Yup, we don’t have an album or artist review yet. However, I have another album review coming up in a few days. I want to stretch out my album reviews so that I can post random stuff. And I guess random stuff makes this whole blogging thing fun, eh?
Our minds are infinitely creative. As we grow as people, we tend to discover new things. We tend to have further understanding along with that growth. We also evolve for better or worse depending on which side of the bell curve you fall. For me, I take it one at a time. Sure I can be miserable if I focus on the bad stuff. However, I know there is so much I can offer as long as I fill my days with gratitude and faith: Yup, one at a time.
And speaking of one at a time, I have been checking out musical instruments after acquiring my own Irish wooden D flute. I am still working on it as I am also studying music theory and keyboard playing on the side. But it is great to learn a new instrument. I had an Irish tin whistle, but I lost it. So seeing this video has filled me with nostalgia.
As we all know, Kevin Crawford plays for Lunasa. He is also a great session player for other musicians. I enjoy his social media posts because he is also a cyclist. Check this out, and hopefully, you get to learn a new musical instrument.
Something exciting is happening in the trad/folk scene when these seven members of Skipper’s Alley released their self-titled EP this year. The EP has four tracks all possessing diverse arrangement yet cohesive in a sense that you know it is their sound. Ta Me Mo Shuidhe brings back the glory of Skara Brae and The Bothy Band. Rockin’ the Boat jumps at you with its grace as precision. Jim Coleman’s is another charmer with its awesome break between explosive choruses of trad instrument and the quieter uilleann pipes/fiddle ‘talk’ in between.
Wild Bill Jones is is a poignant ballad with beautiful vocals by John Flynn and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin singing vocal harmony. I admire the play of shadows between the quiet and the rousing use of instruments. There is a current that runs through all the four tracks representing the band’s youth and excitement for playing music. There is also something magical about Skipper’s Alley as a band. You can sense it in the first track with that sparkling harp intro. You can feel the affection of their music wrapping around you in the sound of the uilleann pipes. The banjo gives their sound a kind of organic feel. The fiddle adds that skipping energy especially during jigs and reels. I like the otherworldly rhythm of the bodhrán, an instrument that is both modern and ancient. All instruments are recorded with that lush approach in this EP
These amazing young musicians made a great start with this this music. It is something that traditional or non traditional fans will really enjoy. There is that rock n roll energy on top of their folk beauty. Have a pint, enjoy the tunes and feel the love of music!
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!
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?
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.”
***
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 than10 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!
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
Damasqhs –
Vocals, Djembe, Djuns, Bongos, Guitar, etc.
Rebecca Holman –
Vocals, Bougaraboo etc.
Tesea Dawson –
Vocals, Flute, bass, keyboard Djembe, etc.
Brandon Mullikin –
Bass, Guitar, Djembe
Tyler Neitz –
Gutair, bass, keyboard, various percussion, etc.
Chris Bush –
Native American flute, penny whistle, bass, djembe, djuns, et
Stirring both the heart and soul: Tuatha Dea satisfies one’s musical cravings.
Bagabi inspires what is beautiful and primal. It is like being transported into a world during the time of dinosaurs. The use of didgeridoo further enhances this experience and I feel my imagination open up. It gives you that weird sensation especially when you listen to this track with the lights out. I like it when a song gives me goose bumps. It means it has achieved something greater. Music is supposed to be like this-something that touches the soul. The African inspired chanting and the eerie deep male vocals (think Brendan Perry) further enhances the effect.
This kind of style is also dominant in other tracks like the poly-rhythmic induced The Hunt(corners). The track starts with percussion then escalates into a melodic devotional chant piece. There is also the traditional inspired Mulligan Stew that should have been used in TV series like Merlin. The remaining tracks bend on the folk/rock side. The female vocals are strong reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Annie Lennox. I think this is great because I really like singers who sound like women and not like little girls. Songs like Falling Down, Celtic Woman (Mavis McGee), Tonight and the heart hurting Skye Boat Blues will leave you contemplating lost loves and missed soul mates in fishnet stockings and thick black mascara.
Call this an aside but I really love everyone’s fashion style here. Tuatha Dea is a band that is both beautiful to the eyes and ears. A perfect companion for a long rainy night with a single candle.
Formed in 2009 by Lead Vocalist Damasqhs, Tuatha Dea has an eclectic sound incorporating tribal drumming into the Celtic music genre.
Biography
Tuatha Dea first began with a group of close friends gathering together once a week to drum for kicks in 2009. Soon after the band began to write original music and playing at local social gatherings. As they began to build a small local fan base it was decided to try their hands at taking the show out into the public eye. They eclectically mix Scotts Irish, new age, traditional and modern day music to produce a unique variety and blend of rhythm and melody. As the fan base grows, the group continues it’s evolution and is constantly re-defining it’s perimeters. More info on Tuatha Dea will be coming soon and keep your eye on our website www.tuathadea.com!
Part dreamy, part energy…Eliza Marshall captivates listeners with her flute.
When you are stressed after a long day’s work the last thing you want to hear are the noisy drums bass and guitars. You want to stretch out and close your eyes and reflect about the great things that happened today. There are appropriate music for every occasion. The music of Eliza Marshall falls into this category.
She taps into the Classical, Pop and Folk styles with an ease of a blue fairy. Her years of discipline made her playing precise, crystalline and confident. I just discovered here today and I am won over by her style. More power to you Eliza!
Celtic Music Fan 