Author: Breffni Banks

A Series of 6 Afternoon Concerts in Gallery Spaces in central Dublin was launched this week at the Contemporary Music Centre by Dr. Cliona Doris, Chair of CMC.  Concorde contemporary music ensemble are celebrating 35 years of continuous work nurturing the creation of new music and presenting music to the public. Concorde will be working in partnership with the Rubicon Gallery, 10 Stephens Green, the Contemporary Music Centre, Temple Bar, and the Gallery of Photography, Temple Bar to present concerts from November 2011 to July 2012.

Each event will be on a weekend afternoon, from 2 – 5 pm, and will feature a commissioned composer with a new work.  In addition, Concorde’s presentations will highlight works from their extensive repertoire and new compositions from both Irish and international composers.

Commissioned composers:
Dave Flynn, Nov. 13 @ Rubicon Gallery
Rhona Clarke, Nov. 27 @ Rubicon Gallery
Jane O’Leary, Feb. 11 @ Contemporary Music Centre
Elaine Agnew, March 10 @ Contemporary Music Centre
Raymond Deane, July 1 @ Gallery of Photography
David Fennessy, July 22 @ Gallery of Photography

In addition, new works are being contributed to celebrate Concorde’s birthday from
Irish composers Stephen Gardner, Bill Campbell, Frank Lyons, Grainne Mulvey, Deirdre McKay, Judith Ring, Alyson Barber, Ed Bennett, Donal Rafferty.  Korean composer Si-Hyun Yi and Slovenian composer Nina Senk are presenting new pieces for performance in the series.  The late James Wilson will be honoured through performances of his work. 

The music of Elliott Carter has often featured in Concorde’s programmes and will appear throughout the series, as will pieces previously commissioned or premiered by Concorde, from John Kinsella’s ‘Aberration’ for flute and violin of 1980 to Ailis Ni Riain’s ‘Don’t’ (2000) and Stephen Gardner’s ‘Klezmeria’ (2008).  Concorde will select international compositions submitted to a project called ‘Global Connections’, in partnership with the American organisation Access Contemporary Music.  In addition, Concorde’s commissioned works will be performed by the Chicago-based Palomar ensemble.

The focus will be on solos, duos and trios and the concerts will offer a chance for listeners to experience new music ‘up close’ in intimate settings, engage with performers and composers during the afternoon, enjoy the visual context of their surroundings, and hear a range of music from composers of all ages.  It is with a spirit of adventure that Concorde continue to explore new repertoire and reach out to curious listeners.

Admission is free and the series is funded by a Music Project Award from the Arts Council.  The commissioned works will be presented together in concert at the Hugh Lane Gallery in Autumn 2012.

The Kanyu Tree have announced details of their debut album. ‘People Street’ will be released on Sony Music Ireland on September 30. The 10-track album includes previous singles ‘Radio’ and ‘Shelf Life’, and features their new single, ‘Slow’.
 
The band have just announced two album launch shows: one in Whelan’s Dublin on September 30 and one in the Roisin Dubh in Galway on October 6. Tickets for both dates are available now from usual outlets. The band is currently in the middle of a 25-date tour around the country, supporting Bressie on his solo tour. They also play Arthur’s Day on September 22.
 
Recorded in the UK, Dublin and Galway, ‘People Street’ was co-produced by the Cluskey brothers – guitarist Daniel (29), singer Shane (27) and bassist Oisin (25) – and hiphop icon Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest. The album was mixed in London by Chris Potter (The Verve, Keane). The album is available to pre-order now from the band’s website, and www.thekanyutree.com now. A special edition featuring 12 tracks will be available exclusively on iTunes.
 
The band have spent the summer of 2011 on the road, building a fanbase by playing a host of festivals including Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Castlepalooza, Sea Sessions, the Galway Arts Festival Big Top and Indiependence, as well as a number of headline shows and plum support slots. Live, the band stand out, the harmonies soaring in time with their natural musicianship.
 
The constant gigging served them well when entering the studio to record their debut album with their co-producer, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, from hip-hop icons A Tribe Called Quest. Seemingly from opposite ends of the musical spectrum, the parties bonded over a mutual love of Steely Dan. “It was our first time in a ‘proper’ studio,” says Oisin, “and Ali was a great guy to work with. He never made us feel like ‘I’m the producer, you are the band’ – we made the decisions together. He made us feel really confident and he gave us belief.”
 
The self-penned album was recorded in a studio in the UK and in the band’s own home studio in Galway. “It’s an honest record,” says Daniel. “It’s an obvious thing to say, but it is a snapshot of our lives at the time,” says Shane. “There’s a mix of songs on there – some are upbeat, some are melancholic, some are both at the same time! It reflects what we went through making the album.”
 
Ask the brothers to pick favourites, and they fire back different answers, taking time to settle on their choices.
 
Daniel: “’Stay Up’. It’s the closing track on the record. I just love the strings, and the way it closes the record.”
 
Shane: “’People Street’. It came together so well in the studio – it was probably a personal highlight of those sessions.”
 
Oisin: “’A Lot Like Me’. The chorus is so simple, but so catchy. People always come up after gigs and say how much they like it.”
 
With The Kanyu Tree, it’s always about the songs. It always comes back to the songs. And now it’s time for the world to hear them.
 

www.thekanyutree.com

 
LIVE DATES: September / October
19/09: UCD Freshers’ Ball, Dublin
22/09: Arthur's Day , Cork
23/09: The Bridge House, Tullamore *
24/09: The Nerve Centre, Derry *
26/09: Athlone IT Freshers’ Ball
27/09: Maynooth IT Freshers’ Ball
28/09: DCU Freshers’ Ball & Trinity Freshers’ Ball              
29/09: The Stables, Mullingar *
30/09: WHELAN’S DUBLIN / HMV PA
02/10: Spirit Sore, Dundalk *
05/10: Set Theatre, Kilkenny *
06/10: THE ROISIN DUBH, GALWAY / HMV PA
07/10: Minnie’s, Dungarvan * & HWCH, Dublin
08/10: O’Keefe’s, Clonmel *
09/10: Acoustic Room, Killarney *
12/10: The Limelight, Belfast *
13/10: Ruby Room, Castlebar *
15/10: The Academy, Dublin
(* Bressie Support Event)
 

Cheap Freaks debut LP 'Bury Them All' will be released in the coming weeks on Big Neck Records. The album was recorded over a few days in late 2010 and early 2011 at Qube Studios in Dublin with Sean Coleman, who is also responsible for mixing the LP.
 

Two of the album tracks were recorded the year before at Der Schaltram Studios in Berlin with Tom Schwoll.
The album will be available on 12" Vinyl, CD and download from Itunes and various websites. See www.bigneckrecords.com for more info.

Fred are delighted to announce details of their forthcoming Irish tour and new single, We are the City. Julie Feeney will also be taking over keyboard duties on a select few of these tour dates and joining them on their American tour including CMJ in New York.

Jinx Lennon will be playing two shows with Kilkenny rapper Captain Moonlight whose new
single ''Cat got your tongue'' is available to download from Bandcamp.com

Sive is the moniker of songwriter and musician Sadhbh O'Sullivan. She and her band are currently gearing up for the release of their debut single, We Are Moving, which will be launched in The Odessa on the 3rd of November.

Award winning singer/songwriter embarks on solo Irish tour.

In 2011 Anthony Furey formed The Young Folk with Paul Butler, Karl Hand, Tony McLoughlin and Karen Hickey.  Assured musicians and songwriters, The Young Folk boasts a line up of some of the most promising young musicians working in Ireland today. Their well traveled live show is already highly regarded for its technical nous. Their performance also distinguishes itself by the kind of raw energy and passion inherent in good folk music, melding the lively variation of oral transmission with the marks of custom and community that give it its character.
With supports in venues such as Vicar Street, The National Concert Hall…
 

Taking the Festival circuit by storm this year with performances at CastlePalooza, Vantastival, Knockanstockan, Flat Lake, Milk & Cookies, Florø Festival Norway and more to come with the likes of  The Spirit Of Folk Festival..

The Dublin International Gospel Music Festival will return to Dublin after a successful run last year. The day-long festival will take place on Saturday, 24th September in Liberty Hall Theatre, Eden Quay Dublin 1.  A series of free workshops will take place throughout the day, followed by an evening of performances.