N-E-W: Abe Vigoda, The Vaselines, The Divine Comedy, plus Arts Fest and X-Mas no. 1!!

Is it too early to start plugging away for alternative Christmas no. 1? No, didn't think so. So here is the campaign to get Irish hip-hop legends Scary Eire and their classic On The Dole Q to number 1 for Christmas this year! It would be brilliant, and might get these guys the attention they deserve but if it doesn't go to number one I hope it's cos it's not relevant anymore (i.e that unemployment levels have dropped). Have a listen, you'll hear more of this running up til Christmas!



Now the Galway Arts Festival is in full swing. It's a great time of year to be in Galway and for the second year in a row the festival is previewing and documenting the goings on with GAF TV. Here's their preview of Breakestra who played the other night:



Chali 2Na couldn't make it sadly, despite this the gig was wonderful. I wasn't in dancing mood when I came in but within two or three songs I was bopping and moving to the infectious groove. And then during the encore a breakdance battle broke out, backflipping and headspinning the night away in the small 300 capacity venue.

I caught Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy the other night, on his own with a piano and occasionally a guitar and he was excellent. Though not notoriously good live he was on form, dazzling the full house with his wit and muddled manner. He seemed like a musical Dylan Moran in Black Books! I was sceptical about the lack of full band but renditions of classics like The National Express and Songs Of Love, along with songs from his recent Bang Goes The Knighthood album and a lovely version of MGMT's Time To Pretend, he nailed it. Here's a silly song from his latest album.

The Divine Comedy - I Like Alt

Otherwise Arts Festival wise it's Badly Drawn Boy tonight and loads more next week, details here, if you're interested and of course tomorrow sees the magnificent Macnas Parade ...which I'll miss ...cos I'll be at work.

Otherwise here are two new songs

First off it's Abe Vigoda, not the actor (who's 89 by the way and still going), but the band. Their new album Crush is out September 20th.

Abe Vigoda - Throwing Shade Alt

And legends of lo-fi singalong pop The Vaselines are back, they've an album Sex With An X, out September 14th, here's the first song from it.

The Vaselines - I Hate The 80's Alt

For more new stuff tune in to i102104.ie from 4:50 p.m Irish time tomorrow, four hours of new music with me!