Key Notes favourite festival of the year returns this September 12th-14th.  The list of Irish bands performing was announced today.

This edition of Key Note Speaker see's Dudley, Mark and Joss from The Dudley Corporation take time out from promoting their latest album, Year of the Husband, to provide you with an insight into their musical, literary and visual tastes.

Favourite Songs from the Past Year Joss Meshuggah - Bleed Boris - My Neighbour Satan Dudley  Goblin Cock - We got a bleeder! (unreleased) Mark  Wilco - Either Way The New Pornographers - All The Old Showstoppers The Melvins - Billy Fish The Spook Of The Thirteenth Lock - The Spook

Favourite Song Ever Joss Today it's any one of: Richard Harris - McArthur Park Drive Like Jehu - Luau Erkin Koray - arlı Dağlar Blonde...

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Mercury Music Prize: In approximately 30 minutes the nominees for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize will be announced. Lot's of speculation here and here as to who will get the nod.  While Key Notes isn't a fan of every album on the list below, he will eat his virtual hat if at least 50% of them are not included:

Radiohead - In Rainbows

The Last Shadow Puppets...

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Key Notes enjoyed his first working Oxegen, but wonders why people seem to let his opinion stand in the way of their own memories.

In what can only be described as a clear attempt to shut down the interweb, nialler9 has posed an interesting challenge where you list your favourite record from every year you've been alive.  It's geektastic but Key Notes found it a rewarding exercise.

This edition features Daragh Anderson of Codes, who has taken time out from a busy schedule that includes gigs in London, The Academy and Oxegen, to become the Sixth Key Note Speaker.

Favourite Songs from the Past Year Radiohead - All I Need M83 - We Own The Sky Idiot Pilot - In Record Shape Unkle - Keys To The Kingdom MGMT...

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In the first in a series of blogs in which he previews upcoming Irish music festivals, Key Notes looks ahead to Oxegen. The festival, which takes place between July 10 and July 13, will be a four day event for the first time in its history.

More free gig tickets from Key Notes

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'Just living another day has always felt like some kind of success to me' writes Mark Oliver Everett in Things the Grandchildren Should Know, the greatest rock and roll story Key Notes has ever read.

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Key Notes gives you the chance to win tickets to see Dan Deacon in Vicar Street on Saturday June 14th

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Key Notes today launches a new series that will focus on music videos made by Irish artists.

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Key Notes celebrates its first birthday tomorrow and to mark the occasion its author, Steven O'Rourke, will forgo his usual habit of speaking in the third person and will answer his own questions in a very 'special' edition of Key Note Speaker.

Key Notes is more excited than Hugh Hefner after a shipment of little blue pills as Manchester United get set to face up to Chelsea in the Champions League Final.

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Key Notes attempts to explain why, despite what people might think, there is no such thing as right and wrong when it comes to reviewing music.

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Key Notes asks is Phantom, particularly during the morning commute, becoming boring and predictable.

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Soundtrack 08 takes place in The POD Complex between Sunday 25 May and Monday 2 June 2008 featuring artists as diverse as Public Enemy and Tapes and Tapes.

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Key Notes has always found May to be the second most hectic month of the year when it comes to gigs. To help solve your scheduling difficulties he attempts to draw your attention to the best gigs over the coming month.

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It's Friday afternoon and already Key Notes thoughts have drifted to Tuesday evening. You see, Key Notes has a long standing commitment to attend and review the Gemma Hayes gig in Tripod on Tuesday night, the very same night the love of Key Notes life plays Barcelona for a place in the European Cup final.

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Today sees the launch of Ireland's newest music magazine, State. Given the complete stranglehold Hot Press have had of this market over the past number of years the question is surprisingly not if State will survive, but will anyone even care?

Congratulations to Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová for winning the Oscar for Best Song at last nights awards.  Putting aside the controversy regarding the songs eligibility, such a huge success can only be good for Irish music, even if that success consists of some kid picking up an instrument for the first time. 

For those of you who are going to hear this song a million times over the radio/tv today, here's your first blast.

Falling Slowly:



...

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Tonight, the great, the good and the downright rubbish elements of the Irish music scene will be donning their finest in the hopes of being honoured in Ireland's equivilant to the Grammy's and the Brit's.

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Key Note Speaker returns with Kilian Pettit from Cork based EchoGram

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Thursday 28 February 2008 sees Childline Rocks take place in The Academy, Abbey Street, Dublin 2.

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Key Notes argues that the music industry is still blaming the wrong people when it comes to declining music sales.

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