Pitchfork

Like they say: ashes to ashes, Dust-to-Digital, field recordings and Tuvan throat songs to iPods. Fine, no one actually says that, but nonetheless, fans of folk songs, world music, and lots and lots of field recordings are in for a treat this fall with three releases on the schedule from the trustworthy Dust-to-Digital label.

The first is a four-disc box set called Art of Field Recording Volume I, and it comes out on November 6. Assembled by archivists Art and Margo Rosenbaum, the box set includes 110 tracks of "ballads, blues, spirituals, work songs and slave songs, religious singing such as the African-American ring-shout, and other traditional folk music from Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and New York," according to a press release. The package comes in an 11" x 11" x 1" color cardboard box with a 96-page 10" x 10" book featuring more than 100 illustrations and photos.

A release party for Art of Field Recording will take place on November 24 at the Melting Point in Athens, Georgia. Several artists from the box set will perform.

The other two compilations come out on November 20. One, Melodii Tuvi: Throat Songs and Folk Tunes From Tuva is pretty self-explanatory: It consists of 16 tracks of Tuvan songs originally issued in the Soviet Union in 1969. The University of Helsinki's Dr. Pekka Gronow unearthed them and provides liner notes for the release, where the tunes appear on CD for the first time.

The other compilation, Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics (1918-1955), is not, to our knowledge, named after the Arcade Fire song. (Yes, we know you were confused.) It's an Ian Nagoski-compiled collection of 24 tracks from the titular years, representing the music of countries from Yugoslavia and Laos to Cameroon and Java. All the tracks were newly transferred and mastered from 78 rpm vinyl, and 18 of them have never before appeared in CD form.

"But what crazy sounds am I going to hear?" you may ask. Well, according to the previously quoted press release: "zamr, naa phaat piphat, gong kebyar, Northumbrian piping, periya melam, rhumba, Carpathian weddings, Rulin opera, Uilleann piping, Bollywood, dan bau, Handel, rembetika, gusle, tembang sunds, flamenco, fado, prayer, djanger, kabuki and yien pwe."

In other words, the next ten years of Timbaland sample sources.

Also, though it's not immediately forthcoming, the label will release Victrola Favorites: Artifacts From Bygone Days in December. It's a 144-page, full-color clothbound book that comes with two CDs of "Burmese guitars, Chinese Opera, Persian folk songs, Fado, hillbilly, jazz, blues, and much, much more," according to the label's website. It was compiled from the 78 and design artifact collections of Climax Golden Twins' Rob Millis and Jeffery Taylor.

Finally, Awake, My Soul-- the DVD companion to Dust-to-Digital's Sacred Harp-chronicling I Belong to This Band compilation-- will air on public television early next year.

Art of Field Recording Volume I:

Survey (Disc 1):

01 Sister Fleeta Mitchell and Rev. Willie Mae Eberhart:: "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down"
02 Ray Rhodes: "Fred Adams"
03 Gordon Tanner and Smokey Joe Miller: "Billy in the Low Ground"
04 Margaret Kimmett: "Frankie and Johnnie / Twenty Froggies Go to School"
05 Fidel Martin: "Cup of Faith / Beaudoin Quadrille"
06 Mary Lomax: "The Drowsy Sleeper"
07 The Myers Sisters: "Little Red Rooster"
08 Ralph Sheckel: "Tony Gave a Picnic"
09 Neal Patman: "Mama Whoopin' the Blues"
10 Henry Grady Terrell: "Old John Henry Died on the Mountain"
11 Golden River Grass: "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad"
12 The Phillips Wonders: "Hambone"
13 Bobby McMillon: "Darby's Ram"
14 Shorty Ralph Reynolds: "Darlin' Corey"
15 Epifanio Sanchez and Group: "Carabina Treinta-Treinta (30-30 Rifle)"
16 Bert Hare: "I'm Dying, Mother"
17 Sacred Harp Singing Group: "Eternal Day"
18 Mabel Cawthorn: "Tom Watson Tune"
19 Arthur Vandeveer: "A Melancholy Sound"
20 Laethe Eller: "What You Gonna Name That Pretty Baby?"
21 Ollie Gilbert: "Who Killed Poor Robin? "
22 Brady Doc and Lucy Barnes: "Free Go Lily"
23 John W. Summers: "Brickyard Joe"
24 Mary Heekin: "Lord Randolph"
25 Lawrence Eller and Vaughn Eller: "Fly Around My Blue-Eyed Gal"
26 Old Threshers' Fife and Drum Band: "Irish Washerwoman"
27 Mary Lomax: "Lord Daniel"
28 Jack Bean: "Song of Fifty Cents"
29 Dr. David Rosenbaum: "One Saturday Night When I Come Home"

Religious (Disc 2):

01 Silver Light Gospel Singers: "Don't You Let Nobody Turn You 'Round"
02 Rev. Howard Finster: "Medley"
03 Sacred Harp Singing Group: "Assurance"
04 Bonnie Loggins and Mary Lomax: "In the Silence of the Midnight"
05 Sister Fleeta Mitchell, Rev. Nathaniel Mitchell, and Lucy Barnes: "Let Me Fly"
06 Leona Ruth: "Over Yonder Where Jesus Is"
07 Rev. Willie Gresham and Group: "Guide Me, Thou Great Jehovah"
08 Brady Doc, Lucy Barnes, and the Gilmore Family: "Teach Me, Master"
09 Lawrence Eller, Vaughn Eller, and Ross Brown: "Lonesome Valley"
10 Brady Doc Barnes and Lucy Barnes: "Walk with Me"
11 Lawrence McKiver and the McIntosh County Shouters: "Jubilee"
12 Lucille Holloway and Basers: "Wade the Water to My Knees"
13 Deacon Tommy Tookes and Congregation: "The Lord Is Risen"
14 Ida Craig: "Sit Down, Servant"
15 Sister Fleeta Mitchell, Rev. Nathaniel Mitchell, and Lucy Barnes: "I Am on the Battlefield for My Lord"
16 Richard and Elula Moss: "Idumea"
17 Tickanetley Primitive Baptist Church: "An Address to All"
18 The Phillips Wonders: "Walking Along the Heavenly Road / I Am a Poor Pilgrim of Sorrow"
19 Tickanetley Primitive Baptist Church: "Lenox"
20 Georgia Jean Eversole: "Scarlet Purple Robe"
21 Smokey Joe Miller and Newman Young: "Where the Soul of Man Never Dies"
22 Nathan Palmer: "Blow, Gabriel"
23 Gospel Supremes: "Do, Lord, Remember Me"
24 Naomi Bradford and Macedonia Baptist Church: "My Number Will Be Changed"
25 Rev. Willie Gresham and Macedonia Baptist Church: "Hush and Listen"

Blues (Disc 3):

01 Cecil Barfield: "Georgia Bottleneck Blues"
02 Gordon Tanner, Smokey Joe Miller, and Uncle John Patterson: "Carroll County Blues"
03 Brooks Berry and Scrapper Blackwell: "Brooks' Blues"
04 Neal Patman and Bill Giles: "Key to the Highway"
05 J.T. Adams: "Red River Blues"
06 George Childers: "Nobody's Business"
07 Eddie Bowles: "Bowles' Blues"
08 Cliff Sheats: "Got the Blues So Bad"
09 Guitar Pete Franklin: "Guitar Pete's Blues"
10 James Yank Rachel and Shirley Griffith: "Peach Orchard Mama"
11 James Easley, Guitar Pete Franklin, and Raymond Holloway: "Big Leg Women"
12 Joe K. Rakestraw and Art Rosenbaum: "Leaving Here, Don't Know Where I'm Going"
13 Neal Patman: "The Mogul"
14 Buford Boyd and Willard Benson: "Deep Ellum Blues"
15 Shirley Griffith: "River Line Blues"
16 Jake Staggers: "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad"
17 Harvie Sims: "I Cried All Night Long"
18 Shirley Griffith: "Maggie Campbell Blues"
19 Guitar Pete Franklin: "How Long Blues"
20 Scrapper Blackwell: "A Blues"

Instrumental and Dance (Disc 4):

01 Dallas Henderson: "Lost Indian"
02 Ben Entrekin, Uncle John Patterson, and James Patterson: "Flat Foot Charlie"
03 Lawrence Eller and Vaughn Eller: "Down the Road"
04 Clester Hounchell: "Sally, Won't You Have Me, Do Gal Do"
05 Coy Martin: "Fox Chase"
06 Neal Patman: "Fox Chase"
07 Gordon Tanner, Smokey Joe Miller, and Uncle John Patterson: "Medley"
08 James "Yank" Rachel and Shirley Griffith: "Mandolin Stomp"
09 Albert Hash: "Omie Wise"
10 Albert Hash and Art Rosenbaum: "Train 45"
11 George Childers: "Turkey in the Straw"
12 Louis Riendeau and Larry Riendeau: "Arkansas Traveler"
13 Dwight "Red" Lamb: "Fynne's Polka"
14 Newt Tolman: "Pigtown Fling"
15 John W. Summers and Art Rosenbaum: "Stony Point"
16 Earl Murphy and Bill Ashley: "Cowboy Waltz"
17 Clester Hounchell: "Walk, Little Julie"
18 Rev. Howard Finster: "Five to My Five"
19 Delbert Spray and Art Rosenbaum: "Quit Kicking My Dog Around"
20 Old Threshers' Fife and Drum Band: "Yankee Doodle"
21 John W. Summers: "Jig Medley"
22 Buell Kazee: "Big Foot Feller"
23 Buford Boyd: "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down"
24 Uncle John Patterson: "Shout, Lulu"
25 Jake Staggers: "Shout, Lulu"
26 W. Guy Bruce: "Shout, Lulu"
27 W. Guy Bruce and Guy Bruce, Jr.: "Sally Ann"
28 Gordon Tanner, Phil Tanner, Art Rosenbaum, and Larry Nash: "Arkansas Traveler"
29 Frosty Lamb and Buzz Fountain: "Beaumont Rag"
30 Kirk Brandenberger and Art Rosenbaum: "Whistler's Waltz"
31 W. Guy Bruce: "Shady Grove"
32 Ross Brown: "Coal Creek March"
33 Pete Steele: "Coal Creek March"
34 Harry "Pappy" Wells: "Jenny Nettles"
35 Lyman Enloe and Bob Black: "Fourteen Days in Georgia"
36 Maude Thacker: "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain"

Melodii Tuvi: Throat Songs and Folk Tunes From Tuva:

01 Oorjak Hunashtaar-ool: "Reka Alash (Alash River) "
02 Oorjak Hunashtaar-ool: "Bayan-kol"
03 Oorjak Hunashtaar-ool: "Vse Ravno Khoomei ne Broshu (I Won't Give Up My Khoomei)"
04 Oorjak Hunashtaar-ool: "Mansthurek"
05 Oorjak Hunashtaar-ool: "Brat Moy, Spoyu Borban (My Brother, I'll Sing Borban)"
06 Kara-sal Ak-ool: "U Miloy Sergi (My Beloved Girl's Earrings)"
07 Sat Mantsakay: "Tuvinskiye Narodniye Napevy (Tuvan Folk Tunes)"
08 M. Dakpay: "Pesnya Khomeyzhi (Song of Khoomeizhi)"
09 D. Damba-Darja and A. Laptan: "Artyy Sayyr"
10 Kara-sal Ak-ool: "Fantaziya na Tuvinskiye Narodnye Temy (Fantasy on Tuvan Folk Tunes)"
11 Kara-sal Ak-ool: "Pesnya pro Igil (Song for Igil)"
12 Kara-sal Ak-ool: "Tri Starinnye Melodii (Three Old Melodies)"
13 Kara-sal Ak-ool: "Dembildey"
14 Kara-sal Ak-ool: "Uzun-khoyug"
15 N. Olzey-ool: "Tuvinskiy Naigrysh"
16 Kara-kys Munzuk: "Na Letnye Pastbishtsha (On Summer Pastures)"

Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics (1918-1955):

01 Naim Karakand: "Kamanagah" (Syria)
02 Thewaprasit Ensemble: "Phleeng Khuk Phaat, Part 2" (Thailand)
03 Gong Belaloewana Bali: "Kebyar Ding, I" (Bali)
04 Pipe Major Forsyth: "Mallorca" (Northumbria, England)
05 Thiruvazhimilalai Subramanian Bros. & Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai: "Manasa Sri Ramachandra" (India)
06 Paul Pendja Ensemble: "Ngo Mebou Melane" (Cameroun)
07 Cyganska Orchestra Stefana: "Cyganske Vesilia, Part 4" (Lemko, Poland)
08 Zhehongyi With Nendi Zhaoguan: "Mother's Uproar" (Fouzhou, China)
09 Patrick J. Touhey: "Drowsy Maggie" (Ireland)
10 Hutzl Ukrainian Ensemble: "Welsisni Melodyi" (Hutsul, Ukraine)
11 Neriman Altindag: "Soyledi Yok Yok" (Turkey)
12 Lata Mangeshkar: "Aayega Aanewaala" (India)
13 M. Nguyen Van Minh-con: "Nam Nhi-tu" (Vietnam)
14 Edwin Fischer: "Handel's Chaconne, Teil I" (Switzerland / Germany)
15 Marika Papagika: "Smyrneiko Minore" (Greece)
16 Petar Perunovic-Perun: "Narodne Saljive Pjesme" (Serbia)
17 Nji R. Hadji Djoeaehn: "Tjimploengan" (Sunda, Java)
18 Niño de Priego: "Envidia Yo No Tengo a Nadie" (Spain)
19 Prof. Lucas Junot: "Fado De Passarinhos" (Portugal)
20 Sathoukhru Lukkhamkeow: "Nakhone Prayer" (Laos)
21 Christer Falkenstrom: "Baklandets Vackra Maja" (Sweden)
22 Representatives of the Democratic Youth of Indonesia: "Djanger" (Bali)
23 Sinkou Son & Kouran Kin: "Songs in Grief" (Japan)
24 Burmese Musicians: "Yein Pwe" (Myanmar)