McLame has listed what he will do to balance the budget by the end of his first term.

I suppose he could if he followed someone who could accomplish what Clinton did in eight years, but how old would he be by then?

Video at my site

Both Irish and Scots traditional music get to me down in the very heart of my soul. And then, there's Scotsman Dick Gaughan. It just doesn't get any better!!

Of course it was The Bothy Band and Planxty who really got me going on the Irish music over 30 years ago. These folks shook the world!!

And you know, John Martyn's not too bad either!! The backing musicians are pretty decent as well!!

And I can't let a discussion of Irish music take place without recognizing the greatest voice to ever come out of that land...the late, great Luke Kelly!
(Of course Freedom Come All-Ye is Scottish.)

Nicole,

I too am a San Franciscan (transplant like many) now living in Lafayette.

In these days of malfeasance by the entire government and sadly led by your Congresswoman Republicrat Nancy Pelosi, we need some activist Rock on CLLN music.

May I recommend any of many by Midnight Oil, the best of the activist bands since the late 60s. Check out almost anything live on Youtube.

I grew up listening to Dylan, CSNY, Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield (I know, redundant), but I cannot recall a band that so consistently personified political activism as did Midnight Oil. And their rhythm section - especially Martin Rotsie, who must have spun pick after pick into the crowd with his ultra quick style. I miss them a lot.

I saw them once or twice at Wolfgang's before it burned down, a few times at the Fillmore, Greek Theatre and other places. They were MUCH better live (not always the case for all bands) and were a powerful political band. They were a staple on the Quake in the early 80s and later on Live 105 with Alex Bennett hosting comics in the AM and Big Rick Stuart and Steve Masters spinning later in the day.  KFOG should be playing them now - but they get no play perhaps due to their strong political bent.

In the weeks following the Exxon Valdez disaster, they played a free concert in New York smack in front of Exxon headquarters. The banner behind them read "Exxon oil makes you sick - Midnight Oil makes you dance". They closed the 2000 Olympics in Sydney wearing black body suits with "sorry' printed in white - a symbolic apology to the aboriginals. And now the lead singer Peter Garrett is a Labor Minister in Parliament.

I guess a reunion tour is out of the question.

Anyway, How about some Midnight Oil?

Thanks,

Jake

Thanks for the Irish music Nicole.
Here, this ones for you.
Sinead O'Connor and The Chieftains,Foggy Dew

Then theres these guys, The Young Dubliners.

Uilleann Pipes

Sponge Bob rocks!

Nichole

For the utter uniqueness of it, listen to some Tuvan throat singing. It's definitely folk music, originates in Mongolian Russia, and the performers sing/whistle two to four notes at the same time! It is an extraordinary sound.

YouTube has some examples:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TVyyhHFKI8E

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HwANedEkqaY&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0M3YFK3sJ54&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kO-QXyLSS20&feature=related

Nicole,

I believe you'd dig Lisa Geraard from Dead Can Dance. She does the haunting vocals in the film GLADIATOR

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DdVLi235gZQ
Lisa Gerrard - Now we are free

Also, I believe you'd appreciate Hungarian folk star Marta Sebestyen

Here is a very moving & meditative lament

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9WYVr-qdAXU
Marta Sebestyen: Szerelem szerelem

Enjoy !!! and thanks for that Irish taste. Now, I'm gonna dust off my Braveheart soundtrack.

Slinky, my son turned me on to Flogging Molly.

I'm in the middle of reconnecting with my Gaelic roots, and the culmination ia my Master's thesis on the Bardic Tradition. I'm proving (at least to myself) that the ancient Celtic bards' direct descendants are the folk-protest musicians of today, and went heavily into Woody Guthrie along the journey along with Thomas Moore and Wolfe Tone. My (tentative) abstract:

Abstract
Bards were specialists among the Druids of the ancient Celtic civilization who taught using songs as mnemonic devices, and were responsible for maintaining a huge repertoire of material about history and proper conduct as well as creating new works to add to the cultural history of their people. As the Celts were conquered by the English, bards were outlawed in order to suppress their knowledge. This cultural disenfranchisement was overcome by scholars and poets of the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries; many ancient works were preserved and new ones added. I have concentrated on Irish history as so many old manuscripts were found there, and the Oral Tradition survived into modern times. Much was brought to the U.S. by immigrants and evolved into folk music. Subsequently, modern bards such as Woody Guthrie, who were raised on this music, continued in both writing songs about events as well as encouraging people to improve their lives.

One of Moore's most popular pieces in Ireland in the early nineteenth century became so entrenched in camps on both sides of our War Between the States that a third verse was written:

“The Minstrel Boy” by Thomas Moore
(sung to the tune of The Moreen)

The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him;
His father's sword he hath girded on,
And his wild harp slung behind him;
"Land of Song!" said the warrior bard,
"Tho' all the world betrays thee,
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"

The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain
Could not bring that proud soul under;
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again,
For he tore its chords asunder;
And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and brav'ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!"

The third verse to “The Minstrel Boy” was added by troops after several years of fighting in the American Civil War.
The Minstrel Boy will return we pray
When we hear the news we all will cheer it,
The minstrel boy will return one day,
Torn perhaps in body, not in spirit.
Then may he play on his harp in peace,
In a world such as Heaven intended,
For all the bitterness of man must cease,
And ev'ry battle must be ended. (Nelson-Burns, The Minstrel Boy)

Surely these lyrics express how tired the soldiers were of the war by this time; this was also in the bardic tradition.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DdA4NlJiikM Charlie Zahm sings it.

--MaryK

I play th highland bagpipes. I play them at antiwar rallies and anti-McCains demonstrations here in PHX AZ. Was briefly a member of the Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Pipe Band. Then I got seriously injured. Oh well, now I'm a musician when I'm feeling decent. Played the AZ Renaissance for about ten years.

Hope every one enjoyed it, MK!

Recently spent a week with Randall and a bunch of fine musicians at ZoukFest in Santa Fe. Check out my photo series at FotoFeed starting here.

Anney,

Yeah, she's different. I loved that poignant piece she did in GLADIATOR when Russel Crowe discovers his family slain upon his escape...sublime catharsis !

What did ya think of Marta Sebastian's piece that I liked ?

Tony McManus @ 32:

I've been reading this blog for a long time.

It's an honour to be featured in the late nite music club.

Randal I know is a fan of C&L too.

best wishes to all readers.

Tony

Tony, I'm so thrilled to know you're a fan. Because I have been such a huge fan of your work for so many years.

Thanks for the comment.

NB