Tyondai Braxton-Platinum Rows from the album Central Market

Many people would know Tyondai Braxton mostly from his work with Battles or Prefuse 73, but the super talented, multi instrumentalist has just gone and knocked my socks off with the first piece from his debut solo album. The track is called Platinum Rows and is a 10 minute scored piece recorded with the Wordless Music Orchestra from New York. Braxton composed this piece himself and it is quite thrilling to say the least. It has a cartoon soundtrack feel in parts and is perfectly paced.
Taken from the album Central Market, it gets a full release in Ireland on September 11th on Warp Records, whom are not shy in the least about this release, calling it a "full-length solo masterpiece".
After hearing Platinum Rows I am going to presume they are right. Have a listen below.

Chairlift-Ceiling Wax Video

Brooklyn's Chairlift have just released the video to Ceiling Wax, the last track on the sublime Does You Inspire You album released last year. This is full on do it yourself as the video was directed by Caroline from the band and filmed by Ethan Silverman, their good friend and tour manager.
The wonderfully graceful modern /ballet dancer is Aaron from the Chairlift's sister and the band themselves feature in plastic bags. The track Ceiling Wax itself is elegant and haunting and a perfect first thing in the morning /last thing at night song if you are that way inclined. Not the most obvious track from Does You Inspire You but a great one all the same.

The Evening Watch @ the Bernard Shaw TONIGHT!

Dublin based band The Evening Watch are playing a free show tonight in The Bernard Shaw.
Formerly known as Incommunicado, The Evening Watch mix it up nicely with a fine use of electronics, guitar, bass, strings and even some well placed cowbell.
There are drink promotions a plenty and some excellent tunes!

Hockey-Song Away Video

It's only a couple of weeks away until Hockey's debut album Mind Chaos FINALLY hits the shelves here in Ireland and in the UK and I must say it's a corker. Preceding that however is the release of their addictive new single Song Away. In the video they are doing it for the misfits of this world and feel good theme reflects the song perfectly. Enjoy!



Mind Chaos is out on Friday September 18th and you can catch Hockey live @ The Academy on September 22nd.

Mount Eerie-Wind's Poem Album Review

Black Metal, a genre close to my heart, has metamorphosed continually since its birth in the early nineties in Norway. Initially black metal was a genre concerned with social upheaval, dark currents of anarchistic change and a string of arson's which culminated in a murder or two. Since such times the genre, despite the odds, has grown throughout the world. What once was an infamous sub-genre of heavy metal, only popularized by its faults , spread across the globe, spurring international interpretations of this blackened art. The latest such interpretation comes from an unsuspecting source, this time in the shape of Phil Elverum of Microphones/Mount Eerie.

Wind’s Poem is not a typical trip into a black metal experience. Elverum, clearly a fan of the genre, has taken his own interpretation and committed it to tape. The opening track, the fittingly titled Wind’s Dark Poem would fit well amongst the collection of any black metal collector. The lo-fi growl of blasting guitars, typical of Elverum’s style, is as unrelenting as it is unsettling, contrasted only by Elverum’s soft voice amidst the drone of guitar noise. This theme continues throughout, Elverum’s voice offers stark contrast to the distorted instruments it accompanies.

But is Wind’s Poem a black metal album? No, not in the classical sense anyway. Wind’s Poem, however, is certainly a Microphones/Mount Eerie album, unmistakably so in fact., and is bound to please fans. Whether it will convert black metal fans, on the other hand, is an entirely different question, one which must be answered with a resounding ‘no’. Thematically this is a black metal album, ask any patron of the genre and they will tell you that black metal is inextricably linked to nature and wilderness. Hence an album concerned with forests and wind ticks the boxes, but only in a thematic sense. Musically the same cannot be said, although there are moments of familiarity to the genre it is supposed to be echoing, there are only vast similarities to Elverum’s previous work, even the track, Between Two Mysteries, is a take on Twin Peak’s, leaving Elverum well beyond the realms of the darkened woods of Norway’s Fjords.

Wind's Poem, is not a bad album, not at all, it is though a misleading one. I, who am not a particularly great fan of Elverum’s past work, was led to this album by a friend who is a staunch supporter of Mount Eerie and Microphones. Knowing my unending affection for black metal he pointed me this way, and although I feel as though I may have found a nice [sort of] neo-folk album for my collection, I certainly feel I have not found a black metal one.

Review by Patrick Fennelly

DEAF Fundraiser gig and Festival lineup.

The 2009 Dublin Electronic Arts Festival takes place in venues around Dublin from Thursday October 22nd until Saturday October 31st. To help it get underway, the DEAF crew have organised a fundraiser event in Meeting House Square in the heart of Temple Bar tomorrow night (August 21st for those of you on a different time line). If it's the weather you are worried about then no need, as a marquee style tent shall provide adequate shelter against the elements and if that's not to your satisfaction then you can indulge in the bar and restaurant set up in the square.

It kicks off at 6 bells and is tickets are a steal at €10.00. The line up is the best of Irish and the running order is as follows:
6.30pm Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands
7.20pm Channel One
8.15pm Thread Pulls
9.00pm The Jimmy Cake
9.45pm Boxcutter
10.30pm Dark Room Notes
11.30 Spilly Walker
12.15pm Sarsparilla

DJ's: Skinny Wolves, Maximum Joy/VJ Metaldragon + guests.

Also this years line up has just been announced and I must admit it's pretty excellent.
International Artists confirmed include Modeselektor, Clark, David Holmes, Andy Votel, Tim Exile, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Surgeon and Planetary Assault Systems.
On the Irish front confirmed for this years festival include Legion Of Two, Sunken Foal, Neosupervital, Donal Dineen and Somadrone.

For more info on this years festival go to www.deafireland.com

Amanda Blank-I Love You Album Review

Titled I Love You you would expect this release to focus on emotions, intimacy, relationship struggles etc. It doesn't. This album is concerned primarily with getting our arses on the dance floor and rap along to lyrics like "Tryin'-a get up in my pussy and smash. I'm Beyoncé, independent woman, handle that" without letting their raunchiness put us off.

As an entire work Amanda Blank's debut doesn't stand out. There are, however, some great highlights such as Might Like you Better and Shame on Me. The latter featuring purred vocals reminiscent of the best of Miss Kitten or a grown up Lady Ga Ga and is personally the best on the album. For those into their dirty electro it's a must listen.

Unfortunately, there are low points such as Love Song. It sits uncomfortably in the middle of the 33 minute album, slows down the pace and asks us to ignore all the foregone sexually driven lyrics in an attempt to display her own sensitive side.

Blank excels when indulging her M.I.A style rapping, but, when her singing voice is let loose, it manages to impresses with honey sweet vocals that make her more than just another female rapper lost in the mix. Her voice is beautifully utilised on the Lykke Li collaboration Leaving you Behind and then it closes with I Love you, a wonderfully girly high note.

Review by Liz Duffey

Amanda Blank I Love You is out now on Downtown Records.

Jamie T - Chaka Demus Video

The wonderful Jamie T is about to release his second single Chaka Demus, from his highly anticipated second album Kings & Queens out here on September 4th. It's a fantastic follow up to his 2007 Mercury Nominated debut Panic Prevention and we will be bringing you a track by track guide next week. In the meantime enjoy the upbeat summery feel to Chaka Demus, it's addictive!


Catch Jamie T live in The Village on October 24th, upgraded from Whelan's due to overwhelming demand.

Amanda Blank-Might Like You Better Video

Amanda Blank lives it up in a silver balloon filled world in her new video Might Like You Better from her new solo album I Love You where she worked with XXChange, Diplo and Dave Sitek.
Blank is known for her brash lyrics on various tracks she has previously worked on and most popularly Bump with Spank Rock. Might Like You Better is out through Downtown Records and the video is directed by Superfad. Song Of The Week for sure.
Also nab yourself the free Blaqstarr remix over on Rcrdlbl.

Juan Maclean-Happy House Video

With a clever use of projections, shiny costumes and excellent choreography, Juan Maclean's video to Happy House is a work out in itself. Also it is a re-release single from his superb album The Future Will Come released earlier this year and features Nancy Whang on vocals.
Disco is making a come back but with more of a psychedelic, spacey edge as showcased recently by Emperor Machine's Kananana track and Erol Alkan's Disco 3000 podcast and DJ sets. Let's embrace it.

Some Kill 'Em All Mini Mixes

The Kill Em All Crew have been busy compiling a couple of mini mixes for your aural pleasure.
The first is a mix done by Stopmakingme for Sup Magazine and features only artists that are featured in the new issue with Bit Boy 8 (I can't get enough of the cracking Baltic Pine), Mi Ami and The xx all included.

Stopmakingme - Mini Mix For 'Sup Magazine by stopmakingme

The second is a 5 minute mini mix by The Filthy Dukes, which if anything is always a treat.
Press play!

Filthy Dukes Mini Mix by Filthy Dukes

Final Fantasy signs to Domino Records

Domino Records have just announced the signing of Final Fantasy and details of a new studio album Heartland due for release in early 2010. Pallett has been working on this album for 9 months and follows his two previous albums He Poos Clouds and Spectrum, 14th Century.

For those in attendance at Field Day in London recently, we were treated to some of his new material and non surprisingly it went down well with the excited crowd. Autumn and Winter sees Final Fantasy on tour in Canada and The United States with Timber Timbre and The Mountain Goats so we may have to wait a little longer before he returns to these shores.

Twin Atlantic- You're Turning Into John Wayne video

Another Scottish band about to break on through this year are Twin Atlantic from Glasgow.

This four piece like to play it heavy, with boisterous and addictive rock songs that fit like a jigsaw puzzle piece alongside Sam McTrusty's distinguished Scottish vocal.

Having just completed a tour with Taking Back Sunday as well as having previously gigged with The Smashing Pumpkins and The Subways, Twin Atlantic shall be embarking on their own tour in September/October to support the release of their debut mini album Vivarium out in Ireland on September 11th (14th in the UK).

The first single from the album was Lightspeed which you can still download for free from their website and the follow up single due on September 4th is You're Turning Into John Wayne.

It's a song about the invasion of American Culture in different societies today and they have just released the accompanying video.

Florence and The Machine-Drumming Song Video

So here is Florence Welch aka Florence And The Machine getting her groove on with some funky choreography in the video to her new single Drumming Song. With mystical costumes at the ready Florence and co swoon about a church elegantly to the anthemic chorus of the track. This shall probably help inject more sales from her Mercury nominated album Lungs as day time radio will swarm over this like hysterical wasps.

Bat For Lashes-Sleep Alone Video

Bat For Lashes is to release her third single Sleep Alone, from the Mercury nominated album Two Suns on September 4th. Stepping back into the shoes of Natasha Khan of old, Sleep Alone is a track that would have fitted well on her first release Fur And Gold but it has just a little bit more vivacity to suit Two Suns perfectly.

Her two previous singles Daniel and Pearl's Dream from her current album are full on 80's influenced pop songs which have indeed helped Khan's status as an artist. With it being her second nomination could it be her year to grab the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize? I for one certainly hope so.