Conor Pope, in The Irish Times, reports:

House prices rose by 12.3 per cent in the 12 months to the end of December and the rate of increase is accelerating significantly, new figures show.

The rise revealed today compares to a 9 per cent increase in the same period of 2016 and compares to a hike of 11.4 per cent in the average cost of a house in the 12 months to the end of November.

The latest numbers mean that from the trough in early 2013, prices nationally have increased by 72.1 per cent.

House prices rise 12.3% in a year and rate of increase accelerates (The Irish Times)

Micheál Ó Ciaraidh, from online social hub ‘BLOC’ on TG4 speaks to young and old about love.

Micheál writes:

Embrace yourself for some genuine love this Valentine’s Day….Yep ‘Amore, Amore, Amore! Lá Fhéile Vailintín Shona! Get the tissues ready folks, it’s gonna be a wet one…and not like that ya filthy animals

Splutteriní.

BLOC

Last week, with a Golden Discs voucher worth twenty five euros on offer, we asked YOU: what song from the  woozy, reverb-drenched My Bloody Valentine canon would you like played on February 14?

You answered in your tens.

But there could be only one winner.

In reverse order then…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8kjbjx2EUw

My Bloody Valentine – You Made Me Realise

Digs writes:

Cause it has the most disarming mix of the following four ingredients; Sonic, Punk, Melody and Harmony. It’s basically like the Beach Boys strung out on love, insecurity and crystal meth. Like a young persons awoken brain!…and it’s kind of catchy!

My Bloody Valentine – Nothing Is

Rich Uncle Skeleton writes:

It may be a few seconds of noise repeated over and over, but if you let yourself get lost in its repetitive glory, it’s always worthy of your time. LIKE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iT5EuTlHOM

My Bloody Valentine – Sometimes

Liam writes:

Such a beautiful melody buried deep under layers and layers of distortion. It was the first song of theirs I heard on the old Fanning radio show and I still remember thinking WTF is this? Perfect lovelorn (if virtually inaudible) lyrics too:

Over there, and I want true love to grow
You can’t hide, oh no, from the way I feel

My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow

Matt Lucozade writes:

Just play My Bloody Valentine’s Only Shallow on February 14 for the following reason(s): “It’s the perfect shoegaze wall of sound mashup of monstrous guitars, snare-centric drumming and a slathering of digital distortion with a Kate Bush-alluded Bilinda soothing topping”

Winner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVuARAzNnKw

My Bloody Valentine – Blown A Wish

Wait For It writes:

it’s their most deliriously romantic song. Even aside from the lyrics that follow the opening line, ‘midnight wish, blow me a kiss/I’ll blow one to you’, there’s the dizzying, off-kilter swooping of the guitar, the warm explosion between verses, and the half-heard gurgling guitars and Bilinda’s soothing, wordless vocal harmonies as the song comes to an end.

It’s a song that sounds as heady and disorienting as love feels. They  also do a lovely cover of ‘We Have All The Time In The World’ too.

Thanks all

Golden Discs

Previously: Cupid From Coffee Cup

Pic: Island

Frankie Cosmos – Being Alive

Daniel Martin writes:

I recently made a music video for a band from New York called Frankie Cosmos, who are currently signed to Sub Pop.

The video was made entirely by an Irish crew.

I’ve been making music videos for various bands, mostly Irish, for a few years now and got in the habit of making videos for international bands when they stayed in my apartment in Temple Bar.

This time was a little different as I was able to go on tour across Europe with Frankie Cosmos and Squarehead. Upon returning home we got to work putting together a Puppet version of the band to get abducted by a Space Dog

The puppets were made by Laura Gilsenan who is fashion designer based in Dublin.

The artwork used throughout was by Ruan van Vliet, a Dublin based graphic designer as well as a drummer for Squarehead and many other bands based in the Popical Island collective.

In fairness.

Broadsheet.ie