After previously releasing two albums and touring together for four years, the acoustic four-piece known as Garrett Wall Band have decided to rename themselves Track Dogs and will be back touring Ireland in March in support of their eponymous new album.
The current single "Move a Mountain" is on the RTE Radio 1 playlist and is also enjoying great airplay in Spain where the band are based. The new album is released digitally worldwide on March 25th and will see a shop release in Ireland on April 8th.
The album features 10 songs and two instrumentals including a reworking of the Nick Drake classic "Hazey Jane II" which was well suited to the band's unique line-up of trumpet, cajón, guitar and bass with four vocals.
The video to the band's current single was filmed in the west of Ireland around Lahinch and Clifden and was shot by Irish photographer Ronan Kirby who has also crafted 12 inspired photographs to accompany each song on the album and will feature in a 32 page booklet included with the physical release and a 17 page digital booklet available with the iTunes version of the album.
The bands Irish dates are
March 23 – Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
March 24 – Monroe's, Galway
March 25 – Backstage Theatre, Longford
March 26 – Harbour Bar, Bray
The Madrid-based band will also be embarking on an extensive tour of Spain with 18 dates already as part of their plan to play all 52 provinces of Spain in 2011.
With Cavan already well on in preparing for yet another huge festival of Irish music this summer when the All-Ireland Fleadh will bring upwards of 300,000 visitors to the county town for the second year in succession, the Breffni County’s annual ‘Nyah Festival’ is a great way to whet the appetite, and it starts with a major show this Friday, 11th March featuring singer-songwriting legend Charlie McGettigan and other great artists.
Hosted at the Cavan Co Museum in Ballyjamesduff, Friday’s concert will see Charlie joined by fiddle virtuoso John McBreen and storyteller Eamonn Maguire in what promises to be an unforgettable night’s music and craic — and a great opening for Nyah 2011 and indeed another great year of the tradition in Cavan. (doors at 8pm, show 8.30pm, adm €10, pre-book at 049 854 4070).
Other features of Nyah 2011 (see full programme below) include a Fleadh competitions Prize-winners Concert in Lavey Community Centre on Friday 18th March and a Jig of Life Celebration Concert in honour of accordionist Gerry Gorman of Legga, in the Brewery Bar, Arva, on Friday 1st April, featuring accordion legend Bobby Gardiner from Clare and other well-known guests.
MUSIC AND CULTURE
For the month of March the Breffni County will immerse itself in the music and culture and rejoice in being Irish. That’s the message from Cavan’s Nyah committee, headed by Martin Donohoe. But trad enthusiast Martin has also been conscious of leaner times when putting together this year’s programme, so apart from the workshops, only a handful of events have a cover charge, with the majority being free.
“The word ‘Nyah’ refers to the very expression of the tradition: to the soul and feeling that makes it so unique,” explains Martin. “It’s about the lift the music can give to the hardest heart. And what better time than the present to let the hair down and enjoy a collective ‘lift’ from all the doom, gloom and depression?”
TOP MUSICIANS, DANCERS AND SINGERS
There’ll be no shortage of top musicians, dancers and singers in seisiún at the eight Nyah Féile Ealaíon Chontae an Chabhán 2011, he assures us.
The likes of singer-songwriter Charlie McGettigan violin master John McBreen and box-player Bobby Gardiner are just the tip of the iceberg, as a host of top performers will not only showcase their talents, but share them in the extensive workshop teaching sessions that have been arranged with the Cavan Town Comhaltas Branch.
NYAH 2011 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
Wednesday 9th March: Session in Farnham Arms from 10pm.
Friday 11th March: Cavan Co Museum, Ballyjamesduff Co Cavan, Concert with Charlie McGettigan, singer/songwriter, John McBreen, violin and Eamonn Maguire, storyteller; 8.30 pm start , 11pm finish; adm €10 at door; pre-book at 049 854 4070.
Saturday 12th March: Nyah session in Mullen’s Bar, Cootehill with banjo man Mickey McDonnell and friends; adm free.
Sunday 13th March: Family Day in the Tradition hosted by Cavan Town Comhaltas, 4pm till 6.30pm in Keogan’s Imperial, Cavan Town; adm free.
Wednesday 16th March: Session in Farnham Arm hotel Cavan from 10pm; adm free.
Thursday 17th March: St Patrick’s Day Cavan town, 2pm till 5pm. Afternoon session of Traditional music in Farnham arms Hotel hosted by Seamus Fay, Cavan Lilter and the Donohoe Family; adm free.
At 9.30pm the Brewery Bar, Arva has a session around the fire with Gerry, Michael and friends; adm free,
Friday 18th March: Top class Traditional Music, Song and Dance prize-winners Concert in Lavey Community Centre, Co Cavan, 8.30pm; MC Martin Donohoe, ‘The CAVANMAN’, on Shannonside Northern Sound Radio, with special guest performers John Wynne (champion flute player, Roscommon), Gary Lynch (fiddler and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ard Chomhairle member).
Also featured in this concert are Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann & Ulster Fleadh Winners 2010 from the Cavan Town Comhaltas Branch: Seamus Tierney (Flute, Tin Whistle), Orla Finnegan (Piano Accordion), Gareth Tierney (Piano Accordion), Deirdre O'Reilly (Piano Accordion), Niamh Geoghegan (Concertina, Lilting), Kavan Donohoe (Harp), Rebecca Tully (Accompaniment), Aoife Murray (Singing), Thomas Hughes (Singing), Aine McDermott (Lilting) and Savannah Donohoe (Flute).
Other guests include Aoife and Katie Flynn (Accordion, Banjo), Eimer O’Reilly (Fiddle), Seamus Fay (Cavan Lilter), Lavey Set Dancers, Pat Tierney (Flute, Tin Whistle), Fintan McManus (Bouzouki), Peter Kelly and Paddy Galligan (Accordion, Flute), Felix McQuaid (Banjo), Cavan Town Set Dancers, and Cavan Town CCE Branch Youth Group Polka Band.
Adm is only €6, children free. The Concert is presented by Cavan Town Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and Nyah Festival 2011.
Sunday 20th March: Family Day in the Tradition hosted by Cavan Town Comhaltas, 4pm till 6.30pm in Keogan’s Imperial Cavan Town; adm free.
Friday 25th March: Boylan’s Kilnaleck, Session of Music and Song with Philip Clarke & Friends. 10.30pm
Thursday 31st March: Brewery Bar, Arva Night of Songs and Music from Maggie and Kevin Boyle (home from UK) and friends; 10pm, adm free.
Friday 1st April: Nyah festival Jig of Life Celebration Concert for accordionist Gerry Gorman of Legga, in the Brewery Bar (back lounge), Arva, with invited performers, Bobby Gardiner (Clare, traditional Irish Button Accordion, Melodeon and Lilting legend, one of the greatest box players of our time), Maggie and Kevin Boyle, UK (Songs and Banjo), Noel Sweeney (Flute) and friends, Seamus Fay (Cavan Lilter), Eamonn Maguire (Storyteller), John Sullivan (Fiddle) Michael O’Gorman (Singer), Gorman Family. Fintan McManus (Bouzouki), Trevor Bury (Bodhran).
Special guest speaker is Aidan O'Hara, RTÉ broadcaster and writer; MC Martin Donohoe (Accordion, Shannonside Northern Sound Radio),
Adm €5, starts at 9.30pm sharp, limited seating, tickets (first-come, first-served, so get yours early) from Multisound Cavan and Rosie, The Brewery Bar, Arva.
SPONSORS
The Nyah Arts Festival Programme 2011 is subsidised by the Cavan Co Council Arts Office, McQuaid’s Opticians, Comhaltas, Wrangler, Donal Keogan (Imperial Lounge, Cavan), Cavan Co Museum, Farnham Arms Hotel, Sean Tarpey, Shannonside Northern Sound Radio and Fáilte Ireland. The Nyah gives grateful thanks for this support and acknowledges all those others who have provided generous backing over the years.
More info can be had from cavanmusiclive@nullgmail.com; listen for festival news on the ‘Wind that Blows’ radio show on Shannonside Northern Sound (www.shannonside.ie). This two-hour weekly Irish traditional/folk radio show, every Saturday from 6pm to 8pm, is part of the Nyah, Co Cavan arts group’s work in keeping music live and giving all access to the culture.
Champagne corks were popping today for Skully, the Irish, and how should we say this, more rugged looking half of the band Metisse.
The festivities prompted by news from Hollywood that his music is to be used for the new Tristar/Sony Pictures movie 'Soul Surfer', starring Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt,
and Carrie Underwood.
'I'm thrilled ! Metisse's music is always being used by US television and in movies, but this is the first time that a song from one of my solo albums has been used,' stated Skully.
Over the past few years Metisse have become the darlings of Hollywood based music supervisors with their music being used extensively across a wide selection of productions, from Showtimes 'Dead Like Me', ABC's 'The Gates', 'and Undercovers' from JJ Abrams the creator of 'Lost', to 'The Jay Leno Show' on NBC.
The Skully music to be used by Soul Surfer is 'Nomah's Land (for three pianos)', taken from his album 'Without A Voice'.
Soul Surfer release dates:
USA April 8th. UK and Ireland June 17th. Spain June 17th. Italy July 8th.
Two Door Cinema Club have just been announced as the winner of the Choice Music Prize – Irish Album of the Year 2010 for the album Tourist History (Kitsune). Two Door Cinema Club received a cheque for €10,000 – a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) – as well as a specially-commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists And Performers Ltd (RAAP).
The 11 strong jury panel of Irish music media professionals deliberated at length tonight and chose the album from the shortlist of 10 records released by Irish artists throughout 2010. The sold-out event in Vicar Street, Dublin featured performances by 9 of the 10 shortlisted acts (Imelda May is currently in Australia and was unable to attend). The event was hosted by Today FM’s Alison Curtis and was broadcast live in a special broadcast on Today FM’s Paul McLoone Show.
The full shortlist of nominated albums was as follows (albums in alphabetical order):
Adebesi Shank – This is the Second Album of a band called Adebisi Shank (Richter Collective) The Cast of Cheers – Chariot Cathy Davey – The Nameless (Hammer Toe Records) Fight Like Apes – The Body of Christ & The Legs of Tina Turner (Model Citizen) Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) (Hate is The Enemy) Imelda May – Mayhem (Universal) James Vincent McMorrow – Early in The Morning (Faction Records) O Emperor – Hither Thither (Universal) Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Kitsune) Villagers – Becoming a Jackal (Domino)
All of the shortlisted albums are available through HMV in their stores nationwide (with the exception of The Cast Of Cheers album which is only available via download).
In recognition of the role of the Choice Music Prize as an important showcase for Irish music, Culture Ireland supported a delegation of key international music industry press, promoters and publishers to attend the event.
Previous winners of the Choice Music Prize Irish Album Of The Year are:
2005: Julie Feeney – “13 Songs”
2006: The Divine Comedy – “Victory For The Comic Muse”
2007: Super Extra Bonus Party – “Super Extra Bonus Party”
2008: Jape – “Ritual”
2009: Adrian Crowley – “Season Of The Sparks” (Chemikal Underground)
Tipperary born composer Frank Corcoran celebrates the world premiere of his new ‘Songs of Terror and Love’ for bass this 14th March in New York. The performance, by David Salisbery Fry and the North South Consonance Ensemble under Conductor Max Lifchitz, will take place at Church of Christ and St. Stephen on 69th. Street, Manhattan. The work, composed in 2010 in Italy, was set to texts by Jacopone Da Todi for bass voice and Pierrot Ensemble.
In addition The Gregg Smith Singers will record Corcoran´s newest choral score ‘Eight Haikus’ for choir on 15th March in New York. Gregg Smith has with his Gregg Smith Singers been a legend in American music these last forty years, working with Schoenberg, Stravinsky and Eliot Carter and making legendary recordings of new and old choral music.
Frank Corcoran studied in Dublin, Maynooth, Rome and Berlin with Boris Blacher and became the first Irish composer to have his ‘Symphony No. 1’ (1980) premiered in Vienna. Since 1983 he has been professor of composition and theory in the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Hamburg. Awards include Studio Akustische Kunst First Prize 1996 for his ‘Joycepeak Music’ (1995), Premier Prix at the 1999 Bourges International Electro-acoustic Music Competition for his composition ‘Sweeney’s Vision’ (1997) and, more recently, the 2002 Swedish EMS Prize for ‘Quasi Una Missa’ (1999). CDs of his music have been released on the Black Box, Marco Polo, Col-Legno, Wergo, Wergo, Composers’ Art, IMEB-Unesco, Zeitklang and Caprice labels.
Frank Corcoran is a founding member of Aosdána, Ireland’s state-sponsored academy of creative artists.
The Oh Yeah music centre was recently selected by Channel 4 for the filming of the Belfast edition of ‘Sounds From The Cities’. The show, featuring live performances from Japanese Popstars, Tom Smith from The Editors, Imelda May and up and coming Dublin band, The Rumbles, will air tonight, Wednesday 2nd March, at 12:10am.
Matthew Horne, star of Gavin and Stacey, is the presenter, and the show will feature various parts of the Belfast music scene.
The Japanese Popstars, who feature on the show, have just announced their new album “Controlling your Allegiance” will be released this Summer on Virgin Records. As well as Tom Smith (Editors), the album will feature collaborations with various vocalists including Jon Spencer of the Blues Explosion fame, Morgan Kibby from M83, Curtis Jones aka Green Velvet, Robert Smith from The Cure, James Vincent McMorrow and Lisa Hannigan. A full album tour will begin in May to launch the album.
Following the success of his solo releases "Tell Men This" and "Have You No Love" in 2008 & 2009 and the Debut Full Band EP "Nothing Was Delivered" in 2010 critically acclaimed Irish/German americana artist "Yngve" returns with his band "The Innocent" and their new Single.
“Draw A Line” and B-side “Changing Tracks” build upon the traditions of The Band, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, marrying great Americana with a folky, bluesy heart. To achieve the rich warmth on the recording, the band laid the tracks down live on to 1” tape, on one of the last analogue set ups left in the UK at Soup Studios. With Simon Trought (The Kills, Treetop Flyers) recording, the band have achieved a depth of sound that matches Yngve’s soaring skills as a songwriter.
German-born and Irish-raised, Yngve (pronounced Ing-Vuh) has been simmering under the skin of the music industry since 2004. Growing up in rural Sligo in the eighties, his dad’s weekly blues sessions fueled his interest in music. Fast-forward to 2008, Yngve formed new touring band, The Innocent, andhas been making a name for himself since in the London scene. Yngve has (amongst numerous headline appearances both solo and with a full band) shared bills with acts as diverse as Deathray Trebuchet, Danny & The Champions of the World, Katell Keineg, Treetop Flyers, Television Personalities and Paul Weller. They have also played storming sets at festivals including The Belfast Arts Festival, Secret Garden Party, Castlepalooza and a BBC Showcase at the London Thames Festival.
The band have already won great acclaim in Ireland and have featured live on shows by RTE's Pat Kenny and Jenny Greene and Today FM's Tony Fenton amongst others. Past release 'Tell Men This' was selected by Jump.ie as one of the Best 3 Irish Indie Albums Of 2008. The album track 'Little Boy'was also selected by Irish music mag Hot Press to have a video made for it by the famous New York Tisch School for the Arts. This video was subsequently nominated in the 'Best Solo Male' Category in the 2009 IMTV Video Music Awards.
www.spacetobeyourself.com
www.soundcloud.com/yngve
www.myspace.com/yngve
TOUR DATES:
March
Saturday 19th
The Sky & The Ground, Wexford
Adm FREE | Doors 9pm
Monday 21st
The Chaz Bar, Wexford
Adm FREE | Doors 9pm
Wednesday 23rd
Ryans Bar, Kilkenny
Adm FREE | On Stage 11pm
Thursday 24th
Dalys Bar, Mullingar
Adm FREE | Doors 9pm
Friday 25th
Communion @ The Grand Social, Dublin [SINGLE LAUNCH]
Adm €10 | Doors 8pm
w/ The Hot Sprockets w/ Arrow in the Sky w/ Rachel Austin
DJ Sets by Robotnik + Special London Guest
Saturday 26th
The Chestnut, Birr
Adm FREE | Doors 9pm
Sunday 27th
The Bridgebrook Arms, Thomastown [LIGHTS OFF FESTIVAL]
Adm FREE | Doors 8.30pm
Monday 28th
Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
Adm FREE | On Stage 11pm
Wednesday 30th
Grand Hotel, Killarney
Adm FREE | On Stage 11pm
Thursday 31st
NCAD, Dublin
Adm FREE | On Stage 7pm
April
Friday 1st
Shenanigans, Sligo
Adm €10 | Doors 8.30pm
Support From 'Red Brick House'
Saturday 2nd
McGinleys, Letterkenny
Adm FREE | On Stage 11pm
Announcing exciting new creative opportunities at the Grainstore, dlr’s Youth Arts Facility. If you’re between 12 and 21 and interested in music, radio production, visual arts, clowning, film or visual arts then this could be for you.
The Grainstore, opened in November 1999 and has encouraged the artistic development of hundreds of young people. Located in the heart of the park, Cabinteely, it is a picturesque building for young people to actively engage in the arts. The Grainstore boasts a multi-purpose hall, workshop space, a rehearsal room, an artist studio, an office, a reception area and an outdoor performance space for children and young people from 3 – 21 years. It is also home to Canvas, the youth arts committee who selected and developed the latest opportunities for their peers to get involved in!
Garageland At The Grainstore is a 5 piece educational programme for young musicians. Featuring a wealth of music business personnel, guest musicians, and lecturers, Garageland is bringing it's very significant bank of knowledge to this brand new programme – the likes of which has not happened before!
ASIWYFA are back. Not only with a new FREE digital download single release ‘Search:Party:Animal’, but a new label and album number two, which will blow your socks off!. The band now on The Richter Collective Label recently parted company with the label that introduced them to the world, Smalltown America. Rory Friers from ASIWYFA commented “We went our separate ways on this record totally amicably, they are our favourite people in the world and we will, I'm sure, all be working together on some level again along the way, thank you guys”. The new single ‘Search:Party:Animal’ is available now as a FREE Digital Download from www.richtercollective.com and will be released as a 7” Vinyl on April 04th 2011, also available free with the digital single is a ‘Stem’ version which fans can download freely and remix themselves.
Known for their unrelenting tours that have seen them play over 300 gigs since the start of 2009, Belfast’s And So I Watch You From Afar (ASIWYFA to their fans) don’t know how to take a break. From appearances at SXSW, Eurosonic, Electric Picnic, Novarock, Canadian Music Fest, Popkomm, Pukkelpop, Sonisphere, to tour dates in Europe, North America, Russia and a support slot for rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, the instrumental band have been on the road playing music non-stop since the release of their fan-stirring debut self-titled album.
In between, the band were nominated for a Choice Music Prize for Irish Album Of The Year and XFM’s New Music Album Of The Year, released The Letters EP in February 2010 and a stop-gap tour single ‘Straight Through The Sun’ in November 2010.
As part of the FREE digital download single release ASIWYFA are running a competition on the band and labels facebook for fans to enter.
1. Fans are invited to create the artwork for this single ‘Search:Party:Animal’ which will be used for the physical release
2. Fans are invited to send in their mix of the single ‘Search:Party:Animal’ and the winning mix will become the B Side to the 7 inch vinyl release.
The single ‘Search:Party:Animal’ is available now as a FREE digital download from www.richtercollective.com and will be available as 7” Vinyl from April 04th, the track is the first single to be released from the bands second album, ‘Gangs’ which is due to hit stores on May 02nd 2011 on The Richter Collective label. ASIWYFA will be announcing a UK and Irish tour in the coming weeks, check the links below for details.
