Declan Sinnott • I love the noise it makes At age 61, Declan Sinnott, has released his debut solo album, I Love the Noise It Makes. Any trad fan will have heard Sinnott before, whether they know it or not. Sinnott has played guitar for Mary Black, Christy Moore and the list goes on. This album shines a different light on Sinnott than fans are accustomed to: the … [Read more...] about Music Reviews
Reviews
Review of Books
Recently published books of Irish and Irish-American interest. Recommended: The Christmas Kid Pete Hamill is New York’s City’s citizen chronicler. The constantly changing metropolis features in most of his books and articles. For many years he worked as a reporter and columnist for the New York Daily News. His novel Forever (2003) is perhaps his best known paean to the city, … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Music Reviews
New releases from your favorite Irish and Irish-American artists. Nuala Kennedy • Noble Stranger Nuala Kennedy’s Noble Stranger, one of the newest releases from Compass Records, fluctuates between your typical trad album and a very new, innovative pop sound. Kennedy is an Irish vocalist and flute player with a voice that hits an intriguingly high pitch. This vocal peculiarity … [Read more...] about Music Reviews
Review of Books
Recently published books of Irish and Irish-American interest. Recommended The Dream of the Celt The idea of Mario Vargas Llosa, one of the star writers of the Latin American Boom and the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature, writing about Roger Casement, one of the more controversial, and misunderstood figures of Irish history, is initially surprising. There’s … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Music Reviews
CONTEMPORARY: Glen Hansard • Rhythm and Repose It is almost hard to believe that, with decades of successful records, an Oscar and a Tony, it was only this year that Glen Hansard (of Once fame) released his first solo album. Rhythm and Repose is an earnest and vivid collection from the Irish songwriter known for his work with bands The Frames and The Swell Season. Given … [Read more...] about Music Reviews