This was another great year for Celtic music. Celtic musicians from around
the globe continue to release great Celtic MP3s through the Celtic MP3s
Music Magazine. The CDs this year are better than ever too.
If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m not as into typical Celtic music. I
like independent Celtic music… the kind of music you’re gonna find in YOUR
hometown. It’s down-to-earth and filled with passion. That’s the reason it
becomes more popular every year. True folk music isn’t about pomp and
circumstance. It comes from the heart. It changes. Yet, it remains the same.
So this year, I went through the list of Celtic CDs that were downloaded into
my computer and picked some my favorites. Enjoy!
Electric
Green
Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga
I confess I adore
Cady Finlayson. Her fiddling is top notch and she collaborates with a variety of
great musicians. This album joins her with French guitarist Vita Tanga to create
a new spin on Irish fiddle from funky reels with the wah pedal to beautiful
melodies.
Roll Me Down The
Mountain
Sligo Rags
While we’re lookin at fusions, Sligo Rags are one
of my favorite in that category. A truly American Celtic band, they combine the
best of the Celtic song and tune with American folk and bluegrass. Their albums
are all beautifully lush and harmonious.
Bofiguifluki
Poitín
Descending
on us from the Czech Republic, Poitin continues to blow me away with tight, foot
stomping arrangements. It’s no wonder they were Celtic Radio Award nominees and
why I’ve kept my eye on them for the past three years.
Songs From the
Harp Room
Claire Roche
Claire Roche is a rare gem, and from the very
first song you realize it. She plays the harp and sings with a voice that sounds
eternally ancient. We’re talking days of Yore here, people. This album features
traditional songs that she learned while learning to play the harp at Sion Hill
School in Blackrock Co. Dublin, many years ago. And if you get a chance to hear
them live, don’t miss it!
![maidensivmusic](images/maidensivmusic-150x150.jpg)
Celtic
Fire
Maidens IV
The ladies of Maidens IV continue to inspire and push
the envelope for great independent Celtic music. This latest contribution is no
exception. It’s high-energy and packed with beautiful harmonies and outstanding
arrangements.
Christmas
The
Gothard Sisters
Speaking of inspiring ladies, The Gothard Sisters released a
Christmas CD this year. It quickly became my favorite Celtic Christmas album out
there. The ladies offer a beautiful fusion of Celtic music with Christmas songs.
Add to it their beautifully delicate vocals and you have a masterful addition to
the Celtic music world.
A Tribute to Robert Burns
Don
Grieve
I first met Don Grieve at an Irish seisun in Italy. What an amazing
experience that was! I fell in love with his music instantly. He played a lot of
Burns’ songs at that pub, so I was pleased to see a tribute to the great
Scottish poet and songwriter. This is a fitting tribute indeed. Don’s strong
Scottish vocals bring burns poetry and song to life.
Lonestar
Banjo
Jed Marum
Jed Marum impresses me regularly. He combines great
Irish and original songs with American folk and bluegrass. This album highlights
the banjo along with his beautiful vocals. Plus, many of the tracks were
featured in Film and TV projects. An excellent addition anyone’s CD catalog.
Noone
Lasses
Anton Emery
Now taking a step towards more traditional, I bring
you Anton Emery. Out of the Pacific Northwest, he plays traditional and modern
Celtic tunes on solo acoustic guitar. Soft, relaxing, but intensely exquisite
fingerpicking.
Three Mile
Stone
Three Mile Stone
Three Mile stone is a last minute addition to
my list. Their self-titled album was produced by John Doyle. So here’s some
driving traditional Irish music that sparkles.
County Kerry to
Kerry Park
Boston Blackthorne
Coming down from Massachusetts is one of
my favorite indie Celtic groups, Boston Blackthorne. Their latest album brings
hard-driving traditional Celtic music with fantastic harmonies.
Wolves in the
Walls
Ockham’s Razor
This album fell into my collection a few months
back and wouldn’t leave my car so I could properly rip the album. It’s some of
the best Alternative Celtic Rock I’ve heard in a wonderfully well-themed
album.
1,000 Feet Closer To
Hell
Jasper Coal
One of the first albums I ever heard was a wee
cassette called “Irish Drinking Songs”. I bought it for five bucks. These guys
were just as inspired by that album as I was. But while I went folky, they
punked it up with with whiskey, beer, great vocals and powerful fun music.
Bankers and
Gangsters
Black 47
Songwriting is the number one reason I love Black
47. Their newest album once again highlights Kirwan’s songwriting skill, plus
their great fusion of reggae, hip-hop, rock, and Celtic music. All the stuff a
growing boy needs to hear on the streets of New York.
–
Well there you have it, 14 great indie Celtic music CDs. These aren’t the
most conventional Celtic, that’s for sure. I love traditional Irish music,
sadly, there’s only a touch of it here.
Now as I look back at the albums that I enjoyed, I see the influence the
Celts had on the world with music. There’s music from Celts from Australia and
the Czech Republic. But there’s also a whole bunch of first, second, and third
generations Celts who are re imagining the music, from the more progressive
Celtic rock to bluegrass to pop, and of course a bunch of different folk
stylings.
The Irish and Celtic influence is fascinating, but I also find it even more
fascinating to see the effect of the world on Celtic music. Most of the
traditional Irish music we hear today is itself no more traditional than the
progressive fusions that these and other Celtic bands are creating.
But then, that is the folk process. It changes. And it’s another reason why
the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine is changing the way you hear Celtic
music.
Marc Gunn “The Celtfather” is Editor
of the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine and an
acoustic folk musician rooted in the American Celtic song tradition–-Celtic
music, the Traditional and the Twisted. Gunn is a champion of indie Celtic music
and has given away over ten million MP3s through his music and podcasts since he
began his Celtic music career in 1999. His Irish & Celtic Music Podcast won
“Best Podsafe Music” two years in a row in the Podcast Awards and is one of the
most-popular music podcasts on iTunes. And in 2010, Gunn released two
highly-praised alums of indie Celtic music: Kilted For Her
Pleasure, an album of kilted Celtic comedy music, and The Bridge, a soulful
reflection of Celtic and folk bluesy music with themes and melodies both new and
old. Embrace independent Celtic music!
Post Published: 29 December 2010
Author: Marc Gunn
Found
in section:
Articles
Tags: Anton
Emery, black 47,
Boston
Blackthorne, Cady Finlayson, Claire Roche, Don Grieve, jasper coal, Jed Marum, maidens iv, Ockham's Razor, poitin, Sligo Rags, The Gothard Sisters, Three Mile Stone,
Top Celtic
Music, Vita
Tanga