celtic folk

In Gowan Ring is the musical endeavour of American composer and multi-instrumentalist B'eirth. Started in the early 1990s, In Gowan Ring plays acoustic songs with strong roots in folk, medieval, and psychedelic music. B'eirth's soft voice is accompanied by (among other instruments) guitar, harp, piano, cello, bodhrán and many of his own instrument creations (citterns, guitars, hybrids, etc.). In Gowan Ring has cooperated with many artists from the international folk and experimental scenes, such as: Stone Breath, Maja Elliott, Nick Castro, Fern Knight, Annelies Monseré, and Alio Die.

Read more about In Gowan Ring on Last.fm.

An English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire, the Watersons performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their close harmonies. Original members were Norma Waterson, Mike Waterson, and Lal Waterson, with their cousin John Harrison from Kingston High School. They had a skiffle band in the early 1960s but moved on to playing more traditional material. They were briefly known as "The Folksons".

Read more about The Watersons on Last.fm.

Dougie MacLean is one of Scotland's finest singers and songwriters, with a rich, heavily-accented voice. He is a multi-instrumentalist (harp, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, didgeridoo, guitar) with a large back catalogue. His first release was in 1983 with the album "Craigie Dhu", although he had already recorded other albums, such as "Snaigow" and "Fiddle", which were not released till much later. He began his career playing with the Tannahill Weavers.

The Lash from Lansing, Michigan combines folk instruments like fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and even pedal steel guitar, with bass and drums, and the result is like little else found on the music scene. Although their sound is still rooted in Celtic music, they're never afraid to head into new territory. Recent recordings have been described as Americana or Alt-Country, and some of the newest songs by The Lash could be called World Beat.