Eoin Glackin

Lovely evening. Lovely sunshine. I found some lovely music to go with it.


Eoin Glackin hails from Dublin  As a youngster he was apparently a fan of Kris Kristofferson and Cat Stevens. You have to admire his taste. I think I only came across Kris Kristofferson first in that terrible Planet of The Apes remake. After starting his career as a singer-songwriter busking, Eoin was lucky enough to secure a support slot with Damian Dempsey at two of his gigs. After this it seems the music became priority number one. He left his Arts degree course and moved to London. It turned out to be a smart move as Eoin eventually secured a deal with a management company. This led to the recording of his first album "Not Lost".

"Not Lost" was produced by Ian Grimble (Manic Street Prechers, Beth Orton). The album was released in the UK independently and in Ireland by Sony. From what I have heard of it, it is a enjoyable folk-pop record. Simple melodies, catchy choruses.

Eoin's music might have a Damien Dempsey influence but for me, his songs remind me most of Frank Turner, the English folk-punk pop artist. Their lyrical content and singing style (reflecting on the world around them) are similar. His new album just released independently in March titled "Rain Finally Came" does feel more mature than "Not Lost". The first single of it "New World Blue" definitely has some social commentary going on. Still with its fiddle licks and radio friendly rhythm, the song is easy to listen to.


Sadly that is all the music of Eoin Glackin that is made available for public streaming. If you want to stream the whole album, the Hot Press showcase for Eoin might still have the full album stream available. From what I have heard of it, the songs on this new album suggests that Eoin is maturing into a socially conscious writer of great folk/rock/pop tunes. Remind you of anyone? Think New Jersey.

Both albums can be found on iTunes. Check his official site for more and as usual, the Facebook is always handy too.
Photo: Facebook.com/eoinGlackin

Album Review: Connor Linnie - Astray

Conor Linne's debut album was released a few months back. I'm a bit behind the times, only getting to a review now. And I really should be sorry as "Astray" is a nice collection of blues inspired acoustic melodies.



Conor Linnie has already featured on this blog already.I have discussed his background and musical output previously here.

So straight down to the album. "Astray" was recorded in April and December of last year at Hive Studios. Both arranging and writing all the songs, Conor has demonstrated a musical mature approach in making this record. I imagine that the temptation when recording, especially a début album is to try everything in the mix. Often you find that artists release records where the songs have been lost in the recordings. This is not the case here. With an emphasis on melody where the rhythm section plays a less dominant role, the songs are gracefully composed and played.

The opening two tracks feature what might become Conor signature sound. A contrast of fast-paced finger picking that produce gentle, almost floating melodies. The album demonstrates all that can be got out of a simple acoustic guitar and how different aspects of a tune can be created on one instrument. That is not to say that the music dominates the lyrics. Writing a song like "Crash Bandicoot Blues" on love while referencing the characters and images associated with a platform Playstation game about a marsupial battling a doctor released 15 odd years ago takes skill.


The musical genre of Astray generally moves between blues and folk. When you think the album has moved more towards folk, streaks of steel guitar return to remind you that this is blues influenced album too. Still songs like "Cherry Blossom Bloom" with its strolling rhythm, and fiddle licks throughout demonstrate the ease at which Conor moves between what might seem two converse genres.



The energetic "The Fire I'm Kindling" at the album halfway point showcases the lovely arrangements of some of the songs. A story of lost love that features eerie backing vocals, strong vocal harmonies; the song's restrained beginning eventually bursts into life with crashing symbols and guitar.



If I was to have a criticism of the album is that the songs of the second half of the record tend to blend into one another too easily. Both "Sweet Nothings" and "In Articulate Atrophy" remain enjoyable but not impactful. It takes the closing "Praying Mantis" with its almost aggressive, punchy riff to make you sit up and listen. Tracks like this with its raw blues are something I hope to hear more of in Conor's future output.



The album is a definite enjoyable collection of melodies. Moving easily between the worlds of blues and folk, the album contains some superb songs of both genres. The blues orientated numbers, for me, make more of an impact but nevertheless with its excellent arrangements and snappy melodies, "Astray" is an enjoyable listen.


You can buy the album digitally on iTunes or buy the CD or digital version on Bandcamp. Keep an eye on ConorLinnie.com or his Facebook page for more.


Photo: ConnorLinnie.com

The Whileaways

I seem to be featuring a lot of folk and roots stuff lately. It's funny how a theme naturally occurs in these blog posts. Maybe it’s a sub-conscious thing? Anyway whatever the reasons for it, the end results is a blog post on quality music. Today we feature the melodies of The Whileaways.

The Whileaways group came into being when the three members Noriana Kennedy, Nicola Joyce and Noelie Mc Donnell performed together at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in 2012 in Australia. Noriana had sought both Nicola and Noelie to join her on her tour of Australia. They were already aware of each other having played together in sessions in Galway many times before. After a subsequent tour in Germany, the three decided to record together. The group seem to have wasted little time since forming. Probably because each member of the group has experience in the industry all having released albums as individuals (Noriana & Noelie) or as a member of a group (Nicola), they were quick into the studio, recording their début album over November and December of last year. That self-titled album (I think) is due to be released next week.

As they have stated themselves, the sound of The Whileaways is steeped in the echoes of American roots and folk. They cite Gillian Welsh, Martha Scanlon, Anais Mitchell and The Staves as influences. You can certainly here that sound of american folk in their songs. The blend of voices is to be noted, the vocals seem to fuse together to form one beautiful ethereal voice.

The band came up with their name after an elimination process. The name referencing the phrase "whileaway the hours". That phrase seems to capture the music of the group. It is impactful without being forceful, melodious and full of warm harmonies. Despite the fact that it was recorded in winter, their melodies are the sort of music you listen to while passing by a summers day.

Their music reminds me a lot of The Mastersons. It's that merging of different voices and the low-key instrumental arrangements that both groups excel at. You can hear more samples from that upcoming album on their Soundcloud page.

The group are currently on their album launch tour throughout Ireland with dates in Dingle (May 9th) Tralee (May 10th), Galway (May 19th) and Dublin (May 22nd). Check their official website or their Facebook page for venues and times and all other information. Hopefully I will have a review of the album in the next month or so.

Photo: Facebook.com\whileaways

Boa Morte

Extending the remit of Eirecana with today's post. After exploring the genres of americana, alt-country, desert rock, desert noir, tex-mex, I venture into the world of lo-fi/alternative folk with the music of Boa Morte.

Boa Morte hail from Cork and have been going for a long time (in musical terms) having formed in the mid-90's. The group consisting of Bill Twomey (guitars), Cormac Gahan (bass guitar & vocals) Paul Ruxton (guitars & vocals) and Maurice Hallissey (drums) formed in Cork in the late 1990's. The band's story is an interesting one of what might have been as well as being a reminder of what the music business was like pre Facebook/Bandcamp/Myspace. They release their debut ep ("Passenger, measure your time") in 1999 which generated that old phrase "label buzz". From that the band were signed to Moodfood Records, a label based out of North Carolina (coincidently the same label that released the first Whiskeytown record). From that producer Daniel Presley came to work with the band producing their first album "Soon it will come time to face the world outside". The band tell a lovely story of how they travelled all over Ireland to find a studio with analogue equipment as that was David Presley's preference for recording. Interestingly (well for those of you interested in recording processes) the tracks were recorded straight to tape with the drums, bass and guitars being recorded live and the rest added later on.

After the album was recorded there were delays in getting it out. Suffice to say that the album did not emerge until July 2002 with Glasgow based Shoeshine Records releasing it. Finally we get to the sound of Boa Morte. The mood that the music Boa Morte creates might be best described as lo-fi. They have described themselves as alternative-folk. Whatever the genre, if you like Smog, Will Oldham and even the gentler side of The National output, then you will enjoy their music.

The band decided last year to make "Soon it will come time to face the world outside" free as a download on Bandcamp to mark 10 years since its release. The reviews the album got at the time would suggest like many albums it was more success in critic circles than as a commercial release. But often music like this is not designed or intended for the masses but for those people who intently listen and make a long-lasting connection with the record. The opening track "Clarence White" is a song named after the late Byrd's guitarist. Sparse and minimal, it still manages to make an emotional impact on the listener.

I haven’t really gone into the lo-fi genre here on the blog much. It is in a way related to americana, with a lot of artists of that genre stemming from folk scene or being related to it. You don't hear many artists in Ireland making music like this. Boa Morte are, I think, fairly unique in that sense.

Their second album was released in 2010. Why the long gap between albums? Well you can follow that story through posts on the news section of their website. Anyway "The Dark Waltz" is the older, wiser sibling of "Soon it will come time to face the world outside" developing the sound and strong lyrical content that the first album had established. Again produced by Daniel Presley, the songs are meditative, haunting and sparse.

Both albums "Soon it will come time to face the world outside" and "The Dark Waltz" are available to download on Bandcamp, either for a donation/free or for $5. The band have a official site where you can hear some tracks from their 1999 ep. Finally there is always the Facebook page.

Photo: MySpace/Boamorte

Eirecana Radio May 6th 2013

So  the first proper show happened today. I'm still not happy with it but we're getting there. Maybe I should introduce some wacky radio features like some radio shows out there or more likely I should let the music do the talking. Anyway you can stream the show through Mixcloud which should be available about now. The playlist is below or if you want the exact times of each track on the show, consult my page on Flirt Fm
This is show number 1 by the way. I hope you enjoy it. By the way if you want to submit music for the show (even your own), please feel free to contact me at the email address: ron [at] eirecana.com

Song                   Artist   (with link)       Album          

1. Muskingum River  Marc Carroll  Stone Beads & Silver

2.The Wolf In Me The Holy Innocents Unknown

3.One of Many Ronen Kohavi Brixton Bootleg

4. Hymn #76    Joe Pug   The Great Despiser

5.Victory Square    Twin Terrace   Plural

6.AM Country Heaven    Jason Eady   AM Country Heaven

7.The Grand Tour (Single Version) George Jones The Essential George Jones

8.Something For Nothing    Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band     Between The Ditches

9.Hot Mess   The  Owsley Brothers   Cobalt

10.Soul Brother The Hot Sprockets Soul Brother - Single

11. You've Been Released     Yngve & The Innocent     Nothing Was Delivered

12. Coke & Rum Stephen Young & The Union Wilderness Machine

13. The River      Lonesome City Travelers    Lonesome City Travelers

14. Forgot I was Alive   Dax Riggs     We sing of only Blood or Love

Rackhouse Pilfer

The summer is starting to appear here in Galway so I am on the hunt for a few summery tunes. I have not featured roots music for a long while here on the blog. I tend to leave that genre to the Bluegrass Ireland Blog where sadly Richard Hawkins, the editor has retired. Anyway seeing as they classify themselves as americana and the music is so lively I thought I would return to roots music with Rackhouse Pilfer.


Rackhouse Pilfer are based out of Sligo. The band consist of members Leon (Guitar), Fiachra (Fiddle), Les (mandolin), Mark (banjo), Duane (Double bass) and Willie (drums) with all contributing vocals to the band's songs. The group formed just last year with most  members of the band having come from various band of different genres in the Sligo area. Their music is clearly roots based but they seem like a band that are keen to experiment with the genre. That seems the case from their lovely lively cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic city".





Not ones to hang about, the band have recorded and released their début album already titled "Back to the country" last March. There aren't too many Rackhouse Pilfer tracks available on-line but if you check their website, they have a few videos of live versions of tracks. Shack No.9 gives one a good sense of the album. Foot-tapin' old time songs with some excellent banjo and fiddle playing throughout. One of those bands that are perfect listening for a Friday afternoon...and evening..and night.



You can find more out about the band on their official website here where you can buy the album if you wish. To keep updates with them, check out their Facebook page. The band play two early gigs in Whelans in Dublin on Sunday 19th May and Sunday 26th May. The also are playing with Amazing Apples in Monroes in Galway on Friday 31st May.
Photo: RackhousePilfer.com

Live Music Preview: Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots // Southern Gothic Festival Cork

It's always the way isn’t it? You wait fifty odd weeks for an americana/alt-country festival to appear and then two come along at once...on the same weekend. Both the Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots and the Southern Gothic Festival feature some amazing bands that you would rarely get to see in Ireland and now they are all coming...on the same weekend. Still if you can't attend either festival there is some great music below to get listening to. The artists featured here are the ones I have picked out to see. Whether you agree or disagree, I'm sure you'll find something at either festival to enjoy.

KILKENNY RHYTHM & ROOTS
Where: Kilkenny; various venues
When: 3rd-6th May
Cost: Varies €10- €20 for paid gigs with loads of free gigs over the weekend
Website: Kilkenny Roots

The Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots is the principle alt-country and americana festival in Ireland. The festival has been going since 1998. The artists previously featured in the festival are of exceedingly high calibre. These include Ryan Adams, Son Volt, Calexico, Guy Clark, Ray LaMontagne and The Alabama Shakes. This year the quality is just as good.

The Deep Dark Woods

Hailing from Canada, The Deep Dark Woods are a 5 piece creating beautiful soft melodies. Their music feels most at home on the roots side of americana. One of the few international acts whose gig is not sold out, they play Kytelers Inn on the Sunday at 9pm.

The Quakers

A band from Sligo that I have never heard of before. Having listened to a few of their tracks, they sound like something worth checking out. Sort of putting the pop into old-time country. I'm sure someone has done that before? But I like what these lads are doing. They are playing Shems Bar Saturday night and Billy Byrnes Sunday night.

Phosphorescent

Have mentioned Phosphorescent on the blog recently. The album "Muchacho" is an intriguing mix with an otherworld feel to it. This album pushes of the edges of alt-country and that is worth hearing live. Phosphorescent plays Set Theatre on Sunday evening at 7pm.

John Blek and the Rats

Currently gaining a profile for their brilliant alt-country melodies, John Blek and the Rats are about to release their début album (‘Leave Your Love at the Door') this coming Friday. So take their gigs at Kilkenny as an opportune time to hear the album live before you buy it. They play Billy Byrnes at half 3 on Sunday afternoon and then Cleeres that night at 10.

Also playing that readers of Eirecana will be familiar with are Paul Creane and The Changing Band, The Needables, Joe Fury & The Hayride and The Midnight Union Band. All worth checking out.

SOUTHERN GOTHIC FESTIVAL
Where: Cork; Crane Lane theatre and various venues
When: 3rd - 6th May
Cost: FREE
Website: Southern Gothic Cork

On a parallel path as the Kilkenny festival, the Southern Gothic festival in Cork which is in its fourth year offers the opportunity to see some artists that would rarely grace these shores. However the line-up incorporates some wider genres than Kilkenny with everything from blues, country, antifolk (a new one on me), hillbilly punk, and soul likely to feature. As far as I can make out all the gigs are free and the bill of arts is stellar.

Hiss Golden Messenger

I went on about Hiss Golden Messenger last week here. The more I listen to the album, the more I enjoy it. The lyrics are parcelled together perfectly with musings on family, home and place. It is a beautiful record. Hiss Golden Messenger along with William Tyler plays the Crane Theatre on Bank Holiday Monday at half 4.

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

Strangely I recently purchased Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band fifth album "Between The Ditches" without releasing that they were on their way to Ireland. This is the second of two gigs they are playing in Ireland. The songs of the Reverend's Big Damn band are a mix of southern melodic blues and americana. They play the Crane Theatre on Monday at 9pm.

Mama Rosin

Playing at Kilkenny as well this weekend, Mama Rosin are a Swiss group producing a mad blend of Cajun and blues. Its mad stuff but really enjoyable. Their latest album ("Bye Bye Bayou") was interestingly produced by blues-rock legend Jon Spencer. If you have been watching Treme (the tv show set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina) and liked the music on it, you'll like these guys.

Also playing at Cork worth checking out are The Vincent(s), Ha Ha Tonka, Morgan O'Kane and Marker Starling.

So that's it, if you don't have some new favourite artists after this weekend, then there's no hope!