DATE ARCHIVES : April 2010

Playlist #5

This is fast becoming a lazy list of tracks I can’t be arsed or don’t get round to posting during the week, anyway, don’t let that distract from the tunes on offer this week.

Most of this weeks selection need little introduction. M.I.A returns with a cracking electro punk vibe and Holy Ghost! has remixed the shit outta LCD Soundsytem’s ‘Drunk Girls’. It strangely reminds me of The Undertones, think it’s the backing vocal harmonies or perhaps I’m losing it anway I’m looking forward to the new album. 2 more mixes for your aural pleasure; a thumping rework of Boy-8-Bit and more graphical references with the 16Bit Remix of Skism, simply awesome Dubstep! Last but not least is The Cast of Cheers ‘Tigerfox’, certainly one of the best rock bands in Ireland without doubt, they absolutely blew me away at only their second live gig, not to be missed.

Mp3: Skism – The Blank (16Bit Remix)

Mp3: Boy 8-Bit – Wolfen (Jokers Of The Scene Remix)

Mp3: LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost! Remix)

Mp3: M.I.A – Born Free

Mp3: The Cast of Cheers – Tigerfox


IELB Get on Down

A shameless bit of plugging here today for one of my favourite online haunts, Irish Election Literature Blog, a pretty amazing archive resource of Irish political leaflets from way back when to the present day. It’s got plenty of stuff for any of you interested in politics or design but there are piles of hilarious ones too, remember Clifford T Reid’s Euro Campaign?

It’s a blog that I’m delighted to say I have been donating some stuff to lately, it’s definitely worth checking out and if any of you have old election materials lying around send them on.

Elections? Sure it’s always the same result.

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New: Interpol ‘Lights’

While I’ve never been a huge fan of Interpol they’ve had some outstanding moments, if I’m honest I’ve only ever given them a fleeting glance, however new tune ‘Lights’ has grabbed my full attention! Interpol were always a little to dower for me, something has changed, perhaps the near apocalyptic collapse of capitalism is taking its toll on me because they’ve not cheered up one iota, still dark, moody and enigmatic.

The new track was released via their site and while epic is definitely a term over used it’s the only way of describing this, more of the same please.

Mp3: Interpol – Lights

Bonus points (or iota’s) for the name of the awful Irish game show that introduced this word to an unsuspecting generation.

Video: The Like – He’s Not A Boy

Got some sweet sixties sentiments from The Like dropped in my inbox today which is no harm at all. It’s nice, cheerful, inoffensive stuff from the 60’s pop ilk, some similarities with Candie Payne but more upbeat, probably down to Mark Ronson recording both of them.

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‘He’s Not A Boy’ is released on 31st May on 7” Vinyl (Limited to 500 copies) & download

New: Roots Manuva ‘Snake Bite’

Roots Manuva has been away for a while, his last record, Slime & Reason, came out nearly two years ago now. Since then he’s been doing various things, playing a stomping set at Electric Picnic,  teaming up with Toddla T on his super debut album, coincidently or not it turns out Toddla T is the producer on ‘Snake Bite’ which was released via Twitter.

No word on any serious touring or an album yet but this will suffice for now.

Audio Bullys ‘Redemption’

Audio Bullys exploded onto the post-original pirate material scene in 2003 with their fusion of electro/hip hop, between then and now they released some forgettable yet more commercially successful material, for many they had fallen at the first hurdle like so many before them, becoming but a footnote in people’s music lives so it’s easy to see the hesitancy that greeted this release.

Higher Than Eiffel was primarily recorded as an album that their friends & family to enjoy, rather than critics or record company hacks, intriguing indeed  and gladly it was the first step to discovering the redemption of Audio Bullys. Okay there isn’t really anything here that we haven’t heard before but it’s a fun, vital party album littered with what used to be called ‘bangin’ tunes’. It manages to recapture and remold much of the enchantment of  their  debut. Lyrically it’s a bit lightweight at times but, hey, it’s more about bass, beats and electro grooves than insightful social commentary.

There’s not a lot of fashionable electro or  dubstep but Audio Bullys have made a welcome and timely return delivering the goods when many, here included, felt they were passed their best, a definite album to give you that Friday feeling.

Mp3: Audio Bullys – Kiss The Sky

Introducing The Cq

I’m gonna keep it short today, let the music do the talking, something luckily The Cq are more than capable of. Hailing from Bedford, New Hampshire, The Cq specialises in beautiful fuzzy meandering shoegazey tunes influenced by Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, with a touch of The Flaming Stars too. There is a real dreamy stuff like music the Sandman himself could make and it’s all packaged nicely in an impressively quaint homemade lo-fi sound. I’m sure these guys are sick of people remarking about their age but at just 16 years of age they certainly display remarkable maturity and wisdom way beyond their years, impressive stuff.

The band is currently recording their debut album which should be finished over the summer.

Mp3: The Cq – Where Are You

Mp3: The Cq – Wait and See

David Cameron ‘Common People’

With just ten days untill voters in the UK go to the polls I’m pretty sure lots of you have already seen this but I hadn’t until today. Someone has cleverly remade Pulp’s classic ‘Common People’ as though David Cameron was singing it, unsurprisingly he isn’t portrayed favourably, it’s no William Shatner version but it’s definitely worth a giggle.

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Billy Bragg & Wilco – California Stars

A new and very recent performance from Billy Bragg & Wilco at the Rolling Stone Festival in Germany at the tail end of last year has made its way on the interweb. It’s surprising as I had been led to believe there had been a pretty major falling out between the parties. The song ‘California Stars’ is from the masterful Mermaid Avenue album which saw Bragg and Wilco collaborate putting music to and performing previously unheard lyrics written by legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie.

There are two volumes of Mermaid Avenue and are well worth picking up if you haven’t already.

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Che Guevara In Ireland – RTE Interview (1964)

This isn’t really a music post but it’s an interesting historical nugget from the RTE vaults of the legendary revolutionary leader, Che Guevara. Guevara who was no stranger to Ireland having Irish roots, making a number of visits including one in Kilkee in 1962 where he met artist Jim Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick would go on to create the iconic image of Che, which the world over is familiar with. According to Fitzpatrick:

in 1963 while a teenage student at Gormanston College he worked a summer job at the Marine Hotel pub in Kilkee, the remote town of his mother’s birth. One morning Che Guevara walked in with two Cubans and ordered an Irish Whiskey. Fitzpatrick immediately recognized him because of his interest in the Cuban revolution. Knowing about the Irish diaspora and history in Argentina, Fitzpatrick asked Che vaguely about his roots. Che told Fitzpatrick that his grandmother was Irish and that his great-grandmother Isabel, was from Galway, with other family being from Cork.

Anyway on this occasion bad weather forced Che Guevara to land in Dublin and as luck would have it he spoke to RTÉ reporter Sean Egan while Aer Lingus air hostess Felima Archer acted as interpreter. During the short interview Guevara answers questions about the political situation in Cuba and recent threats on his life.