit to look at the guitar, I bought it (after a slightly awkward haggling process. I got £20 off)" Explains AhGeeBe

He continues; "The guitar is an old ‘Burns’ guitar, the same sort that ’The Shadows’ used for their instrumental surf tunes (as well as backing Cliff Richard...). As soon as I plugged it in at home, the riff that became this song just fell out of me straight away."

Although softer and more mysterious, Adain Ystlum (Batwing) is brave and still just as bold. There is no mistaking the AhGeeBe 60's cop show theme, slide guitar laden style that continues to solidify him as one to watch within Wales' music community and beyond. 

"On the guitar headstock is the name of the model of the guitar. It is… BATWING. This is also half the reason I bought the guitar. It’s such a funny name for a guitar, I love it. So with the main riff and music written, I went on to write a poem for Batwing about its flight in the early evening. I wanted to recite it sort of in the style of Serge Gainsburg’s Melody Nelson album. Deep vocals and a little bit mysterious." 

Adain Ystlum (Batwing) has already received support from ex-BBC Radio 1 DJ and current Radio Wales / BBC 6 Music DJ Huw Stephens. AhGeeBe has also seen previous support from BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru (including a full 30 minute interview with Georgia Ruth on Radio Cymru). AhGeeBe continues to prove that Wales is brimming with absolute talent ready to be discovered.

More about AhGeeBe

Multi-instrumentalist AhGeeBe (AKA Rhodri Gwyn Brooks) honed his craft in the South Wales quarry village of Creigiau, spending his time chiselling and sculpting away at the piano and guitar from an early age.

Finally finding his groove, which he describes as “somewhere between old-time country and 60’s cop show theme tunes", AhGeeBe is the shining result of years of session work for musicians across the globe, demoing, recording, and songwriting.

‘Long Time Ago’ is the driving new single by ‘Woodooman’, Cardiff Multi-Instrumentalist and Artist, Iwan Ap Huw Morgan. 

The second single to be taken from forthcoming Album 'Y Nos', which is due for release on 24th June; 'Long Time Ago' follows in the wake of the fantastic Welsh Language track 'Y Nos Mewn Cariad' that was released last month to a very warm reception including praise from BBC Dj's Huw Stephens, Adam Walton, God Is In The TV Blog, Golwg Magazine, Lisa Gwilym and Rhys Mwyn. 

'Long Time Ago' will be released on the 2nd of May via Recordiau Dewin Records

‘Long Time Ago’ yw sengl newydd gyrrwol ‘Woodooman’, yr artist aml-offerynnol o Gaerdydd, sef Iwan Ap Huw Morgan. 

Yr Ail sengl i'w chymryd o Albwm 'Y Nos', syn cael ei rhyddhau ar 24ain o Fehefin; mae 'Long Time Ago' yn dilyn llwyddiant 'Y Nos Mewn Cariad' a rhyddhawyd mis dwetha i dderbyniad cynnes gan gynnwys camoliaeth gan Dj's BBC Huw Stephens, Adam Walton, Lisa Gwilym, Rhys Mwyn, a God Is In The TV Blog, Cylchgrawn Golwg. 

Bydd 'Long Time Ago' yn cael ei rhyddhau ar yr 2ail of Fai drwy Recordiau Dewin.

'Excellent!' -  Huw Stephens, BBC

'Expansive And Fasinating!' -  Adam Walton, BBC Introducing

"Uplifting And Haunting" -  Music Blog Wales

"Haunting and epic!" -  God Is In The TV

North Wales Psychedelic rock band  'Holy Coves'  are poised to release their brand new single  'The Hurt Within'  on Friday 25th of March via  'Yr Wyddfa Records' .

Lead by Welsh Singer-Songwriter  Scott Marsden ,  'Holy Coves'  find themselves crossing an unseen threshold on a fantastical new journey where new psych-hazed material spells an exciting new era for the collective.

Through long time friend and Producer  David Wrench ,  'Holy Coves'  were put in touch with Texan Producer  Erik Wofford   (The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky)  and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the material and certainly contributes to their new sound.

Meic Stevens will need no introduction to most readers of this blog ( for anyone who does require some background info there is a 'Rough Guide to Meic Stevens' at the bottom of this post ) His musical career has spanned nearly five decades and he has been styled variously as 'The Legend' and the 'Welsh Bob Dylan'. In a surprise move Meic recently emigrated to Canda. He agreed to speak to AmeriCymru about his life and future plans from his new home in British Columbia.

AmeriCymru: Hi Meic and many thanks for agreeing to talk to  AmeriCymru . I suppose the first question on many readers minds is why did you emigrate to Canada?

Meic:  I don't know if you speak Welsh, so I'll write in English this time. Basically I came to Vancouver Island to paint  for a one man show at Glyn y Weddw art gallery near Pwllheli North Wales. The exhibition will open next April 2012. I also came to study the native Americans here, also what sort of deal they have with the Canadian government, I might get some clues as to what native Welsh could do to improve their situation in Wales. Basically we have no more rights than the English or any other foreign immigrants which has been eroding and destroying the Welsh culture and way of life for years. Wales has been subsidized by the British government, particularly in the arts , ...of course S4C. But this is not the answer to the erosion of a nations' culture and way of life. The industrial revolution was imposed on Wales and had a disastrous effect on the way of life of the indigenous people and more especially on the language and literature. King Coal has a lot to answer for and most of the profit left the country fast!

AmeriCymru: How are you enjoying your new home? What are the main differences between Canada and Wales that have struck you thus far?

Meic: I'm living with my girlfriend, Liz, who I met while I was an art student at Cardiff in 1960. She has been the main cause of me returning to the easel. it's very good and stimulating getting back so close to raw nature and wild places and all that goes with that. Canada is a big, big place, space and wilderness so close.  I live next door to an Indian reservation in the Comox Valley. Many of Liz's friends, like Alexandra Morton and others are totally committed and very active in their support of ecology, particularly the salmon and other fish problems that exist here. I am obviously a supporter of conservationism, which is in a sad state in Britain.

AmeriCymru: You  said in a recent BBC  interview  that you will be concentrating on painting and writing a book about your childhood. Care to tell us a little more about your plans in this direction?

Meic: The next project after the Glyn -y-Weddw exhibition will be the book about the children of the Solva Valley in Pembrokeshire, I am also planning another album of Welsh songs, to follow my last one on the Sain label (Love Songs), which was in English. I also wish to record a blues album over here for the American market and am looking for a label.

AmeriCymru: How difficult was it recording and distributing through the medium of Welsh back in the 1960's?
 
Meic: Back in the 60s, recording in Welsh was a nightmare - more of a joke, really. There were no recording studios and even the studios of the BBC were equipped with obsolete or inadequate equipment. By  1968 I was recording for Warner Brothers in London, but prior to that I had recorded for Decca in 1965 and had produced my own album of self written songs which was later released by 10th Planet Records entitled "The Tony Pike Sessions." I recorded with an American guitarist, Mike Meerpol, whose stepfather wrote "Strange Fruit" for Billy Holiday. Mike was one of the sons of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and later lectured in economics at Harvard (ed.). It was done in Wales (the record industry) so Huw Jones and I started Sain Records. Later, Dafydd Iwan joined... he's still at it to this day. I have enjoyed quite a free relationsuip with Sain over the years. who have released around a dozen albums of mine.

AmeriCymru: Who were your major musical influences back then and who would you cite now? Who do you listen to?

Meic:  My early influences were blues and jazz singers like Big Bill Broonzy, Lightning Hopkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, Big Joe Wiliams, Josh White, Connie Johnson. I was playing guitar by 1955 and still do. I haven't played yet over here but am very keen to do some concerts.

AmeriCymru: You have often been described as the 'Welsh Bob Dylan'. How comfortable ( or not ) do you feel with that label/description?

Meic: "The Legend" and "Welsh Bob Dylan" things are great, who wouldn't want to be compared with the greatest modern folksinger of our age? Dylan is a rare phenomenon, I could go on about that guy!

AmeriCymru: How do you feel about the contemporary Welsh language music scene? Any bands that you think are particularly worthy of note?

Meic:  The Welsh music scene is dead and very disorganized. Nearly all of the bands are amateur, because it is almost impossible to make a living in Wales as a Welsh language singer, or band. For example, there is no organized gig circuit, like a chain of clubs and pubs or even art centres that regularly put on Welsh language music shows. Most of the Arts Council money goes into paying administrators, etc. and the Welsh National Opera. Even the National Eisteddfod struggles for money. Something drastic has to be done about the ineptitude of S4C, who employ far too many desk jockeys and other hangers on and far too few musicians and entertainers. Hardly anyone watches S4C because most of the programmes are so bad. Talk to anyone in the pubs and restaurants round Wales and that is the general consensus. We got handed a t.v. station on a plate and it very soon became a gravy train, many millionaires have been created but you don't hear much about that.

By the way, I don't know one artiste, actor or singer who has earned anything like that kind of money. I, who am one of the most popular singers in Wales, voted singer of the year five years in succession by a public poll have always been pushed to make ends meet in Wales. Something is very wrong over there!

AmeriCymru: You've been cited as an influence on Welsh bands like Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - what influence do you feel or notice you've had on upcoming Welsh musicians?

Meic:  I have influenced and worked with loads of artists in Wales apart from writing the first three modern operas in Welsh. "Etifeddiaeth trywy mwg" with Gereint Jarman, "Craeth y carreg ddu" myself and "Dic Penderyn" wiht Rhydwen Williams. I have also published two volumes of my autobiography on Y Llofa,  Solva Blues  (English) and  Hunangofiant y Brawd Houdini  and  Y Crwydryn a Mi , both in Welsh.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Meic Stephens?

Meic:  To conclude, it's great to have such a big change in life (and unexpected) at the age of nearly seventy. I shall hit 70 on March 13th, 2012. I'm off back to Wales at the end of June to play three concerts in the National Eisteddfod, one on Monday 2nd in the Pavilion, another on the anniversary of Hiroshima in the Arts Centre in Wrexham (Cymdeithas yn Iaith). We will return the second week of August to Comox Valley, I certainly do hope to strut to my stuff now and again over here sometime in the future so if anybody out there wants to book me by email, the address is LIZSHEEHAN at shaw.ca - any communications are very welcome and you can get info on records on the Sain website.

Rough Guide to Meic Stevens

Meic is a singer, guitarist and songrwriter from Wales. His musical styles vary dramatically from folk, rock, jazz to blues and even techno music.

He has made many recordings which started with "Did I Dream" (Decca Records 1965) to his latest, "Love Songs," released August, 2010.  He now lives in Courtenay, BC, where he is preparing work for a one-man exhibition of paintings back in Wales next April. He is a member of the  Gorsedd of Bards  of Britain, an exclusive druidic-style organization of intelligentisia that can only be joined by invitation.  The number of members is strictly limited and the Gorsedd of Bards is the heart of the  National Eisteddfod of Wales , one of the greatest arts festivals in Europe.

Meic has decided to live in Canada, on  Vancouver Island , where the air is clean and inspiration abundant.

Information on Meic can be found on the  Sain Records  website also on Youtube.  Meic does not have a camputer or personal website, he says he doesn't need them.  M ost of Meic's sound and video recordings are in the Welsh language, he also sings and writes in English and has recorded several albums of songs in that language.  "Outlander" (Warner Brothers 1969), "Ghost Town" (10th Planet Records), "The Tony Pike Sessions"  (10th Planet Records) were released between 2000-2005 and his most recent, "Love Songs" on the Sain Records label.  Meic is availale for bookings, please email LIZSHEEHAN at shaw.ca.  Meic has made hundreds of television appearances, has written three modern operas, has been touring since 1963 and has been the subject of four television documentaries.  In Canada, he will perform alone with guitar and will sing folk, blues and self-penned songs and also some  traditional Wlesh songs.
 

North Wales Psychedelic rock band  'Holy Coves'  are poised to release their brand new single  'The Hurt Within'  on Friday 25th of March via  'Yr Wyddfa Records' .

Lead by Welsh Singer-Songwriter  Scott Marsden ,  'Holy Coves'  find themselves crossing an unseen threshold on a fantastical new journey where new psych-hazed material spells an exciting new era for the collective.

Through long time friend and Producer  David Wrench ,  'Holy Coves'  were put in touch with Texan Producer  Erik Wofford   (The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky)  and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the material and certainly contributes to their new sound.

'Spinning Wheels' is the latest offering by Swansea based 6-piece Alternative Folk band 'Lost Tuesday Society'. Taken from their successful latest album 'Bee Skin Rug' the band explore a darker sound and show a diverse dynamic following the bright and airy 'Lights' which was playlisted on the BBC Radio Wales 'Welsh A-List'.

Swansea Alt-Folk band ‘Lost Tuesday Society’ have announced a brand new single entitled ‘Spinning Wheels’ which will be released independently on Monday 21st of February 2022.

Lost Tuesday Society are Jay Browning (bass) Alfie Scheinman (guitar, flute, vocals) Sarah Birch (guitar, vocals) Darran Browning (guitar, vocals) Simon Jones (drums) Kate Ronconi (violin, vocals)
Lost Tuesday Society are a 6 piece band who have collectively come from a variety of differing musical backgrounds and therefore bring with them a range of personal influences; from traditional and alternative folk, grunge and shoe-gaze, funk, psychedelia and rock.

The result is a unique blend of music with intricate compositions, strong hooks and melody lines combining in a huge dynamic sound that has people up on their feet.

With four vocalists (Sarah, Kate, Darran and Alfie) in the band the harmonies are interesting, beautiful and an important element to the Lost Tuesday Society sound. With a heavier back line and driving rhythm section ( Jay and Simon) and two accomplished guitarists (in Alfie and Darran) the new material presented today has a maturity and edge which is beautifully enhanced by weaving strings (Kate),flute(Alfie) and melodica (Sarah).