The episode 14 of my show is up. Yes despite the terrible week I am experiencing the show must go on.
Tracklisting:
Luke Kelly-The Auld Triangle
Finnegan’s Hell-Drunken Christmas
Caliorne-Scottish Purple
Samuel Smith-The Agony
Samuel Smith-The Ballad of Oisin
Poitin-The Congress Reel
Ashley MacIsaac-Lay Me Down
Declan Sinnott-Orbit
Mickey Harte-Unstappable Train
Mark Handley and the Bone Idols-Peace and Joy
Garrett Wall Band-Terra Firma
Enya-Last Time by Moonlight
Mickey Harte
Terry Kelly, Mickey Harte and Merlins Nose Records
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.
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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
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
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.
New mp3 samples for your listening pleasure..
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.
Celtic Music Fan 