Setlist: Jason Isbell, Kilkenny, 30 April 2010

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit played a stormer at the Set Theatre, Kilkenny as part of the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival last night. Expect a full review on the blog tomorrow.

Setlist:
Soldiers Get Strange
Streetlights
The Magiciain
Goddamn Lonely Love
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
The Blue
Danko/Manuel
Never Gonna Change
Chicago Promenade
Outfit
Instrumental (think it's called Believing, Jason introduced it as a New Orleans cover)
Decoration Day
---
The Assassin
Dress Blues
Try

Watch 'The Magician' live in Kilkenny:


Watch 'Outfit' live in Kilkenny:

List: Top 5 Richie Kavanagh Tracks

RIP Gerry Ryan. A legend of a broadcaster. However, I'm not going to merely post a "news" story of his death in order to get some quick traffic and increase my hits, instead I'm going to do a tribute to the late RTE DJ and TV presenter by making a list of the top five Richie Kavanagh tracks. There was probably no greater defender of Richie's brand of Irish music than Gerry. Have a listen to the wonderful comedy on 'Mobile Phone': "Is that Fenagh 2222?"

5. 'My Granny Was a Plucker'


4. 'Mobile Phone':


3. 'A Ride on a Tractor':


2. 'Stay Wut Her Johnny'


1. 'Aon Focal Eile':

Album Review: O Emperor - Reverie EP

What's that bit in 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay' that everybody loves? Yeah, the whistling. Whistle that one anywhere, and it's bound to get another few joining in for the chorus. It's almost like imagining yourself sitting high on a girder overlooking New York City in the 20s with your hod on your back.

The opening track ('Don't Mind Me') of O Emperor's debut EP Reverie has a similar moment when the whistling kicks in. It's instantly embracing, and lets you know you're on to a winner. O Emperor have release this little four track EP, but all the songs are winners.

They are radio-friendly to the extreme, but never cheesy. These five Waterford guys know how to craft melody and great hooks. 'Ghost of My Heart' is a floaty, almost ethereal tune, but tones it down before it gets a chance to go out of control. It's much more varied and introspective than many songs you hear on radio, but at the same time, wouldn't appear out of place in a Top 40 Countdown.

They played the New Band Stage at Oxegen last year, and are destined for bigger things. 'Devil Don't Dance' has a Spanish flair, which will enchant listeners outside of Ireland. 'It Only Comes to Pass' has a totally different feel to the other tunes, much more gritty and acoustic. It's a great song, and one that fits in perfectly with the Irish singer-songwriter mode many of us are used to.

Immediately impressive, O Emperor have created an astonishing debut, and one which will stay on record players long after the summer ends.

An Open Letter to Ministers Hanifan, Ryan, Mansergh

Dear Minister Hanifan, Minsiter Mansergh, and Minister Ryan,

Earlier this week, many Irish music bloggers were contacted by a representative of the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) with regards to the payment of a "Limited Online Exploitation Licence". These online writers are being asked to pay an annual licence fee to host legal downloads of freely available songs and mp3s.

This would not be an important issue if it were not for the fact that these songs have been provided free of charge from the artist, record company, label, or through a PR firm. Each music blogger has the full written permission to host the tracks, evidence of which can be easily provided. However, IMRO have demanded a yearly fee from these bloggers, of which the large majority make no profit whatsoever from their hobby.

It is not the price of the fee that is the problem, but merely the fact that such a fee exists. In the twenty-first century music blogs are doing as much if not more to promote indigenous Irish music than any other media source, and this blatant racketeering from IMRO would surely see the demise of a large percentage of this online community.

The bands and labels have offered their music in good faith, in hope that such samples will lead to sales. Now IMRO wants to charge the people who make the music legally available to the public through this licence fee. The artists themselves disagree with the imposition of such a charge, as they have already waived the right to any royalties from a particular track being hosted freely online.

Ministers, I am calling on you to investigate this outrageous profiteering from IMRO, which will only serve to assist in the demise of the native music industry in this country. What IMRO are trying to do is unacceptable, and this unjust fee must not be allowed to be imposed.

Your input on this matter is needed. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Ronan Hunt-Murphy
(Music Blogger)

EDIT: Reply received from the office of Minister Martin Ryan on 12th May:

Dear Mr Hunt-Murphy

As this is a matter regarding copyright, I have forwarded your email
onto the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation who has
responsibility in this matter and will respond directly to you.


Yours sincerely,

Colm O'Conaill
Private Secretary

EDIT: Received 14 May from the Dept. of Enterprise, Trade, and Innovation

Dear Mr Hunt-Murphy

Your e-mail of 30 April addressed to Minister Hanafin, Minister Mansergh and Minister Ryan in relation to IMRO online music licences was forwarded to the Intellectual Property Unit of this Department (Enterprise, Trade and Innovation) which deals with matters arising under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000.

I should point out that, while the Department may be able to assist with general information in such matters, it is not in a position to provide advice in individual cases. If you are contemplating any action with legal consequences, it is recommended that you seek the professional advice of an appropriate legal practitioner.

As a music blogger, you will be aware that copyright in music exists in many layers. For instance, in a song, very broadly, the composer of the music owns the copyright in the music, the lyricist owns the copyright in the words, the record producer owns the copyright in the sound recording and the performer owns the rights in the performance. There may be many more different types of copyright involved particularly if art work, typographical arrangements etc are used in CD covers etc.

Each person who owns copyright in whatever aspect of the music work has legal rights. These include copying, making the work available to the public, reproduction, rental and lending, distribution etc. Because copyright is a property right, it is transmissible either wholly or in part, by assignment, by testamentary disposition or by operation of law, as personal or moveable property.

We understand that IMRO/MCPSI license rights (making available/ public performance and reproduction) that have been assigned to them by composers, among others. The contractual terms of these assignments would be a private matter between the two parties. Thus, it could happen that a composer, lyricist, publisher, etc., may no longer retain their right to allow their own tracks to be downloaded to a site – if they had already transferred this right to another party.

The legal rights arising from copyright in a work are exclusive rights. However, there are some exceptions. These are set out in the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 in Chapter 6. One such exception (Section 51) allows that Fair Dealing with a work for the purposes of criticism or review of that or another work or of a performance of a work shall not infringe any copyright in the work where the criticism or review is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement. Legal advice should be sought in relation to such exceptions.

I trust the above general information is of use.

Yours sincerely

Florence Kelly
Intellectual Property Unit
Dept Enterprise, Trade and Innovation

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':

Watch: Ryan Bingham - Hallelujah

You'd think at this stage, people would stop writing songs called 'Hallelujah'. Everyone just expects it to be a Leonard Cohen cover that won't be as good as Jeff Buckley's. Yet loads of artists still go on using that title. The latest of which is Ryan Bingham, who won the Best Song Oscar this year (Glen Hansard won the year before last remember?) for 'The Weary Kind' from Crazy Heart. His new album is being produced by T-Bone Burnett, who co-wrote and performed that Oscar winning song with him. There's no release date for it yet, but we might expect it later this year.

Watch Ryan Bingham 'Hallelujah':

Setlist: Jedward, Vicar Street, 25 April 2010

This is the same setlist as for all Jedward's other Irish (and UK) shows. It takes a lot of effort to put on a show this amazing you know? There's only a few dates left, so if you didn't make it to one of their many shows around the country, you can catch them this week at Dublin, Limerick, or Galway. When that's over, I'm sure you can go see Crystal Swing. Just as good as X Factor's John and Edward Grimes, right?

Setlist:
1. I Gotta Feeling (by the Black Eyed Peas)
2. Rock DJ (by Robbie Williams)
3. Oops!... I Did It Again (by Britney Spears)
4. SOS (by the Jonas Brothers)
5. Break My Stride (by Matthew Wilder)
6. We Will Rock You (by Five)
7. Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (by Queen/Vanilla Ice)
8. Shake It (by Metro Station)
9. I'm Your Man (by Wham!)
10. Jump by Kriss Kross
11. Pop Muzik (by M)
12. I Want Candy (bt the Strangeloves)
13. Jump Around (by House of Pain)
14. All the Small Things (by Blink-182)
15. Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye) (by the Bay City Rollers)
---
16. Ghostbusters (by Ray Parker)
17. Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (by Queen/Vanilla Ice)

Watch Jedward 'Under Pressure/Ice Ice Baby' at Vicar Street:

Album Review: Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

What's the best thing about the fact Lady Antebellum are releasing their second album Need You Now this Friday in Europe? The fact that it was only released two months ago in the States, making it eligible for my Year End Best of list. I'm not going to hide my love of this album at the start of a review. I love it. It's a gorgeous record, and will probably end up being one of my top ten albums of the year.

American country doesn't get enough credit over here. Just look at the 2009 Country Music Association Awards. Of the winners, the only one most people over here would've heard is Taylor Swift. Even the runaway success of the last decade, Carrie Underwood, is little known on this side of the Atlantic. Lady Antebellum won Best newcomer at the 2008 ceremony, and followed that up by winning Vocal Group of the Year.

And that's what Need You Now has in spades: gorgeous vocals, combined with wonderful melody. The harmonies between Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott are incredible. Opener and title track 'Need You Now' will probably end up being my song of the year. I can't get it off repeat. It's marvellous. The chorus is amazing, we've all felt it: "It's a quarter after one / I'm all alone / And I need you now / And I said I wouldn't call / But I'm a little drunk / And I need you now". Song of the Year? Definitely.

But they're not just a one-trick pony. The rest of the album is fantastic too, 'American Honey' is the second single from the album, and is just as sweet and tasty as the title suggests, and just sticks in your head (sorry, couldn't resist the pun). The Dave Haywood-led songs are damn good too: 'Our Kind of Love' is a big highlight. 'If I Knew Then' is a lovely slower tune, and shows the band's all-round ability.

This is a feel great album: 'Stars Tonight' has one of those infectious upbeat chorus with a real toe-tapping beat. 'Hello World' and 'Perfect Day' are a fantastic one-two punch of catchy country numbers, with the latter a real standout.

Another good thing about Lady Antebellum is that they write the songs themselves - unlike than their main competitors Gloriana, whose debut is over-produced by Matt Serletic. Although this album is heavily polished, it never overburdens the songs. It's just enough to be a wonderful crossover hit.

The best pop-country album of 2010? Definitely. And you know what? It's probably the best pop album of the year too. Wonderful.

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':

Watch: M.I.A. - Born Free

M.I.A. is set to release her third album in June, with lead single 'Born Free' leaked to the internet last week. Following the leak, M.I.A. released the official version of the tune, and now there's a NSFW video. The song samples Suicide's 'Ghost Rider' and the video is directed by Romain Gavras.

Watch MIA 'Born Free':

Download: Mumford and Sons - Oxford Arts Centre, Sydney Bootleg

Mumford and Sons played a few shows in Australia to support their debut album Sigh No More, including this one at the Oxford Arts Centre in Sydney.

Thanks to JJJ for the show.

Setlist:
1. Sigh No More
2. Awake My Soul
3. Timshel
4. White Blank Page
5. Little Lion Man
6. The Cave
7. I Gave You All
8. Roll Away Your Stone
9. Dust Bowl Dance

Download:
Full Show

Watch 'Roll Away Your Stone':