Patrick James

Eleanor McEvoy is back to her absolute song-writing best with her stunning new album. Her eigth album “I’d Rather Go Blonde” which is set for release 20th September is soulful and honest reflecting Eleanor’s perfect culmination of twenty years of beautiful songwriting. One listen to this album shows why Eleanor McEvoy has become one of Ireland’s most accomplished singer/songwriters.

With songwriters of Eleanor’s calibre, especially when the artist has written so much great music, I am always apprehensive of hearing their next offering… will it be as good as the last?  And so far Eleanor McEvoy’s music has never disappointed – and this forthcoming album is no exception, rather the opposite. This is Eleanor at her best, with a freshness that makes the bold statement that the past is exactly that, the past –  Eleanor McEvoy has found a new level in her songwriting. Eleanor continues to write in an uncompromising fashion about topics such as alienation, hypocrisy, recent Irish history and romance… but  never compromises the “feel good” undertones and humorous outlook. The album moves through a series of sounds that will have listeners singing along.

Recorded at Westland Studios, the team of Eleanor McEvoy, Mick O’Gorman, Peter Beckett (co-producers of LOVE MUST BE TOUGH) and Ciaran Byrne (engineer), has expanded with the addition of Gavin Fox (ex Idlewild), Ross Turner (Cathy Davey, Jape) and the Mixing skills of Ruadhri Cushnan (Mumford and Son) - this is the sort of album that will inspire other musicians, as it works on so many levels. This is a stunning album.

The album will be released in the UK and Ireland on Sept. 20, 2010  It is available for pre-order on Amazon UK.

Recently I posted a blog regarding some research I had done about Online Casino but as with all research there is always an element of clinical separation from the subject. However, one of the things that struck me was the number of online gamers there seemed to be online at anyone point – my question back then was “Does the gaming experience of online casino games have the same allure for players?”… However,  recent experiences have left me wondering if that was the right question after all.

Ok… so I had delved into the world of online gaming and it didn’t draw me – the gambling element didn’t have that lure that I needed for it to become a regular thing -  but nonetheless there was something there just beneath the surface that I couldn’t quite put my finger on!

A few weeks passed and I hadn’t been anywhere nears an online Casino nor had I any intention to play but then the strangest coincidence occurred! Facebook! I am someone who uses Facebook (FB) quite allot and enjoy the whole interaction element of social media. I have always been aware of the games on Facebook such as Farmville, etc, etc – but I didn’t know there was a FB Poker game. One morning I noticed a friend’s request to join them on Facebook Poker and after a bit of convincing on “Chat” I decided to give it a go!

In the first few moments I realised what it was that I really enjoyed. In almost every regard the FB Poker was alike the other online Casionos I had visited but only on FB did I fully realise that it was that same social interaction that I enjoyed about the other Casinos. This has left me thinking differently About Online Casino… Maybe, just maybe it’s not about gambling alone so much as it is about the chance to socially interact online while enjoying the challenge and the chance in chasing the odds! It it a similar desire to be social on facebook that motovates gamers in online casinos?

Featured Video brings you EXCLUSIVE Video footage: The extremely enjoyable CAROSEL‘s brand new music video for STAR: new EP set to be released in OCT.

Michelle Phelan & Pete McGrane, make up the duo and being honest this is group that doesn’t need me to write any clever reviews – their music speaks for itself.

Carosel’s uplifting pop-folk sound music is a compact blend of infectious, upbeat pop folk. STAR is the brand new EP that boasts a refreshing and vibrant sound and also some reworked songs taken from their debut ( Kaleidoscope ), which is telling of their capability to write music for the mainstream. They are currently residing in Paris, France and are focusing on writing and recording their follow up second album.

Facebook lately has received a great deal of criticism over Privacy Settings and it’s ability to keep FB Users safe… not to mention the ongoing debate as to whether social networking is a Positive thing. This week even saw a “Quit Facebook Day” taking place and it result 34,424 users leaving facebook but it has pretty much been deemed a failure. Despite all the furore around Facebook quitting and privacy concerns, it appears that people are just not ready to part with their profiles, as they have become too big a part of their lives.

I am one of those who enjoys facebook and sees the potential of social networking – I believe it has the potential to be a really positive influence in the world if it used well. Like all things though Facebook has a very dark and sinister side which I have recently fallen pray to myself.

Like most, when I first started using facebook I was very naive to the dangers and didn’t really know much about using FB. In recent weeks my eyes have been opened by what I can only call “fakebook friends”.  Somone, started sending me hateful messages, distasteful photographs in what what can only be described as a “Hate campaign”. This person was blocked but it turned out they had other fake profiles which they used to cause me distress. The strangest part was, that once one person began being abusive a few others rallied around and formed a mallicious circle. I spent a number of days dealing with growing sociopathic behaviour. These were people who I had never done any wrong to except for maybe having my own facebook profile which seemed to be the only excuse needed to try and cause me harm.

Inspite of all this I can honestly say I AM LUCKY with the many wonderful people I have gotten to know thanks to facebook… I have had the good fortune to meet numerous good and intersting people I would not have encountered otherwise.

Last week, I had the honour and pleasure of revisiting one of my favourite little corners of Ireland. “Chapter One” is simply the only synonym for culinary heaven. If you, like me, love good food, then this restaurant is a must – it is the ‘dining out’ equivalent of poetry. I am by no means a food critic and this is not a review, as no amount of text can convey how good this award-winning ‘Michelin Star’ restaurant is and how well it ticks all the boxes  of great food… in fact any review would run the risk of understatement – This is simply one of life’s experiences that have to be enjoyed to be understood.

As with all very special things the reputation usually proceeds it but it is it only when you arrive at the venue do you begin to understand why. Situated in the basement of the Writer’s Musuem, the restaurant is tastefully concealed from the casual and uninterested passer-by, which is just as well as there is a couple of weeks’ waiting time for a table. The minute you walk through the door you are greeted in a friendly and welcoming manner by Martin (one of the co-proprieters) and instantly put at your ease. I can be a bit shy when I am out but Martin makes you feel very at home which left myself and my party of three relaxed to enjoy our visit – which in itself is wonderful. You are brought to your table and given a few minutes to ponder the menu of the astoundingly gifted Chef Ross Lewis (co-proprietor). I was further put at my ease by the fact that our host was constantly nearby to advise on food choice and explain some of the meanings of food names on the menu…

And then in what can only be described as the “Moment of WOW”, the starters arrived. Similarly, the starter only served as a prelude to an even more amazing main course. The food was elegant while unpretentious and managed to retain the feeling of real food while offering the sublime creative taste experience of a master Chef – and the dessert… was to die for… (I’m not a big fan of sweet things but the Banana Cheesecake was sensational!).

STARTER: Tamworth pork white pudding boudin, potato pancake, Madeira jus, apple and watercress salad with mustard creme fraiche dressing.

	LUNCH: Spiced daube of beef, acidulated onion with caper and sage, sarawack peppercream, cauliflower and potato gratin
	Side-plate (with above) Cauliflower and potato gratin
	LUNCH: Hake, roast violet artichokes, Dublin bay brown shrimp, spinach, citrus sauce

DESSERT: Banana and white chocolate cheescake, Baileys and caramel sauce

Related Post of Interest: Damien Mulley “Chapter Not a review“

For Gaida, morning in Damascus meant melodies: waking to the sound of her father’s radio while he shaved, the predawn intertwining calls to prayer bursting from mosques across the world’s longest-inhabited city. Strains of Umm Kulthum and Fairouz rose from radios and stores as horses clopped and cars purred by. The age-old harmonized with the modern.

These sounds shaped the gorgeous and thoughtful Syrian singer’s impeccable musical intuition and velvety yet crystalline voice, now channeled into the stunning live performances and bluesy originals of Levantine Indulgence, a set of songs as rich and subtle as the Fertile Crescent oasis of ancient Levant. With her voice as a common denominator, Gaida has found the soulful sweet spot where complex Levantine rhythms synch up with breezy hints of bossa nova, pounding belly dance beats, and that certain swing found only in jazz.

Continue reading “Guest Blog: Translating Ecstasy from Syria to the Blues: Gaida’s Secret Passion is Revealed” »

Is it a good thing when technology makes the unattainable easily accessible… and can the realm of the virtual offer the same allure as the realm of the actual? Apparently so, if Xbox and Play Station style game sales are anything to go by, but several of these games are fantasy based, with a number of them having no real world comparison.

What if the computer based game has a real life counterpart with beyond legendary status as is the case with a Vegas Casino?

Does the gaming experience of online casino games have the same allure for players? One thing comes to mind. While I have never been an ardent gambler and have always been well aware of the limitations of my own luck, I have always loved a little flutter on the two-penny falls, whenever I visited the fairground – something about the physical aspects of the win and the sounds of the coins falling into the pick-up tray, was the only hook I needed to run the risk of losing a few coppers. No amount of computer graphics or special virtual audio can recreate that for me… Maybe not ever!

Regardless, the online Vegas Casino industry is responsible for an annual fortune in revenue each year… so it offers something else! Simply based on my own experiences and the excitement with a fairground wager, I can only imagine Las Vegas in person (yet alone a local casino) must be over-whelming and the temptation to over-indulge must be daunting beyond belief… So is it possible that people feel safer playing the game-of-odds online and from the comfort of their own home? Could it be, that for so many people like myself the possibility of ever being able to visit Las Vegas, is just something way beyond what is ordinarily attainable and internet technology allows people a glimpse into that world of bright lights from the convenience of their home computer?

AUDIO BULLYS are in one word “Electrifying” : “ONLY MAN” taken from the Audio Bullys‘ brand new album “Higher Than The Eiffel” very simply just grabs you and shakes off all the cobwebs and leaves you wanting more – much more! Luckily, the album gets its official release today: March 29th. ‘Only Man’ is pure addictive “Electro-disco” and all at once entirely contemporary with all the subtle insinuation of an experienced band – but this is a clean break from the band’s earlier genres in favour of the music. ‘Only Man’ marks a return to the public arena for Tom Franks and Simon Dinsdale after a long hiatus in the wake of their second album, ‘Generation’. ‘Higher Than The Eiffel’ follows a four year gap since the pair’s previous album and sees Simon Franks and Tom Dinsdale recapture the energy and dance floor instincts that made Audio Bullys one of the most successful UK dance acts of the previous decade.

• “Single of the week on Fearne Cotton” BBC Radio
• “Annie Mac Mini Mix” BBC Radio “Album of the week” – Zane Lowe
• “Record of the Week” XFM

Link To Buy: BUY ALBUM ARTIST LINK: www.audiobullys.com