An acoustic hip-hop album? Yup, that’s what we got, or very nearly, as this young singer/songwriter uses R ‘n’ B rhythms coupled with jazz infused guitars to produce a hip swaying but delightfully intimate collection.
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
As I’ve mentioned about 85 times before, given the choice between leprosy and most major label compilations, I normally go the ulcerated and gangrenous limb route. The Best Of Acoustic is different..
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
SOLD OUT
Former Wonderstuff motormouth Miles Hunt is coming to a town near you, acoustic guitar in hand. But as John Walshe finds out, that s no reason to expect a folk extravaganza.
The new album from Foo Fighters is an indie-rock tour de force, combining blistering anthems and delicate acoustic tracks (there’s even a cameo from dinner-party doyen Norah Jones). According to drummer Taylor Hawkins, it may just be the band’s masterpiece.
Rory Gallagher’s posthumous Wheels Within Wheels is a remarkable collection of previously unreleased acoustic material by Ireland’s guitar legend. It comes complete with a cover by the celebrated painter, David Oxtoby, that is certain to make a lasting impression.
As Ocean Colour Scene’s string section take a sabbatical to join Paul Weller on tour, singer Simon Fowler and drummer Oscar Harrison have opted to go back on the road also, with an acoustic show that debuts in Ireland
Guitar heroes Rodrigo Y Gabriela have gone from busking on Grafton Street to jamming with Metallica. The acoustic duo talk about their long, strange journey, their fantastic new album – and their debt to the metal world
No surprise to learn that Dubliners Doris previously operated as an acoustic three-piece. ‘Will I Ever Learn’ is awash with that chirpy acoustic sound. Upbeat and melodic, it also has the tendency to lodge itself in your brain upon first listen.
Obscenely catchy, it follows a path well worn by the likes of Travis, Picturehouse and Paddy Casey. They may not exactly be reinventing the wheel, but this is a decent debut nonetheless.
His tearful acoustic ballads have become a phenomenon. In a forthright interview José González discusses his terror of writing lyrics and meeting Craig David and tells of his parents’ flight from oppression.
Ten years and 30 million sales after she first burst onto the scene urging self-empowerment, the Canadian songstress returns to the album that made her an overnight star.
SEAMUS HEANEY once described Ireland as a country that went from the medieval to the post-modern in a generation. More than any other native band, Horslips embody that idea. Over their ten-year career, the band lurched back and forth from neo-classical Irish chamber music to progressive rock to acoustic folk to psychedelic pop to glam rock; here was one combo capable of going from Carolan to Caravan in a single bound.
Unique of voice and dextrous of guitar-playing, Wexford girl Wallis Bird’s singer-songwriter fare manages not to be music to get depressed to. While stately pieces ‘The Circle’ and ‘Oklahoma’ are a cut above most acoustic-led introspection, her skills are better displayed on ‘Moodpieces’ and ‘Beep Beep’ – semi-electronic tunes with acoustic playing closer to Four Tet than Ani DiFranco . A release that proves that being big in Germany can mean brilliance.
1998 Bloom With A View
John Walshe talks to Luka Bloom on the eve of the release of his fourth studio album, Salty Heaven, about his return to Ireland, the inspiration behind the songs, older brother Christy Moore and the latest generations of the Moore dynasty.
Luka Bloom doesn't look 43, when I walk into the room in the Berkeley Court Hotel where our interview is to take place, he's standing in front of the window, guitar strap around his neck and an acoustic six-string in his hand - he strums it and I'd swear that he's 12 years of age. Every time he plays on stage the look is the same, one of wonder and even serenity.
Imagine Lemon Jelly putting away the decks and building sounds around an acoustic guitar track. Now you’ve got something akin to Headgear. ‘Singin’ In The Drain’ begins with a lo-fi acoustic and vocal track interspersed with gulps of water and other idiosyncratic sounds. The chorus explodes with an Opera like “Rah rah rah”, bringing Baz Luhrmann’s sunscreen track to mind.
What rescues ‘I Can Do Nice’ from the ranks of singer-songwriter orthodoxy is its beguiling melody, delivered with the fretful strokes of an acoustic guitar. The song has the delicateness of spun sulk, the weird beauty of candlelight in pitch darkness.
Shuffling in amid the whispered sounds of an acoustic guitar and a piano, Staples' husky voice is afforded the most glorious of introductions on this gorgeous first single from his second solo album.
Like the person at a party who stands firmly still and expects everyone to come up to them, ‘2x1’ is an unassuming but interesting piece of acoustic work – and the rather more folky B-side ‘Lovestage’ does just as well in showing off this Dublin singer’s voice, but contains an even more modest veneer. A grower, if you have the time to spare.
O’Connor has probably forgotten more about the music industry than the rest of this lot put together will ever know and her continuing reappearance is something to be thankful for. ‘Perfect Days’ is acoustic music with a pulse, the voice in particular carrying the sound of experience in every note.
Hard to believe they’ve been around for over 20 years, but it was back in 1985 when former Depeche Mode/Yazoo keyboardist Vince Clarke first hooked up with ex-butcher Andy Bell for what would become a match made in pop heaven. 32 Top 40 hits later and they’re still capable of surprises, none more so than on this all-acoustic outing which sees them re-visit some of their finest moments in a radically transformed setting.
The great thing about Amy MacDonald is that she does the simple things so well, managing to sound thrilling and alive when so many of her ilk fall flat. Acoustic guitar, mandolin, drums, that voice and the kind of cutting lyric that only the young can get away with – it all adds up to near perfection.
Some songs fit their title perfectly and so it is with ‘Fanfare’, an all guns blazing track that abandons the usual sensitive acoustic approach in favour of a rocker, based, it would appear, on the riff from Deep Purple’s ‘Woman From Tokyo’. One in the eye for the chin strokers.
The question has often been asked, ‘Does the world need another singer-songwriter?’. Certainly, many acoustic guitar-wielding troubadours would be better off saving their grievances for their diaries instead of inflicting them on the wider world. However, every now and then a new voice comes along that’s worthy of attention. Tessa Perry is such a voice.
Wrapped in one of the most ill advised covers we’ve seen for a while, Red Kid offer ‘Tangerine’ as the official song of the summer. Like the season itself, this is more of a damp squib, a fairly nondescript acoustic indie tune that harbours desires to be anthemic but is just a bit dull.
On paper it sounds like a novelty record disaster and just the kind of thing to put the skids under our favourite Latin acoustic metal duo. In truth, this cover of the Led Zep relic works incredibly well and has the potential to open mainstream doors across the water.
This shouldn’t really be our cup of tea, but O’Connor emerges from this issue’s singer-songwriter crop with top honours. Featuring a gentle piano, cello and acoustic backing, it’s an almost identikit Ben Folds copy (especially the vocal) yet still works well, maybe for that very fact.
Classic acoustic balladry of the sort that US radio loves but which might leave others a tad wanting from the German-based outfit fronted by Irishman Rea Garvey. They’re huge around Europe selling out wherever they go and it’s not difficult to see why. Without doubt the slickest production of this fortnight’s offerings
Millan comes stamped with the Broken Social Scene/Stars seal of approval, serving time in both bands as a vocalist, so in theory ‘Baby I’ should be something to get quite excited about. In reality it’s an acoustic stroll that doesn’t ever find second gear. An interesting voice in search of a better song.
Good lord, it's 1988 all over again. Strummed acoustic intro? Check. Soaring fiddle from the Wick? Check. Gurgling Hammond? Check. The 'boys might be a little greyer around the temples, but rather than sounding like a rehash, this pugilistic little folk-rocker rollicks along at a rather exuberant 'Fisherman's' clip.
An old acoustic release from the legendary West African singer and kora player who topped the charts back in ’88 with ‘Yeke Yeke’. On Sabou (The Cause) he goes back to his Guinean roots combining ethnic harmonies, melodies and instruments with his own inimitable songwriting style.
Where they got the name from I don't know, but Emily Ryder are a bouncy, chirpy four-piece from up North armed with acoustic guitars, hooks aplenty and a nice line in tunesmithery to boot.
Coming from the laziest, sunniest album to hit the streets in the long while, it’s only right that ‘Over And Over’ deserves plenty of airplay this season.
The languid vocals and mellow acoustic guitars transport you to a distant somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It probably actively lowers your heart pace too. Still not a patch on anything they released when they first came about, but that’s a gripe about the band rather than this single.
The second album from the Derry duo is a pleasant collection of acoustic, folk-based songs replete with laid-back melodies and lush harmonies. Think Simon & Garfunkle and you’re not far off the mark, though the country-ish ‘Faults And Gains’ might appeal to Americana fans. A tad too downbeat at times but a real grower.
Taking firm influence from The Frames’ school of song-craftsmanship, the oddly named The Stranded Circus combine slow-moving, tightly harmonised, dynamic vocals, rhythmic guitars and tension-building drums to create a sublime and moving acoustic gem. Someone really should sign this band.
"...with an album proper to offer this time around, it seems that Johnson is back with a vengeance – fans of his effortlessly laid-back acoustic fare will immediately warm to this strong collection of songs."
For a few years now, Regan has been accumulating gradual credit with the music business, climbing to a point where he can enlist former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde to mix his album. Such input is largely absent here, ‘Put A Penny In The Slot’ being a very simple acoustic track that doesn’t bother itself with such things as choruses, hooks or a hugely memorable melody. Nice enough but not really good enough.
O'Rourke's third single from the platinum-selling Since Kyabram is exactly the record a guy would put on after the woman he’s besotted with agrees to marry him. It’s a joy barely restrained, and warms the heart of anyone lucky enough to witness it. Had anyone else played this song, it wouldn’t have the same effect – there’s something about the acoustic simplicity next to Declan’s deep, masculine vocals that makes it shine. Genius.
Fans of Bell X1, Damien Rice and Mundy may well be familiar with Cooke’s unique brand of shimmering rock. Like his one-time gigging buddies, Cooke does a neat line in understated emotive acoustic rock, and this EP is gilded with intimacy and introspection.
Although they seem to have been a name to drop for a few years, Dave’s Radio have taken to now to release their first record. Whether the time spent preparing themselves was well spent remains to be seen. ‘Kids’ is a good song certainly and one that is played with conviction, yet it does sound a little too like a standard guitar record to really stand out. The second acoustic track doesn’t offer any more clues – we’ll have to wait for the album to see if their original promise can be lived up to.
Sweden’s premier female singer-songwriter, apparently, Miskovsky has already enjoyed success as co-writer of a Backstreet Boys hit. Here she demonstrates her talents on the breezy acoustic pop of ‘A Brand New Day’, the Shania Twain-like ‘You Dance Just Like Me’ and the melodramatic balladry of ‘Butterfly Man’.
The former Lír man here goes it alone with ‘Amber & Green’. Sounding like Damien Rice in theme and vocal delivery, Hopkins elects to use more instruments, (including Wurlitzer and mellotron flute on ‘Paranoia Song’), so the overall effect makes it stand apart from the trite stripped-down-acoustic-guitar schtick. Take it that it’s another step up on that evolutionary ladder; intelligent, intimate and intoxicating, close your eyes and you might be in Doyle’s.
Solo project of Stéphane Garry, member of Domotic and Davide Balula (Active Suspension). Inspired in equal parts by folk and electronica, Pokett mixes acoustic guitars, singing and various instruments with laptop generated FX.
Templeton’s intriguing music is based on stark contrast – a collision of acoustic and digital, tradition and machine. The familiar instruments – guitar, banjo – that drift in at the start of each piece are slowly eroded by digital hiss, manipulated found sounds and layered ambience, Templeton gradually slicing and sculpting all elements into something else. The result is both unsettling and oddly comforting.
Recorded before an intimate crowd in the appropriately named Café de la Dance in Paris in 2006, this stripped-down all-acoustic affair showcases what is arguably Harte’s strongest point – her crystal-clear voice.
An Ireland-only release to coincide with his upcoming Electric Picnic appearance, this EP is a must-have for fans of the Idaho songwriter. It’s essentially Ritter and his acoustic guitar on most of the tracks. Included is a cover of Modest Mouse’s ‘Blame It On The Teutons’. There are also two previously unreleased originals, ‘Harbortown’ and ‘Peter Killed The Dragon’, a gorgeous number that sees Ritter exploring his fascination with religious imagery.
A radio favourite since January, the delay in releasing ‘Rocky’ can be attributed to a desire to similarly see it take off across the pond. A story of lush melodies, chiming instrumentation and Paul Noonan’s bittersweet lyrics, ‘Rocky’ will probably be most of interest to Irish fans for its b-sides. Amongst them lies a sparse acoustic reworking of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ that should prove a live favourite on their forthcoming November tour.
Though he styles himself as a singer-songwriter, this English Son and former squaddie (who served in Kosovo) comes across as one of those earnest, Pop Idol pretty-boy types with acoustic guitar and floppy haircut – you know the kind!
This, Roesy’s fourth album, sees the Birr man moving up a few gears, applying a more electric sheen to gloss up his normally acoustic-based and introspective approach.
An English teacher and acoustic troubadour Chris Gavin writes songs that are full of slice-of-life vignettes and wryly observational lyrics. ‘School Trip’ describes a childhood jaunt; the title track celebrates the glories of swimming at the Forty Foot in Sandycove in Dublin. The record is exquisitely arranged with angelic backing vocals, strings and flutes.
In contrast to Lynch, Peter Doran’s debut is much more in tune with traditional singer-songwriter fare. This however, doesn’t make the Mullingar performers work any less impressive. Delicate and reserved, Doran’s tender voice swells with the sparse, acoustic-driven melody. Owing a great deal to Damien Rice, there’s an impressively warm and enchanting feel to ‘Scenic Route’. If debut album Wood is half as good we really do have much to look forward too.
Plan B has done for UK hip-hop, so might Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly do for punk rock. Similarly based around one young man and a bashed-up acoustic guitar, ‘The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager’ has a terse, tense intro that suggests it might explode into some kind of emo anthem – and it duly does. We’ve waited too long for someone to rescue the singer-songwriter tradition from the bland mush it’s turned into; in this impassioned 20-year-old from Southend, we might just have found our own superhero.
Alphastates’ ‘Sometimes’ is still a supremely elegant electro-acoustic number that convincingly explains their esteemed status in the Dublin independent scene.
It’s funny how the small things make all the difference. Had Úna Keane’s primary instrument of choice been the acoustic guitar, then the chances are that we might have passed over her debut release, saturated as we are by such things. Luckily for all concerned, Keane is a classically trained pianist and it’s this extra dimension that lifts the four songs included here.
In a last-ditch attempt to regain some of her initial commercial success, Alanis has re-recorded her 30-million selling Jagged Little Pill as an acoustic album. ‘Hand In My Pocket’ is the first fruits of such an uncalled for exercise, and it sounds like the sort of terrible cover version you’d hear on something like You’re A Star.
‘Dead And Gone’ is, unsurprisingly, a haunting acoustic tune with whispery ghostly vocals that deals with that peculiarly Irish trait of complimenting someone once they’re dead and hardly ever otherwise. Mulvihill’s apprenticeship with The4OfUs, John Spillane, Luka Bloom and Aslan (Christy Dignam lends backing vocals here to great effect) has clearly paid off, as many of his self-penned compositions are accompanied by Irish musical icons. Not bad, considering he’s just 23 years old. Expect it to appeal to the older Celtic nostalgia crowd.
Originally released last year, the Dubliners’ Hats Off EP receives a re-release thanks to the lad’s recent Vicar Street support slot with The Frames. As a result, the EP captures the group at a point they’ve long since departed. The acoustic ‘Crashin Down’ and ‘My Fault’ may be fleshed out to a full band sound here, but it’s only on ‘(Jammin’ In) Room 5’ that the group sound like the more cohesive unit they’ve since become. An own-goal in some respects; TKO have better than this in their canon.
Lifted from what is arguably his most aesthetically pleasing album to date, The Lyre Of Orpheus, Breathless is ripe with poetic finery and endless elegance. Although some prefer Caves tortured, writhing energy, this single proves that he can also turn his hand to a splendidly tender and touching acoustic love song. By contrast, There She Goes, My Beautiful World is a more upbeat though no less affecting affair, marrying Caves sombre baritone with the joyful sound of the London Community Gospel Choir. Predictably, its a near-perfect moment of life-affirming splendour.
Simply Red are back with a unique album, an unplugged 'Best Of' with three new tracks. Twelve songs in all, stripped back to mainly acoustic arrangements. To add some spice, there is a decidedly Latin flavour to the record. The new tracks include 'Perfect Love', a soon to be Simply red classic, and 'Song For You', originally penned by Leon Russell, and the latest in a long line of classy Simply Red covers.
To buy click here
Erlend Øye, one half of the Kings, solo artist, and some time Royskopp collaborator, shows no signs of his creative well drying up. Lifted from their excellent Riot On An Empty Street album, this is another slice of warm soulful acoustic pop from the Norwegian duo.
Though he comes across like almost every other acoustic guitar totin’ soul who has graced a mid-week open-mic session, this Killiney troubadour’s years of relentless gigging have clearly paid off. For Lynch’s much-anticipated debut oozes with a confidence, passion and steely determination unusual in a first offering.
He’s a young man is our Ben but you’d never know it from his music, which places him firmly in the classic melodic rock/easy listening bracket. There’s an obvious debt to Van Morrison going on and a depth of musical knowledge (both evident on a version of ‘On Raglan Road’) but this does come across as a bit on the worthy but dull side. Listening to Mark Hogan is a far more exhilarating experience, backed as he is with a tight little three piece band and an approach to acoustic music that owes a debt to Ani Difranco. Horses for courses I know, yet sometimes you want music to thrill rather than impress you.
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.
If Julie Feeney’s recent Choice Music Award win proved anything, it’s that there’s an appetite for something a little different creeping back onto the Irish music scene, something that isn’t straight ahead rock, indie or acoustic.
The timing, then, of this EP from Lieselle McMahon couldn’t be better. It has a similarly off-kilter feel to Feeney, replacing her organic instruments with a brooding electronica. Recorded in New York with Antony And The Johnsons producer Roger Fife, it’s dark, enigmatic and thoroughly refreshing. What we know about her could be written on the pack of a postage stamp, but this is a hell of a place to start.
You might think that Dublin needs another acoustic-flavoured album on the market like it needs a SARS epidemic, yet this is a joyous mixed bag of intimate-sounding folk, upbeat indie and ’80s fused electronica.
Simple Kid effortlessly produces the kind of Beck-like sound that stoned hippies, stuck in their musty bedrooms with an acoustic guitar and an ounce, think they’re making.
Although slotting into the pop/rock category without too much of a fuss, the emphasis on melody, harmony and acoustic guitar makes sure that their sound is not overbearing
I have to confess that I was not hugely excited by the prospect of going to this gig. Although never exactly averse to Beth Orton (I loved her Chemical Brothers collaboration, ‘Where Do I Begin’) I generally find it hard to enthuse about acoustic-wielding singer-songwriters, particularly in a live setting.
Most attempts to fuse folky singer-songwriting and electronic music end in disaster (anyone remember the laughable 'folktronica' scene from a few years back?) but Jenny Wilson's new album strikes a chord, literally. Her ability to create bittersweet melodies and tales of woe and combine them with floaty electronic hooks sounds like a simplistic approach on paper, but check her quirky, high pitched vocals and warbling synths on the future classic 'Summertime: The Roughest Time' or the tongue in cheek lyrics and seductive arrangement of 'Bitter? No, I Just Love To Complain' for proof that Ms Wilson is operating at a higher level to her laptop loving, acoustic strumming peers.
The first track on Dublin-based singer-songwriter Eamonn O'Connor's EP, Born To A Holy Land, is a melancholic lament to Ireland's troubled past and woes of the present day. Cello accompanies acoustic guitar to give it a deep mournful sound, with some genuine spine-tingling moments. 'Love In Vain' is a little more cheerful and up-tempo throughout and has a definite folk/country feel. O'Connor's voice is soft and wistful, lending a distinctive atmosphere to his music. 'Yellow Man Street' is accompanied by harmonica, again giving it that folk feel and subject matter sticks with the parochial and traditional. We hardly need another singer-songwriter but we can certainly make an exception for Eamonn O'Connor.
Those who were thrilled by Brazilian producer Gui Boratto’s nouveau techno-trance releases like ‘Arquipelago’ and ‘The Rising Evil’ won’t be disappointed by his debut album. It further showcases his fist pumping style with the buzzsaw bass of ‘Terminal’, the menacing ‘Gate 7’ and the brooding title track, but it’s clear Boratto isn’t content with dance floor abandon. The symphonic ‘Scene 1’ and the soft-focus piano ambience of ‘Mala Strana’ hint that he wants to escape being just another anonymous techno producer. This desire is given full vent with the acoustic groove of ‘Xilo’ and the live, post-punk drums and indie vocals of ‘Beautiful Life’, which sets the tone for an imminent indie-techno explosion this year.
Music for the new man. Mike Badger trades in lo-fi acoustic musings for the broken hearted. Founder member of The La's, Badger's music is low key and unassuming, in a way that suggests his bedtime listening is more Sonny Condell and Blue Nile than Henry Rollins and Tommy Lee Jones.
Touring steadily since the release of his latest album, Trauma Themes Idiot Times, Lennon has now added 4 home dates to his upcoming tour, along with a jaunt to the UK.
Bristol duo Apache Dropout's self-titled debut offering, although encompassing some rather diverse influences (drum'n'bass to jazz blues), is a rather meek, acoustic guitar-dominated collection.
The Office of Public Works has announced performances by the English Music Collective, Muzsikas and Lunfardia for their free salon music concerts this July.
Flanked by a motley crew of beatnik instrumentalists the singer stands, centre stage, appearing almost weighed-down by the acoustic guitar cradled in her arms
Watch a video interview with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, aka Will Oldham - including a (truly lovely) exclusive acoustic performance - and enter to win copies of 'Master And Everyone'
Their first all-acoustic album since 1990’s Allegria, the excellent Roots sees the Gipsy Kings music return to its Flamenco/Gipsy origins without the studio embellishments of their more recent output.
Ór, meaning gold, is indeed a suitable title for this collaboration between two of Ireland's finest acoustic labels, bringing together as it does 16 tracks going back over a 30-year period, which indicate at first glance just what a rich seam our native music mines.
Art of gold: the opening gig of Neil Young's acoustic three-night stand in Vicar St makes Bono, Edge, Ron Wood and of course your correspondent Stuart Clark swoon. Pics: Mick Quinn
Fourteen tracks marry a musical box of icy chimes and wintry melodies with an inviting acoustic warmth, allowing the brain to run riot and imagine the various goings on in the Gothica world.
Hummingbird purvey a kind of guitar-based, proto-grunge that was all the rage a decade ago. To put it another way they sound pretty much like Pearl Jam circa 1991, albeit with more acoustic guitar thrown into the mix.
It would appear that The Long Stay’s Brendan Donnelly, Sean McAuley and Brendan McCullough are pretty much intent on keeping it country…kind of. First Collection is a set of sweet, slightly inoffensive new-country/acoustic offerings.
Limerick is to play host to Ireland's first ever Guitar Festival and Acoustic Academy.
Music Review | Live
48% | 28 Sep 2004
Tanya Sweeney
It’s little wonder that Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is being treated like some kind of prodigal son tonight. After all, he is more than qualified to join the ranks of Ireland’s acoustic army. Having spent much of last year on these shores, Sexsmith has learned what makes Irish audiences tick.
Till now, Pogues' compliments have invariably centred on Shane MacGowan's singular songwriting. The group's erratic performances which could descend into some ramshackle acoustic heart of darkness meant the praise wasn't always extended to his fellows.
Live, it’s even more dazzling; backed by sundry acoustic instruments including guitars, accordion, violin and a low-key rhythm section, the effect is both pastoral and hypnotic.
Essex born Clive Carroll got the Walton’s Guitar Festival of Ireland underway at Crawdaddy, with a truly remarkable display of acoustic guitar virtuosity.
Quick Look is an album bursting with energy and ideas, all rooted within the fairly traditional acoustic/electric rock format yet sounding fresh and exciting
He has encompassed bare bones acoustic music, bluegrass, r’n’ b, hard country, soundtrack music and rock and held it all together with a voice that could never really be anything other than country.
The sun-dappled territory between chill-out electronica and gentle acoustic rock is the destination of Halfset, three Dubliners who wish life meandered at a more elegiac pace.
Opening with a languid banjo loop that sounds like a dragonfly negotiating a marijuana haze, Dramanalog, Halfset’s mannerly and agreeable debut, casts so slight a presence you sometimes forget it is there.
Fisherman’s Woman opens promisingly with a soft, soothing song called ‘Nothing Brings Me Down’. The unhurried tempo and warm acoustic timbre complements its script, an everyday scene of domestic satisfaction, a night in with the fire on and the feet up...
We all know what to expect of the bittersweet folksy blues pursuit; love, like anything else subject to our cruel whim, is to be drawn out and rewrought in a mimetic frenzy of acoustic guitar, plaintive vocals and tear-jerking harmonies. In a Fiona Apple kind of way, the dulcet Buckley is another lady who’s mistaken a paper bag for a dove.
Credit to Black for producing an engaging and sprightly record which skips between alt-country and acoustic pop and reminds us of his capricious talents.
With a year’s worth of grandiose orchestral gigs behind him, Ireland’s sweetheart and son of Idaho Josh Ritter was enveigled into celebrating Whelan’s 20th birthday with three shows in a stripped down acoustic format.
It took Gray a few songs, but by mid-set the singer-songwriter and his two-man acoustic band had moved into their flow, helped hugely by a pivotally-placed ‘Babylon’, to which the audience gave great song.
On first listen, her latest outing offers yet more spiritually-inclined acoustic folk-rock, but it soon becomes clear that Where You Live is her strongest collection since her groundbreaking debut.
Already receiving rave notices in the UK where he is now based, this young Dubliner’s debut has long been anticipated thanks to his captivating live performances and a couple of EP releases which showcased his unique brand of acoustic melancholia.
An acoustic live record stripped back to its bare essentials, Live From The Union Chapel, in its simplicity and frankness, showcases the essence of Rice.
The concrete jungle of London’s downtrodden and multi-racial East End is home to some of the most terrifying statistics BBC news has to report, as well as some of the hardest, filthiest hip hop and drum ‘n’ bass beats in the UK. The area’s many big mouthed, bigging-up MCs frequently play with the term urban poet, but rarely is it so aptly claimed than in the case of this young acoustic guitar-playing, Bukowski-reading, Radiohead-loving rapper.
In the kingdom of the bards, Kristin Hersh is queen. Taken as a whole, her back catalogue represents one of the most individual bodies of work of the past 20 years. From the crazed manic-depressive clouds which stalked the early Throwing Muses records to the relative serenity of the acoustic solo outings, Hips And Makers and Strange Angels, Hersh's work is stamped with her own idiosyncratic imprimatur.
WELL KNOWN in Irish music circles as a session musician, Ennis born/Nashville resident O'Beirne has lent his distinctive 6 and 12-string acoustic guitar talents to artists as varied as Sharon Shannon, The Waterboys and Marianne Faithful.
With The Waterboys being between albums, tonight’s acoustic show was a case of evolution-in-progress, allowing Mike Scott, Steve Wickham and Richard Naiff the opportunity to excavate gems from the back catalogue too rare or oddly cut to fit the full band format.
Timberlake shows impressive flair and versatility - he's as comfortable sitting on a stool crooning an acoustic ballad as he is larking around with scantily clad dancers.
Rumours that the whispery-voiced McRae was going to rock out on this, his third album, have proved totally unfounded. All Maps Welcome boasts the same acoustic, string-soaked arrangements as his near-perfect eponymous debut and so-so sophomore release, Just Like Blood. Even a move to Los Angeles, for so many the home of rock ‘n’ roll, or the inclusion of some of Beck’s backing band haven’t caused McRae to let rip. That said, the sound throughout is remarkably full, considering the lack of fuzzed-up, distortion-driven wig-outs, and plenty of the songs manage to build up quite a head of righteous steam without the need for electric agonising.
It was a night of songs about drugs, guns, murder and love, rendered on acoustic, national steel guitar, decks, mandolin, and “the kind of banjo that scares the sheep in Donegal.”
Thirty lucky fans were treated to a special acoustic Bell X1 show in the intimate surroundings of Bewley's Cafe Theatre in Dublin on Sunday. **NOW UPDATED with photos!
Her last album, 2001’s Yola, saw Eleanor McEvoy move away from the electric pop rock of her major label days to the more rootsy, acoustic approach of her earlier work. It was a wise decision...
America's loss is Ireland's gain: we've got Idaho-born, Dublin-beloved JOSH RITTER, in this video interview featuring special acoustic performances - and we're not giving him back
For every macho posture, there are two images of Rock strumming an acoustic or blowing on a harmonica. Flip through the album credits and there are also indicators that there is more to Cocky than meets the eye.
Clive Barnes has been trekking across the US for most of January, playing at some pretty tasty venues and bringing his wistful desert-hearted acoustic blues to its spiritual home.
Ten Feet High is surprisingly playful, but in a serious way. For the most part, Corr and producer Nellee Hooper have fashioned a hybrid of high street pulses, airy melodies and acoustic chamber pop.
Never a serious fan of the man who was retro before retro, my expectations weren't too high for this closer in a hat-trick of solo dates. It was a pleasant surprise then to hear him deliver a fresh and uplifting set.
With Franz Ferdinand sweeping all before them, Tanya Sweeney talks to Domino Records’ latest star in waiting – and favourite son of Ireland’s singer-songwriter community.
John Walshe previews the new Foo Fighters double-album, In Your Honor, which Dave Grohl describes as "by far the most ambitious project I have ever had anything to do with in my entire life."
KIERAN HALPIN's new live album, Glory Dayz, is the perfect vehicle for a man who hardly ever stops gigging. In a rare off-stage interlude, he talks to Colm O'hare.
Until recently, Scottish jazz/folk legend john martyn was almost as renowned for his hard-living consumption of booze as he was for his marvellous records. But, he tells colm o hare, these days he s on the wagon, and operating on full horsepower for the first time in years.
As girl band the saturdays prepare to play this year’s Oxegen, Edwin McFee gets a frosty reception when he talks to Irish member Una Healy. Undeterred, he manages to find out about their bust up with Basshunter, their admiration for Girls Aloud and more.
She may not be a folk-chick , but for the time being, a bottle of beer, a chair and a guitar is all it takes to get Kristin Hersh through the night. Interview: colm o hare.
Suzanne Vega talks to COLM O HARE about the
proliferation of serious female artists, the break-up of her marriage and incorporating spoken word into her performances
Belfast musician Colin Reid likes to surprise his audiences, something he’s sure to accomplsh with an instrumental suite inspired by Flann O’Brien’s The Third Policeman
PROFESSOR POE senior sat in the kitchen with his head in a sound magazine, chuckled to himself, took another sip of coffee and read on. It was an article on the latest innovation in speaker design with one party saying that they had a new invention and another party introducing the same idea but with a different name saying it was theirs.
No longer content to be an indie under-achiever, Joe Chester has produced a solo album that owes as much to Fleetwood Mac as it does My Bloody Valentine. Interview by Maurice O'Brien.
He may have turned the volume down a bit, but Ricky Warwick‘s Tatoos & Alibis album still rocks like a bastard. Stuart Clark meets him and his multi-platinum mate Joe Elliott.
The latest group to benefit from the tutelage of legendary producer Stephen Street, attitudinal Mancunian rockers The Courteeners are one of hottest newcomers on the UK indie scene.
Photos, vox pops and child-friendly Guinness cocktails: hotpress.com brings you all the spills and thrills from the biggest event on the electronic music calender
After a triumphant brace of performances at last year’s Bulmer’s Comedy Festival, US musical comic Stephen Lynch brings his trusty acoustic guitar back to the event once again this year. He talks about his love of old gangster flicks, his work with Comedy Central and writing controversial songs about kittens.
They started out as a bunch of punk rock misfits called the Sex Maggots but had their biggest hit with an acoustic ballad on a Meg Ryan movie soundtrack.
Despite sharing a home with fellow troubador Paddy Casey, singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke isn’t one for late-night acoustic sessions. You’re far more likely to find him kicking back with a Coen brothers box-set and musing on the early exploration of Antarctica.
Jools, Letterman, platinum discs, fan hysteria – it’s all very nice and much appreciated, you understand, but for Damien Rice the bottom line remains the song – and doing things his way.
Though not the darling of the critical fraternity, NYC-based singer-songwriter John Mayer has had the last laugh courtesy of a top 20 album and a Grammy nomination.
He emigrated in '95, sang with jeff at sin-e, acted with denis leary, consoled nyc's firefighters and tripped around the planet with emmylou harris – but for mark geary, the adventure is only beginning
He may be a man of few words, but alvin youngblood harT's artistic lineage is not to be sneezed at: this is one bluesman whose experiences include a spell in the US Coastguard and a stint in Switzerland. Tape: siobhÁn Long.
PROFESSOR POE lay in his bed recovering from the worst flu he had ever experienced. He was sure that the germs that had invaded his body had been working out full-time in some biological gym for the last six months before they decided to hitch a lift to Ireland.
He’s one of the most modest figures on the Northern Ireland music scene. But with David Holmes and Duke Special among his cheerleaders, it’s clear that Robyn G. Shiels is a special talent indeed.
MAZZY STAR are still going strong, but HOPE SANDOVAL has also got a side project up and running. She tells NICK KELLY all about
HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS and her collaborations with everyone from The Chemical Brothers to Bert Jansch
GREAT WESTERN SQUARES frontman gary fitzpatrick has built a career out of crafting beautifully heartfelt C'n'W vignettes, prowling around ancient pubs and being "a sad bastard who drinks too much". nick kelly says: "Cheers!"
Looking for a guitar/ bass/ amp/ drumkit/ keyboard/ sampler (circle as appropriate)? hotpress.com does the hard work of finding the best deals, so that you don't have to
The guitar is back – and how! Instrument sales are healthier than they’ve been in years. but that’s not the only good news from Ireland’s music equipment shops.
Behold, a video interview with KURT WAGNER, gentle leader of the baseball cap wearin', crescent-wrench-playin', songs-about-dogs-and-squirrels-writin', luscious soul-country revue that is LAMBCHOP. Plus, some tunes from their newest long player, 'Is A Woman'
The warped indie-rock of PlaytOh has put them at the forefront of the Cork music scene. Now they're poised to take on the world. Interview by Tanya Sweeney.
john walshe talks to Celbridge five-piece juniper about their new single, Weatherman , and what it was about them that enticed Polygram to sign them for six albums.
With a stunning debut album under their belts and an ambitious tour of Scotland coming up, Dublin quintet Picture House have made extraordinary strides for a band who, only a year ago, were labelled has-beens. Interview: John Walshe.
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 reviews may be mixed but Tim Burgess is chuffed to bits with his solo album. The moonlighting Charlatan talks to Eamon Sweeney about positive vibes,
marital bliss and why he’s not giving up the day job yet.
Queen of catharsis as the leader of Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh raised a few eyebrows with her debut solo album Hips And Makers, a sublimely private collection which made it all the way to the Top 10. Here she explains her approach to songwriting, the emotional extremes she suffers and what it’s like working with The Sexiest Man Alive to NIALL CRUMLISH.
Well, skip a light fandango if it isn’t The Pale, back with a new EP after the long absence that followed their massive contribution to the Irish rock scene of the early nineties. The Final Garden sees them re-emerge as a sturdier yet looser musical unit than of yore.
Having started out busking on the rainy streets of Dublin, 747s have lately struck up a friendship with Arctic Monkeys and nearly triggered an international terrorist scare.
Their odd-ball sound is hard to pin down, but that hasn’t prevented indie rockers 8 Ball from becoming one of the most buzzed about Irish groups on the scene.
Say what you like about the Stereophonics – and let’s face it, the Welsh superstars have taken their share of flak over the years – but 10 years since they first emerged they’re arguably bigger than ever.
Horslips axeman Johnny Fean is honouring us with a masterclass at the upcoming Music Show in the RDS. Here, he talks about his formative influences and Horslips’ upcoming reunion
The indelible images of September 11th tragedy will be for many, the key memory of these past 12 months. Music may seem lightweight in comparison, yet its healing powers were probably more needed than ever
Kelly Osbourne reckons he’s the new Bright Eyes. But downbeat Scottish songwriter – and sometime Arab Strap guitarist – Malcolm Middleton is more concerned with impressing his mum.
They’re the Highest Band In Ireland (a more wholesome title than it sounds) but that doesn’t mean Killarney three-piece TEN PAST SEVEN are stopping at the top. Bassist Matt Shallow chats to Celina Murphy about going instrumental, spotting their name in horror movies and serenading mountain goats.
24-year-old reggae star Natty takes time off from touring Dublin in a horse-drawn carriage to discuss Bob Marley's legacy, and the 'institutionalised racism' inherent in British society.
GALLOWS frontman Frank Carter talks anti-apathy, concept records, toning down the swearing and why he thinks their debut Orchestra Of Wolves was “a complete mistake.”
The Divine Comedy return to the live arena in September and have recorded several tracks for a new album 'that's going to be fab', according to the ever-immodest Neil Hannon
It?s real, it?s now and it goes all the way back to the source ? roots music is taking the world by storm and Ireland is very definitely on the map.
By siobhan long.
Six albums to the good and only now has andy white discovered his teenage years. siobhan long catches up with a man catching up with his own adolescence.
THE CANDLELIGHT SESSIONS at Phil Grimes' pub are the first rung on the ladder for many aspiring musicians. Proprietor Tom Ryan and chief rabble-rouser Johnny Kiely explain why this live gem is an important part of the Irish music scene.
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet consists of four virtuoso players acclaimed across the world for their unique blend of classical and flamenco styles. As they prepare for their Irish debut, Jackie Hayden asks key member Bill Kanengiser how it all works.
Her dad’s got the keys to St. Andrew’s Observatory, her mum’s texting to say she’s just seen Prince William playing hockey, and her new album Eyes To The Telescope is currently bewitching audiences throughout Britain. Things could hardly be better for Scots singer-songwriter KT Tunstall.
With their Harmony Hill album establishing them as one of the Trad world’s brightest hopes, Dervish are now busy taking their music to anyone who wants to listen. Colm O’Hare meets the Sligo six-piece who are being favourably compared to and discovers a band determined to breathe new life into old traditions.
He's the spiritual leader of 'freakfolk', a scene that celebrates the quirky and off-beam. But behind Devendra Banhart's neo-hippy schtick is an awesomely talented songwriter.
Indigo Fury won the Hot Press band of the year competition in 2002. The fruits of that success are now becoming apparent, with the release of their debut single.
They toured the world throughout the ‘70s, earning rave notices from Bono, The Edge and Melvin Bragg, upsetting the clergy, terrifying the American public in the company of Blue Oyster Cult and the J Geils Band and out-glamming even Bowie with their flamboyant sartorial taste. With a new DVD on the way and much speculation about a possible tour, legendary Celtic rockers Horslips here talk to Hot Press about a decade of adventure, decadence and great music.
EAMON SWEENEY meets LLOYD COLE to talk about his forthcoming Dublin gigs, the changing face of music, and why he doesn t want to write songs for a while.
ANI DiFRANCO is one of contemporary music's most impressive originals. Without compromising her independence or political radicalism, she has scaled the heights of commercial and
critical success. In this, her only Irish interview, she speaks candidly to NIALL STANAGE about TAFKAP, her battles with the music industry, American 'gun culture' and the troubled family life which lies behind one of her most moving songs.
We’ve been banging on for months about the utter fabulousness of CAT MALOJIAN - now, with the release of their latest album, the rest of the world is set to get a taste of their genius too.
Like Groucho Marx may or may not have said, timing is (pause) …everything. As such, the two albums that electrified us this year (Interpol’s hugely moving, visceral masterpiece Turn On The Bright Lights; Justin Timberlake’s Neptunes-assisted pop‘n’B triumph Justified) were actually released in ’02.
Who needs Abbey Road or The Power Station when you ve got Connolly s Of Leap? Failed Keith Richards impersonator martin stephenson tells nick kelly about a wild week in County Cork.
You don’t associate Cavan with a cutting edge music scene – but Michael O'Brien aims to change that with his Origins club night. Who knows? One day Neil Young might even decide to pay a visit.
Gemma Hayes tells John Walshe about playing the International Bar, singing with Guy Clarke, recording with Julian Lennon and how she doesn't just write love songs.
For the painfully shy and private Ray LaMontagne, life in the spotlight is one of almost unremitting discomfort, and yet he hopes to last as long as Willie Nelson.
Goldfinger might be the intelligent face of punk-pop with politics, animal rights and MTV baiting their subject matter. But bassist Kelly Lemieux insists that they remain balls out rock'n'rollers
Her beautiful lo-fi cover of a David Bowie song has made student Paula Flynn a sensation. Here she talks about her unlikely route to overnight stardom.
Bad-ass rockers The Cult have reconvened following half a decade in the wilderness. Frontman Ian Astbury talks about standing-in for Jim Morrison, jamming with UNKLE and explains why it's good to return to his day-job.
The folk and traditional community has been agog with rumours of a row between Facé and Imro. But the signs are that the organisations will be working together now.
Rollerskate Skinny frontman Ken Griffin is back with an ace new band, Favourite Sons. And, would you believe it, they’re the toast of New York’s rock scene. Even Jack White’s a convert.
Tapping the spirit of the shoegaze era Giant Drag have released one of the year’s most beguiling debuts. And in frontman Annie Hardy they have a rock icon in the making.
Being assaulted by irate audience members at Donnington, working with Iggy Pop, asked to write songs for Britney – and shocking Marilyn Manson’s crowd. It’s all in a year’s work for electro-punk princess and ‘Erotic Performer Of The Year’ Peaches.
They may make an unholy racket, but Slipknot are definitely on the side of righteousness when it comes to the Iraq War. Corey Taylor tells Phil Udell why George Bush is vying with Rick Rubin for top spot on their hate-list.
Low priced guitars and pianos manufactured in China are music to the ears of Western music fans: Mark Godfrey reports from the biggest music expo in Asia.
Limerick thrashmeisters Giveamanakick's third album Welcome To The Cusp is the product of ten days of cabin fever in Donegal. No wonder it sounds wet 'n' wild.
It's not just bands that make a scene. Ken Maguire talks about setting up kilkennymusic.com, and the impact it's had on the local rock 'n' roll fraternity.
GILLIAN WELCH s most recent album Hell Among The Yearlings has underlined her position as one of the most important of New Country artists. With an Irish visit pending she spoke to STEPHEN RAPID.
Adrienne Murphy speaks to ASLAN, in the midst of recording their live album. Under discussion: the dangers of chasing fame, and the importance of self-belief.
From being bottled off stage in Italy to supporting Garbage on a major European tour, to their excellent second album I Am Not A Doctor, life has certainly not been boring for Moloko. John Walshe caught up with them.
Having previously traded as shoe-gaze darlings The Catchers, Northern indie-poppers The Sleeping Years are back with a new record – and a rather handsome sleeve
headswim have left behind the "English Pearl Jam" tag that dogged them and are about to release their second album, the tortured pop of Despite Yourself, on an unsuspecting public. Interview: john walshe.
headswim have left behind the "English Pearl Jam" tag that dogged them and are about to release their second album, the tortured pop of Despite Yourself, on an unsuspecting public. Interview: john walshe.
EAMON SWEENEY meets RELISH, a northern band just signed to EMI. Up for discussion: Ash, landing a deal, Van Morrison and ghosts in the (studio) machines.
With The Commitments, Black Velvet Band, Hothouse Flowers and a range of acting credits already to her name, MARIA DOYLE KENNEDY is finally releasing her debut solo album.
PETER MURPHY is charmed
He's one of the most distinguised and individualistic figures on the folk scene, an artist who is not afraid to take risks or challenge convention. Now John Spillane has written a moving paean to Ireland - and to his mother.
Four years on from Inflammable Material and even Jake Burns is beginning to wonder if Stiff Little Fingers are losing their bearings. Here he reveals some of his misgivings to Bill Graham
No, they’re not Jack White’s extra-curricular band. Rather, The Racketeers are long time veterans of the Irish scene with shades of Nick Cave and Johnny Cash in their darkly fascinating sound.
He may have his critics among the academic literati, but Belfast singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy insists that his move into the realm of fiction is a natural artistic progression.
The Cronin Brothers have come a long way with their group The Aftermath since leaving Longford to make their fortune. With friends like the Kaiser Chiefs and fans like Chris Moyles, they’re on the brink of making it big.
It’s a familiar sign, wherever PICTUREHOUSE appear, all over Ireland. This time it’s Carrick-On-Shannon, as the band take to the rock tower stage.
Report: COLM O'HARE
Steve Earle is known for his passionate political views. But never mind standing firm in the face of conservative America. The hardest thing he ever did was follow Christy Moore onstage.
What happens when the lead singer of Soundgarden gets together with three quarters of Rage Against The Machine? Answer: the high-IQ post-grunge of Audioslave.
English folk singer KATE RUSBY has been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. She tells Colm O'Hare about sad songs, her Bon Jovi phase, and attracting praise from Blur s Graham Coxon
Their music may incorporate snatches of jazz, folk and classical music. But whatever you do, make sure you don’t call Albrecht's Pencil a ‘fusion’ act.
One of the highlights of this year's Witnness festival Basement Jaxx drop hints about their forthcoming third album, explain why Brixton is so important to their sound and preview the live show
They’ve turned their back on breezy pop production and embraced a soulful, indie groove. Belle And Sebastian talk about the making of what might just be their finest record to date.
Meet Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Mexican guitar virtuosos and planet-hopping adventure-seekers who, as Kim Porcelli discovers, are partners in more ways than one
The most exciting merger of rock and dance since the heyday of The Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays and Primal Scream – meet The Rapture. Words Paul Nolan
Barely out of school, Dublin sister duo Heathers are already turning heads with their melodic punk-pop. They talk about what it's like being one of the country's buzzing newcomers.
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.
In going back to her roots on her latest album, Nanci Griffith also shines a light on one of the great backing bands of rock n roll Buddy Holly s Crickets. Interview: Joe Jackson.
Celebrating its 21st anniversary this summer, 1998's Galway Arts Festival promises to be the best ever. Hot Press' honorary Tribes-man, COLM O'HARE, previews the main attractions and offers a comprehensive guide
to the best places to eat, drink and make merry.
Kele Le Roc is poised for major pop success. Adrienne Murphy met her at Childline 99, and talked to her about the music buisness, finding her own voice and, er, the Kids from Fame. Pics: Cathal Dawson
Get ready for a whole new kind of weird as avant-gardists THE SUMMER EXPERIMENT prepare to hit the live circuit, touting a unique mix of folk, indie and classical.
Roots music may help build bridges between past and present and us and them, but the media stance is still often isolationist. So says simon emerson of the afro celt sound system. siobhan long takes notes.
Roots music may help build bridges between past and present and us and them, but the media stance is still often isolationist. So says simon emerson of the afro celt sound system. siobhan long takes notes.
Bringing a multi-national flavour to the West's music scene are Emmet Scanlan and What the Good Thought- a cosmopolitan group who infuse cello, classical guitar and drums with "chaotic" glee.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it s not a new game we ve invented to pass slow days at HP Central, just a reflection on the confusion you can face when a CD or tape arrives which is recorded and packaged so well that you don t know whether it s a demo or an actual release that should be re-directed to the Album Dissection and Resuscitation Department.
Michael Franti is mad and he wants you to know about it. To demonstrate the fraught condition of the world, he’s even gone to the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones to make a movie.
Russian born, New York reared, Regina Spektor writes songs that seem to inhabit their own dark little world. No wonder she’s been compared to both Tori Amos and the anti-folk movement.
Pale frontman Matthew Devereux’s Kilmainham pad betrays an '80s fetish, but he once served an Irish stew to Johnny Cash in Bad Bob's, so we’ll forgive him.
By the time you read this I may be an ex-person, having just received a poison pen letter threatening to do a number of unspeakable, and probably illegal, things to me. It s a good one as these things go, unsigned, of course, written completely in capital letters violently gouged into the page, with a sprinkling of misspellings and words like arsehole , fucker and bastard underlined twice and three lines under bolox and cunt . Can t be a regular reader, then.
They’re the unsung heroes of plaintive Irish pop. Ahead of a new run of live shows, Saville talk guitars, pedals and Wurlitzers – and explain why musicians should be prepared for the worst whenever they go on stage.
With 2009 entering its final months, it’s time to take stock of the quality of northern releases thus far. If this year’s batch of stand-out records have anything in common, it is their determination to break boundaries and confound expectations
Kieran Kennedy has just released a solo album – the Donal Lunny-produced Pagan Irish – but, he tells Colm O’Hare, The Black Velvet Band are still alive and well.
Country, folk and roots fans are in for a treat on the May Bank Holiday weekend when a veritable who's who of the best bands and solo performers of the genre head to Kilkenny for the second annual Kilkenny Country Roots Weekend.
He wasn’t going to sing and then he sang. He wasn’t going to talk to the press and then he talked. And, finally, when he was good and ready, Paul McCartney wowed an audience with his greatest hits. Stuart Clark sees Macca in Manchester warming up for Dublin
…And head out on the highway. Oh, and take a notebook while you’re at it. Those were Hot Press’ instructions to acclaimed singer/songwriter Mark Geary as he hit the road with The Frames in the good ol’d US of A. And as the following account of spellbinding shows, irate audience members, near-death experiences and suspicious cops shows, it was a hell of a trip. Photography by Shawn Lynch.
"I compressed the vox, EQ'd the drums and turned down the reverb on the guitar channel but it still sounds like it was recorded through an analogue four track"
Confused?
But where would you be in the middle of the night with no bells and your knickers ringing? Or more to the point, where would you be without the new Hot Press/Heineken link up with Tower Records on Sundays?
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER talks to JOE JACKSON about Party Doll And Other Favourites, a Greatest Hits collection which she hopes will breathe new life into a tired format.
The Queen of Zydeco, Boris Bob Dylan Grebenshikov and an erstwhile Rolling Stone were among the unlikely collaborators on ANTHONY THISTLETHWAITE S latest opus, Crawfish & Caviar. COLM O HARE hears more.
Roo are confident, savvy and unflinching in their aim to make remarkable music. There s something about their looks and attitude that remind you of George Best in 68: blessed with handy skills and unfazed by older, less talented rivals. Roo are the best new prospect from these parts. They can be funny, too.
Never mind the naysayers, Dublin 2006 is spilling over with white hot talent. Steve Cummins and Shilpa Ganatra run the rule over the capital's new breed.
He’s just knocked Lady GaGa off the top of the UK charts with his banging new single ‘I’m Not Alone’. So why is CALVIN HARRIS so worried about sounding like an oldie chasing after his fading youth?
Harmonica virtuoso DON BAKER has been busy recently adding another string to his bow, in the form of an acting career which has so far seen him work with Jim Sheridan and Richard Attenborough. And in between takes he s even managed to put the
finishing touches to his latest album, Just Don Baker. Interview: PETER MURPHY. Pics: cathal dawson
Hannah Hamilton reports on the recent Nokia Totally Board event in Seville – a heavy three-day carnival of extreme sports and down’n’dirty hard rock action
Folk doyen Richard Thompson remains a singular presence in the roots music scene after four decades. Here he talks about “exile” on the US West Coast and his recent return to his electric rock roots.
From small-time ramshackle punk'n'Irish troubadours to 'international touring act' in the space of six incident-packed years, The Pogues have not only produced music to consistently surprise and delight - they've put it in the charts too! With the help of band members Phil Chevron and Jem Finer, Bill Graham examines The Pogues' enigma in advance of the outfit's impending Christmas single 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah' (phew!) and their seasonal show at The Point Depot in Dublin.
DAVID GRAY’s sell-out December gig at Dublin’s Point Theatre was an intense, emotional affair.
NIALL STANAGE reports on a remarkable night and offers a personal perspective on the singer-songwriter’s journey
Patti Smith has been an avant-garde icon and punk poet idol for more than two decades. We thought it would be interesting to see what Cathy Jordan, the stylish singer with folk supergroup Dervish, would make of her recent performance in Jordan's hometown of Sligo.
Well then you better be prepared to hang upside down naked once in a while! Colm O'Hare meets Dublin's Ride Or Die Gang, the band behind this year's ballsiest publicity campaign
He's the comedy songwriter who is deadly serious about his work. Meet Stephen Lynch, the man determined to prove that stand-up and indie rock really can get along.
County Derry-born Henry McCullough was the only Irishman to play Woodstock, joined Paul McCartney in Wings and lived the rock and roll lifestyle to the max.
With the release of his second solo album, Running Dog, Nick Kelly has cemented his reputation as one of the leading contemporary songwriters in Ireland. Here, the former Fat Lady Sings frontman talks to Jackie Hayden about the break-up of one of Dublin's most respected bands, financing his solo career through the largesse of his fanbase – and the ongoing joys of artistic independence.
In one his first ever interviews, James Ruskin, the man behind the Blueprint label, incendiary three-deck DJ sets and the landmark Further Design album, comes out of the shadows. Richard Brophy looks on in awe.
Jackie Hayden calls round to visit Miriam Ingram’s current abode at the foot of the Dublin Mountains and gets to hear his first Christmas carol of the season.
Dave Grohl looks back on 20 years of playing music and talks about the birth of his daughter, the trapped Beaconsfield Miners and why Neil Young is his hero.
Tanya Sweeney talks to Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays about guitarist Dante DeCaro’s departure from the band, the creation of their long-awaited new album Elevator, trading Nirvana’s producer for Marilyn Manson’s, and why Ireland remains a favourite destination on the group’s itinerary.
She’s one of the sassiest, not to say iconic, frontwomen in rock. Up close however, Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O is just a big pussycat. Look, we’ve even made her cry.
It's one of the most heartwarming and deserved success stories in music - how Beth Orton learned to cope with illness, rebuilt her career and found herself sharing studios and stages with artists as diverse as Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, The Chemical Brothers and David Kitt
Having put a considerable amount of personal strife behind her, Dolores Keane is back in the public domain with a new album, Night Owl, and a new outlook. Interview: Colm O’Hare.
Melbourne born virtuoso classical guitarist John Williams is best known for a pair of unlikely chart hits, one with fusion outfit Sky, the other being 'Cavatina', the theme to Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. But beyond the pop spectrum he's enjoyed a long and distinguished career.
With her own debut album, ELEANOR McEVOY, one of the stars of 'A Woman's Heart', has come out of the folk closet and revealed herself to be a real rocker - feedback, distorted guitars and all. Interview: COLM O'HARE
With her own debut album, Eleanor McEvoy, one of the stars of A Woman s Heart , has come out of the folk closet and revealed herself to be a real rocker feedback, distorted guitars and all. Interview: Colm O Hare.
With a herd of their fellow Bostonians stampeding the charts and a fine new album Big Red Letter Day to their credit, BUFFALO TOM seem especially primed to cash in on the commercial success that has been dangled teasingly in front of their faces for years. But are they too normal to be
rock 'n' roll stars? LORRAINE FREENEY tracked the band in London with that very question in mind.
Paul Weller has a reputation as one of the most truculent men in pop, with a deep-seated dislike of the promotional process. But with the release of his latest solo album Illumination, the man who once led The Jam and the Style Council agreed to put himself in the firing line. Looking back over a career that's studded with success, he's reflective and forthright - but the anger that inspired much of The Jam's finest output still burns
Greetings From LA
beck and tom petty get together in Los Angeles for an impassioned rap on songs, songwriting, showbiz, the Unplugged phenomenon and how too much music can boggle the mind. mark rowland listens in.
As Stereophonics release their sixth abum, frontman Kelly Jones talks about his friendship with Oasis and reveals that he’s buried the hatchet with Muse.
The emergence of The Boomtown Rats inspired a new generation of in-your-face Irish bands who re-energised an Irish music scene that has become moribund and predictable.
Deciding he d achieved as much as he could within the confines of the music scene in Ireland. Barry Moore changed his name, packed his bags and took off for the USA. There, as Luka Bloom, he was fjted for his live performances, awarded a major international record deal and his debut album, Riverside, given the four-star treatment by Rolling Stone. On a visit home, he tells Bill Graham about his emigrant s success story and explains how a man who was regarded as a folky in Dublin came to cut a rap track in New York.
California-born, Harvard-educated, Alison Brown is not your everyday bluegrass flagbearer. But her emotive playing – and the contribution of her Compass Records label – have made her a leading figure in the American roots scene.
The rise and rise of the female singer/songwriter is fast achieving phenomenon status in Ireland - here,
Peter Murphy profiles an eclectic mix of new and distinctive talent
They were one of the superstars of grunge, a band that did more than perhaps any other – even Nirvana – to bring underground rock and roll to the mainstream. But they lost their way with fan-alienating experimental records and a long-running feud with Ticketmaster. Now Pearl Jam have shrugged off the cobwebs and are back rocking like legends. Ahead of the release of their best album in years they talk about the long-road to rejuvenation, lessons gleaned from Neil Young and their place in the greater scheme of things.
Patrick Hedlund catches up with Damien Rice and The Frames in Boston and finds they’re having more success on-stage than in the bowling alley. Additional reporting Stuart Clark
Citing “irresolvable conflict”, grunge legend Chris Cornell has packed in his day job with Audioslave to pursue a solo career. Here, he explains why he’s decided to go it alone.
Christy Moore, who headlines this year’s rejuvenated Lisdoonvarna Festival, recalls the first flowering of music festivals in Ireland – and looks forward to this year’s event, when once again the challenge will be to weave that spell
An Irish band who don’t entirely fit in at home, Relish can console themslves with a great new album Karma Calling, and an international fanbase that stretches from the U.S. to Japan.
An Irish band who don’t entirely fit in at home, Relish can console themslves with a great new album Karma Calling, and an international fanbase that stretches from the U.S. to Japan.
Increasingly popular, critically acclaimed, a Grammy Award Winner - and yet, Shawn Colvin still sings those 'ol record company blues. Colm O'Hare lends a sympathetic ear.
20 years and the last seven days: U2 have gone through a whole heavenhell of a lot to get here. One can only guess at Bono’s state of mind, high on the euphoria of playing the most ecstatic shows of his band’s career, drained from the freeze-dried exhaustion of flying home to Dublin from all points around Europe to endure the dim purgatories every son goes through when his father is dying.
As they prepare to storm Dublin's Olympia for two reunion shows later this month, LIAM FAY talks unfinished business to KEITH DONALD and EOGHAN O'NEILL of MOVING HEARTS
He’s been The Jam Man, The Cappuccino Kid and The Modfather. Now the proud father of a 17-year-old goth daughter, Paul Weller has taken a break from compositional chores to recharge his batteries with a new covers album, Studio 150.
the frank and walters are back addressing the nation. Our man on the inside, Peter Murphy, shares a day in the life of the Cork threesome as they record a radio session for RTE.
He may have been nominated for a Mercury, but don’t expect Wicklow’s Fionn Regan to go changing his spots. Hannah Hamilton meets a musician who’s weathering the media storm, but sticking steadfastly to his own trusted path.
Patrick Freyne talks to Ken McHugh of Autamata about his double life as artist and producer, his new album, Colours of Sound - and about moving to the country.
Editors mainman Tom Smith is pining for his mainsqueeze Edith Bowman. HP advises him on an anniversary gift. Aw, bless. Still, he hasn't gone soft, as is borne out by copious potshots at Keane and Sugababes.
STUART CLARK asks DAN MURPHY whether antique collecting is the new rock 'n' roll and in the process discovers why it's taken SOUL ASYLUM nine years to become an overnight success.
With their new album, Gotta Go There To Come Back, in the bag, Stereophonics have chosen a very special gig at the Heineken Green Energy extravaganza in Dublin, to make their return to the stage. No wonder the boys are feeling bullish! Chris Martin, Ronnie Wood, Fran Healy, Rod Stewart, Noel Gallagher, U2 and the Rolling Stones – Kelly Jones has opinions on all of them! So who’s feeling the lash of the ‘phonics frontman’s verbal assault, then?
From A to Z, Paul Nolan and Ronan Fitzgerald introduce all the runners and riders for Punchestown – throwing in a baker’s dozen of acts who are not to be missed* along the way
Minimalist electro-pop duo The Ting Tings emerged from a Manchester artists' collective with a love of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads and a reputation as one of this year's most original new acts.
Since 1996 the Heineken Green Energy Festival has lit up the capital city with some of the brightest stars of modern rock. Patrick Hedlund and hotpress assistant editor, Stuart Clark, report
BIG IN BRITAIN! BIG ON THE CONTINENT! BIG IN THE STATES! YET IRELAND STILL HAS TO FULLY SUCCUMB TO THE DELIGHTS OF FOUR MEN AND A DOG. HERE, THE TRAD SUPERGROUP EXPLAIN THEIR CURRENT SITUATION TO COLM O'HARE AS THEIR SECOND ALBUM *SHIFTING GRAVEL* HITS THE SHOPS.
With an Irish tour approaching and a new album in the shops, Luka Bloom looks back on three decades that have taken him from busking in a pub in Newbridge to the big stages of Europe and America. In this candid interview with Jackie Hayden the man also known as Barry Moore talks about brother Christy, overcoming stage fright, finding an original voice, dealings with the music business, the need to combat racism - and why he remains a wannabe bogman
Fermanagh is a county that s accommodated a rake of musical traditions both past and present. Split by the sibling lakes of Upper and Lower Lough Erin, Fermanagh s musical identity is as diverse as her geography, to the extent that at times there s little or no crossover in musical style from north to south of the county and vice versa.
Why the media were wrong in their assessment of Sharon Shannon’s court case; the latest musical venture from producer, director and PR ace, Mary McPartlan, plus the usual round-up of news from the world of folk and traditional music.
First she learned to pout - then she learned to kick butt. from Revlon to Resident Evil, Milla Jovovich explains how a girl from the Ukraine conquered the world. In Prada boots, of course
Peter Murphy catches up with former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley to talk about 'crazy woman's music', writing songs and collaborating with XTC's Andy Partridge.
It's been almost two years now since Anam's Brian O hEadhra unpacked his rucksack from top to bottom, two years of tearing all over the globe, from Düsseldorf to Darwin, Chicago to Castletownbere. With three albums well and truly reared, the band have recently been coaxing their fourth offspring, First Footing, out into the big bad world, blinkering its eyes against the glare of daylight.
The Flaming Lips, whose new record is a 'concept album about death' are possibly the most life-affirming band you’ll hear this year. Frontman Wayne Coyne explains why
Razorlight have catapulted to superstar status with their No. 1 single 'America'. As they prepare to wow Oxegen this weekend, we talk to mainman Johnny Borrell about cricket, saving the planet and dating Kirsten Dunst.
The BLUE ANGELS have waited a long, long time for the release of their debut album Coming Out Of Nowhere. Now that this occasion has finally arrived the big question is: what next?
TARA McCARTHY talks to SHANE O'NEILL
It’s time for the singer-songwriter fraternity to move over and make room for the new generation of Irish guitar bands. Director, Marshal Stars and The Blizzards are just three of the acts who feature on the debut compilation from Faction Records, the new label which aims to promote and nuture the brightest stars of the Irish underground.
With the final countdown to Christmas already well underway, what’s on offer by way of music-related presents is on every rock’n’roll fan’s mind. We took Jerry Fish into HMV in Grafton St. and asked him to pick out the most desirable items on offer – including, of course, his own wonderful new record Live At The Spiegeltent.
With the final countdown to Christmas already well underway, what’s on offer by way of music-related presents is on every rock’n’roll fan’s mind. We took Jerry Fish into HMV in Grafton St. and asked him to pick out the most desirable items on offer – including, of course, his own wonderful new record Live At The Spiegeltent.
Which is a rather cryptic way of introducing an interview by Joe Jackson with Brian Kennedy on his distaste for the macho ethos of rock and his admiration for fellow Belfast troubadour Mr. Morrison.
David Gray's debut album A Century Ends signalled the emergence of an innovative singer-songwriter with forthright lyrics, a remarkable voice, and an unusual degree of integrity. Just, one warning: mention the words 'introverted' or 'soul-searching' and you run the risk of being beaten over the head with a guitar... Interview: Lorraine Freeney
Why have one of the most successful Irish bands of the past decade decided to split up? And who's going to get custody of the Fender-Rhodes keyboard? STEVE WALL tells STUART CLARK where it all went wrong – and right! Pic: CATHAL DAWSON.
Donegal fiddle player john doherty died relatively unheralded in 1980 at the age of 86. Now, a new CD bears ample testament to his almost supernatural skill with a bow and strings.
By peter murphy.
What better way for an indie musician to spend an evening than checking out the wares in one of Europe’s biggest and best stoked music stores? Welcome to XMusic, guys!
When blues legend B.B. King came to town for his recent bash at College Green, as part of the Guinness Blues Festival, BILL GRAHAM caught up with the man whose extraordinary career has spanned many decades and which shows no sign of abating.
Pix: CATHAL DAWSON.
It’s Christmas time and, as far as the hotpress journalistic elite are concerned, there’s not a turkey in sight. JOHN WALSHE, COLIN CARBERRY, CHRIS DONOVAN, EAMON SWEENEY and BARRY O'DONOGHUE report on the Irish acts who are going to be huuuuuuuuge!
over the next 12 months.
The introduction of Ryan Tubridy's breakfast show and the rescheduling of Dave Fanning's slot have led critics, both inside and outside 2FM, to claim that the station is buckling under the pressure of increased competition and limited financial resources. Jackie Hayden reports
From 15-28 July 2002 Galway city hosts one of the most comprehensive of this year's arts festivals with esoteric offerings from the genres of visual art, music, theatre, comedy and lots, lots more
Where other bands moan about the music industry or spend small fortunes bringing their stage designs to life, Stereophonics like to keep it nice and simple. Or at least as nice and simple as it gets when you tour with U2, get advice from Prince Charles and see Slipknot with their masks off
They say they’ve come from hell to bring us foot and mouth. But in reality they come from a small village outside Ipswich. STUART CLARK meets CRADLE OF FILTH, metal maniacs and purveyors of blasphemy, horror and gore – and, as you might expect, ends up talking about mums, kiddies, Winnie the Pooh and moisturiser
MIKE SCOTT once fronted the greatest rock n roll band in the world, but before the world got a chance to wake up to the fact he had gone west and invented raggle taggle. Now with a new Waterboys album, A Rock In The Weary Place, just released, Scott takes time out to reflect on his strange but true adventure. By PETER MURPHY
Origin of Symmetry? Freak of Evolution more like. The common response to Muse’s Showbiz debut in 1999 was akin to a primitive people’s first glimpse of a spacecraft over the prehistorical landscape. Here was an unlikely but hugely accomplished hybrid of prog-rock flash, quasi-symphonic attack and ferocious virtuosity, spearheaded by Matt Bellamy’s soaring tenor and Dick-ian lyrics. An impressive sound, even if you didn’t know what the hell it was.
Creativity for depression? It s an exchange he can live with, says PAUL WESTERBERG, whose days of excess with The Replacements continue to haunt his latest acclaimed solo album Suicaine Gratification. Interview: JOE JACKSON.
In the second part of his examination of the cult of CHARLES MANSON, PETER MURPHY looks at the cult leader s trial, his continuing influence of left-field heroes and the controversy over his recordings. Also: BONO on U2 s decision to include Helter Skelter in their Rattle And Hum set.
JJ72 are being cast as the great new hopes of Irish music. Intense, passionate and melodic, their music has captured an increasing number of fans. With a single in the UK Top Thirty and a debut album about to hit the shelves, they tell NIALL STANAGE how good they are and how good they want to be. Portrait of the Artists As A Young Band: MICK QUINN
Sexual Politics and Pixies, P.J. Harvey and the Marquis de Sade, Sexism and self-loathing, Black Sabbath and Doris Day. THE BREEDERS aren't always quite what you'd expect them to be. Interview: ANDY DARLINGTON
Most of us agree that the Eurovision Song Contest is a load of arse, but at least we can switch to another channel. The Irish Times' KEVIN COURTNEY, however, attended this year’s contest in Copenhagen - and got sucked into the black hole of rock 'n' roll
From “Outspan” to Glen Hansard, from Grafton Street to Hollywood – and onwards to Lisdoonvarna 2003. A portrait of The Frames as a most unusual band. Part one of a two-part special feature by Peter Murphy. [Main Photos: Mick Quinn]
Being a strange, terrible, wondrous and uplifting saga of pints, goats, monsters, Malcolm McLaren, jokes, art and, er, lettuce. Or, to put it another way, the inimitable tom mathews reports from The Galway ARts Festival.
Melissa Auf Der Maur, the former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist, on working with Courtney Love and Billy Corgan, and finding her own space in the male locker room. Interview by Peter Murphy.
The first rule of interviewing LOU REED is that you don t: he interviews you. Peter Murphy survives the turning of the tables and is rewarded with thoughts on Joyce, Wilde, Dylan, Ginsberg and on becoming an elder stateman for the alternative thing .
The Corrs Talk On Corners was the biggest-selling album of 1998 in the UK. So far it s shifted 6 million copies worldwide and rising. And now the band are set to embark on their American campaign, with who knows what ultimate destination at journey s end. So they ve had it easy, eh? It s all a big marketing scam, masterminded by the moguls in the American record company that signed them? We thought you d like to know so we put these and other accusations to someone who should know, their manager of nine years, john hughes. And got some interesting answers too. Interview: niall stokes.
New album, new look, new attitude: having turned the big three-oh, DIVINE COMEDY's Neil Hannon says he's much more sure of his place in the world. "Basically, the one thing I have to offer humanity is a good time with interesting words," he tells Olaf Tyaransen. Divine camera intervention: MICK QUINN
In an age when hype springs eternal, DAVID GRAY is that rare phenomenon a success story scripted by the fans rather than the industry. And a distinctly Irish success story at that. A certifiable platinum-selling box-office blockbuster in this country, the Welsh singer-songwriter still awaits a similar eruption of Gray fever in Britain, Europe and America. But his latest album, White Ladder, could be the record which tells the world what Ireland already knows. Now as he prepares to wow the faithful at Galway s Big Beat festival, JOHN WALSHE presents the inside story of the best kept secret in the west.
Pics Mick Quinn
With their latest album Riot Act, Pearl Jam have recaptured the blistering form of their first three albums. Matt Cameron, once of Seattle comrades Soundgarden, gives an insight into how the band has outlasted and outperformed most of its contemporaries
RICHARD THOMPSON s new album Mock Tudor consolidates his position as one
of the most articulate and influential songwriters around. GEORGE BYRNE met him.
Has Madonna become the immaterial girl? Or will the Re-invention tour re-establish her as the foremost female icon on the planet? On the eve of her first ever Irish appearance at Slane, Peter Murphy takes a look at the strange twist the Queen of Pop’s career has taken – and how she is now fighting back, for all she’s worth.
Where hip and hype go together, that's where you'll find The Hives who are buzzing to tell Stuart Clark all about Kylie, curling, punk rock, nice forests and bad Norwegian jokes
While commercial success hasn't exactly come a-knockin' on his door, Pierce Turner, in stoical mood, tells Liam Fay why he's not all that bothered at the relative lack of lolly rolling in but how with his new live album Manana In Manhattan just released, the wily Wexford wizard believes his time will come.
Calling all up-and-coming music stars! The path to success can sometimes seem dauntingly steep. But, in an ongoing series, JACKIE HAYDEN looks at the various challenges which face new bands, and how to overcome them. This issue: RECORDING. Photo: KAREN CAULFIELD
Does ABSINTHE really make the heart grow fonder or are the Conservatives right in calling for its ban? STUART CLARK and his showbiz chums check out the drink that s taking clubland by storm. Pix: CATHAL DAWSON.
The most momentous journalistic event of the decade nay, the millennium has come to pass. They said it could never happen, but after months of careful pre-planning and tense negotiation, nick kelly has finally interviewed NICK KELLY. Here, the Stars Of Heaven fan remorselessly grills the former Fat Lady Sings mainman about his long sabbatical from the music industry, his perception of modern culture, and his cracking new album Between Trapezes. Pix, gimmicky t-shirts and
unfeasibly large trousers: mick RAGING PUFF QUInn.
The dark, romantic Raining Down Arrows is the latest milestone in the creative
liberation of Mundy, a man whose thoughts on love, friendship and connecting with the audience are at the core of his music.
From A to Z, Paul Nolan and Ronan Fitzgerald introduce all the runners and riders for Punchestown – throwing in a baker’s dozen of acts who are not to be missed * along the way
In the run-up to the long-awaited reunion gigs by the legendary eighties folk-rock-jazz band Moving Hearts, Jackie Hayden talks to saxophonist Keith Donald and percussionist Noel Eccles.
Three-minute love songs simply can't cope with all the intricacies of a complex relationship, and inevitably veer off into angst-ridden cliché or syrupy feelgood banality. Dr. Millar, however, attempts to tell it like it is, and explains how and why to John Farrell.
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.
Most people know Philip Lynott and Thin Lizzy as the swashbuckling rock ‘n’ rollers who produced hard rock classics like ‘The Rocker’, ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ and ‘Don’t Believe A Word’. But there were other fascinating forces at work in Ireland at the end of the ‘60s, with poetry and folk music both influencing the rock scene hugely. Philip Lynott was at the heart of that development – a charismatic star in the making with a deep romantic streak and an innate lyricism that separated him from the crowd. Now, these qualities have been captured, as never before, on a remarkable CD, released for the first time, free with HotPress. Read on...
The best electro-rock outfit since KLF or this year's Sigue Sigue Sputnik? The jury's still out, but Fischerspooner's Casey Spooner tells us he's more than just a cheap stunt
During the heady days of Italia ’90, The Stunning provided the unofficial soundtrack to the nation’s summer-long party, playing a series of uproarious shows around the country and treating the top-ten like their local. thirteen years later, having just re-released their classic album, Paradise In The Picturehouse, the group reflect on what a long, strange trip it’s been and why they’re not ready to hang up their guitars just yet.
While commercial success hasn’t exactly come a-knockin’ on his door, Pierce Turner, in stoical mood, tells Liam Fay why he’s not all that bothered at the relative lack of lolly rolling in but how with his new live album Manaña In Manhattan just released, the wily Wexford wizard believes his time will come . . . Pic: Cathal Dawson.
Sean Tyrrell’s Cry Of A Dreamer has been hailed as a timeless masterpiece. In the long run, however, it may be seen as merely the beginning of an extraordinary musical saga. Interview: Patrick Brennan
Having already conquered Ireland and the UK, SAMANTHA MUMBA is poised to join Britney and Christina at the top of the American pop chart. Not bad for someone who two years ago was fired from a panto by Twink! Now, with her new album Gotta Tell You ready for release, the Dublin singer talks candidly to JOE JACKSON about drugs, sex and the break-up of her parents marriage
Shane MacGowan interviews Sinead O’Connor for hotpress, with Olaf Tyaransen acting as referee. On the day, Victoria Clark also sat in. What followed turned into a wide-ranging and often hilarious exchange of almost Beckettian dimensions.
Starting at Moray Firth Radio in Inverness and ending seven days later at BBC WM in Birmingham, ASTERIX are on a mission to conquer England s airwaves. Joining the tour in Nottingham,
SUSAN DARLINGTON witnesses three days of maps, mobiles and milkshakes.
With preparations well underway for Cork city’s hosting of the European City Of Culture festivities in 2005, the indigenous music scene is already rising to the challenge
Dropped by Warners, but buoyed up by mega-sales of a soundtrack hit, Nick Lowe is back with a great new album, The Impossible Bird, and lots to say about Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello and a benevolent devil with the feet of a chicken. Interview: Joe Jackson.
The second day of the Music Show brought together James Bond composer David Arnold, Enya producer Nicky Ryan, Christy Moore, Sharon Corr and... The Blizzards
KIM PORCELLI sees DAVID KITT in Brussels on the eve of the release of his new album The Big Romance. Back in Dublin, the pair settle in at the Long Hall for the long haul…
Photography: MYLES CLAFFEY
Bum, bottom and crevice may be dirty words but pop certainly isn't as Stuart Clark discovers when he enters the fluffy pink bunny rabbit world of the Lightning Seeds.
From gigs with cider punks in limerick to playing for Fidel in Havana and from the low of Richey’s disappearance to the high of performing before Wales’ victory over Italy – life has never been boring for the Manic Street Preachers. Stuart Clark listens intently as Nicky Wire discusses their defining moments
Carl Perkins, the rock pioneer who wrote Blue Suede Shoes and no less than four songs for the Beatles, is dead. ANDY DARLINGTON remembers his career from Sun Records and the legendary Million Dollar Quartet , through to Johnny Cash s Live At San Quentin . . . and a movie knife-fight with David Bowie
Edwyn Collins, late of Orange Juice and whose third solo album was recently released, gets all acidic about the state of the music business. Interview: Patrick Brennan.
They may not be that just yet but if current plans for global domination go according to the script Linkin Park will be very soon. Stuart Clark travels to London to hear the band’s new album Meteora and finds that American rock’s hottest property are surrounded by the kind of security normally reserved for Michael Jackson
He may have a wicked sense of humour but, ultimately, it's the way he sings 'em that has seen Kieran Goss lay to rest his partnership with Frances Black and produce one of the finest albums of the year. Siobhan Long has her ears caressed and her funnybone tickled by the newest member of Ireland's songwriting elite.
Ireland's most hyped event of the year, the MTV EUROPE AWARDS may have had as many gossip columnists as winners thanking God, but after hours it was IGGY POP and heavy friends who made the real headlines on a night when rock'n'roll bit back. Report: OLAF TYARANSEN and PETER MURPHY. Awards Pics: PETER MATTHEWS. Iggy Pics: Cathal Dawson
STEREOPHONICS are on the up-and-up, their popularity growing without the band making concessions to the London-based music media. GEORGE BYRNE met them to talk about drink, drugs, writer s block and their upcoming Slane support slot.
Mini Pics: MICK QUINN.
There’s no argument. The Rolling Stones new record Voodoo Lounge finds the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world of yore back in fighting trim, stomping out that distinctive blend of musical mayhem we know and love in positively swaggering style – good enough, some would say, to see off any contenders to their coveted throne. At the centre of this triumphant return to form is one Michael Philip Jagger, who sounds lean, mean, hungry and ready for the fray. Here he raps with Don Was – producer of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Was Not Was, Bonnie Raitt and of course The Rolling Stones – about the primeval power of music and how to keep on doing it even at the grand old age of twenty (Sorry! I’ll read that again) . . .
Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and Kieran Kennedy a mutual appreciation society that went public during the Heineken Green Energy Festival get together to discuss songwriting, critics, genius, mediocrity and what it takes to be a rock n roll outlaw. Referee: PETER MURPHY.
TRACY CHAPMAN S eponymous debut album was one of the biggest sellers of last year more than ten years after its release.
She spoke to PETER MURPHY about her life before and after fame, that album and the race issue.
The Boomtown Rats are undoubtedly the most important band ever to emerge from - or get out of - Ireland. They've had more front covers, appeared on more radio and TV shows and most importantly sold more records than any Irish group or artist has ever done.
Sharing the spotlight with only his trusty guitar, Ireland's foremost troubadour Christy Moore prepares to take on audiences at The Point later this month. Here he tells Bill Graham of his growing sense of worth and self-confidence, defends Siniad O'Connor's right to free speech and explains just why good hecklers are worth their weight in gold.
They blasted into the public consciousness at the end of 2005, when 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor' became the year's biggest breakthrough No.1. Since then it's been an extraordinary rollercoaster ride for the Arctic Monkeys, with bass player trouble, celebrity fans, EastEnders appearances and a row with fellow newcomers The Feeling to show for their efforts. Oh, and then there's the small matter of shifting nearly two million copies of their debut album...
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.
