Author: Breffni Banks

Birds of Olympus today made available debut single ‘Vine of the Soul’, the release of which is to coincide with the bands invitation to play at this year’s SXSW. The band will also perform in Dublin’s The Grand Social tonight for a pre-SXSW showcase.

Birds of Olympus’ soundscape, and mesmeric live expression will bring you to new states, states where human flesh has no option but to move.  Fronted by John ‘Spud’ Murphy (ex Hybrasil), an elusive Wicklow native who has shared the stage with artists like Morrissey, The Waterboys and The Libertines, to name a few.

Spud and his band have created a palette that is fluid, a living breathing thing.

The Birds exist in gravitational atmosphere entirely of their own, and their potential for a trance-inducing live performance is no empty threat.

‘Vine of the Soul’ the first offering from Birds of Olympus, won’t answer all the questions, it won’t make your job easier or your house bigger, but it’s new music you won’t want to miss.

Website

As part of Black History Month, Brew Mbirika originally from New York City but resident in Dublin will give a talk and live performance as well as a Q&A session at the Tivoli Backstage, Dublin on Thursday 16 February.

Famed troubadour, BREW, of the Dublin melodic rock group BLUESUN will play a unique show entailing a talk from him detailing his life in Ireland as a black American artist who was recently naturalised Irish after having lived in Dublin for over 20 years – Brew’s ancestry despite being born American is a combination of African and Filipino heritage. This is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the personality behind the music of Brew.

He informs:

“This will be a UNIQUE GIG for me!!! Black History Month Gig Series… hmm surprise folks I’m half Filipino as well …Better brush up on historical facts,,, am I the 2nd black Irishman in this biz?? I promise loads of insight and will take NUMEROUS questions but my PUNK side warns beware of the answers”

Doors open at 8pm at The Tivoli Backstage Pub at 18/19 Francis Street, Dublin 8 with show starting at 9pm

https://www.facebook.com/bluesunireland/?fref=ts
www.reverbnation.com/bluesunireland
https://www.facebook.com/events/1859202571004736/
https://www.facebook.com/TivoliBackstage/

Art-rock three-piece Slow Riot return with new track ‘Pink December’, available to stream & download now. Conceived, written and recorded during the same sessions that produced last Autumn’s ‘Absent Dreams’ single, yet a paradigm shift away from it’s (step)sister sonically, ‘Pink December’ offers a tantalising glimpse of a new sound being forged in their Limerick rehearsal space.

The signature deadpan vocal delivery and motorik driving bass remain, but gone is the athletic, lean post-punk; eschewed for layers of dense guitars, tribal drums, and half-heard backing vocals slowly unveiling themselves over nearly five and a half minutes. This is the sound of a band delving deeper into the thematic darkness that has characterised their output to date and embracing it.

“The Limerick post-punk band are on the up.” – Nialler9
“Inventive slab of fuzzy, at times ethereal but mostly noise-infused post-punk.” – Drowned In Sound

One of the biggest original song contests in Ireland, The Clancy Brothers Songwriting Competition 2017 is now open for entries.

And to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Clancy Brothers Festival, they are launching ‘A Song for Carrick’, a new competition category inviting songwriters to submit songs about or connected to Carrick-on-Suir, the home of the Clancy Brothers.

Both competitions are free to enter and open to all musical styles and genres, all ages and all nationalities. As long as it is a song, it is eligible for entry. Songs are judged on melody, composition, originality and lyrics, not on performance or production skills.

It is easy to enter, either by sending an MP3 by through the website or on a CD by post. You can enter one song in each category, (however you may only enter one song per category, and it must be a different song for each category).

This Clancy Brothers Songwriting Competition is designed with the songwriter in mind. First prize includes €500 cash sponsored by IMRO, studio time at Crossroads Recording in Kilkenny, and CD duplication from Duplication Ireland. With these prizes the winner will be all set for the next step in their songwriting career.

The three finalists will perform their song at a concert during the Clancy Brothers Festival of Music and Art 2017 as part of a 15 minute set, (date and venue to be confirmed), after which the winner will be announced. The two runners up also receive cash prizes of €250 each so no one leaves empty handed.

Take Carrick-on-Suir as your theme and enter ‘A Song for Carrick’…It could be a song about Carrick-on-Suir, a love song based in the town, a song about Carrick-on-Suir’s setting beneath the Comeraghs and Slievenamon, or about someone from Carrick-on-Suir such as Black Tom, Seán Kelly, Maurice Davin or even the Clancy Brothers themselves…the possibilities are endless.

The finalists will perform their song at a concert during the Clancy Brothers Festival, (date and venue to be confirmed), after which the winner will be announced. First prize is €200 and the two runners up will also receive cash prizes of €50, sponsored by the Carrick-on-Suir Business Association and the Clancy Brothers Festival of Music and Art.

Entries to both competitions can be posted on a CD to Clancy Brothers Songwriting Competition, The Tudor Artisan Hub, 42 Main Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, or submitted in MP3 format via the website at www.cbsongwriting.com. All entries must include lyrics and contact details. Please mark clearly which competition you are entering. For full details please go to www.cbsongwriting.com.

Closing date for entries is April 14th, 2017.

Culture Vultures – the salon-theme pop culture event co-curated by Tony Clayton-Lea and Andrea Keogh – celebrates its 3rd birthday with a humdinger of a celebratory event on Monday March 6th at The Sound House.

The event will highlight the best in Irish music and literature with a performance from one of the country’s best bands, Little Green Cars, and an exclusive public interview with one of Ireland’s most acclaimed authors, John Boyne, to tie in with the publication of his latest novel, The Heart’s Invisible Furies.

Dublin band Little Green Cars released their second album, Ephemera, almost a year ago, and has since proven that they are the go-to band for anyone seeking harmony-drenched pop music that touches on serious subjects. Presently working on material for their third album, Little Green Cars join Culture Vultures for an exclusive intimate performance that will see the band deliver tracks from Ephemera as well as from their 2013 debut album, Absolute Zero.

One of Ireland’s prolific and acclaimed novelists, John Boyne is the author of nine novels for adults and five for younger readers. While he is perhaps best known for his YA novel, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, his latest book, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, looks set to catapult him into a different arena altogether. John Boyne’s awards/accolades feature a number of international literary awards, including the Que Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain, and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany. In 2015, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia. Culture Vultures co-curator Tony Clayton-Lea will interview John on the night, and John will also be giving a short reading from his new book.

Previous guests of Culture Vultures have included Liam Cunningham, Cathy Davey, John Cummins. Neil Hannon, Lenny Abrahamson and many more.

Tickets priced at €14 go on sale this Wednesday February 15th from www.ticketmaster.ie (online only). Culture Vultures takes place at The Sound House, 28 Eden Quay (upstairs at The Wiley Fox.).

“Let’s Go” is the first release from Sharon Shannon’s brand new studio album “Sacred Earth”. The track features vocals from Cara Robinson and is sure to get everyone tapping along to the wonder sounds of her playing. This new album will be released on Friday 3rd March 2017 and is Sharon’s 10th studio album.

Sharon Shannon is a musician who likes to surprise. While she is known for her arrangements of traditional Irish tunes and Irish-influenced compositions, she has always been eager to explore new styles, and to meet and work with other musicians. There are Irish influences here, of course, but these are cheerfully mixed in with often unexpected styles from around the world, including – for the first time – Africa. More than one person has mentioned this album being akin to Paul Simon’s “Graceland”, exciting times!

Did you know Sharon married Brendan Grace recently? Well it is “Fake News” but they did stage a mock wedding recently all in aid of one of her much-loved causes, the charity Madra. Apparently, there was a lot of fun and we can only imagine the music session that followed the ceremony!

“Let’s Go” is at radio now, Sharon will be touring extensively worldwide in 2017 to support Sacred Earth, Irish tour dates to be announced shortly.

Website: http://sharonshannon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharon.shannon1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gaffalo

Due to the success of the Festival Management & Sound Production course in Westmeath, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) are delighted to announce a brand new Dublin-based Festival Management & Sound Production course. The course will run entirely within the highly renowned Sound Training College, located in the heart of Temple Bar, Dublin.

The Sound Training College boasts over 30 years of professional training experience, complimented with unrivaled state of the art facilities and industry professional lecturers.

Students will acquire the skills required to succeed in the festival and event industry, both in Ireland and abroad. The course includes training in Music Technology, Desktop Multimedia and Audio Production, Event Production, Music Industry Studies, Team Working, Sound Engineering and Production, Entrepreneurial Skills, and Work Experience at some of the top music festivals in Ireland.

The course is free for eligible jobseekers. It is aimed at motivated individuals who are looking to work in the fast-paced and exciting music industry. Upon successful completion, learners will receive a QQI Level 5 Major award in Sound Production.

The course is full time, with a start date of March 20th 2017. Places are limited, so be sure to apply early!

For more course information and entry requirements, please visit the following links:

http://www.dublintrainingcentres.ie/courses/festival-management-sound-production/
https://soundtraining.com/course/festival-management-and-sound-production/

Having recently played a sold out concert as part of NYF Dublin in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Liam Ó Maonlaí and his all-star band take to the road this April with performances lined up in Kilkenny, Dublin, Cork, Leitrim & Waterford.

Ré (pronounced ‘ray’ and meaning ‘moon’ or ‘era’ in Irish) features some of Ireland’s most innovative and decorated musicians. Maitiú Ó Casaide, a Dublin based piper from the esteemed Ó Casaide family, received TG4’s Young Musician of the Year Award 2015. Cormac Begley’s concertina playing has been described as ‘a masterclass in timeless musicianship (Irish Times ****) and in 2014 he received the Sean Ó Riada Award. Eithne Ní Chatháin (Inni-K), a highly celebrated traditional singer and fiddle player from Co. Kildare, is breaking new ground in indie-folk under the alias Inni-K. Founding member of the Hothouse Flowers and revered songwriter and accompanist, Peter O Toole from Dublin adds a depth of musicality and sensitivity to this eclectic group.

Over the past three years the band have performed at some of the main international arts festivals including the Sydney Arts Festival, New Zealand Arts Festival, Singapore Arts Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival. They have also toured extensively throughout Europe and have performed at the Lincoln Centre in New York. They received a nomination for best music at the Bessie Awards and the production Rian (comprised of Ré and eight contemporary dancers) received an award for best production.

Visit venues for more details and ticket information.

Thursday 06 – Set Theatre, Kilkenny
Friday 07 – Unitarian Church, Dublin
Saturday 08 – Triskel, Cork
Thursday 13 – The Dock, Carrick On Shannon
Sunday 16 – Theatre Royal, Waterford

On May 26th and 27th, Quirky Nights Glamping Village, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo will be going ‘Live on Air’. David McGowan has already surprised the world with his fascinating, new glamping business venture. He’s determined to keep the momentum going in Enniscrone, by hosting the first ever music festival to hit the town. Live on Air is definitely a weekend to mark on your calender to kickstart an amazing summer with family and friends.

Live on Air is showcasing a huge range of homegrown, renowned and upcoming Irish talent. The festival will present to you a wide range of musical talent, with a number of diverse genres. Wherever you’re musical interests lie, you will be sure to find them in Enniscrone this May.

There is an abundance of amazing acts in store such as Hermitage Green, Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Moxie, Rackhouse Pilfer, Rusangano Family, This Side Up, Na Mooneys, Strung, Lisa Canny, Meltybrains?, Interskalactic and many more to be announced. Visit the festival website at www.liveonairfestival.com or check out their social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter  for further information.

Throughout the weekend, not only can you enjoy the music, there will be plenty of activities to make every minute enjoyable. Why not wake up and go for a surf, swim, or just a refreshing stroll on our beautiful five kilometre beach. Live on Air is family friendly and camping orientated. Keep a close eye on Facebook and the festival website for ticket release date.

The New 52, fronted by acclaimed 22 year old Dublin songwriter Darragh Cullen, today announce their new single & video ‘Good Intentions’ and a headline show for March 18th in Whelan’s Upstairs – tickets €6 on sale now. The video was shot by Cormac O’Neill and co-directed with Darragh. It features Darragh in the role of ‘Garth Cullen’, an imaginary country songwriter who receives The New 52’s album and discovers that they’ve been heavily “inspired” by his work. The video was influenced by the comical videos of Foo Fighters & Red Hot Chili Peppers.

‘Good Intentions’ was written by Darragh and Boo Hewerdine, who produced the band’s current album ‘Let Me Sleep’, out now on Haven Records. Darragh explains “This is the first song I co-wrote with Boo, in his song writing workshop in Inverness. Lyrically, it’s a light hearted song about being a bit bull-headed!”

‘Good Intentions’ follows previous singles ‘Song for Sara’ & ‘Turning’ from the Dublin quartet’s album ’Let Me Sleep’. Released in September, it received widespread acclaim with the Irish Times saying “Cullen’s highly attuned pop/rock instincts are unfailingly spot-on”. Since then, The New 52 have embarked on a successful run of UK shows in November, including headliners in London (The Islington) and Glasgow (The Hug & Pint) and finished an Irish tour with Blue Rose Code earlier this month. Darragh and the band also completed their first recording session together as a four piece on ‘Coming Up’, the B-side to ‘Good Intention’s’, heralding an exciting new journey for the band collectively.

Darragh Cullen was named ‘Male Solo Artist of the Year 2010’ by Hot Press and described as “one of the country’s most promising young songwriters”. ‘Let Me Sleep’ is Darragh Cullen’s third album following his solo albums ‘The Finish Line’ in 2010 (released when he was just 15) and ‘Whispers & Silent Screams’ in 2012. Practically all instruments on ‘Let Me Sleep’ were played by Darragh who picked up his first guitar aged eight.

https://www.facebook.com/thenew52music @TheNew52Music