Sunday 30 October 2016

The Remedy Club (Formerly B & The Honeyboy) - Monday, November 7th, 2016


http://www.theremedyclub.ie/home

Back in April of this year B & The Honeyboy played their BAG debut, and went down a storm! Now they're back, re-named as The Remedy Club, and with a hat-ful of new material, from their forthcoming third album. This high energy duo is not to be missed, and they return to play BAG at Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, on Monday, November 7th. Doors open at 8:30pm. Admission is €12

The Remedy Club are a harmony-heavy alternative country folk duo from Wexford and Dublin, composed of Aileen Mythen and Kj McEvoy.  Formed in 2006 under the previous name of “B & The Honeyboy’ they released & toured their first two albums throughout Ireland & Europe playing festivals such as Electric Picnic, Westport, Longitude & Sligo Live.  Following a relaunch under the new name - The Remedy Club - they are soon to release their new album ‘Lovers, Legends and Lost Causes’.  This album sees them working with musician/producer Ian Doyle and a collection of other exceptional musicians including Lorcan and Cillian Byrne from Basciville.  Their new album combines threads of country, folk, soul and blues. The marriage of delicious harmonies, raw guitar sounds & honest, mature songwriting create a vintage Americana sound that is fresh and authentic.

The new material, as its' title suggests deals with themes of love, in the tracks, ‘Last Song’, ‘I miss you’ & ‘This is love’, legends in the songs ‘Django’ (inspired by Blues/Jazz musician – Django Rynhart), ‘Listening to Hank Williams’ – a homage to the country legend and ‘When Tom Waits up’ – a song inspired by Tom Waits, conjuring up an atmospheric, smokehouse feeling.  Other songs like ‘Get away with it’ and ‘Bottom of the hill’ relate to the final part of the title ‘Lost Causes’, where the material further amplifies the honest and raw nature of the album.

''The Remedy Club delivered a set that displayed their delicious harmonies, McEvoy's nimble guitar playing and a marriage of folk and country with a hint of the blues. As a devout sceptic I never realised that going to church would be so rewarding''.   ( Jackie Hayden)

Videos - and I recommend you watch 'em all!

'Now and Then' - https://youtu.be/3g2RV4Mqv2g
'Image on My Retina' - https://youtu.be/OUPQSpkiNeA
'Far Away From Love' - https://youtu.be/pmKONaIYZOg
'I Got You' - https://youtu.be/6sj654qp7IY

Wednesday 12 October 2016

GREENSHINE - Monday, October 24th, 2016


"All things come to those who wait", they say. True enough, as it's taken a few years of trying for a gap in the BAG schedule to coincide with Greenshine's availability. So I'm delighted to present the band - for the first time in my tenure - in Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare, on Monday, October 24th. Doors open at 8:30pm; showtime 9pm. Admission is €12.

Website: http://greenshinemusic.com/

GREENSHINE is currently touring in support of the brand new album - 'The Girl in The Lavender Dress', and you can listen to the title track here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k8heQg-wVA

GREENSHINE is a family trio comprising Noel Shine, Mary Greene and their daughter Ellie. Their material straddles the boundaries of contemporary, folk and roots and includes many self-penned songs. Their fast picking and close harmonies are a treat to the ear. Noel is a multi-instrumentalist, turning his hand to guitar, bass, mandolin, bouzouki and traditional whistle and this musical dexterity had seen him much in demand as a session and band player by artists as diverse as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem and funk and soul legends The Republic of Loose amongst many others. Mary brings rhythm guitar to the mix and her voice is a wonderfully versatile instrument. She is much in demand for her recording session work and has added her talents to the albums of Christy Moore, John Spillane, Mick Hanly and Frances Black as well as cult psychedelic outfit Dr. Strangely Strange. As a duo, Noel and Mary have released 3 critically acclaimed albums to date ~ The Land You Love the Best (placed no. 3 in The Irish Times Folk albums of the year of its release), Unspoken Lines (described as ‘The heart and soul of folk music, coming from a deeper well…,’ by John Spillane) while Mary’s solo, Sea of Hearts, earned an impressive 8 out of 10 in Hot Press.

Ellie Shine has grown up surrounded by music and has been performing in concerts and festivals since the age of 13 including an appearance with GREENSHINE for President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina at The Abbey Theatre. Despite her tender years, Ellie has featured on 4 recordings to date. She has a huge interest in the songs of the Muskerry Gaeltacht and reached the All-Ireland final of Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann’s under 15 Sean-Nós Singing competition in her debut try-out. She enjoys singing songs of all genres and has a special place in her heart reserved for classic Beatles and country as well as good contemporary songwriting. She accompanies herself on the ukulele.

The music of Greenshine has been covered by several Irish music artists and has been used commercially by Follain Preserves in their ad campaigns, Carrie Crowley in her film Waterway and as signature tunes by several national radio station programmes.

Thursday 6 October 2016

Kelley McRae & Matt Castelein - Monday, October 17, 2016


Having become a true BAG favourite over the past few years, the (by now, annual) return of Kelley McRae and Matt Castelein is always hotly anticipated. That return happens on Monday, October 17th, and will see the pair present songs from their new release, 'The Wayside' (Spoiler alert: its a belter!!).

As usual, doors open at 8:30pm, and Admission is €12

www.kelleymcrae.com

Videos: http://kelleymcrae.com/videos/

Kelley McRae called New York City home for many years, cutting her teeth in the vaunted singer/songwriter scene and honing her craft at legendary clubs like The Living Room, The Rockwood Music Hall and the Bowery Ballroom. In 2011 McRae teamed up with guitarist Matt Castelein, and the duo traded in their Brooklyn apartment for a VW camper van and hit the road full time. Kelley and Matt traveled extensively across America those first few years, performing hundreds of shows and finding inspiration for new songs along the way.

The duo has since gone on to tour in eleven countries, including shows in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. They’ve taken the stage at renowned venues such as The Bluebird Café in Nashville and The Green Note in London, and they’ve performed at festivals like Riverbend in Chattanooga,TN, Rhythm and Blooms in Knoxville, TN and the Kerrville Folk Festival where they were named New Folk Finalists.

Kelley McRae’s latest release, The Wayside, is a testament to the inspiration inherent in the American landscape, the grief intrinsic to change, and the hope that comes with stepping onto unknown soil. The Wayside, McRae says, “is the place along the side of the road where things get left behind, or where you go to rest awhile, or where you go find something you lost along the way.” McRae’s songs sip life from the tension between holding on and letting go, blooming in their rich search for truths.

Released in April, 2016, The Wayside debuted at #7 on the Euro-Americana charts and hit #4 on the Roots Music Reports Top 50 Contemporary Folk chart. It has continued to impress critics: Penguin Eggs Magazine calls Kelley’s voice ‘hauntingly beautiful, echoing the best of Gillian Welch’ and New York Music Daily calls the duo ‘the real deal.’ Folk Radio UK describes McRae as ‘evocative of the finest moments of Emmylou.’ Mike Penard of Radio France says, “With hundreds of new releases each year, there are maybe ten or twenty magical moments. The Wayside is one of those moments.”