Video: Metronomy - She Wants

Electronic quartet Metronomy are due to return this year with a brand new studio album The English Riviera, but first they have served up a small bite of what's to come with She Wants, a delicious dark and funky synth pop tune with a creepy video to boot.  

The English Riviera is Metronomy's third album and is the follow up to 2009's very awesome Nights Out.

She Wants is released on January 28th in Ireland and January 31st in the UK.

METRONOMY - She Wants - By JUL & MAT from JUL & MAT on Vimeo.

Babe, Terror - 'Havai' (Memory Tapes Rework)

You might have guessed by now that I am a Memory Tapes fan since I post a lot of his remixes and reworks on this blog. So here is another, a wonderful rework of Babe, Terror's Havai and it's nothing short of stellar. Babe, Terror uses his voice and lo-fi recording equipment to make music, making it a fantastic template for the mesmerising stylings created by Memory Tapes. The accompanying video was shot with an intangible and vintage feel which I suppose reflects the rework itself. It's a good one for a Friday!

The 'Havai'/Epicentro EP is out on Monday on Phantasy Sound with the original track and re-workings from Memory Tapes and Duke Dumont.

Video: Crystal Fighters - Follow

I am addicted to the brand new single from Crystal Fighters called Follow. It's definitely one of those songs that keeps building in pace until you are practically dancing around the room like a lunatic. The video is a multicoloured event and was directed by Ian Pons Jewell.

Follow is the song to start your weekend to - so watch, listen and dance and it's out in Ireland today and the UK on Monday September 27th.

Video: The Japanese Popstars - Destroy

The Japanese Popstars have been making waves on the dance circuit for about four years now and these Derry boys certainly know how to bring the noise. Having already remixed for the big guns in pop including Beyonce, Groove Armada, Depeche Mode and more recently Gorillaz, The Japanese Popstars are already the new remix favourites.

So now it's their turn to dish out their own tunes and the sublime Destroy is their first official single since signing to Virgin/EMI. The legendary Jon Spencer is on vocal duties for this one and also stars in the wicked video. Destroy is a dark but addictive track and a fantastic introduction to The Japanese Popstars.


The Japanese Popstars - Destroy

Destroy is out on Digital download and 12" in Ireland on July 2nd 2010.

Video: Holy Fuck "Latin America".

Freshly squeezed from the bands second album Latin, due on the shelves this Friday (May 7th), Holy Fuck return with Latin America as their first hint of what to expect from their new material.
The video to accompany lends a nostalgic note and also becomes some sort of video blog of the bands live shows, mish mashed together with random scenery and general everyday moments.

It works however and it was directed beautifully by Yoonha Park who has previously worked with Holy Fuck and has directed for A Place To Bury Strangers on their track The Falling Sun.

Holy Fuck: Latin America from Yoonha Park on Vimeo.

Errors A Rumour In Africa - Video

Errors are a band from Glasgow that make terrifyingly fantastic electro rock sounds. Their first album It's Not Something But It Is Like Whatever was released two years ago on Mogwai's label Rock Action Records and the follow up Come Down With Me is out February 26th (Irl) and March 1st (UK). Errors don't just make straight forward electro rock but add plenty electronics and post rock nuggets to the equation mixing it up nicely.
Below is their new video to the brilliant A Rumour In Africa. Puppets on a string anyone?



Happy Birthday to Hazel. x

Errors play Academy 2 on Thursday March 25th.

The Noises In Our Heads Present The Evening Watch plus very special guests...

This is the second gig of 2009 for The Noises In Our Heads. After a packed out gig back in June with Incommunicado, Jennifer Evans & The Ripe Intent and Slurps in the Lower Deck, I am set to do it all over again. This time the fun shall be staged in The Twisted Pepper on Abbey Street and the lineup is as follows:

Over the last three months The Evening Watch have been working tirelessly on lots of new songs since their days as Incommunicado. This indie electronic outfit based in Dublin have influences ranging across the board from Kings Of Convenience to Jim O'Rourke and like to use a large range of instruments on stage including live strings. A feast for the ears indeed.

Next up is The Indecent Cigar Emporium, who are a 6 piece outfit that started out playing psychedelic bluegrass until the funk got the better of them and they have since evolved into a quirky funk, beat driven band with a large sense of humour. It's Metronomy meets The Flight Of The Conchords.

With a name like Lumière you would expect lo fi, ambient or classical music but not with this band. This alternative rock outfit based in Dublin tear it up with loud, breakneck guitars and drums. Fans of Hot Club De Paris and Foals should enjoy them.

November 18th is the date and the door tax is €6...Bargain!

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

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

Cassius- Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes: Video

French duo Cassius release a brand new EP today July 14th titled Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes on their own Cassius Records. It is a four track EP and the tracklisting goes as follows:

1.Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes (Single Edit)
2.Almost Cut My Hair
3.Y-S-T-C
4.Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes (Extended Version)

It's good to see the Cassius boys return on form and hopefully an album shall follow in the near future. You can here the first two tracks from their EP on their MySpace now and the video to accompany Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes features clips from cult film Gummo.

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We Have Band-You Came Out: Video

One of my favourite video's of 2009 is You Came Out from We Have Band. Directed by David Wilson, It is an interesting animation where no live footage was used, but instead the video comprises of 4,816 still images which yields stellar results. We have band are Darren Bancroft, Dede W and Thomas W and You Came Out is available now on Kill Em All Records.

The Kill Em All club night takes place once a month in Fabric in London. This month on July 3rd in Room 2, sees a packed and excellent line-up, with Holy Ghost, Riton, Filthy Dukes and The Rumblestrips all taking to the stage. For more info go HERE

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.

Peaches-Talk To Me: Video

So electronic mistress Peaches is back with a new album which is released this Friday called I Feel Cream through XL Recordings. I Feel Cream is Peaches' 5th studio album and her first in 3 three years. On the producing privileges is James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco, who was also responsible for producing The Klaxons debut, Myth's Of The Near Future and the multi talented man also plays drums on the The Last Shadow Puppets excellent debut album, The Age Of The Understatement.

Peaches' preceding single is titled Talk To Me and you can have a look below.


Peaches - Talk To Me (Official Video) on Vimeo.

Hockey & Passion Pit Live in Whelan's: Review

Last night a sold out crowd in Whelan's were treated to not one, but two sparkling performances from Hockey and Passion Pit. Hockey who are from Portland, Oregon opened the show with Work, one of their funk filled tracks from the forthcoming album Mind Chaos which gets it's release here in May.Work invited the audience into their set from the get go which in return, snowballed into a rapturous performance with the band performing the wonderfully spirited Song Away and soul driven 3am Spanish. By the time Hockey performed their current single and current band anthem Too Fake, the crowd were so enamoured by vocalist Ben Gruben's vivacity and panache that I thought Passion Pit had a tough one to follow if I am being honest.
So Passion Pit came on to the stage surrounded by keyboards, drums, more keyboards, Samplers, Synths and guitars. Their audience was a well warmed up mix of young and old(er) and I think every female in attendance fell a little bit in love/lust (just a little bit now), with lead vocalist Michael Angelakos for the simple fact that the songs that have captured their hearts were written for his girlfriend as a Valentines gift. Synth pop at its best, I've Got Your Number, kicked off proceedings in a sprightly fashion upping the tempo and sound of the night to eleven. Smile Upon Me and Better Things from the accomplished Chunk Of Change EP, also enchanted the crowd into some great sing-a-long moments while tune of the night was always going to be the hugely brilliant and popular Sleepyhead.

If you unfortunately missed either Hockey or Passion Pit then gladly you will get a second chance to catch both acts as Hockey have been confirmed for Oxegen and Passion Pit for The Electric Picnic, thanks Jim Carroll for this joyous news on a Monday morning.
Check back later in the week to hear what Hockey had to say when we met them for a coffee while they were in town.

The Pet Shop Boys-Love Etc: Video

I quite like the new single from The Pet Shop Boys, Love Etc. It is addictive as hell after a few listens and comes fresh from their new album Yes which is out on March 20th. After some strange and flat duets at last weeks Brit Awards with Lady Ga Ga and Brandon Flowers, I think it's best they stick to making and performing music as the great duo that they are.

Alias Empire (The Band Formerly Known As Dry County)

Alias Empire are a four piece electronic/dance band based in Dublin. Their name may not be fully familiar right now but you may remember them as Dry County (R.I.P). 

The band recently came to the decision to change their name after a finding a band in Canada that shared their label and they also agreed that the name Dry County didn't quite fit how the band's music had developed from when they first started out. So its Alias Empire and one thing is clear, they have not changed in their vivacity as a band as they are currently in the middle of putting together their second long player due out in the latter part  of 2009.

Their live shows carry a strong audio visual treat and with the new band name and a tonne of new songs you can expect to see them back on the road again very soon.

In the meantime head over to their MySpace player and get a hint of what is to come www.myspace.com/aliasempireofficial