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San Francisco-based singer, songwriter and musician Eoin Harrington, known for his passionate vocal style, energetic stage presence and infectiously catchy songs, is kicking 2010 into high gear with a flurry of activity that will culminate with a string of concerts in March opening for Brandi Carlile. Harrington has been captivating music fans in San Francisco since relocating from his native Dublin several years ago and has sold out every one of his local appearances since the release of his debut recording, STORY, last year.

A classically-trained pianist, Harrington possesses a clear vibrant tenor, and his vocals have been described as reminiscent of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, James Blunt and “a grittier Elton John.” His signature “blue-eyed soul” is evident on STORY, for which he composed all of the songs. “…his ‘Story’ CD illustrates the charm and craft that have put Harrington-whose first name is pronounced Owen-at the top of the many observers’ lists of the Bay Area artists,” wrote Shay Quillen in the San JoseMercury News, while Music Connection added “his debut shines with stellar song craft and a distinctive, audience-pleasing artistry.”

Eoin is happy to let others describe his music. “I have a really hard time with that,” he says, “because it’s a combination of all that I’ve been exposed to so far in my life, from Irish traditional to classical to heavy rock to R&B.”

Harrington is enjoying full rotation air play on major stations back in his home country of Ireland, and, in addition to the album, his fans will be treated to several new media products in the coming months. iEoin, a downloadable iPhone application, is available free at the iStore. The iEoin will allow fans to keep up to date on live shows, blog entries, videos and other news on the artist. His website has been redesigned and launched at www.eoinharrington.com

A video for the song “Play Your Piano” from STORY was recently completed and will initially be available for viewing on the iPhone application after which It will be posted on his website. Eoin has just scored the entire soundtrack for the new motion picture, Love On the Line, scheduled for release at the end of the year. He also makes his acting debut in two cameo appearances in the film.

Among Harrington’s most recent Bay area performances was an appearance at the TEDxSV (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference held in the Silicon Valley at which he charmed the organizers by writing a song especially for the auspicious event.

Other shows include a guest appearance at the 100th Anniversary of KCBS-TV and an annual KFOG Radio concert at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland with Matt Kearney and Brandi Carlile.

Harrington, who has previously appeared with artists such as Alanis Morrisette, Sara Bareilles, Bret Dennen, Serena Ryder, Switchfoot, Pat Monahan (Train) and Back Door Slam, is also set to open for Brandi Carlile in concert.

UPCOMING SHOWSWITH BRANDI CARLILE

March 15 Knitting Factory, Reno NV
March 17 & 18 Tower Theatre, Bend OR
March 19 Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham, WA

Please visit his website for more information: www.eoinharrington.com

I was actually planning to do this post later in the week but since there is some news I thought I would bump this up a few days. The band has tweeted that they are doing a radio interview on Feb 17 between 8 and 9 AM GMT which means fans in the US will need to be up with the chickens to catch it. This is the link for the broadcast http://www.todayfm.com/Home.aspx There is also a great interview on RTE that was done several years ago when the Cure was released. It can be heard here http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0228/rattlebag.html

It occurred to me that the only people who aren’t fans of the Saw Doctors are the people who haven’t heard them. I think the best way to rectify that is to grab their widget from ReverbNation so here it is. Give them a listen and join us as fans of this great band. They will be touring Australia in March and the US in May and June. We will update the US tour as we get more confirmed dates. In the meantime, enjoy!

Now it may seem odd to feature a Christmas album on Feb 12 but there is a method to my madness. First off, in most places it looks like Christmas outside but another reason is that today is the one month anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti and this album was released in October of 2009 with portion of the proceeds going to fund a project to supply clean water to Haiti. Obviously the need is even greater now.

Michael Londra, world reknowned Celtic singer, is the ambassador to Haiti for CONCERN WORLDWIDE, an aid organization that works with the poor in 30 countries across the globe. CONCERN was in Haiti long before the quake but the need for clean water and aid in general is even more pressing than it was when the album was released and even at Christmastime.

The title song of the album, Beyond the Star was written by Michael and it, along with the other 11 songs on this album, will quickly become your favorites. Imagine sitting in front of a roaring fire, cup of your favorite beverage in hand listening to Christmas music and not having to worry about shopping or any of the other gazillion things that are demanding your time and attention in December. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Since we seem to be caught in a never ending winter this year, there is certainly room for a little extra Christmas celebration. Because purchasing this cd really does help out those in desperate need, here is your chance to show the real spirit of the season and give yourself the gift of great music at the same time.

Another special thing about this album is that is it a duel disk. I had no idea what that meant so I checked in the handy glossary on Amazon and found out that it meant that the disk was a cd on one side and a dvd on the other. What will they think of next? The dvd side will show you scenes from Haiti and the project that your helping to fund. It was shot pre-earthquake but it will give you a much clearer picture of the plight in a part of the world that was largely swept under the rug before the quake.

This, and Michael’s other albums can be purchased at Amazon, cdbaby and other major music stores. Also available at

To donate directly to CONCERN WORLDWIDE click here

To order cd click on the title Beyond The Star

Festival season is upon us. I have been updating the festival page as I get new info but these two are worth noting here.

The first is the 18th ANNUAL GREATER PHILADELPHIA MID-WINTER SCOTTISH & IRISH MUSIC FESTIVAL & FAIR that takes place this weekend, February 12-14, in King of Prussia, PA. This is a not to be missed event. Don’t let the horrible weather deter you. This is one of the best festivals in the country. I wish I could attend. Many of my favorite bands will be there including Cliudan, a Syracuse band we featured in a post just yesterday, Seven Nations, Brother, Rathkeltair, Paddy’s Well, Jamison, The Brigadoons, Ashley McCloud, Screaming Orphans, Searson, Albannach, The Tarten Terrors and many others, as well as many fiddle and pipe bands and several dance troops. This one has something for everyone. It is inside at the Valley Forge Convention Center. Admission is $25 per day (for all this entertainment!) and parking is free. What better way to get over cabin fever than to come to this great event? For more info check their website http://www.eohebrides.com/events/index.cfm?EventID=383

The other festival is Celtic Fest Chicago which will be at Millennium Park. They have just confirmed that The Saw Doctors will be appearing in a free concert at Petrillo Music Shell on May 8th. Yes The Saw Doctors and yes FREE. What are you waiting for? More info can be found at the festival website http://www.celticfestchicago.us/ I can’t attend this one either but there will be one lucky Fanrealm staffer in attendance so we should get a report on the show to share. We are still waiting for more info on the rest of The Saw Doctors’ US tour.

In other news I got a couple on inquires from bands so I thought I would clarify here for everyone. If we have featured your band in a spotlight it means we like you and would love to cover you more thoroughly. We would be happy to post band bios, tour info and to review cds. Click the contact us button and I can answer any other questions you may have and give you the snail mail address for cds or any other hard copy you may want to send. If we haven’t featured you, feel free to contact us anyway. We may just not have gotten to you yet. We are trying to showcase as many bands as we can so fans can discover them. It’s sometimes hard for bands to get exposure and it takes a lot of research for people to hunt bands down at myspace or music sites. We want to make it easy for bands and fans to find each other.

Last fall Mickey Coleman and Plunkett McGartland sat down with Malachi Cush on his Sunday Morning Jukebox radio program and discussed Mickey’s newest song and upcoming album, A Mothers Lullaby. During a lighter moment and as friends do, Malachi poked fun at Mickey about being referred to as the “next Irish folk sensation.” Obviously self-conscious about the reference, Mickey responded without hesitation; “talkin the talks one thing, but walkin the walks another.” Prophetic words…. With his A Mothers Lullaby, Mickey most certainly is “walkin the walk” in the footprints of the likes of Christy Moore and Bob Dylan. Mickey advocates for powerless abused children, innocent casualties of war having no escape from the devastation, loved ones left to cope with suicide, the end of political corruptness, the unemployed and those unfortunates caught up in the associated turmoil. For this album, Mickey has written lyrics guided by his conscience and from his heart. His fine voice lending so much power to the words they take your breath away. Having Plunkett McGartland accompanying Mickey on some of these songs is the perfect compliment to the richness and clean clear sound of the new songs.

A Mothers Lullaby is the next step in Mickey’s journey up the road to becoming one of the great folk singers both in Ireland and here in the states. He’s surely “walkin the walk” with A Mothers Lullaby!      Brilliant Mickey, just brilliant!!!

The reasons why Mickey wrote Mothers Lullaby have been explained eloquently by Mickey himself and would be diminished by any synopsis I could pen here. Visit his MySpace page and read his blog: Mothers Lullaby (why I wrote this song). http://www.myspace.com/mickeycoleman1

Locked Gates, a narrative written by Patricia Campbell, draws not so subtle parallels between County Tyrone’s recent past and present day Gaza. It is brilliant in its simplicity. Agree or disagree with Mickey’s recitation, where and when he spent his formative years makes him uniquely qualified to give voice to these words.

With Brighter Day Mickey describes the strife occurring in present day Ireland, both the Republic and the North. In three short verses Mickey covers dissention and hope for reconciliation, unemployment, alcoholism, corrupt politicians, poor or non existent services, wasteful excess and child abuse. Plunkett McGartland gives added depth to this piece with his considerable talents at the piano.

Mickey wrote Miss You More Than Words Can Say for a mother who had lost her 22 year old son to suicide. It has been included in a charity album, From The Heart, and performed by Mickey during a benefit concert last July to raise the profile of the Suicide Awareness campaign.  This song is beautiful and it’s great to see him share it with a wider audience.

Pillow of Tears gives a voice to faceless closeted children abused by clergy. The stark honesty of Mickey’s words strongly illustrate the almost unbearable pain suffered from these ugliest of acts.

This man writes, sings and plays from his heart whatever the topic. Don’t let his more serious songs overshadow the other touching, more traditional songs penned by Mickey for this album.

Writing, singing and playing from the heart is clearly illustrated  with Culdaff. (a village in Donegal on the Inishowen peninsula). In this one Mickey tells the sad story of high hopes, disappointment and resignation over what will never be, and almost unbearable loneliness for home.

Stranger in the City weaves a tale of youthful exploration, immaturity of decisions made and the wisdom of realizing what’s important in life.

Your Love Pulled Me In and Can Always Count on You are most obviously written for a special person. The first song is the story of finding love at the exact right time, the second a confirmation of love and commitment to a present and future together.

Judgement Day is a genuinely happy tune that’s unashamed by its tilt toward good old fashioned country and western. It’s a toe tapping sing along song that will bring a great big smile to your face. Hard to choose which is more fun, Mickey’s words or Plunkett’s honky-tonk piano style in this one.

A Mothers Lullaby song list:

Mothers Lullaby

Locked Gates

Brighter Day

Your Love Pulled Me In

Miss You More Than Words

Pillow of Tears

Can Always Count On You

Judgement Day

Stranger in the City

Culdaff

Purchase A Mothers Lullaby on Mickey’s website: http://mickeycoleman.com/index.html

Now available at: and

Today, 29-Jan-2010, is a big day for singer/songwriter, Mickey Coleman, with the launch of his brand new album “Mothers Lullaby.” Mickey’s been called the next Irish folk sensation, and if the selections on his Myspace page are an indication of the quality and sound of the new album, he’ll have this title for the forseeable future. As part of the release, Mickey will also be embarking on a tour taking him to the cities of Belfast, Derry, Donegal, Dublin, Cork, Galway, Glasgow and London.

The Fanrealm staff would like to express its’ sincere congratulations and best wishes. Adh mor ort Mickey and continued success. Here’s hoping it goes platinum!

To order Mothers Lullaby or for tour details visit Mickey’s website: http://mickeycoleman.com/index.html

To hear a few of his new songs, visit Mickey’s Myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/mickeycoleman1

 (from:  Mickey Coleman Folk Singer/Songwriter  -  Facebook, 07-Jan-2010) 

“Mothers Lullaby, an anti war song written by myself and Plunkett McGartland about the attacks on Gaza on 27th December 2008, will be launched in Casement Park Belfast on Friday, 29th January 2010 at 8:30pm. Everyone welcome…. More details will follow. You can listen to the song on my Facebook page.” …..Mickey Coleman

Mother’s Lullaby video:  Mother’s Lullaby video

Casement Park (Irish: Páirc Mhic Asmaint) is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Belfast, NI, and home to the Antrim football and hurling teams. The ground has a capacity of 32,600.

I trust you all had a happy and safe New Year’s Eve and no one is in the Headache Zone today. The staff party went well and we even discovered that if you run out of ice you can use snow in a pinch. Snow must be harvested very carefully but it lets you skip the ice crushing process and doesn’t seem to melt as fast. Who knew?

Anyway before the no ice crisis we did manage to get Hooley to draw the lucky name from the Guinness glass and the winner is…………(nice quiet drum roll please)… Babydoll2115 I will be emailing the winner for a mailing address but a big congratulations goes out to her.

It could be you next time. To be eligible for one of the drawings click the Join Fanrealm link at the right and join up. It’s free and safe and let’s you in on the fun.

Stile 13’s cd Where Were You is now available at cdbaby. Click the link below to order a copy. Since Stile 13 is a new band at cdbaby there could be limited copies available. Order now to be sure you get yours in a timely manner. This is a great cd. You will love it!

There was a three alarm fire at the Guinness factory at St James Gate in Dublin yesterday. There were no injuries and the Fire Brigade was able to stop the fire before it spread to the ammonia plant at the site. The fire was believed to have been started when a roof that was being repaired caught fire. The fire has now been extinguished.

At long last Jil Chambless is releasing a solo cd. Fans of Henris Notions have been enjoying Jil’s beautiful vocals for the past 20 years. The Ladies Go Dancing is a must have cd for those who love traditional Celtic music that is well produced and expertly performed. Jil will be having a CD release party Thursday December 10th from 7:00 – 8:30 PM at The Guitar Gallery, 2300 McFarland Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL. Those lucky enough to be in the area should plan to attend and to get their hands on this wonderful cd.

Samples of Jil’s music can be heard at her my space page http://www.myspace.com/jilchambless and also at the my space page of Henris Notions http://www.myspace.com/henrisnotions More info can also be found at the Henris Notions website http://www.henrisnotions.com The CD can also be purchased at this site for those unable to attend the launch party.

Fanrealm is sad to report that Liam Clancy has died. Liam was the last surviving Clancy Brother. Clancy immigrated to the US in the mid 50s and he and his brothers began to make a name for themselves in the folk music world. Bob Dylan said Liam Clancy was the best ballad singer he had heard in his life. The Clancy Brothers, along with their friend Tommy Makem, really took off after a 1961 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. They were actually the very first act I ever saw live and I believe they were largely responsible for my life long love of Celtic Music. This talent will be surely missed.

Fanrealm’s condolences go out to Mr Clancy’s family, friends and fans around the globe.

Pete is offering his cds at 20% off at his website http://www.peterpurvis.com from now until Christmas. These cds make great gifts for all the Celtic Music lovers on your list. Get one for yourself too!

Enter the Haggis have announced the release of a new live dvd called Enter The Haggis Live at The Real Room. The dvd was filmed last May in Burlington, MA. It features seventeen songs including:

The Litter and The Leaves
Lancaster Gate
One Last Drink
DNA
Fiddle Set
Cameos
Murphy’s Ashes
The Ghosts of Calico
The Apothecary
To the Quick
Life for Love
Broken Line
Lights and Cars
Congress
Gasoline
Johnny Mooring
Long Way Home

If you can’t get to a live show a dvd is the next best thing. Once you see the dvd you will find a way to get to a live show, believe me but the dvd is a great first step.

They also have new beanies and t shirts and are offering package deals until December 7 so run don’t walk to their website http://www.enterthehaggis.com/holidaybundles.cfm and check it out. There is even a low res sneak peek of one of the songs from the dvd to check out.

Our Phil is up the Town

Published Date: 06 November 2009
Phil Coulter has few peers and there are fewer songwriters who will match either his overwhelming success or his substantial body of work. That success last week saw the Derry composer awarded the prestigious Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors (BASCA).

It is an award which in the past has been presented to the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Michael Parkinson and Jools Holland. Describing the award as the ‘ultimate acolade’, Phil told the Journal yesterday: “This is an award that recognises talent rather than fame. It is usually given to people working behind the scenes and that it is awarded by my peers makes it all the more significant.”

The award comes as Coulter prepares to return to stage in his home town. And he’s promising “a completely different change of pace – this is a stripped down intimate one man show.”

It has truly been a remarkable career.

How many people have written a national anthem (in Ireland’s Call), two if you count the Derry anthem of ‘The Town I Love so Well’; been conspired against by General Franco; won the Eurovision song contest; sold out Carnegie Hall, four times no less; written a stage show in Celtic Thunder which has four sold out coast-to-coast US tours; and had a string of hit singles which have been recorded by everyone from Elvis to The Bay City Rollers, Billy Connolly, Joe Dolan and even the English International football team!

“I’ve only written a few songs, I haven’t cured cancer or anything,” he said. “But it is still nice to get an award. I’m just like any Derryman – I’m glad to have a job to go to work to on Monday mornings. This is my job. It is a nice one and one which I am good at, at least in spurts! I still enjoy it every day.”

The latest award takes its place among Coulter’s 23 Platinum Discs, 39 Gold Discs, 52 Silver Discs, two Grand Prix Eurovision awards; five Ivor Novello Awards, which includes Songwriter of the Year; three American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awards; a Grammy Nomination; a Meteor Award, a National Entertainment Award and a Rose d’or d’Antibes. And the chances are there are more that he’s simply forgotten about!

Three walls of his office are decorated in accolades: “They start in 1967 and finish with last month’s Gold Badge. It’s nice to have that longevity but there is still a blank wall to remind me there is plenty left to accomplish at this advanced stage of my career.”

Not bad for a man who, first and foremost, wanted to be a goalkeeper!
“Long before I put Buddy Holly or Elvis up there the first poster I had was of the Derry City keeper, Charlie Heffernon. I only wanted to be a goalkeeper.” In fact Phil’s son Ryan, 20, studies at San Diego University on a goalkeeper scholarship and has played for the Irish University squad, Bray and Dundalk FC.

Coulter confesses that he came close to abandoning the piano at an early age. Music was central to his Abercorn Terrace family. His father played fiddle and his mother piano.

“I always stayed away from the fiddle, having inflicted enough pain on my family with the piano,” he laughed.

“The truth is I hated the piano at first. I’d love to say I was a natural but I wasn’t. I hated playing it and I hated my music teacher. My father, who was a canny man, told me, ‘We have to scrimp and save to pay for these lessons, you might as well give them up.’

“It wasn’t long before I gravitated back to the piano, trying to play the songs that I was listening to on the radio. I always wondered what my left hand was supposed to be doing though. But after two or three years at St. Columb’s College I began thinking of the piano as an extension of myself.”

From St. Columb’s, it was on to Queen’s University in Belfast to study Music and French.

Not stealing hubcaps!

“My mother didn’t believe for a long time that I could have a career in music,” he recalled. Her mind was changed with the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest winner, ‘Puppet on a String’.

Is he now tired of the ‘Eurovision conversation’?

“Not at all. That competition was very good to me, ‘Puppet’ sold between 7 and 8 million copies. I look back on that with pride. I think it proved to my mother that I wasn’t out stealing hubcaps!”

The success was almost instantly repeated. Cliff Richard seemed poised to win the 1968 title with the Coulter-penned ‘Congratualtions.’ With only one round of voting to go, Cliff was nine points clear. However he received no points in the final voting round. And that result, so many years ago, has been back in the headlines recently when a Spanish documentary claimed General Franco had fixed the votes.

“The story goes that Franco sent Spanish TV executives around Europe with promises of inducements for votes. We already thought we had won before that final round. I thought with that one round of votes my place in music history was gone. It was a hard lesson to learn early in my career. Since then I refuse to count my chickens early.

“Is it true? Who knows but I’m glad the revelations didn’t emerge in the days after the contest.”

The news was softened by the fact that ‘Congratulations’ is still performed and collecting royalties to this day.

“That song went on to clothe and educate a couple of my children, the Spanish winner on the other hand rocketed into obscurity! I still watch the Eurovision but it is more like a car crash these days. You could say I have a fatal fascination with it.”

Heartbreak

It hasn’t always been ‘awards and accolades’ for Ireland’s most accomplished composer. His personal life has provided enough heartbreak and inspiration for several songwriters.

Some of his most personal, famous and indeed most touching songs come from the loss of family members.

“‘The Old Man’ still haunts me when I play it in Derry,” he reflected. “I can still see my father’s face appear when I’m playing it there. These are my roots, my place, so the ghosts and memories come out of the woodwork when I play in Derry.”

Phil’s sister, Cyd, drowned in Lough Swilly. One year later he lost his brother, Brian to the same ‘Lake of Shadows.’

His struggle to come to terms with the loss and resulting emotions are captured in his songs ‘Shores of the Swilly’ and ‘Star of the Sea’. How then does he feel performing these tracks live, particularly in his hometown?

“It is harder to play in front of family and friends. The butterflies are always there. Once you put your head above the parapet you are a target for abuse as much as for accolades but I understand that. I’ve always said I’d rather play a week in Carnegie Hall than a night in Derry!

“Those particular songs were written as much to help me come to terms with those tragedies as anything else. It is about keeping their memory alive for myself. That is the privilege of a songwriter, we can leave songs behind after we fall off the perch ourselves.”

Part of that legacy is ‘Ireland’s Call’, the anthem Phil wrote for the international rugby team. It has since been adopted by several other sporting codes.

“The feeling stood in Croke Park with my sons at my side, listening to Ireland’s Call being sung, transcends the business of music. That feeling can’t be quantified. It is good to know that song will survive long after I do.”

Phil’s music commitments prevent him from returning to Derry ‘as often as I like’. Those committments include a stint in the US working on a TV version of Celtic Thunder. The stage show, in which he has cast two young Derrymen in starring roles, still fills 5, 000 seater venues. Albums from the show have topped the US Billboard charts on three occasions.

“The success of that show heartened me. It was gratifying and heartwarming to get it right but it was a greater feeling for me that my success was able to open doors for other talent such as Damien McGinty and Keith Harkin.

“It is always important to challenge yourself. I think resting on your laurels is dangerous, treading water is lethal. So while I’m delighted with Celtic Thunder I’m really looking forward to getting back on stage myself. It is refreshing.”

So which of his own songs does the multi-award winner return to most often?

“I have a soft spot for countless tunes for different reasons. I’m proud to be the only non-American to write a number one song for Elvis. There’s Puppet on A String for launching my career. But if I had to choose one, that is easy. It is the one I anguished most over, the one which had to earn respect and perhaps the most auto-biographical tune I have ever written, ‘The Town I Loved So Well.’

“The roots of that song go very, very deep, it took time for it to win respect and integrity. That song defines an era and a place that is very dear to my heart.”

Phil Coulter returns to Derry and the Millennium Forum on Friday 20th November. Tickets are now available from the Box Office. Telephone 71 264455 or visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk for online bookings.