Movment’s 4 Track EP ‘Red Death Sessions’ on Distort The Scene is out now. The tracks were recorded in End of Light Studios, & mixed in JAM Studios by Martin Quinn. Artwork is by Jenny Macken.
Movment is a post-punk alternative indie rock band formed by the original members of Raw Novembre, who released 2 albums and an EP, and a final album, ‘My Bones’.
Movment’s first album ‘Broken Down’ is a melted mix of Electro Rock and indie riffs with real and dark themes.
Fusing sounds Movment create a post punk set that confronts and engages, disrupts and provokes.
Being described as metal, punk, emo, hardcore, and Indie, Movment are hard to define. They are an alternative rock band.
Writing and recording music is much more involved now for artists. Movment use technology & instruments, software & plugins, to amplify their ideas generating intense, disturbing, defiant songs.
The Recording of Album #2 has begun and will be released in 2018.
Lineup: Martin Kelly – Vocals, Drums
Kevin Kelly – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
“Two people have died on the streets of Dublin in recent days, hopefully we can stop it from happening again.”
Mark Caplice is a Wicklow based songwriter who goes under the stage name Kolumbus. Christmas 2015 saw a Kolumbus release hit no.1 on the national Google Play Charts ahead of Justin Beiber and Adele raising funds for Inner City Helping Homeless and The Lions club.
This year Mark is taking a slightly different approach to fundraising and asking people to put aside their Fivers for the month of December in aid of ICHH. “In the space of one month I was able to save over 300 euro by simply putting aside any five euro notes I came in contact with. This sparked the idea, Why not start a campaign and hopefully use the effective saving technique to help others.”
The closing lyrics of the song reflect how simple it can be to help someone out, and how we all have the capacity to do so, “Somewhere, Know that there’s someone out there, Needing a helping hand just like the one you own.”
QUOTE FROM INNER CITY HELPING HOMELESS
”Inner City Helping Homeless are delighted to be involved in what can only be described as an unbelievable piece of song writing. The spirit of Christmas has been captured both through the lyrics and video. Mark Caplice & Conor O’Reilly have really portrayed the spirit of giving within the piece, for a voluntary organisation such as ourselves to have the opportunity to be involved in this is spectacular. All funds raised through the sale of this single will be donated to Inner City Helping Homeless so we are asking all our supporters to get behind the single, homelessness is a really hot topic this year particularly around the Christmas period. The single really allows us to highlight that and whilst doing so, help people in desperate need. Lets make magic happen this Christmas!!! ”
Irish music radio show The Co-Present on Dublin Digital Radio have compiled a 15 track album of Christmas songs by an eclectic mix of Irish Artists.
“Christmas is a time of year when friends and family come together and enjoy each others company. Unfortunately, for some, it is a time of remembrance for those we have lost and for others a time of loneliness and sadness. We at Pieta House are trying every day to break the cycle of suicide and self-harm and to comfort those who have lost a loved one.
This album, from the first note to the last chorus, signifies a great hope. Pieta House strives for an Ireland where suicide, self-harm and stigma have been replaced by hope, self-care and acceptance. Finally to everyone involved with the album we extend our gratitude, that you have given your time and energy to help those who need our services and to know that you are changing lives.” Pieta House.
Featuring contributions from Villagers, Ailbhe Reddy, Jack O’Rourke, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Columbia Mills, Session Motts and many more (see track listing below). A Co-Present Christmas sees covers of classic tracks from The Pretenders, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Joni Mitchell as well as some old Christmas favourites and two original songs.
All proceeds from the album and live events will be donated to Pieta House Suicide and Self Harm Crisis Centre. Freephone – 1800 247 247.
The album will premier digitally via Nialler9 today, December 1st with a live launch happening on Saturday, December 9th at Drop Dead Twice, Francis Street, Dublin 8 where we will sell physical copies of the album and see performances from contributing artists, Session Motts, Junior Brother, Columbia Mills, I Have A Tribe, Tanjier and more. Tickets for the live event cost €10.00 and are available from Dice Ireland via the event page.
A Co-Present Christmas | Tracklisting:
Hvmmingbyrd – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Villagers – White Christmas
Montauk Hotel – 2000 Miles
Elephant – River
Session Motts – Oh No It’s Xmas!
Jack O’Rourke ft: Graham White – The Power Of Love
Maria Doyle Kennedy – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Cloud Castle Lake – Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
Lemoncello – Walking In The Air
I Have A Tribe – I Have A Tribe Christmas Song
Ailbhe Reddy – Stay Another Day
Tanjier – Merry Christmas Everybody
Columbia Mills – Blue Christmas
Junior Brother – Oh Holy Night
Marlene Enright – Auld Lang Syne
The Bláthnaid Libh show on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and RTÉ 2FM have come together to offer one up and coming band or musician the opportunity to be playlisted on RTÉ 2FM for a week, and to be the first ever contemporary song in Irish to do so.
The prize will go to the winner of the Gradaim NÓS 2018 Song of the Year, Amhrán na Bliana, which was launched by Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh in Dublin during the week. The judges for the award will be Eoghan McDermott from 2FM, Eleanor McEvoy and award-winning Record Producer Ciarán Byrne.
Gradaim NÓS are the first and only awards for contemporary music acts in Irish, and this year Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh’s radio programme Bláthnaid Libh on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will be the official radio partner for the Song of the Year award.
They have teamed up with their sister station RTÉ 2FM to offer the winners this superb prize – the opportunity to feature on the 2FM playlist for a week, a station with a weekly reach of over 800,000 listeners. The winners will have their song recorded in RTÉ Radio studios and then have it re-mastered by Grammy award-winning record producer Ciarán Byrne before being playlisted by 2FM.
Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh said:
“I am very proud that Bláthnaid Libh, 2FM and Nós.ie are collaborating to bring Song of the Year to an international audience from the national broadcaster’s main stage. Music is music, whatever the language!”
Dan Healy, Head of 2FM, commented:
“At 2FM, we are committed to championing Irish music talent and this is an excellent opportunity to give new artists working in the Irish-language the backing of the country’s biggest music station, and we are very happy to be on board with Bláthnaid Libh.”
The awards are open to all artists working in Irish. The closing date for the Song of the Year award is 14 December. The shortlist will be announced before Christmas on the Bláthnaid Libh show on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in the Sugar Club in Dublin on 12 January. There are eight categories altogether in the Gradaim NÓS awards, including Album of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Video of the Year awards.
Limerick newcomers are carving a name for themselves straight out of the gate, having been tipped by Niall Byrne of The Irish Times, and 2FM’s Dan Hegarty. The duo have also performed live on Today FM’s Paul Mc Loone Sessions.
A departure from their debut, ‘Love’ is the duo’s second single, a catchy tune with a funky bass line reminiscent of west coast 1990s hip hop.
Legendary singer and songwriter Brian Kennedy announces a unique evening concert at the ancient Hook lighthouse on the tip of the Hook Peninsula county Wexford.
On Friday evening, February 2nd, 2018 multi-platinum selling singer and songwriter Brian Kennedy will host a unique concert in the ancient lighthouse tower. The chart-topping Belfast born singer with the voice of an angel is known for his ballads and has also represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song contest. His career has spanned three decades with two multi-platinum selling albums and awards for best male artist and best album.
Brian toured with the legendary Van Morrison and has shared the global stage with some of the all-time greats including Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles amongst much more and has toured the world performing his chart-topping songs.
2017 has been a very busy year for Brian. After a sell-out run at the world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival he recently released the triple ‘Live at Vicar Street, Dublin’ double CD & bonus DVD before heading all the way to China for a 10 date tour with Secret Garden where they had a huge hit with Brian singing ‘You Raise Me Up’.
By hosting this concert Brian Kennedy joins a number of well-known singers who have all enjoyed hosting audiences in the 800-year-old lighthouse tower, including Maria Doyle Kennedy, Mundy, Kieran Goss and Annie Kinsella to name but a few.
For further details and tickets see www.hookheritage.ie or call 051 397055. A limited number of tickets to this performance are on sale at €30 per person.
‘Foxglove & Fuschia’, the new album from Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh has just been released.
Every now and then a singer comes along that manages to distill time and make the listener feel at once rooted and in touch with the essence of the song. Former Danú front woman Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh is one such singer. An award-winning musician from Corca Dhuibhne in West Kerry, she is a leading exponent of the sean nós style. Her repertoire also includes songs from a wide variety of folk and contemporary sources. Her childhood on the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht, saw her immersed in a rich cultural environment and vital living tradition, which was to be hugely influential on the foundation of her distinctive vocal and instrumental sound.“I live in Dingle, so there is music there all the time, the scene is so vibrant. It’s a musical Mecca. You couldn’t throw a stone down there without hitting a musician.”
A popular television presenter, Muireann has hosted a range of programmes for Irish and Scottish TV over the past decade including Gradam Ceoil TG4 and the celebrated traditional music series Portwhich she co-presents with Scottish Gaelic singer, Julie Fowlis. Having spent 15 years touring the world, she has decided to return to her roots, raise a family, recharge herself musically, live amongst her people and importantly as a creative artist, shape her sound.
“I want the album to feel like you’resitting in on one of my gigs here at home,where a few of us gather together and share songs and tunes, pretty uncomplicated and natural.”
Surrounding herself with an incredible cast of musicians such as Donogh Hennessy, Dónal O’Connor, Pauline Scanlon, John McSherry, Donnchadh Gough, Jeremy Spencer, Michael Rooney and in the full circle of traditional music, her father Feargal Mac Amhlaoibh, a fiddler with whom she started playing sessions when she was about nine.“In situations like that, you don’t just learn the tunes; you learn about the bigger picture, about life”. The album features songs collected from,and a duet with, the legendary Seamus Begley, some songs with old Irish lyrics that have had new melodies added by song master Gerry O’Beirne, who also plays on the album,and some newly composed songs. ‘Foxglove and Fuschia’ is a snapshot in time of an artist, both present and comfortable in her immediate environment whilst casting her net further afield and embracing new horizons.
“I just want to make a vocal album with some tunes as well, to reflect where I come from, but I want it to be really honest, simple and reflective of what I do.”
“One of the earthiest and most distinctive voices, not just in traditional circles, but anywhere”–The Irish Times
“I think she is singing more beautifully than ever. Mysterious perfection” Dónal Lunny
Multi-platinum international music sensation, Celtic Woman returns with the ultimate Christmas Gift: a collection of their very favourite Christmas songs. ‘The Best of Christmas’ is out now.
The album features 20 holiday classics including the celebrated version of Little Drummer Boy. The album includes performances by many of the former Celtic Women, as well as the angelic voices of the current members Susan McFadden, Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon and the breathtaking new violinist Tara McNeill.
Following its debut on PBS in 2005, the group has achieved massive success encompassing twelve chart-topping albums, eight DVDs and nine public television specials leading to sales of over ten million albums, with platinum success in nine countries. Each of its CDs – including 2016’s Destiny which was also nominated for a Grammy – has debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart. The group has been named Billboard Magazine’s #1 World Albums Artist six times.
As a touring powerhouse, the group has performed for over four million fans across 23 countries and six continents, with an especially devoted following in America. The show is renowned for its high-quality entertainment, exceptional musical performances and stunning visual productions, enthralling audiences of all ages.
Stephanie Rainey has released a video for her brand new single ‘Sorry’.
Speaking about the video, Stephanie Rainey said: “I wrote this song for my best friend and this video is a gift for her“.
Stephanie Rainey continues her headline tour of Ireland this week and sees her play a sold out Whelans (Dublin) on 29th Nov and The Slaughtered Lamb (London) as special guest with Beoga on 30th Nov.
With ‘Sorry’, Stephanie Rainey returns with the heartfelt sound that propelled her into the spotlight with her self release ‘Please Don’t Go’ which has now accumulated some 10 million streams across platforms.
‘Sorry’ is the follow up to singles ‘100 Like Me’ which reached top 20 in Ireland’s airplay chart and ‘Nothing of You Left to Love’ which saw Stephanie Rainey rack up over a million Spotify streams in Ireland on their release.
Speaking about the track, Stephanie Rainey said: “When I wrote Sorry it reminded me of ‘Lean on Me’ by Bill withers. It has the same message and a little bit of the same vibe.
We were lucky enough to record this with some of the incredible singers from the London Gospel Choir. It was an absolute honour and definitely a stand-out moment for me from the past few years. Sometimes when you’re recording something, there’s just a vibe in the room, a real energy that everyone is part of and this was one of those tracks. It’s got heart and I’m really proud of it.
I’ve been excited about people hearing this song. There’s no nervous energy attached to it because it just feels very honest and raw. It’s taking me back to how this all began with Please Don’t Go and that feels good. We’ve had an amazing year with the last 2 singles connecting and I hope people get the feeling from this track that was intended,
My favourite line from the song is…
‘I’ve known you since our freckles faded,
So I know what you’re going through’
I always say to people, when you hear this song, think of someone. It could be your best friend, your partner, your Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, whoever. Keep them in mind. Or else think of yourself, and hear it as a sort of letter to yourself. It makes it feel very different”.
‘Sorry’ is available for download across alldigital platforms now
Upcoming Live Dates:
Wednesday 29 November – Whelans, Dublin (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 30 November – The Slaughtered Lamb (London) special guest with Beoga
Nathan Carter, Ireland’s number one entertainer, releases his new single ‘Christmas To Me,’ as a download on iTunes from Friday 24th November. ‘Christmas To Me’ is set to be the sound of the season for music lovers across the country this year.
While fans don’t have long to wait until the happiest season of all begins, this is a recording the Liverpool born singer has been looking forward to working on all year, Nathan said. “Christmas is definitely my favourite time. I first heard this song earlier in the year. As soon as I listened to it, I couldn’t wait to get in to the studio and start working on my own version. I’m delighted with how the single has turned out and we’ve had great fun putting it together – recording a video in the very snowy Swiss Alps was a band trip to remember!“Like most people, Christmas is all about family for me. I was really taken with how well this song captures the magic of the season and how precious time with those we love is at this time of year. I think it’s something everyone listening will relate to as well.”
The popularity of the star shows no sign of slowing down. Following a sell-out arena tour earlier in the year, his new live CD and DVD is already top of Christmas wish-lists across the world. With his own primetime show ‘Nathan Carter Live’ currently airing RTÉ 1 TV, as well as a nationwide Christmas concert tour, it’s set to be a busy December for Nathan and the band.
As he looks back on an incredible year, Nathan wouldn’t have it any other way saying. “The Arena Tour early in 2017 was one of the highlights of my career and I’m so glad we took the opportunity to record the 3 Arena show. Our live DVD and CD captures the sights, sounds and atmosphere of that incredible night, so even if you missed the show, you can relive it in your own living room.
“I’ve also been honoured to front my own show on RTÉ this year and it’s a challenge I’ve enjoyed immensely. With guest artists including Mel C, Shane Filan and Una Healy, I admit I’ve been star-struck myself more than once! We also recorded a one-off Christmas special which I hope will get everyone singing and dancing along at home.”
With so much going on though, how does Nathan plan to spend the festive season? “This year, my whole family are coming to spend Christmas with me in Fermanagh – and I’m cooking! We’re looking forward to plenty of sing-songs, some good films on the TV and a few of the usual squabbles over board-games – so no different from every other home really! We’ll be packing in the miles on our concert tour before then, so I’m looking forward to it already!”
