Category: Celtic

CAPTIVES ON THE CAROUSEL - O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL

12/24/2016

I have been waiting for this one for so long. Captives On The Carousel are probably the favorite Indie Folk group around Stubby's House. The Captives are Sarah Morrey and Ben Eckersley. They make magic together. Even the name they chose for their musical endeavor is full of beauty and wonder. Captives On The Carousel released brilliant Christmas singles in 2011 and 2012. But then they dropped off the holiday radar. This year, they announced that their hiatus from Christmas music would (probably) end. And then they went into the studio and posted "It's coming. It's coming." And here it is...with one day to spare. Music like this is worth waiting for. And, with this, at least this agonizingly long and dreary year is ending on a good note. We get a single side this year--"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"--but I'll take it. And you can too. It's name your price at Bandcamp, though whatever you'd be willing to pay will, as always, go to charity. This year, whatever they can raise will go to Assist, a charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers. And, as you know, there's a greater need today than at any time since WWII.

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CòIG - CAROLS

7/18/2016

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Sometimes I get tired of wading knee deep through reindeer poop looking for the genuine Christmas music treasures. But, when you find those sparkly diamonds, it's suddenly all worthwhile. "Carols" by Còig is just such a gem. And, true enough, as it was released last year, I should have found it then (though, in my defense, news from Canada seems to come with a built-in time delay). OTOH, right now it's free (though I can't say for how long)...so even that worked out.

Còig is made up of 4 successful Celtic solo artists from Canada who came together in a tour to promote a festival. But the magic that came when they played together was instantaneous and undeniable and they couldn't just walk away when the tour was over. Chrissy Crowley, Rachel Davis, Darren McMullen and Jason Roach toured together for three years before heading into the studio to record their 2014 debut album, "Five". Right about now, the handful of people who speak Gaelic are realizing that "Còig" is the Gaelic word for "five" and wondering why there are only four members of the group. Early pictures of Còig include another successful Canadian solo artist, Colin Grant. I don't know what the story is, there. But I'm taking the "How I Met Your Mother" approach to it. (You know...."Why would you call a bar Puzzles.....unless....that's the puzzle."). In any case "Five" was well received and won the band several awards. "Carols", their Christmas album, followed last year.

"Carols" was posted to Soundcloud at the beginning of July and the tracks can, for the moment, be downloaded free (of course, you can still order the CD from Còig's website, if you'd prefer hard copy or just want to support great music). But it--being a free download--could be just a "Christmas In July" kinda thing, so I wouldn't sleep on it.

"Carols" is exceptional, from start to finish. And, sure, it's overall a Celtic set, but the band brings a multitude of influences to the music which not only keeps the whole thing sounding fresh and original, but should also draw in some folks more partial to Folk, Classical, Contemporary Pop, and there's even a little bit of Swing. The musicianship and vocals are perfect, there's a nice balance of instrumental and vocal pieces and "Carols" is a robust 57.5 minutes long (no skimpy wish sandwich here). Hard to pick favorites, since its all so good, but the opener--"Carol Of The Celts"--grabbed me when Còig shifted into high gear about 2 minutes in. They might have lost me had they screwed up my favorite carol, "O Holy Night", but, no, it's breathtaking in its beauty. And if "Swingle Jingle Bells" doesn't put a smile on your face, I think there might be something wrong with you. Just sayin'.

As always, listen for yourself and pick out your own favorites. Download one or download all. But, again, I don't know how long "Carols" by Còig will be free for the taking, so go get it now. And keep up on their music and show schedule at the Còig website and Facebook page.

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Here we hope to direct you to some of the Christmas music on the web that can be yours absolutely free. We will not direct you to mp3 or sharity sites, here, but only to artist sites, label sites, and other authorized and unquestionably legal locations.

CAPTIVES ON THE CAROUSEL - O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL

CòIG - CAROLS

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