Friday 29 May 2009

Bat For Lashes-Pearl's Dream: Video

Another day in the world of Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan includes Wolves, flying and scary blonde alter ego's, well that's what it would seem in her new video for her forthcoming single Pearl's Dream. Again it's quite ethereal but I love it. An excellent follow up track to Daniel, her first single from current album Two Suns.

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Heads Will Roll: Video

The second track to be released as a single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs current album It's Blitz is Heads Will Roll. The video features some kind of man wolf that likes to dance and then rip a few limbs off a few innocent folk including the band themselves. It reminds me of an evil version of the dog in Daft Punk's, Da Funk video. Richard Ayoade is yet again using his genius when it comes to music videos. His previous music video work includes The Arctic Monkey's Fluorescent Adolescent, Vampire Weekends Oxford Comma and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa and the Last Shadow Puppets, Standing Next To Me.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Jamie T-Sticks n' Stones: Video

Former Mercury Music Prize nominee Jamie T dropped his debut Panic Prevention to the masses in January 2007 to much critical acclaim. It entered the UK chart at number four and this was bolstered by four top 20 singles including the very honest If You Got The Money. Preferring to sing in his natural and cheeky cockney accent, Jamie became quite recognisable instantly and now he back in August with his second LP, King And Queens which features vocals from Florence Welch (of Florence and The Machine fame) on an unnamed track. Running Ahead of this is the Sticks N' Stones EP, released on June 26th with the lead track being the obvious, Sticks N' Stones.
The video makes me want to throw a few stones...

Monday 25 May 2009

Moderat-A New Error: Video

It's fair to say the coming together of two stellar artists, Modeselektor and Apparat is many an electronic music fans fantasy made reality. Moderat is the name of the collaboration between both of these Berlin based acts which they formed in 2002 and the self titled album they released last month is nothing short of excellent. The album features an array of vocal guests including Californian rapper Busdriver and Paul St. Hilaire who features on Modeselektor's 2007 release Happy Birthday.
The first single from the album is A New Error and it's accompanied by an interesting video.

Friday 22 May 2009

Chairlift-Evident Utensil (The Juan Maclean Remix)

The weekend starts here...well with Juan Maclean in the remix then it might as well.
After releasing one of the most credible albums this year with The Future Will Come, he triumphs again with a first rate remix of Brooklyn newbies, Chairlift's Evident Utensil.
Check it out below and take to the dance floor.

Thursday 21 May 2009

Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus: Album Review

The pop band that teeter on the edge of getting it completely wrong. Having discussed Phoenix with various comrades over the last month, it was eventually agreed the French band perfect the right mix of pop and indie to avoid overkill on either genre.

This Friday May 22nd sees Phoenix release their 4th studio album,Wolfgang Amadeus.
In short it's faultless pop, speckled wonderfully with indie rock. The opening track and first official single from the album, Liztomania, is purely anthemic and reminds me of how The Strokes classic Last Night tore up many a dance floor when it was first released. This is swiftly followed by 1901, a track the band released as a free download on their website back in February, which is also cleverly paced and well delivered indie pop.
Love Like a Sunset
takes a break from the hi velocity that kicks off the album and this creates a variety of soundscapes from funk to atmospheric shoe gaze which allow it to elevate subtly with perfect mixing from Philippe Zdar who also mixed the bands debut United.
Zdar's influence is pretty obvious through out, with louder beats and a smooth transition between tracks enabling the album to fuse faultlessly.
It's pretty hard to pick a favourite song on this record as it's quite excellent as a whole, but the stand out for me has to be Fences. Thomas Mars' vocal and the arrangement of the track as a whole brings it back to the quality and verve of previous Phoenix releases reminding me, without much prompting just how great a band they are.

So is Wolfgang Amadeus the album to finally break through to the oblivious musos of the world? Well I would like to think so. With the year that's in it, for albums in 2009 it is certainly up there for me and when I eventually wrench it from the stereo I will gladly let you know if that opinion still stands. Expect to see it on many an end of year album list.

Phoenix-1901 video

Wednesday 20 May 2009

The Noises In Our Heads present Incommunicado live @ The Lower Deck June 18th.

So here it is...our first gig night is happening in The Lower Deck on June 18th 2009 starring three up and coming musical delights to fill your ears. First up is Incommunicado, the brain child of Andrew Cooke (yes he does do the odd review on this site) who began writing and composing music a number of years back while in college in Trinity. He is a bass player at heart but likes to experiment with synths, strings, drums, guitars and anything that influences his strange and wonderful musical idea's. Since beginning these adventures he recruited a number of talented folk to play alongside him and now they play with more equipment on stage to possibly rival local friends Halves.

Also on the bill on the night is Jennifer Evans & The Ripe Intent. Local folk and blues tress Jennifer Evans can stun you into silence with her powerful vocal and as a self taught musician her influences range from Patti Smith and Sandy Denny to Jimi Hendrix. She recently recorded a version of Dusty Springfield's classic 'Goin' Back' for the current ESB TV ad campaign.

Lastly is the weird ramblings of Slurps who intend on bringing curious indie proceeding to the night with some glamourama galore.

Tax in on the night is €7.00 and it would be nice to see some of you there.

Incommunicado-Midsummers Night MP3

Monday 18 May 2009

Broken Social Scene back in the studio.

Great! Some good news to wake me from a hazy Monday morning.
The Broken Social Scene are currently back in the studio recording their 3rd studio album. On the bands blog Kevin Drew gushed enthusiastically about how the band
"spent the last couple of weeks at Chuck Spearin’s house/rehearsal space/backyard writing tunes, drinking coffees, hanging with the family...and now its time for the record button". The BSS are recording their new material with John McEntire of Tortoise and The Sea & Cake fame at Soma studio's in Chicago, where Drew said of McEntire "he is a hero of ours when it comes to recordings so it seems very balanced that we are here". Happy Days and let's hope they make it back over here when they decide to tour this end of the world again.
You can read the rest of Kevin Drew's blog entry HERE

Friday 15 May 2009

Florence And The Machine-Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up): Video

Florence And The Machine have announced that the next new single to be taken from their forthcoming debut album Lungs is Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up). It's strong predecessors include Dog Days and my personal favourite Kiss With A Fist which bodes well for a debut album.
The song itself sits similarly alongside the same edginess brought to us by Bat For Lashes, while the video was shot on a lovely sunny day in the English countryside and is quite celestial with a wistful twist. You can get your hands on a copy from June 19th while Lungs shall be available from Friday July 3rd.


Wednesday 13 May 2009

The Ambience Affair-Service Bell (Grizzly Bear Cover Version)

The Ambience Affair @ Whelan's, Dublin.
Cover versions can be pretty hard to get right.
However Dublin based band
The Ambience Affair managed to perform a very credible version of Grizzly Bear's Service Bell (from Horn Of Plenty), at their gig in Whelan's last Friday night and also featured the vocal talents of Elaine Kelly from the delightful Carnival Moon.
The Ambience Affair plan on re-releasing their Fragile Things EP on June 1st which shall feature a new track titled Mockery.
Check out their version of Service Bell HERE and video to Vacant Hearts HERE


Read our review of Veckatimest from Grizzly Bear

Monday 11 May 2009

Filthy Dukes-Messages: Video

Second post of the day that features the Filthy Dukes. I love these guys and their wonderful electro pop productions. Messages is the third single to be taken from their debut Nonsence In The Dark and features the vocals of new kid on the block Tommy Sparks. It sounds straight out of the 80's, but then again so do a lot of tracks these days. For more on the Filthy Dukes go HERE

Filthy Dukes - Messages on Vimeo.

Hockey-Learn To Lose: Video

The second single from to be taken from Hockey's debut album Mind Chaos, which get it's release here in August, is the very excellent Learn To Lose. You can also get yourself a free Filthy Dukes remix of the track from Dazed Digital and it is probably going to be quite the floor filler this summer.
The band are due back in Ireland in July to play Oxegen and again on September 22nd to play their own headline show in The Academy. Check the video to Learn To Lose below.


More on Hockey HERE

Thursday 7 May 2009

Photo's-Themselves aka Doseone and Jel live @ Whelan's

Anticon Records finest, Themselves, played a damn fine show on Sunday night in Whelan's.
It was a joy to watch both Doseone's charismatic MCing and Jel' s unbelievable noise making as they ploughed through their back catalogue.
Support on the night came the very excellent Sunken Foal.
Here are some pictures I took of the night and you can find the rest HERE

Doseone
Themselves @ Whelan's 03.05.09
Themselves
Themselves @ Whelan's 03.05.09
Jel
Themselves @ Whelan's 03.05.09
Doseone
Themselves @ Whelan's 03.05.09
Doseone
Themselves @ Whelan's 03.05.09
Themselves
Themselves @ Whelan's 03.05.09
Like this post? Then more of the same HERE

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Phoenix-Lisztomania: Video

One of the most addictive songs of the year so far has to be Lisztomania from French indie popstars Phoenix. It's in keeping with what we are used to when we put on a Phoenix album, perfect 3 minute pop songs with the sing-a-long factor.
Lisztomania is no different and is the first single from their excellent 4th studio album Wolfgang Amadeus which is out here on May 22nd.

Phoenix - Lisztomania on Vimeo.

Friday 1 May 2009

Clubfeet-Teenage Suicide: Video

Australia is churning out the goods these days when it comes to quality electronic acts. Recent successes have been Cut Copy, The Presets, Midnight Juggernauts and Empire Of The Sun and new to the fold are Clubfeet.
A melting pot of The Teenagers brash
lyrics and Cut Copy's summery dream-scape synths, Clubfeet arrive audaciously with pounding rhythms at the ready.
The I Heart Comix label are releasing one of the more popular tracks on 12" from Clubfeet's album Gold On Gold and that track is Teenage Suicide (Don't Do It).
It's available from May 3rd from here.

Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest: Album Review

Grizzly Bear lead singer Daniel Rossen is on to something good at the moment. After last year’s justly acclaimed Department Of Eagles album In Ear Park on which he co-collaborated, this new release sees his priority band on top form.

Veckatimest (disappointingly named after a small island in Massachusetts and not a Swedish aphrodisiac) is a shimmering, understated ritual of pop elegance with occasional electronic disturbance and the odd blast of percussive wrath. It is the rhythmic and vocal panache that elevates the music beyond similar styles; in regards to the latter, the case is helped by a contribution from each band member, resulting in subtle variety from track to track. Strong catchy opening tracks Southern Point and Two Weeks are counterbalanced nicely by later songs such as Hold Still, where the ambience is hauntingly sweet. Given previous release Yellow House was awash with electro gadgetry and trickery, this predominantly acoustic album is a significant change. Yet as the new songs are simpler in structure and production, this reformed set-up enhances the music to great effect.

On a label where the muscle-bound electronic gods such as Autechre and Aphex Twin bump shoulders, Grizzly Bear flicker quietly in a little niche off to the side. And it is a niche well worth visiting.


Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest is out here on May 22nd on Warp Records

Related posts HERE

Review By Andrew Cooke