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Jim Carroll

Music, Life and everything else

Monthly Archives: August 2012

Electric Picnic 2012: before the madness begins

Electric Picnic’s growing up with the rest of us

Chances are many of you are reading this on the road to Stradbally – and hopefully, you’re not reading and driving at the same time. The Electric Picnic’s clarion call is one which has been pulling thousands of music fans …

Now Playing – OTR’s Electric Picnic 2012 jukebox

Villagers “Waves’ (Domino) The brand new tune from the forthcoming second album. Feel those ‘lectronics hit yo’ head. Milagres “Glowing Mouth” (Memphis Industries) Beautifully sculpted, soaring indie-pop from the Brooklyn band. Stream the album in full here. John Talabot “Fin” …

The Far Side – playlist for August 28

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday August 28. Yep, an Electric Picnic special. What were you expecting? A soundtrack for Saturday’s Notre Dame v Navy game? The 2 Bears “Be Strong” (Southern Fried) Grimes “Oblivion” (4AD) TNGHT …

Electric Picnic 2012: the pre-match round-up

Official timetable for Electric Picnic 2012 available here. Per Electric Picnic on Twitter, the times are incorrect for the first three acts in Electric Arena on Sunday and an updated timetable will be up before lunch today (Wednesday). Memo to …

All quiet on the Marlay Park front

You could hear the sigh of relief from SoCoDu all over the city on Saturday night. In the end, the world did not come to an end with mad-out-of-it David Guetta and Tom Jones’ fans rampaging through the suburbs. In …

The randomiser says “right, what’s next?”

More free festivals for Dublin please. Saturday was spent taking in the pleasures at the Tall Ships festival down in docklands and, later, at the Down With Jazz beano in the heart of Temple Bar. You can understand instinctively why …

The Questlove interview (12″ version)

You’ll find my interview with Questlove from the Electric Picnic-bound The Roots in The Ticket today. It’s an interview I’ve been trying to lock down since last December and I finally got him on the line one night last week …

The rise of the festival looks to be continuing unabated

Since 2007, the number of Irish festivals and outdoor music shows has grown year-on-year. We know this because the On the Record blog carries out an annual crowdsourced census to tally the summer’s big music events. This number jumped from …

Now Playing – the tunes of the week at OTR HQ

Cat Power “Sun” (Matador) Chan Marshall’s ninth album is a joyous, sunny, occasionally melancholic feast of fine, strong, infectious songs. The xx “Coexist” (XL) Beautifully sparse, minimal symphonies, delicate ballads and nocturnal moods on the Londoners’ second album AlunaGeorge “Your …

What’s in The Ticket today – and your plugs

The Cure: Electric Picnic headliner Robert Smith on a lengthy, successful career on his own terms. The Roots: Questlove talks (and talks) about the best band hip-hop and his 15 different jobs ahead of next week’s Picnic appearance Electric Picnic …

New Music – Jesse Boykins III, Phantom, Halls

Here are the latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. Please feel free to share tips below or check out all past New Music selections here. Jesse Boykins III One of …

The rise – and rise – of The Black Keys

It’s a long way from Antone’s to the O2. Antone’s is the venerable downtown Austin, Texas club which has seen hundreds – nay, thousands – of would-bes, wanna-bes and gonna-bes hit the boards over the years. Back in 2003, The …

The Far Side – playlist for August 21

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday August 21. Drop Out City Rockers “International Track” (Drop Out) Luca C & Brigante & Roisin Murphy “Flashlight (Solomun remix)” (Hard Candy) El Toro “Cosmonauts” (Disco Volante) Cogel “Felusine” (Footstomp) Casablanca …

Banter at the Electric Picnic: did the media fail Ireland?

It’s been a summer of gallivanting around the country for Banter with stops in Limerick (Make A Move festival), Donegal (Earagail Arts Festival) and Galway (Galway Arts Festival). Before we head back to our HQ at the Twisted Pepper in …

Electric Picnic 2012 – full Body & Soul line-up

Here’s the Body & Soul stage-by-stage breakdown (dates and time to come) for next week’s Electric Picnic. Yep, “next week”. Doesn’t time fly? MAIN STAGE Dirty Dubsters DENA Kodaline Young Wonder Rocketnumbernine Lewis Floyd Henry Paul Buchanan Dark Dark Dark …

Where do you go to listen to music?

It’s the question which appears to come up on an almost weekly basis in the talking-and-writing-about-music business. As the number of sources providing listeners and viewers with new music grows and grows, those whose job depends on turning interest in …

Jack White, Dublin, October

Per his label Third Man Records, Jack White will be playing Dublin’s O2 on October 31. Who better to spend Hallowe’en with than the “Blunderbuss” man and his all-girl or all-guy band? Tickets go on sale on Friday at €39.05 …

Sparks, Dublin, October

This town really ain’t big enough for the both of us. The inimitable Sparks play Dublin’s Button Factory on October 29, their first ever Irish club show. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday at €35 (plus ticket agency rub-a-dub-dub) a …

Time for OTR’s 2012 outdoor music shows and festivals’ census

Every August, we put together a crowdsourced census here to try to establish the number of music festivals and outdoor shows which take place in Ireland every summer. If you’re interested in past results, here are the returns for 2007, …

Is your favourite pop star dipping into the social media black market?

There are several possible reasons why a pop act or any other social media user for that matter could suddenly see a huge surge in Twitter followers. For instance, thousands of people may decide to follow a person on the …

Now Playing – the tunes of the week at OTR HQ

Mother Mother “Let’s Fall In Love” (Last Gang) Infectious, feel-good indie stomper from the Vancouver band’s forthcoming fifth album “The Sticks”. Metric fans will dig this. Lindstrom “Rà-àkõ-st” (Smalltown Supersound) Space-disco bliss from Hans-Peter Lindstrom, who plays Dublin’s Button Factory …

What’s in The Ticket today – and your plugs

David Guetta: the perma-grinning French DJ and producer hits Marlay Park. Plus the other acts on the bill and the fear factor caused by last month’s rave-in-the-Park. The Black Keys: the duo who’ve gone from playing sleazy underground clubs on …

Electric Picnic 2012: Body & Soul acts

First batch of acts playing the Body & Soul universe at this year’s Electric Picnic Paul Buchanan (perfect match of act and venue) Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Liam O Flynn & Paddy Glackin aka LAPD (the LAPD it’s OK to …

New Music – Frank + Derol, Soak, Teen

Here are the latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. Please feel free to share tips below or check out all past New Music selections here. Frank + Derol “Barely Love …

Hard Working Class Heroes – the class of 2012

Here’s the full list of acts playing this year’s Hard Working Class Heroes festival: A Dark Horse / A Lazarous Soul / Aisling Quinn / Autumn Owls / Benny Smiles / Biggles Flys Again / Bouts / Carried By Waves …

The Far Side – playlist for August 14

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday August 14. Lindstrom “Ra-ako-st” (Smalltown Supersound) Midnight Magic “I Found Love (Tommie Sunshine Disco Fries remix)” (Midnight Sun Sound) Roisin Murphy “Simulation (Mano Le Tough remix)” (Permanent Vacation) Ariel Pink’s Haunted …

Hip-hop culture’s changing of the guard

You’ll find my piece from today’s newspaper looking at hip-hop culture’s new voices, attitudes, narratives and musical style here. Includes big love for Frank Ocean, Angel Haze, Nicki Minaj, Le1f, Action Bronson and many more. The new guard: Frank Ocean …

The new rock’n'roll: ticket price discounts

Is this a trend we see before us? For the third time this summer, there’s been a price cut for a big live show as the promoter pulls out their calculator, does the sums and realises it’s better to have …

It wouldn’t be the Olympics without a row

It was inevitable, wasn’t it? The row, the spat, the dispute, the acrimony, the fuming, the huffing, the puffing, the high moral ground, the indignation, the crossed wires, the point-scoring. When it comes to the Olympics, we don’t just produce …

Electric Picnic 2012: day by day schedule

Here you go, EP fans or click below for bigger version. Thanks to OTR reader Petee for the heads-up.

Want to see your favourite bands? Bring ‘em in yourself

There is one area of the music business which has remained impervious to change and disruption. The live music sector still operates the same way as it did decades ago. The promoter puts on shows, the agent books the bands …

Now Playing – the tunes of the week on the OTR HQ stereo

Bill Fay “Life Is People” (Dead Oceans) The welcome return of Bill Fay, the English singer-songwriter with the glorious voice and tender, majestic songs. James Murphy & Pat Mahoney “Beats In Space” (Beats In Space) LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records …

What’s in The Ticket today – and your plugs

Belsonic: our preview of the best festival in Belfast with Madness, Two Door Cinema Club, Tom Jones, Duke Special and many more The Bourne Legacy: Bourne’s back and we talk to Edward Norton (but not about Courtney Love, obv) Jessie …

New Music – The Black Opera, Holy Esque, Rah Rah

Here are the latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. Please feel free to share tips below or check out all past New Music selections here. The Black Opera Self-proclaimed collective …

The Far Side – playlist for August 7

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday August 7. The show included really impressive new tracks from Bill Fay (from the excellent “Life Is People”, his first album in 40 years) and Adrian Crowley (his forthcoming “I See …

More acts for Electric Picnic 2012

Latest batch of acts heading to Stradbally for the Electric Picnic festival in a few weeks (gazooks, it’s just weeks away) include Perfume Genius (hot damn!) Richie Hawtin Matador Lee “Scratch Perry” & Max Romeo (dubtastic) Kimbra Of Monsters and …

Phoenix Park a month on: the gardai vs MCD

It’s just over a month since that infamous series of gigs in the Phoenix Park and the domestic music business story of the summer just keeps on trucking. The very publication of the letter from the Garda Commissioner on their …

Down With Jazz (and that sort of thing)

Best festival name of the season, hands down. It’s not just pop-trance in the Phoenix Park which has the capacity to have the natives up in arms, you know. Down With Jazz! takes its name from Father Peter Conefrey’s Anti …

Release the damn album now!

Two Door Cinema Club are not the first act to experience that sinking feeling which comes with discovering that someone has nefariously leaked your forthcoming new album. That huge investment of time, money and creativity counts for nothing when someone …

Now Playing – the tunes of the week at OTR HQ

TNGHT “Higher Ground” (Warp) Killer thriller from the Hudson Mohawke and Lunice hook-up. Vitalic “No More Sleep” (Different) Pascal Arbez returns from wherever he was with this stomper from the soon-due “Rave Age” album. Niamh De Barra] “Below the Sea” …

What’s in The Ticket tomorrow – and your plugs

What you’ll find in The Ticket on your newstands, app and online tomorrow: Brave: Kelly McDonald about voicing the flame-haired princess for the new Pixar animation Brave, which opens this week. Mick Flannery: the stonemason and singer-songwriter headlining this weekend’s …

New Music – San Zhi, Ahren-B, Weird Dreams

Here are the latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. Please feel free to share tips below or check out all past New Music selections here. San Zhi Bournemouth boy Peter …

Adrian Crowley’s new album and upcoming Dublin shows

Adrian Crowley returns to action in September with a new album and a brace of dates at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre on the Peacock Stage. The album, Crowley’s sixth and the follow-up to the Choice Music Prize-winning “Season of the Sparks”, …

The Far Side – playlist for July 31

As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday July 31. Passion Pit “Carried Away” (Sony Music) Siren “Buckets Of Blood” (Loose Lips) Pomegranates “Letters” (Modern Outsider) San Cisco “Awkward” (Island City) Mikhael Paskalev “Jive Baby” (Universal Norway) Todd Terje …

Pussy Riot’s act of rebellion

It’s safe to say that Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill didn’t quite realise what they were getting when they decided to tackle Pussy Riot. Dealing firmly and swiftly with dissent has been the way of the walk in Moscow for …