Blog: Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff

Wow...I have just realised how long it has actually been since I last posted. It's funny how quickly time can go by. A lot has been going on since I last blogged here on Rarities . Good and bad things; mostly good. I have been knee and elbow deep in my 30 Before 30 list, which has kept me very busy. But, on the upside, I can now fire a gun, chop wood, use a chainsaw, fish and crochet, and I will soon be able to milk a cow, [...]

Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins recently announced that she will release a brand new album on July 17th. Due to be named The Ol' Razzle Dazzle , the album will be Missy's first in five years, signalling her return to the music scene after a having taken a quiet break from the music scene. On her official website, the singer-songwriter revealed: “I guess I had a bit of an existential crisis...I thought, how do I become happy? If this doesn’t give me fulfillment, what will?” She [...]

It’s been (a long) three years since the brilliant Bat for Lashes released her sophomore studio album, Two Suns , but it has finally been revealed that the English singer-songwriter and musician will release a brand new album on October 15th. The Haunted Man will be released following a summer of live festival performances by Bat for Lashes, and will will coincide with a full UK tour in the Autumn. Tickets for The Haunted Man tour go on sale this coming Friday, 15th June at 9am. [...]

Fans of Ryan Adams are about to be gifted with a new collection of music in the form of a vinyl box set. Adams ended the practice for his Ashes & Fire tour with a promise to fans that live material would be assembled in an official release. Although it is still a mystery what the release will include (Adams announced it's imminent arrival online with the statement, "Live After Deaf. Friday. This will not be repressed"), rumour has it the new box set will find the singer-songwriter [...]

The first issue of De\Code , for which I am Arts Editor, was launched online this morning. Named after one of Stuart Hall's most famous essays, De\Code is Ireland's newest arts and culture magazine, and features what we, the De\Code team, think is interesting in the spheres of music, theatre, art, cinema, photography, literature, craft and travel, as well as many other aspects of urban culture. The first issue features Hip-hop battles, use [...]

Here's another new member to Rarities' string of talented female singer-songwriters; a guitar-armed, organic songstress in the form of Liz Lawrence. Coming from Irish blood on her mother's side, Liz Lawrence's home was always filled with the sound of music. The UK-born singer-songwriter first picked up a guitar at the age of eight and went on to discover her singing voice when performing and writing with a punk/ska band. Not the most traditional of starts, but still... Educated in the rural, peaceful [...]

Tomorrow, Tuesday April 3rd, Florence + the Machine will be playing a special concert at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London for Teenage Cancer Trust. The show - the finale of the charity's annual benefit concert series - will be that extra bit special as it will see Flo perform accompanied by a full Symphony Orchestra. The great news is that if you're not in attendance you will be able to enjoy a free-of-charge, interactive, multi-camera live stream of the event as it happens. The entire performance will be captured [...]

Last year I went along to Vicar Street to see a rescheduled Laura Marling gig with my friend Laina. We had no idea who was supporting Laura on the night, but were more than pleasantly surprised when three ladies by the names of Louise Hull, Bethan Gorman and Sara Templeman took to the stage. Calling themselves Louise and the Pins, the 50s styled trio serenaded the audience with arresting vocals, old-school soulfulness and folk-tinged sound. In short, I was hooked. This April, Louise Hull and her Pins will [...]

Emerging band The Hard Ground are pleased to announce the release of ‘Pawn’, the lead single from their debut studio album, Stolen Conversations . Formed from the core of the Bantry duo known as Berries Blue, The Hard Ground are a Cork-based five-piece who have come together to create a beautifully rich and layered sound, weaving together ambient arrangements and beautiful orchestration. Named after the powerful book of poetry by legendary singer-songwriter and composer Tom Waits, The Hard Ground, whose sound can best be described as folk-rock with strong undercurrents of blues, are [...]

• thehardground - Pawn

This week's NEW MUSIC post comes in the form of New York singer-songwriter, author and poet, Simone Felice. With the release of his debut solo album on April 2nd through Reveal Records, the Catskill Mountains-born Felice makes a triumphant return to our earwaves. Having spent his teenage years playing in a local band and eventually leaving school at 18, Simone Felice turned his attention to writing poetry and vignettes, leading to the publication of his first collection, The Picture Show , when he was 22 years [...]

Late last year Florence and the Machine followed in the footsteps of Nirvana, Paul McCartney, Alanis Morissette, Bob Dylan, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and Oasis when she recorded an MTV Unplugged session in New York. That very session is now set to be released as Florence's first ever live record. Carrying the title MTV Unplugged - A Live Album , the release will feature 11 tracks, including some of her biggest hits to date plus covers of classic songs such as 'Try A Little [...]

Formed from the core of the Bantry duo known as Berries Blue , The Hard Ground came together when Marlene Enright and Pat Carey decided they wanted their music to have a richer and more layered sound. Joined by Dave Duffy and Dave Ryan, whom they met while studying music in University College Cork, and often by session musician Hugh Dillon, the Cork-based quartet soon got to work on a feast of songs, weaving together ambient arrangements and beautiful orchestration. After much deliberation, they decided on the name The Hard [...]

There's nothing I like more on this blog than posting about new talents, especially ones of the female singer-songwriter variety. One person who knows this, is my good friend Dave Morrisey, a former music blogger who is now solely responsible for the brilliant online music show, Below and Beyond . Yesterday Dave posted a video for a song from newcomer Doe Paoro on my blog's Facebook page , and I was instantly transfixed. Before I continue harping on about [...]

I can't pinpoint exactly what I was doing at 13, but I imagine it was something to do with superheroes and comic books, and maybe even an A-Team van. I'm pretty confident I wasn't the talk of music heads all over the UK, with my stunning, heartfelt and mature lyrics, and delectable vocal talents. I'll double-check with my Dad, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't. There have been some very fine female singer-songwriters emerging out of the UK in the last number of years (just take Amy Winehouse and Adele as an [...]

Here's a gang who haven't been featured on Rarities before. Of Monsters and Men are a six-piece indie-folk band from lovely Iceland, who in 2010 won Músikilraunir, the country's annual music competition. Of Monsters and Men have already had major success in the United States since their song 'Little Talks' was recorded live over the 2010 Iceland Airwaves festival by Seattle-based radio station KEXP. In August 2011, the song was also debuted on Philadelphia station Radio 104.5, and quickly went into heavy rotation due to an [...]

Presented by the Last2Leave Music & Video Promotions in association with 2UIBestow , a music blog independently run by Peter Nagle, The Purple Sessions will once again bring a fine selection of music to the intimate and charming venue Boyle's, located in the heart of Ireland's original rock village, Slane. Re-launching on the evening of 24th February with a line-up that includes Dublin band The Riot Tapes , Waterford's Marc O'Reilly , up [...]

2011 wonder and 2012's most heavily-tipped One to Watch artist, Lana Del Rey has just recently revealed the tracklisting for her highly anticipated album Born to Die . Having generated a colossal amount of internet and media buzz with one of 2011's finest singles, 'Video Games', the singer has been propelled into the spotlight in the last number of months. Her new album will feature the above-mentioned track 'Video Games', as well as the album's title track and a feast of other singles already available on [...]

The songs that were on repeat on MyPod in 2011... 20. Charlene Soraia - 'Wherever You Will Go' 19. Adele - 'Someone Like You' 18. The Horrors - 'Still Life' 17. Foster the People - 'Pumped Up Kicks' [...]

This year has been an incredible year for music, both in our homeland and abroad. Here's a list of my personal favourite releases of the last twelve months. These are the albums that, at one time or another (or constantly!), gave me solace and smiles in 2012. 30. Austra - Feel It Break 29. Beirut - The Rip Tide [...]

On Wednesday night, Mick Flannery played a stellar gig at Limerick's Dolan's Warehouse. The Blarney stonemason treated fans to songs from both his debut concept album, Evening Train , and his sophomore offering, White Lies , as well as a selection of new tracks from his forthcoming third studio release. Mick's trademark husky voice was as captivating as ever; powerful, gravelly and almost pained, it really is something you have to hear live to appreciate fully. He moved with ease between piano and acoustic guitar, with his [...]