Canada

Flutist Brendan Mulholland Creates a (Sound) Wave

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

Plus: Celtic inspired Goth band BKR, Soundtrack for the ships, Sliotar pictures, Flutatious 2nd album, free mp3 download, artist sampler Philip Knight and the joy of music!

It it fascinating how much we can learn from our history. It is also surprising to learn how much we have departed from our old selves given a year or two. Sometimes, we lost the original cadence of our words that made people listen to us. Like natural elements, people around us,the things we read and the things we do-or LIFE itself- can have huge impact on how we present ourselves to the world. I was reading my old articles and marveled at the things I stop doing. There are no longer those highlighted words or links attached to words that make reading colorful. No wonder I bore myself easily haha. So on with the news:

Brendan Mulholland  Creates a Super Impression

The name  Brendan Mulholland has cropped everywhere especially in traditional sessions. It is no wonder why he gets a lot of gigs. His energetic flute playing is one of the finest. His style appeals to both young and old. I think his simple/minimalist approach in  recording makes him stand out from the rest. An electrician by day and a full-time musician by night, it amazes me to think that he is also a dad! 

Fox in the Town Set with its pattering notes creates an impression of drizzle. The Dregs of Birch has that head swaying melody that is filled with summer sweetness. His works are all great tracks that make his playing unforgettable. My druid is getting impatient to hear his new album Jean’s Hill (2012). I will do a track by track review when I have it and I promise you readers, he will be our featured artist!

http://www.myspace.com/brendanmulholland

http://www.brendanmulholland.com

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BKR – Gothic Music Celtic Folklore

They have been getting attention in the web lately as: A fusion of Gothic music with Celtic folklore. Hmmm.. so far I have no direct reference for the band except the name BKR. I don’t even know what that stands for. Do you know? Would you care to share with us what you know?

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Today in pictures..

Sliotar:Keltska noc 2012

More here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150978891303977.414037.43074838976&type=3

Photos by Lucie Vysloužilová

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Three ships  are arriving in Nova Scotia and how Layne got entangled with the Ceilidh

Noon in the Philippines means might time in Nova Scotia. I popped Layne a conversation. He was busy the whole week because there will be three ships arriving tomorrow. The town has a huge ship that stays docked the whole year round. He is excited about this event. I thought I’d go ahead and recommend a soundtrack for the event. So I gave a link to that Enya video up there. I said it is a good

A replica of the ship Hector which arrived in Pictou in 1773 carrying settlers from Scotland – the Mayflower of Pictou County. It sits next to the Hector Heritage Quay Museum. From http://www.novascotiaphotoalbum.com

soundtrack for the event. He said he will sneak to the sound booth and blast it through the PA. He said  that’d be awesome. Lately he has made himself into the circle in the DeCoste Centre where he worked as part of his summer job. I said he is da mafia man of music now. As for the sound guy he is friends with:

“Super nice/smart guy, really knows his stuff. I’m learning a lot about live mixing from him. since I’m interested, he’s letting me work the board more than he usually lets the summer students.”

“I got to mix a ceilidh last night with a piano, 2 guitars and 2 fiddles. plus 3 vocals, it was really fun.”

“Really? How did you end up with a ceilidh”? I asked.

” We do a ceilidh every week for 3 nights, its really fun”.

“Wow well if you get mixed up with the ceilidh again tell me about it so I can write something about it.”

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Album review

Flutatious 2
Track List
1.Wendel The Witch
2.Consumption
3.Dragonfly
4.W.O.W
5.Springtime on the Hill
6.Somewhere’s near to Nowhere
7.Haste ye Back
8.Morning Star
9.Drunken Drummer
10.The River of Ae

This album took me more than 10 listens before I decided to post a review. There are things we ignore about a song( or an entire album) with just few listens. Flutatious is a band that is both complex and minimalist in its approach sound recording.

Headsets or speakers, the slick production qualities are notable. This is a further step from their debut album. The style becomes well-defined. It seems that the band deepens whatever kind they based their influence in this album, composed of 10 songs.

Tracks like Wendel The Witch  and Consumption  come out with adventurous sonic blows that really defines the band’s eclectic style. There are slow tunes like Haste ye Back and River of Ae that nod on their New Age roots but tracks like Dragonfly and Drunken Drummer clearly define their Celtic heritage.

I recommend that you should NEVER skip a track when you listen to an album because it is like a journey. Every track tells you a story or a piece of a puzzle that completes the whole mystery which is the album. I prefer albums as opposed to singles.

An album is like a cathedral. Every track contributes to its architecture. What I see in Flutatious 2 is a great body of work. I can’t wait for the next album!

http://www.flutatious.co.uk/

Music sampler

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Artist sampler Philip Knight

1. Men Selevan (St Levan’s Stone) 00:00
2. Tamsin (Tamsin) 03:35
3. Maria Wynn a Gernow (Blessed Mary of Cornwall) 06:46
4. Dhe Vlamya yw Hi (She is to Blame) 10:43
5. Karoryon Porthgwartha (The Lovers of Porthgwarra) 13:49
6. Dehwelyans an Marner (The Sailor’s Return) 18:50
7. Myrgh an Mor (Daughter of the Sea) 22:59
8. Kyns ty dhe vos (Before You Go) 26:56
9. Spyrys agan Tir (The Spirit of our Land) 31:14

For bilingual lyrics and more information about the artist, go to http://www.magakernow.org.uk/idoc.ashx?docid=7dfc15fd-948b-4826-bd3c-32c55c7a…

All songs written and performed by Philip Knight

Produced, arranged, engineered, mixed and mastered by Paul Knight-Malciak http://www.paulknightmusic.co.uk

Recording generously funded by MAGA http://www.magakernow.org.uk

To purchase the CD album, mp3s, and lyrics booklet go to http://www.kesson.com

One on One with Luke Fraser of The Bombadils.

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

I  like both The Bombadils and Raftmen. The former is a Celtic fusion band and the latter a classically influenced folk/rock band. What do they have in common? Both are from Canada and they are bands where my featured artist Luke Fraser plays for. He is a native of Nova Scotia . Now he is basking under the musical diversity of Montreal, Quebec where the rest of the band members are located. We both like  The Punch Brothers and I remember how he was excited about going to their concert when they toured Canada. These days, he is busy with music. The Bombadils has just released an album called “Fill Your Boots”. Music can be sampled via streaming through their website http://www.thebombadils.com/ 

By the way I just heard the first track from “Fill your Boots!” while writing this introduction and I love it! So let’s get to know more about Luke:

Favorite color: Blue

Guitar man.

Zodiac sign. Cancer
Pet peeve: Apathy

Tell us what Raftmen is all about?
* The Raftmen started as the brainchild of the lead singer and bassist Ben Duinker. He is a great musician all around and thought that it would be fun to bring together all of us Nova Scotian friends to start a rock project. This is the second time we have all played together – the first time was in a cover band, put together to play the Dalhousie University music faculty ball. The first album is based on selections from an old popular TV commercial series entitled “Canadian Heritage Moments”. Some of them were used in the lyrical content of a few of the songs.

What are the challenges playing an electric guitar for the Raftmen, as opposed to the usual mandolin/acoustic guitar type of music you do for The Bombadils.
* I began playing electric guitar before acoustic guitar, so it is easy for me to switch back to electric for this project. Since I have been focusing on acoustic guitar and mandolin these days, I forgot how different it really is between acoustic and electric. For one thing it is so much easier to play and you don’t have to really have great technique to play it well, although it helps. You don’t have to really worry about tone production in the picking hand because most of the tone comes from the guitar and amp you use. I enjoy electric for different reasons, but nothing will ever replace my passion for making a hollow sound chamber resonate. It just feels more personal to me.

You list Chris Thile as one of your heroes. How was the Punch brothers concert?

Session.Picture by Aaron Hull

* The Punch Brothers show in Montreal was amazing. Chris Thile and the band are a huge influence on me and they are such solid musicians on their recordings and especially live. They are returning the September, 2012 to Montreal and I will be in the front row again!

Fans are waiting for the Bombadils album. How’s it going in terms of recording and production?
* The Bombadils album has arrived! We are very proud of our first full length album and we will be officially releasing it this Friday at Burritoville in Montreal.

How’s your own solo project?
* At the moment I don’t really have a solo project, but I am thinking about new future side projects, which may take the form of a duo project with Sarah Frank, and/or a full-on bluegrass band with some of Montreal’s finest players.

What are the funniest moments you experienced being on the road/tour?
* We are a crazy bunch of bandmates, so there were a lot of funny moments. We had a lot of fun carrying on during the drives and especially making the Vlog videos that can be found on Youtube.

Sad experiences while on tour.
*Overall, it was a great tour. We were all sad to see it end!

With Raftmen

Is it true that you are originally came from Cape Breton? I have friends from that region and all of them are very musical. Can you give us a little picture of the Fraser household when you were a kid?
*Actually, I am not from Cape Breton specifically, but I am from outside Halifax which is in the same province where Cape Breton is located. That being said I have been influenced by the music of CB. We sometimes perform a song by one of CB’s hometown heros, J.P. Cormier.
In the Fraser houshold when I was a kid, you would find me alone in my room listening to cassette tapes of the Beatles, The Rankins, Alvin and the Chipmonks, The Eagles, Lovin’ Spoonfull, and lots more. Also, CBC radio was constantly on in my house.

With The Bombadils

What are the albums that you listen to right now.
* I am currently listening to my new vinyl collection, inherited from my lovely aunt. Aka-everything bluegrass, newgrass, classic rock and blues. Also on constant spin – Punch Brothers. (go figure).

Complete the sentence: ” I dreamed of________________ last night and I____________ when I woke up this morning.

” I dreamed of the ocean last night and I did songwriting exercises when I woke up this morning.

You can get your copy of Fill your Boots by The Bombadils through:

CD Baby

Band: https://www.facebook.com/thebombadils

Wow! The vocal capabilities of Sarah Frank even without the mic shocked me. This is outdoors. She is one of a kind singer/fiddler.

Lunasa – USA and Canada summer shows and beyond …

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 1 Comment

Ha! I am sure traditional fans in North America will love this. Yes they are coming. My big thanks to Christi in the United States for keeping me informed about the Celtic news over there. This is the message from the band:

Hi Folks,
If you’re anywhere near Lowell, Somerville or Oak Bluffs in MA … Ridgefield, CT … Pawling, NY … Lancaster, PA … Portsmouth, NH … OR … Sherbrooke, QC … the Lúnasas are on their way over at the end of the month.

Date and Venue:

Date Venue City Country Contact
Jul. 28, 2012 Lowell Folk Festival Lowell, MA USA 978 970 500
Jul. 29, 2012 Lowell Folk Festival Lowell, MA USA 978 970 5000
Jul. 31, 2012 Ballard Park – Barbara Manner’s Summer Series Ridgefield, CT USA 203-431-6501
Aug. 01, 2012 The Burren Somerville, MA USA 617-776-6896
Aug. 03, 2012 The Union Chapel Oak Bluffs, MA USA 508 693 6237
Aug. 04, 2012 Towne Crier Pawling,NY USA (845) 855-1300
Aug. 05, 2012 Longs Park Amphitheater Lancaster, PA USA 717 295 7054
Aug. 09, 2012 Festival Des Traditions Du Monde De Sherbrooke Sherbrooke, QC Canada 819-821-7433
Aug. 10, 2012 Festival Des Traditions Du Monde De Sherbrooke Sherbrooke, QC Canada 819 821 7433
Aug. 11, 2012 Prescott Park Arts Festival Portsmouth, NH USA 603 436 2848
Nov. 01, 2012 Upstairs Cabaret Victoria, BC Canada 250-360-2406
Nov. 02, 2012 Rogue Folk Club – St James Church Vancouver, BC USA 604-736-3022
Nov. 03, 2012 San Juan Community Theatre and Arts Center Friday Harbor, WA USA 360 378 3210
Nov. 04, 2012 Mission Theater Portland, OR USA 1-800-227-8499
Nov. 05, 2012 The Triple Door Seattle USA 206-838-4333
Nov. 07, 2012 Kuumbwa Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA USA 408 847 6982
Nov. 10, 2012 Barkley Theatre Fallon, NV USA 775 423 1440
Nov. 15, 2012 Lensic Performing Arts Center Santa Fe, NM USA 505 988 1234
Nov. 16, 2012 Kimo Theater Albuquerque, NM USA 505 768 3544
Nov. 17, 2012 California Institute Of Technology – Beckman Auditorium Pasadena, CA USA 626 395 4638
Feb. 23, 2013 Fitchburg State CollegeWeston Auditorium Fitchburg, MA USA (978) 665 3347
Feb. 28, 2013 Performing Arts Center Tarpon Springs, FL USA 727 937 0686
Mar. 01, 2013 University of Florida Performing Arts Gainesville, FL USA (800) 905 2787
Mar. 03, 2013 Adelphi University Garden City, NY USA 516 877 4000
Mar. 06, 2013 Reston Community Center Reston, VA USA 703 476 4500
Mar. 07, 2013 David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center New York, NY USA 212 875 5000
Mar. 08, 2013 Carlisle Theatre Carlisle, PA USA 717 258 8037
Mar. 09, 2013 Carnegie Lecture Hall Pittsburgh, PA USA 412 361 1915
Mar. 12, 2013 The Fenian’s Irish Pub Conklin, MI USA 616-899-2640
Mar. 14, 2013 Palace Theatre Syracuse, NY USA www.drumcliffe.org
Mar. 20, 2013 Evanston Celtic Festival Evanston, WY USA 307 679 2348
Mar. 22, 2013 Myrna Loy Center Helena, MT USA 406 443 0287
Mar. 23, 2013 Hamilton Performing Arts Centre Hamilton, MT USA 406 363 7946

Details for these shows and beyond here: http://www.lunasa.ie/?blogid=3

 

Celtic Colours International Welcomes Back Natalie MacMaster

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My Island Too

Friday October 5th

Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, Port Hawkesbury – 7:30 PM, Tickets: $60/50/40, Reserved Seating

October 5 is the opening night for the music festival that has become an establishment . Her new albums is called ” Cape Breton Girl”. Are you going?

Here’s the festival headline:

No one found it surprising when Natalie MacMaster called her latest album “Cape Breton Girl”. Tonight everyone’s favourite Cape Breton girl is home to open the festival and share her beloved island with friends from other islands and provinces…from Shetland the amazing fiddle band Fiddlers’ Bid, from Jamaica Pepito Pinto, Metis dancers the Asham Stompers from Manitoba and close buddies Rachel and Sabin from Quebec. Rachel is actually from Cheticamp, so she, along with Goiridh and Cyril will complete the Cape Breton musical welcoming committee. Be prepared for surprises!

http://www.celtic-colours.com/shows/my-island-too/

Hillside Festival and Riverside Celtic Society (Updated)

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It is an exciting year for award-winning Canadian bodhran player/teacher Jacob McCauley. Apart from the upcoming album launch, his hands are busy playing and teaching:

Looking forward to teaching a Bodhrán workshop at the Hillside Festival this year! I’m also very happy to have some musical support from James M Law and Graeme McGillivray playing some good ol’ traditional tunes mixed up with some of our own modern compositions. Should be a hoot!-Jacob McCauley

http://hillsidefestival.ca/#/performerInfo/performer/drum_dance_bodhr_n_with_jacob_mccauley

Below is a slideshow from the recent Riverside Celtic Society Performance, plus some old pictures they have. According to Jacob:

“We sadly had a recent friend and musician pass away so we uploaded many of some old photos”.

And of course a nice update:

“My trio’s EP is releasing soon and I should have a track to post soon as well so I will let you know about that as soon as I have more info. I also have been testing the new drum. Fun times!”

They have a nice site: https://www.facebook.com/RiversideCelticSociety

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