Music Blog

The Cheiftains might be known to many as the world's greatest ambassadors of traditional Irish music (or a form of it, anyway), but they've certainly never shied away from the kind of collaboration that takes them far afield, particularly in recent years. Their last outing, 2010's San Patricio saw them teaming with Ry Cooder, who rounded up names like Los Tigres del Norte, Chavela Vargas and Linda Ronstadt for a multi-national take on traditional Mexican boleros, canciones, polkas and the like. Previous to that, The Cheiftains teamed with Gillian Welch, Allison Krauss, Bela Fleck and Patty Griffin, among others, on the Nashville-recorded Down the Old Plank Road, which itself followed 1995's mournful, pop-star filled The Long Black Veil featuring turns from Sinead O'Connor, Sting, Mick Jagger and Van Morrison. Even as the band prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in the coming year-- this branching out thing, they're cool with it.

It shouldn't come as a huge shock, then, to find The Cheiftains alongside names from a current crop of apples who may not fall as far from the tree as may first appear-- Bon Iver, The Decemberists, The Low Anthem Lisa Hannigan, and Carolina Chocolate Drops among them-- on their upcoming release. Voice of Ages is the title out February 21st, which should give you plenty of time to learn every line for St. Patrick's Day. The band's Paddy Maloney was joined by T-Bone Burnett for production on the collection, the official trailer for which you can watch below:

Here's Bon Iver's contribution to the record, a rendition of the traditional murder ballad "Down in the Willow Garden":