Choice Music Prize

Though Roisin missed out on the award for best album of 2007, she looked radiant performing at the Choice Music Prize awards in Dublin the other night.

Picture courtesy of HolaHolaCherryCola.

DRAMA photo

A picture of Roisin, taken by photographer Ram Shergill for DRAMA Magazine.

Roisin ads to "female factor" at Sonar

Roisin Murphy will be one of many female artists to perform at this year's Sonar festival in Spain. Other female acts performing at the festival are Alison Goldfrapp, Miss Kittin, M.I.A. and Tara de Long. Sonar takes place from 19th to 21st of June.

Visit the Sonar 2008 website here.

Roisin's charity auction

If the glove fits, I swear it, I will wear it.

Roisin has donated a pair of red rubber gloves and stockings to be auctioned for the UK's deafblind charity Sense. She famously wore the gloves on the cover of the Overpowered album.

The lucky winner of this exclusive memorabilia will also receive a singed Overpowered CD and a note written by the lady herself:


Are red rubber gloves and stockings just the accessories you're looking for? Then go to ebay.co.uk to place your bid.

Summer Sundae festival

It has been confirmed that Roisin Murphy is performing at this year's Summer Sundae festival in Leicestershire, UK.

Taking place on the weekend of August 8-10 at De Montford Hall in Leicester, the event will boast 5 stages and over 100 artists performing.

Go to www.summersundae.com for more information on the festival and to buy tickets.

Let me know when you're busking, baby

Another video of Roisin busking in London for the Culture Show, from the YouTube channel Roisin Murphy TV.

Busking for some pennies

Yesterday Roisin once again proved she is one of those artists that never ceases to amaze, as she performed a few songs outside St. Paul's church in London's Covent Garden.

As reported yesterday, Roisin's efforts were part of the Culture Show's busking challenge. She hardly looked like your average street busker though, sporting a white top, black leather trousers, brown boots and a bright-red sleeveless coat.

She certainly managed to pull a crowd as she worked her way through You Know Me Better and Overpowered!

See for yourself...


> You Know Me Better


> Overpowered

YKMB details

These are the UK physical formats and track listings of You Know Me Better, which will be released as a single on Monday 31 March:

7" Picture Disc
You Know Me Better (radio version)
Pandora

CD 1
You Know Me Better (radio version)
Keep It Loose*

CD 2 (enhanced)
You Know Me Better (album version)
Pandora^
You Know Me Better (Guy Williams vocal)
You Know Me Better (Toddla T mix)
Video

*Produced by Seji/Written by Roisin Murphy/Mike Patto/Toni Econmides/Paul Dolby/John Mullarkey
^Probably most of you will have already heard Pandora, which was released as an iTunes album bonus track in October.

Roisin hits the streets

Roisin hit the streets of London today as part the BBC Culture Show's busking challenge. She performed a set of songs in London's busy Covent Garden area and tried to solicit as many donations as possible.

She is up against Moby, Hot 8 and former Pixies frontman Frank Black, who previously did some busking as part of the challenge.

Parts of Roisin's performance will be show on one of the upcoming editions of the Culture Show. You can visit the show's website here.

Roisin to perform at Solfest

The Solway Festival, or Solfest as it's more commonly known, has announced Roisin Murphy will be performing at this year's edition of the festival, which takes place from Friday the 22nd to Monday the 24th of August.

Click here to visit the Solfest website.

DRAMA Magazine

Roisin Murphy features in the first edition of DRAMA, a new biannual magazine "for both men and women interested in fashion, photography and the performing arts. Its ethos is that true talent really matters."

"DRAMA only works with most innovative photographers and stylists in the world and only the hottest new stars."

For more information on the magazine, go to www.drama-magazine.com.


Thanks to the DRAMA team for the scans!

Let Me Know video pictures

While we're all eagerly anticipating the video for You Know Me Better, I thought you might enjoy these two pictures from the Let Me Know video...

Pinkpop 2003 interview

A nice little interview with Roisin from Dutch TV, recorded when she was performing with Moloko at the 2003 edition of Pinkpop.

She is performing solo at this year's edition of the festival on Sunday, 1 June.

Elle Style Awards performance

A picture of Roisin and her backing singers performing at last week's Elle Style Awards in London, courtesy of René Gray.

Roisin on troubled friendship

Roisin Murphy, a.k.a. the Murphster, has confided in the British quality newspaper Daily Star and told a reporter how her need to dance has caused her to have many troubled friendships.

From today's Daily Star:

RÓISÍN Murphy’s mates hate going clubbing with her because she’s a nightmare on the dancefloor.

The former Moloko singer, 34, busts some serious moves on nights out but gets the hump when pals don’t show the same commitment.

She told me: “I really struggle to find people willing to go clubbing with me these days because I love to dance so much.

“I’m always the last person on the dancefloor and having a go at people for leaving early.”

And it’s not just her pals who get it in the ear…

The Murphster, whose single You Know Me Better is out on March 31, added: “The DJ gets it too if he won’t play my favourite tunes.”

Hola Benicassim

Roisin Murphy is among the latest acts confirmed for Spain's Benicassim festival. It will be her fourth time performing at the festival, the second time as a solo artist.

Festival Internacional de Benicassim 2008 takes place in the Spanish coastal town of Benicassim, near Valencia, from 17-20 July.

Go here to puchase tickets for the festival.

Rocking like an echo, echo

Roisin spun some tunes on German radio in the early hours of this morning.

She was invited to be the guest host on the Radio 1Live program Kassettendeck.

These are the songs she played on the show:

Minnie Riperton - Reasons // Gwen Guthrie - Seventh Heaven (Larry Levan Remix) // Chaka Khan - Clouds // D-Train - Keep On // Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It // Yaz - Situation (US 12" Mix) // Robert Owen - Bring Down The Walls // René & Angela - Secret Rendezvous // Mica Paris - I Should Have Known Better // Jimmy 'Bo' Horn - Spank // Funky Green Dogs - Fired Up // David Joseph - You Can't Hide Your Love (Away From Me) // Can - I Want More

Roisin clearly chose to play the songs that inspired her when writing/recording the Overpowered album.

St Patrick's day 2008

The Mayor of London's office has now confirmed Roisin's St Patrick's day performance on Trafalgar Square:

Celebrated singer Róisín Murphy and singer songwriter star Luka Bloom are set to perform at London's celebrations on Sunday 16 March.

Róisín Murphy, who releases her next single 'You Know Me Better' from her Top 20 album 'Overpowered' on 31 March, has established herself as one of the most dynamic live performers, both with former band Moloko and as a solo artist, so the Trafalgar Square audience can expect an electrifying set. Also sure to put on a lively performance will be Luka Bloom, who continues to delight crowds around the world with his electro-acoustic guitar playing.

They will take to the main stage in Trafalgar Square, alongside an eclectic line up that also includes acclaimed singer songwriter Ann Scott, Irish chart toppers Aslan, dance troupe the Celtic Masters, and singing group The 12 Irish Tenors.

.....
Roisin Murphy, former frontwoman of Moloko is now a solo star and one of the most exciting live performers around today. Her latest album Overpowered, a heady mix of pop, acid house and disco grooves builds on the success of Ruby Blue and has received rave revues.

From www.london.gov.uk.

More YKMB remixes online

With the release of You Know Me Better just a mere six weeks away, more remixes are now appearing online.

You can listen to the Guy Williams Dub here. Sheffield producer Toddla T has uploaded his remix on myspace.com/toddlat.

Rock Werchter 2008

The line up for Rock Werchter has been announced and Roisin Murphy is among the acts confirmed for this year's edition of the festival.

Rock Werchter takes place in Werchter, Belgium, from 2-6 July. Visit the official Rock Werchter website here.

Tracks feature from ARTE

Past Friday's edition of the ARTE program Tracks featured Roisin Murphy.

Though the interview is old news (watch it here in full, without the annoying German dubbing), the concert clips are great!

You Know Me Better - the cover!

What's a lady without her pint of stout?

This is the cover of You Know Me Better, which will be released as a single on March 31.

Though the full tracklistings for the release have not been revealed yet, the cover sticker tells us that we'll get to hear some unreleased tracks. That's simply great news!

Roisin attends Luella show

It's London Fashion Week and after Tuesday's performance at the Elle Style Awards, Roisin attended the Luella show yesterday. The designer was presenting her new collection at the Claridge’s hotel.

Here's a picture of Roisin wearing one of Luella's creations, taken from luella.com:

Roisin goes pink

The organisers of Pinkpop, the Netherlands' most famous open-air festival, have announced Roisin Murphy will be one of the acts to perform at the festival this year.

Pinkpop 2008 takes place on Friday 30th, Saturday 31st of May and Sunday 1st of June. Roisin is set to perform on the Sunday. The event will be broadcast live on Dutch radio and television.

Click here for more information about Pinkpop 2008.

iTunes Live

On March 1st, Roisin Murphy will record an exclusive live session for iTunes. On some of the songs she will collaborate with Tony Christie, singer of the legendary (Is This the Way To) Amarillo.

From www.ituneslive.co.uk:

Over 11 magical evenings, starting on Thursday February 21st, 2008, iTunes will host a series of unique recording sessions. More than 25 of the world’s most talented musicians — including KT Tunstall, José González, Tom Baxter, Roísín Murphy, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Spiritualized and many more — will perform solo and collaborative sets in London’s legendary AIR Studios.

Entry to these special events is free of charge for competition winners. The performances will be recorded and sold exclusively on iTunes.

.....
One of Sheffield’s musical greats, Tony Christie, is currently working on a musical project produced by another of Sheffield’s musical greats, Richard Hawley. In 1999 Christie had provided vocals for the hit “Walk Like A Panther”, produced and released by All Seeing I, the same producers who are currently working with Roisin Murphy. So when Christie and Hawley decided they wanted Roisin Murphy to contribute to their recordings, they knew who to call. When Roisin Murphy was invited to pick a collaborator for her iTunes Live: London Sessions recording, she returned the compliment.

Tony Christie is a pop legend. Roisin Murphy’s album Overpowered was iTunes UK’s Album of the Year 2007. This one’s going to be great.

Click here to win tickets for the 1 March sessions.

Elle est la

Roisin attended the Elle Style Awards in style last night. The awards ceremony was held at the Westway in Notting Hill, West London.

Thanks to picture spy Betty for the images!

Electronically Yours

Music blog Electronically Yours is warming up for the release of You Know Me Better, which they chose as the best dance track of 2007.

Here's what they have to say about the Guy Williams remix of the song:

Guy gives this Roisin stomper - the third single to be lifted from 'Overpowered' - a classic Hacienda inspired dance mix with the deepest of analogue basslines.

The best is reserved for the lifting chorus that kicks in at 3.03 minutes and a minute later during a very clever instrumental break, you could also imaging Madonna taking hold of the mic with cries of 'Holiday!'

ARTE TV

Friday 15 February, Roisin will feature on the ARTE TV music show Tracks.

The program runs from 22.30 to 23.25 and will probably feature some live clips of Roisin and an interview. She was last interviewed for Tracks in 2005, when touring Germany promoting her first solo album Ruby Blue.

Thomas Schweigert photos

These pictures of Roisin were taken by Thomas Schweigert.

You can check out more of Thomas' work on his website: www.purephotography.de.

News: Ms Murphy goes Down Under

Great news for all those devotees Down Under: Roisin Murphy has announced a string of gigs in Australia. Some of the shows will be part of the annual V Festival.

You can catch Roisin on the following dates:

Sat 29 March – V Festival, Sydney
Sun 30 March – V Festival, Gold Coast
Tue 1 April – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Wed 2 April – The Metro, Sydney
Fri 4 April – Billboard, Melbourne
Sat 5 April – V Festival, Melbourne
Sun 6 April – V Festival, Perth

Listen to YKMB remix online!

DJ Guy Williams has uploaded his (official) remix of Roisin's upcoming single You Know Me Better on his MySpace page.

Go to myspace.com/guyguylondon to check it out.

Roisin in Deutschland

Blog reader Falcon X sent me a link to his amazing pictures of Roisin in concert. There's a set from Hamburg (24/11/07) here and one from Berlin (23/01/08) here.

By the way, Falcon X is also the author of the clip of Roisin crowd surfing in Berlin, which I posted last week Sunday.

Cream magazine feature

The current edition of Australian pop culture magazine Cream features an interview with Roisin Murphy. The pictures are by German photographer Thomas Schweigert (see www.purephotography.de).

------------------------------------
ONE-OF-A-KIND SINGER SONGWRITER albeit dyslexic, quirky, kooky and loopy, yet altogether loveable and commercially viable (if only just). This is Roisin Murphy, ex-Moloko frontwoman and fully fledged artiste in her own right.

Proving over and over she is a musical and lyrical genius, we’ve considered this gal hot for quite some time. Upon listening to her sophomore solo album ‘Overpowered’, you’re sure to be left with a sense of utter contentment. Here lie 13 tracks of the purest sophisticated pop that uphold Roisin’s title as Kooky Disco Princess. She manages to diffuse four decades into one very present jive sound – with the odd hint of Moloko here and there (unlike her solo debut, for which she admittedly sounded “altogether new”).

“Disco isn’t just about the 70s,” insists Roisin (pronounced Rah-jeen). “There’s a bit of it in every genre from all eras, and these were what I drew inspiration from for this album. I’m just a sucker for anything danceable.”

Right from the opening track, the sounds are squidgy-disco-like and very infectious. That said, in an industry overcrowded with wannabe poppets, Roisin stands tall as a dedicated performer who lives for the music. Despite some very strange character transformations in her music videos (a red sequinned gimp or “big red sperm” as she likes to recall in ‘The Flipside’, for example) and on record sleeves, you still sense it’s all about the music at the end of the day.

“I really inhabited this album,” she says proudly, “only going from my bed to the studio, my bed to the studio…” Mind you, these were various beds and studios dotted around the globe.

“I recorded strings with [legendary conductor] Larry Gold in Philadelphia; saxophone with Carl Cox and worked with producer Seiji in West London; Andy Cato in Barcelona; Richard X in Hoxton; and then went to Miami to work with Jimmy Douglass and The Ill Factor - who manipulates studio gear and computer plug-ins as quickly and precisely as a kid with a Nintendo!”

Since first making her mark on the international music map as the prettier half of Moloko in 1995, Roisin has travelled the world far and wide, being appreciated on various levels everywhere she goes.

“I’ve made six albums in my career, four with Moloko and two solo. The way I measure their success or failure varies, but with every product I give out, I know that I grow and I mature. I think I’ve found the ‘voice in my voice’, so to speak.”

Performing left-of-centre is this girl’s signature charm, and though often performing boisterously on stage and dressing loud in her music videos, she’s managed to cross over to the mainstream occasionally, possessing that necessary sense of equanimity. Lest we forget the cool, calm and seductive vibes of hit singles such as ‘Sing It Back’ and ‘Familiar Feeling’. Still…

“I’ve always looked at things from a different angle; embraced opposites and strived to make things fresh and new. I’ve been troubled with dyslexia since an early age and it’s made me overlook expected musical rules, but it’s definitely been to an advantage. It sets me apart from the others.”

Her wardrobe, too, stands out as extremely unique. The new album sleeve sees her dressed as a giant ball of wool, casually sitting in a café, about to indulge in a plate of chips and fried eggs. And why shouldn’t it?

Roisin, Kylie & Pugh

It seems that Kylie Minogue has taken inspiration from Roisin Murphy. In the video for the song In My Arms, the Australian chanteuse is wearing the same Gareth Pugh outfit that was famously sported by Roisin Murphy in her Overpowered video.

As Kylie fan Vampy says on his blog: "Well, what can I say? Both ladies look awesome in it!"

You can check Kylie's new video In My Arms out here. The song is the second single to be lifted from the X album throughout Europe and was produced by Calvin Harris.

Some exiting bits of news!

Anyone who's still wondering what Roisin Murphy will be up to this year should read this press release:

The fabulous Róisín Murphy releases her next single ‘You Know Me Better’ on March 31st as a 7”, CD, download and enhanced CD. Taken from her Top 20 album ‘Overpowered’, the track is a collaboration with Groove Armada’s Andy Cato. Mixes come from Samim, Trevor Lovey, Guy Williams and Toddla T.

In further news Róisín follows her recent spectacular UK and European tour with a string of further shows across the Continent in 2008 including another sold-out London show – this time at Camden’s Roundhouse on March 8th. For anyone who misses that she then plays an hour long headline set at the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square to an estimated audience of 75,000 people on March 16th.

Festival appearances kick off with Scotland’s Rock Ness at the start of June with further performances to be announced in the spring across the UK and Europe.

Róisín also makes a very special guest appearance at the Elle Style Awards on February 12th; the first live performance in the 11-year history of the awards.

Tour pictures galore

The above picture of Roisin performing Dear Miami was taken in Helsinki two nights ago by Flickr user delta_avi_delta. The Helsinki show was the last date of Roisin's successful mini tour through Northern and Eastern Europe.

If you can't get enough of Roisin Murphy live pictures, there are some fabulous ones from Warsaw here and sets from Latvia here and here.

Enjoy!

YKMB released date confirmed

According to Roisin's official MySpace, the UK release date for You Know Me Better is March 31st.

Hallo Berlin

Blog contributor Filip Galetic attended Roisin's gig in Berlin last week and sent me some of his pictures to share with you.

You should especially note the last picture, which shows Roisin's crowd surfing adventure...