Month: July 2011

The Irish Composers’ Collective will host an audiovisual concert, "Eyes and Ears", in the Kevin Barry Room of the National Concert Hall on Wednesday 27th July.

"Eyes and Ears" will feature collaborations between six composers and five visual/video artists, a first for the Irish Composers' Collective and something they plan to do more of in the future. One artist responding with visuals, one with sound, this evening of premieres shouldn't be missed.

The evening will feature Bryan Dunphy & Karl McHugh, Francis Heery & Catherine Harty, Bill McGrath & Alexis-Francois Morand, Anna Murray, Natasa Paterson & Eileen Carpio, Dennis Wyers & Alexandra Hanes.

Saturday July 16th – Whelans, 25 Wexford Street, Dublin 2

Peermusic, the world’s largest independent music publishing company and Mark Needham/Man Entertainment Inc., have entered into an exclusive songwriting and co-publishing deal in conjunction with Keywest, the 5 piece pop/rock group based in Dublin,Ireland.  The announcement was made by Sam Kling, Vice President A&R, Peermusic.

Wicklow based five piece More Tiny Giants will launch their debut album “King HeSheMe” in Whelan's of Wexford St. On 8th July 2010. “King hesheme” showcases a truly original sound gathering inspiraton from bands such as Tom Waits, The Pixies, The White Stripes and Sonic Youth to name but a few. The band will launch the album with a gig at at Whelan's which will begin at 8pm. All welcome. Entry to the gig will be €7 which includes a free copy of the album. For more information please visit:
www.facebook.com/MoreTinyGiants.
www.moretinygiants.com/

Niall Toner has been a Bill Monroe fan ever since the late 1950s, when as a young man in his native Dublin, he was introduced to Bill’s Bluegrass Music by the son of a neighbour in Harold’s Cross, Fran O’Donnell.
This early introduction led to a lifetime of devotion to this unique brand of American Acoustic music, and also to many meetings with the Father of Bluegrass, most notably in Belfast in 1975, Cork in 1984 and at Bean Blossom, Indiana in 1985.

Bill Monroe died in September 1996, and left a musical legacy that is today, revered, collected and performed the world over. This year, 2011, is being celebrated as the 100th anniversary of his birth in Rosine, Kentucky, in 1911.

It was in Rosine, Kentucky, at the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival in 2006, that Niall began composing his tribute song to the music and life of his music hero. Niall says “I was walking up the hill, towards Jerusalem Ridge, with the sound of the bluegrass bands on stage fading into the distance behind me when I got the idea for the chorus of this song. I had been reading some of WB Yeats poems, and I was struck by Yeats’ description of “peace dropping slow”, in the Lake Isle of Inisfree, as it seemed to be doing in the woods of the Ridge, and by the time I got back to the Festival site, I had the chorus complete. It took me another five years to write the four simple verses in the foothills of the Blackstairs Mountains, 3000 miles away!” (Perseverance!)

William Smith Monroe was recorded in the Toolshed Studios in Nashville in April 2011, and was produced by Keith Sewell (Dixie Chicks, Sam Bush, Lyle Lovett).

WSM is released worldwide on July 4, 2011, and is available on iTunes, amazon.com and Niall’s website: www.nialltonerband.com. WSM is also being distributed to 550 radio stations in the USA and Canada on New Cuts of Bluegrass Volume 3, (in good company with Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson, Grasstowne, Kathy Kallick and others), and is also available for radio station download from Air Play Direct.

www.nialltonerband.com
 

The Spanish film "The magic of hope" aka (el vuelo del tren) directed by the Andalusian-Dublin based directorPaco Torres is participating in the Galway Film Festival on 7th July, at 21.15pm at Omniplex Galway. The film features two version of Eleanor McEvoys song : I Hear you Breathing In. One version is the version from the massively successful “Woman's Heart Album” and the other one is a slower piano version McEvoy did on her critically acclaimed album "Yola". 

It is a well known fact that Ireland is a hive of talented musicians, songwriters, DJs and artists, many of whom never get the opportunity to develop their talents and make the breakthrough required for the world to take notice. Songwriting and production duo, Joe McNally and Elvin (David) Cochrane, have experienced firsthand the difficulties encountered by artists trying to make their voices heard, and in 2010, frustrated at the lack of opportunities for talented artists, they decided to do something about it – UAC Music was born.

UAC Music is a fresh, exciting music production , songwriting and development company from Northern Ireland that specialises in various areas within the music industry. As well as writing, producing and remixing for some of the music industry’s biggest artists under various aliases, the duo have also embarked on a mission to assist up and coming artists in the development of all aspects of their careers, whether that be helping with the final touches of their songwriting, getting songs to a stage where they sound professionally mixed and mastered or even advice on the correct equipment to achieve the best results.

Producer/Writer & DJ Elvin David explains: “The music industry is vast and it became apparent to us in the early stages of our development just how important it is to make the right connections with the right people in the industry and that this was as important if not more, than having total dedication, talent, drive and self belief. Ireland has so much talent going unnoticed and we want to help rectify that.”

Elvin’s partner, songwriter and former Musical Director at Emerald Music Ireland, Joe McNally, adds “Most artists don’t think of themselves as a ‘business’ and therefore they can be missing out on many opportunities to create revenue by operating like a business to maximise their earning potential. There is sometimes a wide gap of knowledge between the musician and the marketing representative who will have the direction, business knowledge and of course the correct contacts within the industry to propel the artist’s songs into the world market. With the advent of the internet, you are only a few clicks away from gaining basic knowledge and fundamentals you may require to move forward, but from there the direction from a professional who has the experience within the industry can only improve your chances of getting heard – providing, of course, the material is indeed strong enough.”

In the past year, UAC Music has formed a working partnership with Northern Ireland independent record label, Yogen Records, where Elvin is also the Sub-Labels Manager. They have also collaborated with Ivan Clarke from Glide and Swerve / Bobcat Publishing on a remix of Boy George’s “Pentonville Blues” and Jason Francis at Premier Productions on the Alex Higgins tribute song, “Alex Was the Man”.  With Yogen Music, they are helping to bring local talent to radio and television, and develop artists from the initial recording process to worldwide release and publishing. The most recent project for Elvin is the Se7en Sessions production of Hollyoaks songstress, Abi Phillips, song “Summer Sunshine”, set to be a summer hit.

For artists trying to gain a foothold in the music industry, and who may be on a tight budget, Joe advises that artists invest in their future development through UAC or a similar service. “The services we offer would have been invaluable to us when we were starting out. Firstly, we would have saved ourselves a lot of money by eliminating the need to constantly buy and sell equipment to find out what was right for us and we also could have saved countless years and months of time spent trying to figure out how to use this equipment to its full potential.”
Joe, an IMRO member since 2001, is also keen to emphasise the importance of attending the various IMRO seminars and workshops, which helped both Joe and Elvin develop their craft, not only as writers and producers, but also helped them to gain a better sense of direction and enhance their self-belief.

So what next for UAC Music? Top of the duo’s list is to become the most successful song-writing, development and production company for new and existing talent from Northern Ireland and further afield, and to increase opportunities for artists to have a higher success rate within the music industry. As well as keeping the hits flowing, above all UAC Music want to keep enjoying what they do and helping to provide a platform for up and coming talent artists who may not be getting the attention they deserve.

For more information on the various services that UAC Music provide, see www.uacmusic.com.

TWENTY YEARS CELEBRATING THE BEST NEW IRISH MUSIC!

It’s showcase time! The IMRO Showcase Tour returns with the very best new Irish music, live at your local venue throughout September 2011. Celebrating twenty years on the road, the 2011 IMRO Showcase Tour is now seeking applications from Irish artists who wish to take part in the eleven date tour. All genres are welcome, from rock to folk, pop to hip-hop and beyond!
 
The IMRO Showcase Tour has been providing a live platform for new Irish music for two decades. In that time, hundreds of music makers have had the opportunity to showcase their talents to thousands of music lovers. Bands and solo acts have performed at Ireland’s most iconic live music venues, gaining new fans, impressing music media, catching the ears of talent scouts and exchanging ideas and opinions with their peers. The IMRO Showcase Tour has borne many successes and fostered a multitude of friendships and collaborations.
 
Commencing in September, the IMRO Showcase Tour will hit the road for the twentieth time, with long time radio partners RTE 2FM and online partners State.ie on board for the rock’n’roll ride. The tour will play out in Belfast, Derry, Dublin, Cork, Mayo, Galway, Kildare and Limerick. The annual ‘End of Tour Showcase’ will take on a new vibe this year and in mid October, Dublin’s celebrated new live music venue The Workman’s Club will play host to a day-long celebration of many of the acts who performed on the 2011 IMRO Showcase Tour. There will also be an educational aspect to the day and a number of shows will be open to music fans of all ages.
 
Bands and artists wishing to take part in the IMRO Showcase Tour 2011, send on a link to your online music profile or website to showcase@nullimro.ie BEFORE 31st July. It’s a music opportunity not to be missed!
 
The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) protects, promotes and develops the collection and distribution of music royalties, fosters music creation and promotes the value of music to the creative, cultural and business communities in Ireland.
 
For details, music, links and more information, join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imro.ireland) and Twitter (IMROireland). For information on IMRO and what it does, log on to www.imro.ie
 

The Contemporary Music Centre presents Play with Music II
 
The Contemporary Music Centre presents Play with Music II, on 17 and 24 July as part of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust Made in Temple Bar Festival, 15 – 24 July 2011. Experience music like never before! Create sounds and images using the latest trends in music technology! Meet inspiring young composers and learn about their work!
 

The Contemporary Music Centre will play host to a range of sound and visual installations from music and multimedia students from around Ireland tailored for children as well as adults.
Play with Music II consists of two different multimedia installations, Handchime  and Wee-Doodle, and offers an exciting opportunity for children and adults to interact with sound and vision.
 

Handchime, created by Irish composers, Edward Costello and Andrew McGovern, is an interactive melody generator, that uses hand gestures to control pitch and sound textures. The installation makes use of both audio and visual feedback, which provides a simple and intuitive way of creating pleasant melodic textures.
Wee-Doodle, created by Irish composer, Eoin Smith, is an easy and fun way of manipulating visuals and sounds, using a Wii remote. It allows users to control audio, draw shapes and generally explore the sonic and visual world in the installation. The idea is simple – take the controller and enjoy a Wee-Doodle.
 

Admission is free and both installations which are located in The Contemporary Music Centre will be open to the public from 12.00pm – 4.00pm, on Sunday 17 and Sunday, 24 July 2011. Booking not required.
The Contemporary Music Centre is Ireland's national archive and resource centre for new music, supporting and developing the work of composers throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. It is used on a national and international basis by performers, composers, promoters and members of the public interested in finding out more about music in Ireland.
 

For further information and to arrange interviews with any of the composers involved contact Karen Hennessy, Promotion Manager, The Contemporary Music Centre, 19 Fishamble Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 8, tel: 01 673 1922, email: khennessy@nullcmc.ie www.cmc.ie



Temple Bar Cultural Trust presents Made in Temple Bar, an imaginative, dynamic and extra special 10 day programme that includes opportunities for young and old to get creative and make their own works of art with over 70 events taking place in Temple Bar,  including premieres of site specific theatre, outdoor movies and specially commissioned art and sound installations. www.templebar.ie
 

Notes for Editors
Play with Music II
 
Handchime and Wee-Doodle
 
12pm – 4pm, Sunday, 17 and Sunday, 24 July

Track Dogs is the new band name for Garrett Wall Band, the acoustic four piece based in Madrid.
 

The band takes its name from the maintenance teams working the subway tracks in New York City. These teams have to look out for each other and are a closely-knit group much like the band of four expats living in Spain who came together in 2007 to make their unique brand of folk-pop. Eschewing the typical band line-up they have opted for Cajón (flamenco box drum) instead of drums and trumpet in place of electric guitar. With acoustic guitar, bass and four vocals the band are constantly evolving both as a live act and studio band as evidenced on their new album, Track Dogs.
 

Made up of two Irishmen; Garrett Wall (Vocals/Guitar) & Dave Mooney (Bass/Vocals), Englishman Howard Brown (Trumpet/Vocals) and Cleveland, Ohio native Robbie K Jones (Cajón/Banjo) the band have already released two albums under their previous incarnation. Perhaps inspired by the new lease of life given to them as a result of the name change the new material shows the energy and freshness you would expect from a “debut” album combined with the confidence and diversity  you would expect from a band with as many miles under their belt as Track Dogs.
 

Track Dogs celebrate the launch of their new album with a headline show in Dublin’s Crawdaddy.