Tag: Music

The London Ear on RTE 2XM // Show 129 with John Gibbons

After a little break, The London Ear is back and no better reason to get back behind the mic than to chat to Ireland’s very own superstar DJ, John Gibbons.

Interview with John Gibbons

John is the man behind the rework of Charles and Eddie’s ‘Would I lie to you?’.
When we recorded the interview on Tuesday September 27th, the track has 4.7 million streams on Spotify. Last night (September 30th) John posted that the track has passed 5 million streams, an amazing achievement.

The London Ear on RTE 2XM // Show 129 // October 1 2016 Playlist

Here’s what happened on this week’s episode of The London Ear.

1. Placebo: Jesus’ Son
2. Submotion: Headchecked
3. Interview with John Gibbons (Part 1)
4. John Gibbons: 1984 (Full Tilt remix)
5. Interview with John Gibbons (Part 2)
6. John Gibbons: Your Love
7. Interview with John Gibbons (Part 3)
8. John Gibbons: Would I lie to you?
9. The Shamen: Ebeneezer Goode

Listen Again

Thanks for listening, The London Ear broadcast on DAB radio, Saorview and outside Ireland you can listen online.You can listen to the show again on the RTE player. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1300.

Don’t forget to check out the RTE 2XM website. You can keep up with me here.

Check out The London Ear on Facebook and Twitter

Check out John Gibbons online

Check out John’s website. You can also follow him on Twitter and Like him on Facebook.

Here’s ‘Would I lie to you?’ on Spotify.

October 1, 2016
Stylus Vinyl // Vinyl and Wine straight to your door

Get vinyl and wine straight to your door

Here’s something a little different.

Stylus Vinyl is a brand new subscription venture bringing vinyl and wine together. Let’s face it, there’s nothing like kicking back, sticking on a great album and having a nice drinkiepoos of a night.

Every month, you’ll get an album on vinyl and a wine that has been chosen especially, to compliment the music.

Russ Cook is one of the people behind Stylus Vinyl. He’s been a proper working musician for years and he’s also a journo who writes about music, events and is a Walking Dead nerd. I’ve got to know Russ recently, he’s a good guy.

What’s in the box?

Stylus Vinyl have teamed up with Great Western Wine and wine expert, Angela Mount, to chose a wine which will compliment and capture the essence of the music you’re listening to.

It’s a really interesting idea and I for one will be interested in seeing what wines are selected to compliment albums over the next while. I’ve heard of synesthesia, where people see colours when listening to music so I think it would be really interesting to see how taste and different types of wine would effect and compliment the tunes.

But what of the music? Stylus Vinyl have teamed up with the big boys so plans are underway to bring albums by Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Amy Whitehouse, Massive Attack, The Strokes and Jay-Z and Prince.

In every package, you’ll get an album on vinyl, a chosen bottle of vino, interviews with music and wine experts, and artwork created by an independent illustrator, inspired by the particular pairing.

How much does Stylus Vinyl cost?

So the package costs £35 plus postage every month. You can sign up for one month or month by month (like me) or you can do a 3 month or 12 month pre-pay which comes in handy as Christmas pressie time approaches.

Give it a go, expand your music and wine knowledge and turn a night in into something special.

Sign up at stylusvinyl.com . Sign up before September 30 to get the very first edition!

Follow the guys on Facebook and Twitter.

A photo posted by Stylus Vinyl (@stylus_vinyl) on Sep 1, 2016 at 11:14am PDT

September 28, 2016
The London Ear on RTE 2XM // Show 126 with Jenny May Finn

Show 126 // July 30 2016 with video artist, Jenny May Finn

On this week’s show, I was thrilled to be able to catch up with Jenny May Finn, a video artist from Dublin who is putting on her first exhibition this week, entitled ‘Your Face is Alright’.

The exhibition takes place at The Archivist’s Gallery from August 5-7 2016. We chat how she is exploring life through her art.

It also happens that Jenny May also attended DCU at the same time as myself and as chance would have it, lived next door to me in Glasnevin in Dublin.

Here’s what Happened:
1. Public Enemy: Harder Than You Think
2. Rusangango Family: Lights On
3. Sinead Harnett Featuring Grades: If You Let Me
4. Christine and The Queens: Tilted
5. Eoin Boyle: Skybirds
6. The Cheek of Her: 9 Lives
7. The Nocturnes: The Antler
8. John Paul White: The Martyr
9. August Wells: Here in The Wild
10. Chat with Jenny May Finn
11. Nubyian Twist: Headhunter
12. Salt Ashes: Save It

Thanks for listening, The London Ear broadcast on DAB radio, Saorview and outside Ireland you can listen online.You can listen to the show again on the RTE player. The show is broadcast every Saturday at 1300.

Don’t forget to check out the RTE 2XM website. You can keep up with me here.

Check out The London Ear on Facebook and Twitter

You can keep up with Jenny May Finn on her website, on Twitter and on Instagram

August 1, 2016
Diary: Avec Sans // Live at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen

Avec Sans // Live at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen // June 9 2016

Hoxton Square Bar was the venue for Avec Sans album launch on June 9th, following the release of ‘Heartbreak Hi’ on June 3rd.

I’ve been a fan of the duo since I heard them first in 2012 and have played them on the radio but tonight was my first time seeing them live.

The duo, Alice Fox and Jack St James, have a pretty slick live set up. Fox provides the vocals while St James, has a keyboard and three Novation launchpads on stage which face the audience. Apart from letting the audience actually see that you’re hitting a few buttons and triggers, the Launchpads also provide a pretty cool visual, with a preprogrammed light show accompanying each song.

Those familiar with the pair, will recognise, Shiver, The Answer, When You Go and current single Heartbreak Hi, which to be honest is so bloody catchy, it’s a crying shame it’s not blowing up on every radio station right now.

Avec Sans describe themselves as an electro pop group. In the past there seems to have been a little bit of snobbery with being called a pop group, of any sort, but these guys have nailed that. They produce really great pop songs, songs that we should be hearing on the radio, songs that have the potential to be very popular.

The pair are quite a visual band, always appearing in monochrome, and the lengths they go to to maintain the detail is immense, down to having a white microphone cable for contrast.

The night is finished off with an encore rendition of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill, which is simply spectacular.(Listen and Download the studio version here).

Visually striking, sonically beautiful, the world needs a bit more Avec Sans in their lives.

Get the album

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Avec Sans At Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Watch the video for Heartbreak Hi.

June 12, 2016