Joys and Tears of RSD, Acts for the day and more from Mr. Bonnamassa

Posted on 23rd March 201623rd March 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hey everyone,

How’s the form?

Kind of normal service resumed this week.

First up is the new vinyl record release video, which has the big releases from the last couple of weeks, including local lads JOHN BLEK AND THE RATS and some big names such as JEFF BUCKLEY, JAMES, POLICIA and many more, check the video out below, if you want to see them all, a good bit in! :

https://musiczone.ie/videos/

Records released last Friday include BRIAN FALLON, RICHMOND FONTAINE, IGGY POP, PEARL JAM, JAMES, TOM PETTY, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.

Big response to last weeks note on the Record Shop Day, very varied selection this year…. Nothing huge but nice and varied… Maybe not as strong as last year, personally as a shop keeper I prefer album releases, always less of a graveyard after RSD with albums.. RSD can get a bad wrap at times and certainly there are some negative aspects to it… Pricing being one I suppose.. To be fair the 7” and 12” can be excessive.. I don’t know why, it’s unfair… Record companies could feel there is major re-sell value on a lot of the stuff but that’s not a fair reason for inflated prices. Infact, that only fuels another negative for RSD and that is people who get involved for the wrong reasons, purely and simply to buy a record and flip it for twice it’s value 3 hours later on Ebay… Parasites is the industry term for them.. But there are parasites in all games where product is limited and only increases in value… It’s the way of the world as unfortunate as it is… Most who visit us are cool, no issues there, thank God.. I’d hate if the wrong hands got an only limited release to flip it on Ebay taking it away from a genuine fan.

Another problem faced by us on RSD is the availablitiy of the produce… It’s rare and limited by nature but one company this year decided not to support the Irish industry, that company being Music On Vinyl.. Here’s the reason that I can’t buy stock from them this year, in a’roundabout fashion from rep

‘Hi Ray,

I’m afraid that a RSD order is not such a good idea after all because of the way it is organized:

We have to create a special sub account for each participating store; a special RSD account.

Then all RSD orders are collected and automatically entered in the system at once.

Until this is done it is still uncertain who will get what or how many.

When the stock has arrived and is divided between all the participating stores in chronological order, then all the RSD shipments will be shipped out on the same day via priority mail.This is quite expensive but priority is the only option.

And on top of that our accounts department does not make an invoice for an amount below € 300,-

No matter how much I wanted to ship you these titles, all in all its probably not worth the hassle and it would be better to wait until after RSD to see what’s still available then.

I did not know it would be such a tour du force to organize this otherwise I would have told you this much earlier.’

So, I apologise in advance to anyone hoping to get MOV RSD releases here, or in fact anywhere in the country for that matter.. I suppose my returning cribbing emails have yielded promises for next year…

All that said, RSD, is for us what it says on the tin.. It supports us as independent record shops.. And it does.

Last year it was as as good as any day Christmas week.. There was a lovely vibe in the shop all day long… People supported us even without buying any of the RSD stuff… It was humbling, the support, to be honest, from ye the customers and the musicians who played for us… Truly humbling. Musicians signed up to play already for this year include CRY MONSTER CRY, CROJAN and ANDERSON who plays a gig in Cyprus Avenue on Friday April 22 (tickets available now!), and is going to drive down from Dublin to us on the day to play a few tunes in the shop.. Top man… Fair play.. We don’t mind if he turns into… Bleeding Bono (said in my Dublin accent). Anyway bottom line… It’s a hugely important and special day for us here..

CARGO

Right. On to releases for next week the 25th of March.. Merge via Cargo have a new BOB MOULDrecord out, limited coloured LP here!

UNIVERSAL

Universal have the MOTORTOWN REVUE record Live In Paris, which includes all the Motown stars, the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder etc, all on a 3LP set.. Universal also some STATUS QUO CD expanded reissued versions of ‘If You Can’t Stand The Heat’, ‘On The Level’, and ‘What Ever You Want’. They also have an ERIC CLAPTON 4LP Live Album Collection, which includes Derek and the Dominos, Rainbow Concert, E.C. Was Here and Just One Night.. Also some nice new Bluenote Jazz vinyl reissues with classics from Count Bassie, Ella / Louis, Billie Holiday and Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker…

WARNER

Warner probably have the biggest releases for the next Friday the 25th with the new JOE BONAMASSA album on CD / Deluxe CD and 2LP… The album is called ‘Blues if Desperation’, out via Provogue..ALL NEW TRACKS

Warner also has the BIRDY record on the same 3 formats, EVA CASSIDY ‘Simply Eva’ LP reissue, and a lost JEFF HEALEY album gets a release.

SONY

Sony have a bit out next Friday also, including a new WHITE DENIM record (Major Label Release), new AMON AMARTH album on CD and LP as well as a load of good vinyl record reissues, such as PEARL JAM’s Vs and Vitalogy, as well as all of THE SCRIPTS albums.

Sin é for this week folks,

Check out VINYL RECORDS CORK for all comings and goings..

Thanks for listening,

Ray.

Little Green Cars, Choice Music Prizes and the Bankers really are w*nkers

Posted on 9th March 20169th March 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hey Everyone,

Hope all is well….

Released tomorrow across the globe and in your own local record shop are records by

FLEETWOOD MAC, MASSIVE ATTACK, RAY LAMONTAGNE, THE CORAL,MEXRRISSEY,

THE BEACH BOYS, AOIFE O’DONOVAN, MIIKE SNOW and Limerick’s own HERMITAGE GREEN ( nice few bands coming out of Limerick recently) two Murphy brothers in this band, one of them, Barry, won a couple of Heineken Cups with Munster in 2006, 2008….i’d say he even has a few Irish caps…

So, moving on to releases for the 11th of March, through your local friendly corporation.

How many corporations like us do you see these days actually..?

Fewer and fewer i’d suggest…and i’m not talking about my game…in general i am on about….loads of shops seem to follow a set of rules,( procedures they would call them) employees vary from them at their peril.

Friendly merchandisers who can upsell seems to be the future in a duller, boring more sanitised society….the barcode will be inserted into our wrists soon….everything seems to be drowning in red tape… prefer red wine to be honest.

Anyway, excuse the tangent, onto releases for Friday the 11th March.

SONY

Sony have the latest “lost” JEFF BUCKLEY record….Jeff is one dude bar Kobain and probably to be fair Bowie ( even at the age he was at) over the last quarter of a century that the music biz lost that really could have made a massive impact….Amy as well actually ( i underrated her at the time to be honest, tabloids blinded me to the talent if that makes sense)….this record contains 10 unheard and unreleased tracks, including covers of DYLAN,ZEPPELIN, SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE and THE SMITHS as well as one completely original song…..personally, i can’t wait to hear it….top 10 albums of all time change with our moods i know but GRACE is never far away…ever.

Sony also have a reissue on vinyl record of SADEs best of.

UNIVERSAL

Universal have the new and second record from LITTLE GREEN CARS….I like these folks a lot….cracking tunes and harmonies on the debut album and it sounds like more of the same on this record…seem like good skins as well….i messaged them on twitter some months back trying to track down the debut record on long player and they got back promptly and tried to help ( no real benefit for them responding to me as it was only released in the states and they had no control or right over it, but they still responded) some irish bands do not respond to us at all….not good enough for them maybe….makes no sense that to me, we are only trying to help, give them some profile, give them the money from any sales, it improves our shop also by stocking good unsigned Irish bands….makes no sense when a band aint interested in helping one another….

I hope this record throws them into the super strata sphere….check out the latest tune…

New album available in CD and DLP formats.

Universal have debut solo album by GASLIGHT ANTHEMS BRIAN FALLON “painkillers” as well as new albums by AURORA and ALESSIA CARR….catchy tune, TRICKY have a song that sounded like it maybe….

MUSIC ON VINYL

Some new ones in from MUSIC ON VINYL next week include ( deep breath) ALLMAN BROTHERS – seven turns, BLOOMFIELD, KOOPER, STILLS – super sessions, JJ CALE – troubadour, JOHN CALE- fear, MILES DAVIS – get up with it, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIES – codes, plans and narrow stairs, PHIL LYNOTT – solo in soho, IMELDA MAY – love tattoo, soundtracks to FORREST GUMP and THE COMMITMENTS and last but not least LLOYD COLE – rattlesnakes……few gems there.

PIAS

PIAS have the LUCIUS record “ good grief” on PLAY IT AGAIN SAM as well as EMMY THE GREAT “ second love” on BELLA UNION.

On the local scene, we are delighted to announce news of the release of the second album by THE SHAKER HYMN….inside in the corporation we love their debut album….as good an indie pop/rock record you won’t have heard in the last year or two…heres a track from the debut album, do yerselfs a favour and have a listen to it….consider it a friday treat….

THE SHAKER HYMN – NEW ALBUM “DO YOU THINK YOU’RE CLEVER?”

The Shaker Hymn have announced the release of their second album “Do You Think You’re Clever?”.

With a release date of April 1st, it is the group’s second album to be released in just under two years.

Produced and engineered by Brendan Fennessy (drummer of the Waterford quintet O Emperor), the band spent little time hanging around, completing the recording of the album in only nine days.

Dynamically rich and sonically colourful, Do You Think You’re Clever? sees a marked advancement on the band’s previous output, with the Cork quartet incorporating both a brass and string section to serve their growing maturity as musicians and songwriters.

Check out the video for ‘Trophy Child’, the lead single to be taken from the forthcoming album:

Tour Dates

April 1 – Connolly’s Of Leap, Co. Cork

April 7 – Roisin Dubh, Galway

April 8 – Kenny’s, Lahinch Co. Clare

April 22 Coughlans’, Cork

May 6 – McGing’s, Westport

May 7 – Tir Na Nog, Cavan

May 13 – DeBarra’s, Clonakilty

May 21 – Pine Lodge , Myrtleville

May 22 – Levis’s, Ballydehob

May 26 – The Bernard Shaw, Dublin

We really are excited about this album release….great up and coming Cork band….we hope to get the lads into the shop around release time for a tunes….we will keep ye posted on that.

Contact

Booking: inbloomagency@gmail.com

Band: theshakerhymn@gmail.com

REPUBLIC OF MUSIC have the soundtrack to OBLIVION with M83 on double LP….once off pressing…

SOAK just won the choice….well done Bridie girl….got a few mentions on these pages in the past….when you were just 16 first i think….well done….some fine irish albums last year to be fair….i would have had HEDGE SCHOOLS and THE NORTH SEA albums in there….two great albums….but good stuff all round.

WARNER

Warner for the 11th of March have a new album by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE “incarnate” , the new DREAMTHEATER album “ the astonishing” on 4LP and GAVIN JAMES album finally landed on LP.

PROPER

Proper for next week have an EDDI READER best of CD as well as STEVEN WILSON reissues on CD including “ the raven who refused to sing “ .

Late news on in the background….Trump going to be the next american president….we are going to have a different Taoiseach for every season going forward….Gerry, Mickey, Leo and Danny healy rae ( ye smart alecs will have to go through me to get to him….that Danny) and the best of all….one of the two banks showed 1.9 billion profit today for 2015….the crowd that are backing brave…that crowd…..1.9 billion….yes with a B…..AH MAN…..i got a bill today from the other great bank in this nation for 3 months of the year for the pleasure of doing business with them….718 euro for maintenance and cash handled only ( we aint Dunnes by the way) ….i scratched my nose a couple of times in there, breathed some air in the vicinity of the bank…..not kidding here bank and credit card charges in 2015 amounted to 4710 euro…..nearly 5% of the cost of keeping the shop trading….is it just me or does anyone else want to vomit….for what ….5 k for what….what a country….danny healy rae for Taoiseach….

Anyway, before i turn into Michael Douglas in Falling Down….is that a large fries sir

Sin e for this week,

Thanks for listening,

Support local bands and shops if possible….

ray.https://musiczone.ie

www.musiczone.ie

MEXRISSEY, Metallica as Ambassadors and Radio 1 Editting

Posted on 2nd March 20162nd March 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hi everyone,

How’s it going this week?

Sorry with the day late newsletter again… High powered interviews all week delayed me a tab.. More on that in a while.

Firstly, records in the shop for release today.. BOWIE BOY, SANTIGOLD, MORRISSEY, ANTHRAX.. all the other stuff from the video today which you can find here :
https://musiczone.ie/videos/

Right so, on to releases for next Friday the 4^th of March.

SONY

Firstly from Sony is the major label release (debut release really, only a live album before now) from HERMITAGE GREEN, entitled ‘Save Your Soul’… Fine up and coming Irish band from Limerick who really are supposed to be sensational live. I hope this record (only CD for now) does really well for them.. A vibrant Irish music scene is important for all of us. I personally think it’s good at the moment, without any major superstars (Hozier maybe an exception on second thought).. Anyone else??.. Bueller… Bueller..

Sony also have a new Ray Lamontagne album, his 6^th entitled ‘Ouroboros’.

I see, in our first mention of the year, (more unashamedly on the way over the next few weeks, we promise), METALLICA were announced as Record Shop Day ambassadors, with a couple of RSD releases by the band themselves coming up for RSD.. Changed my mind.. Was going to have a pop of Lars, but no… Not going to.

Next up, Universal have a new band on the scene, THE STRUTS.. I like this crowd… Queen rip off one might say (the main singer is the bulb of Freddie, may have even gone to his dentist to do the job for him) but they have something I feel.. Catchy tune

UNIVERSAL

Next up from Universal is the brilliant MASSIVE ATTACK, with their ‘Ritual’ EP, which also sees the return of The Tricky Kid, as well as collaborations with Young Fathers, Roots Manuva, and newcomer Azekel… The EP comes as a 12″ Heavyweight (180 gm) Mid Grey coloured vinyl with 4 colour centre labels housed in a black polylined inner hand placed into 3 mm spine sleeve printed 4 colour process + special screen printed 5th colour orange designed by Hingston Studios and the man himself, Rob Del Naja.

Universal also have the BEACH BOYS ‘Party’ LP.. An album of covers all unplugged. Also from Universal is the new MAX RICHTER album ‘Songs From Before’, and lastly some jazz reissues on the Verve label including ELLA FITZGERALD / LOUIS ARMSTRONG, CHARLIE ‘BIRD’ PARKER and OSCAR PETERSON.

Essential for the 4^th of March have MEXRRISSEY… What’s that Ray, I hear you ask.. Well, it’s a Mexican tribute to the MOZ man.. A covers album by Mexico’s greatest musicians of some of Moz’s greatest tunes… Why are you telling us about that Ray?.. Well, simply and maybe surprisingly, I think it sounds really good.. But hey, one man’s meat is another man’s poison… (That right Moz?!!!)

Essential also have the new album by THE FEELING.

Some of you may have heard me on the Sean O Rourke radio programme earlier in the week. Firstly, t’was a great plug and was delighted to be asked.. Great opportunity to get shop mentioned to (I’d imagine) a couple of hundred thousand listeners.. But, (there’s always a but with you Ray)… I was naive thinking it was all hunky dory, wine and roses with the interview.. Not fully the case, but felt in hindsight that it was taken (the vinyl resurgence) a small bit negatively.. Price v. quality… I would have bigged up the quality in the 7 or 8 minute interview, but the 60 or so seconds kind of painted a different picture I thought.. Maybe me just being super sensitive.. Cassettes, for f*cks sake!! No wonder Sean O Rourke thought I was a nut job… Not too far wrong, the profession I have! All and all look, a great mention, just slightly caught out by those editors.

PIAS

PIAS for the 4^th of March have the new M. WARD record (sounds lovely).. Must have wrote it in Ireland.. ‘More Rain’ is the title..

PIAS also have the new POLICA record, their third offering, on coloured vinyl for Indies only.
Debut from LAPSLEY also out through PIAS next week, only 19 years of age.. Take a listen below

New SABATON ‘Heroes on Tour’ 2DVD/CD or 2LP, and THE VIOLENT FEMMES have a new offering, their 9^th, all through PIAS.

WARNER

Warner for the 4^th of March have a FLEETWOOD MAC 3LP in concert set, and new albums by MIKE SNOW, INVERLOCK and THE CORAL, their 8^th album.. First in five years..

Warner for today, a bit under the radar, have an expanded version of MORRISSEY’S brilliant ‘Bona Drag’ ALBUM, 2LP with a bonus poster.

Check what’s coming in on
VINYL RECORDS CORK

Free shipping on 3+ records if you can’t call in to say hello, or just don’t want to say hello.. (Couldn’t blame ya, ala Sean O’ Rourke)

Sin é for this week,
Thanks for listening,
Ray
www.musiczone.ie

Bowie, Gaga and Radio 1 Chasing Us

Posted on 24th February 201624th February 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hi everyone,

Hope all is well…

Starting off with the links for vinyl records that came into the shop this week.

FOO FIGHTERS, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, JACK GARRATT, THEM, DEEP PURPLE,MARLON WILLIAMS.

Here is this weeks vinyl video post for those interested… Few nice releases in this week

https://musiczone.ie/videos/

Big week next week for Friday the 26th.

WARNER

Have to start with Warners reissues of the boy BOWIE’s early 70s albums. Some classics amongst ‘Space Oddity’, ‘Man Who Sold The World’, ‘Hunky Dory’, ‘Ziggy’, ‘Pin Ups’, ‘Aladdin Sane’, and lastly ‘Bowie at the Beeb’ 4LP vinyl boxset at €75 retail…. all the others €23…. €27 with the big dog in the sky…

Pre-order any of the Bowie reissues before next Thursday at 4PM, and have them delivered to you for release on Friday in Ireland! Check that out here :
https://musiczone.ie/product-category/pre-order/

I saw the Grammy’s ‘tribute’ to Bowie the other night and thought ‘tribute’ was a strong word. No disrespect to anyone involved, they were on a hiding to nothing.. I wonder was Gaga the first to be asked?? It reminded me of a wedding band medley aside from the corporation backed graphics that were aesthetically pleasing for a minute or two..

I thought a sincere, heartfelt collage of music, images, anecdotes, quotes from the boy BOWIE himself and from other artists he influenced and helped would have worked better (in my opinion)….

Corporate backed Hollywood razzmattattlle we got instead…

Warner also have a CHILI PEPPERS ‘Greatest Hits’ out over the next few days on double LP.. Limited Marbled vinyl for this one.

Warner also have a new Santigold album, ‘99 Cents’ on CD and LP, and a new MACKLEMORE + RYAN LEWIS CD (their second offering), and a new BONNIE RAITT album on CD and LP, and lastly more PHIL COLLINS reissues.. ‘Hello, I Must Be Going’, and ‘Dance into the Light’.

UNIVERSAL

Universal have a big release for the 26th also with the second album by THE 1975on CD and Double gatefold vinyl.. I really like the 80s vibe to the single. A real band, a real frontman. I’m going to give this record a good chance.

Here’s a taster

Small tiny critischism… The album is called ‘I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful and Yet So Unaware of it’…. Could be the title of a Michael Bolton song… Get your buckets.

Universal also have the GEORGE FEST which is a tribute to the late, great GEORGE HARRISON recorded on what would have been his 73rd birthday. Guests on the night included BRIAN WILSON, BRANDON FLOWERS, and THE FLAMING LIPS among others. This comes as a 3LP set or 2CD/DVD
Here’s a taster of the gig..

Universal also have a MILOS KARADAGLIC Beatles tribute LP, with the likes of TORI AMOS, GREGORY PORTER on vocals.

Got a nice bit of reaction for my Bruce bashing??? Last week… I like Bruce. Best reaction here…

‘We do need a younger BROOCE…a younger everyone really.. but they aint there Ray. Now maybe it’s because I’m a dinosaur but I don’t see anything or anyone revolutionary out there anymore. No young guns coming up wanting to change the world. Plenty out there wanting to make a fortune and be famous but to me music and roc’n’roll was always more than that. It’s probably the romantic in me but music is suppose to change your life and very few artists these days do that. Nick Cave once said that when you listen to music when you’re young it changes the gears of your heart. You know when you just couldn’t wait for the next album by your favourite artist. But are there any acts out there now who really affect people that way. Where are the tribes gone? You know the Punks, Mods, Skins, whatever…..It’s all a bit bland now. No one there that will make you go..WHAT THE F**K was that….. And I believe that the young people coming to music these days are losing out on a lot….but look I’m a Dinosaur…….Anyway back to BROOCE, wasn’t it the Who that said ‘meet the new BOSS, same as the old BOSS’

Could not have said it better myself… Feedback is great.. Feel free to engage please… I am a bit younger than this dinosaur but my age were Cureheads or Modeies… I loved both bands, so didn’t go goth or leather but kids of today are missing out… Music is not shared well. Not in the right way. ‘Come around my gaff I got the new Guns N’ Roses cassette if you want to listen’.. It’s all singurly with youtube/dowloads.

Saw two girls (15/16) taking photoes of each other in the shop during the week flicking through the records… (For their profile pictures i’d imagine, never saw them before…)

At this point last night (about 11:40) disaster struck (well thats a complete overstatement really). I lazily kind of clicked a few keys on the keyboard and everything I wrote on Mailchimp disappeared… Spent until 1.50AM driving myself insane trying to retrieve it… no joy had to do it all again today (got I.T. advice.. vanished…).

CARGO

Cargo fave a new album by ERIC BELL out next Friday called ‘EXILE’.

PIAS

PIAS for February 26th have the new ANTHRAX album ‘For All Kings’ via Nuclear Blast on Double LP and double CD limited digi-pack. The Gloaming’s second album is also out next Friday via Realworld Records…. LP not till 6th of May though… PIAS also have a reissue of Jesse Malin’s Debut, that Ryan Adams produced, called ‘Fine Art of Self Destruction’. Fine album… Lastly from PIAS is the new Ricky Warwick solo project (front man of Black Star Riders) on double CD and double LP.. ‘When Patsy Cline was Crazy and Guy Mitchell Sang the Blues’. Great title

Essential have the ‘SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS’ album out for next week..

SONY

Sony have a deluxe version of MICHAEL JACKSON’s ‘Off The Wall’ album on CD/DVD, ENTOMBED’s new album ‘Dead Dawn’ and a vinyl reissue of CAROLE KING’s ‘Tapestry’ again…

An interesting customer of ours rang me on Thursday and asked me did I want to do an interview piece on the vinyl resurgence for the Sean O’ Rourke radio programme… after a gulp…. I said yes!!! Thanks Brian.

(REDACTED :p)

It was on Radio 1 Monday morning…http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_seanorourke.xml…down the page a bit under ‘Vinyl’

Sin é for this week,

Thanks for listening,

Ray

www.musiczone.ie

Purple, the Foo’s and the Boss is back in town…again

Posted on 17th February 201617th February 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hey Everyone,

Hope all is well…
Here are some of the links for releases in store for the morning including….
BLEEDING HEART PIGEONS, JOHN COLTRANE, DRIVE BY TRUCKERS,WHITE BUFFALO, KULA SHAKER and BASIA BULAT.
So lets ramble on to releases for next Friday the 19th of February,( and i know it can be a bit of a ramble ,with some notoriously bad grammatical errors, apologies in advance dear readers, but why change the habit of a life…and all that, besides i have in house and out house editors so all’s good)
Not a huge amount for Friday ( bumper week the following week though the 26th) .

UNIVERSAL

Universal for the 19th have new kid on the block JACK GARRATT…here’s a quick listen…

JACK was BBC SOUND OF 2016 WINNER, BRITS critics choice winner, SPOTIFYs spotlight on 2016 winner….lots of awards and with it comes lots of expectation….what ye think…?
Uni also have the soundtrack to the movie WHIPLASH, excellent soundtrack i am hearing to what is also supposed to be an excellent film ( its a music movie ) , they have another PLACEBO reissue, this time SLEEPING WITH GHOSTS, this time on limited blue vinyl, ROSIE LOWE album on CD and LP and a rake of DVD releases on eagle vision or eagle rock or whatever they are called these days….BEACH BOYS infamous Knebworth concert from 1980, MOODY BLUES live at the isle of Wight DVD, LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM- songs from the soft machine DVD, DURAN DURAN and MIKE AND THE MECHANICS live DVDs also.

WARNER

WARNER for the 19th have a couple of DEEP PURPLE vinyl record reissues, IN ROCK and FIREBALL, the soundtrack to THE REVENANT on 2LP with the music by RYUICHI SAKAMOTO.
Warner also have a reissue of the MOVING HEARTS live in Dublin CD/DVD set, this one from 2008 i think, metal CD from AFTER THE BURIAL and a new MAVIS STAPLES album called livin on a high note.
Lastly from Warner is new ” goth -punk ” band CREEPER with an EP on ROADRUNNER entitled ” the stranger” , on white vinyl…..here’s a track from the EP

Republic Of Music have a new album by DJ PRINS THOMAS…a four LP set i think.

PIAS

PIAS have a debut album or solo debut album anyway by New Zealander MARLON WILLIAMS ( the equivalent to Murphys in that neck of the woods, apologies O MURUCHUs)…heard this guy maybe a month back doing a session on Paul McLoone one night which i quite liked…folk with a tinge of country and a drop of bluegrass…

The biggest release for next week is probably going to be through

SONY

A 12” Vinyl edition of the Foo Fighters EP.

Featuring 5 new tracks recorded at the Hotel Saint Cecilia in Austin, Texas in October 2015

Tracklisting

A. Saint Cecilia (03:41)

A. Sean (03:11)

A. Savior Breath (02:11)

B. Iron Rooster (04:11)

B. The Neverending Sigh (04:45)

THEM VINYL

As part of Legacy Recording’s acquisition of the Van Morrison catalogue, the first two albums of Belfast group, Them – fronted by Morrison between 1964 and 1967 – will be made available on vinyl on 12th February……in store for tomorrow also

SONY

Sony also has a reissue of the man of the moment BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – the seeger sessions on Vinyl…don’t get me wrong here now punks, i like Bruce….but i thought these tickets would not have disappeared as quick as they did…i thought he may have come to our well a bit to often is all (was always going to sell out but i really was surprised by the speed is all)….legend i know, before i am burned at the stake or stoned to death….i mean that, a legend, but Bruce seems to do here every summer and always takes it to the bank or the river in this case….amazing really…..i want to see a 25 year old Bruce in Croke park , that’s what i want….ooo hoo hoo i’m on fire….. tomorrow!

Lastly Sony have this new guy i like the sound of also called JOSEF SALVAT….heres a listen…

Sin e for this week folks,
catch us at
https://musiczone.ie
thanks for listening,
Ray.

Bleeding Heart Pigeons…the most interesting band to come out of Ireland for many a day….?

Posted on 10th February 201610th February 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hey Everyone,
Hope all is well…
Some of the releases in the shop for tomorrow include FIELD MUSIC, THE WEEKEND, JUNIOR BOYS, ELTON JOHN, TELEGRAM and BLOC PARTY.
Now going to mention what’s coming out Friday the 12th of February.
The most interesting record coming out Friday, in my opinion ( the opinion bit is to protect me from abuse) is from a three piece from up the road, down the road in Limerick.

BLEEDING HEART PIGEONS release their debut long player next Friday via massive UK label, VIRGIN/EMI….I have a bit of faith in these boys that they will be around for the long haul….i would have mentioned their EP releases in the last year or two….and the big label seem to be showing a lot of fate in them also….LP only release…no CD….now thats not a call the label would have made….no way jose….so for a teenage Irish band to call that shot ( at least i imagine it was the band who called it) and be granted their wish, shows the esteem the record company holds the lads in… or the record company see’s dollar signs, that maybe fairly or unfairly more accurate.
I am sure there are guys and gals who work in record companies who want to find a band who will blow the worlds socks off, others just in for the dollars.
Here’s a tune

BLEEDING HEART PIGEONS are somewhat traditional angst rock outfit i suppose with elements of prog and electronic throw in the pot, with a strong lyrical content also…something tells me there is a lot of creativity to follow….everything they have done so far smacks of forward thinking, boundary pushing music….here are a few words about the album from lyricist and singer Michael Keating ( pronounced as gaelige, i cant find da fada!!)….<img decoding="async" class="CToWUd a6T" tabindex="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/n4o-cUd28IGL4BDGF5PUTHtjfjUeIUWl93zCdEUe2Bj8Rbwvg6L1bQE9e8HIlaj_0jwPMDF5XzEO9q17HxoVRiIXhMxUYAQuionOJhCznant1agrdF23yxjn_vPMeRIcie2nVHBq_3NXMyTyf64jNyLxvh3YA3MVcP4e6MVfv45UYGKA5R3G=s0-d-e1-ft#http://i2.wp.com/nialler9.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/12291874_916545781785936_2431608706424536011_o.jpg?w=640" alt="12291874_916545781785936_2431608706424536011_o" /> Interesting lad, fair to say… We are hoping to get the lads in for an in-store….so will keep ye posted on that one…. I ain’t going to blow more smoke up their…….here’s another tune… <iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lNyrfdjcOjQ" width="435" height="435" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">

BLEEDING HEART PIGEONS are somewhat traditional angst rock outfit i suppose with elements of prog and electronic throw in the pot, with a strong lyrical content also…something tells me there is a lot of creativity to follow….everything they have done so far smacks of forward thinking, boundary pushing music….here are a few words about the album from lyricist and singer Michael Keating ( pronounced as gaelige, i cant find da fada!!)….

Interesting lad, fair to say…
We are hoping to get the lads in for an in-store….so will keep ye posted on that one….
I ain’t going to blow more smoke up their…….here’s another tune…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNyrfdjcOjQ

UNIVERSAL

Universal also has a live DVD of ELVIS COSTELLO, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH LP reissues of “the way of the fist”, ” war is the answer” and ” american capitolist” , each reissue on a different colour…RIDE ” nowhere” gets a standard reissue release, Australian goth/synthpopers THE JEZABELS have a new record, RONAN KEATING has a new CD and there is a reissue of SUN RAs “space is the place”.

Lastly from Universal is a deluxe triple LP of JOHN COLTRANES “love supreme”….as usual we beat up the big forest in the sky with our prices….

Essential for next Friday have a new album by LISSIE and a reissue of THE BLUETONES ” excepting to fly” album…i remember really liking that album…wonder did it stand the tesat of time…20 years ago id say.

REPUBLIC OF MUSIC

REPUBLIC OF MUSIC has new albums by BASIA BULAT on the secret city label with a lot of input by JIM JAMES of MY MORNING JACKET and a YOU SAY PARTY new album also.

Warner have the soundtrack to the new HBO TV series by Martin Scorsese called VINYL….Jagger was a consultant on it, well for the bits he remembers anyway….its a TV SERIES about the record industry in the late 60s and 70s….it shows how hot a buzzword VINYL is at the moment….not that record shop owners are cribbing about that…we crib enough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrz4DMEjCpQ
There is a trendiness attached to the aul record buying at the moment….so look ye are all cool….HBO done the market research and its findings were that ye are all cool…seriously, to some this is just a passing fad, some were always lifers and some who may have being the passing fad, will fall in love and become lifers….thats my tuppence worth anyway….will Vinyl be here in 25 years…yes i would guess, to what degree, i haven’t got a clue…anyone got a good crystal ball

Warner also have new albums by Mali singer/songwriter ROKIA TRAORE, KULA SHAKER, WHITE BUFFALO ( the dude who done the sons of anarchy soundtracks) and the BRITS awards compilation.

SONY

SONY for next Friday have Vinyl records reissues by THEM…” the angry young them” and ” them again” as well as reissues by ICED EARTH.

Oh, RIHANNA released an album today…no promo, jack shit, just landed….copycat…now who was the first to do that again…..you could argue Zeppelin but everyone knew there was an album coming, just no single…there was a flood of surprise albums since 2013…one fella started that flood around his birthday.

PROPER via EDSEL have a 20th anniversary edition of the FUN LOVING CRIMINALS debut “come find yourself” on 3 cd or a fancy box-set thingy.

One last tune from my new favourite band before i go and write dear landlord

check us here at VINYL RECORDS CORK for whats coming and going…
Sin e for this week and as ever

Elton John, Xtravision and Dog Poop Cleaners

Posted on 3rd February 20163rd February 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hello everyone,
Hope ye are all well…
Another week’s ramblings ahead…

I will start with links to some of the releases for tomorrow, which include WALKING ON CARS, DEEP PURPLE, ERIC CLAPTON, PHIL COLLINS and Cork’s ownTHE ALTERED HOURS. ( album launch tomorrow night in the Kino)
There are a good few more in but not on https://musiczone.ie yet.

So, releases for next Friday the 5th of February include from Pias the new FIELD MUSIC album ” commontime” on double orange vinyl for Indie shops only for a limited time, bit of a talking heads vibe going on here….

Also from PIAS are some 30th anniversary Vinyl reissues from ERASURE.

UNIVERSAL

UNIVERSAL for Friday the 5th of February have a new ELTON JOHN studio album “wonderful crazy night” on four formats, CD, DELUXE CD, LP and super douper boxy thingy… , they have a new album by ERIC PRYDZ and also the soundtrack to the ELLIOT SMITH documentary ” heaven adores you” ( must get to see it) check out this beauty if he is new to you…

Essential have the new record by THE CULT out next Friday also on CD and DLP on the COOKING VINYL label….heres a taste

It was a bit of a surprise yesterday to hear of the demise of xtravision, and not really a good surprise.
I know a couple of the lads who worked there well and i have thought of them both a bit over the last day or so. One of them was in fact one of Music Zones first employees when she was only a kid, i nearly worked every day of the year for the first 12 months ( MAY 2001 we opened) but i remember Jamie covering me for a match or two for the 2002 Soccer World cup ( GA background, hence the use of the soccer term)…..she worked part time for me for a couple of years and then went travelling for a bit and came back a good 10 years ago or so and settled in with xtravision…..the second,a sound lad who loves his Vinyl and who i know down through the years ( has a young family, my own age) and has being managing xtravision shops for the last 15 years or so, was moved out of the Douglas branch about 6 or 9 months to another branch, he was in at Christmas when word was out that the Douglas branch was closing and we felt he had missed a bullet with being moved out..couldn’t miss all the bullets in the end…..good lad, would love him on board if i had a spot…thats the personal damage it can do.

Some may understandably think that i may be delighted in a professional sense with xtravisions demise…not really the case.
If i can explain…
We sold the same products within reason but were very different shops i felt.
I want to survive and grow, obviously, but i feel overall the demise of physical bricks and mortar shops like HMV, GOLDEN DISCS, XTRAVISION or any of the indie guys is bad news for us all.
People have such choice now with how they consume media/ music….the buzz term in our game at the moment is multi channel platforms….less suppliers in the physical game, the less money can be made by the powers that be and hence the less interest those powers will show in that “platform”. ( just give the products to those beasts in the sky, they can sell it for us and we only have to ship it a couple of locations, makes sense, makes money, lets do it, they can rack it next to their dog poop cleaners)

That said though, DVD is under dreadful pressure, i am 4 full years in Douglas in March and in year one, DVD sales were close on 60% of turnover….this year ( year 4) running at about 19%….fell off a cliff.
They reckon 250,000 households in Ireland have Netflix, crucial point here is, those that have it were probably people who bought DVDs prior to getting it…..another tough day for the industry i am in.
XTRAVISION needed to change quickly when that cliff approached and when you have 80 shops, you don’t move to nimbly, if move at all…… Irish man Peter McGowan ( owner of Hilco…hmv, xtravision….Hilco are a commercial restructuring company….eemmmmmmm) is interviewed in the SUNDAY BUSINESS POST this Sunday..

WARNER

Warner for next Friday have a 2CD remastered album by MCGOUGH & MCGEAR….Macca’s younger brother, Hendrix on Guitar, Macca does a bit of producing…meant to be a classic…i don’t know it…poems and all sorts i think

WARNER also have new albums by CHRIS ISAAC, german prog metal by OBSCURA, and a fancy version of the Josh Groban album.

REPUBLIC OF MUSIC have new albums next week by JUNIOR BOYS on city slang ( electro pop) heres a listen….

ROM also have a new album by TELEGRAM…alternative rock 4 piece from London town…signed, coloured LP copies available…a live CLUTCH DVD and GRIMES debut album gets a reissue….her very first one that is….

SONY

SONY have the second album by FOXES out next week, hip hop sensation BRYSON TILLER gets a vinyl release….heres a snippet

Did i mention last week that KAMASI is back in…

On the local scene, aside from THE ALTERED HOURS and WALKING ON CARS releases tomorrow, we have a bit of live music in the shop.

Local and up and coming songwriter and musician GERALD AHERNE, is in store tomorrow playing a few tunes for us ….GERALD is only turned 17 but already there has been a lot of interest in him from record companies in the UK….Should be a good one tomorrow…..5pm tomorrow if you’re around.
check out the site for comings and goings
https://musiczone.ie
Sin e for this week,
thanks for listening,
ray.,

WALKING ON CARS with THE ALTERED HOURS on a diet of jam and bean sandwiches

Posted on 27th January 201627th January 2016 by musiczoneadmin

Hello everyone,
Hope your all keeping well….

More serious players in the music industry passed on last week, Glen Frey fromTHE EAGLES, whom some would accredit to being the main musical driving force behind the band, passed away ( whatever that saying really means) …..whilst also did Dale buffin Griffin, drummer from MOTT THE HOOPLE , both aged 67.
BOWIE had a huge part to play in HOOPLEs success,( as ye probably all know but sure i’ll tell ye again anyway), BOWIE was a fan of the band but things weren’t going too well for them and they decided to call it a day, so Bowie offered them ” suffregette city” from the then unreleased Ziggy album because he wanted them to stay together, the lads said no thanks we’re out of here, so he said look, i wrote this song, there ye can have it if ye want…..the track was, in the one cent pop quiz, ALL THE YOUNG DUDES….they said aaahhh sure we’ll try that one alright.
SAINT BOWIE it is…the welsh have the SAINT DAVID thing tied up…5 years to wait though…..it’s to early i know….

Here are some of the records in the shop for this week, TINDERSTICKS,SAVAGES, SUEDE, MEGADETH, BADLY DRAWN BOY, LUCINDA WILLIAMS,TY SEAGALL, JOHN CALE, PROMISE AND THE MONSTER, HIGH LLAMAS,VELVET UNDERGROUND, MONKEES.

So, moving on to releases for Friday the 29th of Jan, we have a couple of big Irish, local releases.

Universal

Dingle five piece WALKING ON CARS release their hugely anticipated debut record on Virgin/EMI via Universal…most of ye know i enjoy a light hearted jab from time to time at the massive pillars of on line retailing so why break the habit of a lifetime….they are 21 pounds sterling, we are 22 euro for the LP.

I, like a lot of other people like the sound of these guys and girl, have being going since about 2010/ 2011 i think…..they jacked everything in a few years back and all five said right lets try do this…rented a shed on the pennisula, ate bread jam and beans for 6 months and came away with the bones of this record…..must ask how they went from beans and jam sandwiches to signing to a big record label….will find out and give you an update next week….ones as ye know to watch for sure…here’s a track…

Also through Universal next Friday is a DEEP PURPLE 7 LP Vinyl box-set, anERIC CLAPTON 9 LP box-set from his time with Polydor, 150 euro versus the beast’s 144 pounds sterling…..some MIKE OLDFIELD reissues including “discovery” , a SIOUXSIE 6 CD studio album box set, TOOTHGRINDER, a debut metal album ( in case you didn’t guess) which i am told is going to do well and lastly from Universal for next week is the new TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND record on CD and 2LP.
here’s a track from that album…

Next up is a much anticipated debut long player release from Cork band THE ALTERED HOURS…

The Altered Hours are a five-piece music group based in Cork city, Ireland. IN HEAT NOT SORRY is their first full length album, recorded at the Funkhaus studio in Berlin. Following their work with Fabien Leseure on the Sweet Jelly Roll EP (A Recordings) in 2013, plans were made to further explore the potential for capturing the band’s intense live energy.

The group returned to Berlin in 2014 and spent three weeks exploring, experimenting and recording with Leseure at the controls. The project began with a great variety of songs and ideas but a unique and cohesive style was quickly decided upon due to an emphasis on live recording. The resulting ten tracks are representative of the group’s evolution since their last EP – beginning with a lush psychedelic sound and pushing towards a stark but honest headspace. This album has clearly been influenced by the dismal but beautiful surroundings of the 1950s Funkhaus studio building (a former DDR radio center) and in many ways IN HEAT NOT SORRY’s sound and atmosphere encapsulates the band’s ongoing fascination with testing (and sometimes disrupting) that fine balance between tranquility and chaos.

The Altered Hours continue to tour and play festivals across Europe, having also been invited to share the stage with some of their biggest influences, such as the Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pop Group, Singapore Sling and White Hills.
Here is one of the new tunes…

The band are launching the album in the KINO on Friday night…

The Altered Hours have a certain darkness to their sound. It’s there in those brittle tones, the post-punk influenced chugging bass line, and it’s there in those pleading, sometimes desperate vocals. But that isn’t to suggest that the Irish act are doom-laden naysayers – rather, The Altered Hours continually transgress the intensity of their volition, focussing on shards of pure, white light amidst the black

Clash

Galvanic psych majesty and tectonically-charged rapture

Line Of Best Fit

The Altered Hours specialise in swirling psychedelia that could be described as Jefferson Airplane for the post-punk era….one of the genre’s most exciting new acts

Drowned In Sound

…this is not so much carefree psych for a sunny summer’s day but something more sinister creeping out of the shadows, albeit allaying any fear with a mightily catchy chorus

Louder Than War

The Altered Hours are not a band to be pinned down too neatly. The layered, cyclical guitars bounce between shoegaze detachment, psychocandy aggression and chiming raga folk. The intertwining vocals of Cathal Mac Gabhann and Elaine Howley float somewhere above it all, by turns transcendent and paranoid. Buried underneath is the droning noise, propulsive drums and fuzzed- out low end.

The Irish Times

i hope it goes great for them….we will have CD and LP copies next week…

Essential has the new TURIN BRAKES album for next Friday…..

Proper have a nice TOWNES VAN ZANDT reissue on Vinyl for next Friday “texas rain”…

PIAS

PIAS for next Friday the 29th have the new BLOC PARTY album, believe it or not, their 5th record….they seem to be around forever…i quite like the song or two i heard….

The album is available on a double CD, CD or double white Vinyl for indie stores….fair play to ye lads.
Out on nuclear blast also next week is the 7th album by AVANTASIA on four formats, CD, deluxe CD, 2LP or 2LP picture disc….

PIAS also have a couple of SWANs reissues for next week…..

Sony

SONY has a new CD from SIA for next week, as well as debuts from SEAFRET, two lads from the HULL area in the UK….i kinda like a couple of their songs…dont shoot me….available as CD only for now

and a new album from New York indie pop three piece WET

as well as reissues from SLAYER which include ” show no mercy” ” hell awaits” ” haunting the chapel”.
Sony have a new record from EXUMER on Metal Blade and lastly LP reissue of the soundtrack from TOP GUN.

Warner

Warner for the 29th have the GAVIN JAMES album release on Vinyl, the CHARLIE PUTH CD and some BRING ME THE HORIZION LP reissues…

On the local scene again…shop favourites THE SHAKER HYMN are back with some new tunes…

If you can’t get in to say hello, how’s the form, hows it going or just don’t want to talk to us at all….you can do it all here…no talking required….unashamed i am….you can do it all here
https://musiczone.ie

Sin e for this week,
thanks for listening,
Ray.

Gavin James and a Whole Lot of Live on Black Friday

Posted on 2nd December 20153rd December 2015 by musiczoneadmin

Hey Everyone,
hope all is good…
Going fierce hi tech tonight, Google thought i was sending out spam so only about half of ye were receiving the newsletter…so going with my new buddy, Mail chimp!!
Maiden voyage tonight so its a fingers crossed job….all part of the service folks!!
Unfortunately, wont be any attachments for the next week or two, but will be fully functional by the new year….turning into a right corporate….i hear ye say.
Anyway, on to the tunes.
Read more

Hey everyone,

Proper for next week have an EDDI READER best of CD as well as STEVEN WILSON reissues on CD including “ the raven who refused to sing “ .

Hi everyone,

Hey Everyone,

UNIVERSAL

WARNER

SONY

SONY have the second album by FOXES out next week, hip hop sensation BRYSON TILLER gets a vinyl release….heres a snippet

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