When you can get to see a band as good as Richmond Fontaine for under twenty quid, there can be no doubt but that there is something strange going on in the world. Touring on the back of the release of their eighth (where do the years go?) album, We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River, it’s been a while since the band had a run out.

Why the delay? Well, singer/lyricist Willie Vlautin lost his mother just two days before the end of the tour to promote their preceding album, Thirteen Cities. So the band decided to take time out. This lay-off was then compounded when Vlautin smashed his arm falling off his horse.
The enforced downtime in his native rural Oregon gave him the opportunity to write his third novel, Lean On Pete. He also wrote the 20 or so songs of love, loss and heartache that comprise the new LP. Expanding the band with cello and pedal steel (courtesy of Paul Brainard who has worked with Alejandro Escovedo, the Sadies and Eels amongst others) Vlautin has written an album that moves along subtly from anything they’ve done before.
I’m not sure how many bodies will be gracing the stage of Whelan’s when they hit Dublin on Saturday October 17. But as stripped back as they bring it, you can be sure it’ll be an unmissable gig. Keep a weather eye on the cinemas too: both of Vlautin’s previous novels have been optioned as movies and the film of Northline is set to be directed by Courtney Hunt who previously shot Frozen River.
Galway’s favourite adopted daughter Sharon Shannon has just put out her new LP, Saints and Scoundrels. Stuffed, as is her wont, with collaborations,the album features the talents of Mr. Shane MacGowan, Jerry Fish, Steve Wickham, Imelda May, Carol Keogh and Galway boys The Cartoon Thieves.
Clare County Council, while it didn’t manage to make it onto the album, did at least come to the party as four days before the release they hosted a civic reception in honour of the Ruan-born accordionista.
I remember when Dervish were awarded the Freedom of Sligo. They acquired the right to walk their sheep across the bridge and into town, not that I can see any of them trying it any time soon. In Clare a civic reception is the highest honour that can be awarded. I’m sure if Sharon let her dogs loose on the main streets of Ennis nobody would say a word.
While anyone with an ounce of sense would be making the trip in the opposite direction, Californian native Lisa Hake has settled in Dundalk. Following her first foray as recording artist a couple of years back, Tree Over Sea, she has now released a follow up, Wind Under Wood. I caught up with her recently at an IMRO songwriter session – what I heard leads me to believe she has a very positive future.
Last year, the Oh Yeah team delivered a festival event called Urban Hymns in May Street Church in Belfast. It combined the Inishowen Gospel Choir with local acts. They performed music with spirit, from the songbooks of Lou Reed, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Each act was also asked to play some original material. The gig was sold out and the mood was intensely alive.
This year the idea moves to the freshly renovated Great Hall in Belfast City Hall. The Inishowen Choir will be joined by the likes of ex-Wings guitarist Henry McCullough, Bap Kennedy, Joe Echo (Ciaran Gribben – formerly of Leah who is a co-writer on Madonna’s current ‘Celebration’ single) and Brendan Murphy.
With a gospel choir at their disposal there is a good deal of thought going into the choice of material which, as you might expect, looks likely to pull quite a way away from the traditional gospel repertoire. Brendan Murphy is taking the opportunity to see how far the choir can take the Four Of Us song ‘Gospel Choir’ while Bap Kennedy is set on re-visiting the older and simpler gospel tradition typified by Hank Williams in his more penitent moments. All will be revealed in the City Hall in Belfast on Monday October 19 as the Unforgettable Choir takes to the stage.
Christy Moore, accompanied as always by Declan Sinnott, has announced a series of dates in Vicar Street on either side of Christmas. Kicking off on Sunday December 13 the run continues on Monday 14, Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17. At that point there will be a break allowing some sort of humanity (some of Christy’s Christmas runs have demanded superhuman qualities) and the proceedings get under way again on Tuesday January 5, continuing on Wednesday 6, Friday 8 and Saturday 9. If previous years are anything to go by there’ll be such a demand for tickets that dates may have to be added.