Jim Carroll

• The Ticket
• March 28, 2010, 20:23

Gong! This blog can now be called “the award-winning OTR” after last Saturday night’s Irish Blog Awards in Galway when OTR won the award for Best Blog from a Journalist. Big congrats to all the other winners, thanks to the …

• Plug The Ticket
• March 26, 2010, 03:20

In The Ticket today, we play Texas hold ‘em at South By Southwest with the 20 finest new acts we discovered during the festival, plus interviews with SXSW acts Dark Room Notes (who also give us a few pages from …

• Tune of the Week
• March 25, 2010, 07:24

Can’t get you out of my head….

• Electric Picnic
• March 24, 2010, 04:52

The first batch of acts for Electric Picnic 2010 will be announced round about lunchtime today. OTR is currently on a top secret mission in deepest New Mexico which means we’re six hours behind you, but we’ll get up early …

• Festivals
• March 23, 2010, 05:51

One of the hit bands at SXSW 2010, The Middle East will play the Oxegen festival at Punchestown Racecourse, Co Kildare in July. More acts to be added to the Oxegen bill in the coming weeks.

• SXSW
• March 22, 2010, 15:40

It’s over. There are no more bands to see, no more parties to try to get into, no more chance encounters with superstars in the hotel lobby (that would be John Hiatt) or lift (that would, er, Feargal Sharkey – …

• Live music
• March 22, 2010, 14:10

Band Of Horses, who played a bunch of shows previewing tunes from forthcoming third album “Infinite Arms” at SXSW last week, play Dublin’s Academy on June 4. Tickets at €27.50 a pop go on sale on Friday.

• SXSW
• March 22, 2010, 05:41

There are no new bands in Austin, Texas. Sure, we go on about how SXSW is such a brilliant festival for new bands, but just how many “new” acts are there out here anyway? With one or two exceptions, most …

• SXSW
• March 19, 2010, 16:07

• Competition Ireland Irish music
• March 19, 2010, 07:28

There has been a huge reaction – good and bad – to The Duckworth Lewis Method’s alteranthem “Ireland, Ireland!” which was unveiled by The Irish Times during the week. Many people snarked that they could do better so here goes…. …

• Plug The Ticket
• March 19, 2010, 07:27

In The Ticket today. Brian Finnegan looks at why gay films are all the rage as long as they’re not too gay, Anna Carey muses on Hollywood’s idea of a lesbian, Goldfrapp sell their new album “Head First”, the Carney …

• SXSW
• March 18, 2010, 16:12

It starts early. Yesterday, I thought that Julianna Barwick would be the first act I’d see, but I reckoned without someone playing in a hotel lobby at 9am. That was Hayes Carll, a sleepy-eyed dude with a sweet ol’ voice …

• RIP
• March 18, 2010, 06:59

Very sad news about the passing of the legendary Big Star frontman Alex Chilton, who died on Wednesday at a hospital in New Orleans. The band had been scheduled to play a show at SXSW this coming weekend.

• RIP
• March 18, 2010, 00:14

World music champion and broadcaster Charlie Gillett, a man who introduced many to such great music, has died after a long illness. Condolences to his daughter Jody and all his family.

• SXSW
• March 17, 2010, 14:51

The binge-gigging marathon to beat all binge-gigging marathons is about to begin. As I was going back to my digs last night after seeing the lovely Skateland in the Paramount, the bands were pulling into town in droves. The evidence …

• Irish music Music business
• March 17, 2010, 05:59

There has been a lot of online comment and plenty of predictable snarky schadenfreude about the news that Sony Music are saying goodbye to pop culture sensations Jedward after their debut single “Under Pressure” failed to hit Number One. The …

• Ireland Irish music
• March 16, 2010, 05:29

The Irish Times approached The Duckworth Lewis Method (AKA Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh from Pugwash) to write a new national anthem. The result is an “alternanthem” called “Ireland, Ireland!” and you can listen to it …

• Festivals Live music
• March 15, 2010, 19:30

Grizzly Bear play their only Irish show of 2010 at Live at the Marquee, Cork on June 25. Also on the pretty darn awesome Harmonic bill: Midlake, Camera Obscura and Villagers (whose debut album is one of the sweetest things …

• Randomiser SXSW
• March 15, 2010, 05:48

It’s On The Record’s favourite time of year as we head to Austin, Texas for the three-legged joy that is South By Southwest (SXSW). The SXSW Interactive (SXSWi) and SXSW Film fests are already in full flow and SXSW music, …

• Plug The Ticket
• March 12, 2010, 10:06

In The Ticket today, we talk with Martin Scorsese on the occasion of the maestro’s new flick Shutter Island, hear from Conor O’Brien about life with Villagers, profile six acts who could “do” a Villagers, listen to Owen Pallett talk …

• News
• March 11, 2010, 17:10

Bong! R Kelly on his belly! The “controversial” r’n’b dude has yanked his entire European tour, including a Dublin date at the swanky Grand Canal Theatre, due to “nodules on his vocal cords”. All dates to be rescheduled. Bong! Yakking! …

• Live music
• March 11, 2010, 13:15

OTR has learned that Grizzly Bear will be playing a “special” Irish show in June. Full details on date, venue and ticket price to be announced on Monday evening.

• Festivals
• March 11, 2010, 09:30

Four Tet, Chk Chk Chk, Jape, Tunng, Crystal Fighers, the awesome Voice of the Seven Thunders, Gaudi, Alex Paterson and Kormac’s Big Band are set to play the Body & Soul Gathering at Ballinlough Castle, Co. Meath on June 19 …

• The Far Side
• March 10, 2010, 09:50

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday March 9, 10pm-midnight Trash Kit “ Cadets” (Upset the Rhythm) Thee Oh Sees “I Was Denied” (In the Red) Yuck “Georgia” (Transparent) The Fresh & Onlys “Diamond in the Dark” (Captured …

• TV
• March 9, 2010, 15:32

Tale o’ the times in TV-land. Southland debuted on NBC in April 2009 to strong reviews and acceptable audience ratings for the current state of US network TV. A police drama set in Los Angeles, Southland follows a bunch of …

• Arts
• March 9, 2010, 11:03

For the last month or so, I’ve been waiting for someone else to bring up Macnas artistic director Noeline Kavanagh’s remarks about the arts in Ireland. I thought at the time that they’d form a jump-off point for a good …

• Jukebox
• March 8, 2010, 15:24

16 albums and tunes currently on the jukebox at OTR HQ Prins Thomas “Prins Thomas” (Full Pupp) Seven glorious cosmic wigouts from the Norwegian psychedelic don. Sounds for dancing on the ceiling in outer space. Gonjasufi “A Sufi & A …

• Arcade Ire Festivals
• March 8, 2010, 08:41

As predicted by OTR, Arcade Fire have been confirmed for Oxegen in July.

• RIP
• March 7, 2010, 21:32

Very sad to see that the death has been reported of Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous. Aside from some beautiful albums as Sparklehorse (“Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot” has always been a favourite of mine), he also worked with many others including, most recently, Danger Mouse, …

• The Ticket
• March 5, 2010, 10:39

It’s The Ticket with a female twist to mark International Women’s Day on Monday. Acting editor Anthea McTeirnan takes over OTR to tell you why. The reason we put this edition together was to celebrate women’s cultural contribution. Its primary …

• Tune of the Week
• March 4, 2010, 15:14

A star is born. His name is Dam Mantle, but his folks call him Tom Marshall. “A Statue That Is Perpetually Unveiled” is from the “Grey EP”, his forthcoming debut for Glaswegian label Halleluwah Hits. And it’s a humdinger. “A …

• Adrian Crowley Choice Music Prize
• March 4, 2010, 00:01

Congratulations to Adrian Crowley who won the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2009 for “Season of the Sparks”. Lovely quote from Adrian’s speech, as reported by Hot Press and from Nialler9′s video: “this award is such …

• Choice Music Prize
• March 3, 2010, 12:37

It’s Choice Music Prize Day for the fifth year in a row. Man, I never thought I’d still be doing this five years on – what happened to my plans to take up golf and ostrich farming? Anyway, you know …

• The Far Side
• March 3, 2010, 09:41

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday March 2, 10pm-midnight The O Emperor track is from the K9 Sessions recorded for Cathal Funge’s Icon show (Phantom 105.2, Wednesdays, 10pm-midnight). The Joy Formidable “Popinjay” (Draca) Django Django “WOR” (Bonjour …

• Festivals Live music
• March 2, 2010, 15:02

Thanks to OTR reader TS Ed for spotting this one. Wilco will play the Open House Festival in Belfast in September. Others due in town for the festival from September 7 to 12 include Old Crow Medicine Show, The Felice …

• Competition
• March 2, 2010, 11:25

Panda Bear is coming to Dublin’s Vicar Street on March 12 and, thanks to our pals at Foggy Notions, some lucky OTR readers will be going along to the show for free. While Noah Lennox AKA Panda Bear has played …

• Festivals Live music
• March 2, 2010, 10:00

Following his star turn at the O2 last December, Paul McCartney will play Dublin’s RDS on June 12. Tickets go on sale next Monday and will cost €81.25, €70, €131.25 and €156.25. That puts paid to those ridiculous “Macca for …

• Randomiser
• March 1, 2010, 12:44

Gigs! Latest announcement for the Cork Live at the Marquee series sees Paul Weller (June 27) and, oh you lucky Cork people, The Cranberries (June 29) added to the bill. With sharp-eyed OTR reader James D spotting a seating plan …

• Legal Music business
• March 1, 2010, 09:51

As if last week’s “tell that cat to chill” drama with Prince was not enough to be going on with, MCD boss Denis Desmond will find himself back in the High Court again this week facing two different cases. The …