Author: Breffni Banks

Online Songwriting Competition in Aid of Parkinsons Association of Ireland.  

Music4you.ie are running an online songwriting competition to raise much-needed funds to support the work of the Parkinson's Association.

The Parkinson's Association is a charity supporting people with Parkinson's, their carers, and families. This exciting project will raise much needed awareness of the condition. It will put Parkinson's out onto the airwaves where more people will talk about the condition, to reach new patients who need support.
"All funds raised through this competition will go directly towards running Information afternoons for patients. We need to educate the patients so they will empower themselves to manage their approach to living with this condition.”

The Parkinson’s Association is a registered charity that receives no government funding. Organised by Music4you.ie with the aid of ILoveLimerick.com, the songwriting competition is sponsored by the Limerick Leader, Limerick’s Live 95FM, Music Therapy Ireland, Red Door Productions, Maurice Gunning Photography, music and www.Buildermonkey.com. This online event will engage songwriters from all parts of Ireland.

The prize is valued at €10,000, giving the winner an opportunity to hone their musical skills and image through various mediums including a state of the art web site, a full photo promo shoot with renowned Limerick photographer Maurice Gunning, a style makeover, a video shoot with ILoveLimerick.com and the winning song will be recorded and produced by Dave Keary of Red Door Productions in Limerick City. The winner will also receive a PA system sponsored by XMusic. The talented panels of judges include singer songwriter John Spillane, acclaimed writer and former Eurovision Song winner, Shay Healy and singer and journalist Leanne Moore.

The competition will take place completely online with contestants uploading their recorded song via music4you.ie’s Facebook page where the public will be given the opportunity to vote on their favorites. It will then be the task of the judging panel to choose the winner form the Top 10 songs.  Opening date for entry is Oct 10th 2011. The winner will be announced on March 1st 2012.

Please go to www.facebook.com/music4you.ie and see ‘Song Competition’ for more details.
 

It’s been a long wait for new music from the charismatic Caruso, a band hard to pigeon hole – a phenomenal live band that drift effortlessly between folk and rock, punk and traditional. There’s even a hint of blues and country in there for good measure, and songwriter and driving force Shane Ó Fearghail is fine with that.  

The first new music from Caruso since acclaimed 2008 debut album “The Watcher & the Comet”, “FREAK” is an up tempo affair with a refrain that sticks in your head from the first time you hear it. “FREAK” is what it claims to be – a song about being different.  All clichés firmly in place “FREAK” is definitely where Caruso are and Shane wants the band to be.

Delorentos are delighted to announce the release of a new EP, the 4-track “Little Sparks EP” (DeloRecords), on Friday 18 November 2011.

Paul McDonnell was announced as the winner of the Christie Hennessy Song Competition at the live final held in The Brandon Hotel, Tralee on Saturday night, for his song, “Superman”.

Smalltown America ‘Best Small Record Label’ Nominees in AIM UK Music Awards 2011
Smalltown America Records are delighted at their inclusion on the shortlist for 2011’s Association Of Independent Music Awards. The Northern Irish Label has been nominated in the ‘Best Small Label’ category and will join artist nominees such as Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Bjork and Bon Iver at this year’s ceremony.
Charlene Hegarty – Label Manager | Andrew Ferris – MD (Photo Credit – Carrie Davenport)

With Special Guest Jape
 

New single “Sugar High” – 25th November

The Kanyu Tree: debut album enters chart at #4; announce People Street tour

With their debut album ‘People Street’ entering the Irish charts at #4 last Friday, and on the back of a sold-out hometown headline show at the Roisin Dubh, The Kanyu Tree have announced details of their first headline Irish tour.

The 12-date People Street tour begins on October 26 in Galway, and culminates in two headline shows in Dublin and Galway at the end of the year. Further dates will be added to the tour in the coming weeks.

The Kanyu Tree are brothers Daniel, Shane and Oisin Cluskey from Galway. Their debut album, ‘People Street’, is out now. Produced by the band and Ali Shaheed Muhammed                    (A Tribe Called Quest) and mixed by Chris Potter (The Verve, Keane), the album features previous singles ‘Radio’ and ‘Shelf Life’, and new single ‘Slow’.

A Laser Tom remix of ‘Slow’ can be downloaded for free from the band’s website:  www.thekanyutree.com

People Street Tour:

26.10: Fall Ball, Radisson, Galway

10.11: Bourke’s Bar, Limerick

11.11: Cyprus Avenue, Cork

12.11: Acoustic Room, Killarney

17.11: Sky and the Ground, Wexford

18.11: Billy Byrnes, Killkenny

23.11: Spirit Store, Dundalk

25.11: Venue Theatre, Ratoath

26.11: McHughs, Belfast

01.12: Ruby Rooms, TF Royal, Castlebar

15.12: The Roisin Dubh, Galway

21.12: Whelan’s, Dublin

As the X Factor contestants once again flaunt their talents on our TV screens, youths from across Ireland will display their own x factor in the first ever Youthreach Music Awards. The event will take place on the 26th October in RUA RED South Dublin Arts Centre Tallaght as young adults from across the country will converge on the capital to battle it out for the most prestigious musical prize within youthreach.

Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters from Limerick City, Ireland, announce a string of Autumn tour dates and release their brand new single 'Strip The City' taken from the critically acclaimed debut album 'The Devil In Music'. Embarking on a national tour in their home country, they also travel across the pond to Toronto's Indie Week International Showcase Festival 2011.

James Vincent McMorrow has been announced as the recipient of a 2012 European Border Breakers Award (EBBA), which celebrates top new talents in European popular music.

The awards recognise artists who have succeeded in reaching out to audiences beyond their home country with their first international release. James debut album, “Early in the Morning”, was released in February 2010 to widespread critical acclaim.

James will be presented with his award at a televised ceremony hosted by Jools Holland at Eurosonic Noorderslag in Gronongen, Netherlands on 11th January 2012.

The ceremony – including performances by most of the winning acts – will be broadcast by Dutch National Television (NOS/NTR) and will also receive European coverage through TV channels and radio stations.

One of the winners will also receive a 'Public Choice Award'. From 1 November until December 31 the public can vote for their favourite artist on www.ebba-awards.eu. By voting, they could win a trip to the award ceremony.

Former winners of the 'EBBA Awards include Adele, The Baseballs, Carla Bruni, KT Tunstall, Tokio Hotel, The Ting Tings, Lykke Li, The Scripts, Milow, Katie Melua, Mumford and Sons and Caro Emerald.

The full list of winners of the 2012 EBBA awards is as follows:
• Elektro Guzzi (Austria)
• Selah Sue (Belgium)
• Agnes Obel (Denmark)
• Ben l'Oncle Soul (France)
• Boy (Germany)
• James Vincent McMorrow (Ireland)
• Afrojack (Netherlands)
• Alexandra Stan (Romania)
• Swedish House Mafia (Sweden)
• Anna Calvi (UK)

www.jamesvmcmorrow.com