Month: August 2020

Without the sentinel compass point of Another Love Story, the festival organisers are finding themselves suddenly and startlingly at the point where they normally embark to the bucolic pastures of The Manor – busy creating magic from the scattered dust of their dreams.

So, while they have accepted their collective 2020 fate as best they can, they still didn’t want to let the moment pass, and not to mark the weekend that ALS 2020 was due to erupt without some celebration, and some iteration of the programme they had drawn together over the past 12 months.

IT JUST WASN’T MEANT TO BE presents live performances & Dj sets online from some of the cherished corners of Killyon Manor, and beyond, from festival friends:

ALS 2020 Online will feature live performances from:

jape | Anna Mieke X Glasshouse | Rozi Plain (UK) | The Bonk | Fazer Fazer Fazer (DE) | Rachael Lavelle | Jonny Dillon (solo guitar) | Young Hearts Run Free & More.

SCREENING SCHEDULE:

SAT AUG 15th, 8pm: The ALS Shift Shack Soundsystem LIVE from The Shift Shack

SUN AUG 16th, 8pm: It Just Wasn’t Meant to Be | ALS 2020 Online

Aired (free to view) on www.anotherlovestory.ie | Facebook | Twitch

While already recipients of untold generosity in recent months, organisers are humbly asking viewers to further support their endeavours, and efforts to produce something worthy of the weekend here, and to continue to use the ALS platform to promote and support artists and true artistry, by purchasing a viewing ticket for €10, or donate at their own leisure at: https://AnotherLoveStoryFest.eventbrite.ie

Onwards!

It Just Wasn’t Meant to Be

Please Note: Fazer are kindly presented in conjunction with the Goethe Instut Irland

Bitch Falcon have just announced their long-awaited debut album – ‘Staring At Clocks’ – available for preorder now on Bandcamp. The first single ‘Gaslight’ was released last month and debuted on BBC Radio 1.

10 Tracks strong, the tracklisting includes tracks forged in the white heat of the bands punishing touring schedule which saw them zig zag from Milton Keynes to Hamburg and LA to Leap in West Cork.

The album will be released on Friday November 6th on Brighton’s Small Pond label and a limited edition Orange Vinyl is available to order now at https://bitchfalcon.bandcamp.com/album/staring-at-clocks

Bitch Falcon 
Staring At Clocks
Released November 6th 
On Preorder now

Tracklisting 

1. I’m Ready Now
2. Sold Youth
3. Turn to Gold
4. How Did I Know
5. Staring at Clocks
6. Damp Breath
7. Test Trip
8. Martyr
9. Gaslight 
10. Harvester

https://bitchfalcon.bandcamp.com/album/staring-at-clocks

As anticipation builds to the long awaited arrival of her second album ‘Sowing Acorns’ next month, Limerick singer-songwriter Emma Langford has released a special edition cassette, available on Bandcamp from today, for €10.

The cassette features 5 tracks: the mesmerising title song from the album ‘Sowing Acorns’, recorded, mixed and produced by Chris O’Brien and Graham Murphy, aka The Production Suite, between their Dublin studio and Golden Egg Studios in Laois in 2019; a full reading of Belfast writer Vanessa Ifediora’s poem ‘Off-White Sheets’ which is sampled on the track; remixes by Mayo producer Gráinne Fahy and Belfast producer Arvo Party; and a stripped-back acoustic version.

The ‘Sowing Acorns’ cassette is a profit-share between Emma, Arvo Party, Gráinne Fahy and poet Vanessa Ifediora all of whom played key roles in the song’s journey. Each purchase includes a digital download of the songs too.

Emma says: “I’ve been skeptical in the past about the resurgence of cassettes; I don’t think I know anyone who owns a cassette player, but I get that music-lovers want to have a piece of physical merchandise in their hands when they’re buying music, and there’s a lovely nostalgia factor to having a tape collection. They’re more compact than vinyl too! 

I remember buying singles in my teens – a CD with the extended track, the radio edit, and a remix of the song. My forthcoming album centres on memories and nostalgia, so this Bandcamp Friday special release is a celebration of those things.

As this is a profit-share, I feel it’s a celebration of the community I find myself building around each release. These artists, like so many others, are struggling right now; we’re all dealing with different circumstances: loss of livelihood and income, personal struggles too – this project felt like a clever way to raise a few quid and lift the spirits of music-lovers and my collaborators at the same time.”

The artwork for the cassette is based off of two photos – one from childhood of Emma getting stuck into a good book, and one taken last year by Belfast photographer Conor Kerr. It was created by collaborator Gráinne Fahy who designs graphics, under the name Grainy Graphics.

Buy the ‘Sowing Acorns’ profit-share cassette today via Bandcamp, as the platform are dropping their revenue fees for the day, every cent will go to the artists: https://emmalangfordmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sowing-acorns-limited-edition-ep

Emma will release her second album, ‘Sowing Acorns’, on Friday 18^th September 2020. Pre-order the album at: https://emmalangfordmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sowing-acorns-album-pre-order

www.emmalangfordmusic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/emmalangfordmusic
Twitter: @elangfordmusic
Instagram: @emmalangfordmusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ruX5ljySMbkobTaFQPtPi

From the bear’s lower back emerges Foot Squeaker, who have just released their second single ‘The Wayside’. Three Rock n’ Rollers with one rule: keep it hard and fast. Formed in 2018, Diarmuid and Mike spent that full year sculpting their songs and all the while Mike would quality control the riffage. Mick Byrne joined on bass in early 2019 and the band rehearsed for the next few months.

Citing musical influences such as Neil Young, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Paul Weller, Queens Of The Stone Age, Pearl Jam, Weezer, Supergrass, Blur and Beck, the band wield the combined explorative sounds of the above whilst maintaining an air of individuality.

The band’s first gig was to a packed audience as part of The Gap Arts Festival curated by Marc Aubele (Bell X1, Join Me In The Pines). Comerford had the audience eating from the wood of his Tele, singing along instantly with songs they had never heard in their lives. The band knew they had something special.

In January 2020 they headed to Hellfire Studios, Dublin, to record four tracks with Ivan Jackman (Chad Channing, Sinéad O’ Connor, Girlband). Their debut single, ‘No Connection’, was released 29.05.20. ‘Wayside’ is their upcoming release scheduled for Aug 7th 2020.

Diarmuid says of ‘The Wayside’ lyrics –

“My Da always said he had gotten more hardship than me growing up. I reckon his Da said the same and now I’m saying the same to my sons. There is one thing however that has been consistent with men through time and that’s the inability to talk about their feelings. Us men need to speak up when we need help, reach out to somebody, anybody, just reach out.”

When the live scene returns Foot Squeaker hope to share the stage with some of their favourite Irish rockers: Fangclub, Silverbacks, Bitch Falcon, Thumper and Fontaines DC to name a few.

https://www.facebook.com/footsqueaker/
https://www.footsqueaker.com/
https://www.instagram.com/footsqueakerband/

Introducing Kynsy – the solo project of rising 23 year-old multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Ciara Lindsey – who today releases her debut single, ‘Cold Blue Light. Having previously performed on the Other Voices Music Trail and at Ireland Music Week, the Dublin artist kicked off this year with a whole host of 2020 Hot List features (including 2FM’s Rising 2020 list, Golden Plec’s 2020 Picks, Last Mixed Tape 10 Emerging Acts for 2020 and Hot Press Hot for 2020). 

A velvet-lined boxing-glove that delivers a sucker punch of a chorus as well as head-spinning hooks, the song’s wry lyrics depict fading chancers and their last grasp at relevance. Her louche almost rakish delivery is half world-weary lounge singer, half astute soothsayer. About the track and video, Kynsy said:

“‘Cold Blue Light’ is about the bullies we all encounter in life and looking for meaning in the darkness they create. I wanted to write a song that held some sort of balance between destruction and hope. It’s based on an encounter I had at a new year’s eve party where there was a guy spouting racist remarks at people and it was quite upsetting and stuck with me. The result was a rowdy pop song truck full of sticky anger and synth pop goo. The video was filmed just with a camera on a tripod in my back garden, I wanted it to be direct and simple so people could focus on the music.”   

Moving from the metallic lurch of a nightclubbing Iggy Pop to the icy cool of St. Vincent and the futurism of Julian Casablancas, Kynsy has constructed her own world, one with a playful juxtaposition between the warmth of pitch perfect pop melodies and the stinging realism of her lyrics. 

Watch this space for more music and news on Kynsy, coming soon.

https://www.instagram.com/kynsy

Photo: Paula Trojner

The X Collective, from Oíche Events, is Ireland’s newest collaborative collective of artists and creatives. The group is delighted to announce a special online concert supported by Irish Arts Center in New York City.

Filmed in the popular music venue – The Grand Social and available to stream on YouTube and Facebook from August 9th at 10pm, the special performance will see a diverse line-up of Ireland’s emerging artists showcasing their work.The event will feature performances from Chloë Agnew (Folk-Pop), Gemma Bradley (R&B), ELKAE (Synth-Pop), Tolu Makay (Soul), Shookrah (R&B), Shy Mascot (Hip-Hop-Jazz), Zeenie Summers (Pop-Soul), Toshín (Motown/Soul), and Zapho (Electro-Pop/Soul). 

Rachael Gilkey, IAC Director of Programming and Education, says, “Irish Arts Center is a national and international home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds who share a passion for the evolving arts and culture of contemporary Ireland and Irish America. We are thrilled to introduce our audiences to The X Collective whose energy and spirit of collaboration represent everything that is exciting and dynamic in modern Irish music.”

Founded by music promoter Emily Shaw (Oíche Events) and artist Ele Breslin (Zapho), The X Collective is a music production platform and a community of Ireland’s emerging music makers. Acting as a platform for artists to come together and collaborate in a safe and supportive space, the collective has already welcomed 80 members to the platform and this collaboration with Irish Arts Center is the first international relationship announced from the collective. 

Of the collaboration, Breslin and Shaw said, “We are delighted that Irish Arts Centre have allowed us to put this amazing project together.”

Shaw added: “The X Collective is mass-collaborative in that the music and art produced is the combined efforts and work of it’s artists and creatives. It’s cultural in that it provides a space where different cultures are shared, explored, and nurtured through art, and it’s imaginative in that it promotes combined success rather than individualistic ideologies in striving for solidarity.” Says Breslin, “As a music organisation we were made to modify how we work in this physically restrictive landscape – in particular adapting to a world without concerts and events. In a time of lost connection, our collective has continued to connect, create, and collaborate. Ireland needs a safe place where artists, most of whom have been negatively impacted by the crisis through loss of paid work, can reconnect while sustaining their livelihood and therefore find comfort from the pandemics aftershock.”

“The X Collective: A Modern Ireland in Music” will be streamed on YouTube and Facebook on Sunday, August 9 at 10pm GMT, with all social distancing protocols followed by the artists, crew, and venue staff.

Stream on Facebook:

Stream on YouTube:

60 shows. 50 states. 40 days. What could go wrong? Find out what happens when beloved Irish band, The Black Donnellys set out to break this ambitious world record when Vision Films and Frequency Pictures present the GRAMMY submitted An Irish Story: This is My Home.

Following The Black Donnellys’ Dave Rooney and Dave Browne’s journey across the United States, this joyous, inspiring and hilarious documentary shows the incredible power music has to bring people together and the positive effect that immigration has had on the country. Directed by Karl Nickoley and featuring original music by The Black Donnellys, An Irish Story: This Is My Home is available now on DVD and video on demand.

The Las Vegas-based Irish band, The Black Donnellys are no strangers to world records, with Dave Browne currently holding the Guinness World Record for guitar playing for over 114 hours straight! The band chased after their newest challenge to complete 60 shows across 50 states in 40 days with passion and resilience, despite natural disasters, injuries, financial difficulties and transport troubles. “There were a lot of downs. This trip was insane,” said David Rooney.

AN IRISH STORY: THIS IS MY HOME
iTunes: https://apple.co/31QusSM
Website: https://www.thisismyhomemovie.com

‘Hurricane’ is an energetic guitar-driven track from Brass Phantoms evoking a desire to grow and a sense of inner-reflection with its honest lyrics and textured sounds. On the song, band member Greg Whelan says: “Hurricane is definitely one of the songs we’re most proud of on the album. It has quite an accessible sound, but there’s quite a bit of depth and openness in the words, and the energy in the music accompanies that quite well. We’re so excited for people to hear it, and the entire album”.

The track is just a taster of what’s in store from their forthcoming debut album ‘Holding Out For Horrors’ set for release 18th September. The Dublin five-piece, indie rock band has an eclectic mix of influences, ranging from Joy Division to The War On Drugs. So far, the band have released their well-received single ‘Waiting Up‘, which garnered national airplay.

Their guitar driven, drum fuelled track City Of Wolves was used to promote Irish television coverage of the UEFA Champions League this year, as well as being added to Spotify’s editorial Hot New Bands playlist.

Their music featured on the likes of BBC Radio 6 with Steve Lamacq, Clash Magazine, The Metro, RTÉ, Hot Press, The Irish Times, JOE, Today FM, 98FM, Radio Nova, Amazing Radio, Nialler9, Hot Press, The Last Mixed Tape, Golden Plec and more. No strangers to the live scene, Brass Phantoms have toured throughout Ireland, the UK and the United States, having been listed as one of the top acts to see at MONDO NYC Festival. They have a host of major festival appearances under their belts plus support tours for the likes of Delorentos and The Slow Readers Club.

“Exuberant indie disco with a dancefloor shimmer, the band’s songwriting cuts a little deeper” – Clash Magazine
“Brass Phantoms certainly exceed their own ambitions. The turbulent music is given a clear hook with the choruses taking centre stage… – The Last Mixed Tape
“A promising new upstart from Dublin” – Steve Lamacq, BBC Radio 6
“The bands blend of killer vocals, anthemic choruses and soaring guitars has made all the right tongues wag” – Hot Press Magazine

‘Hurricane’ is out on Friday 14th August and their debut album ‘Holding Out For Horrors’ is set to be released on 18th September

On August 7^th 2020 Sean and Conor Price in conjunction with UK label Frtyfve will release ‘Light On’ a cover of American singer songwriter Maggie Rodgers hit single. 50% of the profits from the recording will go to benefit Movember’s 2020 causes. Frtyfve annually invite selected global artist to help raise funds for men’s health and Sean and Conor Price was honoured to have been invited to take part this year.

Sean (20) and Conor (18) like many other Irish artist are having a difficult 2020 due to Covid 19 restrictions. They have had to postpone sold out shows in Kilkenny and Killarney until 2021 and cancel their 2020 planned summer tour. However they did manage to release their single ‘Just Somebody’ in April which was well received by their fans and radio. They have spent the past few months writing, recording and producing. 2020 is proving a difficult year for the music industry and artists but without doubt Sean and Conor will be back on stage soon and are looking forward to 2021 positively. Like there release on August 7^th Sean and Conor Price are keeping the ‘Light On’.

In November 2019 two of their original songs ‘On My Mind’ and ‘Runaway’ were played on Love Island Australia final which was a great achievement for the two Irish brothers.

Hothouse Flowers’ Peter O’Toole is set to release his solo album ‘Leaving White Cedar’.

With Hothouse Flowers’ live performances cancelled from 12 March with dates including Serbia, Glastonbury, London, Belfast, Larne and Newry, Peter O’Toole used his Lockdown time to be creative, leading to his short movie “10 Tunes 10 Instruments 1 Musician” and his new CD ‘Leaving White Cedar’.

The project was helped by the assistance of a Covid Grant from The Arts Council Of Ireland.

The film captures Peter performing 10 new tunes he wrote on 10 different instruments, all played by himself and filmed at his home in Tipperary.

The CD is the recordings of the tunes from the movie plus 4 extra songs.

“It is different..it’s unique and it’s a feel good story from a difficult time. It’s recorded on 1 studio microphone and filmed on my Android phone so it is very earthy and home made but has a fantastic genuine warm feeling.” according to Peter O’Toole

Single released July 20th The first release from the album, ‘Far Off Beautiful World’ is out now.