Jim Carroll

• Live music
• January 31, 2008, 12:00

Here’s the line-up for the Live at the Marquee season by the banks of the Lee, pop pickers. Three or four more acts to be added in the coming weeks. Shayne Ward – June 19 Eric Clapton – June 20 …

• Tune of the Week Videos
• January 31, 2008, 09:45

This week, the blog seems to have been all about music business so today, I’m addressing the imbalance with a slew of tunes and albums which are getting a lot of spins this weather. I’m digging the new British Sea …

• Live music
• January 30, 2008, 15:19

Radio Soulwax and The Kooks play Dublin Castle on May 4 and 5 respectively as part of the Six Green Bottles Hanging On The Wall festival Eric Clapton plays Malahide Castle, Dublin on June 21. It’s a safe bet that …

• Media
• January 30, 2008, 08:50

The men and women from the Academy have said “yo, Glen and Mar shall go to the ball”. Yes, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s Oscar nomination for Best Song for “Falling Slowly” from Once is back on tracks. The song …

• Live music Marketing
• January 30, 2008, 08:41

This post is prompted by the confirmation of the news that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are playing Dublin Castle on May 3. Tickets will go on sale on Friday at €49.50 a pop. Nothing wrong with that, you …

• Music business
• January 29, 2008, 09:11

The album is dead (part 2,454). The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Fry ponders what’s next. Paul McGuinness blames the technology hippies for the music industry’s woes. Mmm, is this the same Paul McGuinness who inked a deal for his charges …

• Live music
• January 28, 2008, 14:37

As we, er, guessed earlier on, there is now a second date by The National in Dublin. They’ll play the Olympia on May 14 and 15. We reckon they’re good for a third date. Joe Duffy vs 30 Seconds To …

• Music business
• January 28, 2008, 14:04

There’s plenty of free music doing the rounds in Cannes at the moment, as those music industry professionals who can afford to pay for their badges and overpriced hotel rooms gather for the MIDEM conference. Unlike SXSW or Eurosonic, MIDEM …

• Randomiser
• January 28, 2008, 10:00

(1) You go away for a few days and all hell breaks loose. Item one: John Waters vs the O’Blogosphere. John boy called people names and generally acted like Kevin Myers. The O’Blogosphere responded (I’d have sore thumbs if I …

• The Far Side
• January 28, 2008, 07:56

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday January 26, 10pm-midnight Bob Dylan “Most Likely You Go Your Way (Mark Ronson remix)” (Columbia) The Little Ones “Lovers Who Uncover (Crystal Castles remix)” (Astrelwerks) Cut Copy “Lights and Music” (Modular) Cadence Weapon “In …

• New releases
• January 25, 2008, 10:46

If you want to hear the new Hot Chip album “Made In The Dark”, it’s streaming here.

• Media
• January 25, 2008, 10:44

A new Irish monthly music magazine is set to appear on the news-stands in March. The team behind State magazine believe their new title will appeal to those 20- to 40-year-old music fans who currently buy monthly UK music magazines.

• Clubs
• January 25, 2008, 10:41

Kraftwerk remain pop’s most enduring riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Many attempts have been made to decipher what actually goes on beyond the doors of their Kling-Klang studio and there have ever been a couple of band …

• TV
• January 25, 2008, 10:40

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a band in possession of a good tune must be in want of some TV exposure. For Irish bands, though, TV time during prime viewing hours on the national broadcaster is usually hard …

• Live music
• January 25, 2008, 10:40

The prize for the Irish venue with the most names goes to the club on Dublin’s Middle Abbey Street. First known as HQ when it opened in 1999, it then became Spirit in 2001. Last October, it became Spirit 57 …

• Tune of the Week
• January 24, 2008, 12:18

A round of applause, y’all, for White Williams.

• Media
• January 23, 2008, 16:37

And thank heavens for that

• Live music
• January 22, 2008, 17:24

Broken Social Scene (yeah, Broken Social Scene not Kevin Drew Presents Something Like Broken Social Scene But Not Quite And Anyway No-One Will Really Notice And We Will Still Get Paid Loads Of Loonies For It And I Can Sing …

• Irish music
• January 22, 2008, 14:12

Strange how so many breaking news sources (including our own and RTE) have overlooked one Irish nomination for this year’s Oscars. Something else for the man himself to fume about. No wonder he’s turning into Van Morrison…. But enough with …

• Music business Videos
• January 22, 2008, 12:41

Mike Skinner says goodbye to his indie label, The Beats. Do I see Guy Hands in the background taking notes?

• Ireland
• January 22, 2008, 09:18

The new Lonely Planet guide to Ireland is out and there are already some choice highlights which will keep radio phone-in shows, outraged newspaper columnists and, er, bloggers busy for a few hours. Well, few will disagree with this summing …

• Randomiser
• January 21, 2008, 09:12

Maybe I need to syringe my ears but I could swear I heard someone saying something over the weekend about a certain someone playing a couple of Dublin dates in May. That’s good news, isn’t it, for what is supposed …

• The Far Side
• January 21, 2008, 08:29

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday January 18, 10pm-midnight Beck “Timebomb” (Geffen) St Germain “Rose Rouge” (Blue Note) James Yuill “No Surprise“ (Chess Club) Grand Pocket Orchestra “Odd Socks” (Promo) MGMT “Time to Pretend” (Cantora) Super Extra Bonus Party “Everything …

• New releases
• January 18, 2008, 10:41

In today’s Ticket, as part of a feature on Cat Power’s new covers album “Jukebox”, I rattled off my favourite 20 cover versions of all time. Naturally, I left tons out. Well, that’s what happens when you have only 20 …

• Festivals
• January 18, 2008, 09:28

There is nothing on the European music calendar that can compare with Eurosonic, the two-day festival which takes place in the northern Dutch town of Groningen every January. Attracting festival bookers, agents, journalists and broadcasters searching for exciting new musical …

• Irish music
• January 18, 2008, 09:21

Thanks to the long-standing involvement of 2FM producer Ian Wilson, there is always an Irish element to Eurosonic. Wilson ensures that the much-maligned station pays for a couple of bands to travel to Holland each year and also broadcasts their …

• Live music
• January 18, 2008, 09:18

The doctor will see you now. Dr Strangely Strange were one of many psychedelic-folk combos who found a modicum of fame and fortune in the late 1960s, but who became better known after their demise. Formed in Dublin in 1967, …

• Irish music New releases
• January 18, 2008, 09:17

In an era when bands struggle to get to album number two, it’s reassuring to know that some Irish acts continue to stick with the programme and pile on the releases. Doughty power-pop combo Pugwash will release their fourth album …

• Tune of the Week
• January 17, 2008, 10:21

Some records come out of nowhere and hit round you round the ears. I have a feeling the forthcoming album from Hercules & Love Affair is going to go do that to a lot of people.

• Ireland Media
• January 16, 2008, 08:41

And no, we’re not talking about Lorcan. The final batch of data from the 2006 census have been published and has thrown up plenty of statistical trivia for those who like to mine this kind of thing. Per Ruadhan Mac …

• Music business
• January 16, 2008, 08:33

While much of what Guy Hands had to say when he met EMI staff yesterday had been signalled in advance, there were one or two interesting comments to note from his presentation. He started off talking about the breakdown in …

• TV
• January 15, 2008, 09:14

It had to happen. MTV hooked up with Lorcan Malone, a dashing young blade from Dundalk, and filmed the preparations for his 16th birthday bash for their My Super Sweet 16 series. Watch what happened when a very American idea …

• Music business
• January 15, 2008, 07:56

It’s not going to be a pleasant Tuesday for thousands of people employed by EMI Music worldwide as Guy Scissorhands reveals his plans for the company this morning at a cinema in west London. It’s also something of a D-Day …

• TV
• January 14, 2008, 08:52

It’s the TV event of the year, people and it’s only January 14th. Starting tonight at 11pm, Nightly News with Vincent Browne is where Big Vinnie goes into battle with the TV3 news team and no, this is not a …

• The Far Side
• January 14, 2008, 08:28

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday January 12, 10pm-midnight Chrome Hoof “Pronoid” (Southern) The Ting Tings “Fruit Machine” (Columbia) The Clash “This Is Radio Clash” (CBS) Turbulence “Notorious” (XL) Octopus “The River” (Rev-Ola) The Quik “Bert’s Apple Crumble” (Deram) Dave …

• Live music
• January 12, 2008, 11:20

Over the last few years, Eurosonic has become the lab for the European Talent Exchange Program (ETEP). Bands who impress the ETEP folks in January end up getting very useful and potentially lucrative slots on major European summer festivals because, …

• Live music
• January 11, 2008, 10:13

Every January, the Dutch town of Groningen is taken over by bands, people who hang out with bands, booking agents, promoters and assorted members of the media for a gathering called Eurosonic. It is the best new band showcase in …

• TV
• January 11, 2008, 09:54

I watched the first episode of Series 5 of The Wire, which is available for free as a podcast via iTunes, on my iPod the other day. The viewing experience felt very strange (I’d never watched a video on the …

• Music business
• January 11, 2008, 09:24

Trent Reznor has decided to tell all about his recent engagement with a new music business model and it’s not pretty.

• New releases
• January 11, 2008, 09:22

He’s back. Six years have passed since the last album from Billy Bragg, but next month will see his new album, Mr Love & Justice, arrive in shops and download outlets. Not that Bragg has been idle since releasing England, …

• Clubs
• January 11, 2008, 09:17

There are a couple of big dates already on the Dublin clubbing calendar for 2008. Chilean-German minimal kingpin Ricardo Villalobos will visit Dublin for a Remedy gig on May 4th. The same night, MSTRKRFT, Gui Boratto (the Brazilian behind one …

• Media
• January 11, 2008, 09:10

One Irish album from 2007 which didn’t make the Choice Music Prize cut this week was Boxcutter’s Glyphic. Released on the Planet Mu label, it’s the second album from Armagh electronic producer Barry Lynn under the Boxcutter moniker. Boxcutter fans …

• Choice Music Prize
• January 9, 2008, 20:58

The following acts and albums have been nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2007 (acts in alphabetical order) Adrian Crowley “Long Distance Swimmer” (Tin Angel) Cathy Davey “Tales Of Silversleeve” (EMI) Delorentos “In Love …

• Randomiser
• January 9, 2008, 08:57

Maureen O’Dowd asks can Hillary cry her way back to the White House. Well, New Hampshire voters seem to think so. The latest Irish Times writer to ‘fess up to being a fan of The Wire? Fintan O’Toole If you …

• Choice Music Prize
• January 8, 2008, 16:10

Both Nialler and Shane have taken out their crystal balls to predict what albums they think will make the cut when the Choice Music Prize shortlist is announced on Wednesday. Lovely lists, the pair of them. Anyway, all will be …

• New releases
• January 8, 2008, 08:48

It’s that time of the year when music pundits gets a crick in their neck from all the looking backwards and forwards. Here’s a round-up of the round-ups. As you would expect, some names come up again and again and …

• Media Politics
• January 7, 2008, 08:37

It’s the story which never fails to pop up every four years: the attempt by some hamlet in Ireland to piggyback on the US presidential election. The yarn about Barack Obama’s connections with Moneygall in Co Offaly first surfaced last …

• The Far Side
• January 7, 2008, 08:17

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday January 5, 10pm-midnight The first show of ’08 was about shoehorning as much new music and new acts into two hours as possible. Find of the night turned to be Hercules & Love Affair, …

• Media Music business
• January 4, 2008, 08:57

On The Record’s wish for 2008? That we’ll start to see proper media coverage of music business stories.

• Live music
• January 4, 2008, 08:55

On The Record recently noted that January and February are no longer the dead months of the year when it comes to live music. As if to further emphasise the fact, a whole host of new live shows were announced …

• New releases
• January 4, 2008, 08:51

January 2008 is shaping up to be the month of the cover album. Cat Power releases her second covers album, “Jukebox”, on January 18, which contains versions of tracks by Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, The Highwaymen, James Brown, Bob Dylan …

• Clubs
• January 4, 2008, 08:48

Those who think that the rise and rise of live gigs means the end is nigh (again) for big-room clubbing events should talk to the people at Planetlove. They’ve just announced the line up for their Winter Session to be …

• Randomiser
• January 3, 2008, 10:48

(1) Tara Road is truly the worst movie ever made. We sat there in horror, as it went on and on and on, unable to reach for the remote control. Thanks RTE! (2) Live Nation are to move into the …

• Randomiser
• January 2, 2008, 08:49

It’s all Gerry’s fault. Two New Year’s Eves ago, we gathered for a soiree at our pal’s pad in the city-centre. At midnight, everyone went around the corner to Christ Church for the traditional bell-ringing and hugging and avoiding the …