Announcing Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers

Mar 1, 2008 News, Newsletter

MARC'S MUSINGS — March 1, 2008

– Marc's Music News
– Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers
– New MP3 – “What Shall We Do With a Catnipped Kitty”
– Promote Celtic Music for St. Patrick's Day

Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!


Marc's Musings

Tortillas in YumaGreetings,

What a tiring month! After spending a weekend in Yuma, Arizona doing a Renaissance festival, I returned to Austin to start recording my second cat CD--“Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers”.

I started off by recording three songs with Rich Brotherton. Rich produced CDs for Ed Miller and The Tea Merchants. The three songs we recorded sounded so amazing, I decided he was who I wanted to produce this second album. So we immediately set some dates and have spent the month recording. All I can say is, “Wow!”

MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
It was seven years ago when Andrew and I were last in a professional studio. I love producing albums at home, but there's nothing like having a professional producer on his turf. Ari Koinuma did fantastic job on my first cat album, but he was forced to record it in my living room. There's nothing like having your own studio and knowing your own gear. Rich has shown that.

The music is rich and full, and that is thanks to Rich Brotherton. Rich performs with Robert Earl Keen when he's not producing albums. He was a music major in college, and his skill with stringed instruments is stunning. You can hear it right now on “Molly Malone/Planxty Hewlett”, but that was by far just the start of it.

Today, we recorded a tune called “To Catch a Cat”. It was written by Vicki Swan of Serious Kitchen fame. She and Jonny Dyer allowed me to use the tune on this album. I added a groovy autoharp part, but Rich… Rich played mandolin and knocked out this fast-paced, intricate tune, a tune he didn't even know, in just a couple o'hours. The final tune is still stuck in my head.

The CD stands out different in other ways too. Over half the album was written by cat loving fans of the first album. So it's taken me to exciting new places. The themes and moods are different. Some of the melodies are new to me. But it's all come together in such a way that I can honestly say this will be my best sounding CD yet!

Right now, I'm not sure when “Whiskers in the Jar” will be released. I have a three-song single coming out on CD Baby any day now, where you can start sampling the album. Or heck! You can download a song right now, if you are subscribed to the MarcSongs Podcast.

If you like what you hear, adopt “Whiskers in the Jar”. The album is pretty expensive to make for an indie musician, and since it'll be a few months before the official release, I hope to recoup the cash for the album as quick as possible. Your CD adoption will help me to do that. And best of all, you can hear how the album is evolving. Right now, I have 10 songs you can listen to if you adopt it now!

So go ahead, download “What Shall We Do With a Catnipped Kitty”. Email it to your friends. Burn it to a CD. Make a video and post it on YouTube. And help me get the word out about “Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers” and don't forget to add a link to www.catdrinkingsongs.com.

MARC GUNN LIVE!
I want to send a special thanks to everyone who showed up for my Valentine's Day CD release of “A Tribute to Love”. For a Thursday noon show, I didn't expect people to be there and was blown away with the number of fans who ditched work to hear me sing. Thank you!

March is the beginning of a busy gigging schedule for the Brobdingnagian Bards. This weekend, we're back the Four Winds Renaissance Festival, followed by gigs in New York, Oklahoma and of course, Ireland.

Speaking of Ireland, we have few more slots available. So it's not too late to join the Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland. This will be adventure you don't want to miss!

Aside from celebrating my bithday on March 17th, I'm not yet sure what kind of St. Patrick's Day gigs we'll have. So keep an eye open to my calendar and don't forget to sign up at eventful to find the latest shows.

PROMOTE CELTIC MUSIC FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY
Irish & Celtic PodcastI love March. And I love that I was born on St. Patrick's Day. And I love that I play music that people love to hear on my birthday. That just makes me giggle.

Every year, I put together a big St. Patrick's Day music show for my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to highlight some of the brilliant Celtic musicians I find throughout the year. This year is no exception. I have at least a couple amazing shows planned for listeners. And once again, I need your assistance.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is the most-popular podcast online for Celtic music. More than that, it's also regularly one of the Top 15 Music podcasts on iTunes. I get about 40,000 downloads of each show. Last year, I pulled in 60,000 in March. And I'd like to push that higher.

Now some of you may think, “Wait! I don't even know what a podcast is?”

The exciting thing is that, at it's basic, it's just an MP3. You can go to the website and download over 40 MP3s, that are kinda like radio shows. You can listen to them at your leisure, on your computer, or on an MP3 player. Or you can burn them to CDs and listen to them in your car or on your stereo. Yes, there is more to it than that which makes it a “podcast”, but that's basically it.

So how can you help me get the word out? Post a blog about it. Email a friend. Print a flyer. Or burn shows to CDs, give them away or play them at your St. Patrick's Day party or pub. At the basic, tell a friend. And if you want some banners or flyers, grab, print and post: ttp://www.celticmusicpodcast.com/banners.shtml

Anyway, I have some more cool news coming in a week or so. So keep reading!

—
Thank you so much for caring about my music. And please drop me a line to let me know how you're doing. Slainte!
– Marc Gunn

Quick Links to Marc Gunn

About Marc Gunn

Please add “marc@thebards.net” to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!

Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.

Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.

The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!

About Marc Gunn

View all posts by Marc Gunn »