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Month: November 2017

Joe Chester Live at the Grand Social this December

Renowned Irish musician, Joe Chester, rounds of a successful year, with an intimate show at Dublin’s Grand Social on Wednesday December 13th. Joe will be ably assisted on the night by his close friends Vyvienne Long, and Steve Wickham.

2017 saw Joe Chester have his most prolific year in quite a few years. The Dublin singer, songwriter, and producer, released a trinity of albums in a nine-month period.

February saw the release of his latest studio album, ‘The Easter Vigil’, a narrative on his changing relationship with the Catholic Church over the course of his life. He marked the release with a show at Dublin’s Unitarian Church in late April, and the recordings from that night were released as ‘Live at Unitarian Church’ in September.

Then there was the, far from small, matter of re-issuing his 2005 album ‘A Murder of Crows’, which received wide acclaim upon its original release., The 2017 edition of the album is enhanced with demo, live, and unreleased recordings from the period in which it was originally released.

A Murder Of Crows (Special Edition)
A perfect pop record” – Tom Dunne, Sunday Times
A modern alternative pop gem” – Jim Carroll, Irish Times
A record so good, it’s downright criminal” – Tony Clayton-Lea

The Easter Vigil
Genuinely breathtaking… Truly transcendent” – Hot Press Magazine
A tonic for our times, a triumph of substance over style” – The Irish Sun
His most profound and moving work yet” – RTE

Tickets for The Grand Social Show are available online at www.tickets.ie priced €15

AIC Presents | In Conversation: Hearing Women | Approaches to Achieving Gender Balance in Music Programming

Date:  Thursday 30 November
Time: 6pm (café open from 5.45pm)
Location: First Draft Coffee, Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

Join the AIC for a discussion about approaches to tackling the issue of gender balance in new music programming. How can we achieve parity and diversity in music programming, across all genres and all areas?

Reflecting on the recent launch of Sounding the Feminists, we talk to two programmers about their initiatives to promote women in music, and their approaches to programming with diversity in mind: Aoife Concannon, the Creative Producer of Improvised Music Company’s BAN BAM festival celebrating women in jazz, and Robbie Blake, the new curator of the In Conversation series and artistic director of Tonnta, a vocal ensemble that prioritises representative programming.

Admission is free

About In Conversation

In Conversation is a series of talks and discussion events hosted by the AIC, as part of their dedication to creating new media for discussion and presentation of new music. In Conversation provides opportunities for composers, performers, presenters and the public to get together to discuss aspects of new music openly over a decent coffee. Events include talks and presentations by guest composers and performers, panel discussions, listening sessions and more.

Part of the Irish Composers on Irish Music series, which also features articles and reviews on the AIC New Music Journal at www.aicnewmusicjournal.com. Supported by Arts Council Ireland and IMRO.

Wyvern Lingo Release New Single ‘Snow II’ Today

Much like ‘Die Hard’, mulled wine, brussel sprouts and Mariah Carey, some of the best festive things aren’t actually that Christmassy at all. Add to that list the new track from Wyvern Lingo – ‘Snow II’ – which drifts into the world on Friday 24th November on Rubyworks.

Caoimhe Barry, who sings lead on the song, says: “Snow II is partly written as a response to Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘I Am A Rock’. It’s from the perspective of the person trying to reach an ex lover who is in that dark place, cutting themselves off from the world.” She adds – “It’s about wanting to comfort them, but you can’t speak to them or hold them like you might have when you were in a relationship, and how sad and confusing that is.”

Originally recorded by the band in the summer of 2014, Snow II now pulses with an ethereal glow courtesy of James Kelly’s (WIFE, Zola Jesus) rich production and Neil Comber’s (M.I.A., Crystal Fighters) shimmering mix. “This is the version we always had in mind for this track.” – adds Caoimhe.

Following the successes of ‘I Love You, Sadie’ and ‘Out Of My Hands’, ‘Snow II’ is the third tantalising glimpse of Wyvern Lingo’s highly anticipated debut album, out in early 2018.

Wyvern Lingo are:

Caoimhe Barry – vocals, drums
Karen Cowley – vocals, synth, bass synth
Saoirse Duane – vocals, guitar

Snow II is out on Rubyworks on Friday 24th November.

All Tvvins Share New Track ‘Crash’

When Conor Adams and Lar Kaye formed All Tvvins, their shared goal was to headline Dublin’s 1600-capacity Olympia Theatre – and that was achieved when they sold-out the venue last autumn, just weeks after their debut album ‘IIVV’ crashed into the Irish album charts at #2.

Now the duo have announced they will release their third single since ‘IIVV’ was released. Following on from “Alone Together” feat. James Vincent McMorrow, and “Anything” comes “Crash”, a clear step beyond anything that featured on ‘IIVV’ and a development on what they have done before.

When ‘IIVV’ was nominated for Album of the Year at the Choice Music Awards, it heralded the end of the album’s campaign. After a minimal break, the duo soon “turbo-boosted” their writing process where they amassed a group of new singles they plan on releasing over the coming months. Whereas they previously painstakingly crafted each song together, they instead found themselves creating almost completed ideas individually before allowing the other partner to put their stamp on it.

Most of the new tracks emerged on piano and synths before being fleshed out into a band dynamic. Inspired by a whole world of influences, Lar describes them as being “varied and extreme” and “emotionally charged”, while Conor notes that his interest in keys means that he has been writing a lot more on piano.

All Tvvins have previously shared stages with bands including Arcade Fire, Pixies and Foals, and have played events as diverse as the VICE House Party and the huge 2FM Xmas Ball in Dublin. They’re planning to road-test some new material across the summer festivals and announce a headline tour across Europe in March 2018.

Irish Tour Dates – March 2018

Wed 21st @ Limelight 2, Belfast ,UK

Fri 23rd @ The Olympia, Dublin , Ireland (LOW TICKETS)

Sat 24th @ Roisin Dubh, Galway, Ireland (SOLD OUT)

Thu 29th @ Dolans, Limerick, Ireland (LOW TICKETS)

Fri 30th @ Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland

Sat 31st @ INEC, Killarney, Ireland

Mark Feehily Releases ‘CHRISTMAS’ on 1 December

Mark Feehily, the Irish star, who notched up 14 number one hit records in his time with Westlife, is set to provide the soundtrack to Christmas with the release of his festive new album aptly titled ‘CHRISTMAS’.

The release sees Mark return to the music spotlight after a two-year absence. The album, a collection of classic Christmas favourites, will remind fans of the ‘Flying Without Wings’ singer’s vocal brilliance and delight new audiences with his unique takes on timeless songs.

Tracks on the album include a moving cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’ and an uplifting version of Otis Redding’s ‘Merry Christmas Baby’ as well as Mark’s own versions of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘Miss You Most (at Christmas Time)’.

Mark’s music comeback is long overdue his stunning and soulful performance on ‘CHRISTMAS’ will only help to confirm that while boybands fade, talent lives on.

Mark says of the album: “Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year so naturally it’s been a dream of mine to make this album. “It’s been fantastic being back in the studio to cover wonderful songs and make them my own. I’ve had incredible feedback, particularly about River and Merry Christmas Baby. I’m looking forward to giving something back to fans. This is what the album is all about. It is a bit of my own Christmas gift to them.”

Mark Feehily Christmas – Unplugged LIVE at The Sugar Club, Dublin, Tuesday 19th Dec. 2017. Tickets on sale now!

‘CHRISTMAS’ will be released on the 1st December 2017.

http://markusfeehilyofficial.com/

Ealadha Release New Single ‘Bathe’

Emerging from Cork’s small but close-knit metal scene in recent years, post-rock trio Ealadha have been winning hearts and minds around the country through regular gigging and a diverse, expansive sound.

2016 saw the band release debut EP ‘Limit of our Sight’ to praise from specialist press and fans alike. It was a statement record for the trio, expanding on their live show and presenting what Irish alternative blog overblown.co.uk have referred to as “an unusual and engrossing brand of music that thrilled, comforted, and surprised”, referring to it as “truly one of the releases of the year”.

It makes sense, then, that Overblown should do the honours on Ealadha’s first new material in over a year. Entitled ‘Bathe’, the song sees the band continue to vastly expand its sound, and its musical frame of reference.

Recorded and mixed by Shaun Cadogan (Last Light Recordings) at Sun Studios, Temple Bar, Dublin, the song was mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna) and to quote Overblown’s Jamie Coughlan “the track is simply more”, pointing to a finer-honed sense of songwriting and performance dynamic that has opened the band’s sound up hugely, and sets the tone for their next EP, ‘Versions Of You’.

‘Bathe’ is available to download and stream now, from the band’s online store and Spotify.

https://ealadha.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/track/5f0GXUgrin1IBXnMxiEjkX

Follow Ealadha on:
https://www.facebook.com/ealadhaband/
https://twitter.com/EaladhaBand

Ben and Darragh Pyne Release EP ‘The Finish Line’

Ben and Darragh Pyne release their first E.P as a duo, ‘The Finish Line’, this month. The singer-songwriter brothers from Balbriggan in Dublin showcase their guitar/piano acoustic style with three self-penned tracks.

The E.P is made up of 2 uptempo pop songs in the forms of ‘The Best Thing’ and ‘The Finish Line’, and the mature ballad ‘As Long as I’m Breathing’.

Dublin songwriter Gillian Tuite lends her skills as a guitarist to the tracks, while Shay Cosgrave provides atmospheric drum.

The artwork for the E.P was created by Dublin-based photographer Tyler Kelly.

“The Finish Line” is available now on ITunes.

Check out ‘The Best Thing’, one of the songs from the E.P;

Klara McDonnell Releases ‘Trapped Within’

‘Trapped Within’ is the new EP from singer/songwriter Klara McDonnell. Best known for appearing on Coach Trip Road to Marbs in February alongside actor/model Dani Masterson and leaving in one of the most shocking exits ever in Coach Trip’s history. In July, she took part in filming for TV3’s Blind Date, her episode was due to air when the series returned in January but it has since been cancelled. She enjoyed her reality TV experiences but music is where her heart really lies.

This is the Dublin native’s first release since her band Hypno Puppet’s EP, “Rivers of Time” in 2015.

The EP was produced by  Rohan and Al Healy from The Dublin City Rounders and of The Voice UK fame alongside their musician/producer father, David Virgin. Klara also appears on David Virgin’s duet’s album, called “The Beautiful Album”, which was released in September this year. She sang on a track called “After Tomorrow”.

Klara’s influences include; Lera Lynn, Sheryl Crow, Tom Waits, David Bowie and Patsy Cline.

Klara directed the music videos for both her first single “Lovers, which was released in September and the music video for the latest single “Trapped Within”. Her creative video concepts have been gathering a lot of interest online. The song, “Trapped Within” was inspired by Klara’s experiences in the music industry. The video features Irish actors such as Joe McKinney (Glenroe, King Arthur) and Dani Masterson (Coachtrip, Fair City).

The EP is released on 27th November.

http://klaramcdonnell.ie/

Nathaniel Cabanero Wins Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest

Nathaniel Cabanero, who is originally from the Philippines and currently living in Stranorlar, County Donegal, is the winner of the Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest.

The Contest took place in the Tipperary Excel in Tipperary Town on Saturday 19th November.

Nathaniel’s composition which was titled ‘Only When’ was performed by his wife, Judie Alegarme.

It was a clear winner of the Contest receiving 38 marks out of a possible 40 from the Judging Panel.

“Only When” is a by product of the songwriter’s own reflections and touches on the basic tenets of our Human Rights.

It was a very popular winner with a very strong vocal performance from Judie.

Nathaniel loves competing in International Songwriting contests. This was his 2nd time to be a top 10 finalist in the Tipperary Song of Peace Contest and it was a lucky second time appearance for him and his wife in the Contest. Supported by IMRO, the Contest carried a prize fund of €1,500 and a Crystal Award for the winning entry which was presented to Nathaniel and Judie by Martin Quinn and Joe Quinn of Tipperary Peace Convention.

The best Irish Entry in the Contest was awarded to Katie Gallagher from Ballymahon in Longford for her entry titled ‘Borders’.

Katie received the Mick Tuohy Memorial Cup which was presented by John Halligan, a grandson of the late Mick Tuohy.

Katie is well know in music circles gigging around the country and supporting all styles of musicians including chart topping American group Underhill Rose and the amazing talent that is Mick Flannery.

The 10 finalists proved their talent and songwriting expertise with excellent compositions which were warmly received by the audience. Along with the finalists there was a wonderful uplifting performance from the Circle of Friends Choir and a guest appearance from the 2014 Song of Peace Winner Kenny Grant.

The event was captured on video by Trapline Media and will be available for purchase through the Song of Peace Committee.

Speaking at the event Master of Ceremonies and Contest Organiser Martin Quinn said that the Song of Peace Contest was a major event in promoting peace and reconciliation and he thanked the songwriters for being part of the event and for travelling at their own expense to participate. Guests at the event included the Cathaoirleach of the Cashel/Tipperary Municipal District, Cll. Michael Fitzgerald and the Pride of Tipperary, Ms. Michelle McLaughlin.

Trouble Pilgrims Debut Album Out Now

Trouble Pilgrims have just released their debut album ‘Dark Shadows And Rust’.

The album was released on 27th October  on the Chiswick label distributed Worldwide via Ace Records.

Written, arranged and produced by the band, the album was recorded in the heart of Dublin at Westland Studios.

Track listing:
Snake Oil Carnival
Animal Gang Blues [new recording]
Instant Polaroid
Death Ballad
Queen Of Heartache
Reach Out
Long Way To The Sun
Dearly Beloved
The Velvet Tongue
Sex In A Cheap Hotel
The Great Divide

 

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