I think I need to write a song about lap cats. You hear all about lap dogs. I used to have one as a kid. But you hear very little about lap cats, and I've never heard no songs about them. Yet, I have two cats who LOVE sitting in my lap. Tiziano is here right now, licking my arm. Youch! Durn rough tongue. If he wasn't so cute!

— Quote of the Week: “Beware of people who dislike cats.” Irish proverb.

— Swan Songs is an Austin, Texas based project designed to organize private concerts for individuals and families living with life threatening illness. Patients have the opportunity to request a favorite style of music or local area musician. By bringing live music directly to the home, hospital or hospice facility, Swan Songs helps to create a healing and comforting environment through the fulfillment of musical wishes at the end of life. I had an amazing experience with them last week.

— The Maritime Heritage Network, based in Seattle, featured my CD, Going for Brogue, on their website in early June.

— Simple Guide to Hosting a House Concert. I embedded two new videos from ConcertsInYourHome.com which offer simple guides on how to host a house concert.

— Celtic MP3s Music Magazine is newly updated. I finally linked the homepage directly to the reviews and free music downloads. You can now sign up to get email updates each day a new post is made. That's where you'll find this CD review of…

— CD of the Week: “The Whiskey Never Lies” by Sligo Rags. What a fun band! The title song was rather popular on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. It's a great mix of Celtic, folk, and bluegrass.

— MarcSongs Podcast. “Kitty's Rambles/Dowd's 9 Lives/Jenny's Chickens” is a rockin' set of one jig and two reels. It's free to download when you subscribe to the podcast.

UPCOMING SHOWS

— I have three CD Release Parties coming for Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers. Mark your calendar with these dates below:

• Sat, July 26, Saltwater Grill, New Orleans, LA. This CD Release benefits the LSPCA. Make sure you also check out my house concert in Robert, LA.
• Weds, July 30, Cactus Cafe, Austin, Texas. The event benefits Thundering Paws, a Central Texas animal shelter. If you're on my Street Team, you could win a free DVD when you help me promote this show.
• Sat, Aug 2, DFW House Concert, in Watauga, TX. Straight up mix of Cat songs and Celtic favorites.

— Check me out on Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, Facebook, Livejournal, Sonicbids, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD…