18
      Arts
      &
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Blarney
      Brothers
     
     
      A
      Fine
      Line
      Between
     
     
      Ambition
      and
     
     
      Delusion
     
    
   
   
    
     
      http://web2airmail.net/blarney
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Ryan
      O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Blarney
      Brothers
     
     
      is
      a
      six
      member
      band
      based
     
     
      out
      of
      Texas.
      Citing
      influ-
     
     
      ences
      ranging
      from
      Makem
     
     
      and
      Clancy,
      Garth
      Brooks
     
     
      and
      Stan
      Rogers,
      this
      group
     
     
      is
      talented
      not
      only
      in
      the
     
     
      vocal
      department
      but
      also
      in
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      all
      six
      members
     
     
      play
      at
      least
      three
      instruments
     
     
      —
      and
      well!
      Incorporated
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      the
      usual
      guitars,
     
     
      pennywhistle,
      harmonica,
     
     
      banjo
      and
      bass
      are
      such
      in-
     
     
      struments
      as
      the
      bouzouki,
     
     
      hammered
      dulcimer,
      and
     
     
      digereedoo.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      many
      inter-
     
     
      esting
      things
      about
      this
      al-
     
     
      bum,
      first
      of
      all
      is
      that
      of
      the
     
     
      song
      selection.
      The
      twelve
     
     
      songs
      included
      on
      this
      album
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      could
      very
      easily
      fit
      in
      with
     
     
      the
      East
      Coast
      music
      scene
     
     
      —
      such
      songs
      as
      “Rocky
     
     
      Road
      To
      Dublin,”
      “Witch
      of
     
     
      the
      Westmoreland,”
      “Roddy
     
     
      McCorley,”
      and
      “Paddy
     
     
      Murphy”
      bring
      up
      images
     
     
      and
      sounds
      of
      our
      local
     
     
      peformers.
      However,
      the
     
     
      Blarney
      Brothers
      do
      great
     
    
   
   
    
     
      °
      16
      March
      1999
     
    
   
   
    
     
      jobs
      of
      all
      of
      these
      songs
      —
     
     
      it’s
      hard
      to
      realize
      that
     
     
      they’re
      from
      Texas.
      Also
      in-
     
     
      cluded
      are
      their
      versions
      of
     
     
      Garth
      Brooks’
      “Ireland”
      and
     
     
      Tommy
      Makem’s
      “Rambles
     
     
      of
      Spring.”
      The
      Blarney’s
     
     
      are
      definitely
      a
      fun
      and
      en-
     
     
      tertaining
      band
      that
      are
      worth
     
     
      a
      look,
      so
      check
      them
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dramtreeo
     
     
      Storm
     
     
      www.southernbranch.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Ryan
      O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dramtreeo
      is
      an
      ener-
     
     
      getic
      folk
      group
      based
      out
      of
     
     
      Virgina.
      In
      their
      17"
      year
      of
     
     
      existence,
      this
      is
      an
      excellent
     
     
      release,
      featuring
      the
      great
     
     
      harmonies
      and
      vibrant
      instru-
     
     
      mentation
      of
      this
      five
      mem-
     
     
      ber
      band.
      Just
      as
      the
      liner
     
     
      notes
      to
      this
      album
      suggests,
     
     
      this
      music
      is
      timeless,
      for
     
     
      some
      of
      the
      songs,
      such
      as
     
     
      “Sixteen
      Tons”
      and
      Woody
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Guthrie’s
      “This
      Land
      Is
      Your
     
     
      Land,”
      date
      back
      to
      the
     
     
      1940’s
      and
      50’s
      —
      yet
      they
     
     
      sound
      just
      as
      relevant
      and
     
     
      fresh
      today
      as
      they
      must
      have
     
     
      back
      then.
      Other
      songs
      in-
     
     
      cluded
      on
      this
      album
      are
     
     
      “Aragon
      Mill”
      by
      Si
      Kahn
      —
     
     
      a
      song
      about
      a
      factory
      clos-
     
     
      ing
      resulting
      in
      the
      ghostlike
     
     
      appearance
      of
      a
      town,
      “Storm
     
     
      Comin’
      On,”
      written
      by
      Rob
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Crutchfield,
      “Black
      Velvet
     
     
      Band”
      —
      an
      old
      Irish
      tune
     
     
      that
      has
      never
      sounded
      bet-
     
     
      ter
      (and
      believe
      me,
      I’ve
     
     
      heard
      a
      tremendous
      number
     
     
      of
      different
      versions),
      and
     
     
      “Mbube”
      —
      a
      Zulu
      chant
      that
     
     
      was
      adapted
      by
      Pete
      Seeger
     
     
      and
      later
      turned
      into
      the
      song
     
     
      “The
      Lion
      Sleeps
      Tonight.”
     
    

    
     
      As
      a
      last
      note,
      I’d
      like
     
     
      to
      congratulate
      Dramtreeo
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      CD.
      Not
      only
      am
      I
     
     
      pleased
      that
      they
      included
      the
     
     
      original,
      somewhat
      sarcastic
     
     
      version
      of
      “This
      Land”
      by
     
     
      Guthrie
      (which
      was
      written
     
     
      as
      a
      reaction
      to
      the
      situation
     
     
      during
      the
      Great
      Depression),
     
     
      but
      they
      made
      a
      fan
      of
      me.
     
     
      A
      great
      band
      with
      great
      har-
     
     
      monies
      and
      a
      fine
      repertoire
     
     
      of
      songs,
      a
      great
      formula.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      various
      artists
     
     
      Joyful
      Noise:
      Celtic
     
     
      kavorites
      from
      Green
     
     
      Linnet
     
    
   
   
    
     
      www.greenlinnet.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Ryan
      O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Green
      Linnet
      is
      a
      label
     
     
      based
      out
      of
      the
      United
      States
     
     
      that
      specializes
      in
      the
      best
      of
     
     
      Celtic
      music.
      Included
      on
     
     
      their
      label
      are
      such
      greats
      as
     
     
      Altan
      (seen
      recently
      at
      the
     
     
      Celtic
      Colours
      Festival
      in
     
     
      Cape
      Breton),
      Cherish
      the
     
     
      Ladies,
      Tommy
      Sands
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eileen
      Ivers
      --
      all
      of
      which
     
     
      have
      at
      least
      one
      cut
      on
      this
     
     
      2
      CD
      compilation.
     
    

    
     
      Tommy
      Sands
      contri-
     
     
      bution
      to
      this
      album
      is
      his
     
     
      emotional
      song
      “There
      Were
     
     
      Roses,”
      in
      which
      the
      North-
     
     
      ern
      Ireland
      troubles
      are
      pre-
     
     
      sented
      through
      the
      eyes
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      friends,
      and
      it’s
      a
      great
      song.
     
     
      Altan
      have
      two
      songs
      on
      this
     
     
      album,
      and
      Cherish
      the
      La-
     
     
      dies
      contribute
      “Green
      Grow
     
     
      the
      Rushes
      Oh.”
     
    

    
     
      This
      album
      is
      must
      for
     
     
      any
      fan
      of
      traditional
      Irish
     
     
      and
      Scottish
      music.
      If
      you’re
     
    
   
   
    
     
      interested
      in
      such,
      contact
     
     
      Green
      Linnet
      for
      a
      free
      cata-
     
     
      logue
      via
      their
      web
      page
      or
     
     
      by
      calling
      1-800-468-6644.
     
     
      I
      would
      go
      on
      to
      de-
     
     
      scribe
      this
      album
      more,
      but
     
     
      it
      must
      suffice
      to
      say
      that
      it
     
     
      must
      be
      heard
      to
      be
      believed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Shane
      MacGowan
      and
     
     
      the
      Popes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Crock
      of
      Gold
     
     
      (ZTT
      Records)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wwww.ztt.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Ryan
      O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacGowan
      first
      rose
     
     
      to
      prominance
      in
      the
      1970s
     
     
      following
      an
      incident
      at
      a
     
     
      Clash
      concert
      in
      London
      at
     
     
      which
      part
      of
      his
      ear
      was
      bit-
     
     
      ten
      off
      by
      another
      concert-
     
     
      goer.
      By
      the
      early
      1980s,
     
     
      MacGowan
      was
      the
      leader
      of
     
     
      one
      of
      the
      period’s
      most
      in-
     
     
      novative
      and
      refreshing
     
     
      bands
      —
      the
      Pogues.
      Com-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bining
      MacGowan’s
      punkish
     
     
      poetry
      (not
      to
      mention
      his
     
     
      unique
      delivery),
      and
      the
     
     
      bands
      skill
      at
      Irish
      traditional
     
     
      music,
      they
      paved
      the
      way
     
     
      for
      many.
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      the
      second
      re-
     
     
      lease
      from
      Shane
      MacGowan
     
     
      and
      the
      Popes,
      and
      it
      essen-
     
     
      tially
      sticks
      to
      the
      formula
     
     
      that
      made
      the
      Pogues
      so
      suc-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cessful.
      Including
      excellent
     
     
      covers
      of
      “Spanish
      Lady”
     
     
      and
      “Come
      to
      the
      Bower”
      —
     
     
      both
      Irish
      traditional
      songs,
     
     
      MacGowan
      also
      contributed
     
     
      two
      songs
      that
      rival
      anything
     
     
      he
      wrote
      in
      earlier
      days
      —
     
     
      “Mother
      Mo
      Chroi”
      and
      “St
     
     
      John
      of
      Gods”
      (the
      latter
      of
     
     
      which
      features
      a
      wonderful
     
     
      chorus
      of
      “F
      yas
      all,
      f
      yas
     
    
   
   
    
     
      all”).
     
    

    
     
      Also
      of
      special
      note,
      this
     
     
      album
      features
      MacGowan
      at
     
     
      his
      Irish
      nationalist
      best.
      I’m
     
     
      pleased
      with
      this
      album,
      al-
     
     
      though
      I'll
      be
      the
      first
      to
      ad-
     
     
      mit
      that
      it
      took
      a
      listen
      or
      two
     
     
      before
      I
      got
      the
      hang
      of
      it
      (the
     
     
      transition
      from
      the
      Pogues
      to
     
     
      the
      Popes
      took
      a
      little
      time).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      a
      special
      irish
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eat
      |