albums

Poitin (Debut Album re-issued 2012)

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The first in the series of my album review featuring Celtic band from the Czech Republic. Poitin is indeed getting global attention and the proof is when their tune The Congress Reel appeared in Sherlock Holmes:A Game of Shadows.

The running sound of the bodhran during the opening of the  track The Congress Reel is enough to drive one nuts with its irresistible beat and the breakneck speed on how the instruments are played. It is a thumping beat that won’t just let one sit there. You have to move to the music! Poitin have come a long way since this debut recording was released in the year 2000. Now they are getting a lot of attention all over Europe and the UK.

 

The cover artwork is designed by Jeremy King, the band’s lead musician/vocalist. This album is eclectic, combining music origin from Irish, Scottish, Breton and French. According to Jeremy:

‘It was the first time in a studio for most of us, and we were a bit apprehensive, but it didn’t take long for us to get to like the experience. The recording took three weekends, and the mixing a further two. Most of the instrumental tunes we recorded in one take, so if somebody messed up, we had to start again from the beginning- not a pleasant task! Some tracks went easier than others. For example, Vladar we got in one take and Laird of Cockpen in two. But on the other hand, Gloomy Winter’s Noo Awa’ must have taken about twenty attempts. Tyna had to drink gallons of some horrible throat gargle, but in the end I hope you’ll agree it was worth it!’

 

I like Jeremy’s sense of humor. And I think his way of taking things with humor is responsible for the steady climb of the band’s success not just in the internet but also offline as they have been getting responses all around. Apart from being  a musician, he is also a great supporter of Celtic music in general. He doesn’t hesitate to post updates and also re post news from his online friends.

 

This first album is well made. All tracks are played in an excellent way considering that no layering happened here. All tracks are played live. The second song Gloomy Winter’s Noo’ Awa is a slow air with Tyna Frankova’s haunting voice.  I love the presence of recorders in this album because it adds a Shakespearean essence to it.

 

Other favorites are Si Mors a Mort  Breton track, Carolan’s Ramble to Cashell with its amazing harp playing that’s flawlessly delivered. Bodhran Solo from track 6 is powerful and though it is a short piece it stops you on your tracks. To be honest, there is no dull track here. Everything has been arranged carefully to create a balanced listening experience. I am an album guy and I prefer to listen to the entire album than just single tracks. I think the drama created during the ordering of tracks is just as important as the production itself. This album is a must for Celtic music fans and collectors.

Irish “tavern” tune from Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows score, used in fight scene during Watson’s last night of bachelorhood. Not included in the official soundtrack. Title: Poitin – The Congress Reel (recorded in 2000).

Tracks:

1. The Congress Reel

2. Gloomy Winter’s Noo’ Awa’

3. The Sea/Planxty Eleanor Plunkett/Planxty Maggie Browne

4. Si Mors a Mort

5. The Laird O’ Cockpen

6. Carolan’s Ramble to Cashell

7. Bodhran Solo

8. Grasou Mat Pier  

9. Lover’s Ghost          

10. TheDunmoreLassies/Trip to Sligo/Tom Billy’s No.2          

11. Silvestrik   

12. Vlada?      

13. Carolan’s Draught  

14. The Old Hag in the Kiln/Morrison’s Jig/Scatter the Mud     

15. Spanish Lady         

16. Do Tamborin Poirt/Swallowtail Jig/Gaius    

You can buy the album from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Poit%C3%ADn/dp/B007L7V8PQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1334671097&sr=1-6

 

 

Aulaga Folk, A Menos Cuarto(Album review)

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 I received the album inside a parcel. I was surprised to find that it is a box containing 3 discs. One is the album, the second a collection of rarities and the third, a DVD.The motiff is black and white with a clock . Inserted  is a liner note of the band’s music including lyrics and pictures. I must say that it is one of the most beautiful CD packaging I put my hands on in years!

The Music.

The album opens with Los Motiladores. The distinctive vocals of Juan Carlos can be heard which reminds me of those ancient Greek  songs in mixolydian mode. Ambient sounds like crickets, percussions and an explosion of festive instrumental playing somewhere close to the middle of the track, the all like butterflies in the stomach.

My personal favorites are: the first track of course, and then  Quitate with that amazing female vocals and belly dancing rhythm. La Cautiva is very energetic , a combination of Jazz, and Latin melodies. Los Carnavales is very haunting as it reminds you haunted carnivals however the songs picks up tempo in the middle. Extramairlandura is an instrumental piece that moves in different styles. Here the driving sound of fiddle, bodhran and other instruments make themselves proud. La Uva is a showcase of guitar, percussion and vocals. Reeguedoble calls for a beautiful movie with its visual melody and stunning comic singing. The title track A Menus Cuarto closes this album with the sound of winding clock and infectious latin beats which combine all the beautiful elements of Folk, Jazz and World Music.

One can play this CD anytime again and again. I is a kind of music that is at home anywhere in the world. Juan Carlos and the rest of Aulaga Folk made a wonderful album that not only sounds good but looks good as well!

Calan is out with Jonah

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These days I feel I am a bit behind my usual posts. You know why? It is because I am getting updates from left to right. There are amazing artists and the scene is flowering like never before. The support for young acts is tremendous if you think of all the forums and facebook groups sprouting in hordes.  I met amazing people in The Celtic Link forum lately and it is really a fun experience when you get info from the musicians themselves rather than just getting your news material from writings and other reviews.

Yesterday I featured Welsh band Fernhill. Now I am going to present Calan, which I mentioned came from the same source. This band is not only slick in their interpretation of traditional music but also they have  a knack for representing themselves in a way that leaves an impression to first time listeners. It is remarkable how bands these days not only take advantage of technology but also the way they represent themselves image wise.

Calan released their debut album “Bing ” in 2008 and since then they attracted warm responses from critics. Tours, rave reviews and enthusiastic audience are around always  looking for more music that these guys can take out like pancakes. The new album is called Jonah. Listen to sound samples here: http://www.calan-band.com/english/music.html

Band members:
Patrick Rimes – fiddle, bagpipes, pibgorn, whistle, trombone

Angharad Siân Jenkins – fiddle

Bethan Rhiannon – main vocal, accordion and step dancing

Alaw Ebrill Jones – harps

Llinos Eleri Jones – harp, triple harp

Sam Humphries – guitar

Alex Moller – percussion, drums

Ryan McGiver :Troubled in Mind(Interview)

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A few months ago I got acquainted with Ryan McGiver. We exchanged a little of conversation and I commented on how wonderful the album artworks are. Then I got to listen to the whole album and it literally blew me away. His music is very visual, atmospheric and beautiful. In his debut album Trouble in  Mind, he is backed by seasoned Irish musicians. According the blurb:
“Ryan McGiver’s debut album, ‘Troubled in Mind’, is a Indie-folk record of imaginative musical interpretations of old Appalachian ballads. Co-produced by Shahzad Ismaily (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Marc Ribot), the collaboration results in a spiritual, often meditative music, with a haunting quality that draws from sources as diverse as Buell Kazee, Washington Phillips and Randy Newman.”
The album includes guest appearances by an all-star cast of musicians including Jolie Holland, Doug Wieselman (Martha Wainwright, Antony and the Johnsons), Susan McKeown, Cillian Vallely (Lunasa), Stephanie Coleman (Uncle Earl), Jason Sypher, Cleek Schrey, Eamon O’ Leary, Cassandra Jenkins, Nick Reeb (King Wilkie), Jefferson Hamer, Pádraig Rynne, Patrick Mangan, Clara Kennedy, Matty Mancuso, Will Orzo and Howard Arn. Two beautiful horn and string arrangements were composed by Dana Lyn as well.
I did a little interview with him . It is now out in itunes. The physical release of the album is available on amazon.
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1.Your album Troubled in Mind is a sonic blanket of somber beauty and Appalachian musings. Have you already made up your mind if this is going to be on a label or are you going the indie route?
Indie all the way. I had some offers from labels, but the way the music industry is these days, I decided to try my hand at a self-release.  The whole process has been, as with any debut, a great learning experience.
2. You work with big names in the traditional music scene.  How did you get these guys together?
The album is a collective of many musicians I’ve worked with over the past decade: some from my native Catskills; others I played music with while living in Ireland; another I met while working in Central Virginia; but most are musicians I know from my time spent in Manhattan – many I consider to be close friends.

3. The ballads here are hypnotic. What’s the concept behind this album?

I wanted to create a sort of sonic soundscape of my mind and surroundings through the lens of traditional song.  And to create a record that – in part- represents the beauty, desolation and sadness of growing up in Schoharie County, NY.

I’m drawn to music that is meditative and melancholic, whether traditional or contemporary in form. There’s something about a sad song that makes me happy. And I love music that is rich in texture, subtle layers and has lots of space.  Points where you can insert your imagination and fill in the blanks.  I always return to art – whether music, poetry, film – whatever it may be –  that has space and allows my mind, ideas to grow.

The songs come from all over  – Texas gospel, Old-time, Irish/English ballads, even a Randy Newman cover for good measure. “I Wouldn’t Mind Dying”, comes from a Washington Philips record that I got at a garage sale when I fifteen; “Farewell Dearest Nancy” comes from a Mick Haley cassette tape I wore out (who doesn’t love Moving Hearts?), “The Dying Soldier” came from a dear friend, Paul Strother, a clawhammer banjo player I labor with in the summers back home; “Tazewell Girl” was written by my uncle, Neil Driscoll – one of my big influences in music. Others songs came directly from pages in local libraries, one specifically,  “I’m Troubled, I’m Troubled”, from a collection called ‘Folk Songs of the Catskills’.  All have been important to me for various reasons over the years and I wanted to find interesting ways of recreating and retelling some of the more common ones.

4. You worked on the recording of this album for 13 months!  A lot of effort must have been placed on each track. How was the whole experience?

While working on ‘Singing In the Dark’ with the great Irish singer, Susan McKeown, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Shahzad Ismaily – a wonderful multi-instrumentalist and composer. We became fast friends and he agreed to co-produce the album after I had been working on it for several months. Honestly, I wasn’t very familiar with his music outside of our studio sessions, but felt overwhelmingly drawn to his personality and musical contributions in a studio setting. And the way we could make each other roar with laughter! Ismaily is an extraordinary talent. And an inspiration to work with.

The album took over a year to complete, because as you could imagine, there were many schedules to coordinate. Including my own, in and out of tours.  I  worked on it as if I was building a stone wall: slow and steady, taking moments to reflect and breathe – often standing back to take a look at the greater whole while working. I made the album for myself, so was under no time constraints.

October 5:Music that Uplifts

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Donal McCague (fiddle): Sep 20, 2011 Unitarian Church, Dublin( with Dave Sheridan (flute) and Michael McCague (bouzouki)

Donal McCague (fiddle): Sep 20, 2011 Unitarian Church, Dublin( with Dave Sheridan (flute) and Michael McCague (bouzouki)

A friend told me that the mother of the dog that he has passed away. On top of that I have this frustration that I find hard to describe except this: the feeling you get being nominated several times but  not bagging even just one award. So what to do? Nothing. But the feeling of being confined eats you. In times like this only music is the way out.  Let me give you a list of performers that merit a listen in situations like these artists:

Eden’s Bridge: Grow- Taken from the upcoming  The Longest Day EP. The freshness of this track will carry you into caress of waves and prairie leaves. Transporting, uplifting, let it carry you to the silver lining of your personal clouds:

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Visit : http://www.edensbridge.net/

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Listen to Donal McCague’s Bit’s and Pieces

Explosive shimmering interpretation of traditional pieces from this young Irish fiddle player. The golden album cover speaks of the tracks-utterly timeless, radiant and mesmerizing.  Here’s the preview:

Visit: http://bitsnpieces2011.com/

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Nuala Kennedy creates a mood that kicks off the blues. This Scottish singer/flutist has made a following of her own with her style. Check this info from reverbnation :

Based in her adopted homeland of Scotland, Irish singer and flautist Nuala Kennedy performs a range of material from across the Irish and Scottish traditional music repertoires.

She also composes her own idiosyncratic brand of traditional music and tours in a variety of lineups from duo and quartet to a nine-piece festival band.

She has a new album (Tune In) released on Compass Records in March 2010. It was described as ‘A Picaresque Adventure and A Delight’ **** by THE IRISH TIMES

http://www.reverbnation.com/nualakennedy

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Feel free to share your own tunes and we will discuss it .