MP3 The Lash - Fire Under Grace

Celtic Americana Worldbeat

12 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Celtic, FOLK: Power-folk



Details:
"The Lash is not one of those wannabe bands that jumped out of the woodwork to hop on the Riverdance bandwagon; it's a real deal Celtic rock band." The Rock Island Argus, Rock Island IL

Is it really such a radical idea to think that the spirit of Rock and Roll can live in traditional Irish folk music? What about traditional American music? When The Lash was formed in 1996, their turbo-driven take on Celtic music was considered so radical that some performances were protested by local folk music organizations. Ten years later, the genre of Celtic Rock is widely accepted, but the self-proclaimed purveyors of âCeltic Mayhemâ are still mixing musical styles.

The Lash combines folk instruments like fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and even pedal steel guitar, with bass and drums, and the result is like little else found on the music scene. Although their sound is still rooted in Celtic music, theyâre never afraid to head into new territory. Recent recordings have been described as Americana or Alt-Country, and some of the newest songs by The Lash could be called World Beat.

The Lash has played on both coasts of the United States, and most points in between. Theyâve shared the stage with traditional Irish acts like The Clancy Brothers, chart-toppers like Hootie and The Blowfish, and alt-country icons like The Waco Brothers. The band has never had trouble endearing itself to new audiences. The Lash has performed over 2000 shows, and it doesnât look like they intend to slow down.

The Lash possesses a repertoire of songs that rivals any of their contemporaries. Along with an impressive catalog of original songs, they are able to cover a broad spectrum of roots based music, from traditional Irish fiddle tunes to Delta Blues, with a little Classic Rock and Country thrown in just to mix things up.

âCeltic Mayhem Liveâ, their first album, was recorded in 1997. Taped in front of a sell-out crowd, the disc, which cost less than $500 to make, sold over one thousand copies in one week. That might not be a feat of major record label proportions, but for an independent band, itâs the equivalent of a gold record. Rob Klajda is the only current member of The Lash to have played on that album, and is still the principal songwriter for the band.

âEvery Directionâ, the bandâs 2001 offering, not only introduced bass player Tom Beller, but also brought traces of Hip-Hop, Bluegrass, and Cajun music to The Lash sound. âEvery Directionâ has sold thousands of copies, and is popular on many digital download sites, such as iTunes, Rhapsody, and Napster.

âFire Under Graceâ is the long awaited third album from The Lash. It is the first to feature drummer Murray Stewart-Jones, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Potrykus. Murray was formerly with the Indie/Folk Rock band Half Looking. She joined The Lash shortly after the release of âEvery Directionâ. Jon spent several years in New Mexico with The Last Mile Ramblers, where he filled the spot vacated by slide guitar legend Junior Brown. Both Murray and Jon have become songwriters for the band, and each has contributed new material to âFire Under Graceâ.

In the end, thereâs only one thing that makes The Lash radically different from other bands. Itâs not that they donât follow the rules of music. Itâs that they donât even acknowledge them.

"The Lash represents a traditional music movement that may have escaped the mainstream by virtue of escaping definition." The Grand Rapids Press Grand Rapids, MI

"The Lash- a powerhouse of an act- rocked the vocal crowd. Their music flowed from traditional Irish to Zydeco and Ska; a definite and refreshing change." The Muskegon Chronicle Muskegon, MI

"The Lash has a polished stage act and possesses a repertoire of songs that rival any of their contemporaries. They bring back the best traditions of rock and roll energy, showmanship and good humor and meld them with Celtic lyricism and melody." Chicago Barfly Chicago, IL

"The Lash is that rare band that manages to have it both ways- they bring together the fire and fury of rock and roll with the mysterious, otherworldly joys and sorrows of traditional Celtic music and the results are strong and engaging fun." Capitol Times Lansing, MI

âIt's so refreshing when a group of traditional musicians deviate from the predictable path and let their music lead them into new territory. Michigan-based group, The Lash, fuse the framework of traditional Irish music with rock, punk and even techno stylings to create a unique form of music.â
The Minnesota Daily, Minneapolis, Minnesota