#(for the Ynys lyrics)

[meddwlyngymraeg]

I'd love to hear some more happy sounding Welsh songs! can be any genre. also any songs about the sea! diolch!!

Shwmae! Amazingly, you are the literal target audience for Ynys' first album ('Ynys', 2022). Dylan Hughes is from Aberystwyth and spent many years in Cardiff and found himself longing for the seaside he grew up in, and when he finally started writing music as Ynys (he used to be in a cool indie psychedelic band called Race Horses too, if that's your thing), he put together a whole album only to realise how much of it is about the sea. I mean, his band is literally called Ynys (Island)!

Also, he has that wonderful, lush psychedelic pop sound, which I think sounds pretty happy musically, though there are definitely some themes of longing, being lost, culture and language, all that good stuff thrown in too. It's complex, but I still feel it's quite a happy listen!

So some songs from the album I'd recommend - Môr Du (Black Sea), Welcome to the Island (now technically this is an instrumental, don't know where that sits!), There's Nothing The Sea Doesn't Know.

My personal favourite off the album is Caneuon (‘Songs’, references the Gorky's Zygotic Mynci song 'Gegin Nos'—more on them in a sec—and also a pretty happy/reminiscing/wistful song), but the whole album is quite good, and their recent second album Dosbarth Nos also has some lovely songs that lift my mood at least— Aros Amdanat Ti, Gyda Ni, Dosbarth Nos. Also the sea references continue!

I'm linking their Bandcamp page rather than a Spotify because Dylan makes sure to include lyrics and translations on there (and in physical liner notes), if you or anyone else reading this was interested in going into the lyrics! (Also I usually feel like I should give people the option to directly support musicians if they feel inclined, where Spotify pays not even cents for most music.) But these two albums are on streaming if you'd like too!

I've also gotta recommend some Gorky's! Their 1997 album's called Barafundle, named after Barafundle Beach, and while I don't think any of the songs are directly about the sea itself (except like The Barafundle Bumbler, which uh. Your mileage may vary. It’s about a voyeur bloke that sits by the seaside on said beach), but there's Diamond Dew which is such a lovely tune, and while not about the sea, Patio Song (i.e. everyone's favourite Gorky's song) has that lovely outro of 'it is raining, so take my hand, the winter's so long, it takes so much of the earth'. ☔️🌧🌈 Happy music, some of Gorky's work! (Personal fave off the album: Starmoonsun <3)

(Also this song's in English but since we're talking about Gorky's I can't not recommend Spanish Dance Troupe. Gorgeous song.)

There's also the super cool Adwaith, who wrote the song Lan Y Môr. This song is actually a lot older than the album it ended up on, 2022's Welsh Music Prize winning Bato Mato, Adwaith are still the only musicians to win the Prize twice. They wrote the song and released it as a single back in early 2020 and it was following a run of really cool punky Cymraeg singles. Love Adwaith, they're quite cool.

Edit: HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN. The queen of the beaches. Gwenno herself. I guess I hadn’t included her because this isn’t technically a Welsh language album (save for one song, N.Y.C.A.W. (Nid Yw Cymru Ar Werth)). Gwenno is half-Welsh, half-Cornish, and this album was basically written down at St. Ives. This does sound like it, and I love this song Anima!

Hope you like these! People can totally feel free to add on in the notes if I’ve missed something!

[godzilla-reads]

13 Books!

I was tagged by @introvertia to try out this tag game of 13 questions and I'll do my best to tag 13 people to (no pressure) participate! If you're feeling very bookish, add a shelfie, too!

1.) The Last Book I Read

The Lost Heir (Graphic Novel) by Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes

2.) A Book I Recommend

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede!

3.) A Book That I Couldn't Put Down

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

4.) A Book I've Read Twice (Or More)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

5.) A Book on my TBR

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

6.) A Book I've Put Down

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

7.) A Book on my Wish List

Eragon: The Illustrated Edition by Christopher Paolini

8.) A Favorite Book From Childhood

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

9.) A Book You Would Give to a Friend

The Dragon of Ynys by Minera Cerridwen

10.) A Book of Poetry or Lyrics You Own

The Dragons Are Singing Tonight by Jack Prelutsky and Peter Sis

11.) A Nonfiction Book You Own

Dragons: Truth, Myth, and Legend by David Passes and Wayne Anderson (This counts, right?)

12.) What Are You Currently Reading

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

13.) What Are You Planning on Reading Next

Brass Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham

Bonus Round Shelfie?

Tagging (No Pressure)

@the-forest-library @balaenabooks @qinimodd @childrenstoryhour @tea-intheworld @thecrimsonacademic @leatherjacketmixtapes @flyingcrowbar @stefito0o @mostlyghostie @princess-peregrine @theoretical-dragonologist @appleinducedsleep

[musicblogwales]

Ynys announce new album and share new single

Welsh group Ynys have announced their second album and released new single ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’. The new album, Dosbarth Nos, meaning ‘Night Class’, sees the Aberystwyth based band embracing a more energetic and adventurous sound palette and captures the essence of the band’s live performances.

New single ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’, meaning ‘Waiting For You’, is a song about friendship and feeling lost. The track showcases Ynys’ fondness for infectious melodies and dynamic arrangements.

Piano and keys are at the heart of this track, with an uplifting and almost Northern Soul sounding piano chord progression. There is a very vintage feel to the track, which has drawn comparisons to early Paul McCartney records. It’s bright and energetic, and you can’t help but dance, with a fuzz heavy guitar solo adding to this vintage feel.

The whole song is sung in Welsh, with tracks from their upcoming album a mixture of Welsh and English. The piano is an important part of the album, with most songs beginning as short piano experiments. Ynys is the brainchild of Race Horse / Radio Luxembourg’s Dylan Hughes who said: “It’s taken some time to develop the confidence to put something as upbeat and pop out there. I suppose lyrically the song reflects that.”

Dosbarth Nos embodies the culmination of Ynys’ creative journey, marking a significant milestone in the project’s evolution.

New single ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’ is out now.

https://song.link/gb/i/1741764385

New album Dosbarth Nos will be released on 12th July via Libertino Records.

Words by George Phillips

[npdclaraoswald]

The Dragon of Ynys:

Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet makes his way to the dragon's cave and negotiates the item's return. It's annoying, but at least the dragon is polite.

But when the dragon hoards a person, that's a step too far. Sir Violet storms off to the mountainside to escort the baker home, only to find a more complex mystery-a quest that leads him far beyond the cave. Accompanied by the missing baker's wife and the dragon himself, the dutiful village knight embarks on his greatest adventure yet.

Tentacle:

Plucked from her life on the streets of post-apocalyptic Santo Domingo, young maid Acilde Figueroa finds herself at the heart of a voodoo prophecy: only she can travel back in time and save the ocean - and humanity - from disaster. But first she must become the man she always was - with the help of a sacred anemone.

Tentacle is an electric novel with a big appetite and a brave vision, plunging headfirst into questions of climate change, technology, Yoruba ritual, queer politics, poverty, sex, colonialism and contemporary art. Bursting with punk energy and lyricism, it's a restless, addictive trip: The Tempest meets the telenovela.

A Masc for Purim:

Every year, tomboy-femme Liza plans the perfect party for Purim, and every year she goes alone. She's convinced her role as holiday host is enough to find happiness, but lately, the nights have gotten lonelier. Carrie, a.k.a. Liza’s first love, a.k.a. the butch who broke her heart into a million pieces, is back in town and determined to win Liza back. Their inexperience and inability to be vulnerable with one another may have driven them apart the first time, but has the last decade taught them both to be brave? Luckily, they have the whole megillah to figure it out. A MASC FOR PURIM is an angsty, steamy, second chance romance between a bisexual butch and her tomboy lesbian.

The Great Gatsby But Nick Has Scoliosis:

"The Great Gatsby: But Nick has Scoliosis" consists of one poorly integrated, sentence-long reference to Nick's scoliosis in each chapter. Literally, that's the only difference from the original Great Gatsby.

[lymphomalass]

Have you received my newsletter and opened it yet...?

This month I'm showing you a painting I finished this week that's rather special to me...

It's Trefignath Burial Chamber, Caergybi (Holyhead) on Ynys Môn (Anglesey).

It was built in the Neolithic period (4000-2000 BC) and is situated on the outskirts of an industrial area in Caergybi, on the way to Bae Trearddur, and so presents a view combining ancient and new!

Steve and I visited for the first time as at sunset one afternoon earlier this month. We were captivated by this astonishing place used so far before the druids that to them they'd have contained just as much mystery as they do for us!

The two standing stones marking the entrance to the tomb are a symbol of hope for me, as so many of us experience hard times. Our predecessors were here four to six millenia before us, and we're "Yma o Hyd", "Still Here", as the famous Welsh song says! (https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/yma-o-hyd-lyrics-full-24143221) Our heritage and culture are still standing, and maybe in 4,000 to 6,000 years traces of it will still be standing too!

To buy this piece printed on homewares and gifts in the Black Friday 20% to 60% off sale, please go to: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/132951915

To sign up to my free monthly artist's newsletter, please head to: https://lymphomalass253520856.wordpress.com/

To read today's newsletter, please go to: https://mailchi.mp/4fe27c260fb3/pre-christmas-creativity-for-you

To buy the original, please just message me.

Thanks!

Sam aka LymphomaLass xx

[ramjam]

all the wlw following me are legally required to listen to this absolute bangin’ gay song from the death note musical

[lexiconofhope]

Cymraeg song of the day: Llyfr Gwag, by Gwilym, a band from Ynys Môn and Caernarfon, North Wales.

Lyrics (incomplete! from here)

Cadi, uffern o hogan. Cadi, titha chwyrligwgan. Cadi, a rhywiol styd yn dy drwyn. Cadi, ti'n gwbod dwi isio mwy.

Llygaid mêl a gwallt 'run lliw a dant y llew. [idk this line]

Mabli, â thrygionus wên. Mabli, ac yn ugion mor glên. Mabli, a dy gorsau mor hir. Mabli, ie nhw di hira'n y sir

Llygaid mêl a gwallt 'run lliw a dant y llew, Sy'n 'neud fi'n wirion.

Llygaid mêl a gwallt 'run lliw a dant y llew. [...] Llygaid mêl a gwallt 'run lliw a dant y llew, Sy'n 'neud fi'n wirion.

[atlantic-riona]

Am y drwg tuag at Matholwch caeth Branwen ei chosbi               

Branwen was punished for the wrong done to Matholwch

I weithio yn y gegin o fore tan nôs               

To work in the kitchen from morning 'til night

Y cigydd mor greulon yn rhoi bonclust iddi beunydd               

The butcher so cruel slapped her face every day

Ei ysbryd yn gadarn er gwaethaf ei phoen               

But her spirit was strong in spite of her pain

Poenwyd Branwen am dair flynedd              

For three years Branwen suffered

Cyn rhoi neges at ei brawd               

Then

Hedfan wnaeth yr aderyn drudwen               

Sending a message to her brother

Efo'r llythr yn canu ei chais               

The Starling flew to tell of her plight

Chorus:              

Wedi clywed am gyflwr Branwen              

Hearing of Branwen's shame

Penderfynwyd i'w gwaredi               

He made up his mind to free her

Aeth ar unwaith i'r Iwerddon               

With his men to Ireland

Dros y dwr efo'i ddynion               

Across the water he went

Dial, rhiad 'nol Branwen o Ynys Matholwch               

Revenge, Branwen must be saved from Matholwch's island

Dial, rhiad 'nol Branwen o afael ei gwr               

Revenge, Branwen must be saved from her husband's arms

Y meichiaid yn gweithio ar ochr y môr               

The swindherds were working on the seashore

Yn gweld y rhyfeddod yn dyfod o'i blaen               

Looking at the wonder in front of their eyes

Y mynydd yn cerdded yn araf tuag atynt               

A mountain was walking slowly towards them

A 'r coed wrth wi ymyl yn dilyn yn ei draed               

And the trees at its side followed behind

Bendigeidfran oedd y mynydd               

Bendigeidfran was the mountain

Yn mynd yn dawel drwy y dwr               

Walking silently towards the land

Yn tynnu coedwig o longau efo               

Pulling a forest of ships behind him

Er mwyn achub Branwen wrth ei gwr               

To save Branwen from this man

(Chorus 2x)

(source for lyrics)

[meddwlyngymraeg]

helo! dwi'n dysgu cymraeg a dwi isio gwrando ar fwy o bandiau sy'n canu yn gymraeg. oes gen ti hoff bandiau neu albymau? dwi'n licio yws gwynedd a gwilym yn fawr ond dwi ddim yn siwr os mae 'na bandiau eraill fel nhw, felly mae steiliau gwahanol yn iawn hefyd. diolch yn fawr!

Helo! Gobeithio ti’n iawn! 😄 Mae llawer o hoff fandiau gyda fi, mawr a newydd. Mae sîn cerddoriaeth Cymraeg yn wych ar hyn o bryd!

Super Furry Animals yw fy hoff band yn y byd (ces i gyfle i ddwued hyn i’w canwr nhw Gruff Rhys, moment o fy mywyd!) Gwenno yw un mwy o fy ffefrynau! Mae hi’n canu yn Gymraeg a Cernyweg, synthpop musician yw hi, a does dim neb yn gwneud miwsig fel hi nawr! Os ces i roi dim ond un rec i bobl, mae’n Datblygu. Genre-wise mae nhw’n post punk, ond oedd y llais, geiriau a sylwebaeth David R Edwards a cerddoriaeth Patricia Morgan yn singular. Does dim neb yn debyg iddyn nhw!

I do have a few recommendations for you os ti’n hoffi Gwilym ac Yws Gwynedd!

If you like Gwylim I think you’ll also enjoy Fleur de Lys, they’re an indie rock band from North Wales in the mid-2010s. They’ve just released a new single called Gad Ni Fod that reminds me a little of Gwilym! You might also like Sŵnami, though they’re a bit more of a pop band. I like their song Gwenwyn. If you’re into heavier music though, there’s another song called Gwenwyn by a band called Alffa. They’re just two lads but they make a ginormous sound, and they’re all-independent and also amongst the most lovely people I’ve spent 3 hours with, so check them out! Gwenwyn also became the first Welsh language song on Spotify to cross a million streams, which is a great achievement. My favourite song of theirs is Babi Mam, a song on men’s mental health, and crucially the lyrics are also available online.

Another rec bouncing off of Gwylim would be Ynys from Aberystwyth. They make harmonic pop/psychedelic rock, I can’t recommend them enough! They’re a newer band, but they’re formed by Dylan Hughes, who used to be in a lovely 2010s indie band called Race Horses (another Cymraeg fav of mine tbh), and some of that band play with him in Ynys too. Helpfully, Dylan is also particular about making sure all his lyrics are available, which is great as a learner! It’s in the lyric booklets but also on their Bandcamp.

You should also definitely check out Adwaith, who are one of the best new bands in Wales! They’re from Carmarthen, so you’ll also hear in their lyrics that they use bits of South Walian Welsh, and the thing I admire about them is they’re learners too. They said they deliberately try and write their lyrics to be true to how they really speak, and so it’s meant to be less formal and more casual. They’re also one of the voices singing about life as girls growing up in Welsh-speaking Wales, and they’re the only musicians ever to win the Welsh music prize twice! Icons. There’s a spinoff band 2/3 of them started in lockdown called Tacsidermi, and if you like Gwilym’s song Cwin you’ll love their song Ble Pierre.

Like Yws Gwynedd - there’s a Candelas song called Brenin Calonnau you’ll like. HMS Morris are another really good band, try their song Ceredigion. Chroma wrote a fantastic album called Asking For Angela this year. Check out Sai’n Moyn Mynd Mas! They released this song in English and in Welsh.

I’ll give you a few more alternative and rock bands I really like, I’ll put them in a playlist for you! It’ll have some Welsh language music from rock bands like Super Furry Animals and Gruff Rhys solo, Datblygu, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, big leaves, Y Reu (and their guitarist Lloyd Steele’s work, who wrote some fantastic tunes in lockdown reflecting on identity — specifically about being a mixed race gay man in Welsh speaking Wales), Ysgol Sul, Hyll.

There’s a Gorky’s song that’s not on Spotify that I love, so I’ll give you a YouTube link. It’s an older song though, written before violinist Megan Childs joined the band - Merched Yn Neud Gwallt Eu Gilydd, from the Introducing Gorky’s CD.

Dyma rhestr-chwarae i chi: