Jan 4: Van Morrison and Chieftains released Irish Heartbeat in 1988

Irish Heartbeat is the eighteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is a collaboration with the traditional Irish musical group The Chieftains, released in 1988. The album was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland and reached number 18 in the UK album charts.

The album was recorded on dates from September to December 1987 and in January 1988. The Chieftains and Van Morrison had met years before at the Edinburgh rock festival. They joined up in Belfast during Morrison’s No Guru tour and afterwards, Morrison and Paddy Moloney discussed recording an album together during a walk. They each had a list of songs and reached a consensus to cover two of Morrison’s previously released tracks (the title track was one) and the rest from traditional Irish songs.

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Classic concert: Stephen Stills at the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, 1979

Just because it’s Mr. Stills birthday we have dug up a gem from the Music Vault channel at YouTube. It’s a classic Stepen Stills show, recorded Live: 3/23/1979 – Capitol Theatre (Passaic, NJ). Many highlights and terrific back-up vocals by Bonnie Bramlett!

Enjoy!

Setlist:
0:00:00 – Precious Love
0:05:01 – For What It’s Worth
0:09:11 – You Can’t Dance Alone
0:14:56 – Cuba Al Fin
0:20:17 – Go Back Home
0:28:16 – How Wrong Can You Be
0:34:05 – Love The One You’re With
0:39:23 – Make Love To You
0:51:48 – Cherokee
1:00:34 – Rock & Roll Crazies / Cuban Bluegrass / Jet Set
1:16:20 – Uncle James
1:21:08 – Thoroughfair Gap
1:25:41 – Come On In My Kitchen

Personnel:
Stephen Stills – guitar, timbales, vocal
Gerry Tolman – guitar
Mike Finnigan – keyboards, vocals
George “Chocolate” Perry – bass
Joe Vitale – drums
Joe Lala – congas, percussion
Bonnie Bramlett – vocals, percussion

– Hallgeir

the 25 best concerts 2015 according to Hallgeir

It’s time to look back at the concerts I attended in 2015. I saw 59 shows, these 25 are my favourites. Rayland Baxter, Undergrünnen and, especially, Lydia Loveless were the biggest pleasant surprises.

The biggest dissapointment was Calexico, I love the band, really like the last album, but they did not play to their full potential on the concert I saw (hell, they were boring, and that’s the worst I can say about a show). …but I will buy a ticket the next time they come visiting.

Anyway, these are the 25 best concerts of 2015:

25. Jon Byrd, 15. oktober, Ferkingstad

Jon Byrd Ferkingstad list-1

24. Doug Seegers, 24. June, Oslo

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The 25 Best Albums of 2015

As 2015 draws to a close, it’s time to look back on the last 12 months in music and as tradition goes, this involves the unveiling of our 25 Best Albums Of The Year.

– as always, it has been a struggle, we have fought and bled and finally agreed on the 25 best records of 2015. The ones we’ve played most, that has gotten us most excited or are just too good to ignore. We, as you can see, listen most to music in the, so called, roots oriented genres. However, we do listen to all kinds of music, it’s just that there aren’t that many good albums (in our views) in the other “genres” this year.

What did we get wrong? What did we miss? Well, nothing of course, this is THE list. No, just kidding, this is our view of the year in music, and as we have said many times before, we only write about the stuff we like and we can not reach everything.

Click on the covers or the title and see a post on each album.

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dec 31: Paul Westerberg was born in 1959

Misdirection is my path. How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him lost?
~Paul Westerberg (2012 interview)

Reading music is like listening to flowers. I don’t understand the concept.
~Paul Westerberg

Any musician who can stop.. may be a musician, but they’re no artist. If it’s in your blood, it can’t stop flowing.
~Paul Westerberg

Paul Westerberg – Dyslexic Heart (Official Music Video):

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Great Album: Daniel Romano – If I’ve only one time askin’

“George Jones sang about the old country legends; «You know this old world is full of singers, but just a few are chosen to tear your heart out when they sing.» Daniel Romano is one of the chosen.”
– Jan Eiesland (Dust of Daylight)

“I just want to make it as good as it was, that’s the only real goal, the difference between Taylor Swift and what I do is like the difference between The Bourne Identity and Hud: It’s too slow, too black-and-white, too much dialogue. They’re like, ‘When’s someone going to shoot someone in the face?’ ”
– Daniel Romano

Daniel Tavis Romano (born 1985) is a Canadian Juno-nominated country musician and visual artist based out of Welland, Ontario, where he was born and raised. He is primarily known as a solo artist, but he is also known for his membership in Attack in Black and also for his collaborations with Julie Doiron and Frederick Squire. He has also produced and performed with City & Colour. He released his 5th album in 2015.

If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ is a triumph, a massive step forward musically and lyrically, this is pure country music done by a man that loves it.  Daniel Romano plays like there is no bro-country, like there is no pop-country, he pours his heart out into classic country song writing. This album should be Daniel Romano’s big break-trough album. We love it.

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