CD Reviews
Jamie McDonald - Magistrala
With music in his blood, Jamie McDonald began playing at an early age entertaining people on the streets of his hometown Carlow, in Ireland. With a hunger to learn, grow and follow in the footsteps of the great musical tradition, he paid his dues across Ireland, on streets, in bars, pubs, clubs and theaters. Playing daily on the streets, he learned to engage an audience and grab their attention while also making enough money to move on to the next town. With all day busking followed by night-time gigs, his stamina, experience, and repertoire grew exponentially, making him a true old school troubadour.
Keith Burke - That's Where the Bees Loved to Go (single)
Dublin songwriter and Skerries native Keith Burke has released three original albums. "The Dancer who Stole your Shoes" in 2004, "No One Wants to Move" in 2008 and “These Boys” in
2016. He has played concerts in (and been invited back to) Pittsburgh, USA, Cairo, Egypt and Beirut,Lebanon. Also, he has played televised concerts in Italy, had dates in the 2005 Guinness Cork Jazz festival and received the Hotpress "Pick of the fortnight".
Matthew Devereux - House Devil
Dublin born Matthew Devereux has been actively making music since 1990, beginning with the formation of the much-loved band The Pale who immediately captivated audiences with their energetic live shows which quickly led to a bidding war between numerous record labels battling to sign them up.
Davie Furey - Glimpses of the Truth
One of Ireland’s most beloved and respected musicians and songwriters, Davie Furey, is to embark on his first headline tour of Ireland in 5 years. After a busy 2023, which included touring with the legendary Paul Brady, Davie is set to release a brand new album of 9 original compositions titled Glimpses of the Truth. He is set to play 12 dates around Ireland starting in Wexford Arts Theatre April 5th, 2024. The line-up, along with Davie, includes two of Irelands’ best musicians – Stuart Gray and Steve Milne.
Cormac O Caoimh - Where The World Begins
Cork's very own Cormac O Caoimh has established himself well on the music scene as one of the greatest melodists you could come across. He has supported Damien Rice, Declan O' Rourke, Josh Rouse, Mark Geary, Nick Kelly, Miles Hunt and Damien Dempsey to name just a few. His solo live performances vary between fast and frenetic acoustic guitar playing, slower tunes heavily influenced by a classical guitar playing background and jazz influenced pop tunes. O Caoimh has released five albums to date, with the latest, Where The World Begins, being the sixth.
Demi Michelle - Kind Heart (single)
Demi Michelle is an award-winning songwriter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After taking home USA Female Album of the Year (Bronze) at the 2023 ISSA Awards for It Is What It Is, landing a cover story in her local newspaper, and being added to her former middle school’s Wall of Fame, Demi Michelle is ready to kick off her Hear Me Out chapter with the release of the album’s emotional lead single, “Kind Heart.”
Craggy Collyde - The House Next Door
Craggy Collyde is a British/Slovak alternative rock 'n' roll band based in Brno, Czech Republic. The band combines a love of various creative influences to create something that explores the boundaries of alternative rock and roll whilst always retaining an uncompromising and intense energy. The story began in a bar in Brno, where Craggy and Veronika shared a vision for an electrifying and innovative music project that would draw inspiration from a multitude of creative influences.
ADT - Volume Two
ADT from west Cork, Ireland, writes stories of the heart wrapped in atmospheric soundscapes. He is a member of Irish band LOWMountain and a honorary member of the legendary group Interference. He released his debut solo album - Volume One - in 2020 - and he now shares the follow up, appropriately titled, Volume Two.
Michael Lane - Memories
If there is one modern folk pop artist who has seen the harsh realities in life, it is Michael Lane himself. Sent to Iraq and Afghanistan as a US soldier in his twenties, Michael was forced into cruelty. If his previous albums were like a kind of musical diary in which these experiences were processed, one notices that with his new album, Michael Lane regained lightheartedness and joy. „Memories“ is a message of hope and the positive certainty that a time of crisis and reflection will lead people back to the important
things.
Ger Eaton - Season Changes (single)
A multi-Instrumentalist, songwriter, hair stylist and retro-vintage aficionado, this iconic and stylish gentleman is most recently known as keyboardist/guitarist for Dublin alt-rock heroes The Pale. Indeed, Ger Eaton has been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for many years as a member of Premonition (EMI), Las Vegas Basement (Columbia), Les Marionettes, Pugwash, The Carnival Brothers and many solo and collaborative recordings.