Album/CD reviews

Alka Jessie is a band from Kilkenny, Ireland. You’d have to say they were a band in a hurry. They just formed in the summer of 2010 and they released their debut EP on August 16th. You would think a band with 2 guitar players and a bass player would have a heavy guitar...

Okay, in 2010 everyone knows who Gaelic Storm is, so I won’t bore you with all the biographies. I’ll get right to it: Gaelic Storm’s latest masterpiece “Cabbage” is over 52 minutes of some of the most inspired and up-tempo songs they’ve written. Released on August 3rd, their eighth effort is chock-full of highlights...

This cd was waiting for me when I picked up my mail on Friday and I have been playing it ever since. This is one of the best Celtic Rock albums I have heard in – well practically forever. I was not familiar with Kilmaine Saints before this so I was happy to make...

I really enjoy artists who can bridge genres effortlessly with their lyrics and melodies and so telling you about Enda Keegan is really an easy task for me.  I’ve been listening to The Bridge, Enda’s debut album, again and again for many months. Released September 1, 2008, it is an eclectic mix of songs, the...

Ghost Trains is a duo from the UK. Tim Ellis and Elijah Wolfenheart have been favorably compared to Simon and Garfunkel. I can see that in the way they have perfected harmonies but I would go so far as to compare them to the Beatles in their heyday. Their songs have the same depth,...

“Since Kyabram” was originally released in 2004 and some would question why I’ve chosen to introduce and review an album that has been around and listened to literally for years. Well, aside from being Declan O’Rourke’s debut album, without hesitation I would counter that “Since Kyabram” is a dazzling collection of original songs written and...

I was thrilled to get this EP in the mail last Friday. For American readers who may not be familiar with EPs I’ll give a brief explanation. EP stands for Extended Play as opposed to single which had only one song per side and to LP which was Long Play and had 5 or...

The Druids are an Irish Rebel Band. For those unaware of the meaning of the term, these men sing, play and recount the history of Irish rebellion and resistance to outside rule over the past centuries. They “sing songs which have meaning in terms of peoples every day life…”      Starry Plough is The Druids...

I truly enjoy being able to showcase Chicago bands and musicians for Fanrealm readers all over the world and this is one of those opportunities. It is my pleasure to introduce one of my very favorite local groups to those of you outside the Midwest; Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers, Celt Rock with...

I’ve spent several weeks listening to Irish singer/songwriter Kate O’Callaghan’s brand new debut EP, To You, and can state unequivocally that she is not a vocalist content to sing traditional pub songs nor is she a storyteller of Irelands’ days past.  Kate is a genre of one, distinctive in both her writing style and...

Ben Glover is a singer/songwriter from County Antrim in Northern Ireland but he also spends time in Nashville. I discovered Ben several months ago when I downloaded his song Where the Lines Are at the NI Charts site. I became an instant fan so I was happy to be asked to review his album....

The Gathering Light isn’t just an album. It’s an event. It opens with the soulful Uillienn pipes of Troy Donockley which sets the mood for the journey that the music takes you on. The anticipation builds with track 2 and by the time Lisa Fury’s lovely vocals take over you are completely hooked. The...

I got my hands on this CD on Friday and have been listening to it all weekend and I am not tired of it yet. The more you listen to it the more you hear. There isn’t a weak track on this album. You know the songs are really good when you have them...

Timeless Traditions, released in February 2009, is Malachi Cush’s fourth album and follows successes with his debut album Malachi, New Day and Celtic Heartbeat. It is an exceptional collection of traditional Celtic songs enhanced by Malachi’s effortless laid back style and smooth mellow voice. A favorite of mine is County Tyrone. I listen and my...

I never know who or what I will find as I casually surf the Internet. I was fortunate enough recently to come across a singer/songwriter named Eoin (pronounced Owen) Harrington. Although Eoin had played piano and guitar since he was a boy in Dublin, Ireland, he became a chemical engineer as an adult and...