response 51 of 226:

Dec 1 20:06 UTC 1997

  Pretty much.  They're a record label that focuses on celtic / 
  british isles folk..  Shanachie handles a wider range of music,
  carrying folk & world music recordings from all over..

response 53 of 226:

Dec 2 02:16 UTC 1997

Y'know, if you really want to streach your idea of 'Celtic Music' you could
add in bands like "Black 47" (The New York I)...
They use a number of celtic instruments and melodies, but thier music comes
closest to Rock, really...  I love 'em, but then, I'm rather wierd too...

response 55 of 226:

Dec 2 05:57 UTC 1997

Twila/49:  Great Big Sea, the band from Newfoundland, have three CDDs, 
none of which are regularly distributed in the states.  I got two of 
mine mail order from Canada, and the third from the band when they 
performed at the Ark this fall.  I'll have to put one or more of their
discs in the next sbag of discs headed over to your place.
 
I never did figure out how Shanachie came to be so big in reggae
and world music, since they started as an Irish folk music company.
Things happen, I guess.  Green Linnet has kept its focus on Irish and 
Scottish music, and at this point GL has gotten so large that 
they are now selling the music back to the British Isles.
Green Linnet has branched into world music with their "Xenophile"
imprint, and they also have the "Redbird" imprint for singer-songwriter
stuff.
 
(Since we're talking record labels: another one to keep an eye on is 
Greentrax, a Scottish label which is now distributed as if it were 
an American import.  In the last few years a lot of good Scottish 
performers have been migrating to Greentrax; the label has a very 
attractive 2-CD sampler.)
 
Teflon/53: most of the people I know would happily file Black 47 
as Celtic.  (Mmmm, one of these days I need to dig out all my Black 47
discs.  I've loost track of their discography.  A friend sent me a copy
of one of their early albums, pre-major-label I think...)
Most of my friends file Runrig as "celtic," and Runrig is an arena 
rock band., though still with some folk influences.
 
I'll end this babble by mentioning that the new Poozies EP popped into 
the mailbox today, a good antidote to the cold temperature...

response 57 of 226:

Dec 2 15:18 UTC 1997

No, Runrig is just Runrig; I have never heard any mention of any links 
to Big Country other than the obvious stylistic ones.  In Scotland, 
Runrig has carved out a great career, with maybe a dozen albums over 15
years, and a fanatical audience which fills arenas.  They do OK in 
Canada, but in America they are unknown outside of the folk music and 
Scottish heritage communities.
 
The band is at a crossroads now.  Lead singer Donnie Munro ran for the 
UK Parliament in their last election; I believe he ran on the Scottish 
Nationalist Party ticket.  He didn't win, but he is now leaving the band 
to pursue his political ambitions.  

response 59 of 226:

Dec 2 21:32 UTC 1997

Big Country is still recording, actually. (I have several "Greatest
Hits" packages of theirs, since I really loved their songs about
Scottish history.) I also really enjoy their 90s song, "Republican
Party Reptile". 

Erm, yeah, I should have noted that they (Green Linnet) released
two of my absoluitefavorite non-Celtic artists -- Vartinna, and James
Keelaghan. (James being on the REdbird label, being a singer-songwriter type,
but he's more than that -- he writes the absolute most fantastic
character-driven ballads I have ever heard. Bar none.)

Runrig was introduced to me by a tape my brother in law brought back from
Scotland, sans lable, sans case, sans anything but a comment "this is what
they're playing at ceildihs now." and I made a bootleg copy and never knew
they were still recording until I met Ken. But now I have lots of them on CD.
And even some on vinyl. 

response 61 of 226:

Dec 4 03:35 UTC 1997

speaking of odd Celtic music incidents, I was sitting (or more accurately
lunging) in warm-up during jazz when all of a sudden a dance mix (like
techno-beat-ish) of Ashley MacIssac's Sleepy Maggie started playing..needless
to say I was a bit startled..but I"m bringing in the 'real' version for my
teacher tomorrow, so there may be a piece in it..

response 63 of 226:

Dec 6 22:50 UTC 1997

it wasn't much different really..just more of a beat...wasn't bad..probably
not worth the effort tho

response 65 of 226:

Dec 8 15:39 UTC 1997

it was better than some of the other stuff we have for warm-up..there;s one
teacher who plays 70s stuff,...and there's only so much one can get out of
the carwash song :P <shudder>

response 67 of 226:

Dec 16 14:01 UTC 1997

That would be WEIRD. A dance beat? Hhhhm. I like the new Loreena, but 
it' doesn't seem much different than her last two albums to me. 

response 69 of 226:

Dec 19 19:38 UTC 1997

I"ve only heard THe Visit, and I"m rather fond of it if only because of the
extended Lady of Shallott, oh and whatever cd has THe HIghwayman, those songs
fufilling my morbid ballad requirements quite nicely. Her songs do weem to
be all pretty much the same, but at least they're decent sorts of
pretty-much-the-same.  

As to not liking them much after coming back..they're not especially suited
for active listening, one has to need soothing music and not pay attention
to the general sameness...but then I was known to listen to THe Visit for
weeks on end..so you are perfectly allowed to ignore everything I say as long
as you smile and nod..

response 71 of 226:

Dec 20 03:41 UTC 1997

oh..nice phrase :)

response 73 of 226:

Dec 20 17:59 UTC 1997

Oh, and Parallel Dreams, too.