Month: August 2017

Stocktons Wing continue their sell-out 40^th anniversary tour with the addition of a concert with Duke Special and Ulaid at ‘Gigs in the Garden’ at Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Co Dublin on Fri August 11^th – tickets on sale now.  In a wonderful tribute to Stocktons Wing, Clare County Council has unanimously voted that the band will receive a civic reception.  In response Mike Hanrahan from the band says “To say we are overwhelmed is an understatement. To be honoured by your own has the be the greatest of gifts. Thank you Clare.  We are humbled and extremely proud”.  More details on the civic reception TBA.

So far, their 40^th anniversary tour has sold out venues across the country, from Galway to Wicklow, as fans of the band’s music from the last 4 decades have flocked to hear one of Ireland’s most innovative & enduring bands celebrating their incredible career as they know best – onstage!  On 18th August Stocktons Wing will return for a SOLD-OUT show at Ennis Fleadh at the West County Hotel, while on Sat 26th Aug they play Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre, Co. Kilkenny.  The tour ends in September – Sat 2nd Doolin Bikers Festival Co. Clare and Sat 16th Sep Clifden Arts Week, Galway.

Featuring regular members – Mike Hanrahan (vocals & guitar), Paul Roche (flute & tin whistle), Steve Cooney (guitar, bass & didgeridoo) and Tommy Hayes (percussion, bodhran, spoons) – the band will be completed by two young Clare musicians Tara Breen (fiddle) and Karol Lynch (banjo/mandolin).  Their back catalogue of hits includes much loved classic ‘Beautiful Affair’ – voted one of the Top 75 songs in the history of RTE radio and chosen by Today FM listeners as number 7 in their Top 20 poll of Irish songs.

Mike Hanrahan has been at the helm of the band at various stages over the last 40 years “I am so delighted to be back with Stocktons Wing playing the music that shaped my earlier life and career. We were adventurers in every sense – with no boundaries and no pressures. We created a new innovative sound and our gigs were always happy and energetic occasions”.  Of the current line up, he says “It’s so good to be back on stage with Steve, Tommy and Paul again. We are missing 2 of the originals but I’m thrilled to have new blood – Tara Breen on fiddle and Karol Lynch on banjo. Two young Clare musicians steeped in the music of Stocktons Wing.  A Wing gig is a special event and this time we’re not trying to take over the world, just simply enjoying a moment, shining a light on the back catalogue of a music we believe is still worthy, compelling and spirited. It’s great to meet the fans again and hopefully collect a few new ones along the way.”

TOUR DATES:

Sun 6^th Aug Ballyshannon Folk Festival, Co Donegal

Doors 7pm Tickets €35 incl booking fee ballyshannonfolkfestival.com/stocktonswing

Fri 11^th Aug Gigs in the Garden Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin with Duke Special and Ulaid

Doors 7pm onstage 8.45pm €25 adv/€28 door Bookings 01 802 0898 tseac.ie

Fri 18^th Aug Ennis Fleadh at the West County Hotel **SOLD-OUT**

Doors 8.30pm onstage 9pm Tickets €25 fleadhcheoil.ie

Sat 26^th Aug Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre, Co. Kilkenny

Gates 7pm onstage 8.15pm Tickets €20 ballykeeffeamphitheatre.com/stocktons-wing

Sat 2^nd Sept Doolin Bikers Festival, Doolin, Co. Clare

Open all day from 12noon – onstage 8pm to 10pm Tickets e20 doolinharleyfest.com

Sat 16^th Sep Clifden Arts Week, Galway – venue: West Connemara Sports & Leisure Centre at Clifden Community School. Doors 7.30pm Tickets €20 clifdenartsfestival.ie

Liffey Records are delighted to announce the signing of viral video stars, Glenn&Ronan to the label. Liffey Records, and sister label Celtic Collections, have been working with great Irish artists for 21 years and are currently expanding the label to bring Irish artists to a wider audience through their international network.

CEO of Liffey Records, Janine Nallen said “we are excited to announce that Glenn&Ronan have signed to our Liffey Records label. Their stunning vocals and warm personalities have captured people’s attention all over the world and we are delighted to be working with them on their debut album, for release later this year.”

Early in 2016, a video of Glenn&Ronan performing an Adele medley went viral, racking up over 25 million views. An invitation followed from the legendary Ellen DeGeneres Show in the States for them to appear. Then to crown off the hat trick, Adele invited them on stage to perform the medley at her sold-out Dublin show. Glenn&Ronan spent the following months performing to over 150,000 people at 80 sold out shows across North America as special guests for Celtic Woman. Their first two singles ‘Come Home’ and ‘All of the Stars’ were released towards the end of 2016.

Speaking about the deal, Glenn Murphy and Ronan Scolard said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have signed our first ever recording contract with Liffey Records. We can’t wait to work together with the label to release our debut album later this year, and to bring new music to all the Glenn&Ronan fans who’ve been so supportive of us over this past year.”

Glenn&Ronan’s debut album will be released in October 2017.

https://www.facebook.com/glennandronan/

Irish duo Oh Bryan comprised of Stephen O’Brien (drums,bass,vocals,guitar) and Shane Power (guitar) release their debut EP “Rewind” on August 11^th 2017 upstairs in Whelan’s. The Dublin based band’s EP comprises a sound that is guitar driven with an alternative rock feel. They are fronted by Kilkenny native Stephen O’Brien, a multi-instrumentalist playing drums, bass, guitars and vocals on the EP and principal songwriter for the band with Shane Power looking after lead guitar playing.

Stephen started the project back in December where he recorded all the instruments and vocals on their first single “Rewind” in his Dad’s attic over the Christmas holidays of 2016. Stephens brother, Keith O’Brien from the Irish pop band Seo Linn helped engineer the recording sessions and was very influential in the vocal recording.

Stephen went onto recording the second single “Maze” in February and these are the two single releases to date. Shortly after finishing the second single Stephen recruited longtime friend Shane Power to join the outfit as an official second member on guitar duties.

The duo will release their next three tracks along with the previous two which will make up their debut EP “Rewind”. This will be showcased upstairs in Whelan’s on August 11^th 2017. The first single “Rewind” has that alternative rock vibe similar to that of Feeder or Catfish and The Bottlemen. Their third single “The Rain” will be released in the coming days on Spotify with a music video to follow.

The outfits second single “Maze”, received its premiere on The Louise Duffy Show show on Today FM.

Their debut headline show Upstairs in Whelan’s 11th of August is only around the corner. Click here for Tickets (€7 online,€10 door).

This will see Thomas Gibbons joining on drums and Billy Campbell on bass (previously Lost In Flight). With a busy string of gigs to follow their headline on 11th of August is going to be a great night of rock music and their first headline show to date.

For more information contact; ohbryanmusic@nullgmail.com

 Listen to “Maze” on Youtube

Oh Bryan on Spotify

Oh Bryan Facebook Page

Oh Bryan on SoundCloud

‘Branching Out’ is the much anticipated second album from Na Leanaí, who in just three years have earned themselves an enviable reputation at home and abroad as one of the most exciting new Irish bands.

This album is different in many ways from their debut CD ‘Kindred Roots’ fusing as it does the band’s folk and traditional legacy as the second generation of The Sands Family, with country, jazz and African influences garnered during the last three hectic years touring and performing throughout Europe.

Produced by the legendary Steve Cooney, the new album has a different feel from the last, almost-live, production as these resourceful musicians, persuaded by Cooney dig deeper and deeper into their collective talent to produce something truly unique.

With songs in English, Irish, French and German, including their own original compositions, and supported by Zulu vocalists, a Viking bouzouki player, an Irish piper and assorted members of their musical clan, Na Leanaí have taken another huge step towards their goal of becoming recognised as being in the vanguard of the European resurgence of Irish music.

http://www.naleanaimusic.com/

Cian Ó Cíobháin, presenter of underground music show An Taobh Tuathail on RTÉ RnaG, has compiled a new selection of the best music played on the show over the last couple of years and it is available now on Spotify.

It has been 10 years since the first collection of music from the show was released on CD, ATT Vol 1, but times have changed a lot since then and this latest collection, ATT Vol 8, is now available as a playlist on Spotify.

There are just over 60 tracks on the playlist, almost 5 house of music, with a similar vibe to previous collections, reflective of the An Taobh Tuathail shows earlier in the week, with much in the way of electronica, folk, psychedelia, ethereal R&B & neo-classical.

Roughly a sixth of the tracks are by Irish artists including Mount Alaska, Seti The First, Ryan Vail, Or:la, Clu, Natural History Museum, Elma, Chequerboard and  Deaf Joe.

Other tracks come from artists regularly featured on the show: Forest Swords, Julianna Barwick, Gold Panda, Carla dal Forno, Tropic Of Cancer, The Nightjar and Elsa Hewitt, and there are also a few bona fide classics courtesy of Burial, Aphex Twin, This Mortal Coil, To Rococo Rot, Pinch, Automaton UK, Mogwai and Arab Strap.

Cian hopes the new format will be ideal for music lovers who might peruse the playlist as a means to be led down wondrous musical rabbit holes, and may also entice new listeners to the show, especially regular users of Spotify who may not be aware of ATT.

Cian says:
“I love to discover a song or a piece of music that I’ve never heard before, whether old or new.  The unwavering thrill of discovering an amazing song that I’ve never heard before is what gets me out of bed every morning.  I’m also quite evangelical about sharing my finds with other people which is why presenting a radio show such as ATT, as well as compiling anthologies such of this, of my favourite tracks, may well be my most natural job-fit.”

ATT Vol 8 can be found here:
https://open.spotify.com/user/1192436527/playlist/7dxDHmXRMcEFGb0SLPowAP

An Taobh Tuathail is broadcast Monday to Friday at 22:00 on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.  The shows earlier in of the week are relatively laidback, but as the weekend draws closer the tempo picks up and the shows become clubbier/more electronic in tone.  You can listen back to shows and get all the playlists at www.rte.ie/rnag/an-taobh-tuathail .