JT is back and Kendrick is coming to town - we round up the best gigs, new releases and news from the music world
Gig of the week
Kendrick Lamar, 3Arena, Dublin, February 7
After a show-stopping headline performance at Longitude 2016, Kendrick Lamar is finally coming back to Dublin, this time with DAMN., his Grammy-winning album which wowed fans and critics alike. Kung Fu-Kenny knows how to put on a show and the 3Arena is sure to be the perfect setting to watch the master at work. Expect older tunes from M.A.A.D City to King Kunta, mixed with instant classics from DAMN. like HUMBLE and DNA. If Bono is home that night, he might even stop by to join Kendrick on stage for their collaboration XXX - you never know. Lamar will have the crowd in the palm of his hands for a show that promises to be special. Sinead Brennan
Also this week . . .
An Exploration of The Words and Music of Bob Dylan, Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co Wicklow, February 3
British Sea Power: Cyprus Avenue, Cork, February 5/Whelan’s, Dublin, Febuary 6/ The Limelight, Belfast, February 7
Beth Orton: Whelan’s, Dublin, February 4
The Mavericks: The Limelight, Belfast, February 6/Vicar Street, Dublin, February 7
Vinyl Tap: This week’s new album releases
Justin Timberlake - Man Of The Woods (RCA)
This week’s big event release is the return of Justin Timberlake with his first album in years. It's an ambitious attempt to mix future electro funk with southern rock and country and it is a very wayward affair. Read our review here.
Click here for a chance to win a copy of Man of The Woods.
AWOLNATION - Here Come The Runts (Red Bull Records)
No, that band name is not a none too subtle reference to Brexit. These moonstruck American lads are kinda folky, kinda alt rocky and Here Come The Runts is their third album and very pleasant it is too.
Rhye - Blood
Starting off as an R&B duo based in Los Angeles, Rhye now consist of Canadian singer Mike Milosh. This second album comes a full five years after their acclaimed debut and it has been time well spent. This is a gorgeously constructed set of sophisticated soul songs.
Field Music - Open Here (Memphis Industries)
Flutes! Piccolos! Saxophones! Trumpets! And the Cornshed Sisters Choir. The fantastic new album from the wonderfully peculiar Sunderland act mixes the sounds of the seventies and eighties with chamber pop and quirky time signatures. It exudes a surreal grandeur.
Simple Minds - Walk Between Worlds (BMG)
As instantly recognisable as the chime of a FX-assisted chord from the Edge or a Coldplay vocal whoop, the Scottish vets are back with a pretty fine new album. The eight tracks clock in at a lean 42 minutes - mostly flab free, this is a very respectable 40th birthday celebration.
Also out this week
Hookworms - Microshift
James Hunter Six - Whatever It Takes
Pearl Charles - Sleepless Dreamer
Rae Morris - Someone Out There
Rich Chigga - Amen
Skyzoo - In Celebration Of Us
DZ Deathrays - Bloody Lovely
Efrim Manuel Menuck - Pissing Stars
Sound off
On Sunday the Recording Academy of America threw another rather bland bunfest aka the Grammys to celebrate the music industry. Quite apart from the fact that they forgot what year (and, indeed, decade) it was by letting Sting and U2 pop up every two seconds, Kendrick Lamar wuz robbed by song and dance man Bruno Mars in the Best Album category.
However, it was great to see the ridiculously talented Childish Gambino take home his first Grammy but 18 female winners out of a field of 86 nominations was not a good look for an industry that should be doing more to combat sexism and inequality.
It was also good to see The National scoop their first dinky little golden gramophone. Also, now that The War on Drugs have won a Grammy does this make them more successful than the actual war on drugs?
Speaking of Bono, himself and the other three lads added two more dates to the two already scheduled for Dublin’s 3Arena as part of their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018. They now play on November 5, 6, 9 and 10 as well as Belfast's SSE Arena on October 27. No details if the stage show will be a whizz-bang multimedia overload or a stripped back affair or if they’ll play the hits or slowly introduce us to the songs on the not too bad new album, Songs of Experience.
Either way, it's pretty academic for most fans as tickets for their Dublin and Belfast gigs were sold out within five minutes. There has been an extra show added at Belfast's SSE Arena for October 28, with tickets on sale next Friday, February 9.
Talking of ageing rock gods, The Rolling Stones are favourites to be announced as the proposed fourth Croke Park gig for 2018. Details are to be announced on Monday Feb 5 . . .
Erasure were forced to postpone all three of their Dublin gigs due to singer Andy Bell’s throat infection. All those wags making jokes during the week should have a little respect.
Jason Durulo was also forced to reschedule his European tour including his Dublin and Belfast shows in March due to good old recording commitments. He will now play September 20 in SSE Arena Belfast and September 19, 3Arena Dublin. He didn’t comment on the change of dates, instead the most recent posts on his social media include a picture of him at the gym and a video of fans dancing to his hit Tip Toe.
Good news for fans of navel-gazing gothic pomp rock. Billy Corgan has confirmed that Smashing Pumpkins are working on a new album. It seems Corgan, James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are in studio working with none other than Rick Rubin.
The Academic, Niall Horan, Soulé and Wyvern Lingo are among the nominees for this year's RTÉ Choice Music Prize, Irish Song of the Year 2017 with the winner decided by the public. Vote here www.2fm.ie
Here’s the full shortlist:
The Academic - Bear Claws (ROOM6 Records)
Áine Cahill - Plastic (Self Released)
Chasing Abbey - That Good Thing (Self Released)
Tandem Felix - Were You There (When they Crucified the Birthday Boy)? (Self Released)
Niall Horan - Slow Hands (Capitol)
Gavin James - I Don't Know Why (Warner Music)
Dermot Kennedy - Glory (Self Released)
The Script - Rain (Sony Music)
Wyvern Lingo - I Love You Sadie (Rubyworks)
Soulé - Good Life (Diffusion Labs)
Snow Patrol announced their seventh studio album. It’s called Wildness (great title) and it’s out on May 25 and it’s the Irish band’s first new music since 2011's Fallen Empires. There are European festival dates over the summer, although nothing has yet been announced in Ireland.
Talking in January to BBC Radio Ulster, front man Gary Lightbody said: "The way people listen to music, view it, buy it - everything has changed, but I'm more certain than I've ever been in my life that this record is an incredible one."
He also said writing songs for the new album has been very difficult. "I had four years of writer's block on this one, it was only six months on Fallen Empires so it seems to be getting worse.
"There's a lot of depression that is attached to it as well, because you feel like: 'Maybe the only gift I have has deserted me,' and you're kind of inconsolable really. I don't want anyone to ever see the piles of notepads in my house that I had to write through to get to the good stuff."
The teaser clip for Wildness gives NOTHING away...
Much-loved Dublin act Dolorentos announced a new single. In The Moment is released on February 16 and it’s described as "a bright, inspiring and melodic paean to capturing, immersing yourself in and living for "NOW." The new track, along with recent single Darkness We Feel Our Way, also offers a further glimpse of what we can expect from the band's fifth studio album which will be released later this Spring.
Music on TV
Show of the Week
Hits, Hype and Hustle: An Insider’s Guide to the Music Business, BBC Four, 9.00pm
This enlightening three-parter comes to a close with an examination of band reunions or what we like to call the IRS tour. Music PR Alan Edwards, who has looked after everyone from Prince to The Rolling Stones and from David Bowie to The Spice Girls, tells the story of why so many bands are getting back together, what happens when they do - and how it's changing the music business.
It all goes back to Wembley Stadium in 1977 when rock 'n' roll pioneers Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis played a bill that stirred up memories (and cash) for an audience hankering for the old days and the old tunes. Highlights of this show include Glen Matlock, ex-bassist in The Sex Pistols who talks candidly about the band’s Filthy Lucre tour in 1996 reunion. Blondie reveal how they've navigated their reunion and Police drummer Stewart Copeland and everyone’s favourite Spice Girl Mel C also chip in with their thoughts.
Saturday
Top of The Pop 1985, BBC Four, 11.05pm
Elvis: That’s Alright Mama 60 Years On, BBC Four, 12.10am
Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears, Sky Arts, 9.00pm. A night of the great Mr Cash starts with this and is followed by The Gospel Music of Johnny Cash and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.
The Cranberries, Sky Arts, 12.15am
Sunday
Gradam Ceoil TG4 2018, TG4, 9.30pm
The trad music awards at the Watefront Hall in Belfast featuring performances from Frankie Gavin and De Danann, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin and The Voice Squad and many more.
Thursday
Elvis Costello Mystery Dance, BBC Four, 12.30am
Friday
Rock `n’ Roll Guns for Hire: The Story of the Sideman, BBC Four, 10.00pm
Ireland’s Top 10 albums
1 The Greatest Showman - Motion Picture Cast Recording (Atlantic)
2 Divide - Ed Sheeran (Asylum)
3 Dreams - The Collection (Spectrum Music)
4 Camila - Camila Cabello (Syco Music)
5 Picture This - Picture This (Warner Music Ireland)
6 On the Road - Christy Moore (Sony Music Ireland)
7 Reputation - Taylor Swift (EMI)
8 NEW Dua Lipa - Dua Lipa ((Warner Bros)
9 Tales from the Backseat - Academic (Room 6)
10 Revival - Eminem (Interscope)
Ireland’s Top 10 singles
1 (last week 4) God's Plan - Drake (Cash Money/Republic Records)
2 (1) IDGAY - Dua Lipa (Warner Bros)
3 (3) River - Eminem ft Ed Sheeran (Interscope)
4 (2) Perfect - Ed Sheeran (Asylum)
5 (8) Breath - Jax Jones ft Ina Wroldsen (Polydor)
6 (5) I Miss You - Clean Bandit ft Julia Michaels (Atlantic/Polydor/Republic)
7 (7) Never the Same - Camila Cabello ft Young Thug (Syco Music)
8 (12) Finesse - Bruno Mars & Carbi D (Atlantic)
9 (6) Anywhere - Rita Ora (Syco)
10 (50) These Days - Rudimental/Glynne/Macklemore (Asylum)
Charts courtesy of IRMA
Alan Corr @corralan
