The Jane Bradfords ~ from the upcoming album 100 Miles of Broken Pavement

In honor of Australia Day yesterday, my favorite Aussie ~ The Mad Pride

The fantastic Ghost Trains. You can download their music from their website here.

Andy Hearn

Building Pictures aka John Gribbin

Conor Mason

Paul Shevlin ~ Paul has recently joined a band called Hologram. Eagerly looking forward to hear what they do.

Paul Casey from his upcoming album

Ludwig O’ Neill songs from his upcoming album and a few other goodies

Captain Kennedy ~ Fantastic Band

The Saw Doctors From their latest album. They will be touring the US in Feb and March Click here for the tour schedule. Get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

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Conor Mason, Derry, Ireland

Latest tracks by Conor Mason

You can find Conor on Facebook here and at twitter here.

Building Pictures (John Gribbin,) Belfast, Britain (UK)

Latest tracks by Building Pictures

John is currently in New York. You can find out more about him through his Facebook page here and at his blog here.

You can purchase his albums at cdbaby.

Junior Johnson Randalstown, ANT, UK

You can find Junior at Facebook here and at MySpace here

You can get Junior’s cd at cdbaby.

Brian Mackey, New York, NY

You can find Brian on Facebook here and at twitter here.

You can purchase Brian’s EP at Amazon.

Grant Beedie Christchurch, NZ (Originally from Scotland)

You can find Grant at Facebook here and at twitter here .

Luke Thomas, Bristol, UK

You can find Luke at Facebook here and at twitter here.

You can get Luke’s cd at cdbaby.

Tony McHugh, Belfast, UK

You can find Tony at Facebook here and at MySpace here.

Niall Connolly, Brooklyn, NY (originally from Cork)

You can find Niall at MySpace here and at his own website here.

You can get Niall’s cds at cdbaby.

Niall is currently touring his native Ireland and EU.

Fri April 29th 8.30pm Roundy Cork, with Casey Black

Sun May 1st 8pm Glebe Gardens, Baltimore, with Casey Black

Thurs May 5th Crane bar, Galway, with Casey Black and Warren Malone

Fri May 6th Mariner Bantry, Casey Black and Warren Malone

Sat May 7th Pine Lodge, Myrtleville Casey Black and Warren Malone

Sun May 8th EARLY GIG doors 5.30pm Roundy, Cork Casey Black and Warren Malone

May 11th (rescheduled) The Cobblestone Dublin

May 12th and 13th Mulligans, Amsterdam with Karl Nesbitt

May 14th The Shamrock, Liege with Karl Nesbitt

May 15th T’gildenhuis, Rupelmonde

May 28th The Living Room NYC

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Declan O’Rourke recently released his third studio album. Mag Pai Zai received critical acclaim and is available at major record stores throughout Irleand as well as through Amazon and Itunes. Click here for ITunes

A single from the album, A Little Something, can be heard on Declan’s MySpace page here.

Cashier # 9 have announced four UK shows:

Monday 25th April – Mojo Bar, Liverpool
Tuesday 26th April – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds FREE SHOW
Wednesday 27th April – Bodega Social Club, Nottingham (Tickets)
Thursday 28th April – The Arches, Glasgow (Tickets)

Great Big Sea

Great Big Sea will be touring in the US this summer.

JUL 12/11 Ford Amphitheater Vail, CO More info
JUL 13/11 Crested Butte Mountain Resort Crested Butte, CO More info
JUL 14/11 Denver Botanic Gardens Denver, CO Presale Apr 25@ 9 am MDT
JUL 15/11 Riverwalk Center Breckenridge, CO Presale on now!
JUL 16/11 Strings Music Pavilion Steamboat Springs, CO Presale on now!
AUG/26/11 Lowell Summer Music Series Boarding House Park Lowell, MA Tickets
AUG 27/11 Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf Buffalo, NY Presale Apr 20 @ 11 am EDT

Ghost Trains

Ghost Trains has just come off a successful tour of Russia. This is a great band and they want you – for a fan. Becoming a fan is easy – just go to their website and join. All fans will be given access to a digital EP Manic Tunes From Nowhere (Vol.1) for free. Just go to their website http://ghosttrains.net/dl and enter the code vabs-txw8. Don’t forget to look around and listen to all the music.

Blaggards

Blaggards are back in Texas spreading Stout Irish Rock around the Lone Star State till they head for NC and other states at the end of next month.

Friday, April 22, 2011
O’Brien’s Irish Pub
11 East Central Avenue, Temple, TX 76501
254-295-0518 Set: 10:00 PM 21+ Tickets: Call venue for info

Saturday, April 23, 2011
Fado Irish Pub
214 W. 4th St., Austin, TX 78701 512-457-0172 Set: 9:00 PM
21+ Tickets: No Cover

Friday, April 29, 2011
O’Bannon’s Tap House
103 Boyett Street, College Station, TX 77840
979-846-9214 Set: 10:00 PM 18+ Tickets: Call venue for info

Saturday, April 30, 2011
Molly Malone’s
7824 Louetta Rd, Spring, TX 77379
281-370-4949 Set: 10:00 PM 21+ Tickets: NO COVER

Friday, May 6, 2011
Big John’s
6150 Wilcrest Drive, Houston, TX 77072
(281) 498-3499 Set: 10:00 PM
21+ Tickets: Call venue for info

Saturday, May 7, 2011
29-95 Entertainment Stage @ Houston International Festival
901 Bagby St., Houston, TX 77002
713.654.8808 Set: 4:30 PM
All Ages Tickets: Call festival for info

Wednesday, May 11, 2011
O’Bannon’s Tap House
103 Boyett Street, College Station, TX 77840
979-846-9214 Set: 10:00 PM
18+ Tickets: Call venue for info

Friday, May 13, 2011
O’Bannon’s Tap House
103 Boyett Street, College Station, TX 77840
979-846-9214 Set: 10:00 PM
18+ Tickets: Call venue for info

Saturday, May 14, 2011
Fado Irish Pub
214 W. 4th St., Austin, TX 78701
512-457-0172 Set: 9:00 PM
21+ Tickets: No Cover

Friday, May 20, 2011
Paradise Cafe
401 East 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-5667 Set: 9:00 PM
21+ Tickets: Call venue for info

Saturday, May 21, 2011
Fado Irish Pub
214 W. 4th St., Austin, TX 78701
512-457-0172 Set: 9:00 PM
21+ Tickets: No Cover

Switchback

Switchback has just completed the very first Switchback Songwriters Weekend at Four Mounds Inn near Dubuque IA. By all counts it was a wonderful and productive weekend for all who attended.

The band will be touring these cities nest month.

May 6 – 8 – Th’ Gatherin’ Ancient Feast of Beltane, WaKeeney, KS
May 14 – Celtic House Pub, Parker, CO
May 15 – St. Laurence Episcopal Church, Conifer, CO
May 20 – Fiddler’s Hearth, South Bend, IN
May 21 – Concert in the Cave at The Natural Gait, McGregor, IA

For more info please click here.

Scythian

In anticipation of the release of their new album American Shanty Scythian is offering digital downloads of both Vol 1 and Vol 2 for the low price of $5. Great music at a great price. Hurry over to bandcamp to get yours – http://scythian1.bandcamp.com/

LED presents “Sing a Song, Writer” Easter Special

The next LED Promotions show will be Thur April 21st at McHughs Basement at 9 PM (since it is Good Friday Eve the bar closes at midnight) Donation is £4. This is a charity show to benefit Chernobyl Childrens Appeal NI

Performances by:

The Vires
Pete McAuley
Siobhan Day
Nathaniel McAuley
Orla Lynch

Building Pictures

Building Pictures will be performing at A Special Evening of Music at Pete’s Candy Store Tuesday, April 26 at 9:00pm.

Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer St
Brooklyn, NY

Captain Kennedy

Captain Kennedy play The Railway Bar in Lurgan on 29th April 2011 9 PM – Midnight

Paul Shevlin

Paul Shevlin’s single Backfire (Set Them Alight) has been released worldwide and is available through Amazon UK here

Enter the Haggis and Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas are both working on new albums. More great music on the way!

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My pick for the brand new Christmas song of the year this year is by Paddy Nash and the Happy Enchiladas. It’s called It Being Christmas and it ain’t your same old tired -snow-bells-angels fare. It’s also not the Grandma getting offed by an unnamed fella in a sleigh sort of song either. That one was too weird even for me. This one is about the true magic that is often lost in all the commercial hoopla of the season. It is about what the season should be about – daring to believe in human kindness, forgiveness, redemption – the sort of thing we should be able to manage at least at this time of year. Paddy is offering this song as a free download, it being Christmas, and all. You can get your copy here Don’t forget to check out Paddy’s cd When We Were Brave while at cdbaby here

You can also download It Being Christmas and the B Side – the beautiful A Place at the Table at Paddy’s website http://www.paddynash.co.uk/web/music.asp The songs compliment each other beautifully. Diane Greer does such a wonderful job on A Place at the Table that it will bring tears to the eyes of every Bah Humbug type out there. There’s lots of great music to listen to and download at Paddy’s website. Be sure to spend some time there.

The Saw Doctors’ Going Home from the Cure album is still a favorite of mine that I am NOT sick of. It is another people song representing the ties that go deep that lead us back the the places and people we may have left but never left behind.

Going Home (This Christmas) by sawdoctors

Another Christmas Song from The Saw Doctors

Christmas Shade by Sienna is another one I really enjoy. Another people song. I think I see a pattern here. Thanks to myspace music I can let you hear that one right here.

A great video of a classic by Building Pictures. John and his faithful canine companion do the best version of this I have seen in years. Dancing With The Stars – eat your heart out!

John is offering a free download of this song also. You can get your copy here

Another great place to hear Christmas music you won’t hear on commercial radio is Marc Gunn’s Celtic mp3s and Music Magazine. Here is the link to the Christmas show This is special Christmas for Marc – his first as a new Daddy. Congrats to Marc and his lovely wife. Enjoy this one, Marc, before you know it, Christmas will require some assembly

Whatever holiday you end your year with – Christmas, Yule or any of the others, one thing remains the same. It’s a time to remember what’s really important. It isn’t about gifts or what you got or what you gave. It isn’t about the frenzy of the season. It’s about taking stock in your life – the year that is ending and the one that is beginning. It’s about family and friends and the time you spend with them.

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There is something in the air or water in Ireland. The music scene in Ireland and Northern Ireland is really hot and producing some major talent. I am hoping that The Script can do for Irish/Celtic bands and entertainers what the Beatles did for British bands and entertainers in the 60s. The Beatles launched the British Invasion. I have felt that we are due for a Celtic Invasion for some time now. Since I do remember the British Invasion I can tell you they dynamics are about the same. In the 50s the recording stars were groomed and manufactured by the record companies who had cozy deals with the radio stations and it was they who decided who got air play and thus which recording artists made it. There was a uniform and manufactured air about all the acts most of the acts ended up looking and sounding alike. I see this same situation today and just as the four scruffy lads from Liverpool kicked that image to the curb I think that the truly talented, mostly indie singers and bands that are hitting the scene there can do the same thing today. All they need is a foot in the door. To that end we have featured many Irish artists at Fanrealm and will continue to do so. We also think the Celt rock bands from this side of the pond are great and are producing great music that is not in the mold laid down by the people running the music industry today. They and the Irish and other Celtic bands from the other side of the pond will make up the coming Celtic Invasion. Remember, you read it here first

There are many other hot young Irish singers and bands you may not have heard of yet, or haven’t thought of in this light so we will feature some here for you to check out.

Oracle
I have been a fan of this band for quite a while. They have a distinctive style and are producing some great songs. They were featured at this years Guinness Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and are building up a following in Northern Ireland having gotten air play on the popular radio station Cool FM.

They are working on an EP. You can hear them at their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/davidmcclean

Ben Glover

Ben Glover is an award winning singer songwriter from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. He released his first album in 2008. He has spent much of 2009 in Nashville where he recorded his second album Through the Noise, Through The Night

We will be reviewing this album in the near future. Ben has a page at ReverbNation so we can share a sample of his work with you by adding his widget to this post. You can read more about Ben at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/benglovermusic

UPDATE: For some reason the tune widget isn’t working. I have never had that happen before so I didn’t test it. But the video one seems to work so I am replacing the tune one with the video widget

Keith Harkin

Keith Harkin is a young singer/song writer from County Donegal near Derry in Northern Ireland. Derry is also a hot spot for great musical talent. Keith is currently a castmember of the show Celtic Thunder however it is his solo work that interests me. He is a great songwriter and I would love to see him singing his own songs. One of his compositions, Lauren and I, was included in the original Celtic Thunder offering called The Show. There have long been rumors of his own album. Hopefully he will be able to work on that soon. He is also a talented producer and has produced several songs recorded by his sister Rebecca, who is also a gifted singer/songwriter. I have pasted Keith’s ReverbNation widget below. The first 7 songs were done with Celtic Thunder. The last three are his own songs. Sadly, he did not include Chasing Dreams which is my favorite.

Building Pictures

Building Pictures is the professional name of singer songwriter John Gribbin from Derry, Northern Ireland. He is also an award winner. He has spent time gigging in the US and recorded 2 EPs. He is offering a free download from his second EP, Joey and the Moon at his bandcamp page http://buildingpictures.bandcamp.com/track/take-my-advice Check it out. It’s a great song and a free gift to you from a up and coming songwriter.

John supported The Script and James Morrison on their Irish tours, and more recently Paolo Nutini. Summer dates included Oxegen Festival.

You can hear more samples at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/buildingpictures

Joe Echo

Joe Echo is the stage name of Ciaran Gribbin, John’s older brother. Joe Echo is also extremely talented. He has penned most of the soundtrack for the upcoming film Killing Bono, staring Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) and Robert Sheehan. He has helped co-write the Madonna hit Celebration.

Joe has been the opening act for The Script, James Morrison, Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini and Franz Ferdinand. He will also be appearing at Oxegen 2010. You can hear samples at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/joeecho

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talented performers who hale from Ireland and surrounding countries. We have featured several on Fanrealm already. If you click the BIOGRAPHY at the top of the page you will find even more. I will be doing another post very soon featuring more acts that are just waiting to take the world by storm.

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