Author Archives: Nick Kelly


Brendan Tallon – American Strings

Into the Great Wide Open.

Former Revelino singer Brendan Tallon (top) flies like a Byrd over the expansive American landscape on his new single, which is a taster for his forthcoming solo album Love In These Times.

The Dubliner is joined by Fintan Jones on flutes, Ray Martin on trumpets and Mark Colbert on drums.

The video is by Rory McDonald and Brendan, with Keith Leonard creating the lyric animation.

Nick says: Ireland’s got Tallon.

Brendan Tallon

Thank Florian it’s Friday.

To celebrate the weekend, shall we have another music competition?

This week the question comes courtesy of reader Unmutual, who suggests your favourite song that is Retro-Futuristic, enthusing:

“Favorite songs that sound like they could be from the future… Bonus points if it includes ‘Vocoder’ type vocals (aka robotic sounding aka singing into a Pringles tube).”

So there you have it.

Here’s mine.

Reply below to be in with a chance of bagging yourself a €20 Currys PC World voucher redeemable in any Currys store.

The winner will be chosen by my AI robot butler.

(Please include a video link if possible, thanks)

Lines MUST close on Saturday 11am.

Nick says: Good luck!

Last week’s winner here.

Currys PC World

Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi – O Death

The Great Beyond.

A bona fide star of the flourishing Americana scene, Rhiannon Giddens (top) has teamed up with Italian jazz virtuoso Francesco Turrisi on the album They’re Calling Me Home, which is already being hailed as a masterpiece.

The new single is their take on the folk standard O Death, with an incredible video produced and directed by Irish crankie roll artist Maeve Clancy, whose unfurled watercolour tapestry complements the music perfectly.

The Director of Photography is Seán Molloy.

Enjoy!

Nick says: See you on the other side.

Rhiannon Giddens

Van Morrison – Where Have All The Rebels Gone?

Where have all the rebels gone?
Hiding behind computer screens
Where’s the spirit? Where’s the soul?

Why don’t they come out of the woodwork now?
One for the money, two for the show
It’s not very rock’n’roll
Where have all the rebels gone?

Were they really all that tough?
Or was it just a PR stunt?
They’re not saying very much, are they?
Where have all the rebels gone?

Van The Man comes out fighting with a j’accuse of his fellow rock stars who have stayed conspicuously silent on the tragic effects of the lockdown.

No doubt those hiding behind computer screens will snipe back at his stance. Starting in 3, 2, 1…

Fans of Van will be delighted to know that they can buy tickets at nugs.net for his virtual gig from the Real World Studios in the UK which takes place tomorrow at 8pm.

His new album Latest Record Project Volume 1 is out today.

Nick says: This is a rebel song.

Van Morrison

Meanwhile….

Um.

Meanwhile…

G’wan the Van.

Keeley – The Glitter And The Glue

“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.”

This quote from Cicero is found at the start of the video for the recent single by Keeley Moss (top)

The Dublin-based psychedelic dreampop artist is set to release a concept album about Inga Maria Hauser on the UK indie label Dimple Discs, with whom she has just signed a deal.

Inga was a German teenager who was murdered on holiday in Northern Ireland in 1988 and whose killers have never been brought to justice.

Keeley is also the author of a popular blog whose mission statement is to keep the memory of Inga alive. She deserves great credit for her Trojan work in shining a light on this heartbreaking human tragedy.

Keeley’s band includes Marty Canavan, Martin Fagan and Pete Duff. The Glitter And The Glue is the follow-up to last year’s single Last Words.

Nick says: Magic and loss.

Keeley

Ireland’s Olympic HQ,  Howth, county Dublin

This afternoon.

The athletes and support teams, which number in the low hundreds, will receive the Pfizer jab thanks to an agreement between the pharmaceutical company and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The development has been welcomed by the Irish Olympic and Paralympic federations who believe the measure will relieve “very high levels of anxiety that a lack of vaccination was causing among the team”.

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

Oh.

RollingNews