Celtic Music CDs News

St. Patrick's Day Gifts

2009-03-09T13:39:00.003-06:00

I updated the St Patrick's Day gift page of the St. Patrick's Day Music website. The page highlights the Mage Records Celtic CDs that are best to own for St. Patrick's Day. Yes. I know that is ALL of them. But I limited the list. :)

Heart's Ease: Instrumental Autoharp Music

2009-02-26T12:02:00.001-06:00

Take a breath...listen. Listen to an instrument that in the hands of Marc Gunn, becomes a pathway to fairy fields and drifting clouds, to magical realms and deepest dreams.

The autoharp -- conventionally known as the instrument of middle schools and German engineers -- is transformed into an expression of heart, spirit and soul, with Celtic roots and fairy branches, and the capacity to erase all but the calm, happy and comfortable end of a day.

Listen...

Heart's Ease began about five years ago while I was recording Soul of a Harper. I recorded my first solo instrumental tunes, and I loved them. At the time, I thought about recording an instrumental album inspired by the fae folk. My first tunes were named that way. But two years ago, I started back on the path, starting with "Stardust Serenade", a song inspired by the movie Stardust. The others came in bursts with fans and friends naming the tunes.

This is a relaxing album of peaceful heart-felt emotion. Imagine sitting in a warm bubble bath, a candle burning, and you'll have an idea of how to enjoy this peaceful CD, perfectly named Heart's Ease.

Track Listing:

Stardust Serenade
Heart's Ease
She Vanished in the Mist
Songwind
The Mage of Mirth
Desire
Amber Wednesday
Fairy Tale Waltz
Summer's End
Wildflowers of Party Field
Return to Lonely Mountain
Song of Assisi
Phoenix Tears
Of Twilight Shores

Buy MP3 Album!
$9.99. Instant access. Download the nicely formatted MP3s to your computer. Download free MP3 samples.

Buy the CD!
$16. The take-it-with-you version.

Celtic Christmas Music Website

2008-11-11T19:05:00.003-06:00

The Christmas music is already starting to flood the stores and radio stations. I figured it was time to update my Celtic Christmas Music website. Now's the time to start shopping for your Celtic Christmas CDs.

Real Men Wear Kilts Updated

2008-09-09T13:57:00.003-06:00

The Brobdingnagian Bards new CD, Real Men Wear Kilts is at long last finished. I updated the CD webpage. The CD is not yet available for sale (not until October), but you can pre-order it here.

What Color Is Your Dragon?

2008-08-07T16:10:00.007-06:00

I hadn't even officially released A Tribute to Love when I started working on my next solo album--What Color Is Your Dragon? Folk Music with Delusions of Grandeur.

The album started when I realized I have a LOT of songs recorded that are not yet available on full-length albums. I listened to many of them and realized most were filk songs.

So I decided that would be the main focus of this album. I would compile a list of songs on a variety of Sci Fi/fantasy genres including: Lord of the Rings, Bugs Bunny, Firefly, Star Wars, Dr. Who, and Harry Potter. Added to that would be a few songs I wrote a long, long time ago (not necessarily in a galaxy far away) and a few new songs exploring new musical genres (blues, in particular).

The result is my latest album available in August 2008--What Color Is Your Dragon?. The album features 17 tracks of fun music that one fan compared to the Brobdingnagian Bards' chart-topping album, Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales.

That is kind of appropriate because the first song on the album, "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" was inspired by real-life event that happened several years ago at DragonCon when I went out drinking with hobbits and by the end of the weekend was so sick I had no voice to sing with. "The Virgin Diet" was a song inspired by another song popularized by The Bards called "Do Virgins Taste Better Medley", as well as the fan-produced magazine that arose from that song, The Medieval Virgin.

I get a lot of emails from fans with song lyrics. Now and then some songs really stand out and I record them. "The Nazgul Song" and "The Lusty Young Sith" were written by fans who decided to parody songs played by Brobdingnagian Bards. The lyrics made me smile so much, I decided they had to be recorded.

Nevertheless, What Color Is You Dragon? has taken on a life of it's own as I dug into my experience to write most of these songs about some of my favorite Sci Fi and fantasy fandoms. This was a wonderful way to share my love of those fandoms in song. I am happy to share this album with you.

Oh! A special thanks to Nikki O'Shea, the Bards Comic artist, who beautifully designed the CD cover. I hope you enjoy the new album.

Track Listing:

Buy MP3 Album!
$9.99. Instant access. Download the nicely formatted MP3s to your computer.

Buy the CD!
$15. The take-it-with-you version.

Listen to it free online
Absolutely free. The complete CD. All 17 tracks. Completely free to listen to online.

Now playing: marcgunn's station - Marc Gunn - What Color Is Your Dragon?

Going for Brogue: Irish Pub Songs and Sea Shanties with an Accent

2008-05-06T20:52:00.003-06:00

Several years ago, I started the Irish Songs & Lyrics website to help musicians like learn new songs by ear. The site features Irish song lyrics, chords, and streaming audio files so you can listen to the songs you want to learn.

Unfortunately, the website stopped growing because we stopped recording. I decided to expand the website in 2006 by recording a bunch of Irish pub songs under a different name--4 Irish Whiskey. To make it more "authentic", I recorded the songs with an Irish accent.

Then a year later, a fan sent me a book of sea shanties. I thought some of those songs would make nice additions to the website, so this time I took on a pirate persona and added new songs to the website.

Now I decided it is time to release the music officially under my own name. I remixed the songs and compiled the two CDs into one. It's called Going for Brogue: Irish Pub Songs and Sea Shanties with an Accent. The CD features 19 Irish pub songs and sea shanties performed by yours truly with a variety of bizarre Irish accents. There's over 68 minutes of music on one environmentally conscience CD. Going for Brogue is raucous fun that shines like the heart of Irish folk music.

Track Listing:

PLUS, when you order the CD you'll have a link on the CD to download a digital pack of graphics for your computer, website and profile, and a 37-page ebook of song lyrics, chords and information about the album.

Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers

2008-04-02T21:04:00.003-06:00

Introducing Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers! If you love cats and Celtic music, you will love this latest offering from Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats.

It all began with a phone call. I started meowing in the middle of "Wild Rover". Then I wrote my first cat song. Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers was born. The CD was wildly popular. Before I knew it I had people asking when I would release my next Cat CD. Sure, I had a few songs already written, but not enough for a second CD. I spent the next two years writing some songs and asking fans of the first album to submit some lyrics. The results are now here!

The album features twelve songs and two sets of Irish tunes. The songs are a mix of Irish and Scottish songs rewritten about cats. You'll hear songs about cats eating catnip, waking you up in the middle of the night, staring off into nothingness. You'll laugh as cats take over a dairy farm, splashing milk all over the place or a nice feline friendly twist to the Sylvester and Tweety Bird cartoon. Cats fight off canine pack recruitment and Harry Potter makes an appearance as does cat cloning. No really! It's twisted, but amazing fun.

The CD was produced by Celtic music lover, Rich Brotherton, and it shows. Whiskers in the Jar is an album of purrlicious fun for cat lovers everywhere.

What Shall We Do With a Catnipped Kitty
Molly Malone, the Cat's Perspective/Planxty Hewlett
Kitty at the Door
Danny Boy
To Catch a Cat
Big Strong Cat (My Puddy Tat, Sylvester)
Cuddles McGish
When the Dairy Farm Caught Fire
Kitty's Rambles/Dowd's 9 Lives/Jenny's Chickens
The Old Woman and Her Cat (Dundee Cat)
Kitty Martin
Harry Potter and the Rising of the Moon
Orange Kitten's Mew
Whiskers in the Jar

The graphics were designed by Celtic artist, Ingrid Houwers. The final album is coming soon.

Buy MP3 Album!
$9.99. Instant access. Download the nicely formatted MP3s to your computer.

Buy the CD!
$15. The take-it-with-you version.

Listen to it free online
Absolutely free. The complete CD. All 14 tracks. Completely free to listen to online.

Now playing: marcgunn's station - Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers

Non-Profit Donations

2008-04-01T21:22:00.007-06:00

Mage Records considers it important to donate a portion of CD sales to non-profit organizations. Typically, these donations come from compilation CDs like .

As of April, 2008, Mage Records has donated over $7,000 cash to non-profits, including the following:

Arkansas Celtic Music Society = $708.81
Austin Browncoats = $771.08
Austin Celtic Association = $1877.50
Celtic Cultural Center of Texas = $622.69
Celtic Heritage Festival = $1000
Chapple Hill Cat Sanctuary = $213.63
KOOP Radio = $100
KUT Radio = $500
Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina Relief = $1566.99

Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation CD

2007-12-23T05:02:00.001-06:00

The Renaissance Festival Podcast is a free, bi-monthly, downloadable radio show of Renaissance festival entertainment. It is hosted by Marc Gunn and Kristen Roger, and produced Joe Haydu and Marc Gunn, the show features music and entertainment from around the world.

Now we are proud to announce our latest compilation CD. This album benefits the podcast though a portion of the profits benefit a non-profit organization that will help the faire community as well and as needed.

This compilation is a lot like an episode of the Renaissance Festival Podcast with a fantastic mix of music and comedic faire commercials with our unique podcast touch.

Here's the complete track listing. Please visit the artists and find out more about the groups who support the Renaissance Festival Podcast.

Track Listing:
1. Fugli, "Crazy Leo's Indulgences", www.povera.com
2. Bedlam Bards, "Bedlam Boys / Bear Dance", www.bedlambards.com
3. Bramblebush, "Mary Mac", www.bramblebush-music.com
4. Bocca Musica, "Nancy", www.boccamusica.com
5. Bounding Main, "High Barbaree", www.boundingmain.com
6. Fugli, "Never Marry a Mermaid", www.povera.com
7. Tenpenny Travelers, "Dapper Dan", www.tenpennytravelers.com
8. Minstrel Woode, "Jolly Beggarman", www.minstrelwoode.com
9. Brobdingnagian Bards, "Hobbit's Dance", www.thebards.net
10. NeidFyre, "Old Maui", www.neidfyre.com
11. "Captain Black Jack" Murphy, "The Humours of Whiskey", www.irishsong.net
12. Queen's Gambit, "Rocky Road to Dublin / Foxhunter's Jig", www.queens-gambit.com
13. Pirate Comedy Show, "Tourists Promo", www.piratecomedyshow.com
14. Vince Conaway, "Cantiga", www.vinceconaway.com
15. Marc Gunn, "Finnegan's Wake", www.marcgunn.com
16. Jesse Linder, "The Leaving of Liverpool", www.jesselinderbard.com
17. Marooned, "Spanish Ladies", www.marooned-lv.com
18. Marc Gunn & Lorella Loftus, "PlagueAway: The Pestilence Potion", www.marcgunn.com
19. Terry Griffith, "For My Grandfathers", www.pittsburghirish.org/griffith
20. Blackjacks 'n Blarney, "Old Black Rum", www.renwidow.com
21. Thyme Awaye, "Highland Harry", www.myspace.com/thymeawaye
22. Seymoure, "The Pudding Song", www.seymoure.net
23. Marc Gunn & Lorella Loftus, "The Faire Is Over", www.marcgunn.com/

It album features photography by Chip Talbert, Kimberly Stockton as Elizabeth I and graphic design by the amazing, hard-working and generous, James McDaniel II.

Celtic Christmas Music

2007-12-22T08:56:00.000-06:00

Just three more days until your own Celtic Christmas is begins. But there's no time like the present to start celebrating. Here you can find some:

But the best way for any Celt to celebrate a Celtic Christmas is with music. Unfortunately, it's not easy finding Celtic Christmas music. Outside of Wales, there's not really any traditional Celtic Christmas music. However, there is a lot of new music written and adapted by Celtic music groups who have recorded their own Celtic Christmas CDs. These make great holiday gifts. So check out a few such popular Celtic Christmas CDs:

Celtic Christmas Music CDs

See more Celtic Christmas Music CDs.

4 Drunk's Sake: Live Songs from an Irish Pub

2007-12-19T07:38:00.000-06:00

Imagine you're in a pub in Lisdoonvarna, Ireland. A bunch of Irish music lovers are packed in one small room. You get the pleasure of leading them in song.

That's what happened to 4 Irish Whiskey in the summer of 2007. A bunch of my fans joined me on a trip to Ireland and we had a good old fashion sing-a-long with a mix of traditional Irish songs and geeky favorites.

It was a rollicking good time that got wilder and wilder as the night progressed and we drank more Guinness and Bulmers. Yes, it devolved into drunken bliss for drunk's sake. It's not fine art, it's intoxicated sing-a-longable bliss!

So come join us!

Buy MP3 Album!
$9.99. Instant access. Download the nicely formatted MP3s to your computer.

Buy the CD!
$12. The take-it-with-you version.

Listen to it free online
Absolutely free. The complete CD. All 13 tracks. Completely free to listen to online.

Listen to the album for free right now:

Now playing: marcgunn's station - 4 Drunk's Sake: Live Songs from an Irish Pub

New Website - A Tribute to Love

2007-12-19T07:19:00.000-06:00

I setup a new website dedicated to "A Tribute to Love", the upcoming CD by Marc Gunn.

Celtic Wedding Music Updates

2007-12-15T13:53:00.000-06:00

The Celtic Music CD Store made a few updates to our various websites, including our own homepage and also:

Celtic Christmas Music - Updated list of Celtic Christmas music
Irish & Celtic Music Podcast - Link updates

The following websites had updated ads added to the websites:

Also, the Celtic wedding CD had some webpage updates.

"Digital Traditions" by Celtic Stone

2007-12-15T12:07:00.001-06:00

Legendary Celtic music from the Renaissance Festival circuit in the 1980s. High-energy combination of traditional Celtic and American music with rock and jazz influences.

CELTIC STONE was a band popluar at many southern & mid-western Rennaisance Festivals during the 1980's (though they played a number of folk clubs, Irish Pubs, & folk festivals, as well). The band (and its recordings) featured an eclectic mix of folk and rock influences. The early recordings tended more towards traditional Celtic fused with '60's British rock (and was renown for accoustic versions of rock classics, like "Thick as a Brick"). After 1985 the band moved more towards new grass/gypsy jazz/jam band influences. The band featured a variety of line-ups, with David Clauss on hammered dulcimer the common thread. The instrumentation also featured guitar, fiddle, flute, and vocals. Robyn Hilliard and Todd Menton were the featured vocalists on the earlier recordings, with David Roe featured on the later recordings. Other notable members were Simon Spaulding (fiddle), Malcom Smith (fiddle), Bob Bielefeld (flute), and Mitch Lawer (guitar & mandolin).

The CD is a retropective look at the band's career, with an emphasis on songs & tunes popular at Rennaissance festivals. It features tracks from the bands five main recordings, as well as two tunes not on previous recordings and two new versions of old favorites. A nice way to experience the band's changing line-up over the years. Tends to feature the band's accoustic side, though there are a couple of rockers. There are 16 tracks (about 60 min) with 1/3 instrumentals.

"Captain Black Jack" Murphy, Pirate Extraordinaire - Pogue Mahone Means Kiss My Arse

2007-12-15T12:04:00.000-06:00

Wha'? Biography. Feckin' bastards!

No wait. That's me? Haha!

I'm "Captain Black Jack" Murphy, Pirate Extraordinaire, of the pirate ship IRISH STOUT. I've plundered the seven seas for twelve years now and I'm tired. The Royal Navy is getting awfully bitchy. So instead of pirating ships, I decided to record an album of sea shanties and drinking songs and pirate music. It's a much more respectable living considering the Major Record Labels are stealing more from musicians than we pirates have EVER done!

Yes! I am a firm believer in Piracy! Listen to my PSA and support the fine art of piracy starting with my music. But buy the Feckin' album first. It is imperative that you help us musicians who put our blood, sweat, and tears in each album.

Okay, the blood was from my shipmates. All I did was sing and play a little drum. That's one of the luxuries of being a CAPTAIN after all. You direct the idiot sailors beneath you. Ah tis a fine life. Treat 'em right and don't call 'em idiots too much to their face and you won't face a mutiny... again... Okay, it happened once... twice, okay four times, but it wasn't my fault. I WAS DRUNK! I thought those wenches WERE mermaids... How was I to know they wouldn't lead me to the treasure...

But I Learned my Lesson. That's the point I want to make.

The IRISH STOUT has treated me well. And I've treated her like the Queen she is! I make sure the men swab the decks keep the head in top shape. It's important. With all those waves Up and Down and Up and Down, when you're aiming, you're likely to miss. That's why I encourage me lads to just piss over the side of the ship. And NOT down the head. Save that for the real work.

But that's not the point I was getting at. The important thing of pirating is pirate as much as you can. Booty is grand but sometimes ye have to do That much more.

That's one of many reasons why I recorded an album of music. And soon I will start on my lecture tour of universities to educate students on the Fine Art of Piracy... and maybe learn a few tricks from those students. Damn! Those kids are ahead of the game!

Oh! And the CD is great! Buy the Feckin' thing and ten for your mates. Arrrrgh!

A Collection of Irish Pub Songs

2007-12-15T12:00:00.000-06:00

In the beginning was the Irish Stout, and the stout was good.

The Irish Stout was SO good, in fact, we started singing about it--Irish Pub Songs. The Irish songs flowed as prolifically as the stout.

Irish Stout is no longer just a dark beer made from roasting malts and barley. Now it is also a band--a couple friends who love drinking songs as much as they love drinking. We don't care about politics, religion, or being the most-traditional band in the world. Our sound is sharp, unique, and designed for hours of good old-fashioned song as you drink the night away.

So if you're looking for traditional "Celtic music", leave now. We're gonna show you the FUN, RAUCOUS side of Celtic music. The type of music that might get your toes tapping, your beer splashing, your hearts racing, your eyes laughing, your thoughts crafting, your body thrashing, and your voice cracking from too much singing. Yeah. We know what you want to hear. Because we want to hear it too!

So go ahead. Grab a pint of Irish Stout and join us in the pub. It doesn't have to be the same Irish pub. Yours will do. Just bring the CD out and give it to the bartender and say, I want music I can sing to! Then let the Irish Stout start flowing and satiate your thirst so that every day is St. Patrick's Day, thanks to Irish Stout.

ABOUT IRISH STOUT
Irish Stout is Marc Gunn and Captain Black Jack Murphy. Marc Gunn, also of the Brobdingnagian Bards, continues to revolutionize Irish music by introducing the autoharp into the Celtic tradition. His good friend Captain Black Jack Murphy brings a stout, piratey, Irish brogue and gritty vocals in a style you might hear from The Dubliners or The Wolfe Tones.

The duo met each other in early 2006 while sharing a pint of Guinness Stout at Fado's. They were enjoying the traditional tunes of The Tea Merchants when Gunn snickered at Murphy's pirate attire. "It was more Disney than Pirate," said Gunn. "he looked rather ridiculous."

Murphy nearly punched Gunn before Gunn bought Murphy a Murphy's Irish Stout. After a few more drinks, they started singing Irish songs, much to the disapproval of everyone around them including the band on stage. But why fight fire with fire. The Tea Merchants invited them on stage and 4 Irish Whiskey was born. When they realized that was a stupid band name, they renamed the group Irish Stout and began dominating the local Irish pub song scene.

Now, they are rocketing out of the land-locked pubs and into the digital pub world where you bring your own Irish Stout and sing-a-long with your computer. It's not quite as fun, but Tuesdays are cool! Because you can sing-a-long with our podcast.

Three Movie and TV Songs for Geeks Like Me

2007-12-15T11:52:00.000-06:00

In 2006, I wrote and recorded a song that I absolutely loved called "A Rabbit for Halloween". It told the story of Bugs Bunny and Witch Hazel in the episode "Broom-Stick Bunny". I loved the song so much, in fact, that I tried to sneak it on to my new album, A Tribute to Love. But everyone who listened to the album said the same thing, "It doesn't fit." They were right.

Now another Halloween is coming and I was really hoping to release this song on a CD. But I don't have one coming out any time soon. So I decided to release a single.

In the music business a "single" signifies one to three songs on a recording. So I thought I would package this single with two other like-minded songs I've written. One was inspired by the movie Stardust, and the other was inspired by a television show Firefly. I packaged them all together and decided to release a themed single called Three Movie and TV Songs for Geeks Like Me.

Track Listing:

Order Now: 2007, 3 Songs, Mage Records

A Tribute to Love

2007-12-15T11:50:00.001-06:00

The idea for this CD arose in the Fall of 2006. I wanted to release an album of love songs for Valentine's Day. Alas, through too much procrastination, that goal totally fell through. It was put on the back burner until... Valentine's Day, when I leaped head first into this project with all my heart.

Love. I've been in love. I've felt myself floating on it's wings and sang to the angels in thanks. Once upon a time, I was a hopeless romantic. But I don't like being hopeless. So I became a hopeful romantic. I began looking for love and found myself falling. The challenge I discovered is that just because I'm in love doesn't not mean we are meant to be together. Our differences may segregate us and keep us from achieving whatever holy state of being may exist from a "perfect" romance.

And perhaps THAT is the real challenge. My expectation. There are ups and downs, ins and outs in love. It's not all romantic love songs. That's why when I began to choose the love songs I wanted to record, I decided to keep it real. To cover a wide variety of love that is not all flowers and candy. Some times it's filled with heartbreak. Other times, it's comical. Still other times it's unreal, mystical.

That's what this CD is about. A Tribute to LOVE! is an album of love songs. There are some folk songs about love, and then there are some songs from my own experience. These are the songs I love to sing when I want to feel romance in my life. And I hope others will find them just as romantic.

Track Listing:

Order "A Tribute to Love" Now
2008, 13 Songs, Mage Records

"Victims of Irish Music" Top 100 Albums on iTunes

2007-10-16T00:19:00.000-06:00

Victims of Irish Music climbed to #90 on the Top 100 World Music albums on iTunes.

Mage Records at Wholesale Prices

2007-10-16T00:08:00.000-06:00

Do you have a business? Would you like to help promote the Marc Gunn, the Brobdingnagian Bards or Mage Records, in general? Did you know you can buy CDs from Mage Records at wholesale prices for resale?

Yup! You can. You need to purchase a minimum of 30 units (aka CDs) to take advantage of the special offer. From there, you can start selling the CDs at Irish festivals, Renaissance faires, record stores, Celtic shops, Highland Games, veterinarian offices, pet stores, on eBaby, at Amazon, or wherever you want. Just sell them and order some more to keep selling.

Buy Celtic Music CDs at Wholesale Now!

More Victims, Faires and Holy Grails

2007-07-14T12:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I took advantage of a special at Diskfaktory. I ordered 1000 new copies of each of the following CDs:

Before I sent the CDs out, I reformatted all of the CDs. My goal is to provide more eco-friendly albums in the future. Mage Records will slowly do away with plastic jewel cases, in favor of the sleek cardboard sleeves. These are the first CDs to undergo this exciting new change.

Podcasts Playing Our Celtic Artists in May & June 2007

2007-07-05T15:51:00.000-06:00

Below is a list of podcasts who have played our Celtic artists.

Brobdingnagian Bards

Marc Gunn

Irish Stout

Top Celtic CDs Sold in June 2007

2007-07-05T15:42:00.000-06:00

The following Celtic Music Chart is a list of the Top 20 Celtic CDs sold at CD Baby through the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine, Celtic Music CD Store, Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and our affiliates.

If you would like to find more great Celtic CDs, visit our store.

Top Celtic CDs Sold in May 2007

2007-07-05T15:15:00.000-06:00

The following Celtic Music Chart is a list of the Top 20 Celtic CDs sold at CD Baby through the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine, Celtic Music CD Store, Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and our affiliates.

Maidens IV: Four Aflame

If you would like to find more great Celtic CDs, visit our store.

"Black Is the Color" Climbs the Charts

2007-05-25T11:13:00.000-06:00

Marc Gunn's latest single, "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" is climbing the charts on SoundClick's Traditional Celtic charts. The song was the second release from Gunn's latest CD, "Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion". The first single released was "Black Velvet Band" which is holding steady at #2 on the Traditional Irish Charts of SoundClick.

The album will be officially released on CD on June 6th. Listen and download the song through Marc Gunn's website at SoundClick.