Month: March 2018

Noel Shine and Mary Greene have long been an important element of the folk music scene having released numerous critically acclaimed albums as well as appearing as session singers and players on the recordings of many other artists including Christy Moore, The Republic of Loose and John Spillane.

“I loved this album instantly and have been listening to it constantly. I love the choice of material, especially Mary and Noels’ own songs,” Sharon Shannon

Now with the addition of daughter Ellie Shine to the mix they form the trio Greenshine. Ellie brings a fresh, new voice to the concert stage and airwaves and the close family harmonies they produce are a big feature of their set. Following on from the success of their single and album ‘The Girl in the Lavender Dress’ (No. 1 in the iTunes Ireland Singer-Songwriter Chart, third most played Irish song of 2016 on RTE Radio1) they bring you ‘Dandelion Seed’, a song about the endurance of love and the foundation and strength it brings.

To support the release of ‘Dandelion Seed’, Greenshine will embark on an extensive tour including:

Sun. 15 April 3pm, Chez le Fab, Limerick 

Fri. 27 April House Concert, Tramore, Co. Waterford (email for details)

Sat. 28 April 8pm, Coliemore, The Artist’s House, Cobh, Cork

Sun. 29 April 1pm, The Oliver Plunkett, Cork – All Star Concert for Timmy the Brit

Sat. 5 May 9pm, Central Arts, Waterford – Mary appears as guest of Laura Mulcahy

Fri. 11 May 7pm, An Spailpín Fánach, Cork, Concert for Cork Penny Dinners

Sun. 13 May 8pm, Toons Bridge Cafe, Macroom, Cork 

Sat. 26 May 9.30pm Pepper’s Folk Club, Feakle, Co. Clare 

Fri. 8 June 9pm, The DC Music, Club, Camden Row, Dublin 

More dates to be confirmed see Facebook Twitter  Official Website

Hendrick Lane have just released the visuals for their debut single ‘Tokyo’. ‘Tokyo’ explores long distance relationships merely on the surface but deeply rooted, with the duo conveying a spiritual journey through life. The song undertone highlights their awareness of a higher being, yet materialism in today’s world (‘Tokyo’) constantly leads them astray. They allow themselves to be led, certain that they have not lost their moral compass (“It’s no more than flirting”) searching for a balance between the sacred and profane. The video timely depicts each moment in the song and takes viewers through the artists’ journey from the bar to the gardens and to the distorted scene. The video was recorded courtesy of the East Side Tavern and the Japanese Gardens in Kildare. The video was shot, edited and produced by Dublin Artist and videographer Ovie (https://www.ov.ie).

Hendrick Lane are an Irish duo with a laconic style and rockstar prowess on stage. They mix flows and melodies to create a versatile Hip-Hop sound. Hovay and Sevn gained popularity through recording and writing songs in their bedroom. The young duo bring an alternative style of gritty confessional storytelling to the music scene combining Hip Hop, RnB and Pop.

Hendrick Lane will be playing their debut headline show in The Underground on 30th March at the underground with support from Vocalist Tolu Makay and Cork lyricist Jay Ronic.

Tickets are available on Eventbrite now. https://hendricklane.eventbrite.com

Tokyo is available on all streaming platforms https://fanlink.to/TOKYO

Follow Hendrick Lane on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and SOUNDCLOUD.

Morrissey & Marshall’s have just been announced as the special guests on The Magic Numbers’ forthcoming Irish Tour. The dates are…

8th June – Cyprus Avenue, Cork

9th June – Roisín Dubh, Galway

10th June – Whelan’s, Dublin

The band, today, go to radio with an acoustic version of the track ‘Beautiful World’, from their recently released ‘We Rise Again… Acoustically’ album. Due to the endless debate of whether they are better with a big production and full band behind them, or stripped down to the bare bones with 2 acoustic guitars and two vocals, the Dublin duo decided to release a full acoustic version of their previous album, ‘We Rise’.

This completely live, stripped back version of ‘We Rise’, was recorded in one day and each track was recorded in one take (mistakes and all). There are also two bonus tracks, including 60’s style harmony song ‘Sing To You’, and an older song (and old favourite) ‘One Man Band’, a song Darren Morrissey wrote when he was just 15.

Morrissey & Marshall, based in London, have spent the majority of their time in the capital honing and harnessing a range of classic musical influences to produce a live act of timeless pop-rock appeal. While their debut, ‘And So It Began’, won them plaudits as the finest pair of harmony singers to have emerged on the circuit for decades, Morrissey & Marshall upped their game with a collection of songs to rival those of the very greatest groups. With its raw production and seamless combination of vocal, instrumental and songwriting prowess.

‘Cold November Sunrise’, the first track on the record is an early harbinger of the move back to their rock & roll roots. “The first night we tried it out was in the Barbican supporting Sinead O’Connor,” Morrissey recalls. “It was an amazing night. Our best concert at the time and that song was the turning point. It’s about every topic that was frustrating me –anti-gay attitudes, racial prejudice, war, religion – all crammed into three minutes.”

Anger turns to tenderness when the duo sing of the heartbreaking effects of drug addiction on ‘Love And Be Loved’, a huge, swaying ballad. “Try filling your veins with love,” Morrissey sings, eloquently encapsulating both the problem and the solution.

‘She’s Got Love’ is another big song full of life-affirming energy. The harmony vocals lift the performance to another dimension. The pair sing together with such close empathy and instinctive timing it is as though they have a telepathic connection, a reminder that there is more to close harmony singing than simply hitting the right notes.

The album winds down with ‘I Need You’, a simple ballad sonically, but Morrissey describes this as “the heaviest song on the album”. An elegy for one of his friends who died at the age of 25, ‘I Need You’ is written from the viewpoint of his departed friend’s fiancée, whose emotional devastation at the funeral was overwhelming. “When we recorded this, I was actually crying when I was singing that song,” Morrissey says. “In the second verse you can hear the voice is breaking.”

‘The Light Breaks’ a short, beautiful, acoustic coda rounds off the album with a sense of calm and closure.

Musically, ‘We Rise Again… Acoustically’ is a big step up to the top table of pop. With international release and touring deals in place across Europe and as far afield as Japan and Australia, the words and sounds of Morrissey & Marshall are spreading rapidly.

www.morrisseyandmarshall.com

Singer-songwriter and Bear’s Den touring member Christof van der Ven has announced his long-awaited debut album ‘Empty Handed’. The Dutch musician will release his debut, the culmination of years of hard-touring, writing and recording on the 13^th​^​of April.

Born near Eindhoven in the Netherlands and raised on a steady diet of 1960’s American / English folk and his Mother’s classical music, Christof travelled to Galway in Ireland intending to spend a few months writing and developing songs and ended up staying for 4 years, taken aback by the generosity of the people there, he produced 2 EPs – Springtime (2010) and Honey Tears (2011) before relocating to London where as a pot wash he worked his way up the ladder, eventually working as a chef in a number of London restaurants.

All the while he was writing and making music, two more EP’s followed as well as extensive touring in the UK and US with artists including Bear’s Den, The Staves (who feature on the album, providing backing vocals on ‘Oh When the Night’), and The Boxer Rebellion.

Christof’s debut album is reflective of his already varied career up until this point, featuring music written over a number of years in places all over the world from his beloved Galway, to his home in London and far flung places he has visited with Bear’s Den. The song ‘Montreal’ for example was written while stranded in Canada on tour “Its​ about the end of one era and the beginning of a new one – moving on from old love to a new life” explains​ Christof. This journey is mapped in his music, it’s base firmly in folk but along the way, picking up expansive synths and electronics, alt-pop and the constant lingering sense that deep-down, his noisier sensibilities might get the better of him at any moment.

‘Empty Handed’ is a gorgeous record that draws from influences like Damien Jurado and Fionn Regan, with chest-pounding, Springsteen-esque instrumentation, Grizzly Bear infused subtle arrangements and the influence of years spent on the road in Bear’s Den all coming together to create a record that at it’s very core, has been crafted slowly and carefully by an artist who has honed his craft on some of the biggest and smallest stages in the world.

Talking about the album Christof said: “It’s​ taken me ten years of dragging myself around and playing to whoever would listen, putting out EPs in the hope that they would be heard, and frankly procrastinating in the hope that the elements would combine with enough force to kick my arse into making this album. These songs are the culmination of my experience of the world to date, the story of me and mine from growing up in the Netherlands, over to rural Ireland, here and now in London and everywhere in between. They’ll take you from urban sprawls, to nature’s wilderness, through fugitive love affairs, and home to your beer stained sofa bed (if you have one).”

Christof’s music has also caught the attention of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon who after becoming a fan has invited him to open one of the dates of his huge upcoming residency at the Hammersmith Apollo.

‘Empty Handed’ will be available on the 13^th​^​April 2018. Christof will be heading out on a UK / EU tour in April as well as opening for Bon Iver at the Eventim Apollo on 26^th​^​February and at the ‘Naked Song’ festival with Lisa Hannigan on the 14^th​^​of April in his hometown of Eindhoven.

Links:

Facebook: https://www​.facebook.com/Christofmusic/

Twitter:​https://twitter​.com/Christofmusic

Website: https://www​.christofvanderven.com

‘Alive’ (released April 3rd) is the second single by TAYNE, taken from their forthcoming debut ‘Breathe’ releasing in 2018.

TAYNE is a London based Experimental, Pop, Noise, outfit created by Matthew Sutton.

Described as “Industrial Synth Pop” TAYNE’s music is an aural assault that welds moody, atmospheric vocals, punishing guitars, and overwhelming electronics, to pulsating rhythms; creating a unique listening experience. TAYNE’s live performances are equally as intense as the sounds they deliver.

For fans of Nine Inch Nails, John Maus, Fuck Buttons, PVT, Health, Liars, Lightning Bolt.

“Swathes of dreamy experimental electronica-gaze avail the senses on this upcoming single by London outfit TAYNE.” – Little Indie Blogs

“It’s a perfect single with a dark, driven melody fusing electronica, synth waves and brooding vocals.” – Circuit Sweet

“When you want the sheen and melody of pop music but also feel like chucking a chair across a room. Savagery and distortion combed with vibrancy and gloss.” – The Thin Air

“This is intense, claustrophobic, unstoppable and infectious stuff that you should all put in your gym playlist before going nuts on a treadmill.” – Listen With Monger

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

New Valley Wolves is a rock n roll juggernaut spat out from the back-alley guts of Dublin City. Jonny Lucey and Baz Joyce are sonic powerhouses, forces of nature that play with the impact of a nuclear bomb. If Queens of the Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Black Keys had an abominable baby, and that baby grew up to be a badass musician – it would sound like New Valley Wolves.

Since exploding onto the Irish music scene in 2014, NVW have scorched a path across Ireland, England, Holland and Canada. Their debut album ‘Refusal Is Our Weapon’ was released to critical acclaim at home and abroad. They’ve graced the stages of all the big Irish festivals and were invited to play to a crowd of 10,000 at Appelpop Festival in Holland (which they smashed). Jonny Lucey and Baz Joyce are childhood friends.

Both grew up in Dublin. Diverging paths took Jonny to West Cork and Baz to Australia. When they found themselves back in Dublin – a need to play hard rock drew them together on one fateful night for a friendly jam – the rest is history.

They’ve built their reputation as Ireland’s fiercest live band through relentless gigging at home and abroad. With a sound bigger than an A-bomb and energy that border on psychotic, New Valley Wolves play dirty blues rock riffs with a sinister edge.

New Valley Wolves are back. The Dublin rock duo return with their second record, The Gospel EP, on April 28th in The Workmans Club Dublin followed by a nationwide tour including three dates supporting the epic Black Stone Cherry.

The Gospel Tour will take in the following venues:

April 28th The Workmans Club Dublin. Support from Sub Motion and Scally

May 18th Monroes, Galway. Support tbc

May 19th The Poor Relation, Cork. Support from Order of the Mess and Crojayn

June 2nd Kfest, Kerry

June 5th Dolans, Limerick supporting Black Stone Cherry

June 6th The Academy, Dublin Limerick supporting Black Stone Cherry

June 7th The Telegraph Building, Belfast Limerick supporting Black Stone Cherry

June 22nd Sea Sessions, Donegal

August 18th The Bowery, Dublin

www.facebook.com/newvalleywolves
www.twitter.com/newvalleywolves

‘Making the Grade’ invites us into the world of the piano lesson. Every year teachers and students throughout Ireland prepare for graded musical exams. These exams can be pleasing for some but daunting for others. Each student has their own goal but reaching Grade Eight is considered a pinnacle. This endearing and uplifting documentary explores the bond between piano teachers and their pupils as they struggle through these grades. This is a story of the transformative power of music and the pride and happiness it provides both the students and teachers. It may inspire us all to keep making the grade.

The filmmakers travelled the length and breadth of the country to film with teachers and their students as they prepared for their piano grade exams. The film features characters from as far afield as Kylemore Abbey in the West, to Derry City in the North and down to Crosshaven, Cork in the South.

A limited number of tickets are available to IMRO members to attend the premiere of ‘Making the Grade’ in the Light House Cinema on Thursday 5th April at 6.30pm, followed by a drinks reception. To be included in the draw please email events@nullimro.ie with “Making the Grade” in the subject line.

‘Making the Grade’ is directed by Ken Wardrop and produced by Andrew Freedman. ‘Making the Grade’ is a Reel Art film funded by the Arts Council

Official Trailer: Making The Grade In Cinemas April 13th from Element Pictures on Vimeo.

www.makingthegrade.ie
#makingthegrade
@elementpicturesdistribution
facebook.com/elementpictures

Kodaline are back, armed with their best ever single, ‘Follow Your Fire’, a slice of powerhouse pop produced by hit makers Steve Mac and long-time collaborator Johnny McDaid who both worked on the worldwide smashes ‘Shape Of You’ by Ed Sheeran and Pink’s ‘What About Us’.

It’s taken from their forthcoming new album and looks set to propel them onto an even bigger stage than past glories. It’s a new sound that germinated during their sessions with Kygo, two years ago, on the global hit ‘Raging’.

It gathered pace with last summer’s massive airplay hit ‘Brother’. Now, Kodaline release the epic ‘Follow Your Fire’ on RCA Records impacting May 5th. Ireland’s finest are about to take the world by storm.

“It’s been a while since we released our second album”, says Steve. “But we felt we need to take the time to make sure this was the best album we could make! We are so happy with it and can’t wait for people to hear it!”

“I’ve watched the guys open to new paths towards an exciting and impressive record,” says Johnny. “I think the result of the last few years of writing has delivered some amazing moments that will find their way into ears and hearts everywhere. I’m proud of how far they’ve come and I look forward to where they can go.”

This will be the first collection of new music since 2015’s ‘Coming Up For Air’, which went Gold in the UK. The band’s debut album, ‘In A Perfect World’ has sold over a million copies worldwide and imprinted itself on the nation’s consciousness with streaming figures well into the 100s of millions. On Vevo the band’s videos have had over 200 million views, and they have sold over a million singles.

Kodaline are – singer Steve Garrigan, guitarist Mark Prendergast, bassist Jason Boland and drummer Vinny May.

www.kodaline.com

Track Dogs, the Madrid based band featuring 2 Irish, 1 American and 1 UK musician, will release their 4th studio album ‘Kansas City Out Groove’ on April 6th.  It features the current single ‘I Don’t Wanna Ruin It’ which is playlisted on RTE Radio 1 and is receiving airplay on stations across the country.  The album can be pre-ordered on all streaming outlets & trackdogsmusic.com now.  Pre-orders receive 3 album tracks immediately including ‘The Deep End’, ‘I Don’t Wanna Ruin It’ & ‘Everything Went South’.

The band have also announced the first raft of tour dates with more TBA – on 30^th August they will play Sugar Club in Dublin, followed by an appearance at Electric Picnic’s Trailer Park Stage at 8pm on 31^st August and on 1^st September they will play First Fruits Arts Centre in Watergrasshill, Co Cork.

‘Kansas City Out Groove’ features the band’s striking line-up of 4-part harmonies, acoustic guitar, ukulele and bass alongside cajón and trumpet with a bit of banjo and mandolin thrown in for good measure. The new album is a progression in their sound to a more robust Latin, ‘south-of-the-border’ & Americana feel, as they explain “This is something we’ve almost unconsciously being moving towards for some years. Living in Spain and being surrounded by such a richness in musical diversity eventually seeps under the skin. The lyrical themes have also gotten somewhat darker, counterbalancing the Spanish sun that’s in there too”.

‘Kansas City Out Groove’ was recorded in Madrid at Playground Studios on an analog Studer A80, originally used in Abbey Road in the 1970’s on sessions for Pink Floyd and The Beatles. Working with co-producer and Latin Grammy nominee Germán Gutiérrez, Track Dogs have finally achieved the sound they’ve spend 10 years kneading. Now the dough has risen – the perfect balance between their live gigs and the best in-studio production. Early reactions to the new songs include eclectic references including Manu Chao, Calexico & Juanes.

“We had recorded the previous 4 albums with the same producer and when he moved abroad we were forced to look for an alternative.  Initially this was a scary prospect since we had become so comfortable working at Serenity Studios – so much so we named our last album after the recording sessions there. It was a blessing in disguise however that we found our way to Playground.  We had recorded an ad jingle there the previous year and had been impressed with the sound and overall buzz of the place. Initially we decided to record three tracks; ‘The Deep End’, ‘I Don’t Wanna Ruin It’ and ‘Born in Love’ to “see how it goes” and two of those have gone on to be the first singles off the album.  We were hugely impressed with the studio, thanks to the Gutiérrez brothers, and especially the sound of the Studer A80 analog machine. For a band like us, who tend to do everything somewhat old-school, it was like coming home.  The Studer is an old Abbey Road machine from 1972 and we believe it was used by both Pink Floyd and for some of The Beatles remastering so, who knows what ghosts are in there!”

While Garrett and Robbie are the main songwriters in the band, it’s always a group effort when it comes to arrangements and structure and everyone will have left their individual mark on a song by the time it leaves the studio. The lyrical content of the album delves into strong desires & sentiments – guilt & escape, death and vengeance alongside cinematic tales of compromising situations & gritty realities.

TOUR DATES – more tba:

30^th August – Sugar Club, 8 Lwr Leeson Street, Dublin 2 €15 Booking: 01 678 7188

31^st August – Electric Picnic – Trailer Park Stage 8pm

1^st September First Fruits Arts Centre Watergrasshill, Co Cork €20.00 Book online firstfruitsartscentre.ie

www.trackdogsmusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/trackdogs/

https://twitter.com/TrackDogsMusic

Leitrim musician, Ailie Blunnie, is set to make her Whelan’s main-stage début on the rescheduled date of Sunday 8th April, following postponement due to snow.  

Fresh from Whelan’s Ones To Watch 2018 and Templebar TradFest, and NY Irish Echo’s “top pick for best début album and best début artist in 2017”, the Leitrim singer-songwriter takes her burgeoning blend of experimental folktronica to the main stage of Whelan’s to showcase songs from her critically-acclaimed début album “West to the Evening Sun” (Nov. 2017, Happy Out Records)

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/Asylum Speakers/RTE).

Support on the night will be from Kerry musician and one of RTE Entertainment’s “Rising Irish Stars of 2018”, Junior Brother.

Website: ailieblunnie.com

Facebook: @ailiemusic

Twitter: @AilieBlunnie

Spotify: Ailie.

YouTube: Ailie Blunnie