Hard Working Class Heroes, featuring big names and rising stars – and everything from rock to hip-hop – is set to provide a snapshot of one nation under a groove. Phil Udell reports
For those who like their indie on the flavoursome side, Rosemary are a perfect ingredient. Following on from the likes of Larrikin Love and Mystery Jets, it’s a jaunty, quirky affair which picks up where the Essex boys’ debut single ‘Suburban Kings’ left off. A welcome addition to the rising new talent coming from across the waters.
Leftroom have a knack for unearthing new talent – Dutch producer Reagan is the latest to step up a notch thanks to Matt Tolfrey’s stamp. ‘BugBite’ is centered around a very catchy, staccato trancey riff, backed up by a flat, fat kick and spare FX that should see this appeal to fans of Oliver Huntemann. Marcin Czubala adds some subtlety on the flip.
For the second year running, Hot Press and Heineken have despatched music business professionals to the far corners of the country for one-to-one meetings with local bands. The mission? To help Ireland's new talent make progress in the music business. IAN CAMPBELL reports.
Pete Tong has long been one of the most influential figures in contemporary dance. His latest project sees him joining Heineken in their search for new djs, via the Heineken Thirst Extravaganza.
Choice Cuts are a promotional collective specialising in hip hop, soul and funk gigs around Ireland since 2001. Now, as mainman Mark Murphy explains, they're on the verge of starting a regular residency in London and launching a label.
In just two years the 2fm 2moro 2our has grown into a high-profile showcase for Ireland's best new talent. Ahead of the latest jaunt, the featured acts tell Colm Russell what it means to them.
Every now and then a record emerges that announces the arrival of a major new talent. So it is with Anjani and her remarkable collaboration with Leonard Cohen, Blue Alert.
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of 2FM, Jackie Hayden invites FM boss John Clarke to take an over, under, sideways, down look at 2FM – the station of the stars.
Steve Cummins meets Philip King, the man behind Other Voices: Songs From A Room, the acclaimed music show which has provided an invaluable platform for Irish musicians – and which has now expanded its remit to include international artists as well.
Steve Cummins meets Philip King, the man behind Other Voices: Songs From A Room, the acclaimed music show which has provided an invaluable platform for Irish musicians – and which has now expanded its remit to include international artists as well.
James Zabiela was spinning tunes in his bedroom when he won a Djing competition. Before he knew it, he was opening for Sasha and helping to save dance music.
The Camden Crawl: 40 buzz bands play across 10 venues on one night, in indie’s capital of cool. In the green corner are The Chalets, who pit their musical talent in a predominately London-led line-up.
Getting funky reggae grooves heard over the din of the capital’s rock bands is no easy task, but Dublin ska kingpins King Sativa are continuing to fight the good fight.
With the first in a series of Tortured mix CDs, Tortured Chambers, highlighting nu-skool European techno producers like Umek, Joel Mull and Adam Beyer, RICHARD BROPHY caught up with one of the hardest working, genuine nice guys in dance music, Billy Nasty
Kildare’s favourite son and godfather of the singer-songwriter scene, Luka Bloom, talks to Jackie Hayden about his most intimate album to date, Innocence, gigging with The Frames in Australia and hanging backstage with Gabriel Byrne.
Or perhaps we might have reached for another old familiar headline - Fears and Loathing in RTE - as the bosses at Radio 1 announce the chopping of virtually all specialist music programmes from the schedule. It is, writes Bill Graham, an act of cultural criminal negligence.
The wild rise and fall of the coke-snorting, heavy boozing, rampantly horny music biz mogul who knew Dylan, Jagger, Jackson, Springsteen and Streisand better than most. And now he’s ready to tell all.
Every year thousands of film fans make the trip to the southern capital for the feast of cinema that is the Cork Film Festival. Hot Press looks back over the history of one of Europe’s longest-running cinematic events and checks out what this year’s packed programme has to offer. Report: Patrick Brennan
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 a swelteringly hot Budape#st movie studio, situated by the banks of the River Danube just twenty minutes drive from the centre of the Hungarian capital, a beautiful flame-haired young actress named Juliana is painting a picture.
In a swelteringly hot Budape#st movie studio, situated by the banks of the River Danube just twenty minutes drive from the centre of the Hungarian capital, a beautiful flame-haired young actress named Juliana is painting a picture.
In this heathen age it’s not often that a gig is put back out of respect for the Sabbath; but devout Hasidic Jew Matisyahu is in town, and, as it turns out, worth the wait.
With this debut album Julie Feeney announces herself as the most intriguing female voice - bar the criminally neglected Shaz Oye - to come out of Ireland since Sinead O’Connor.
Once a beacon for new talent, the Eurovision song contest has become dreary and predictable, which is why we shouldn't be too upset about the failure of Dustin and Dervish.
THERE WAS MUCH jubilation at Clare FM and Galway Bay FM last week as Austin Durrack and Jon Richards were presented with their respective Fairplay For Airplay awards.
STEPHEN ROBINSON hears RTE’s Commissioning Editor for Entertainment BILLY McGRATH’s plans to bring more home-grown comedy talent to our screens this autumn
Park it here for the next phase in the Garage gig series - your source for new Irish noise... or, if you're a musician, possibly your source for a cool 12 grand
Creamfields are giving one up and coming DJ the once in a lifetime opportunity to take to the decks alongside the likes of Fatboy Slim, Paul van Dyk and Tiesto this summer
Jackie Hayden talks to presenter Colm Hayes about his place in the new 2FM schedule and finds a man fired-up for the challenge, but not a little angry at the attitude of his former bosses at FM 104.
Her father is a Norwegian shipping magnate who was once married to Diana Ross and Leona Naess has by all accounts, led a charmed life, flitting between New York, London and Norway.
Shock horror! No elvis Costello album! … In certain circles 1988 will be best remembered for the King’s lack of vinyl. His soundtrack for ‘The Courier’ was all well and good and ‘Out Of Our Idiot’ filled in a few of this particular household …
John Kelly’s Mystery Train is among the surprise exclusions in a major reshuffling of the pack at RTE radio. Both RTE Radio 1 and 2FM are affected by the changes, with long-standing 2FM stalwart Dave Fanning shifting over to Radio 1 for the majority of his on-air hours.
David Kitt [pictured right], The Frank And Walters, The Walls and Royseven are among the artists who have been selected to have their videos made, in a special programme run by New York University, in association with Hot Press. Royseven's recently released debut album, The Art Of Insincerity, entered the Irish album charts at No.17 this week.
Si who?
Si Begg. Mind you, given the amount of pseudonyms he records under, Begg himself is probably feeling confused. Included in his long list of alter egos are names like Big Foot, Cabbage Boy, Buckfunk 3000 and, most recently, SI Futures.
It’s refreshingly pleasant to watch sets by bands that seem so thrilled and honoured to be playing on a decent stage in front of a healthy-sized audience.
Alter Ego, Mylo and Dizzee Rascal had almost as good a year as Annie Mac - who swapped a Queens University English Lit course for a high profile slot on BBC Radio One...
The Irish music industry has spawned a number of official bodies and companies, who provide invaluable services especially relevant to artists going the independent route. But what do these operators actually do? Here, we present a handy run-down on the key bodies and expert companies out there waiting to serve you.
'The Irish Are Coming' was the banner headline for a two-night musical extravaganza held at The Venue in London, organised in conjunction with Hot Press, that showcased some of the most promising Irish bands. Gerry McGovern gives a behind-the-scenes account of the weekend that was...
While we have taken RTE television to task in the past for its less-than-perfect comedy output it seems that RTE Radio 1 is determined to make up for lost ground
As the Irish Music Industry hurtles towards the next millenium, Colm O’Hare reports that the philosophy of the key players is to accentuate the positive and keep both feet on the peddle. Anyway, nobody ever said that world domination would be easy . . .
The dramatic announcement last week that the Irish Record Music Assocation was planning to sue 17 individuals the association has identified as "serial file-sharers" sent shock waves through the industry. IRMA chief executive Dick Doyle explains the background to to the move. Report by Tanya Sweeney.
‘That’s entertainment’ was the message of the year but not as Paul Weller intended it, for in 1986 popular music was closer to mass entertainment as Declan McManus’ pater knew it than any year since Elvis Presley swivelled his hips on the Ed Sullivan show.
The pirate music industry is now making millions of pounds each year. But that s at the expense of those legitimately entitled to earnings from their work. Report: JACKIE HAYDEN.
A simmering dissatisfaction with the amount of Irish music being played on Irish radio bubbled over at Music Ireland, with a debate that was, by turns, lively and illuminating.
Last week in Dublin, a highly ambitious new independent label was launched. LODGE RECORDS will reflect the diverse musical interests of its founder pat dempsey – as well as reflecting a funamental commitment to the song. Report: Colm O’Hare
That’s the philosophy behind Cross Border Media, a label which has had a remarkable impact on Irish music since its foundation just three years ago. A special report by Colm O’Hare and Jackie Hayden
RTE2 have plenty of live music action to keep us placated for the next few weeks - here's the line up of bands and when to catch them. For more about the Other Voices series, click on the link at the very bottom.
