Off The Record
by Mike FarragherRecent Posts
- More great stories from Chris Byrne and Seanchai - VIDEOS
- Off the Record - Girly Man O’ the Gridiron
- A blizzard of joy for Snow Patrol, new album 'Fallen Empires' - VIDEOS
- Saw Doctors on call in the US - VIDEOS
- Warming up with Ashley Davis - VIDEO
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More great stories from Chris Byrne and Seanchai - VIDEOS
Off the Record - Girly Man O’ the Gridiron
It's a typical Sunday in a typical living room on a typical winter day. The dinner plates are being cleared and it’s not a moment too soon for the men around the table.
Their eyes dart nervously between the wall clock and the black expanse of my big television screen.
With a nod from one of the wives, they rush to the living room and fumble with the remote in time for the big football game to begin.
Saw Doctors on call in the US - VIDEOS
Their Northeast stops include Pittsburgh on March 5, Providence on the 6th, Worcester on the 8th, Boston on the 9th, New York’s Irving Plaza on March 10, and Philadelphia TLA on March 13. On St. Patrick's Day, bet on the black that they will play the Music Box at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
In other band news, their young drummer Eimhin passes the sticks to an even younger drummer, Rickie O’Neill.
“Rickie is 21 and an incredibly talented drummer, and Eimhin has worked with him over the last few months in order to make the switchover as smooth as possible -- and it couldn’t have been any smoother,” reports guitarist Leo Moran.
Warming up with Ashley Davis - VIDEO
A real Celtic Woman! Just as the arctic winds blow through Manhattan this week, Celtic chanteuse Ashley Davis serves up a chilled collection of songs called Songs of the Celtic Winter.
For this collection, Davis partners with Welsh musician Gawain Matthews (who co-produced with Davis) and Irish harpist Cormac De Barra (from Moya Brennan’s touring and recording bands), and Joanie Madden of Cherish the Ladies to create a winter wonderland for your ears.
The gentle harp melody that gently wafts through songs like “Faucht” and “Wild Mountainside” conjure up images of heavy snow licking the bare tree branches as Davis weaves her poetry about making tracks in the white powder. It’s an intoxicating blast of ethereal Celtic mysticism evoking vivid imagery of the natural world and our ever-shifting place.
Top Irish music makers of 2011 - Lisa Hannigan, Gavin Friday, The Script and more
This past year further stretched the boundaries of Irish music. The artists on this list run the gamut from chart-topping pop to folk to the diddly-diddly you know and love.
I’m publishing this best of 2011 list early in the hopes that some of these worthy artworks will make their way into stockings hung by the chimneys with care by that special Irish music fan in your life. My very best to you and yours for a Happy Christmas!
Reliving the high school dance
One of those moments happened to me over the weekend.
Lisa Hannigan is ready for lift-off with ‘Passenger’ - VIDEO
Lisa Hannigan’s new album, 'Passenger,' is building steam among influential radio stations (what’s left of them), and for good reason. 'Passenger' is full of gorgeous, precious alt-folk gems set in atmospheric sonic arrangements that reveal something on each listen.
Susan Boyle’s ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ Boyle-ing with dullness - VIDEO
But what fun is that?
Back to school is no longer tough
There’s a heightened sense of urgency around back to school shopping this year for three reasons -- the hurricane wiped out a whole week of buying, the first day of autumn marks a new season, and one daughter is obsessed with getting her look right as she steps into high school for the first time.
As they ping-pong between stores and the bags at my feet pile up, I can’t help but be envious at the choices they have at this age.
U2, Bono and the boys seem ready for a break - VIDEO
Who could blame them? They must be knackered after the successful U2360 tour and the drama around resuscitating the Spider-Man Broadway musical!
Now comes word from Rolling Stone that Jack White, Depeche Mode, Patti Smith and Damian Rice are among the artists on a forthcoming tribute album honoring the 20th anniversary of U2’s Achtung Baby.
Sunny skies for Celtic Thunder’s storm - VIDEO
I was the first journalist to be let under the tent of the show that Sharon Browne and Phil Coulter created four years ago. I can still see the years in Phil’s ruggedly handsome and weathered face fall away as he described the concept of the show with boyish enthusiasm.
He wasn’t boasting over pints at the pub that night -- that first Celtic Thunder show delivered an overabundance of theatrical delights from new names and faces.
The second album hummed along as well, and then one got the sense that some of the subsequent albums were milking a concept growing long in the tooth.
Planet of the Apes - Fight Like Apes ‘Live at Facebook Dublin’ gig - VIDEO
The band is celebrating the release of their cheekily-titled new album, The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner, a fizzy joyride of synch-driven pop and punk.
“Come on, let’s talk about our feelings/I don’t care if everything you say is meaningless,” singer Mary Kate “Mayday” Geraghty coos on “Let’s Talk About Our Feelings.”
She sounds flirty, bored, and sarcastic all at the same time, a vibe that calls to mind Debbie Harry’s Blondie or Dale Bozzio’s Missing Persons (other female singers that rode the synthesizer riffs all the way to the bank).
Off Kilter - the strange fashion revival of the AmeriKilt
I always turn up my nose at the made-in-China plastic green nonsense that they peddle at an Irish festival in favor rewarding unique Irish craftsmanship with my hard-earned cash. Last weekend was no exception. I was at the Dublin Irish festival and amazed by the number of punk rockers wearing the AmeriKilt.
As the name implies, this Pennsylvania company has modernized the traditional Scottish garment. Gone are the tartan patterns that broaden the size of your ass to the naked eye. In this model; the kilts come in colors you’d find at The Gap and they have a number of pockets to accommodate your gadgetry. Ingenious! The owner couldn’t have been nicer as I shook his hand and arrived at a price.
I ditched my board shorts on the spot and began my strut across the fairgrounds. I had heard that wearing a kilt gave new appreciation to the term “stiff breeze,” but wind was in short supply on this midsummer night. The thick, soupy Ohio air made everything hang a bit lower under the kilt--I mean, as low as an Irishman can go and you don’t have to remind me that this is not very low by some standards.
Ye learned eejit - wonderful Irish parents show pride and humor when it comes to education
Yes, at the tender age of 45, I am putting an end to an academic career, and let’s just say Albert Einstein never had to look over his shoulder at any time.
After three long years, I attained my master’s degree in management. While I’m proud to say I graduated summa cum laude, ‘tis a far cry from my “Summa Cum Lucky” nightmare that was my undergraduate study!
Dropkick Murphys first annual Shamrock ‘N Roll Festival - VIDEO
A boxing demonstration and signing with special guest, renowned boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, will also be featured at these family friendly, all-ages events.
Shamrock ‘N Roll Festival will visit Bangor Maine; Altamont, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; Portsmouth, Virginia, Rochester, New York and Philadelphia. A dollar from every ticket sold will benefit the band’s charity, the Claddagh Fund, and $1 from every ticket sold for the September 11 show in Altamont will be donated to 9/11 charities. For more information, log onto www.dropkickmurphys.com.
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READ MORE:
Drop Kick Murphy’s join Kanye West for ‘Call of Duty XP’ convention line up – VIDEO
Irglova Marketa, the better half of Swell Season, to release debut album - VIDEOS
Two of the tracks, “Fantasy Man” and “I Have Loved You Wrong,” are streaming now on marketairglovamusic.com, according to Hot Press.
Well, that’s an interesting turn of events! The other half of Swell Season, of course is Frames’ leader Glen Hansard. They are no longer a romantic couple, and in fact Czech Republic native Irglova recently married someone else, which makes the choice of record label so interesting.
If you want to know how it all went down between the couple you might want to check out The Swell Season, an eponymous documentary which premiered as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. It garnered impressive reviews.
Sea change for Celtic Thunder after Damian McGinty’s big ‘Glee’ win
I’m not sure how that will play out, but the show has endured the departure of some players and the addition of new members over the last year.
Emmet Cahill, fresh from his win as the 2010 John McCormack bursary for the most promising young tenor, and recognition as most promising young singer at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, has joined the ensemble.
Dublin (Ohio) rocks with Irish festival
In fact, as I type this, I am a mile above the earth on a plane ride home and I have just asked the stewardess for band-aids for my blistered feet.
I am not joking. For 24 years, the first weekend in August has been reserved for what is now the world’s second largest Irish celebration. Think of an Irish party genetically engineered into the cotton candy of a state fair and you start to get the vibe of this unique weekend.
The cross with a prize inside
Through a confluence of events not worth getting into right now, I find myself sleeping in my parents’ bed tonight. As I peel back the covers I look up above the head board and catch a glimpse of the Last Rites Crucifix.
It’s a beautiful vintage heavy walnut with a brass Jesus hanging in agony, as is the custom. Like a box of Cracker Jacks, our Savior is hiding a prize inside! But this is a prize you don’t want to open anytime soon.
When you grab the base of His feet and slide him up the cross, a small compartment reveals itself with a pair of candles, a small vial of holy water, and a yellowed instruction sheet that guides the reader through the sacrament of Last Rites.
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