The Bombadils are recording a new album

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment
2014-EEx-NEWS-The-Bombadils-CA

The Bombadils are: Sarah Frank Luke Fraser Anh Phung and Evan Stewart

The Canadian quartet The Bombadils are back in the studio. They are recording new tunes for an upcoming album. Release dates haven’t been confirmed yet. Apart from prepping their schedule calendar for more gigs, they are also expanding their fan base. And it will be made possible by the help of a ‘Street Team.” I got coined that term from a Lifehouse fan base during the early years of their album making. Street Teams are a group of loyal and passionate fans who are willing to advertise, blog or do YouTube promotion for the band. This is to ensure that they go viral.

So what about this new album?

Given their background in Classical, Jazz and Folk music, I am sure this will be an amazing treat to those who already heard their previous album.

This is an interesting phase in the music industry where the fans become the managers, promoters and record executives. This is good news right? We don’t have to rely on the powerful few to run the state of the music we are in. But it is still sad that the majority would rather sit and accept whatever is handed to them instead of taking action. Now is the time people. let’s start a revolution. Go out there and voice your opinion. Turn on your computers and start blogging about your favorite bands.

Are you one of those who are fervent supporters of your kind of music? What do you do to promote your favorite band? Feel free to share your views in this matter.

How Moya Brennan inspired the world of Celtic music.

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

From Maire to Moya Brennan. The name change was deliberate to make sure non-Irish speakers know how to say her name phonetically. From being “the voice of Clannad,” she has grown into a solo artist with jaw dropping repertoire of music. She is a prolific songwriter. It seems inspiration comes easily for her while other artists have to spend a lot of time just to bleed songs into studio recordings.

Perhaps it’s the sense of humor that I always find when I watch her YouTube interviews. Or maybe it’s because she is surrounded by amazing and supportive people in her life. But whatever it is that keeps her inspired, it’s something that artists would crave to have. It’s true that it is hard to separate the artist from the person. And most brilliant artists are actually terrible in life. On the other hand, her life is the kind that is steeped in kindness. Being a former active member of her forum, I  read countless testaments of fans who met her in person. They always have something good to say about her.

Picture by Tim Jarvis

Picture by Tim Jarvis

I could have written this blog in the direction of just her music. After all it is what I usually write about…album reviews, interviews…music news. But I realize that an artist is someone who inspires and it is not just limited to art. There is also the kind of life an artist lives that leaves its imprint in the hearts of the fans. That ability to inspire others by tapping into that inner wellspring of creativity is the most beautiful thing that an artist can do.They give their lives to art,  making our lives beautiful. In return that beauty we see inside us, we share it with others.

After forty years in the industry, Moya Brennan has attained a level that few artists could ever want for themselves: a loving family, a stable career(creative and business wise) and also as an ambassador of Irish music. I could not imagine a world of music without Clannad. Musicians used to make music in a way they knew. When Theme from Harry’s Game catapulted itself to the top of the charts, people started wondering what is this special sound. Moya Brennan popularized a style of signing that would not have existed if Clannad didn’t happen.

 

Repost your Soundcloud!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

 

A blog featuring John Breen, Fraser Fifield and TradConnect

It is great to realize that soundcloud has grown into a site where musicians and listeners can interact and repost music. Have you been reposting the music you heard too? I have been doing this today. I have not uploaded my podcast in soundcloud as I use mixcloud for that. But soundcloud is still the biggest site where you can reach many people.
From a mere(passive)listener of tracks you can actually make a difference by reposting. So you don’t have to be a blogger to influence people if you have a soundcloud account. Just share what you are listening to and the Internet will take care of the rest.

When bloggers like us experience a downtime in traffic and comments, we launch into conclusion that perhaps we have done something wrong to put our readers off. Maybe we are not doing good enough and that is why readers are going somewhere. Well, the truth is, you are wrong. For niche bloggers like me, it is expected that I will get specialized subscribers who are really passionate about Celtic music. I don’t expect pop listeners to check out what I post. This goes with other niche blogs out there.

Too many choices.

As new bloggers crop up everywhere, competition becomes deadly. The market is no longer dominated by those who are ‘stalwarts’ in this industry. Prepare for that. When you are doing video blogs or simply writing blogs, don’t be discouraged when you have lost view counts. This is normal. It happens to everyone. It’s even happening to Tech vlogger Chris Pirillo.

Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Are you afraid that if you do something different you will turn certain subscribers off? Don’t be. In fact it might be a good thing. Blogging is like marriage. There are times when a relationship hits plateau and you need to do something different to spice the relationship up.

Going back to soundcloud, I have discovered new posts today and I am sharing them with you. Yes this post is after all about soundclous. But if you get something helpful from by detour then good!

 

John Breen’s Compilation

 

 

I enjoyed many songs from John Breen. There is this simplicity in his way of delivering songs. Expect a range of songs going from simple to grand treatments. This time he compiled his own soundcloud playlist of what he thinks are his top artists.

 

Fraser Fifield Playlist

Here’s the Scottish master of eclecticism. This is a good introduction to what his music is all about. There are other amazing talents that share the spotlight with him, in these recordings.

 

TradConnect playlist:

If you are looking for something purely trad then this is the best site for that.

 

 

Debut Album of CrossHarbour Coming Soon!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

 

1978631_660697727329486_890377076_n

CrossHarbour takes the vibrant spirit of Traditional Irish music to new listeners.

CrossHarbour, is the name of the band after a London tube station. But it could also imply “crossing into another country’ through the sea. I love the idea that traditional Irish music blends well with any genre. It is so pure it sounds good with Jazz, Rock, Folk and even Classical music. Rosie Hodgson completes the circle, although she is not present in this video. They recorded their soon-to-be-released debut album at Livingstone Studios, London.

CrossHarbour are: Orlaith McAuliffe (flute), Sam Proctor (fiddle), Philippe Barnes (guitar), Tad Sargent (bodhran) and Rosie Hodgson on vocals. Hodgson has perfect folk vocals that sound warm and smooth. I am sure it’s going to be a fantastic debut album. To quote from Tradconnect: “I saw the future of trad music and its name is CrossHarbour.”

I keep on watching the bodhran technique of Tad Sargent as I am a bodhran student myself. His thundering chops are showcased in these live videos. You can tell they love being onstage. The listeners love them too.

Preorder the album here: http://crossharbourmusic.com/?album=crossharbour-2

 

visited us At Livingston Studios during the recording of their debut album (photos by George Staines)

 

 

Bigger Man by Tristan Legg

/ mrbaxteria2008 / Leave a comment

I have a huge globe in my mind and I see artists representing geographical locations. There is always something wonderful about musicians  making their places known. “Where is he from?” That’s the usual question that pops up when a singer/songwriter mak401183_335913886421701_521508820_nes a good impression. What can I say? That interview with him is s tuck in my head. I am all ears when it comes to his latest releases.

He’s from Nova Scotia. Aha! The same place that gave birth to world-class talents. His music has a universal appeal. He always gives something fresh to known genres and fuse them with references that you might not have heard before. Bigger Man is a journey into the world of Irish folk and Bluegrass with a bit of country. This could probably be the start of a new album!  Check this raw recording out and make this as a soundtrack to the start of the week.

If you want to know more about this artist, visit his website: http://www.tristanlegg.com/

Gig schedule: http://www.tristanlegg.com/calender