Belfast is abuzz in preparation for the upcoming three-week-long Titanic Festival, which will both commemorate the centenary of the sinking of the Belfast-built ocean liner and celebrate the eagerly-awaited opening of Titanic Belfast, the centerpiece of city’s revitalized waterfront. The festival, which runs March 31 through April 22, will feature 120 events, including light … [Read more...] about Titanic Commemoration in Ireland
Music
The Chieftains At 50
The Chieftains, Ireland’s top traditional group, celebrate their 50th anniversary with a compilation album featuring many young recording artists. In traditional Irish music, the road to success is often a long way from home. Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains have traveled that road for half a century, and it has taken them everywhere – from the world’s great concert halls to … [Read more...] about The Chieftains At 50
The New Irish Songwriter: James Vincent McMorrow
A spring tour in Australia on the immediate horizon, thoughts brewing of a sophomore album and the world at his feet, James Vincent McMorrow has stormed onto the scene from virtual nothingness in the last year. It was January of last year that the Dublin native’s debut album, Early In the Morning, found its way to my desk for review, and I was completely stunned. In many ways, … [Read more...] about The New Irish Songwriter: James Vincent McMorrow
Music Reviews
A look at recently released music of Irish and Irish-American interest. Altan • The Poison Glen In their newest album, The Poison Glen, Altan reverts to the sound that their fans initially fell in love with. Transforming from a virtually unknown duo in the mid-eighties to the six-piece band they are now, Altan is a band that has never really stopped growing or developing. It … [Read more...] about Music Reviews
Making of Monongah
By Kyle Carey, Guest BloggerFebruary 28, 2012
Gaelic Americana musician and songwriter Kyle Carey writes about the ups and downs and ins and outs of recording an album. An album isn’t finished when the musicians go home. One could argue in reality, that’s when it all begins. After recording week, I flew back to the States to visit with my family, sleeping three days straight to recover from the emotional strain of it all. … [Read more...] about Making of Monongah