Faerie Stories

On their second and most recent CD, Faerie Stories, the Peatbog Faeries take traditional Scottish instruments - pipes, fiddle, whistles, and bodhran (though the whistle and bodhran are Irish, but let's not quibble). They pace ‘em up, tossing in sampling, keyboards, some nice percussion, bass, and "general weirdness," producing a fusion of reggae, techno, various other things, and funky bagpiping that is best described as utterly lively and infectious. Don't worry - there's not a terrible lot of random sounds in spite of the dose of "general weirdness," and the percussion always keeps things moving along even during the mellower spots. The whistles and pipes stay in focus with some simply wonderful pipe action. (Yes, you will notice I am a great fan of the Gael's ancient implement of war!) A variety of modern forms and rhythms overlay the traditional instruments, and the whole thing is done skillfully, with smooth and expert transitions. Be prepared to move and sway - it's hard to stay still. If you're out for something different, and have open ears for good music, plop down the hard sterling and get this CD. The album never degenerates into random and cumbersome blends of the modern rhythm and the traditional instruments, but rather the whole thing works masterfully together to make an excellent CD that will leave you feeling very much alive. Jonathan Allen, Chasing Hats

Faeries: mystical small Celtic people who lived in a past age famous for their magic.Legend has it that those who came across the faeries would live in faerie hill and party with them for 7 years then to be released 7 years older without ever realising they had been away.
Peatbog: glorified mud cut into slabs and used as fuel in the Celtic Kingdom.