Moving on to releases for next Friday, Paddy’s day….. 11 to 6 open in the shop that day… The biggest release next week is the new DEPECHE MODE album via Sony, their 14th entitled ‘Spirit’…. I’ts available with us as a 12 track standard CD, a limited, deluxe 17 track CD with a 28 page book….. Vinyl record version will be the standard album on a double LP with the fourth side having a special ‘Spirit’ etching on it…. Really looking to giving it a listen next week… Fine band…. Anton Corbijn once again does all the artwork and photography…
Sony also have the CD release of one of the biggest pop stars on the planet at the moment…. ZARA LARSSON….
Sony also have a new album from Pitbull, a JOHN WILLIAMS 3CD/1DVD set, a new 2CELLOS CD and a five CD set of albums by DEREK TRUCKS.
I am listening live as I write this to the Choice Irish Music Awards on 2FM… And it’s starting to look to me that JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW is the PAUL SIMON of the Irish Music Industry…. The DJs had mentioned a few times he was the only one not in attendance… Nothing about him washing his hair or anything…. Just he was not there and then one DJ told a story about how he was working on a small radio station in London when Mcmorrow’s debut came out and he was so impressed by it…. PLugged it big time on the radio station… He really connected with it… So the DJ wrote him a heartfelt genuine letter and guess what, ‘I heard nothing back’…. Nothing… Nothing at all… No reply… ASSHOLE’….. Brilliant says I… Tell it like it is…. Heard another DJ this week from a different radio station mention him also and how he was grating on him because JVM was retweeting everyone in the world who said he was brilliant…. ‘I’m brilliant’…. ‘I am brilliant’… ‘No i am brilliant’… Emperor’s new clothes (We do a bit of that actually…. Profile they call it…. But write back Paul.. I mean James)
Universal have a really interesting one for the 17th also by JARVIS COCKER and CHILLY GONZALES called ‘Room 29’…. Here’s a little info on it :
Jarvis Cocker, former frontman of the famous Brit pop band Pulp and Canadian pianist/rapper/producer/composer Chilly Gonzales have teamed up for this exciting new project. Room 29 was initially conceived as a theatre piece about the legendary room 29 of Hollywood Hotel Chateau Marmont. Cocker wrote the piece during his own stay at Room 29, inspired by one of the room’s more unusual features – a baby-grand piano – as a witness of all the countless dramas that must have taken place there. Room 29 is a studio recording of the theatre piece, consisting of catchy songs, spoken word, and piano interludes, composed by Chilly Gonzales, with lyrics by Jarvis Cocker. A deluxe vinyl version will be released in April.
Universal also have a great LLOYD COLE 6 CD boxset entitled ‘In New York..
Lloyd Cole will release a deluxe limited edition box set of his early solo years entitled ‘Lloyd Cole In New York’ on March 17th 2017 via Polydor/UMC. It features all four solo albums Lloyd released on the Polydor and Fontana labels between 1988 and 1996 [‘Lloyd Cole’ (’90), ‘Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe’ (’91), ‘Bad Vibes’ (’93) and ‘Love Story’ (’95)] plus ‘Smile If You Want To’, the ‘unreleased’ fifth album (including one previously unreleased track), and ‘Demos ‘89-‘94’, 20 recordings from home and studio made public for this release. The box will also feature a hardback book about this most erudite of artists by John O’Connell with new interviews with Lloyd and featured musicians, producers and collaborators and a wonderful selection of photos from the period plus a poster and postcards that feature Lloyd shot in New York by feted photographer Kevin Cummins.
Universal have some nice vinyl record reissues including the debut from COUNTING CROWS ‘August and Everything After’… Good album…. And the follow up ‘Recovering the Satellites’ as DLP.
PETE TOWNSHEND LP reissues of ‘All the Best Cowboys’ on gold vinyl and ‘Empty Glass’ on clear vinyl as well through Uni, as well as some STEVE WINWOOD LP reissues…
New album by SPOON on Matador Records called ‘Hot Thoughts’, on an indies only red vinyl with codes for ye…
REAL ESTATE have a new album (4th one) entitled ‘In Mind’ on Domino records… Indies only coloured vinyl also…Limited i’m told.
Pias also have the new ANOHNI release on CD or 10” vinyl record… The vinyl includes the CD actually, and PIAS also have the latest batch of DEAD CAN DANCE represses of ‘The Serpent’s Egg’, recorded up in the hills and surrounded by the lakes of Cavan… The 5th album ‘Aion” and the 7th album ‘Spiritchaser’…. Brendan Perry had or maybe still has a gaff and a recording studio in Cavan… Quality stuff.
Lastly PIAS ( Choice Commentary : oh, Mcmorrow is in OZ the girl just said…. fair enough) have ACCEPT ‘Restless and Live’ on DVD/BLURAY..
We are doing a bit of a special on the new BOB DYLAN vinyl release on pre-orders only….There is a limited boxset coming out …. (Choice Commentary : And the winner is RUSANGANO FAMILY…. Don’t know it to be honest… Shall investigate… Sound like top lads in fairness to them) … So, it’s a limited, numbered Dylan boxset… Deluxe CD/3LP set….. So we are doing it for 50 euro, best price on pre-orders only…. Be back to us before next Thursday morning please…. For anyone that is interested…. I think you should find that it’s a really good price… Pop us a mail if interested, or pre-order directly from this link : https://musiczone.ie/product/bob-dylan-triplicate-deluxe-vinyl-boxset-special-price-pre-order/
It was a long week last week…. The ED launch was a long but enjoyable day but I had been a buachaill dana the Monday before…. Myself and Hozier were out to a bit of a bash in a fine local establishment… Yep a monday night……. Well twas 5.05AM Tuesday morning before I put the coat and hat on… Tunes in the ears…. Abhaile raymond… Thinking I was 22 again… No bother to me… Work for half nine/ten the next day… No bother to me…. Hah…right… Hence the long week…. The rock star didn’t leave after till the sun was comfortably in the sky…. Teaching him well….
Warner for the 17th have the new CONOR OBERST album, new OBITUARY album and a new live GARY CLARKE JR album.
PROPER have the BRETT ANDERSON solo albums boxset on CD and LP, PORCUPINE TREES ‘Voyage’ CD reissue, and a new PEADER O RIADA CD.
MUSIC ON VINYL have CAROLE KING ‘Welcome Home’, and SARAH MCLACHLAN “Solace’ LP reissues.
Red Essential have a few LAMB OF GOD vinyl reissues.
Local scene…
We are delighted to announce that the wonderful MARLENE ENRIGHT live in-store on Saturday March 25th at 1PM to launch her new (and truly brilliant) album ‘Placemats and Second Cuts’. The album is out the day before, and we’re really looking forward to having her in, you can hear the lead single ‘Alchemy’ here :
Also, the Smiling Assassin is back.. Talks of a U2‘Joshua Tree’ box set coming… More next week on this..
Sitting in the shop at 10:02PM, Thursday the 2nd of March.. Was here till 7:30.. Nipped home for an hour… Back since 9:30.. Strange night really.. Surreal.. Pensive at the moment.. Pissing rain out, no one at all around.. Opening in two hours for a Midnight Launch for Ed Sheeran’s new album Divide.. Very pensive… The battle is won regards this event though, loads of promo surrounded us and the event thanks to Bartosz and the shopping centre here, and all the folks in Warner.. It allowed us to wave a flag in the air and say we are here.. So thanks to all involved.. Bobby also for soldiering again with me..
Surreal though, as I sit here, this time six years ago my business was on it’s knees… Surviving on fumes.. Turnover of less than two grand a week on a bog standard week.. Death on two legs and it was tearing me apart.. Couldn’t turn the mind off at home.. New baby on the way (as now, a new baby on the way) but a business that has some life… This event is a sign of that life… Polar opposite feelings.. Nervous excitement… First midnight opening for me since Oasis’ ‘Be Here Now’ in ‘96.
I know in the great scheme of life none of this matters a shite, but you know… It’s nice when you’re self employed and you don’t have to take shite baggage home with you.. So thanks to all involved.. Lots of work goes into something like this.. I promise to give an update before this goes out as to how we got on..
Christ Raymond, you sounded like Grandad in ‘It’s Only Fools and Horses’ reminiscing about the war….
Right so, moving on to releases for the 10th of March… We have the new vinyl record release from the mighty THE SHINS… Their 5th now i think… First couple were beauts.. This one also sounds pretty good.. It’s called ‘Heartworms’ and it’s out on LP and CD.
Sony also have a MILES DAVIS QUINTET ‘Freedom Bootleg 5th Volume’, I think which comes with a bonus 12’’ as well.. Also from Sony is a JOE COCKER ‘Ultimate Collection’ on 2CD or 2LP..
Lastly from Sony is a score to the movie ‘The Chamber’ by James Dean Bradfield… Heavy stuff i’d say.. Hardcore Manics fans… Heard him interviewed recently about this score and it’s one of his first solo projects… Second I think.. But he was asked in the interview what advice he would give to aspiring bands.. He said he didn’t have a clue, as it’s a completely different industry since 1991… He is right.. What could you advise a really good young band?..
Keep at it… Every inch might get you the golden mile… He mentioned TV and Film Music is a way in maybe.. Write an unbelievably catchy tune.. No bother sure..
Anyway, Proper for the 10th of March have the new LAURA MARLING record ‘Semper Femina’… Lead single excellent.. Portishead like.. I think a few deluxe DLP available too, with live tracks and codes…
Proper also have FAIRPORT CONVENTION’s ‘50 @ 50’… 14 Tracks, half live, half studio… Plenty of guests on it.. Even Planty guests on one track, as does Jacqui McShee from PENTANGLE on another..
Lastly from Proper for next week is the album ‘Last Days of Oakland’ by FANTASTIC NEGRITO.. Winner of the recent Grammy for Best Blues Album.. Sounds like an interesting dude, and sounds bloody great… (To me)… Have a listen here
Universal for the 10th of March have quite a bit, starting the new CIRCA WAVES album, as well asELLIOT SMITH’s ‘Either/Or’ 20th Anniversary 2CD (lovely album), and a MARK ALMOND / SOFT CELL ‘Best Of’.. Also through Uni is the newest MAX RICHTER release on vinyl, a new Marti Pellow CD, the next in the series of the MARTY WHELAN compilations, a CHICKENFOOT ‘Live Best Of’ on 2CD, the new BUSH album on CD only.. They also have the new DEEP PURPLE single on 12’’ and CD, and lastly a brand new CHICKENFOOT track on 7’’..
PIAS for the 10th of March have the SOUNDGARDEN reissue of Ultramega OK, the Grammy nominated debut record on limited indies only Blue and Violet coloured vinyl with 6 bonus tracks included.. PIAS also have the Steve Earle ‘Live From Austin, TX’ on CD/DVD or 2LP..
Republic of Music have represses of their first ever three records on coloured vinyl.. Bit of a pleasure / guilty pleasure… Covers by French female singers of classic post punk / new wave classics in Bossa Nova.. The claim is the singers never heard the songs they covered on these albums?!!..
It’s now 15:21 on the 3rd of March… Last night went well.. About 12LPs and 42 CDs sold… Beer, Prosecco, pizza and chocolate all consumed.. Nice laugh instore… I think people really enjoyed it… no money made (lots of little costs) but loads of promo achieved around it so I do hope there will be more in the future… Where there’s life there’s hope..
It’s now 16:25 on Sunday the 5th of March as this newsletter is being tidied up and finished. We had a great weekend in the shop, between the Ed launch and the BRILLIANT in-stores from Joe Chester and August Wells.. Thanks to both Joe and August for gracing our stage, both very very enjoyable, and thanks to all who came in over the weekend. Sorry for the delay in getting this sent out…
Friends of the shop CRY MONSTER CRY are in Couglan’s tonight (Sunday).. Well worth checking out.. Sin e for this weeks folks..
The RSD application and code of conduct forms are gone back… We are in… Our 7th year….YES we sell pre-recorded music… YES we open 48 weeks of the year for more than 25 hours a week…. YES we will sell everything on a first come first served basis … YES we will be active on social media…. NO we won’t open before 8 am on Record Shop Day… NO we will not take pre orders or reservations… NO we will not hold anything back to sell at a later date… NO we will not sell anything online until the 7 day window is open…. It’s not long now and do you know what…. WE CAN’T WAIT… WE LOVE IT.. It is a CELEBRATION of Record Shops survival (and another yacht as a by the way)…. Ye all know the challenges record shops face and have faced.. The ‘free’ thing is always close by…. Have I banged on about the free thing lately, if not then I intend to one of these weeks… Our industry was probably the first to be hit by, A) Technology, and B) online superpowers… Now all bricks and mortar face the online threat… Our products were so easy to do the online thing with… We were first… Now everything is fair game online… So to have faced it, survived it and lived to tell the tale, well hey that deserves as Frank Gallagher might say ‘A F**king Parteeee’.. So that’s what we’re going to have… Sat April 22… Diarys open please folks.
Apologies i got a bit excited there… Em hem…. Normal service please dear chap… Vinyl records in the corporation today includes the mighty fine RYAN ADAMS record…. Thanks again to ye pre-orderers.. Sorry again about slight price mix up… Gold taps required on the starboard side….. I like the Ryan Adams to be honest.. Looking forward to hearing it again tomorrow… Always a good sign… Others in the siopa today are IGGY AND THE STOOGES, ROXY MUSIC,NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS,OVERKILL, PETE TOWNSEND, JESCA HOOP and DEPECHE MODE.
A two-week video of releases is up this week too folks, sorry for missing last week
Righty oh so…. Onto the releases for Friday the 24th …. The excellent JOE CHESTER releases his album next Friday and will be in with us the following Friday the 3rd of March at 4pm for a few tunes and a few hellos also… Looking forward to it…. AUGUST WELLS is in with us also on Saturday the 4th of MARCH where they are launching the vinyl format of their excellent new album…
A major debut (I think…. Although I think they are making music a while i’d say) by four lads from Cabra, Co. Dublin called GYPSIES ON THE AUTOBAHN….. See what ye think here :
The album is called Born Brief and is available on CD for just a tenner and LP from next Friday the 24th. Hopefully it will do well for them…
The next two WELLER solo albums get the vinyl reissue treatment (sorry not deluxe in any real way, deluxe price though)…. ‘Stanley Road’ and ‘Heavy Soul’….Stanley is probably his biggest solo album i’d say, commercially anyway…. Same sceal with the price i’m afraid… Sorry…Crazy I know…
UMG also have a STATUS QUO 10LP vinyl boxset, ‘81 to 96’, as well as ASIA ‘Symfonia : Live in Bulgaria’ 2CD/DVD.
Sony for the 24th of Feb have a solo album by VAMPIRE WEEKEND drummer Chris Tomson under the guise DAMS OF THE WEST…. What i heard sounds alright to be honest… To my two ears anyway….. Sony also have a SANCTUARY reissue of 1986s ‘Inception’ .
Proper music have a new album by reformed band MODERN ENGLISH, a new one by New York supergroup SUMMER MOON fronted by STROKES bassist Nikolai Fraiture… And lastly a new album by JOHN WESLEY HARDING or Wesley Stone as he now calls himself …. Backed on this by none other than THE JAYHAWKS.. Not too bad a backing band i suppose.
REPUBLIC OF MUSIC have a new DEAR READER album on Magneta… Indies only coloured vinyl… Recorded on Analogue tape… Class..
I must tell ye about an incredible auditory experience I had last night… ‘A fffing what?’, I hear ye say… Called to a friend of mines house who has a music room… 7 or 8 thousand records, about 5 or 6 thousand CDs… QUALITY stuff now… Very little things you’d have to excuse yourself about if you know what I mean… Not much of it the wife’s stuff there or the husband’s stuff either if that’s the case…. Man it was an overdrive to my senses… Sound and vision… Complete overkill… I couldn’t talk or process anything for a while…. Man was it sweet though when I chilled out and took it in… The clarity and warmth of sound was just unreal…. Now I think we were only using about 20 grand worth of kit like (I didn’t touch by the way, I can be clumsy at the best of times)…. Sweet stuff, sweet sweet stuff… Beatles, Floyd, Queen, Santana, Neil Young, Buddy Holly never ever sounded as good…. And introduced to the likes of Roy Buchanan and The Louvin Brothers… I could have stayed for a month… The sound was just incredible.. The clarity of each instrument unbelievable…. Truly…. Got me thinking .. Ye folks really should be buying more… Shag these yachts…
RED ESSENTIAL have new albums by THE PIGEON DETECTIVES and CLAP OUR HANDS SAY YEAH.
Play It Again Sam (PIAS) have a new SUN KIL MOON album… A double album this time from MARK KOZELEK … The one true god to some people…. Not that I disagree with how talented the dude is .. It’s the one true god thing is the stumbling block for me…. Just CD for now folks… I hope they press more than 12 of it on vinyl this time when they do press it…
PIAS also have a debut by HIPPO CAMPUS … My notes tell me I liked it a lot, but I can’t remember jack of it… Trusting my notes though… Indies only yellow vinyl also…
Nuclear Blast have a new IMMOLATION album called ‘Atonement’, and a tour edition of the last AMORPHIS album ‘Under The Red Cloud’, with a live CD.
Pias also have new albums from KING GIZZARD AND THE WIZARD LIZARD (a trad folk band from Ballintotis…. Em no…. A hint of psych I think is truer) LOS CAMPESINOS and SUICIDE SQUAD.
Warner for the 24th of FEB have the new RHIANNON GIDDEONS album (CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS) …. Terrible tale as a theme behind the writing of the title track of the album ‘At Purchaser’s Option’.
Rhiannon saw a picture of an old ad in a New York paper in 1797 and the item for sale was ‘a remarkably smart, healthy negro wench with also a nine old month child but the child is at purchaser’s option’….. Absolutely disgusting and mind boggling… I do wonder what will disgust people in 200 years about the crimes this generation have committed… Crimes in the name of gods maybe…. Do we not see our crimes as we live them… Is history the only judge of them…. An ad like this was reasonable behaviour 200 years ago about a woman and her child in the land of hope and freedom…..
Warner also have the CD soundtrack of THE STOOGES doc ’Gimme Danger’, as well as a DISTURBED ‘Live At Red Rocks’ 2LP, and finally an original french language version of the CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS album on blue vinyl with CD and poster…. 500 only worldwide… Just saying is all!
Massive exciting news for the shop as we team up with our pals in WARNER for an ED SHEERAN Midnight Party Album Launch….. Yes open at midnight we are on Thursday night, the 2nd of March till 1 or 1.30AM on Friday morning, the 3rd of March for the release of the new ED SHEERAN record ‘Divide’….. One of only three record shops in the whole world to be open at midnight on the date of the release…Yeah heh bring it on…. Like the old days… I wrote on these pages a year or 18 months ago would the day ever come back…. The day (or night to be more precise) of “midnight openings”…. I done three or four in the very distant past and there was truly something special about it…. Real fans waiting to hear the new album in its entirety… First to get it… Old school…. Hopefully you will have no big leaks in your house Ed my man in the next two weeks…. Part of the joy of the chase is making the effort to succeed in getting it folks… Not when it lands on your phone, Bono… ‘Cos that just makes it disposable spam my friend… unfair on your two years of slog, toil, tears, rows and revelations… The record you put your heart and soul into deserves to be treated with respect… Like midnight openings respect… Like punters showing up for midnight openings respect…. Aretha you had it baby…
Yep we will be open …Me and Bobs at 12 midnight, Thursday March 2nd…..Everyone who gets into us will get a bespoke Ed Sheeran/Music Zone signature card… With the main dudes signature on it, and me and Bobby can sign it as well if ye like.. The Big News : Everyone will also be entered into a draw on the night for a pair of tickets to see Ed at his sold out 3Arena Dublin gig…… So if 10 turn up…. Good chance…50…. Ok less of a chance…. 100…Well still a 1% chance…. Brilliant… We are delighted about it…. It allows us to wave a flag and say we are a record shop and we are here.. Loads more could happen yet on the night in question… Who knows?… The night is dark and full of….
You can pre order the album on three formats here :
CD https://musiczone.ie/product/ed-sheeran-%C3%B7-divide-cd-pre-order/
Deluxe CD https://musiczone.ie/product/ed-sheeran-%C3%B7-divide-deluxe-cd-pre-order/ Vinyl https://musiczone.ie/product/ed-sheeran-%C3%B7-divide-lp-pre-order/
Nice gig in St Luke’s next friday night the 24th … A bit of info here… Still some tickets left I think… The corporation are heading up… Flagan in coat…. Bushing in a church with a few tunes… Sins of the future…. Well definitely a sin of the past…
Sin e for this week so i suppose,
Paul Simon was about to get it, but I’ve ran out of energy… Time enough for that.
Nice few bits hit the shop floor today with us including the debut from RAG N BONE MAN…a slide on steptoe and son i think….the beautiful BOWIE sound and vision picture disc…nearly exactly 40 years to the day…originally released on the 11th of Feb 1977…one of my own favourite Bowie tracks …the reissue of the three studio albums also out, station to station, young americans and diamond dogs as well as the live albums from the mid 70s….the studio albums are 18 euro each…we all crib about pricing but in this instance we can’t really crib…tough for us i know…..not cribbing that is….some of us anyway…like how one cannot get car insurance for one’s 98 fiieeesstiiiii deluxe….what’s that about like….one may be forced into selling one’s prized yacht….or……hats, scarves or headbands…anyone for the last few Harrison boxsets…hats, scarves or headbands….last few choc ices…
Moving on to releases for next Friday the 17th of Feb...the big one really is the new RYAN ADAMS album…prisoner…the preorder price is still in place if anyone is interested….gonna do the draw for the five red ones tomorrow…which is today now….i one finger type this on a thursdaynight and my IT department tidy it up on a friday ( Bobby most weeks but Shane this week as the Bob man is away in London town for a well earned weeks holidays…) so the five names for the red vinyl are Billy Coleman, Paul customer, Matthew Cullen, Joe Flynn and Dave O Conner….there was some very good customers names not pulled out of the hat….it was a fair draw picked by an 8 year old girl and her mam in the shop at 17.20…so sorry… Flor, Frank, BOD, Keith O D, Eddie O D, Donal B, Peter L, Brendan M and Kieran O Reilly….it was a fair draw lads….i hope i will get 5 red ones now!!
Universal have a new album by AMY MACDONALD out next week also called under stars, a new album from KID CUDI his 6th, the Danny Elfman score to the Tim Bruton classic “ a nightmare before christmas” on 2LP , THE BRITS 2017 3 CD set and some STEVE WINWOOD LP reissues including “ arc of a diver” and “ talking back to the night” .
Lastly from UMG for next week are some really limited PETE TOWNSEND reissues…his album with Ronnie Lane bassist of THE SMALL FACES on 180g red vinyl…500 only i think UK and Eire…as is his solo album “ who came first” ….a quiet listen…. on white vinyl this one…same numbers.
Music on Vinyl have a repress of Total Madness by MADNESS, a greatest hits as ye know….first 1000 pressed are on red vinyl…i hope to have some.
Seen as im on a roll with the limited, numbered coloured stuff Shellshock have THE BEATLES live on air 1963 on coloured or picture disc…2,000 pressed of each….THE BEATLES outtakes LP from 1963 on coloured vinyl and THE WHO “ radio sessions” on coloured or picture disc ….again limited to 2000 world wide.
The smiling assassin is back with avengence!
Did i mention the Harrison box is limited to 1000….ouch….only saying like….!!
I’m here to give info…thats all im doing…well not all im doing…a few smiles thrown in.
Warner for the 17th have some PANIC AT THE DISCO LP reissues including “ pretty odd” and “ a fever you can’t sweat out” as well as THE DAMNED reissue of “ damned, damned, damned
PIAS have a new album by BING & RUTH…..instrumental , beautiful stuff altogether…composer/pianist David Moore…piano, bass, woodwinds….have a little taste here if you think its your cup of cha
…indies only clear vinyl…i could sit in a dark room on my own no problem and listen to this….happy out….i am someway even minded i think
PIAS also have the physical release of the LONDON O CONNOR album “ circle/triangle” after its soundcloud success.
PIAS also have a new JENS LEKMAN album, reissue on Domino of MAGNETIC FIELDS “ the wayward bus” with its predecessor “ distant plastic trees” as a 2 in 1 purchase…..the tour edition of the new ANTHRAX album “ for all the kings” is out on CD and a six by seven reissue of the closer you get.
Republic of Music have the ANGELO BADALAMENTI “ twin peaks – fire walk with me” on 2LP cherry red vinyl…its 55 euro so i didn’t buy it …i to have to draw a line also at times…if i think its too dear, not good enough value…i wont buy it…if anyone is interested, let me know….Bowie young americans record 18 euro…death waltz soundtrack 55 euro….
RED/ESSENTIAL have the new SON VOLT called “ notes of blue” …if you like our americana.
PROPER have the RAY DAVIES DVD “ return to waterloo” in which Davies wrote, directed and composed the movie…the dialogue is told through lyrics and music….pharrell for the upbeat parts and williams in a schindlers mood for the downbeat bits
Proper also have the new DEADMAU5 LP…
On the local scene we have a couple of lovely live instores coming up….
We hope to do more and more instores as the year progresses to hopefully nearly land at one a week….i know we have been slow to get on the bike this year with them…but we are off and running with two beauts…( we really do appreciate people showing up to support the artist ….really really appreciate it…take a chance on some of these…. the quality is there if you give it a chance….anyway speech over…)
Two beauts to start with…
JOE CHESTER first up on Friday the 3rd of March at 4 pm
Probably one of the biggest albums of the year is being released on the 10th of Feb by debutant RAG N’ BONE MAN, or Rory Graham to his neighbours… This fella could do the biz alright… All his own stuff… A powerful, bluesy, soulful voice… Good melodies and words… Some of ye were on this ages back… Take a bow Donal B…
This dude has the talent and image id say to go a long way in this game and a massive hit single will help also… Only 100 million youtube hits on the single ‘Human’… It’s great to see some real fresh talent… Let’s see what the album is like I suppose, but I predict big things here…
Available here via Columbia / Best Laid Plans as a 12 track standard CD, deluxe 19 track CD, or 12 track vinyl record.. Looking forward we are…
Sony also has some more DEPECHE MODE LP reissues on the Legacy Label, including ‘Music for the Masses’, ‘Ultra’, ‘Playing the Angel’, ‘Exciter’, and ‘Sounds of the Universe’…. New Mode album this year…. Modeys and Cureheads are strong memories from my early teenage years… I liked them both (a lot) but that was kind of against the rules… ‘Tis one or the other boy…
Lastly Sony have a reissue of LONG DISTANCE CALLING ‘Satelite Bay’ on LP.
UNIVERSAL
Universal have quite a bit out next Friday the 10th including the LP release ‘Starboy’, the latest release from THE WEEKND, as well as a limited version of THE WHO’s ‘My Generation’ as a 3LP set in Mono… LP1 is the album in Mono…. LP2 consists of bonus tracks in Mono, and LP3 is 11 Pete Townshend Demos…… Price is 35 euro for the set…
Universal also has a reissue of ‘Razorblade Suitcase’ by BUSH on 2LP black and white swirl vinyl, with four bonus tracks as well as a live ELVIS COSTELLO record ‘My Flames Burn Blue’ on, you guessed it, nice blue vinyl with codes… There is also a BON JOVI Vinyl Boxset out next Friday..
UMG also have new albums by THUNDER entitled ‘Rip It Up’ on Ear music as a triple CD or DLP, and UNA HEALY, the Irish girl from the SATURDAYS, has a new album out, as well as the soundtrack to FIFTY SHADES DARKER also making an appearance.. There is a new DEF LEPPARD ‘And There Will Be A Next Time” Live 2CD/DVD or Bluray on EagleRock from Detroit last year coming from Universal next week also.
Staying with Universal for a minute more… Thanks a million for the nice response to the RYAN ADAMS pre-order… I only learned this week that I will have a handful of indies only red vinyl …4 or 5 maybe…. There’s 11 of ye pre-ordered the LP so it will be a names in the hat job for the red ones….2 quid more also….if you paid online already and get a red one… We know where you live.. The sheriffs are booked to collect the two quid …. If you’re not arsed about a red one let us know it increases the chances for the others… For those who are still interested, you can pre book the Vinyl or CD at the following links
If you’re in get back to us by next weds the 8th please… I know it’s a serious amount of dollars but if you’re tempted we’d like to get your dollars…. Rather than give it to some other corporation or rather than you buying food or other un-necessaries…. Seems to be anywhere between 420 and 450EUR anywhere else i’ve looked…. One guy coming into the shop calls me the Smiling Assassin…… Moi??…
This is probably more regular though when folks see something unexpected and then want it… ‘Ray you’re some f**ker’…
Let me know by next Weds if any of ye are calling me a f**ker…
Republic of Music have a new record by SINKANE ‘Life and Living It’, on yellow indies only vinyl, and I hope to maybe have the TEENAGE FANCLUB ‘I’m In Love’ 7” single in also…. Only 600 worldwide being pressed.. Fine album that from last year…. The new ELBOW album is a very pleasant listen as is the new MARK EITZEL album… Very polished and mellow.
ESSENTIAL have the second album by AMBER RUN on Indies only white vinyl as well as some OMEN reissues…
Warner have some nice goodies as well for the 10th…. The year is starting to rev up… Prince and Bowie day a bit… Plenty for Valentine’s… Sure all ye want is a Musiczone.ie gift voucher… I hope my jedi mind trick works… A Musiczone.ie gift voucher…!!
The next batch of PRINCE 12”s are with us next Friday, including ‘Cream’, ‘If I Was your Girlfriend’, ‘Kiss’ and ‘You Got The Look’…
Most of the albums from the last Bowie box set are released individually next Friday also… They are now up for pre-order to have home delivered for release day next Friday if the order is placed before 3PM on Thursday 9th..
One of the yachts is off the water for a service you see so i was thinking of trading in and looking to upgrade to a 60 metre super yacht… They don’t buy themselves folks…
Staying with the BOWIE man we have the next in the series of 40th anniversary 7” Picture Discs … This time it’s the brilliant ‘Sound and Vision” from the equally brilliant ‘Low’…
‘Originally released in the UK on February 11th, 1977 SOUND AND VISION was taken from the groundbreaking album LOW, the first of the so-called ‘Berlin Trilogy’ of albums… The song gave its name to Bowie’s anthology boxset and it’s accompanying greatest hits tour in 1990 and is the only track actually performed by him in his stage play LAZARUS…
The A-side features a brand new remaster of the track and the flip side sees the first physical release of the 2013 remix of the song. The stripped back remix by Sonjay Prabhakar was originally done for a Sony Experia advert and utilises the original lead vocals and Mary Hopkin’s backing vocal with a new piano part…’
WARNER also have an AVENGED SEVENFOLD 3LP ‘Best Of’ , RHIANNON GIDDENS grammy nominated EP ‘Factory Girl’ gets it’s physical release, as well as KRIS KRISTOFFERSON’s ‘The Austin Sessions’ Expanded Edition on Rhino on CD and LP…. Loads of great guests on it.. Lastly from Warner is BIG STAR’s ‘Complete Third Volume 2’ on LP.
Goodies in the siopa for release today include the reissue of the first BOB DYLAN Bootleg Series, THE WHITE STRIPES ‘Get Behind Me Satan’ on vinyl for the first time…. Well not the exact truth…. There was a few thousand done on coloured vinyl a few years back for Record Shop Day (RSD…. Three letters you will be hearing a lot about it in the coming months)..
Or as always, you can watch this week’s video here :
Also be sure to keep an eye on our website, Twitter or Facebook for New Releases… All new releases will be up by Wednesday afternoon onto the site, and if ordered before 3PMon Thursday, you will have the record for release day for Friday! There is free shipping on 3+ LPs bought in Ireland. You will have it before anyone else can get it to you, and even better, it comes from Cork!… The year is nipping along already… Onto releases for Friday the 3rd of Feb now.
The biggest release I feel is the new ELBOW album ‘Little Fictions’ on CD and gatefold LP with codes…. The string section of the HALLE ORCHESTRA are heavily involved on this record.
These boys have been knocking around a long time now… Earned their spurs the hard way.. Plenty of knocks along the way… Tthey got a record deal with Island in the mid nineties i’d say… Recorded an album…. Island got bought up by Universal who decided to streamline….. Universal cleaned house and dropped loads of bands including Elbow…. Island still exist obviously says ye but Universal is the big bossman in the relationship now…. That must have been tough for ELBOW… Record deal…. Yeahhh… Made an album… Yeaahhh…. New owner says bye bye… No more yeahhhs for a while…. So fair play to them for keeping at it.
Lead single from the new record is quite good in my opinion…
Have a listen here…
One of the few attractions down the Marquee this summer for me are Elbow… Isn’t great overall so far again is it, the Marquee?
I see FUTURE ISLANDS are to play Iveagh Gardens in the summer…. They might be one I could see announced maybe… Fleet foxes are maybe another…. What about the ROSES in the Marquee…. Dreaming i’d say, am i?… These are the types of bands that will have to be attracted to the city if/when the 6,000 seater event centre gets done….
It has become a bit jaded of late I feel… Same aul faces.. Not that there is anything wrong with those faces but nothing to exciting or different to enthuse…. Maybe there is a few nice surprises awaiting us…
Universal (who ended up taking the Elbow boys back via their Fiction label after three independently released albums) also have a nice limited edition of MUMFORD & SONS ‘Live in South Africa’
Chronicling the first meeting of South Africa with its favourite British band, Mumford & Sons, award-winning director Dick Carruthers gets to the very heart of what makes Mumford & Sons such a special act. Filmed live against the beautiful Pretorian outback, the band performs their most recent material and classic hits in front of an exhilarated crowd. Filmed in stunning 4K and presented in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and Dolby Atmos. The limited deluxe editions includes ‘Dust And Thunder’, ‘We Wrote This Yesterday’ and a CD with selections from ‘Dust And Thunder’. It is bound in a hardback red leatherette cover with dark gold foil, with a 20-page booklet including exclusive never-before-seen photos printed on uncoated paper.Total Running Time: 94 + 66 + 63 mins approx.
UNIVERSAL also have a 13 CD VANGELIS boxset, some more EMPEROR reissues and some new music by DEEP PURPLE …. New EP out next Friday just on CD entitled ‘Time For Bedlam’..
WARNER for the 3rd have some FRANCOISE HARDY LP reissues and not a whole pile more in my opinion to be honest… Essential for the third have the new album by LOWER THAN ATLANTIS.
SONY have new album by all girl electronic dark pop group MUNA , a reissue of JUDAS PRIEST ‘Turbo’ as a 30th anniversary edition remastered on 3CDs or LP, and vinyl reissues of ALAN PARSONS ‘I Robot’, and STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN’s ‘Texas Flood’.. They also have the new Ministry of Sound trance compilation.
CARGO have a new CD by JULIAN COPE out next Friday also called ‘Drunken Songs’ … I think i’d like that, first part anyway…… He wrote this album, I was told, for it to be played at his funeral…. Nothing beats a bit of planning huh… Fail to prepare and all that..
We are teaming up with Universal to offer a pre-order, promo price on the new RYAN ADAMS album ‘Prisoner’, which is out February the 17th…. Basically if you get back to me by next Thursday at lunchtime you can get the CD for just 10 euro or the LP 23 euro… Best prices unless you’re my mam ….. The LP seems to be about 23 sterling or 28 euro elsewhere I looked… A positive step in the right direction regarding pricing…. Without the extra discount this would be 27 euro on the shelf…. So if you want your name on one please let us know….. Sounds mighty fine to me,this track anyway… It’s another break up album i’m told from a reliable source…… OFFER IS ONLY ON PRE ORDERS…. Would you like fries or won tons with that pre order?
Ryan has a stipulation re-entering the promotion …. If you have ever upset Ryan in a Chinese restaurant in Cork and harassed him so much that he had to eat his Chow Mein on Patricks Street in the cold night air… Then you are omitted from entry…. Don’t want to lose the sale though so maybe your wife or someone can enter on your behalf…. Like who bothers a fella when he is about to tuck into his grub… I’d get a doggie bag as well… Surprised he came back to Cork at all… Proper has a new ELIZA CARTHY album with the 12-piece Wayward Band, plus a 10CD American folk box set including Dylan, Baez and Peter Paul and Mary and a new ROBERT MIZZELL album.
MUSIC ON VINYL have a few nice reissues for next week including MATTHEW SWEET ‘Girlfriend’, and CAROLE KING’s ‘Living Room Tour’
Loads and loads of stuff coming at ye in next week’s newsletter…
On the local front, for any metal fans we now have Doom group Soothsayer’s two EPs in stock.. Free stickers with purchase, worth checking them out.. We also will have flyers in-store for the upcoming Cork Quarter Block Party which is happening in the city from Friday 3rd Feb – Sunday 5th Feb.. Great acts once again all weekend.. Check out any more information here
I must apologise for a few typos last week …. The time to be outside Pro Musica should have read 5.15… Sorry about that one…
Seriously though …. Did anyone chance them I wonder at about 8 o’clock?
I have not got a telling off yet this week about it… No one probably listened anyway and ye’d probably be right!
Here’s hoping they do a second gig somewhere in the country…
Who knows, they might do a surprise instore in some record shop for record shop day or something to make up for it … Ah the boy who cries wolf…
Moving on to releases for next week the 27th of Jan… Bit of a slow news week even though the schedule is decent enough for the year…. The ED SHEERAN album should be massive for the music retail sector … Out on the 3rd of March.. We hope to run a preorder competition with a good prize of something bespoke by Mr Sheeran… He is Mr. Sheeran to me now… Out with the Mr. Bonos (might change my mind if you announce a Cork gig like) and in with the Mr Sheerans….. No sticking albums for free onto your phones without asking(!!) from Mr Sheeran …. Will keep ye posted on the competition.
Sorry…. Small tangent over…. Friday the 27th sees the release of the new TRAINSPOTTING soundtrack.. On CD only for now…. LP is June i think…. Fine looking soundtrack again… THE RUBBERBANDITS have a track on it…… Talk about fitting the bill!
Universal also have ARCADE FIRE ‘Reflector Tapes’ on DVD or BLURAY, CREAM’s ‘Fresh Cream’ on 3CD/BLURAY, a few more FALL OUT BOY LP reissues and some ALEX HARVEY BAND LP reissues, as well as the marvellous BLUE BREAK BEATS Compilations Volumes One to Three getting the vinyl reissue treatment.
Lastly for next week again via Universal but signed to SPINEFARM records are Killarney natives GREYWIND…. Here’s a quick bio… And a tune…
Greywind’s home of Killarney, Ireland is a beautiful town and a popular tourist destination. For young people passionate about music – like the O’Sullivan siblings Steph (vocals) and Paul (guitar) – it’s a place of limited opportunity. Inspired by the likes of Thrice and Jimmy Eat World, the O’Sullivans would dream of a bigger future: But a dearth of other local musicians meant that their dreams of forming a band never really progressed beyond that. The turning point came following the suicide of their uncle. Grasping the shortness and fragility of life, Steph and Paul decided to forge ahead despite their lack of a conventional band line-up. On an ordinary Wednesday night, the pair polished off the lyrics to their first completed song Afterthoughts and recorded a demo of it the following day. They uploaded it on the Monday and were then immediately deluged by a flood of industry interest. Radio 1 quickly took notice when Daniel P. Carter played the demo and Zane Lowe soon followed suit by picking it as his Next Hype. Within six weeks, Greywind had inked a deal with Raw Power Management and were on their way to record and album with Jason Parry (Don Broco, McFly, Kids In Glass Houses) in Texas. Featuring lyrics which address the dark heart of the human condition, the resulting album possesses the visceral crunch and the soaring hooks of the bands that have so inspired them. Dynamically, however, they move in ways more mysterious than that template would suggest…The album’s continuing rush of highlights suggests a band with years of experience behind them.
Proper Music Group have the 10th Anniversary reissue of FRANK TURNER’S debut album ‘Sleep is For The Weak’ as a 2LP or 2CD… Contains the original album plus 6 tracks of previously unreleased demos with side 4 etched with the FTHC logo.
Proper also have a JERRY LEE LEWIS compilation album taken from the original analogue tapes pressed on 10“ with 1000 cyan coloured ones only being done…. LEWIS was probably the first wild man of rock n’ roll… Ye probably know the story of when he had to support Chuck Berry at a show one night… Lewis wasn’t happy to be number two on the billing…. So he mixed petrol in with a bottle of coke and as he played his last song he poured the concoction over his piano and set a match to it, whilst legend had it continuing to finish the song as the piano was in a great ball of fire… He left the stage and as he passed Chuck said …. ’Follow THAT Chuck’…. Well rumour has it, it was a racial slur rather than the word Chuck was used…. Lord of the smelly feet would be out of a few dollars today if Lewis was around… He would have being perfect for DJT’s bash today… Definitely american enough i’d say… Ah man… Where are we going?
Proper also have a new JOHN MAYALL album with guest Joe Walsh… LP to arrive late Feb as well as a couple of budget CD releases by STAN GETZ and ELMORE JAMES.
Essential for the 27th have some AMON AMARTH LP reissues…first two albums i think.
SONY have a reissue of the very first BOB DYLAN Bootleg Series (1 to 3) as a five LP set on 180 gram with a book… First repress since original press in 1991… We have an original pressing in the shop for 200 yoyos but we will let you out with the new repress for 60 yoyos if you want.
Cargo for next week have the new MICHAEL CHAPMAN album ‘50’.
Republic of Music have the BRUNO NICOLAI OST to ‘The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave’ on DEATH WALTZ Records….. Limited and coloured.. They also have DEAF HAVANA’s new album…
I am promised a few visits from lads high enough in their respective record companies (the major ones anyway) in the next 6 to 8 weeks…. They want to tell me how great everything is.. I plan to get a few answers if I can to pricing and to codes or lack of them… If anyone else has any serious bug bearers you would like me to try an address send me a mail….
A good regular lad bought 8 records from us last Saturday to go home and find download codes in only 3 of them… Penalised nearly for supporting physical product and the whole industry…. Download codes should be a given when you buy a record… End of story..
Let me know what to add to my one man crusade folks…
Shellshock have the new MARK EITHEL record out next Friday….I think he is in CYPRESS AVENUE on the 11th of Feb..
This new one is receiving really strong reviews … Bernard Butler’s (Suede) fingerprints are all over it having produced the record and played Guitar, bass and keys on it…. Lovely limited to 500 Vinyl with a 12 track CD of unreleased songs… If i get any that is…
Warner have a SEPULTURA 6 CD or 6 LP boxset of their Roadrunner albums on coloured vinyl, plus new ones from KEHLANI and JAPANDROIDS as well ANNIHILATOR 3 CD set and a nice CD Reggae Compilation on VP.Sorry folks I probably kept the biggest release of next week til last … From Pias via Third Man Records is the repress of THE WHITE STRIPE’s ‘Get Behind Me Satan’… As a DLP… PIAS also have a new TY SEGALL…. They also have an Indies only, coloured ‘Live In Paris’ by SLEATER KINNEY, the new KREATOR album on a load of formats as well as GUY CLARK ‘Live from Austin Texas’ on CD/DVD or DLP.
Quiet enough on the local scene at the moment… But as promised, we now have the Riptide Movement in-store from late last year up on the website for your viewing pleasure! Another cracker of an in-store.. Thanks again to Tim our video guru, to the band, and to everyone who came in and made it a great day in the shop.. Relive it here! https://musiczone.ie/videos/
Quite a bit happened I suppose in the last week with U2 announcing Croke Park and the Choice Music Prize nominations.
Pairc Ui Chaoimh next for the U2 boys on their Joshua Tree tour….???
The Joshua Tree concept seems to have really hit a nerve…. Savage interest in it on the shop floor all week….. Tempted myself i must say.
The rep tells me there’s another gig to be announced lunchtime Monday but it looks like Dublin again but is there a third night somewhere else.. I wonder…. No pressure builders to get the Pairc done…. Be nice wouldn’t it…. I grew up with U2 and will always have huge time for them.
I have a tip for tickets which people generally overlook in Cork… I’m giving away a state secret here now, so some of you may want to shoot me… Again this week… Pro Musica on Oliver Plunkett Street has been a Ticketmaster outlet for about 30 years i’d say….. 8.15 monday morning, hot cup of tea…. 45 minute wait.. I think you’ll get two U2 tickets…. Think i said…. Sorry to those whose secret i’ve spoiled…. Maybe it wasn’t a secret at all… It’s not now anyway!!
As usual you can check out the video this week, a nice little story in this week’s one for you as well..
THE XX and THE FLAMING LIPS are two nice listens from what I heard yesterday and today… Could be wrong (didn’t read the sleeve notes) but I think there is a voice over on the Lips album by Darth Vader.
On so to releases for the 20th of jan… We will get back to the choice nominations a little later on…. First up this week is the reissues of the first two PAUL WELLER solo albums… The self titled debut and “Wildwood”…. Pity folks about the pricing… A new level again really…only a single LP with a poster i think some colour stickers and the lyrics…. But it will be on the shelf at 38 euro… Same or worse everywhere else I think.. I asked why it was so expensive but I did not get a reply… I don’t know why it’s so dear… Pity two nice ones and all.
Universal also have a reworking of the third MIKE OLDFIELD album “Ommadawn” aptly called “Return to Ommadawn”.
Ommadawn, was released in 1975, and remains one of his favourite of all his releases. Connecting with his Irish roots, the original 40-minute suite has long been much-loved by his fans.
From his studio in the Bahamas, Mike has crafted two suites of music that incorporate the past and the present, recording with acoustic, analogue and faithful reproductions of 1970s instruments all together in sweet harmony. For the first time in many years, Mike has hand-played every instrument (22 in total) on the recording himself, and in a nod to its 42-year old predecessor, crafted new vocal sounds and effects from the original Ommadawn. With its fabulous fantasy gatefold illustration by Rupert Lloyd-Smee, who designed the sleeve for Mike’s critically-acclaimed The 1984 Suite, for an artist truly synonymous with progressive rock, it all marks a return home. A Return To Ommadawn. FORMATS: HALF-SPEED MASTERED BY MILES SHOWELL AT ABBEY ROAD. 180GM HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL. GATEFOLD SLEEVE. 24”x 24” POSTER • CD/DVD SET: DVD INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE MIKE OLDFIELD 5.1 MIX; FOLD-OUT SLEEVE, 12 PAGE BOOKLET• CD: JEWEL CASE: 12 PAGE BOOKLET.
UNIVERSAL have quite a few more reissues on LP for next week, also including the brilliant PORTISHEAD with the self titled album from 1997 and the reforming album “THIRD” from 2008…
A couple also from DUSTY SPRINGFIELD including “In Memphis” and “The Silver Collection” compilation.
Uni also have the GARY MOORE reissue of “Wild Frontier” on LP, and the LP release of the score from “ASSASSINS CREED” done by Jed Kurzel… Brother of the director i’m told, and they have a new album by metallers A.F.I, and a live MARILLON album called “Marbles In The Park”.
Proper Music have the reissue and limited, deluxe and numbered edition of T- REX “The Slider”…. Coloured as well actually… Silver and red.. They also have the new record by ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO “Burn Something Beautiful”… Great star studded band with him…. Produced by Peter Buck.
Quick little story… You will only find this funny if you listen to this song first.. Well the first twenty seconds is all you need to hear…… I thought this story was a beaut, hence i’m sharing it….
I was playing Swoon in the shop during the week….. Random choice i know….. Great pop record I think, you might agree, when a regular lad came in….. ‘Ah christ i loved that album’ he said…. ‘I used play it and play it…on tape’ (tape was the tipple of choice at the time), ‘great album’ he said and then he told me how he walked into his bedroom to find his two and a half year old son with the tape wrapped around himself, ala DANIEL DAY LEWIS In The Name Of The Father (I added that for effect)… My man wasn’t too happy and gave a small giving out…. You can’t do that type of thing, to which the two and a half year old replied… .’NO MORE Bo Bee…No More Bo Bee’…..
No more Bowie (separate to above) … It’s still hard to believe really…. I think we all probably played some Bowie in the last week or watched some Bowie TV…. My five year old asked me to play Starman again last sunday morning as Ziggy was on the record player… Ah the wheel will turn forever there my friends.
Sony for the 20th have EURYTHIMICS ‘Greatest Hits’ LP reissue.. MEAT LOAF ‘Bat Out OF Hell’ reissue on LP, and the new album by FIREWIND ( GUS G’s band… Gus was OZZY’s guitarist in recent years), as well as some FIREWIND reissues…
ESSENTIAL have the new RUN THE JEWELS record out next Friday also… ‘3’ it’s called and on CD and DLP….
Warner have the second and last pressing im told of the KATE BUSH“Before The Dawn” 4 LP set…. Out next friday also the 20th..
Warner also have some cracking reissues… Good, young folk reading this ramble.. Ye would not go far wrong with these next few reissues if you like, rock, punk, alternative rock… First up is the masterpiece by THE STOOGES “FUNHOUSE”, and to entice ye even more it’s on limited Orange and black vinyl and it’s 20 bucks… not far wrong at all…. Also there are some reissues by a really underrated band called THE REPLACEMENTS from America in the late 70s…. Alternative rock, punk band… Great songs…. “Tim” is a fine album.
WARNER also have a Picture Disc 50th Anniversary of THE GRATEFUL DEAD’s debut .
Pias have MICK HARVEY “Intoxicated Woman”, the next in his series of SERGE GAINSBOURG songs, a NIGHTWISH live 2CD from Wacken and lastly a VISAGE compilation called “WILD LIFE”…
Moving back to the Choice Nominations and every single person will have their own opinions…. I’m saying it a long time… It’s a game of opinions… One mans meat yada yada yada….
We would know 7 of the ten albums reasonably well to very well and we could not fault their inclusion… Fine records… Great to see WALLIS and ALL TVVINS on it.. Both friends of the siopa… Fully deserved as well (WALLIS is upstairs in the OLIVER PLUNKETT Friday Jan 27th)….. There is lots of fine music being made on these shores and it is a really positive note in my opinion that RTE, the state broadcaster has got involved…. Maybe it can move to a live TV show for a couple of hours next year to showcase the talent.. Live on radio this year with a one hour highlights show a week later on TV…. So that is a great step…. Forgive me while I put my blood and bandage hat on for a few minutes and gush about THE FRANKS (fine album…My top five of year…) JACK O’ ROURKE, BRIAN DEADY and MICK FLANNERY’s albums which would not have been at all out of place on that list…. All of them ! (Lucky im not a judge!!) …. But every lad or lady in every county probably would have their own lists… Four really fine albums though in my opinion…. The Franks are an institution…. Deady and O’ Rourke are two talented dudes where hopefully the sky is the limit…. And Mick… Sure Mick is Mick… In my opinion one of the most talented singer-songwriters this country has ever produced and five albums in, and to my knowledge no nomination…. Consistent, high quality stuff …… I’m sure it doesn’t require it, but Mick wouldn’t want or know how to kiss any bums……. Anyway all in all the Choice are a great thing…. More exposure please for our talent.
And sticking with brilliant Irish talent, we have now uploaded the brilliant DECLAN O’ ROURKE in-store to our website video page.. What a day in the shop that was, Declan played his hits from ‘In Full Colour’ with a string quartet, and a huge crowd of ye made it a very special day… Check it out!
We hope to have THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT In-Store uploaded for next week for you all, which should be in the newsletter again!
Sin e for this week from me…
As always,
Thanks for listening….
Ray
(I think Bobby might have the competition results written up under here for me…..)
Thanks to all of you for entering our Top 10 Albums of 2016, the results are finally in! First up, a congrats to Ronan Condon on winning the 25EUR voucher, which will be in the shop for you next time you’re in. And how we worked it, any album which was voted #1 received three points, #2 got two points, and #3 got one point.. So here are the results..
December was a bit iffy in the siopa but its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life… Fooor meee…. And i’m feeling… I think thats my fourth year in a row using that new year opening followed up with stop me oooohhh ho ho stop me, stop me if you think that you heard this one before…. Maybe that could be shoot me…
Anyway welcome back tolerant readers… Really hope it all passed off OK for ye all….
Only settling gently back on the horse after the season …. Stressful enough time every year in the shop… Chasing 4 months business in 3 weeks… Caught in a bubble a bit with regards sales targets.. In the greater scheme of life, it don’t matter a shite…. But i care deeply about it so in the bubble it matters…. if that makes any sense at all…… Was down 19% this Christmas… Twas a lot… Matt Cooper had bits on the radio during the week about retail here being down quite a bit in December… Amazon are reported to be way up according to some dude on the show and have now purchased a fleet of planes to improve deliveries and to also take on the delivery boys like Fed Ex and UPS at their own game…. No stone unturned with the Amazon boys and girls…. Anyway no killer release and a shop move , Two big factors for me (I hope) behind it…. Calendar year exact same turnover as 2015 so after shop move in 2016 to keep same turnover is a result I suppose…. So onwards anyway and upwards hopefully.
One quick side note on the massive online players…. Must be a serious dent to the government’s coffers…. All that missed VAT….. They say only 23% of Irish retailers are online.. And tis so hard to get seen there even if you are competitive…. Drop the vat rate to 12% on .ie sites…. dot.ies can pass on the saving and be super douper competitive….12% of something is better than 12% of nothing… Our website grew by 68% in December on the previous one but from a small start… A normal Saturday sales, to a Saturday and a Sunday takings…. And I pay Google for the privilege to be seen anyway but sure Rome wasn’t built in a day or two years either for that matter or was it?
Anyway enough Raymond… Ye folks will be running to find yer duvets to climb back under like the start of the week so move on…
Out today in the shop is the BOWIE ‘Legacy‘ compilation on Long Player…. Fine double LP compilation spanning the great man’s long and remarkable career …. It’s hard to believe it has been 12 months since the terribly sad, bizarre but classy hollywood style release and passing…. Seminal moment in lots of our lives.. As I said before one of the strangest days in the record shop I ever had was Monday January the 11th 2016… All of it was simply incredible…. Fitting of an incredible man… RIP Daithi Macseoin.
Moving on to a few releases for next Friday the 13th which include the third and new album from the wonderful THE XX via the Young Turks label…. Should be a cracker of a release… Standard CD, Limited indies only clear vinyl, ( 22 euro) and a limited boxset which includes the LP, a 12” only available via the set and two CDs ( 47 euro) …. I like this band , male/female vocal contrast is great normally… Looking forward to it.
Pias also have a live release by ACCEPT as a 2CD/DVD or a 4LP set and also on Nuclear Blast is the new SEPULTURA album ‘Machine messiah” as a CD/DVD or DLP.
Lastly from PIAS is the the new album from THE FLAMING LIPS “Oozy Mlody” as CD, LP or fancy LP set with a rare 7 “ included.
Universal for the 13th have a duet covers album by FLO MORRISSEY and MATTHEW E WHITE called Gentlewoman Ruby Man, where they tackle songs by Cohen, velvet underground, frank ocean and james blake.
UNIVERSAL also has 5 album sets by TRAFFIC and FAIRPORT CONVENTION as well as some EMPEROR reissues.
Sony have the new album by PAIN OF SALVATION out for next friday the 13th called “ in the passing light of day” ….a return to their heavier sound i believe ..on a deluxe CD, STANDARD CD and LP.
Sony also have the soundtrack to “The Book of Love” which features Justin Timberlake i think.
Thats about it for releases for next week but will get warmer as the year goes on…
The British Phonographic Industry ( BPI) who are the watchdog among other things for the UK music industry released its figures a few days ago for 2016…some interesting reading if you are that way inclined…or else head for the duvet id suggest….
Vinyl saw an increase of 53% to 3.2 million units sold , the highest since 1991 but still only 4.7 % of all music consumed.
Streaming saw an increase of 68% ….over 45 billion tracks were streamed in the UK last year amounting to over 42 % of all music consumption ( they have some way to correlate it) and yes thats Billion WITH a B.
CD was down 12% but still has 39% of music consumption…47 million CDs sold in UK last year…
Downloads/MP3 the biggest loser down 30% and now accounts for just 16% of all music consumed.
Another interesting fact, ADELE 25 was the biggest selling album of 2016 even though it was released in november 2015….
What a topsy turvy industry….
The talk is and has being that streaming and physical can cohabit well together….everyone interested in music streams…and if they really like what they hear they may buy a physical copy….i dont think the artists like the streaming that much as id say they get feck all out of it….contrary to all other beliefs…going to gigs and buying physical music and merch is the best way to support an artist/band…end of sceal.
A lot of acts are getting slower and slower putting themselves up on streaming services….you need about 1 million streams for a tenner or something daft i think….if anyone knows please would love to know the real sceal….
Also, final chance to get your 3 albums of the year (2016) into us, only a few names in so far, and if you do you could be in with a chance of winning a 25EUR voucher for your favourite shop!
Sin e for the first time this year…
Thanks for listening… ( and for those that didn’t, ye can come out from under the duvet now…its over!)
How’s the form this evening?.. A late start for me at 22:43, so no moaning or groaning, just open, friendly, transparent attempts to sell ye folks some records, a bit like DJT.. Make Music Zone Great Again!… I’m getting the flyers printed up as I write this.. Roger Waters is calling in to give me a hand, and Freddie is going to sing ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ as our swan song.. DJT.. What a world.. Anti-Establishment votes a lot and crass voters a lot, but for the anti-establishment surely not DJT… Surely NOT DJT…
Check out the new release video here if you’d like!
Moving on to releases for next Friday the 18th of November and we feel Santa and the Christmas songs breathing down our necks.. Ho ho ho! The 18th really is the week when it starts a bit… Lots of releases including the new album by METALLICA ‘Hard Wired To Self Destruct’.. Up there with Bowie, Radiohead and Nick Cave as one of the biggest releases of the year..
We are going to start names on the METALLICA LP so if you are interested, drop me a mail.. The reason we are taking the names is because there is an Indies only coloured double LP exclusive… Gatefold with codes.. 30EUR.. Hence the name taking.. So if you want one, let us know..
The METALLICA release is also available as a 2CD or 3CD digipack, or as a super deluxe boxset which includes the double LP (not coloured though), an exclusive 12’’, the 12 track CD, button badges, and exclusive prints.. It will be the metallers 11th studio album, first in eight years.. Definitely one of the biggies..
Slightly moving away (just slightly) MARTY WHELAN has a new Christmas CD out next week through Uni, as well as NOW 95 hitting the shelves, the biggest selling chart series of all time.. Ever.. Part 95.. I won’t knock it, it works for us so it does.. Universal have a 20th anniversary edition of ANDREA BOCELLI’s ‘Romanza’, a GREGORY PORTER ‘Live in Berlin’ 2CD or DVD, and there is also a UB40 ‘Unplugged’ CD…
Okay, stop for breaths… Universal also have the 25th anniversary edition of R.E.M’s classic ‘Out Of Time’, on 3CD/Bluray, 2CD, or 3LPs.. THE HUMAN LEAGUE anthology is out next Friday on the same three formats as the R.E.M release.. BRIAN MAY of QUEEN has curated a new AIR GUITAR ANTHEMS CD which gets released, and there is also a 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe box of THE WHO’s ‘My Generation’, which has 79 tracks, a lot of unreleased demos, and an 80-page book..
Universal also have a reissued of SOUNDGARDEN’s ‘Badmotorfinger’ on Super-Duper Deluxe boxy thingy, 2LP or 3CD.. Another breath…. Universal also have RICHIE BLACKMORE’s RAINBOW ‘Memories of Rock – Live in Germany’.. The TAYLOR SWIFT catalogue gets the vinyl treatment, the JUNGLE BOOK Original Soundtrack will be available as a picture disc vinyl, and we will fill ye in later on the Universal Black Friday releases which will hopefully land in with us this year..
Warner for the 18th of November have the TORI AMOS ‘Boys for Pele’ LP reissue, PINK FLOYD’s ‘Animals’ on vinyl, the new album from BRUNO MARS, and finally a new compilation album of TERRY WOGAN’S ‘Favourite Tunes’.
Republic of Music have THE LEVELLERS ‘Levelling The Land’ boxset 25th anniversary, printed on blue vinyl as well as a 2CD/DVD version, or a 2LP version..
Some DVDs with us on the 18th also worth mentioning.. THE BEATLES ‘Eight Days A Week’ will join OASIS’ ‘Supersonic’ on the shop floor as new music DVDs for this Christmas, as well as the new TOMMY TIERNAN, STAR TREK, and GHOSTBUSTERS DVDs hitting the floor.
Sony for the 18th have the LOU REED LP Boxset (CD landed a few weeks back), THE KINKS have a ‘Mono Collection’ LP Boxset, with new albums out also from SOULBURN, SOLANGE KNOWLES, and LITTLE MIX on CD.. There is a DEPECHE MODE ‘Video Collection’, and BRUCE’s ‘Chapter and Verse’ on blue vinyl.. Wrong wrong wrong…. Give the limited one to me day one, not 10 or 12 weeks later when the fans have bought the black one.. WRONG WRONG WRONG #DJT..
PIAS for the 18th of November have some new HELLOWEEN vinyl reissues, and a new album by LAMB OF GOD entitled ‘The Duke’.. Also out is a first timer on vinyl for LISA HANNIGAN’s ‘Passenger’, which is a fine listen no doubt, and a LOW ‘Christmas’ LP reissue from back in 1999.. As they said, ‘Despite the commerce, we hope you will consider this our gift to you’..
We are going to rattle off some RSD Black Friday releases that are available to us and should mainly / hopefully be in the shop on Friday the 25th of November.. Usual story folks.. We can only try.. If something interests you let us know and we will do our best to have in store for the day.. Here’s the bit of a list, not huge as always with the Europe for Black Friday, as we can only get certain items.. Need orders in first thing Monday morning so let us know..
UNIVERSAL
1) The Rolling Stones ‘Ride Em On Down’ : 10″ Coloured – EUR15 A one track limited edition electric blue 10’’ with a track from their upcoming album, on which they honor the music of their roots. The track on this Record Store Day Black Friday 10″ is Eddie Taylor’s “Ride ‘Em On Down” originaly recorded by Taylor in Chicago on 5 December 1955 for the Vee-Jay Label and released as VJ 185.
2) Soundgarden ‘Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas’ : Purple 12″ – EUR 18
25th anniversary release of ‘Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas’ on 180 gram purple heavyweight vinyl. This EP included three covers, an unreleased original song, and a live version of ‘Slaves & Bulldozers’.
3) Frank Sinatra ‘White Christmas/The Christmas Waltz’ : White 7″ EP – EUR15
White coloured Frank Sinatra 7″ Single for the Christmas season!
WARNER
1) Jethro Tull ‘Ring Out, Solstice Bells’ : 7” Black Vinyl E.P – EUR 15 The new 40th anniversary tracklisting includes two Steven Wilson remixes – Solstice Bells, and a mix of the previously unreleased Magic Bells (Solstice Bells) possible Christmas single, in the end they reverted to the original version. The original EP was issued on Nov 26th 1976.
2) Neil Young ‘Official Release Series 8.5 -12’ : 5 Album Box set (6 LPs) – EUR 140
Next in the Neil Young Official release series vinyl box sets, includes Long May You Run 1 x LP 180gm / American Stars “N” Bars 1 x LP 180gm / Comes A Time 1 x LP 180 gm / Rust Never Sleeps 1 x Lp 180 gm / Live Rust 2 x LP 180 gm
3) Ramones ‘Live at the Roxy, Hollywood, CA (8/12/76)’ : 180gm Black Vinyl – EUR 30 Live at the Roxy, Hollywood, CA (8/12/76) the best of both sets from the two Live At The Roxy shows compiled by Craig Leon.
4) The Cars ‘Just What I Needed’ : 7’’ Picture Disc – EUR 20
7″ vinyl picture disc reissue of 1978 picture disc
5) Extreme ‘Pornograffitti Live 25 / Metal Meltdown’ : 2xLP – EUR 30
Double LP version of the 25th Anniversary show recorded in Las Vegas
6) Motley Crue ‘Kickstart My Heart / Home Sweet Home’ : Shaped 7’’ Disc – EUR 27
This commemorative piece is a one-of-a-kind, Limited Edition 7” vinyl, shaped picture disc of Motley Crue’s Logo, containing two of their biggest ever hits: “Kickstart My Heart” and “Home Sweet Home”.
7) Refused ‘Servants Of Death EP’ : 12″ Black Vinyl – EUR 18
This special limited edition vinyl EP features 6 tracks; 4 live recordings of classic Refused tracks, along with 2 additional studio tracks. “Servants of Death” – from the Freedom album and “Stolen Voices”, a bonus track never before released on vinyl.
PIAS
1) Faith No More ‘Cone of Shame’ – 7’’ Vinyl Colour – EUR 12
Universal for the 4th of November have a few releases including our own JOHN SPILLANE…reworkings of Irish songs we learned in school and more Irish songs….reissued once again…which is great as people always look for it…we could not keep it on the shelves when it came out the first time…I think it sold 70,000 copies over counters…double CD this time for the price of a single, so a nice Christmas pressie for some.
We hope to get John in some day to belt out a few tunes.
Universal also have QUEEN on Air out next week…six sessions from the BBC recording from early 73 to Oct 77 as a 2CD set, a 6 CD set or a 3LP set.
An early nineties classic by BLACK GRAPE …(mid nineties maybe!!)…’It’s great when your straight’ gets a reissue on LP and 2CD/DVD.
Universal also have new albums by JIM JAMES (My Morning Jacket), KUNGS and ALFIE BOE/MICHAEL BALL as well as some nice reissues from CROWDED HOUSE including the debut, Woodface and Together Alone…these are taken from the original analogue tapes.
Lastly from Universal are 8 ROXY MUSIC LP reissues as half speed remasters on 180g with codes and very lastly MOTHER LOVE BONE gets a reissue…but the pricing is crazy wih a capital C.
This is one of the reasons I am cranky with a capital C…just one mind you…here at ground zero, front counter, I hear and see people’s concerns and frustrations over pricing every day…
As the vinyl revival increased so has the cost to Joe the consumer…do not get me wrong here, I will say again and have stated in the past …the vinyl revival is the main reason I am still open for business…but a serious word of WARNING to any big knobs (as we say in Cork) who read this blog…Bigi curamach with the vinyl pricing…Joe normal reissue €30…standard back catalogue €25…new deluxe LPs €40…the MOTHER LOVE BONE reissue is a 3LP set….I would be retailing it at €200 if I bought it (I didnt) check Amazon on it…it is £195…there are numerous other examples….that one got the treatment because when it’s current to tonight’s releases….there are plenty others…Emmylou Harris ‘Red Dirt Girl’ reissue (standard vinyl) €28…
Seriously the powers that be have to take stock and think about the consumer with a long term plan in place…short termism cash cowing (if ye know what I mean) ain’t the answer…it is only going to piss people off …I hear it every day…people pissed off over it.
I’m not advocating deflating the product to the extent the CD was deflated…nearly a race to the bottom at one point when the supermarkets were heavily involved…that’s no good either…but a fair price for a great product is my suggestion…standard reissues on the shelf €20 rrp…back catalogue €20….cream of the crop releases and doubles 22-25 euro and the deluxe with 7” or 12” or freebies or CD included 25-30…the most expensive outside the boxsets.
If one record company can have a RRP of €20 on a limited, numbered, coloured double LP…how come the next company is €30?? There’s only the few plants we are all told…It needs to be addressed I feel…Paul Pogba comes to mind as well….there is another record (sought after) coming out soon and it is a double LP…it’s a reissue and it’s costing me about €26 plus VAT…if I retail it at €40…pay the VAT it’s down to €32…I get €6 out of the €40…the price of the record , 2 records is €26 from the record company…someone somewhere is making a tidy profit on it and get JOE the consumer pissed having to pay out €40 for a double LP when he can illegally get it or buy the CD for ⅓ of the price…I have noticed a subtle change in the shop in the last few months…a slight change to CDs from a few guys…I have vinyl is their number 1 format but they can’t justify it…bills to pay…kids to feed…if this continues in the same vein as Belle and Sebastian so aptly put it “Mr. Record Company company man, I won’t be coming for dinner”…ok ok in a different light but I hope ye get my drift….
I feel strongly about it …I have a bit to lose if the powers that be make a balls of it…I don’t fancy having to concentrate on selling kid’s DVDs to jumped up supervisors in convenience stores, half my age who finish every sentence with the word YEAH…that’s a second reason I was cranky this evening…more about that some other evening maybe…
Back to the tunes, Warner have SUPER FURRY ANIMALS ‘Fuzzy Logic’ 20th Anniversary for the 4th November, as well as a best of on CD, EVA CASSIDY 7LP boxset as well as two class reissues….PINK FLOYD, D.S.O.M. and STEVIE NICKS ‘Bella Donna’…the Floyd reissue in fairness is ok money at €24 (after all my giving out).
PIAS for the 4th November have new albums from SHIRLEY COLLINS and also from VADER.
Red Essential for the 4th have the new HAMMERFALL album ‘Built to Last’.
The last crowd I had as my credit card terminal provider keep stealing €20 out of my bank account every month, even though the account is closed and clean since the 23rd of August…they keep stealing €20 from my account…does anyone regulate these w**kers…PAYZONE is their name…do not use them…this goes on wholesale contract closed…let’s tole another month or two from the sucker…nothing will happen sure…make it so diffcult for them to even try get it back that they will give up.
I just want them to stop robbing me at this stage…allservice providers are at the same craic as far as I can see…jup through hoops to cancel the bloody thing and they still steal from you afterwards…thing about it is it is easily stopped by COMREG…fine the shower of …I have an email from them saying it has been cancelled on the 23rd of August, yet they still took payment on 22nd Sept and 22nd of October…€40 stolen…fine the fuckers €1000…that would quickly stop all that bullshit…but COMREG not worth a shite either I’d say…and that was another reason I was cranky today when I saw them steal another €20 when I was guaranteed one month ago I was out…
Anyway, small fry in the scheme of it all…really small fry…
Music On Vinyl for the 4th of November have reissues from NAS ‘Nostradamus’, CYPRESS HILL ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ and BLIND WILLIE MCTELL ‘Atlanta 12 String’.
Not much else happening for next week… THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT were instore Saturday at 3pm…tunes, talk and signing…another great gig…their new album is a really good record again…they should be really proud of it….if they were born 20 years earlier when the industry was in a bit better shape I reckon they could have been huge altogether…globally…here’s hoping they still will…and also, great friends of the shop, RAISING JUPITER were instore to play some tunes on Monday, Halloween at 2pm…rocked the place as always.
Sorry if I was a tad cranky tonight but I had a stressful two weeks dealing with a couple of BOWIE zealot nuts…will leave ye with a giggle I hope…I can’t decide if myself and MICK FLANNERY are at an instore in the shop, a pre-fight weigh in for a UFC title match, a staring competition or thinking about going in for a shift in Spiders Nightclub.
Hot off the press, exclusive content for the new METALLICA album has been offered to us from the record company via a unique code on a Halloween mask for the METALLICA website, which will give exclusive content for the new album. We are told we have to follow strict rules with this and we only have 20…Here’s what you need to do:
· There will be Metallica Halloween masks made, based on the album artwork, that we would like you to place in your independent record stores. (artwork below)
· These can be in the Metallica section or on the counter depending on where the stores would like.
· These can be put in the stores from Friday 28th October
· Fans can then go into these stores and ask for their ‘trick or treat’ to get one mask each.
· On the back of each mask will be a website and a unique code.
· Once logged in, fans will see a countdown until roughly 20minutes before 8pm GMT (exact time tbc). At that point the official video for ‘Atlas, Rise!’ will play and give these fans the chance to be the 1st to see it.
· This will be messaged through Metallica’s own social channels
Moving on to releases for Friday the 28th of October, Universal have a new PLANXTY Retrospective CD/DVD… The DVD has two hours of unseen footage from the RTE Archives.. Universal also have a new albums by the mercurial MADNESS (ah man, gotta like Madness.. No?..). EMPIRE OF THE SUN are back with a new album, with Uni also having a new NEIL DIAMOND ‘Acoustic Christmas’ CD, a new TOVE LO album, a new JACK SAVORETTI album, and the newest in the Clubland CD compilations.. Uni also have a lovely DJ SHADOW ‘Endtroducing’ 6LP boxset.. If interested in that, give me a shout…
Universal have a bucket load of releases for next week… More include PUBLIC IMAGE LTD (PIL) Metal Box and Album 4LP Boxset Reissue, the two TRAVELLING WILBURY’SCDs are reissued again, a new IGGY POP‘Post Pop Depression’ DVD, Live in the Royal Albert Hall.. A good listen that Iggy Pop one.. Very good infact, in my opinion.. Universal also have a ‘fang’ coloured limited 50th Anniversary from THE BEACH BOYS ‘Good Vibrations’ 12”..
Universal on the vinyl reissue front for this week have some BECK reissues including ‘Odelay’… Brilliant… ‘Guero’, and ‘Seachange’…. There is a THE JAM 3LP ‘Best Of’ out, as well as the incredible soundtrack to THE MISSION by the equally incredible ENNIO MORRICONE, and finally DRAKE has a few first timers on vinyl including the new one ‘Views’, and ‘What A Time To Be Alive’, and ‘If You’re Reading This’…
Essential has a new album by the very underrated (in some quarters) THE ANSWER from up the north.. Was first introduced to the singer Cormac by a friend of mine at the Neil Young gig in the Marquee a few years ago and he seemed like a really good skin… They have been grinding out a career for a long time now so it would be great for them to make a slightly bigger impact.. New single is great.. We at the corporation wish them all the best in the world..
It has been quite an edgy and nervous week for me and the rest of the lads in the corporation… Is it a bunch of records in that package?!?!… Is that your bag on the floor bud?!?… Walking to the car in the still of the night hearing ungodly noises in the depths of the carpark…
I have received more correspondence from BLACKSTARLIBERATIONFRONT this past week… The first was posted into the shop in bloody writing.. It read
‘’MUSICZONE, The BLACKSTAR LIBERATIONFRONT’s demand is a simple one. We demand that MUSICZONE apologise for the blatant untruth’s and blasphemies that were printed against BOWIE in recent newsletter. Once this apology has been made, your poster will be returned in the same condition as it was taken. No harm has come to the poster, or it’s owner.. Yet….BLACKSTARLIBERATIONFRONT’’
As you can imagine, it sent a chill down my spine yet again… More very unsavoury messages have been received this past few days… In shopping with the message, ‘Do you want to turn into a horse meat burger’, or probably most threatening, attached to the picture of Bowie out at the Lough feeding the ducks : ‘Do you wanna sleep with the fishes?…’
I am, as you can imagine, very nervous and frightened by these threats…. At this moment I am awaiting instruction from the Gardaí so I will keep ye posted.. They have an unconfirmed sighting / report from the Lough of an older criminal, unkempt, unshaven, with pungent body odor and most follicly challenged with a drink and a narcotics problem… If ye know this person please let me know, or the Gardaí… They believe he could answer to the name TOTO…
Anyway, back to releases… Warner for the 28th of October have the excellent DECLAN O’ ROURKE back with ‘In Full Colour’, which is a reworks with new songs, done with a 50 piece RTE Chamber Orchestra.. Should sound sweet to say the least..
Warner also has a new BLACK SABBATH ‘Ultimate Collection’ on 2CDs..
Sorry, there were some vinyl reissues from Universal I forgot to mention!.. The WEEZER back catalogue and GHOST ‘Meliora’ 2LP Version, as well as SUM 41’S ‘All Killer No Filler’ LP..
PIAS for the 28th October have a new COURTEENERS album, a 10th Anniversary Edition of MIDLAKE’s brilliant ‘Van Occupanther’ on gold vinyl with a bonus 7’’… The brilliant SAINT ETIENNE’S debut album ‘Foxbase Alpha’ gets the vinyl reissue treatment… The first ever record released by Heavenly back in the day.. CD version also out with 14 bonus tracks next week… New album out next week also by TESTAMENT, ‘Brotherhood of the Snake’..
Republic Of Music have restock of the TWIN PEAKS OST by Angelo Badalamenti on coffee coloured vinyl, as well as NADA SURF’s ‘Peaceful Ghost’, live with an orchestra..
We (at the Music Zone Towers) are THRILLED to announce that THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT will be coming into us on Saturday the 29th of October (tomorrow week), at 3PM playing tunes from their cracking new album ‘Ghosts’.. Saying hello and signing a few copies also… We are delighted to have them in, sound lads by all accounts! Really looking forward to it!!
Sony for the 28th of October have a new album by JAMES ARTHUR, the latest in the BBC Live Lounge series, as well as vinyl reissues from CRADLE OF FILTH, ELO and MAXWELL, and a ROY ORBISON ‘Ultimate Collection’ 2LP set…
Proper for the 28th have a new DAVID GRAY ‘Best Of’ on 2CD and 2LP, first time on vinyl for a lot of these tracks.. NICOLAS JAAR ‘Sirens’ is also out on LP and BLACK (Colin Vearncombe) ‘Best Of’ also gets a release.. Colin tragically lost his life earlier this year in a car crash in West Cork..
Music on Vinyl for next week have the BAND OF BROTHERS OST by Michael Kamen… PENTANGLE’s debut is back out on vinyl next week, and there is a JIMI HENDRIX ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’ on 10’’.. Only 1500 of these worldwide…
Was in the Everyman last week for the JACK O’ ROURKE launch gig… Jack and his band were excellent and there really was a lovely atmosphere.. Top night out, and delighted for how well Jack has done in the charts this week..
And finally, a huge thank you to MICK FLANNERY who was instore with us last Friday to promote the brilliant new album ‘I Own You’. Songs were cracking as always, and thanks to Mick for sticking around to chat to everyone after. Wishing Mick all the best with this album, he’s been very good to us in the corporation over the years, and we love having him in! Thanks to everyone who came in today as well, was great to see the shop full for it!
This week a nice few gems have hit the shop floor.. The local boy himself returns with his fifth offering.. As strong as ever.. Maybe even stronger to be honest…. Greatly crafted tunes once again.. Five albums in now, MICK FLANNERY has a lovely catalogue of work… This new one is a bit more edgy in parts, the usual exemplary balllads, and even a hint of disco and drum and bass in parts! Great listen once again..
MICK is with us to play a few tunes from the new record next Friday the 21st at 1PM. Say hello and sign a few records as well… I Know the time may not be the Mae West but if you can’t make it and want a copy of the CD or LP signed, pop me a mail with your little message and we shall organise.. This is Mick’s third in-store with us… He has never said no to us… Drunken texts or no drunken texts, that tells it’s own story folks…
Also in the shop today are new albums by the excellent BELL X1, KINGS OF LEON (I like BTW), TOM CHAPLIN of Keane fame has a solo album, and a new album by CONOR OBERST. Some class reissues also from the mightyDEPECHE MODE, BEASTIE BOYS, and OASIS to name a few… The video will give a full update of what’s new.. I forgot a few no doubt! Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel!
On to releases for next Friday the 21st of October… The biggest being the Original Cast Recording of LAZARUS on 3LP or Double CD which debuts three tracks from the MCCASLIN / BOWIE ‘Blackstar’ sessions.. Blackstar is still one of the albums of the year for me..
It has been a turbulent 27 hours (as I write this… About 48 hours before ye read it..) in the Music Zone Corporation… A great crime was committed on Wednesday evening after the shop closed… I received a horrifying email from an organisation known as the Blackstar Liberation Front with a subject matter of HERESY!! It shook me to my core.. It read :
‘MUSICZONE, we have your poster of the TRUE ONE. Remember, it is written in the laws of the universe that you cannot expect to blasphemies against BOWIE and not suffer retribution…’ It was signed in what looked like blood… ‘BLACKSTAR LIBERATION FRONT’.
I was distraught… I couldn’t eat my dinner.. What had I done… Then it dawned on me… I Had lightly and loosely mentioned the strong rumour that Donny McCaslin was the creative and musical force behind the Blackstar album…. I suppose Bowie was on his deathbed at the time to be fair..
Since Wednesday night I have received two more menacing and threatening emails and one mocking one, where they took David to the cinema, the bookies and the boozer..
I really don’t know what these characters are capable of… Is there a possibility of violence? I have contacted the Gardaí about the matter, who told me these zealots whom they reckon probably are not the most intelligent characters in the world, did have one brainwave by disabling the CCTV cameras on the mall…
If anyone has any information please contact the Gardaí in Douglas at 021-4857670..
There is one image of the criminals after becoming known to the Gardaí in recent hours… It has currently been scanned through Interpol’s Database, and the Gardaí are running it through PULSE as well.. RTE’s Crimewatch has been sent on the photos as well… If anyone recognises either of these criminals please report it to the Gardaí.. DO NOT TRY AND APPREHEND THEM.. Maybe it is someone’s grandfathers?… I hope interrogating and common sense will prevail and Bowie will be returned to his rightful home…
Back to the releases! Also out from Sony for next week is the brilliant Mr. LEONARD COHEN with his 14th studio album… CD only next week.. LP late November now… Sounds f**king great!! JIMMY EAT WORLD has a new album, and there is also a new JOE COCKER compilation out..
Proper for next week have the new JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN on CD or LP, with poster + CD..
Cadiz have the new KING KING live album…
Republic of Music for the 21st have the BRIGHT EYES studio album boxset, ‘2000-2011’.. Limited to 1000LP, or 5000CD worldwide.. LPs are coloured.. Republic of Music also have a new BELLE AND SEBASTIAN compilation, ‘Jeepster Singles Collection’, as well as the new TEENAGE FANCLUB single..
Universal for the 21st of October have the new RIPTIDE MOVEMENT album.. Fine rock n’ roll band… Irish also… Could very well be an exciting announcement about Riptide and Musiczone very soon… Hopefully I will confirm next week..
Universal also have JOE DOLAN ‘With The RTE Concert Orchestra’, STATUS QUO’s second acoustic album in the series, a new PRETTY RECKLESS album, the mighty SANTANA ‘Live At The House Of Blues’, a new DAVID CROSBYalbum ‘Lighthouse’, plus some 5CD sets on Bluenote by the likes of HERBIE HANCOCK, WAYNE SHORTER and ART BLAKEY….
Universal on the vinyl front have a bunch of reissues by BON JOVI, six CHEMICAL BROTHERS reissues, JOHN MARTYN’s classics ‘Grace and Danger’ and ‘One World’, and there are three more in the Abbey Road Half Speed Master Series, ELBOW’s ‘Cast of Thousands’, AMY WINEHOUSE’s ‘Back To Black’, and THE WHO ‘Live at Leeds’…
Warner for the 21st have a new PRETENDERS record ‘Alone’ on CD, and LP, as well as a new RUMER CD, a new OBITUARY live album, and a reissue of EMMYLOU HARRIS’ ‘Red Dirt Girl’.. Also from Warner is the new CD from Michael Bublé..
Be warned Bobby, Cormac and Shane… Christmas is getting close, the corporate bastard comes out in the boss man, and the Bubmeister has a new one out… One dash of the Bubmeister turns people of a certain set to jelly and outs dollars into the till.. Ho ho ho!!
PIAS have the new AGNES OBEL album, as well as the second album on Indies only red and orange splattered vinyl by AMERICAN FOOTBALL.. 17 years now since album one.. Lastly from PIAS is the exquisite ‘69 Love Songs’ by the equally exquisite THE MAGNETIC FIELDS as a 6 x 10’’ vinyl boxset..
Lastly today, but certainly not least, WINDINGS came in to play tracks from their brilliant new album ‘Be Honest and Fear Not’.. As I said before, this record is up there with any Irish record this year gan aon dabht.. It is excellent in my opinion… It was a great little intimate acoustic gig from Steve.
I’ve had a week of critical onslaught! Friends and family included.. My newsletters are gone boring… I’m not angry enough anymore… I don’t ever mention U2… My musical taste is shite… I sell prerecorded music (records) for a living…. A rock critic journalist I ain’t! Just to address the U2 crib…. Weren’t they a great band in their day!….
So moving on to releases for next Friday the 14th of October we have the new record by the KINGS OF LEON brothers and cousin… I quite like the two new tunes i’ve heard from it (could get bashed for it…. Not a patch on the first album… Maybe so… But I think they are good tunes… Game of opinions folks..) Sony have it and it’s on CD and LP…
Sony were also to have the ELVIS with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Part 2 as such, entitled ‘The Wonder Of You’… First one sold 1.5 million physical copies worldwide… It’s been pushed back one week now though to the 21st of October…
If I was in trouble this past week it’s nothing to next week i’d say after these next few lines… Sincere apologies… No messing, sorry… Totally out of my control and jack sh*t I could do about it…. (Still don’t make it okay…) Sony are reissuing the BOWIE ‘Reality Tour’ boxset on 3LP for about half the price that Friday Music released it for about 4 months ago…. Sorry about that.. Not good enough really to be fair… I was only aware it was happening about one month ago when I had Friday copies in the shop…. The Friday copies are coloured vinyl.. Expensive colours though at 20Euro a record….
Sony have some nice LP reissues including THE CLASH ‘The Clash’, BILLY JOEL ‘Piano Man’, KINGS OF LEON ‘Youth and Young Manhood’, and the mighty (again in my opinion) DEPECHE MODE ‘101 Live’, ‘Violator’, ‘Songs of Faith and Devotion’, ‘Black Celebration’ and ‘Music For The Masses’…. Sony also has the new Rebecca Ferguson album out next Friday..
Proper for the 14th of October have the new record by one of the finest Irish bands this century if not of all centuries BELL X1… The record is called ‘Arms’ and it’s available on CD or LP… Lead single is a cracker again in my opinion lads as ye know!.. 7th record by the lads whom as ye know started with Damien Rice in a band called Juniper a fair few moons ago..They have furrowed a lovely path of tunes since those days… Really looking forward to this one…
Proper also have a new album by DARKTHRONE, ‘Arctic Thunder’, as well as a STIFF LITTLE FINGERS combo CD/DVD pack.. Also through Proper is SUEDE’s ‘Coming Up’ on LP, a double coloured edition with one disc a B-Sides collection…
Lastly from Proper is the DONNY MCCASLIN album…. His last one was really good… Ye’d remember it i’d say.. Back in January… Blackstar it was called… Ouch… Sorry.. I take it back.. Up to this point I was probably only going to get a beating or two for my behaviour.. That jab could be like signing your own death warrant…
Republic of Music have an interesting one.. (My opinion… That’s like a warning sign on a jab… Shall abbreviate to IMO)… This one’s from BAYONNE called ‘Primitives’ on CD, LP and limited LP.. Electronic stlye stuff and Republic of Music also have MOBY and the Void Pacific Choir album… The boy MOBY has gotten very angry on this record by his own accounts…
If you want a really excellent 25 minute performance, our good friend Timothy done a marvellous video of the recent JACK O’ ROURKE in store performance with us.. It was great, and features tracks from Jack’s brilliant debut album ‘Dream Catcher’ as well as a Bowie cover and a Fleetwood Mac cover.. Give it a watch if you fancy, and give it a share if you like it!
Universal for the 14th of October have the debut solo album by TOM CHAPIN (Keane Singer… not a keen singer… but the singer of Keane… fine singer too, to be fair like)… Available as a standard CD, a Ltd 2CD with hardback book and a 2LP gatefold…
Universal also have a new album by THE GAME, as well as BRYAN ADAMS ‘Live at Wembley Stadium’ DVD, a new ANDRE RIEU DVD, and a reissue of THE SEX PISTOLS classic ‘Nevermind The Bollox’ on yellow vinyl… How many times… How many times… It must be the most reissued album of all time… Top 5 anyway for sure…
Lastly from Universal is a LP reissue of the BEASTIE BOYS ‘Licensed to Ill’, their debut I think and the first Rap album to top the Billboard Charts… Uni also have a Dr. John live tribute album on 2CD/DVD..
PIAS have the new LEE HARVEY OSWALD BAND album and a new EP from SLEAFORD MODS (recently signed to Roughtrade)… New 5 track EP… Heard one, very good IMO…
Music on Vinyl has the SUICIDE SQUAD soundtrack on vinyl, a SHANE MCGOWAN ‘Snake’ LP reissue, the GAME OF THRONES Season 6 Soundtrack release on vinyl, and DEREK TRUCKS BAND ‘Round Songs’ on 2LP…
Essential for the 14th of October have a new SUZANNE VEGA record and DILLINGER’s ‘Escape Plan’ album on CD and limited blue vinyl..
Warner have the new CONOR OBERST (Bright Eyes) album ‘Immuinations’ via Nonesuch Records on CD and LP… The lads from County Down, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB are back with a new album also on a good few formats including a limited, deluxe vinyl copy..
Reissues by Warner on LP for next week include FACE ‘First Step (RSD stores only, coloured vinyl), andSTOOGES ‘Stooges’ (once again, RSD stores, coloured only), and finally MOTLEY CRUE’s ‘Greatest Hits’ on vinyl…
BLACKBERRY SMOKE have a new album on Earache, called ‘Like an Arrow’.. There are signed CD copies available and it’s also on limited blue vinyl…More new albums from Warner incude new BETH HART and KATIE MELUA releases, and there is a PHIL COLLINS singles collection on 2CD, 3CD Deluxe or 4LP Set…
The bould MICK FLANNERY will be instore FRIDAY THE 21ST OF OCTOBER (two weeks today) playing tunes from his new album, signing copies and saying hello if you are around… Heard a new track last night, very impressed again.. Here ‘tis..
Video lovers, Bobby is back this week! Check it out here!
Do ye know the way I am always trying to tease , torment , cajole and gently ease the Johnny Cash from ye’r pockets? ( I hope i do it in a friendly and professional manner though if that’s any consolation).. Well I also hope that an odd time I point ye in a direction ye may not otherwise have seen.
Of course, I am always saying, that’s good and this is good and the other is good as well… All completely a matter of taste… Who the hell am I or anyone else for that matter to tell anyone what they should like… I’m trying to sell stuff (that’s my job) but i do shout a bit louder if I really (personally) like something.
Block your ears cause you know what’s coming…
I heard a record during the week that completely stopped me in my tracks…. I can’t remember the last time it happened to me….Not for a few years…. Was it just my mood at the time?….. I happened to listen to it whilst I exercised which I hadn’t done for about six months so maybe it was the long lost endorphins talking… Did the music just resonate with me personally? (It was stuff i’d like, indie rock n roll, dash of psych, hint of punk, guitars, keys, synths and strings all in use…) But it stopped me… Totally… I thought it was fantastic from the opening chord to the last chord and every bit in between.
7 days ago, the truth be told I did not know who this band were…. Now ye guys have to block ye’r ears I am shouting so loud….
After my first full listen to the album I got off my exercise bike and stood and clapped (endorphin buzz surely?)… A one man standing ovation…. Bravo, chapo, comhghairdeas…. Well fecking done gentlemen that was excellent.
Bobby will find a link for ye to listen to the record….Vinyl I hope will be with us very soon (that’s the cunning , cajoling bit done)
The band are from Limerick and their name is WINDINGS.. The record is called ‘Be Honest and Fear Not’… I personally think it is one of the best Irish records I have heard in quite a while and one of the best records of the year for me.
Ok…. You can unblock your ears a bit…
On to releases for next friday the 7th of October…. Santa getting close folks… Ho ho ho!
Sony has a new studio album by BARRY GIBB (as ye know the BEE GEES), as well as a deluxe version (22 tracks) of JEFF BUCKLEYS ‘Grace’ … MILES DAVIS get his own ‘Essential’ release on vinyl, andBOB DYLAN ‘Pure Dylan’ which is also a greatest hits is released… More of a compilation really… Interesting one though… Quite a few rare tracks on it… Sony also have ELVIS ‘Christmas Album’… Ho ho ho… I warned ye…. If BT can do it so can we… Only taking the piss… Ye knew that didn’t ye?
Sony also has a LOU REED Boxset .. The CD set is 17 discs with an 80 page book, 5 prints and a poster, or there is a six LP SET… I think the LP is pushed back till November now… Will be on high fidelity vinyl with a 30 page book… Albums on it are ‘BERLIN’, ‘TRANSFORMER’, ‘CONEY ISLAND BABY’, ‘ROCK N ROLL ANIMAL’, ‘THE BLUE MASK’ and ‘STREET HASSLE’.. Sony lastly have a STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN ‘Essential Collection’ on Vinyl..
Universal for the 7th of October have a new ONE REPUBLIC album on deluxe or standard CD called ‘Oh My My’… NORAH JONES has a new album ‘Day Breaks’ on CD, Deluxe CD or LP.. Universal are doing a ‘Best Of’ PLACEBO 2CD to mate up with a new 6 Track 12’’ EP of unreleased tracks called ‘Life’s What You Make It’.;.
Universal have a few more 5CD set at reasonable money including T-REX and THE CRANBERRIES…
DAMIEN DEMPSEY has a CD out next week called ‘No Force on Earth’… Damo’s celebration and commemoration of the 1916 Rising.. Damo maybe is an acquired taste but I like him… A fine songwriter.. ABBA ‘Arrival’ is getting the Abbey Road ½ Speed Mastering treatment and also 4 picture disc singles from the album also…
Lastly from Universal next week is a BLINK 182 Vinyl boxset… A lot of these records have been very hard to get, maybe never even printed… They include ‘Cheshire Cat’, ‘Dude Ranch’, ‘Enema Of The State’, ‘Take Off Your Pants and Jacket’, ‘The Mark, Tom and Travis Show’, ‘Blink 182’, and ‘Neighbourhoods’..
Warner have the new GREEN DAY album ‘Revolution Radio’… The band are together 30 years I was told in the shop during the week.. Lead single is very good.. Warner also have a new SEASICK STEVErecord, a new ERIC JOHNSON record which is a live, acoustic album on Provogue, and a really niceOTIS REDDING ‘Dictionary of Soul’ on 2LP and 7’’..
Warner are also doing a special run of stuff with Rhino that will be exclusive to Indie shops only… First up is ZZ TOP’s ‘Eliminator’ on Red Vinyl… Lastly from Warner for next week is the incrediblePRINCE album ‘Sign Of The Times’ on 2LP…
Republic of Music have the limited run of the ‘Planet of the Apes’ soundtrack… 400 in total…
Cargo have the new GOAT album called ‘Requiem’ on coloured vinyl for indies only and on CD… They are calling it their folk album..
Essential have the new C. DUNCAN LP on pink vinyl, as well as a new FEEDER album, and new albums from ALTER BRIDGE, and THE PRIESTS.. Slight contrasts in style there with the latter two to say the least..
PIAS for next week have the 3rd OASIS ‘Be Here Now’ album on reissue… Third in the series of remastered super editions.. Much maligned at the time.. Few great tracks on it though.. As a 2LP or 3CD or Super Duper Boxy Thingy also… PIAS also have new albums from WHITE LIES and MESHUGGAH, as well as some MARK LANEGAN LP reissues..
On the kinda local scene, MALOJIAN release their third album next week… ‘This Is Nowhere’ is the title.. This record is being put out by the guys in Rollercoaster Records in Kilkenny.. We have Malojian’s record on CD in the shop and it’s a fine listen.. The new tunes here sounds great as well…
Last bit of news, great news really… The boy Flannery has agreed again to do an instore around the launch of his new album… New song is a belter… Edgy, rocking and pure class.. Mick has always supported us.. Will fill in next week with the dates.. Think it’s Friday October 21st at IPM.. Will confirm next week… So thanks Mick, again… Hopefully I won’t send anymore late night well oiled texts of thanks your way… Sorry about that…Could be worse, could be sending the drunken texts to women… Anyway, before I get into more trouble i’m off..
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.