Patty Griffin: Forgiveness { purchase ] Luka Bloom: Forgiveness [ purchase ] The Lonesome Sisters: Forgiveness [ purchase ] Single-word song titles are often homonymic, especially those that describe an emotional state; after all, there's a LOT of songs out there, and far fewer emotional states to channel through song. These three favorite interpretations of forgiveness were [...]
In all the posts so far about the amazing Kilkenny Arts line-up I forgot to mention the 'Golden Ticket' competition. Basically if you buy a ticket for any show on or before Sunday 17th July [i.e. tomorrow] you're automatically in with a chance of free bed, free breakfast and a free ticket for you and your lover/bff! Check out the official details here: http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/blo g/article/kilkenny-arts-festiv al-2011-golden-ticket-competit ion/ You could do worse than using your ticket to see Luka Bloom live and a whole bunch of amazing musicians on August 13th in the Set [...]
![Amhrán Gach Lá - Somadrone [Kilkenny Arts Special]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3557226_lg.jpg)
I'm delighted to be part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival Bloggers Team of really nice people with a passion for the Arts. The scale of what's on offer in the historic town of Kilkenny is simply amazing. All the arts are covered and there's massive variety on offer. This Arts festival along with Cat Laughs and the Rhythm and Roots Festival must make Kilkenny the cultural capitol of Ireland? Check out the vast programme of events here: http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/ The music line-up [...]
Luka Bloom: I Need Love [ purchase ] Boyhowdy posted a track from this various-artists live CD, In Their Own Words, Vol. 1 , last year, but it's one of those albums that always seems to pop up when I'm searching for songs for the weekly themes here. So I hope you don't mind me revisiting it, because just about the whole album is perfect for this week's theme. For those of you who have never heard of this album before, it is a collection [...]
Today The Kings of Leon will perform in Slane Castle today to 80,000 people. The concert has gained a worldwide reputation over the 30 years. The line-ups below contain some of the best live bands in the world along with Bryan Adams. Check out some of the Irish artists to have been given the pleasure of performing in Slane. 16th August 1981 THIN LIZZY U2/HazelO'Connor/Rose Tattoo Sweet Savage/The Bureau/Megahype [...]
Valentine Black is the alter ego of Kildare musician Peco Mc Loughlin whose latest politically charged single 'Take me to your leader' was released this month and is a cracking good tune. Over the years Peco has shared the stage with a number of major artists, supporting acts like The Waterboys, Mundy, Bell X-1, Damien Dempsey, Duke Special, The Blizzards, The Coronas, Luka Bloom, Jerry Fish, Dirty Epics, Aslan and Something Happens. http://www.reverbnation.com/va lentineblack [...]
Early this week, my trusty, relatively rusty laptop went kaput, leaving me stranded with but an iPad to access the universe. With 50,000 songs and their library locked in limbo, and the iPad unable to load the full WordPress interface, I was in no position to let folks know what was happening behind the scenes; the resulting radio silence through what is usually a midweek blog feature deadline was frustrating, and I apologize for leaving regular visitors hanging on the line. Today is a recovered day in more ways than one, then: [...]
![Whelans 20th Anniversary [Concert Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/2180478_lg.jpg)
On 7th December 1989 Whelans opened it's doors as a music venue on the southern outskirts of Dublin. Check out this site for a detailed history of Whelans; http://homepage.eircom.net/~lh anlon/History.html "One feature of the bar is the Stone man, a life size statue of a lone Dublin drinker propped against the Stone Bar. The statue is made with fired wood chips, a sort of complex paper mache." ... taken from the link above! Fast forward to 2009 and alot has changed in Dublin and Ireland since the post Commitment and Joshua Tree days! [...]
I was never a real fan of goth-rock, though as I've written about before, pretty much anything that made the Top 40 in the 80s seems to linger in the minds and hearts of both my own generation and the artists it has since spawned. And The Cure was undeniably the most prevalent band of its type in mainstream mall culture when I was growing up: in my early adolescence, I dated several girls with somber black-and-white Robert Smith posters on their bedroom walls, and - looking back - can only suppose that the band's [...]
Luka Bloom: The Hungry Ghost [ purchase ] Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom is generally found among the folk crowd, but then, they define folk differently on the far side of the pond. To these American ears, there's something perfectly 80s new wave about this track, like a B-side Midge Ure ballad: slack, jangly string accents driving the production, the haunting ebb and flow lyrics, the driving drumbeat and the wailed, echoing chorus fading away into the majestic haze of sound from which it first emerged. [...]
Typically, in our regularly recurring Covered in Folk feature, we enumerate the impact a particular artist has had on culture, and follow that with a carefully compiled list of folk covers from that artists' songbook. Tonight, we break the mold, turning to the songs made famous by Elvis in order to tout a few artists whose new and recent releases or rediscovered gems have been at the top of my playlist for the last few weeks for one reason or another. One day, perhaps, we'll feature a more traditional look at [...]
This week is National Bike Week in Ireland (June 14-21). According to its website, it is a week devoted to "a series of nationwide events organised by cycling groups, communities and local authorities supported by the Department of Transport." These events have included inititiaves aimed at getting Irish workers to cycle to work instead of taking their cars, free bike check ups, and sponsored cycles and races. In tandem with National Bike Week, the Department of Transport hope to implement the first National Cycle Policy Framework in this country. One of its main goals is to [...]
In the week of the big Oasis gig in Slane it's worth remembering the Irish artist on the bill the last time Oasis played in 1995 was Luka Bloom. Luka has recorded many many covers over his career but none so brave as this tune written by LLCoolJ: I Need Love http://www.myspace.com/lukablo om http://www.lukabloom.com/ Catch Luka live in Boyles, Slane and in The National Concert Hall this [...]
Whelans has hit the milestone of 20 years and is celebrating with a series of gigs in the coming months starting tonight with the first of Mundy's three gigs. I predict Friday night will be mad in Whelans with Mundy downstairs and Groom in the upstairs venue. There's no doubt that Whelans is a special little venue that has accomondated many of Ireland's best artists as well as some of the very best International acts. The list includes Jeff Buckley, Townes Van Zandt, The Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, The National, David Gray and hundreds more. Here are my own personal [...]
![Peadar King - The Nature of Flaws [Album Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1677302_lg.jpg)
Recently I was listening to a recently purchased Irish artist compilation album in the car when I heard 'Wanted Something'. You know the moment you hear a song that is near perfection at that moment in time? 'Wanted Something' was that song for me and led me to seek out it's creator; Peadar King. 'The Nature of Flaws' is the debut album by Peadar King released last July. I am reviewing this album here now because I have this hunger to tell [...]
image from here It's spring time, I think? Can't really tell down here in Florida. It's been in the high 70's, low 80's for weeks now. Florida doesn't really have much in the way of season change. It gets cold once in awhile but it is usually pretty hot and muggy most of the year. I remember growing up in New Hampshire. Now, there was some real seasons. My favorite season up there was fall when the leaves changed colors. So beautiful! I don't miss the snow though. The winters up there were [...]
The blogsphere is a great place to wonder around on special occasions such as Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Christmas and St. Patricks Day. Here are the best blog posts I found celebrating Irish Music on the net: http://coverlaydown.com/ finds Boyhowdy celebrating the folkier side of U2 with a post of U2 covers by folk artists. Find tunes by Luka Bloom, Bell X1, The Walls and many more. http://troubledsoulsunite.blog spot.com/ is a great Pearl Jam inspired blog. The blog contains tunes by Thin Lizzy, The Pogues and Flogging Molly. [...]
In introducing last year's surprisingly popular St. Patrick's Day entry on the folkier side of Sinead O'Connor , I noted that I had almost exhausted my collection of U2 covers. Since then, however, discovery and a surprisingly rapid pace of coverage have widened the playing field of potential, making for a lovely set. So raise a glass, and let's begin. It's St. Pat's, and the folk is flowing. I came to U2 too late to be [...]
Star Maker Machine
2 U I Bestow
A Town Full of Losers
Cover Lay Down
Songs in Space
![Niki & The Dove - The Fox [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/l2f6UbMnlq4_130.jpg)
Download: Lissy Trullie - "It's Only You, Isn't It"
Video: Now, Now - "Dead Oaks"
Karmin – “Broken Hearted” and “I Told You So” 2/11 SNL
