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Free Music Blog

The Free Music Blog serves as an extension of MAGE RECORDS by finding the best free music downloads, CD reviews, and music biz news and tips and serving it up QUICK and EASY for fans of free music.


Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Review: "Ooky Spooky" by Voltaire

Artist: Voltaire
Album: Ooky Spooky
Year produced: 2008

This won't stand out as a particularly "Celtic" album, yet there is a gypsy appeal to the sound of the CD that is close enough for most. Plus, it's really different and has its own particularly twisted appeal. With songs that have titles such as "Zombie Prostitute" and "Cannibal Buffet," one can hardly resist at least having a listen to see what this music is all about.

The CD is fun, funny and engaging as well. It's irreverent, yet not offensive. Combine the crazy subjects this band comes up with and catchy "show-tune" sounding tracks, and what you have is unlike other album you've ever heard. Guaranteed. "Cantina" tips its hat to Star Wars, and "Reagge Mortis" offers Jamaican flavor. The real jewel of this collection of creepy crawlies is track 8, "Stuck With You". The tune is a duet with The Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer that is a lament about married life delivered with plenty of humor.

There really isn't anything quite like this album. If you have a quirky sense of humor and enjoy a clever, tongue-in-cheek, toe-tappin' tune now and again, this is a must have. Try it out for Halloween, or put in on to perk up your spirits. It's a hoot.


Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in the arts. She has written for American Style and Classical Singer, among other magazines, and reviews music for Marc Gunn's Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her website at CatherineLTully.com.

Published by Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. Don't just download. Support your favorite Celtic music groups. Buy Celtic music CDs.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Free Pirate CD

Irish Stout is no longer just a dark beer made from roasting malts and barley. It is the name of our pirate ship, and now it is also a band--shipmates who love drinking songs as much as they love drinking, lead by the formidable "Captain Black Jack" Murphy. 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 will 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!

Download your Free Pirate CD!

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 "Captain Black Jack" Murphy and the Irish Stout.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers

Put those together and you have Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, a CD for the wonderfully demented kitty cat fantatic. Listen to music you've heard on St. Patrick's Day or by The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, The Wolfe Tones, and the Irish rovers. Then laugh as all your favorite Irish Drinking Songs are rewriten with Cat song lyrics. Your love of Celtic music will never be the same!

Irish drinking songs and Irish folk music, in general, are some of my favorite songs to sing. I guess that comes from being a fan of The Dubliners, The Wolfe Tones, The Irish Rovers, and The Clancy Brothers. When I had a revelation in 2003 to compose an album entitled Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, I decided to start writing. Lo and behold, I'm halfway there.

The album has not been recorded yet. So you'll still have to wait a while, but each song is based on a traditional Irish drinking song, but re-written with cat lover lyrics. The album features famous kitty cats from Sylvester and Tweety Bird to Cat from Red Dwarf. There are songs about black cats and tabby cats, songs to make you laugh and songs to make you cry.

If you are a cat lover like I am, I sincerely hope that Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers will be an absolute joyful album. And if you're not a cat lover or hate Irish drinking songs, I hope to change your mind.

Want Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD to finish sooner?

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Irish Drinking Songs
for Cat Lovers Song Lyrics

Original Irish Drinking Song Cat Lovers Irish Drinking Song
Wild Rover 1 Wild Kitty
Danny Boy 2 Danny Boy
Black Velvet Band 3 Black Kitty Paw
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling 4 When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling
Big Strong Man (My Brother Sylvest) 5 Big Strong Cat (My Puddy Tat Sylvester)
Finnegan's Wake 6 Furagone's Wake
The Moonshiner 7 The Cat Came Back... Cat's Perspective
The Barnyards of Delgaty 8 Jasper Tabby, Kitty Cat-y
Fiddler's Green 9 Catnipping Green
Rising of the Moon 10 Harry Potter, Rising of the Moon
I'll Tell My Ma 11 I'll Tell My Cat (When I Come Home)
Patriot Game 12 The Demented Cat Game
Lord of the Dance 13 Lord of the Pounce
Black Is The Colour 14 Black Is The Color (of My Cat's Fur)
Mari Mac 15 Kitty Cat
Molly Malone 16 Molly Malone
Gypsy Rover 17 A Cat Named Rover

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Cetlic Christmas Music

Everyone seems to release a Christmas Music CD this time of year. So it is no big surprise that there is also a lot of great Celtic Christmas music out there as well.

The idea of Celtic Christmas music is actually kinda funny since Christmas is not a typical Celtic holiday, except outside of Wales. Nevertheless, there are a lot of Celtic artists who celebrate Yule and the Winter Solstice. So Celtic Christmas music is Christmas or Yule music by Celtic artists. It might not entirely sound Celtic, but in America, that's such a generic term as it is.

But that's a discourse for another blog. Meantime, I've compiled a few webpages that feature Cetlic Christmas music. Check 'em out!
BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS: Christmas in Brobdingnag, Vol 1And if you want to hear some of the Celtic Christmas music I've released check out our CD, Christmas in Brobdingnag, Vol. 1.

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Rediscovering My Folk Music Heritage

I was not raised on Celtic music. I heard a little bit of bagpipes growing up when my dad took me to some Highland Games like those at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. But that was about it.

When I was a kid, my dad's recreation involved playing folk music in the folk scene of Maryland. It involved a little bit of bluegrass and a lot of folk. He played the autoharp, mountain dulcimer, and other folk instruments, but the banjo is what I remember him playing the most. There were a lot of great songs from the 60s, 70s, and much, much older. I still have one of the song books he compiled.

I mention it, because yesterday, I was supposed to be working on my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Instead, I fumbled around on the net, and at the end of the day, I went for a walk with my autoharp. I started writing.

It's kinda funny how I write sometimes. I start strumming. And then just let words flow from my mouth. Then I grab my recorder and start recording. But yesterday, something special emerged.

Yesterday, a chorus came to me inspired by Lil' Bit, a cat who lives at the Haeuser Hotel. I spurted lyrics. And inspired by the hostess of the house, I put a bluesy twist to the song. And the lyrics exploded forth. Voila'! A new song!

After making a rough recording to remember the song for later recording, I started looking at other music in a similar vein, and my folk heritage re-emerged. I think that's what I will record when I get to Germany.

Which is kinda funny now that I think about. Heidelberg, Germany was the first place I every busked. And what did I play when I was there? American folk songs.

It's like I've been rediscovering my musical heritage. And it makes me happy. Maybe eventually, I'll talk my dad into recording on an album with me.

"Darkness Reveals the Beauty of Truth" by Aries9

I listened to "Darkness Reveals the Beauty of Truth" by Aries9 and again, WOW! What an amazing album.

Aries9 is Ari Koinuma, a Japanese rock artist, who creates sophisticated modern rock that combines grunge, metal and prog elements with evocative lyrics. If you're not familiar with Ari Koinuma, check the liner notes to my CD, Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. He produced that album.

No. It sounds nothing like my cat CD, but it just goes to show that this man has an incredible talent for producing. "Darkness Reveals the Beauty of Truth" is fantastic. It has a great edge to it. The first songs in particular have a very contemporary sound. I was having trouble placing influences on those. They were reminiscent of early 90s Alt Rock, ala STP, Soundgarden, or Alice in Chains. If you like those bands or you just like to rock, this is a great CD for doing just that.

Pick up your copy of "Darkness Reveals the Beauty of Truth" from CD Baby. You'll be glad you did.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

3 Ways to Make Money with your Podcast + 1 Bonus Way

Remember to read to the end for your bonus tip!

How would you like to make money with your podcast? If you are podcasting, the potential to generate revenue from your podcast is an extra-added benefit to you as a podcaster.

As a podcaster, you don’t have to worry about large overhead and the revenue generated through your podcast will be mostly profit.

There are three main ways in which you can make money with your podcast.

1. Generate Revenue through Commerical Sponsors

One of the greatest ways to generate revenue for your podcast is through commercial sponsorship of your show. If you are able to obtain a major sponsor, you can bring in large revenue for your podcast. As time goes on, major companies are beginning to recognize the true importance of podcasting.

Two Moms, Paige and Gretchen, from Virginia understand the significance of commercial sponsors. They host a weekly show called MommyCast that focuses on mothers. Paige is a mother of 5 and Gretchen is a mother of 2.

They have obtained two major sponsors for their show, Earthlink and Dixie. As a result, they are making substantial revenue just from commercial sponsorship to their show. When they started podcasting, they probably had no idea how popular their show would become. However, Earthlink and Dixie recognized the impact of their show and decided to become sponsors. http://www.mommycast.com/

If two Moms from Virginia can do this, anyone can accomplish this same goal. It doesn’t matter where you live or what you are podcasting about. If you are able to generate a substantial listening audience, the chances of obtaining major sponsors for your podcast will increase.

Commercial sponsorship for your podcast is an excellent way to generate a great source of income. If you are able to obtain a big sponsor, this could bring in large revenue for you as a podcaster.

When two major corporations like Earthlink and Dixie recognize podcasting as a way to reach potential customers, this is great news for all podcasters. When a major sponsor advertises on traditional radio, the radio station’s signal is limited by wattage to a specific geographic region. However, with podcasting, there is no geographic limitation. Anyone in the world with a computer or mp3 player can potentially hear the show. Thus, this is an excellent selling point to potential sponsors.

2. Make Money with Donations

Another way to generate revenue with your podcast is with donations. For example, Adam Kempenaar and Sam Hallgren host a twice-weekly film podcast from Chicago called Cinecast. They review different movies and give their opinions. Their podcast is becoming very popular and continues to grow on a daily basis. http://www.cinecast.com/

If you visit iTunes, you will see that they are listed as a featured podcast in their podcast directory. This is a major plus for Cinecast. http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/

Adam and Sam have decided to make money by requesting donations for their podcast. When you go to their website, you will see a button for PayPay in which listeners can make a donation to their podcast. PayPal has a positive reputation and offers an excellent way for accepting donations.

If you provide valuable information to your listener, they will appreciate your efforts and be more likely to make a donation. However, in time, Cinecast will probably be able to acquire national sponsors.

When you first start podcasting, donations are an excellent way to generate revenue as your audience grows.

3. Get Money from your Website or Blog

The third way that you can make money with your podcast is with advertisements on your website or blog. Google Adsense is one way that you can accomplish this goal. Adsense places ads on your website and when someone clicks on the ads, you get paid. https://www.google.com/adsense/

Another way to make money with your website or blog is by promoting different products through Clickbank. ClickBank offers over 10,000 products that you can promote as an affiliate. It is free to sign up as an affiliate at ClickBank and you make money every time someone purchases a product through the links that are displayed on your site. http://clickbank.com/

The key element to generating revenue is getting your podcast noticed. The best way to accomplish this goal is by getting your podcast listed in iTunes and also listing your podcast with other podcast directories. You need to let people know that you are out there so that you can obtain a large audience. Over time, as your audience grows, the potential for commercial sponsors will also grow.

Author Bio:

Patrick Curran is a professional radio Disc Jockey who takes you through the process of creating your own podcast. He reveals insider secrets to skyrocket your podcast – nothing held back. He provides easy steps to learn podcasting so that you can start your podcast today. To learn How to Podcast, please visit: http://www.radiosecretsforpodcasting.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Curran

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I thought about writing an article on this topic, but I realized Patrick hit most of the methods with ease. But he did miss one important tip!

4. Sell your own product.

Okay, you may not have a product right now. But there are quick and easy ways to develop something that will add value to your show. The trick is to make it something relevant to your podcast: an eBook with exclusive tips, a CD of past shows or exclusive content, t-shirts, stickers, exclusive access to an MP3 archive.

The important thing is to be open and honest about what you're offering. Explain that their purchase helps to support the show. If you don't want to sell, you can always make offer freebies for their donations. Sorta like for public radio. "Make a donation of $10 and get a free eBook with 10 free tips on how our podcast will improve your quality of life. For a $30, you will receive a free CD." etc.

Give your listeners something of value and they will be happy to return the favor.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Mage Records & The Rise of Celtic Music

My record label, Mage Records, is really taking off. No titles are being added almost monthly to the Mage catalog. And our focus on free music downloads has given us a leg up on other Celtic music groups. Course in the process I haven't done much to promote this website in quite a while. I hope to change that in the near future. Keep an eye open for more news about free music much like the release of the 2007 edition of my article "17 Free Celtic Music Downloads for St. Patrick's Day".

Incidentally, the corresponding Celtic podcast based off that article topped the charts on iTunes as the #1 most-popular music podcast on that site!

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