A successful week for Irish music all-round! Firstly congratulations to Jape on winning the Choice Music Prize – many have already said it went to the nicest man in Ireland and of those on the final shortlist, he was certainly amongst the most deserving. Halfset made a really good album and R.S.A.G. certainly set tympanics trembling with Organic Sampler but in the end the award went to one whose music played truly massive role in 2008. Despite fear and suspicion on the night due to the presence of David Holmes and The Script, Richie Egan is now wealthier to the tune of ten thousand fruits and a smooth celebratory trophy declaring Ritual the most critically-acclaimed Irish album of 2008. Thank you Jape.
There’s an interview with Choice founder Jim Carroll over on Analog. It’s a decent read…have Phantom really been binning bands’ CDs? In this age of carbon neutrality I thought unwanted promos found a home in charity shops. It’s all a wicked lie!
Salulations are also in order for Falter Ego who won the DIT Battle of the Bands in Think Tank on Wednesday (by the by, how fantastic is the new Cylon ceiling in the Eustace Street club?! Totally makes up for the naff Diet-Cokesque mural and porn-star toilets…!) Falter Ego beat off competition from Bojangled, Flying Columns and The Harm to win the first heat. Myself and two judges from Drop-D were level-pegging at 3/4 time and prepared for a fight amongst Indies when the three metallers rocked on and settled the score with four great, catchy songs. Look forward to hearing from you lads but if I can make one teeeny suggestion – introducing online visitors to your music with “The Official…Myspace Page” is a bit naff. Just sayin….
Before I launch into the plethora of upcoming releases and shows, take a moment to consider Parhelia‘s words on the effects of illegal downloading on small bands.
The Dublin post-rockers released Shifting Sands in early February and yet to date there have been over 500 downloads from one filesharing site alone – more than the album’s total legitimate sales. That ain’t cool. Support your local music industry people – it’s the only way to survive without selling out.
The other gigging biggie is The Urges in Whelans, also tomorrow – biggie because it’s their last Irish date before they descend on the not-so-sleepy town of Austin, Texas for SXSW….did you know the city has a bat population of 1.5 million? Sounds like a kind of haven!
Call me selfish but I wasn’t having the best day to start with. And just saw this on the HP news. No one tells me anything.
Fucking blah. It’s not just jealousy that Colin’s sodding off to Japan. They were a deadly band. I really, really liked the new EP Time To Tell The Parents. Three February gigs are still going ahead and two free downloads are coming soon as parting gifts. Don’t download them. Don’t say goodbye. Let’s stick our heads in the sand and pretend nothing’s changed…
This is Green Lights with the awesome Cut To The Chase from their new Time To Tell The Parents EP. Time to tell the parents, “Hey Mom and Dad, we’ve really matured since our last EP, so stay outta my room!“?
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They’ve a busy few weeks ahead working with an interesting bunch of bands, The Brewery in Monaghan plays host to a great night featuring Green Lights, Grand Pocket Orchestra and The Popular Front this Saturday 24 January. Then there’s the biggiegig at Whelans with The Funeral Suits on 27 February followed by Mayo’s Finbar Hoban Presents… with The Bastard Rain on the 28.
MEGAKUDOS to Estel for a) going ten years strong, b) recording a truly legendary EP with Mike Watt and Steve Mackay of The Stooges, c) raising the bar on live Irish music performance: the Lower Deck on Friday night was like sitting backwards on a static, LSD-reared carousel horse while the room span at 900mph.
A sneak peek at the artwork for Disconnect 4‘s new single The Rise due out this March. As I’m sure you know, Galway-based D4 make energetic indie-pop infused with darker threads of new-wave and more than a smidgen of emo histronic. Woooo, more rousing tunes for our late nights, we need young blood on the dancefloor that can hold its weight above the dismissal of generic indie.
In February Disconnect 4 go into the studio with Cazals member Martin Dubka to record a four-track debut EP due for release in June. The Rise will be released as a download-only single, followed by a tour with the fabulous Ghostwood Project in late March but keep your eyes peeled for other dates in Belfast and Dublin.
Speculation of a split abounded for several weeks since Belfast’s We Are Knives cancelled three Irish shows with And So I Watch You From Afar in November and now the trio of Belfast sharps confirmed the news on their MySpace blog today:
WeAreKnives are taking a break from activities for the forseeable future. We currently don’t have the time that Knives music takes so have decided to let it be for now.
Thank you to everyone for everything they ever did for us. We may return…the future is unwritten.
The drummer and guitarist are continuing to play together as a duo and can be found here www.myspace.com/continuousbattle
For now that is all.
Hornby, Steve & Craig.
This could be a true blow to Irish music, were it not for the fact that music will continue from new project The Continuous Battle of Order (also featured on OHR today) which retains key styles and characteristics that fleshed out the Knives’ numbers, namely their searing live performances and abrasive, intense 6-track 2007 debut We Have Become Like Knives.
According to the Richter Collective news page, we can expect a Continuous Battle… album later this year. Another spin-off, The Misaligned Men of Automaton is also up and running but without any musical offerings available for our ears just yet.
I’m kinda veryveryveryveryvery sad about this news. But not too much: it warrants another spin of WHBLK and a raised glass of something cold and fizzy. They were stellar…now they’re star-shaped holes in the navy tapestry of Irish heritage.
Interested in music artwork? The Ambience Affair have issued a last-minute call for artists to get involved with the design of their upcoming EP Fragile Things which is scheduled for release on 9 February.
Call me selfish but I wasn’t having the best day to start with. And just saw 
