That’s right, yes indeed, while there may be a veritable articulated truck-load of radio stations already populating the Irish FM and digital airwaves, vying for the attention of your poor, confused and battered ears, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for one more… does it?
It’s that time of year again, the same old – mostly dire – collection of Christmas songs being played to death on the radio. What we really need is some reworking of these tired old tunes by some of those who made headlines in 2012… 1. Crystal Harris – All I Want For Christmas Is Hugh (Original by Mariah Carey) Or to give it its full title “All I Want For Christmas Is Hugh…Hefner’s Fortune”. It’s easy to make fun of the 86 year old’s planned marriage to someone 60 (SIXTY) years his junior….which is probably why so many media outlets have done just that. The old “So Debbie Magee, what first attracted you to millionaire Paul Daniels?” chestnut certainly springs to mind. Each new fiancée must feel like a slot on a roulette wheel, hoping Hef pops his clogs just after they tie the knot. All that being said, … There’s more
As we come to the cold end of a very hectic year, a few of us are looking back over the highlight of our Summer season – anyone who has read culch regularly will know how much we loved Spirit of Folk. It’s a small festival with a big heart and, this year they managed to keep the same atmosphere and sense of community amongst the festival goers. Anto, Peter and Brian, who were there last year, were joined by Blots, Darren, Elly, Phillip and Sarah so this post will contain contributions from a few of us. A SOFF megapost if you will. Anto: I’d been in two minds about attending SOF last year. I didn’t know a lot about it and I wasn’t really up for a weekend of camping. In hindsight, I’m so glad I went and I’d been looking forward to the second year for months. This … There’s more
It’s that time of year again… Christmas FM, the hugely popular Christmas music themed radio station which raises thousands of euros for charity every year is returning for another run this year – and this year they’re covering more of the country than ever before! New Culch.ie writer Niall O’Keeffe (that’s me!) will be presenting on the station (starting tonight!), which is based in the O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel in Dublin city centre and can be heard on FM in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Kildare and the South-East region as well as online via the web site & smartphone apps. This year, it’s sponsored by the EBS and Clothing.ie and will feature over 60 radio stars who are once again giving their time for free in order to help out a great cause – ISPCC Childline. Those presenting shows include old favourites such as Mike Moloney and Gerry Wilson, Keith Shanley and … There’s more
*** Congratualtions to Laura Carroll *** *** who has won a pair of tickets to tonight’s show *** I‘ve said it many times before and I’m sure I’ll repeat it again and again – Jack L is incredible. He is my favourite Irish singer and I could listen to him forever. In his latest show, The 27 Club, the work of iconic artists such as Janis Joplin, The Doors, Robert Johnson, The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Echo & The Bunnymen, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana are interpreted. Few musicians set out to become legends, even fewer succeed. Yet by any standard musicians like Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobain are legendary. Each left behind a lasting musical legacy, with songs that freeze forever a moment in time, speak for a generation, or simply give voice to the grief and grace of the human heart. In so many ways … There’s more
We live in a world where even the most minor celebrity ‘crisis’ is blown up out of all proportion. I recently spotted the cover of Heat, or some similar publication, fretting about Cheryl (Cole or Tweedy, whatever you’re having yourself) and her 3am dash to McDonalds. Viewed through any prism, Chan Marshall’s story is one of bona fide tragedy and turmoil. Marshall – Cat Power to you and me – has endured a tumultuous life for almost all of her forty years. She grew up with a family heavily immersed in alcoholism, while still living in her native Atlanta in the mid-1990s, her then-boyfriend died. This was the first of a number of setbacks for the some-time actress, model and charity worker. Drug and alcohol addiction and on-stage meltdowns followed. An achingly honest 2006 interview with Spin, done just after Marshall had emerged from a spell in a psychiatric ward, … There’s more
We’ve been gearing up for this for months and it’s only a few days to go now. Spirit of Folk, shortlisted in 2011 for ‘Best New Festival’ in the European Festival awards, returns this weekend (September 21st-23rd). Festival Organisers are eager to stress that the event is much more than your average music festival with an eccentric array of activities on offer all weekend to delight and entertain audiences. With Traditional Storytelling from Ireland’s best Seanachaí, Eddie Lenihan and Pat Speight, interactive Viking re-enactments, Falconry displays, Archery lessons, Battle Re-enactments and Wildlife Walks ran by the Wildlife Trust, Spirit of Folk promises to deliver to those seeking an alternative family weekend. Culch.ie’s own Peter Donegan will be giving a gardening talk on Saturday at 1.45pm so make sure to get along to that. Folk music enthusiasts will not be disappointed either, with Irish folk legends John Spillane, Tír na nÓg … There’s more
*** Competition Closed *** *** Winners: Caroline Kelly, Lisa Byrne and Stephen Lynch *** Say A Little Prayer, Walk On By, A House Is Not A Home, Deja Vu, Is This The Way To San Jose, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again…the woman is an absolute legend. I can’t wait to see her. Why don’t you join me? Culch.ie is giving away three pairs of tickets to see Dionne Warwick in Vicar Street tomorrow, Thursday 24th May. The five-time Grammy Award winning music legend is a cornerstone of American pop music and culture. Warwick’s career, which currently celebrates 50 years, has established her as an international music icon. She has earned more than sixty charted hit songs and sold over 100 million records across the world. The show will be a wonderful celebration of the music and life of a pop legend, a musical icon. Tickets for this concert are … There’s more
Storyfold have unveiled their latest music video for their brand new single ‘The Sweetest Silence’. Directed by Billy Keane, the video mixes film shot on location at World’s End Studios, Dublin and self-shot videos from the recording of their debut album at Modern World Studios in Tetbury, UK. The Sweetest Silence is the 4th single to be taken from ‘Rocket Science’ but the first to feature pianist Lindsey Hogan on lead vocals. The song was included in music blogger 2UIBestow’s ‘Best 10 Songs of 2011’. He said: From the first few seconds of this track you know this is a special tune. Lindsey’s lead vocals are delightful and work so well with Paddy’s backing vocals. This is a fantastic uplifting song that deserves to be played loud! The band also embarks on a mini Irish tour that includes headlining Whelan’s, Wexford Street this Friday, March 23rd. It will see the … There’s more
UPDATE: Tickets are now on sale for 24 hours at €50 for a weekend ticket. Get ‘em here. We raved about the Spirit of Folk festival last year so we’re giving you a heads up on this one. The 2012 festival takes place from 21st-23rd September and they’re hosting a fundraiser in Whelans on Thursday 29th March @ 7.30pm (tickets: €10). Weekend tickets for the festival will be available for €50 (24 hours only) and the folktastic lineup for the Whelans gig includes: The Hot Sprockets The Young Folk Bunoscionn and TRAZ There’ll also be a raffle with prizes from camping tickets to dinners for two in some fancy schmancy restaurants. You can read about 2011 festival here: Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3 and there’s tons more content here: Photos: Anto’s Flickr and Peter’s pix.ie account Audio: Peter’s audioboo account Video: Culch.ie’s Youtube and Peter’s Vimeo. I’ll update … There’s more
I chatted with Presidents of the United States of America’s drummer, Jason Finn about the band’s current tour. Culch.ie are also offering you the chance to win tickets to see the band in Vicar Street on St Patrick’s Day night. It’s easy to enter. There’s more
Want to win tickets to the Meteor Choice Music Prize live event this Thursday evening in the Olympia? AND a Sony Ericsson Live mobile phone? We have a competition for just that very prize on the current episode of The Format, and since it’s the last day to enter we pulled out the relevant bit of video to help the last few stragglers enter cos we’re just that nice. Watch the wee video below to get the question and email your answer and contact details to theformat@culch.ie. It’s closing this evening. Get on it. Thanks a million to the gang at Meteor for the deadly prize. Good luck!
A couple of months back, we were all very excited about Lana Del Rey. Oh, buzzin’ at the chops, we were. A doe-eyed meta-ingénue with big hair and cartoon lips, calling herself a “gangster Nancy Sinatra” and droning like an orgasmic swarm, she was hipster-fodder of the most wonderful composition. And then there was Video Games, her gorgeously retro launch song, which was accompanied by a video that looked home-made and augmented her ethereal growls so beautifully, the entire effect was nigh-on creepy. Lana Del Rey was perfect. But, like everything that the cool kids enjoy, she had to be torn down and picked apart by the cooler kids. What they discovered was that Lana Del Rey’s real name… wasn’t Lana Del Rey. That, far from being a bedroom dreamer who spliced together her own music videos from footage she kept on projector rotation, she was… a professional artist. With … There’s more
If you’re a regular reader of Culch then you’ll know what an amazing time myself (Anto), Peter Donegan and Brian Greene had at Spirit of Folk 2011 (Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3 posts). It was a brilliant weekend from start to finish and brought together some amazing acts and people. 2012 is set to be bigger and the guys have just put out a call for band submissions. As they say themselves: We’re looking for folk music in the broadest sense. We’re looking for American folk, Irish Trad., bluegrass, folk rock, country and anything that fits our festival. Last year we had bands as broad ranging as St. John the Gambler’s eastern influenced, stomping Alt. Folk to Lisa O’Neill’s tender folk ballads. There’s no reason why this year’s line up can’t be just as diverse. Folk in its most basic sense is the music of the people so … There’s more
Well, that’s it. Come in, 2011, your time is up! And though we’re still busy sweeping up the debris after the budget and detangling mislaid election promises, let’s take a moment to remember the best bits of 2011, the stuff that didn’t make us tut, whimper or rampage across the Bog Of Allen throwing sods of turf at the sky. So pull up a chair (assuming there’s one you didn’t yet burn for firewood) and allow Culch.ie’s writers to take your mind off your boo-boos with our personal favourites from the year that was. A Head Full Of Jed 2011 definitely had its soaring pop culture highs and its devastating pop culture lows, from the joyful experience of standing front and centre at The Button Factory when Neil Hannon, Cathy Davey et al performed Vampire Weekend’s album for The JD Set in April, to the unbearable skincrawl of even accidentally … There’s more
