Pre-Christmas unrest in the Balkans brought unpleasant memories of late '90s ethnic cleansing back to the soldier turned singer-songwriter James Blunt.
He may be trained to kill, but recently James Blunt has been seducing vast swathes of the population with his poignant love songs. Lured to the Hot Press Chat Room, he tells all about his number one album, the Queen, being shot at in Kosovo and lesbian swim parties.
Other Voices, the RTE series featuring acclaimed bands playing in an intimate venue in Dingle, Kerry, will kick off its fourth year with a series of recordings in December.
Imagine a three-way alliance between Toploader, James Blunt and Jamie Cullum – the Circle Of Hell, we’ll call it. This record approximates what might be their evil spawn; that irritating cocksure swagger – those snooze-inducing cocktail jazz flourishes – it’s all here. My only consolation upon reviewing it is that I now have a platform to encourage people not to buy it: please don’t, you’ll only encourage him.
Colm O’Hare talks to Katie Larmour, presenter of UTV’s new music show Live At The Limelight, which will be showcasing the best young artists from around Ireland.
There are too many singer-songwriters in the world, but we should still make room for Mia Doi Todd. Unlike Sandi Thom and James Blunt, Todd’s music touches on real emotions and does not rely on a internet marketing campaign to gain the listener’s attention: her kooky, scatty vocals sound like Kate Bush on happy pills and Todd’s acoustic-based compositions also resonate to ethereal ambient undercurrents. She even makes The Beatles’ ‘Norwegian Wood’ sound her own, the centrepiece in ‘La Ninja’s’ tour of understated force.
Mika is too good to be true – in a very scary way. A waxy , cravat-wearing synergy of Rufus Wainwright, Freddie Mercury and Scissor Sisters, this 23-year-old Londoner of Lebanese extraction deals in glitter-ball piano balladry: imagine a Queer Eye For The Straight Guy make-over of James Blunt and you’re in the zone. Obviously, ‘Grace Kelly’, a dandy-ish ode to looking fantastic in ruffled evening wear, is going to sell and sell and sell – six months from now Mika may well be the most hated man in pop. So let’s enjoy him before the taste-makers sink fangs into his taffeta- coddled rump.
The man tipped to knock James Blunt of his throne according to industry sources, David Ford, is showcasing his talents with a number of support dates in Ireland.
Tom Baxter's second album, Skybound, has just topped the Irish album chart. But it was a record that only got made after Baxter personally financed the sessions with his other talent of figurative art painting.
Maroon 5, James Blunt and Savage Garden admirers clear space on your CD racks. Everyone else run for cover — The Feeling are going to be huge and you can do nothing about it.
Fresh from his Hot Press Chatroom grilling at Electric Picnic, James Blunt plays his biggest indoor Irish shows to date at Millstreet, Cork (January 6) and The Point, Dublin (7).
Fresh from his Hot Press Chatroom grilling at Electric Picnic, James Blunt plays his biggest indoor Irish shows to date at Millstreet, Cork (January 6) and The Point, Dublin (7).
Expect Crawdaddy to be awash with Foster’s and VB-swilling Antipodeans when You Am I mainman Tim Rogers and former Reptile-in-chief Nick Barker join forces for a Dublin date.
Singer-songwriter Stephen Fretwell may be getting heavy airplay on the Beeb, but the compromised nature of the song receiving all the attention means he’s not a happy bunny.
The pressure’s on for Roisin Murphy. She’s no longer shielded from public scrutiny as a member of Moloko and Electric Picnic is her first outing as a solo star in her native Ireland.
The boy from San Diego, Jason Mraz, earned enough kudos with his debut album, Waiting For My Rocket To Come, to convince famed U2 man Steve Lillywhite to produce its sequel Mr. A-Z.
15-years after saying “no thanks” to the people who made a star out of LeeAnn Rimes, Luan Parle has made an album that should finally see her take her place among country’s elite.
He used to be an actor but there's nothing showbizzy about Johnny Flynn's baroque folk-pop. He tells us what it's like to grow up in a thespian household and of his friendship with Kevin Spacey.
They’ve sold millions of records but don’t expect to find Beautiful South frontman Paul Heaton breaking out in a grin. Unless England have been stuffed at football.
A unique blend of domestic and international talent, Other Voices is the brainchild of Philip King. The new series is, he believes, the most ambitious yet.
We’ve tipped them for success in the past, and now, with a New Year upon us, Laura Izibor, Dirty Epic’s SJ Wai and Fight Like Apes’ MayKay are set to sweep all before them.
There is many a haven for shunners of the Christmas Cheer like myself. Lots of lovely bands, singers, comedians and even hynotherapists are at hand to entertain the life out of us, and distract Santa while we throttle him. Right up to the New Year there’s so much going on you needn’t come home till Easter.
Sharp suits, a global fan base, his own luxury recording studio - David Gray has certainly come a long way. On the eve of the release of his latest album, he talks about the dark side of success and explains why he wants to leave the singer-songwriter tag behind
Scissor Sisters are back, and this time they’re on a mission to channel Elton John, Paul McCartney and the Bee Gees into the first soft rock masterpiece of the 21st Century. In an exclusive interview, the group’s main songwriter, Babydaddy, gives us the lowdown on their second coming.
Their debut album Hopes And Fears launched a host of hit singles, going on to become one of the most successful British records of the past five years. But, their indie background notwithstanding, Keane have still been dismissed by some self-styled aficionados as just too nice to be considered real rock'n'rollers. "If only people knew," says lead singer Tom Chaplin.
Hot Press brings you an exclusive foretaste of the fourth series of RTE Two's highly-acclaimed Other Voices. Included is a run down on the musical guests, from José González, James Blunt and Elbow to Horslips, Julie Feeney and Rufus Wainwright. Also, we speak to presenter John Kelly and organisers Phillip King and Aoife Woodlock.
Along with the music, beer and scoffing, there was some serious talking done at the Electric Picnic. Shilpa Ganatra was taking notes as The Chalets, Flaming Lips, JJ72, Bob Mould, James Blunt, Tommy Tiernan, Declan O’Rourke and The Devlins were subjected to a public grilling by the Hot Press journalistic elite. And John Walshe.
Jinx Lennon is a true original, a rock'n'roll outsider whose music throbs to the pulse of rural Ireland. Here he talks about attending cocktail parties with David Norris and explains why Dundalk just might be the strangest town in Ireland.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the dissection of the rock ‘n’ roll year that is the Hot Press Summit. Gathering round the table are the good and great of Irish music, but who let Podge & Rodge in?
Annual article: The Electric Picnic wasn’t just one of the musical events of the year; it also let us chow down and have a natter with some of the top pop combos of the day, including Bloc Party, Gang Of Four and New Order.
The fourth series of RTÉ Two's highly-acclaimed Other Voices, presented by John Kelly, was recorded over an extraordinary eight days during the madcap run-up to Christmas, in the thoroughly invigorating coastal environs of Dingle. Hot Press reporter Craig Fitzsimons was there to soak up the phantasmagoria, as some of the hottest talent from Ireland and abroad descended on the tranquil Kerry town to make heavenly music.
To celebrate their 10th birthday, The Ruby Sessions have organised four weeks of celebrations including performances from some of the best acts Ireland has to offer.
Maybe it was a combination of the post-Christmas blues, the freezing weather outside and the fact that the gig fell on a mid-week night. Or perhaps it was the unveiling of that magnificent statue of Philo late last year that dissipated the celebrations somewhat. Whatever the reason, this year’s 20th anniversary vibe lacked the atmosphere of previous years’ events.
Damien Rice and Snow Patrol have both been confirmed for the London leg of Al Gore’s Live Earth extravaganza, which takes place in multiple locations on July 7.
Some of you will doubtless remember Rollerskate Skinny, who released a bone-fide Irish classic in Horsedrawn Wishes all of ten years ago. The band’s vocalist/guitarist Ken Griffin relocated to the US and now fronts this Brooklyn-based quartet who formed in 2004, when he teamed up with Philadelphia psych-poppers, Aspera. With major label backing they’re being tipped for big things across the water.
RTE2 have plenty of live music action to keep us placated for the next few weeks - here's the line up of bands and when to catch them. For more about the Other Voices series, click on the link at the very bottom.
All Write Now, we said. And boy did you follow instructions! The entries poured in from all over Ireland, and further afield, in their thousands. We were snowed under – but, as the song says: That’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, we like it…
