John Shand Posts

March 1, 2014 / Features - Archive

Lunasa may usually be counted among the hottest acts in Irish traditional music, but not when I speak with the band’s bassist, Trevor Hutchinson. In fact he is in danger of catching frostbite, being mid-tour in Alaska. “I think it’s minus 30 Fahrenheit,” he shivers into the telephone. “I went…

February 26, 2014 / Album Reviews - Archive

Yo (Montuno) The lack of a local distributor resulted in this one slipping under the radar until its Grammy nomination and the announcement of virtuoso pianist Roberto Fonseca’s return tour of Australia. It certainly can’t slip under any radars once you press “play”. The opening 80’s comes blasting from the…

February 19, 2014 / Album Reviews - Archive

Book of Omens (Nine Winds)  If you like your art as dark as a gallery at midnight this is the album for you. If you like your art to stir visions of doom, of the apocalypse or of a very, very bad-hair day, this is the album for you. If…