I saw these guys play a hefty horse presents gig on Sunday night. They were really good- sort of folk Pop happy go lucky kind of stuff. Really reccomend going to see them. Definately a band to look out for in 2010! At the gig there was a wonderful moment when the girl in the band (don't know what her name is) played a guitar solo, nailed it and was smiling because she was so pleased- A Very endearing likeable band.
This Wednesday the 16th of December will see Lisa Hake, Pearse Mc Loughlin and Declan Conlon take to the stage for the last Tall Poppy Club of 2009. This club takes place every month downstairs in the spirit store, Dundalk. This is a free gig.
Lisa Hake's music is all about story telling, thought provoking lyrics sung to a delicate melody and beutifully intricate guitar playing. She has just released her second album "Wind Under Wood" and will be showcasing some new material on the night.
It has been a great year for Pearse Mc Loughlin (Walkperson) who has released his debut album, "Busy Whisper", to critical acclaim and is being tipped by some for a nomination for the prestigious choice music prize.
Donal Quinn is a singer songwriter studying music in DKIT. It will be his first time playing at the tall poppy club.
Recommended Gig: Tall Poppy Club 16th December Recommended Songs: "Logging Saw"- Lisa Hake "Consume"- Pearse Mc Loughlin
This is an album that i haven't listened to in a long time. I loved it when it first came out and it still sounds brilliant now, years later. From the most tender piano laden opening, "In the deep shade", to the very last song, "Mighty Sword", it is clear that this is The Frames best album to date. It is less throwaway, lyrically at least, than "Fitzcarraldo". It would have been very easy for them to make another "Dance the devil" pop rock type record but they didn't. They made the album that everyone that had ever gone to one of their incredible live performances and shouted at the top of their lungs "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" hoped they had in them. And that is, one of the best Irish albums that has ever been made. Although, it is a shame that none of their subsequent albums ("Burn the maps"/ "The Cost") were up to scratch.
I'd been looking forward to this gig in the accademy for a long time now. I first saw Frightened Rabbit in Ruby Sessions in Doyles a few years ago. I hadn't heard of them before that night but immediately set out to find out more about them. They played as a three piece that night but last night they opened for Modest Mouse as 5 piece and they didn't disapoint mixing new songs with some of the older, more established ones. The new songs sounded very promising and they were received very well by the crowd.
Now, on to the main attraction. Modest Mouse took to the stage and opened with a very crowd pleasing "Satin in a coffin". Other highlights were "Dashboard", "The World at large", "Floating" and my personal favourite "Never ending math equation"- which they didn't play the last time i saw them so i was very pleased with that. The best gig i've been to in a good while.
Really looking forward to Modest Mouse tomorrow night in the Academy. And, the brilliant Frightened rabbit will be playing support so make sure you get there early for some of this:
Tonight in Anseo is another Hefty Horse presents gig which are generally worth going to if you can pull yourself away from the x factor results show (I know i can). Tonights acts are Seamus Fogarty, Norabelle and The Walpurgis Family.
Seamus Fogarty writes folk songs along the same lines as Bob Dylan or perhaps even more like Woody Guthrie with some interesting sounds and electronica thrown in for good measure.
Recommended song:By the waterside (Seamus Fogarty) Recommended Gig: Anseo- The 6th December.
A gig that I'm really looking forward to is on in the spirit store on the 9th of December feauring "We Cut Corners". I saw them at Hard Working class heroes and they blew me away. Think Vampire Weekend mixed with Bright Eyes and you're on the right track.
Also playing on the night will be "The Very Most", two of the guys from Angel Pier and the incredible "At last an Atlas" who i saw playing upstairs in Anseo in Dublin a week or 2 ago- He was awesome!
Recommended Song: Pirates Life (We cut corners) Recommended Gig: 9th December Spirit store.
On the 13th December the wonderful Dawn Landes will play the spirit store in Dundalk. This is one to check out. Beautiful indie folk.
This should be a fantastic gig- the gig that launched what will probably be one of the albums of the year in "Seasons of the sparks". I'm really looking forward to this one....
This Friday in Andrew's Lane Kil Krinkle Cub, Angel Pier, Heathers and the Funeral Suits will all perform at the IMRO showcase.
One not to miss: Kil Krinkle Club Recomended Song: White Trees
Kil Krinle Club are a Swedish/ Irish duo that specailise in experimental electronica with real pop sensabilities. They seem hell bent on finding Krinkle and doing him in. They are one of the best bands in Dublin at the minute and are definately worth checking out.
"The Ambience Affair" play Anseo tonight as part of a Hefty Horse Presents gig. They are promoting their debut EP, "Fragile Things", which is a real gem of an EP. Their live shows are always something to behold and I'd have no reservations recomending this gig.
www.myspace.com/theambienceaffair
Recomended Gig: The Ambience Affair- Anseo (Tonight) Recomended Song: Fragile Things
As I'm sure plenty of you all know Bob Dylan has been presenting his own radio show, Theme Time Radio, for the last three years or so. The idea of the show is to pick a theme and then play music that incorporates this theme on the show. The themes have been very diverse, ranging from "fruit" to "cats". Dylan has announced that the next show's theme will be "Goodbye" which has led to rumours that he will not be continuing with the show. Hopefully this isn't the case but it would be a great way to end a great radio show.
Dylan's new album, "Together Through Life", is out on the 28th of April.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wilco's new DVD, "Ashes of American Flags" was released in Ireland on Saturday to coincide with independent record Store day. It was filmed over a couple of gigs in the US in ballrooms, clubs and concert halls in 2008. The DVD kicks off rather appropriately with the band playing "Ashes of American Flags" to an empty venue. While this dvd is pretty good and it moves from venue to venue trying to give that on tour feeling to it I can't help but think that I would have prefered a little bit more dialogue- interviews etc- with the band. Overall, it is a good representation of Wilco's strength, that is their live shows. _____________________________________________
I first came accross this band playing a small room in the Spirit store in Dundalk as part of the Tall Poppy Club. They are called the Urban Country Divide and they play traditional bluegrass sort of stuff. Their live performances are really something to behold. There are four musicians in the group and you definately get the feeling that they beleive totally in the concept of collaberation.
The best example of what they do can be heard on their myspace page:
Groom are a five piece band from Dublin that describe themselves as being "Indiepop minus everything Indiepop should be". And,they most certainly are. They play catchy indie rock with some beautiful harmonies. They play Upstairs in Whelans on the 24th of this month to launch a mini album and are definately worth checking out. Oh, and I almost forgot, the ever impressive Neosupervital is playing support on the night.
In 2007 and 2008 Mark Kozelek, accompanied by Phil Carney (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon guitarist), recorded a 14 song live album in small intimate venues in the US including The First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia), The Williamsburg Music Hall(New York), The Palace of Fine Arts (San Francisco) and the Aladdin Theatre(Portland). The album title is "Lost Verses Live" and is mainly comprised of the Sun kil Moon songs but does feature the odd Red House Painters song too. Here is the track listing:
1. Unlit Hallway 2. Carry Me Ohio 3. Four Fingered Fisherman 4. Moorestown 5. Salvador Sanchez 6. Heron Blue 7. Lost Verses 8. Tiny Cities 9. Lucky Man 10. Send In The Clowns 11. Harper Road 12. Tonight In Bilbao 13. Blue Orchids 14. Katy Song
In addition to this there is a limited edition live album called "Find Me Reuben Olivares/Live in Spain" coming out too, recorded in Zaragoza (Spain). The track listing for this one is:
1. Heron Blue 2. Finally 3. Lucky Man 4. New Partner 5. Blue Orchids 6. Send In The Clowns 7. Find Me, Ruben Olivares 8. Trailways 9. Moorestown 10.San Geronimo 11.Summer Dress 12.Tonight In Bilbao 13.Mistress
Both are available now for preorder from Caldo Verde Records- the release date is the 12th May. These should be fantastic albums. I've seen Mark Kozelek play a good few solo gigs in Dublin over the last few years and play with Sun Kil Moon in the Academy. At each one I was really impressed.
Well we've waited quite a while for this line up to be released and here it is:
Orbital Flaming Lips Basement Jaxx Madness MGMT Fleet Foxes Klaxons BellX1 Rodrigo Y Gabriela Chic Seasick Steve 2 Many DJs Explosions in the Sky Lisa Hannigan Alabama 3 Zero 7 The Sugarhill Gang Erol Alkan Roots Manuva Billy Bragg Bat for Lashes Damien Dempsey Lykke Li Imelda May Echo & The Bunnymen ABC Magazine ESG Moderat Four Tet Magnetic Man Simian Mobile Disco Heartbreak Halfset Noze Chris Cunnigham Okkervil River Magnolia Electric Company The Low Anthem Villagers Tunng Jape Efterklang Micachu and the Shapes Marina and the Diamonds The Whitest Boy Alive The Walkmen Michael Nyman Dublin Gospel Choir Quantic Soul Orchestra Jazzanova Wavemachines
I think that it's definately a decent line up. The bands I'm most looking forward to are The Flaming Lips, The Walken Halfset, Villagers, Fleet Foxes and Efferklang.
I'm really looking forward to Adrian Crowley's new album "Season Of the Sparks" which will be launched on the 22nd of April 2009 in the Sugar Club. It will be released on Tin Angel Records. It is the follow up to his 2007 album "Long Distance Swimmer" which was critically acclaimed and earned him a choice music nomination. Here is the track listing for the album:
1. Summer Haze Parade 2. The Beekeepers Wife 3. The Wishing Seat 4. The Three Sisters 5. Squeeze Bees 6. Liberty Stream 7. Horses Like to dream all night 8. Season of the sparks 9. Swedish Room 10. Pay no Mind (to the dawn cryer)
The highlight of the album which can be listened to on the irish times website, for me anyway, is the opener "Summer Haze Parade". I have heard Adrian play this live a few times but it was a different version I heard. It's a beautiful song with a lot of natural imagery. The tender, well crafted lyrics combined with Crowley's deep baratone voice works so well that it is impossible not to fall in love with this song and indeed the album.
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