An Ant on a Rubber Tree Plant Has It: Glen Hansard and "High Hope"

Glen Hansard sings today's random global tune, called High Hope. Glen Hansard is an Irish musician, vocalist, songwriter, and actor. He is the guitarist for the group The Frames, and one half of the folk-rock duo The Swell Season. Hansard quit school at age 13 to start busking on the streets of Dublin. He appeared in the 1991 film The Commitments as guitarist Outspan Foster. In 2007 he starred with The Swell Season partner Markéta Irglová in the film Once. The songs in Once were composed by Hansard and Irglová, and they won an Academy Award for Best Song - the movie was made for only €112,000, but saw significant financial and critical success. Hansard says that his music is influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen. He is also a devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna. You can find High Hope on his 2012 album Rhythm and Repose and on the various artists compilation The Music of Ireland, Disc 2 (2011).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Hansard; http://glenhansardmusic.com/

What's a Fella to Do: The High Kings and "Galway Girl"

An Irish-inspired song written by an American comes back to Ireland when the The High Kings bring us a Steve Earle tune for our random song for today. Formed in Dublin in 2006, The High Kings play Irish folk. They are very multi-instrumental, often playing as many as thirteen instruments during their concerts, and they are known for their close harmonies. They have self-dubbed their music "folk 'n' roll" and while they mostly concentrate on traditional Irish songs, they are also known for their arrangements of songs from other genres as exemplified by this song, Galway Girl, You can find Galway Girl on their 2014 album Friends for Life.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Kings

Ends in a Broken Heart: The High Kings and "Galway Girl"

The High Kings bring us a Steve Earle tune for our random song for today. Formed in Dublin in 2006, The High Kings play Irish folk. They are very multi-instrumental, often playing as many as thirteen instruments during their concerts, and they are known for their close harmonies. They have self-dubbed their music "folk 'n' roll" and while they mostly concentrate on traditional Irish songs, they are also known for their arrangements of songs from other genres as exemplified by this song, Galway Girl, You can find Galway Girl on their 2014 album Friends for Life.

California Dreamin': The Thrills and "Big Sur"

A little rock to roll you through your day today! Today's song is called Big Sur and is by the Irish rock band The Thrills. Founded in 2001 in Dublin, The Thrills debut album in 2003 went to number one on the Irish charts and number three in the UK. The band takes as their inspiration the 60s and 70s classic American pop, complete with dreamy harmonies that call to mind California oceans and sunshine. You can find Big Sur on their debut album, So Much for the City (2003).