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Month: January 2018

New Album from The Lost Brothers Released Today

There is something special about two musicians in unison. Solo artists bear the brunt of pretty much everything – be it success or failure, joy or misery, it is all on their shoulders. Groups, meanwhile, are mostly perceived as ideal examples of democracy, when the reality is that they are governed by a benign dictator (if lucky) or a cruel despot (if not). Duos, on the other hand, are clearly in tune (and harmony) with themselves and each other.

As if proof were needed, take Oisin Leech and Mark McCausland as the perfect example. Having had previous lives in major label rock acts (respectively, The 747s and The Basement), the two Irish songwriters and musicians first met in 2007 after their bands had slowly slipped off the radar.

We both found ourselves at house parties in Liverpool,” recalls Oisin, “and discovered that we had the same musical tastes. We started writing songs together for fun – no strategies, no game plan.”

The musicians’ instinctive gravitational pull presented them with the ‘Lost Brothers’ tag, but the name quickly stuck. Indeed, as the songs began to develop, the name started to make even more sense: the music was knocking on doors looking for a home, while the delivery of the songs was hushed to the point where you had to listen very carefully for the beauty of (and melancholy in) them.

The past ten years of The Lost Brothers (which began, says Mark McCausland, with “writing songs by accident and demoing them for fun”) has disappeared in the blink of an eyelid. Their 2008 debut album, ‘Trails Of The Lonely’, was produced in Portland, Oregon, by Mike Coykendall. An experienced sound engineer and musician (collaborations include M Ward, She & Him, Richmond Fontaine, Beth Orton, Bright Eyes), Coykendall set The Lost Brothers on their singular path.

He taught us a lot,” reveals Oisin. “The most important was to come at production in a weirder way. He worked in a haunted attic, and he would use anything from broken microphones to toys to get the best sound to fit the music.”

He taught us to be more spontaneous,” adds Mark. “To capture the moment more than a so-called perfect take.”

This intuitive approach perfectly suited the new direction. In their former bands, Oisin and Mark had been dragged around the block by major record labels, so the freedom to do exactly what they wanted (“to make music completely on our own terms, with no one interfering,” notes Oisin) made their compositions ring out with authenticity.

Every musician knows, asserts Mark, that “magic in a studio can happen with the click of a finger. Some bands take a year to record an album, but that first batch of songs with Mike took a week. He taught us that magic.”

For every subsequent Lost Brothers’ album (2011’s So Long John Fante, 2012’s The Passing Of The Night, 2014’s New Songs Of Dawn And Dust), attaining the “magic” has been key to its end result. Rehearsing songs to within an inch of their lives prior to heading into a studio – and making sure there are more than enough good ones – has also been pivotal.

So it is with The Lost Brothers’ fifth album, ‘Halfway Towards A Healing’. Recorded in Tucson, Arizona, at the perfectly titled Dust and Stone Studios (operated and owned by producer Gabriel Sullivan and overseen by Giant Sand linchpin, Howe Gelb), the album is another step on the right road.

Over superb twelve tracks, location and emotion are softly suggested. From opening song, ‘Echoes In The Wind’, to closing spoken word track, ‘The Ballad Of A Lost Brother’ (via the instrumental cantina hymn, ‘Reigns Of Ruin’, the fragile finger-picking beauty of ‘More Than I Can Comprehend’, and the delicate strum of ‘Nothing’s Going To Change Me Now’), the songs reach out like fingers across a warm night to calm a troubled brow. The lyrics match the intimate, tender moods.

I called your name, I called your number. Through the rain, through the thunder. Why turn away, from your man again’, queries Oisin (in ‘More Than I Can Comprehend’). Through these, and within other songs of bruised heartache and brushed sentiments, there is a fraught sense of people at the end of their tether. The lyrics are, agree Oisin and Mark, much more direct than on previous albums.

The songs that get onto our records are sometimes the ones we write quickly,” reveals Oisin. “ The ones you work on for a really long time tend not to make it. That goes for the live shows, too. The songs that make it onto our set list are just right for us. New material such as The Iron Road and Where The Shadows Go can be dream-state songs that feel right to Mark and me, and sometimes when we sing them at gigs there’s a different meaning each time. You couldn’t sit down and say specifically what they are.”

As a textbook example, take ‘More Than I Can Comprehend’, one of three songs co-written with Glen Hansard. “You can’t get more direct than that one,” states Oisin. “We have had a tendency in the past to be quite abstract with lyrics, but Glen suggested we go straight for the jugular.”

Being tested, and in turn inspired to do and be better, has made ‘Halfway Towards A Healing’ The Lost Brothers’ best album to date. Another challenge and stimulus was Howe Gelb’s production methods.

He would pick us up in the morning,” recounts Mark, “and take us out into the desert. We’d walk for hours, then he’d drop us back at the studio. We’d go through songs with studio engineer Gabriel Sullivan, then Howe would meet us at the end of the day, listen to what we’d done and work on the tracks. All those trips into the desert were to get the environment into our system.

According to Oisin and Mark, in the past ten or so years everything has changed. “Unless you’re on a major label,” says Oisin, “there’s no huge structure, so for us everything has changed. Now, it’s all about getting on the road, touring the new material, being excited about an audience reacting to them, and seeing what happens on each night in different theatres with different songs.

Recording is the best for us, as well,” adds Mark. “It’s our passion, and the more we do it the less we take it for granted. Plus, we’re not trying to make it in the way we were when we were in our 20s. The goal is still there, but for different reasons. You shove everything aside when you’re much younger, but now we’re sorting out life, or certain aspects of it.

The sorting out of life’s minor irritations, engaging with life’s major upsets, breathing in and breathing out, dealing with sorrow and embracing happiness – the rich, sometimes frayed fabric of merely existing imbues ‘Halfway Towards A Healing’ with a truth rarely expressed.

Many of our albums have been quite desolate,” admits Oisin, “but this one has tiny slivers of hope. We’ve been challenged, and that has made the songs richer. We have definitely polished the gloom a bit! Weirdly, it’s our most forward-thinking record.

‘Halfway Towards A Healing’ is released Friday January 26th.

The Lost Brothers tour Ireland and UK throughout January/February, and the US in March. Australia in April. Tour Dates announced soon.

https://thelostbrothersband.com/

youbloomDublin 2018 Music Summit & Festival Applications Open

youbloom, the Global Music Village, is returning to Dublin for its sixth year. The festival runs from May 30tht to June 4th 2018, the Summit takes place on Friday/Saturday June 1/2nd.

Calling all aspiring artists – youbloomDublin 2018 Music Summit & Festival Apply to Play is now open (until February 19th) in our five day music festival on May 30th to June 4th.

Over 3,000 bands applied to play at youbloomDublin17 from all corners of the globe. This year we plan to include up to 100 artists/bands in multiple venues throughout the Dame District as well as on the main stage at the Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park. With alumni such as Wyvern Lingo, Aine Cahill, The Young Folk and David Keenan, youbloom Dublin music summit prides itself in giving a platform to national and international acts both emerging and established.

youbloom is a community of artists, industry and music lovers dedicated to helping independent emerging artists grow their audience and lifetime sustainability through youbloomDublin, youbloomLA and youbloomConnect which connects fans/artists/hosts around the world, helping more shows to take place throughout the year. They are giving aspiring artists the chance to play in some of Dublin’s landmark venues. Dedicated to helping emerging artists across a multitude of genres grow their audience and lifelong sustainability, youbloom solution is summarized through their tagline:

“Learn, Connect, Play.”

They are delighted to partner with Bord Bia bringing the best of organic, home grown musical talent to the Bloom festival, Ireland’s leading lifestyle festival. With over 120,000 visitors expected to attend Bloom 2018 this is a fantastic opportunity for any band to play over the June bank holiday weekend.

They give band members, crew and management free entry to their music summit.  They bring industry experts, bookers, A&R reps, legal eagles, sync maestros and masterclasses together to give you the inside track on the ever-evolving music industry. Past keynote speakers include Alan McGee (Oasis manager), Martin Elbourne (booker Glastonbury), Donal Lunny (Irish music legend) Scott Cohen (founder The Orchard) and Dave Robinson (Stiff Records).

For your chance to play at youbloom Dublin 2018, apply to play by February 19th, on this link http://www.youbloom.com/youbloomdublin-2018/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/youbloom
Twitter: www.twitter.com/youbloom
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/youbloomTV
Instagram: officialyoubloom

#youbloomDublin

Debut Album ‘Music In The Glen’ From New Trio Released

‘Music in the Glen’ is the debut album from an exciting new trio performing the very best of Irish traditional music. Featuring the combined talents of Brendan Mulholland (Flute) and founding Réalta members Conor Lamb (Uilleann pipes, whistles) and Deirdre Galway (Guitar), these musicians deliver the infectious rhythm and soul which are the hallmarks of Irish music.
“Wind, reeds, and rhythm are the cornerstone of Music in the Glen. What a beautiful sound these three powerhouse players have created on their debut recording. Sophisticated and superbly executed arrangements, combined with the all-important magic ingredient: ‘respect’, which is at the heart of everything they play. In a nutshell, this is incredible music!” Kevin Crawford (Lúnasa)

Forged from a relationship of 20 years playing music together (since Conor visited Brendan for his first tin whistle lessons!) the pair have joined forces with Deirdre on accompaniment to create a sound that draws upon a long developed bond and mutual musical understanding. Casting their net far and wide, they are first and foremost loyal to their home place and hinterland, that is County Antrim. The succeed in combining old and new tunes in the traditional idiom to great effect, and in doing so, they are making a statement about their repertoire and their place in the landscape of Northern music.

Each musician is a respected artist in their own field. Through different projects they have performed across the globe from Belfast to Washington, Moscow and Seoul in venues ranging from your local folk club to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Milwaukee Irish Festival Main Stage. Individually they have featured on a dozen albums and have performed with a variety of international acts including Réalta, Gráinne Holland, Craobh Rua, Micky McCluskey and Mary Dillon. Collectively they are one of the finest trios on the Irish music scene today.

The bark of bottom D’s, the fizz of embouchure and the subtleties of tone and ornamentation, scaffolded by tenacious accompaniment, combine to deliver a rich tapestry of old and new tunes and a delightful record of these Ulster musicians, at this time and in this place.  Dónal O’Connor

Jem Mitchell Shares New Single

Jem Mitchell has just released the new single ‘Angel Of La Cienega And Oxnard’. The single is available now as a free download  from Bandcamp.

Jem Mitchell is a singer-songwriter from North Dublin. Having fronted numerous indie rock outfits during the late 80’s and early 90’s Mitchell has settled into a more sedate sound which has been described in the music press as Alt Country, a term Mitchell is not uncomfortable with. A key element in creating this sound is Mitchells’ collaboration with long time friend and guitar virtuoso Ken Browne. The bands line up is completed by the stalwart rhythm section of brothers Mark and John Colbert. Mitchell has recently been overheard to say that musically 2018 will be harder, faster and louder, a return to his indie rock roots perhaps.

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Ailie Announces Whelan’s Headline

Following on from Whelan’s Ones to Watch and Tradfest, Ailie has announced her first Whelan’s Main Stage show. Taking place on Sunday 18th March, tickets for the show proced €12/10 are available now from www.WhelansLive.com

2017 was a pivotal year for Ailie Blunnie with the release of her début album “West to the Evening Sun” (Nov. 2017, Happy Out Records). Standout tracks include: ‘West to the Evening Sun’, ‘Beat of Your Heart’, ‘Would That You May’, ‘Happy New Year’.

Influenced by her academic studies in music and psychology, Blunnie’s sound melds assured songwriting, inventive arrangements, and newly-expanded soundscapes developed in collaboration with producer Daragh Dukes (Headgear/Wyos/Asylum Speakers/RTE).

Social Media: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter|  Spotify | YouTube

 

AVA Festival and Conference 2018 Line Up

The first of it’s kind, AVA (Audio Visual Arts) Festival and Conference, 2018 enters its fourth year with it’s most diverse offering yet, bringing global heavyweights to the city whilst championing emerging and established artists from the North and South of Ireland. From 1st – 2nd June, AVA Festival and Conference 2018 hosts an all-star line-up of local and global talent, three stages become four, plus Boiler Room’s first ever AVA two-day broadcast from one of the streaming giant’s best loved cities. This year is a game changer. With more artists, stages and a conference packed with panels, talks and workshops still to be announced, do not sleep on weekend tickets: http://www.avafestival.com/tickets

Heavyweight headliners include the mighty Floorplan with his infectious gospel house from Detroit, Bicep bring their immersive show home, and KiNK’s dance inducing live show is set to awe. Expect rave ready selections from DVS1, hypnotic, harder lines from Rødhåd and a wild ride through electro from the leading light in techno, Helena Hauff.

Man of the moment Denis Sulta, along with vibe purveyor, Mall Grab in tow, plus far flung gems from Rush Hour’s Hunee, Sassy J and Jayda G.  Back again with seamless sets are Subclub regular, Hammer, Midland, Mano Le Tough and Hotflush signee, Or:la. Find house gems from Timmy Stewart, epic blends from Saoirse, raw energy from Truss and Tessela’s Overmono, and relentless techno from AVA favourite, Sunil Sharpe.

Expect genre defying selections from Jordan,  Swoose + Cromby,  Brame + Hamo, DJ Deece and Dublin duo Long lsland Island. Completing the first wave of names are a whole host of regulars and emerging talent with Quinton Campbell, Sally C, Nez, LOR, Jimmy Rouge. Cailin, Carlton Doom, Brien, Holly Lester, Ryan Dallas, while collectives Twitch, Misfit, Jika Jika and Inside Moves flex the sounds that pulse through the city.

AVA are pulling out all the stops to make this edition is grandest yet with no compromises on jaw-dropping audio visual productions bringing the AVA main stage to life, Boiler Room’s live streamed weekender stage, Red Bull Music Academy’s own’ Loading Bay’ stage, and Smirnoff’s brand new fourth stage to see you through late into the night. With so much more in store, watch this space for new names, new stage info and this year’s two-day Boiler Room schedule, plus a innovative conference spanning panels, workshops and keynotes across audio and visual arts. The conference is free via sign up with full programme to be announced in the coming months. Full AVA weekend tickets are available now from just £70, with all previous tiers selling out in record time. Don’t miss out on the craic this year, grab a ticket now:  http://www.avafestival.com/tickets AVA FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE 2018

1st to 2nd June 2018 || Belfast

www.avafestival.com

WEEKEND TICKETS FROM £70 || £25 DEPOSIT SCHEME

TICKETS : http://www.avafestival.com/tickets

FIRST WAVE LINE UP

Floorplan – KiNK (Live) – Bicep – Helena Hauff – Rodhad – DVS1 – Hunee – Denis Sulta – Mall Grab – Job Jobse – Mano Le Tough – Jayda G

Midland – Or:la – Hammer – Overmono – Saoirse – Timmy Stewart – Sunil Sharpe – Sassy J  – Moxie – Mella Dee – Stephanie Sykes – Myler

Twitch – Swoose + Cromby – Jordan – Inside Moves – Brame + Hamo -Jika Jika – Sally C – DJ Deece – Misfit – Mark Blair – Long Island Sound – Nez – LOR – Quinton Campbell –  Cailin – – Carlton Doom – Brien – Holly Lester – Dallas – GIRL – Guerrilla Shout – Cave DJs –Aalice – Lucy Ironmonger (Meat Free) – High Hoops

Karms Announce Show at Whelan’s

KARMS are a thundering indie rock 4 piece from Dublin made up of brothers Colm and Stephen O’Loughlin, and friends Danny Farrelly and Jay Maleney.

Having already sold out Whelan’s Upstairs on their debut headline show, KARMS return to the intimate stage at Whelan’s following the release of their debut EP ‘River’. This is the first of many shows planned for 2018, an exciting year for this band.

Tickets available from from www.whelanslive.com

KARMS are dreamers, believing in capturing the raw passion and ferocious energy of their live performances above all else. The band retreated to Attica Audio on the far edges of Donegal to record with Scottish producer Tony Doogan. In complete isolation, KARMS tasked themselves with creating music as big as the mountains and wild as the Atlantic waves surrounding them.

The goal was to use as much live performance as possible with minimal overdubs. Recalling the ethos of a bygone era – where everything was recorded to tape – the rule was no more than three takes per song.

The resulting output is ‘River’. A four track EP combining bonecrushing anthems, ‘River’, ‘We Always Lose’, and ‘She Said’ with the delicate ‘Beautiful Magic’, recorded late on the last night of recording – the first time the band had played this track as a unit.

What you hear is a band at the top of their game, playing live in a room together. No frills.

‘River’ is available for download and streaming from all online stores NOW.

https://www.karmsmusic.com/

A Great Quiet Announce Release of Debut EP

The 2017 winners of 2FM’s Play The Picnic Competition and recently selected as Whelan’s Ones To Watch for 2018, A Great Quiet are gearing up for a busy year ahead with the release of their Debut EP ‘Soft Breath and Echoes’ this February 2nd. The EP was produced and mixed by established producer James Darkin at Herbert Place Studios in Dublin and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York.

The music on ‘Soft Breath and Echoes’ sets an energetic tone and is inspired by music such as The 1975, Foals, and London Grammar, moving the listener across a visceral impulsive landscape.

‘Stay Close’, the lead single taken from the EP, was lauded by Today FM’s Louise Duffy and has been on rotation on her show, “I don’t know what they are pumping into the water in Athy but these guys have something really exciting.

A Great Quiet is comprised of Athy natives, Will O’Donnell and Aran Cardiff. Formed only just a few months ago, they launched their debut single ‘Open Spaces’ on the 2FM Eoghan McDermott show and are continuing to go from strength to strength, with a string of high energy shows in the pipeline.

‘Soft Breath and Echoes’ Track Listing:

  1. Echoes
  2. Stay Close
  3. Breath
  4. A Shared Place

Website:  https://www.agreatquiet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agreatquiet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agreatquiet/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4w8Lep9dbYbRO35lDz0ujw
Breaking Tunes: https://www.breakingtunes.com/agreatquiet

FILM Scoring Summer Programme Announced | 30th June – 23rd July 2018 Varna, Bulgaria

Course Profile

A professional, three week summer program for a new generation of film composers, now in its fourth successful year featuring Golden Globe nominated composer Christopher Young and Andy Hill, former Vice President of Music for Walt Disney Films.

Fundamentals of Film Scoring

  • 4 Studio Recordings performed by Varna State Opera Orchestra
  • The Christopher Young Week
  • Music Supervision Workshop
  • Midi Mockups Workshop
  • Fundamentals of Orchestral Conducting
  • 4-Star Hotel Accommodation

The Fundamentals of Film Scoring program will present and provide learners with the practical, creative, conceptual ideas and fundamental techniques of successfully composing a score for the screen. It examines the responsibilities, workflows and processes of the composer, from initial commission through to the final completion of the score. During the program, participants will compose and record four pieces: starting with solo piano, then gradually working on more complex structures such as a nine-member mixed chamber ensemble and a strings/ harp/ piano ensemble; finally, participants will score a scene from a major Hollywood movie and have it recorded with a 38-member orchestra and dubbed to picture.

This program is the perfect starting point for musicians, composers and producers who want to explore composing for scoring for film, game, TV and other visual media. It addresses professional and non-professional musicians, composers and producers, and will provide participants with material for their compositional portfolio, a pre-requisite for successfully pitching for scoring engagements.

“Life-changing“ is the term I hear most associated with this course. At the end of the three weeks, each participant will have scored a real scene for a real movie in a professional recording studio with professional musicians, conductor, scoring supervisor and recording engineer. In addition to the learning experience, each composer leaves with the beginnings of their professional portfolio. It takes years to build up a professional film scoring portfolio, and composers have to start somewhere. This is the place to start. Friends for life are made here in Varna, the surroundings are beautiful, inexpensive and the people very friendly. This year, we have added three new separate programs: MIDI Mock-Ups, Music Supervision, and Fundamentals of Orchestral Conducting”. Derek Gleeson, Program Director

Download the Course Programme Here

Ireland’s Folk Whirlwind ‘The Eskies’ Tour Australia

Rhythm Section presents Ireland’s The Eskies as they bring their high-energy brand of folk noir/gypsy jazz/sea shanty and swaggering stage spectacle to Australia in 2018.

The band has been rousing ballrooms and booze houses far and wide, sullying soirees and lowering inhibitions of get-togethers and social occasions wherever they have ventured.

Skipping through the dark side of anything that makes you want to dance, The Eskies are purveyors of music that meanders from sea soaked waltz to Italian tarantella, from brassy funeral march-esque lament to weep along Klezmar knees up, and from chain gang holler to ragtime finger snap. An Eskies show is steeped in melodrama and usually not a small amount of tongue in cheek.

The band has undertaken extensive tours of Ireland, the UK, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands as well as squeezing in their first-ever appearance at the hallowed Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and have featured on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Loose Ends’ with Clive Anderson.

The Eskies’ first Australian sojourn includes The Port Fairy Folk Festival, along with Melbourne, Sydney and regional dates and their new album ‘And Don’t Spare The Horses’featuring single ‘All Good Men’ and ‘I’m Not Sorry’ is available through all online stores now.

Album Quotes

“Theatrical vocals, sleazy brass and guitar lines like Django Reinhart huffing petrol… music that makes you want to swing from the chandeliers… Rowdier, Wilder and Weirder’ – Gigsoup

“A triumph of a second album… An uproarious, riotous assembly of song, sin and celebration… A marvellously over the top long player. Long live The Eskies” –Narc Magazine

“A street corner sort of brass band, a male corus worthy of Greek theatre and a stash of swinging folk songs, this is a bundle of joy” – Vangard Magazine

“The Dubliners for the internet generation” – The Irish World

Tour Dates

Wednesday 28 February
The Heritage Hotel, Bulli, NSW
Doors at 7:00pm, $22 + bf
Tickets: http://bit.ly/TheEskies-at-TheHeritage

Thursday 1 March
Leadbelly, Newtown, NSW
Doors at 6:00pm, $20
Tickets: http://bit.ly/TheEskies-at-Leadbelly

Friday 2 March
The Spotted Mallard, Brunswick VIC
Doors at 6:00pm. $20 + bf
Tickets: http://bit.ly/TheEskies-at-Mallard

Saturday 3 March
The Old Castlemaine Gaol, Castlemaine, VIC
Doors at 7:00pm, $30 + bf
Tickets: http://bit.ly/TheEskies-at-OCG

Sunday 4 March
The Mordialloc Food, Wine and Music Festival, VIC
Doors at 11:00am, Free entry
Info: http://bit.ly/2j36Cxy

Thursday 8th March
The Skylark Room, Upwey, VIC
Doors at 8:00pm, $20
Tickets: http://bit.ly/TheEskies-at-Skylark

Saturday 10th – Monday 12th
The Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy, VIC
Tickets and Info: https://www.portfairyfolkfestival.com/

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