whats up, just stopping by to check out your site and to let you know that we have a lot of cool new music that you might want to listen to. our two sites are www.jeejuh.com and www.soundclick.com/jeejuh

Real lively music. Joy with Rhythm and talented players!!

Blessings.

Hey y'all... nice stuff. Some friends and I were wanting to start a homeschool celtic band in Oregon, but it hasnt happened, and now I live in Arizona... so thats kinda shot for now. Nice work on the fiddle and the bodhran.

Great tunes, folks! ! Nice traditional sound. We have some humble offerings you might find....well....intriguing.

We just got a beginning bodhran player for our group.. I directed him to your music page to hear a fine bodhran player like Luke..

We enjoyed all your songs.. all you guys (and girl) rock!! Many happy gigs in the future!!

Hi, this is Nathan from up north. (For those of you who know me.) And (also for those of you who know) I finished the lego movie that I was making using your music. I sent Pat a CD with the movie on it. So, tell me what you think.

Nathan

OK, let me say that in another way. They have not gotten worse. They have wandered farther and farther away from the Irish tradition. In fact, they've gone so far that their two newest albums are almost completely Bluegrass/Country sort of stuff. Call it what you like, it's not Irish. If you like what you do, then great, enjoy it! It's just not my cup of tea.

I don't even really like their earlier albums that much (some more than others). It not the musicians that I don't like, it's the way they arrange their tunes. They arrange them in a fashion quite similar to classical music, which I don't really like.

But I love the musicians individually! I love Matt's playing with the Bothies, and also his duet recordings with Sean Keane. Paddy Moloney is a great piper, and Kevin Coneff sure knows his way around the bodhran. It all in the arrangments. Every now and then, I run into one that I like, but not often.

Something else that bugs me is that a lot of people look upon them as playing "traditional" Irish music. Wrong!! If you want tradition, go listen to the old John McKenna or Michael Coleman recordings.

"If they could just get Ciaran Ó Gealbhain to sing for them, they'd be the absolute best band ever."

No!! :-) Lunasa has never had a vocalist, and never will, according to Kevin, and he should know! That's just not Lunasa! There are plenty of bands with vocalists, very rarely do you see an instrumental band.

Max

Explain to me, Max, why the Chieftains' albums have got worse simply because they do bluegrass and country. Down the Old Plank Road is an awesome CD, even if Further Down was bad, and mayhap it's just a matter of taste, even though the raspy vocals in a few of their country songs were a bit much.

BTW, Laura, Max popped a CD of Lúnasa on me the other day at play rehearsal, and now I'm hooked. ^_^ They are the bomb. If they could just get Ciaran Ó Gealbhain to sing for them, they'd be the absolute best band ever. Yes, I even think they're better than Danú -- I know, I'm a traitor -- but maybe I've just listened to Danú too much. =)

Awright then ya bampots,
Just droppin' in oan the Scottish contingent here at Soundclick and your all in Armericay...wild!
I've listened to your stuff and it sounds quite traditional. Keep it up. You can cover my tune if you like, sorry if you can...

Right...very, very guilty feeling comes over me...er...about the Patrick Street stuff..I..well...I borrowed a burned copy of a bunch of their stuff just thrown together, a lot of stuff from "All in Good Time," but the other stuff is just stuff from other albums so I don't know. I am feel very guilty now...WAAAAAH. Are you going to hurt me now?...I don't know any of the tune titles, except I recognized a few from Lunasa albums, like Mrs. O'Sullivan's Jig, Brendon MacMahon's Reel, Rolling in the Barrel, and I think maybe Lady Birr too?? But I'm not sure...and of course I have Patrick Street, Carrowclare, and Miner, all three of which I am totally in love with, especially Carrowclare. sigh

I don't mind the Cheiftains - I haven't had enough patience to listen to all of the CDs I have of theirs - Actually I only have two but I mean I haven't sat through them all the way. I have Tears of Stone and Water from the Well.

That's fascinating about the Bothy Band - Imagine that being unheard of!!! But I guess everything has to start somewhere, hmm? "Pretty Peg" is kind of silly but I just LOVE Craig's Pipes that comes after it...Too bad Lunasa didn't have pipes in that tune, but Cillian wouldn't have been anything compared to Paddy Keenan...I think that's his name?...Poor Cillian.

The Corrs suck. Pfft. Flat out. Hands down. That's it. In Blue has this song on it that I had heard countless times on this pop radio station and I just laughed - And that guy on the Lunasa boards had suggested that Lunasa become the next Corrs!!! Ha!! If they did, I would walk straight off the nearest cliff...which is a long way from here, so maybe not actually...

That's cool that you're liking Otherworld - I think January Snows is trad tho...Yeah, It's got a little star (*) in the sleeve which means, "Trad arr. Lunasa."

Steeleye Span isn't really rock but it's defo not ITM. It's sort of like really lame 80s wanna-be Celtic punk, like a bad 80s version of Flogging Molly. hahaha. I do like one of their (Steeleye Span's) songs, "One Misty Moisty Morning," it's kind of silly but I like it anyway. hehe

Hey congrats with Luke, Nick and Pat in their track stuff!!! and school's out - YAY!!! wheee!!! oh coolness

I think I was going to say something else but I don't remember, so I'll probably be back later. (I do this every time...)

Laura

Hi Laura, good to have you back.

Whoa, a lot to reply to here. Let's see.

Silly Wizard is one of my favorite bands, and I have two of their albums. Live Wizardry, and Glint of Silver. I don't like Glint of Silver half as much as the live one, but it's still nice. And I love Live Wizardry! I think Luke has the Best Of album.

I don't like the Chieftains. Sorry. Some of their earlier stuff is pretty good, but ever since they went country/bluegrass their albums have just got worse and worse. I have two of their albums from the 70s and they are great, though. Which albums do you have?

The Corrs are one of the only bands that I really, really can't stand. And they're so popular!!! Man, that bugs me.

I don't know too much about Planxty. The only time I ever heard them was on the radio once. They sound really cool, and I love andy Irvine and Donal Lunny. Donal Lunny is one the most amazing figures to come on the ITM scene ever. He was the primary mastermind behind the Bothy Band, which changed the face of trad forever, and was involved with many other bands, Planxty being one of them. He also plays guitar, bouzuoki, bodhran, and keyboard really well.

I don't know anything about Steeleye Span. Are they a rock band?

Oooh, the Bothy Band! Excelent, excelent, excelent! I don't know if you know this Laura, but before the Bothy Band came around, Irish music was totally different. It was a solo music. A few groups had begun to emerge, namely the Chieftains, Planxty and Sweeney's Men. You know how the Bothy Band is similar to Lunasa, and lots of other bands as well? Well, when they got together, it was something unheard of. They were the ones that started it all. Pretty amazing huh? And all this happened just 30 or so years ago? Isn't it annoying that they disbanded before we were even born!? They should have a reunion. Planxty did that recently. Just in Ireland though. I have three Bothy Band albums: Out of the Wind Into the Sun, Afterhours - Live in Paris, and Live in Concert.

Yes, I got Otherworld. For three months! I LOVE January Snows/Laura Lynn Cunningham, and I think they are both by Phil. Phil is amazing. Do you like him?

Hey, what Patrick Street albums did you get? They are one my favorite bands! I love Kevin Burke and Jackie Daly in particular. They got a new memeber, John Carty recently. I have five of their albums: Compendium, Made in Cork, Street Life, All in Good Time and Live. All great.

-Max

So glad to see you back, Laura! Goat Whacker asked me to let him know if I see any new posts, so I'll have to tell him you're back. Luke's been really busy finishing the track season. He got 2nd place in Varsity Ventura County Track Finals for the 100m and the 200m and broke the Santa Paula records (not to mention new personal bests). Please forgive a proud mother for bragging! Nick Collins and Pat Coughlin were also in the Varsity Finals and did very well. Pat got 2nd in High Jump and Nick got 2nd in the 400m and 4th in the 800m. Needless to say, they added a lot to our small track team. THEN later that same day, they joined the Merry Blacksmiths for a performance. I am so proud of all of them. (Oh, really?!)

oh my goodness!!!...silent indeed!! Max, I guess your carpet issue explains your absence from Lunasa boards as well...I'm so sorry I haven't been here in ages - I always forget to come, sneef. But here I am!! For now.

Yes Max I have heard of Solas, but there's no way I could like anyone half as much as Lunasa...nope, never, not gonna happen . But I will defo check them out. You should be so proud of me - I got a Silly Wizard cd from the library, I think it's their "Best OF" one, and I like it but I haven't had a chance to listen to all of it. I also got a bunch of Cheiftains stuff, the Corrs (BLAH) (I got "In Blue" at a yard sale for twenty-five cents...DON'T buy it), a cd with one Planxty set on it, some weird Scotish band called Steeleye Span, aaaaaand...The Bothy Band!!!!! The First Album, 1975!!! And I love it!!! I especially like the Kesh Jig set and the one with Pretty Peg/Craig's Pipes. I love Craig's pipes, ever since I heard it done by the Bothy Band, I can't stop listening to it. wheeeeeeee!!!!!

So I heard you got Otherworld for a bit!?!?? Do you like it??? I am actually not sure anymore if Otherworld is my fav, or Kinnitty Sessions...na, Otherworld still I think . It's got Lafferty's and Gr. Gilbert and all the other things...Do you like January Snows/Laura Lynn Cunningham??? The latter was written but Phil Cunningham...that accordian guy...

That reminds me - Did I ever tell you I got a bunch of Patrick Street stuff??...Yes, I did, never mind. heh.

It's been exactly two months today since I went to see Lunasa. wow. Can't tell if it feels more like yesterday or, um, yester-year. Did you ever see my pictures??? I posted them on the Lunasa boards, under "Cool Lunasa pics" or something. They're a little wonky cuz of resizing, but they're still fab

Okay I'm going to shut up for now...every time I come back here after I haven't been for awhile, I leave million-mile long entries...sorry..tee hee.

-Laura

p.s. Lunasa video clips at www.kerrywhistles.com!!!!!!!!!!

My! How this site has gone silent. Laurapalooza, where are you? I guess Max still can't get onto the computer at his house very often.

Yeah, but every now and then, I can hop on my Mom or Dad's computer. Like now.

Laura! Have you heard of Solas!? If you think that Lunasa is the coolest band, then you haven't seen Solas! I saw them last Sunday with my Dad. You have to check them out if you haven't already. Before the gig, I liked Lunasa and Solas about the same, but now I'm afraid it's all Solas. Once I see Lunasa in October, I supose the tables will turn. :-)

-Max