Shilelagh Law
Shilelagh Law was born out of the close-knit Irish American neighborhoods of Yonkers and The Bronx. After a few years of wandering around after graduating college, Terence Brennan, Richard Popovic and Stephen Gardner re-connected over their mutual love of old Irish songs. They had known each other since elementary school, although their musical tastes growing up were more geared towards heavy metal, hardcore/punk and grunge. Indeed the three of them played in a band together for a few summers which was a weird mix of those three genres. But even then, back in 1993-94, a heavily distorted version of Wild Rover found its way onto their set list, which left a few people scratching their heads but many more singing and slamming along. By the time they sat back down together in 1998, Terence was playing the bodhran, a skill he learned during his year abroad at University College Dublin. Steve had swapped his guitar for a bass and Rich had traded in his electric guitar for his beloved Martin acoustic. But although the instruments had gotten more traditional, the fast and rowdy liberties they took with old Irish standards gave the songs new life and dragged them kicking and screaming into the light of a new day.
After cutting their teeth for a few years with their first fiddler Mary T., Denis McCarthy joined Shilelagh Law after hearing about them from his brother Kevin. Denny had been a powerhouse on the traditional music scene in his youth, winning multiple all-Ireland championships in a number of categories. But after walking away from music for a while, he decided to dip his toe back in the water just as SL was looking for a new fiddler. Serendipity. The music instantly gelled and the live shows took on a new energy and intensity that still has people talking about them in hushed and awed tones fifteen years later. And after occasionally sitting in over the years and contributing his masterful piano accordion skills to a few albums, Kevin McCarthy officially joined the band. The sound was complete, and the New York Irish music scene has never been the same.
Andy Cooney
Andy Cooney has nine Carnegie Hall sellouts under his belt and also filled The David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center with The New York Tenors. His outstanding voice and dynamic stage presence have long been a favorite among young and old alike. His talent and versatility provide the ability to deliver a song directly to the hearts of his audience; Andy is surely one of the greatest singing sensations on the Irish Music scene today. Christened Irish America’s Favorite Son by The New York Times, it is a title he richly deserves. Andy Cooney is one of The New York Tenors, along with New York Italian Tenor Christopher Macchio and New York Puerto Rican Tenor Daniel Rodriquez, a trio which has been receiving high critical acclaim for a number of years. Andy has recorded 19 albums to date, including Bright Brand New Day with Phil Coulter and his Orchestra. Andy and Phil frequently tour together and in March 2017, completed a three week tour of the US. Cooney’s latest CD, Irish Country Skyline, was released in the summer of 2016 as a journey back to his Country music roots. This release has been getting huge airplay all over Ireland and the UK with his hit singles On The Eighth Day and My Rose of Ballinrobe, both his own compositions. 2020 turned out to be an unusual year where the Coronavirus shut down the music industry. During 2020, Andy managed to release 4 new singles during the Coronaviruses pandemic, “Take Me Back To Dublin”, “We’re All In This Together” with his son Ryan, “Come Tennessee Me Tonight” with Country Music legend Larry Gatlin and his latest single release in November 2020, “The Waltz of the Angels”.
Derek Warfield and the young Wolfe Tones
A special group of Irish men and women have been responsible for preservation of the tradition of Irish ballad singing over the past 50 years. Derek Warfield is a distinguished name among them. Derek Warfield and They Young Wolfe Tones are bringing that musical tradition forward with a reverence for Ireland’s past and the energy and optimism of a new generation of Irish musicians.
Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones are thrilled to be celebrating 10 years On the One Road and are delighted to be celebrating it in style with the release of a new CD “Boys & Girls” planned for April release, and performances all over America including some great Irish American Festivals & Venues.
The Narrowbacks
Legend says that when Oliver Cromwell descended upon Ireland in the 17th century, he vowed to take the nation “by hook or by crook”—by any means necessary. Whether the alleged utterance is myth or embellished history, there is some bona fide irony in the fact that a group of Irish Catholic guys from the Bronx have claimed the term “by hook or by crook” for their own ambitions. The Narrowbacks, based in Woodlawn, are a band on the up. The next Shilelagh Law or Black 47, these young men provide the soundtrack for a new generation of New York Irish Americans—and they’re doing it, quite literally, “By Hook or By Crook,” the title of their recently-released album.
Tha Hambones
Formed 12 years ago, and with 140 years of combined musical experience, the Hambones continue to evolve and refine a truly unique musical palette, drawing on influences both urban and rural, todeliver a sound that could be called “Roots + Rockin”…
The band is nothing if not versatile, with a songlist of more than 200 tunes covering:
Classic Rock – Beatles, Stones, Who, Chuck Berry, Grateful Dead, Elvis, Wilburys, Tom Petty
Current Country – Luke Bryan, Joe Nichols, Frankie Ballard, Brooks &Dunn, Kenny Chesney
Traditional Country – Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, Marty Stuart
Rhythm & Blues – Fats Domino, Delbert McClinton, Taj Mahal, Johnny Rivers
Blues – Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Mayall, Robert Cray
Folk/Rock/Roots – Bob Dylan, The Band, John Hiatt, Glen Campbell
cemented together through a love of music and a passion for creating.
Sporting Paddies
The Sporting Paddies play a wide variety of classic Irish rebel and drinking songs, ballads, originals, and lively trad tunes, all peppered with the occasional American song done in the singular Sporting Paddies’ way!
Among the band’s highlights are playing the NYPD Transit Bureau Emerald Society’s St. Patrick’s Day ball at Webster Hall in NYC, the FDNY Emerald Society’s annual fundraising boat cruise, and The FDNY Pipe Band’s Christmas and post St. Patrick’s Day Parade parties. Additionally, several of the band’s songs have been featured on Ceol na nGael on WFUV 90.7FM, Fordham University radio.
Darren Keily
Hailing from a little town in Co. Cork, Ireland – Darren began playing regularly in some of the finest hotels and venues up and down the country in 2019! Inheriting a love of traditional Irish music and classical rock from his parents (the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan) and combining it with a love of current alternative bands and singer-singwriters (most notably The Lumineers and Dermot Kennedy) Darren quickly grew his fanbase on social media during the pandemic. Fast forward to 2022 and Darren moved to New York to pursue his music career closer to his producer. Time To Leave, Darren’s 3rd single came out on Jan 13th, off the back of his debut single release How Could You Love Me and second single Ella which have received 400k+ streams and reached no.19 and no.27 respectively on Viral Top 50 Ireland chart.