I started my first band in 1995. It was called Skander. My friend Jimmy “Johannes” Rimmer and I played music that was sort of like a cross between Duran Duran and They Might Be Giants with a punk edge.
I'll be honest. It wasn't great. My songwriting in particular left a LOT to be desired. But it was important because that's when I decided I wanted to make music for a living. It led to my alternative quark rock band Breastfed and then experimental folk moniker, Ichabod Zeuss.
Then in 1999, I started Brobdingnagian Bards with Andrew McKee. Our popularity exploded. We achieved internet fame on MP3.com. We released a new CD every year until 2003. We decided to record a concept album called Memories of Middle Earth. Our recording stopped as we produced our first self-recorded CD. Andrew did all of the mixing and the mastering.
That's when it all began…
What Is Cats n' Celts?
Cats n' Celts continues the story above with music. It features the first twelve albums of my solo music career starting with Soul of a Harper all the way through Kilted For Her Pleasure.
It's more than just high-quality MP3s of all of my albums. You also get a booklet that tells the story behind-the-scenes of what was happening with each of these albums and why they were produced. I reveal some never-before-heard stories of how they got started, all in a 20-page booklet that is sort of like the liner notes to a CD.
What's on the USB?
- Soul of a Harper
- Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
- What Color Is Your Dragon?
- Going for Brogue: Irish Pub Songs & Sea Shanties
- Whiskers in the Jar
- A Tribute to Love
- Heart's Ease
- Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion
- Live at the Cactus Cafe: Celtic Music and Cat Songs
- Happy Songs of Death
- The Bridge
- Kilted For Her Pleasure
But that's not all. This album is sort of the origin story to The Rise of the Celtfather (the next USB). So I also share several albums that started my music career, including:
- Intent On World Domination by Skander
- Breastfed by Breastfed
- Geography by Ichabod Zeuss
- October Sessions by Ichabod Zeuss
- Mountain Rain by Marc Gunn
As you can see, there's a LOT of music on his drive. It's a great way to get inside of my early music.
But it's also a great way to learn a little bit more about the stories behind the music. Yes. I hope to release some podcasts about more of these albums some day, but for now, I hope you enjoy.
