Tag Archives: Irish music

Susan McKeown’s Lowlands

Patrick O’Donnell wrote this review. If there is magic in music, Susan McKeown surely is a mage, for how else can her enchanting vocals and entangling arrangements be explained? Her amber tones weave a spell when first they are heard, … Continue reading

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Susan McKeown’s Bushes & Briars

Meredith Tarr wrote this review. Susan McKeown has the pedigree to produce an album of traditional Irish songs. Reared in Dublin, the daughter of a musical mother, her own musical path took her briefly toward opera, veering off through jazz, … Continue reading

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Cara Dillon’s After The Morning

What can you say about Cara Dillon that hasn’t already been said? She comes from an Irish background, from a family with established roots in traditional music. She sings like an angel with a sweet milky voice as smooth as … Continue reading

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Cara Dillon’s Cara Dillon

This is the debut album for Cara Dillon. Why we have had to wait so long to hear from her beats me. For the uninitiated who have never heard of Cara, she is 27 years old and a tasteful singer … Continue reading

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Mike Scott’s The Waterboys: An omnibus review, 1983-2000

The Waterboys’ The Waterboys (Ensign, 1983) The Waterboys’ A Pagan Place (Ensign, 1984) The Waterboys’ This Is The Sea (Ensign, 1985) The Waterboys’ Fisherman’s Blues (Ensign, 1988) The Waterboys’ Room To Roam (Ensign, 1990) The Waterboys’ Dream Harder (Geffen, 1993) … Continue reading

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Denis McArdle’s Untold

Irish crooner Denis McArdle’s debut album as a singer-songwriter and interpreter of others’ songs runs the gamut from folk-rock to pop to chamber folk. McArdle, a native of Dublin, puts his classical training to good use on a dozen songs, … Continue reading

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Andy Irvine & Paul Brady’s Andy Irvine / Paul Brady

From the first strains of the opening track “Plains Of Kildare” it’s clear that this is a special record. Dónal Lunny’s bouzouki, Andy Irvine’s mandolin and Paul Brady’s guitar lay down a rhythmic bed over which Irvine’s sturdy tenor vocals … Continue reading

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Skara Brae‘s Skara Brae

Skara Brae was the first group that put harmonies to Gaelic songs. That alone makes them an important part of Irish trad music. Also not-so-trad music as Triona Ni Dhomnaill went on to be a member of the Bothy Band, … Continue reading

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Transatlantic Sessions to perform at 2017 MerleFest

The Transatlantic Sessions tour will be part of the 30th anniversary MerleFest in April. The Transatlantic Sessions is a series of musical productions that brings together innovative and iconic U.K. artists with the best American roots artists, under the musical … Continue reading

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Lunasa’s Redwood 

Let’s wander down to the Green Man mailroom. Spike’s feeling a little queasy. As you might be aware, Spike’s helping me clean up the Green Man music library on this very, very rainy afternoon as it’s rather quiet this afternoon in the Pub. And … Continue reading

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