- Culture
- 04 Apr 01
THE CROSS BORDER MEDIA ROSTER
Four Men & A Dog
Their debut album, Barking Mad was the first ever CBM release. Introducing one of the most exciting new ensemble outfits to hit the traditional scene in many years, alongside a batch of wild, pulsating instrumentals it included the hilarious ‘Wrap It Up’ and a stunning version of Richard Thompson’s ‘Waltzing’s For Dreamers’. It was subsequently awarded Album of The Year by Folk Roots Magazine in 1992 and has now achieved near–classic status among folk-roots fans, especially in the UK.
The follow-up, Shifting Gravel was released last summer to almost universal critical acclaim. For this the addition of singer-songwriter Kevin Doherty brought a fine set of original songs and a new vision to the band. The ubiquitous and supremely talented Arty McGlynn, who produced Shifting Gravel, is now also a full-time band member, adding a depth and finish to the arrangements which put them clearly into the first rank of Ireland’s all-time finest folk and traditional outfits. With the superb individual virtuoso skills of Cathal Hayden on fiddle and Gerry O’Connor on banjo, Four Men & A Dog are now one of the biggest live attractions on the folk/roots scene today. They have toured all over Europe as well as in America. They’ve appeared at prestigious events like the Cambridge Folk Festival in England and the Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada and two years ago they performed at the New Music Seminar in New York. A new album is set for release this year which should see ‘The Dogs’ consolidate their already strong position.
• Four Men And A Dog: Cathal Hayden (fiddle), Gino Lupari (percussion and vocals), Kevin Doherty (guitar and vocals), Arty McGlynn (guitar), Gerry O’Connor (banjo) and Conor Keane (accordion)
The Brothers
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With a sound blending Memphis soul, New Orleans barrelhouse-boogie and Nashville country, leavened with a strong flavouring of Irish folk for good measure, The Brothers can swing, rock and swoon with the best of them. The most frequent comparison is with the work of The Band, suggested not just by certain vocal similarities but even moreso by the effective fusing of Roots music with rock ’n’ roll and the strong historical, even mythological, feel which pervades the songs. “This is a refreshingly honest record,” Philip King, producer of Bringing It All Back Home wrote in a review of their debut album Torch. “Uncompromisingly eclectic, it draws on a rich diversity of influences – music that came to Ireland on the airwaves, blues and rock ’n’ roll, is effectively blended with indigenous flavours and textures courtesy of Máirtín O’Connor and Davy Spillane.” The core of the group features Dermot Stokes on vocals and keyboards, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes on vocals and guitar and Garry O’Briain on vocals, piano and mandocello. The Brothers recruited the services of some of Ireland’s top musicians to augment their sound on Torch, which was released to wide acclaim in Ireland in 1992. A single, ‘Slow Dancing’, taken from the album received substantial airplay and the band have appeared on both BBC and RTE television. However it is the songs which have drawn the most consistent praise. “Whether confronting terrorism, unemployment, emigration or sexual liberation, the songs vibrate with a ferocious outspokenness,” the Sunday Tribune observed, while NME described the album as huge and mythical and Vox insisted that “lovers of The Band, The Waterboys, Van the Man and the much-missed Moving Hearts should apply.”
Torch has now been released in Japan, Taiwan and Australia as well as in Europe and Britain. The Brothers are currently working on new material for a future release which promises to be well out of the ordinary . . .
• The Brothers: Dermot Stokes (vocals, piano), Niall Stokes (guitar, vocals), Garry O’Briain (vocals, mandocello, piano, keyboards)
Sean Keane
His debut solo album, All Heart No Roses has been in the shops for just three months, yet Sean Keane is already being tipped as one of the major future stars of Irish music. From the famous Keane family of Caherlistrane in Co. Galway, which has already bequeathed the regal talent of Dolores Keane to the world, Sean has been involved in music for years, playing and singing at Fleadh Ceoils and with members of his family.
He has also toured and travelled widely with groups like Reel Union and Arcady and has recently performed with the Druid Theatre in their innovative interpretation of Brian Merriman’s Midnight Court, in the process building a reputation as a fine performer and a vocalist of exceptional quality and potential.
All Heart No Roses comprises songs written by such renowned writers as Robbie O’Connell, Tommy Sands and Bob Dylan, as well as some more traditional songs. On the album, Sean is accompanied by musicians of the calibre of Arty McGlynn, Nollaig Casey and James Blennerhasset and the result is a superb collection which is as heartfelt as it is pure and true.
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The latest news from the Keane camp is that All Heart No Roses has been nominated as one of the albums of the year by Q Magazine, who described it as “one of the most promising debuts ever released” – a worthy and thoroughly deserved accolade that should see Sean Keane’s star in the ascendant throughout 1994.
DraÍocht
Legend has it that Draíocht were spotted by CBM supremo Oliver Sweeney playing in a remote West Cork venue. Instantly impressed, he signed them on the spot and the result was the release last year of their hugely impressive debut, The Druid And The Dreamer.
Though based in Tralee, the members of the band hail from as far apart as Amsterdam and London, as well as from Kerry. Draíocht’s music consists of a captivating blend of accordion and acoustic guitar with jazzy percussion and fretless electric bass added to the mix to create an organic, ambient sound. All this is perfectly topped off by the delicate and fragile voice of singer Mary O’Regan. The original songs, written by the Mulcahy brothers, Frank and Tom, are heavily influenced by the Celtic mythological novels of Morgan Llewellyn, and there’s a definite middle eastern flavour to their music which lends it a highly attractive exotic quality.
The name ‘Draíocht’ means magic or enchantment and it perfectly describes their mellifluous tones, which the band like to describe as “Irish world music.” Draíocht have had a successful year with major tours of Scandinavia and Germany as well as numerous TV appearances adding considerably to their burgeoning reputation. They were also honoured by being chosen as one of the acts to appear at the musical showcase event which was organised to coincide with Ireland’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest. 1994 promises to be even busier for the band as they plan their follow-up to The Druid And The Dreamer, and take to the roads for more live performances.
• Draíocht: Frank Mulcahy (accordion), Tom Mulcahy (guitar and vocals), Mary O’Regan (vocals), Jimmy Canty (bass) and Marco Smith (percussion)
FrancEs Black & Kieran Goss
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The intense collaboration which ignited between two already established solo performers was a runaway success and the resulting album, simply titled Frances Black and Kieran Goss is still one of CBM’s best sellers. A sister of the renowned Mary Black, Frances Black has emerged from the talented Black Family group to forge a formidable reputation for herself and Kieran Goss has long been respected as a writer and performer of highly personal but accessible songs. With a mixture of Kieran Goss originals and classy cover versions like Joan Armatrading’s ‘The Weakness In Me’ and the Beatles’ ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’, the album won the duo many followers.
Black & Goss also created a stir on the live scene, packing out venues wherever they played including Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. One of the songs on the album, ‘Wall Of Tears’ was included on the compilation A Woman’s Heart which has sold over 200,000 copies in Ireland alone, and Black & Goss took part in the subsequent sell-out tour of that phenomenally successful project.
They have now amicably parted and gone their separate ways to pursue their respective solo careers, but this album remains a watershed and is sure to remain on CBM’s catalogue for many a year to come.
Cran
Cran are a Drogheda-based three-piece trad outfit whose members play a bewildering array of acoustic instruments. Their album The Crooked Stair showcases their willingness to experiment with outside influences containing as it does, jigs, reels, and songs blending in some middle-eastern influences.
They’ve toured widely in North America, Europe and Scandinavia and have even visited Turkey. Cran were winners of the Letterkenny Folk Festival in the late eighties and last summer they performed at a major festival of Celtic music in Barcelona. Following a line-up change with Ronan Browne replacing founder member Neil Martin they are now working on a second album and have a heavy touring schedule planned for this year including a further visit to America.
• Cran: Sean Corcoran (vocals, guitar and bouzouki), Dessie Wilkinson (flute, fiddle, warpipes and vocals) and Ronan Browne (uileann pipes, mandolin, whistles and keyboards)
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Greg Trooper
Born in New Jersey and now living in Brooklyn, New York, Greg Trooper is an exciting new songwriting talent. Looked after by the same management team as John Hiatt, he’s already had his songs covered by luminaries of the calibre of Joe Ely, Maura O’Connell, Billy Bragg, Vince Gill and Steve Earle. With his group The Flatirons, he blends an appealing mix of country and rock on his debut CBM album, Everywhere (the most recent CBM release.)
Guest appearances on the album include Rosanne Cash and helping out on production duties is Gary Tallent (ex E-Street Band). Trooper has already visited Ireland performing some showcase gigs at Whelan’s in Dublin and there are plans for a return visit to these shores in the near future. One to watch out for in ’94.
The Afternoons
Their recently released debut album, Homage, is a co-production between Danceline and CBM. Described as “classic acoustic-pop”, The Afternoons music would appeal instantly to fans of Everything But the Girl or Fairground Attraction. They write all their own material, setting it against sparse, sympathetic arrangements. However, with a line-up that includes fiddle, saxophone and clarinet along with the usual guitar, bass and percussion rhythm-section, they can brew up a storm too and there’s a strong emotional quality to much of their material. The songs are accessible and tuneful without being soft in the centre, and the lyrics are personal and poetic. With quality Irish pop still something of a rarity, The Afternoons should find a ready market for their particular brand of sophisticated wistful pop fare here – and after that the sky’s the limit.
• The Afternoons: Denise Douglas (vocals), Sarah Nelson (fiddle and backing vocals), Anthony Tyrell (sax and clarinet), Malachy Feelan (bass), Ciaran O’Sullivan (percussion) and James Fletcher (guitar)