January 22nd: First In-store gig of the Year, KENDRICK date change, FRANKS Doc, THE OCELOTS debut, bÚkl debut, Tone Poet Jazz Vinyl, new WATERBOYS LP and AOTY Results!

Hi folks

Hope all is well enough.

Releases for this Friday the 24th of Jan include…

Our first instore of the year is this coming Saturday the 24th @ 2 pm when we welcome Anthony Ruby ( Uileann pipes/vocals) accompanied by Cárthach Ó Nuanáin on Keyboards/Guitar/Bouzouki and Tom Boutazz on double bass to the shop.

Anthony is launching his vinyl record “ black water rising” with us, he shall also have CDs.

Anyone who can’t make it and would like a signed copy, email us and we will sort it or buy it from the site also.

This should be a lovely instore.

Cash preferred for the instore if possible.

Here is another tune from the album to whet yer appetite a bit, hope to see ye on Saturday!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/clw2grcc7n4toskw2anx1/Anthony-Ruby-07-Blackwater-Rising.wav?rlkey=kcdy0j8hofob7u929de3vgsv9&e=1&st=wqfk0efv&dl=0

Here are the releases for the 31st of Jan…

Nb note … .MJ Lendermann reissue is now the 31st jan and the new Manics is moved back to the 7th of Fen and the new Kendrick is now moved forward to 7th of feb from feb 21.

Anyhoo here’s what’s coming on the 31st jan folks…

I see Garth Hudson and John Sykes passed over the last few days….Hudson the last living member of a great “ band”. End of an era.

I have to flag this, there was a wonderful documentary on Nationwide on Monday the 20th of Jan featuring THE FRANK AND WALTERS….if even a small fan of the band,  or if  are from Cork or even have a cousin from Cork, you should WATCH IT 

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/nationwide/SI0000001172?epguid=IH10008772-25-0007

my pals and i were in Coughlans after Christmas for an acoustic show and it was great fun…one of my pals done the Cillian Murphy part in the song “ stages” ( my pal was 50 the day before and a lifelong Franks fan, ah twas magic and very funny) 

Stages – Frank and Walters Feat. Cillian Murphy

Also forgot to mention, we are getting a few more ( not many) of the Rory BBC collection box ( 18CD/Bluray)  in Feb …if missed it first time round and interested…shout…160 quid.


Nb dont forget to view entire message….albums of the year chart is at the end this week

Main week for this week is Friday Feb 7th….will be ordering a lot of these over the next few days so shout if your interested in anything here

Going to hand ye over to Shane now as he takes ye down the road as usual

Sound, Ray, cheers. Hi everyone, hope January is going ok as can be for ye. Starting to brighten a bit now. We’ll get there.

I suppose first up I’m really happy to tell ye that the pre-order for the CD and splatter coloured vinyl of my upcoming debut album, Blue Ghost in the Memory-Machine, under artist name bÚkl, is now up on the website! Release date is March 7th.
It’s been a long time coming, as due to mental health/confidence issues I wasn’t able to put the music out before. A lot of the tracks on it are from 10 or more years ago.
I recorded everything properly in 2024 in my DIY studio in the garden.
Here’s the vinyl, it’s limited (Ray taught me well!):

The cover artwork was done by the super talented and sound, Jim McCarthy.
The CD is kind of the deluxe version as it has two extra tracks and some extended ones. Wasn’t able to fit all those on 1 LP.
This will be the second ever official Music Zone vinyl release, after the HEDGE SCHOOLS release from last year.
Here’s a bit about the music from the blurb:
‘the music shifts from psychedelic prog tinged tracks to hard rock and alternative rock to minimal acoustic ballads with folk elements and songs with quirky electronic drum machine foundations.
The lyrics range from irreverent and tongue-in-cheek to heartfelt and dark, with a sprinkling of Gaeilge in the mix also.’

Just want to say thanks again to Ray for the help and support. Ray is a class act for helping Irish musicians to put their music out into the world, a class act.

Here’s the single I put out a few months ago from the album, ‘Eclipsed’:
https://youtu.be/uULWnDTrLTw?si=6YRjHHFIv5hyzcPE

I’m working on a new video for the next single and will post that here in a few weeks.
Anyway, excited for ye to hear it. There’s also a preview version of track 2, ‘Sympathy Friend’, over on my bandcamp page.

So that’s enough about that, really grateful for any and all support.

Next up for mentioning is a brand new album by THE WATERBOYS, ‘Life, Death and Dennis Hopper’. It’s a double LP and will be out in early April.
Here’s a bit about it:
‘The Waterboys have announced their new album, Life, Death And Dennis Hopper, which will be out April 4 via Sun Records. The 25-song double LP is entirely about the counterculture icon and acclaimed actor and director, and features contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, Steve Earle, and more.

“The arc of his life was the story of our times,” says Waterboys bandleader Mike Scott, “He was at the big bang of youth culture in Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean; and the beginnings of Pop Art with the young Andy Warhol. He was part of the counter-culture, hippie, civil rights and psychedelic scenes of the ’60s. In the ’70s and ’80s he went on a wild 10-year rip, almost died, came back, got straight and became a five-movies-a-year character actor without losing the sparkle in his eye or the sense of danger or unpredictability that always gathered around him.”

And here’s a track from it: https://youtu.be/N6o9HsvbekQ?si=P3GBhd0fYp9JQhYc

Coloured indies vinyl version of that available, as well as CD and standard coloured vinyl.

One I better mention also, or else we’ll be hammered with nasty Google reviews by the Bowie heads, is the 50th Anniversary Edition of ‘Young Americans’.
It’s getting pressed as a half-speed mastered vinyl and as a Picture Disc with poster for March 7th release.

Here’s everything else coming out over the nextt few months:

Adam says there will be a new Insta video next week. The new stuff is building up again.

Cheers all so. Back to you Ray, sound!

Exciting one for you today Shane!! Well done boy, well done.

Right thanks to Rick again … .cos if it was left to me, it would be next Christmas before it would be done!!

The albums of the year are here … .there was 200 different albums voted for, which is quite a range!!

Top 20 albums of the year:

1: Fontaines DC – Romance 191
2: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Wild God 80
3: The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World 67
4: Jack White – No Name 42
5: Gillian Welch and David Rawlings – Woodland 41
6: The Smile – Wall of Eyes 38
7: IDLES – TANGK 35
8: Adrianne Leneker – Bright Future 30
9: MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks 29
10: Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere 27
11: Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood 27
12: Sprints – Letter to Self 23
13: The Smile – Cutouts 23
14: Pearl Jam – Dark Matter 19
15: Bonny Light Horseman – Keep Me on your mind 18
16: Charlie XCX – Brat 16
17: Laura Marling – Patterns in Repeat 16
18: a lazarus soul no flowers grow in cement 16
19: Jamie XX – In Waves 15
20: Kneecap – Fine Art 14

TOP 20 Irish Albums:

Fontaines DC – Romance 310
Kneecap – Fine Art 84
A Lazarus Soul – No Flowers Grow in Cement
Gardens 71
Sprints – Letter to Self 53
New Dad – Madra 48
Villagers – That Golden Time 48
Gurriers – Come and See 31
Gemma Hayes – Blind Faith 30
Susan O Neill – Now in a Minute 28
Lankum – Live in Dublin 26
Niamh Regan – Come As You Are 25
David Murphy – Cuimhne Ghlinn 14
Jerry Fish – Dreaming of Daniel 13
Muireann Bradley – I Kept These Old Blues 13
Oisin Leech – Cold Sea 12
Silverbacks – Easy Being A Winner 12
Coroza – As Within 9
David Kitt – Not Fade Away 9
Fionn Regan – O Avalance 9
John Blek Cheer Up 9

Top 5 gigs:

Nick Cave – 3 Arena 11
Fontaines – 3Arena 5
A Lazarus Soul live in MZ !! 5
Idles – 3Olympia 4
LCD Soundsystem – Malahide Castle 3

Sin e for this week folks!

Thanks for listening as usual

Ray, Shane , young Adam and Mia