Month: April 2019

Irish electronic-pop duo, Le Boom, comprising of Christy Leech and Aimie Mallon, are today sharing the flawlessly choreographed video for new single, ‘Just Want To’ which comes directed by Alina Maria Rancier, featuring dancers, Bailey Anglin  and Wendell Gray. The single is taken from the band’s debut EP, ‘All Of My Highs’, due for release on May 3, 2019 when it will coincide with a headline date at Thousand Island, London. The band will spend the summer months touring extensively, ticking off festival dates at It Takes A Village, Live At Leeds and Hit The North as well as headline sets at Trinity Ball and Red Bull Free Gaff.

Following hot on the heels of the EP’s debut single, ‘Be There For You’, this second effort rides upon heavy duty synth lines and butter-smooth melodies. Armed with similar sonic artillery as the duo’s previous releases, ‘Just Want To’ looks to dissect social insecurities and the discomfort we feel when shoehorned into social events. Speaking about the track, Leech says: “‘Just Want To’ is about being part of a scene that you feel you don’t fit into. That feeling we get when we look at the people around us and they all look like life just comes easily to them – like they’ve got stuff worked out.”   

2018 signposted an exciting milestone for Le Boom, it was a year that found the pair performing across some of Europe’s largest festivals, including Primavera, Longitude, Body & Soul and Electric Picnic, whilst also taking their eccentric live show to Reykjavik, New York and Bilbao. The year also found the duo selling out an Irish headline tour – including a stop at Dublin’s 1000-capacity District 8 venue – and achieving playlist success at Spotify, attaining spots on ’New Music Friday’ & ‘Hot New Bands’ amongst others.

UK/IRE Tour Dates

Apr 12 | Trinity Ball 2019, Dublin, IRE
Apr 21 | Red Bull Free Gaff, Dublin, IRE
May 03 | Thousand Island, London, UK
May 04 | Live At Leeds, Leeds, UK
May 05 | Hit The North, Newcastle, UK
May 10 | It Takes A Village, Cork, IRE
May 25 | South Central, Portsmouth, UK
May 26 | Life Festival, Westmeath, UK
Jun 21 | Sea Sessions, Donegal, IRE
Jul 26 | Y Not Festival, Derbyshire, UK
Aug 03 | Indiependence, Cork, IRE

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With four studio albums to their name, most notably Gold Selling, Choice nominated, Number 1 Album ‘Getting Through’ Dublin based, modern rock quartet The Riptide Movement are renowned for their phenomenal live shows & soaring radio ready guitar rock that’s drawn comparisons to U2, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Joy Division, the Clash & Oasis.

Having toured extensively throughout 2018 on the back of critically-acclaimed releases ‘All Works Out’, ‘Elephant in the Room’ and ‘Changeling’, the Riptide Movement released their environmentally conscious three part web series ‘Plastic Oceans’ in November 2018.

2019 has just seen the release of ‘In A Heartbeat’ (A Mix & Fairbanks Remix), the song is taken from their critically acclaimed fourth Studio album ‘Ghosts’, and will be accompanied by the release of the official video directed and produced by the Swedish based director Bjorn Rallare from Papa Bear.

A busy summer of festival appearances awaits.

After a brief hiatus in 2018, experimental dream-pop duo Telephone Explosions return with a new full-length album for 2019. The self titled release will be available to stream/download on all platforms on 23rd April, as well as on CD which can be purchased directly via Bandcamp.

The duo finished writing and recording after the birth of their second child in 2018, and it was co-produced in Audioland Studios with Anthony Gibney, and mastered by Hayley Connolly at Masterlabs. Wide-ranging influences can be heard throughout the album, with drum machines and synthetic chimes sitting comfortably alongside ambient field recordings and hints of Irish traditional. 

The self-released debut draws on themes of hidden transmissions, unsolved mysteries, new life and waking the dead: “Writing about people like Elisa Lam and Lyle Stevik inspired us to capture the wider human experience – the microcosms of despair, the joy, the fear and confusion that we have all felt.” – DF/AM

The album launch takes place at the Teacher’s Club, Parnell Square West, Dublin 1 on Thursday 18th April at 7pm. Entry is free and precedes the official release on 23rd April.

Comprised of Dolores Fogarty and Adrian Mee, the band formed in Maynooth in 2016 and released their first single ‘Pocket’ in January 2017 to a warm critical reception. The band have played at Body&Soul @ Electric Picnic and Sligo Live as well as occasional intimate gigs in Kildare and Dublin.

Connemara Native Áine Durkin achieved an impressive double at the IMRO Sponsored Pan Celtic National Song Contest recently, winning the competition for a second time.

The song ‘Ní Thuigim’, composed by Áine and performed by Daríona Nic Dhonnacha was chosen as the winner from a wide and diverse selection of fantastic songs at the live final with songwriters and performers coming from acorss Ireland-from Donegal to Kerry and from Cork to Dublin. The winning song explores the many problems facing the world today and Daríona’s traditional sean-nós singing voice suited the composition perfectly.

The 300 strong crowd erupted into whoops and cheers when she was announced the winner and there were a huge number of supporters who traveled from both Donegal and Conneamara to the event. The judges with the difficult job of secleting a winner were Emer O Flaherty (National & International Winner 2017) , Fr Liam Lawton (Composer) and Seán ó hÉanaigh (Raidió na Gaeltachta).

The final took place in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre in Visual on Saruday, March 23rd. It was sponsored by IMRO with support from the Pan Celtic, Gael Linn and Glór Chaeetharlach. MC’s for the live final were Bríde De Róiste and John McDarby while Eric De Buitléar was the special musical guest. Musical director for the contest was Ollie Hennessey who also lead the fantastic house band.

Áine is a songwriter, poet and blogger who’s originally from Connemara but has been living in Donegal for almost 40 years. She is no stranger to the Pan Celtic National Song Contest having won the competition in 2013 with her song ‘Le do Thaobh’ and coming runner up last year with ‘Grá faoi bhláth’.

Both women are now hoping to go on to win the top prize at the International Song Contest which will take place as part of the International Pan Celtic Festival in Letterkenny later this month. Her song will go up against songs from Brittany, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and the Isle of Man. She will be hoping it’s a case of three in a row for Ireland, who  won the international competition in both 2018 and 2017. Go néirí go geall libh!

JaXson is the brainchild of Wexford singer-songwriter Luke Jackson.

Luke has been slowly climbing the ladder ever since he began playing under the moniker, JaXson, in January 2017.

Some of his early highlights include played to a packed crowd at Vantastival 2018, playing Sofar Sounds Dublin, supporting Little Hours in Waterford & landing a slot on the RTÉ 2FM Play The Picnic Stage at Electric Picnic!

JaXson released his single, ‘We Were Born’, on 14th September, 3 days after a live version aired on Today FM’s Lost In Music.

The track was hugely supported by Irish radio and has received rave reviews from a number of blogs & magazines. It was also selected for Spotify’s ‘A Breath of Fresh Éire’ playlist as well as being pushed heavily on Discover Weekly & Release Radar.

2019 started with JaXson being chosen as one of GoldenPlec’s ‘Plec Picks’, Ones To Watch for 2019 as well as playing some support shows with Paddy Casey & Hudson Taylor.

In February, he played a support slot for alternative Liverpool band, SPINN, at The Academy 2, Dublin which was promoted by MCD.

JaXson attempts to resonate with his listeners once more as he prepares to release his brand new single, ‘5am’.

It is another powerful offering from the 23-year-old and he hopes it can strike a chord, just like his last single did back in September.

“I just hope it gives people the strength that it gave me and that people really connect to it.”

“That’s what it’s all about for me.”

‘5am’ is available on all major platforms on Friday, April 5th.

www.jaxsonsound.com.

Upcoming shows:

05 April – The Sound House, Dublin*
20 April – Véarsaí Music & Arts Festival
25th April – Mike The Pies **
01 June – Vantastival 2019
21 July – Claremorris Folk Festival
*supporting Adam French
**supporting Aslan

On the final night of their sold out five-night residency in Dublin’s 3Arena, IMRO took the opportunity to present Picture This and their manger Brian Whitehead with their IMRO Award on behalf of their No.1 album ‘MDRN LV’.

The IMRO Number 1 Award was introduced to acknowledge IMRO members who reach number 1 in the album charts here in Ireland.

‘MDRN LV’, was released in February 2019. Produced by Jayson Dezuzio [Imagine Dragons, X Ambassadors], the record represents a creative high watermark for the quartet as they expand their signature style and venture into uncharted sonic territory. The new album includes the current singles ‘One Drink’ and ‘Modern Love’.

The biggest act in Ireland and the nation’s hottest musical export in decades, Picture This arrived as a phenomenon with their self-titled 2017 full-length debut, ‘Picture This’. Certified triple-platinum in Ireland, it held the #1 spot in the Irish Album Chart for four weeks, while topping the Streaming Chart for seven weeks. Moreover, it has been the most streamed album by an Irish act for two years in a row.

Two years since their formation, they’ve impressively sold over 300K tickets, concluding 2017 with a sold-out UK and Ireland tour highlighted by gigs at O2 Shepherd’s Bush London, SSE Arena Belfast, and a two-night stand at 3Arena in Dublin. This summer marked their first stadium tour in Ireland, which capped off with a 35,000-person stadium show selling out over 3 months prior.

The band have just completed their MDRN LV European tour which included shows in London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam and Stockholm. It also included their sold out five-night residency in Dublin’s biggest indoor arena, 3Arena.

Photo: Owen Humphreys

Brew Mbirika has a unique story, Born in New York, he grew up watching some of the most famous bands in the world such as The Ramones, Sex Pistols and more all on his doorstep or otherwise known as CBGB’s.. Before becoming a Vagabond he got his education in Buffalo, New York. His life journey brought him to London in the footsteps of his Icon Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. It was at this time another Icon Joe Strummer gave him the sound advice to move Dublin. 20 or more years later Brew Mbirika is still in Dublin and hopefully will be for many more years..

Faction Records is delighted to present Uly’s debut release on the label, ‘redlight’.

Uly is a solo-project born of Dublin based astrophysics graduate-turned musician/multi-instrumentalist Rafino M.J. Murphy.

2018 finally saw the start of Uly; the project had been waiting to get off the ground for a long time after multiple other attempts and musical permutations fell by the wayside. Recently, Uly has been a part of many burgeoning acts based around Dublin to suit all musical tastes (INNRSPACE, Nealo, DAVIIS, Over Being Under) while also lending his ear as a producer for others (Native Ensemble/Adam Garrett, Ev Carm, Nealo).

For the most part, Uly combines low budget, bedroom-recorded low-fi jams with a little bit of flare – drawing inspiration from a wide array of genres, his diverse musical history and a classical background.

Uly’s next step comes with today’s release of his debut single on FACTION RECORDS, ‘redlight’. It’s a track that sticks with Uly’s hypnotic lo-fi percussive sound. An entrancing bass-line groove sets the tone of the song and pushes it onwards. It brings the listener through a dense sonic landscape, occasionally broken up by Uly’s characteristic brass and guitar hooks.

‘redlight’ is a song made up of a three-way conversation between ULY, himself and a third unnamed speaker.

“[…] Self-examination and self-awareness are not things to shy away from at all – in my opinion everyone should push to have a better understanding of themselves and how they’re wired.

Being able to articulate why you behave/think the way you do can contribute to attaining a better state of mental health and a better understanding of the world around you and your place in it. Sometimes though, you can fall down a rabbit hole – you ask too many of the wrong questions, following unhealthy, negative or pointless trains of thought. It’s at this point you need a sign to slow down or stop – you need a redlight.”

Uly’s upcoming & more recent shows;
 w/ Saba in the Academy Fri 15th March 2019
 w/ Molly Sterling 22nd March 2019 – Sold out
 w/ Nealo 30th March 2019 – Sold out
 w/ DAVIIS 31st March 2019

Stay tuned for more ULY news soon, including further details on releases’ and shows.

Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan has just released ‘Bookmark’, a brand new single taken from her forthcoming album, ‘Live In Dublin’. A spellbinding collaboration with composer André de Ridder and his s t a r g a z e neo-classical orchestra, the project sees Lisa’s sparse, ethereal folk – now backed by strings, percussion and brass – transformed into something truly cinematic and evocative. Recorded when Hannigan and s t a r g a z e took their show to Dublin’s National Concert Hall, following stops at the Barbican and various European festivals, the live album will be released on May 31, 2019, with ‘Bookmark’ streaming here.

A previously unreleased cut from Hannigan, ‘Bookmark’ opens on a solitary droning note, the track slowly cascading into something not of this world. Hannigan’s restrained vocals are augmented by stark, minimalist arrangements, landing close to what the likes of Steve Reich and Terry Riley might pen if they turned their attention to luscious folk melodies. Hannigan explains: “‘Bookmark’ was one of those lost songs that I wrote for ‘At Swim’ that didn’t seem to fit with the rest of that record. I also never could figure out how to orchestrate it beyond my guitar part and it felt a bit stuck. Andre wrote an arrangement for it during the PEOPLE festival in Berlin and overnight it came to life.”

The discography-spanning Live In Dublin follows Hannigan’s critically-acclaimed third full-length, 2016’s ‘At Swim’ (produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner), and arrives in a fruitful musical career spanning 17 years and several award nominations: from the Mercury Prize to Ireland’s Choice Music Prize and Meteor Music Awards. Across it’s fourteen tracks – including the likes of ‘Ora’, ‘Lille’, ‘Fall’, ‘Little Bird’, ‘A Sail’ and ‘Undertow’ – Hannigan’s sublime vocals and soft-plucked guitars and mandolin are delivered against a hypnotic backdrop of waltzing keys, affective string sections and minimalist percussion. The result is something majestic in scope and ambition, and truly beguiling.

This meeting of minds captured on the album was the product of a chance-encounter at Cork’s Sounds From A Safe Harbour Festival in 2015. Both performing at the festival, it was there where Hannigan met André de Ridder and the conductor would discuss his work with his European orchestral collective named s t a r g a z e, who had been busy working with everyone from Nils Frahm and Julia Holter, to Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, These New Puritans and Iceage. The following summer, at Berlin’s PEOPLE Festival, s t a r g a z e would invite Hannigan to perform a couple of her songs with them on stage.

“Sometimes working with classically trained musicians can be slightly nerve-wracking as a singer songwriter because they speak a language so beautifully fluently that I can only fumble towards,” Hannigan recalls: “In a band, so much communication is done through the shoulders, the lift of an eyebrow, the feel of a small group breathing and dancing together. It’s hard to extrapolate that out into twenty, forty, even eighty people! It can feel like a glorious ocean liner tied to a creaking rowboat.” 

Thankfully, Hannigan’s apprehensions would prove to be unfounded: “When we started to play though, it felt like all of s t a r g a z e had climbed aboard my rowboat. They approach a song very much as a band would, with an enthusiasm and musicality which immediately felt like home. I was overwhelmed to hear my songs in such a widescreen way, going from black and white to technicolour, and hoped we could do more.” And just like that, the idea of a live album was born: “The idea of eventually making a record and playing more together felt very natural and easy. Having made three records of my own I had a notion of making a live record but wanted to do it in a slightly more unusual way. We called on some wonderful arrangers over the following couple of years and built our setlist up one song and festival at a time.”

Live In Dublin by Lisa Hannigan and s t a r g a z e is due for release May 31st on digital platforms, vinyl and CD via Play It Again Sam.

PRE-ORDER OR LISTEN HERE 

http://smarturl.it/HanniganStargazeLiD

TRACKLIST

Ora
Prayer For The Dying
Little Bird
Undertow
Bookmark
Anahorish
Nowhere To Go
Lo
Swan
We The Drowned
Lille
A Sail
Barton 
Fall