Monthly Marker May 2021: Shane Ó Fearghail

01 May
Cover: Shane Ó Fearghail-The Might See Dolphins

📻 While writing the following ‘Daily Disc’, the idea came up to choose a new Monthly Marker by selecting a track of one of Shane Ó Fearghail’s albums! We decided for the coming month of May, to play ‘Faerie Tree’ five to six times a day on CeltCast Radio! 😍

The Daily Disc 📀 – Shane Ó Fearghail – They Might See Dolphins (2016) 🐬

Earlier, I wrote about Shane’s new album. This one is from 2016. It’s less folky than his latest release. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful album with all songs in the English language. And I just love Shane’s warm and distinct voice. I’m sure I’ll listen to this one a lot!

Like I told you before, Shane is an Irish singer-songwriter who lives in Vienna at this moment. This album gives you a warm summer feeling, although the lyrics are not always happy per se. But such is the case with songs about life, feelings and nature. 🌿

The booklet, eight pages, contains the lyrics of the songs and a couple of small drawings. On the back, it lists all the guest musicians. The Artwork is by Sabine Mann again and Shane himself.

My favourite songs on this album are: ‘Faerie Tree’ and ‘The Last Trees’ 🌳

Musical greetings, Ilona CeltCast 🎻

You can find Shane here:

Monthly Marker April 2021: Towarb

01 Apr
Cover: Towarb-UnserLand

Our NEW Monthly Marker is… 💿 A little while ago we asked you to help us choose the Monthly Marker for April, as we receive so much incredible music nowadays that we simply couldn’t see the forest through the trees, and you definitely helped us out! Your votes have been tallied, and April’s Monthly Marker is…Towarb’s “Sterne”! 💫

Towarb was founded in 2018 in the Alsace region, inspired by the local legends, stories and folklore. Their first EP “Unserland” was released in October of last year and contains four songs filled with a dark ambience and a deep spiritual connection. As Ilona put it, when this album was the Daily Disc on the 18th of March: Low voices, dark tones, historical instruments and primal forces can be felt immediately! ⚡️

Sterne, “stars” in English, sums up that vibe completely, which is why we are happy that you chose this song to be the theme of April, though the original timing of the song isn’t really set in April. The song is about ancient rites in the Rhine valley during the time known as Samhain. It’s a nursery rhyme that advises the living to light a lantern under the night sky, and to not stay outside too long during this night, as the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest, so spirits can cross easily and will arrive freely. 🕯

Throughout this entire month, the song will be played five to six times a day, so there are plenty of opportunities for you to close your eyes and let yourself drift off to the Alsace and Rhine valley of old… 😍

Towarb can be found on:

Monthly Marker March 2021: Katja Moslehner

01 Mar
Cover: Katje Moslehner-Am Weltenrand

📀 NEW MONTH, NEW MONTHLY MARKER! 📀

The minute we heard the first notes of ‘Am Weltenrand‘, Katja Moslehner’s) first solo single, it wasn’t a question IF we would make it a Monthly Marker, but only WHEN we would do it. Well, the simple answer was: as soon as possible!!! 😍

Originally a Bulgarian circle dance, this version has all the energy of early spring in it. So it is the perfect song to celebrate the month of Ostara, the month of the spring Equinox! 🐣🌷

Eagle-eared people may recognize it from another German band, Triskilian, who recorded this song on their 2012 album Neo. Katja’s German version is just as vibrant and energetic as the Triskilian version, a worthy Monthly Marker to bring some much-needed cheer and energy to these weird times we are all still in. 🌞

‘Am Weltenrand’ is also the title track of Katja’s upcoming solo album, which will be released on the 2nd of April. We were allowed to listen to it beforehand, and although we are bound to secrecy, I can tell you it is going to be a treat! Fans of Katja’s music will definitely not be disappointed, I can tell you that. 🤩

OK, enough of this teasing, let’s focus on ‘Am Weltenrand’. Obviously, it is a German translation put to the original music, and it combines the beauty of German folk, Katja’s love for Eastern European music that goes back to her days with the Balkanfolkband Savica, and the spirit of the native American chants, expertly woven into the music by Bernd Wendlandt. 🎼

You can dance to this beautiful song the whole month, 5 to 6 times a day, all the way up to the spring equinox.., and beyond. So throw off your shoes and let’s dance the whole night long…, until we can greet the morning sun and the start of a new day. 🌤

– Cliff

Photo given by: Katja Moslehner

You can find Katja Moslehner here:

Monthly Marker February 2021: Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer

01 Feb
Cover: Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer-Sleep Deprivation

It’s only February, but maybe you have noticed a little bit of spring in your step the last couple of days? It could very well be because with the new month, we also have chosen a new Monthly Marker, and hearing this track it is very hard to sit still and not let your mood be lifted! For a full month, Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer will do just that, five to six times a day, with the single Jiggle The Old Bones of their latest album “Sleep Deprivation”.

Released in 2020, the album was designed to keep the road-weary musician awake and safe on the late-night drive home. Somehow, that feels quite fitting to our current situation: tired of it all, but thankfully we have the right music to keep us going, accompanying us on the trip towards the better days that are bound to return.

“So let’s dance. Feel the groove, and dance, let your body move and dance, put your cares away, safe away for another day and dance, … Jiggle the old bones!” (for sure we can do with the exercise)

Alex

You can find Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer here:

Monthly Marker January 2021: ZiRP

01 Jan
Cover: ZiRP-Cirlce Divine

🎼 Happy new year, new month, and of course a new Monthly Marker!

ZiRP – Low Lights (Circle Divine, 2020) 📀

We cannot deny, that these are dark times of worry and loss, and most of us are secluded to our homes, staying safe by minimizing our physical interaction with the outside world. Yet reflecting on the year we are leaving behind us, we are delighted to see that so many beautiful things can arise from our confinements too. Creative resilience brought us livestreams, online festivals and lots, lots of music. 🎶

Going through all the wonderful albums that were recently released, there was one that stood out. The ‘Circle Divine’ of ZiRP is a collection of tracks that are exquisite to dance to, some really powerful bourrées, a cuddly mazurka, bouncy polkas and, of course, a divine circle. But it was the closing Scottish track that struck that chord where we immediately feel we’ve found the one.

Inquiring about the background story of this masterpiece, it became clear why. 🎙Florian: “The song is dedicated to a very good friend, who was a life-long musician, an accordion teacher and also my father. Jürgen Fügemann left this world far too soon in 2017 because of cancer. He would have loved this album, I’m sure, and this song, in particular, reflects his kind of soul. I owe the ‘soft side’ of myself to him.“

Florian was not always a drummer. In fact, he started with playing the piano at his parents’ home, the one where the whole family played on. And for his part of this track, he put aside his drumsticks and sat down at that very same piano, still at their house, and recorded his take there. 🎹

Stephan wrote the tune on his Irish low whistle and to keep the piece quiet, Olaf played a reduced picking and Flo took the double bass.

Florian: “Alex, who mixed it, had some trouble connecting all the pieces. But isn’t that closer to what life is really like? It’s not always perfect, but if we find love, we can pass it on. This is what I see in this song.“

And as indeed we currently are all struggling and trying to piece things together, this is the core of what CeltCast strives for: at the heart of it all, we want to pass on the love through music and strengthen our connection in these solitary times. Which is why with a heartfelt virtual hug we are happy to play ‘Low Lights’ five to six times a day for the full month of January. 📻

And to boost your spirits and have you dancing in your own livingrooms, we definitely recommend that you listen to the whole album. As I type, Cliff is actually writing his review… and I can already tell you: it is a perfect bringer of those festival vibes, while we eagerly await to get the chance to see ZiRP perform there some sunny day when we meet again. 🥰

– Love, Alex

ZiRP can be found here:







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