Thursday, February 19, 2004

Info Dump : This is the News

Gentle reader,
Some news for you...

Ash are set to release their 4th full-length studio album, Meltdown, in early May 2004. It will be preceded by a download-only single "Clones" and a commercially available single provisionally pencilled in for release in April (title yet to be confirmed).

Along with a lot of tours, Bell X1 will be releasing a new single, "Alphabet Soup", in March. It is taken from their album, Music In Mouth, which is nominated for Best Irish Album at this year’s Meteor Awards (on top of the band being nominated for Best Irish Band).

Meanwhile Bell X1’s live show from this year’s Eurosonic conference will be broadcast on 2FM this Sunday 15 February.

The Chalets release their début single on new independent label Nasty Pop on 20 February. The double A-sided 7" only features "Theme From Chalets" and "Sexy Mistake" and offers a unique, quirky and gritty angle on pop. It also coincides with the band’s Irish tour. No word on Cork dates yet.

Damien Dempsey’s current album, Seize The Day (Clear Records) has shot straight back into the Irish Top 10. Some credit must be given to the hour long documentary, "It’s All Good" which was aired at the beginning of last week.

Damien has also been nominated for 4 awards in this year’s Meteor Ireland Music Awards (Best Irish Album; Best Irish Male Singer; Best Folk/Traditional Act; and Best Irish Country/Roots Artist). The Awards will be held in Dublin on 1 March.

Messiah J & The Expert will be plugging there What's Confusing You? album in the Half Moon on February 27.

The Frames are currently over in Chicago in the studio working on tracks for their forthcoming studio album. The band head back to the U.S. at the beginning of March for a tour with Damien Rice. They have also been invited to perform in China in May as part of a government cultural exchange programme. (The Frames have 3 nominations at this year’s Meteor Awards; Best Irish Band, Best Irish Album, Best Irish Male Singer)

The Mark Geary track "Suzanne" is due to be included on the next Starbucks "Hear Music" compilation in March. This effectively means that the song will be played throughout the month in every Starbucks in the world, soon including Ireland (if the Irish Times is to be believed). Apparently, no nominations.

Halite will be playing on March 3rd in An Cruisin Lan, Cork. Graham Hopkins and co are currently hiding away in Wexford recording some new material, probably since he's not going to the Meteor Awards.

Simple Kid released a brand new single, "Truck On", last Friday. Nominated for the Best Irish New Act award at this year’s Meteor Music Ireland Awards. I think I mentioned his new U.S. record deal earlier. Personally, I don't like what I've heard of his so far.

Snow Patrol’s current album Final Straw (Black Lion) has just been re-released with 2 extra tracks and has gone straight into the UK charts at No 3 (No 9 in Ireland). The current single, "Run", is still in the UK Top 10 (at No 8) and is still in the Irish Top 40 chart. Nominated in the Best Irish Band category at this year’s Meteor Awards.

Waiting Room release their début album, Catering For Headphones (Out On A Limb Records), on 13th February. No nominations that I know of.

Woodstar released a new single "Suicide Way" on Wet Clay on 6 February, coinciding with the release of the same song in the UK but under the title "Cold Cold Heart". No idea why. Nominated for the Best Irish New Act award.

And finally, nothing to do with music.
Yesterday morning Garda Traffic Watch went Nationwide. Initially established as a pilot scheme in the South Eastern Region in Nov 2001. It is now being expanded to cover the whole of the 26 counties.
Traffic Watch is an initiative established by An Garda Síochána to empower road users to play a proactive role in the enforcement of traffic legislation, it allows road users to contact the Gardai by using a lo-cost telephone number when they witness aberrant behaviour by other road users. It focuses on the traffic offences that are related to road safety such as speeding, dangerous or careless driving and driving while intoxicated.
Since the establishment of the Pilot Scheme 3800 calls have been received from the Public on the Lo-Call number 1890 205 805 in relation to driver behaviour. Of the calls received and subsequent investigations over 1000 drivers have been formally cautioned in relation to their behaviour on the roads. There have also been 30 prosecutions in the courts.

Take care,
Will,
Driving carefully and not nominated and not going to the Meteor Awards (unless someone sends me an invite (beg, beg, beg)).

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