tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41862439560599022062024-03-14T02:08:46.274+00:00Bull Black NovaKevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-19937341050454946232011-04-15T12:31:00.004+01:002011-04-18T17:54:37.395+01:00Moving On...This is a post to officially retire the Bull Black Nova blog.<div><br /></div><div>The blog originally started as a medium to develop my writing and as time has gone on my enthusiasm for the blog has waned, the posting has become near non-existant.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am currently working on the creation of a new blog, structured in a better manner and will result in a far more regular series of posting.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is not clear yet when the new blog will be ready for its official launch - I'll post here when it is up and running. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later and I hope any regular readers will join me at my new home for a better standard of regular writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Kevin.</div><div><br /></div><div>EDIT: You can find me over at <a href="http://thinkyoucanwait.wordpress.com/">http://thinkyoucanwait.wordpress.com/</a> from now on.</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-87226193537845749652011-03-10T15:21:00.003+00:002011-03-10T15:29:07.539+00:00Electric Picnic & Oxegen 2011: Line-Up Announcement<div style="text-align: center;">Not that I need to reprint them here - anyone who doesn't live under a rock has seen one or other of the line-ups for the big two of Ireland's festival circuit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A few surprises, in particular on the Oxegen bill - Bright Eyes, Eels, Jenny & Johnny and (sickener here) the National are all typical Electric Picnic bands, the National and Eels both having played in Stradbally in 2010. However, Punchestown will play host to the duo this year - and expect the likes of WarPaint, James Blake and Avi Buffalo all to confirm for Oxegen before the event too. They should all take places alongside the likes of Coldplay, the Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and the Foo Fighters in what is, in fairness, the best Oxegen line-up in a while.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Picnic has a great batch though: Pulp, Flying Lotus, the Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow and, of course, Arcade Fire are fantastic acquisitions, while I'm more than a little excited about Beirut, PJ Harvey, Lykke Li and Midlake too. Plenty more to come.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kudos to the Picnic too for keeping an Irish edge to the festival - while Oxegen musters up its usual Script slot (second on the bill for Friday night behind the Black Eyed Peas), the Picnic has snapped up the Cast of Cheers, Adebisi Shank (and their mind-blowing live show), CODES, RSAG (who was responsible for the best Irish album of last year in my opinion) and more for the event. Very impressive to say the least.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tickets are available now at the usual vomit inducing prices from Ticketmaster (approx. €250)</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-64024204326661233202011-03-08T00:17:00.004+00:002011-03-08T00:40:20.387+00:00New Music: Robin Pecknold Releases Three Tracks<div style="text-align: center;">Not content with preparing the new Fleet Foxes LP, Robin Pecknold has released three new tracks including a fantastic collaboration with Grizzly Bear man Ed Droste.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pecknold was clear in emphasising that these were not tracks from the upcoming Fleet Foxes LP, from which only one song has yet been released. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The duet, 'I'm Losing Myself' is a really beautiful track. As one would expect from two masters of harmony, the song is layered in the complementary vocals of the two. Very similar to the most mellow moments from Fleet Foxes' debut, the track is simple, stripped and haunting.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Derwenwater Stones', in the words of Pecknold himself, is "just a new solo jam." It's a more jaunty track, the guitar twang adding some life to it. Pecknold's vocal sounds very similar to Jim James of My Morning Jacket on here - the two have borne similarities in the past, but much more so now. The track tears at a rapid pace until shortly before the three minute mark, when it stops and rebuilds slowly before suddenly ending once again.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The final track is a cover of 'Where Is My Wild Rose' by New Zealand troubadour Chris Thompson. Had Pecknold not spelt this out beforehand, it would have been very easy to mistake it for a Fleet Foxes, such as the references to "misty mountains" and different cities, notably Dublin and Londonderry. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pecknold cited the Irish influence on the new Fleet Foxes album, landscape in particular forming a very real aspect of the work. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The band are also playing in Cork as part of Live at the Marquee 2011, as well as a slot in Belfast. These three tracks are available to download for free via <a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MNB143XT">http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MNB143XT</a>, while I also recommend following Robin on Twitter. He's always good for a surprise here and there.</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-10457062865719961382011-03-08T00:11:00.004+00:002011-03-08T00:17:30.502+00:00New Music: Broken Bells "Windows" [Review]<div style="text-align: center;">Streaming over on NPR at the moment is the first inkling of a new offering from James Mercer and Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) - Broken Bells. Last year's debut offered a fantastic blend of indie pop with subtle hip-hop undertones, though it simply did not leave the comfort zones of either party.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This single, 'Windows', does not fall into the same category as such. Much more funky, much more upbeat - the song has a hurtling rhythm beneath Mercer's vocal, bringing in some Prince-esque beats and a fantastic guitar line. Electro-pop at its finest. A step forward to say the least!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The song makes up part of an EP due for release at the end of the month. The songs did not make the cut for the debut album, though according to the band it is because they didn't fit in with the vibe of the other songs. That's for sure...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Head over to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/here">http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/03/07/134330851/exclusive-premiere-new-broken-bells?sc=tw&cc=twmp</a> to check it out.</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-57080768086629127992011-03-08T00:03:00.006+00:002011-03-08T00:42:09.498+00:00New Music: Wild Beasts "Albatross" [Review]<div style="text-align: center;">Following on from the fantastic <i>Two Dancers, </i>Wild Beasts have released the first track from the forthcoming <i>Smother. </i>The track, 'Albatross' is available <b>free </b>via <a href="http://facebook.com/wildbeasts">http://www.facebook.com/wildbeasts</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How does it sound? Well check it out for yourself but it's safe to say that it's more of the same from the Mercury nominated act. Hayden Thorpe's fantastic vocal is at its very best here, encompassing the middle ground between his usual swing from falsetto to brooding baritone.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The backing track is a very simple, meandering piano tone - the band aren't exactly pushing the boundaries with this track. What they do, however, they do well.</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-15349736708295539552011-03-07T16:52:00.003+00:002011-03-07T17:06:06.673+00:00New Arctic Monkeys Track: Brick by Brick [Review]<div style="text-align: center;">We've had the weekend to digest it - the new Arctic Monkeys track dropped from nowhere Friday evening. A startled <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NME</span>.com claimed to have "discovered" it by accident, though the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FaceBook</span> update from Arctic Monkeys' official page directing you toward the website couldn't have hurt at all...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What to make of it? The surprise of the track actually landing from nowhere was one thing, though the shock of how it sounds surpassed that no end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At just 2:57, the track tears through a ferocious vocal, a real 60s vibe and a slow bridge, before ending in the now familiar "brick by brick" refrain at the end in no time at all.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Early on, the sound is startling: Turner's vocal is near unrecognisable - this sounds more akin to Josh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Homme</span> or perhaps Jesse Hughes. The desert feel is all over this: the time the band spent with Josh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Homme</span> has proven to pivotal in their sound.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">From here, the song takes in a proper 1960s sound - if you checked out Turner's cohort Miles Kane's solo efforts then it might all sound quite familiar.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is yet another brave sidestep from the band. Lauded with plaudits following their blistering debut, the band have been the subject of much split opinion on the back of albums two and three, though I must say I think each step has been a perfect one. Turner's vocal no longer sits in realm of cynical social commentator, but genuine poet, while the heavier sound that has accompanied each album has been nothing short of brilliant.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Brick by Brick </i>does not initially grab with the same ferocity as <i>I Bet You Look Good on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Dancefloor</span> </i>or <i><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Brianstorm</span>, </i>but neither did <i>Crying Lightning </i>and that led to a stunning album, dripping in sexual tension and maturity. Here's hoping...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Initially unclear whether or not the track would form part of any upcoming work, Matt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Helders</span> has since confirmed that it is a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">teaser</span> of what is to come. We know that an album is on the horizon (produced by Simian Mobile Disco <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">frontman</span> James Ford), and the band are set for a number of summer dates including a headline slot at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Oxegen</span> 2011, so all the signs point to album number four from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Sheffield</span> quartet dropping sooner rather than later.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Check out the single below and let me know what you think.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="500" height="311"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/riV77WoFCBw?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="311"></embed></object></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-73886356531760008252011-03-07T16:44:00.003+00:002011-03-07T16:52:22.062+00:00Live at the Marquee 2011: Dylan, Simon and more added<div style="text-align: center;">Live at the Marquee 2011 is approaching and more big names were added to the bill today. Joining the likes of Elton John, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Grinderman</span> and the Frames are Tom Jones, Bob Dylan (who played in 2006), Paul Simon, Imelda May (for a second date), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Westlife</span> and "comedienne" Katherine Lynch - though humour is generally required for that title to work...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The full line-up (so far) is below. Expect hefty support bills to be announced for both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Grinderman</span> and Fleet Foxes to justify the inflated price tags (€50 and €40 respectively) - Harmonic are obviously ignoring part two of their ethos, i.e. bringing big names to Ireland at an affordable price...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Frames - June 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Erasure - June 15<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bob Dylan - June 16<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Imelda May - June 17<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Katherine Lynch - June 18<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tom Jones - June 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span>.</div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Grinderman</span> - June 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">th</span>.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;">Paul Simon - June 21st.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bryan Adams - June 22<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">nd</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Imelda May - June 23rd. (SOLD OUT)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Alexandra Burke - June 24<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">th</span>.</div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Christy</span> Moore - June 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">th</span>.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;">Fleet Foxes - June 26<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Elton John & Band - June 28<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">th</span>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bell X1 - July 1st.</div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Westlife</span> - July 9<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">th</span>.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tickets are available from the usual outlets.</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-79600734147656473532011-03-06T15:51:00.002+00:002011-03-06T16:05:07.221+00:00Mark Linkous: One Year On<div style="text-align: center;">Today marks the one year anniversary of the death of the alternative rock mastermind, Mark Linkous. Known largely for his work under the name of Sparklehorse, Linkous was a tortured soul who took his own life on this date last year and is sorely missed.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Prior to his death, I had very little exposure to his work, though in the year since I have spent many a day soaking up the wonderful body of work that he left behind.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The 1995 classic <i>Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionsubplot, </i>in particular, has become a standard play on my iPod. A sparse and terrifyingly open album, it charts Linkous battle with depression.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is never more notable than on 'Sad & Beautiful World' - a painfully clear song that unfortunately became a reality when the sadness outweighed the beauty and forced Linkous to take his own life.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="368"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C7rOKhmnw44?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="368"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Last summer saw the release of an album that has become an epitaph not just for Linkous, but also for Vic Chesnutt who died a few months before. <i>Dark Night of the Soul </i>was a collaborative work produced with Danger Mouse and involving appearances from Julian Casablancas, Wayne Coyne, Frank Black, Jason Lytle, James Mercer, David Lynch and Vic Chesnutt. </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="368"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wjFJkIkna20?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="368"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">A wonderfully varied work, the album has some moments of tremendous beauty and poise and is a fitting memory for Linkous, though I implore you to check out the earlier work with his name attached. Such beauty, such simplicity, such frailty - it is phenomenal.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="368"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UjsUZRs770U?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="368"></embed></object></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-50236102864406695982011-03-04T01:01:00.004+00:002011-03-04T01:24:26.105+00:00The Choice Music Prize: A Reflection<div style="text-align: center;">Well there you have it - Two Door Cinema Club. Hand on heart did not see that coming, but such is the joy of the Choice Music Prize (previous winners include Super Extra Bonus Party, Jape and Adrian Crowley)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On <i>Tourist History, </i>the Bangor trio laid out their cards plain for all to see: accessible, danceable, infectious indie pop. What they do, they do very well. It is simplistic pop music at its very best - and it would certainly sound a lot more fresh had the tracks not polluted television ads for the last ten months or so. Taking the album as simply that though, it is very strong. Every one of the songs has the potential to be a single, and each of the singles has been a hit thus far ('Something Good Can Work', for example, reached number 18 in the charts upon its re-release, while the album itself went gold)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="283"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1PorW3y5n1w?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="283"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As for the losers, each can feel as aggrieved as the rest. The final ten this year was exceptionally strong - Villagers, James Vincent McMorrow, Adebisi Shank, the Cast of Cheers, Halves, Imelda May, O Emperor, Cathy Davey and Fight Like Apes making up the remainder.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In reality, Imelda May's failure to attend (due to touring commitments) rendered her nomination null and void, while Fight Like Apes' pretty poor second album had no place on the final list. Halves have done well from the exposure, but it was always unlikely for them, while you could argue that Villagers struggled due to the excessive saturation of the debut record: the Mercury nomination led to mass press and a heavy favourite tag.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="283"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KAAWjzIvaek?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="283"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cathy Davey has been robbed in the past, though the judges opted not to right a wrong on this occasion, while O Emperor justified the early hype in their career with a solid, yet unspectacular album.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="283"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FNVXtBROZFk?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="283"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">That leaves the trio of Adebisi Shank, James Vincent McMorrow and the Cast of Cheers. They were among the finest performers on the night (JVM, in particular, can walk away knowing his ever-growing legion of fans is burgeoning even further) and each had their champions in the run-up. Personally, I would have loved to have seen McMorrow win, while both the Cast of Cheers and Adebisi Shank would have felt right with their name on the trophy too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="283"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X4Bs4k5i5BQ?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="283"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congratulations, though, to Two Door Cinema Club. The trio opted to donate the €10,000 prize fund to a Bangor based charity involved in housing projects in Africa - another feather to add to their cap.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Spare a thought not for the losers on the night, however (they will all benefit from the exposure simply by making it to the final ten), but for those who didn't make the cut: Not Squares, RSAG, Solar Bears, Ham Sandwich, Somadrone, the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra... There are dozens more alike who would have walked away with the prize in previous years, yet failed to make the cut this time around. It is a true testament to the classic year in Irish music that was 2010 - and let that be the final word on it, on this blog at least.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="450" height="283"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jrVqQFgD1RY?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="450" height="283"></embed></object></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-74510085634237679392011-02-04T13:51:00.005+00:002011-02-04T13:59:52.249+00:00Live at the Marquee 2011<div align="center">The flurry of acts playing in Cork as part of the 2011 Live at the Marquee festival is gathering pace. Two more were added this week, taking the number to 7. It is already looking like a much better mix than last year, in my opinion. While there's nothing to match the Harmonic (Grizzly Bear & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Midlake</span>) event just yet, it's still a good batch so far...<br /><br />The Frames - June 11<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>.<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Grinderman</span> - June 20<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>.<br />Bryan Adams - June 22<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span>.<br />Imelda May - June 23rd.<br />Alexandra Burke - June 24<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>.<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Christy</span> Moore- June 25<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>.<br />Elton John & Band - June 28<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>.<br />Bell X1 - July 1st. </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br />The double header of the Frames and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Grinderman</span> is what has grabbed my attention, though if <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">MCD</span> get there way, there won't be a single person at the latter. Tickets went on sale this morning at a staggering €49.20, excluding costs. When you add in Ticketmaster's cut, that's looking like €56.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br />Last year, the final line-up brought the likes of Snoop <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dogg</span>, Al Green, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">JLS</span>, Blondie and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Westlife</span> to the city.</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-12693921502716751802011-02-04T13:30:00.004+00:002011-02-04T13:40:38.786+00:00Digital Socket Awards: the Results<div align="center">Last night was the culmination of months of work by the likes of Peter (2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">UIBestow</span>), Naomi (Harmless Noise), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aiden</span> (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Goldenplec</span>) and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ronan</span> (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">SwearImNotPaul</span>) - credit to these guys in particular who worked tirelessly to get everything running to plan.<br /><br />Disappointingly I couldn't make the trip to Dublin, but early reports are pretty favourable. Ham Sandwich (they being the oh-so secret special guests), Groom and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Meljoann</span> provided the entertainment, while the awards showered the cream of Irish music with the recognition they more than deserve.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank cleaned up, taking away Best Design, Best Rock & Alternative and the coveted Album of the Year prize. The Cast of Cheers, too, walked away with prizes bulging - Best Indie and Best Newcomer, as well as the RTE Special Award of Outstanding Contribution to Music 2010.<br /><br />Congrats to all the winners, all of whom are listed below.<br /><br />1. Best Design (Website, Artwork, Posters) - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank<br />2. Best Independent Label - Richter Collective<br />3. Best Video - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ambience</span> Affair<br />4. Best Music Photography - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Loreana</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rushe</span><br />5. Best Radio Show - Donal <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dineen</span><br />6. Best Pop - Cathy Davey<br />7. Best Folk - Villagers<br />8. Best Rock and Alternative - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank<br />9. Best Electronic & Hip Hop - Solar Bears<br />10. Best Indie - The Cast of Cheers<br />11. Best <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">EP</span> - And So I Watch You From Afar<br />12. Best Newcomer - The Cast of Cheers<br />13. Song of the Year - Villagers - The Meaning of the Ritual<br />14. Album of the Year - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><br />I'm particularly pleased with the recognition that Solar Bears got, having been overlooked for the Choice Music Prize, though all are more than worthy of their prizes.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><br />Here's to 2011!</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-37748931205343630452011-02-03T13:06:00.002+00:002011-02-03T13:39:41.982+00:00The White Stripes Announce Their SplitAs I'm sure you've already heard by now, the White Stripes have officially confirmed their split via a message on their website that read as follows:<br /><br /><strong><em>The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011,<br />their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.<br /><br />The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.<br /><br />It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve What is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.<br /><br />Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of the White Stripes’ intense and incredible career.<br /><br />Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from The White Stripes in their Vault Subscription record club, as well as through regular channels.<br /><br />Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn’t met with sorrow by their fans but that it is seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who’ve shared in those creations, with their feelings considered greatly.<br /><br />With that in mind the band have this to say:<br /><br />“The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.”<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Meg and Jack White<br />The White Stripes<br /></em></strong><br />Now while they may have asked for this to not be met with sadness, I am utterly devastated. I can literally pinpoint the White Stripes as the band that began my interest in all things alternative and indie. Prior to that, as was the case with the majority of people at the time (I was twelve...), my interest was squared on the likes of *shudder* Linkin Park.<br /><br />We all make mistakes though...<br /><br />You can go to any major music site and read about the influence the band hand, the change in direction that modern music took following the Stripes' explosion on the scene, so I wont bore you with the same.<br /><br />For me, however, it wasn't the widespread impact that enthralled me. I can vividly remember sitting up beyond midnight watching the band's headline slot at Glastonbury 2005, completely captivated. The raw energy, the visceral power, the unspoken - almost psychic - bond between Jack and Meg... Each one knew what the other was about to do. They always performed in this manner, in the absence of a setlist... Anyone lucky enough to have been treated to a White Stripes performance was witness to a completely unique event.<br /><br />The mystique of the band was enchanting. There was none like them. But, above all, the music was phenomenal.<br /><br />As is the case for many (c'mon - own up!), <em>Seven Nation Army </em>was my first introduction to the band. I bought <strong>Elephant </strong>as soon as I could get my hands on it, and followed this one by one with the back catalogue. The stunning <strong>White Blood Cells, De Stijl </strong>and the self-titled debut - each better than the one that preceded it.<br /><br /><strong>White Blood Cells </strong>would prove to be a recorded high for the band, in my opinion. While better songs may have followed, no subsequent album matched up to it as a whole. The simplicity was beautiful: Jack and Meg took the most basic sound, stripped it off all its excess and made it sound fresh and exciting in a way that none had achieved before.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zh7UFi2b9xU" frameborder="0" width="350"></iframe><br /><br />Simplicity was thrown out the window as Jack stepped into unknown territory with mariachis, horns, bagpipes and more on <strong>Icky Thump, </strong>the follow up to the largely piano driven <strong>Get Behind Me Satan. </strong>The ability to breathe life into other people's song was staggering too: Bob Dylan (dozens of times), Son House, Dolly Parton, Burt Bacharach - they all got the White Stripes treatment, the resulting tracks often surpassing the originals.<br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H4rYaLBUpLA" frameborder="0" width="350"></iframe><br /><br />The mystique and the magic will live on forever, but above all, it is for the music that Jack and Meg will be remembered. Such cohesion, such charisma, such genius. There is no other word for it.<br /><br />The opportunity to see the band live was something I had always wanted, yet no joy unfortunately. However, if nothing else, we have been left with a rich and varied back catalogue, unparalleled in consistensy and strength by any of their contemporaries.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IZGHTkmhxgQ" frameborder="0" width="350"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LT3w6-cCn10" frameborder="0" width="350"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="350" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q27BfBkRHbs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-64507160112771989902011-02-01T22:05:00.002+00:002013-10-17T10:41:44.870+01:00Interview: Sean Kangataran<div align="center">
This article originally appeared in the February 1st edition of the UCC Express.<br />
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Irish folk-musician Sean Kangataran has taken up an unlikely home in Los Angeles since the release of his debut album last year. Music Editor Kevin O’Neill checks out the man, and the album, that was missed by many.<br />
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Galway-born, Sean Kangataran is somewhat of a wanderer with regard to his musical home. He honed his craft at home and abroad, playing shows all across Europe. At the time of this interview, he <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="f6ef35da-a846-4d96-b5d7-79afa69edee2" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="1275132b-373d-40ff-8af0-f125e435781e" grcontextid="finds:0">finds</span> himself in the airport <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="6563db53-d344-433b-be49-8fd9e7cee3ab" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="1275132b-373d-40ff-8af0-f125e435781e" grcontextid="of:1">of</span> his new adopted home, Los Angeles. It is 5a.m. <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="2a8afe2c-2b6b-44eb-90bb-ca827b3066b1" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="f9056068-27cb-4c31-852e-ac9cc191b110" grcontextid="where:0">where</span> he is.<br />
“I came to Los Angeles because it's where everything happens musically and my <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="d45ce14c-25b4-4fcc-9f7c-76556574264b" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="14238f81-ae72-40c1-a746-7597e7e8a646" grcontextid="favourite:0">favourite</span> writers all lived here.”<br />
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His self-titled debut album was released last year but slipped through the cracks in comparison to the major Irish success stories (Villagers, James Vincent McMorrow, etc.) While the album is available in Ireland, it was never officially launched over here. Bloggers have slowly spread the word, while Sean himself has sent the album out to many lucky writers for free. </div>
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This lack of immediate success hasn’t hampered Sean’s push toward success, however, as he is keen to make clear. The move, the reviews, it is all building blocks of the bigger picture. </div>
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“Because Ireland is such a small country there has always been the requirement that you had to leave and prove yourself elsewhere before it'd accept you, and though the record has been received really well, the reviews have been bland. I've had a few of my heroes say the most complimentary things about it, 'cause musicians get it, audiences get it, people get it, reviewers don't. It's nothing personal, they<span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="310ee029-9845-4ab3-8636-cfb5a065bed7" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="26155863-0f53-4f5a-b1f0-39026bfd5818" grcontextid="'re just hearing:0">'re just hearing</span> from a different place. I don't even read them anymore, and it'd be foolish to place stock in anything anyone ever writes about you, good or bad.”<br />
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These “heroes” than Sean mentions are none other than Glen Hansard of the Frames and Ryan Stively of Port O’Brien. Hansard has compared Kangataran to John Fante and Mic Christopher, while Stively has been rather <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="65d5a21d-984d-4bf2-8db3-2671914da7da" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="13cb4287-8b72-49ac-b2b5-843d163786d9" grcontextid="colourful:0">colourful</span> in his praise, likening the Irish troubadour to “a smooth shot of Jameson or Bushmills”, as well as putting him in the same company as the creators of the finest Americana of the modern era: Okkervil River and Sufjan Stevens.</div>
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The record lies somewhere within these boundaries. It is “familiar, yet very much unique” in the words of Stively: the passion, the anger and the nostalgia that <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="125aff6c-4b2b-41ed-9abb-2556d53da27b" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="5ec8c260-81b8-402f-a845-01ac8fd1666b" grcontextid="pour:0">pour</span> through the album are something we can all identify with. The opening track in particular, ‘Burn It All’, <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="2f83c0fa-1034-42fe-acde-ce5b88d7d227" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="e2e0c11c-b9dd-437a-acc8-49e2b46eb160" grcontextid="is sang:0">is sang</span> with a David Kitt-style honesty as Kangataran laments his wasted years.</div>
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“Welcome back to yourself, it’s been a while since you’ve been home… When I think about all the time that I spent figuring out how to live my life / It makes my head spin thinking about how I lived seven years afraid to live even one.”</div>
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The period that Kangataran is referring to is that which preceded his foray into music. </div>
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“I would still say that music is very new to me. There are a lot of things I haven't done. Before I came here (Los Angeles) I spent a year swimming. Just swimming. It seemed like the right thing to do. Before that I was dissecting bodies and teaching anatomy to medical students. That was ok but the smell of formaldehyde wasn't. I did that for four years after University. Before that I was spending all of my time training to be a pilot. My Dad was a pilot. I got as far as getting my Private Pilot's Licence. I had to work some tough jobs to do that. Dangerous ones. Handling plastic parts in factories with machines that were several hundred degrees Celsius.”<br />
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The album was not put together without a struggle, despite the effortless flow of the tracks.</div>
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“The "old" record that I made last summer was unusual in that I was at my happiest whilst making it, and the busy drums and brass reflect this, but the material itself was very sad. I wrote that album because I had to, and though it came from an unhappy place there really isn't all that much emotion in it. It's just a delivery of statements.” </div>
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Song-writing is a craft, and a difficult one. Take note of any number of Kangataran’s contemporaries, pouring out tracks about nothing at all. The album is tinged with a refreshing honesty, however. It feels real, it feels intimate. </div>
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“It's really hard to write something that means absolutely nothing but songwriters manage it every day. Try it yourself. If you were to even write down what you ate yesterday or whom you owe money to and why, assuming you managed to avoid rhyming 'high', 'sky', 'fly', or using words like 'unicorn' or 'sunset', or talking about someone's eyes or calling someone 'baby', then you've written something with more value than most of the shit out there.<br />
The line that a lot of people have connected to in the record is about kissing your girlfriend's belly and how it'll one day be a home to your babies, but this coming from a place after you've broken up. That's just an intimate statement of fact.”<br />
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Such a commitment to his craft, and such honesty, has served Sean well in his time in Los Angeles, where he has put together an eight piece ensemble that includes Tom Waits’ bassist and Outkast’s drummer. </div>
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“I like telling people that I've had good luck, that I am lucky, or whatever, but there's no such thing as luck. Good nor bad. The people I'm playing with here are with me because I went out and found them. I've auditioned a lot of musicians. Every day here I am practicing and improving in some way. I can't make anyone else do that, I can't even make people care about what they do, and though I can feel dependent on them, I'm not.”<br />
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It is striking the difference between Kangataran the musician, and Sean the interviewee. While the record is whimsical and reflective, Sean is much more matter of fact about his scenario. He is not to be swept up in the LA notions of success, while is very measured and calculated about his every word. </div>
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“I don't really care about the common notions of success; I would simply like to have a band that can deliver the songs I write accurately. After that it'd be nice to earn enough to not starve but that's secondary.”<br />
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Sweeping between the downbeat ‘Burn it All’, the bluesy lead-single ‘Hairpin’, the Americana infused ‘Be The Dust’, Sean Kangataran can accurately be filed under the ‘missed opportunities’ category for many writers and music lovers. As good a collection of folk and indie music as you’ll hear anywhere, fans of the Shins, the Decemberists, Iron & Wine and Sufjan Stevens should find much to adore here. </div>
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It is an album that has struck a chord with many who are able to identify with the myriad of missteps, faltering relationships and wondrous notions of what might have been.<br />
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Sean is hoping to return to Ireland this year, though it largely depends on money. Until then, he tells me that he and his collective are playing a number of shows around Hollywood, meeting the industry heads (it’s “the nature of the town) and continuing to rehearse in a mansion that is now the setting for a reality TV show… </div>
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Just a normal day for this chanteur. </div>
Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-37660882617911952202011-01-31T22:03:00.003+00:002011-01-31T22:39:09.522+00:00Just Another Manic Monday...<div align="center">A few points of business to address tonight...<br /><br /><strong>Manic Monday</strong><br /></div><p align="center">Andy Carroll is by no means worth £35million, but this is neither the time nor the place for such talk!</p><p align="center"><strong>4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">FortyFour</span></strong></p><p align="center">I have been lucky enough to have been asked to begin contributing to the fantastic 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">fortyfour</span> blog (<a href="http://4fourtyfour.wordpress.com/">http://4fourtyfour.wordpress.com/</a>) You can check out my first contribution - a late addition to the '<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">EarWorm</span>#4' post, on which I talk about the song that's dominated my last seven days or so. I opted for the simply fantastic "L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N." by Noah & the Whale - pitch perfect. Check it out below.</p><p align="center"></p><div align="center"><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fbGUEelmzxo" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe><br /><br />Very like "Lola" by the Kinks. A much more upbeat track than they included on the second album, yet not as over the top as the debut. Excited about the album now.<br /><br /><strong>New Music</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />And quite a bit of it too, thankfully! I haven't found much to love just yet this year (James Blake aside) but this could be all changing.<br /><br />Today <strong>Fleet Foxes </strong>released the first track from their forthcoming second album. <em>Helplessness Blues </em>is as you'd expect from Fleet Foxes. It mixes their quirky, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">folky</span> style with their fantastic harmonies and vivid lyrics. It isn't a radical step forward, but this is by no means a bad thing. It is available to download from the band's official website @ <a href="http://www.fleetfoxes.com/">http://www.fleetfoxes.com/</a> Listen to it below and, while nobody likes those awful still videos, at least you can look at the stunning artwork that will accompany the album when it does hit shops in May.<br /><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6mR8Z-gmK1g" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe><br /><br />Next, we come to <strong>REM </strong>who are strong contenders for the shock of the year with their new album <em>Collapse Into Now. </em>Four tracks have now been released, each better than the last. (Well, not literally. 'Discoverer' was first and is still the best...) <em>Mine Smells Like Honey </em>is the latest and it is continuing with the vintage REM vibe - very 'New Adventures in Hi-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fi</span>'<br /><br />Any version of the official video that I have tried to get my hands on has been met with that awful message telling me I'm not eligible for the material where I'm based, so I'm afraid we'll have to make do with another of these awful still videos.<br /><br /><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qHWJA7BHkGM" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe><br /><br />We also have a new track from Cork-band John <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blek</span> & the Rats. 'No More Leaving' is a much more bluesy, country style track - bit of a departure from their previous work.<br /><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B2DlEl7HgLs" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe><br /><br />Also doing the rounds today is the new album from <strong>Bright Eyes </strong>('The People's Key') - check it out via their official YouTube channel or NPR, while Cut Copy's new album is doing the rounds. I haven't gotten through all of Bright Eyes' just yet, though Cut Copy's is pretty good from what I've heard so far.<br /><br />Also, according to the German amazon, U2's new album is due for release in May...<br /><br />Watch this space.<br /><br /><strong>Do Not Miss...</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />The Digital Socket Awards. This Thursday, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">DSAs</span> take place in the Grand Social in Dublin. Groom, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Meljoann</span> and a special guest (a fantastic one too, might I add!) will perform at the inaugural blogger choreographed event for just €10. Check it out, seriously.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">That's all folks...</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-52493018031270106612011-01-24T11:24:00.002+00:002011-01-24T11:31:13.473+00:00Market Force: "Becoming A Jackal" [Villagers Cover]<div align="center">I could probably have called this post "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quomp</span> Love #2" having already posted about Cloud Castle Lake's fantastic <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kanye</span> West cover...<br /><br />If you haven't heard, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quompilation</span> is a collection of 13 tracks from 2010 covered by Irish acts. As mentioned, Cloud Castle Lake take on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kanye</span> West, while we also get some great stuff from Patrick <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ginola</span>, Spies, We Are Losers and more. It all comes courtesy of the Quarter Inch Collective and will be launched on January 27<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, available for €5 thereafter.<br /><br />Today, my mind was left in some sort of numbed state by the wonder of Market Force's cover of the title track from Villagers' debut album. While the original is acoustic singer-songwriter by numbers (and I mean that in all the best ways - the track wears its heart on its sleeve and is all the better for it!), the cover is minimalistic, haunted and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">trippy</span>.<br /><br />Stunning. The disparity between this and the original is so vast that you'd swear it was a totally different track: think "Heartbeats". Jose Gonzales and the Knife - the versions are so different, and yet both so good.<br /><br />Check out the full compilation below. Market Force is track 11.<br /><br /><object width="100%" height="345"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F519441&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_playcount=true&color=f23183"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="345" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F519441&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_playcount=true&color=f23183" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed></object><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/quarter-inch-collective/sets/quompilation-1"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quompilation</span> #1</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/quarter-inch-collective">Quarter Inch Collective</a></span></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-89706144435589090212011-01-21T12:09:00.003+00:002011-01-21T12:18:11.732+00:00Cloud Castle Lake: "Lost in the World" [Kanye West Cover]<div align="center">Currently doing the rounds is an absolutely fantastic compilation of Irish bands covering their favourite songs from 2010. Among the tracks available are not one, but two great covers of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Squarehead's</span> <em>Fake Blood </em>by Hipster Youth and the phenomenal Patrick <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher</span>, covers of Caribou (by We Are Losers), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rihanna</span> (by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ginola</span>), the National (by Spies) and more.<br /><br />One of the most interesting tracks tackled is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kanye</span> West's incredible <em>Lost in the World. </em>Taken from last year's <strong>My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy</strong>, the original features a sample of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bon</span> Iver's <em>Woods. </em><br /><em></em><br />Here we see one of the hottest bands on the Irish scene at the moment, Cloud Castle Lake, take on the track with interesting results! The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">faux</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">autotune</span> start is great, as are the altered lyrics (Gil Scott Heron's "Who will survive in America?!" is swapped for "Who will survive in the Republic?"), though their is a bit of a wince moment just before the rapping begins.<br /><br />All in all though, a pretty solid cover, unique in any respect!<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quompilation</span> will be launched on January 27<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> in the Lower Deck, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portobello</span> and will be available thereafter for €5 via <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bandcamp</span>.<br /><br />Luckily for us, however, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nialler</span>9 has a stream running on his site, embedded below. Check out his post at <a href="http://www.nialler9.com/2011/01/irish/listen-quompilation-1-irish-artists-covering-favourite-songs-2010/">http://www.nialler9.com/2011/01/irish/listen-quompilation-1-irish-artists-covering-favourite-songs-2010/</a><br /><br /><br /><object width="100%" height="345"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F519441&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true&show_artwork=true&color=f23183"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="345" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F519441&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true&show_artwork=true&color=f23183" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed></object><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/quarter-inch-collective/sets/quompilation-1"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Quompilation</span> #1</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/quarter-inch-collective">Quarter Inch Collective</a></span></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-76850499376951976142011-01-19T16:44:00.002+00:002011-01-19T16:47:13.714+00:00Interview: Conor O'Brien of Villagers<div align="center"><strong>This article originally appeared in the January 19<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> issue of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">UCC</span> Express.</strong><br /><br /><em>Just before their sold-out show at the Savoy in Cork before Christmas, Conor O’Brien of Villagers invited Music Editor Kevin O’Neill to the band’s dressing room to discuss the year just gone, flamenco dancing and chewing gum in Singapore.<br /></em><br />Often uneasy on stage, O’Brien tends to let his music do the talking. He is clearly uncomfortable speaking in crowds and, as I rapidly discover, this shyness is prevalent in his daily routine too. As we sit in the small room just off the band’s dressing room in the Savoy Theatre, Cork, lights flickering, he takes a little while to warm to me, though gradually he seems to relax, in a manner not dissimilar to his stage performances. As the show goes on, Conor’s confidence grows and grows.<br /><br />Exhausted from the year just gone, the full band scarcely moves when I enter the dressing room. Only a sprightly O’Brien jumps to his feet to greet me. He tells me that they rearranged their entire day to fit me in, having played in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kilkenny</span> the night before and travelled to Dublin to record radio slots earlier in the day.<br /><br />Conor tells me how tough they are finding it stuck in the back of a van all day. “The music in the van is more meditative than anything, when you are stuck there for six hours… I’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> been listening a lot to this music from Ghana… It’s called hi-life. It’s very chilled, very floaty. In particular this guy called Chief Stephen <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Osita</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Osadebe</span>. We listen to a lot of the National too – we all enjoy ‘<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bloodbuzz</span> Ohio’. And our tour manager is Argentinian so he’s introducing us to a lot of South American music.”<br /><br />Despite being more at ease talking about other people’s music, I take Conor right back to the beginning, eager to find how they are coping with their success. 2010 was Villagers’ year: Mercury nominations, American tours and number one albums. However, they are very grounded about it all.<br />“I think we worked up to the success gradually. If it had happened any faster, I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">wouldn</span>’t have been able to take it all in, but we’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> done three or four tours in Ireland and worked up to where we are now.”<br />Signing to Domino Records (the home of Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Pavement) was the final push that Conor needed, it seems. Rather than creating a pressure, it brought it all home.<br />“It gave me an impetus to write more. I just went back to my house and wrote more songs. It gave me a deadline and spurred me on: I wrote ‘I Saw the Dead’ and ‘Set the Tigers Free’ after.”<br /><br />It is interesting that ‘I Saw the Dead’ was formed after the signature: the song notably charts the difficulties of making a mark in the music industry, something that Conor, in particular, would have experience with having been a vital part of Dublin band the Immediate in the mid-00s.<br />On the cusp of a likely success, the Immediate simply collapsed.<br />“Two of the guys just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t want to do it anymore. Not much more we could do about it then.”<br /><br />While coming so close to the big time and faltering at the last hurdle might have been a cause for concern for many, it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">didn</span>’t haze Conor in the slightest. He simply picked up his guitar and embarked on two years of touring with Cathy Davey, an artist he has nothing but the highest admiration for. The two worked together again this year with Conor providing much of the instrumentation for Cathy’s number one album, The Nameless.<br /><br />“Cathy is just amazing. She’s so talented – there’s no pressure on me when I’m playing with her. She’s doing all the work. You should hear the demos of the tracks she writes: they’re just as good as the finished product, she could do it all herself.”<br /><br />The pressure, on the other hand, comes when fronting Villagers.<br /><br />“It’s tough, you have to talk to people. I don’t like talking to people. I like singing to them. But I’m getting better, I think.”<br /><br />Such self-doubt is surprising, given the competence of the performances. Conor’s stunning solo performance of ‘The Meaning of the Ritual’ on Later… With <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jools</span> Holland, for example, has almost 30,000 hits on YouTube in the nine months since the show aired. The quiver in his voice is telling, but he finds solace in his music.<br /><br />“I never set out to put together an album. I just kept writing songs (when on tour with Cathy) and, eventually, realised that I had enough to put an album together. That’s the way I do it: I don’t write to put something in the marketplace, it’s very in the moment. I’m obsessed with what I’m doing at the precise moment of writing.”<br /><br />What changed in 2010 for Villagers? For one, the live show. The dynamics are constantly changing: to date, Conor has done solo slots on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jools</span> Holland and the Mercury Music show, as well as travelling throughout America on his own. In Ireland and Europe, on the other hand, the full-band has been present.<br /><br />“It’s very much a band now. We’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> been on tour for so long and we’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> gone all around the world together, we’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> gotten tight. But it’s also gotten loose, which is a good thing.<br />I’d call it a band right now, but in January everyone’s going off to do their own thing – I’m gonna write. I can’t wait to get back to writing.<br />But I hope we get back together. I just want to make sure it stays loose and fun. Everyone is doing it because they want to, nobody is forced to. We are a band in the truest sense of the word.<br />The first show was just me and the drummer, and it grew then. But we’re going to Australia and Singapore in February as a two piece so that should be interesting. Better remember not to chew and chewing gum over there, they tell me it’s illegal!”<br /><br />It is the solo shows that I want to focus on, however. When listening to the album, the frailties of Conor’s character are on show and, while these are evident in the full band shows, they are the very core of the solo shows. ‘The Meaning of the Ritual’ tingles with fear, while ‘That Day’, ‘Twenty-Seven Strangers’ and ‘The Pact’ all long for approval.<br /><br />“The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mercurys</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jools</span> were such exciting shows – they really set us up to do the UK shows. Since then we’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> had full crowds everywhere in the UK, we’re going back next year to do full shows.<br />The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mercurys</span> was exciting. It reminded me of going to the circus as a child, lots of flashing lights everywhere. Lots of tigers, lots of jackals!”<br /><br />The solo shows were not his idea, however.<br /><br />“No, no, no. They wanted a band to fit a certain mould and asked us would we mind. I would have preferred the full-band, but it was okay. The solo shows we’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> done in the UK and the US were really great, really intimate. You can find parts of the songs that breathe a little more, but then with the band you find something much more exciting.<br />It’s simple mechanics – someone behind you beats a drum, you start to sing louder.”<br /><br />Time is getting away from us, the rest of the band begin to check in on Conor. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">Soundcheck</span> is in a few minutes and I’m eating into the rare free time they have before shows. I press Conor to talk a little about the writing process.<br /><br />“I like Randy Newman. He likes to get inside people – especially people he <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">doesn</span>’t like. He writes some really hate filled songs. Neil Young then is very different. He writes such simple, almost child-like songs, but I like when people take the risk and just play with words.<br />That’s what I tried to do. Just spill the words onto the page.”<br /><br />But what about now? The first album was driven by a mixture of subtle hate and childlike innocence, what of number two?<br /><br />“I’m listening to a lot of Elvis Costello. He’s much more academic (than Neil Young) but it’s great to study if you like words. And our tour manager has introduced me to this Argentine singer named Mercedes Sosa. She’s got this really deep, passionate voice.”<br /><br />Conor begins to sing this dark song, remarking that “the rage is pretty awesome” in it.<br /><br />“In Seville recently I went to some really old school flamenco nights, the non-touristy ones. The kind where you have to just stand and watch if you are an outsider. I just stood and watched the interaction between the dancers and the music, I really got something from it – <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">eventhough</span> I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">couldn</span>’t understand the words.<br />It was sung with such power and conviction. I’m going to try and put some of that into my music in the future.”<br /><br />So can we expect this flamenco infused sophomore album to surface in 2011?<br /><br />“I don’t like to second guess myself. I don’t know is my honest answer, but if I was to guess I’d say no.”<br /><br />Not the resolution I was looking for, but Conor seems optimistic about the songs he has floating around at the moment. The “sunlit stage” that he sings about on an early <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">EP</span> is ready and waiting as I depart, with Conor eager to take to the stage, bathed in shyness and excitement. Watching him on stage, it is almost a different person, though the shy undercurrent is ever present, even if he masks it well. </div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-58528036619895289432011-01-14T11:10:00.002+00:002011-01-14T11:14:19.878+00:00Digital Socket Awards: the Shortlist<div align="center">Very exciting at this stage: the Digital Socket Awards is rapidly approaching. Today, we announced the live performers (Groom and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Meljoann</span>, and two VERY exciting special guests - I may be killed for even saying that much!!) and the shortlist for the Awards themselves. Check out the categories below and thank your lucky stars that you don't have to make these tough decisions! That's what we are here for...<br /><br /><strong>1. Best Design (Website, Artwork, Posters)</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank – This is the Second Album<br />Cathy Davey – The Nameless<br />Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever and Ever)<br />O Emperor – Hither Thither<br />Villagers – Becoming a Jackal<br /><br /><strong>2. Best Independent Label </strong><br />Any Other City<br />Osaka Records<br />Out On A Limb<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Popical</span> Island<br />Richter Collective<br /><br /><strong>3. Best Video<br /></strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ambience</span> Affair – Devil in detail<br />BATS – Star Wormwood<br />Cathy Davey – Little Red<br />Patrick <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher</span> & His Cold Dead Hands – Contact Sports<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rubberbandits</span> – Horse Outside<br /><br /><strong>4. Best Music Photography</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kieran</span> Frost<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">kDamo</span><br />Ruth <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Medjber</span><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Alessio</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Michelini</span><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Loreana</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Rushe</span><br /><br /><strong>5. Best Radio Show</strong><br />Alison Curtis<br />Donal <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dineen</span> – The Small Hours<br />I-con <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Phanotm</span> FM<br />Paul <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">McLoone</span><br />Right Click 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">XM</span><br /><br /><strong>6. Best Pop<br /></strong>Cathy Davey – The Nameless<br />The Divine Comedy – Bang Goes the Knighthood<br />Fight Like Apes – The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner<br />So Cow – Meaningless Friendly<br />Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History<br /><br /><strong>7. Best Folk<br /></strong>Simon <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fagan</span> – Outside Looking In<br />Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever and Ever)<br />James Vincent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow</span> – Early in the Morning<br />O Emperor – Hither Thither<br />Villagers – Becoming a Jackal<br /><br /><strong>8. Best Rock and Alternative</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank – This Is The Second Album Of A Band Called…<br />Enemies – We’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> Been Talking<br />Jogging – Minutes<br />Redneck Manifesto – Friendship<br />Thread Pulls – New Thoughts<br /><br /><strong>9. Best Electronic & Hip Hop</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">Meljoann</span> – <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Squick</span><br />Not Squares – Yeah OK<br />R.S.A.G. – Be It Right or Wrong<br />Shit Robot – From The Cradle To The Rave<br />Solar Bears – She Was Coloured In<br /><br /><strong>10. Best Indie<br /></strong>The Cast of Cheers – Chariot<br />Grand Pocket Orchestra – The Ice Cream<br />Groom – Marriage<br />Ham Sandwich – White Fox<br />Jogging – Minutes<br /><br /><strong>11. Best <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">EP</span><br /></strong>The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ambience</span> Affair -Patterns<br />And So I Watch You From Afar – The Letters<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Angkorwat</span>- Early..<br />The Holy Roman Army – <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">Desecrations</span><br />Sacred Animals – Welcome Home<br /><br /><strong>12. Best Newcomer</strong><br />The Cast Of Cheers<br />Jennifer Evans<br />Hipster Youth<br />James Vincent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow</span><br />Solar Bears<br /><br /><strong>13. Song of the Year<br /></strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank – ‘<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">Genki</span> Shank’<br />The Cast Of Cheers – ‘I Am Lion’<br />Cathy Davey – ‘Little Red’<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Squarehead</span> – ‘Fake Blood’<br />Villagers – ‘The Meaning of the Ritual’<br /><br /><strong>14. Album of the Year</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank – This is the Second Album<br />The Cast Of Cheers – Chariot<br />Cathy Davey – The Nameless<br />James Vincent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow</span> – Early in the Morning<br />Villagers – Becoming a Jackal<br /></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-80519250988998760832011-01-12T17:08:00.002+00:002011-01-12T17:30:04.414+00:00Choice Music Prize Nominees: The Verdict<p align="center">Award season is in full flow: this week we have seen the Meteors cancelled, Friday will see the announcement of the live performers and the shortlist for the inaugural Digital Socket <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Awards</span>, while today saw the announcement of the final ten for the 2011 Choice Music Prize.<br /><br />The shortlist, if you've missed it, is as follows:<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebesi</span> Shank “This is the Second Album of a band called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank” (Richter Collective)<br />The Cast of Cheers “Chariot” (Self release)<br />Cathy Davey “The Nameless” (Hammer Toe Records)<br />Fight Like Apes “The Body of Christ & The Legs of Tina Turner” (Model Citizen)<br />Halves “It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever)” (Hate is The Enemy)<br />Imelda May “Mayhem” (Universal)<br />James Vincent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow</span> “Early in The Morning” (Universal)<br />O Emperor “Hither Thither” (Universal)<br />Two Door Cinema Club “Tourist History” (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kitsune</span>)<br />Villagers “Becoming a Jackal” (Domino) </p><p align="center">Certainly some great stuff on there but, as is ALWAYS the case with award ceremonies, some fantastic stuff <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">omitted</span>. Which, I suppose, is a true testament to the great state of the Irish music scene in the past twelve months. I can name a dozen acts that could merit a place on this list (Solar Bears, Ham Sandwich, Not Squares, Shit Robot, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Somadrone</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">RSAG</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fionn</span> Regan, Enemies, the Redneck Manifesto, Strands, Groom, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Meljoann</span>...), and yet I can't realistically say that any of the final ten don't deserve to be there.</p><p align="center">I do feel for the likes of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">RSAG</span> (my album of the year), Solar Bears and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Somadrone</span>, in particular, as I feel all could do with the publicity much more than Imelda May, Two Door Cinema Club or the soon-to-be-winners, Villagers. However, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">c'est</span> la vie, non?</p><p align="center">It seems that already Solar Bears are experiencing a bit of a Patrick <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher</span> style boost - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher's</span> phenomenal <em>You Look Cold </em>was left out of last year's final ten despite having been crowned Album of the Year by <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nialler</span>9 readers. This led to countless questions, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">blogposts</span>, etc. asking why... In effect, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher</span> got more exposure by not making the final cut than he would have if he had. Solar Bears, as far as I can see, are the most missed so far - it could be all for the better!</p><p align="center">The one complaint I had when looking at the list is that it is as <em>safe </em>a selection as possible in Irish music at the moment. There is no really <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">leftfield</span> candidate like there has been in years gone, a shame really. Davey, May and Villagers all topped the Irish charts last year, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">FLApes</span>, Two Door Cinema Club and O Emperor were near inescapable in 2010... The most obscure candidates are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank (hardly obscure), the Cast of Cheers (find an Irish blog who<em> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">didnt</span> </em>champion these guys last year!) and Halves!</p><p align="center">As for an eventual winner, well it surely has to be Villagers doesn't it? Paddy Power installed Fight Like Apes as the early favourite, with Villagers at a staggering 6-1. Cue: a flurry of betting, and Villagers' odds slashed instantly. </p><p align="center">Who do I hope? Well, seeing as my two favourite albums from last year didn't make the cut, I'm going to plump for James Vincent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow</span> and his mesmerising debut. James built a pretty solid foundation last year on the back of the album and is looking to spread his wings in Europe and America this year, this victory could do wonders for him.</p>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-57451118048479226872011-01-07T23:39:00.005+00:002011-01-08T00:27:43.355+00:00What the hell happened to... Tom Vek?<div align="center">Come one, come all to the first posting of the grand ole year that is 2011. I have been slow off the marks but that's the joys of being a student...<br /><br />This is going to be the first of what I'm hoping will become a rather regular feature where I track the progress of an act that seemed to have it all going right, only to slide out of view. The regularity will depend upon how many of these acts I can find so if there's anyone you're interested in, please comment below and we can hopefully get around to it all!!<br /><br />First up, the London-born multi-instrumentalist Thomas Timothy Vernon-Kell: that's Tom Vek to you and I.</div><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yjcnb-R8aRY/TSeto2-dhyI/AAAAAAAAAEY/rQx75VxHvRo/s1600/281x211.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559603182476035874" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yjcnb-R8aRY/TSeto2-dhyI/AAAAAAAAAEY/rQx75VxHvRo/s200/281x211.jpg" /></a><br /></p><div align="center"><div align="center"><br />In 2005, Vek burst onto the scene with a furious release, <strong><em>We Have Sound. </em></strong>The album incorporated the best of the Rapture (the staccato guitars), LCD Soundsystem (hints of electronica) and even a nod towards Beck. Hailed as one of the best new sounds of the time, support for the album has since abated from even the most hardened Vek fan.<br /><br />However, the dedicated core fan base has not given up hope. Cryptic messages in April last year suggested that Vek was contemplating retirement from music altogether, only to change tone altogether and indicate that a new album was due for release in June of last year.<br /><br />Obviously, no such album arrived. In fact, the last remnants of Vek's work that we have are an appearance on the OC and the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto IV, though the track on the latter was an older b-side, not a new track as is often misperceived.<br /><br />So - what the hell happened to Tom Vek? And, perhaps even more importantly, why should we care?<br /><br />Well, unfortunately, I cannot answer the former. We are led to believe that Vek is labouring away under the pressures of following up an immense debut. His life performances often fell flat and his style evolved so much during the period of recording and the immediate term thereafter (as well as numerous shifts between his signing to Tummy Touch in 2001 and his first major single release in 2004) that consistency was a noted difficulty. Writer's block was allegedly behind the bogus claim of retirement, and we have nothing to indicate that this has been resolved.<br /><br />All major indications are that Vek is a true perfectionist, a genuine artist as such. He worked tirelessly on the debut, rarely settling on a pattern or a sound - it had to be perfect. Is this the problem now? After the highs of <em>C-C (You Set The Fire In Me), I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes </em>and <em>Nothing But Green Lights, </em>is Vek dismissing the demos he is putting together now for the long-awaited sequel?<br /><br />Who knows? Vek is notoriously difficult to get hold of, while Island Records have all but kept shtum. He is working on a follow up, we have been told over and over. Lord only knows when it may see the light though.<br /><br />Until then, all we have are the remains of the phenomenal, and often forgotten, debut. In the 5, now nearly 6, years since its release, <strong><em>We Have Sound</em> </strong>caused quite a stir, only to be left to fall by the wayside. Contemporaries continued the work ethic and have been remembered more fondly because of it. Yet, the tracks now sound as fresh and vibrant as ever.<br /><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YqcqqnFcb1A" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dCvjVFwm3v8" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe><strong></strong><br /><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/850sYhVF7xs" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">In the years since Vek's debut, the dance-indie genre has swarmed. Hot Chip kicked the door in, LCD Soundsystem showed that it could be conducted with artist guile and craft and the pretenders (Metronomy, Cut Copy and damn close to every second band who puts an album out these days!) managed to dent the credibility of the work done by the likes of Vek and the aforementioned duo. Should the genre be examined in depth in the future, <strong><em>We Have Sound </em></strong>is sure to show up as an early peak.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">With any luck, though, the fabled second release may drop sooner rather than later. At the moment, we're in Stone Roses territory. Five years between albums? Not ideal, but not the worst... Vek could well delve into Avalanches and Dr. Dre territory (Ten plus years...) before long.</div></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-29593166044264423892010-12-30T16:53:00.003+00:002010-12-30T17:47:27.972+00:002011: What To Look Forward To... The New Sound<div align="center">Or should that be "new" sound. Depending on how close to the ground you keep your ear that is.<br /><br />If you hadn't noticed, 2010 is well and truly over (musically) at this stage. We are currently sitting in that awful limbo period before the new releases begin again and the tours start rolling into town.<br /><br />A few weeks back, the BBC published the longlist for their annual Sound of... poll, previous alumni include 50 Cent, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Keane, Bloc Party, Corinne Bailey Rae, Plan B, Mika, Klaxons, Adele, Duffy, Little Boots, Lady Gaga, Florence & the Machine and Ellie Goulding, amongst others. Not exactly the cutting edge of talent discovery they like to think of themselves as, the Sound of... poll still remains an interesting view of who just might flood the airwaves in the next twelve months.<br /><br />The order tends to be off though. Gaga finished behind Florence, Little Boots Empire of the Sun, La Roux and eh... White Lies...<br /><br />As to be expected, the list for 2011 contains acts from all genres, some of whom can already be considered to have "made it", as such. The full list is:<br />Anna Calvi, Clare Maguire, Daley, Esben and the Witch, Jai Paul, James Blake, Jamie Woon, Jessie J, Mona, Nero, The Naked and Famous, The Vaccines, Warpaint, Wretch 32 and Yuck.<br /><br />I'm not going to dissect each act as it isn't exactly fair: I'm simply unfamiliar with some, and overly familiar with others...<br /><br />However it goes without saying that the BBC has certainly pinpointed some of the emerging talents for the next twelve months or so. Granted, I can't see them all taking equal airtime, though there are certainly going to be some success stories here.<br /><br />Warpaint is a curious inclusion for me - they have already garnered a huge following and released a debut album, critically lauded and commercially successful... The sound of 2011? Sounds like latter half 2010 to me.<br /><br />Of the list, (Warpaint excluded...), Anna Calvi, Clare Maguire, James Blake, Mona and the Vaccines should qualify as successful by this time next year.<br /><br />I feel as though Esben and the Witch have simply missed the boat: a quirky, female fronted goth band? Dime a dozen my friend. The others... Well my crystal ball is less than clear at the moment.<br /><br />If you have missed any of the soon-to-be-success-stories, plenty of info is flooding around the place.<br /><br /><br /></div><ul><li><div align="center">Anna Calvi rocked Other Voices (or so I'm told...), and has toured with Arctic Monkeys and Grinderman. A classic looking lady, she falls deep into PJ Harvey territory. </div></li></ul><p align="center"><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iMtz1d0ruAk" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></p><ul><li><div align="center">Clare Maguire has her pretty staunch following already: yet another strong female vocalist (see Florence, Marina...), she became noticed for some quirky covers, including Antony & the Johnsons (again... see Florence and her Beirut and Lightspeed Champion covers). <iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y2peghEih74" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></div></li></ul><p align="center"></p><ul><li><div align="center">James Blake... Don't make me tell you who James Blake is. You know already. Good Lord the whole world knows. His (apparently leaked...) debut album is set to drop in January and is going to be something very special if his EPs are anything to go by. Dubstep (of course) features strong, though Pitchfork (thanks for not switching off at the mention...) likened his style to classic jazz composers, as you can hear below. A genuine talent. <iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oOT2-OTebx0" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></div></li></ul><p align="center"></p><ul><li><div align="center">For Mona, let's simply sub in Kings of Leon. Nashville born, pastor father and regular in-fighting, they have a similar <em>big </em>sound to the third Kings of Leon album, as well as acts such as Glasvegas. They have the swagger, they talk the talk and they should attract legions of Followill fans pretty quickly.</div></li></ul><p align="center"><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_YVY3JYgWHs" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></p><p align="center"></p><ul><li><div align="center">The Vaccines are the second coming of the Strokes, or so the NME would have you believe. A garage guitar band that are set give the genre another badly needed jolt, following the emergence of folk and dubstep in the last few years, they have the energy and style of the Strokes, while the songs aren't wholly dissimilar to the Ramones. The second coming? Not quite, but not bad. Luckily, they are more Strokes than Razorlight and, let's face it, guitar music has taken a beating in recent years. <iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/a9cC8gqj7OE" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></div></li></ul><p align="center">Moving on from the BBC, the consensus in general seems to be that the above will be the biggest names in town next year. Q throw in Brothers, Zola Jesus (another Warpaint-style faux pas), Transfer, Cults and Egyptian Hip Hop... One thing is clear: band names in 2011 are awful.</p><p align="center">In Q's defence, however, (now it's not often I'll say that...) they pinpoint the rise of Katy B (also noted on state.ie recently) and the emergence of hip-hop's fresh new hope, J. Cole. Snapped up by Jay-Z pretty quickly, the German born North Carolina man (now there's an odd mix for a rapper) claims to rap about real issues such as relationships, rather than worrying about "keeping it real" like the majority of his contemporaries. It amazes me how many major publications have all but ignored the inevitable rise of Mr. Cole, whose debut album will be available early 2011. </p><p></p><p align="center"><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N6PyB9Feu_k" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center">The list goes on. Tennis, Yuck, Braids, Smith Westerns, Cloud Nothings, Young Magic, Lia Ices, La Sera, MNDR, Male Bonding... The groundwork was done in 2010, 2011 should be theirs. Briefly at least.</p><p align="center">Personally, I can't wait for the debut full-length release from Memoryhouse. The Sleep Patterns EP released this year was among the best short releases I heard in 2011 and rumours of a full-length LP are gathering pace. Fingers crossed. </p><p align="center"><br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="226" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eDj1WPGQJ00" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></p><p align="center">Florrie, too, should be pretty unavoidable in 2011. Already a well-known act, she has the following to make a splash and the sound is right for her.<br /><iframe class="youtube-player" title="YouTube video player" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1LS-NBTdJo0" frameborder="0" width="350" type="text/html"></iframe></p><p align="center">Closer to home, there are two acts I'm keeping a close eye on right now. One is Sean Kangataran, a folk singer whose debut album (launched but not yet released, in his own words) made the top 10 of 2UIBestow's "Best of 2010" countdown and has his fans in Glen Hansard. Based in the US, Sean has put together an exceptionally talented band (members have worked with Outkast and Tom Waits) and could be yet another great addition to the Irish scene, should he get the exposure.</p><p align="center">The second is Toby Kaar, a Cork based dubstep merchant. I caught Kaar before the trio of And So I Watch You From Afar, Jape and Fionn Regan, and he looked just as at ease on stage as any of the rest. A sound in a similar vein to Caribou, Kaar is one to watch out for.</p><p align="center">Roll on 2011.</p>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-5896023222861992642010-12-24T12:48:00.003+00:002010-12-24T13:38:56.095+00:00My Favourite Irish Abums of 2010 (Part 2, 20-1)<div align="center">Let's get this going... Check back on yesterday's post for numbers 40-21. Below is my top 20 favourite albums of 2010, easily the best year in Irish musical history. The diversity and consistency of these records is staggering and, it is worthwhile to note, that all of the top 10 would have warranted a place atop any list of the last ten years. The top few have been chopping and changing rapidly in my head over the last few days so ask me next week and it'll all be different!<br /><br />20. Imelda May <em>Mayhem </em>(Decca)<br />19. Jogging <em>Minutes </em>(Richter Collective)<br />18. The Redneck Manifesto <em>Friendship </em>(Richter Collective)<br />17. Shit Robot <em>From the Cradle to the Rave </em>(<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">DFA</span>)<br />16. Windings <em>It's Never Night </em>(Out on a Limb Records)<br />15. Fight Like Apes <em>The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner </em>(Model Citizen)<br />14. Not Squares <em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Yeak</span> OK </em>(Richter Collective)<br />13. Enemies <em>We've Been Talking </em>(Richter Collective)<br />12. O Emperor <em>Hither Thither </em>(Universal Ireland)<br />11. Groom <em>Marriage </em>(<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Popical</span> Island)<br /><br />And now the top ten...<br /><br />10. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Somadrone</span> <em>Depth of Field </em>(Skinny Wolves)<br />This was my first encounter with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Somadrone</span>, and what an encounter it was. A magnificently crafted mix of electronic, rock and more, this album makes a lot of noise and stands head and shoulders above the crowd.<br /><br />9. Hipster Youth <em>Teenage Elders </em>(Long Lost)<br />Quirky and experimental, Hipster Youth has grabbed the attention of many for his innovative use of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">synths</span>, computers and even Nintendo sounds. Think Crystal Castles, HEALTH or even a little of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Anamanaguchi</span>.<br /><br />8. Villagers <em>Becoming A Jackal </em>(Domino)<br />The biggest hit of the year for Irish music, Conor O'Brien carefully crafted a powerful work in <em>Becoming A Jackal. </em>Owing to traditional singer-songwriters, as well as more alternative sounds, Conor confirmed his status as one of the most important figures in Irish music with this Mercury nominated debut. Note the haunting performance below on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jools</span> Holland back at the start of the year.<br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TCdCuUKdx04?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TCdCuUKdx04?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br />7. Cathy Davey <em>The Nameless </em>(Hammer Toe Records)<br />With her most accomplished work to date, Davey put together a beautiful collection. Her voice is still the central figure, but it adorns a layered and textured sound of incredible instrumentation. Davey's talent is on show for the world here.<br /><object width="350" height="221"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3HbIBAdJ9o?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3HbIBAdJ9o?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="221"></embed></object><br /><br />6. Solar Bears <em>She Was Coloured In </em>(Planet Mu)<br />Like a bolt from the blue, Solar Bears created one of the most exciting collections in Irish music. Floaty, experimental and varied, Solar Bears takes in a number of styles in the fifteen tracks on show here. Reviewers have paid much attention to the cinematic scope of the album and it is clear to hear why. Described by Harmless Noise as "perfect", Solar Bears put together an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">exhilarating</span> and unmissable album in <em>She Was Coloured In. </em><br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1_tzVOOm9yo?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1_tzVOOm9yo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br />5. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fionn</span> Regan <em>The Shadow of an Empire </em>(Heavenly)<br />Despite the huge success of his debut, Regan's second album seemed to slip through the cracks a bit. Overshadowed by previous work and by the success of contemporaries (Villagers in particular), the sophomore release from Ireland's most talented lyricist put together a subtle, yet powerful, collection of blues infused tracks. It doesn't possess the intimate acoustic nature of his debut and is all the better for it. Ireland's answer to Dylan? Maybe not, but as close as we've seen. The talent is here in droves.<br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HWALclRLiEY?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HWALclRLiEY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br />4. The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra <em>Lowering the Tone </em>(Silly Goose Records)<br />One of Ireland's most endearing acts, the Brad Pitt Light Orchestra put together a stunning mesh of tracks. They have a remarkable ability to hop between styles - swing, smooth lounge music, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">electronica</span>, Americana... 'The Last of Me' even sounds like it jumped right out a musical. Absolutely sublime, the smooth flow of styles is something that the most accomplished of career musicians would <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">struggle</span> to comprehend, yet the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">BPLO</span> manage it effortlessly. Do not miss this one.<br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z5xZLvBSemQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z5xZLvBSemQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br />3. James Vincent <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow</span> <em>Early in the Morning </em>(Universal Ireland)<br />A collection of subtle beauty, the back story of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">McMorrow's</span> folk masterclass has been told to death so I wont bore you with it again. To truly understand the wonder of what the Dublin native has created, you simply just have to let it take you over. Press play and absorb the sheer genius of James' debut. He touche on the finest in blues and folk musicians: Sam Beam, Justin Vernon, Jeff Buckley, Neil Young... A frightening talent and an instant classic.<br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e2XPDP6KkkE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e2XPDP6KkkE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br />2. Ham Sandwich <em>White Fox </em>(Route 109 Recordings)<br />Absolutely enchanting, Ham Sandwich's second album utilises the band's clearest talents: <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Niamh's</span> gorgeous voice and a unique, almost American writing style. Catchy pop hooks ensure an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">irresistible</span> opening, though as the album flows rapidly through its thirty odd minutes, the treasures to be found are incredible. More intimate, more open and even better than the fantastic debut they released a few years ago, Ham Sandwich wear their hearts on their sleeve in this album. The latter tracks almost sound as though they stepped off albums 2, 3 or 4 from the National, and in 'Ants' and 'White Fox' they have created two of the tracks of the year.<br /><object width="350" height="221"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WsySkganr_U?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WsySkganr_U?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="221"></embed></object><br /><br />1. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">RSAG</span> <em>Be it Right or Wrong </em>(A Rare Production)<br />Jeremy Hickey sits alongside Patrick <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kelleher</span> as one of Ireland's greatest living musicians. Innovative and creative, he shirks the constraints of style and blows the doors wide open. This record references David <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Byrne</span>, Joy Division, and nearly everyone in between in what is a slow burning and unmissable work. A more traditional rock & roll work than his debut, Hickey's passion for the rhythm section is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unmistakable</span> on the record. Driven by the drum and bass sound that he is noted for, the album reveals itself more and more upon repeated <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">listening</span>. A rare talent and, surely, a guarantee for the Choice Music Prize next year.<br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O5idGsMkcX8?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O5idGsMkcX8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-76765505038496923492010-12-23T11:41:00.006+00:002010-12-23T12:17:18.898+00:00My Favourite Irish Abums of 2010 (Part 1, 40-21)<div align="center">And so we finally reach the end of the road. Unfortunately, this blog post wont be quite as detailed as I had desired but my laptop has done the decent thing and decided to die every time I go near <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">YouTube</span> so you'll have to use your imaginations and pretend you can hear the bands that I'm talking about...<br /><br />Anyways, it goes without saying that Ireland experienced a bumper year in 2010. Take yourself over to the ever fantastic Swear I'm Not Paul and check out his feature on every single Irish release this year (he means it - Nadine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Coyle</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boyzone</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jedward</span> get the same amount of space as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Somadrone</span>, Villagers <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">et</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">al</span>) and try get to grips with the sheer scale of the amount of releases. I had originally planned this post for about two weeks ago and have spent the period since listening to more and more music. I think it's for the best that I post now. It's either that or sometime next June I'll be posting my top 200 Irish releases of 2010. For now, the list is limited to forty or so. </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">*Actually, I've decided to be a bit of a tease... Here's numbers 40-21. The rest will make its way here later in the week!*<br /><br />(Here's the link to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ronan's</span> feature: <a href="http://www.swearimnotpaul.com/release-date-calendar/2010-irish-album-release-list">http://www.swearimnotpaul.com/release-date-calendar/2010-irish-album-release-list</a> I'd recommend using Chrome if possible, because the browser crashes are unimaginable when its all on the one page!)<br /><br />Let's begin...<br /></div><div align="center">40. The Cast of Cheers <em>Chariot </em>(Self Release)</div><div align="center">39. Sounds of System Breakdown <em>Sounds of System Breakdown </em>(Self Release)</div><div align="center">38. Our Little Secrets <em>Our Little Secrets </em>(Self Release)</div><div align="center">37. Peter <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Doran</span> <em>Sleepless Street </em>(Self Release)</div><div align="center">36. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nouveaunoise</span> <em>Paraphrase Accolade </em>(Self Release)</div><div align="center">35. Sweet Jane <em>Sugar For My Soul (</em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Reekus</span> Records)</div><div align="center">34. The Mighty <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Stef</span> <em>The Mighty <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Stef</span> and the Baptists </em>(Own Label)</div><div align="center">33. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Meljoann</span> <em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Squick</span> </em>(Own Label)</div><div align="center">32. The Dinah Band <em>I Can Walk Through (Transduction Records)</em></div><div align="center">31. Butterfly Explosion <em>Lost Trails </em>(Revive Records)</div><div align="center">30. Boa <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Morte</span> <em>The Dial Waltz </em>(Kicking a Can Records)</div><div align="center">29. At Last An Atlas <em>From Which You Were Raised </em>(Slow Loris)</div><div align="center">28. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank <em>This Is The Second Album From A Band Called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Adebisi</span> Shank </em>(Richter Collective)</div><div align="center">27. Two Door Cinema Club <em>Tourist History </em>(<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kitsune</span>)</div><div align="center">26. Halves <em>It Goes, It Goes (Forever and Ever) </em>(Hate is the Enemy)</div><div align="center">25. Tiger Cooke <em>Fingertips of the Silversmith </em>(Self Released)</div><div align="center">24. Evil Uncle <em>Two Lights, Not Broken </em>(Self Released)</div><div align="center">23. Oliver Cole <em>We <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Albatri</span> </em>(<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">EMI</span>)</div><div align="center">22. Cap Pas Cap <em>Haunted Light </em>(Skinny Wolves)</div><div align="center">21. Bill Coleman <em>You Can't Buy Back Your Life </em>(<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">BCMR</span>)</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Check back for part 2 pretty soon and, hopefully, I'll be able to put together a nice Playlist for all y'all!</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-23274312390158052522010-12-16T22:41:00.006+00:002010-12-16T23:31:50.672+00:00Some Very Good Songs From Some Not So Good Albums. Of 2010.<div align="center">In no real order at all, this is a collection of some very good songs that cropped up on some albums that were either:<br /><br />a) Not so good...<br />b) Not actually checked out by me...<br />c) Not yet released<br /><br />Sound fair?<br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tanlines</span></strong> <em>Real Life</em> </div><div align="center">The drum rhythm alone makes this song unforgettable. This comes from an album I never got round to checking out. I caught the song early in the year before the album was released and, well... Just forgot. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Whoops</span>. Either way, Real Life remains one of the better tracks I've heard this year.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="221"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tAxSMAIK49c?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tAxSMAIK49c?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="221"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Coco Rosie </strong><em>Lemonade</em> </div><div align="center">This is a track that is as enchanting and quirky as they come, much like girls themselves actually. The rest of the album is a tad tiresome and overblown. You shouldn't have to try to like music. This track is a really gorgeous one though.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="221"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tu3EcAHdHlE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tu3EcAHdHlE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="221"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Women</strong> <em>Eyesore </em></div><div align="center">This one comes from an album that (not for lack of trying!) I simply <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">couldn't</span> find anywhere. I'm still very excited to check it out though on the back of this - a post-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">punky</span> edge gives way to an almost Beach Boys style verse and chorus. Jesus & Mary Chain, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Radiohead</span>, the Pixies... It's ALL here. Sorry about the video though. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Couldn't</span> find an official one or a decent live performance.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jsmwy_ZU6zQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jsmwy_ZU6zQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>The New Pornographers</strong> <em>Crash Years </em></div><div align="center">These guys never really did it for me, but this song is absolute genius. It's the perfect blend for an indie-pop classic - uplifting chorus, simple guitar/drums/lyrics and whistling... What more could you ask for? Oh, maybe a wonderful female vocal - check.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="221"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_KZANuDcRO4?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_KZANuDcRO4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="221"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jonsi</span></strong> <em>Go Do</em></div><div align="center">Another that I simply could not find for lack of trying (then I did find it, and it €30 - why <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">HMV</span>!?) but this song, in particular, is simply spellbinding. To quote one of the many <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">YouTube</span> comments that adorn the clip "this song is like hope." <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jonsi</span> has an incredible talent for create the most inspirational and cinematic music <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">imaginable</span>, yet it is so intimate and accessible. Stunning.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="221"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T6HjT4SQKJI?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T6HjT4SQKJI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="221"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gayngs</span></strong> <em>The Gaudy Side of Town</em> </div><div align="center">Yet another album that <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">HMV</span> don't want me to have it seems, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gayngs</span> emerged this year as the unlikely Prince infused collaboration from the American Mid-West that has spent the last few years forcing the folk revival on us. This track features none other than Justin Vernon (who really branched out this year...) and epitomises exactly what <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gayngs</span> set out to do this year: create alternative, soulful, funky sounds, that feature heavily on the sex and drugs side of thing.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1m2pBzdlmHw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1m2pBzdlmHw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Efterklang</span> </strong><em>Modern Drift</em> </div><div align="center">This track is another one like <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jonsi</span>, inspirational, hopeful and beautiful... The piano makes may from drum beats and leads into an orchestral driven number, fronted with a perfectly unspectacular vocal. It allows the backing music to weave its magic. A really gorgeous track from the Danish outfit, it has me convinced I need to check out more.<br /><br /><object width="350" height="287"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i2nffOE54uA?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i2nffOE54uA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="287"></embed></object></div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4186243956059902206.post-27913561074317396572010-12-13T18:38:00.004+00:002010-12-13T18:50:07.307+00:00Digital Socket Awards<div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">It's par-tay time - or at least it will be on February 3rd.<br /><br />Launched this morning, the brainchild of Ronan Hunt-Murphy (Swear I'm Not Paul) and Peter Nagle (2 U I Bestow), the Digital Socket Awards celebrate the best in Irish Music in 2010.<br /><br />Public nominations for the longlist for the awards are currently open in the following categories:<br /><br />1. Best Design (Website, Artwork, Posters)<br />2. Best Independent Label<br />3. Best Video<br />4. Best Music Photography<br />5. Best Radio Show<br />6. Best Pop<br />7. Best Folk<br />8. Best Rock and Alternative<br />9. Best Electronic & Hip Hop<br />10. Best Indie<br />11. Best EP<br />12. Best Newcomer.<br />13. Best Album<br />14. Song of the Year </div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center">Nominations will close on December 22nd.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center">The initiative is a collaboration between between 26 Irish bloggers, and the awards themselves will be held on February 3rd in the Grand Social.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center">More information is available at: <a href="http://www.digitalsocketawards.com/"><span style="color:#ffff00;">http://www.digitalsocketawards.com/</span></a> </div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Get voting and make sure your favourites from 2010 don't miss out!</div>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03098854743978108742noreply@blogger.com0