Live: RSAG Irish Tour

Kilkenny's Jeremy Hickey (aka Rarely Seen Above Ground, or R.S.A.G. for short) is back with a new album, Be It Right or Wrong (expect a review of it on here by Friday). He's also back with a nationwide tour in support of the album.

The tour is kicking off tonight at Dolan's in Limerick, and visits some of Ireland's finest music venues. The Kilo will provide support at all the shows, with the excellent 202s also on the bill for the Academy. Tickets for the Academy show are €13.50, so it's not an expensive night out. Well worth it.

Tour dates (all June):
Wed 16th – Dolan’s, Limerick w/guests The Kilo
Thu 17th – Cyprus Ave, Cork w/guests The Kilo
Fri 18th – Roisin Dubh, Galway w/guests The Kilo
Thu 24th – The Academy, Dublin w/guests 202s and The Kilo
Sat 26th – Spirit Store, Dundalk w/guests The Kilo

Watch 'Stick to Your Line':

Live: Oxegen 2010 Hot Press Signing Tent

The first batch of acts for the Hot Press signing tent at Oxegen 2010 have been announced. Expect more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Lineup so far:
Wild Beasts
Villagers
Ash
Cathy Davey
Delorentos

Some great names there so far, and there's sure to be more.

Watch Wild Beasts 'Assembly':

Oxegen 2010 Full Lineup Daily Breakdown

No stage times or anything, but here's the daily breakdown of the lineup for Oxegen 2010.

FRIDAY, 9th JULY

Main Stage: Arcade Fire, Jay-Z, Stereophonics, Vampire Weekend,
The Black Keys, The Coronas, Eliza Doolittle

Vodafone Stage: Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada, Scouting For Girls, Plan B, Republic Of Loose, Two Door Cinema Club, Drake, Fox Avenue

Heineken Green Spheres: David Guetta, Goldfrapp, Empire Of The Sun,
The Coral, Delorentos, God Is An Astronaut, Kassidy

Hot Press Academy: Villagers, Frightened Rabbit, Shed Seven, O Emperor,
Joe Echo, Lissie, Sweet Jane

Red Bull Music Academy: Chipmunk, Tinie Tempah, Gabriella Cilmi,
Darwin Deez, MemoryHouse, Colm K, Andreya Triana, The Capitals

Dance Arena: Simian Mobile Disco, Erol Alkan, Vitalic, Aeroplane, Fred Falke, Primary 1, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, Dublin Streets, DJ Gordo & Church

SATURDAY, 10th JULY

Main Stage: Muse, Kasabian, Florence + The Machine, Dizzee Rascal,
John Mayer, Biffy Clyro, The Stranglers

Vodafone Stage: The Black Eyed Peas, Doves, Editors, The Cribs,
Rise Against, Tinariwen, Kids In Glass Houses

Heineken Green Spheres: Calvin Harris, Hot Chip, Gossip, La Roux,
Cathy Davey, Ellie Goulding, Wallis Bird, Panama Kings

Hot Press Academy: Ash, Kele, Bombay Bicycle Club, Yeasayer, Hurts,
Mayer Hawthorne, 3OH!3, Chapel Club, Daisy Dares You, Matthew P

Red Bull Music Academy: The Drums, Dirty Projectors, Wild Beasts,
Alex Metric, Jackmaster, Space Dimension Controller, Illum Sphere,
The Minutes

Dance Arena: Armand Van Helden, A-Trak, Japanese Popstars,
Louis La Roche, Villa, French Horn Rebellion, Bitches With Wolves,
David E. Sugar, Steve Aoki, Amasis

SUNDAY, 11th JULY

Main Stage: Eminem, Faithless, Paolo Nutini, Bell X1, Newton Faulkner,
Earth Wind & Fire, Echo & The Bunnymen

Vodafone Stage: The Prodigy, 30 Seconds To Mars, The Temper Trap,
Joshua Radin, D12, Professor Green, The Knux

Heineken Green Spheres: Mumford & Sons, Ocean Colour Scene,
The Courteeners, Jamie T, We Are Scientists, Kate Nash, Diana Vickers,
General Fiasco

Hot Press Academy: Julian Casablancas, Laura Marling, Hilltop Hoods,
Mystery Jets, The High Kings, Example, The Middle East, Rachel Furner

Red Bull Music Academy: Broken Social Scene, Delphic, Hudson Mohawke,
Jamie Lidell, Local Natives, Cecile, Robot Koch, Planet Parade

Dance Arena: Steve Angello, Chase & Status, Fake Blood, Jess Rose,
The Golden Filter, Popof, Al Gibbs, Vogue

Just 24 days to go...

Live: Conor Furlong at Whelan's

Conor Furlong will be playing his first ever Whelan's headline gig with his new band on Tuesday the 29th of June. I'd highly recommend it, as it's sure to be an excellent gig. Conor could definitely take off with the right promotion team behind him. He already has the tunes.

Support on the night comes from The Koubas and Andy Humphreys.

Watch Conor Furlong - 'Are You Gonna Sleep Tonight?':

Live: Enemies at Whelan's

Meant to talk about this earlier, but Enemies are launching their debut album We've Been Talking upstairs in Whelan's tonight. Support comes from the wonderful Super Extra Bonus Party as well as Mia Sparrow.

Tickets are €15 on the door, and come with the album! (Or €10 for your partner without the album. No point having two right?)

Speaking of which, you can stream the album in full on State magazine's gorgeous new website here:
http://www.state.ie/2010/06/mp3/stream-enemies-album-weve-been-talking/

Live: Oxegen 2010 Vodafone Stage Lineup

Yesterday on his show on 2fm, DJ (and Irish lord of twitter) Rick O'Shea announced the full lineup for the Vodafone Stage at Oxegen, including those much sought after day by day breakdowns. Now we know that Fatboy Slim is to headline on Friday with Groove Armada on just before. The Black Eyed Peas are going to have a good, good night on Saturday, while the Prodigy will close the show on Sunday night. Best of the Irish is Two Door Cinema Club, who take to the stage on Saturday.

Friday:
Fatboy Slim
Groove Armada
Scouting for Girls
Plan B
Republic of Loose
Drake
Fox Avenue

Saturday
The Black Eyed Peas
Doves
Editors
The Cribs
Rise Against
Two Door Cinema Club
Kids In Glass Houses

Sunday
The Prodigy
30 Seconds To Mars
Temper Trap
Joshua Radin
D12
Prof Green
The Knux

Live: Oxegen 2010 Heineken Green Spheres Lineup

The daily breakdowns for the Oxegen 2010 Lineup have been announced for yet another stage (still no sign of the main stage breakdowns though).

This time it's the Heineken Green Spheres stage, which features some magnificent acts over the three day weekend. Friday night is headlined by David Guetta, but no doubt Ellie Goulding will pull in a big crowd. Delorentos are the best of Irish on the stage on the festival's first day.

Saturday night's festivities are headlined by Calvin Harris, with Hot Chip, Gossip, and La Roux all on before him. The highlight for me, however, has to be Cathy Davey, who recently topped the Irish album charts with The Nameless.

Sunday night is the big one for many people. The last act to play the Heineken Green Spheres stage this year will be folk-of-the-moment Mumford and Sons. Ocean Colour Scene will bring some classic rock, and there's something for everyone with the contrast of Jamie T and Diana Vickers.


FRIDAY JULY 9
DAVID GUETTA
GOLDFRAPP
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
ELLIE GOULDING
THE CORAL
DELORENTOS
KASSIDY
GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT

SATURDAY JULY 10
CALVIN HARRIS
HOT CHIP
GOSSIP
LA ROUX
CATHY DAVEY
WALLIS BIRD
TBC
PANAMA KINGS

SUNDAY JULY 11
MUMFORD & SONS
OCEAN COLOUR SCENE
JAMIE T
THE COURTEENERS
WE ARE SCIENTISTS
KATE NASH
DIANA VICKERS
GENERAL FIASCO

Live: Halves at Airfield House

There's a lot of great gigs on this weekend. Another one to add to your calender is Halves' only headline gig of the summer at Airfield House in Dundrum, Dublin 14.

Halves are definitely one of Ireland's best unsung bands. After seeing them on Other Voices last year I was extremely impressed, and would have loved to see them make their American debut at this year's SXSW. Impressive.

Support on the night comes from The Ambience Affair. Tickets in advance are €10 and can be purchased through http://www.airfield.ie/cultural_programme.html

Watch Halves 'May Your Enemies Never Find Happiness' on Other Voices:

Live: Clockwork Apple Presents at Whelan's

Clockwork Apple have another great gig lined up for June. It takes place on Friday the 18th, and features a wonderful lineup, all for ten euro. Playing upstairs in Whelan's are The Gandhis, BellaJane and Captain Kennedy.

Doors are at 8, and tickets are €10 on the door.

More info:
www.thegandhismusic.com
www.myspace.com/bellajanemusic
www.myspace.com/captainkennedy

Live: Le Cheile 2010 at Oldcastle

This year is yet another great year for smaller Irish festivals. Never mind the behemoths of Oxegen and Electric Picnic, it's at the lesser known events where the true talent emerges - especially of a local sort.

Le Cheile 2010 is set to be fantastic. It takes place from the 30th of July to the 2nd of August in Oldcastle, Co. Meath at three venues in the town: Caffrey's Redrooms, Creams Marquee, as well as the Oldcastle House Hotel.

The lineup itself looks amazing with headline shows from Mick Flannery, Jerry Fish, Jack L, Fight Like Apes, Noise Control, and Weapons Detector, as well as The Richter Collective presents Bats and Not Squares.

And that's not to mention the brilliant acts further down the bill like Henrietta Game, Planet Parade, Codes, Grand Pocket Orchestra, Jogging, Ollie Cole, John Shelly and the Creatures, and many, many more.

For more info and full details, check out the official website:
http://www.lecheile.com/

Thanks to 2UIBestow for the heads-up on this one.

Live: Planet Parade at Whelan's

After being announced for this year's Oxegen Festival, homegrown band Planet Parade are set for a headline show at Whelan's this Saturday night (the 12th). But don't worry, the England-USA World Cup match will be over by then! The band are doing splendidly at the moment, following the release of their Ghosts To People EP just a few months ago.

Support on the night comes from Doctor Leaves, and tickets are a bargain at €5.

Watch Planet Parade 'Electrical' in Whelan's last November:

Live: Oxegen 2010 Red Bull Music Academy Stage Full Lineup

The final lineup for the Red Bull Music Academy Stage at Oxegen 2010 has been announced, complete with daily breakdowns. This is good news for anyone who picked up a single day ticket, as you can now see who's playing on that respective day. In brilliant local news, Kildare's Planet Parade (one of my Irish Sounds of 2010) were added to the bill, and will take to the stage on Sunday. The Minutes on Saturday are also another great Irish act worth checking out.

Friday 9th July
Chipmunk
Tinie Tempah
Gabriella Cilmi
Darwin Deez
MemoryHouse
Colm K (FreeStyle MellowShip)
Andreya Triana
The Capitals

Saturday 10th July
The Drums
Dirty Projectors
Wild Beasts
Alex Metric
Jackmaster
Space Dimension Controller
Illum Sphere
The Minutes

Sunday 11th July
Broken Social Scene
Delphic
Jamie Lidell
Local Natives
Hudson Mohawke
Cecile
Robot Koch
Planet Parade

Setlist: I am Not Lefthanded, Whelan's, 1 June 2010

The excellent I am Not Lefthanded stopped off in Dublin on Tuesday night as part of their Time to Leave tour. Sadly, I missed the gig, but if you get a chance to see them around the country, I'd recommend checking them out. Not on the setlist is an acapella version of 'I Will Follow You into the Dark' which I hear was amazing.

Setlist:
Everybody Sleeps
The Place That Won't Take Me Back
Endline
Lifelines
Long Goodbyes
Persuade Yourself
Late Night Drive
New One
Boats, But Not the Ocean
---
I Will Follow You into the Dark

They play Baker Place in Limerick and the Stables in Mullingar on Saturday and Sunday night respectively.

Live: Owl City at the Academy

After the success of their debut single 'Fireflies' synthpoppers Owl City seem to be everywhere. Great news for the fans: they'll be here in November. The one-man band is due to play the Academy on November 24th.

Tickets are priced €22.50 and go on sale this Friday. Their current single is 'Umbrella', have a listen to it below.

Live: The Divine Comedy at HMV Grafton Street

After their excellent instore at Road Records over the weekend, the Divine Comedy are set to perform at another of Dublin's top music outlets, HMV on Grafton Street on Thursday, June 3rd. They'll take to the stage at 5.30, and it's sure to be a packed show.

They're currently promoting new album Bang Goes the Knighthood, which came out in the UK today. Read my review of the album here.

Watch The Divine Comedy 'At the Indie Disco' live:

Live: Sam Amidon at Whelan's

Folkie Sam Amidon just released his fourth album I See the Sign earlier this year, which is the follow-up to his excellent breakout record All is Well. He'll be coming to Dublin to promote it on Wednesday, June 2nd.

Tickets are €14 and on sale now. Support on the night comes from Leif Vollebekk.

Watch Sam Amidon 'Saro':

Watch: Josh Ritter - The Curse

Some videos are very much throwaway. They serve as no more than just a vehicle for the song. Others, like this one, are definitely worth watching. Sometimes more than once too. 'The Curse' is the new song from Josh Ritter, and the video is entirely the work of Liam Hurley (of Ritter's Royal City Band). It's gorgeous, have a look below.

Josh Ritter also has some more Irish dates coming up:
Sun 18 July - Iveagh Gardens, Dublin (with Special Guest Villagers - solo show)
Fri 23 July - Festival Big Top, Galway (with Special Guests Damien Dempsey / Cathy Davey)
Sat 24 July - INEC, Killarney (with Special Guest John Spillane)

Watch Josh Ritter - 'The Curse':

Live: Joanna Newsom at the Grand Canal Theatre

I read last month in the Observer's excellent New Review section that Joanna Newsom's live act has improved a lot since her breakthrough album Ys. Great news for us Irish fans who are due to get a chance to see her on September 14th (I would've posted about this before now, but was waiting for ticket details).

She'll be playing the Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin. Tickets cost €33.60 and €39.20 and go on sale tomorrow morning (Friday) at 9.

Here's Joanna on Jools Holland recently:

Live: Cathy Davey, JVMcM at Electric Picnic 2010

Thanks to Jim Carroll's On the Record for the heads up with this one. A lot of new names have been added to the Electric Picnic 2010 lineup, including two fantastic Irish acts: Cathy Davey (who topped the charts just two weeks ago with The Nameless) and upcoming sensation James Vincent McMorrow. There was also other local and international acts announced, with Foals a must-see on the bill.

New additions to the lineup:
Foals
Dam-Funk
Cathy Davey
These New Puritans
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Beardyman
Archie Bronson Outfit
Philip Selway
James Vincent McMorrow
And So I Watch You From Afar
Goodtime John
UNKLE
The Mighty Stef

Album News: Nick Cave - Grinderman 2

Nick Cave's non-Bad Seeds project Grinderman are back with a second album of dirty rock. Grinderman 2 is due for release September 13th across Europe on Mute Records (so make that the 10th in Ireland).

It was recorded in London, and is produced by the band themselves along with the debut album's producer Nick Launay. They've also announced Autumn European dates, but no Irish one.

Tour Dates:
09-25 Nottingham, England - Rock City
09-27 Leeds, England - University
09-28 Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands
09-29 Manchester, England - Academy
10-01 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
10-04 Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
10-05 Zurich, Switzerland - Volkshaus
10-06 Milan, Italy - Live
10-07 Rome, Italy - Atlantico
10-10 Vienna, Italy - Gasometer
10-11 Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
10-13 Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
10-14 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
10-15 Cologne, Germany - E-Werk
10-17 Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
10-20 Utrecht, Netherlands - MCV
10-21 Hamburg, Germany - Docks
10-23 Copenhagen, Denmark - Falkoner Theatre
10-24 Randers, Denmark - Power Station
10-26 Paris, France - Cite de la Music

Live: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at the Academy

San Francisco garage rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (BRMC) will be coming to Dublin to play the Academy on December 13th. They released their sixth album Beat the Devil's Tattoo in March. It's good, but I'm hoping to hear more early stuff, particularly from the self-titled, Howl, and Baby 81.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, at a cost of €25.

Watch BRMC - 'Stop':

Live: Jamie Lidell, Biffy Clyro, Plan B at Oxegen

Some more bands were added to the Oxegen lineup today. There's something for everyone as a whole host of genres are covered. The highlights for me have to be Biffy Clyro (their album Only Revolutions was one of my favourites of 2009), Jamie Lidell (whose latest Compass is not as good as Multiply or Jim, but is still a decent album), and Delphic (who were listed in this year's BBC Sound of 2010 Poll)

Just added:
Chipmunk
Biffy Clyro
Plan B
Tinie Tempah
Dirty Projectors
Delphic
Gabriella Cilmi
Wild Beasts
Hudson Mohawke
Jamie Lidell
Alex Metric
The Capitols

Watch Jamie Lidell live in Dublin:

Live: Elvis Costello at Vicar Street

Legendary musician Elvis Costello returns to Ireland for a special one-off gig at Vicar Street this summer to promote his latest album Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. The show takes place on July 1st and should be amazing.

Anyone who's watching the excellent new David Simon show Treme may recognize him from a fantastic cameo in the first episode. If you haven't seen the show yet, I highly recommend it. So far, it's better than The Wire (yeah, I said it). No doubt you're looking for a new show in your life now that you've seen the LOST finale, right?

Tickets are on sale tomorrow at 9, and cost €55. It'll probably sell out rapidly too, so make sure to get in line early.

Watch 'I Just Don't Know What to Do':

Live: Gavin Glass at Whelan's

Gavin Glass is set to release his third album Myna Birds on Thursday, May 27th with a special launch party at Whelan's. Myna Birds is the follow-up to his well-received Gavin Glass and the Holy Shakers.

In between then and now, Glass also appeared on Lisa Hannigan's Sea Sew, as well as being part of her touring entourage. Luckily for us though, he's back with a new record. You may have already heard 'Ooh La La' from it, as it appeared on a recent Meteor ad.

Tickets for the launch show are on sale now and cost €15. Support on the night comes from I Draw Slow.

Live: Smash Hits at Tripod

I'm usually not one for promoting cover bands, but when a night is as whack (or whatever the coll kids said back then) as Smash Hits's amazing St. Patrick's Eve gig at Tripod, it needs to be promoted. They're back again with all your nineties classics. This time, they'll play TriPod on Friday June 18th. Tickets are €20 and are on sale now.

Expect to hear the likes of 'Ice Ice Baby', 'Don't You Know Pump It Up', 'Can't Touch This' and maybe even the Fresh Prince theme tune.

Here's the band featured in the Irish Times last weekend:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2010/0515/1224270111891.html

Watch Smash Hits - 'Gangsta's Paradise':

Live: Oxegen Hot Press Academy Tent Lineup

There may be just three weeks to go to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa (of which Matthew Upson won't be attending), but there's just seven weeks to go to the biggest musical festival of the year, Oxegen 2010.

Many people complained about the lack of Irish acts when the initial lineup was announced, but the announcement of the full lineup for the Hot Press Academy Stage should surely rectify that. As well as great foreign imports such as Julian Casablancas (of the Strokes), Laura Marling, Yeasayer and Kele Okereke (him from Bloc Party), there's plenty of homegrown artists due to appear. The highlights for me will be Conor O'Brien's Villagers, Cathy Davey, Wallis Bird, and O Emperor. Oh and I forgot to mention, old frogthroat-skeleton hands herself is playing, that's right Diana Vickers will be there!

Lineup:
JULIAN CASABLANCAS
ASH
CATHY DAVEY
WE ARE SCIENTISTS
KELE OKEREKE
VILLAGERS
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB
YEASAYER
LAURA MARLING
THE HIGH KINGS
WALLIS BIRD
FRIGHTENED RABBIT
MYSTERY JETS
3OH!3
SHED SEVEN
DIANA VICKERS
O EMPEROR
LISSIE
JOE ECHO
THE MIDDLE EAST
EXAMPLE
HURTS
MAYER HAWTHORNE
CHAPEL CLUB
DAISY DARES YOU

While you're at it, check out the brand new Oxegen website here:
www.oxegen.ie

Watch O Emperor 'Don't Mind Me':

Album News: The Walpurgis Family - Midsummer Party

Midsummer Party is the debut album from the bastard child of Groom, The Walpurgis Family. It's due for release this weekend with a special launch party at Bewley's Cafe Theatre on Friday, the 21st of May. Support for the release party comes from Jonny Fun and The... Hesitations and Mumblin' Deaf Ro.

The Walpurgis Family are made up of 3/5ths of Groom, and make equally melodic songs. Their press release compares them to Wilco and Yo La Tengo, and it's not half wrong. Midsummer Party is a lightning burst of an album, at only 27 minutes, it's full of quick fist-pounding tunes.

They'll also be playing Whelan's on June 19th as part of the Popical Island Collective.

Download:
The Walpurgis Family - 'Output One Two'
The Walpurgis Family - 'Lost in Public Transportation'

More info:
http://www.myspace.com/walpurgisfamily

Live: Beach House at Vicar Street

Beach House are due to return to Dublin to play a special one-off show at Vicar Street on November 22nd. They released their third album Teen Dream in January, so expect to hear a lot of songs from that one. Tickets are €26, and go on sale this Thursday.

Thanks to Jim Carroll for the heads up.

Watch Beach House 'Norway' live:

Download: Drive-By Truckers - Ray's Automatic Weapon

Drive-By Truckers pulled out a new song last week during a live show at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado. It's called 'Ray's Automatic Weapon', and according to frontman Patterson Hood, it has already been recorded in studio for the band's second album of the year, Go Go Boots. Download the song as an mp3 below, and then go have a listen to the full show.

1. Intro (Your Woman Is A Living Thing)
2. The Fourth Night of My Drinking
3. Three Dimes Down
4. Life in the Factory
5. Gravity's Gone
6. Ray's Automatic Weapon
7. Birthday Boy
8. Girls Who Smoke
9. Daddy Needs A Drink
10. A Ghost To Most
11. Home Field Advantage
12. Sink Hole
13. Uncle Frank
14. This Fucking Job
15. Get Downtown
16. (It's Gonna Be) I Told You So
17. Drag The Lake Charlie
18. Zip City
19. Ronnie and Neil
20. Road Cases
21. 72 (this highway's mean)
22. After The Scene Dies
23. Self Destructive Zones
24. Buttholeville > State Trooper
---
25. Encore Intro
26. Marry Me
27. Jay's Circus Intro > The Flying Wallendas
28. Hell No, I Ain't Happy
29. Shut Up and Get On The Plane
30. Let There Be Rock
31. Rockin' In The Free World

Download:
Drive-By Truckers - 'Ray's Automatic Weapon'

Full Show

Live: Dave Rawlings Machine at Belfast Open House Festival

Great news alt-country fans, the Dave Rawlings Machine are to make their Irish debut at the Open House Festival in Belfast on September 11th as part of the excellent Open House Festival. Tickets are £20 (no booking fees or extras) and are on sale now at the website below.

Support on the night comes from Old Crow Medicine Show. Oh, and today £20 = €23.27. Other acts set to appear at the festival include Seasick Steve, Wilco, the Felice Brothers, and Field Music.

Tickets/More info:
http://openhousefestival.com/

Watch Dave Rawlings Machine 'To Be Young':

Live: State.ie vs Richter Collective at the Mercantile

You know what the recession has been good for? Free gigs. You know what else is really great? State.ie. These days it's head and shoulders above Hot Press when it comes to music news, interviews, reviews, and insights. Great news is that they've teamed up with the Richter Collective to put on a free gig in the Mercantile (O'Brien's Bar) on Dame Street in Dublin tomorrow (Friday) night. It starts at 8.30, oh, and did I say, free in!

The three excellent bands playing on the night are:
Jogging
We Cut Corners
Enemies

It's going to be mega!

Watch We Cut Corners 'Go Easy':

Live: Herm at Whelan's

The brainchild of Kevin Connolly, the wonderfully eccentric Herm will be launching their new single 'Rearrange' at Whelan's in Dublin on Saturday, 22nd of May. There promises to be some special guests present on the night, so I'm really looking forward to it. Tickets cost just €8, and the gig starts at 8.30.

Herm recently remixed Talula Does the Hula's single 'Bad Boyfriend', and you can have a listen to it here:


While you're at it, have a look at Kevin's brilliant tour diary of when Herm visited London:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=205702307&blogId=532711916

Live: Jens Lekman at Whelan's

I saw Jens Lekman in Whelan's about two or three years back, when he was on tour promoting Night Falls Over Kortedela. It was a decent show, but nothing amazing. He was only accompanied by one band member, so hopefully this time he'll have a full backing band.

He'll be returning to the Wexford Street venue on Sunday, August 1st. Tickets cost €17.50 and are on sale now.

Watch Jens Lekman - 'A Little Lost' live in Whelan's:

Live: Cork XSW 2010

Fantastic lineup for this year's CorkXSW (based on the US SXSW), which takes place Saturday 31st of July in Skibberean, Co. Cork. So far ten acts have been confirmed, but there's sure to be more added to the lineup. It features some fantastic acts, both from here and abroad. Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Martha Wainwright, Mick Flannery, heck, all the acts on the bill are worth checking out.

Lineup:
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT
BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY
THE FRANK AND WALTERS
JOHN SPILLANE
MICK FLANNERY
HOTHOUSE FLOWERS
LUKA BLOOM
INTERFERENCE
JINX LENNON
FUTURE TRAD COLLECTIVE

Tickets are on sale now at a price of €55.

More info:
http://www.corkxsw.com/

Live: Ham Sandwich at Whelan's

A great homegrown gig this Saturday night sees Ham Sandwich play tunes from their new album including their fantastic single 'The Naturist'. The single is due out this Friday, the 14th, with the gig taking place on the 15th. The album itself hasn't gotten an official release date, but is called Natural Causes. Have a listen to 'The Naturist' below.

Tickets are €16, and are on sale now.

Live: The New Breed Launch Party at Tower Records

Tower Records is often host to a lot of great intimate gigs, many of which cost nothing at all to attend. One such one is this Friday's (rescheduled) launch of the excellent new compilation album The New Breed. Attending and playing the launch party at Tower Records this Friday, from 5 p.m. will be Ham Sandwich, The Minutes, The Ambience Affair, and Dark Room Notes. Each band is due to play three or four songs, so it's sure to be fantastic.

Here's a reminder of the tracklist for The New Breed:
DISC ONE
Two Door Cinema Club I Can Talk
CODES This is Goodbye
Dark Room Notes Love Like Nicotine
Messiah J and The Expert Turn The Magic On
Oliver Cole What will you do?
The Blizzards Fantasy
Fred Running
The Laundry Shop Highs and Lows
Delorentos S.E.C.R.E.T
Ham Sandwich St. Christopher
Republic of Loose Comeback Girl
Mick Flannery Tomorrows Paper
The Chapters Videotapes
The Minutes Ukraine
The Urges The Urges Theme
The Revellions Ain't no Fool
Crayonsmith Lost In The Forest
The Jimmy Cake Jettas Palace
Declan O'Rourke Galileo
Julie Feeney Myth
Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club Back To Before

DISC TWO
Le Galaxie We Bleed The Blood Of Androids
The Ambience Affair Devil In the Detail
Cathy Davey Moving
Halves Medals
Subplots Poltis
Halfset Work
Stellarsound Ft Paula Flynn Lets Dance
Roisin Murphy Overpowered
Patrick Kelleher Coat To Wear
Vyvienne Long They’re Not Waving
Lisa Hannigan Lille
Rarely Seen Above Ground Stick To Your Line
And So I Watch You From Afar These Riots Are Just the Beginning
BATS Credulous! Credulous!
Adebisi Shank You Me
Heathers Remember When
David Kitt It's Yours
Valerie Francis Slow Dynamo
The Coronas Grace Don’t Wait

Live: Jesse Malin at the Academy

Ryan Adam's protege (and fellow member of faux-punk band The Finger) Jesse Malin is to return to Dublin to play the Academy on US Independence Day, the 4th of July.

I saw Malin a few years ago at Witnness (I'm nearly sure it was the year before it became Oxegen) and he's a fantastic live performer. At that time he had only released his debut album, the excellent Fine Art of Self-Destruction, but since then he's worked with Bruce Springsteen, and has just released his new full-length Love It To Life with his backing band the Saint Marks Social.

Tickets for the Academy gig are €19 and are on sale now.

Watch 'Broken Radio' (ft. Bruce Spingsteen):

Live: Gorillaz at the O2

Damon Albarn and his band of merry men (Blur) headlined Oxegen last year, but his new thieves (you'd know Robin Hood is out this weekend with all my merry men references?), Gorillaz are set to appear at Dublin's O2 on Wednesday, 22nd of September as part of their Escape to Plastic Beach tour. It'll be their first ever Irish gig, and is sure to sell out pretty damn fast.

Tickets will cost €59.80, and go on sale Friday, 21st of May at 9 a.m. Good luck trying to get one before they sell out!

Watch Gorillaz 'Superfast Jellyfish' live:

Album News: RSAG - Be It Right or Wrong

Kilkenny's Jeremy Hickey is back with a new album. The follow-up to R.S.A.G.'s excellent 2008 record Organic Sampler is due June 11th. Rarely Seen Above Ground's second album will be called Be It Right or Wrong and is sure to be every bit as good as the Choice-nominated debut. Wonderful Irish music website State.ie has a stream of the first single 'The Roamer' which was given its first play by On the Record's Jim Carroll last night.

Tracklist:
1. BE IT RIGHT OR WRONG
2. BEFORE THEY MAKE YOU RUN
3. THE MESS WERE IN
4. THE ROAMER 5 MOVEMENT
6. THE BITTER SWING
7. HOTWIRE THE HEART
8. MERCY PLEA
9. HANGING ON A LIE
10. MAKE
11. ROOTS
12. TIME ON TRIAL

Upcoming dates:
Wed 16 June – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Thu 17 June – Dolan’s, Limerick
Fri 18 June – Roisin Dubh, Galway
Thu 24 June – The Academy, Dublin
Sat 26 June – Spirit Store, Dundalk

Stream:
RSAG - 'The Roamer'

Live: Eels, Fight Like Apes at Electric Picnic

Some more excellent acts were added to the Electric Picnic lineup today. Firstly there's Mister E and his marvellous Eels. Eels are one of the most consistent bands around, and regularly release fantastic albums, such as this year's End Times and last year's Hombre Loco. It'll be great to hear some of the material from those at Stradbally this September.

Also added are our very own Fight Like Apes, Friendly Fires, The Fall, Bonobo, Channel One, Stonaway, and Laurent Gardner.

It's sure to be a great weekend. It takes place 3rd-5th of September, with tickets at €240 on sale now.

Live: O Emperor in Whelan's

A little late to be mentioning this, but not too late, as O Emperor play a headline gig in Whelan's tomorrow night. It was the gig of the week on 98FM's Totally Irish, and rightfully so. It should be a fantastic night. Support comes from the Gorgeous Colours, as well as Walter Mitty and the Realists.

If you have nothing else planned (i.e. if you're not staying in to watch the UK Election Results), then pop down to Whelan's around 8ish. Tickets are €15, and are on sale now.

Watch O Emperor on BalconyTV:

Live: James Vincent McMorrow Irish Tour

I had already announced James Vincent McMorrow's headline date at Whelan's, but the brilliant upcoming singer-songwriter has announced a lot of new dates around the country for the month of June.

Tour Dates:
Wed 9th June: THE PAVILION, Cork
Thurs 10th June: SPIRIT STORE, Dundalk
Fri 11th June: ROISIN DUBH, Galway
Thurs 17th June: WHELAN'S, Dublin
Fri 18th June: THE SKY & THE GROUND, Wexford
Sat 19th June: INEC (Acoustic Room), Kerry

Tickets for all the shows are on sale now.

Watch James Vincent McMorrow 'I Will Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree':

Live: Supertramp at the O2

"Give a little bit, give a little bit of your time to me..." Legendary prog-rockers Supertramp will be marking their fortieth anniversary with a European tour, including a date at Dublin's O2. They'll be playing here on October 8th. They haven't released an album since 2002, and aren't recording anything new as far as I know. Thus you should expect to hear all the hits, including the wacky 'Breakfast in America'.

Tickets for the show are priced from €44 and go on sale this Friday.

Watch Supertramp 'Breakfast in America':

Live: Brendan Benson at Whelan's

Raconteur and wonderful solo artist Brendan Benson has announced another Irish date for 2010. He'll be playing Whelan's in Dublin on October 1st. Benson released his latest solo album My Old Familiar Friend last year, and has been touring it extensively. Hopefully though we'll get to hear some songs from 1996 debut One Mississippi when he appears in Ireland again.

Tickets for the gig are €17.50 and will go on sale on Monday.

Watch Brendan Benson 'Crosseyed':

Live: Jason Derulo at the Academy

JASON DERULO! Sorry, had to get that out of the way. Every time I hear his name, I get that stuck in my head. Just the start of his single where he sings his own name ('Whatcha Say'). Anyhow, on with the show. He will be playing Dublin's Academy on Thursday, August 26th.

It's an over-14s gig, with tickets priced at a reasonable €25. They go on sale next Friday, the 30th, at 9.

Watch 'Whatcha Say/In My Head' live on American Idol:

Live: Santana at the O2

Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana has just been announced for the O2 in Dublin. He last played Ireland at Marlay Park back in 2002. My art teacher in secondary school will be delighted to hear that the Carlos Santana Universal Tone Europe Tour 2010 kicks off on September 29th in Dublin.

Tickets for the O2 show go on sale next Thursday (the 29th), and cost from €60.55.

Watch Santana's 'Exodus' with the Dave Matthews Band:

Live: Josh Ritter at the Iveagh Gardens

After the announcement that American singer-songwriter Tori Amos is set to appear at the Iveagh Gardens this summer, honourary Irishman Josh Ritter has been added to the summer festivities. He'll be playing the Iveagh Gardens on July 18th. I might be going to see Ritter as part of the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival (check out the full lineup here), and must say he is a fantastic talent. He's promoting his new album So Runs the World Away at the moment. The album itself is due out this weekend.

Tickets for Ritter's show cost €38, and are on sale from this Friday.

Watch Josh Ritter 'Kathleen' live in Dublin:

Live: Red Bull Music Academy at Oxegen

There have been many more acts announced for the Red Bull Music Academy at this year's Oxegen festival. Broken Social Scene had already been listed as due to perform, but now we have a whole host of great acts over the three days in Punchestown. The Drums, Delphic, Dirty Projectors, and Jamie Lidell are bound to be amazing. Who needs other stages?

Lineup:
THE DRUMS
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
DELPHIC
DIRTY PROJECTORS
GABRIELLA CILMI
CHIPMUNK
TINIE TEMPAH
WILD BEASTS
HUDSON MOHAWKE
LOCAL NATIVES
JAMIE LIDELL
ALEX METRIC
NEON INDIAN
THE CAPITALS

Tickets for Oxegen are on sale now. It takes place from the 9th to the 11th of July.

Watch Jamie Lidell live:

Live: Tori Amos at the Iveagh Gardens

Pop legend Tori Amos has announced a one-off Irish gig at the Ivegah Gardens this summer. Her last tour was the Sinful Attraction Tour, and although played many European dates, she didn't play any in Ireland. Her most recent proper album Abnormally Attracted to Sin (Midwinter Graces was only a seasonal Christmas release) was a top twenty album here, so she's sure to have many fans in attendance this summer.

She'll be playing in Dublin on July 16th, with tickets priced €45 on sale this Thursday.

Watch Tori with Damien Rice:

Live: Feeder at the Academy

Feeder, one of my favourite bands as a teen (thank you Gran Turismo 1 Soundtrack), are returning to Ireland to play an intimate gig at the Academy. They're currently playing new music live, so expect to hear new songs as well as classic ones this summer.

They'll follow that up with the Academy show on August 19th, with tickets costing €30 on sale this Friday.

Watch Feeder live at Oxegen:

Live: James Vincent McMorrow at Whelan's

After a string of dates around the country, as well as his support of Rain Machine this weekend, James Vincent McMorrow has announced a headline gig at Whelan's this June. The excellent singer-songwriter (who I ranked #3 in the 50 Best Irish Acts Today) released his self-titled debut album to great acclaim last month.

He'll be playing Whelan's on June 17th, with tickets priced €13.50 on sale tomorrow.

Watch JVMcM on the View:

Live: The Minutes at the Academy

Dublin rock trio the Minutes have announced a single launch party to end their Irish tour. They'll be playing a few dates in Dublin, as well as in Cork, Waterford, and Belfast, before returning to Dublin to play the Academy on the 13th of May. Tickets for the Academy gig are €10, and go on sale tomorrow.

The new single is called 'Secret History', and will be released May 14th. Their ten song album, Marcata, is due this summer, so this should be a nice teaser for it. Stream the tune below.

Upcoming tour dates:
April 23rd - The Button Factory , Dublin 8.30pm
April 24th - Psycho Fest @ Twisted pepper , Dublin 11.00pm
5th May - Skinny Love Club @ Auntie Annies , Belfast 8.30pm
6th May - Crane Lane Theatre , Cork MIDNIGHT
7th May - Electric Ave , Waterford 9.00pm
13th May - 'SECRET HISTORY' Launch @ Academy 2 , Dublin 8.00pm

Stream 'Secret History':


More info:
http://www.myspace.com/theminutesireland

Live: Codes at the Academy

Dublin band CODES have announced a matinee all-ages gig at the Academy this summer to cater to their younger fans. The press-release calls it an "intimate all-ages gig", which I think may have been a little bit of an oversight. Still though, the concert on June 26th should be a great gig for all involved.

Tickets are a bargain at €10 and go on sale this Friday.

Watch 'This is Goodbye' at the Forum, Waterford:

Live: Stevie Wonder at the O2

A few years back I was lucky enough to see James Brown at Oxegen. I was delighted to get the chance to see one of soul's legends live in concert. Then, the next year, he came back to the Main Stage and blew my socks off again (although I must say his Green Room performance the year before was better). Thus I'm delighted to hear that another legend will be returning to Ireland.

Stevie Wonder is set to play Dublin's O2 on June 24th. Amazingly the tickets aren't astronomically priced, with the most expensive seats costing €96.25 and standing at €65.70. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday at 9 a.m.

Watch 'Superstition' live on Sesame Street:

Live: Bray Jazz Festival 2010

I must admit that my knowledge of jazz isn't the best. I might throw on a Miles Davis or Bill Evans record now and then, and am partial to some Brad Mehldau, but apart from that I'm not really in the know when it comes to jazz. Thus I'm excited to be able to hear some new sounds at the 11th Annual Bray Jazz Festival, which takes place over the May Bank Holiday this year.

Bray Jazz Festival has more than just jazz though (it does have that - of the contemporary and improvised varieties especially), there's also world music, funk, electronic, and blues. Damn I love the blues. All About Jazz called the event "one of the very best small jazz festivals in Europe", and they are totally right.

This year there's set to be a tonne of artists from all around the globe - United States, Austria, Norway, Italy, Brazil, Senegal, Belgium, Argentina, Luxembourg and the UK.

More info/full lineup:
http://www.brayjazz.com/brayjazz/Main/Home.htm

Live: Lostprophets at the Academy

Welsh rockers Lostprophets are back with a new album. The Betrayed is their fourth record, and to promote it, they're touring around the UK and Ireland. They'll be playing an intimate show at Dublin's Academy on May 18th. Tickets went on sale this morning at a price of €25.

Watch 'Where We Belong' from the new album:

Live: CastlePalooza 2010 Lineup announced

The lineup for Offaly's Boutique Festival Castle Palooza was announced yesterday with some great acts set to appear. The biggest draw for the two day event is Mercury Rev, but among the local names highlights are Fionn Regan, Codes, James Vincent McMorrow, O Emperor, and the Cast of Cheers. However, the full lineup itself looks amazing.

The festival takes place the weekend of July 31st and August 1st. Tickets are on sale now at the price of €99, and it'll be attended by 3000 revellers this year rather than the usual 1000.

Lineup:
Mercury Rev
Fionn Regan
Wave Machines
Lonelady
Codes
Taylor McFerrin
Cashier No 9
Adebisi Shank
Tu-Ki
James Vincent McMorrow
O Emperor
Robotbik
Funeral Suits
The Cast Of Cheers
The Lowly Knights
Readers Wives
The Blue Choir
Sarsparilla
Yes Cadets
Nakatomi Towers

Live: Natalie Merchant at the Helix

10,000 Maniacs singer and wonderful solo artist Natalie Merchant will be stopping off in Ireland to promote her new studio album Leave Your Sleep (her first in eight years). The album comes out this Friday, while the gig is due to take place on June 1st.

Tickets cost €33.60 and go on sale this Friday.

Watch 'If No One Ever Marries Me':

Album Review: The Last Tycoons - Self-titled

Need a Rolling Stones kick? Mick Jagger not getting you up any more? Why not try Dublin's the Last Tycoons? Formed from the ruins of former band Porn Trauma, The Last Tycoons are a dirty, greasy, high-spirited rock band, sure to suit your needs.

Their debut album, The Last Tycoons was released on Good Friday and features the excellent single 'The Dry Law', which NME Radio described as "great narrative tinged country pop". The description doesn't apply to the whole record, which is somewhere nearer a cross between Beggar's Banquet and the Bad Seeds' The Boatman's Call than straight-up country pop.

It's a dirty rock album, with some fantastic story-driven tunes. Single 'The Dry Law' takes place in prohibition-era America. 'Not At All' is a National-esque tune featuring Strokesian vocals. The Last Tycoons pull their influences from everywhere, meaning that the album is a wonderful melting pot of melodies. 'Speed' is the song that really evokes memories of Mick Jagger, with it's dirty riff and growling vocals.

'The Dry Law' is a old-school pedal-steel driven tune, and although selected as the lead single, it's probably the album's weak point. The lyrics are good, but it lacks the grease of the other songs. Like 'Don't Let me Catch You', the song immediately after it. It wouldn't sound out of place on Beggar's Banquet and is a song that is sure to work perfectly in a live environment. It's easy to imagine a crowd of revellers singing along to the lines "I'm gonna keep movin and get drunker than I've ever been".

Many of the songs here are instantly memorable: 'Seven Days (Off the Road)' is a really catchy song with a lovely breakdown, 'Alaska Hotel' is a lovely piano-driven ballad. 'The Love Song' is another highlight. It's a wonderful narrative-driven song, like most of the album. Overall, this is a highly accomplished debut from a tremendous new Irish talent. Definitely one to watch for the future.

Tour dates:
11 April - Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
13 April - Ruby Sessions, Doyle's, Dublin
14 April - The Village, Dublin (Haiti Charity gig)
22 April - Roisin Dubh, Galway
23 April - The Ryston, Newbridge
24 April - Flanagans, Newbridge
30 April - Electric Avenue, Waterford
12 May - GB Shaw Theatre, Carlow

Live: Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival Lineup

Thanks to Peter at 2uibestow for reminding me to check out the full listings for the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival. There are some fantastic acts playing the last weekend of April at various venues all around the city, including Josh Ritter, Caitlin Rose, Joe Pug, James Vincent McMorrow, and most importantly (for me anyway), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

American/UK acts:
Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band
The Duke and The King
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
Jason & The Scorchers
The Band Of Heathens
Hot Club Of Cowtown
Chris Smither
Pete Molinari
Dex Romweber Duo
Joe Pug
Uncle Monk
Caitlin Rose
Elvis Fontenot & The Sugarbees

Irish acts:
James Vincent McMorrow
Clive Barnes
Ben Reel Band
Raglan Rodeo
The Rye
David Hope & The Henchmen
River Valley Band
Swingin' Blue Cats
Jezzebelle
Loudest Whisper
Rumbleshack
Tupelo
KJ McEvoy Band
TV Jones and The Tomahawks
Louisiana Joyride
Memphis Cats
Road Trouble
Niall Toner Band
The Sullivan Brothers
Beef Supreme

Check out the full line-up, as well as gig dates and ticket prices here:
http://www.kilkennyroots.com/gigs.asp

Live: MGMT at the Olympia Theatre

As part of their UK & Ireland tour to promote their eccentric new album Congratulations, MGMT will return to Ireland to play the Olympia Theatre. They'll be performing tunes from the new album, as well as favourites from the first ('Kids', 'Time to Pretend', and all those hits you climbed scaffolding in Oxegen to see) on September 16th.

As of now, there's no dates pencilled in for the following three nights, so if this sells out quickly, I wouldn't rule out a second night. Don't quote me on that though, if you really want to go - tickets are on sale next Friday, the 9th of April, and cost €30.

If you didn't see them at Oxegen, here's what you missed:

Live: Laura Marling, Dizzee at Oxegen 2010

Some more acts to the ever-expanding Oxegen 2010 lineup today, the highlights of which have to be Dizzee Rascal, Laura Marling, the Stranglers, and him from the Strokes - Julian Casablancas. They were announced on the Paul McLoone show on Today FM earlier today.

New additions:
The Black Keys
Dizzee Rascal
Julian Casablancas
Laura Marling
Jamie T
Groove Armada
The Cribs
The Stranglers
Fox Avenue
Chase & Status
Earth, Wind & Fire

Weekend tickets cost €240 and are on sale now. It'll be definitely worth it.

Live: Lisa Hannigan at Whelan's

The 40th Anniversary of International Earth Day takes place on April 22nd, and to celebrate, Whelan's will be marking the night with a one-off concert. It's due to feature some excellent names, with Our Little Secrets, The Ambience Affair, Gavin Glass, Roesy, and Mundy on the bill. The whole thing is to be headlined by Lisa Hannigan.

No info on ticket prices yet, but I'll let you know.

Watch 'Lille' live:

Live: Kele Okereke at the Academy

In advance of his upcoming solo album, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke will play a series of Irish dates in May. Hopefully they go down better than the first time I saw them at Oxegen, when he said he was "delighted to be back in the UK". :D He'll be playing Limerick, Cork, and Belfast, as well as the Academy in Dublin.

Tickets for Kele's solo dates go on sale on Wednesday.

Friday 14th May – Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick
Saturday 15th May – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Sunday 16th May – The Academy, Dublin
Monday 17th May – Spring & Airbrake, Belfast

Watch 'Helicopter' live on Jools Holland:

Live: I Draw Slow at the Sugar Club

One of Ireland's finest alt-country bands, I Draw Slow, will be playing the Sugar Club this weekend. The Dublin five-piece are currently working on the follow-up to their splendid debut Downside, which will be released later this year.

The gig is on Sunday, April 4th at 8 p.m. Admission is €12. If you don't have any other plans for Easter Sunday night, I suggest you head on over. They're definitely one to watch for the future.

Watch 'Goldmine' live:

Live: Blink 182 at the O2

Pop-punk pioneers (although that was in the press release, I had to use it here, I love alliteration) Blink-182 are back from hiatus and will play Dublin's O2 as part of their comeback tour. They're due to play the revamped Point Theatre on August 13th. They last played Dublin in 2005, at the old Point Theatre, and are back from retirement to make a new album and play worldwide.

Tickets are both €44.20 for seating and standing. They go on sale this Thursday (April 1st) at 9 a.m. They'll probably sell out quick enough, so I'd advise you to get your ticket as soon as possible. Blink 182 always put on a great show, and are one of the most entertaining live bands around.

Watch Blink-182 'All the Small Things':

Live: Bonnie Prince Billy at Whelan's

Will Oldham, also known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy will be playing Whelan's in Dublin along with the Cairo Gang on June 28th. The Bonnie Prince will be in town to promote his new album For the Wonder Show of the World. This new album is a much more stripped down album than his previous record, Beware, but stands strongly beside everything else in his catalogue.

Tickets cost €29 and are on sale now.

Watch 'I Am Goodbye' from Beware:

Live: Duke Special Nationwide Tour

Duke Special is returning with a special live show The Silent World of Hector Mann & Songs from Mother Courage, which is stopping at theatres all over the country. I won't attempt to explain the show itself, as the press release does a much better job than I could (plus I haven't seen Duke in action on this tour, so haven't yet experienced it myself).

"The Silent World of Hector Mann celebrates a much overlooked treasure of the silent film era. The Duke will whisk audiences away on a magical mystery tour of train tracks, tramps, romance and violins, the silent world of Hector Mann, who only managed to make twelve silent movies before his mysterious disappearance in the late 1920’s. Duke Special and his band will present an evening of songs especially written for each of these twelve near-forgotten silent screen gems, combining celluloid and vinyl, spoken words and musical yarns, bringing to life the beautiful and sinister world of the legendary Hector Mann. Songs from Mother Courage will feature music from the new production of the Bertolt Brecht anti-war classic Mother Courage & Her Children, which ran at the National Theatre in London, and featured Duke Special and his band alongside award winning actress Fiona Shaw."

There's plenty of dates all around the country, so make sure you catch this show while you can. No doubt Duke will be moving onto totally different things when it's over. The big finale comes at Tripod on June 11th. Going to be an amazing night, no doubt.

Tour dates:
Thursday May 27 An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Friday May 28 Strule Arts Centre, Omagh, Co. Tyrone
Saturday May 29 Black Box Theatre, Galway
Sunday May 30 The Set Theatre, Kilkenny
Tuesday June 1 The Riverbank Theatre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare
Wednesday June 2 Glór Theatre, Ennis, Co. Clare
Thursday June 3 Theatre Royal, Waterford
Friday June 4 Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick
Saturday June 5 The School of Music, Cork
Sunday June 6 The Model Theatre, Sligo
Tuesday June 8 Backstage Theatre, Longford
Wednesday June 9 Waterfront Studio, Belfast
Friday June 11 Tripod, Dublin

Live: Electric Picnic 2010 Lineup

The initial lineup for this year's Electric Picnic has been announced. It's a very pleasant alternative to Oxegen, with many legendary faces due to appear at Stradbally, Co. Laois from the 3rd to the 5th of September.

The main trio are Roxy Music, Leftfield, and Massive Attack. Very dancy headliners compared to Oxegen's hip-hop flavour for 2010. It'll be great to see Bryan Ferry and co on the main stage, as well as the return of Leftfield after a decade away from the limelight. Massive Attack are also a fantastic live band, and will be promoting their latest album Heligoland.

There's tonnes of other fantastic acts playing, including some local favourites: the Frames, Imelda May, Paul Brady, the Villagers, Messiah J and the Expert, as well as Choice Music Prize winner Adrian Crowley.

Full Lineup so far:
ROXY MUSIC; LEFTFIELD; MASSIVE ATTACK; LCD SOUNDSYSTEM; THE FRAMES; PUBLIC IMAGE LTD; THE NATIONAL; MUMFORD &SONS; SEASICK STEVE; MODEST MOUSE; HOT CHIP; GIL SCOTT HERON; FEVER RAY; JONSI (SIGUR ROS); FAT FREDDYS DROP; BAD LIEUTENANT; CRYSTAL CASTLES; AFRO CELT SOUNDSYSTEM; BOOKASHADE; BLOODY BEETROOTS DEATH CREW77; STEVE EARLE; BEACH HOUSE; THE BIG PINK; LOW ANTHEM; REDNECK MANIFESTO; THE HORRORS; MONOTONIX; LIQUID LIQUID; HERE WE GO MAGIC; FIELD MUSIC; CYMANDE; MESSIAH J & THE EXPERT; DUBLIN GOSPEL CHOIR; CARIBOU; ADRIAN CROWLEY; VILLAGERS; NEW PORNOGRAPHERS; BEAKESTRA & CHALIE 2 NA; MR SCRUFF; MEMORY TAPES; AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED...

Live: Peter Green at the Olympia

Fleetwood Mac co-founder and guitar legend Peter Green returns to Ireland on May 16th. After selling out the Academy last year (and being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), he'll perform at the Olympia Theatre this summer. Green was ranked #38 in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists Ever, and is known for replacing Eric Clapton in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, as well as writing some of Fleetwood Mac's greatest tunes: 'Albatross', 'Black Magic Woman', and 'Man of the World'.

Tickets priced €33 are on sale now.

Watch Peter in action on 'World Keeps Turning':

Live: Tegan and Sara at the Olympia

If I'm being truthful, I'll tell you my first real introduction to Tegan & Sara was via Grey's Anatomy. A few of their songs from So Jealous were used on the soundtracks to season one and two. Then I got some of their albums and have loved them since.

Thus their June 15th appearance at the Olympia Theatre will be a great chance to catch them live. Plus, the tickets aren't too bad at €22 each. They go on sale this Friday.

Watch 'You Wouldn't Like Me' live:

Live: Hurts at Whelan's

After coming fourth in BBC's Sound of 2010 poll, Hurts are set to touch down in Dublin to play their first ever Irish date. They'll be playing Whelan's on May 20th. Tickets are €14.45 and are on sale now.

In case you haven't heard them, they've really taken on the sound of the 80s, and are a retro synth duo from London. Which is so much cooler than it sounds. Trust me. Have a listen to the live version of 'Blood, Tears & Gold' to see what I mean...

Watch Hurts - 'Blood, Tears & Gold':

Live: Band of Horses at the Academy

Band of Horses are set to release their new album Infinite Arms on May 17th, and to promote it, they'll be playing an intimate gig at Dublin's Academy on June 4th. Expect to hear songs from that new record as well as some old favourites. Hopefully we'll get a chance to hear their fantastic tune 'The Funeral' this summer.

Tickets are €27.50 and go on sale this Friday.

Watch Band of Horses - 'The Funeral':

Live: The Jimmy Cake at Whelan's

The Jimmy Cake return to Whelan's this Saturday night to play some new material and celebrate 10 years in business. They're set to record and release a new album this summer, and if it's any way near as good as 2008's Spectre and Crown, it'll be a fine album indeed. So to get the chance to hear some of the new songs before they are committed to record will be a fine one.

Tickets for the show (tomorrow, Saturday 20th of March) are still on sale and cost a mere €12. What else could you get for that price these days?

Watch the Jimmy Cake in Whelan's, back in 2004:

Live: Wallis Bird at the Academy

Meteor Award Winner Wallis Bird will play her first headline show since being proclaimed Best Irish Female last month. She'll perform tunes from her latest album New Boots, as well as some old favourites. Her latest single is the really catchy 'LaLa Land', showcasing her talents as one of Ireland's best young acts.

Tickets for the Academy show are €19.50, and are on sale now.

Watch 'A Idea About Mary' live in Germany:

Live: No Fools Day at Boyle's

Peter who runs the excellent Irish music blog (which should've made the shortlist for the 2010 Blog Awards) 2UIBestow has organised a super special Live at Boyle's night to raise money for Haiti.

It takes place at Boyle's in Slane, Co. Meath on April 1st, and features music from Fiach, The Dirty 9s, Murphy's Law, as well as some international flavour from Danish band Mama's Sadness.

The show starts at 9 p.m., and there will be collections and raffles throughout the night - some great music too! All proceeds go to the Haven Partnership.

Live: Cut Copy at the Button Factory

Australian synth-poppers Cut Copy are set to return to Ireland for the first time in two years. They last played here in 2008 at the Village, and fans can get another chance to see them in the Button Factory on the 20th of July this year. Tickets will probably sell out pretty quickly, as their show at the Village was a total sell-out.

Their last album was 2008's In Ghost Colors, but since that came four years after their debut, they don't seem in any rush to go back to the studio to make the follow-up. However, you should still expect to hear a new song or two this summer.

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, and cost €22.50.

Watch Cut Copy - 'Lights and Music':

Live: Kate Walsh at Whelan's

Fantastic UK singer-songwriter Kate Walsh is returning for a headline show at the end of the month. She had been supporting Mick Flannery around the country (the two performed an amazing duet, 'Christmas Past'), but returns with her own name atop the bill for a gig in Whelan's on March 26th.

You may also have caught her on the Late Late Show, where she played single '1,000 Bees' from her recent album Light & Dark.

Tickets for the show are €15 and are on sale now. Support on the night comes from Colm Lynch.