Jim Carroll

• Randomiser
• November 30, 2009, 10:09

A newsflash to make some people very happy of a chilly Monday morning: the reunited Pavement play Dublin’s Tripod on May 4. Tickets at €38.50 and €34 a pop go on sale on Friday. An action-packed blog-related night in rainy …

• Plug The Ticket
• November 27, 2009, 10:43

In The Ticket today, we check out Alexandra Burke’s X factor one year on, assess the TV show’s impact on the music business, talk to Paul Banks about being Julian Plenti, check out Richard Linklater’s fascination with Orson Welles, go …

• The Ticket
• November 26, 2009, 15:20

The end (of the year) is (nearly) nigh which means it’s time to recall your musical highs and lows of 2009. On December 11, The Ticket will be publishing the review of the year. Aside from the views of our …

• Music business
• November 26, 2009, 11:17

Following her Mercury Prize win in September, Speech Debelle obviously expected an easy ride for herself and her “Speech Therapy” album. After all, she reckoned, the album had received damn good reviews and now, with the Mercury under her oxter …

• Choice Music Prize
• November 25, 2009, 14:56

Bang those drums, blow those trumpets, air those pipes….. it’s the return of the Choice Music Prize! Here are the dates for your diaries for the fifth Choice Music Prize. The 10 albums on the shortlist for the Irish Album …

• The Far Side
• November 25, 2009, 10:07

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, November 24, 10pm-midnight. On the Record Presents: we’re back in the live room at the Twisted Pepper (Middle Abbey Street, Dublin) again on Saturday next as part of the venue’s first birthday …

• Books
• November 24, 2009, 16:14

A couple of weeks ago, in the middle of a thread about something else, an OTR reader asked could we provide some music book recommendations. I promised then that I’d get around to it and, voila, here’s a list of …

• Banter
• November 24, 2009, 12:29

Banter tackles the decade that’s (nearly) over at the Twisted Pepper (Middle Abbey Street, Dublin) next Saturday. Our guests for this rocket-powered blast through 10 years of pop culture – which will probably cover all you needed to know about …

• Archive Live music
• November 24, 2009, 10:00

Homelights ahoy! The Adrian Crowley and Foggy Notions-curated festival takes place at Dublin’s Whelan’s next weekend. For my money, the highlight should be the fantastic Vashti Bunyan on Sunday November 29 (with support from Andy Irvine, Minotaur Shock, Lord Cut-Glass …

• Live music
• November 23, 2009, 14:29

It’s the day for gig announcements. In no particular order whatsoever, here are the latest additions to the gigroll, plus a few announcements from last week. Feedback is a Lakota Media-helmed one-day bash at Whelan’s in Dublin on December 5 …

• Live music
• November 23, 2009, 08:42

The awesome Chic make their second visit to Ireland with a show at Dublin’s Tripod on May 28. Tickets are €42.50 and €37.50. Interview with Nile Rodgers here. Wonder will this show get an upgrade?

• Plug The Ticket
• November 20, 2009, 05:51

In The Ticket today, the Coen brothers talk about their new film A Serious Man, The XX mark the spot, we deconstruct the fine art of the encore and look at how Paranormal Activity became the the most profitable film …

• Football Ireland
• November 19, 2009, 05:55

• The Far Side
• November 18, 2009, 16:09

As played by James “Indie Kid” Byrne (Nightlink, Any Other City Records, Villagers) who stood in for me on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, November 17, 10pm-midnight. Check out James’ own Nightlink show every Saturday night/Sunday morning on Phantom 105.2 …

• Festivals Jazz
• November 18, 2009, 15:38

Those interested in new music, noise and experimental jazz should check out the Bottlenote Festival which takes place in Dublin’s Twisted Pepper on December 4 and 5. The main sets will feature four members from the Bottlenote collective – Seán …

• News
• November 18, 2009, 05:37

Per report in today’s paper, Yusuf “Cat Stevens” Islam was “utterly shocked” by the response to his now infamous Dublin gig on Sunday night. The singer addressed the issue in a post on his blog. “It was something I’d never …

• Recommended music
• November 17, 2009, 05:00

First instincts usually turn out to be right. There were a couple of dozen acts plying their wares over the weekend at the Music NL Conference in Newfoundland and, over the last week or so, I checked out their MySpaces …

• Music business
• November 16, 2009, 19:46

The Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission (NIMIC) has ground to a halt due to differences between board members. Founded in 2001 to “provide strategy and services towards accelerating the development of a sustainable music industry in Northern Ireland”, NIMIC provided …

• Live music
• November 16, 2009, 04:39

Oh oh, Joe’s going to be busy today. Some of the folks over at Boards were at the Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam show in the O2 last night and it seems that the crack was only mighty. Some gig-goers didn’t seem …

• Plug The Ticket
• November 13, 2009, 02:13

In The Ticket this week, 50 Cent tells us why it’s tough out there this weather for a hip-hop playa, we profile a new DIY guide for girls who want to rock and Cymbals Eat Guitars share the contents of …

• Media
• November 12, 2009, 19:36

The raw data is here, the lingo is translated here and the first press releases are filtered here. Let the spinning and “we’re the most listened to radio station amongst over 45 females with an university degree in Co Leitrim” …

• Tune of the Week
• November 12, 2009, 08:57

Give Four Tet nine minutes of your life and he’ll give you the keys to his world. From the forthcoming album “There Is Love In You”, this is probably the foxiest groove which Kieran Hebden has ever produced. He’s done …

• Uncategorized
• November 11, 2009, 16:14

Win two weekend passes for the upcoming Homelights festival! You have until 9.55pm tonight to enter.

• The Far Side
• November 11, 2009, 11:25

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, November 10, 10pm-midnight. Four Tet “Love Cry” (Domino) Memory Tapes “Bicycle” (Acephale) CFCF “Half Dreaming” (Paper Bag) Subway “Jupiter” (Soul Jazz) To Rococo Rot “Seele” (Domino) Nice Nice “One Hit” (Warp) Cold …

• Media TV
• November 11, 2009, 10:28

As part of an overhaul of the newspaper, the Observer Music Monthly has been axed. While the supplement did take some time to find its feet, I thought it had improved vastly in recent times, though they never quite got …

• Politics Society
• November 10, 2009, 15:39

Over the last few months, the Irish nation has morphed into Howard Beale. We are, as Beale roared, as mad as hell and we’re not going to take it any more. With every passing week, every passing live current affairs …

• Competition
• November 10, 2009, 10:37

As previously noted, the Homelights festival will take place at Dublin’s Whelan’s from November 27 to 30. Curated by Adrian Crowley and Foggy Notions, it will feature a ton of performers including Vashti Bunyan, James Yorkston, Adem, Andy Irvine, Minotaur …

• Randomiser
• November 9, 2009, 10:37

Hands up who feels sorry for the Maccer? A little bit sorry? No takers? Anyway, there must be easier ways to pimp a book than causing the Minister for Garlic and RTE’s current affairs queenpin to fume. McWilliams’ fecking awful …

• The Ticket
• November 6, 2009, 10:38

As The Ticket turns green for the week, Roland “2012″ Emmerich explains why he directs films which are always destroying the planet, we find out how green is your favourite rock star, there’s an assessment on the trade-offs being made …

• Media
• November 5, 2009, 12:27

RTE Radio One’s Morning Ireland marked a quarter-century of broadcasts with their first show in front of a studio audience this morning. For listeners/watchers in the studio audience, it was a chance to see exactly what goes into the making …

• Festivals Live music Media
• November 5, 2009, 11:03

Fresh Air is a month-long festival on your radio where you won’t need any wellies to enjoy the vibes. For the month of November, Donal Dineen’s Small Hours show (Today FM, weekdays, midnight-2am) will have a different guest artist on …

• The Far Side
• November 4, 2009, 11:38

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, November 3, 10pm-midnight. A rewind of past favourites to mark a year of Far Side broadcasts. Three Trapped Tigers “1” (Blood & Biscuits) Tyondai Braxton “Uffe’s Woodshop” (Warp) Not Squares “Asylum” (Richter …

• Society
• November 3, 2009, 15:30

Many of you will have already read Shane Fitzgerald’s opinion piece about increasing numbers of Irish folks, like himself, who are leaving Ireland for better prospects abroad. To be honest, you probably didn’t need his article to know that emigration …

• Live music New releases
• November 3, 2009, 12:32

Midlake play Dublin’s Vicar Street on February 14. Tickets, at €23 a pop, go on sale on Friday. The band’s new album “The Courage Of Others”, the follow-up to the awesome “The Trials of Van Occupanther”, will be released on …

• Banter Plug The Far Side
• November 3, 2009, 11:21

The Far Side marks 52 weeks on the air tonight with a two hour birthday special. I’ll be raiding the archives to rewind some of the boom tunes, new bands and favourite indiesyncratic sounds from a year of Far Side …

• Legal
• November 3, 2009, 09:14

Full report here from Mary Carolan about yesterday’s opening bout in the MCD Concerts case. This involves an action taken by Eamonn McCann (the MC in MCD) against Denis Desmond (the D in MCD) over a share of the profits …

• Live music
• November 2, 2009, 11:15

It has been a fine few days for some megastars planning to visit Ireland in the coming months as their agents receive glad tidings from Dublin. Both Paul McCartney and Whitney Houston sold out their upcoming gigs with very little …

• Legal Music business
• November 2, 2009, 09:34

One for the Irish music business news diary this week as MCD Concerts co-founder Eamonn McCann takes his former partner Denis Desmond to the High Court for his share of the Irish live music giant’s pie. While Desmond has been …