Cincy Irish Music News

Two Cincinnati acts with strong Irish ties recently announced some good news for the holidays. For Voodoo Loons, the good news is a special gift for fans and a preview of their next album. For Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters, it's the announcement of their nomination for an international music award. For fans of progressive Irish music, it's like Christmas in, well, Christmastime.

• Ireland native Roger Drawdy and his locally-based, Celtic-rockin' crew The Firestarters (pictured) have been nominated by the Irish Music Association in the "Top Celtic Rock Group" category. To help the band defeat its international competition, register on the IMA site here and cast your vote. For more on the acclaimed band, visit the Firestarters Web site here.

• Voodoo Loons are about as "Celtic" as U2 (OK, maybe a little more than Bono and Co.) but the Alt/Indie group claims dual citizenship, with members based in both Ireland and Cincinnati. Live shows from the full band have been rare (logistics), but it was recently announced that a new album, The Criminal Ear, will lead to more performances in 2011. For the holidays, the trio offers a preview of the album as a gift to fans in the form of a free download of the track "Delicate Flower." Head to the band's Facebook page here to check it out.