Live Review: Choice Music Prize 2009

Last night saw some excellent live performances from many of the nominees for the Choice Music Prize 2009 (don't worry, you are looking at the ceremony held in 2010, it's just for the best Irish album of 2009), but by far the best were Dark Room Notes and And So I Watch You From Afar. Both bands are on their debut albums, so who knows what the future may hold awards-wise.

CODES opened the night strongly, before Julie Feeney toned it down a notch. Feeney had been the darkhorse when nominees were announced, but crept up to become favourite with PaddyPower heading into last night's show. Her outfit last night was definitely note worthy, probably moreso than her performance. (Check it out here.)

Dark Room Notes were next up and impressed many people who may have missed them first time around, or else wrote them off. Their live show is so much better than the album. Duckworth Lewis Method released one of my favourite summer albums of 2009, but with Neil Hannon already having a gong in his possession, it was always a longshot to see them winning. Their live stint last night was fantastically entertaining though.

Valerie Francis was also very impressive. It was a nice, subtle nuanced performance which contrasted well with the all-out rock of CODES and the jangly pop of Duckworth Lewis Method. Her live take on 'Punches' was especially great. It was a real treat to see so many wonderful Irish acts performing a variety of genres. I suggest you grab a ticket for the Choice Music Prize 2010 Award Show as soon as possible next year.

When I saw the nominees, I didn't actually expect The Swell Season would play, but play they did and gave a fine performance. It's just a pity for Glen that his second album with Marketa wasn't a patch on the first. Last night, they were joined on 'Paper Cup' by Leonard Cohen's guitarist, unfortunately not Leonard himself, but it'll do for now.

Adrian Crowley was second last on stage, but would return later to pick up his gong. He's a damn fine performer, and definitely a worthy winner. And So I Watch You From Afar closed the night with a stonking set, infused with marvellous instrumental rock. Some people had definitely written them off before, but I'm sure they converted many last night. If I had to guess, I'd say they were probably in the running but narrowly missed out.

Laura Izibor couldn't make it last night, due to something or other, nor could Bell x1 (touring commitments) but so many other great acts played, it didn't make too much difference. It would've been nice to have them all there though. Maybe next year...

Watch the Duckworth Lewis Method at last night's show:

Live: David Gray at the Olympia

David Gray, who still holds the record for the bestselling album ever in Ireland (White Ladder), will be headlining the second Barretstown Inspirations concert, which raises money for Barretstown House. It's a great cause, as Barretstown House looks after children with serious illnesses.

Not only will David Gray be headlining, but the following acts are also on the bill: Paddy Casey
Mundy
Duckworth Lewis Method
Lír
Gemma Hayes
Jape
Vengence & The Panther Queen
Ham Sandwich
The Dublin Gospel Choir

The fundraiser will take place in Dublin's Olympia Theatre on March 5th. Tickets cost €30 and are on sale now. It's sure to be an amazing night.

Here's Sinead O'Connor and Republic of Loose teaming up to cover the Beatles' 'You Can't Do That' at last year's gig:

Live: Swell Season, DLM, ASIWYFA at Vicar Street

Great news comes my way from Jim Carroll and his On the Record blog. He announced this morning that eight out of ten cats acts nominated for this year's Choice Music Award will be performing on the night.

The show takes place in Vicar Street on March 3rd. Tickets are €27, and for that bargain price, you'll get approximately ten minutes each from all of the following:
And So I Watch You From Afar, Codes, Adrian Crowley, Dark Room Notes, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Julie Feeney, Valerie Francis, and The Swell Season.

Bell x1 and Laura Izibor are the two absentees as they're touring elsewhere. But for €27, how can you argue with a lineup like that?

Get your tickets here.

Here's 2007 winners Super Extra Bonus Party performing at that year's event:

(Video courtesy of Nialler9)

List: Best Irish Albums of 2009

A little late, but better late than never. Here's my Top 10 Irish Albums of 2009...

10. And So I Watch You From Afar - And So I Watc You From Afar

If Salvador Dali was still alive today, he may paint an album cover like that of ASIWYFA's debut album. Better still, if he was a musician, he'd probably make bizarrely brilliant instrumental tunes like the eleven shoegaze classics that appear on this debut album.

9. David Turpin - Haunted

Lauren Murphy called David Turpin's second album a disappointment, like his first. She outlined his vocals as the problem. In this opinion, she is massively wrong. Turpin has a gorgeous soft voice which perfectly matches his blissful lyrics. It's not grating in any way - no more so than Joanna Newsom - perhaps Turpin is the Irish Newsom? Divisive, but brilliant. Well, in this writer's opinion anyway.

8. Patrick Kelleher - You Look Cold

Patrick Kelleher plays a lot of instruments. Strangely enough, one of the many on here he claims to play is a door. The album itself is a mult-layered electronic triumph, which is sure to please fans of Animal Collective, Panda Bear and the like.

7. Pearse McLoughlin - Busy Whisper

A gorgeous debut filled with enchanting songs that take you back to a better time, Pearse McLoughlin has crafted out a first album that's up there with any other singer-songwriter you care to name. Yes, even that Rice fella.

6. Herm - Monsters

Another fantastic debut, this one is like an earworm that digs into your brain and just won't let go. The album is a wonderful slice of indie pop released on Catchy Go Go. I don't know about the go go, but this sure is catchy.

5. The Duckworth Lewis Method - Duckworth Lewis Method

Named after an extremely complicated way of determining scores in rain-affected cricket matches, this is the best concept album to come out of Ireland...ever. Pugwash's Thomas Walsh and the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon have teamed up to make the sweetest (spot) album of 2009.

4. CODES - Trees Dream in Algebra

An album two years in the making, Trees Dream in Algebra, is the most-polished Irish debut in years. They worked with excellent rock producer Greg Halford on it, and marked themselves out as one to watch for the future. The U2 of the 2010s maybe?

3. The 202s - The 202s

Good albums don't always have to be a well-structured coherent whole. Sometimes they can just be wonderful collections of singles. That's what the self-titled debut from the 202s is. Like a greatest hits package, it's full of powerful tunes with outstanding choruses. Although as a coherent whole, it's damn good too.

2. The Holy Roman Army - How the Light Gets In

I like alt.country and rock mostly. So it takes a great album from genres such as electronica to get me to listen to it more than a handful of times. However, this debut from fellow Carlovians stuck with me all year. Songs like 'Elegy' and 'Stagger Gently Home' are immediately gorgeous, with the latter being one of my songs of the year. Fabulously addictive.

1. David Geraghty - The Victory Dance

The break-up of Juniper has given us so much. Damien Rice and Bell x1 are both extremely successful on both sides of the Atlantic. However, Bell x1 guitarist David Geraghty could well end up being the best of all. His debut was a fantastic introduction, but his second, The Victory Dance was so much better. Filled with gorgeous guitarwork, it's a cracking collection of songs. And who knew he was such a great vocalist too? Wonderful. The best Irish album of 2009.

List: Top 10 Irish Songs of 2009

I originally posted this on Nialler9's blog as part of his readers' poll for the best Irish albums and songs of the year. Well here's my top 10 Irish songs of 2009, complete with videos. Enjoy!


1. The Holy Roman Army – Stagger Gently Home


What a fantastic video, created by the kids at Drumphea National School in Co. Carlow. Plus the song itself is amazing.


2. David Geraghty – Tuesday’s Feet
(No video, not even a live one online)

3. 202s – Ease My Mind


4. Duckworth Lewis Method – Jiggery Pokery


5. The Holy Roman Army – Elegy

(Recorded by 2uibestow)

6. CODES – This is Goodbye


7. David Geraghty – Watch Her Win

(also recorded by 2uibestow)

8. Super Extra Bonus Party – Comets


9. The Chapters – Videotapes


10. I am Not Lefthanded – Everybody Sleeps

Awards: IMTV Video Music Awards Nominees

The nominees for the IMTV Video Music Awards have been announced, and they feature a fine selection of Irish talent.

1.BEST LIVE VIDEO
LISA HANNIGAN - I DON’T KNOW
LISA HANNIGAN - LILLE
LADYDOLL – BUTTON
THE BRILLIANT THINGS – RISE
AND SO I WATCHED YOU FROM AFAR – SET GUITARS TO KILL


2.BEST DANCE VIDEO
LE BIEN – HERE AND THERE
NOISE CONTROL – ADDICTION
DARK ROOM NOTES – LETS LIGHT FIRES
ARVEEN & MISK - HELLS BELLS
LE GALAXIE – YOU FEEL THE FIRE

3.BEST STYLED VIDEO
DIRTY EPICS – COMING UP
JULIE FEENEY – IMPOSSIBLY BEAUTIFUL
LAURA IBIZOR - SHINE
THE CORONAS – LISTEN DEAR
THE BLIZZARDS – POSTCARDS


4.BEST SOLO MALE
YNGVE WIELAND – LITTLE BOY
PADRAIG RUHSE – GONNA BE A CHANGE
JJ – PLAYING THE GAME
PEARSE MCGLOUGHLIN – WAYS TO KILLS A WEREWOLF
ENDA REILLY – MOL AN AIMSIRE

5.BEST SOLO FEMALE
LISA HANNIGAN – LILLE
JULIE FEENEY – LOVE IS A TRICKY THING
WALLIS BIRD – HOME
MISS PAULA FLYNN – HOLIDAY IN SWEDEN
GEMMA HAYES – HOME


6.MOST ORIGINAL CONCEPT FOR VIDEO
FIGHT LIKE APES – SOMETHING GLOBAL
THE CHAPTERS – VIDEOTAPES
HERM - HEADS
GRAND POCKET ORCHESTRA – BALLET SHOES
SEAN NEEDHAM - I’M NOT AFRAID

7. BEST PRODUCTION / SPECIAL EFFECTS
SICKBOY – SILENCE IN CONVERSATION
CAP PAS CAP – WE ARE MEN
JAPE – FLOATING
HAM SANDWICH – BROKEN GLASS
202′S - EASE MY MIND

8.BEST VIDEO BY A NEW COMER (public Vote)
HOGAN – I WANT YOU
HOARSEBOX – ALL I NEED NOW
BATS – SHADOW FUCKING
BOWLEGGED – RED LIGHT
TALLULAH DOES THE HULA – BAD BOYFRIEND

9. DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
EOGHAN KIDNEY
LORCAN FINNEGAN
SIMON EUSTACE
LINDSEY BYRNES
WILL MCCONNELL

10. VIDEO OF THE YEAR 2009
DUCKWORTH LEWIS METHOD – MEETING MR MIANDAD
FIGHT LIKE APES – TIE ME UP WITH JACKETS
THE CORONAS – LISTEN DEAR
THE BLIZZARDS – POSTCARDS
VALERIE FRANCIS – PUNCHES

Watch the five nominees for Video of the Year 2009:









Except you can't embed the Blizzards - 'Postcards'. :(

Live: Florence and the Machine at Electric Picnic

Yet more acts have been added to the already incredible lineup for this year's Electric Picnic. Mercury Music Prize favourites Florence and the Machine, our own Mick Flannery, Baaba Maal, and Laura Izibor have all been added.

Oh, and one other act I'm really excited to see...
The Duckworth Lewis Method!

Watch Mick Flannery 'Safety Rope' live at the Cork Opera House:

Watch: Duckworth Lewis Method - Tower Records

Today marks the Irish release date of the Duckworth Lewis Method's debut album. This is an album I've been really excited about, and I am delighted that this day has finally come. It's available in all the usual record shops, Road Records, Tower Records, HMV, all of them really. Speaking of Tower Records, the band performed a nice intimate gig to promote the album yesterday (Peter from 2uibestow was in attendance, lucky bugger) and went down a storm. The new album is also being very well received. Today's Times and Guardian in the UK have given it glowing reviews. I highly recommend you buy it. It's the album of the summer. Ashes or no ashes.

Watch The Duckworth Lewis Method instore at Dublin's Tower Records:

Watch: The Duckworth Lewis Method - Age of Revolution

RTE Player is actually a decent little entity. It's no BBC iPlayer, but we can't get that to work in Ireland, so it's the best we have. (Well, except Channel 4's own version).

Neil Hannon's and Thomas Walsh's new band the Duckworth-Lewis Method played 'The Age of Revolution' on Saturday Night with Miriam O'Callaghan, and that can be watched online.

Watch it here:
http://www.rte.ie/tv/miriam/

They also played three tunes on the Radcliffe and Maconie Show on BBC Radio 1. Listen here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00l8nfl

Stream: The Duckworth Lewis Method clips

Sixteen days to go. Howzat? The Duckworth Lewis Method's self-titled debut album will be released on July 6th 2009.

Tracklist:
1. The Coin Toss 1:08
2. The Age of Revolution 3:56
3. Gentlemen and Players 3:18
4. The Sweet Spot 3:06
5. Jiggery Pokery 3:23
6. Mason on the Boundary 4:22
7. Rain Stops Play 1:13
8. Meeting Mr Miandad 3:12
9. The Nightwatchman 4:49
10. Flatten the Hay 4:18
11. Test Match Special 4:02
12. The End of the Over 2:50

Stream here:
http://www.duckworthlewismethod.com/

Watch: Duckworth Lewis Method - Blackcab Sessions

I cannot wait for the Duckworth Lewis Method album. It's Neil Hannon's new pet project, and is cricket influenced. Very heavily cricket influenced. Anyone who follows me on twitter will see that I've mentioned the brilliant Twenty20 World Cup a hell of a lot, so I'm loving these songs and this band.



Watch: http://vimeo.com/5078608?pg=embed&sec=