If you’re someone with an interest in the Irish music scene as a whole, a great festival to give you an insight into what’s going on here is Hard Working Class Heroes. Yes, it doesn’t cover every single band in the country but it’s a good snapshot of what’s happening nationwide. One interesting aspect to the festival is its panel discussions, where people working in the music industry in a number of different countries gather to give their opinion on subjects such as technology, downloading, labels, and more.
Jim Carroll of the Irish Times was the man asking the questions during the sessions. Late last year, DCTV, a Dublin-based community TV station, asked me would I be interested in hosting two discussion shows on the panel sessions for their Community of Independents series. Despite having no TV experience at all and a mortal fear of seeing myself on the screen, I said yes – sure why not do one thing every day that scares you, eh?
The shows feature Andrew Bushe from Estel and Keith Johnson from IMROchatting to yours truly – they both come from very different places on the musical spectrum. Andrew had an interesting viewpoint as an independent musician active in the Dublin scene for years, while Keith represented the industry side of things.
I’m not really a religious person, but I’m no atheist either. Maybe you’d call me spiritual – or just plain indecisive – but whatever it is, I believe there’s something other than ourselves out there. With that in mind, when I listen to a piece of music that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a shiver run down my spine, I feel a jolt of something that can’t be described in words.
Some people believe that spaces are marked with the invisible fingerprints of those who once passed through them, and that music made or played in spiritual or religious buildings takes on a certain mood because of this. So when someone takes an instrument long associated with religion, and places (plays) it in its usual context, there is often a special feel to their work. Or perhaps that is a sort of musical placebo effect…
Whether you are a believer (in anything) or not, Music for Church Cleaners by London-based musicianÁine O’Dwyer is an experience anyone can be open to. This album, which is released on the relatively new – and already hugely impressive - Fort Evil Fruitlabel, is available on tape. The resulting (and always welcome) tape hiss only adds another dimension to the improvised songs that Áine (a member of United Bible Studies) crafts on a pipeorgan, as do the clatters, hoovers and other sounds you hear throughout the live recordings.
Each time I listen to the tape, I naturally picture a person in muted clothes, with Henry hoover in hand, methodically cleaning their way around the church while Áine plays just feet away. They are simultaneously aware of and ignoring each other, each going about their own work uninterrupted. If I close my eyes, I could be sitting in a pew myself, head bowed and – for the first time ever – not wishing this experience to be over soon.
€5 per cassette
Rep. of Ireland / N. Ireland: add €1.50 p&p for one & €1 for each extra
Rest of world: add €2.50 p&p for one & €1 for each extra
Each tape comes with a download code (tucked inside the inlay so well that I didn’t even notice it first time around) and, in Áine’s case, a photo of the organ she played on in St Mark’s Church, Islington, in 2011 (above).
I did have fears based on the new sponsors, Meteor, given how disconnected the old Meteor Awards were from the Irish independent music scene, but overall the decisions here are down to the judges, a very trustworthy and knowledgeable gang.
That said, it is perhaps inevitable that the music would all come from one corner of the Irish music scene – I wonder how this could be remedied, or should it be up to other awards ceremonies to reward the best albums in Irish hip hop, metal, trad, etc?
What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Free music: Out on a Limb Records
Out on a Limb Records have been giving away free downloads of albums from their back catalogue all during the week. So far, Owensie, Windings and Giveamanakick have been featured. Who is on offer today? Check out their website and twitter for more info.
Free music: Orcas
Orcas is the new musical project by duo Rafael Anton Irisarri (The Sight Below) and Benoit Pioulard. The first inklings that they were working together came when they released a haunting cover of the Broadcast song Until Then, in tribute to the late Broadcast musician Trish Keenan. Now they’re back with their first original release, which is available for free download (see below). Combining their ambient sensibilities and love for layered, ghostly sounds, Carrion is both stark and beautiful. Expect a full album later this year.
Fancy listening to some incredible old Katie Kim songs? Check out VAULTS Vol 1, which is only available to buy on tape during her forthcoming tour, and is on Bandcamp now for your listening pleasure.
Walpurgis Family
I achieved one of my dreams a few months ago when I got to sing as part of a small ‘choir’ for a song on the Walpurgis Family album. The album, Dawn, is released this month and it has already gotten a rave review from Patrick Freyne in Hotpress, who really knows his stuff. Here’s Let’s Go Camping from the album – listen closely and you might hear me (ha!). Congrats to Jeroen and Popical Island on the release!
Many venues tick the boxes but do not go further than the token requirements. The wheelchair area often has a restricted view or limits you to having one mate with you, even if you’re with a gaggle of mates.
My tips are Nanu Nanu, Depravations, Alarmist, Bouts, and Come On Live Long – but heck, it’s a bloody great list of bands.
Radiolab
I love Radiolab in a big way – it’s like the younger, more rambunctious sibling of This American Life. Its latest show is about the bad things that people do, like, er, commit murder. Expect to feel very informed (and a bit wary of humanity) after listening to this.
Elastic Witch
Gib from the independent record store Elastic Witch had a chat with me for this week’s Sweet Oblivion. You can listen to it by following the link here.
Gig of the Week
My gig of the week next week is definitely going to be A Winged Victory for the Sullen. They play the Sugar Club on Thursday 19 January and it’s going to be a guddun’. Tickets are just €13.50 and you can find out more here.
Montreal-based musician Jon Cohen is playing Ireland next week – Dublin’s Grand Social on Friday 20 January to be exact. If you’re a fan of Brendan Benson, The Dears, and Broken Social Scene, I think you’ll really dig his stuff.
Finally, I’ll leave you with this video from Dirty Beaches. I really love his stuff and so does Cohen – we had a chat about how he really wears his influences on his shirt sleeve, and yet manages to maintain his own originality.
His album Badlands and other releases can be found on Bandcamp.
The world needs more independent record stores, but it’s an extremely hard time to open one. That’s why the latest bunch of Irish indie record stores – Elastic Witch in Dublin and Wingnut in Galway, and now Waterford – are taking a new approach to selling records in Ireland.
Instead of focusing on being stand-alone entities, they are harnessing the power of an existing business in which to root themselves, showing that in recession times it’s good for people to come together to make things work.
The first place I saw You’re Only Massive play was in the poky, sweat-stained upstairs venue in Cork’s Fred Zeppelin’s pub. The room – which always feels as though it is about to collapse and fall onto the bar below, killing an entire generation of Cork metal fans – was packed, and on its snug stage were two very young women, each holding a microphone, and to their right sat a tape recorder.
In my mind’s eye, on stage are Maebh and Megan – but as Maebh informed me yesterday, I must have gotten that night mixed up with another gig I had seen them play, as that night in Fredz, Amy Stephenson from Queen Kong was singing with Maebh.
Ah, how memories fail us! Still, I was right about the backing track of self-made beats, and You’re Only Massive rapping lyrical about all the things that consumed their young minds. Not throwaway, ‘does he like me?’ lyrics, but words that cut deeper than that. (One particular chorus went: ‘Fuck ‘em! Just fuck em!’)
The duo were feisty, full of confidence, engaging. At the time, I thought that Maebh and Megan were in secondary school but in fact both were in college. Regardless of their age, I wished I was that full of confidence back then. Hell, I’d like to be that confident now.
By 2008, Maebh and Megan had gone their separate ways, with Maebh Cheasty continuing to work as You’re Only Massive. She upped sticks to Berlin and brought You’re Only Massive into a new phase of life.
Maebh is keen to put it across that You’re Only Massive isn’t a solo project – as you can see from the picture below, she works under the name with Dave Murphy, who is also based in Berlin.
I sent Maebh some questions about You’re Only Massive – who have two Irish dates planned for the end of this month – and her answers were as forthright and passionate as I could have hoped.
It never fails to amaze me how many people are creating beautiful, challenging and eye-opening music in Ireland. And in turn, it never fails to amaze me how many people get up off their arses and put on unusual gigs, or unique events, simply with the aim of bringing new sounds to people and exploring the realms of music and performance.
There’s a real feeling in the air these days when it comes to Irish music events that if you can imagine it, it is possible. And this is being exploited in a wonderful way by those who call Ireland’s expansive music scene home. It’s a joy to witness.
Ed Devane is a man who likes to experiment when it comes to music, and musical instruments, so it is fitting that he is at the helm of the Stop/Run events. I asked him to write a piece for Sweet Oblivion about the series, as I knew he would be able to capture the spirit of the event/s just as intended.
Stop/Run by Ed Devane
Stop/Run is a project that consists of two big ideas, and multiple smaller ideas that tie these two together. The first idea is the instrument ensemble: 9 instruments that can roughly be split into two categories, string and percussion. They can be described loosely as electroacoustic, sculptural, and mechanical.
The percussive instruments are chromatically tuned across two octaves, and two of the stringed instruments are capable of infinite drones. Some can be controlled remotely by computer (via Arduino) or electronics, while others need tactile, human interaction.
I originally started building instruments out of necessity: the use of modified guitars in my music (as Ed Devane and Withering Zithering) eventually led me to design and build custom zithers more suited to my playing style. In making these, I rediscovered my childhood love of making things with my hands, something I had neglected from long years of making intangible electronic music.
I designed and built Stop/Run late last year following an invitation from Severed Head gallery to curate a sound art event. I had some experience of event organisation through Second Square to None, and a couple of the projects I initiated for that helped me develop the collaborative aspect of Stop/Run. The Ten Second Rule and SSTN Noise Series helped me make a lot of new contacts, and got me thinking about macro-scale composition and patterns in creative approach.
This is where the second major idea of Stop/Run comes in: rather than make these instruments and play a concert with them myself, I thought it would be far more interesting to invite other musicians and composers to use them whatever way they wanted. At the first gig in Dublin, in December 2010, the 7 artists involved each took a highly individual approach to the problem of writing for instruments.
Graphic notation, sampling, the addition of external sounds, electronic noise and free improvisation all got a look in. Now that the project is set to continue, this idea is expanding to become a cross-sectional snapshot of Irish music styles, as interpreted through the Stop/Run instruments.
In June this year I was fortunate to receive Arts Council funding to extend the project to other parts of the country, with a new cast of artists in the following places: Galway, Cork, and Belfast. Stop/Run:Galway will feature a very different set of musicians to the first Dublin show.
For the concert itself I’m excited to hear the combination of Irish Traditional music, metal-influenced rhythms, sequenced mechanical percussion and experimental poptones from Triúr, Bitwise+Madek, Tony Higgins and DeclanQKelly. Two of the acts on the bill, Jimmy Penguin and Ventolyn&Becotyde, will use the week of rehearsals prior to the gig to make recordings which will form the basis of EP’s. I will also be performing a piece at the concert, which will take place on Friday 26 August, from 8-10pm, at 33 Dominick St Galway.
Stop/Run is all about challenging people’s creativity. The only rule I impose is that my instruments are used in some way (and not destructively!). The instruments themselves are the rules – their limitations as well as their capabilities dictate to some extent what the musicians can do. What I want to see as the project grows are a wide range of creative approaches, new techniques, collaborations between artists who may not otherwise work together, and new audiences coming to experimental music gigs. Everything will be recorded and archived on www.stop-run-music.com.
In October I’m going to be artist in residence at the Guesthouse in Cork; during this time I hope to work with a wide range of acts, and have weekly concerts. I also plan to take advantage of having the instruments set up for a whole month to record a piece for the Withering Zithering album I’ll be making this autumn for Forwind Records in the UK.
I’m looking forward to working with a wide range of artists, many of whom as yet I have never met, and hearing what they do.
I’d like to develop this project in a variety of ways, through educational workshops, audio-visual embellishment and inter-disciplinary collaboration with dancers, hackers, film makers and The Audience!
It was great to find out more about the hardcore scene, which is very much focused on DIY – so much so that one of the city’s bands have bought a vinyl pressing machine so they can press their own records.
It was really interesting to hear about the changes that have been taking place in the hardcore scene in Galway. (And by extension punk and metal; though the scenes are not the same, they share common members and elements – for the sake of not confusing readers, I’ll use ‘hardcore’ in this piece).
With many of the original members of the hardcore scene from the past two decades now in their thirties and forties, people are moving on in life, and for a lot of people this includes moving away from being a regular part of that scene. With families, jobs and other commitments, it’s not always possible for people to play in bands or get to as many gigs.
But Daniel told me that as some people are moving away from the scene, a younger group is moving into it, including teens who are themselves forming bands and getting gigging. Every ‘scene’ will naturally evolve and this is a particularly crucial time for the hardcore folks in Galway, as the younger members will feed off the guidance and example shown by the older men and women who’ve done it all before them.
Galway needs people like Daniel and Us vs Them, along with the many hardcore bands of all descriptions that play in the city, and the other promoters and gig-goers who help keep the hardcore flames burning.
For part two of my closer look at the Galway music scene, we turn to Citóg, a gig night that proudly proclaims itself the ‘home of Galway music’.
One essential part of a local music scene is having a place for musicians to play gigs – somewhere that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to book, or is free to play, or pays a few quid to the bands involved. Galway has had a number of nights throughout the years – including Stress!!, which was run by Tony Higgins, Jonny White and Garret Collins – and the latest is Citóg.
(For those outside of Ireland, Citóg is an Irish word that was used to refer to left-handed people in quite a derogatory way. It’s since fallen out of use, but I like the fact that the left hand is controlled by the right side of the brain, which’ rules’ creativity. So using the name for a music event, in a positive way, is strangely fitting.)
Like Stress!! Citóg is for local and national bands to play, a night to celebrate local music and introduce new faces to a Galway audience. While researching my article for The Ticket, I sent out some email questions to the guys involved, and here’s what they had to say:
Who are the people behind Citóg and what is its history?
There are two of us in it, really. Jay Burke does the sound and I [David Boland] do the bookings. We’ve been running it for about a year. We started in The Cellar and when that closed down after Christmas we moved to DeBurgos where we’ve been ever since. [Citóg has recently moved back to The Cellar Bar on Friday nights].
What was your main aim when setting Citóg up?
We aim to provide a place where local acts can play regularly and also where people in town can see some new music every week. I think some of the most exciting music in this country right now comes from unsigned bands or small independent labels and the mainstream media seems generally unaware or uninterested in them. For me, the most relevant bands out there aren’t getting signed or being played on daytime radio. They’re unemployed and they’re playing in your local Citog. We’re just part of a larger movement of people taking it in to their own hands and trying to give some exposure to the sweet, sweet underbelly of this nation. In Galway that includes things like the Play Irish initiative, Wingnut Records, Rascal Radio, and independent labels like Rusted Rail.
Every Friday we have three bands play, at least one from Galway, and it’s all for free. The bands get heard, the audience gets drunk, and everyone goes on their way a little more enlightened and happier than before. It’s beautiful.
What have been your favourite moments at the Citóg shows so far?
The best nights in The Cellar were probably our Halloween Party (Rural Savage, The Ralphs & The Deadbeat Collective), which was insane, and our two Christmas shows. We did a quiet, serene pre-Christmas party with a projector and visuals which was very dark and romantic. The Friday before Christmas we had a more traditional festive celebration. We’ve had some great nights in DeBurgos too but it’s definitely more suited to a low key affair.
Most of the best moments just come from hearing something beautiful, especially for the first time. I’ve been knocked dead during soundcheck a few times. Its kind of like when you see the dollar signs light up behind Simon Cowell’s eyes as he discovers a marketable new pop star, but in a slightly less exploitative way.
How would you describe the Galway music scene?
It’s small but varied, and probably quite close. There are a lot of bands on the verge of releasing albums or EPs so it feels like it could take off any time soon.
Have you seen the Galway music scene evolve over the last number of years? If yes, how?
Definitely. I think there’s a confidence that maybe wasn’t there a few years ago. Most of the people I’ve met through Citóg are genuinely trying to make interesting music and the scope of what’s being done musically in Galway is huge. A few years ago I don’t think there was the same diversity or the same amount of people making a go of things.
Do you think enough is done to encourage local bands in Galway?
At the minute it’s actually quite good. There are a good few venues doing live music and there are a lot of motivated people doing their own thing. We have a decent outlet in Wingnut, a record label to be proud of in Rusted Rail, the Play Irish initiative is being tried out on Galway Bay FM and bands are generally very supportive of each other.
What are your favourite bands and venues in Galway?
The Roisin is still the best for bigger bands and international acts but I think we’re probably the best in town for atmosphere and general craic. We’ve a great regular crowd and it’s always very relaxed. Plus the standard of music has been very high so far.
I’ve seen about a hundred acts at Citóg over the last while so it’s impossible to list everyone I’ve been impressed by. The music I keep coming back to recently would be The Followers Of Otis, who have a great album out already, and Yawning Chasm who will have one out later this year. You would be remiss not to catch Donal McConnon live, or Rural Savage who are one of the most promising and unique bands in the country. Think Jinx Lennon meets Dead Kennedys, but from Donegal.
What would you like to see happen with the Galway music scene in the future?
I’d like to see it get more notice outside of Galway. There are fantastic and original acts around town at the moment and most of them are planning some sort of release over the summer. It would be great for the whole scene if they were to do well nationally.
What are the plans with Citóg for the future?
We’ve already released a mixtape of bands who’ve played Citóg so the plan is to make that into a series. We’re also looking at ways to involve more people creatively, be that photography, making videos, designing posters or recording some of the newer acts who have played Citóg. Anything original and creative we can help out with we’re happy to. There’s also an idea of taking Citóg on a mini tour to a few cities around the country but that seems far away right now. Basically, we’d like to keep improving the night while keeping the good vibe we have at the moment.
Ah, Galway. I’ve had visions of this little city running through my head for the past few weeks, all because of a series of interviews I did for the Irish Times‘ music supplement The Ticket a few weeks ago. The article came out yesterday – you can read it here – but due to word counts I simply couldn’t include everything I spoke to people about.
Usually that’s not an issue – I’ve worked in this business long enough to know you just have to forget about what you cut to make your word count, like scraps of scribbled-on paper thrown in a bin. It’s just part of the job.
But I enjoyed doing these interviews so much, and felt so welcomed into the fold when I visited Galway, that I’ve decided to put some longer versions of these interviews on the blog. There is so much going on in Galway at the moment; for such a relatively small city there are great little pockets of people working away at their music, putting on gigs in their own homes, setting up nights to bring more Irish music to the city, even buying their own vinyl-pressing machines so they can press their own records.
Yet at the same time, Galway isn’t necessarily the place people flock to for gigs – except for the Roisin Dubh, which has a fantastic reputation in Ireland and abroad, people don’t tend to visit the West for gigs unless for special occasions, like the upcoming Galway Arts Festival. This can be reflected in the audience numbers at the smaller local gigs, where I’d venture they don’t always get full houses.
Will Oldham playing the Roisín Dubh a few years ago
While not having a jammed-to-the-rafters gig doesn’t indicate that your gig is of a low quality, people can get discouraged when they feel that their work is being taken for granted. It’s great to have your work acknowledged and to feel that you are making a contribution to the local ‘scene’ or scenes, even on a very small scale.
If you’re in Galway and in the mood to buy some records, you now have a new independent record store to visit – following the closure of Redlight Records a few years back, and the recent liquidation of the Zhivago Records chain , Wingnut Records is the newest local record store on the block. (There is also HMV, but that’s not an independent store).
Wingnut is based in Bell Book & Candle, which is a treasure trove with lots classic books and old VHS tapes – I’d highly recommend a visit there. I used to go to Bell, Book & Candle on Sundays for a leisurely browse – you could spend hours in there. Here at Sweet Oblivion we’re all about independent stores because they offer a service you just can’t mess with, especially as they really support Irish independent music.
It’s clear from Ray’s interview that he is a huge supporter of the independent music scene in Ireland, and this shop came about because he wanted to show that support. In turn, Paul Deacy from Bell Book & Candle was supportive to Ray in opening his store within his shop.
I lived in Galway for a year and it’s a really cool place – laidback, relaxed and with a great music scene. Working in Redlight Records for a little while was a great education for me and an introduction to the movers and shakers in the local scene. Though I don’t get back there often enough, I really love visiting Galway. It’s a special place and the people there are, as we say in Cork, ‘sound, biy’.
Ray from Wingnut Records got in contact with me a while back about his store so I decided to ask him a few questions about what makes him tick.
Best of luck to Ray and Wingnut Records – next time I’m up in Galway I’ll be heading straight there!
Here’s a hilarious video that Ray made about his shop – rock on!
Interview – Ray from Wingnut Records
Hey Ray – why did you decided to open the shop?
Well, I guess because I really felt that it was something that Galway needed and it could work also to support Irish artists, labels and collectives. Wingnut is a very DIY job, done for the right reasons and supported by brilliant people, in my humble opinion! It is supported and made possible by fans, musicians, labels and the legend Paul Deacy, owner of The Bell, Book & Candle.
The Bell, Book &Candle is essentially a 2nd hand book shop, but also sells old comic books and old Hi-8 and super-8 video cameras, as well as supporting local bands.
So anyway, after Road Records shut, and Plugd was closed temporarily, my favourite records were not available anymore! And they were never available in Galway. So one day I was moaning to Paul about this fact and we were both expressing worry about the importance of Independent Music Outlets or lack of, in Ireland. He said that he had space and CD shelves in the store that were not really doing much, so if I could source the music, we could retail from there! Brilliant!!! Could never have wished for a better premises or a friendlier spot to work from!
So, I contacted the Main Man, Albert Twomey and he was very enthusiastic and mad to help. Bands and labels were very encouraging and then I knew we could make it work!
Doors opened last September, like I say, only down to the support of everyone.
What sort of genres do you stock in Wingnut?
Whatever you have, really! Its totally open access forall artists to stock their wares. We are lucky in the sense that we are providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ for ALL genres. So you have labels like Randal Records stocking Hardcore/Punk/Metal. Or you have Subtle Audio stocking Drum’n'Bass vinyls. Popical Island stock their mad array of punk/pop/DIY stuff. Bluestack Records stock their indie bands. Richter Collective with their crazy lineup,and the new wave of Out On A Limb stuff. And then you have self released titles like Melodica Deathship or RíRá calling in and leaving a handful of Hip Hop! Anything goes. Delighted to have it!
What is your favourite thing about running the shop?
My favourite thing is having access to all my favourite music. I buy a rake of it myself! And I’m constantly getting blown away by new stuff, it’s the best craic ever!
It has been a difficult year for record stores in Ireland – what do you think that independent record stores have to do to keep hold of customers?
Well, because Wingnut deals with independently released Irish music, for now we thrive on good-natured support from Irish music fans. We don’t go over the top for promo and have depended mainly on word of mouth. It was never meant to be run for a major profit or anything like that. If Wingnut can help Paul keep The Bell, Book & Candle’s doors open, then that would be great.
It is important to acknowledge that with a small industry like this, each and every fan and supporter is a great contributor to a sustainable music scene. Don’t be a gowl and copy a Redneck Manifesto album, be true to the cause!
What is your earliest musical memory?
I was massive into MC Hammer! No joke! Strange how The Hammer spoke to a kid in the middle of the countryside in North Cork!
I think the biggest influences on me since then has been No Disco and a lot of late night radio. I’ll never forget the very first issue of FoggyNotions magazine. They gave away a free CD with it. The first track was ‘Ger Canning’ by Giveamanakick. Straight away I realised that the greatest band in the world was from Limerick!
What is the music scene in Galway like? What are your favourite bands?
The Galway scene is BRILLIANT! Lots of people would be in disagreement but I reckon that’s because they are too spoiled. Galway has two of the best live pub-venues in Ireland in Kelly’s and The Roisin Dubh. These venues bring quality on a regular basis.
Monroe’s is a massive brand new venue, The Crane Bar has a legacy of Trad Music, you have The Black Box. You have showcase night Citóg which s vital to new and young bands. Áras na nGael can be a mad spot!
So much goes on underground as well. Drum’n'bass nights can pop up out of nowhere, or a rave, or a quiet gig in someone’s living room!!! The UsVsThem collective bring hardcore/punk gigs to town all the time. There are DJ bars that have guests and all that good shit! Remember that Galway is not that big, but there are a lot of very active people! After hour spots and house – parties!
My favourite group is Vince Mack Mahon, turntable crew that transcend everything. Mastered their craft and create something really unique. Also they curate The Community Skratch event, very active lads as well!
Thanks Ray! You can find more info on Wingnut Records here and Bell, Book & Candle is located at the Small Crane, Galway – a minute or two’s walk from the fantastic Roisín Dubh venue.
