Other Discussions

The Hand of the French


Daithai C 15:03
Le French Hand job! Merde!Feelings are running high in Ireland after the country failed to qualify for World Cup 2010 in South Africa. The only topic of discussion in Ireland today is the French Hand job! Merde!! Ireland suffered the cruelest of Wor...

6 SEO Tips And Tools on H...


SEO Software for Professi... 17:37
A web site can in many ways be compared to a retail store. When you open a shop you have to go through the following steps to build your retail business: Learn about the retailing business Store Decoration and Fit-out External signage, adverti...




Have AIB just pulled a fa...


Twenty Major - Still smok... 12:26
AIB announces new managing director is to be: a) appointed from within despite a search for an outside candidate that apparently found nobody suitable for the job b) to be paid more than the €500,000 per annum cap Minister Lenihan put on bakers sala...

Let Mr Blue Sky In – FLAS...


Culch.ie 11:27
Not so long ago I wrote about the National Campaign For the Arts being launched and how they were planning to raise awareness for the arts and try their best not to allow their budgets to be cut. Well they came up with a very novel way of promotin...

Sunday View


The Parish Pump 18:24
I do an occasional slot as a guest on the Sunday View, WLRFM’s review of the Sunday papers. It’s an excellent show with a variety of panellists from the Waterford area – check it out on Sundays from 12-1 on 95.1 FM if you’re...




Gigs happening this week


Nialler9 Music Blog | MP3... 01:50
A list of events taking place over the next seven days in Dublin. Tuesday 17th Nov - Foggy presents Tickley Feather, Patrick Kelleher @ Whelan’s Upstairs (€12) Wednesday 18th Nov - Datarock @ The Academy (€17) - Le Galaxie, The Ambience Affai...

Brian Cowen Nominates Mái...


Irish Election 15:14
The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen T.D. announced this afternoon that Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, currently the Irish member of the European Court of Auditors, will be the Government’s nominee for appointment to the next European Commission. “I am pleased to an...

Domain Name & Hosting Spe...


The Kro.ie Blog 12:27
We are doing a very special offer on domain names, holding pages, and managed hosting. This is the perfect excuse to get professional help in securing your web presence for any projects or ideas you have in your head.The Offer Domain name of your ch...

The ‘Crime Always Pays’ I...


Crime Always Pays 16:38
It’s getting to that time of the year again, when the ‘Best-of-Year’ selections are made, and Crime Always Pays has never been backward about clambering aboard a bandwagon. Yep, it’s the ‘Crime Always Pays’ Irish Novel of the Year Award, that somew...

African Food Special: Egy...


CheapEats.ie 11:40
I was in Egypt a few years ago and thought the food was very good indeed. For some of the time, I stayed with a family so I got to  experience some Egyptian takes on some of my favourite dishes. As a big fan of Kofta I was in heaven but it was the f...

Edward Woodward 1930 - 20...


Chuck's Culture Carnival! 01:35
Sad farewell to a solid actor.Much-loved actor Edward Woodward passed away Monday (Nov 16) at the Royal Cornwall Hospital aged 79. He had been suffering from health problems for some time. Born in Surrey in 1930, Woodward graduated from London’s Roy...

Youghal C.Y.M.S. AGM


YoughalOnline.com 14:16
The Youghal CYMS AGM will take place at the society’s premises, market square, this Sunday 22nd November 2009 at 3pm sharp. All members are requested to attend. Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com Graphic: Claire Regan Email: news@you...

Poolbeg capacity 'should ...


An Irish Town Planner's B... 11:48
The Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA) today claimed the proposed Poolbeg incinerator was "grossly oversized" relative to waste needs and called for an urgent review of the project.The IWMA was releasing the findings of an independent report ...

Free Children’s Christmas...


tots2teens.ie Blog 11:02
The Dublin City Business Improvement District (BID) will ignite your child’s imagination this Christmas with a host of FREE seasonal entertainment, including hilarious puppet shows and festive storytelling sessions, as part of its BIDs for Kids Wint...

Yusuf Islam – O2, Dublin


State Magazine 16:46
Back on the world stage for the first time in thirty three years (and for the first time ever on these shores), Yusuf Islam has chosen to make his return in a decidedly eclectic and non-conformist manner. It was, undoubtedly, a spectacular way to ma...

X Factor Special – Give Y...


Simply Zesty» – SimplyZe... 18:23
I have never been a fan of X factor. I hate it in fact. Waste of time. I wouldn’t even give it a couple of minutes in the past but this year I had been hearing an awful lot of fuss about Jedward and when I happened to spot them a couple of wee...

Augmented Reality: Esquir...


Digitology - The Digital ... 14:22
Last Monday Esquire revealed that they would once again be pushing the boundaries of print. As I'm sure everyone will remember, Esquire's first foray into enhanced print was with their ePaper 75th Anniversary issue, and following that they did their...

Minister O’Keeffe urges s...


YoughalOnline.com 14:25
Minister O’Keeffe urges schools to work with HSE as swine flu vaccine plan begins The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today [Wednesday 18 Nov. 2009] urged schools to continue to cooperate with the Health Services Executive (HS...

Recession-bustin’ Blowdry...


Beaut.ie - The Irish Beau... 09:30
Yesterday we had a comment from a first-timer Zia, a Montreal-er who had lived in Dublin and hopes to move back at some point. But she has a problem with Irish hairdressers - and it’s a cost one: ” they are all so expensive!,” she...

I’m Hearing Other Voices


Culch.ie 10:46
Other Voices is RTE’s show featuring music recorded live in the lovely St. James’ Church in Dingle. The Kerry town is once again getting ready for the next series of recordings, making it the eighth installment so far. The show will be recorde...

Business Breakfast @ Sema...


Web 2.0 Ireland 15:57
A business breakfast hosted by Mason Hayes+Curran, in association with the Irish Software Association and the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), about the legal challenges and commercial possibilities of the Semantic Web, the next evoluti...

Video: Vampire Weekend – ...


Nialler9 Music Blog | MP3... 16:32
In retrospect, the first official leak from the new Vampire Weekend album Contra, ‘Horchata’ was not really as exciting as it could have been. ‘Cousins’ is a different beast altogether: frantic, fun and frolicsome, like a you...

Update on Irish Crocheted...


The Woolly Way of Ireland 09:38
Here are a few crochet coral workshops happening around the country. If you are interested in having a workshop in your area, please get in touch, and we will help in anyway we can.More information and patterns, on the Irish Hyperbolic Crocheted Cor...

Lest We Forget


gaelick 07:00
Irish LGBTs are about to take the next step on the journey to equality. The Partnership Bill isn’t perfect but it’s a step on the road. When forging ahead, it’s always important to look back, to use the past as a touchstone, ground...

FOINSE san Indo - scéal i...


An Druma Mór 04:50
Foinse, Ireland’s biggest Irish language newspaper has today announced that it’s newly refreshed Foinse newspaper will be distributed free every Wednesday, starting 18 November with the Irish Independent, the largest selling national quality daily i...

Thirty Seconds To Mars 20...


State Magazine 15:51
Thirty Seconds To Mars return to Ireland to play an exclusive show at the O2, Dublin on Friday 26 February. Tickets €39.20 including booking fee go on sale this Friday 20th at 9am. The band release their second album This Is War for the tour, comple...

50 Resources That Will Im...


Simply Zesty» – SimplyZe... 12:43
Blogging is largely a self taught art where newbies pick up tips and secrets from more established bloggers who share their experiences with the next generation. There is no official guide to blogging as so many people have so many different opinion...

Bank policies leaving us ...


Direct Source Network | E... 13:34
Is the world heading for deflation or inflation? If you talk to serious investors and long-term followers of economic trends, this is the big question. As in the boom – when the major conundrum was whether we could continue borrowing and spending ...

For Every Body Shares 10 ...


My Heart is in Ireland 17:22
Bite-Free Budget Options with For Every Body New Moon Ticket Give away and 10 cent Candles At the For Every Body Bi-Annual Outlet Sale For Every Body Outlet Sale Kicks Off Thursday the 19th with Free New Moon Opening Night Movie tickets to 32 Shoppe...

Album News: Beach House -...


Swear I'm not Paul 09:35
Beach House are another band who have announced a 2010 album. But their 2010 album has already leaked to the internet in 2009. I haven't heard it myself, but people are telling me that Teen Dream is their best and most consistent record yet. So it'l...

Six Degrees of Sufjan… via the torture garden, Jun 13th, 2006 at 17:16

image ... or other musicians and bands very worthy of your time that probably will not be heard but for this connection.1. My Brightest DiamondMy Brightest Diamond is Shara Worden, who sings along with Sufjan on 'John Wayne Gacy Jr.' and is lead cheerleader (well, top of the pyramid) of the Illinoisemakers. She has an utterly amazing Nina Simone-esque voice - indeed when I saw her supporting Sufjan on his European tour (above), she opened both nights by covering 'Feeling Good', as well as an excellent version of Prince's 'When Doves Cry'. Her music doesn't really sound like Sufjan, and sounds pretty original, often creating an atmosphere of real tension. My Brightest Diamond's debut 'Bring Me The Workhorse' will be released on Asthmatic Kitty on August 22nd, making it an excellent choice for my... Similar posts



Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty, 2005) via nice, thanks..., Jul 14th, 2009 at 13:18

image Nick: well that can’t be helped. what can’t? that it is called Illinoise. do you want to help? no, not really. it’s nice…. but to my mind it’s a little bit overly sweet, sugary. dripping with….’aren’t we very nice, gentle people’ sounds as if he dresses in velvet, wears lace collars and sits on the floor playing his songs with his head in his mothers lap, she’s stroking his hair as he sings. hahaha hahahahahaha has he got a large female following? I’d say he has. I’d assume he has as many male as female fans, he is a handsome guy though if that’s what you mean, can you tell that from his music? no, I just mean… the way he sings, he wants to be mothered, he needs protection. I’d say that… now,... Similar posts

A Thousand Shark’s Teeth via the torture garden, Mar 27th, 2008 at 20:08

image {via}It can't have been easy to make an album better than My Brightest Diamond's debut, but with A Thousand Shark's Teeth, Shara Worden has managed it. It manages to be both epic and personal, now uplifting, now black as silk, and always just as beautiful. Songs like 'From the Top of the World' - one of the best things she's ever done - seem to evoke all the slowing-down sadness of autumn sweetly and softly, with strings fluttering in and out as though their music was written on fallen leaves. I wanted to know more about this remarkable record, and Shara was kind enough to answer some questions.Hello Shara! How are you?Great, thanks!Your new album is really great. Where does the title come from?A Thousand Shark’s Teeth is a lyric in the song “Goodbye Forever”. In the song, I was... Similar posts

My Brightest Diamond Interview via the torture garden, Jul 7th, 2006 at 00:23

The first time you listen to a My Brightest Diamond song, you're listening above all to the vocals, soaring like a kite that has broken free, or whispering and trembling as though reading the Brothers Grimm. When someone has a voice like this, they can only sing, and when someone sings like this, you can only listen.After that, on repeated plays, you'll grow to appreciate every little nuance on each song, like the rolled r's on 'Something of an End', the joyous shriek on 'Golden Star', and every single piece will make sense, building a tiny world that gives rise to these songs, written by Shara Worden, singer, voice coach, and part-time Illinoisemaker. Despite this, she's not too busy to share a few words, for which I am very grateful.How are you?On a scale of one to ten, I feel eight and... Similar posts

The Ten Best Songs of 2006 {so far} via the torture garden, Jun 6th, 2006 at 18:50

I'm not a big fan of making best-of lists before the year has even ended, but since there's a good chance that some of these songs won't make it on to a top ten then (what with the Joanna Newsom, Muse and perhaps Arcade Fire albums a-coming) I thought I'd lavish some praise on them now, in list form.10. The Carrots - BeverlyTechnically, it's not of 2006. It hasn't even really been released yet. But just because the Carrots are unsigned doesn't mean this song doesn't belong on this list - it's an unbearably catchy piece of hip-swinging music pie.9. Sufjan Stevens - PittsfieldAs I've said before, I think this is the highlight of 'The Avalanche', and though the album itself is nowhere near as good as Illinois or Michigan, this song turns up in my head at least once a day.8. The Pipettes -... Similar posts