VILLAGERS have released "So Simpatico", the second single from their fifth upcoming album "Fever Dreams", set to be released 20th August 2021.
The tune, which comes with a Rosie Barrett-directed music video, the frontman Conor O’Brien says that the tune is about “devotion – whether to a person, the self, or the art of being”. See the video below.
"Fever Dreams" is written over the course of two years, the main bodies of the songs were recorded in a series of full-band studio sessions in late 2019 and early 2020. Over the course of the long, slow pandemic days, O’Brien refined them in his tiny home studio in Dublin, and the album was then mixed by David Wrench (Frank Ocean, THE XX, FKA TWIGS).
O’Brien says on the gestation of "Fever Dreams": “I had an urge to write something that was as generous to the listener as it was to myself. Sometimes the most delirious states can produce the most ecstatic, euphoric and escapist dreams.”
VILLAGERS are an Irish indie folk band from Dublin, founded in 2008 by Conor J. O'Brien.
Band
Drums - Brendan Doherty
Bass - Danny Snow
Keys & BVs - Kevin Corcoran
Synth & BVs - Brendan Jenkinson
Tenor Saxophone - Ben Castle
Vocals & guitar - Conor J. O'Brien
Enjoy today's tune "So Simpatico", taken from the upcoming album "Fever Dreams".
Northern Irish rockers THE ANSWER released their new album, "Solas", on October 28 via Napalm. The record was produced by Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh, who previously worked with THE ANSWER on their 2006 album "Rise". "Solas", which is the Gaelic (Irish language) word for "light," is also the title of the lead track on the new album.
With the last record "Raise A Little Hell" the band started to get outdated and a bit musty. Not that the album was bad, it just didn't have anything new. With "Solas" the band takes a new turn, creating something brand new. Is this good, well, hell yeah. The new "ANSWER" really show that these guys can play.
Having gone back to their roots and rediscovered their inner selves, "Solas" is an honest and brave album that panders to no label, to no media framework and to no rules. It is dark, occasionally menacing and at certain moments, joyous and uplifting. It is a record that bears the scars and soul of four talented men from Northern Ireland; sometimes troubled but seeking creative liberation.
The symbol that sits on the front cover, the ancient Celtic sign for "illumination," bears witness to this 2016 musical evolution. THE ANSWER are firmly embarked upon a new journey having been through the darkest period in their relatively brief rock history.
THE ANSWER consists of Cormac Neeson (vocals), Paul Mahon (guitar), Michael Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums).
Today's tune "Solas" is the title track from the upcoming album. Enjoy!
MOTHER MOOCH are a five piece Fuzz Rock band from Dublin, Ireland.
Their sound has been likened to QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, BLACK SABBATH, PJ Harvey and "ALICE IN CHAINS with a female singer", with songs described as having “enough hooks to fill a fisherman’s basket”. Taking their name from a misheard BLACK SABBATH lyric and their inspiration from a wide range of rock and punk acts from the 1970s, through 90’s grunge, alternative and desert/stoner rock right up to the current heavy psyche scene: MOTHER MOOCH is the amalgam of each member’s eclectic music tastes combined to form something uniquely their own.
After spending several years honing their lineup, sound and live show, MOTHER MOOCH shifted gears in 2015, taking their first steps into Ireland’s festival scene with performances at Canalaphonic, Knockan Stockan and a storming set at Electric Picnic’s Oxjam Stage. Their only non-festival appearance of the summer was opening for former QOTSA/KYUSS legend Nick Oliveri for the second year running.
Since the release of their EP/Demo “Preludes” in March, they have been attracting fans from around the globe – UK, US, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, France and more.
In July 2015 MOTHER MOOCHs song "Into The Water" was selected by seminal underground website Doomed & Stoned.com for inclusion on their latest compilation album "The Enchanter's Ball", which highlights the rise of female-fronted heavy rock bands from around the world.
MOTHER MOOCH Consists of:
Chloë Ní Dhúada - Vocals.
Sid Daly - Guitar and vocals.
Farl - Guitar.
Barry Hayden - Bass.
Danni Nolan - Drums
Today's tune "L.H.O.O.Q." is taken from their debut album Nocturnes was released in November 2015
The alternative metal rockers from Northern Ireland THERAPY? are back with the fourteenth studio album "Disquiet" and the first album to be released on new UK label Amazing Record Co.. Produced by Tom Dalgety (ROYAL BLOOD/BAND OF SKULLS/TURBOWOLF), it was released on 23 March 2015.
Demo sessions for the album began at Blast Studios, Newcastle, England on 18 February 2014. The band laid down 18 tracks and completed pre-production on 28 February 2014. The album proper was recorded from 17 April to 30 April 2014 at Blast Studios. The albums' release was delayed by almost a year due to their record company Blast Records shutting down and the band then signing with fledging Amazing Record Co..
Opening track Still Hurts was debuted live at a gig in Cork on 25 October 2013 and played numerous times over the following months. Insecurity was first played live at the Coastrock Festival in Belgium on 12 April 2014. An acoustic version of Tides was debuted live by Andy Cairns at his gig in Helsinki on 13 February 2014, while an acoustic interpretation of Idiot Cousin was first aired at his Dublin show on 26 March 2014.
The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar. To complete the lineup, the band recruited Larne bassist Michael McKeegan.
With keen pop sensibilities, a skewed sense of humour and a willingness to draw inspiration from diverse sources (notably punk rock), Therapy? came to attention in the early 1990s rise of alternative rock, but have endured for two decades since; critic Johnny Loftus writes:
"after a ten-plus year career that has seen them outlast competitors and outwit industry attempts at categorization... Therapy are still headbangers with their thinking caps screwed on tight."
Following the addition of Neil Cooper on drums, the band has enjoyed a stable lineup since 2004. Therapy? are currently signed to new UK independent label Amazing Record Co.. The band has sold over two million albums worldwide
The band consists of:
Andy Cairns – vocals, guitar, producer
Neil Cooper – drums, producer
Michael McKeegan – bass, vocals, producer
Tom Dalgety - producer, engineer, mixer
Nigel Rolfe - artwork concept/photography
Todays tune "Still Hurts", the first single taken from Therapy?'s brand new album "Disquiet".
Monday, new week, time to present this week's album.
As there is a lot going on right now in life have almost all purchased albums ended up in a pile that's gets bigger and bigger everyday since I do not have time to listen to them right now. However, the final tour week is up for the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest (Melodifestivalen) so soon will the records spin again, something I have been looking forward for a long time.
So today we pick up a classic album, a bit odd thing that usually are displayed here, this is a record that I do like a lot, moreover it is now re-released with tons of bonus material.
"Moondance" is this weeks "Record Of the Week". It's the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 28 February 1970 by Warner Bros.
The album's musical style blends R&B, folk rock, country rock, and also jazz (most obviously on the title track).
The single released was "Come Running" with "Crazy Love" as the B-side. "Crazy Love" was only released as a single in the Netherlands and did not chart. "Moondance" was not released as a single until 1977.
Moondance was critically acclaimed when first released and established Morrison as a major artist. The songs on the album quickly became staples of FM radio. It has proven to be Morrison's most famous album, often appearing on many lists of best albums of all time. Among other awards, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2003, it was ranked #65 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
The combination of music and lyrics of the songs on the Moondance album comprised the first Van Morrison album that was highly accessible with various genres that blend jazz, soul, country, and blues.
The opening song, "And It Stoned Me", is a real beauty piece of music, here we hear a young man witha confidentsoul. According to the singer, depicts a true tale of a day in his childhood. The lyrics show that the setting of the song is rural, including references to a county fair and mountain stream.
The title song is mostly acoustic but also includes electric bass and piano, guitar, saxophone, and a flute over-dub played softly behind Morrison's voice, which imitates a saxophone towards the song's end. A nice jazz swing from a rock musician.
Todays tune "Crazy Love" has Morrison's voice so close to the microphone that a click of Morrison's tongue hitting the roof of his mouth is picked up. He sings in falsetto, producing a sense of intense intimacy, with the backing of a female chorus. This is a tune that you should play for your wife/girlfriend.
The song "These Dreams of You" manages to be simultaneously accusatory and reassuring. The lyrics cover such dream sequences as Ray Charles being shot down, paying dues in Canada, and "his angel from above" cheating while playing cards in the dark, slapping him in the face, ignoring his cries, and walking out on him.
"Brand New Day", Morrison says he was inspired to write it after hearing The Band on FM radio playing either "The Weight" or "I Shall Be Released": "I looked up at the sky and the sun started to shine and all of a sudden the song just came through my head. I started to write it down, right from 'When all the dark clouds roll away'". Ritchie Yorke quoted Morrison as saying in 1973 that "Brand New Day" was the song that worked best to his ear and the one with which he felt most in touch.
Several of the songs on the album have been popular cover songs since its release in 1970, most prominently the title song, "Moondance" but "Crazy Love", "Into the Mystic" and "And It Stoned Me" have also been frequently recorded and performed live by popular artists. Cover artists of Moondance songs include: The Allman Brothers Band, Michael Bolton, Michael Bublé, Vicki Carr, Paul Carrack, Joe Cocker, Rita Coolidge, The Dead, Glen Hansard, Colin James, Brian McKnight, Helen Reddy, Rod Stewart, and The Wallflowers. Duets were performed by Morrison with Ray Charles and Bob Dylan.
Todays tune "Crazy Love" is a romantic ballad written by Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance. The song was released as a single in May 1970 with "Come Running" as the A-side, and again in the Netherlands with "Come Running" as the B-side. The cover of the single shows Morrison with his then-wife, Janet "Planet" Rigsbee. The photograph was taken by Elliot Landy, the official photographer of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
Ray Charles introduced Van Morrison by starting the first verse before Van's appearance when he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2003. Morrison and Charles then finished with a duet of "Crazy Love". Ray Charles remarked about this performance: "It meant a lot to sing 'Crazy Love' on stage that evening." Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles' 2004 album, includes this duet featuring the two singers. Van Morrison and Bob Dylan sang a duet of "Crazy Love" on the BBC film, One Irish Rover in 1991.
Todays Video is with Ray Charles & Van Morrison performing "Crazy Love"
Second Video is Live At The Fillmore West, San Francisco. April 26, 1970
Today I am out at the Christmas party, so I let my daughter "N" choose todays tune, the only criteria was, not too much dance plz, given that she is a true popish girl.
So she tells me that this one you might like. :)
The youngster is known simply as Hozier (Andrew Hozier-Byrne), who is an Irish musician from Bray, County Wicklow. In 2013 he released his debut EP Take Me to Church and his second EP From Eden in 2014, with his debut studio album Hozier released in Ireland in September 2014 and globally in October 2014.
Todays tune "Take Me to Church", released as a single in 2013 and taken from the EP Take Me to Church. It is also the first track of his self-titled debut album.
Sunday, time for a classic tune. Today we steer the ship against Ireland where we find the Irish rock and blues band
Taste, the band was formed in 1966. Its founder was songwriter and musician Rory Gallagher.
Rory Gallagher (2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste during the late 1960s. He was a talented guitarist known for his charismatic performances and dedication to his craft. Gallagher's albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London, UK at the age of 47.
Taste (originally "The Taste") was formed in Cork, Ireland, in August 1966 as a trio consisting of Rory Gallagher on guitars and vocals, Eric Kitteringham on bass, and Norman Damery on drums. In their early years Taste toured in Hamburg and Ireland before becoming regulars at Maritime Hotel, an R&B club in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In 1968 Taste began performing in the UK where the original lineup split up. The new lineup formed with Richard McCracken on bass and John Wilson on drums. The new Taste moved permanently to London where they signed with the record label Polydor. In November 1968, the band, along with Yes, opened for Cream at Cream's farewell concerts. While with Polydor, Taste began touring the United States and Canada with the British supergroup Blind Faith. In April 1969, Taste released the first of their two studio albums, the self-titled Taste, with On the Boards following in early 1970, the latter showing the band's jazz influences with Gallagher playing saxophone on numerous tracks.
One performance came in 1970 as part of the Isle of Wight Festival, alongside Jimi Hendrix and The Who. Later the same year Taste toured Europe but were disbanded by Gallagher, who decided to pursue a solo career, performing their last show on New Year's Eve in Belfast. Wilson and McCracken immediately formed 'Stud' in early 1971, with Jim Cregan and John Weider.
Some years after the band's break up, earlier recordings featuring the original line-up emerged.
A musical homage to Taste and Gallagher was by Black 47 in their song "Rory", released on 1998's Green Suede Shoes album.
Todays tune "Blister On The Moon" is taken from the first self title album "Taste", released 1969, the clip is filmed August 22, 1969, Bilzen Jazz Festival, Belgium. Line-up: Rory Gallagher (gtr+voc), Richard "Charlie" McCracken (bass) and John Wilson (dr). As a bonus "Sugar Mama"
Irish rockers Dirty Diamonds are due to announce dates for a lengthy tour in support of their debut album Let’s Get Loud.
Flush with big anthems and killer riffs, the twelve-track CD gets its official release on November 1.
Dirty Diamonds are a five piece Hard Rock band based in Limerick, Ireland. Influenced by the glamour of 80's Metal and the hard edged attitude of 90's Rock they blend big hooks with balls out Rock n' Roll. They are known for their catchy songs and highly energetic live shows.
Dirty Diamonds was formed in late summer 2009 and after a couple of line up changes the line up was cemented in 2013. The goal from the outset was to write balls out Rock n' Roll songs with big chourses and screaming guitar solos. With "Leaving Town" Dirty Diamonds have achieved just that. Aswell as releasing their debut E.P. in 2012, Dirty Diamonds supported such acts as Warrior Soul, Crashdiet and The Answer, winning over new fans along the way.
2013 is set to be "The Year Of The Diamond" with Dirty Diamonds setting their sights on the U.K. and Europe and expanding their ever growing base of fans or "Diamondites"
Dirty Diamonds released their debut E.P. "Leaving Town" in August 2012 and played shows around Ireland and the U.K. in support of it. They are currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album "Let's Get Loud!" which was recorded at Bow Lane Studios, Dublin with additional tracking done at Mooghaun Studios, Co. Clare.
Frontman Jonathan Ryan said: “After so long in the studio, we’re burning to get back on the road. The set has been revamped to include the new tunes, but the old favourites will be there too.
“It took us a while to make an album we were happy with, but we wanted to get it just right because you only get one chance to make a debut.
“We think our fans will love it and we’re looking forward to playing the new tracks live.”
Members:
Lead Vocals - Jonathan Ryan
Bass / Backing Vocals - Shane Moloney
Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals - Alan Ranahan
Drums / Backing Vocals - Joe Betts
Rythm Guitar / Backing Vocals - Evan Daly
Listen to "Therapy?- Still Hurts" on Spotify 
