Author: Breffni Banks

Tupelo, released their critically acclaimed new album ‘The Heart’s Bloodline’ on the Crashed Records Label earlier this spring, to some wonderful comments both here at home and abroad. Indeed, ‘The Shriven Dust’ recently featured on the Canadian CBC network TV series, Hello Goodbye.

The most recent single ‘Joyous’, also received some splendid feedback both here in Ireland and BBC Radio in the UK. They are now pleased to share ‘Nursery Rhyme’, the new single. ‘Nursery Rhyme’ will go on release on Friday September 21^st.

James & Kevin together with their band, are looking forward to headlining at The Grand Social, Liffey Street, Dublin on September 8^th. This is the rescheduled show from March, when the widespread snow storms led to the postponement of the original date.

On September 8^th Tupelo are chuffed to confirmThe Line Up Choir will guest with them, and Dublin based band The Finns will support. Some tickets priced from €12 are still available from tickets.ie

Earlier this spring The Line Up Choir joined Tupelo for two special live recordings of ‘The Shriven Dust’ and ‘Joyous’, also from the album. Recorded at the same venue. “It will be very special to collaborate once again with this fantastic choir. This time being extra special in many ways, as it’s at our live show.” said James

This summer the guys had a busy festival season which included dates in both the USA (Chicago) and Norway’s Tynesfest. Later this autumn the band head to Belgium for festival and headline shows.

**Tickets purchased for the original concert (at Tramline), which had to be postponed in March due to the snow storm, are valid for this new date at The Grand Social.

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/tupeloireland 

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/tupelomusic

YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/tupelomusicireland

Almost 5 years ago, ‘The Acoustic Yard’ opened its doors to original songwriters in Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar, Westport. Artists like Kelley McRae, Kevin Doherty, Brian Casey, Kathleen Turner and many many more, brought a fresh sound to County Mayo which in turn helped to encourage local talent in creating new exciting music.

The Acoustic Yard Music Festival and The Acoustic Yard Radio Show on www.bluesandrootsradio.com followed, with acts all over the world now queuing up to play at one of their events.

‘The Acoustic Yard Sessions’ returns to Matt Molloy’s Yard Bar on Tuesday September 11th 2018 with Mayo-based band Vickers Vimy and Limerick’s Emma Langford. Two great original artists whose recent albums, respectively, ‘Atlas of Hearts’ and ‘Gentle Giant’ have taken national radio by storm.

Hailing from Mayo, on the wild Atlantic coast of Ireland, Vickers Vimy craft songs that dwell on the borders of folk and Americana. Rich eclectic sounds anchor lyrical themes of scratched vinyl nights and hazy Sunday mornings. Their second album ‘Atlas of Hearts’ was released on 31st March 2018.

Emma Langford, a folk guitarist and singer-songwriter from Limerick in the West of Ireland, is imbued with the soul and style of Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy, and Joan Baez; her distinctive vocal style demonstrates a blend of Irish lilt with folk and jazz. Her debut album ‘Quiet Giant’ described by Today FM’s Ed Smith as “absolutely stunning” was released in October 2017. Emma was voted “Best Solo Female Artist” by Pure M Magazine in 2017 and was listed as a Hot Press Magazine one-to-watch in the summer of 2016.

Come and enjoy these two fabulous original artists for a night of great music.

Villagers today announce some new Irish dates for December which will see gigs in the Empire Music Hall, Belfast on 10th | Dolans, Limerick on 12th | Black Box, Galway on 13th and The Set Theatre, Kilkenny on 14th.

Ahead of that Villagers will perform at Other Voices Ballina in September and headline Metropolis Festival on 27th October.

Villagers’ new album ‘The Art of Pretending to Swim’ will be released on 21st September and was written, produced, mixed and primarily performed by Conor O’Brien in his Dublin studio.

The new single ‘Fool’ was released last week, watch the video directed by Bob Gallagher here.

Watch the previously shared video for ‘A Trick Of The Light’ here.

Following the exquisitely sparse, intimate aura of 2015’s ‘Darling Arithmetic’, Conor O’Brien’s new record reconnects with the multi-faceted approach of Villagers’ 2010 album debut ‘Becoming A Jackal’ and 2013’s ‘{Awayland}’ while adding a new-found soulfulness, rhythmic nous and dazzling panoply of sonic detail, both analogue and digital, creating feverish moods while writing effortlessly accessible tunes. Balanced with subtle aspects and lyrical themes that embrace existential fears and hopes in this desperate, technologically-centred dystopian age, ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is the most brilliantly realised Villagers album to date.

O’Brien has a string of accolades under his belt including two Ivor Novello Awards (the most recent being 2016’s Album Award for ‘Darling Arithmeti’c), two Mercury Music Prize nominations and is also a previous winner of Ireland’s Choice Music Prize.

Additionally, Villagers’ music recently featured in the high profile HBO drama ‘Big Little Lies’, Conor has collaborated with the composer Nico Muhly (that track featuring in the forthcoming Paulo Sorrentino Berlusconi biopic ‘Loro 2’) and Villagers’ Spotify session of ‘Nothing Arrived’ has hit over 100 million streams.

Villagers Irish Dates

28-29th September – Other Voices, Ballina
27th October – Metropolis Festival, Dublin
Mon 10th December – Empire Music Hall, Belfast
Wednesday 12th December – Dolans, Limerick
Thursday 13th December – Black Box, Galway
Friday 14th December – Set Theatre, Kilkenny

Tickets www.wearevillagers.com/live

‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ is available to pre-order on Domino Mart-exclusive deluxe LP (includes 10” of a 12-minute version of ‘Ada’ and B-side ‘This Is The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ plus signed lyric booklet), Deluxe LP (includes ‘Ada’/’ This Is The Art Of Pretending To Swim’ 10”), Standard LP, CD and Digitally. Pre-order: Dom Mart | Digital

Villagers Online:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Dublin/Glaswegian duo, SIIGHTS, have been quietly sitting pretty in the Irish AirPlay charts with their summer single ‘Got It’. It’s time to unleash their cracking follow up single ‘Dance’ on the airwaves of radio everywhere! Mia &Toni, get used to their names as these girls are set to be the fresh face of Irish music.

The music video for ‘DANCE’ is centred around the importance of self-expression and the motivational concept of finding the courage to do what you love & what makes you happy (despite your fears or judgments from others) because life is short.

The ‘DANCE’ music video was directed by Atlanta based director, Payne Lindsey – who’s created music videos for Def Jam Records artists including Naughty Boy – Home & Ride Out (Fast and Furious 7) – Kid Ink, Tyga, Wale, YG, Rich Homie & Quan to name a few. Payne loved the track and he shared the same vision as the girls for this video.

The concept is centred around the question ‘what is the meaning of life to you’, and it follows various people from all walks of life around America expressing their thoughts on living a happy life.

The video follows an African American dancer’s honest account of what dance means for him in today’s world…..stressing the important message that it’s not about being the best at something – it’s about being true to yourself and having the courage to try.

The other people featured in the video remind us that it’s important not to wish your life away but to make each and every day count.

The pair wrote the record in LA & was one of the first tracks they ever worked on together as SIIGHTS. It features hints of old school funk sounding guitar riffs with an accompanying gritty funk bass hook influenced by legendary players like the late Bernard Edwards.

Taking up the call for change, shaman and charismatic frontman Levi Lovell along with his cohorts in The Big Lovin’ have announced their candidacy to run for “Best Band in the World”, with a pledge to “Make Pop Great Again”.

Debut single release ‘Adiadiadio’, released September 24, is bold, brazen and definitely not something to bring home to the parents. Full of an infectious sense of fun, the single heralds The Big Lovin’s arrival as musical saviours. Showcasing an irreverent playfulness that pays homage to the band’s notorious live show, the single is an invitation to the listener to crack a smile and let loose a laugh or two.

Spearheaded by his holiness Levi Lovell, The Big Lovin’ took flight in 2017 when he returned from a six-year journey of self-discovery in the Far East. Stealing songs from the locals he met on his travels, Levi amassed a deep repertoire of sure-fire hits, seeking to make a quick buck on the capitalist markets of the West. Aided by a crack team of musicians, he reorganised his followers into The Big Lovin’, and the band are now set out to conquer the known world by force.

Anchored by a massive groove courtesy of drummer Anto Noonan and bassist Colin Noone, the band’s explosive sound is made complete by multi-instrumental madmen Tony O’Donovan and Aengus Mac a Bhaird.

Live dates:
The Clonakilty International Guitar Festival – September 23rd
Cyprus Avenue, Cork – October 4th
Roisin Dubh, Galway – October 7th
The Mariner, Bantry – October 20th
De Barra’s, Clonakilty – TBC
The New Bar, UCC – TBC

Dublin duo We Cut Corners are very pleased to announce the forthcoming release of their 4th album, ‘Imposters’, which will be available on heavyweight vinyl, CD and streaming from Friday 12th October.

Following the release of the first single from the album, ‘The Specialist’ earlier in the summer, We Cut Corners will release two further tracks from the record in the run-up to the album, ‘Laughing Maniacally’ (5th Sept), and ‘Original Sin’ (28th Sept). 

We Cut Corners are guitarist/vocalist John Duignan and drummer/vocalist Conall ÓBreachain. The duo have carved out a unique place in the Irish music scene with their eclectic mix of songs, ranging from angular pop and garage rock, to wistful indie-folk, consistently coupled with their unique lyrical deftness.  The result is weird and wonderful, abstract at times, and brilliant.  The dynamic drum/guitar combination, and the blending of powerful, unique vocal harmonies is principal to their success. 

We Cut Corners’ first three albums were all nominated for the Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year.

 The album is available to pre-order at the Delphi Label Store online at delphilabel.com/the-shop

The band play the Heineken Stage at Electric Picnic on Saturday 1st September and are pleased to announce the following dates to celebrate the release of the album.

Saturday 13th October – Whelans, Dublin
Saturday 20th October – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Sunday 28th October – The Spirit Store, Dundalk
Friday 2nd November – The Monarch, London

Details of Galway date in mid-October also coming soon.

Tracklisting for the new album, ‘IMPOSTORS’:

1)   impostors
2)   Rainy Night In Slomo
3)   Original Sin
4)   The Specialist
5)   Stranded
6)   iimpostors
7)   Eke
8)   Laughing Maniacally
9)   Ten Sentences
10) Once In The Woods
11)  iiimpostors

WEBSITE: www.wecutcorners.net
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/wecutcorners
TWITTER: twitter.com/wecutcorners
DELPHI LABEL: www.delphilabel.com/home

Bolt down your speakers and apologise to the neighbours in advance, King Kong Company are about to unleash their second single of the summer, and this one’s got more thump than Paul O’Connell swinging a 30lb sledge.

For this belter KKC have teamed up with legendary producer Neil McLellan. Neil Mc has worked his magic on every Prodigy album since ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’, and you can hear his influence all over this one. The high energy shows that earned KKC a Best Live Act in Ireland award have cemented their legendary live status, and ‘Killswitch’, more than any other track the band have released, has captured the hard edged dynamic of a King Kong performance.

‘Killswitch’ explores the darker side of social media, taking a cue from Chamath Palihapitiya, former vice-president of user growth with Facebook, who publicly expressed regret for his part in building tools that destroy ‘the social fabric of how society works’. This song looks more at how social media uses us, rather than how we use it.

The band have been performing ‘Killswitch’ at festivals at home and abroad all summer and it’s fast becoming a highlight of their high-octane set. You can catch it live when King Kong Company make a triumphant return to Electric Picnic at the end of August (if it’s anything like last year, this should not be missed) or when they open the doors on their biggest headline show to date at The Olympia Theatre Dublin on October 13th (standing tickets are sold out, limited seated tickets still available).

A kickin’ new single, a big show at Electric Picnic and an even bigger show in The Olympia? The King Kong crew may occasionally act the monkey, but they mean business!

‘Adrenalover’ adds another dimension to MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE’s full band electro-pop sound, experimenting with soundscapes which appear to dance with the imagery of the video.

Having built MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE’s live reputation through performances at Other Voices’ Music Trail, Electric Picnic’s Body and Soul Main stage, Hard Working Class Heroes, Body and Soul and more, George Mercer took a break from performing to write, produce & mix his debut album.

Initially inspired by the introspective electronic sounds of late-night Irish radio-playlisting, George began experimenting with electronic music and synthesizer sounds before embarking on a string of ethereal bedroom-style DIY EPs and singles which he would launch under his MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE moniker. The latest album echoes those experiences, but boasts a more realised and confident sound.

‘Adrenalover’ is the first single from MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE’s debut album due for release in early 2019. The recording process was an entirely DIY affair, recorded in a home-studio ‘The Brown Room’ in a side room of a family home in the countryside in Laois. Mercer spent a year recording and mixing everything himself.

Inspired by festival culture and more specifically Electric Picnic, the video – directed by 16 year old videographer Naoise Kettle (NDK) – was shot in Stradbally among the beautiful surroundings of the festival. Mercer explains that he wanted to ‘write a song that emulated the energy of being hyper-adrenalised as was the case most of the time due to intense social anxiety‘. The cracks in the stone portrayed in the video are representative of those fissures that often appear in the front we put up.

Mercer follows on from other male musicians writing upbeat songs about mental health (such as Daithi, Rubberbandits), explaining ‘I wanted to play with that kind of contradiction or duality in songwriting where the music is feel-good and almost technicoloured but there is an different, darker reality to the lyrics.’ He found that this was the trick to writing more honest lyrics. ‘Discovering that I could get away with writing upbeat and colourful music to self-deprecating lyrics let me put more of my actual reality into my songwriting and unlocked the door to the rest of the album’s songs.’

MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE LIVE
SEPTEMBER 1 – ELECTRIC PICNIC, STRADBALLY – PLAY THE PICNIC STAGE 11PM
SEPTEMBER 22 – BELLO BAR – SINGLE LAUNCH