Music Snippets # 15 - Autumn Owls

Hails From : Dublin

Band Members :

Gary McFarlane

Will Purtill

Paul Bermingham

Niall Jackson

About : Just got a copy of these guys second EP "On The Trail of the Disappearing", The Dublin Four Piece released this in November 2008 and it contains 5 top class songs. The only down side to the EP was that it finished so quickly. Great haunting songs such as "The Wolf By The Mountain" Just left you wanting more. I am really looking forward to a possible album being produced in the future, for now go check these guys out online, Their myspace offers a free download of one of the songs from the EP. GO CHECK THEM OUT HERE: www.myspace.com/autumnowls

Autumn Owls on BalconyTV

Fred Unveil New Video - Keep Me Clear

Lisa Hannigan's Limerick Church Gig

The Daghdha Space located at St. John's Church housed The swell season and Mark Geary last November now the the lovely intimate venue will host Lisa Hannigan. This is a must see gig and adding miss Hannigans amazing sound to such a great venue will be something special. Tickets are on presale today on her site here (http://www.lisahannigan.ie/Store/Product.aspx?id=NT002331)

The Gig will take place on Thursday August 6th and the tickets cost 25 Euro, be sure to get your tickets early as the last gig to take place here sold very quickly as the venue has a small capacity.

Check out a review of one of Lisa's gigs on the left sidebar.

Music Snippets # 15 - Keith Forde

Hails From : Limerick (One of our own!)

About :

"Keith is a chap from Limerick city who likes the music. He digs Folk, Rock n Roll and the Blues. Sure why not check him out..... " The above statement says it all really, there are two songs on Keith's myspace , Well worth checking out.

GO CHECK HIM OUT HERE: www.myspace.com/keithforde

Guggenheim Grotto Live at Dolans, Limerick 14/05/2009 REVIEW

Tonight was a night for a mug a tea and the Eurovision for most folks but I found myself in the ever freezing upstairs in Dolans to witness The Guggenheim Grotto for the Third time. A man by the name of Tadhg Cooke took to the stage to warm the crowd on this Thursday Night, His Voice and Guitar playing is simply beautiful, you could easily sit back and listen to this guy all night. A hint of Ray Lamontagne and Paul Simon I felt crept into his voice, the lyrics and chord progression were really pleasing to listen to. I picked up two of his CD’s on the way home one his debut album which was released in March 2005 called Wax & Seal and another gem of a record called Live At Saint Kevin’s from 2006, which is a recording of a secret living room gig, in Dublin. This Album features David Geraghty from BellX1 fame and the sound is amazing, Tadhg is set to release a new album very soon and I can’t wait to hear it. Judging by the new material that was played last night the new record will be something special, Keep track of his progress here http://www.myspace.com/tadhgcooke Now it was the Grottos turn to take to the stage, This band has gone through some serious changes since the last time I saw them in Dolans back in 2006. I first heard about the band when I witnessed Kevin May play a solo support slot for Mundy back in 2005 in Glor, Ennis. This was just before their debut album was set to be released “Waltzing Alone”. Since then I have been an avid fan and that debut is rarely off the iPod. The next time I saw the lads was upstairs in Dolans in 2006 with a full band arrangement comprising of a double bass various percussion instruments and a drum kit. This is when the band comprised of Kevin May, Mick Lynch and Shane Power, Sadly the 3 have become 2 and tonight sees Kevin and Mick take to the stage to play a stripped down acoustic session. It was lovely to hear tracks from their debut album in their raw format and one thing that makes this band is the guys harmonies and tonight you can really appreciate this in it’s a acoustic format. The lads played a lovely set picking songs from both their debut and their new album “Happy The Man” and some other little gems from various EP’s they have had out. The lads are just back from a 3 & a Half month tour of the states and they talked about their experiences between songs. Mick did all the driving and reckons he did 18,000 miles while Kev the non driver said he did 10 miles of the trip on cruise control. Mick said he was told he had driven the same length as the equator, he is a bit short as the equator when googled is 24,898 miles but a great lot of driving none the less. The lads spoke of going to the sundance film festival and the biggest star they meet there was a guy who had his throat slit in CSI, Micks mom was very proud of her son for meeting such a star :) The casual atmosphere was great and it was lovely to hear of their stories of the road and about their song. One such song they did explain was that of “Oh Nikita” from their newest album, Kevin explained it was co written by him , Mick and Leonard Cohen but lenny doesn’t know that yet. The chorus “ Oh Marketa, come get me im almost 30” was written by Leonard on the wall of a bathroom according to the boys and the lads stole the lyrics just changing it enough so lenny wont come hunting them down. Another song by the name of “Spiegal” came about due to Kevin not having anything to rhyme with weasel so google helped him come up with the line "Und so glatt wie ein spiegel" which according to Kevin means as smooth as a mirror and fits perfect in the song It was a fantastic night of music and the lads never disappoint in their gigs, they finished the night off by standing in the middle of the room armed with only a ukulele singing “What is this Feeling” (Video is below), Cheers for a great night of music and hope to catch ye again very soon. It was much better than watching the Eurovision anyways :) Set List: Wonderful Wizard Philosopia Everyman Portmarnock Beach Boy Blue I Think I love You (Video Below) Heaven Has Heart Oh Nikita Waking Up In America Fee Da Da Dee Cold Truth The Universe Is Laughing (Video Below) Spiegal Just Not Just Told You So Encore : Her Beautiful Ideas What is this Feeling (Video Below)

Guggenheim Grotto - I Think I Love You, Live At Dolans 14/05/2009 Guggenheim Grotto - The Universe Is Laughing Live at Dolans, Limerick 14/05/2009 Guggenheim Grotto - What is this Feeling, Live At Dolans, Limerick 14/05/2009

Sanzkrit Unveil New Video

The Video for the song Talk of the Town which feature on Sanzkrit's forthcoming debut album "After the Wedding" which will be available in September. Looking forward to getting my hands on the album! MORE INFO ON THE BAND HERE : http://indielimerick.blogspot.com/2009/03/music-snippets-10-sanzkrit.html

Electric Picnic 09 - Line Up Update #2

MORE NAMES ADDED TO THE BILL :

Brian Wilson

Royksopp

Amadou & Miriam

The Wailers

Fionn Regan

Mundy

James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) & Pat Mahoney

A Flock of Seagulls

The Field

Jeffrey Lewis

Bell Orchestre

Marina and the Diamonds

Richmond Fontaine

REST OF THE LIST : http://indielimerick.blogspot.com/2009/04/electric-picnic-09-line-up-update.html

Director in Limerick Today!

FREE GIG ALERT!!! The lads are set to play at HMV Cruises St. in Limerick today at 4.30 to promote their barnd new album "I'll Wait For Sound", Well worth heading down for a look and get a copy of the album signed!

Galway Arts Festival 2009

Tickets go on sale today. Bon Iver is set to play on July 23rd and what a great addition to the festival he is, if you don't have this mans album its a must hear. Looks like its his only live date in ireland too. Here is me talking about the album in April 08 :http://indielimerick.blogspot.com/2008/04/bon-iver-for-emma-forever-ago.

Support on the night will come from American folk singer and songwriter Alela Diane. This will be one hell of a gig!!!

David Gray is also down to play one of the nights, which im sure will be a great gig as always. The arts festival is always a highlight of the year and this year looks to be no exception. I'm off to get Bon Iver tickets..........

For more info :

http://www.galwayartsfestival.com/index.php

Africa Day for Limerick

With up to 1,000 African residents living in Limerick the 17th of May will see a full day of events happening in the city to celebrate their culture.

A main stage will be erected down in city hall, along with many African musicians a few of our own home grown talents will be thrown into the mix. Mundy, Cathy Davey, Declan O'Rourke and Republic of Loose, The Discovery Gospel Choir and Heartbreak Cartel, among others. Limerick artist Jean Ryan Hakizimana, who is originally from Rwanda, will exhibit a number of his paintings at the event, while Irish photographer Hu O'Reilly will display a stunning exhibition of photographs depicting scenes from Chad.

Another great thing is its all free!! Its sure to be a great day of entertainment , its from 12 noon to 6pm in the grounds of Limerick City Hall.

More info here http://africaday.irishaid.org/limerick/main-stage.aspx

Music Snippets # 14 - Red Eskimo

Hails From : Limerick

Band Members :

Neil Delaney (vocals, guitar, synth)

Robert Carey (bass guitar, double bass, vocals)

Peter Delaney (guitar, indian harmonium, vocals) About : These guys are just about to release their album "The Grey Death Billow" tomorrow, to celebrate this the guys are playing down in dolans and I'm sure it will be a great night of music. I haven't heard the album yet but first impressions of the songs from their myspace is great. Their sound is really nice and I am really looking forward to hearing more.

Here is how they describe themselves :

Red Eskimo are a three-piece rock band from Limerick, Ireland. Though difficult to categorise, their sound has often been described as ‘Lo-Fi’ and ‘melodic’ while comparisons have ranged from Sigur Ros to Dinosaur Jr., Radiohead to Arcade Fire. Band members Neil Delaney, Peter Delaney and Robert Carey, write songs that veer between indie and post rock sensibilities, blending guitars and bass, synthesizers, Indian harmonium, drum programming and vocal harmonies. Embracing the DIY ethic, Red Eskimo record, produce and release all their music as well as generating all their artwork, music videos and live projections.

GO CHECK THEM OUT HERE: http://www.myspace.com/redeskimo

Albums Worth Listening to in May 09

Bob Dylan Live at The 02, Dublin - 05/05/09 Review

It was my second visit to the newly refurbished Point, recently re-christened the 02. The last time I was there I was stuck in the nosebleed section at an all seated gig. On the night, the seats in the middle of the venue were removed, allowing for a more gig-like atmosphere and as we arrived a nice crowd were already hovering around the stage in anticipation. The 02 was filled by young, old (and middle-aged ‘dad’ types who were there to re-experience the soundtrack of their youth). Such is the universal appeal of Bob. The house lights were dimmed and six Mafioso-type figures ambled casually on stage, uniformly dressed in tailored suits and hats. Bob was instantly recognisable amongst his band mates. He was sharply dressed sporting an off-white wide-rimmed hat, and a fuchsia pink silk shirt, under a modest black suit. No words were exchanged as he delved right into the set. This lack of conversation would remain throughout the concert, as music was the only medium of communication tonight. It is my first time seeing him live after many, many years of collecting and listening to his music. His voice has clearly aged, and every note is tinged with huskiness and a rawness that could only have been acquired through a smoke-filled, whiskey-fuelled, rock and roll existence. Far from falling short, his gritty vocals add a deeper sense of realism and help to continually evolve his repertoire. He is playing the old favourites with a new spin these days, a style which is clearly evident in his new record “Together through Life”. He is now embracing a folksy-jazz style and it is apparent that this man never stays stagnant when it comes to musical arrangements and genres. Admittedly, it is slightly strange to hear these classic songs you have grown up with being sung and played in a completely different way. On the other hand it is quite amazing to hear them being reinvented effortlessly before your eyes. It is my opinion that ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’, but I guess Bob is of the opinion that if it hasn’t broken yet lets mix it up! You have to respect that and I guess after years and years of playing this stuff live, Bob is challenging himself (and the crowd) with these reinventions. The sound throughout the night was pitch-perfect and the band was very tight. Bob didn’t really engage with the crowd and stayed left of the stage on piano most of the night alongside what looked like a fake oscar statue on an amp( Could well be the real one for Best Original Song for Things Have Changed in 2001), bar a few songs where he donned the guitar and came centre stage. My highlights of the night were “Highway 61 Revisited”, The beautiful “Aint Talkin” from his 2006 album “Modern Times”, (the stage lights were taking down for this song and the lighting just remained on the band which created lovely silhouettes of the band on the back drop), and “Thunder on the mountain” (from the same aforementioned album was another pleaser and really got the crowd going). The re-jigged classics such as ‘Just Like a Woman’ had the crowd fill in for the chorus which added a nice feel to the arrangements. It was quite amazing to see such a living legend on stage and play the songs that have shaped music history. Just to share a room with the man was a joy but to hear him play such a great set was a privilege. For the encore Bob played re-invented versions of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ (which included an amazing guitar solo) and He also played only one from his new 33rd record "Together Through Life" in the form of "If You Ever Go To Houston", it is the first time this song has ever been played live and sounds great (Download & Video Below) and finally he plays an almost unrecognisable jazzy version of ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ , he then bowed silently, pausing for a moment to take in the awed crowd. And with a hint of a smile, and a nod of his white hat, he departed into the cold Dublin night. The night might not have suited everyone’s taste but I really enjoyed catching Bob live. He is another legend to tick off my list of bands I must see before I die and I would urge anyone who has the chance, to do the same. Set List : Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat Don't Think Twice, It's All Right Lonesome Day Blues Just Like A Woman Rollin' And Tumblin' John Brown Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again Under The Red Sky Honest With Me Masters Of War Highway 61 Revisited Ain't Talkin' Thunder On The Mountain Like A Rolling Stone Encore: All Along The Watchtower If You Ever Go To Houston (Click for a download) Blowin' In The Wind

Bob Dylan - If You Ever Go To Houston - Live in Dublin 5th May 2009

LeftRightLeftRightLeft Free Download on May 15th

Coldplay shall be giving a free live album away next Friday week. It is an album consisting of new and old tracks recorded over the past year. The album will also be givin out free at all their remaining tour dates of 09. Here is the track list : 1. Glass of Water 2. 42 3. Clocks 4. Strawberry Swing 5. The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away 6. Viva La Vida 7. Death Will Never Conquer 8. Fix You 9. Death And All His Friends