Author Archives: Nick Kelly

Self isolators of the world unite!

A great and eerie video compilation of the global lockdown set to the melancholic strains of Morrisey singing Everyday is Like Sunday.

Come, Armageddon! Come!

Related: The Empty Streets Of San Francisco

Previously: Sunday Drivers

UPDATE:

The City Remains – The City Remains

Any Red House Painters fans in the house?

Then the new project by Liam Kirkpatrick and Paul McAllister should resonate with you.

Formerly of Kildare band Scale The Heights, the duo released their eponymous debut album last month on the new Project 2 label.

Songwriter Kirkpatrick conjures melody and melancholy beautifully, and the London-set video captures the mood.

Nick says: Here comes a City.

The City Remains

Violet Gibson: this lady shoots fascists

On this day.

In 1926….

Via Ireland in Colour

Irish woman Violet Gibson shoots [Benito] Mussolini in the nose as he walks among the crowd in the Piazza del Campidoglio in RomeBorn 1876, Dublin…Daughter of Irish lawyer/politician Baron Ashbourne…Lived rest of life in St. Andrew’s Hospital…Died 1956.

The Irishwoman Who Shot Mussolini (RTÉ Documentary on One Podcast)

 

Malojian – The Singularity

Is this the first great song about the way we live now, post-Coronavirus?

Belfast troubadour Stevie Scullion (above) aka Malojian wrote this on his piano last month and then sent it to his friend Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, who added atmospherics and produced it.

The result is an elegant, mournful but ultimately optimistic hymn to the resilience of the human spirit.

The song is available on bandcamp.

Nick says: Lockdown blues.

Malojian

So are we all sitting comfortably?

I have a sizzling €25 Golden Discs voucher to give to the reader with the best entry to the question: what is your favourite music video from the 1990s?

Here’s mine.

The winner will be chosen by my parole officer.

Lines MUST close at 10.30pm Extended until 2am.

Nick says: Good luck!

Earlier: Alone in My Room

The votes are in.

Last week, with a crisp €25 Golden Discs voucher to be won, I asked what song you would most like to see beamed into your living room via a virtual gig by a living artist.

You answered in your tens.

But there could only one winner.

Third Place:

Dogging by Fascinating Aida

Cu Chulainn writes:

Because I can’t get out to ‘walk the dog’…

Runner up:

The Foggy Dew by Sinead O’Connor & The Chieftains

Italia 90 writes:

For my Irish famiIy and friends, we fought the Corona before…Sinéad O’Connor & The Chieftains – The Foggy Dew. And for my Italian family and friends, you fought the fascists
and still fighting today Bella Ciao – FonoIa Band

Winner:

Sorcerer by Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow

Slightly Bemused writes:

Stevie Nicks. Anything by Stevie Nicks. I would just love to relive the time I saw her with Fleetwood Mac a number of years back (I am not disclosing anything). She was magical!

But what song to choose? I am going with Sorcerer, which first came out in the wonderful Streets of Fire, but I really like her version with Sheryl Crowe. If I win, can I get both of them in my prize?

Thanks all.

Golden Discs

Last week: Win Nick’s Voucher

Free tonight?

There are free live streaming gigs all over t’interweb this evening as artists reconfigure ways to to reach their fans in the absence of live concerts.

Three of the best:

Irish singer/songwriter Lisa Lambe launches her new album Juniper on Facebook at 8pm.

Westlife’s Mark Feehily performs in aid of the ISPCC at 7pm on his Instagram page.

And for the hardcore indie brigade, Minnesota sadcore titans Low begin a weekly Instagram happening titled Friday I’m In Low at 9pm.

Quarantine never sounded so good!