Girls, Women, and Ladies

CELTIC WOMAN 

You know how these things works: Christmas albums will starting dropping from the sky from now until Black Friday (in November.)
I suspect, like previous years, that I will be reporting and reviewing my fair share of xmas music.

The first one I have for you is Celtic Woman’s Home for Christmas, released last week, October 9th. This is their second holiday album, their first was called A Christmas Celebration from 2006.

If you didn’t know, this is an all-female Irish ensemble. As far as I know on Máiréad Nesbitt sings and plays the Celtic violin, everyone else are vocalists.

With Home for Christmas, they sing the standards: “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, “Joy To The World”, “We Three Kings”, “Silent Night”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, etc.

Many of these songs are traditional Christmas choirs, so it’s really perfect for the angelic vocal harmonies of Celtic Woman.

Expect to catch Celtic Woman (Touring Members: Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden, Máiréad Nesbitt) on tour under their critically-acclaimed 2012 Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour this December in North America. I am in hibernation for the winter, but Celtic Woman would be the one act that I will brave the snow to see.

Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour dates are as follows:

12/01 Foxwoods, CT MGM Grand at Foxwoods 12/03 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall 12/04 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall 12/06 Detroit, MI The Fox Theatre 12/07 Minneapolis, MN Convention Center Aud 12/08 Naperville, IL Pfeiffer Hall 12/09 Naperville, IL Pfeiffer Hall 12/11 Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center

12/13 Temecula, CA Pechanga Resort and Casino 12/14 Temecula, CA Pechanga Resort and Casino 12/15 Indio, CA Fantasy Springs 12/16 Tucson, AZ Centennial Hall 12/18 College Station, TX Rudder Auditorium 12/20 Atlanta, GA Symphony Hall 12/21 Anniston, AL Anniston PAC 12/22 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center

GEM is the fourth album from singer/songwriter Meghan Remy aka U.S. Girls. The new glam rock-influenced album will be coming out October 23rd on FatCat Records.

U.S. Girls also unveiled a new music video for “North on 45”, directed by Remy. The video stars Lulu Hazel Turnbull and was edited by Ross Turnbull.

It’s kind of weird; a woman is running in the dark on a gravel road with headlines from the car. It looks like she’s chasing the car, even at different angles. I didn’t think it had anything to do with creating an “open narrative about a struggle for power”, but it’s up to you to decide.

Watch video:

Impossible to find on Google, Lady is a soul sister duo (Nicole Wray and Terri Walker), that recently signed to Truth and Soul Records. They are currently on tour in Europe with Lee Fields (who I previously wrote about).

What makes Lady unique is that they mix soul classics with modern hip-hop and R&B.