Mary Black is easily my favorite Irish singer.

Somehow I knew you'd say that. Where do you think I should start with her?

If you can do without musical accompaniment and lyrics in English, I recommend investigating the sean nos. I'll try to upload some onto Buffistarawk, if you're interested.

That sounds right up my alley, on all counts. Thank you! Mary Coughlan isn't a name I'm familiar with, either; I'll have to see if eMusic or iTunes have anything by her.

The internet and the instant music gratification of it all is really and seriously the coolest.

No kidding! Since I (finally) got a computer capable of downloading and playing music, I have been in music junkie heaven. Which reminds me to thank all y'all who recommended eMusic. It is wicked kewl.

Buffistas should seriously be getting a cut of emusic profits. If there are any, that is.

Which Vashti Bunyan album did you download? Just Another Diamond Day pretty much hasn't left Li'l Sphere's CD player since it went in.

Which Vashti Bunyan album did you download?

Lookaftering. I've really never seen reviews like it's getting. Pitchfork has been pimping it for like two months now.

As my friend S would say, the Devin Davis? Is totally my jam.

It's deliciously fun and pop and different from song to song (I'm on Cannons at the Courthouse - Willie Nelson and reefer and Starbucks! Whoo!) . And he's a Chicago-an. He just played at Schuba's last week and is playing at the bar I saw the Mountain Goats at last month this Friday. I will be not here - but still - I can't wait to catch him here. And will be looking forward to Friday's BoC.

Ah, I've been thinking about getting Lookaftering. I like her collaboration with Animal Collective, too, but haven't heard the Devandra Banhart stuff. And I think that's the whole of her 30+ year recording career right there.

Some random quotes from Lookaftering reviews:

"it will take time to realize just how enriched with subtle evocation it is."

"Lookaftering is some kind of miracle."

"... with the arrival at last of her stunning second album, Vashti Bunyan need no longer worry about her music going unheard"

"... stronger than the gravest clock and gentler than a stray sigh. "

"The record's treasure is folded into layers which make it an endlessly rewarding place to invest a couple of months of your life. "

"Pastoral doesn't quite describe it, this seems to come from some place more eco-protected than any in existence."

"a joy to behold, pure and simple"

I am getting from these that just possibly the critics like it and I'm thinking that listening to it may, in fact, change my life.

There may be a bit of hyperbole in those reviews. Just Another Diamond Day is some sweet and lovely Nick Drake-meets-early-Joni Mitchell-ish folk, but my life hasn't changed much. Li'l Sphere seems to like falling asleep to it.

There may be a bit of hyperbole in those reviews.

I especially like the "gravest clock/stray sigh" one. But who knows - maybe tomorrow I will come in here and proclaim that it is actually stronger than the gravest clock and the bestest thing ever. The reviews have me excited about listening to it if nothing else.

I notice the Pitchfork review compared the arrangements to Joe Boyd's work with Nick Drake and Nico's Chelsea Girl. I'm guessing it's rather purty.

Do you have that from Songs From The Film? 'Cause the CD reissue is fetching a pretty penny on Amazon these days.

Hmmm, I think it is. I went out and snapped it up on CD when it came out beause I'd been looking for the LP forever.

As is some of the Long Ryders stuff.

I nabbed the OOP Anthology last year when I got an itch for them. Just lucky that it was sitting there waiting for me.

However, I stupidly passed on Dennis Wilson's Ocean Blue when I had the chance and have been mopey about it ever since.