DATE ARCHIVES : September 2010

Evil Unkle – ‘Songs For The Road’

Galway musician Evil Uncle has released a new EP Songs for the Road. In a novel move sure to endear him to many a cash strapped music fans the price has been set at rather reasonable €0.00. The release coincided with an intriguing guerilla distribution campaign, 5,000 copies been left on cars down at Electric Picnic with a further 2,000 copies left in random places around Dublin, Cork and Galway.

“We were going through the process of getting the EP into record stores and trying to decide a price and I just decided, fuck it, why not just give it away? There’s a recession going on and the people must have music. Besides, every drug dealer worth
his salt knows that you give the first hit away for free….”.

It’s a rather curious mix of influences and styles all wrapped up in a DIY box with interesting lyrics, beautiful melodies, strong vocals (al a Simple Kid/Ray Davies) and some serious melancholy.

A Debut album is nearing completion and nationwide tour is pencilled in for November, if this is a taste of things to come we’re in for a treat.

Here’s two reasons to grab Songs For The Road for free now from www.eviluncle.eu

Evil Uncle – Timmy

Evil Uncle – Something For Nothing

Two Charming Men :: Button Factory :: Saturday (25th Sept)

Kildare duo Two Charming Men take to the decks this Saturday headlining Transmission in The Button Factory. They continue to build on their pretty spectacular rise this year which has seen them support the likes of Foamo and remix for Disco Killah and Lorcan Mak.

I’ve been meaning to catch these guys live for ages, since they first featured on the blog months back as it happens but something always cropped up, hopefully this Saturday will be different. It promises to be a “hellovalotta fun” with lots of killer floor filling electro and a slight touch madness no doubt.

Doors @ 11pm.

Disco Killah – Ravage Two (Two Charming Men Remix)

Lorcan Mak – 4 The Love (Two Charming Men Remix)

British Sea Power – ‘Zeus EP’

British Sea Power have announced a brand new 7 track EP, ‘Zeus’, to be released on 4th October. It’s the band’s first release since The Man Of Aran soundtrack in 2009 and is a precursor for the band’s fourth studio album set to be released in January next year.

It appears to be as you were from British Sea Power with no surprises; epic indie-rock with sweeping guitars and esoteric additions and allusions, can’t wait to hear the full EP.

You can listen to ‘Zeus’ below and can grab it for free from their website.

British Sea Power – Zeus

What do you think?

The Charlatans – ‘Who We Touch’

20 years on from The Charlatans debut Some Friendly sees them return with their 11th studio album, Who We Touch. One could be forgiven for thinking they were a band who had lost their way with the last decade being very unkind to them with a number of sub-par records, Up At The Lake (2004), Simpatico (2006) and You Cross My Path (2008).

The Charlatans have proven on more than one occasion throughout incident filled career, they are survivors. The carefully constructed Who We Touch is testament to this, a return to form borne refreshingly from a love of playing music rather than money with commercial interests taking a back seat.

The record is full of warm, endearing tunes with no unfounded bluster or raking over past glories. This is the sound of a band who’s smoothly assured and matured to a level where they are comfortable in their own skin. Excluding muscular opener ‘Love Is Ending’, it’s the softer, sweeter and melodic edge of songs like ‘My Foolish Pride’, ‘Your Poor Soul’, ‘Intimacy’ and ‘Sincerity’ which binds this one together superbly with Burgess’s recognizable vocals soft and impassioned throughout.

It may not be Tellin’ Stories or Us and Us Only but it’s a very worthwhile album. Their sound may be a tad old-fashioned or antiquated but there is certainly still life in the old dog yet, this is easily the best record they’ve put together in almost a decade.

The Charlatans – Love Is Ending

The Charlatans – Sincerity

Futurecop! – ‘The Remixes’

English electro Duo Futurecop! are unashamed 80’s fetishists taking inspiration from childhood memories of 80’s teen movies, Michael J Fox, Nintendo and Sci-fi cartoons like Transformers or Thundercats. This is then carefully molded with electronic melodies and power synth chords to create pretty unique sounding electro.

Following some exstensive touring they’ve begun work on their debut album and to stave off the boredom they decided to release a fantastic remix album, originally titled The Remixes ♥. It includes work from themselves and the likes of Anoraak & Stephen Falken, Digikid84, Cryptonites, Ooga Booga, and Silicone Project.

The collection is a nice eclectic blend of stylish and slick remixes full of allusions to the 80’s, definitely worth checking out, especially ‘Transformers’ from the elusive Ooga Booga – massive sound, big beats; an instant floor filler.

Full tracklisting after the jump.

Futurecop! – Transformers (Ooga Booga Remix)

Futurecop! – Dreams (Silicone Remix Project)

Continue reading →

Video: Surfer Blood – ‘Floating Vibes’

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New video from Surfer Blood who’ve been announced as support for Interpol on their European Tour, including three nights in Dublin’s Olympia. ‘Floating Vibes’ is an absolute gem of a garage/indie tune, think Weezer on their game crossed with Pavement or Double Dagger.

‘Floating Vines’ is taken from the album Astro Coast released earlier this year.

Johnny Flynn :: Live :: Academy 2 :: 19 September

Johnny Flynn was in town last night playing Dublin’s Academy 2 as part of his short Irish tour. The Academy 2 can be a bit of a pig of a venue, low ceilings and pillars makes for difficult viewing at times, however it forced home the intimate nature of the night. From the time we arrived the crowd camped in front of the stage, determined not to lose their good spot. Flynn’s arrival on stage was signalled by a rapturous welcome, which he appeared humbly surprised at.

The absence of his backing band added to his nervous demeanour setting us up for a totally different show to Electric Picnic, it was intense, up close and personal stuff. The crowd was like putty in his hands as they stood hushed and respectful hanging on every word, pick or pluck of his guitar strings during a set which included renditions of ‘The Box’, ‘The Water’, ‘Shore to Shore’, ‘Brown Trout Blues’ and ‘The Wrote and The Writ’.  It wasn’t until towards the end with the ‘punk rock version’ of ‘Sally’ that the Academy 2 found its voice either.

While the absense of his band helped create the setting and vibe some of the songs lacked their usual bite or panache and the crowd too only found its voice toward the end with the ‘punk rock version’ of ‘Sally’, that said it was a very good enjoyable performance from one of musics most promising young talents, don’t leave it to long to visit again.

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PS – Excuse my awful photography skills (or lack of).

‘#keepingitpeel’ 25th October 2010

The guys over at Football & Music have come up with the fabulous idea of a ‘John Peel Day’ for bloggers, #keepingitpeel on 25th October 2010.

The premise is pretty simple, it’s a way of paying tribute to him and his legacy, after all Peel was probably the most influential radio DJ in history who since the 60’s had been exposing mainstream UK listeners to bands they would have otherwise never have heard and introduced punk, reggae, hiphop, and drum & bass to them.

I’m delighted to be taking part, if you would like to too its simple; post something on 25th October which is Peel related. If you have a blog or a Twitter or Facebook then post a Peel Session track from your favourite artist and label it #keepingitpeel. It couldn’t be simpler really.

Predictable or not here’s………………

The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

If you would like to take part or would like more info check out #keepingitpeel

Video: Deerhunter – ‘Helicopter’

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‘Helicopter’ is the second single to be taken from Deerhunter‘s forthcoming album, Halycon Digest. It’s a slow burning dreamy one compared with the jangly, upbeat ‘Revival’ – it all bodes well for the new album out at the end of the month.

In case you missed it first time around?

Deerhunter – Revival

Johnny Flynn :: Academy 2 :: Sunday (19 Sept)

Johnny Flynn brings his wonderful, stirring and heartwarming folk music to Dublin’s Academy 2 this Sunday, 19 September as part of his short Irish Tour. He’s been an integral part of the UK folk revival in recent years alongside the likes of Laura Marling, penning two stellar albums A Larum (2008) and this years Been Listening in the process.

Judging by his performance at Electric Picnic two weeks ago this is one not to be missed, it should be a pretty intimate buzz with a captivating show but please no more adoring female fans swooning in his presence.

Tickets are €14.

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Johnny Flynn – Wrote and the Writ