Author: Breffni Banks

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

Charlie McGettigan is one of the foremost singer-songwriters Ireland has ever being blessed to call one of our own. Indeed, the release of his new album, ‘Tuesdays With Paul’, this year will mark 50 years since Charlie moved to Dublin to be part of the thriving folk scene establishing itself in the city at that time.

‘Tuesdays With Paul’, is released today, Friday 23^rd March.  The album is being distributed by Warner Music Ireland and will be available to purchase via mail order from the shop on both warnermusic.ie and Charlie’s own website charliemcgettigan.ie together with Golden Discs and many other independent stores nationwide.

Recorded with his good friend Paul Gurney at Real World Studios in Longford, the guys would meet on Tuesdays to chat about the album, in pre-production, and then record.  It was a special time, with friends coming together to make a record both are equally proud of.  ‘Tuesdays With Paul’ was mastered by Billy Farrell at Dead Eye Productions.

The new single is Track 5 from the new album, ‘When I Was A Kid’.  Of the song Charlie says “I, and even my own children seemed to have lots of freedom growing up.  These days it seems to me my grandchildren live very protected lives because of a paranoia / fear of what’s out there”.

Charlie’s songs have been recorded by many including De Danann, Mary and Frances Black, Ray Lynam, Daniel O’Donnell, Sandy Kelly, Hal Ketchum, Eleanor Shanley and Maura O’Connell to name but a few.

Some of Charlie’s live shows have included touring with good friends, Maura O’Connell and Eleanor Shanley amongst others. However, there is no escaping probably Charlie’s best-known performance, The 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin.  It was one of those “do you remember where you were, what you were doing moments” when Charlie joined forces with Paul Harrington to win the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, with Brendan Graham’s, Rock n Roll Kids.  He has released nine solo albums including ‘In Your Old Room’, ‘Family Matters’, ‘The Man From 20’ and ‘Stolen Moments’ produced in Nashville by legendary producer Bil Vorndick.

These days Charlie tours both here in Ireland and abroad.  He presents “The Saturday Connection” and “The Arts Show” on Shannonside / Northern Sound Radio, where he previews live music and theatrical events, interviews guests from the world of arts and entertainment and plays an eclectic mix of music and song on CD.  Together with serving on the Board of IMRO, Charlie is also a member of the Board of The Dock Arts Centre in Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim.  Charlie moved to Co. Leitrim in 1973, this is where he calls home.

‘Tuesdays with Paul’ is out now.

Full track-listing and composer credits of ‘Tuesdays With Paul’

1. That’s How It Is (Written by: Charlie McGettigan)
2. Dust If You Must (Written by: Rose Milligan and Charlie McGettigan)
3. It’s A Wonderful Life (Written by: Charlie McGettigan and Dave Sheridan)
4. Wherever You Go (Written by: Charlie McGettigan)
5. When I Was A Kid (Written by: Charlie McGettigan)
6. Comfort In A Song (Written by: Charlie McGettigan)
7. Bonnie and I (Written by: Charlie McGettigan and Tony Kerr)
8. On A Wing And A Prayer (Written by: Charlie McGettigan and Mary Sweeney)
9. You The Towers And Me (Written by: Charlie McGettigan)
10. Flying Away (Written By: Charlie McGettigan)

Irish/UK act Motorcycle Display Team have just announced the release of their new album ‘Yours Probably’ which sees the light of day on Friday 13^th April. The sound of this album is classic MDT but ramped up to a much more exciting level. The mood is as slick and subtle as ever, while they continue with the darker tones displayed on their previous release ‘Letters of Last Resort’.

For a period, it looked like this album was doomed. In January 2016, just as the band had started to gain traction as a reckonable act from the tour supporting their previous record, plans were being made for this release. Then original bassist Matt dropped the bombshell that he was leaving the UK to live in Bulgaria, in turn leaving MDT. Drew Thompson took up bass duties for six months but the commitment needed to contribute to MDT proved too much and he amicably stepped down.  With crucial gigs booked, MDT needed someone to step in fast. Jim Chapman, an old friend of the band, was asked to step in for the upcoming shows. After a couple of jams, it was clear that Jim was the perfect fit for the role of permanent MDT bassist.

With Jim in tow, the band set to finish writing for the album, giving themselves strict deadlines. They found this hugely effective and work flowed easily with lots of concepts coming from all members.  Production would again be handled by Cesar Gimeno Lavin.

Recording of ‘Yours Probably’ finished in summer 2017 and the first single from it ‘Oh Country, My Country’ was released in September to support a mini tour of Italy. This single has been warmly received by fans and the media; it has been played on FM radio stations in UK, Ireland and Italy. Also at this time, one of their gigs was broadcast live on Italian radio.

The themes on ‘Yours Probably’ include creationism, broken relationships, automation, the Murdoch press, parenthood, identity, Brexit, and the legacy of Margaret Thatcher. Steve’s lyrics – by turns ironic, outraged and bereft – question our quiet acceptance of the hypocrisy and injustice we see around us, as well as the silent battle of uncertainty we wage with our inner selves.

To support the release of the album, a second single ‘Erosion’ shall be released in March. The video for this single is being made by Jordan Copeland, son of legendary The Police drummer Stewart Copeland.

In addition to this, MDT are going to be gigging all over the UK this spring and summer. Refer to www.motorcycledisplayteam.com or follow them on their social sites for information on dates in your area.

‘Yours Probably’ is now available for pre-order through all the usual outlets and is released on 13^th April.

UPCOMING SHOWS

17^th March- Notting Hill Arts Club, London

18^th April- The Horn, St. Albans

2^nd May- John Peel Centre, Stowmarket

3^rd May- Bannerman’s Bar, Edinburgh

4^th May- Yardbird’s Rock Club, Grimsby

25^th May- The Railway Hotel, Southend On Sea

IRISH SUMMER TOUR TBA

UK AUTUMN TOUR TBA