Month: January 2011

Paris based pop duo Carosel release their Star EP today via iTunes in Ireland and France.

Catchy and instant, the music of bubbly two piece ‘Carosel’ has a nicely retro charm and infectious feel good vibe to it. Michelle Phelan & Pete McGrane cherish melodies that linger in the mind. The lively rhythms and clear sounds of “Star,” “Something I Need,” “Easy” and “Take Me” are delicate and lighthearted. The glamorous duo believes in the feeling of love and sings in the vein of entertainment.

Now based in Paris – “for inspiration, beauty and artistic vitality of the city” – Michelle & Pete maintain the flame of the romantic pop duet. Receiving critical acclaim further afield seems to be heppening for the duo, as radio stations such as Virgin FM, FIP FM, Alternantes FM, Barousse FM, Couleurs FM, Mega FM, Euradionantes, Frequence Mistral, Radio Alpa, Radio G, Radio Grille Ouverte, Radio La Boucle, Radio Pulsar, Radio R Meribel, Radio Transparence, RCN (Ferarock), Tropique FM and Radio Atlantis have been supporting the new EP nationwide in France. Rolling Stone Magazine will also feature the band as ones to watch for 2011.

Carosel are currently touring and working on finishing their 2nd album (yet to be titled).

Upcoming Gigs:
29/01 Paris 11 Les Disquaires FR
07/02 Paris 11 L’International  FR
10/02 Paris Event Speciale – Irish Embassy Paris FR
09/03 Chérisay Le Labo Sonore FR
11/03 Clermont Ferrand Baraka FR
05/05 Paris THEATRE TRAVERSIÈRE FR
 

Belfast based Composer Brian Irvine, has been appointed as a new Board member to the Contemporary Music Centre. Evonne Ferguson, Director, The Contemporary Music Centre, current Board members and staff of the Centre are delighted with this appointment and warmly welcome Brian to the board.
 
Born in Belfast, Brian Irvine has been Associate Composer with the Ulster Orchestra for the last four years. He composes for and conducts his own 12–piece ensemble, which performs worldwide. His work includes orchestral works, chamber music, operas, film scores as well as solo and ensemble pieces. He has collaborated with and been commissioned by many diverse musical personalities throughout Europe and the United States. He has won a number of awards for his music including the British Composers Award for Opera and the BBC Radio 3 Jazz Award.
 
On his appointment Brian Irvine says "I am delighted to be part of the board at CMC. The sheer volume, quality, diversity, character and personality of modern music making in Ireland both North and South is an extraordinary and unique phenomena: a vast out pouring of sound that seems disproportionate to the size of the Island. It is a landscape full of life, colour, insight and beauty and is of the Island's greatest assets worthy of distribution and celebration on an international level."

The Board of the Contemporary Music Centre consists of seven voluntary members: Mary T. McAuliffe (Chairperson), Professor Mícheal Ó Súilleabháin, Róisín O’Connell, Fergus Sheil, Dr Cliona Doris, Jacqueline Kelly, and Brian Irvine. Brian Irvine replaces conductor and composer Proinnsías Ó Duinn who stepped down in October 2010, after a number of years of dedicated service to the board of CMC. 

Speaking on Brian’s appointment, Mary T. McAuliffe (Chairperson), says “I am delighted to welcome Brian Irvine to the Board of the Contemporary Music Centre…he is an incredibly talented and prolific composer/performer and a passionate exponent of new music, I look forward to his participation on the Board and the undoubted dynamisim and expertise that he will bring”.
 

Tiny Magnetic Pets will finally see the UK release of their debut album “Return of the Tiny Magnetic Pets” on 4th April. Interest in the band has been generated by their appearance on UK industry bible Music Week’s cover-mount CD before Christmas.

The album will be released on Cargo and will be available in CD format or as a download from iTunes, Warp, Boomkat and Amazon. The first single, Girl in a White Dress, will be released in the UK on 21st February.

Tiny Magnetic Pets are also one of the artists in the running for the inaugural UK/Ireland Tunebreaker New Music Award.

www.myspace.com/tinymagneticpets
 

Bell X1 have released some studio footage from Grouse Lodge of their recording of Hey Anna Lena.
Hey Anna Lena will be on the forthcoming album Bloodless Coup,  due out 1st April.

Bloodless Coup will be released on the band’s own Belly Up label in Ireland. It is, of course, the follow up to the hugely successful Blue Lights On The Runway. The band worked with Irish Producer Rob Kirwan on the album, which was recorded in Grouse Lodge, Westmeath.

You can catch BellX1 live at Vicar Street, Dublin on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th April.

https://www.youtube.com/bellx1#p/u/0/EUDZQYwNZVc
 

The ninth season of the world renowned Other Voices music TV series will broadcast on RTE Two from Wednesday February 16th. The series was recorded over five days in Dingle, Co. Kerry during December of last year. A who’s who of international and local artists travelled across the snow bound Irish countryside to take part in the St. James’ Church recordings including The National, Richard Hawley, Jarvis Cocker, Marina & The Diamonds, Ellie Goulding, Cathy Davey and Lisa Hannigan.

Each of the six episodes will feature unique live performances from St. James’ Church, intimate acoustic sets in some of Dingle’s most fascinating nooks and crannies, along with insightful interviews with presenter DJ Annie Mac. Also featuring in each programme will be stripped back sets from some of Ireland’s most exciting new music talent, whose performances were recorded in Dingle as part of the IMRO Other Room.

The first programme will air on Wednesday February 16th at 11.25pm and will feature the most talked about band of 2010, The National, the incredible guitar and vocals of Anna Calvi and leading Irish singer songwriter James Vincent McMorrow. The IMRO Other Room will host the hauntingly beautiful, Jennifer Evans.

Other Voices continues each Wednesday night at 11.25pm on RTE Two for six weeks, bringing to our screens the magnificent songs and passionate musicianship of some of the world’s key eclectic music-makers.

A number of exclusive live performances will also be posted in advance of each show on othervoices.ie and the Other Voices Facebook page. And for those of you who crave another Other Voices fix, tune into the music stream at othervoices.ie to hear exclusive interviews and more music from the series, in the days following each broadcast on RTE Two.

www.othervoices.ie
www.facebook.com/OtherVoices

Jennifer Evans has been announced as special guest on the upcoming Halves Tour which takes place in February and March in Galway, Sligo, Cork, Limerick and Dublin.

FMC have just launched their Breaking Tunes App which means you can now search easily for and listen to Irish bands on your iPhone.

A new song in aid of The Capuchin Day Centre For Homeless People
 
Maggies Farm featuring Heather MacLeod & The Sisters Of Fate
(Written by Tony Floyd Kenna)
 
Official release on Thursday January 27th 2011
itunes available now.
 
The Capuchin Day Centre provides meals and day care facilities for people who are homeless or in need and food parcels for those on the poverty threshold. Alison is the story of a homeless girl living on the streets of the city. Cold, hungry and unwanted Alison is brushed aside like dust and in time will disappear, just another statistic. Maggies Farm, featuring Heather MacLeod & The Sisters Of Fate are honoured to be able to perform this song on behalf of The Capuchin Day Centre. It is hoped to raise both awareness and badly needed funds, to help the centre continue its outstanding work, not just feeding people but also giving them a chance to regain their dignity and feel a little love. All profits raised from this release will go directly to The Day Centre.
 
The song is available for download immediately on itunes. Remember, all profits go to The Day Centre. Full information and links at
http://www.myspace.com/559443908
 
 

The Frames’ 3rd studio album For The Birds, released in 2001, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on March 30th 2011.  To mark the occasion The Frames will perform the album in its entirety in Vicar Street on Wednesday March 30th.  This will be a seated show and the band are delighted to announce Interference as the opening act.  Tickets priced €30, including booking fee, will be available on Monday 24th January at 9am from Ticketmaster.
 
2010 saw The Frames celebrating 20 years together as a band and after sometime away from playing live, the band returned to headline Electric Picnic as well as touring the US and Europe before finishing the year with sold-out Dublin shows in The Olympia, Vicar St and Whelans in December.
Acknowledged as one of Ireland’s most successful domestic music acts of their generation, The Frames careers spans 3 decades as they celebrate 20 years as a band.
  
All of The Frames’ albums to date have achieved Double Platinum sales status in Ireland (with the band’s live album, Set List, and For The Birds selling well in excess of Quadruple Platinum!)