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 latest anthology of these momentous accounts.  To this excellent selection of popular and well known rebel songs, Mick O’Brien has added his most recent self penned work, Starry Plough. In which he relates the story of James Connelly’s activist life and dreadful execution by firing squad in Kilmainham jail.

Although Starry Plough is serious in its content, The Druids present an upbeat and quite brilliant performance. Coupled with the unrivaled mandolin playing of Paddy Mangan, and pulsating beat of Mick O’Brien’s Bodhran the lyrics come alive for the listener.  Gary Lawlor’s lead vocals and fine acoustic guitar in the song Farewell to Bellaghy are soft and sincere but definitely deliver their message. Darren Egan, the “newest recruit,” is outstanding with his rendition of Highland Paddy. 

It would be hard to choose a favorite among all the favorites on this album, but if pressured, I would have to say I am especially fond of Let the People Sing. Call me an optimist but this one makes me feel good. The Legend is another favorite of mine, quietly telling the stories of long passed martyrs to the cause. I must also say that it was not possible for me to listen to these songs in the course of writing about them and not become engrosed and educated in the history of Ireland’s recent turbulent past.

This is an extraordinary album performed by talented, creative men who are passionately engaged in their cause. I would recommend it to anyone interested in outstanding Rebel music, Irish history and a great performance.  Starry Plough is meant to be enjoyed again and again and in the listening, learned from.  It definitely delivers on all counts. Great stuff Druids! 

 The Druids will launch Starry Plough on 01-Aug-2010 in Kildare.

Starry Plough

Back Home in Derry / Bobby Sands

Farewell to Bellaghy / Gerry O’Glacain

The Weeping Wind/The Lonesome Boatman / Bobby Sands/Finbar Furey

The Helicopter Song / Brian Warfield

The Legend / Dan Hannon

Starry Plough / Mick O’Brien     (scroll down to watch video of this song )

George and Pop / P. McGlinchey/G. Breslin

Highland Paddy / Sean McCarthy

Let the People Sing / Brian Warfield

Mick O’Brien – 5-String Banjo, Bodhran, Tin Whistle, Vocals

Paddy Mangan – Banjo, Mandolin & Vocals

Gary Lawlor – Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals

Darren Egan – Base, Vocals 

Alan Donohue – “The man that looks after us on and off the stage.”

Albums available at cdBaby:

Starry Plough (the week of launch)

From Bodenstown to Boolavouge

Visit The Druids at:

Bebo:  http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8598844388

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-DRUIDS/138321612153?ref=search

Myspace:  www.myspace.com/thedruidsrebelband

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Blue Syndrome

Blue Syndrome is a great band from Dublin, Ireland. They signed to Blastbeat Records in 2008 after coming runner up in the Blastbeat competition the previous year. The band have come a long way in their 4 years together, playing Dublin’s most popular venues, including world famous Vicar Street. Their single “Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone” achieved 38% of downloads in last summer’s Coca Cola iTunes Promotion.

Their debut cd Over and Out was released in October 2009 and the single from it Kiss the Girl is also enjoying success. The band has recently had a personnel change and now have a new bass player. We look for their success to continue. Here is a sample of their music:

Their album can be purchased here You can find them at myspace here and follow them on twitter here

Paul Shevlin

Paul Shevlin is a singer songwriter from Northern Ireland. He calls his music Piano Pop. I first heard of him when I downloaded his song from the NI Charts site. He is very talented and I think we will be hearing a lot more from him. He is playing at the Glasgowbury Festival in Draperstown NI this weekend. You can find him on myspace here facebook here and on twitter here He is definitely an up and coming star so get in on the ground floor Here is the video of his song Good Morning

Ghost Trains

Ghost Trains are a UK alternative acoustic group consisting of singer-songwriter Tim Ellis and guitar player Elijah Wolfenheart. Whilst essentially a duo, they often appear on stage with a live percussionist. Their sound has been described as Simon & Garfunkel meets Crowded House – although considerably darker than both – and this is well demonstrated on their new album Where Lovers Die.

Formed in 2009, Tim & Elijah began work on their record at once. Rehearsing & recording in their Staffordshire based ‘Bad Apple’ studios their first offerings soon found their way onto the internet and word began to spread fast. In late 2009, despite having only been together for a matter of months, the band were featured on the Trebuchet Records compilation album Love Letters From The Underground. Daubed ‘the very best of the UK acoustic underground’ the album made the UK Top 100 folk chart in early 2010.

By March of this year, the band had completed work on their first 12 track album and placed it free to download from their website (ghosttrains.net). Tim’s songs are written in a popular vein, with plenty of infectious hooks, whilst Elijah providers counter melodies and inspired arrangements with his alternative guitar tunings and distinctive playing style. At the time of writing (May 2010) the album has been downloaded over 5000 times from fans all over the globe.

DJ’s from New York to Sydney are playing tracks from the album and the group has just signed with a European agent for tours of Europe and Russia in 2011. Keen to sign with UK & US agents as soon as possible, the band are determined to take nothing for granted. Having recently shot a video for lead album track Miss Emily and producing a fantastic set at The Acoustic Festival of Britain that had punters talking all day. Shows are booked for London, Birmingham and Manchester later this summer and on June 20th the band will be in session with Genevieve Tudor on her BBC radio show.

You can find them on myspace here and facebook here Here is a sample of their music:

2Numb2C

2Numb2C is an indie performer from Belgium. His actual name is Joel and he has a very unique sound. I first encountered him on myspace when he sent me a friend request. I went to his page and listened to his music and I was very impressed with it. After doing some stints as the lead singer with cover bands he has decided to strike out on his own. He certainly has the talent to do so.

You can find his myspace page here, his facebook page here and his Bebo page here I will add his ReverbNation widget below.

Sienna

I have covered Sienna here before but I am such a huge fan that I decided to include them in this post in case anyone may have missed them. They are a German band and call their musical style Rock/Brit Pop.

You can find them at myspace here, at facebook here and at twitter here or just play their widget below:

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Blaggards

The Blaggards have just released their 2nd cd Live in Texas The cd is currently available at cdbaby and will be available at ITunes and Amazon later this month. This cd is said to capture the high energy style of their live shows. This is one band who can take a classic and make it uniquely their own. This cd includes such favorites as Leaving of Liverpool and Wild Rover done in Blaggards’ unique Irish/Texan way. Your collection is just not complete without this cd. Follow the link below to hear samples and purchase the new cd.

For those who would like to catch the band live here is their gig schedule for the near future.

* Jul 17 – Austin, TX @ Fado Irish Pub
* Jul 23 – College Station, TX (US) @ O’Bannon’s Tap House
* Jul 24 – Austin, TX @ Fado Irish Pub
* Jul 31 – Houston, TX @ The Continental Club – “LIVE in TEXAS” CD Release Party
* Aug 5 – Urbana, IL @Rose Bowl Tavern – the Whip Concert Series
* Aug 6 – Livonia, MI @ St. Andrew’s Society 2010 Highland Games
* Aug 7 – Livonia, MI @ St. Andrew’s Society 2010 Highland Games
* Aug 19 – College Station, TX (US) @ O’Bannon’s Tap House
* Aug 20 – Austin, TX @ Fado Irish Pub
* Aug 27 – College Station, TX (US) @ O’Bannon’s Tap House

Coyote Run

Coyote Run is another high energy Celt Rock band that takes traditional songs and makes them uniquely their own by using every thing from bagpipes to didgeridoos.

They have been going strong for 10 years, which is fantastic for any band. Their latest cd, 10 Years and Running, celebrates this rare event in the music business. It is a 2 disk set that is a retrospective that covers their career. This cd is available on their website in their store. Click here to purchase it.

Like any really great band, they are best appreciated in a live show and they are holding a special concert to celebrate the new album and the band’s long run. The concert will be held at the Kimball Theatre in Williamsburg, VA on July 16 and 17. Former band members will be joining in the fun and it should be a monumental event. If you are in the area you absolutely can’t miss this one. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-HISTORY or by clicking here You will need to put in the date you want tickets for and scroll down to Kimball Events and Films. This is the ticket outlet for all of Colonial Williamsburg which is great vacation destination. There are lots of great things to do and you can immerse yourself in Colonial History, ghost walks and local shopping (lots of nearby outlets.) It would make a great weekend get away and then you can enjoy Coyote Run in the evenings. Okay commercial over, I am a Virginian so I have to share our attractions with the world, right?

You can also catch Coyote Run at the Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon, Virginia at the end of the month. For more info on this festival click here

Oracle

I am delighted to be able to let you know that the debut album by Oracle, Jewels of the Sky, is now available. I have been a huge fan of this band for quite some time. This EP was produced by Chris Logan, who plays lead guitar with the band, and is a sound engineer in his day job. He did an amazing job on it taking the unique Oracle sound to a whole new level. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results and I liked the way the songs sounded before. My personal favorite, Best Days, is even more fantastic now. If you listened to their music before you have to go back and listen to the final studio versions.

You can hear samples and purchase the EP on the band’s myspace page here Problem with the link at myspace is all fixed and I was able to order the album with no problems. This link will take you to paypal and they can do the currency conversion for buyers outside the UK. If you don’t have a paypal account you can pay by credit card.The ep is now also available at ITunes. Click here for the direct link

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As part of the recent release of his new album, A Mothers Lullaby, Mickey Coleman has announced a tour schedule for Easter week in and around Co. Tyrone. For those of you lucky enough to be in the area their dates, venue links and phone numbers follow.  ENJOY!!!

Sunday 4th April – Bellaghy GFC Hall Co.Derry

Tuesday 6th April – The Waterfront Hall, Belfast ( BT Studio)
Box office 02890334455

Wednesday 7th April – The Marketplace Theatre, Armagh
Box office 02837521821

Thursday 8th April – The Burnavon Theatre Cookstown
Box office 028 8676 9949  

 Friday 9th April – The Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen
Box office 028 66 325440

Saturday 10th April – The Riverside Theatre, Coleraine.
Box office 02870323232

Mickey’s cds are available at cdbaby

and at

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Declan O’Rourke began his career on the Dublin singer-songwriter circuit in 2000 and released his debut album under an independent Irish record label in late 2004. Since Kyabram went straight in at fifth position on the Irish charts and very soon achieved Gold, Platinum and then double-Platinum status.  Even now, more than five years after its release, it continues to sell steadily.

His songs have gained him much interest with a number of the industry’s top names both in Ireland and abroad. Declan supported Snow Patrol on their 2006 European tour where he played Wembly Stadium and the Odyssey Arena among others.  He has also made a number of special guest appearances on stage with the band. 

In 2006, when asked by Q Magazine which song from the past twenty years he most wished he’d written, Paul Weller chose Galileo, a song from Since Kyabram. Jonathan Ross, Britain’s top chat show host and foremost radio DJ, plays Declan regularly on his Saturday morning show.  Declan’s songs have been recorded by a number of artists, including Brian Kennedy and Maura O’Connell.  Eddi Reader’s latest studio album, released in April, 2009, covers Declan’s Love Is The Way, and is also the album’s title.

Declan’s long awaited and critically acclaimed second album, Big Bad Beautiful World was released in September, 2007, and reached fourth position in the Irish charts. In April 2007/08, Declan toured the recording, including a small Australian tour in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with great success. He returned to Australia for an extended tour of New South Wales and Victoria throughout March, 2009. Declan plans a more extensive tour of Australia in spring 2010.

He has also toured in England and mainland Europe, supporting such notable names as Paul Weller, The Cardigans, Paulo Nuttini, Paul Brady, The Beautiful South, and Nizlopi while appearing on the same bills as Planxty and Bob Dylan. In February 2009, he shared a Belfast stage with Nancy Griffith and in October/November 2009, supported New York songwriter Ari Hest on a nationwide U.S. tour.

Declan recently sang with Swedish singer Peter Jöback on a cover of R.E.M’s Everybody Hurts.  The Scandinavian sensation has also covered Declan’s song I Can See A Little Something and both songs are included in Peter’s newest album, East Side Stories, released in October 2009. This past December, Declan performed with Peter in Sweden and Norway in their largest indoor arenas to sell out audiences. Declan recently wrote a song with Midnight Oil veteran Jim Moginee.

Declan is praised for his heartfelt, intimate performances as well as his larger, energetic concerts. His popularity continues to grow steadily, with a vast amount of sell-out performances in Ireland’s most prestigious venues. A third studio album is in the works and a Spring 2010 release is anticipated.

Currently touring in Ireland, check Declan’s website  for appearance dates and locations: http://www.declanorourke.com/news.php

 Listen to Declan at his Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/declanorourke

Since Kyabram and Big Bad Beautiful World are available for download at:

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Conor followed a music production course at a local college where he began playing in bands and learning the art of recording. It was around this time that Conor played in a band called Gentle Ben. Soon after they split, Conor began recording songs for his first solo project.

It wasn’t long before people were taking notice of Conor’s music. His song Circles, was one of ten songs of the year in the BBC Across the line show in N. Ireland. More recently, Conor has also won both the XFM Unsigned competition and the monthy Your Sound showdown at the legendary King Tuts venue in Glasgow. This lead to a slot at the Hydro Connect Music Festival this year, where Conor played alongside artists like Elbow, Sigur Ros, the Coral and Gomez. At the end of last year, Conor released his debut album, When its Over, on Antimatter music.

Conor is back in Derry working on his new album, and playing with a new live band, which he hopes to tour with after the summer. With his songwriting consistency, and the sheer warmth of every performance, we look forward to hearing (and seeing) what Conor does next.

Next Gig: IMRO Tour 2010 @ Masons, Derry – 15th April

When It’s Over is available through ITunes (click on album cover to go to ITunes) and also at the Antimatter shop http://www.antimattermusic.co.uk/shop.html

Visit Conor at:
his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/conormason
his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Conor-Mason/119434200227
his twitter page http://twitter.com/conor_mason
his Lastfm pagehttp://www.last.fm/music/Conor+Mason

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“Hope to see some of ye in the very near future folks. Slan..”

The Druids are a four-piece Irish REBEL band made up of three Kildare men and a Wexford man… Paddy Mangan from Johnstown Bridge on banjo, mandolin and vocals; Gary Lawlor from Clane on acoustic guitar and lead vocals; newest recruit Darren Egan also from Clane on bass, a great musician, he will also be singing when he gets settled in; and the one and only Mick O’Brien originally from Wexford but now living in Newbridge on five string banjo, bodhran, tin whistle and vocals. The group has recently taken onboard a manager, Adrian Moran from County Westmeath, who aims to take them “to the highest point of their careers.”

The Druids played their first gig on 9th May 2009 and since then have toured Ireland and Scotland where they play again in April. They are supporting the Celtic band Charlie and the Bhoys in the famous Barrowlands Glasgow to a sellout crowd of 2000 Celtic fans and returning  to the Brazen Head in Glasgow where they perform on regular occasions. On St.Patricks Day The Druids are playing in Belgium and have ten dates in Santa Ponsa in Spain for the annual Celtic Convention in May. Over 30,000 Celtic supporters will be there. They have had enquiries for American and Australian tours for late 2010 and early 2011. Currently they are working on their second album which should be available in early March, 2010. Writers as well as singers and musicians, The Druids have already written four of their own Rebel songs.

The Druids can be seen and heard at:

BEBO: www.bebo.com/druids32

MySpace:  www.myspace.com/thedruidsirishrebelband.com

Youtube:  www.youtube.com/thedruidsband

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The alternative for musical acts is to put the music out themselves. This means that they have to come up with front money for studio time, pay any extra studio musicians that they may need, pay a producer, pay for the actual manufacturing of the cd, pay to store it and figure out how to distribute it. The internet and small run or even publish on demand cd companies have made it a little easier. Most acts also sell cds at their gigs, at festivals and specialty or local music and book shops. The more successful Indies write their own songs or do traditionals that are in public domain, this saves them the expense of paying for the rights to record someone else’s songs which is fine by me because heaven knows there are way, way too many covers around anyway.

The Indies are pretty much the last bastions of original music that actually has something to say which has not been “approved” by someone higher up the corporate chain. There are indies in every genre of music out there fighting the good fight. They deserve our full support and encouragement to keep the voice of the artist from being stifled by corporate interests. I will list a few that are from the genres we cover – Celtic, Irish and Folk. I will spotlight Indies in future posts also. Here are few we haven’t mentioned before.

Uisce Beatha is Irish for Water of Life but it is not referring to H2O It is pronounced ish keh ba ha and was anglicized into the word Whiskey. It is also the name of a great band from Glen Allen, VA. They can be found gigging in pubs in the greater Richmond area particularly at Rare Olde Times http://www.rareoldetimes.com/ and at festivals. For more info check out their website http://www.uiscebeatha.com and their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/uiscebeatharichmond Their cd is currently out of stock at cdbaby but is available as a download both there and at

Switchback is a duo from Chicago made up of Brian FitzGerald and Martin McCormack. They bill themselves as having American roots and Celtic soul. It as a great combination. You can hear samples of their music at their myspace a page http://www.myspace.com/switchbacksince1993 or their own website http://www.waygoodmusic.com/ Tour info is also available in both places. Their latest album Ghosts of the River Folk is available at cdbaby along with their other cds and dvds. http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Switchback

J Minus is a great band out of Seattle, Washington. They have both acoustic and rock versions of the band. I came across their acoustic page at myspace http://www.myspace.com/jminusband there is a link on the page to their rock page. They are a band made up of people with diverse interests herded into a slight cohesion by their founder Dylan Fant. Their music is great. You can hear it at the myspace page and their website http://www.jminus.com/ They are one of the best bands I have come across in awhile and you really do need to go and give them a listen. This isn’t Celtic music but it is excellent and ‘m sure you will like it. They gig in the Pacific Northwest and both their cds are available on cdbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JMinus

Kevin Milner is a folk singer from Dayton, Ohio. His songs remind me of Dylan back in his hayday only with a bit more sense of humor and a better singing voice. You can hear a sample at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/kevinmilner He gigs in the Dayton area so be sure to keep a look out for him there and he asked me to have my friends friend him so please do. The life of a folk singer can be a lonely one

Badly Drawn Boy is a folk/rock singer from Manchester, England. If you read his bio on my space you will find that he also has great sense of humor. You can hear samples of his music at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/badlydrawnboy There are links on the page through which you can purchase his cd Is There Nothing We Could Do. It is also available through

Mick Duffy is a Rock/Pop indie from Dublin, Ireland. He goes by Mick at myspace http://www.myspace.com/mickduffy Mick’s first album Awakening is available at cdbaby http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mickduffy. A second is either in the works or recently released but is not yet on cdbaby. The highest compliment that I can pay anyone is this: “He reminds me of the Beatles”. I don’t say that lightly but it is certainly true in this case.

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