This week’s reviews includes Daft Punk’s much hyped and divisive album Random Access Memories (4 stars – “this album should be celebrated – and cherished.”), The National’s Trouble Will Find Me (4 stars – “begs to be played from start to finish”) She & Him’s Volume 3 (” the best they’ve released so far”) Bonehead of Oasis fame back making music as Parlour Flames and the 62-year-old Swedish pre-Abba pop star Agnetha Fältskog. Pick up a copy of the paper today to read the reviews in full and listen as many of the albums that are currently on Spotify in full right here.

The post Day & Night’s new album playlist: Daft Punk, She & Him and more appeared first on Day and Night - every Friday in the Irish Independent.

PLUS
THE FORCE OF EDDIE
He ran across England and has just announced he is running for London Mayor, Eddie Izzard chats to Ed Power before bringing his unstoppable tour to Dublin next week.

ALL THAT JAZZ
Forget the supermodel wife, the wild parties and the film star pals, for Jamie Cullum it’s all about the music, he tells Declan Cashin.

ZEBRA KATZ
On being openly gay in hip hop.

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Eoin Whelehan’s map of pubs that sell toasties in Dublin is what maps were made for. For extra points, the terrain is a cheese-oozing toasted sandwich itself.

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Free with the Irish Independent every Friday…

GREAT BIG SOFTIE
Hollywood hard man Vin Diesel has discovered his softer side thanks to the birth of his daughter, he tells Will Lawrence.

PLUS
THE FUNDAMENTALS
British actor Riz Ahmed had personal experience to draw on when making The Reluctant Fundamentalist, he tells James Mottram.

TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED
A one night stand that resulted in HIV infection means that soulful singer John Grant now takes each day as it comes, he tells Ed Power.

JOHN MURRY
This troubled crooner on his sensational debut album, his lost years as a heroin addict, and the terrible oppressiveness of a Deep South childhood.

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The shredded version of the single of the year so far is too funny.

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While those shops have reduced in number in the last few years, Record Store Day has strengthened and with it, a backlash of sorts from music fans none too happy about the the high prices assigned to limited edition once-off releases and that is understandable. For an optomist though, Record Store Day is about people not limited edition vinyl (though that’s cool too). For me, RSD is a gathering (not that one) around music shops, places which can still inspire, where you can meet new friends, discover new music, where bands are started, where music can thrive and where music has meaning.

More than ever, RSD is about the community around music. Shops like Elastic Witch, Tower, Freebird and All City Records in Dublin, Wingnut Records in Galway and Limerick, Plugd in Cork and Rollercoaster in Kilkenny are just some of the shops hosting sets from bands on the day (full list of events and Irish releases) . Because it’s about reminding people that record shops can be nice places to shop and hang out, as well as a nice way to support the shop owners that facilitate that.

Over in Scotland, Matthew Young, the founder of Song, By Toad Records is really putting his money where his beer goes for Record Store Day. This year, his label is simultaneously releasing 250 copies of a red vinyl label compilation and 250 four-packs of Barney’s Beer with a download code for the release, pitting Music vs. Beer. It’s a commentary on the value of music and an interesting experiment. As the beervsrecords.com site points out: “People will happily twelve quid on a single round of beer, but it seems they’re reluctant to spend twelve pounds on a record – why?” That’s an answer we may know come tomorrow.

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In Friday’s Day & Night Magazine with the Irish Independent, John Meagher counts down his top 30 Irish albums of all-time. Here is the list from A-Z. Pick up the mag today to read the list in countdown fashion along with the reasons why and the 20 albums that make the 30-50 slots. So, what’s missing?

A House – I Am The Greatest (1991)
Ash – Free All Angels (2001)
Bell X1 – Music In Mouth (2003)
David Kitt – The Big Romance (2001)
Damien Rice – O (2002)
The Divine Comedy – Casanova (1996)
Engine Alley – A Sonic Holiday (1992)
Fatima Mansions – Viva Dead Ponies (1990)
The Frames – Fitzcarraldo (1995)
Horslips – The Book Of Invasions (1976)
Lisa Hannigan – Passenger (2011)
Microdisney – The Clock Comes Down The Stairs (1985)
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
Planxty – Planxty (1973)
The Pogues – Rum Sodomy And The Lash (1985)
Power Of Dreams – Immigrants, Emigrants and Me (1990)
The Radiators – Ghostown (1979)
Sinead O’ Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
Sinead O’ Connor – The Lion and The Cobra (1987)
Taste – On The Boards (1970)
Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak (1976)
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (2010)
The Undertones – The Undertones (1979)
U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)
U2 – Boy (1980)
U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987)
Van Morrison – Moondance (1970)
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (1968)
Villagers – {Awayland} (2013)
Whipping Boy – Heartworm (1995)

The full chronological list is in the paper today. Thanks to Eoghan The Point Of Everything for making this Spotify playlist before we had a chance!

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Weird Al Yankovic and Huey Lewis parody the Huey Lewis-referencing scene in American Psycho for Funny Or Die.

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