Celtic Music ReviewsCeltic MP3s Music Magazine is a free weekly Celtic music & mp3 magazine featuring free music downloads of Celtic, Scottish, Irish music from around the world. Subscribe for a chance to win free Celtic CDs. Don't just download. Hallmark Chooses Seattle Band for Saint Patrick's Day Music Card
Perennial iTunes Favorite The Irish Experience Plays Morrison's Jig
March 5, 2008 -- SEATTLE – The creative minds at Hallmark made a sound choice to use a Seattle band for one of their music cards. The Irish Experience plays a traditional Irish song on the whimsical St. Patrick's Day card which is out in stores now. Hallmark claims that Americans exchange about 9-million Saint Patrick's Day cards annually which could bode quite well for the local group. The selection of Joe Bowbeer's band was a complete surprise. "Pretty much out of the blue, someone from Corbis contacted me about using the song, Morrison's Jig," says Bowbeer. Turns out one of the creatives from Hallmark heard the song on iTunes. Corbis handles licensing for Hallmark and one of their representatives found Bowbeer's information on the band's MySpace page. The band was paid a usage fee for an initial printing of the card and could earn more should more cards be sold. "This is certainly not something we expected," says fiddle player Bowbeer, "but it sure is an excellent way to get the music out there." The band is rounded out by guitarist Tom May and bass player Tom Hotchkin. The song, Morrison's Jig, was recorded on the band's self-titled album which came out in 2003. The band is a perennial favorite on iTunes, reaching the top ten in the "World" genre in both the album and song categories. The band formed in 1996 to entertain Seattle pub crowds on Saint Patrick's Day. They perform Celtic and Appalachian music on traditional and electric instruments. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, March 05, 2008. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Celtic MP3s Music Magazine Announce the 2nd Annual Celtic Music Awards
AUSTIN, TX (October 16, 2006) -- The Celtic MP3s Music Magazine, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and the Brobdingnagian Bards are proud to announce the opening of the 2nd Annual Celtic Music Awards. The awards page began with the goal to try and determine who the most-popular independent Celtic music groups are online through popular voting.
In 2005, only the top 10 Celtic music groups, by listener votes, were counted. This year, the voting opportunities are expanded with the addition of new award categories to better recognize contributors from the individual Celtic music genres (including folk, traditional, rock, new age). Listener's can vote online from now until December 31, 2006. The results will be announced in March 2007 with a special Irish & Celtic Podcast that features music by the most popular artists in each category. You can see who the winners were in the 2005 Celtic Music Awards on the website. CDs from these select artists are also available for purchase at CDBaby.com and Amazon.com. Complete contest rules can be found on-line at http://www.celticmp3s.com/awards/. ABOUT Marc Gunn / Brobdingnagian Bards: Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards, an internet music promoter, podcaster, poet, photographer and publisher of many, many things on and offline. Marc Gunn is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards. He is also Celtic music podcaster and promoters as well as publisher of Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. http://thebards.net Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music http://celticmusicpodcast.com/ Irish & Celtic Music Podcast Renaissance Festival Podcast - Music and Entertainment from Ren Faires http://www.renaissancefestivalmusic.com/ XXX For Further Information Contact Marc Gunn (512) 470-4866. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, October 18, 2006. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Announcing the Premiere Irish & Celtic Music Podcast for St. Patrick's Day
(Austin, TX) March 12, 2006 -- With Saint Patrick's Day fast approaching, Celtic MP3s Music Magazine and the Brodingnagian Bards announce the premiere internet radio show for the occasion. The podcast will be available online March 16th at http://www.celticmusicpodcast.com and will feature highlights of the best traditional music from Ireland, Scotland and other Celtic countries. The St. Patrick's Day line up will feature classic Irish drinking songs, some Celtic favorites and other musical surprises which promise to bring out the Irish in everyone. It can be easily downloaded via iTunes.
The podcast is a regular bi-weekly offering, hosted by The Bards and Celtic MP3 Music Magazine. Each podcast is artfully crafted to bring listeners the best of what is happening in Celtic music today. Often referred to as "The hardest working man in Celtic music", Marc Gunn, publisher of the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine as well as a member of The Bards, leaves no stone unturned in bringing the old, the new and always the best to these podcasts. He insists, "I am committed to the goal of gaining exposure for great Celtic artists to fans of the genre, podcasts are one of the best ways I know to accomplish this." The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is a free, bi-monthly, downloadable radio show of independent Irish & Celtic music. It features Irish drinking songs, Scottish folk songs, bagpipes, music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Wales, Nova Scotia, Galicia, Australia, the United States, and around the world. Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards. He is also Celtic music podcaster and promoters as well as publisher of Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, March 13, 2006. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Free Music Downloads and More from St Patricks Day Party.Net, the Perfect Companion for Green Beer
(Austin, TX) March 10, 2006 -- What do you get when you mix green beer with a Celtic musician born on St. Pat's? Marc Gunn, Celtic musician, Scots-Irishman and publisher of the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. Inspired by his favorite holiday to offer something new, Gunn has announced the creation of his Saint Patrick's Day Party website.
The site offers free downloads of classic Irish drinking songs as well as a wealth of information about the history of the holiday and holiday happenings in the Austin area. Gunn, unlike some other Celtic musicians, revels in the classic, Saint Paddy's Day playlist. Visitors can download perennial favorites such as "Whiskey in the Jar", "The Wild Rover", "Finnegan's Wake", "The Unicorn Song" and, you guessed it, "Danny Boy". The MP3s available are taken from his band, the Brodingnanian Bards fifth studio CD entitled Songs of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. According to a review in the Austin Chronicle "...the Austin-based Bards are masters of traditional folk. Like a Celt-Renaissance They Might Be Giants, albums like Marked by Great Size and their latest, A Faire to Remember are equal parts lilting melodies and good humor. Their song "Tolkien" is an unexpected MP3 hit." "I wanted to share my love of St. Patrick's Day since we started playing the music", says Gunn. "So I set up this website to give away a few free music downloads of St. Patrick's Day music. I found some great Irish clip art, and a few other cool things. I want to share them all with you". There is no doubt that Gunn is passionate about this celebrated holiday of the Emerald Isle, so grab a pint and your ipod and let the revelry begin. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, March 10, 2006. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. North Texas Irish Festival 2006
by Marc GunnSo where to begin? First, let me say many, many, many thanks to Kimberly and Doc Grauzer. They were kind enough to let me crash in their hotel room for the weekend which allowed me to get my first taste of everything I've heard about the North Texas Irish Festival.
What had I heard? Well, the shows a great, but you also don't want to miss the sessions at the host hotel after hours. The craic is grand! And it was. My Pick of the Best of North Texas Irish Fest 2006:
Friday Arrival I drove up rather late on Friday. Arrived in Dallas around 8pm and drove over to visit my friend Donna Duncan from faire. She now has a business called Costumes in Time that does period costumes. I was thinking of augmenting my faire outfit. A lot of it will depend on money though. Meantime, she sized me and we caught up. Then I was off to the hotel. I arrived and found Doc and Kimberly in the lounge, relaxing with Sarah Dinan and her friends. I said hi to a bunch of other folks in the community and then went up stairs to unpack my autoharp and bodhran. Downstairs we found a nice session down one of the halls with a dozen folks or so. A couple months ago, I was briefly shown how to play the bodhran so I bounced between my two instruments. I'm still no where near up to speed for playing melody on the autoharp. And there are some chords which I am limited by for sessions. So the bodhran balanced that out rather well. Saturday at the North Texas Irish Festival We jammed until 2:30ish which Doc said was a slow night for sessions. That's okay though because we got up at 8am. That was painful. Then we ate breakfast and took a shuttle to the festival. We were first in line for the gate. I spent much of Saturday recording Station IDs for my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast from as many bands as I possibly could. I had over 40 by the end of the weekend. The very first band I caught was Paisley Close. I first met Cid at the House of Dra at the Texas Ren Fest, and she was sweet enough to give me a copy of her band's new CD, All On A Day. Excellent CD! I even added them to The Secret World of Celtic Rock compilation CD. From Paisley Close, I raced over to Seamus Stout. Their show was over, but I did catch them for some promos at least. Then on to see Jed Marum. Jed was a pleasant surprise this year. He submitted a CD for my Celtic MP3s Music Magazine about three years ago. But I never really listened to it. So when I did my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast last week I listened to the CD and found out what a great voice he has. I was even more pleased because I kept running into him at just about every show I went to. He's extremely nice and a genuine guy. A folk musician of the truest sort. After Jed's show, I met up with Clan Gunn and walked arond a bit. I made my way over to the other building and said, "hi" to Lanora of Things Celtic. That's when it occurred to me I made a big mistake. I paid for an ad in the NTIF program for my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. If I was REALLY smart, I would've said, "Go over to the Things Celtic booth and purchase a copy." And of course, worked it out so they had copies of the CD there. Drats! Well maybe next time... Though I'm not sure it was financially feasible. Ah well. At 2 o'clock, I saw Ed Miller perform with John Taylor and Rich Brotherton. The sound at the beginning of the show was a bit messed up, but the songs as usual were wonderful. Forunately, the sound issues were resolved by the end of the show. Next up was Beth Patterson. I had heard about her from a lot of friends in Louisiana. She was good. However, I wasn't too impressed with the electronic drum kit. I might've enjoyed her show more if she just stayed acoustic. So I didn't stick around long for that show. Instead, I went over to see John Williams & Dean Magraw. Some great tunes from them. You can tell John loves playing music. At four o'clock, there was a bodhran workshop. Since I know virtually nothing about the bodhran, I decided to go. Lo and behold, I ran into Michelle Hedden over there. Michelle recorded on my cat CD and also plays backup drums for us just about whenever we are in Missouri. On the downside, Albert Alphonso was one of the teachers. While Mark Stone did his best to educate us in a useful workshop, Alphonso did his best to Waste our time. I'm still rather pissed about that. I sent NTIF a letter about it too. Lesson to be learned, if you ever hear of a workshop with Alphonso, don't bother! There was one other downside about having a bodhran workshop at 4'o'clock. Two Austin groups, The Tea Merchants and Sarah Dinan, were playing at that same show time. So I would have to wait until Sunday to see them. At 6:00, I went to see Robbie O'Connell and Aoife Clancy. That was kinda weird. Aoife seemed to have her own band. And Robbie was sorta smacked into the center of it all. So it was rather disjointed as they swapped back and forth singing songs. But the individual songs they performed were quite beautiful. Next up was a band I've heard occasionally, but never spent much time listening to--Brother. I caught their 7:15pm show. And it was amazing! The band fuses Australian tribal with original songwriting, bagpipes and didgeridoo. They put on a powerhouse of a show. Great performance. It left me with a major high as I went back in to find out when Doc and Kimberly planned to head back to the hotel. But I was stopped short with something more out of the ordinary than Brother. That was Onya. The Star & Harp Pub Stage was filled with three guitarists singing basically acoustic alternative rock. Onya was center stage. She's a singer/songwriter who recently won Ireland's version of "American Idol", I think. She has an amazing voice. I came in when she started singing an original song called "Pass the Bottle" that had the audience singing along. They played a few of those fun sing-a-longs. And I was just totally mesmerized by her. Seeing as how her musical style was completely different from everything else at the festival, I went up and talked to them after the show to find out if they were heading to South By Southwest. No, but they were heading to Austin on Monday to play at Mother Egan's. Sweet! From there, I caught the shuttle back to the hotel. On it were The Makem and Spain Brothers. I recorded a quick promo and chatted with them a little. Then back at the hotel, I joined several sessions until the wee hours of the morning. Yes, it was a marathon... sort of. But what a blast. My finger was sore from playing the bodhran too. The craic was hightened because I was able to try out a couple bodhrans, but Austin bodhran-maker, Rob Forkner. Now I'm aching to get a new bodhran. Man! Those drums sound good! One step at a time though. Sunday at the North Texas Irish Festival I think it was like 4am when I finally went to bed. I did NOT want to wake up Sunday morning. Doc is definitely a morning person, but I am not. We joined a bunch of others to catch a shuttle to the festival before the gates opened. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that Brother was on the shuttle. I talked to Brother the day before about doing an interview with them before their first show. We had 20 minutes to drive. So I interviewed them on the bus, asked other riders if they had any questions for the band, and Angus video taped a part of the interview. The interview was a high, but my exhaustion took it's toll after that. I caught a few minutes of Threadneedle Street. Their stage still had sound issues. Combined with the fact that I was fighting to stay awake from sleep deprivation, I decided to walk around. So I made my way over to see a few minutes of the Trinity River Whalers. I was anxious to see Brother again. So I did. But while I sat still much more on Sunday, I was still so wiped. I finally went to the Clan Gunn tent. Sat down for a moment, and within minutes, I was passed out. I woke up thirty minutes later feeling MUCH refereshed. I caught a little bit of Michael William Harrison's show, fantastic, before heading over to catch The Makem and Spain Brothers. That was pretty cool to see. I never really listened to Tommy Makem outside of a CD I have with him and The Clancy Brothers. But they all had a very similar style. Nice powerful vocals. I understand why those groups did so well. And they definitely have that Makem sense of humor. Great performers. At five, I caught Paisley Close again and afterward headed over to the Austin lineup. Sarah Dinan and The Tea Merchants were playing the last two sets on the Star & Harp Pub Stage. Sarah had a new band and a whole new band lineup and consequently new songs. Her vocals were gorgeous as usual. But the highlight for me was The Tea Merchants. I gotta say, NTIF made a big mistake putting them at such a poor time because they blew away many of the other trad bands I heard. They were amazing. Now to the festival's credit, I heard from a friend that The Tea Merchants were a last minute addition and filled the slot of another band. So a big Congrats to the Festival for booking them. Hopefully, next year they will realize that this is the #1 Irish music group in Texas and will give them better time slots! I finished off the festival with Brother again, joining the throngs of dancers as Eileen Ivers joined them on stage and they just jammed on stage. It was one heck of a festival. I caught the shuttle with The Makems and Tea Merchants back to the hotel. I was about ready to drive home that, just feeling wiped from a long weekend. But Doc and Kimberly talked me into going downstairs for dinner. After that, I was ready to play music. The sessions started breaking out, so I joined them and a brilliant time before heading upstairs for a little quiet time and some sleep. All in all, North Texas Irish Festival out did itself in 2006. Buy CDs: North Texas Irish Festival 2006 Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards. He is also Celtic music podcaster and Irish music magazine publisher and promoter. Last but not least, he is poet, photographer and music business educator. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Tuesday, March 07, 2006. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Austin's Best-Kept Secret for Irish Traditional Music
Austin has a lot of great Irish & Celtic music. Groups like the Brobdingnagian Bards, Cluan, Sarah Dinan and The Tea Merchants dominate the local Celtic music headlines. That leaves some of the most-amazing in the shadows, a secret, well-hidden.
That's what I was seeking Friday night when I drove to meet my friend Nancy at Mother's Cafe & Garden. For the past eight years, an Irish harper has played at Mother's. He now plays there three times a week. He is the best-kept secret of Irish traditional music in Austin. His name is Thomas "Doc" Grazuer. Three centuries ago, there was an Irish harper named Turlough O'Carolan. He was blinded by smallpox as a child. So he did what many such unfortunates did at the time, he started playing the harp and roamed the countryside as an itinerant musician and poet, a bard. O'Carolan was the role-model for many traditional musicians today. He composed hundreds of melodies that are still played today by Irish musicians. Doc is a lot like I am. He sees his role as a musician who preserves the traditional music of Ireland. He keeps O'Carolans songs alive for our generation. The prevalence of contemporary rhythms found in Celtic rock or even most contemporary Irish music compromises the traditional sound, but Doc keeps traditional Irish music alive by staying to the path founded by O'Carolan and centuries of harpers. When we walked into the Garden at Mother's and heard those ancient melodies waft to our ears like the food did to our noses, I knew I was in for an Irish treat. The garden or food alone is worth a trip to Mother's. But to sit in the garden with an Irish harp playing that recalls memories of Yore is the absolute best way to enjoy all that Mother's has to offer. Nancy and I talked quitely. We clapped. We listened in placid joy as Doc shared his love of Ireland through his harp. By the time we left Mother's Cafe & Garden, we were relaxed and at peace with the world. I will definitely be back to enjoy this secret Irish music gem very soon. You can find Thomas "Doc" Grauzer playing at Mother's Cafe and Garden every Thursday, Friday evening, and now also Saturday at Brunch. Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is the lead singer for the Brobdingnagian Bards. He is also Celtic music podcaster and Irish music magazine publisher and promoter. Last but not least, he is poet, photographer and music business educator. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Saturday, February 04, 2006. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Mother Egan's Sunday Celtic Brunch
I got up earlier than usual to go to 24-Hour Fitness. I've wanted to learn Yoga for a while. They have a Sunday at noon Yoga class (early? what can I say, I'm a musician).
This was my first-ever Yoga class. Oy! What a workout. I'm not used to actually exercising. But it's good for me. I'm gonna start going regularly methinks. After meditating cool down, I left the gym and decided to go to Mother Egan's Irish Pub for their newly started Celtic Brunch. The band playing--The Tea Merchants. I walked in at the end of a rousing set of reels. There were a solid fifty or so people gathered on the covered deck at Mother Egan's. I only saw one table open so grabbed it. It was the end of their set. So I ordered the Egan's Eggs while I waited for the next set. The weather was just perfect with a nice breeze blowing across the porch. There families, couples, folks just out of church, and a lot of bright smiles on people's faces. The next set kicked into gear and the band rocked the house. Folks were clapping, stomping, dancing around as waitresses dogged them. The band was tight. They sound even better than ever every time I see them. Today was no exception. One of the owners, Mick, walked out onto the deck during a set of a very powerful polkas. He was beaming. The Greencards used to play a Sunday brunch there for a couple o'years. I could tell he saw the same success of The Greencards as he did with The Tea Merchants. The end of the show was riveting. Twenty minutes of Irish tunes that moved every foot in the house. Most Austinites don't realize how much great Celtic music there is in Austin. To me, the Irish & Scottish community is fragmented. But let me tell you, folks like the Austin Celtic Association, the Celtic Cultural Center, Things Celtic, the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine, and now my own Irish & Celtic Music Podcast are out there on the front lines promoting some of the hottest new Celtic artists out there. Many of them are from right here in Austin. Go to AustinCelts.org and find some of these great Celtic Performers that are playing EVERY week. PS. On February 18th, the Brobdingnagian Bards and the Bedlam Bards will get together at Mother Egan's to do a CD Release for The Circle, a new compilation CD of Renaissance festival musicians benefitting victims of Hurricane Katrina. This is a side of Celtic music that doesn't pop up much in Austin, but we'll leave you rolling in the aisles. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Sunday, January 29, 2006. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. 1st Annual Celtic Music Awards
Greetings Celtic Music Fans,
The Celtic MP3s Music Magazine and the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast are proud to announce the formation of the 1st Annual Celtic Music Awards. I am now collecting votes for your favorite Celtic music groups from now until January 31, 2006. On the following day, I'll compile all the winners, contact the winning performers, and compile a podcast based on those amazing entertainers. You can help your favorite bands by voting for them at http://www.celticmp3s.com/ . Then tell your friends to drop by and vote as well. This is the first of what I hope to be many such awards, so please post info about the voting at other Celtic websites and lets make it a smashing success. Slainte! -Marc Gunn Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. http://www.celticmusicpodcast.com/ Celtic Mp3s Music Magazine http://www.celticmp3s.com/ Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, December 14, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Announcing Heidi, Stef, & Bow Triplets USA CD Distribution
Swiss Celtic music group, Heidi, Stef & Bow Triplets made a name for themselves as one of the hottest Celtic bands on the late, great MP3.com. Unfortunately, when MP3.com died, distribution in the U.S. became much more difficult.
Last December, I visited Heidi and Stef in Switzerland. I can't begin to tell you what incredible hospitality I received. Those two really were amazing at sharing their home and their country with me. Plus, we even had a wee Irish session in a small pub. My time with Heidi and Stef inspired me with a great idea--to help give amazing European bands distribution in the USA. So we worked out a special deal and now I'm proud to say that you can now buy Heidi, Stef and Bow Triplets latest CD, One Spot On Earth, through CDBaby. This is a test run. I have a license to sell 100 CDs. If it goes well, I may continue distributing their Celtc CDs. So if you enjoy Bow Triplets' music as much as I do, order a copy of One Spot On Earth now! Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, April 29, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Celebration of Celts
Date: May 7, 2005
Location: Columbia County Fair Grounds (Chatham, NY) Gates open: 9am Opening ceremonies: 12pm The Celebration of Celts, now in its 3rd year of existence, is a day-long festival celebrating all of the Celtic nations. This festival has many fantastic Celtic groups performing, including Australia's premiere Celtic-fusion ensemble, Claymore, as well Enter the Haggis and many regional performers that are not to be missed. They also offer one of the most unique and exciting pipe band compeitions in the United States: "Piping Outside the Box," which consists of 30 minute shows by some fantastic bands incorporating non-standard instruments such as electric guitars and cellos, as well as dance and anything else they can think of! Besides the music, there is much historical information to be had here, vendors to check out, and contests to watch. This is certainly not a festival to be missed! For more information about the festival, please see their The Celebration of the Celts website. I hope to see some of you there! Celtic MP3s Music Magazine writer, Michelle Osborne, is a native to the central New York region. She plays both high and low whistles regularly with the Syracuse Irish session. Besides being heavily involved in Irish traditional music, she is also a classical clarinetist and composer. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Sunday, April 17, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Irish Music Comes Alive During New Show "CELTIC CRUSH" on Sirius Satellite Radio
Black 47's Larry Kirwan hosts mix of traditional and contemporary Celtic music
NEW YORK, NY (April 13, 2005) - Irish expatriate and singer/songwriter Larry Kirwan will host a new program of Irish music exclusively on SIRIUS Satellite Radio starting Saturday, April 16. The new weekly three-hour program, Celtic Crush, will feature a mix of traditional and contemporary music from the Celtic countries and England. It will be broadcast every Saturday from 12pm to 3 pm ET on SIRIUS, commercial-free music channel 99, Horizons. Wexford, Ireland-born host Larry Kirwan, who is the vocalist and guitarist for the New York-based Celtic-rock band Black 47, plans to dig into his private collection of Irish-themed music to play on Celtic Crush, and to be joined occasionally on the program by special guests. "Hosting a weekly show on SIRIUS is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tell and play the unedited story of Celtic music - where it comes from, and, just as importantly, where it's going," said Kirwan. "Expect to hear everything from centuries-old Leitrim lilting to last night's Flogging Molly show." Black 47's seventh studio album, Elvis Murphy's Green Shoes, was released last month. The band has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and has been profiled by major magazines and newspapers. Independent of Black 47, Kirwan is a playwright with many produced works, and has published three books (Liverpool Fantasy, a novel about what would have happened if the Beatles hadn't become successful, Mad Angels, a collection of plays, and a memoir, Green Suede Shoes: An Irish American Odyssey). He is currently collaborating on a musical with Schindler's List author Tom Keneally. For more about SIRIUS Satellite Radio. # # # About SIRIUS SIRIUS delivers more than 120 channels of the best commercial-free music, compelling talk shows, news and information, and the most exciting sports programming to listeners across the country in digital quality sound. SIRIUS offers 65 channels of 100% commercial-free music, and features over 55 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95. SIRIUS also broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL and NBA, and is the Official Satellite Radio partner of the NFL. SIRIUS radios for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are manufactured by Alpine, Audiovox, Blaupunkt, Clarion, Delphi, Jensen, JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sanyo and XACT Communications. Available in more than 25,000 retail locations, SIRIUS radios can be purchased at major retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Office Depot, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart and RadioShack. SIRIUS is also available at heavy truck dealers and truck stops nationwide. SIRIUS radios are currently offered in vehicles from Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jeep*, Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo. Hertz currently offers SIRIUS at 53 major locations around the country. Click on http://www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to find a SIRIUS retailer or car dealer in your area. >>> See and hear more about Larry Kirwan and Black 47s music See a Celtic Cafe feature and interview with Larry Kirwan Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, April 13, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Celtic Rock CD Arrives
Yay! The Secret World of Celtic Rock has arrived! Still need to mail it to CDBaby, but I did drop some copies off at Things Celtic. So if you want a copy of the CD before anyone else, head over there: 1806 W. 35th Street in Austin, Texas.
Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, March 21, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. History of Celtic Stone, Music Group Biography
For a few years now, I've had people ask me about a band called Celtic Stone. The group performed at Renaissance Festivals in the 80s and independently sold over 200,000 copies of their albums.
At long last, I was contacted by one of the members. Robert Hilliard provided me with an Semi-Official Biography of the band Celtic Stone that is well worth reading. Their CD Digital Traditions is once again available for sale. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, March 07, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. North Texas Irish Festival (NTIF) 2005
The North Texas Irish Festival is approaching. The theme this year is "Bluegrass Has Green Roots." There is an amazing assortment of bands.
Headliners include: Tim O'Brien, Téada, Sliabh Notes, The Elders, The McKrells, Paddy Keenan, John Williams and Dean Magraw, Ed Miller, and Jed Marum. Regional acts include: BEHAN, Beyond the Pale, Bluebonnet Plague, Bounds Street, Brothers 3, Cairde, Cór Gaeilge Texais, Gallus, Glass & Taft, Irish Rogues, Jiggernaut, Jigsaw, Jim Flanagan, Kúla, Legacy, Michael Harrison, NeedFire, North TX Caledonian, The Rogues, Round the House, Sarah Dinan, Séamus Stout, Spirits of the House, Threadneedle Street, Tinsmith, Trinity River Whalers, Tuberville Bands in bold were featured in the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. Start buying CDs from many of the independent Celtic music groups of the North Texas Irish Festival 2005 right now. You won't find the music for many of these bands anywhere else online! Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, February 09, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. The Secret World of Celtic Rock Revealed
Two years ago I had an exciting idea to release a Celtic Rock CD. Man, I've outdone myself! No. I take that back. It's not me. All I did was compile some of the best independent Celtic Rock bands around and organize them onto a CD. The result is destined to be a hit CD among contemporary and traditional Celtic music lovers alike--"The Secret World of Celtic Rock."
Yes, it's taken a long time to pick some amazing tracks, mix and match them, and try to have a common theme. I found some brilliant bands in the process. The CD is not yet completely finalized, but I couldn't help but get the word out now since I hope to have the CD out by St. Patrick's Day. Here's the tentative Track Listing: 1. "Mordred's Lullaby" by Heather Dale 2. "Moore St. Girls" by The Elders 3. "In Like Flynn" by The Indulgers 4. "Cold Glencoe" by Rise 5. "Johnny Jump Up/Swallow Tail Jig" by Amadan 6. "Slip Me" by Brothers 3 7. "San Patricio Brigade" by Black 47 8. "Nothin'" by Lenahan 9. "The Grass Is Greener" by The Electrics 10. "Day After Day" by Tears for Beers 11. "Sovay/Halting March" by Paisley Close 12. "My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose" by Rimbo (w/Marc Gunn) 13. "The Chieri" by Avalon Rising 14. "Alasdair Mhic Cholla Ghasda" by RavensWing 15. "Erin Go Bragh" by Jayah 16. "The Day We Set Sail" by Tale | Theo Niessink 17. "The Great Whale Road" by Fathom 18. "A Soulin" by Arminta 19. "Groovy Scooby" by The Rogues I don't care what style of Celtic music you enjoy, you're gonna love this CD. In fact, I've already let a few folks sample it, and the response is overwhelming. Stay tuned for the ride of your life coming St. Patrick's Day. Buy the Album: The Secret World of Celtic Rock Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, February 04, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. CD of the Year 2004 - Critic's Choice Award Winner!!!
Fiddlers 3 is both excited and proud to announce the WIN of the 'CD of the YEAR - Critic's Choice Award' for their CD entitled ENCORE at the Kweevak Independent Awards! This prestigious award was chosen by a select panel consisting of associates and industry staff and judged in terms of musical quality, production and overall theme! The award was officially announced worldwide on December 24, 2004.
In April 2004, ENCORE! was also the recipient of the 'CD of the YEAR - Viewer's Choice Award. Instead of being selected by a panel, this award outcome is decided by public voting. Several thousand votes are cast and the winners are presented according to votes received. The Fiddlers 3 debut CD was also a recipient of this same award in 2003. The double 'CD of the YEAR' win was completely unexpected! It was also quite a shock to discover that Fiddlers 3 are the only band to win both CD of the YEAR Awards in the same calendar year! Kweevak is an internationally recognized music promotion company that promotes indie and mainstream bands. They foster a vibrant music community that they feature throughout their online magazine, music services, reviews and radio productions. The Kweevak CD of the Year Awards have been running for 5 years, with the winners are chosen by music critics and industry associates. For more information about the award or music, please the Fiddlers 3 homepage. Find out more about ENCORE. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Thursday, January 20, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Download Traditional Celtic Music Easily
I've had a couple opportunities to use TradTunes.com, and I must say I LOVE it. Unlike iTunes, which is catching heat for anti-competition practices, TradTunes.com is, well, my style of music--Celtic music. And you get MP3s, the universal standard for digital music.
I downloaded a couple CDs including Flook's latest and uploaded it to my Archos Gmini 400. That was awesome! I watched movies, transferred pictures from digital camera, and I had lots of great music as I traveled around Italy. Oh! I was also able to record some of our sessions. I'll try to make some of those available in the near future. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, January 12, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Vote for #1 Folk Band in Austin
It's that time of year. The Austin Chronicle Music Poll is here again.
Last year, The Original Celtic Renaissance duo, the Brobdingnagian Bards, were voted the #2 for the most-popular folk band in Austin! We'd love to be number one this year. All it takes is a couple minutes of your time. I posted some suggestions for categories to vote for us and some of our favorite Austin band suggestions as well. Vote at Austin Music Poll Suggestions P.S. Anyone in the world can vote, but only Once. So please help us out and get your friends involved in making us the #1 Folk Band in Austin. THANKS!!!!! Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, January 10, 2005. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. 2004 Just Plain Folks Music Awards Winners
The 2004 Just Plain Folks Music Awards were announced on Sunday. The Celtic wiinners are:
Best Celtic Album Winners Winner: Waitin' For A Ride by Darby O'Gill, OR 2nd: Lager Than Life by The Poxy Boggards, CA 3rd: Together in the End by Shilelagh Law, NH Celtic Instrumental Album Winners Winner: Free Time by Straight Furrow, UK 2nd: Roaming by Jeremy Kittel, MI 3rd: Clare on the Moors by Tintangel, CA Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Tuesday, November 09, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Warm Guinness & Blazing Hot Irish Music
There's definitely one big advantage to working at UT Austin. That was lunch time with Lunasa.
On Wednesday (I think this was the last of the season), the Cactus Cafe hosts love music outside of the Texas Union when the weather is nice. The weather wasn't great today, so instead, I spent my hour long lunch in the Cactus listening to one of the hottest traditional Irish bands around. They're in Austin for three nights sharing their love of pure drop Irish music, beautiful airs and rocking reels, jigs, and you name it. I've been wanting to see Lunasa for a long time now. I've heard a lot about them, but what really struck my interest was the fact that they don't have a singer. The typical Irish music group formula features some hot instrumental tunes broken up by a female vocalist singing beautiful ballads. It works well for keeping the audience engaged. I've also seen a number of groups who just have horrible stage presence. While their music may be good, the performance is boring. You'd just assume own the CD and not watch their live show. That was not the case with Lunasa. The music was spectacular, and Kevin Crawford, the front man, kept us engaged with very short stories and a lots of fun Irish wit. It was a winning combination all around. Lunasa is playing their final show tonight at the Cactus Cafe at 8pm. You can find details at the Texas Celtic Music Network website. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, October 20, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Celtic Music in the Digital Distribution Age
I got a concerned email the other day. Someone was a wee bit shocked to find that my band, the Brobdingnagian Bards, were on iTunes!
Whoops! Did I forget to mention it? CDBaby, the leading CD store for independent music online, has put together some incredible digital distribution deals that allow us to sell our music digitally through sites like iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, and a dozen other digital music websites online. You can see the list by searching our free music downloads webpage. There's about twenty sites to choose from. So check it out. Oh! And coming very soon is TradTunes.com. TradTunes.com is a Glasgow based company that will offer digital distribution with a number of international Celtic music companies. They don't currently work with independent music, but it sounds like there will be some incredible artists available for download very soon. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Tuesday, September 28, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Celtic Crossroads - An Evening Of Celtic Music, Comedy and Dance
The Scottish band The Rogues (Maryland Renaissance Festival favorites) and the Celtic folk music group Tinsmith headline this show that also features comedian Chris Davis (The Renaissance Man) and the Broesler School of Irish Dance, along with guest musicians, singers and championship Scottish Highland dancers.
Don't miss what everyone is talking about! One night only! September 24, 2004 8pm at the Maryland Hall in Annapolis, MD. Visit The Rogues or the Maryland Hall for more information. Tickets are $22 at the box office or on-line* through SeatAdvisor; $20 at any Rogues show during the first four weekends of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. *a small processing fee applies for all on-line sales Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, August 20, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Lunasa's on All Songs Considered
Ireland's ever-popular traditional Irish group, Lunasa was featured on All Songs Considered today on NPR (National Public Radio0. They featured the band's latest CD recorded live at Kinnitty Castle, The Kinnitty Sessions.
All Songs Considered is a multimedia, on-line music program. You can listen to music while viewing images of the artists. You can also read text about the music as it's playing. It's a great way to discover and learn more about artists who often don't get airplay. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Thursday, August 19, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Celtic Fusion Festival 2004, Co.Down
This years exciting line-up for the Northern Ireland "Celtic Fusion Festival" is a mix of traditional and contemporary cool. World class songs, singers and musicians will come together between the 4-15th August 2004 in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, to present the very best of the international strands of celtic connections music.
The programme which will start on the 4th of August will run through until the 15th with a renewed depth of arts offerings including for the first time the verbal, visual and performing arts. The programme will feature small intimate gigs, workshops, sessions and the big festival stage in the outstanding beautiful Mountains of Mourne, Irelands, and newest National Park designate. The quality of the music and place promises an experience for music lovers not to be missed. The festival now in its third year draws visitors from across the globe to a festival unique in style and character. Main event tickets go on sale next week. Don McLean - legendary singer/songwriter Salsa Celtica - salsa celtic latin adventure Lunasa - classic award winning band Dougie Maclean - (renowned Scottish singer songwriter) The Eleanor McEvoy Band - uptempo celts The Finlay McDonald Band - contemporary bagpipes Saltfishforty - all the way from the Orkneys At First Light - O'Connor, McGoldrick, McSherry et al Nollaig Casey and Arty McGlynn - traditional class Flook - cool flutes and jaw dropping bodran Arcanadh - exciting new debut Teine - young female group from Lewis Other artists are still to be confirmed and the pub sessions and workshops will compliment the mainstream programme. In addition to this programme there will be a number of other arts events including the premiere of Folks, a photographic record of some of the nationally and locally famous musicians, A preview of a new film by a Scottish independent film maker about the life and works of Robert Burns, Muir-Traigh Ebb a visual arts exhibition from Skye, Poets and Writers, a BBC exhibition featuring Irish authors and poets and Paddy on the Road, Dubblejoints Christy Moore Story. Information: Celtic Fusion Festival website Tickets from Ticketmaster.ie Tickets/accommodation enquiries, Tel:+0044 (0) 28 44 612233 +44 (0) 28 437 22222 outside NI drop 0 Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Tuesday, July 27, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards. Best Celtic Album Music Award Nominees for 2004
Just Plain Folks Songwriting & Musician Network just released the nominees for Best Album of 2004. They albums are divided up into Best Celtic Album and Best Instrumental Celtic Album. Here are the nominees:
Celtic Album Nominees Celtic Crescent by Emerald Rose, GA Knickers Down, Bottoms Up by Na'Bodach, NJ Lager Than Life by The Poxy Boggards, CA Live at The Palace Theatre by Seven Nations, FL Together in the End by Shilelagh Law, NH Uninvited Guest by The Secret Commonwealth, TN Waitin' For A Ride by Darby O'Gill, OR Wander This World by Guarneri Underground, WA Celtic Instrumental Album Nominees Clare on the Moors by Tintangel, CA Free Time by Straight Furrow, UK Highlands and Islands vol one:Loch Shiel by Various Artists, UK Riding Towards Life by Evergreen, CA Roaming by Jeremy Kittel, MI Scottish Inheritance by Bonnie Rideout, VA Shame The Devil by Turlach Boylan, TX Shines Like Silver by Cady Finlayson, NY You can see the complete list of 2004 Just Plain Folks Album Nominees on their website. Labels: news
--posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, July 23, 2004. Find Celtic Free Music Downloads from the Brobdingnagian Bards.
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