"THE POOR MINSTRELS OF SONG", 
SOME EXPLANATIONS & LINKS :

"Poor Minstrels of Song" was actually a concept to bring together like minded people in the underground experimental and acid folk movement.  Participated musicians include The Iditarod, Peter Scion, Iditarod, Stonebreath,Ring,etc...
"Poor Minstrels of Song" came at first to live (according to Timothy Renner) as follows :

" I created the name "The Poor Minstrels of Song and the Temple of the Moon"...: I was sitting on a balcony during our northwest US tour in October/November 2000 (around the time of Terrastock 4) when I came up with the name ....and a drawing in my sketchbook which would become the cover of the tour booklet/cd and the t-shirt design.
The name was based on my interest in the Knights Templar- who were also known as: The Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.I was going to use the name for an album title, but when Iditarod and Stone Breath started organizing a tour together, I suggested we name the tour "The Poor Minstrels of Song and the Temple of the Moon" which they liked.Later, we invited Drekka, and then In Gowan Ring.
We all toured together and had great fun. The last night of the tour especially. If you ever get a chance, ask everyone involved about the last night of the tour! "

Timothy Renner (from http://www.somedarkholler.com)


The following persons/groups were listed :

B
B' Eirth : See In Gowan Ring
And http://www.tragickrecords.com/pfrenz-c/HTML/eirth3.html
Picture at http://www.tragickrecords.com/pfrenz-c/pgs/bInWds.html & http://www.tragickrecords.com/pfrenz-c/pix/eu/Gabrielle.jpg
D
Drekka : participated with "Poor Minstrels of Song"  http://www.lifelikerecords.com/artists/drekka.html
http://www.bluesanct.com/bands/drekka/drekka.html (click top banner for several pages)
Contact : figurehead@bluesanct.com
I
The Iditarod
Website at http://home.earthlink.net/~hubcityrec/iditarod.html
and http://home.earthlink.net/~hubcityrec/iditarodcat.html
and http://www.iye.com/iditarod with sound at http://www.iye.com/rod/rod4.html
Review of their latest item at my acid folk reviews page
Contact : iditarod@cox.net or through Blue Sanct Records
Real audio in Holland : http://www.vpro.nl/programma/deavonden/index.shtml?2785571+3177720+4746399+6297790
In Gowan Ring at http://www.bluesanct.com/bands/igr/main.html
Review at http://www.bluesanct.com/archive/reviews/wyrdigr.html
(also available at http://www.middlepillar.com/catalog/browse.pl/artist/IN_GOWAN_RING/)
In Gowan Ring (and beyond) Discussion list : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ingowanring
picture at http://www.tragickrecords.com/pfrenz-c/pgs/igrRR.html
Contact : ingowanring@bluesanct.com
Cooperated musicians with The Iditarod : Fern Knight : (" Primitive but charming guitar, sweet voice, good singer. Attractive and pleasant music. "If I could write a book about you" with added cello is captivating. "Boxing Day" with a beautiful Pentangle like rhythm section has a slow burning quiet intensity. Promising ; would like to hear a full album's worth of material."  L.W.& G.) Her new releases are reviewed at the singer-songwriter review pages (see new writers). Contact wheatwolf@110.net Cover and this review at review page of new singer-songwriters, The Eyeshores, (folkrock inspired) Matt Everett,(Matt Everett : Little Epiphany (2001)° : "The solo work of Matt Everett is very much in the ssw territory. The most noticeable problem I found was with the lackadaisical vocal delivery. This  combined with the waffling lyric content and atmosphere hardly makes this very exciting listen. The voice is mixed somewhat low. The songs are too conventional, but with a quiet attempt to be different (i.e. track 6). Too much of the music is standard in its construction. It wears me down rather than draws me in." "It's not bad music and there are attractive elements i.e. track 10,7,11 but it's too introspective and undemanding." L.W. We both liked the hidden 11th track, a bit more in the Bonnie Prince Billie atmosphere. Probably he's at his best as a collaborative musician rather than a solo.") at http://www.as220.org/~matte/, The Eyeshores evolved a lot ever since. See my singer-songwriter pages &  review page of psych folk for their newer releases. Stringbuilder ("Songs are whimsical and parochial in their subject matter. It's a fusion of country and folk. The instruments are well played, The guitars and banjo's sound acoustically brilliant. Unfortunately apart from a couple of songs (tr.11,10) which are more in the ssw mould the rest of the material is a bit too predictable. Aficionado's of this type of Americana will love it and live it will probably be enjoyable.  Me I have some reservations." L.W. "(but it's very well recorded)"" http://www.stringbuilder.com/
J
R
Timothy Renner See 'Stone Breath'
or http://www.somedarkholler.com/renner.php
Ring
Webpage at http://www.krank.no/ring/
Review : http://www.psychedelic-music.net/pmdb/db3/BrokenFace.php4?review=25
S
Peter Scion
Website at http://uk.geocities.com/treemusicuk/index.html
and http://www.users.one.se/~domestic/scion.htm Contact : peterscion@yahoo.se
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For reviews of Peter Scion's work see seperate review page at next page
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The Poor Minstrels of Song live : http://nyfma.tao.ca/nyfma02895.html

Labels of The Poor Minstrels of Sound :
http://www.bluesanct.com/ and http://www.somedarkholler.com
(which used to be www.darkholler.com) and Magic Eye http://www.iye.com/mes/mes.htm
and http://www.cameraobscura.com.au/

The first radio program about the Poor minstrels of Song (part 1 : USA) was broadcasted at 2001,12,12. Playlist with more information about the groups when you click here.
A concert with The Iditarod and Peter Scion on the "Psyche van het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerpen, Belgium happened the 27th of February 2002.
(details of concert dates at page 1). Next radioprogram very soon ! (april-may 2002)


T-shirt of the second Poor Minstrels of Song tour designed by Timothy Renner:




























More of "the Poor Minstrels Tour" see page 1

Reviews of some related items see next page and for the Iditarod the acid folk review page
Peter Scion is also reviewed at next page


Please go back to the first index page of Psychedelic Folk
or to the general index of my radio program