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The Spiel

Traditional music, or trad for short, is the music that has been played by a people for generations, passed down orally from one musician to another. Trad exists in many, even most, places and can take many forms, but the word is often used to refer to music that falls under the big ol' "Celtic" umbrella. This mix CD is designed to introduce you to the marvels of trad in as painless a way as possible and it covers music of Irish, Scottish, Quebecois and Swedish origins in varying capacity. Many of the pieces being played are very old, up to two or three hundred years in some cases, although some of them are more recent compositions that attempt to extend the style in a modern way (like the Flook track, #7).

You'll notice that there are no songs here about saving trees or loving whales. Those songs are what we refer to as "folk", rather than trad. In much the same way that some people have taken traditional dance tunes like jigs and reels and written new pieces that extend or modernize the style, folk singers have done something similar by writing new lyrics on themes that are sometimes drawn from traditional music. I don't like folk music, so I'll leave it at that, but there is a difference.

Since you may find yourself becoming curious as you listen to this disc, I've noted a few facts about each track on the mix below. It is also useful for people who are listening to the disc while bored at work or in class, since it has the potential to distract you from what you should be doing for up to a whole hour! I hope you like some of what you hear, or at least tolerate the majority of it. As you can tell, I'm pretty keen about this stuff and will happily talk your ear off about it if you want to know any more. And whether you love it or hate it, I want to know about it!

So, without further ado, the music:

1. Nil Na La (translation - Not the night, if I recall correctly)
Artist: Solas
Album: Solas
Genre: Irish
Type: Song (that means "with lyrics")
What The Heck Is She Saying: It's in Irish, see the last song of the mix
I Hear You Like This Album: I considered just copying it and sending it out as my mix
I Hear You're Not So Hot On Their Later Albums: Matter of fact

2. Témisti-Mé
Artist: Ni Sarpe Ni Branches
Album: Quand ça vient l'temps
Genre: Quebecois
Type: Reels
Rootsiness: 8/10
Who Are They?: Claude Méthé and Simon Riopel on fiddle, Eric Beadry on guitar
What is That Sound?: The regular tapping of Eric's feet

3. The Sporting Pitchfork/The Diplodocus/Charlie Mulvihill's
Artist: Alan & John Kelly
Album: Fourmilehouse
Genre: Irish
Type: Jigs (like the beginning of Foreplay/Long Time in Rock Band)
What are they playing?: Irish flute and piano accordion
Are There a Lot of Dinosaurs in Traditional Music?: No, that's a recent composition by the famed Liz Carroll
I've Never Heard of Her: Well she's more famous that you are, nyah

4. Le Bedeau de St-David
Artist: Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer
Album: Wo
Genre: Quebecois
Type: A capella songs
Rootsiness: 9/10 (it's too in-tune to earn a perfect 10)
Lead Singers: Normand Miron on the first song
What Are They Talking About: Let's not go there

5. The Banks of the Sweet Vildee
Artist: Dervish
Album: Midsummer's Night
Genre: Irish
Type: Song
That's Quite a Voice She Has: It's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing

6. Mornings at Bonny Doon/Palm Sunday
Artist: André Marchand & Grey Larson
Album: The Orange Tree
Genre: Quebecois/Irish
Type: Air/Jig
Who're These Guys?: My personal hero and a flute player from Indiana who is also pretty good
Have They Ever Played a Concert in Your Living Room: Twice, actually, funny you should ask that

7. The Beehive/Poon Hill/Vladimir's Steamboat
Artist: Flook
Album: Rubai
Genre: Modern Irish
Type: Reels
Rootsiness: 4/10
So, uh, That Guy Playing the Low Whisle (flute thing) Sounds Pretty Excited: He's like a squirrel on Froot Loops and Red Bull

8. The Newport Lass/Frances Aucoin/Astro's Rough Day
Artist: Kieran O'Hare
Album: Kieran O'Hare
Genre: Irish
Type: Jigs
What the Hell is That?!: The uillean (Irish) pipes, they're like a wonderful nightmare from the industrial age (there's a picture of a set on the cover of the disc)
Where Might I Know Kieran O'Hare From?: If I'm not mistaken, he played in the Broadway show of The Pirate Queen - can't say I've seen it
What's With All The Slashes?: They're used to differentiate the different pieces in the track
There Are Different Pieces?: Shut up.

9 & 10. Robert (and Introduction)
Artist: Swap
Album: Swap
Genre: Swedish+English
Type: Polska (I think)
Rootsiness: 3/10
What's a Polska?: A Swedish tune in 3/4, though I'm not entirely sure this qualifies

11. Good Drying
Artist: Shooglenifty
Album: Whiskey Kiss
Genre: Modern Scottish
Type: Reel
Rootsiness: 2/10
They Have Drums!: Yes, only Shooglenifty are permitted drums, in the hands of any other group they are a blight upon trad

12. The Humours of Bally Manus/Gortnamona
Artist: Siobhan Peoples and Murty Ryan
Album: Time on Our Hands
Genre: Irish
Type: Slip Jigs
What Now?: A form of music particular to Ireland played in 9/8 time
That's Pretty: Yup

13. Home/Gray Spey/Lucy Campbell
Artist: Bohola
Album: Bohola (I think)
Genre: Irish
Type: Song/Reel/Reel
Where Are These Guys From?: Chicago
This is Kinda Long: Not compared to some of their more epic tracks

14. Le coq d'Inde
Artist: Les chauffeurs à pieds
Album: III
Genre: Quebecois
Type: Song
What's This One About: To quote from their liner notes, "Antoine once introduced this song at an English festival by saying that it was 'the story of a cock'"

15. Gan Ainm/The Taproom/The Yellow Cow
Artist: Enda Scahill
Album: Pick It Up
Genre: Irish
Type: Reels
Hey, It's a Banjo!: Sure as hell is, kid, a 4-string IRISH banjo at that
Can You Play That Well?: Only in my dreams

16. There's the Day
Artist: Cathal McConnell
Album: Long Expectant Comes at Last
Genre: Irish? Scottish? Whatever.
Type: A capella song
Rootsiness: 10/10
What's the Deal Between This and the First Song?: They tell the same story! More or less. Conveniently, this song tells it in English.
Did This Guy Once Tell You You Were a Good Flute Player?: Why, yes he did!


	The Spiel Traditional music, or trad for short, is the music that has been played by a people for generations, passed down orally from one musician to another. Trad exists in many, even most, places and can take many forms, but the word is often used to refer to music that falls under the big ol' "Celtic" umbrella. This mix CD is designed to introduce you to the marvels of trad in as painless a way as possible and it covers music of Irish, Scottish, Quebecois and Swedish origins in varying capacity. Many of the pieces being played are very old, up to two or three hundred years in some cases, although some of them are more recent compositions that attempt to extend the style in a modern way (like the Flook track, #7). You'll notice that there are no songs here about saving trees or loving whales. Those songs are what we refer to as "folk", rather than trad. In much the same way that some people have taken traditional dance tunes like jigs and reels and written new pieces that extend or modernize the style, folk singers have done something similar by writing new lyrics on themes that are sometimes drawn from traditional music. I don't like folk music, so I'll leave it at that, but there is a difference. Since you may find yourself becoming curious as you listen to this disc, I've noted a few facts about each track on the mix below. It is also useful for people who are listening to the disc while bored at work or in class, since it has the potential to distract you from what you should be doing for up to a whole hour! I hope you like some of what you hear, or at least tolerate the majority of it. As you can tell, I'm pretty keen about this stuff and will happily talk your ear off about it if you want to know any more. And whether you love it or hate it, I want to know about it! So, without further ado, the music: 1. Nil Na La (translation - Not the night, if I recall correctly) Artist: Solas Album: Solas Genre: Irish Type: Song (that means "with lyrics") What The Heck Is She Saying: It's in Irish, see the last song of the mix I Hear You Like This Album: I considered just copying it and sending it out as my mix I Hear You're Not So Hot On Their Later Albums: Matter of fact 2. Témisti-Mé Artist: Ni Sarpe Ni Branches Album: Quand ça vient l'temps Genre: Quebecois Type: Reels Rootsiness: 8/10 Who Are They?: Claude Méthé and Simon Riopel on fiddle, Eric Beadry on guitar What is That Sound?: The regular tapping of Eric's feet 3. The Sporting Pitchfork/The Diplodocus/Charlie Mulvihill's Artist: Alan & John Kelly Album: Fourmilehouse Genre: Irish Type: Jigs (like the beginning of Foreplay/Long Time in Rock Band) What are they playing?: Irish flute and piano accordion Are There a Lot of Dinosaurs in Traditional Music?: No, that's a recent composition by the famed Liz Carroll I've Never Heard of Her: Well she's more famous that you are, nyah 4. Le Bedeau de St-David Artist: Les Charbonniers de l'Enfer Album: Wo Genre: Quebecois Type: A capella songs Rootsiness: 9/10 (it's too in-tune to earn a perfect 10) Lead Singers: Normand Miron on the first song What Are They Talking About: Let's not go there 5. The Banks of the Sweet Vildee Artist: Dervish Album: Midsummer's Night Genre: Irish Type: Song That's Quite a Voice She Has: It's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing 6. Mornings at Bonny Doon/Palm Sunday Artist: André Marchand & Grey Larson Album: The Orange Tree Genre: Quebecois/Irish Type: Air/Jig Who're These Guys?: My personal hero and a flute player from Indiana who is also pretty good Have They Ever Played a Concert in Your Living Room: Twice, actually, funny you should ask that 7. The Beehive/Poon Hill/Vladimir's Steamboat Artist: Flook Album: Rubai Genre: Modern Irish Type: Reels Rootsiness: 4/10 So, uh, That Guy Playing the Low Whisle (flute thing) Sounds Pretty Excited: He's like a squirrel on Froot Loops and Red Bull 8. The Newport Lass/Frances Aucoin/Astro's Rough Day Artist: Kieran O'Hare Album: Kieran O'Hare Genre: Irish Type: Jigs What the Hell is That?!: The uillean (Irish) pipes, they're like a wonderful nightmare from the industrial age (there's a picture of a set on the cover of the disc) Where Might I Know Kieran O'Hare From?: If I'm not mistaken, he played in the Broadway show of The Pirate Queen - can't say I've seen it What's With All The Slashes?: They're used to differentiate the different pieces in the track There Are Different Pieces?: Shut up. 9 & 10. Robert (and Introduction) Artist: Swap Album: Swap Genre: Swedish+English Type: Polska (I think) Rootsiness: 3/10 What's a Polska?: A Swedish tune in 3/4, though I'm not entirely sure this qualifies 11. Good Drying Artist: Shooglenifty Album: Whiskey Kiss Genre: Modern Scottish Type: Reel Rootsiness: 2/10 They Have Drums!: Yes, only Shooglenifty are permitted drums, in the hands of any other group they are a blight upon trad 12. The Humours of Bally Manus/Gortnamona Artist: Siobhan Peoples and Murty Ryan Album: Time on Our Hands Genre: Irish Type: Slip Jigs What Now?: A form of music particular to Ireland played in 9/8 time That's Pretty: Yup 13. Home/Gray Spey/Lucy Campbell Artist: Bohola Album: Bohola (I think) Genre: Irish Type: Song/Reel/Reel Where Are These Guys From?: Chicago This is Kinda Long: Not compared to some of their more epic tracks 14. Le coq d'Inde Artist: Les chauffeurs à pieds Album: III Genre: Quebecois Type: Song What's This One About: To quote from their liner notes, "Antoine once introduced this song at an English festival by saying that it was 'the story of a cock'" 15. Gan Ainm/The Taproom/The Yellow Cow Artist: Enda Scahill Album: Pick It Up Genre: Irish Type: Reels Hey, It's a Banjo!: Sure as hell is, kid, a 4-string IRISH banjo at that Can You Play That Well?: Only in my dreams 16. There's the Day Artist: Cathal McConnell Album: Long Expectant Comes at Last Genre: Irish? Scottish? Whatever. Type: A capella song Rootsiness: 10/10 What's the Deal Between This and the First Song?: They tell the same story! More or less. Conveniently, this song tells it in English. Did This Guy Once Tell You You Were a Good Flute Player?: Why, yes he did!

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