IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE PODCAST - Episode 6: Iowa (and Nebraska) Celtic Music

Although Iowans may have more German than Irish ancestry, in music, the Irish and the rest of the Celts are way ahead!

So for your St Patrick's Day enjoyment, I am proud to present Celtic music as only Iowans (and a few Nebraskans) can do it!

And if you want to join the fun, you can take FREE bagpipe lessons from both The Omaha Scottish Pipes and Drums! - http://www.omahapipesanddrums.com/ And if you want to just watch and listen,

The Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums keep a schedule of appearances! - http://www.iowascottish.com/appearances.html

If you want to know about the song or the artist, click on the name...

Opening - Iowa Music Showcase Opening by Dylan Boyle

Song 1 - "4/4 March - Scotland the Brave, Leaving Liverpool" by The Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums
Song 2 - "Hills of Ireland" by The Flatland Ramblers
Song 3 - "The Wounded Hussar / Slieve Russell / The Humours of Ballyloughlin" by Chulrua

Song 4 - "Finnegan's Wake" by Wylde Nept

Song 5 - "Salt of the Earth" by The Killigans

Song 6 - "Brothers in Arms" by The Vandon Arms

Song 7 - "Red is the Rose" by Sarah Hobart

Song 8 - "2004 Long March" by The Omaha Scottish Pipes and Drums

Closing - Iowa Music Showcase closing by Dylan Boyle

All rights reserved by the composers and performers. Used by their kind permission.

To download:

https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode6/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode6_vbr_mp3.zip

If you still want MORE Celtic music by Iowans, you're in luck. The following are Iowa Celtic artists that I didn't or couldn't get on the podcast...
The University of Iowa Scottish Highlanders:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~mkisa/Remembering_the_University_of_Iowa_Scottish_Highlanders/Home.html
Gayla Drake:
http://www.gayladrake.com/
Orckes & Trolles:
http://www.premierepets.net/orckes/index.html
Beggarmen:
http://www.beggarmen.com/
Kristin Maahs / Odyssey Trio:
http://www.dmmusicians.com/kristin-maahs.html

Iowa Music Showcase can be listened to and/or downloaded  the following sites:
Home page: http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/iowa-music-showcase 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMPcIaIvvs0Aj4zk2JbXdQ/feed
Bandcamp: https://iowamusicshowcase.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/iowamusicshowcase
Google+: https://www.google.com/+IowamusicshowcaseBlogspotPodcast
Tumblr: http://iowamusicshowcase.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/IAMusicShowcase/
Other websites:
Spotify profile: https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase
Spotify playlist: https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase/playlist/28c74Ooze3Wk9sH9VezvMf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram: https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: Celtic music, Chulrua (band), Ep 006, Flatland Ramblers (band), Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums (band), Omaha Scottish Pipes and Drums (band), Sarah Hobart, Vandon Arms (band), Wylde Nept (band)

Ep 6 - Song 1: "4/4 Marches-Scotland the Brave, Leaving Liverpool" by The Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums

"The Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums are based in Des Moines, IA, and were founded originally from the membership of the Iowa Scottish Heritage Society in 1975. Over the last thirty years the band has played for many high profile events, including the Archbishop of Canterbury's visit to Iowa, the Inaugural Ball for the Governor of Iowa, the World Scottish Festival in Montreal and the Victorian Society national convention. In January, 2011, a quartet of pipers played at the Capitol for the newly inaugurated Governor of Iowa's Open House."
- from their website

You can also order their two CD's at their website - http://www.iowascottish.com/

Lineup:
Tom Mulvehill - pipe major
Susan Frambach - pipe sargeant
Ron Best - pipes
Mel Ploessel - pipes
Grant Purdy - pipes
Mort Seldenfeld - pipes
Susan Seldenfeld - pipes
Joel Severinghaus - pipes
Bruce Smith - pipes
Chris Tyrell - pipes
Chuck Leibold - lead drummer
Chad Lensch - snare drummer
Adam Best - tenor and snare drummer
Bob Henderson - bass drummer

Home page:
http://www.iowascottish.com/

IMSC Ep 6 - Song 2: "Hills of Ireland" by The Flatland Ramblers

'The Flatland Ramblers, (formerly known as The Flatland String Band,) a traditional old-time band based in Polk County, Iowa, plays a lively mix of American mountain tunes and Celtic instrumentals. If you like music of the 1800s as it was played in 1975, you'll love this band! Funky enough for a barn dance, hip enough for the coffeehouse, we play 19th century music for the 21st century. Perfect for farmer's markets, Civil War reenactments, Renaissance fairs, céilís, keggers, political rallies, weddings, wakes, hog roasts, hoolies, hoedowns, shindigs and shivarees!"
- from their website

Lineup:
Scott Ross - 5-string banjo, cittern, bodhran
Jeanne Witt - flute, piccolo, pennywhistle, mandolin
Barbara Shultz - mandolin, octave mandolin, tenor banjo
Donna Ritchie - guitar, Jew's harp

photo by d.j.

Home page:
http://www.flatlandramblers.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/flatlandramblers

ReverbNation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/theflatlandramblers

IMSC Ep 6 - Song 3: "The Wounded Hussar/Silieve Russell/The Humours of Ballyloughlin" by Chulrua

"Chulrua (pronounced cool-ROO-ah), translates from the Irish as "red back," and was the name and distinguishing feature of the favorite wolfhound belonging to ancient Irish hero Fionn MacCumhaill.

"Our concerts are in keeping with the old tradition—music in a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, and tunes offered as they were handed down from generation to generation in Ireland.

"The heart of Irish music is the session, where tunes are played and traded, and conversation about music is the central theme. Sessions can be held anywhere, but are usually the best—and most relaxed—in a small, intimate place like the kitchen of a house or a small pub. The music we present onstage comes from that tradition."
- from their Facebook page

Lineup:
Pat Egan - guitars, vocals
Paddy O'Brien - acordion
Timothy Britton - whistles, pipes, flutes

Home page:
http://paddyobrien.net/chulrua/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/chulrua

IMSC Ep 6 - Song 4: "Finnegan's Wake" by Wylde Nept

"Wylde Nept is a cast of colorful characters that specialize in charging up a crowd with raucous pub tunes from all over the Celtic and sea-faring world. Whether the band is playing classic tunes of rebellion, mirthful ballads, maritime sea chanteys, popular originals, or just good, old-fashioned drinking songs, the goal is always to give the crowd a rollicking evening of friends, music, and merriment. Over the past ten years, Wylde Nept has built a loyal following around the fresh, youthful energy they pump into the classic songs of the British Isles."
- from their ReverbNation page

Lineup:
Westan James - Vocals
Steven James - Accordion and Vocals
Jon Southwood - Guitars, Mandolin, and Vocals
Wayne "The Punisher" Twombley - Guitars and Vocals
Brian Fahrner - Bass and Vocals
George "The Littlest Viking" Curtis Jr. - Bodhran, Dumbek, and Vocals

Home page:
http://www.wyldenept.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WyldeNept

ReverbNation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/wyldenept

IMSC Ep 6 - Song 5: "Salt of the Earth" by The Killigans

Okay, I have to admit, this band is not Iowan. These are Nebraska boys. But it is Celtic music.

"The Killigans are a seven piece “folk-punk” band from Lincoln, NE. The Killigans “sound” combines the diverse musicals tastes of the bands members; fusing Punk Rock, Folk, Country and Western, Celtic, European folk, Americana, and other types of music into an upbeat, foot-stomping, beer-raising party. Lyrically, the songs range from classic storytelling to rebel songs to ballads to middle class anthems. The Killigans are a band who thrive on live performance and crowd interaction."

"THE KILLIGANS were born in a filthy garage in 2004, hammered together out of the spare parts of other Nebraska bands and fueled by a love of good whiskey, great friends, late nights, buzzing tattoo needles and crusty old punk rock albums. They have existed in various incarnations since their inception, but as their rabid fans will testify, they have never failed to ignite the passions of anyone who wanders close enough to hear their foot-stomping, glass-raising anthems for tenacious underdogs, lonely vagabonds, and anyone who’s just trying to make it in this world. Their rapidly-growing body of work draws from the most enduring, vibrant aspects of American music – the storytelling of folk, the fighting spirit of punk rock, the heartfelt poignancy of country and the unforgiving grit of rock ‘n roll.
- from their website

IMSC Ep 6 - Song 6: "Brothers in Arms" by The Vandon Arms

"In a damp, cold basement just off of Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, The Vandon Arms started off as a group of friends playing the music they loved for no one but themselves. There were no fans, no Myspace or Facebook pages, nothing for sale, and no disillusions of being rich and famous. The early get-togethers resembled drunkin sing-alongs more than any band rehearsal. The group and their friends would belt out old Irish choruses at the top of their lungs for hours...

"...Buz, Clint, Hutch, Craig, and Moosher still carry on the same attitude that came with those early basement sing-alongs. Their music and live shows are simply about having fun, not making money, being cool, not being cool, or anything else that too many other bands get caught up in. This has always been and always will be the band's philosophy..."
- from their Facebook page

Sad to say, Des Moines lost its very own Celtic punk band! Life took over and spread them across a few states. But I still recommend getting and downloading their music if you're into Celtic punk.

Lineup:
Buz, Clint, Hutch, Moosher, Craig, and Clayton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Vandon-Arms/10920399522

BandCamp: https://thevandonarms.bandcamp.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheVandonArms

IMSC Ep 6 - Song 7: "Red is the Rose" by Sarah Hobart

"Sarah is a brilliant musician and educator living in Central Iowa. She is a versatile singer who accompanies herself using an instrument rooted in the folk tradition; the dulcimer. Sarah delights audiences with her clear and lovely vocals, her inspired choice in music, and her ability to pull listeners into far off worlds, whether it be ancient Ireland or modern-day New Orleans...

"From her website: Sarah Hobart discovered a love of her ancestral Irish folk music while distracting herself from her studies in opera in college. She now writes original music as well as exploring the rich cultural heritage of Celtic, Apalachian, and other World musics. Her vocal qualities range from powerful to ethereal, enhanced by the enchanting sounds of her lap dulcimer..."
- from a Facebook event