Yesterday myself, Blathnaid and Rob of Egoeccentric went on a bit of a trek down to Mullingar to see Villagers play in the Stables. Apparently all gigs there start late so there was time for a quick pint in Dun Laoghaire before the drive down to the midlands.
Click on the read more for a review of the gig.
This being my first trip to The Stables I didn't know what to expect. What I found was what looked to be a converted stable. The venue, whose capacity I couldn't guess but would assume to be quite small, was laid out with long benches. Minimal lighting was provided by the candles resting on each bench, which served to increase the air of intimacy in the venue. The walls and ceiling were plastered with gig posters which created a nice juxtaposition between the old world charm of the Stable and the modern edge of the music scene it houses.
Arriving slightly late at about 10.15 we were just in time to see the first act, 'The Ambience Affair' a guitar and drum duo that make heavy use of loop pedals to create expansive soundscapes. The pair took to the stage about 22.20 and launched into a 30 minute set of quietloudquiet acoustic tracks with a shoegazy edge. One of the pitfalls of using loop pedals is the tendency to fall into the same patterns and to rely too heavily on the amount of layers you can create so that the basic song suffers. Unfortunately The Ambience Affair's set suffered from this and the resultant effect was that no single song stood out. Then again that might be the point. Despite these minor quibbles I enjoyed the performance a lot. In much the same way as I listen to 'Massive Attack', The Ambience Affair's hypnotic loops provide an soundtrack that can either be used as ambient background music or can be fully attended to for maximum enjoyment. I'd be interested to see how this band progresses if they harness some of their soundscapes and turn them into slightly more accessible songs.
Second to take the stage were normally three piece Arrow in the Sky who were short a member for the evening. For most of set the pair made use of acoustic guitar and mandolin to produce fairly standard singer-songwriter fair with a few odd instruments thrown in. Listenable but but not exactly innovative. Poor crowd interaction didn't exactly help and the performance would have benefited greatly from some eye-contact with the audience and a bit more energy from the performers.
This could not be said of Villagers who somehow mananged to produce a set that was both a quiet and intimate affair while still using walls of guitar feedback and unbounded energy. The Brainchild of Ex-The Immediate Conor O' Brien, Villagers recorded output is a completely solo project however they're live performances are a collaboration between various musician friends of Conor's. With a constantly rotating line-up (which at one gig point of Richie Egan of Jape) one would expect some level of sloppiness in the playing but Villagers set is as tight as that of a band who have been on the road for years. The line-up consists of Conor on acoustic guitar, Berkely guitarist Tommy McLaughlin on electric guitar, (I think) David Crean on Keys and two other members, whose names I unfortunately did not take down, on Bass and Drums.
The 12 song set soared from quiet to loud, integrating tracks from their 'Hollow Kind' EP. Conor O' Brien filled his lyrics with a rare passion and conviction that makes the listener believe in what he's saying. Tommy McLaughlin seemed to be channeling the spirit of The Bends/Ok Computer era Johnny Greenwood, with intricate melodies and minimalist playing giving way to chaotic distortion and acres of feedback. A solid performance from every member made you believe that this wasn't just the work of one man and that every musician felt as much the part of the music as any other.
Although it may seem like the press are holding Villagers up on a pedestal the heights of which they can never live up to, performances like this make you feel like you've witnessed something special and makes you believe that this band could go far. So if you have the chance go see Villagers now before they take to the cities and stadiums.
Sunday 1 March 2009
Villagers in The Stables, Mullingar 28th February 2009
Friday 27 February 2009
Snow Patrol Actually Good?
Ok I know many people will tune out the moment they see the words 'Snow Patrol' but they shouldn't, they really shouldn't. I don't advocate the attitude of 'lets write the poppiest song we can manage that will sell millions but annoy anyone who actually liked the proper songs off our first 2 albums' a lá the six note dirge that was 'Chasing Cars', but there are a few gems that they have and for me those songs are always worth digging for.
The best example of this is 'Somewhere a Clock is Ticking' from their 2003 album 'Final Straw'. This song is something of a what-could-have-been song for me as it showcases the potential they have to write absolutely epic 4 and a half minute rock songs. The song starts off with a quiet introspective guitar, the odd electronic click and the songs main refrain, but it slowly builds and as the song progresses, creates a huge wall of crashing guitars and violins that assaults your eardrums with chaotic noise.
Songs that actually make me feel like I felt when I was discovering bands for the first time are few and far between, but this is one of them and for that Snow Patrol have earned some forgiveness in my eyes.
Snow Patrol - Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking
New Frankmusik video alert!
the delectable Frankmusik is releasing his next single "Better Off As Two" on April 13th.
of course it is not nearly as gloriously euphoric as "3 Little Words", but then only about 6 songs are.... still it is a sweet little emotive pop ditty of the kind which Mr. Musik is so bloody good.
the album is set to drop in June and is one of the my most anticipated releases this year, after Cowboy X and She Who Must Not Be Named (you know who im referring to :P)
Frankmusik - In Step
Frankmusik - Rehab (Amy winehouse Cover)
Shameless Guilty Pleasure Alert.
Oh god...
i REALLY shouldn't like this song...
...they look like twats dont they?
But ykno what? iv had a shitty day today yet this song has single handedly made me giddy as an emo school girl inspite of myself!!
see thats what i LOVE about pop music...
Metro Station - Shake It
Thursday 26 February 2009
Enjoy the cover version.
My fave independant girl band Red Blooded Women will be releasing their long awaited follow-up to last summers (criminally over-looked) "You Made Your Bed" in the form of a cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence" next month. The Designer Drugs remix is currently doing the rounds on hypemachine in order to whet our appetite and its not bad really - basically a raved up version of the track with a smidge of donk for good measure.
It got me thinking about an observation I had made recently about how covers of Depeche Mode songs were invariably more enjoyable than the originals. well, at least to me anyway.. *narrowly avoids tomatoe lobbed at head by purist Depeche Mode fan*
But seriously! I mean, listen to the symphonic Lacuna Coil version of "Enjoy The Silence," the intense Shiny Toy Guns boy/girl duet of "Stripped" and the swaggering Marilyn Manson take on Personal Jesus...
Red Blooded Women - Enjoy The Silence(Designer Drugs remix)
Lacuna Coil - Enjoy The Silence
Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus
Shiny Toy Guns - Stripped
Of course, i will admit there are some exceptions to my rule...
*sigh* Oh The Saturdays... you were doing so well & everything... :(
It got me thinking about an observation I had made recently about how covers of Depeche Mode songs were invariably more enjoyable than the originals. well, at least to me anyway.. *narrowly avoids tomatoe lobbed at head by purist Depeche Mode fan*
But seriously! I mean, listen to the symphonic Lacuna Coil version of "Enjoy The Silence," the intense Shiny Toy Guns boy/girl duet of "Stripped" and the swaggering Marilyn Manson take on Personal Jesus...
Red Blooded Women - Enjoy The Silence(Designer Drugs remix)
Lacuna Coil - Enjoy The Silence
Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus
Shiny Toy Guns - Stripped
Of course, i will admit there are some exceptions to my rule...
*sigh* Oh The Saturdays... you were doing so well & everything... :(
Saturday 21 February 2009
Beautiful Dancing Loner Robots - Update
It is official:
"Untouchable" will indeed be the third single to be taken from the current Girls Aloud album...
huzzah!
no word on a possible radio edit though...
yet.
hmmm...
Friday 20 February 2009
The Brit Awards Last Night
Last night the annual "lets-award-the-most-mainstream-and-predictable-artists" awards occured last night in Earl's Court, London.
Here is my blow by blow analysis of the evenings events:
Here is my blow by blow analysis of the evenings events:
- James Corden, Matt Horne and Kylie Minogue opening the show by taking the piss out of the "Cant Get You Out Of My Head" video: Those boys aren't bad dancers! They even kept time & everything!
- U2 performing their new single "Get On Your Boots" which is a fairly brainless but generally listenable song until the part where Bono utters the word "sexy" and it all goes terribly wrong: Well, Bono looked like a bit of a plank in that deus ex machina position at the beginning waving his arms and legs around but on the whole i guess it wasn't bad... they are starting to look a bit status quo-like though.
- Girls Aloud finally winning a Brit Award after 7 years in the business: In the words Sarah Harding (the short haired blonde one who pretends to be indie sometimes) when the girls went up to accept their award... "Its about time!!" Too right Sarah. GA4EVA!
- Kings of Leon performing "Use Somebody" interspersed with with shots of the celebrity section of the audience not really giving a shite: as one youtuber commented, they should've just played down the local pub to a real crowd. DAMN those boys are looking fine these days though... and Caleb Followill... just goes to show what a decent hair cut can do for a guy.
- Girls Aloud performing The Promise with giant pink feathers: Too many feathers. Just got annoying after a while... vocals didn't sound too bad though. Kimberly is still my fave though...
- The Ting Tings and Estelle duet of Shut Up and Let Me Go/American Boy/Thats Not My Name aka the wierdest combination for mash up but yet it still works: "Shut Up..." and "American Boy" work oddly well together... the two lay-deez were a weensy bit flat though.
- Duffy winning best album while Elbow look on utterly unimpressed as they had clearly expected to win: Rockferry is a distinctly average supermarket soul album with only one or two striking tracks so why it ended up winning is a complete mystery. But it was really sweet when Tom Jones who was presenting the award , a fellow welsh person, gave her warm congratulations before giving her the award. ah bless...
- Tom Jones's hair: Talk about the silver fox!!
- Pet Shop Boys closing the show with an extended medley featuring Lady Ga Ga in some sort of wedding china inspired ensemble and an awkward looking Brandon Flowers from the Killers wearing some feathers on the back of his jacket: A bit stilted in parts but overall a fairly deadly performance and keyboardist Chris Lowe's pink Andy Warhol hair was somewhat epic. Am v. excited about the new album too, if new single Love Etc is anything to go by!
Thursday 19 February 2009
Beautiful Robots Dancing Alone...
So according to Popjustice, the third single to be taken from Girls Aloud's current album Out of Control is to be announced fairly soon. Hurrah!
PJ have already expressed their rejection of a possible of a radio edit of the epic "Untouchable" which i kind of agree with cos it is a pretty spectacular, swirlingly amazing 6 minutes and 43 seconds of electro loveliness which contains the timeless couplet,
'Without any meaning, we're just skin and bone,
Like beautiful robots dancing alone'
...and would lose any emotional impact by being chopped and changed into a neat, 3 minute and 30 second package.
There has been talk of "Love Is The Key" or "Rolling Back The Rivers in Time" making the cut, but in my opinion that'd be a bit of a step backwards after the heartbreakingly beautiful, Pet Shop Boys produced "The Loving Kind".
In my opinion it's gotta be either "Turn To Stone", or MAYBE "Miss You Bow Wow" despite the idiotic title, simply because i will now always associate the song with the drag show at The George and the fact that the DJ there played Little Boots, Annie, Frankmusik AND Girls Aloud one after the other therefore making him/her the GREATEST DJ IN THE WORLD.
Fact.
Girls Aloud - Untouchable
PJ have already expressed their rejection of a possible of a radio edit of the epic "Untouchable" which i kind of agree with cos it is a pretty spectacular, swirlingly amazing 6 minutes and 43 seconds of electro loveliness which contains the timeless couplet,
'Without any meaning, we're just skin and bone,
Like beautiful robots dancing alone'
...and would lose any emotional impact by being chopped and changed into a neat, 3 minute and 30 second package.
There has been talk of "Love Is The Key" or "Rolling Back The Rivers in Time" making the cut, but in my opinion that'd be a bit of a step backwards after the heartbreakingly beautiful, Pet Shop Boys produced "The Loving Kind".
In my opinion it's gotta be either "Turn To Stone", or MAYBE "Miss You Bow Wow" despite the idiotic title, simply because i will now always associate the song with the drag show at The George and the fact that the DJ there played Little Boots, Annie, Frankmusik AND Girls Aloud one after the other therefore making him/her the GREATEST DJ IN THE WORLD.
Fact.
Girls Aloud - Untouchable
Tuesday 17 February 2009
Amanda Palmer, Amanda F**king Awesome
Ok considering I'm a huge fan there's no point in me trying to review the gig so I'm just going to give a bit of a summary of the night with review like sections. Click the read more for an overview of the night.
I arrived at the sugar club without a ticket. This is usually a bad start when trying to attend a concert but I pressed on regardless. After many walks up and down the queue calling out for a spare ticket I was eventually rewarded by a kind man whose 3 friends had cancelled on him last minute. I got my ticket cost price for €16. Bargain.
Going up and down the queue I had discovered a few people who didn't have tickets so I informed them of the spare tickets down the line and got rewarded by getting a place at the front of the queue and some company for the night.
Anyway, doors opened a little bit later than listed (This delay was due to a lack of a working piano as we discovered later) and everyone piled in to try get good seats. For those who haven't been in the sugar club the seating arrangement for this kind of gig is odd but provides an intimacy rarely found in any other venue. The tiered seating means everyone can see and the comfortable seats make for a nice break from the usual 3 hours standing up being bumped into by some drunk who insists on singing the lyrics to different songs at the top of his lungs (its always a guy) whenever there's a break between songs. Bonus points must be given for the merchandise on the night. T-Shirts were an extremely affordable €10 which left plenty of money for drink/food etc.
The support came from a gravel voiced undertaker by the name of Rohan Kriwaczek. Having had a falling out with the rest of his band, he performed a solo show consisting of songs that reminded me of Swordfishtrombones era Tom Waits meets Danny Elfman. The few tracks that really stood out were 'Big Shot', a venomous ode to the big bankers and major company heads, Who would have known, a bittersweet part-love song to the singers ex-wife and the closer 'The Undertaker's Ball' which was a tongue-in-cheek tale about the goings on at undertaker's parties. The set was short and sweet but made its point perfectly.
A short break and then Amanda Palmer took the stage. Clothed in an antique dress she proceeded to open the show with an unaccompanied version of 'The Wind That Shakes The Barley' by Robert Dwyer Joyce. Swiftly ripping off the dress to reveal a t-shirt and stockings she burst into a blistering performance of 'Astronaut' the lead track off her solo album 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer'. Unfortunately Zoe Keating, who provided support and played cello on a few tracks at the previous Academy gig, was not in attendance and this particular song suffered somewhat but the energy with which it was performed did help make up some of the ground lost.
The gig was a slightly more laid back affair than her previous performance with more tear jerkers, slow burners and covers however this matched the feel of the venue and resulted in an incredibly memorable night. A few technical difficulties during the set, namely 'Bad Habit' and forgetting the lyrics to one verse of her newest song did little to damage the strength of the performance and were dealt with with an endearingly self deprecating sense of humour. The highlight of the night was the closer 'Half Jack' from the Dresden Dolls first album. The encore came in the form of a leap offstage into the crowd for a solo acoustic ukelele performance of the Radiohead classic 'Creep'. The capacity crowd was encouraged to sing and sing they did. This was one of those moments when the crowd feels truly connected with one another and even when it was over everyone left with a smile on their face.
Anyway for another dose of Amanda Palmer and a Book signing by Neil Gaiman head down to Chapters on Parnell Street today at 5. I will most definitely be there.
Set List:
Wind that shakes the barley
Astronaut
I Want You But I Don't Need You (by Momus)
Bad Habit
My Favourite Things (from the Sound of Music)
Mrs O.
I Google You (Lyrics by Neil Gaiman)
Guitar Hero
Trout Heart Replica (New Song)
Runs In The Family
House That I Grew Up In
Poem (An actual poem not a song called poem)
Oasis (I think this was here but I can't be sure I neglected to take it down)
Colorblind
Half Jack
Creep
PS - In a testament to how nice Amanda Palmer's fans are, when I missed my last bus I was given a floor to sleep on and a sleeping bag to sleep in by a very nice guy called Dean who I'd been talking to when I was looking for a ticket. I even got breakfast! So I just want to say an extremely big thank you and to anyone who reads this if you end up in a similar situation in either role please follow this guys example.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
