Kodaline, getting the bejaysus kicked outta them..

Those every prolific and great lads in Kodaline have been steadily gaining epic momentum internationally, from getting their song synced in Greys Anatomy to Plays across BBC in the UK.  They Sold out three Olympia Theatre dates in Dublin, racked up millions of views on their videos to date and if you’ve been following their recent US tour, they are trying to write a song for every town they are playing in!

Check out Ste getting the bejaysus kicked outta him on their video shoot for the latest song they are releasing which is the third track on their forthcoming album in June called ‘In A Perfect World’. If nothing else this video shows us Ste can take a fair aul beating...

Check out the video below.

Irish tracks worth checking out

Our new resident blogger Linda Coogan Byrne, gave us a list of tracks she has on her playlist; all of which are Irish bands. From the powerhouse that is Fight Like Apes to the rising stars on the cusp of World domination; Kodaline, to growing electronic popsters Empire Circus. Check out the below:

I remember seeing MayKay rip up the stage at Le Cheile years ago. The electricity in the bands live performance utterly impressed me. Absolute crowd pleasers. They are going to be releasing a new album very soon and are currently asking help from their fans to do so via Fundit. If it's anything like their last album its gonna be one hell of an epic sounding record. Good luck to them with that.

Kodaline are one of them rare gems that emerge every few years out of the rubble left over from bands who tried to make the main stream and break into the market place. Somewhere between the Rhiannas, Mumford and Sons and The XX smaller bands find a little nook where they can reside and grow and prosper, hone in their talents and build their craft. Kodaline are one such band. I can only see great things for this band. And I love the fact that not only can they deliver on a heart wrenching ballads but they have fun with new tracks such as Love Like This, showing their versatility. These are not a one hit wonder band. A long career ahead of these guys.

The Hot Sprockets embody a kind of Rock N’ Roll music that is haunted by the ghost of country and blues – take the good-time revolutionary spirit of MC5, simmer it down to the sounds of Crosby Stills Nash and Young, add some rough-edged Eagles of Death Metal and you are somewhere near the sonic nugget that is The Hot Sprockets. Their new single Soul Brother is an epic example of how good this band can be.

Empire Circus will be releasing an album later this year, in the meantime this track True Believer is a great intro to the bands unmistakable stellar musicality. They write easy to listen to pop tunes that surpass their 'Indie' peers and move straight to mainstream. 

In Their Thousands are a family band comprised of brothers and close friends. The harmonies are their strong point, not to mention fantastic musicianship. The guitar playing is something that gets me everytime. Think Neil Young meeting Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers..From their demos to full on studio edits, their music just hits me. Another fine Irish band who no doubt will continue to rise. Definitely one of bands to watch this year.

Stevie Cliff is a delicate little song writer who's lyrics hit me first. Listen to the track and tell me you are NOT impressed. I dare you.

And lastly Wonder Villains... come on what is not to like about these youngsters. they write bubblegum indie pop anthems that are going to one day break this little band into the masses.

The Official Electric Picnic press release

ELECTRIC PICNIC MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL

STRADBALLY HALL, CO. LAOIS

Friday 30th, Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September 2013

TICKETS ON SALE: 9am Saturday 27th April

Good things come to those who wait. And the waiting is over as tickets for this year's spectacular 10th Birthday Electric Picnic go on sale from this coming Saturday, April 27th at 9am.

What began as a one-day outing to Stradbally in the late summer of 2004 ten years ago, is now an annual national treasure; the nation's favourite festival of music, art, fine food, spoken word and the wonderfully unexpected. To celebrate 10 years of turning heads and making magic in the fields this year's Picnic comes wrapped for the exceptional price of €149.50 upwards for the three day festival (** see below for more details)

And now without further ado, it's time to peak inside our treasure trove of riches and discover the first of the hidden gems spilling out into the sunshine of this year’s very special 10th anniversary of The Electric Picnic............Goodness! it’s……

BJORK; FATBOY SLIM; ARCTIC MONKEYS;

FRANZ FERDINAND; DAVID BYRNE AND ST.VINCENT;EELS; NOAH &THE WHALE; JOHNNY MARR; DISCLOSURE; OCEAN COLOUR SCENE; HURTS; MICK FLANNERY; THE WALKMEN;BAAUER; TIGA; WARPAINT; SAVAGES; THE STRYPES; POLICIA; CHVCHES; PARQUET COURTS;CLINIC; DEAP VALLEY; SOAK

From the voice of Talking Heads all the way up to Electro pop from Glasgow's Chvches, this year's Picnic delivers a time-bomb of great, first rate music from across the ages and across the globe. There are many more names to be announced in this 10th anniversary Picnic extravaganza. But these are just for starters…


BJORK caught the world of 90s pop off-guard when she scored one enormous hit after another from her albums ‘Debut’ and ‘Post’. Full of surprise and wonder came hit singles like ‘Army Of Me’, ‘Hyperballad’ and the jazz fuelled cover of Betty Hutton's‘It's Oh So Quiet’, which became Bjork's biggest hit in 1995. Always challenging current trends Bjork brought fashion and technology ever closer to the centre of her musical world particularly in later albums ‘Medulla’, ‘Volta’ and more recently‘Biophilia’. Expect the unexpected and the extraordinary at Bjork's first appearance at the Picnic since 2007.





Last seen dj-ing from the centre of an enormous octopus as part of the Olympics closing ceremony in London in August, FATBOY SLIM likes to party. And you can expect to party hard along to ‘Right Here, Right Now’, ‘Praise You’ and ‘Weapon Of Choice’ at his return gig during this year’s 10th Picnic birthday party. The hard-core Picnicers will remember his set back in 2005 and with several appearances at Glastonbury under his belt since this is sure to be a must-see/must-dance act at the picnic. Q Magazine named him one of the top 50 acts to see before you die. So book your spot on the field early!



The ARCTIC MONKEYS are coming to Laois. The Sheffield foursome are regarded as one of the most prominent bands to come out of the post – punk revival after their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, that’s What I’m Not’ sold faster than any other album in British music history; to this day they hold that title. The five times Brit Award winning and twice Grammy nominated rockers promise to knock your furry monkey hats off.



If any song captured the early years of the noughties it was ‘Take You Out’ by FRANZ FERDINAND. The success of that tune, helped to set Alex Kapranos and the rest of the Ferdinands on their way to a three singles that topped the charts and winning the Mercury Prize in 2004. A constant draw on the live circuit, Franz Ferdinand are back on the road again, they’re rejuvenated and ready to rock, and with a new album about to be unveiled the Glaswegians are ready to scatter their killer pop tunes across the crowds at Stradbally. 





Post Talking Heads, David Byrne spent a lot of his time exploring different musical avenues through a variety of collaborations, from Brian Eno to Arcade Fire. His most recent partnership came to life late last year with the release of ‘Love This Giant’featuring song writer and multi-instrumentalist, Annie Erin Clark better known as St. Vincent. Originally a member of the Polyphonic Spree Annie set sail on the solo course with her first album, ‘Marry Me’ in 2007 bringing on comparisons to Kate Bush and David Bowie. This genius collaboration gives you DAVID BYRNE & ST. VINCENT, a broad soundscape of brass and keyboards with a barrel-load of bright and exciting tunes.

Electric Picnic '13 Line up revealed.

Bjork, Arctic Monkeys and Fatboy slim have all been confirmed on the lineup for Electric Picnic 2013. David Byrne and St Vincent, Noah and the Whale, Eels, Ocean Colour Scene, Clinic and Franz Ferdinand will also be making the trip to Laois for the last weekend in August.

The Stradbally event is in its tenth year ! Happy 10th Birthday!

Here are all the acts announced so far:

• Bjork
• Fatboy Slim
• Arctic Monkeys
• Franz Ferdinand
• David Byrne and St Vincent
• Eels
• Noah and the Whale
• Johnny Marr
• Disclosure
• Ocean Colour Scene
• Warpaint
• Hurts
• Mick Flannery
• The Walkmen
• Baauer
• Tiga
• Savages
• The Strypes
• Policia
• Chvches
• Parquet Courts
• Clinic
• Deep Valley
• Soak

Tickets

There has been significant confusion surrounding discounted tickets which are due to go on sale on Saturday morning.

The cheapest tickets will be made available to those who can prove they’ve been to three or more Electric Picnics, but there has been difficulty establishing how this system will work in conjunction with Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster issued a statement yesterday:

An email will be released to all previous customers in the near future. Also, Ticketmaster will be in a better position tomorrow once festival organisers have released all relevant  information.

Yesterday evening that email containing a discount code was issued to those who were in Ticketmaster’s records as having purchased tickets for Electric Picnic in the past seven years.

There are two types of discount, one for those who have attended one of two times, and one for those who have attended three or more times. If you feel you have been provided with the incorrect discount code, Electric Picnic organisers have this advice:

There are plenty of ways to show proof that you have attended the Picnic  over the years to name but a few ……… old wristbands, ticket stubs, official programmes, photographs which indicate different years attendance, screen shots of social media showing messages, travel receipts to festival or accommodation receipt dated…….. So contact the team at info@electricpicnic.ie for any help with your ticket purchase.

A team will make the decision or request further information and email a unique purchase code to use with Ticketmaster where appropriate.

Tickets go on sale on Saturday morning at 9am.

Empire Circus impress with new video

Here is the beautiful new Music Video from Empire Circus 'True Believer'. The song eases you in with a rhythmic groove heartbeat intro before progressing into one of the most promising  tunes we have heard this year. With bands like this floating around the place, we Irish should be proud. The choreography throughout the video is stunning.

They play This Friday in the Merchantile in Dublin €10

Director / Producer - Simon Daniels

Lighting Cameraman - Eamon Nolan
Cameraman - Damian Dunne
Assistant Camera - Shay Redmond
Production Assistant - Luke Page
Performers - Ryan O Neill & Deirdre Griffen
Electrician - Stephen Brennan
Willie Van Velzen, Dave Byrne, Declan Kenny, Dan Dwyer, Sarah Kivlehan and all at EQ Dublin and Terry Comer at Lime Street Sound
Design For Life
Edit / Grade - Eamon Nolan
David Walsh
Alan Doyle
Brian Ellis

Art Direction - Colm Ó Foghlú

Hair - Dorothy Daniels

Lighting Design - Al Browne & James Ferry, Eq Dublin

Choreographer - Ailish Claffey

Fire Officer - Simon Kealy

Very Special thanks go to:

Production & Post Production

Edited by - Jon Kelly

Empire Circus are

Neil Eurelle

A little chat with Senakah front man Rob Hope ahead of their album release.

We recently spoke to front man Rob Hope from Irish Band Senakah who will be releasing their new album HUMAN RELATIONS on May 17th. Which we will be reviewing nearer to the release date. From what we can gather from their new Double A below, its looking like its going to be a cracker.

You can check out their new double A Single below:

QUESTIONS; 

Who are your heroes?

Anybody who has ever helped me and neither expected or asked for anything in return.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

'Tango till they're sore' by Tom Waits

Names 3 records that sends a shiver down your spine?

'Raindogs' by Tom Waits, 'Adore' by The Smashing Pumpkins, 'Indianola Mississippi Seeds' by B.B. King

What is your most treasured possession?

My old acoustic guitar.

What makes you angry?

Complainers.

What book influenced you most?

'Going Solo' by Roald Dahl

Can you tell me a joke?

An man is driving across the golden gate bridge in 1969 and see's a hippy looking spaced out, dancing around and clicking his fingers at the bridge's edge. Concerned for the hippy's safety the man stops and asks what he is doing. The hippy replies "I'm scaring away the pink elephants man". The man say's "There are no pink elephants". The hippy replies "Yeah I know man, it works!"

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

When driving, assume that everybody else on the road is completely insane!

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

A classy mofo.

What is your favourite film and why?

The Big Lebowski. Don't know why, but it gets better after every watch, even after the 30th time.

What is your passion?

Creating new music.

What was your most formative experience?

Getting hit by a car.

What do you believe in?

Hard work and being genuinely nice to people, 'genuinely' being the operative word.

What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen or heard when on the road?

Seeing a Marilyn Monroe lookalike and a dwarf in a clown outfit going at it on the street at Oktoberfest in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

What is your favourite word one-liner or retort?

Let's make like a shepherd and get the flock outta here.

What would your motto be?

Be brave.

Paramore are back. Check out new single here.

Paramore just released their fourth album. Minus two of the band's founding members, Josh and Zac Farro, its an interesting one!! We got our hands on it this week and will be reviewing next week, but in the meantime check out their new single which just landed the band #1 in the Billboard top 200. Still into you is commercial...poptastic...(looks at album on desk with anticipation)... TBC

A short chat with Ian O Doherty

Kerry Man Ian O Doherty took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us this week ahead of his superb EP launch. (which we will be reviewing closer to its release May 10th)  

Have a gander below.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

"Sliding Down", an instrumental piece from a fantastic collaboration album by Bela Fleck called "Heartland - An Appalachian Anthology".

Name 3 records that sends a shiver down your spine?

"Continuum" by John Mayer, "Bon Iver" by Bon Iver and "The Hollow Of Morning" by Gemma Hayes.

What is your most treasured possession?

Has to be my iPhone, it's my mini-me!

What makes you angry?

Ignorance, narrow-mindedness and complacency. 

What book influenced you most?

The Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson

Can you tell me a joke?

What do you call a fish without an eye? A fsh. Well, you did ask!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Back every horse!

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Crumbs. (In my beard).

What is your favourite film and why?

Anything with Denzel Washington, simply because he is boss!

What is your passion?

Music is the all too obvious answer but more specifically the creating of something real and tangible from raw emotion and thought. And golf. I like playing golf too.

What was your most formative experience?

I guess it was leaving the lovely college bubble in 2007 and taking those first steps in to real adult life with taxes and bills to pay and dreams to fulfill. I found it such a confusing and uncertain period but managed to find my footing after a while.

What do you believe in?

I believe in people (most but not all) and I believe in the human spirit.

What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen or heard when on the road?

There are far too many stories to pick just one but flailing cougars and wild, unbridled men tearing up the dance floor were always a reliable source of entertainment from the stage in my cover band days!

What is your favourite word one-liner or retort?

"You're a word, one-liner or retort"!

What would your motto be?

Keep in by the ditch!

-- 

Ian's EP is out May 10th! Listen below.

Lets make Friends with a new Irish band on the rise.

Friends of Emmet have been around the block for a while...in some guise or another. Some industry folk may have an age limit to new bands on the 'Indie' scene that they choose to support or not support. FOE are not Indie though. They are not new, they are veterans with a rare musicality and calibre that few up and coming bands possess. Their vast array of songs speak or in this case sing for itself. Look at Ray Lamontagne, Seasick Steve etc. Their music knew no limitations to age. I reckon FOE will surprise a few and gravitate in the right direction and carve a nice niche for themselves here and abroad. The audience on the night really enjoyed it as did I.

I arrived in late to a rather crammed Sugar Club last Thursday night, missing the support bands who apparently everyone was raving about. I waved at a good looking red head who is now managing the said band and found a place by the wall, because there were no free seats! Well done to the band on that one, not so good for my feet. First Irish Gig and a packed venue.

They arrived on stage albeit very nervous to start with; but armed with an impressive set list which showcased their stunning album 'State Of Mind' which the band revealed the artwork for this month via their FACEBOOK page. It is due out in Sept of this year. From the set list the stand out tracks were 13th Floor, Coming Apart an the Springsteen like Headlines (my personal fav). 

Mark Leddy, the lead vocalist, is superb. He could be Bonos double mind you. Switching from Guitar to Piano and dropping from falsetto to full on rock n' roll vocals effortlessly on the night enabled the listeners and spectators to get a real grasp of how good a front man he was. It was interesting to find out that Mark established a 60's retro James Bond styled and inspired nightclub with his friend Glenn Quinn (an Irish actor who played Mark Healy in the American sitcom 'Roseanne' and the half demon Doyle in 'Angel' a spin off of the hit series 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer') named 'Goldfingers. It quickly became the Epicenter of an amazing music and artistic scene in Hollywood. With regulars like...Marylyn Manson, The Cult, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Heather Graham, Elijah Wood, Lisa Marie Presley, John Goodman etc... they all spent time there, playing live, as Djs or just hanging out. Mark went on to set up other successful bars in Los Angeles and New York but never lost his love for music and songwriting. Thankfully as Friends of Emmet are here to stay. And what a fine return to their homeland last Thursday night. I, and I am sure I am not the only one, am well impressed and they have won over a new fan right here.

Lead Single, ‘Coming Apart’, was recently featured in UK Hit TV dramas Eastenders and HollyOaks. Another track from the album; ‘Hero’, is featured in the independent movie ‘The Saving’ and all 12 tracks from the album are now licensed to MTV.

Downfall on the night: Nothing; a great performance that left the crowd wanting more, all was top notch except for slightly bogie sound here and there. 

Check out their recent performance on Canada AM here:

JOHN SHEAHAN: A DUBLINER : MONDAY APRIL 15th RTE ONE 9.35PM

JOHN SHEAHAN: A DUBLINER  : MONDAY APRIL 15^th RTE ONE 9.35PM

The documentary film John Sheahan: A Dubliner is a revealing and beautifully made portrait of a man who was an integral part of the national institution that is The Dubliners. As Barney McKenna once said, John is the ‘memory chip’, the part of the band who never forgets, ‘the mortar between the bricks’ that kept the band together.

John Sheahan was perhaps the most unlikely member ofThe Dubliners. His quiet nature and classical music training set him apart from his fellow group members. Now at the age of 73 he has reached a major turning point in his life. All of his friends that he once shared the band with in the early days, Luke, Ronnie, Ciarán and Barney are now sadly dead and he has finally decided to close the book on the life of The Dubliners after fifty years of recording and touring.

Sheahan is a deep thinker, a quality musician, composer and a poet with a passion for words.  At the age of 25 he was set up for life with a pensionable job as an ESB draftsman. He worked by day and played music by night. In 1964, to the dismay of his father who was a member of An Garda Síochána, he packed in the day job to go full time with The Dubliners.

Now fifty years later it’s a new dawn for John.  He has all of the memories neatly packed away into different compartments and is ready to tell his side of The Dubliners story. John Sheahan is an eyewitness to a colourful chapter in Irish history that has formed a large part of our national identity. He has taken a road less travelled and thankfully has survived to tell the tale.

Produced by the award winning Scratch Films and directed by five time IFTA winning director Maurice Sweeney, John Sheahan: A Dubliner is a treasure trove of rare Dublinersarchive some of which has never been broadcast in Ireland before and contemporary performances with Damien Dempsey, Declan O’Rourke, Charlie McGettigan, Máire Breatnach, Seán Keane and Neil Martin.