A successful week for Irish music all-round! Firstly congratulations to Jape on winning the Choice Music Prize - many have already said it went to the nicest man in Ireland and of those on the final shortlist, he was certainly amongst the most deserving. Halfset made a really good album and R.S.A.G. certainly set tympanics trembling with Organic Sampler but in the end the award went to one whose music played truly massive role in 2008. Despite fear and suspicion on the night due to the presence of David Holmes and The Script, Richie Egan is now wealthier to the tune of ten thousand fruits and a smooth celebratory trophy declaring Ritual the most critically-acclaimed Irish album of 2008. Thank you Jape.
There’s an interview with Choice founder Jim Carroll over on Analog. It’s a decent read…have Phantom really been binning bands’ CDs? In this age of carbon neutrality I thought unwanted promos found a home in charity shops. It’s all a wicked lie!
Salulations are also in order for Falter Ego who won the DIT Battle of the Bands in Think Tank on Wednesday (by the by, how fantastic is the new Cylon ceiling in the Eustace Street club?! Totally makes up for the naff Diet-Cokesque mural and porn-star toilets…!) Falter Ego beat off competition from Bojangled, Flying Columns and The Harm to win the first heat. Myself and two judges from Drop-D were level-pegging at 3/4 time and prepared for a fight amongst Indies when the three metallers rocked on and settled the score with four great, catchy songs. Look forward to hearing from you lads but if I can make one teeeny suggestion - introducing online visitors to your music with “The Official…Myspace Page” is a bit naff. Just sayin….
Before I launch into the plethora of upcoming releases and shows, take a moment to consider Parhelia’s words on the effects of illegal downloading on small bands.
The Dublin post-rockers released Shifting Sands in early February and yet to date there have been over 500 downloads from one filesharing site alone - more than the album’s total legitimate sales. That ain’t cool. Support your local music industry people - it’s the only way to survive without selling out.
The other gigging biggie is The Urges in Whelans, also tomorrow - biggie because it’s their last Irish date before they descend on the not-so-sleepy town of Austin, Texas for SXSW….did you know the city has a bat population of 1.5 million? Sounds like a kind of haven!
While March hares have yet to come bounding through this neck of the docks, here’s some upcoming madness to pay heed to : Adebisi Shank and Jogging join the bill for the return of Baltimore’s highly-feted four-piece Ponytail on 11 March. This undoubtably hangs down the back of The Vinny Club’s storming display of support in September. I didn’t go to that but after checking out the latest Ponytail album Ice Cream Spiritual I wish I had.
Foggy Notions have kindly offered two double passes to lucky parties. I’m sure you’ll be beating down the door for these so give the following challenge a bash and send your answers to rockeroffher[at]gmail[dot]com:
Shank’s Pony, Jogger’s Nipple, Blogger’s ….??
Entries close on 9 March. I’m not that finicky about time so 23:59:59 if you’re determined to wrest one.
Last time I saw Lights was months ago in Dorans and they were bloody brilliant, danciness. Now they have emerged into a burgeoning spring with new single I Don’t Know Myself and it’s blissful electro blammer.
I need danciness! Once again Club AC30 Dublin steps up to the plate with yet another well-rounded serving of Irish:
Ruth Medjber AKA The Ledj was in attendance at the latest Club AC30 Dublin in Whelans and true to form, her shots are only bloody magnificent. Here we have Gazz Carr of Butterfly Explosion and their first gig in a while and although Whelans continuing sound problems marred their set the reception was warm. Looking forward to St Patrick’s weekend
Butterfly Explosion - Jan 09. Pic by Ruth Medjber
‘Em check MySpace albums for more - they’re a veritable rock calendar of top concerts in the last few months. Aside from snapping live pics for Hot Press, Ms Medjber also has a tidy line of neat freelance shoots going on the side, including CODES‘ upcoming album promo and new emos on the block Romanov’s Goodbye. I think she should get a blog and show off her talents in all their glory. Anyone agree?
Been up to proverbial bits-and-pieces this week as the Hounds of Work snap at my heels and resultingly forgot to post this, what looks like a really, really good Ballroom gig tonight in the Lower Deck.
Now y’all know there’s no talk of the competition er, international bands here I’ll quickly stress that the Uzi and Ari album Headworms is an electronica dreamwave set to instruments. A bit like Radiohead without the boredom. Plus they’re named after two mentaller kids in one of my favourite ever films, The Royal Tenenbaums.
Equally exciting are the support acts: three different (complementary!!) Irish bands will build up to the main show with their own offerings: the Yeh Deadlies, Land Lovers and Fiasco,Fiesta.
Once allied with the legends who were Coldspoon Conspiracy, I only recently discovered Fiasco, Fiesta’s songs on MySpace and they’rrre awesome. Tried and Tired is definitely worth a listen, broodish vocals over clean ambient electro while This Isn’t About You retains the steady voice over much livelier instruments and muted old-school rave beat. I think FF are gonna make an interesting addition to the music circle this year and look forward to checking them live.
Already boasting the impressive claim of opening for Maps, CODES were delighted at the weekend to hear they would support Tom “I carried drugs in my cheek pouches” Chaplin’s paino-ballad group Keane at the O2 in Dublin and Belfast’s Odyssey arena later this week. Great news for a determined band to know their efforts have been noticed but I was reluctant to share my friends’ joy at the news. I completely fail to see what links the bands’ music. Much as I love CODES - you can check out a recent interview or live photos here - with better perception, a better band could have been chosen to warm the crowd for the Sussex headliners. Isn’t that what bookings are all about? Read the rest of this entry »
This is Green Lights with the awesome Cut To The Chase from their new Time To Tell The Parents EP. Time to tell the parents, “Hey Mom and Dad, we’ve really matured since our last EP, so stay outta my room!“?
They’ve a busy few weeks ahead working with an interesting bunch of bands, The Brewery in Monaghan plays host to a great night featuring Green Lights, Grand Pocket Orchestra and The Popular Front this Saturday 24 January. Then there’s the biggiegig at Whelans with The Funeral Suits on 27 February followed by Mayo’s Finbar Hoban Presents… with The Bastard Rain on the 28.
Hello, I’m Nay and yes, those mucky tracks all over your clean new year hallway belong to me
So here’s the speeds, skids and car-crash statistics of the holiday aftermath but before I go forensic on the Irish nethers, if you’re loathe to see the last three weeks’ festivities blur into mist then get yourself over to Seeping Into Cinemas‘ MySpace player for the newly-uploaded There’s Always Next Year and hug/kick-yourself into revolution 2009.
Music Under Fire, a Philadelphia-based blog, have been keeping tabs on Irish music. In their Top Twenty Artists To Look Forward To In 2009 they’ve tipped THREE Irish bands as hot contenders this year. I’m sure BellX1, Delorentos and Director are all thrilled to be earmarked for success as each band put in buckets of work last year and it’s great to know that word’s spreading.
Branching out from their base in Cork, Livewire Presents take the show on the road to Limerick later this month with And So I Watch You From Afar providing the aural-crackle equivalent of a smashed champagne bottle at Baker Place. Then it’s back home to ready up for Elk’s debut album launch on 23 Jan.
Aortal have big plans for your year which unsuprisingly include Eamon Dorans and more surprisingly, their very good friends Gina Moore, Carla Brunell, Jamie MacDonald and excellent blues-buskerman Wascana on 16 January.
I might just bring Toni Ireton along to all the deadly gigs and leave the snapping up to her…check out the full batch of shots over on Rockin’ Socks’ blog!
