Lisa Hannigan's latest video...

'I don't know' from her album 'Sea Sew' is a beautiful bolt of whimsy bound to lift your spirits, enjoy.



Directed by Frank Reid

Free Conor Casby!

In the latest chapter of the Cowen nudes scandal, artist Conor Casby has been questioned under caution by the Gardai in connection with the hanging of two paintings, of exceptional quality, of Taoiseach Brian Cowen in the National Gallery and the Royal Hibernian Academy Gallery in Dublin.

The charges are 

incitement to hatred

 -  Cowen is inciting people to hate him pretty well by himself, I don' t think he can blame a painter for the ill will felt toward him at this time 

indecency

-  i think by all accounts Mr Casby has shown himself to be a pretty decent bloke that most of us would like to share a drink with, are nude paintings considered 'indecent' again in this country?

criminal damage for hammering a nail into a wall in the National Gallery. 

- I'm sure the National Gallery can afford the polyfilla to close up that hole, I would imagine the press from this debacle will have people streaming into the place in their droves, maybe they should leave the hole and erect a new plaque, 

" this hole marks the spot where the nude painting of Biffo by Conor Casby once hung.  it is significant and has become a part of the National Gallery's permanent collection because Biffo's reaction to Conor Casby's bold test of the limits of free speech revealed that at heart, our Taoiseach is a childish, humourless, megalomaniac unfit for the highest political office in the land." 

Well, this story has been blogged to death and rightly so. It's a farce, seemingly without end. After RTE's stuttering stumbling and mortifying 'apology' to Cowen you would have thought that Biffo might have taken the country's temperature again and left well enough alone. As far as I recall it's our license fees and taxes that finance RTE, and a complaint from the office of the Taoiseach should have no bearing on what's broadcast on the national airwaves. 

But no, they sent the Gardai into Ray D'arcy's studio?!? Did they think he wasn't going to mention it on his show? 

With all the money spent on media consultancy by Fianna Fail and the Government what surprises me most is that not one spindoctor or FF header saw this as an opportunity for Biffo to change his image.  Laugh it off and its a two day story. Send the stormtroopers in and the news cycle extends for three weeks and gets picked up in paper's across the continent. 

Conor Casby, i'll visit you in the lock-up that's for sure. 

new music

here is some new music that has been soundtracking my days beautifully of late, give your ears a gift and have a listen.

The Rakes
Klang!
sounds like summer nights, fuelled by yoga, yoghurt and organic produce.

f*-% that, its rock to cause trouble to. soundtrack for summer right here
the rakes
klang! on release march 23rd on v2/universal

Fever Ray
Fever Ray
from the electronic side of the moon fever ray's album is an atmospheric wander through a melodic jungle, with kate bush vocal tones and a gentle hypnotic throb to the varied beats Karin Dreijer Andersson reigns queen of my ipod
fever ray
fever ray on release march 18th on rapid records

David Kitt
The Nightsaver
ah kittser, he is not a singer songwriter! so all y'all who've not tuned into this stunning homegrown talent since Small Moments need to check yourselves and his new album which is in a word, ace.
kittser
the nightsaver is on release march 27th from goldspillin' records

Katie Kim
Twelve
Katie Kim has been around for a while, her album was released October last year, i arrived late but i reckon i'm still welcome. check out this talented waterford lass and the slow burning warm embrace that is Twelve, ten tracks blending a subtle voice, beats, guitar, darkness, light, lullabies...
katie kim
Twelve on release now from Granny It's Ok to Experiment Records

Hunter Gatherer
various ep's and releases available from his myspace, album on the way
prolific in his work and benevolent with the output offering plenty of electronic goodies for free, Hunter Gatherer is moody, broody, uplifting, an aural rip curl.
hunter gatherer

closer to home, red eskimo's album just arrived but you'll have to wait til next week for that one, peter delaney, neil delaney and robert carey's 'the grey death billow' will be released on may 1st from their own label.
check them out red eskimo

walter mitty and the realists are back from canada and word on their blog is their debut is almost ready to roll, new songs up on their playlist and a single release date to be announced soon,
listen here walter mitty and the realists

nick carswell and the elective orchestra have been sequestered in a house in youghal since christmas, getting busy and laying down tracks for their debut album. sounding tight as ever at the jd sets last week, nick and co will be launching the first single, 'when i'm not around' in the georgian house, pery square, limerick on friday april 3rd at 6 bells, do come,
have a preview here nick carswell and the elective orchestra

records i didn't get to mention so am mentioning here instead which negates the statement about not mentioning them

the 202's
the 202's
dublin based trio, some with limerick roots and 'home' house addresses, they are making serious waves, they signed to french label Le Son de Maquis, their debut is on release and they are playing upstairs in dolan's, limerick tomorrow, thurs 26 at green n' live, which is free to enter. Go.

dark room notes dark room notes
New Album We Love You Dark Matter will be released on april 10th on Gonzo Records. I love dark matter too it appears, full review when i have given it the proper walk around on massive headphones treatment

malajube malajube french canadian surf / powerpop is apparently exactly what's needed on a wednesday afternoon :-)