Killian's Angels
Encyclopedia
Killian's Angels is an all-female Celtic-influenced
band based in Las Vegas, Nevada
. Since its start in 2001 the band has recorded two CDs and won national radio honors with King World and Oink Inc, which recognized the band's own interpretation of the Jeopardy! theme song. The band appears on the soundtrack
of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
; their song "The Celtic High Step" is played at a New York beer garden within the game.
The band name comes from Killian's Irish Red lager
. Their music style includes rock, folk, country, R&B and pop, all with a Celtic accent.
Beth Mullaney is the band's founder, writer of most of the songs, and lead vocalist, as well as playing guitar and mandolin. Ginger Bruner plays bass guitar
, tuba
, and sings. Lisa Viscuglia plays violin
. Dolly Coulter does vocals, guitars, and keyboards
. Former member Satomi Hofmann, who appears on both Killian's Angels CDs, played guitars, and piano, as well as alternating lead vocals with Mullaney and Coulter. Nannette Fortier has performed drums, percussion, piano, guitar, and tin whistle with Killian's Angels since 2003.
Violinist Adrienne LeFebvre appears as a regular guest musician, usually as Viscuglia's substitute, but occasionally with both musicians together. CJ Borden, who does vocals, keyboard, and percussion, has been appearing as a guest with the band since 2004.
Ginger Bruner, besides playing tuba for Killian's Angels and other bands, is a photographer, recording engineer, and has been a DJ and announcer for KUNV
, Nevada Public Radio, for over 20 years. Her other band of note was punk polka "goofcore" band, Tippy Elvis featuring Ginger on the tuba with an odd assortment of lunatics including accordion wielding cartoonist, Sean Jones, and demented attorney/poet Dayvid Figler
on vocals. In August 2006 she was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association
Hall of Fame.
Celtic Fusion
Celtic fusion is an umbrella term for modern music which incorporates influences considered "Celtic," or Celtic music which incorporates modern music. It is a syncretic musical tradition which borrows freely from the perceived "Celtic" musical traditions of all the Celtic nations, as well as from...
band based in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Since its start in 2001 the band has recorded two CDs and won national radio honors with King World and Oink Inc, which recognized the band's own interpretation of the Jeopardy! theme song. The band appears on the soundtrack
Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack
The soundtrack to the game Grand Theft Auto IV, like the previous games in the series, is mostly made up of in-game radio stations. These radio stations can be listened to when driving various vehicles in the game, or at the start menu...
of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
; their song "The Celtic High Step" is played at a New York beer garden within the game.
The band name comes from Killian's Irish Red lager
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
. Their music style includes rock, folk, country, R&B and pop, all with a Celtic accent.
Band members
Band members include Beth Mullaney, Dolly Coulter, Ginger Bruner, Lisa Viscuglia and Nannette Fortier, and also features regular guests Adrienne LeFebvre, Brett Barnes, CJ Borden and Rachel Julian Jones. The band's diverse instrumentation includes violin, tuba, mandolin, tin whistle, guitar, keyboard, harmonica, drums, bodhran, spoons, bass and more.Beth Mullaney is the band's founder, writer of most of the songs, and lead vocalist, as well as playing guitar and mandolin. Ginger Bruner plays bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, and sings. Lisa Viscuglia plays violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. Dolly Coulter does vocals, guitars, and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. Former member Satomi Hofmann, who appears on both Killian's Angels CDs, played guitars, and piano, as well as alternating lead vocals with Mullaney and Coulter. Nannette Fortier has performed drums, percussion, piano, guitar, and tin whistle with Killian's Angels since 2003.
Violinist Adrienne LeFebvre appears as a regular guest musician, usually as Viscuglia's substitute, but occasionally with both musicians together. CJ Borden, who does vocals, keyboard, and percussion, has been appearing as a guest with the band since 2004.
Ginger Bruner, besides playing tuba for Killian's Angels and other bands, is a photographer, recording engineer, and has been a DJ and announcer for KUNV
KUNV
KUNV is a non-commercial, jazz-oriented campus radio station in Paradise, Nevada, broadcasting on 91.5 FM.-History:KUNV signed on the air on April 23, 1981 airing a variety of music programmed by the students of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas...
, Nevada Public Radio, for over 20 years. Her other band of note was punk polka "goofcore" band, Tippy Elvis featuring Ginger on the tuba with an odd assortment of lunatics including accordion wielding cartoonist, Sean Jones, and demented attorney/poet Dayvid Figler
Dayvid Figler
Dayvid Figler is a performer, author and trial lawyer in the United States. He became one of the youngest lawyers in Nevada history after successfully taking the bar exam at age 23. In 2003, he began and served a short term as a Las Vegas municipal court judge after being appointed by Mayor Oscar B...
on vocals. In August 2006 she was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association
Nevada Broadcasters Association
The Nevada Broadcasters Association is a trade association for radio and television broadcast stations in the U.S. state of Nevada.It seeks to educate consumers about the impending change to digital television broadcasting in Nevada and the rest of the United States...
Hall of Fame.
Albums
- Killian's Angels, CD, self-released March 17, 2003.
- The Ladies Room, CD, self-released March 17, 2004.
External links
Band members' sites
- Beth Mullaney official site
- Dolly Coulter official site
- Raging Princess Lisa Viscuglia's official site
- Satomi Hoffman official site
- Nannette Fortier official site
- CJ Borden - Singer Songwriter official site