On July 11, 2025, Swell Season released their latest album, “Forward.” The rock duo consists of Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. The album consists of eight songs and is available across streaming platforms. It was produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson.
Anyone who watches PBS often will likely be familiar with Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder. While many people may be able to notice small similarities, there are connections between the two groups that go beyond what meets the eye.
Irish rock band Crow Black Chicken released their latest album, “Ghost Dance,” on June 13, 2025. They are a blues rock trio from Ireland’s deep south, playing music inspired by Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Gov’t Mule. “Ghost Dance” is the band’s fourth album
The album was produced and mixed by Philip Magee, who has
worked with bands like Kodaline and The Script. It was recorded in GAF Studios in
County Tipperary, Ireland. This was the band’s first time in the studio since
the release of their 2016 album. Crow Black Chicken features Christ O'Hanlon on
guitar and vocals, Stephen McGrath on bass, and Gev Barrett on drums.
Right off the bat with “Bottom Feeders,” this album lets listeners
know that it means serious rock business. Each song has a different feel and
vibe, but they all echo back to the band’s overall voice that they have honed. Not
every song is a hard-hitting rock song, but this shows the band’s skill in
doing different things and doing them well. The slower songs show that the band
can do several things well.
The album only has eight songs, but each song is so jam-packed
with music that it feels like it has more songs. While artists generally want
their listeners to crave more of their music once an album ends, that is not
always a good thing. This album fills the listeners’ cups up without overflowing
them or leaving listeners thirsting for more. It is solid as it is, with only
eight songs.
This album’s mixing is exquisite. It is obvious that Magee
has worked hard to perfect his craft, and his success with other groups has
been rightfully earned. The vocals are crystal clear, and the backing
instruments are in perfect balance with the vocal track.
Overall, this album is a great album for rock fans,
especially those who love the likes of Thin Lizzy or even Pearl Jam. “Bottom
Feeders” is the only song that is labeled as explicit. There is a wide diversity
of rock songs on the album, so listeners who are not fans of the hard rock songs
like “Bottom Feeders” will still find something they enjoy.
Track List:
1. Bottom Feeders
2. Fire and Blood
3. Hot Molasses
4. The Longest Time
5. Dark Matters
6. Make It Right
7. Terlingua
8. Heavy Rain
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“From That Small Island’ is a TV show about Ireland that is aired on PBS. The first episode is called “From the Beginning” and talks about the beginnings of Ireland, from ancient times to Viking rule. The rest of the
The show is very informative. Not only does it talk about Ireland, but it also talks about other things going on near Ireland and how those things influenced Irish history. It brings in archaeology to talk about Ireland’s earliest inhabitants.