That evening was a really mighty blast 💥! Such energy levels, it’s a wonder I managed to sleep afterwards… Víík as the opening act were a really happy surprise. We had checked out their singles on Spotify and had thought they were kind of lame and perhaps self-consciously artsy. But on stage, the Danish-Norwegian band … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Treacherous Orchestra + Víík
Tag: Scottish music
Celtic Connections 2023: Talisk & Project Smok
Back in Glasgow after three years! Celtic Connections 2020 happened just before covid shook the world - little did we know then that we would not return here until 2023… Me and my wife launched our CC23 with quite a bang. This was our third Talisk show and by far the most epic. Musically I … Continue reading Celtic Connections 2023: Talisk & Project Smok
Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle: The Coast Road
I had never heard of Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe before and no wonder: she is a young American fiddler whose first album, The Coast Road, a collaboration with guitarist Daniel Quayle, was only recently released. But I will be very much surprised if I will not hear of her much more in the future, since The Coast … Continue reading Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle: The Coast Road
Beinn Lee: Deò
The band full of still quite young Hebridean talent released their second album a year ago already but for reasons I cannot explain, I only listened to it now. This is weird because Osgarra, the debut album from 2018, was so ready and together for a young band’s opening salvo and I really liked it … Continue reading Beinn Lee: Deò
Pipes galore! Ross Ainslie & Brigdhe Chaimbeul, Fraser Fifield
There is no piper culture here in Finland. Some of our Middle Age stone churches have wall paintings that do feature pipers - I have seen them myself - but the instrument seems to have pretty much left our country during the 16th and 17th centuries. The reason is not known to me and it … Continue reading Pipes galore! Ross Ainslie & Brigdhe Chaimbeul, Fraser Fifield
What I listened to in the summer of ’22, part 1: Shoona Mooney, Graham Rorie, Talisk
As middle-aged civil servants are entitled to their summer vacations and road trips, we spent most of my summer freedom travelling across Finland and relaxing in faraway corners and national parks of our country. Listening to music, the mandatory driving music notwithstanding, was really not a thing, except in a couple of Finnish folk music … Continue reading What I listened to in the summer of ’22, part 1: Shoona Mooney, Graham Rorie, Talisk
Listening Diary for June 6-12, 2022: Natalie MacMaster, Mishra, James Harper, the olllam, Eabhal
Master fiddlers are one of my favorite things in this world and Natalie MacMaster 🇨🇦 is one of the greatest. I love the energy in her playing; so much light and joy there. Her 2019 album Sketches was just the right soundtrack for a leisurly walk in the sunny and warm Finnish Saturday. I've never … Continue reading Listening Diary for June 6-12, 2022: Natalie MacMaster, Mishra, James Harper, the olllam, Eabhal
Kinnaris Quintet: This Too
After Free One (2018), we now have This Too, the much awaited new album from the dazzling all-female Scottish ensemble. Can’t wait to find out what their third album will be called! And waiting will probably be worth it because this new release is, in my opinion, even better than the debut that was so … Continue reading Kinnaris Quintet: This Too
Listening diary for May 23-29, 2022
If anything here seems interesting, go to your streaming service and try it out. And if you really, really like it, go to the artist’s web site or Bandcamp or iTunes or Google Play or Amazon or wherever and buy it in your preferred format - musicians need food too 😉 The Halton Quartet: Based … Continue reading Listening diary for May 23-29, 2022
Rory Matheson & Graham Rorie: We Have Won The Land
This one really made my day, I’m listening to it for a second time now. The guys from Orkney have put out an album full of great playing, tunes and lots of emotion and also variation - never a dull moment here. It’s one of the albums that stylewise rides on both trad and neofolk … Continue reading Rory Matheson & Graham Rorie: We Have Won The Land
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