The lead singer from Danu has apparently released a new solo album. Has anyone heard anything from it? I’ve been a fan for a long time, I think her singing is amazing, and heard she was working on some solo material with a few danu members. Does anyone know anything more?
There’s a brief thread here: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=37497
thanks for that. i’ve pre ordered now myself. i can’t wait. sounds promising.
That should be an awesome disc: a great singer and flute player with Shane McGowan as a guest artist.
There are Pogue Shane McGowan and guitarist Shane McGowan. My guess is the latter will be featured here. Who were you hoping for?
or
(fixed images)
Oh, I think the former. Definitely the former. I can almost hear a soaring love duet on “The Ould Triangle.” 
This joke was intended for mildly humorous purposes only. No opinion, positive or negative, about the subject’s singing, playing, walking, talking, or general raison d’ etre is intended to be drawn from this statement. Void where prohibited by lawyers.
BTW, wow, The Artist Formerly Known As Shane the Pogue has really looked rugged in the last few photos I’ve seen of him. Is he gonna make it?
Hey, I hadn’t heard about this (or maybe I had, I forget). I have Morning Star (bought it for an absolutely stupid price on E-Bay), it’s okay, nothing special. I expect this one will be more polished, should be interesting.
Well, how about that. So it’s kind of like Gerry “Banjo” O’Connor and Gerry “Fiddle” O’Connor. But how would you separate Shane “Guitar” McGowan from the other? Shane “Screaming Expletives” McGowan or Shane “Too Drunk To Walk” McGowan?
can someone help me on her pronunciation of her name- I tried and its not getting there
I have Morning Star (bought it for an absolutely stupid price on E-Bay), it’s okay, nothing special.
Maybe the production was a little sparse, (it was a college project after all, and not a commercial product) but I thought it was a great first attempt. Especially seeing as though she did all production and arrangement herself. I thought the songs were beautiful, and showed real talent. The playing was great too. I am however, very excited about this new one. Should be great.
I thot it was Maureen McAuliff in Anglo spellin, but I’m just guessin.
Man, that pix gives ol Keith Richard a run for official music zombie.
I heard Muireann and Julie Fowlis on the radio a while back. The duo were touring about Scotland I think. I remember her name getting pronounced something like “Murren Nich-Alliv” (“ch” as in “loch” but more aspirated).
It’s pronounced MWIR-en nick Ow-leev
We all know it’s actually pronounced “Throat-Warbler Mangrove”!
Since I speak American and don’t suddenly switch into a fake accent to say “Neeecarawgwa” or “El SalvaDORRRRR”, I’ll stick with saying something like Maureen McAuliff…
PS. I don’t say bodhran right, either. And I say “Union pipes” or “Irish pipes” instead of Uilleann for similar reasons. It’s just so much easier …
CD’s been shipped, hopefully get it tomorrow.
Since I speak American and don’t suddenly switch into a fake accent to say “Neeecarawgwa” or “El SalvaDORRRRR”, I’ll stick with saying something like Maureen McAuliff
Fair point, but Maureen is not an English rendition of Muireann, it is itself an anglicised version of Mairín, meaning little Mary. There is no English version of Muireann, just as there is no english for Tchaikovsky.
Incidentally, Mc Auliffe is not her surname. It bugs the hell out of Irish people who have Gaelic surnames when people anglicise them automatically. Ever wonder why she doesn’t use Mc Auliffe herself?
No one expects you to pronounce it perfectly, or to have a perfect rendition of Neeecarawgwa, but there’s a reason why Bombay or Peking are not so called anymore. The Irish had english foisted upon them for centuries, please world, don’t foist.
Well, I just got the album.
It’s good. She has a beautiful voice and it comes through here. There is a mix of traditional type songs and ones that could easily make it into rotation on a mainstream American easy listening station like Western Highway. There are the Irish songs obviously, but I got the feeling that I could play them for my girlfriend (who isn’t into sean nos at all) and she would enjoy them. Some of the songs, to me, actually have a very Eastern-Canadian feeling to them, Cape Bretonesque (I’m trying to think back on the names, I may be wrong, but I think something like The Isle of Malachy is an example).
The most impressive song (again, I could have the order and titles wrong) to me is Persuasion. At times I thought I was listening to an opera singer the masterful way she could use her voice.
The songs make up a much bigger chunk of the cd than they did in Morning Star (disapointingly for me). There are only two sets of tunes. In the first one she plays the whistle. I certainly enjoyed it (Hardiman the Fiddler). Her style is tight and crisp, I could hear shades of Maloney/Potts. Obviously some might have a problem with the amount of ornamentation, but it works for me.
The other set is The Humours of Whiskey and there she picks up the flute. I loved it. She starts with The Low Highland which is incredibly simple, I was mad I was not at home so I could try and learn it. It’s followed by a fast, driven reel that is an absolute blast to listen to. If this was a Danu set, it would be my favourite, hands down.
Well there you go. I don’t know how much play it will get. I love her voice, but you have to be in a mood for it. Walking to work with it doesn’t work very well.
Not to split hairs or be argumentative, but isn’t Nic the Scots Gaelic female prefix, and Ní the Irish Gaelic prefix? I suppose it isn’t unheard-of for Irish women to adopt the Scots prefix in their own names.
Probably good advice. 