St. Patrick’s Day: What Irish films to watch and what you should avoid… like the plague.

Well, tis that time of year again, bigorah and bigosh, when the leprechauns come out to play and we all go off looking for pots of gold under the rainbow over yonder… Well it’s that time of year for Michael Flatley. However, the rest of the known world will be donning green and drinking Guinness (a drink most people will pretend to drink while slugging vodka in the corner) and telling anyone who will fucking listen that they are Irish. If, like me, you only celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in other countries (it is way more fun that way, you get free booze) you might consider this the most opportune time to take shelter from your fellow Irish brethren, who never really get the chance to go out and so deserve a couple of alcoholic beverages, and watch some classic Irish films. As a nation, we are way too hard … There’s more

Event: Paddy’s Weekend At The Workman’s Club

Hey there, paradoxically Dublin-based Culchies. Plans for this Paddy’s Weekend? The Workman’s Club have a right patriotic line-up for you for this Saint Patrick’s Day, right up to the bank hangover holiday dancing delightfully in its wake. Shenanigans abound from 4pm on St. Patrick’s Day, with the Somewhere indie crew churning it up in the First Floor Bar, free admission for a 9 hour marathon of daycent tunes. From 8pm The Venue will play host to trad seisiún masters The Bonny Men. Tickets are €10 on the door. Don’t wear heels, because the feet’ll be worn off yeh from the stomping. Festivities crank up again at 5pm on Sunday (that’s plenty of time for a lie-in, in fairness), with a battle between the Workman’s indie residents and Mass resident DJ Sister Lisa Marie. Music-based, mind. This ain’t no cock fight. The Folie a Deux DJs are on hand afterwards, promising … There’s more

Event: Bushmills Live, 20th and 21st of June

Well, this is intriguing. Bushmills, celebrated purveyors of traditional Irish whiskey, have announced details of their own “whiskey and music festival”, which will take place in the Antrim distillery on the 20th and 21st of June. Bushmills have said that some of their most famous musician fans will play a series of intimate gigs on site as part of the festival… but no word yet as to which. But with the likes of Bon Iver and Theophilus London appearing in their latest advertising campaign, they’re known for being very discerning about the company they keep. The omens are good, kids. Even more interesting is that the festival is being promoted as an experience money can’t buy; you don’t buy tickets to Bushmills Live, you apply for them as a Facebook fan of the brand. To be in with a chance of winning the tickets, return travel and accommodation, you have to submit … There’s more

Gig News: Emeli Sandé to play Dublin this August

Fans of soulful Scots rejoice! Lady of the moment Emeli Sandé will play the Olympia Theatre on Wednesday, the 15th of August, which, Culch promises you, will still be Emeli Sandé’s moment. Emeli’s self-penned debut album, Our Version of Events, and her single, Next To Me, are both currently at Number 2 in the Irish charts. She’s just won the Brits Critic’s Choice Award, and has recently supported Coldplay on their European tour. She also studied medicine for four years, which automatically makes her better than you (unless you studied medicine for more than four years, in which case we’re sorry we said anything, please carry on.) Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9am through Ticketmaster outlets. Get ‘em coz they’re hot.

New Video: The Dying Seconds - All In The Dark

The Dying Seconds have a scrumptious new video to go with All In The Dark, the closing track from their album Glimmerers, one of Culch’s Albums of 2011. Ever so pretty, isn’t it? All In The Dark is available as a free download from the band’s website. We recommend it, because it’s sophisticated, complex and beautiful, like us.

Competition Closed: Join us for Spring Break

We’re huge fans of the 80s supergroup Spring Break at Culch.ie. Playing the biggest American 80s hits even better than the originals, every single time we’ve been to see them has been an amazing night. Yes, that is me getting into the action (thanks to @cloudsteph for the awesome hair). That’s one of the most fun things about a Spring Break gig. Everyone embraces the cheese and leaves their irony and cynicism at home. Dressed up with big hair, colourful clothes, state trooper sunglasses and as more hair product than John Travolta’s career has ever seen, the loyal crowd loves this band. And then there’s the music. Spring Break is a seven-piece band that never fails to set the night alight. Their diverse line up of live drums, bass, guitar, two keyboards and five different lead singers provide these multi-instrumentalists the scope to move through all the hits of … There’s more

New Music: The Cribs - Come On, Be A No One.

We like this. The Cribs have a new song out on April 13th. It’s called Come On, Be A No One, and it’s from the forthcoming new album In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull, which is what I’m telling my mother when she next asks me where I was to have such a head on me this morning. This is the song. This is what a selection of adorable English children think of The Cribs (courtesy of Noisey and Vice). I nearly died of cuteness. Someone impregnate me with an English baby, stat!  

New Music: Bobby Womack - Please Forgive My Heart

Well, this video’s alarming. Luckily, the song’s a treat, and it’s all yours. Singer-songwriter Bobby Womack’s been making music since the 1960s. His catalogue spans rock n’ roll to gospel, country to r&b. He’s been inducted in the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame, played guitar for Joe Tex and Aretha Franklin, and wrote songs for Wilson Pickett and The Rolling Stones. His brand-new album, The Bravest Man In The Universe, is due for release on the 8th of June, and to whet your appetite, you can have lead single Please Forgive My Heart for freesies from his website. Yay!

Here comes the Men In Black Trailer…

We get a lorra movie trailers in. We largely posted this one because we liked the title we came up with. Self-congratulatory? Us? Well, only on Thursdays. Looks quite good though. Will Smith in anything is quite good. Have a looksee (we don’t say goo in Culch Towers, ‘have a goo’ is one of the worst phrases we have ever heard. Goo is a horrible word and everyone should stop it).

Competition Closed: Interview and Ticket Competition: Presidents of the United States of America

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I chatted with Presidents of the United States of America’s drummer, Jason Finn about the band’s current tour. Culch.ie are also offering you the chance to win tickets to see the band in Vicar Street on St Patrick’s Day night. It’s easy to enter. There’s more

Music News: Chris Cornell announces June date @ The Olympia

Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame is taking his solo show, ‘Songbook’, on its European leg over the next few months including a Dublin date on June 13th at the Olympia Theatre. Known for his amazing vocal range, Cornell’s ‘Songbook’ offering showcases music from across his career… Soundgarden to Audioslave to Temple of the Dog… in an unplugged, up close and personal style. It’s been getting rave reviews across the water. We can’t wait for this one. Tickets are on sale tomorrow morning at 9am, starting from €39.05.

New Video: Temper Trap - Rabbit Hole

Oh look! The Temper Trap’s self-titled second album is released this May 21st. That’s around my cousin’s birthday. Sadly, he doesn’t like good music, so I’ll probably buy this for myself and get him Meatloaf’s Greatest Hits or some shit. You’ll remember Temper Trap from their massive debut album Conditions, and their epic-as-the-book-of-revelations song Sweet Disposition. This is the Aussie’s first album as a five-piece, and as they’ve been working with producer Tony Hoffer (of Beck, The Thrills, and Phoenix fame), expect a blistering piece of work. Here’s a taster: album track Rabbit Hole, set to some attractive, swirling paint. At least I hope that’s paint. That’s not milk, is it? God, I hope that’s not milk. The Temper Trap will play The Phoenix Park this July 8th with Snow Patrol and Florence and The Machine. It’s sold out. If you live nearby, maybe open a window?

Movie Review: Bel Ami

Between Twilight and period drama, we’ve never seen Robert Pattinson with normal hair. Perhaps, like Sampson, his hair is the source of all of Pattinson’s power. But whether long, sideburned and flopsy for period drama or styled to unnatural perfection for his role as vampy heartthrob Edward Cullen, it is just as well Pattinson’s hair shows some personality because it’s the only thing that distinguishes him from role to role. Of course, it’s not all his fault, his naturally fanglike teeth make it difficult to look beyond his vampiric outings as Edward Cullen as well. And, just like Hugh Grant’s flopsy do of the ’90s, Pattinson’s teeth are the physical manifestation of typecasting. He’s got a look and it’s difficult to stray from thinking of him as the vampire adonis. In the opening scenes of Bel Ami we are whisked immediately into 19th century Paris, where the girls flow and … There’s more

Movie News: The Hunger Games Soundtrack Full Of Muppets

Well, not quite. The Hunger Games soundtrack is released this Friday, March 16th, ahead of the movie which hits screens Friday 23rd. And everyone is mad excited, so they are. The Hunger Games books have sold over 20 million copies worldwide since 2008, which is a pretty big deal, and if you’re still mourning Harry Potter and trying to salve the terrible burns you endured from Twilight, you might consider getting in on this. In the ruins of the United States, where The Capitol metropolis holds absolute power over twelve surrounding districts, sixteen year old Katniss volunteers for the Hunger Games, an annual event in which one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which only one person can survive. Yes, I know it sounds just like Battle Royale, except without the cute uniforms; work with … There’s more

Discover Ireland Search for YouTube Sensation

This isn’t normally our sort of thing, but we’re feeling patriotic for the week that’s in it, and we’re always in the mood to alert Culch.ie readers to how they can win prizes. The folk at Discover Ireland launched their new ‘Jump into Ireland’ video campaign at the end of last week and they’re out to give a holiday in Ireland worth €1,500 eurobucks to the winning video entry. They want people to share their best ever holiday moments - we’re talking that time you successfully used your Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol gloves to scale the Glendalough round tower a la Tom Cruise, how you successfully navigated a barge between two frogs doing McCartney’s We All Stand Together on the canal down at Robertstown or perhaps your star turn standing perfectly still and pretending to be the model of de Valera at the Wax Museum. Okay… we’re actually talking nothing … There’s more