Like a sip of well-aged Glenmorangie, Scotland's Tannahill Weavers will make you tingly all over.
The skinny: Famous for bringing the Highland warpipe indoors and weaving its wail into traditional Scottish folks songs, the Tannies have been recording, touring and cracking jokes--Why do 'pipers march? To get away from the sound!--since the mid-seventies.
Bottled sound: 1994's "Capernaum" won the Indie Award for Celtic Album of the Year. Don't be fooled by the word "Celtic," however. You're not likely to find this rollicking band touring with Enya. Like a fine whisky, their sound is a rich, multilayered experience--a successful blend of guitars, bouzouki, fiddle, flute, bodhran, keyboards, Highland bagpipes, Scottish small pipes, whistles and vocals--that captures the soul of Scotland. Pour the Tannies into a glass and savor them.
Musical chemistry: the band's latest album, "Alchemy," was released on Sept. 15, 2000.
If you're fortunate enough to see the Tannies live, listen for:The crowd: people who can tell a McDonald tartan from a MacLeod one, "Rob Roy" and "Braveheart" fans, the NC State pipe band, music lovers who appreciate a high-energy yet unplugged sound.
Be sure to visit the band's official website. Catch them in North Carolina in Charlotte on October 12, 2001, and in Carrboro on October 13, 2001.