Jack Devlin – Summer
“Are you ready for summer?” asks County Down singer/songwriter Jack Devlin (top) on his debut single.
With echoes of Jeff Buckley and Paolo Nutini, the 21-year-old can certainly hit the high notes.
Jack says:
“This song is about how life carries you through the years, how things within life evolve, drafting moments and memories from past summers and admiring the future in those moments of euphoria.”
Nick says: Seasoned.
Irish Women in Harmony – Dreams (Cranberries cover)
This afternoon.
Did you know that we are the first female act to break the overall top 20 chart in ireland in over TEN yrs. Did you know we are the 1st female act to get no.1 on the Irish homegrown chart EVER? Wanna keep us there? Keep downloading, streaming. Ireland, keep supporting your own x
— Irish Women in Harmony 🇮🇪 (@irewomeninharm) July 1, 2020
Yay!
Update:
Great achievement 💪🏼 But wouldn’t Bwitched or Enya have gotten to number one in the homegrown chart at some point? Unless I’m missing something 🙃
— Alex O’Farrell (@ofarrell79) July 1, 2020
Ah now.
I look like me Da.
Update:
The homegrown chart is a new Irish only chart that was only started a few years ago….and for the most part it’s only been Irish male artists on it and so we are the first female act to get no.1 on This chart.
— Irish Women in Harmony 🇮🇪 (@irewomeninharm) July 1, 2020
Phew.
G’wan the homegrown.
Artists comprise: Ailbhe Reddy, Aimée, Áine Cahill, Allie Sherlock, Caroline Corr, Elaine Mai, Emma Langford, Erica Cody, Eve Belle, Faye O’Rourke, Fia Moon, Imelda May, Laoise, Lilla Vargen, Lisa Hannigan, Loah, Lyra, Melina Malone, Moya Brennan, Niamh Farrell, Orla Gartland, Pillow Queens, Roe, Róisín O, RuthAnne, Saint Sister, Sibéal, Soulé, Stephanie Rainey, Tolü Makay, Una Healy, the trio that constitutes Wyvern Lingo, Aoife Dennedy, Louize Carroll, Lucia McPartlin, Maria O’Connor, Maria Ryan, Sarah Lynch and Theodora Byrne.
Joshua Burnside – …And You Evade Him/ Born Into Blood
Anyone for doom-folk?
Belfast-based songsmith Joshua Burnside (top) goes deep with this atmospheric collage of sound and vision from his forthcoming second album Into The Depths Of Hell.
Nick says: Infernal affair.
More shopping/street life in 1902 Wexford:
Fishwife and kids, a boy passes driving an ass and cart
RIC duo mingle with the crowd (what does poster behind them say)?
Customers of the Bullring, Godkin & Co.
The Mayor of Wexford in regalia appears with his daughters
Fishwife again! pic.twitter.com/Um8RP4CT0B— Old Ireland in Colour (@irelandincolour) July 1, 2020
Wexford, 1902.
Good times.
CeeV – Lonely Night
Trouble sleeping?
CeeV aka Caoimhe McAleavey (top) knows exactly how you feel.
The singer/songwriter from Newry, County Down, is a graduate of Manchester’s BIMM school.
She says:
“The song’s about sleeplessness, overthinking, nights out, basically tired eyes but a racing mind.”
Nick says: Insomnia blues.
We will be doing group walking tours in "July" of the once-famous Red- Light District, known as "Monto". We take people on the real Monto tour along the streets where events happened. The tours help keep the folklore project going. We receive no funding to support the project. pic.twitter.com/bm0XgN2PhY
— Terry Fagan (@Monto22) June 29, 2020
FIGHT!
Mayo-born, British Army deserter and tank thief Mike Flanagan
On This Day In Irish History writes:
On this day 72 years ago – 29 June 1948 – Mike Flanagan of Foxford, County Mayo – a Sergeant in the British Army – stole two British tanks and delivered them to the Haganah.
Flanagan [who had participated in the liberation of the Nazi-operated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945] is said to have seen parallels between Jews fighting for a nation-state and the Irish 25 years earlier.
Via Wikipedia:
The tanks were hidden in Givatayim and later formed the basis of the Israeli Armored Corps.
Flanagan subsequently converted to Judaism, adopted the Hebrew name Michael Peleg, and married Ruth Levy, fellow soldier whom he had met on active service. They lived in Israel on Kibbutz Sha’ar HaAmakim.
He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor from The Wiesenthal Center in the United States.The Israeli Defense Forces honored Flanagan for his immense and critical contributions to the formulation of the IDF….
Premier League-winning Liverpool FC fans celebrate outside Anfield, the club’s ground, last night
Please indulge me, dear readers.
It’s taken three long decades for Liverpool FC to climb back onto their perch as champions of England.
So naturally, as a lifelong fan, there could only be one theme for this week’s competition: What’s your favourite song by a band or singer from Liverpool?
To jog your memory, here’s a select list of Scousers who have put Merseyside on the music map: Gerry & The Pacemakers, Cilla Black, The Mop Tops, Wings, The Mighty Wah, Pink Industry, Echo & The Bunnymen, OMD, Teardrop Explodes, The Lotus Eaters, The La’s, Cast, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Atomic Kitten, Elvis Costello, Shack, Michael Head & The Strands, Plastic Ono Band…
In tribute to Herr Klopp and the Liverpool/German connection, here‘s my choice.
The best answer wins a delightful €25 Golden Discs voucher, to be chosen by my imaginary club mascot.
Lines MUST close at 6am.
Please include video links if possible.
Nick says: Good luck, la.
Last week’s winner here.
CMAT – Rodney
What a video.
Multitasking Meath pop protege Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (ex The Bad Sea) has great fun dressing up in character for her catchy new single – and she produced and directed the promo too.
The ‘Rodney’ in the title is the late American comedian Rodney ‘No Respect’ Dangerfield (top left).
Nick says: A+ for CMAT.
The votes are in.
Last week, with a €25 Golden Discs voucher on offer, I asked you to name your favourite song with a one-word title?
You answered in your tens (supplying a brilliant playlist)
But there could be only one winner.
Third Place:
Xtal by Aphex Twin
Specific Gravity writes:
Often imitated, never bettered.
Runner-up:
Cupid by Sam Cooke
Scottser writes:
There are songs that reflect hope. Songs that reflect pain. Songs that try to encompass the human condition; why we are here, what am I for, what should I do? We fall in love.We must – its inevitable.
What song encapsulates that hope of being loved back? a song like no other, sung by a voice that would melt the coldest heart? Cupid, by Sam Cooke, that’s what..
Winner:
Nightswimming by REM
Andy Pipkin writes:
This track is just brilliant. Actually forgot how good it was!
Nick says: Thanks all.
Last week: Win Nick’s Voucher
