2nd One of the Year: Lots of Shop News, new MOGWAI and Listening Party, BREN BERRY Solo album, Last call for AOTY Poll, new ANDY BELL and a billion MoFi things

Hi folks

Well the horse is nearly broken in….wild enough there last week for a while.

Hope yer all well….welcome to 2025….crikey mikey, a quarter of this century gone .

Anyhoo,

Releases for this friday the 17th Jan include….




Nb folks, with the David Gray album we will have a poster or a signed print to go with it if you purchase Friday /Saturday or preorder on the site!!

 

A nice few upcoming events coming up in the siopa

First up is a listening party for the new MOGWAI album “ the bad fire”

The listening parties will happen in selected  record shops here and in the UK at 5pm on Monday 20th Jan. 

There will be a poster for all attendees at the listening party….slim chance of other goodies.

Also one of the attendees at our event  will be entered into a draw then also. There are 5 prizes in total in this draw across all stores involved in the listening parties… of 2 guest list places to any show on the bands 2025 world tour (headline shows only, festivals not included, nor is travel or accommodation, age limits to be checked for proposed show by prize winner etc) and a 2025 tour merch bundle.

The merch bundle is one Tshirt, beanie hat, tote bag and pair of socks!

Nb nb … .this is a draw across all the shops … .one entrant from each shop taking part in with a chance of the 5 prizes….far from doomsday though, as there are only between 20 and 25 shops doing the listening party….so 1 from here will have a 20 to 25 per cent of winning the nice prize!

Right then releases on the 24th Jan include



Next up is our first instore of the year and we are delighted to host Anthony Ruby on Saturday the 25th Jan @ 2pm.

Anthony is launching his debut album with us on CD and lovely Vinyl.

He was in the shop with me last week, a really interesting character and talented lad, we put the record on the turntable here, it sounds great…here’s more about the album.

“Black Water Rising is the debut solo album by uilleann piper, singer and artist Anthony Ruby. Ruby’s creation has definitely been a labour of love considering it has been four years in the making. 

Ruby plays a range of instruments on the album with the uilleann pipes, whistles and vocals to the fore. This album presents the traditional art of Irish uilleann piping with newly composed songs by Ruby. The album combines traditional and non-traditional instrumentation in an innovative way whilst also employing some elements of experimental sound design. Ruby has also given the album cover a strikingly visual identity with his cover painting ‘Drift.”

Anthony will be accompanied by Cárthach Ó Nuanáin on Keyboards/Guitar/Bouzouki and Tom Boutazz on double bass on the day … .It is shaping up to be a really lovely instore.

Here’s a tune from the record, its class ( the album is  a mix of tunes and songs…really high quality musicianship) 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/scgdyvy65n7j6o8rz8i6n/Anthony-Ruby-01-The-Johnny-O-Leary-Jig-Set.wav?rlkey=a68s1rpmy9a4i5ytps4ax3iom&e=1&st=eofc9k66&dl=0

Albums available on the website now on cd or lp…its saturday the 25th …ill remind ye next week!!

Right main hawk this week is for releases on the 31st of Jan and some for 7th Feb….so will be ordering these from the record companies by the weekend so if interested in anything shout please. Actually quite a few interesting releases here to be fair.

Bren Berry –  In Hope Our Stars Align debut album from the Revelino man

In Oct 2020, Berry oversaw the release of a remastered vinyl edition of his band Revelino’ s self-titled 1994 debut album which stirred much excitement and went straight to No 1 in the Irish Indie Charts. Enthused by this enduring love for Revelino;s music, guitarist/backing vocalist Bren Berry did something he hadn;t done in a very long time, dusting off his guitars and slowly beginning to channel his reflections into intimate songs.

It became “ in hope our stars align” for us all to enjoy

Heres is a track from it, out on 31st Jan

Winter Song – Album Version (Full Color Video)

 

Last week for our albums of the year charts folks

Will be shutting it down next monday and the results will be in next weds newsletter

50 quid voucher for one of you who enter

As said previously, if you only have one album to vote for….vote for it!!

Heres the link to do it…so do it!!
https://forms.gle/RagF5dpcoquS1b798

Spend hardly zero time on any social media now, retweet a few work things here and there but stumbled across this earlier and wanted to share it because it is so poignant and beautiful and sad really i suppose.

The world lost Eoin French ( Talos) last summer time and even though I hardly knew Eoin, it struck a deep chord, so young , so talented, so unfair.

I knew his albums fairly well anyway before his passing, but have spent  more time with them since … .They are class, he was gifted.

Some of his musical friends paid a tribute to him on the Tommy Tiernan show recently.

It’s so emotional, shivers and tears welling

Here it is ….its beautiful….such well done to everyone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vREl36k1eGs

Going to hand ye over to Shane now as he takes ye down the road a bit…fair bit going on id say!

Hey Ray, thanks. Ah jeez yeah, tragic loss is Eoin. Hugely talented. At least we still have the music.
Hi everyone, hope everything’s ok with ye. Lots to tell ye about today from my end.
I’m going to list everything out A-Z and maybe talk about one or two after it.
Here’s everything:

Lots there to get stuck into. I suppose The Pogues one should be nice. New Jason Isbell album should be good, his stuff is always high quality.
The Cindy Lee album is brilliant. (Pity it’s expensive) I came across it towards the end of last year. Definitely one of the best albums of 2024. It’s crazy long though, over 2 hours! Sounds a bit like Khruangbin in parts and then goes experimental in others. Only getting its physical release this year. Here’s the title track: https://youtu.be/1PEA7oHFS5w?si=6ufeIpr0bmpKbOy2
The Lucy Dacus one as well should be good. She’s one of the best modern songwriters around in my opinion. Here’s a new tune from her: https://youtu.be/pcW_-uxy6dQ?si=cyrlngrX3rb_t1C7

Anyway, dats the rundown from me, a rake of stuff.

No insta video yet this year from Young Adam, but I will pop it in here when he gets to it.

Ar ais leat so Ray. Slán.

Thanks Shane!!