Category Archives: Music

The B-52’s Live! 8.24.1979

I don’t have this band in heavy rotation on my playlist, but when I do play them, I very much appreciate how good they are. And they did one of my all-time favorite songs, one I do have in my … Continue reading

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Gavin Bryars’ The Fifth Century

English composer Gavin Bryars was born in Yorkshire in 1943. He studied philosophy at Sheffield University and, as might be expected, became a jazz bassist during his time there. He’s worked in a number of different idioms and styles, from … Continue reading

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Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill, Triona Ni Dhomhnaill and Donal Lunny’s Idir an Da Sholas (Between the Two Lights)

Brendan Foreman penned this review. One half of this duo of sisters is actually quite prominent in the world of Irish traditional music. Triona Dhomhnaill was a founding member of three of the most important modern-day Celtic musical groups: the Bothy … Continue reading

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Band of Hope’s Rhythm & Reds

We’ve had this memorable CD for a long time, and listen to it frequently. Although we once had a brief review of this on GMR (done by Jack Merry), the file appears to have slipped sideways in time, so Cat … Continue reading

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A Nightnoise Retrospective

Nightnoise were a musical quartet whose career spanned the better part of two decades. Although three quarters of the band came from Ireland, the group was based in Portland, Oregon. Despite backgrounds in traditional Irish music, classical, and jazz, the … Continue reading

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Alasdair Fraser’s Dawn Dance

After finishing a review of the another Alasdair Fraser endeavour, Fire and Grace, I looked around the Estate music library to see if we had overlooked any of his other CDs. Indeed we had. Dawn Dance really should have been reviewed … Continue reading

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Horslips’ Drive the Cold Winter Away

Fans and the band members alike claim that the Horslips invented celtic rock which would be true, as Decca didn’t release Thin Lizzy’s version of a traditional Irish ballad, “Whiskey in the Jar”, as a single till 1972, a full … Continue reading

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Various Artists’ Fest Vraz

Stephen Hunt penned this review.  Fest Vraz is, indisputably, an album “made in Breizh!” It’s a 2-CD compilation from Keltia Musique, celebrating both 20 years of that esteemed label and the memory of its founder, Herve Le Meur. In recent years, … Continue reading

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David Bowie’s David Bowie: Rare And Unseen

Let’s start with the obvious. David Bowie is a genius. Musician, composer, actor, and mime, his versatility is always impressive. He defined — and very nearly created — glitter rock; he was the first white man inducted into the Soul … Continue reading

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Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker

I was in the middle of writing a review of Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker when news came on Thursday, November 10, of his passing earlier in the week. It was obvious from the songs on this remarkable album … Continue reading

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