Triskel Christchurch Music Blog

Spook of The Thirteenth Lock play Triskel Christchurch on April...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:22:12 +0100

Spook of The Thirteenth Lock play Triskel Christchurch on April 12 with support from former Jubilee Allstar Barry McCormack. The video is the first from their new album, The Brutal Here and Now. Much acclaimed, the band are doing some rather innovative and wonderful things with Irish music. If Tortoise were from Dublin and had a passionate interest in traditional music them…

And the critics have agreed…

“the best tunes are wrapped in the kind of guitar blizzard mostly associated with Sixteen Horsepower or early Dirty Three” - Uncut

“One of the best pieces of contemporary Irish rock music we’ve heard in an age” - The Irish Times

“Heart-pounding Pogues-esque moments, My Bloody Valentine’s fuzzy logic, indie guitar crescendos and Nick Cave’s solitary confinement rock…wonderful work” - State.ie

“Irish album of the year by a country mile (with hairpin bends every 15 yards), haunting doesn’t even begin to describe it” - MP3 Hugger

And you can download a free MP3 from the album here…

http://thirteenthlock.net/music/songs/the-brutal-here-and-now-part-1

One of the most intriguing Irish bands around at the moment…

About the North Sea Scrolls as revealed by Cathal Coughlan and Luke Haines

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:21:42 +0100

Cathal Coughlan and Luke Haines come together with Andrew Mueller and Audrey Riley to reveal the truth found in the North Sea Scrolls at Triskel Chirstchurch in December.

Having been asked what this is all about, I summarise by saying that a secret history of Britain has brought these two maverick artists together. And that the best insight comes from them…

So here are some interviews and reactions…

Luke and Cathal talk at length to The Quietus…

http://thequietus.com/articles/06785-north-sea-scrolls-cathal-coughlan-luke-haines-andrew-mueller

Herald Scotland offer an insightful review…

http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/arts-ents/music-reviews/fringe-music-neil-cooper-1.1119874

Simon Price reviews in The Independent (UK)

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/north-sea-scrolls-cabaret-voltaire-edinburghbrbeardyman-assembly-hall-edinburghbramanda-fcking-palmer-hmv-picture-house-edinburgh-2344956.html

Luke Haines talks about his new wrestling album and The Scrolls with The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/audio/2011/oct/21/music-weekly-luke-haines-audio

Competition : Crowley + Yorkston + Roberts

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:29:07 +0100

We have 2 pairs of tickets to give away for each show on the Crowley + Yorkston + Roberts tour this week.

For full tour dates visit the show page : http://www.note.ie/htm/series/2011/james_yorkston.htm

To enter simply mail office@note.ie with the name of Adrian Crowley’s Choice Music Prize winning album and the show you would like to enter for.

Best of Luck

Note!

Guest Blog : Cathal Coughlan On James Yorkston + Adrian Crowley + Alasdair Roberts

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:19:00 +0100

I’m on my way to Somalia to secure my place in the vanguard of post-bankruptcy Euroamerica. The received wisdom is that the Chinese model is the one to follow - the no-nonsense governance, the iPad factory suicides, the discreet achievement of social consensus through managed famine and executions. Well, that cuts no ice with me, so I’m putting my money - staking my entire fortune, in fact - on good old-fashioned piracy on the ocean wave. But with AK47’s and satnavs, and much, much irony!

Sadly, my new career as a Cannibal Commodore means that I will be unable to attend the joint Irish appearances of three less cannibalistic Commodores, although I may be Skyping in from the bunker at the Maldron Hotel Mogadishu. All of them produce musical works in addition to their maritime exploits, all with great distinction. They share in common a preference for attenuated modes of address, an area where my own failures leave me rapt with admiration of others.

James Yorkston, from the Fife coast, legendary North Sea fisheries “protection” hardman, is possibly the most garrulous lyricist of the three, but could never be accused of shooting his mouth off in song. From originals like Surf Song and Steady As She Goes, to his intense renderings of traditional songs such as I Know My Love, James will seldom be off the playlists on my voyages of plunder.

Adrian Crowley, a Maltese-Galwegian privateer of high standing, has done the thing I myself lacked the talent or persistence to achieve, and become an established Irish-based independent artist (with Caledonian connections), as evidenced by his great 2009 album, Season Of The Sparks.

Alasdair Roberts apparently hails from the interior of Scotland, but has excelled in matters maritime since migrating to the great port of Glasgow. He imbues every note he creates with mystery and hence with an implicit challenge to the listener. I first heard Alasdair’s former group Appendix Out on John Peel in the late Nineties, when his voice was one of the few unmediated human sounds on the show. I like to play Alasdair’s album The Amber Gatherers while charging my super-strength tazers in my newly-built base in an inlet near Schull. I once heard Alasdair sing an Abba song, and it wasn’t until the end of the first chorus that I realised it wasn’t an original, such was his unflinching delivery.

But this isn’t all about me. Reader, you owe it to yourself to catch at least one of these shows, because frankly bills this strong, particularly if undiluted by a reformed clown troupe and sequestered by a 200 Euro price tag, just don’t happen nowadays.

- Cathal Coughlan

Chris Thile Polymath on a Mandolin

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:56:00 +0100

Chris Thile arrives in Triskel today. Its a show by an artist I have been watching from afar for some time now so it’s nice a live show is finally here…

Chris was in Nickel Creek and has since gone on to create a body of work that while it’s heart is bluegrass on mandolin (yes, he is the virtuoso of that instrument) he has a musical breadth and vision that is stunning. Suites of music with The Punch Brothers, commissioned Mandolin Concertos, new duo with Brad Mehldau and a hardcore bluegrass album with Michael Daves to name a few things…

His show in Whelans last night was the stuff of legend… So two videos and two sides of Chris Thile to whet your appetite for tonight

Some Bach with The Punch Brothers…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1NNBf7uVQ4

And a Jack White Tune…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZS8KgMXECU

May see you there…

Iarla O'Lionaird's Foxlight Sampler on SoundCloud

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:39:00 +0100

Iarla O'Lionaird's Foxlight Sampler on SoundCloud:

Real World have created a sampler for Iarla’s new album on their Soundcloud. Check it out…

Chris Thile Show

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:24:24 +0100

Some news on the Chris Thile show this week

Michael Daves, who was to join Chris on the tour, is now unable to play the shows due to an illness in his family. Chris will instead play a full solo show each night.

On the other hand, we are delighted to announce that John Smith will be flying in especially from the UK to play support for Chris Thile’s solo show. Praised and encouraged by the legendary John Martyn and taken on tour by folk colossus Davy Graham, John Smith is an ordinary man with extraordinary abilities.

Already loved by musicians far away from the folk world, like Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, his last album Map or Direction reveals the absolute power and passion of folk performance, and introduces the mainstream to an exceptional new voice.

Free Download of Glistening Fields from Iarla 0'Lionairds new album from Real World Records

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:29:05 +0100

Real World Records have just put online a free download of a track from Iarla’s new album Foxlight.

The track is Glistening Fields featuring Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams. You will know Jon from his recent Mercury nominated album with King Creososte and Leo from a range of releases he has produced including a bunch of things with Brian Eno. Most importantly, it is a wonderful piece of singing. It’s a beautiful track.

The link to the album news and download :

http://realworldrecords.com/news/iarla-lionirds-foxlight-out-on-the-26th-of-september

Real World Records announce new Iarla O'Lionaird album

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:38:00 +0100

Real World Records announce new Iarla O'Lionaird album:

Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records have just announced the release of Iarla O’Lionaird’s new album Foxlight. It features an amazing cast of collaborators including Jon Hopkins, Adjagas, Neill McColl, Geese, Leo Abrahams, Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh.

Having heard it, while the collaborators and music are great, it is O’Lionaird’s voice and own songs really set it apart.

Fresh from shows with his new The Gloaming band, Iarla’s Irish launch tour includes Triskel Christchurch on September 17th. He has a great new band featuring members of Strands and Spook of The 13th Lock also…

You can check out samples of most of the album on the Real World link.

Sam Amidon Interview in Irish Times

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:19:00 +0100

Sam Amidon Interview in Irish Times :

Sam Amidon is a folk singer in the true sense. He re-crafts old songs in utterly new ways. His new show promises an audio visual show he created specially for the songs he will perform.

This interview with Jim Carroll is an interesting take on his view of his work.

He plays Triskel Christchurch on September 28th.

Arguably jazz’s finest pianist at work today, Mehldau...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:15:00 +0100

Arguably jazz’s finest pianist at work today, Mehldau stirred some controversy early in his career with his exploration of what you might termed “new standards” such as songs by Nick Drake, Soundgarden, Paul Simon and more… Some jazz folks found his engagement with Radiohead a bit worrying for some reason.

His work in this area has become something of a hallmark revealing his amazing improvisational skills and show just how good some of these songs are..

I particularly like his take on Radiohead’s Exit Music.

More such treats to come. He plays Triskel Christchurch on September 13th and the NCH in Dublin on September 14th

So here it is…

A music blog for Triskel Christchurch

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:08:30 +0100

As we head into an exciting bunch of shows for the Autumn we thought it time to create a blog for music at Triskel Christchurch…

This blog will offer further information on the artists performing, pointers to interesting podcasts and videos, artist updates and guest blogs by artists and those involved in the venue. We hope it will be a useful source of information on the music we present.

Looking forward to seeing you at the shows…

Gary