• Thoughts on The Chieftains’ Celebrating 50 Years of Spreading Irish Music

  Heroes, Irish Culture, Irish Music, Music, Other Musicians You Should Check Out 30.08.2012 No Comments

  I was thinking of the Chieftains on the bus this morning, and about their 50 years spreading Irish music around the globe, and all their collaborations. It reminded me of this bit from a few months ago on CBS in the states. In the 1990s, they began what became a very successful series of collaborations with musicians known for pop, rock, and various other genres. “Still best known for sounding Irish.”

  By the way, the new album is brilliant as always, and includes an even greater diversity of guests than ever: Bon Iver, Pistol Annies, Carolina Chocolate Drops. This is good stuff for those of us whose modern musical tastes aren’t incredibly mainstream.

  

  You can get your own copy, or at least check it out at Amazon.com:
  Voice Of Ages at Amazon.com (disclosure: link uses my affiliate ID, btw).

  If you don’t know The Chieftains, you’ve got some catching up to do.

  Anyone else have Voice of Ages? What do you think of it? Leave comments below.

  

  Tags: chieftains, folk-music, folk-pop-rock collaborations, Irish Music

• Going to Kansas City [Irish Fest] and Recording a Bunch of Songs: #6 Wellie Races

  Kansas City, mp3, Music, Podsafe, Recordings 27.08.2012 No Comments

  Song #6 in the project “Going to Kansas City and Recording a Bunch of Songs 2012″ is Wellie Races: a tribute to the races held annually in Weston, MO (October) and in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny on New Year’s Day. I actually wrote this in 2008, but finally put it down to share.

  FREE download, this week, at ReverbNation.com.

  Let me know what you think. In fact, send pics of your wellies, and I’ll post them up with the song at my Facebook page.

  Cheers!

  

• Going to Kansas City and Recording a Bunch of Songs: #5 Seventeen on Sunday

  Music 26.08.2012 No Comments

  Here it is, kids! Track number 5 of my “Going to Kansas City [Irish Fest] and Recording a Bunch of Songs”, Seventeen on Sunday. I always found this, by turns, lovely and unsettling. I hope to recreate that sense.

  This week, download it free at Reverbnation.com.
  You can also buy a higher quality version at my Bandcamp page (see player above).

  Hope you’re having a great week! Let me know what you think. If you have requests, I’ll be recording more before Kansas City Irish Fest, next Friday. So, comment, or hit me up on Facebook.

  Cheers!

  

• Going to Kansas City and Recording a Bunch of Songs: #4 “Leaving of Liverpool”

  Irish Music, Kansas City, mp3, Recordings 23.08.2012 No Comments

  Today’s installment of songs leading up to Kansas City Irish Fest is the classic Irish emigration song Leaving of Liverpool.

  

  Tags: emigration, immigration song, Irish Music, kansas-city-irish-fest

• Going to Kansas City and Recording a Bunch of Songs: #3 “Morning Glory”

  mp3, Music, Recordings 06.08.2012 No Comments

  Another randy sailor takes off, and comes back, to find… listen and see.

  Video to come. I ran out of time to edit. This may also have a Who Shot Jonathan Ramsey? video tie-in soon. We shall see.

  What do you think about that? Don’t forget to share with your Irish music-loving friends, if you like it.

  

• Going to Kansas City and Recording a Bunch of Songs: #2 “Nightmare No. 64″

  Music 04.08.2012 No Comments

  Number 2 in out excursion is an original song, Nightmare No. 64. It’s a little story of a night out gone horribly awry. Or, it’s just an Irish drinking song. Or, it’s a horror story.

  Let me know what you think. Also, don’t forget to send me your requests and suggestions for any songs you want to hear recorded. I will do my best to include as many request as possible on this collection.

  Remember, the album/EP will be available for only $5 from 1 September 2012 until 17 September 2012!

  

  Tags: body parts, drinking, irish song, kansas-city-irish-fest, nightmare, requests, scary song, surgery

• Going to Kansas City and Recording a Bunch of Songs: #1 “The Good Ship Calabar”

  Irish Music, mp3, Music, Podsafe, Recordings, Shows 26.07.2012 No Comments

  I’m heading to Kansas City Irish Fest 2012, Labor Day Weekend, and to count down, I’m recording a bunch of songs, roughly one per week, and releasing them on the Internet. Each will initially be available as a free download, and they will all end up on an EP/Album available at, and after, KC Irish Fest.

  From Kansas City Irish Fest, 1 September, and until Halfway to Saint Patrick’s Day, 17 September 2012, the the album will cost a mere $5. That’s correct, $5. So, keep watching for more.

  If you have suggestions for songs you’d like included, please let me know. Email me, comment here. Comment on my facebook page. Tweet me. If I can, I’ll include it on the project.

  Thanks! And let me know what you want to hear.

  PS: I’m also making videos for each song, if only just me in the studio goofing off. I’ll edit the worst bit out, so don’t worry.

  

  Tags: high seas, ireland, irish, irish song, lagan canal, navvies, navvy, norn iron, northern ireland

• Teetotallers End U.S. Trip in NY’s Joe’s Pub

  Music 04.06.2012 No Comments

  Irish Music performers Martin Hayes, Kevin Crawford, and John Doyle

  Here they are at O’Flaherty’s, last year:

  Check out the Irish America article on The Teetotaller’s.

  The Teetotallers is one of those remarkable flash in the pan moments of the seisiuin genre that seems too good to be true. The trio is lineup of giants, Martin Hayes on fiddle and viola, Kevin Crawford on flute, whistles and occasionally the bodhrán, and John Doyle on vocals, guitar, bouzouki and mandola. After debuting as a trio in late 2011 with a tour in Ireland, the Teetotallers wrapped up their first American tour at Joe’s Pub in New York last night to a thrilled crowd of trad enthusiasts, among them Consul General Noel Kilkenny.

  

• Best Public Marriage Proposal 2012, If Not Ever!

  Mania that Pervades Jonathan's Soul 01.06.2012 No Comments

  Public. Proposal.

  We’ve all seen them. Many are cute. Aw, right there at the match, in front of the camera, with the blimp sporting the proposal. I always wonder if it backfires often. She says, “Yes!” They kiss. Then the flowers. The photographer. The cake. The mixture of colourful family members dancing to party tunes of the past five decades until 10PM.

  Twelve years on…

  She runs into Roger the billionaire she dated in school. He’s as charming as ever, and still unattached, though he thinks of her often. He wrote poetry and would post it on her locker. They broke up because her parents interfered somehow. Months later, she can’t even remember where they were sitting, because, up to that fateful afternoon, she had no intention of marrying the guy that lambasted her in front of 5,000,000 United fans worldwide. The flutter. The coercion. It was too much. It seemed so romantic at the time. And… what… what… of course… um… Now, what had she been thinking. There was no time to think.

  That’s not happening here…

  Am I right?

  She has time to think. It’s a viral video, sure. But he gave her ample time to think, while the enduring strains of The Captain AND Tennille told her what was about to happen. Surprised? Sure. Lambasted? Not at all. Too embarrassing, and too little time to think in front of the world? No.

  I place this in the awesome column, folks. What do you think of this proposal?

  

  Tags: captain and tennille, love, marriage, marriage proposal, proposal, public proposal

• Farewell Barney McKenna: Dubliners’ Last Original Member Dies at Age 72

  Irish Culture, Irish Music, Music 06.04.2012 No Comments

  

  Barney McKenna of The Dubliners. Photo by Jim McCann (2005). Permission: CC-BY-2.5

  Barney McKenna, the last surviving member of the original Dubliners lineup, died around lunchtime yesterday in Dublin. McKenna, along with Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, and Ciarán Bourke, began the Ronnie Drew Ballas Group, 50 years ago this year, 1962, as the folk revival was blossoming. Drew’s unhappiness with the name, and Luke Kelly’s reading The Dubliners by James Joyce, led to the name change. Ever since, The Dubliners has enjoyed a large and devout following. Many of the songs I know, even ones that my granddad taught me, I know because of the Dubliners. They, along with the Clancy Brothers, and numerous others, reminded the Irish and Irish diaspora what a rich treasure we have in our musical heritage.

  Amongst his many contributions to traditional Irish Music, Barney championed the GDAE (violin, mandolin) tuning of the tenor banjo (usually CGDA) in Irish music.

  

  Tags: banjo, barney mckenna, celtic music, Irish Music, irish tenor banjo, singer

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