Kristina Stykos: Buy

This album combines Kristina’s eclectic talents; as a celtic guitar stylist, songwriter and dig-in traditional roots musician. She has gathered friends to make a home-studio recording that is full of both grit and passion, and beauty and grace. Mostly it’s just honest. The song topics cover torn apart relations, spiritual alienation, and inspired reconnection with the core of living. Listeners who enjoy good lyrics should find this a pleasant break from much of contemporary music. The 12 page CD book is full of Kristina’s thoughts and writing, and she takes time to give you background on the instrumentals as well. For guitar players, her accomplished style will provide ample room for wondering “how she did it”. Open tunings are definitely featured here, and wonderful acoustic guitars. There are a few significant dedications on the album, one in particular to the late Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham, which includes a powerful song about her encounters with him in recent years. All in all, this is a unique feast of music from a truly unique artist.

-Featuring Kristina on guitars, mandolin, piano and vocals; Karen Almquist on slide guitar, Susannah Blachly on fiddles and viola, Patti Casey on flutes, Bela Fleck on banjo and Jeremiah McLane on accordion.

Here it is, from Bow's website:

"I can honestly say this project just happened out of the blue here in Vermont at my friend Kristina Stykos' Pepperbox studio.
What excites me about this record is the spontaneous informality of it all, there was no real intention or pressure to produce an album so what we have is some music that had been written then abandoned and songs that were recorded in their infancy. The latter including three songs that will be on an upcoming release by Perfect Trainwreck. I hope that that you will enjoy hearing how these songs translate from a voice and guitar (or banjo) to a whole band production.
Also featured on this record is the wonderful fiddle playing of Patrick Ross who is an award-winning violinist and founding member of the group Blue Merle, as well as Kristina playing guitar and singing back up. It's crazy what talent lurks in these ancient hills. Anyway, buy this record: it is good for your soul, it's good for your ears, and it will make a great gift for any one who likes songs about death, birth, parenthood, love, addiction, confusion, hope, and the general state of the human condition.
Also, as ever, one record feeds the next and there is much work to do..."

A contemporary folk fusion featuring old-time tunesmithing, world-beat percussion, and three-part vocal power: Susannah Blachly on fiddle and vocals, Kristina Stykos on guitar, mandolin and vocals, George White on guitar and vocals and Carter Stowell on percussion.

Immersed in the joy of northern New England's rich musical traditions, Vermont's WAGTAIL fuses the well-loved sounds of fiddle, guitar and mandolin with percussion and fine vocals, bringing to the stage a blend of old time jamming, Celtic melodies, American song-styles and world-beat rhythms. With original writing as their foundation, WAGTAIL offers a fresh approach to traditional music that's fun, funky and deeply moving.