Genre: Irish and contemporary folk, bluegrass and country
Members: Dee McIlroy, Eugene Glenn, Barry Skeff
Hometown: Belfast
It’s hard for me to listen to The Folkalists without giggling. From afar, the music maybe pleasant, warm and even inviting because of the efforts placed in the arrangements. Up near you get the lyrical wit and sarcasm that’s original. Listen to ” I Used To Hate Someone” with lines like ” I never liked a single hair on his head, I never liked one thing that he said.” My personal favorite is Friends Must because the melody reminds me of a cross between BJ Thomas and Travis.
These are not your run-of-the-mill band members. We are talking about musicians who are known in their own respective fields and just decided one day to form a musical project together. It is great to see them exploring another musical style to showcase their versatility.
I know some of them from Clanu which I enjoyed featuring. With The Folkalist, the band incites everyone into the sunny side of life and yes to appreciate humor in every form. This is where music and lyrics come together to draw a reaction. Dee McIlroy’s lyrical talent is really at work in every track on top of his smooth and pleasant vocal delivery.
For the now the members are still the in the process of putting tracks together and developing a full-length album which will be out before we know it. So enjoy the tracks and also say hi to the band via their facebook site.
This July they’re running “Rag and Bone Workshop,” their own 4-day music camp at the Full Moon Resort in the Catskills, NY. The week will be filled with classes teaching classes fiddle, percussion, guitar, songwriting, Gaelic swearing and more. It will be a week of learning, performing, and of course…drinking.
There’s even a possibly running a CD giveaway from the band promoting the camp. I will keep you updated about this Rag and Bone Workshop.
Members: Damien McCarron – Vocals, Guitar
Mike Nile – Vocals, Guitars, Mandolin, Harmonica and Electronic Bagpipe
Renee Fine – Fiddle/Violin
Aaron Haywood – Bass
Francesco(Cheech) Mannone – Drums
Guesting on occasion:
Neale Heywood – Guitar
Ryan Bunnell – Guitar
Tracks
1. Whiskey Tonight/2. Ceili Mor /3. It’s You /4. Hold On to You /5. Story Rory /6. Lady Jane /7. New Lease On Life /8. Man of All Seasons /9. Doin’ Fine/10. Roll This Stone/11. The Cure/12. Dreaming of You/13. Big Storm Rising/14. Dublin Day
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Work is the curse of the drinking class according to Oscar Wilde. For a moment The Indulgers, a band of Irish rockers based in Colorado treat us to songs that span generations, styles and yes drinking tables. Fine musicianship, witty lyrics and the lead singer’s beautiful vocals are among the things that you will encounter when you listen to the band. Whiskey Tonight is the band’s best effort to date. It’s also their seventh studio album.
The album begins with Whiskey Tonight. Notice the aural-stitching- fiddle- extravaganza courtesy of Renee Fine. The foot stomping beat is one of the band’s signature sound along with the rocking chorus of instruments that will rock your socks off. Ceili Mor has tight harmonies and amazing bagpiping there. This reminds me of a Celtic war music. It’s You insures to draw a smile with its playful melodies and catchy chorus. As lead singer Damien McCarron croons ” It’s you” makes you visualize the smile in the song.
Hold On to You has an echo of the Dubliners which combines the Celtic warlike atmosphere of the second track. Rockin’ sweetness greets us with Story Rory in the vein of Thin Lizzy. I kind of like the sound effect of the crowd shouting “Rory” as if in an arena. Very glam. Lady Jane is one of those narrative ballads which calls to mind the reinterpretation of The Highwayman by Loreena McKennitt. It has that Spaghetti Western Feel.
New Lease On Life is a straight ahead Celtic rocker. The talents of Aaron Haywood on bass and Francesco (Cheech) Mannone on drums really shine. Man of All Seasons charms its way into your debonair heart. Mike Nile played around five instruments in this recording. The guitars in this track are lovely! It’s fiddling heaven once again with Doin’ Fine (which is the only instrumental track in the album). Drums, bass and guitars do their wonderful stuff here. Adventure and soliloquy inhabit the ocean of Roll This Stone. I love the use of vocal effects where Damien’s voice sounds like it’s coming from an old AM radio broadcast. The Cure takes us into the subject of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. I’ve seen a video of this a few months back but I had no idea it would be part of Whiskey Tonight. I love the tight vocal harmonies and harmonica.
Dreaming of You is easy to sing along with. Big Storm Rising recalls the Celtic warlike atmosphere of the second track. The use of power chords and minor scales give this track a somewhat metallic edge. Dublin Day closes this amazing album. The soaring string parts and fast but steady rhythm makes this one of the most unforgettable closing track for an album. I love closing tracks and this one satisfies to the max. Here’s an interesting trivia: Neale Heywood, who has occasionally joined them on stage, is also in Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham’s band. He plays on all seven of their CDs. Ryan Bunnell also joins them on stage/studio on guitar as guest musician on occasion.
Whiskey Tonight channels the energy of Celtic rock with smart pop appeal. The album is so infectious it is tragic not to own it.
The band’s bio:
Add up well over a thousand shows, tours across the U.S. and Ireland, numerous festivals, town concerts, fairs, pubs and theatres, and you have fourteen years in the life of Colorado’s Celtic rock pioneers, The Indulgers.
The Indulgers, a Celtic rock band with a unique western/americana twist, hail from Boulder and Golden, Colorado USA, but their musical roots and influences can be found in Ireland.
It began with The Indulger’s first song “In Like Flynn”, written and recorded thirteen years ago – which garnished awards from “Just Plain Folks” for best celtic song of the year as well as the CD receiving best celtic album of the year. Now over a decade later The Indulgers continue to push forward with new and exciting original celtic rock music. The Indulgers are working on their upcoming 7th CD “Whiskey Tonight” releasing the first single and video… “Whiskey Tonight” soon followed by the second single and video “Ceili Mor” (The Big Dance), a song written in Gaelic with a video that was inspired by Th’ Gatherin’ Festival in Wakeeny, Kansas where clan warriors gather to compete each year.
“Whiskey Tonight” follows The Indulgers 6th CD “Out In The West”, (nominated for best celtic album in 2009 by Just Plain Folks) featuring songs inspired by the western legends, culture, and experiences of the Irish/Scottish immigrants, who came to America bound for a new life in the west.
The Indulgers continue to create and develop an exciting blend of celtic rock/western/folk rhythms that move and inspire, delivering energetic live shows from San Francisco to New York City and abroad, including a successful tour of Ireland making arrangements with a professional travel agency to bring along friends and fans interested in touring with the band. Flights, hotels, bus, food, and a site-seeing tour guide was included in the package trip. The band perfomed in Ennis with Johnny Fean guitarist and vocalist of Horslips, a band considered to be one of the true pioneers of celtic rock music, and after a live radio broadcast in Kilkenny performed at the famed Cleere’s Theater, ending with a livley night in Damien’s hometown Howth, a beautiful fishing village just outside of Dublin. Damien’s family, friends, and locals joined the “Ireland Tour” crew for a memorable final night performance in Ireland. The band made many new friends and contacts on the journey and look forward to returning to Ireland as soon as possible bringing along another bus full of adventure seekers.
When not touring The Indulgers can always be found playing in their home pub Conor Oneill’s in Boulder, or at Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub in Denver, along with several other wonderful Irish pubs and venues along the rocky mountain front range.
For BOOKING INFORMATION contact THE INDULGERS at 303 949-7784 or dmccarro@comcast.net or visit www.shamrocker.com
World Music Award Winners
(Westword 1999, 2008 & 2010)
Irish Music Association Nominee 2009
Five times JPfolk Music Awards Nominees
(Winners Ethnic CD 2000 – In Like Flynn)
(Winners Celtic Song 2000 – In Like Flynn)
(Nominated Celtic CD 2005 High Road to Heaven)
(Nominated Celtic CD 2009 Out In The West)
(Nominated Celtic Song 2009 When We Were Young)
“World Class Music” – KBCO Radio
“Everyone’s favorite Irish band”
– Rocky Mountain News
“Denver’s Shamrockingest band”
– The Denver Post
It’s almost weekend. I hope you are all fine and not feeling sick like me. Ok now, I have links that are posted on the facebook fanpage of The Celtic Music Fan and I think they are worth a mention here:
Here’ s a shout out from Trudy Carroll: Today lets help support mental health services for young people and #WalkInMyShoes day @WIMS2013
This one was mentioned by Jeremy Poitin : “More great music from the English folk revival scene – Arlet”
Here is one band from Belgium playing Celtic music. They call themselves: Celtiquez-vous
The debut album by Max Cormier forms a cuspate between traditional and original tunes. He does this with seamless transition and freshness.
Artist: Maxim Cormier
Album: Maxim Cormier
Genre: Folk: Celtic Folk
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Tracks : 1. In Anticipation 2. Fathers Know Best 3. Danielle 4. Tunes With Dad 5. Home 6. Hornpipes for Uncle Joe 7. Mezquida 8. Fork in the Road 9. Big Sampie’s Reel 10. Le Grand Boulanger De L’est 11. Morisson’s
Like early morning dew that drips from a leaf, the debut album by young Canadian guitarist Maxim Cormier reflects freshness. The self-titled album Max Cormier has eleven tracks. There is a consistent sunny atmosphere that runs through all the tracks in the album. I can sum up the album with the following: impressive, exciting, relaxing and beautiful.
I suggest for those who just got their own copies of this album to listen to it twice before putting it back to the CD case. You will find out why I ask you this. In the meantime Max Cormier ensures to please people of all types whiter you like Jazz, Rock, New Age or Trad tunes. There is nothing to disapprove since he is very respectful of traditional tunes but still adds his own signature no matter how subtle it is.
He guarantees not to be a covers man since this album is composed of six original tracks and two as part of the medley. He is able to mix his original tunes with traditional tracks. Everything blends seamlessly in fluid collection.
Track 7 (Mezquida) is a personal favorite because it is the best guitar soliloquy I’ve heard in ages. This is where notes attain moments of pure bliss. The pattern they make turns into an aural painting of sorts. This track sums up the term simplicity is beauty. This is followed by another original composition Fork in the Road. Another pleasure to listen to. This is not to say that I only picked two out of the eleven tracks as favorites. In fact, everything in this album is a gem of its own. I am sure that once you take a listen to this album several times you will have your own favorites.
Max Cormier is now an important name in the world of instrumental tunes. Have a listen, enjoy and take these tunes with you as a source of inspiration to lighten up your mood when you are sad.
Big thanks to Craig Hamm of IrishMusicOttawa.ca for recommending this wonderful artist.
Bio:
Having played guitar since he was 11 years old, Cormier, a student of guitar performance at Dalhousie University, now balances his days as a fulltime student, solo guitarist, composer and freelancing musician. Cormier’s dedication to instrumental guitar, both with the use of a pick or in pure finger style, is beautifully captured in his self-titled 2012 release Maxim Cormier. Get his debut album on iTunes now.
Don’t forget that artist of the week Kevin O’Donnell has his site officially launched today with updates on gigs etc. I also wrote an article about him in another US magazine but details will follow soon.
Kevin O’Donnell Photo courtesy of Noah Smulkis (Ceolwind Productions)
For years, singer/songwriter Kevin O’Donnell devoted his artistry on the stage and writing. The past fifteen years have been productive so far, spawning books called Fado and prior to that, he founded the Irish-American folk group Arranmore. He also played leading roles in several plays including Twelve Angry Men, The Sensuous Senator, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Flowers for Algernon, and Neil Simon’s, I Ought To Be In Picturestook off and life happened.
Deep is the Well is the return of Kevin O’Donnell to the musical spotlight. The Celtic Music Fan convinced Kevin to do this interview because this is an important project in terms of spreading the Irish-American experience out there. Those who love history will appreciate the richness of artistry that the project has brought to the fore. It also a snapshot of past lives. History is precious and it is a source of inspiration, a deep well of passion in which we drink to face the future. The Celtic Music Fan presents our featured artist Kevin O’Donnell.
Now that Deep is the Well has finally got its official release, what’s the personal impact of the experience recording and then releasing this album?
The concept of this album has been gestating for a long time. So, it’s like giving birth! I am relieved, excited and a little bit nervous. It’s my first solo album and marks my public re-entry into music after being away from it for 15 years.
You have worked with amazing talents in this album, especially with Maurice Lennon and the gang. How was the experience working with them?
I have this theory: surround yourself with the best musicians you can find – they can only make you sound better and elevate your compositions. There are so many talented performers on this album. I feel very fortunate that they thought enough of my songs and believed in the project so strongly as to want to be a part of it. Maurice was personally responsible for getting his friends Finbar Furey in from Ireland and Jessica Willis up from Nashville to participate.
Maurice is an amazingly creative person to work with and we connected right away with a similar musical vision. That’s really important. He was, as producer, able to commit to the tracks how I hear, as the writer, my own songs in my head. That’s what a good producer does. He is a consummate professional and gentleman. He possesses a keen and rare sense of what works and what doesn’t before it’s even recorded. He pulled things out of me musically that I didn’t even know I was capable of and I’ve been at this for nearly 40 years. He has all these musical ideas floating around in his head at once that he doesn’t tell you about, you just wait to hear them fly off of his finger tips in the studio. We had a great time together over the 11 months it took to record this album. He’s a phenomenal talent and the best producer I have ever worked with – bar none.
I’ve known and performed with Kathleen Keane over the years and always admired her trove of talent. I actually wrote the song “She” several years ago specifically with her in mind to sing. It’s the first and only time I wrote a song intended for someone else to perform.
John Williams first recorded with me back in 1989 – I think he had just become old enough to get his driver’s license. A master of the “less is more” philosophy, he has an uncanny sense of knowing what to play and what not to play rather than thinking he gets paid by the note. He also takes direction well in the studio. When Maurice told him he wanted a “Flaco Jimenez feel” on the accordion track for the song “Girl From Durango,” John responded, “Got it. Just enough taco sauce to make the listener want to go out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner afterwards.”
Deep is the Well calls to the fore the distilled experiences of Irish immigrants to the United States.
(One specific family, to be more precise)
The songs are very intimate.
Thank you.
Was choosing every material to record a hard task for you?
Yes. There were three additional tracks planned but we did not record them. After careful consideration and much debate, Maurice and I agreed that the additional 3 songs would make the album too long and detract from the general melancholy theme of the album.
This album celebrates the deep connection between Ireland and the United States. What’s the significance of the title Deep is the Well for you?
I would like to turn the tables: what does it mean to you? In the context of the project, it has many meanings on many levels for me. When I began this endeavor in 2010 I just referred to it as t”he concept album”. Even in the studio, we had no title for the project for the first 6 or 7 months . Then, one day Maurice and I were engaged in a discussion about, whatever, and he used the expression “the well from which we all come from is very deep, Kev.” As soon as he said it I said, “that’s it Maurice. We’re putting that into the track “A Letter Home”, and that’s the title of the album right there – Deep is the Well.”
What are your top 5 albums this month?
Frankly, I haven’t had time lately to listen to much music.
These songs are sad. In The Ballad of Jackie Ryan Fagan, tells about a musician who passed away. Most of the songs seem like a lament. They are sad but the melodies are beautiful and hopeful. In a way this is very Irish to me. Was it your intention to make it this way?
Absolutely, it is thematic of Irish folk songs. And it pleases me to know that you picked up on that.My natural musical inclination is deeply rooted in both Irish and Americana/Folk music. The album is a compilation of one Irish family’s experience in America over several generations. I wanted to I wanted to capture that aurally – make sure that each song conveyed elements of Irish and American influence in their content, arrangements, and instruments; countering tin whistle with dobro, for example, concertina with cello, electric tremolo guitar with Spanish guitar, and so on. It was also important to me that within the context of the album to have a cross-section of musical performers from both sides of the Atlantic, bringing with them their unique and wide variety of musical styles. For instance, in addition to including 4 all-Ireland performers (Maurice Lennon, Finbar Furey, John Williams, and Jessica Willis), I reached out to:
Larry Gray, (double bass) who was born in Chicago and is considered by many to be one of the work’s foremost Jazz bassists. He’s also an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana;
John Rice is a true Chicago legend – master of just about any musical idiom or instrument with strings attached to it;
Another Chicagoan, Bill Lanphier, toured with Madonna, performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and now lives in L.A. playing and writing books on Bulgarian and Macedonian Folk music;
And Haley O’Donnell, my daughter, a classically trained pianist.
It’s been fifteen years before you got back to the studio. How was the rest of those years prior to Deep is the Well?
Not just in the studio. With few exceptions (getting called up to the stage to perform a song or two every once in a while) , it’s been 15 years since I performed in front of an audience. I spent 22 years trying to become an “overnight success” as a songwriter, and the last 15 trying to forget it. After leading my own band for 14 years and playing on my own and in various groups for eight years before that, I grew increasingly disenchanted with that prospect. The last year or two had become sheer drudgery. I was miserable and I could see no point continuing. So I just stopped playing music altogether.
It was a chance encounter with Maurice Lennon about 4 years ago that began to turn the tide. We became friends (although we were acquainted with each other prior to that from playing festivals around the US in the 80’s and 90’s).
Could this be the start of more albums from you?
Hard to say at this point. We’ll see.
I see this album as something that Chicagoans can be proud of.
That’s very kind of you to say.
This really shows the kind of great things that can come out of your area. How’s the overall Irish-American music culture over there?
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were in Ireland on a book tour promoting Fado. We were in Donegal town for the evening and I asked a local gentleman where could we go to hear some good traditional Irish music. He thought about if for a few seconds and said “Chicago, great music there, so there is,” and he walked on. Very lively music scene here with plenty of great talent. The Irish American Cultural Center on the Chicago’s north side and Gaelic Park in the south suburbs are flourishing with cultural, literary, music and sporting events. There are many smaller Irish festivals throughout the suburbs during the summer months and nearby Milwaukee hosts the largest Irish music/cultural event in the world. It has been running for more than 30 years. And of course, there is no shortage of Irish pubs/music/sesiuns.
Live shows are coming soon. Are you nervous?
Extremely.
What do you expect as Deep is the Well is going to take a life of its own? I learned from releasing my book, Fado: if you set your expectation very low, you won’t be disappointed. Then, the book took on a life of its own with little meddling on my part, and it has become quite successful. I poured the money I made from that into the album, Deep Is The Well. I’m at a much different place in my life now than I was when I was younger and what drives me as an artist and a writer is different too. I’ve learned not to try too hard, and to expect nothing. Let it run its own course and be happy with that. With Deep Is The Well I just wanted to tell a story and engage the listener with some history, hopefully in an interesting way, that they might listen to it and enjoy the journey and be encouraged to explore their own family’s place in the vast American fabric. That is why the CD comes with a 20 page booklet and an interactive website with the Fagan family tree, history, character backstories, photos, lyrics, guitar chords, blog, videos and other interactive content.
Where can listeners buy your albums and your books?
Since we are celebrating the Irish-American experience with our featured artist Kevin O’Donnell, why not take a listen to this track? It’s a song originally done by American artist Belinda Carlisle, now covered and performed (with a new arrangement) by Northern Irish singer/songwriter and coloratura soprano Eve Williams.
“I don’t record a lot of covers but I really love this song.” Eve Williams.
IONA is THE pan-Celtic band iof the Washington, DC metro area: Barbara Tresidder Ryan (lead vocals, bouzouki, bodhran, pieds and guitar) Bernard Argent (flute, whistles, vocals and percussion), Chuck Lawhorn (bass guitar, vocals low whistle), Jim Queen (fiddle, banjo, vocals) and Kathleen Larrick (dance, vocals), formed in 1986.
Tracks:
1.Les Mardi Gras/Reuben’s Train/Le Reel Béatrice 04:23
2. Willie’s Auld Trews/Fionnghuala/Tam Lin 06:22
3.Morwnad yr Ehedydd/Titrwm Tatrwm/Abergenni 04:28
4.Volviendo al Valle/Chouteira/Get You a Copper Kettle 08:37
5. Tail Toddle/The Morning Dew/The Ale is Dear 02:59
6. Seán Bháin/Chloë’s Passion 03:54
7. Les Poules Huppées/Ton Bal Eured/Tumbledown 05:58
8. Pachipi/Dans les Prisons de Nantes/Johnny’s Gone to France 04:53
9. The Trooper and the Fair Maid/Toddy MacPherson’s 04:43
10. Moirney ny Cainle/Arrane y Guilley Hesheree/St. Ives Fer Moh 04:08
11. Shetland Reels: Spootiskerry/Sleep Soond i’ da Moarnin’/Faroe Rum/Willafjord 03:58
Silver is the symbol of wisdom. It is also a term used in a certain type of voice to signify something pure and sparkling. For example, Judy Collins described the voice of Sandy Denny as ” Like Golden Silver’ because it is something you’ve never heard from anyone. Iona’s music reflects this maturity and the wealth of experience being in Celtic music for years. They have influenced other bands. And while their works are seminal, they never stopped breaking new grounds by creating fresh tunes which celebrate global diversity yet still rooted in Celtic tradition.
Silver has eleven tracks of rich musicality that will continue to echo in your soul long after the CD has been removed from the player. The pieces are woven in such a way that the album sounds seamless . The tracks play in relation to each other while maintaining that diversity of arrangements all throughout the album. It celebrates the spirit of the Celtic nations as band members perform tracks varying between vocal and instrumental.
Silver is not just the joy of tunes but also of tongues. The multilingual approach of this project is impressive. It is like being treated into a dinner of different flavours and aroma that your sense can’t help but be delighted. Throw in a dance number by Kathleen Larrick and you have a stunning live show. The DVD called Live! At the 333 has been released. note: The video was recorded live with no retakes or overdubs.
The tracks :
Les Mardi Gras/Reuben’s Train/Le Reel Béatrice which is the first track makes use of the percussive power of the French language based in Quebec.
Willie’s Auld Trews/Fionnghuala/Tam Lin is a Scottish medley of lively instrumentals and a puirt-a-beul vocal track based on the Hebridean tradition.
Morwnad yr Ehedydd/Titrwm Tatrwm/Abergenni takes us into the mystery of the Welsh tradition.
Volviendo al Valle/Chouteira/Get You a Copper Kettle is a medley of Bolivian/Galician and Bluegrass music.
Tail Toddle/The Morning Dew/The Aleis Dear takes us into the marriage of Trad Scottish/Irish and of course Robert Burns.
Seán Bháin/Chloë’s Passion is a Scot tune along with a suggestive Irish tune. All translations can be found in the band’s website.
Les Poules Huppées/Ton Bal Eured/Tumbledown takes us into a buffet of French, Breton and Irish instrumental music.
Pachipi/Dans les Prisons de Nantes/Johnny’s Gone to France takes an adventurous dip into Breton and Irish tunes. This track tells of a prisoner of Nantes(which you might have originally heard from Tri Yann).
The Trooper and the Fair Maid/Toddy MacPherson’s all Trad Scot divided between the first which is a vocal track and then segued into the second half which is instrumental.
Moirney ny Cainle/Arrane y Guilley Hesheree/St. Ives Fer Moh all frolicking into the Manx side of the Celtic musical culture. Impressive vocal harmonies there!
Shetland Reels: Spootiskerry/Sleep Soond i’da Moarnin’/Faroe Rum/Willafjord celebrates the music of Shetland and Cape Breton fiddling styles.
It is hard to pick a favorite track because everything is impressive. I know trad music lovers must have heard some of these tracks performed by other artists but Iona gives them something refreshing and unique.
Celtic Music Fan 