Beoga (gaelic for ‘lively’) are based in County Antrim, in the north of Ireland. The bedrock of their sound lies firmly within the Irish tradition. However, they are not afraid to incorporate other genres’ nuances into their music. From bluesy riffs to Astor Piazzola-style jazz, to a raunchy New Orleans jamboree vibe, their music always returns to a wonderfully bouncy Irish sound. The result is traditional, with a huge sense of fun and adventure and it all works – wonderfully well.  The Wall Street Journal describes them as “the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century.” Irish Music Magazine writes, “Beoga are at the forefront of the new Irish wave.”

The band was drawn together in 2002 after ‘jamming’ in a ferocious session at the All-Ireland Fleadh. Their unique sound featured the twin dueling accordions of Damian McKee and multi-instrumentalist Seán Óg Graham, pianist Liam Bradley and four times All-Ireland bodhrán champion Eamon Murray. In 2005, the lineup was complete, with the addition of Niamh Dunne, one of Ireland’s premier young talents, on vocals and fiddle.

In 2004, Beoga’s ground-breaking debut album ‘a lovely madness’, earned international critical acclaim. The Irish Times wrote ‘Individually talented and collectively inspired, this is a quartet who speak a language called music with a fluency beloved of the best multi-linguists.’  The album earned 9/10 in Ireland’s Hot Press music magazine and was in the Top Trad/Folk Albums of the year listings. Irish Music magazine nominated Beoga for the best traditional newcomer’s award describing the work as ‘madcap genius, master craftsmen. In Beoga, the Irish music world found another prodigy.”

The group’s second release, entitled ‘Mischief’, firmly catapulted Beoga into the upper stratum of trad bands. ‘Mischief’ received a 9.5/10 rating in Hot Press and earned recognition at the Live Ireland Music Awards, the German Music Awards, and the Best of 2007 listings in many notable publications including the Boston Globe, The Irish Echo, Dirty Linen Magazine and Folk Alley.

Beoga’s music seduces a diverse array of music lovers, and the release of the 2009 album ‘The Incident’ saw the group continue to blaze a pioneering trail, rewarding world music fans with more fresh creative energy.  The band’s profile rose to a new level with a front page feature in the St Patrick’s Day edition of the Wall Street Journal.  In 2010 ‘The Incident’ was shortlisted for a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary World Music Album.

TV, radio appearances and hectic tour schedules have followed fast and furious for beoga, gaining notoriety for it’s charismatic rapport with audiences and the highly inventive, energetic performances. In September 2007, Beoga performed live with the BBC Orchestra to a television audience of millions as part of the prestigious ‘Last night of the Proms’.

“…the most exciting new traditional band to emerge from Ireland this century”

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Major Celtic and Folk festival highlights have included Boston ICONS festival, Kansas City, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Tonder, Dranouter, Temple Bar Trad Fest, Germany’s Irish Folk Festival tour, Irish Unplugged tour of Holland, Guinness Christmas Austria tour, Cambridge Folk Festival, the National Celtic Festival, Australia and Glasgow’s Celtic Connections.  In 2009, at Houston International Festival, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee presented Beoga with an official certificate of Congressional Recognition from the US House of Representatives.

With their new 2011 release ‘how to tune a fish‘ attracting fresh critical acclaim, Beoga are confirming their reputation as the most audacious Irish band rooted in trad today. With their unique blend of inventive arrangements, virtuosi instrumental talents and beautiful vocals, Beoga’s popularity continues to flourish as they captivate audiences on a global scale.

Tickets can be sourced through the venue at www.tilleys.com.au or on 02 62477753.

L.J. HILL

The music of contemporary singer/songwriter/guitarist  L.J. Hill, illustrates the rich experience of a full life -  lived from the northwest plains of NSW to the city streets of Sydney and Melbourne.  L.J.  is part Aboriginal and part North American Indian, with a dose of the Irish thrown in for good measure and his music reflects this mixed heritage.  His  musical influences also  come from such disparate musicians as Merle Haggard,  Bruce Springsteen and Tom T. Hall. T.J.’s  songs, sung in his world weary voice are beautifully crafted with subtle melody lines and celebrate personal family values, love and the loss of friends and relatives through alcohol and substance abuse. The recent completion of his second album, ‘Namoi Mud’  follows his first album which was produced as a NSW Ministry of the Arts project, ‘Whichways’.

LJ is playing support to Frank Yamma on March 27th.

“L.J Hill’s face and songs bear the marks of a hard, if full life. His songs talk of loss and yearning, in the storytelling style of Archie Roach, vocally akin to Kev Carmody, the songs brought to life by producer Brendan Gallagher, who some years ago beautifully re-invented Jimmy Little.” Ed Nimmervoll in new issue of The Mag/ JB Hi Fi magazine

For contemporary singer/songwriter L.J. Hill, music has always been a part of his life and his songs illustrate the rich experience of a full life lived from the northwest plains of New South Wales in Australia to the city streets of Sydney and Melbourne for the past thirty years. Using musical influences from such disparate musicians as Merle Haggard, Bruce Springsteen and Tom.T. Hall, L.J. Hill has crafted his unique vision and subtle melody lines into memorable songs which celebrate personal family values and tell stories of a world which most people don’t know exist. Family memory is important to L.J. Hill and his haunting melodies are exemplified by his expert use of slide guitar in many of his songs. The recent completion of “Namoi Mud” complements his first album which was produced as a result of him being chosen to be part of the recent NSW Ministry of the Arts project, “Whichways”. The inspiration for much of L.J. Hill’s work is generated by the loss of friends and relatives through alcohol and substance abuse. He is a strong advocate of fighting this vicious cycle and uses his music as a weapon to help in the struggle.

L.J. Hill’s music is unique in a world of computer generated melody and song. His world weary voice tells a story of struggle and hardship countered by delicate melody lines when he sings of love and unrequited love in both the city and the bush. L.J. Hill is a gentle big bear of a man who looks back at his colourful past to create his music. He is man whose past includes expertise in Rugby League football, rodeo bull riding, shearing shed work and ‘Gentleman of the streets’ in Melbourne and Sydney. He has many stories to tell… and L.J. tells them in a most unique manner.

MARY BLACK

AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Supernova of Song Returns …for St Patrick’s Day 2011

After 6 long years of waiting, audiences will be rewarded when Irish national treasure

Mary Black returns to Australian shores. Mary and her band will perform the following

Australian dates: in Perth on 10 March, Port Fairy 12-14 March Melbourne on 16 March and St Patricks Day in Sydney 17 March 2011.

Doyenne of a musical dynasty, Mary Black’s haunting pure voice has enchanted and transported audiences for more than 25 years. She has worked with other legends including Van Morrison, Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris and inspired a legion of new folk artists. As an artist, she is as relevant today as the first time she stepped on stage.

For her entire career, singer Mary Black has been a dominant presence in Irish music, both at home and abroad. She has shared stages, tv shows and recording studios with some of the most revered performers of her time. She has also played a frontline role in bringing Irish music, past and present,

to an increasingly appreciative and ever-growing global audience. The San Francisco Chronicle once

described her as “One of the best interpretative singers around”.

Known for her commitment to original material by Irish songwriters and her unique interpretations

of the songs she chooses, Mary has released 11 studio albums all of which achieved platinum sales

status and spawned countless hits. Indeed, one of Mary’s albums – No Frontiers – spent more than a

year in the Irish Top 30!

Mary recently marked the 25th anniversary of her first solo album, and to celebrate the momentous

occasion she released a special compilation double album 25 Years/25 Songs. It featured a personal,

hand-picked selection of gems spanning Mary’s career and it still serves as a testament to the

extraordinary range and quality of both her vocal prowess and her astute song selection. After

recording two brand new songs for the project, the album went straight to No. 1 in the Irish charts,

where it remained for a staggering five weeks, spending over seven months in the Irish top 40!

To experience a Mary Black performance is witness to musical alchemy.

Mary Black Australian Dates

Perth: 10 March 2011 at the Quarry Amphitheatre

Melbourne: 16 March 2011 at the Palais Theatre

Port Fairy: 12-14 March 2011 Headlining the Port Fairy Festival

Sydney: 17 March at the State Theatre

Tickets:

Presale from 10 December 2010 to Irish Echo readers and ticketmaster members, password irishecho.

On sale from 13 December 2010 from Ticketmaster.

www.ticketmaster.com.au

]]> http://www.feedbackmusic.com.au/headline/mary-black-ireland-to-australia-tour-2011/feed 0 http://www.feedbackmusic.com.au/latest-news/stay-tuned-derek-warfield-the-young-wolfe-tones http://www.feedbackmusic.com.au/latest-news/stay-tuned-derek-warfield-the-young-wolfe-tones#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:35:06 +0000 admin http://www.feedbackmusic.com.au/?p=298 Far Away In Australia Album and Tour 2011

Feedback Music Presents:

DEREK WARFIELD & THE YOUNG WOLFE TONES

THE ‘FAR AWAY IN AUSTRALIA’ TOUR – APRIL & MAY 2011

Derek Warfield is regarded by many as Ireland’s greatest living balladeer. Derek has spent  most of his life on the road, many of them in the frontline with the legendary WolfeTones until they broke up in 2001, after nearly 40 years together. Many Irish ballad fans thought that the patriotic spirit of Irish song would die with the breakup of the quartet, but not so. Derek has ensured that the soul of our musical tradition, remembering our heroes and patriots, will never be forgotten and that the rebel musical legacy and spirit will live on. He is now joined on stage by The Young Wolfe Tones, some of the finest Irish musicians and singers from a younger generation.  Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones were nominated, in 2009 as Ireland’s Best Traditional Irish Folk Group. The band toured over 180 concerts in 2010, throughout 6 different countries, with top class fiery introductions from their lead singer, song writer and storyteller, Warfield.

It’s been two years since Derek Warfield first presented The Young Wolfe Tones to Australian audiences and he is making a welcome return to our shores with a new album and a change to the lineup.  The new CD is aptly titled ‘Far Away in Australia.’ This emigrant ballad of the early twentieth century was first recorded and popularised by the McNulty family in New York and inspired the title. The song was written at a time when emigration meant “permanent exile” for many Irish people and Australia was seen as the land of opportunity and offered hope and a better way of life.

The Young Wolfe Tones bring excitement, fun and passion to the Irish tradition and their musical skill and love of our heritage is greatly valued in Irish communities at home and abroad. Damaris Woods who plays tenor banjo in the band, hails from County Meath and is one of the most accomplished banjo players in the country. A multi-instrumentalist, Damaris is widely recognized as one of the finest musicians and teachers in Ireland. Talented singer/guitarist Alan Murray hails from Glasgow in Scotland and his love for the Glasgow Celtic Football team means that he is no stranger to Irish Traditional Music and Irish Patriotic Songs. The singing of Irish ballads and songs has been an integral part of celebration of Glasgow Celtics’ identity since the club was founded in 1888. This singing tradition and heritage of Irish music and song inspired many Glaswegians including Alan, into a career in Irish Music. Bass player/vocalist Niall Donohoe from Cootehill County Cavan, plays and sings his music with  energetic skill, singing the ballad with clear and passionate echoes of the street entertainer. The lineup is completed by the youngest member of the band Big Dan Lowery who hails from ‘County Dallas’ in the big state of Texas. Dan is a multi- talented flute and tin-whistle player, guitarist/ singer and vocalist who hails from a family rich in Irish musical tradition, song and sport. Dan’s ancestry is from County Cork and his family ensured that he was given the wonderful gift of his heritage of Irish music in the Irish community of Texas.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, John Spillane has had to

cancel his final Australian tour dates. Sad at disappointing

his Australian fans, John is hoping to be back here sometime

soon. No details are available at this stage.

Thurs.24^th Queensland Irish Association

175 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane  QLD

www.queenslandirish.com

Frid.  25th         The Harp Hotel, 900 Princes Hwy., Tempe, NSW
(02) 9559 6300

Sat. 26th            The Clifton Hill Hotel,89 Queens Pde., Clifton Hill, VIC
www.cliftonhillhotel.com

Sund. 27th         Rosie O’Grady’s Hotel, Cnr. James & Milligan St.,

Northbridge, Perth WA

www.northbridge.rosieogradys.com.au

The Silent Minute is the new solo project by songwriter John Barrett, former guitarist with the Dublin indie merchants Tenspeedracer.  Recorded late last year with just a rhythm section in his Perth home, Barrett has recorded one of the most honest records you are going to hear. Think along the lines of Elliot Smith, Harvest era Neil Young and the simplicity of Bon Iver then you are on the right track.  The first notable element of this record is Barrett’s vocal ability to combine raw emotion with the kind of honesty needed to carry an album of this nature.  Tracks like ‘Outside a Mirror’ and ‘the Fallen’ let you sit back and just get drawn into the stories being told.  ‘She Only Overdosed’ with the lyrics ‘you got to look at the bad side, to know when it’s good’ suggesting the importance of seeing both sides.

The swipe of ‘Jack of Diamonds’ coming in from the early school of Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and John Lennon’s Nashville years draws the album closer to a classic finish.

A tale of love, life, loss and a view on a fractured society, Barrett uses his personal experiences as a template for him to tell it as he sees it.

www.myspace.com/thesilentminute.com

Contact :  thesilentminute@gmail.com

Jodi met Kasey Chambers and the Chambers family when she was sixteen. The following year, Kasey recorded Jodi’s song ‘Why’ for the Dead Ringer Band’s album ‘Homefires’ which took out Australia’s premier music awards, winning an ARIA Award for Best Country Album.

Like Kasey, Jodi spent her formative years in the remote desert region of Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. With the recording of ‘Why’, and the Chambers family encouraging her to move to the more populated East Coast, Jodi left her small coastal desert hometown of Ceduna to begin her own career as a singer/songwriter.

Four critically acclaimed albums later, the sparse landscape of her childhood still resonates in Jodi’s music and the legacy of a small town remains in her honest lyrics. Her songs are not afraid to tackle controversial issues, like her own childhood spent growing up in an area with a large indigenous population. Her story comes through in songs like ‘Riddles’ (Water and Wood) where racism is witnessed through a child’s eyes. Jodi writes frankly and incisively about everything from relationships with lovers, parents, to social justice and personal issues like abuse. Jodi strong feelings of connection to place ensure that Australian imagery weaves itself into her work.

Jodi has two major album releases in Australia, ‘Water and Wood’ (2002) and ’15 Minutes Out to Sea’ (2005) out on her own label Hot Bread Records. Her popular live album ’21 Stairs’ and an unofficial debut ‘Sandcastles’ (1997) which to date has been a limited edition release, are also available through HBR.

Jodi’s strength is her live performance and she has toured solidly throughout Australia for the past six years, playing some of her country’s finest venues, both solo and with her band. Jodi has also toured with the likes of Arlo Guthrie (US – 1998 & 2004), Bruce Cockburn (CAN), Eric Bibb (US), The Frames (IRE), Richard Thompson (UK) Joel Plaskett (CAN) and Ember Swift (CAN) and has performed at major Australian festivals including Woodford Folk Festival, East Coast Blues and Roots Festival (BYRON BAY) and Port Fairy Folk Festival.

Jodi is touring Canada from May 2006 with the release of her latest album ’15 Minutes Out to Sea’.