Canada

Violinist Sarah Frank of The Bombadils (Interview)

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Also in this edition, music by:Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac,Grace, Hewat & Polwart – ‘disappearance set, Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video,MacKelmore & Ryan Lewis- “Irish Celebration”,Celtic Woman – Orinoco Flow,Clannad – I Will Find You, Connie Dover – Peggy and Her Gallant Soldier, Ma Zadig A Ma Mamm( Brittany) traditional Breton folk song,  Mary Jane Lamond – Bòg A’Lochain, Cheers – Bard, She Moved Through The Fair by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley and presenting 67 Music!

Canadian violinist Sarah Frank  of  The Bombadils discusses creativity, singing and recording more this 2013!.”

Two album releases, live performances  and collaborations:  Sarah Frank is becoming one of Canada’s bright young star in the  folk scene. The prestigious McGill University school of music brought her, Luke Fraser Anh Phung, Evan Stewart and former member Noam Bierstone to form The Bombadils. I have watched their growth as a band since the release of their first album. Now the Bombadils are reaching out to new territories. Some of them made collaborations with other musicians(along with a solo project between Sarah and Luke Fraser) while still being true to their roots and going strong with their distinctive style of music.

Sarah Frank  is the four-piece ensemble’s violinist and vocalist. She has this sweet silky voice that sounds effortless even in the midst of playing a fast tune with her instrument. The Bombadils have traveled and played in different places all over Canada. The video diaries they created about their tour in the east coast were memorable. They played music and clowned around while on a VIA train ride. They are great and witty entertainers. After accomplishing interviews with one half of the band already, I’d say you better keep them on the radar. Because something is always going on. To hear them live is really worth it. And having The Bombadils music is to have something to keep you company when you long for a sound that’s inspiring, comforting and beautiful. Sarah Frank is our artist of the week.

CMF:What inspired you to pick the violin up as your main instrument?

Sarah Frank:When I was four years old, my parents asked me if I wanted to play violin or cello. I didn’t know what a cello was, and the word violin sounded familiar, so I said violin.

There were five of you in the band, unfortunately Noam left for France! How will the band be able to fit the new arrangement of four people in future recordings?

We’re sad that Noam left! We decided that he can’t be replaced. So now we have the challenge of finding percussion within our own instruments. Evan and I are incorporating more “chopping” (dropping the bow against the strings as percussion), and Anh is beat-boxing from time to time. Traditional bluegrass has been our main inspiration for finding a way to create percussion without a drummer.

Who are your earliest musical influences?  If we raid your record collection, what can we find there?

To be honest, I was really bad at listening to music when I was younger! But I listened to the Suzuki method violin recordings, as well as the music my dad had playing in the kitchen (Leonard Cohen, KD Lang, Neil Young, Dire Straights, Bob Dylan, Glenn Gould… lots more) and CBC radio. In the last few days I’ve been listening to The Monroe Brothers, random Youtube videos of Stuart Duncan, Meaghan Smith, Rose Cousins, and my friend, Rachel Baiman in her duo, 10 String Symphony.

Tell us about the Bombadils blog (http://thebombadils.tumblr.com/)now that we are seeing more updates plus more videos from you!

We’ve been meaning to make a blog and upload more videos for a while now, but it was put on hold while we were finishing up our studies at McGill University. We’ve all graduated now, so we’re happy to have more time to put into making videos and blog posts.

I love Hint! I see that it is the first time Luke’s mandolin playing is showcased on a video but you mentioned that he has played it before on various tracks. I also realize that Evan has this elegant style in composing music. Anh makes lush sound with her flute. What do you think of the whole band in terms of progressing musically?

I love the music that Anh, Luke, and Evan make! I also love playing with them because they know how to laugh and not to take themselves too seriously. I think this all brings positive energy to rehearsal and to the stage, and helps us remember that, even if the music isn’t perfect, (which it never is!) it’s appreciating how music brings people together that’s most important.

I think we have readers who are also independent musicians and band members and with this thought, would you care to share how Fill Your Boots came to be?Can you tell us the amount of work, time and also the financing aspects that shaped the album up to its release?

“Fill Your Boots!” was a lot of fun and took a lot of time, and it was all worth it. We were really lucky to have our friend, Duncan Ferguson, as our recording engineer and co-producer. The album served as a school project for him so we had access to the studios there, although the accessibility was limited to overnight. We often started recording at 11 P.M. and stopped around 4 in the morning. It took some getting used to, and we definitely got silly at times, but it all worked out. As far as the financial aspect of things, we used a website called Indiegogo to raise funds ahead of time. People were really supportive and pre-ordered CDs, t-shirts, and other goodies. http://www.indiegogo.com/the-bombadils

You have this certain style of singing which reminds me of how a flute sounds like. How did you achieve your technique and how do you maintain your voice through gigs after gigs.

I’m not someone who naturally knows how to project or sing with good technique, but I’ve always loved singing and really wanted to make that a regular part of the music I make. So when I was in high school I starting saving up money for voice lessons, and that’s still what I do. My teacher right now, in Montreal, is Jonathan Patterson, and I think he is the best ever. He really made me realize that the voice is an instrument to be learned like any other, and that different timbre, tone, and volume can be created if you practice just like you would practice another musical instrument.

What’s waiting for The Bombadils this 2013?

In February we are touring Alberta, and we’re looking forward especially to opening for Lennie Gallant at the Calgary Folk Club. We’re planning on touring the east coast of Canada again, and in the fall, we’d really like to make a big loop that will bring us through the eastern States. We’d also like to record more this year!

It seems this Canadian artist has a bright future! Check more of her and The Bombadils here:

Additional video:

Recorded at MMR studio at McGill University in Montreal.
Please visit http://www.audiolens.ca/site/ for more information.
—–
Band Members: Sarah Frank, Evan Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Luke Fraser, and Anh Phung
—–
Producer: Duncan Ferguson
Sound Engineers: Duncan Ferguson, Benjamin Smith
Video Editing: Denis Martin
Camera: Denis Martin, Phil Gosselin, and Pouya Hamidi

  Gallery

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Another online Celtic music site worth checking: 67 Music!
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This site is run by my friend Steve Behrens and it is one of the top notch sites in terms of promoting Celtic music. The site is also very easy to navigate and offers a variety of things that will keep you browsing for hours.
 What is 67 Music about:67 Music is a music media and promotions company exclusive to Celtic Music.  Our primary goal is to bring global attention and recognition to Celtic music in all it’s forms, and to the artists who make it.  We seek also to bring together organizations and companies into a tight knit Celtic community, inform fans of new events and releases, and maintain the grand heritage.
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Celtic music shuffle.
I will make it a habit to post diverse music as much as possible. This is a diverse musical culture we have embracing everything in a global scope.

Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac – “Seinn”

There is something about Mary Jane Lamond’s singing that’s intriguing and addicting!

Latest release from Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac, “Seinn”, available at http://maryjaneandwendy.com/.

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Grace, Hewat & Polwart – ‘disappearance set’

Three amazing artists share the stage to render one of the most beautiful songs to come out of the Orkney Folk Festival. Each has something special to offer vocally and instrumentally.

Annie Grace, Corrina Hewat and Karine Polwart at the 2008 Orkney Folk Festival. This is the medley of songs they named the ‘disappearance set’, teasingly nicknamed by Martin Simpson their ‘separation anxiety set’. I like how the power surges around 4:54.

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  Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video Ever Made

Aside from the fact that it is in black and white, it conveys an old world authenticity.  The music is amazing. It is by filmmaker David Hoffman. You can get this video from amazon and also from www.thehoffmancollection.com

About: Visit http://www.createspace.com/204609 to get this entire program.Each scene in this classic bluegrass documentary present incredible mountain music and dancing. Bluegrass Roots lets you experience the real people and music that dominated the southern mountains 50 years ago. It presents the most extraordinary singers, players and dancers the BlueGrass Mountains had to offer. Most of the songs are classics, including Mountain Dew. This scene was filmed at Bascom Lunsford’s home in his living room. When the film aired on TV, TV Guide gave it a full-page review because most Americans had never seen Bluegrass and Country music.
David Hoffman – filmmaker

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MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – “Irish Celebration” (Official Music Video)

This video has already received 4.4million views in youtube. It is rap and contains explicit expression.

PRODUCED BY – Ryan Lewis
VIOLIN – Andrew Joslyn
TRUMPET – Owuor Arunga
ADDITIONAL VOCALS – Tim Haggerty, Noah Goldberg

DIRECTOR: Stephan Gray
DP – Ryan Purcell
B CAMERA – Stephan Gray
C Camera – Ryan Lewis
AC – William Brody & Conor Hair
GAFFER – Tred Baylis
KEY GRIP – Blue Boy
HAIR/MAKEUP – Shawn Shelton
PRODUCER – Bret Seeger
EDIT – Stephan Gray

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Celtic Woman – Orinoco Flow

This is a great performance . I admire the production everyone has put up to keep this together. This is a song composed and performed originally by Enya and it reach the top of the UK and US charts in 1989.

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Clannad – I Will Find You (Official video)

Wow it took me decades to find an official video to the song taken from the first ever Clannad album I got.

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Connie Dover – Peggy and Her Gallant Soldier

If Ever I Return is an amazing album filled with artfully crafted songs and timeless melodies. Connie Dover is a gem to be listened to for generations. What attracted me to this song is the tempo and also the love story between Peggy and her lover soldier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqZqyGgwwnY

You can get her recordings here: http://www.conniedover.com/recordings.shtml

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MA ZADIG A MA MAMM ( BRITTANY) traditional Breton folk song

Wow I am glad I stumbled upon this amazing song from Brittany!

Brittany,vocals, frame drums, Breton, Celtic folk songs, traditional
Celtic folk music, Adam Reid, Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, SANDRA REID – VOICE

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Mary Jane Lamond – Bòg A’Lochain

This is the 6th track  from her album Suas E!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgttB42VLas&feature=youtu.be

Lyrics and translations here: http://www.maryjanelamond.com/lyrics/suas/6.htm

Listen to more of Suas E! Here: http://www.myspace.com/maryjanelamond/music/albums/suas-e-16152627

You can view her entire catalog via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Jane-Lamond/e/B000APADAM

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She Moved Through The Fair by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley

Info: Celtic Twist’s unique take on this timeless classic. Arranged and performed by Phil Holland and Dave Palmley of Celtic Twist. From their album Twist in the Tale available by writing via the contact form on the website.http://hollandandpalmley.wix.com/celtictwist

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 Cheers – Bard (Official Music Video 2012)

They project high energy live shows and amazing musicianship.Members are from the Czech Republic which is now a place with growing Celtic scene headed by bands like Poitin and also the band from this video Cheers!

Celtic Folk-Punk
http://bandzone.cz/cheers
Režie: Pája Junek + motivy z filmu Stakonický dudák (Karel Steklý, 1955)
http://www.junekfilm.cz

Celtic Music Whimsy

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In this edition:  Enda Seery, Fraser Fifield, Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley, The Picts, Irish Music Ottawa Blog, and 9 Celtic music videos from youtube!

Videos: Seth Lakeman-Race to be King, Loreena McKennitt-Dante’s Prayer, Fraser Fifield- ‘Drawing Maps’, Rachel Hair Trio-Tsunami Jack, Eluveitie-Inis Mona, Enya-Book of Days, The Chieftains/Sean Keane-Drowsy Maggie, Seamus Ennis-An Poc Ar Buile and Ashley Macisaac-News Show in Japan.

Night Swimmers III by Eva McCauley

Night Swimmers III by Eva McCauley

How I got saved by a 16-year old artist!

I have a confession. Around Monday of last week, I was getting anxious because I usually have the Artist of the Week ready for publishing every the next day. But everyone was busy due to the holiday rush and no one was able to commit. Yours truly was experiencing panic. When I set a schedule, I stick to it not because I have a boss. After all, I own this site, no one pays me to write and I don’t earn my living by blogging. It is my passion for Celtic music and musicians that drive the itch. I have no partner in this. The same goes for my other blog Sphere Music. I do everything from ground up including the design and the decision of what I am going to feature next.

If you want to be part of my upcoming artist of the week, it is so simple. I get my recommendation from (your)peers in the music scene. Also, when I set my sights on you, then you get to be featured here. I write for the readers but I also write for the musicians. It is a practical thing to do. It helps musicians get to know other talents and this could be beneficial if they are looking for someone to jam with when they are in another country. From England, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, North America and other parts of the world, I have started building a network of artists. I feel like a super spider! Bloggers have the passion to keep the music scene alive. We are the Rolling Stones, Hot Press and Billboard magazine of Celtic music-well maybe not your typical journalism major but I try to make it interesting as much as possible.

Now we were talking about the incident last week right? Well it was the 16 year old Quinn Bachand who saved me. He’s the one who’s able to commit and he did an interesting interview! You can read this week’s interview about him to know more.

So what do we have for the start of the year?

Síocháin na Tuaithe Preview (New Album from Enda Seery in 2013)

Enda Seery is very excited about the release of his second album scheduled this year. He sent me demo clips of the few album tracks and they sound really amazing even in their rough states. I am sure the finished album will be fantastic.

16 tracks of Traditional Irish Music and Song… Coming soon in 2013!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzMh-aRF8h8

http://www.endaseery.com

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A Flurry of Recordings from Fraser Fifield

Guess who is hardworking this year and last year in the world of Traditional and Jazz music? Fraser Fifield is everywhere. Here is a nice article where he appeared: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-news/scottish-jazz-federation-launch-tours-1498666  He recently got his left arm broken. Get well soon Fraser!

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My House by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley

http://youtu.be/YCeV1RWZlFs

From Phil and Dave: “Everyone has a dream…however small, however simple…as long as its your dream and it makes you happy”.

This is a beautiful song!I like how Phil’s vocal style has evolved. It is softer and warmer now. I really love these guys. I mean they are not just part of my favorite circle of Celtic musicians but they also full of love and support. Wonderful friends and wonderful musicians. Such a rare combination.

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The Picts New Year Concert

Check out the photos from Douglas McQueen Hunter and the rest of  The Picts.

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Irish Music Ottawa Blog

I am proud to represent one of my peers from Canada. This is one of the most comprehensive sites I have ever seen. If you are in a band, an avid Irish music listener, if you are looking for gigs or want to know what’s going on, check this site. According to Craig who runs Irish Music Ottawa: This not-for-profit webpage provides links to primarily Ottawa Valley, and Irish Traditional Music (ITM), activities in, or within a few hours of the Ottawa / National Capital Region of Canada.  Music is a shared experience between musicians and the audience. That’s the spirit!

http://www.irishmusicottawa.ca/

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The rest of my facebook posts:

I love posting videos on facebook because I am driven by the mood of the moment and the kind of music that suits that mood. I was looking back and I already posted a lot this week so I am sharing this with you in case we are not facebook friends. Just to give you an idea what I thought were hot music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8op3oYkbcrk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDvxT53nILo

Happy New Year!!!

Quinn Bachand: Teen Power in Trad Music (Interview)

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Also in this edition: Mànran – Latha Math, Simple Celtic Phrases and Eluveitie – Live @ Graspop Metal Meeting.

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Young Canadian Celtic guitar superstar Quinn Bachand exclusive interview with The Celtic Music Fan.

At 13 Quinn Bachand already shared the stage with notable names in Celtic music. He has videos all over youtube performing with the likes of Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac. It is amazing to remember that it’s been only a few years since he and his sister Qristina got catapulted into Canada’s capital of Celtic music-the East Coast from their native British Columbia, and finally  the world. Yes like any teenager he goes to school and does his homework . It seems this year is very musical for the Bachands so I decided to get an update. The last interview I did with him was April 13 of 2011.

To be 16 and being serious in doing the kind of music he likes, what is it like?  There is also this question I wanted to ask but was not included in my first interview: Why trad music and not other types of music in an age where teenagers do dance or rock? Quinn gives surprising answers to this interview:

Your tour calendar says your next performance will be on January 26 , 2013 with “Quinn Bachand and Friends – An evening of Celtic, Roots and Jazz Music.” What are you busy doing these days?

Yes, Qristina is living in Amsterdam, so we haven’t been doing as many smaller/in-town gigs. More festivals and a concert here and there. We’re doing a tour of the Yukon in February, that will be a lot of fun. I’ve just started a group with my friend Richard Moody, from “the Bills”, and “Acoustically Inclined” so we’re just getting started. It will be Richard and I with rhythm guitar and bass playing the music of Django Reinhardt, “Gypsy Jazz.”

You have just finished doing  the Celtic Christmas Ceilidh show with your sister at the Knox. How was it?

The Christmas concert was a lot of fun! It was sold out, which is great since Qristina was coming all the way from Amsterdam. It was wonderful to see so many of our friends from Victoria that we hadn’t seen in a long time, and new ones too!

Please tell me more about this wonderful video:Lady Be Good – Performed by Richard Moody, you & Aaron Watson.

 

That is Richard and I, with our friend Aaron Watson. That was the first time we ever played together. It was a jazz vespers gig in Deep Cove, Saanich (Victoria). We’re playing the old Gershwin classic, Lady be Good!

It’s been more than a year since you and your sister released the album Family. How are things in the recording aspect of both your careers? Any plans for a new album?

I’ve been looking at making a solo album myself of a lot of different things, from straight ahead Celtic stuff with me on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and whatever else, to jazz. And everything in between like French Canadian waltz with Adrian Dolan on accordion, and old time Canadian swinging tunes with Daniel Lapp on the fiddle or trumpet. It’s all being thrown around and we haven’t made any decisions. I have recorded a couple of Celtic demos though.

Qristina and I are also planning on doing another record. She’s been growing a lot as a vocalist, so it would have a lot more songs on it than the last one. She’s learned a lot of awesome tunes while she’s been in Amsterdam so she’ll throw those all on the table!

Your Mom Marie is very supportive of your music. Does she go with both of you on tours?

Our mom does manage us, since I was so young (still kinda am) she or my dad, have been going with us on our tours. But I’m older than I was before and touring with ma big sis is alright with them! As long as we don’t kill each other it’s all good. Qristina’s boyfriend, Felix, will be our referee on this Yukon tour coming up.

If you were given a chance to create your own band on the side, what kind of music would it be and what instruments would be included?

I couldn’t really decide! There’s so many  instrumental arrangements of the style of music I play, alone. And so many styles I haven’t ever played that I like to listen to. A lot of those elements are slowly coming into Qristina and my set. I’ve just bought a midi bass pedal (a foot organ) that I can control to do bass notes, or swells (that you can hear on the last album). Things like that will allow me to play more banjo and fiddle in the set.

Now that you have toured the world and played with the best artists in the scene, what’s the reception like when you go back to your native British Columbia?

We’ve had the honour of playing with a lot of great musicians and some of our idols. I’m 16 so I’m still in school and my life is kind of separate from the music stuff. A lot of kids at my school don’t know about my music. It’s very separate. But the people in the music scene here are still the same towards me, we respect each other!

Being in an age where you can literally do anything musically and somehow get away with it, what makes you stick to traditional music instead of doing the things that other people do, meaning pursuing either mainstream rock or pop?

I really love trad music. It rocks pretty hard I think. I listen to some of that stuff though, and threw some cool effects from the electric guitar on the last album tastefully, and we’ll keep doing that and experiment.

More of Quinn and Qristina: www.qbachand.com

Videos:

A set of reels we captured in our hotel room during Kansas City Irish Fest 2011. The tunes are The Dash to Portobello (by Sean Ryan) and I believe the second tune is Jim Donoghue’s. The whistle is an MK low D made by Misha Somerville, Quinn’s guitar made by by his dad, Adrian Bachand.-Zach Leger.

Gallery

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Featured video:Mànran – Latha Math

Manran hit the UK top 40 which is a wonder considering that the song is entirely in Gaelic and yes it is such an honor to celebrate the distinctive style, freshness and the coolness of the Celtic circle!

Info: Mànran are the hottest new band on the Scottish music scene. Combining driving accordion, fiddle, Highland pipes, Uilleann pipes and flute with powerful songs in English and Gaelic, all underpinned by rocking drums and bass. Though the band is a fairly recent collaboration, each member has been dazzling crowds in Scotland and throughout the world with various line-ups for a number of years but now unite to create Mànran: the fresh, unstoppable sound of modern Gaelic Scotland. Since coming together in June 2010 the band have already played at festivals in Europe and Scotland. The band have enjoyed gigs at Celtica in Italy, The Hebridean Celtic Festival in Lewis and are looking forward to a busy 2011.

Mànran are hoping to become the first band in the 21st century to take a Gaelic song into the official UK top 40. The song, “Latha Math,” was written by lead singer Norrie MacIver and it will be released on the 17th of January. It will be available for download only on iTunes. The single was produced by two of the countries top producers, Calum Malcolm (Wet Wet Wet, Simple Minds and Runrig) and also legendary accordion player and musician Phil Cunningham.

After a very successful start to 2011 after appearing on the BBC Alba hogmanay show the band are now turning their attention by making history and taking “Latha Math” to the UK Top 40!!

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Simple Celtic Phrases:

Saying good night in all the Celtic languages:

Codladh sámh-Irish

Oidhche mhath-Scottish

Nos da-Welsh

Nos dha-Cornish

Ken ar wech all-Breton

Oie vie-Manx.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Celtic languages:

Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit!-Irish

Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr! -Scottish

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda-Welsh

Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa-Manx

Nedeleg laouen ha bloavezh mat-Breton

Looan Blethen Noweth-Cornish.

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Eluveitie – Live @ Graspop Metal Meeting, 23.06.12

Thanks to YouTube’s improvement we can now view a full concert. This one is by Celtic metal band from Switzerland . They are called Eluveitie. From wiki: The lyrics are often in the extinct language Gaulish. The name of the band comes from graffiti on a vessel from Mantua (ca. 300 BC).[10] The inscription in Etruscan letters reads eluveitie, which has been interpreted as the Etruscan form of the Celtic (h)elvetios (“the Helvetian”), presumably referring to a man of Helvetian descent living in Mantua.

Visit the band website: http://eluveitie.ch

Video is Published on Jun 25, 2012

Captured by Stucker
http://www.eluveitie.ru

00:00 Prologue
01:05 Helvetios
05:20 Luxtos
09:40 Neverland
14:20 Meet the Enemy
18:20 A Rose for Epona
22:45 Inis Mona
28:40 Alesia
33:10 Uxellodunon
38:30 Kingdom come Undone
42:35 Havoc
47:33 Epilogue

Terry Kelly, Mickey Harte and Merlins Nose Records‏

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Introducing an amazing Canadian artist, A German record label, Album Review, Loreena McKennitt and Picture of the day.

“It was kind of cool to work the sound board for him, because my dad said that when he was in university Terry used to play upstairs in the student union building. Another really cool thing  is that the choir I sang in, did one of his songs a few years ago but I didn’t know who he was so I didn’t realize it until he started playing the song. He sounded so good live.”-Layne Greene

Ever wonder how I got my fresh ideas for this site? Yes, I have good friends whom I spend hours and hours discussing musical stuff. So, apart from getting direct messages from bands themselves, I also get word of the mouth from this or that who knows this or that.

After one song I warmed up to Terry Kelly right away. Fans of Dave Gunning will love his music and yes he is also Canadian! You hear different  influences in his music ranging from Bluegrass, Irish to Pop rock. In My Father’s House (the video you see above) has an amazing fiddle part and the video is also well done. His voice combines strength and tenderness. The music lifts the soul, casting your burdens aside. So, to all of you who are having a hard time, those who are trying to heal from a broken heart or a terrible situation, the music of Terry Kelly is a perfect remedy. Not too heavy on the sugar, good calorie count and full of goodness.

http://www.terry-kelly.com/

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Record label to check out: Merlin’s Nose Records‏

Merlin's Nose records giving you ambient, pagan folk and other interesting releases

Merlin’s Nose records giving you ambient, pagan folk and other interesting releases

Those who love ambient sound with something medieval and folk then Merlin’s Nose Records have great stuff for you. The company is based in Germany and it sells records in various format. These tracks you hear are just samplers of the great things to come. Visit their site to browse through the catalog. http://www.merlins-nose.com/index_1.htm

Music sampler:

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Album Review: Mickey Harte: Forward to Reality

The music of Mickey Harte is easy to the ears and it goes down smoothly. There are enough hooks to appeal to both pop and rock listeners. His voice has the characteristics as Rod Stewart and Sting or a combination of both. The album booklet has a nice biography that will explain how this recording came into reality. It also shows black and white photos of the studio with the artist and crew during recording sessions. The album has 13 catchy pop rock songs , artfully crafted but they also made sure to retain that raw energy courtesy of sound Engineer Dave Hill.

The songs are typical adult alternative music that talks about relationships, the tragedy, redemption of love and things in between. There are folksy sensibilities in songs like Bordertown, Living in our town, Unstoppable train  and my personal favorite Broken Love. Mickey Harte has a voice possessing a wide range of expression and layers. In I like the way you think, his voice go really deep and sensual in a Chris Isaak croon.

So what about the instruments? Expect to hear Hanson guitars, alto trombone and the usual mix of keys, bass and drums. The recording and mastering took place inside 1 Bit Studio in Chicago IL. Interesting results happen when artists from the Emerald Isle let American sound engineers do the final touches. All in all Forward to Reality is one strong album that is poised to satisfy a wide range of listeners from the musical spectrum.

https://www.facebook.com/mjharte

http://mickeyhartemusic.com

Album Sampler

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Featured Video: Loreena McKennitt – Penelope’s Song (HQ)

“Penelope’s Song”, from the DVD Nights From The Alhambra (2007) and the album, An Ancient Muse (2006).

I love the way her voice wraps itself around you. It is a voice that moves the soul. I know there is no one else who sounds like her in the world.

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Picture of the day:
Celtic Helmet, 4th Century BC, Found at Agris Charante, France. Taken from The Celtic & Prehistoric Museum

Celtic Helmet, 4th Century BC, Found at Agris Charante, France.


Celtic Helmet, 4th Century BC, Found at Agris Charante, France.

New mp3 samples for your listening pleasure..

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Featuring:Layne Greene, Coda, Mickey Harte, Andrew Slim Black, Dan Aston and James M Law!

Good day folks. I spent the whole day listening and uploading songs. This happened because I received recordings from the following artists and it is nice to credit their work as well as getting you to know them one by one. Music helps us remember and it eases our pains and anger. I love the fact that music is my substitute for tons and tons of chocolate I could have swallowed trying to ease the blues of the past few weeks. I am glad to tell you that I am ok now. It  could have been difficult without music. I am featuring one by one. I have CDs on my shelf right now but I can’t cram them all here. Instead, I will take it one at a time. I am giving you a sampler at the end of this article. That way you will decide what artist you are going to pick up when you start shopping for records.

Pre release : Layne Greene EP

A new EP by Canadian folk musician Layne Greene (who is based in Nova Scotia) is in the works for final release. There are four tracks in the EP : Break, Iron Town, Winter Song and Working Man. Some of these tracks have been uploaded via his youtube, soundcloud and myspace pages. The only difference is that he actually made modifications and worked with jazz guitarist Alex MacNeil. Alex has a friend by the name of Shawn Bisson. Shawn did all the mixing/engineering for the session. He’s an actual sound engineer, and he just happened to be around and tagged along for the session. The artwork will be done by graphic artist Julie Meyer. For the  sample of Iron Town please refer to the bottom of this article where I posted all the sound samples for your listening pleasure.

Lyrics of Iron Town:

Words and music by Layne Greene

We built this town
on island waters
we wear ourselves down
with ropes and shovels

while days go by
and we sleep away
our time

we’ll wake to find
a restless state of mind
and all our thoughts
are leaving this place behind

while days go by
and sleep away
our lies

and we build the round
this iron town
and we’ll sit around
in our iron town
in our town

Lyrics printed with permission to the composer.

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Featured Videos: Coda-The Briar & The Rose/Elsafty, Armstrong & Browne in Concert

I like Tom Waits and when my friend Jimmy sent me a link to this video I was pleasantly surprised.  I was hooked. I keep on looking and listening. These guys gave me goosebumps! The second video is interesting in a sense that it is the most ‘traditional’ of all my post.

Róisín Elsafty — vocal
Siobhán Armstrong — early Irish harp
Ronan Browne — Union pipes, bansuri, tin whistle

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Our pic of the Day: Moya Brennan and Family

Moya Brennan: Going to Glastonbury with the family. We’ll all be performing the Croissant Neuf Stage Saturday afternoon. Maybe see you there? 3 June 2011
Tim , Moya, Paul and Aisling Jarvis. The reason why I found this photo fascinating is because it tells us that Irish music will always be a family affair. It is nice to see Moya and family looking relaxed and ready for musical action.

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Listening To: Mickey Harte-Forward to reality

I got a big surprise when I received a complimentary CD in the mail.

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Featured MP3s

Iron Town is taken from an upcoming EP. Title is in the works.

Bordertown is taken from an album Forward to Reality to be officially launched on September 16.

Peggy Gordon is taken from the new album of Andrew “Slim” Black called Gallows Tree Tales.

Way Home by Dan Aston. He is a singer/songwriter based in Cornwall. He is working on a debut CD which will be out in 2013.

The Thistle and The Daffodil by James M Law.