Tag Archives: Celtic music

Clandestine’s The Ale Is Dear

Clandestine, amazingly, is a three-piece contemporary Celtic band sporting guitar, fiddle and bagpipes that predates the Riverdance mania. And it’s based in Houston, too, not a city one would expect to be a hotbed of Celtic music. Unlikely roots, to … Continue reading

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Liz Carroll’s Lake Effect

Two years on from Lost in the Loop, here’s the latest from Chicago’s Queen of the Fiddle. While Carroll composes almost all the music here (with two traditional tunes slipped in), there’s plenty of variety in found in the various … Continue reading

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Dick Hensold’s Big Music for Northumbrian Smallpipes

Christopher Conder wrote this review. Despite his being a respected musician throughout North America, this appears to be the first solo album from Minnesota-based Dick Hensold. The remit here is to explore and expand the role of Hensold’s main instrument, … Continue reading

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The Poozies’ Changed Days, Same Roots

The Poozies include Karen Tweed (accordion, vocal), Patsy Seddon (electro-harp, Aziliz – a small Celtic harp, fiddle, vocal), Mary MacMaster (electro-harp, Aziliz, temple bells, clarsach, vocal), and Eilidh Shaw (fiddle, vocal). This recording is my introduction to the group and … Continue reading

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Straight Furrow’s Get Your Breath Back

Michelle Erica Green wrote this review. Straight Furrow began life playing Norfolk barn dances and now perform Celtic music all over East Anglia with a blend of traditional and innovative instrumentation. While their website emphasizes the weddings and parties that … Continue reading

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Seven Nations’ The Pictou Sessions, and Seven Nations (self-titled)

Some months back, I raved about Seven Nations’ 1999 release The Factory. Now I’m back with a pair of releases from one of the best Celtic rock bands out there. The Pictou Sessions, released in 2000 on their own label, … Continue reading

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Seven Nations’ The Factory

It’s almost inexcusable that I could have had this particular gem in my collection for so long and not written a review of it. I confess, then, that I was saving it for a rainy day, and as I fear … Continue reading

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Smithfield Fair’s Jacobites By Name

For anyone who is of the firm opinion that the Battle of Culloden was the darkest moment in the history of western civilization, Smithfield Fair‘s Jacobites By Name is the album you’ve been waiting for. If you’re not craving a … Continue reading

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The Sharecroppers Home, Boys!

Faith Cormier wrote this review. The Sharecroppers (Guy Romaine, Mike Madigan and Ed Humber) are three teachers from Pasadena, Newfoundland. Even their Web site doesn’t explain why they chose their name, since sharecropping has never been a way of life … Continue reading

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The Sharecroppers’ This New Founde Lande

Faith Cormier wrote this review. The Sharecroppers (Guy Romaine, Mike Madigan and Ed Humber) are three teachers from Pasadena, Newfoundland. This New Founde Lande, their second CD, is largely a celebration of Newfoundland history. The title track speaks about the … Continue reading

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