Month: November 2020

Today, Irish singer songwriter Oliver Cole releases his new single ‘Choose Carefully, Emily’

Taken from his recent widely acclaimed album ‘Father, Brother, Son’, ‘Choose Carefully, Emily’ is a song written and performed by Oliver Cole and his daughter Emily when she was 4 years of age. It came about quite organically – there was a ukulele hanging on the wall in the kitchen and Oliver would sing the song to Emily while she was eating breakfast to make her laugh. Emily would suggest different fruits and seeds and Oliver would incorporate them into the song. On one level the song seems quite silly, where whatever seed Emily eats, she turns into that fruit or plant and takes on its physical characteristics. On another level it’s a song that offers some sage advice to Emily – that the decisions she makes in life will have consequences. It becomes a kind of little fable and finishes with the line “if you’re gonna eat some kind of seed, choose carefully, Emily”. The song is accompanied by a handcrafted stop motion animated video, meticulously put together by Richard Davis.

Having had some success with his first band Swampshack, Oliver Cole formed the three-piece rock band, Turn. Oliver was Turn’s singer, songwriter and main guitarist, and they soon signed to Infectious Records in London, which was home to Muse, Ash and Garbage, among others. Turn enjoyed great success and popularity, playing sell-out gigs at Vicar Street and a packed to the gills standout performance at the Oxegen festival in 2005.

They released three Irish Top 10 albums and were nominated for Ireland’s coveted Choice Music Award. Oliver left the band in 2006 to begin work on his first solo album, ‘We Albatri’, which was recorded in Germany. Upon its release, The Irish Times gave the album 5 out of 5 and made it their album of the month.

Oliver continues to progress his career as both a songwriter and solo artist, his most recent album ‘Year Of The Bird’ was released to huge critical acclaim in 2015. Oliver is a well-respected songwriter and continues to collaborate and tour with some of Ireland’s biggest names such as Glen Hansard and Gemma Hayes to name a few. 

‘Father, Brother, Son’, is an album about recovery and redemption, the healing that begins after the acceptance of the loss. It features Graham Hopkins (Glen Hansard, The Frames, The Cranberries), Robbie Malone (David Gray) and Colm Querney (Lir) as well as his old Turn bandmate Gavin Fox.

In the short time since its release ‘Father, Brother, Son’ has received praise from all quarters with RTE and Newstalk making it their album of the week. Tony Clayton Lea from the Irish Times said:

“Father, Brother Son is full of gorgeous meaningful tunes that everyone needs to hear right now.”

‘Father Brother Son’ is Oliver Cole’s third album. Unearthing themes of life and loss, birth and death, it explores the path from grief to recovery, what we have and what we leave behind. It is available on vinyl and digital download from Bandcamp.com

Award winning folk/country songwriter Kenan Flannery set to release an emotional and extremely personal EP following the success of ‘Bedroom Sessions Lockdown Demo EP’.

During the first lockdown in Ireland, Kenan decided to spread some creativity and joy by releasing a 5 track acoustic Demo EP. The record went down great, successfully gaining tons of airplay and reviews. The record was received extremely well by critics and listeners alike.

Now in the midst of Lockdown 2.0 in Ireland, Kenan has decided to record and release a set of 3 tracks written and refined during a set of socially distanced jam sessions, before the start of the second lockdown.

‘I’ve Been Condemned’, released 4th December, takes a darker and more emotional direction, discussing substance abuse, depression, heartbreak and sorrow. This EP offers its listeners a more honest and personal insight into Kenan’s writing mind, and it puts all the pure emotion in full view.

The discussion of mental health, especially the stigmas surrounding men, is huge at the moment. Kenan uses this record to emphasise the importance of speaking out, and he does not hide nor sugarcoat any element of mental illness or substance abuse. These are silent killers in our society, and this EP will hopefully make the listener take the lyrics, music and overall emotion into consideration, and remind them that they are not alone. 

Kenan Flannery is a 21 year old award-winning songwriter from inner city Dublin. He began playing guitar from the young age of 5 years old and from the beginning fell in and out of love with music but in 2016 he began to really commit himself to the artform and by the year’s end he was awarded the Songwriter Award at the Irish Youth Music Awards in the Aviva Stadium. 

He went on to release two singles and a set of demo tapes to great success and played in some of the biggest venues across Dublin including Croke Park,  The Aviva Stadium, The Smock Alley Theatre, The Helix Theatre, The Workman’s Club and The Sound House, just to name a few.

His musical influences are very folk and country driven, including the likes of Johnny Cash, Passenger, Townes Van Zandt, Benjamin Todd and Ireland’s own David Keenan.

Kenan has been praised for this raw, raspy voice and unique finger picking style. He sets a heavy focus on the emotional content of his music, writing about extremely personal and emotionally driven topics.

One of the best Irish songwriters at the moment. 

Kenan’s music has been described as poetic and the, “embodiment of an old soul in a young heart.” It’s been said that Kenan’s vocals, “hit you with the intensity of a hundred Irish poets and musicians that came before this man.” (Noely- Dublin’s Near FM Radio), and that he has, “authenticity and texture in his voice and guitar playing that draws you in.” (Covert Music Club)

Due to Covid-19, Kenan’s been forced to postpone many shows such as a headline slot at the Button Factory and a slot at one of the biggest country festivals, The Red Ants Pants Festival, in Montana, America.

In the meantime, he’s been working hard behind the scenes recording his own music, collaborating with other artists and recently helped start up the folk and country collective/label called ‘Old Soul Records’. 

Presave Link:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kenanflannery/ive-been-condemned-2

Website: www.kenanflannery.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenanflannerymusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KenanFlanneryMusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlanneryKenan
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGmGAEzMHaN_ez8mXwwqx2Q?view_as=subscriber
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4czYxbU4nFivWSNpxFb401?si=HYUFN_vrQty9qxqZtYnngQ

The Love Buzz are Ireland’s most exciting psychedelic punk band. Blending elements of alternative, indie and punk rock, the band dropped their debut releases last year and ripped through Irish venues with their raucous, frenzied performances before… well, you know. Since then, the boys haven’t stopped working, hitting the studio hard, polishing their sound and recording their best material yet. New track ‘Harp’, out 27th November is a must-listen for fans of Charly Bliss or Milk Teeth and, for those well versed in the Irish music scene, they’re picking up some Fangclub vibes too.

This latest offering builds further on the trio’s exciting, caustic sound; a raw take on independence, sexuality and chemical experimentation, telling stories of love and loss in a tongue in cheek unapologetically punk manner. It is a reflection on, “on the freedoms and the isolation that comes with being part of the currently depleting music industry. Hope gained and chances lost is the main theme of ‘Harp’. Where we can go and what our identity is in the music scene and what it all means to us is an important part of this year’s creative process.”

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Hot on the heels of his Afrocentric EP ‘I-Dey’, Breezy Ideygoke hits us another heater in the form of ‘Double Up’. On a bouncy riveting beat produced by DJ CC, iDeyGoke delivers rapid-fire verses with utterly fresh lyricism, swiftly switching between English and Yoruba, sharing his philosophy of life. iDeyGoke shares, “Doubling up comes from the term work twice as hard to get half as much back and it goes against that, so it’s the idea of knowing you worth and working for your own success and hoping that you are going to be compensated accordingly for that. If that no the case then it’s time to start doubling up. You double down and catch up on the value you think you deserve x2.” 

‘Double Up’ arrives with a music video directed by Rosie Barrett, filmed by Albert Hooi, choreography by Jay Asolo featuring dancers Tobi Omoteso and Sly Sod on a set curated by Angela Mulhern. 

Breezy iDeyGoke is a rapper and producer who first emerged under the alias Lil Breezy in 2012 with the ‘REALationships’ EP. Renowned for his enigmatic performances Breezy toured with the mixtape project AfroBreeze (2017) across Europe, with shows in Liverpool, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Malta as well as the Irish festival circuit with the Sim Simma Soundsystem.

Focusing on a growing outreach, Breezy expanded his fan base by collaborating with Sim Simma Soundsystem. In June 2019 they released the Pass The Aux Cord EP which features the single ‘Yamma Yamma’, That track earned lots of love with support from Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1, District Magazine, plus a place on Nialler9’s best Irish MCs in 2019 list.

Raised in Ireland with a Yoruba background, Breezy had a childhood split between Dublin and the country fields of Louth, Ireland. iDeyGoke’s rap often features tales of life journeys through witty punchlines. Touching everything and any sound with his bars, from old school hip-hop to house, R&B and AfroPop. In July 2017, with Irish slang, London twang, and Yoruba vibes, Breezy released AfroBreeze independently through his imprint BDBreeeze Media.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BreezyiDG
Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/ideygoke
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ideygoke
Website – https://www.bdbreeze.com
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/5uooQNkwZWN7pFsumZWFcA
YouTube (Channel + video links) – https://www.youtube.com/c/bdbreezemedia

Kenneth O’Regan, a Cork man, but residing in Dublin for over 20 years, is a singer, actor, producer and star of the hit international touring show The Rock Tenors. On 30th November he will be releasing his 1^st Christmas single, ‘Hallelujah Christmas Time’ on November 30th. This is Kenneth’s 3^rd release of the year, having released the single ‘Crosstown’ and a 3 track EP called ‘Every Moment’ earlier in the year.

Kenneth has starred in shows like, The Three Tenors, The Rock Tenors, Riverdance and too many musicals to mention, but, like every other live performer in Ireland, was left with a bleak outlook for the future with the onset of Covid19. He chose a new direction and decided to release his own music.

Kenneth has been writing and composing for some 20 years or so but until now, has always been reluctant to release anything. Kenneth says,  “I would say I have written well over a 100 songs and quite a few are actually fully arranged and orchestrated. But, I have always been more comfortable playing a role, being someone else, in a show or production. Being myself on stage has always scared me a little so I suppose, releasing my own music meant me being more exposed. The current situation we are all living through has probably ignited a spark in me or something. A wall of sorts has come down and that fear has subsided.”

Collaborating with Kenneth on his song is Barbara Galvin. Barbara is a native of Dublin. She is an award winning classical crossover vocalist and one of Dublin’s best kept secrets. Her contemporary vocal has a warmth and soul not often heard in a vocalist with a classical background. She is probably one of Dublin’s most “in-demand” singers.

Kenneth says, “‘Hallelujah Christmas Time’ was originally a solo song. I was rehearsing with Barbara in late January or early February, and played my song on piano for her. She loved it so I asked her to sing a verse just to hear it with a female voice and, that was it, from the moment she sang her first line ‘Holding me close, don’t let me go…’, I was sold. It was always going to be a duet after that.”

Kenneth and Barbara will be performing live on the YouTube channel, The Ivory Sessions, on the 30th November. Host, Mark Cahill, will accompany them with his own unique piano arrangement of ‘Hallelujah Christmas Time’.

‘Christmas Tears’ by Irish singer-songwriter Helen Agnes D has been released at a time in when the celebration of Christmas itself has been made difficult for people all over the world. ‘Christmas Tears’ evokes bittersweet memories of Christmas past and brings to mind those who can’t be with us for Christmas 2020.

The song features a group of international musicians. There are two versions one an arrangement by GRAMMY-nominated and Juno Award-winning producer Roger Ryan (Nashville).

This CD is dedicated to the memory of Karen Waters, who died of childhood cancer on 11 April 2003. She was 13 years old. Karen was a multi-talented girl who loved to sing. At primary school she was in the National Children’s Choir, and was a member of her school choir in secondary school. She was also a keen artist and won a Merit Award in the Texaco Art Competition. Lively, determined and full of potential, Karen’s personality touched everyone she met. All funds raised from streaming and CD sales will be donated to Karen’s Fund – Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

The CD is available for €5 from https://helenagnesd.com/

And all all digital platforms via – https://helenagnesd.hearnow.com/

helenagnesd.com
facebook.com/helen.dunne.1420

Today, Wednesday 25th November, Ailbhe Reddy releases an acoustic version of ‘Time Difference’, which was the lead single from her critically-acclaimed debut album, ‘Personal History’. 

Pitchfork commented that Ailbhe has, “a lyrical voice that flits between clinical detachment and startling closeness“; the Irish Times wrote that, “those who admire the likes of Mitski, Julia Jacklin and Phoebe Bridgers will find much to like here“; and The Line of Best Fit called Ailbhe, “an artist who finds strength in sensitivity, and who uses space and time to convey her experiences in an intensely moving way.”

‘Personal History’ was named BBC 6 Music’s ‘Album of the Day’, RTÉ Radio 1’s ‘Album of the Week’, PlayIrish Radio’s ‘Album of the Week’ and The Line of Best Fit’s ‘Album of the Week’ upon its release. 

The original version of ‘Time Difference’ was produced by Erland Cooper and Tommy McLaughlin (producer and touring member of SOAK). It has received over 4 million radio impacts in the UK and Ireland.

Written on the precipice of a break-up, the song captures a moment of realisation as two lovers find their lives veering in opposite directions. Personal and poignant, the track was written in the middle of a run of dates with Will Varley in 2018, as Ailbhe began to embrace the out-of-hours lifestyle demanded of a touring musician. Alone in her hotel room after a show in Glasgow, the disparity between the city’s bustling nightlife with her own isolation seemed to echo the vacillating feelings of loneliness and excitement she felt at that time in her life. Pausing in a moment of reflection and realisation, ‘Time Difference’ fell into place there and then.

‘Time Difference (Acoustic)’ by Ailbhe Reddy is released on all platforms on Wednesday 25th November 2020. 

Dublin four-piece The Riptide Movement have just released their beautiful Christmas song ‘Turn On The Lights’. The song is full of hope and is truly of the times – perfectly complimenting the current Guinness Campaign #KeepTheLightsOn on which it features.

The Guinness #KeepTheLightsOn campaign quite literally shines a light on pubs, highlighting their readiness for a safe reopening. 

Recorded and produced in Sonic Ranch Studios, Texas with GRAMMY Award winning producer Ted Hutt the song is accompanied by a beautiful, nostalgic video of Dublin City at Christmas. Filmed by Crooked Gentlemen in pre-Covid times.

With six studio records to their name – most notably the RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated, Gold selling, Number 1 Album ‘Getting Through’. The Riptide Movement are renowned for their live shows and feel good anthemic songs like ‘All Works Out’, ‘You & I’, ‘Elephant In The Room’, ‘Changeling’ and ‘Something Special’. 

Hailing from Lucan, The Riptide Movement’s music has taken them all over the world from Main Stage at Electric Picnic to Glastonbury and Benicàssim. Their extensive recent ‘Something Special’ tour included a blistering headline performance at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. From busking on their native Grafton street to playing with the BBC Orchestra, Neil Young and The Rolling Stones, music has taken the band from Ireland to India, America, Russia, Australia and everywhere in between.

‘Turn On The Lights’ is out now on all streaming platforms and digital formats.

Sharon Shannon announces her latest studio album, ‘The Reckoning’ will be released on November 27th this year. This album was composed, written and recorded in its entirety during lockdown, featuring over a dozen remote collaborations from locations across the globe. Sharon is pulling out all the stops this year with her most innovative and original album to date. All the tracks on the album are newly composed original tunes and songs which are co-written by Sharon and band members and various guest collaborators.

Discussing the album, Sharon says: “Normally when we work on an album, we do one track at a time. But with this it seems to be an avalanche when you’re working on thirteen or fourteen tracks every day. It’s like a minefield!”

One of the founding melodies of the album was formed in an unlikely Lockdown scenario when Sharon received a Facebook Challenge from Robbie Henshaw to learn a new skill. After five days of intense practice, the viral ‘Jolly Roger’ Facebook video was born. The clip of Sharon and her electric guitar has accumulated over 289,000k views since its upload. If you listen closely, you can still hear Sharon’s original riff included in her track, ‘The Reckoning’

Since learning the electric guitar, something unlocked in Sharon’s creative muse. Tunes began to flow out of her and the first day she played ‘The Beast From The East,’ she knew there was something special here. According to the artist herself, a true artist doesn’t know how, why or when a creative streak will come to them. It cannot be controlled but if harnessed properly, magic will happen.

In light of travel restrictions, ‘The Reckoning’ achieves the impossible by combining the talents of musicians from across the globe, boasting one of Shannon’s most versatile creative ventures to date. The album finds its roots in Harmony Hall in Japan before making its way to Scandinavia with Nordic Folk band Dreamers’ Circus, to Jamaica for a Reggae reimagination of ‘Mursheen Durkin’ with Linton Kwesi Johnson, all the way back to a production studio in Lanzarote with previous collaborator and Lanzarote resident Craig Mulvagh.

Also featured on the album are former collaborators, Donal Lunny, Justin Adams, Dennis Bovell Dub Band and Le Vent du Nord from Canada. Producer Craig Mulvagh also worked with Sharon previously, engineering her ‘Sacred Earth’ album in 2016. Mulvagh faces his greatest challenge to date in bringing his coterie of Spanish, English, Scandinavian, French Canadian, West Indian, Irish, Hungarian and Italian musicians together to create a musical experience like no other in ‘The Reckoning’.

Sharon Shannon is an iconic Irish musician known for her arrangements of traditional tunes and Irish-influenced compositions. She has earned her name as a pioneer in the industry through her eccentric collaborations, not just in traditional music, but across multiple genres; Hip Hop, Cajun, Country, Classical and Rap. 

In conjunction with the NUIG Music Department, Shannon will be filming the first in a series of Master Classes, to be filmed in December and used as part of the NUIG Music Degree. These will be made available online with new lessons uploaded on an ongoing basis.

Sharon Shannon acknowledges that this album would not have been possible without the continued support from the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht.

‘The Reckoning’ will be available on all online platforms from November 27th

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