ISO Celtic music that doesn't suck

Cafe Society
21

Get thee to Clandestine’s website and buy their albums while you still can - www.io.com/clandestine . Very traditional Celtic tunes with a definite Scottish leaning. “The Haunting” and “To Anybody At All” are their best albums, but they’re all worth buying and loving. The band played their very last show this past February after eight years together.

Try Natalie McMaster as well - Irish fiddle player from Canada, and amazingly talented.

The Chieftains are the “grand old men” of current traditional Celtic music, and well worth a listen. “Fire in the Kitchen” is my current favorite album of theirs.

My wife is a big fan of Mary Jane Lamond, another Canadian singer who performs completely in Irish Gaelic. She does throw a bit of gimmickry into her music once in a while - vocal loops and that sort of thing - but for the most part it’s traditional stuff.

Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) has a tendency toward Celtic music - it comes out on his solo albums from time to time. He might not be what you’re looking for on this quest, but I like to give his stuff a listen now and again. He’s my favorite British Rock/Celtic/Blues/Country fusion performer.

22

I haven’t seen them mentioned here, but Kornog are a truly excellent group that performs Breton music with a Scottish feel, and vice versa. Furthermore, their latest album (after a very long hiatus) is absolutely stunning, and I would put it up there as one of the best Celtic albums of all time. Breton music, while still recognizably Celtic, sounds very different from the Gaelic-derived music that most people associate with the Celtic genre.

23

I’m fond of Gaelic Storm, who veer into poppy-ness but are otherwise a very solid trad group.

When need for fusion strikes, I fire up Tom Landa & the Paperboys, who sound like a Celtic band that got marooned in the Carribean.

I’ll second Great Big Sea, Ashley MacIssac, and Natalie MacMaster.

24

Are you looking for CD’s or acts to see live? Some of the best CDs are from groups that have since broken up…you can’t go wrong with Planxty - “Planxty” (“the black album”), the Bothy Band - “1975” or Silly Wizard - “Live Wizardry.”

25

My vote goes to Cailin Rua, as well as the previously-mentioned Clandestine. Slainte has some nice stuff, too.

26

I know you’re not looking for sing-along type bands, but I have to mention The Town Pants in this thread. Not all their songs are traditional pub tunes, they also do covers and their own stuff.

They have a couple cds out (which are great) but if you ever get the chance to see them live, they are an absolute riot.

27

I’ve done this a couple times, here is one earlier thread on the subjext that has some great recommendations.