John Meagher is the music critic with the Irish Independent and every week, he joins us to run through all the big gigs, news and releases of the week.
TALKING POINT
Dad rock leading the charge in the run up to Christmas
With December accounting for a fifth of all albums sold in the UK last year - and there's no reason to think Ireland is any different - the Yuletide market has become increasingly important for beleaguered record companies. That might explain the glut of dad rock albums being readied for Xmas 14 - think Pink Floyd rareties, unearthed Queen and AC/DC.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Damien Rice's My Favourite Faded Fantasy
After an eight-year hiatus, the Celbridge native returns with his third album - and it's a classic slow-burner. If ever there was an album that needed time to reveal its charms it's this. With production from Rick Rubin and contributions from Kila and Marketa Irglova, these are eight sumptuously crafted tracks - although the absence of his old collaborator (and lover) Lisa Hannigan is missed here and there.
GIG OF THE WEEK
FutureIslands, Vicar Street, Dublin, Sunday and Monday
Damien Rice plays a sold-out show in Dublin's Bord Gais Energy Theatre, but it's this pair of Dublin shows from one of the most talked about bands of the year that has truly captured the imagination. They're not an overnight success story - Singles is their fourth album - but thanks from eye-catching performances on Letterman and Jools Holland, they are having a deserved moment in the sun.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Jake Clemons, Whelan's, Dublin, Saturday
Fans of Bruce Springsteen - and there are lots of them in Ireland - could do a lot worse than check out the solo show from the E Street Band's percussionist Jake Clemons. The nephew of the late, great Clarence, Jake has acquitted himself very well in The Boss's acclaimed band and his own material comes highly recommended.
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