Released on 4th July, ‘Electric Light’ is the first release of 2018 by Electronic Dublin based producer Will de Burca. A quick follow up to last years ‘Embedded’ album, De Búrca has used elements of Tycho, Depeche Mode, Jan Hammer (Miami Vice) with a lead synth that is reminiscent to early 1980’s Duran Duran.
The art direction is heavily Dublin based with artwork taken on the Samuel Beckett Bridge and video which was shot in Clontarf depicts the Dublin Docklands. A simple but engaging video that many Dubliners look back and forth at daily.
David Geraghty is most well-known to Irish audiences as a founding member of Bell X1 but in recent years he has been exploring a new solo direction under the moniker Join Me In The Pines. The new single ‘Bad Blood’ will be released on July 2 2018 and continues in the band’s new electropop vein, with synths and layered vocals with a distinctly 80s feel.
Join Me in the Pines recently completed a full band tour in May and June where Dave was joined by Marc Aubele (keyboards and vocals) and Mick Major (bass and vocals) and Daragh Mayon (drums and vocals). The tour was a chance for fans to hear the bold new musical direction and it was hugely successful. David says “It was so satisfying to finally hear the full energy of the band bringing the recordings to life and to receive the reactions we did. Thanks to everyone that came to the shows. There´ll be lots more to come.” David is playing some solo shows in July and August (details at end) and the band will then re-join him for a highly anticipated gig in Whelan’s, Dublin, on 17th November.
A new album will be forthcoming later this year with mixing duties undertaken by the very talented Ross Dowling (James Vincent McMorrow, Talos, Brian Deady). This will be David’s fourth solo release and the second under Join Me in the Pines.
Join Me In The Pines Live:
Tue 24 July Boyle Arts Festival, Roscommon (Solo)
Sat 11 August The Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast (Solo)
Fri 17 August St. Patrick’s Gateway, Waterford (Solo)
Sat 18 August Hook Head Lighthouse, Waterford (Solo)
Sat 17 November Whelan’s, Dublin (Full band) €16.50 incl bkg fee from whelanslive.com
(with more regional dates to be announced)
Alt-rockers Deep Sky Objects return this summer with their second single from their raved-about debut EP ‘Deep Sky Objects’.
After the success of the Kerry band’s spring tour, the band have lined up a string of dates across Ireland including INEC’s Future Sounds. The dark, anti-anthem ‘Desire’ pulls no punches with Kevin O’Brien’s vocals allowed to roam their full range. We see the band come into their own with this rockier follow-up to debut single ‘This City’s at War’ while keeping true to their melodic song writing which is set for release July 23, 2018.
Drawing on the band’s influences from The Smiths, Interpol and Radiohead while incorporating their flair for a hook worm bridge, ‘Desire’ is fuelled by Thomas O’Brien’s thundering drumming and DD Foley’s driving bass-line before reaching its culmination with a radiant riff that exhibits the band’s innate talent for smart songwriting and honest performance.
Deep Sky Objects recorded their debut self-titled EP ‘Deep Sky Objects’ in Whitewell Studios with Ciaran O’Shea. The EP was subsequently mastered by Fergal Davis. In March 2018 Deep Sky Objects released their debut single ‘This City’s at War’ to an eager audience and received extensive airplay across regional radio as well as national.
Upcoming shows:
July 12 – The Workman’s Club, Dublin
July 21 – Metalman Bar, Waterford
July 28 – Nellie Freds, Dingle
August 3 – Indiependence Festival, Cork
August 5 – Luker’s Bar, Shannonbridge, Offaly
September 13 – Whelan’s, Dublin
October 17 – Kelly’s, Cavan
November 17 – INEC FUTURE SOUNDS, Killarney
It’s been a hell of a week for Picture This. Following the release of their brand new single “When We Were Young” on Friday, June 15th, the band played two sold out shows in Cork’s Marquee followed by their biggest headline show to date in the RDS on Saturday night. Following in the footsteps of some of the biggest international stars including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Michael Jackson and Radiohead, the band took to the RDS stage to a full house of 35,000 fans.
“35,000 strong in a stadium singing every word and giving us the best night of our lives. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for an unforgettable time. Let’s do it again soon.” Picture This
Earlier this week, the band got a seal of approval from multi-platinum selling UK artist Robbie Williams. During a live video on his Instagram account, Robbie played the latest single “When We Were Young” and gave it a 10/10 review. Check out the video review HERE!
Picture This are Ryan Hennessy (singer), Jimmy Rainsford (drums), Owen Cardiff (guitars), and Cliff Deane (bass). The latest single “When We Were Young” is out now.
Dublin indie stalwarts An Emotional Fish are releasing a remastered version of their single ‘Time Is On The Wall’ on Friday 27th July on Reckless Records. This release is ahead of their appearance at Féile Classical in Semple Stadium on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of September.
Although ‘Time is On The Wall’ was first released in 1994 on the band’s third album ‘Sloper’, the lyrics of the song have special resonance for the band today. Jerry Fish remarks, ‘The lyric “We must be specific about what we want to get what we want” really struck a chord with me in recent times, as I can see Ireland today traveling in a much more positive direction than ever before, with people power leading the drive for social change.’
An Emotional Fish formed in 1988 and quickly became a huge presence on the Irish musical landscape, signing a deal to Atlantic Records with the legendary Ahmet Ertegun in 1990. The band are most well known for their single ‘Celebrate’ which came from their eponymous debut album and is still a radio staple today. They toured internationally with U2 and The Pogues and had success, both touring and on radio, in the USA before deciding to call it a day in 1995.
Lead singer Jerry has of course been very busy since the breakup of the band. He formed Jerry Fish and The Mudbug Club, who have released three albums and collaborated with a diverse range of creatives from Imelda May and Carol Keogh to Michael Madsen, Harry Dean Stanton and Iggy Pop. For the last five years he has curated and hosted a stage at the Electric Picnic called The Jerry Fish Electric Sideshow, which encompasses burlesque, rock and roll and circus performances, and this year is bigger than ever before.
Sadly, Martin Murphy, the drummer with An Emotional Fish, passed away last year. Jerry says, ‘Martin’s passing put a new perspective on An Emotional Fish, and in many ways made us realise what a unique and wonderful experience it was to play in a band and to be a part of Irish music history throughout the early 1990s.’ The remaining members of the band, Jerry, David Frew and Enda Wyatt, have wholeheartedly embraced the idea of reforming An Emotional Fish for Féile Classical in September and re-working some of their most beloved hits with an orchestra.
Do you remember when artists actually took the time to construct seemingly arcane components such as ‘a melody’ and ‘lyrics’ for a new single rather than just shooting an expensive video somewhere like the Louvre, deafening you with flash and cash? You do? Give a big grin so, because Gavin Glass is back again, with the third single for his already highly praised forthcoming album, ‘Opus Pocus’.
‘Matador’ continues on from where his last two releases, ‘You’re Gonna Break Your Daddy’s Heart’ and ‘Thirty Somethings’ – both of which garnered some serious national airplay – left off. This is big music – pounding drums, a bass line you could hang shelves off, ringing guitars, Glass’ yearning vocals, and – yes! – hand claps behind the solo.
The lyrics tell the oldest story in the book – the boy is in love, and can’t believe his good fortune. He knows he’ll be her albatross, if she’ll have him, but he can’t help himself. Where does the ‘Matador’ of the title come into things? Is he there just because he rhymes with ‘floor’ and ‘before’? Perhaps, but it doesn’t matter when the song is this good!
Let’s look at it another way. The word Matador comes from the Latin mactator or mactatoirs, meaning one who slaughters, a killer. And that’s what this track is, a stone killer.
‘Opus Pocus’, the new album from Gavin Glass will be launched in Whelan’s on the 13th of July.
Last week heralded the news of Villagers’ return; Conor O’Brien’s fourth studio album, ‘The Art Of Pretending To Swim’, will be released by Domino on Friday 21st September.
Having shared a new song and video ‘A Trick Of The Light’, Villagers are now pleased to confirm UK and European headline live dates including London’s Hackney Arts Centre and Dublin’s Metropolis Festival, which they’ll headline and curate on 27th October.
Metropolis are delighted to announce that Villagers will headline and curate the Saturday night of the festival this October Bank Holiday Weekend. Early-bird tickets priced from €35 are available now via ticketmaster.ie
Following the exquisitely sparse, intimate aura of 2015’s ‘Darling Arithmetic’, 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.
Villagers live dates
Wed 17th Oct – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Thurs 18th Oct – Art School, Glasgow
Fri 19th Oct – Gorilla, Manchester
Sun 21st Oct – Wardrobe, Leeds
Mon 22nd Oct – O2 Academy 2, Oxford
Tues 23rd Oct – Hackney Arts Centre, London
Thurs 25th Oct – Arts Club, Liverpool
Sat 27th Oct – Metropolis Festival, RDS, Dublin
Tues 30th Oct – Trinity, Bristol
Wed 31st Oct – Old Market, Brighton
Thurs 1st Nov – La Madeleine, Brussels
Sat 3rd Nov – Zoom, Frankfurt
Mon 5th Nov – Vega, Copenhagen
Tues 6th Nov – Gruenspan, Hamburg
Thurs 8th Nov – Kesselhaus, Berlin
Fri 9th Nov – Hybrydy, Warsaw
Sat 10th Nov – Futurum, Prague
Mon 12th Nov – Doornroosje, Nijmegen
Tues 13th Nov – Melkweg (Old Hall), Amsterdam
Wed 14th Nov – Trabendo, Paris
Fri 16th Nov – Le Boucau, Biarritz
Sun 18th Nov – Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao
Mon 19th Nov – Chango, Madrid
Tues 20th Nov – Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona
Thurs 22nd Nov – Ridotto Teatro Regio, Parma
Fri 23rd Nov – Spazio 211, Turin
Sat 24th Nov – Port-Franc, Sion
Mon 26th Nov – Papiersaal, Zurich
Tues 27th Nov – Kulturkirche, Cologne
Wed 28th Nov – Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht
‘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
Roll Up. Roll Up!! Following on from the success of her debut single ‘Devil in Me’, Alice Lynskey’s latest offering takes us to the funfair – on the ‘Lovesick Rollercoaster’ to be exact! From the highs to the lows and back again, ‘Lovesick Rollercoaster’ is a song that will take you on a musical journey, ultimately leaving you breathless and wanting more.
Recorded at Jam Studios in Kells, Co Meath, ‘Lovesick Rollercoaster’ was produced, mixed and mastered by owner Martin Quinn.
She has also appeared on and been played on many radio programs including RTÉ Radio1 (playlisted) RTÉ 2FM, KCLR, East Coast Radio, South East Radio, BBC Radio Ulster, WLR FM, Highland Radio, Dundalk FM, ICMR, Dublin City FM, 8Radio, Midlands 103, URadio, RosFM and Together FM to name a few. She has also been played on several UK stations and on radio in both New York and Portland.
‘Devil In Me’ was added to Remy’s Playlist and music blog, was featured in Hot Press and received brilliant reviews through the Melosity Musician blog and regional press to name but a few.
Alice took part in RTÉ’s “The Hit” entering her song ‘Run and Hide’. It made the final having been chosen by The Stunning who recorded it and made it a top 10 hit.
To date Alice has played support to many great acts including The 4 of Us,The Don Baker and Rob Strong Band and The Carole Nelson Trio, with many more gigs planned for the year ahead.
Alice Lynskey’s songs range from country to pop and a fresh combination of the two, which is reflected in her influences. Having grown up in a house filled with many music styles, the varying sounds and vibes of Britney Spears, Aimee Mann, ABBA, Mary Black, Elvis, Queen, Carrie Underwood, Johnny Cash, Pink, The Beatles, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Albert Hammond, No Doubt and Florence and The Machine, to name but a few, are all mixed in with a definite Nashville influence.
Alice is originally from Tallaght in Dublin and is now living in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Singing from a very young age her first taste of show biz was at age 6 having joined the Helen Jordan dance school. She appeared in the Olympia Theatre showcase, dancing and wishing she could sing too.
Due to her nanny and grandad’s love of poetry and rhyme she began writing limericks in primary school, and then moved on to songs. She soon began entering school and local talent competitions and has since sung in the 3Arena, The Helix, Enniscorthy Castle, The Wexford Arts Centre and The Mermaid Centre Bray as well as on RTÉ TV.
Alice studied Pharmaceutical Science at DIT Cathal Brugha Street, and now works as an analyst in the pharma industry in Wicklow. She took classical voice training with the Deirdre Masterson School in Wexford.
Alice is a frequent performer at the Ri Sessions in The Olde Ship pub in Arklow. She also plays in Jack Nealons as part of the Tuesday Melt Sessions and at The Wexford Arts Centre as part of PwC Spotlight programme for emerging music artists.
The Official Irish Singles Chart is set for a makeover this summer, as Irish fans’ consumption of music videos counts towards the weekly rundown for the first time, while the charts get a revamped new look and added brand reach, through an IRMA partnership with the Official ChartsCompany and consumer platform OfficialCharts.com.
Video enters the Official Irish Singles Chart for the first time Streaming and downloading of videos from artists ranging from Picture This to Dua Lipa, Imelda May to Drake, Kodaline and Ariana Grande will begin to count towards Ireland’s official singles countdown, which is compiled by the Official Charts Company and unveiled every Friday.
The change is one of a string of adjustments to the Irish Singles Chart, that have been developed in conjunction with the Irish music industry. The addition of video comes as established audio services such as Apple Music and Spotify add video to their offer and YouTube launch their first subscription service in Ireland, signalling a key moment in the development of the premium music video sector. The first chart to include video will be counted down and published on 6 July 2018.
The change is designed to ensure the chart remains a showcase for hit music, however music fans choose to access it. The Official Irish Singles Chart will continue to be the most comprehensive countdown in the Irish market, reflecting sales of downloads, CD and vinyl, as well as streams of audio tracks or video tracks, whether on premium subscription or ad-funded services.
The services which will contribute video streams will include YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal, who have all added videos to their platform over the past year. New services offering official video streams – such as the YouTube Music subscription service which launched on Monday (June 18th) – will also be allowed to report from launch.
Revamped look and boosted promotion for the Irish Charts and Irish music scene
The Irish Charts have not only had a methodology makeover, but a fresh look is also unveiled today as the first glimpse of a new brand partnership brokered between the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and chart specialists the Official Charts Company. IRMA has joined forces with successful consumer digital platform OfficialCharts.com to rebrand the Irish Charts and boost promotion of the Irish music market.
OfficialCharts.com already reaches 2 million users monthly around the globe, the collaboration will see Official Charts creating and managing a dedicated online hub – www.officialcharts.com/Ireland – and new @IrishCharts social channels on Twitter and Facebook. These new channels will showcase exclusive editorial content tracking the weekly Irish Chart race, interviews with both homegrown and international acts who are making an impact in Ireland, as well as shining a spotlight on rising Irish talent, news and competitions. Users can also access the weekly Irish Singles Chart, Albums Chart, and Compilations Chart. Further exciting brand developments are in the pipeline to roll out later in the year.
Willie Kavanagh, IRMA Chairman, comments:
“This is an incredibly exciting moment for the Irish Charts, the addition of video will ensure Ireland is keeping pace with today’s rapidly evolving music landscape. With new major digital services launching, video arriving on audio streaming platforms, and of course, the continued resurgence of vinyl, never before has there been more ways for Irish fans to enjoy their favourite music, whenever and however they want. It’s important that all this activity is captured and reflected in the nation’s official singles countdown, making it more insightful and relevant than ever. Plus, the fresh new look and visibility we are bringing to the Irish Charts and Irish music scene through our brand partnership with Official Charts and OfficialCharts.com is just the beginning of where we want to take this next.”
Picture This, the County Kildare duo whose self-titled debut album was the best-selling Irish album of 2017 comment: “We love shooting our own videos and it is such a fun way of expressing our music. For that to now count towards the Official Irish Singles Chart is amazing for Irish acts.” Kodaline, whose first two albums hit Number 1 and achieved multi-platinum sales in Ireland comment: “We’re excited to see these new changes to the charts, particularly the introduction of video streams. We also think it’s going to be a great opportunity for new Irish bands and artists to make their mark in the charts”.
In parallel with the inclusion of video data into the chart, a handful of additional tweaks will be made to Irish chart rules. The combination of these changes will mean the chart continues to reflect how fans are committing to and engaging with music in an increasingly streaming-led world, as well as highlighting the fresh new hits coming through. These changes include:
> Paid-for streams to be given greater weight in the new chart, than “free” (ad-funded) streams.
Free ad-funded streams will be weighted at a different rate in the Official Irish Singles Chart compared to streams played under a paid-for subscription from the July 6 chart. 100 streams via a subscription service will equate to one sale, as will 600 “free” streams. This replaces the current combined conversion rate where all streams are treated equally – with one sale equivalent to 100 streams. This will apply to both video and audio streams equally.
>Three-track cap – no more than the 3 most popular tracks (based on sales & streams) per artist in the Top 100. Designed to prevent album tracks from popular artists taking up multiple positions in the Irish Singles Chart and so making it harder for new artists to feature in the chart. It minimises double-counting of album tracks between the Singles and Albums Charts and makes the two charts more distinct.
> New streaming ratiowill come into play for tracks which are well past their peak and in steep, prolonged decline. The new ratio at the very earliest, kicks in from the 10th week on the chart if a track has been declining for almost a month. This serves to recognise the distinction between a single’s natural shelf life and the stretched out “long tail” of streaming as a form of consumption.
