Culture
/
On The Record

Jim Carroll

Music, Life and everything else

Monthly Archives: February 2008

The Ticket’s Top 40 Irish Albums of All Time

In this week’s Ticket, we’ve counted down the Top 40 Irish Albums of All Time as voted for by the paper’s rock music writers. No doubt, readers will be surprised and shocked as they go through the Top 40. The …

One step closer to a law against music piracy?

There is no such thing as a quiet week for those keeping tabs on how the record industry is coping with the ups and downs of digital music.

More acts coming up for Oxegen

How long do you think it will take for Oxegen to sell out this year? An hour? Two hours? 146 minutes, 17 seconds? On The Record reckons it’s time some enterprising bookie started offering odds on this annual phenomenon. The …

Misspent youths
  • Media
  • February 29, 2008, 08:13

Calling all mods, rockers, ravers, hippies, bikers, bootboys, goths, skins, new romantics and teds: Garry O’Neill wants to hear from you. O’Neill is putting together a photo-book about Dublin youth cultures from the 1960s to 1990s. “Our shops have plenty …

Etc

Further proof that De La Soul’s maxim that everyone wants to be a DJ was on the money: unnamed members of Bloc Party hit the decks at the POD, Dublin on March 23rd. Some must-see additions to the capital city …

About last night….

Memo to the lovely lads and lasses in Vicar Street: if you find my voice, can you put it aside for me? Thanks.

Choice Music Prize – tenemus unum victorem

Congratulations to the mighty Super Extra Bonus Party who won the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2007 at Vicar Street, Dublin last night.

Prince, Croke Park, June 16

Prince is doing three European shows as part of his Greatest Hits For The Last Time tour and Dublin’s Croke Park is one of them. Tickets for the show on June 16 go on sale next week.

Vodafone’s Bright New Sounds is still at large

Una has a link to a new Eyebrowy video plugging this dodgy competition. In case anyone has forgotten, here’s the post where we went through the competition, step by step, and pointed out a couple of very iffy aspects to …

So what are you listening to at the moment?

There are two questions about what I do for a living which I get asked almost every day. OK, there are more than two questions, but these are the two which pop up most frequently in emails and conversations. The …

Big news for Cork live music fans

The latest addition to the Live at the Marquee season? Hey, hey, hey – it’s Meat Loaf! The Meat (or the Loaf) plays on June 29 and joins Shayne Ward, Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Christy Moore, Tommy Tiernan and Paul …

Congrats to Glen & Marketa

Awesome!

Phantom 105.2 playlist, Saturday February 23

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday February 23, 10pm-midnight. Thanks to Fiona and Emma for the Brad Mehldau, Marvin Gaye and Lovage adds. The Crimea “Lottery Winners On Acid” (Warners) White Shoes & The Couples Company “Tentang” (Minty Fresh) Health …

Leonard Cohen to play Dublin in June

Leonard Cohen is set to play an outdoor seated show in Dublin in June.

Following The Script out of the boy band ghetto

Believe it or not, there is musical life after a spell in a boy band. Mark Sheehan and Danny O’Donoghue are former members of My Town, the Irish boy band who signed a huge record deal in the 1990s and …

Soundtracks on the Lee
  • Film
  • February 22, 2008, 08:20

There’s a sizeable musical element to this year’s Cork French Film Festival. This includes Cine-Concerts with Dublin ensemble 3epkano providing a score for a screening of Jean Epstein’s The Fall of the House Of Usher (Triskel, March 3rd) and Somadrone …

Etc

Acts heading to Co Galway for this year’s Life Festival from July 4 to 6 include Max Romeo, Coldcut, Finley Quaye and Alloy Mental. Maybe they’ll make the Picnic this time? Gnarls Barkley return in April with a new album, …

Iggy & The Stooges, Dublin, June 16

Iggy & The Stooges are playing an open-air show at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham on June 16. Support from The Kills and Stiff Little Fingers. Get in the mood, people

Last night’s performances

How the hell did Band of Horses get so big? Are they the new National? It really seemed as if everyone in the city of gig-going age – and certainly every one of the writing about music and talking about …

The randomiser says “Liverpool 2, Internazionale 0″

Anyone in the market for 6 million songs on 3 million records and 300,000 compact discs? If so, Paul Mawhinney is the man to talk to. He’s the curator of what he modestly calls The World’s Greatest Music Collection and …

The best addition to the gigroll yet

Lauren has it that The Notwist play Dublin’s Button Factory on June 7 This is FANTASTIC news. One of the best gigs I’ve ever seen was their show at the venue formerly known as HQ back in 2002. They have …

YouTube Tuesday – this week’s live music preview

There are a ton of live gigs happening this week. Here’s our video preview of what you can see in the next few days. Lets start with this bunch of Fall fans from Southend. These New Puritans are at Dublin’s …

Choice Music Prize – 10 out of 10

Thanks to the grand fine weather we’re having at the moment and some interesting photos which the organisers have acquired, all 10 acts who have been nominated for this year’s Choice Music Prize will be performing at Vicar Street on …

The weekend in a wrap

My invitation to the Meteor Ireland Music Awards went missing in the post again. This happens every year for some reason. Never fear, here’s the view from the posh seats via Rick O’Shea and here’s the view from the sofa …

Phantom 105.2 playlist, Saturday February 16

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday February 16, 10pm-midnight Pete & The Pirates “Come On Feet” (Stolen) Operator Please “Zero Zero” (Brille) Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” (Kill Rock Stars) Those Dancing Days “Tasty Boy” (Wichita) Mika Miko “Capricorination” (Kill Rock …

You read it here first, folks – My Bloody Valentine for Picnic, REM for Oxegen

The summer festival rumour season has begun. On The Record must take its share of blame for this with a post on the blog during the week leading to a lot of informed (and uninformed) speculation about line-ups for open-air …

Last Exit to Serbia

This summer will again see thousands of Irish music fans heading abroad to get their festival kicks. In recent years, many have headed to Serbia for the Exit Festival. Held in the 18th-century Petrovaradin fortress near Novi Sad in northern …

Meteors honour Aiken

Kudos to the Meteor Ireland Music Awards organisers for deciding to honour music promoter Jim Aiken at tonight’s event, with a posthumous Industry Award. Aiken was the former schoolteacher who put this country on the international touring map, bringing in …

Etc

March’s must-see gig in the capital is the visit of avant-garde queenpin Baby Dee to Whelan’s on the 22nd. The Go! Team hit the decks at Sassy Sue’s Go-Go Inevitable at Dublin’s Sugar Club on April 18. We’re really looking …

REM to play Oxegen

On The Record has learned that REM are set to play this year’s Oxegen festival.

10 other possible grand gestures for a multi-millionare tax exile if he had his wallet open and was feeling flathulach

(1) Pay for ham sandwiches and cans of Fanta for everyone at the Ireland-Serbia game in Croker in May. (2) Pay the VAT on these sandwiches and beverages. (3) Pay the running costs of a couple of League of Ireland …

My Bloody Valentine playing Electric Picnic

On The Record has learned that My Bloody Valentine are playing this year’s Electric Picnic. More to follow.

Getting to the Point
  • Venues
  • February 13, 2008, 09:19

Long before the Point Depot in Dublin got the builders in, there was an exclusive club within the walls. The 02 Point Club guaranteed members access to all shows at the venue, use of a swanky lounge, a car parking …

Why we heart Amy
  • Videos
  • February 12, 2008, 10:58

Forget the drugs, the booze, the husband in prison, the parents, the parents-in-law and the rest of the vultures who have followed the Amy Winehouse circus around like a bad smell for the last 18 months or so. Forget the …

The rumour department is now open for business

It is high time for some speculation, guesswork, rumours and the like about who wil be playing Ireland this summer. You may wonder if we really need summer festivals with the rake of live shows already scheduled for the coming …

Dong! Dong! Dong! The afternoon headlines

Torch song-singing tree surgeon Baby Dee plays Whelan’s, Dublin on March 22. Yeah! Check out her new “Safe Inside The Day” album on Drag City (co-produced by Will Oldham and Matt Sweeney) and feel the love. Xiu Xiu are coming. …

Bet it wouldn’t happen to Glen Hansard….
  • Videos
  • February 11, 2008, 07:47

Black Francis goes busking in Stephen’s Green. Black Francis gets carted away by the local gardai.

Phantom 105.2 playlist, Saturday February 9

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday February 9, 10pm-midnight The Glimmers “Time For Action” (Glimmer Twins) Dempsey “ODB On The Run” (Output) Man Man “Top Drawer” (Anti) Yeasayer “Sunrise” (We Are Free) Big Sleep “Bad Blood” (French Kiss) Liars “Plaster …

News story of the year
  • Media
  • February 8, 2008, 17:34

From the Hot Press: EXCLUSIVE: Kila to release concert film Bono has given his official blessing to the new Kíla concert film, ‘Once Upon A Time’, which gets a DVD release on March 7. Mmmm, this could be the way …

Cover me revisited

A few weeks ago, we ran a feature on top cover versions based around the release of the new Cat Power album “Jukebox”. You, our lovely readers, then had your say. In today’s Ticket, we’ve ran a selection of your …

Dublin’s grassroots jazz approach points the way

After a hugely successful debut run last year, the 12 Points music festival returns to Dublin in March.

Competitive spirit

Every week, On The Record is inundated with press releases shouting about all-singing, all-dancing band competitions and showcases. Some band showcases, though, have proven their worth over the years. Delorentos first came to attention when they won the National Student …

The magnificent seven

Seven is the magic number for Dublin label and store All City Records. The hip-hop mini empire’s forthcoming Beatstrumental Series will feature seven different producers releasing a seven-inch record apiece over the next seven months. The series gets under way …

Etc

The new David Gray? Big in Ireland singer-songwriter Tom Baxter plays Dublin’s National Stadium on May 2. On The Record is officially very excited. German indie kingpins The Notwist release a brand new album in May, the long awaited follow-up …

World exclusive – Oireachtas Report viewer discovered in Co Kildare

From today’s Letters to the Editor: TEXTING IN THE DAIL Madam, – Would someone tell Olwyn Enright of Fine Gael to stop texting while on the front bench in the Dáil? It looks very bad – and I have never …

Tune of the Week – “Astronaut”

Scroobius Pip can no do wrong, can he?

The randomiser loves you and you and you over there with the glasses and hairclip

It’s 25 years since Michael Jackson released “Thriller”. It’s also 25 years this week since Shergar vanished. Co-incidence? From the Bleedin’ Obvious Dept. Like doh. Thrill Pier turns radio consultant. I particularly like number 13, but then I would, wouldn’t …

CSI Vodafone’s Bright New Sounds

Lets forget about the press release for a moment and take a closer look at Vodafone’s new Bright New Sounds yoke.

No jokes about roasts please

Tip o’ the hat to The Fan for the heads-up on this beaut. We’ll be bringing you Brazil eating their bacon and cabbage tomorrow. Promise.

You have to feel sorry for Robert Shortt
  • Media
  • February 5, 2008, 14:16

You are RTE’s Washington correspondant. You spend four years telling the people back home about stuff that’s going on in the United States. You know most people back home are not really interested in some of the reports you’re sending …

Do you have enough Lenny and Paddy in your life?

Bet you didn’t know that there’s a new Lenny Kravitz album in the shops. No, I didn’t know either until I walked into HMV the other day. It’s called “It Is Time For A Love Revolution”. Nice pic of Lenny …

How much do Vodafone pay their PR company?
  • Media
  • February 4, 2008, 16:37

Mulley got sent this press release today. It’s to plug yet another battle of the bands competiton done up with fancy bows and ribbons and trying to pretend to be something else entirely. God help those gormless young bands who …

Gigroll

Lots from the Good News Department this afternoon. Holy Fuck are coming to town. Our favourite Hogtown electronic mischief makers play Belfast’s Mandela Hall on April 9 and Dublin’s Whelan’s on April 10. Is this really Rakim’s Irish debut? Wow, …

Steve Jobs to music (and movie) industries: check

The last desktop computer I owned was the Mac Performa. It was a beast of a machine, a lout which took over most of the desk and was a right pain to move, but it served me well from about …

Phantom 105.2 playlist, Saturday February 2

As played on Phantom 105.2, Saturday February 2, 10pm-midnight Rage Against The Machine “Killing In The Name Of (Mr Oizo Remix)” (White) Mika Miko “Jogging Song (He’s Your Mister Right)” (Kill Rock Stars) Small Faces “Whatcha Gonna Do About It?” …

Mixed reception for U2 boss’s speech

During his keynote speech at this week’s MIDEM music conference, U2 manager Paul McGuinness blamed technology and telecommunication companies for the record industry’s current woes.

Problem for the solution

It turned out to be a terrible week at MIDEM for would-be saviours of the music business Qtrax. The online start-up spent over £500,000 at the conference plugging their big idea to allow users to download more than 25 million …

White Rocket blast off

On The Record readers keen to check the health of the Irish jazz constituency should make plans to see White Rocket when they tour Ireland later this month. Featuring Jacob Wick, Greg Felton and Sean Carpio, White Rocket came together …

Etc

Chuck Berry, the rock’n’roll pioneer who always gets paid, plays Letterkenny’s Grill on March 24. RTE 2’s Other Voices, kicks off on February 13 with Dave Geraghty, Foy Vance, The Crimea, Cathy Davey and Ryan Adams Kells outfit Ham Sandwich …