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| Pitchfork |
 Like many people, I was introduced to Frank Fairfield when he opened for Fleet Foxes on their 2008 tour. Prior to taking the stage with his weathered acoustic guitar to play old-time folk-blues songs, he had posted flyers around the venue requesting complete silence during his set. The D.C. crowd generally ignored both his demand and his set, as well they should have with some justification: Seeking to revive an old custom, Fairfield forgot that silence must be earned, that it cannot be decreed as part of an act. It was perhaps not the best first impression of the California-based artist, who devotes himself to the practice and preservation of often obscure pre-rock styles. At times he comes across as a scholar rather than a singer: His self-titled debut had the scratchy atmosphere of an old 78 and the feel of an artifact found deep in a bin at some rural flee market.So a mixtape of old tracks culled from Fairfield's personal record collection sounds like a proposition to be wary of, one that no doubt revels in the past simply because it is past. Unheard Ofs & Forgotten Abouts spans the globe, traipsing from Scotland to Nairobi to China to the Appalachian foothills. There is no attempt to track Fairfield's own musical influences (you will hear similarities in only a couple of tracks), nor is there any unifying theme, unless you count ownership. In fact, the compilation often sounds diverse for the sake of diversity-- not to show off how wide his collection is, but to demonstrate the various strains of music around the globe. The brightest spots may be the transitions, suggesting a careful sequencing that contrasts wildly diverse musical traditions. Fairfield creates the starkest contrast by setting the two a cappella religious tunes right at the end. "Atepa Yion", a Byzantine liturgy featuring Chanter P. Manea's dizzyingly low bass, is measured and restrained, which makes "By the Pool of Siloam" by Chicago's Rev. Frank Cotton sound all the more exuberant and desperate. At only 16 tracks, Unheard doesn't attempt to be representative of any one particular style or location, but that doesn't prevent Fairfield from trying to sum up the world....full text |
| Insound |
| On this, the first release on Frank Fairfield's Tompkins Square imprint, Pawn Records, Fairfield presents an exciting collection of reissued recordings from his personal 78 rpm record collection. It provides a broad view of the Gramophone era, specifically concerning the recording of vernacular music from around the world: from Atlanta, Georgia to Kisumu, Kenya; from the 10's to the 60's. The records have been beautifully transferred by the highly respected record collector and producer Michael Kieffer. Frank's self-titled debut album on Tompkins Square has won over fans like Greil Marcus and Ry Cooder, and landed Frank opening spots for Fleet Foxes and Brendan Benson....full text |
| Villagerecords |
| Frank has let the folks at Tompkins Square go through his extensive collection of 78’s from the turn of the twentieth century through the 1960’s and cull some of the lost gems of the era for this collection. This can best be described as candy for fans of those artists that only once ventured off the farm to record or were recorded between switching mules out in the field. Put simply, if you’ve heard of any of these people you must be related to them. This is not scratching below the surface this is using a backhoe. All of that said, this is a wonderful listening experience that should not be missed. Everyone one of these recordings is a link in the chain. Put us down for volume two. Tompkins Square 1. Hundrerd Pipers-Miss Drummond of Perth-Sleepy Maggie (Pipe Major Forsyth and Drums) 2. Yagi-bushi, Yanre-bushi (Kamemaru Sunakawa) 3. Poor Convict Blues (Slim Barton & James Moore) 4. Pius Ogola (Akumu Odhiambo) 5. Sondiata (Anonymous: Sudanese Wandering Minstrels) 6. La Bamba (Hermanos Huesca) 7. Arato Csárdás (Sandor Nemeth's Gypsy Orchestra) 8. Campbells Are Coming (Tommy Dandurand & Ed Goodreau) 9. Ama Ama (Tautu Archer) 10. Rondo Karang Toeri (Goerit Grisee & Bok DJ Am) 11. Makwatu (Kakapti) 12. ...Fox Chase (Charlie Bowman & Al Hopkins) 13. Kongshoung Niaoyu (Professor Liu Tianhua) 14. Un Pied Dans L eau (Bernard & Cantournet) 15. atepa Yion (Chanter P. Manea w/ Choir) 16. By The Pool Of Siloam (Rev. Frank Cotton)...full text |
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