If you didn't know it, Celtic music underwent a faddish explosion in the 1990s with the upsurge of many Atlantic Canadian acts such as Ashley MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster who put a pop spin on traditional tunes. Many bands came to prominence in their wake such as KILT, Cuillin and Slainte Mhath. But few hit it as big as Great Big Sea. Well, the fad came and went but Celtic music as always keeps on for its core audience. And Great Big Sea have shown they have sea legs to weather the storm of shifting musical fortunes. The Times Colonist carries this story about how the band has adapted over time and how they still sell out arenas throughout North America.

Excerpt:

"Canadian Celtic music that sprang from the kitchens of Newfoundland took nearly everyone who played it to the top of the charts and back down again. The fallout from the fad didn't stem from the music of Spirit of the West or Great Big Sea. Fad-chasers were the culprits, according to Doyle.

"Around that time, every punk band in Ontario or Alberta was adding a mandolin player or a fiddle player. I used to joke, when the fad ended, it was those same bands that then fired their mandolin player and hired dudes in suits and a horn section and became a swing band.""

Read More at the Colonist

From the BROTHER email newsletter  ~

Australian Celtic band Brother have sent word of a re-release of some of their back catalog. Their announcement :

Blackstone Tramp available again: A lot of the old cd titles have long been out of print.
Beginning right now with Blackstone Tramp we are going to make those titles available for download.

Angus - "blackstone tramp was the first album we recorded with dalbo, back in '96 when both my brothers were still in the band. we came straight off the road and into the studio. you can feel that energy in the tracks. i'm excited to finally have those old records available again, not just as bootlegs. about bloody time, you say? i'd have to agree."