There is a black star on the horizon from the star man, choice nominees and talks of old folks homes
Hi Everyone,
Happy new year and all that Jazz….
Hope all went well and that all is good.
Traditionally a quiet enough time except for ARCTIC MONKEYS debut release in 2006 and the boy wonder with his birthday release 3 years ago now.
And the birthday boy wonder BOWIE is back with a new record again…album of the year i’d say no doubt about it…..so far this year anyway.
Only playing lads, ( the Bowiehead lads i am referring to ) i really likeBLACKSTAR , the jazz influence easy to hear, avant garde style, vocally very good for a fella 80 next year, ( another jab lads, getting closer yerselfs now sure)
The lead single is an absolute cracker in my opinion a wonderful piece of music that improves listen after listen…needs a few of those listens though, and i have listened 6 or 7 times to the album in the shop and it’s starting to resonate with me, thats a great song, jays thats a great song as well type of thing….very impressed i must say.
Moving on from the birthday boy so, the new VILLAGERS record is out tomorrow also….well not exactly a new record, reworkings of songs from the first three records, recrafted and sounding succulent, talented boy is our own Mr. O Brien….available via Domino on CD and for a short time only limited green Vinyl record….its a lovely listen.
Also in the shop are HATEFUL8 OST, some SPOCKS BEARD , the vinyl record release of the new JUSTIN BIEBER album and the newestELVIS release is back in on Vinyl.
The Corporation ( my address to you shareholders) had a good enough Christmas…in the positive direction by 2.5 % fuelled largely by the aul Vinyl record….vinyl up about 40% in 2015 against 2014…DVD still in a lot of decline….the two of them nearly balancing each other out…shop for the year was a mirror of the Christmas…2% increase….look, happy days….shit load more work than the good times , the bertie bowl era, our great leader of the past….but hey right direction…take that.
The Choice music nominees were announced during the week, which as you know are considered to be the ten best Irish records this year…well 2015….list is GIRL BAND, HAM SANDWICH, GAVIN JAMES, JAPE, LE GALAXIE, COLM MAC CON LOMAIRE, ROISIN MURPHY, SOAK, VILLAGERS and YOUNG WONDER.
Strong list to be fair, a couple of notably exceptions in my opinion, THE NORTH SEA and HEDGE SCHOOLS records are excellent in my opinion and never the made the list and locally THE HARD GROUND and JOHN BLEK AND THE RATS must count themselves unlucky also, as must Danny ANDERSON.
The last five i mentioned have one thing in common, they are unsigned, not in bed with a record company, and that’s just the mechanics of the industry, i buy into those mechanics everyday, i have to….i depend on record companies….they will get by fine without me…..but there was never going to be more than two unsigned bands in the 10….thats just the way it is….2 is good in fact i would argue….but i personally would have to question whether the 10 best Irish albums are on display….but hey thats the way it works….
Next week the 15th , there’s is not a huge amount happening…
PIAS have the second album by DAUGHTER on 4AD…
Universal have the SKUNK ANANSIE record ( their sixth now) with one of the best front women around in SKIN and UNI also have the iconic soundtrack for BACK TO THE FUTURE on PICTURE Disc…is it RECORD STORE DAY….( not long now folks!!, what a marketeer)
Here is an interesting piece from BBC RADIO 4 on sound and compression…both sides of the tale given…if you like your sound and have a spare half an hour, this is for you, if not it may bore the liathroidi off you…worth a listen in my opinion….game of opinions as ye know though
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
might bring the aul video back all going well….some of ye are lyrically, some visual…
Serious, thanks for all the support over Christmas and all year, please god we will rock on….
sin e for this week,
thanks for listening,
Ray.
