SACRED EARTH is Irish Accordian master and music producer, Sharon Shannon’s, first new studio album in 3 years and her 10th studio album to date. Sharon Shannon is a musician who likes to surprise. While best known for her arrangements of traditional Irish tunes and Irish-influenced compositions, she’s always been eager to explore new styles.
1. Rusheen Bay 3:55
2. Sacred Earth 5:04
3. The Machine 4:08
4. Bas Pelles 2:52
5. Pull Out the Stops 3:12
6. He’ll Have to Go 4:08
7. Frenchie’s Reel 2:41
8. The Merry Widow 3:37
9. Let’s Go 4:00
10. Sea Shepherd 5:09
11. The Bull Fiddle 3:48
Every Sharon Shannon release is an occasion to celebrate. Her last release, In Galway In Galway (2015) with Alan Connor, received great reviews. Sacred Earth is a great addition to her discography. I think it is her eclectic style that is the formula to her popularity not just within the genre, to the point that she even got a cameo role in the Colin Farrell movie Ondine(2009) as herself!
I think the most notable track in this album is The Machine due to its pop friendliness. This is a kind of song that will usher younger fans to her music. I admit I love dancing to it. I also play it when I am out with friends. It’s really a good song with positive driving beat on top of its social commentary nature.
There are eleven track in Sacred Earth. Some, you can expect for their traditional styles like Rusheen Bay, the title track Sacred Earth, Bas Pelles; Pull Out the Stops ..among others. Her accordion playing shines in all these tracks. She is also known for her fiddle technique and I think it is the percussive nature of her playing is what draws me to her music.
If you are new to her, then I’d suggest you give her a listen as this will open many doors and add a spark to your music appreciation. So, even though Sacred Earth is an eclectic recording, Sacred Earth is still grounded to her Irish roots. Listen to He’ll Have To Go and you’ll know what I mean
P. S. She reminds me of actress Julia Roberts in this album photo but that’s beside the point. Enjoy the music! Buy Sacred Earth here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sacred-earth/id1203288830
For those who were captivated by the prose of James Joyce, ‘Reflections of Molly Bloom’ brings his spirit back to our hearts. I think the world needs his reflective but at times humorous words. And I think you are in for a treat because it’s literature meets music! If you are a huge fan of The Chieftains then read the press release below as this project will surely delight you with its warms and grace.
“Aedín Moloney brings the spirit of Molly bloom to life, in tune, in harmony, with honesty and with grace. This recording will forever be in my head. Sharp, funny, profound and beautiful, we are enriched by Moloney’s voice.” – Colum McCann(National Book Award winner)
Just in time for Bloomsday, June 16th, Wild Mountain Flower productions is proud to present ‘Reflections of Molly Bloom’, a collaborative recording between actress/producer Aedin Moloney and her father, Paddy Moloney (of The Chieftains). ‘Reflections of Molly Bloom’ features Aedin Moloney’s renowned interpretation and performance of ‘Molly Bloom’s Soliloquy’ from James Joyce’s Ulysses, complimented with music by Mr. Moloney.
Molly Bloomis a fictional characterin the novelUlysses byJames Joyce,the wife of the main characterLeopold Bloom. The final chapter ofUlysses, otherwise known as “Penelope”, is an unpunctuatedstream of consciousnesspassage comprising her secret thoughts and feelings, as she lies in bed next to her husband.In the course of the monologue, Molly contemplates her relationship with Leopold, travelling back in time to reminisce on the intensity of their first meeting, a time when there love was once whole. To reclaim and feel this great love for her husband again, she must first journey further back in time to her youth spent in Gibraltar (her Mother’s homeland), where she rediscovers her true and pure passionate self.
Molly’s soliloquy consists of eight long “sentences.” The concluding period following the final words of her reverie is one of only two punctuation marks in the chapter, the periods at the end of the fourth and eighth “sentences.” The final words of Molly’s reverie, and the very last words of the book, where she finally rediscovers and surrenders to her love for Bloom, are the most famous; “I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like theAndalusiangirls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish Walland I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes”
Aedín Moloney has produced with Allen Towbin this recording of her interpretation & performance of Molly Bloom’s Soliloquy. The music selection has been carefully chosen by Aedin with Paddy Moloney, the founder and leader of six-time Grammy award winners, The Chieftains, and includes special guest musicians including Carlos Nunez, Alyth McCormack, Redmond O’Toole, Triona Marshall, Pancho Alvarez, Xurxo Nunez.
Aedín and Paddy have been collaborating on this project for five years. This is the first time father and daughter have worked together. It’s a labor of love for Aedín as the music chosen is very close to her heart. The music choices are in keeping with her vision to explore Molly from a female perspective and is meant as an extension of Molly Bloom’s feelings and secret thoughts. Aedín believes that Molly universally embodies and celebrates all women and all things female, and it attributes this to the genius of James Joyce. Thus she has dedicated the recording to her beloved mother, Rita O’Reilly.
Reflections of Molly Bloom Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (a double album) will be available on ITunes.
A record release party will be held on June 16th on ‘Bloomsday’ at Ulysses Folk House in NYC from 1:30-5:30pm. Aedín will be performing sections of Molly’s soliloquy.
Snarling, swirling, raging, roaring vocals and electric guitar tempered by fairground accordion arpeggios, whistles and flutes.
‘Chances’ – the opening track on the new album ‘Daily Bread’ from Cheers!
Cheers! was born in a whiskey and Guinness-fuelled frenzy in Pilsen, Czech Republic in 2011 and the first single was released in November the same year. Their debut album ‘Wrong and Right’ was recorded in a 10 hour marathon live session and released in 2013. They are touring almost constantly, playing clubs and festivals, and took their music to Italy in 2015 and 2017. ‘Daily Bread’ is their second album, and unlike their first, this one was made in the studio over a period of weeks, but still keeps a gritty, powerful live sound.
Call me old- fashioned, but I still like my music (if I can’t get it live) to come in CD-sized packages – downloading just doesn’t do it for me, and I put a lot of store in first impressions. A mighty handsome looking CD this is with a work-soiled, heartbroken figure on the front, ironically plastered with the jolly name of the band, and then in sombre, tombstone gothic font, the album title ‘Daily Bread’. According to the band, ‘daily bread’ means several things both in Czech and English, including ‘hunger for what you deserve or daily routine misery, this is what drives the lives of us all…’
When I first heard this lot live five years ago, I thought ‘here’s a breath of fresh air on the Czech music scene’ – in fact I was blown away by them then and even more so now. Their debut album was rough and ready, but the energy was definitely there. ‘Daily Bread’ really is a mature piece of work and a labour of love – independently released by the band. The new album is very nicely produced and mixed and all the instruments, even the quieter whistles, fiddle and accordion, keep their character within the melee of driving sounds. Pick me up off the floor guys- I’m knackered just listening to this- but in a good way. My ears are still ringing with the joyful collision of electric guitars and acoustic whistles, the reverberation of accordion and uilleann pipes and Pavel’s distinctive and passionate vocals holding it all together.
Pavel (vocals, acoustic guitar) very kindly took some time out of the band’s busy schedule to answer a few questions about the album.
How long did ‘Daily Bread’ take to record compared to the first album?
Pavel: Ten times more I think. The first album took 10 hours to record and a couple of days of mixing. We started working on ‘Daily Bread’ this January and recorded it in, like, two months or so. Mixing and mastering took 3 months. It’s plenty in comparison with the first record, but not that much on an LP studio album really.
Influences on your sound?
Pavel: Each band tries to preserve its unique sound or at least that’s what they say. But one way or another, it’s necessary to have a fixed point. In this case, those would be The Dreadnoughts and Dropkick Murphys. I think the sound is overrated though. I know too many bands whose records suck, but rule on stage.
How do you feel about the new album?
Pavel: Bored of it already. We got to make another (laughs).
What message (if any) are you trying to put across in the songs?
Pavel: Hard to say. Each song’s got it’s own. But overall the usual – love, hatred, people, feelings, politics, etc. That’s what the genre does, don’t you think?
Guards of the Poor (2014)
Where/How can we buy your CD?
Pavel: It will be available on Itunes, Spotify and other servers in digital format. Physical CD on Amazon or Czech band merchandise e-shops. Or you can contact us directly. Right now we’re trying to spread it over so it’ll take some time before it reaches the counters.
What’s the true story behind ‘Mr. Batter’?
Pavel: True story? That’s it. We got busted on the streets for stealing copper sheets from a theatre by local police and the night guard pointed us out even though we had no idea. Coming to that, do you need any copper?
What are your favourite songs on the album?
Pavel: For me personally, that would be ‘Dagger’ and ‘Misery’. ‘Misery’ is an old piece and we’ve been playing it since I can remember, and still I get goose bumps when it gets to some parts. We picked the title of the album from its lyrics and I’m glad we did. ‘Dagger’ is a much younger song and was made for the album. Simplicity and straight meaning is sometimes hard to follow, unless the muse kisses you on the cheeks and that happened with ‘Dagger’, I guess. So it makes me feel free every time we play it.
So, prepare to hang on to your seats for an angst-filled 48 minutes and 23 seconds of Celtic folk-punk brewed in Pilsen…
River is one of the catchiest Celtic rock songs I have heard in ages. There is no comparison because the style is original. Perhaps I would mention a little bit of Dougie MacLean, Luka Bloom and Simple Minds for reference but I mean when I say that they’re quite unique and captivating. The song (River) starts with a banging of (alsmost gated) drums. The chorus “Take me down to the river..’ is so well-written and recorded that it makes me sing along! It is taken from their new album Windmills in the Sky, consisting of ten songs reflecting their Scottish roots but with modern appeal.
New album: Windmills in the Sky
There are five people in the band with Paul Eastham ( Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano)
Chris Barnes( Percussion and Vocals), Finlay Wells (Electric & Acoustic Guitars and Vocals)
‘Mop’ Youngson ( Drums) and Dave Williamson (Bass and additional Vocals). Here’s a brief background from their website:
COAST is a world class, UK based professional rockband started by brothers Paul Eastham and Chris Barnes in 2009.
Paul is an outstanding songwriter, vocalist, performer, producer and virtuoso pianist with an extensive industry CV which includes credits and collaborations with some of the most highly regarded international artists, songwriters and producers.
Having spent many of their childhood years on the Island of Benbecula in Scotlands’ Western Isles, the musical work of COAST has a character and style which is shaped and coloured by the dramatic landscapes and cultural aspects of the region.
With two albums, three EPs and many UK, European and Scandanavian festival appearances behind them, COAST continue with what has been a rapid rise to international acclaim with a new album launching in early 2017 followed by extensive touring of their new high energy show.
Their songs touch various topics and one has such historical content like the ballad “1884.” At times, their music approaches a cinematic scope like the soaring and frisky “Old Atlantic Sky.” Like their Irish cousins Clannad (who ventured into soundtracking), they’re able to come up with a haunting instrumental piece called “You’re So Beautiful To Me.” I think this track will get Celtic music aficionados (like me) to put them in the elite category of the musical culture. They know how to make a grand close with the title track which showcases their propensity for a grand sound.
Windmills in the Sky is now available for purchase through their website. You can also pre-order CD and vinyl versions.
If you’ve been keeping track of Celtic Woman this month, then you know that there have been changes.In fact there is a lengthy article about it in the Chicago Tribune. A harp has also been added to their list of instruments in studio and live. Voices of Angels is the new album that they are promoting in their current US tour. The album was also nominated for the recent Grammys in the category of Best World Music Album. It also entered the Billboard Classical chart at #1. Quite a feat for a group that has undergone so many changes and continues to be a force Irish music internationally.
They will be performing in many places across the United States from this month up to June. So if you haven’t bought your tickets then it is time to do it! Celtic Woman is such a phenomenon like Riverdance. The current lineup are: Susan McFadden, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon and introduces the breathtaking new Celtic violinist Tara McNeill.
If you’ve been keeping track of Celtic Woman this month, then you know that there have been changes.In fact there is a lengthy article about it in the 
Celtic Music Fan 