Live Photo's: Twin Atlantic live @ The O2 (Supporting Blink 182)

Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic played a blistering set in The O2 Dublin in support of headliner's Blink 182. They played to a packed and eager Blink audience for about 45 minutes and it's safe to say they won them over by the time they finished with fan favourite, A Guidance From Colour. I was there to enjoy and take photo's and here are some below.

You can view the full set HERE.

Sam Mctrusty from Twin Atlantic



Ross McNae from Twin Atlantic


Craig Ernest Kneale from Twin Atlantic


Barry McKenna from Twin Atlantic


Sam Mctrusty from Twin Atlantic

Video: Foals "Miami"

The singles are coming out thick and fast from Foals second record Total Life Forever, with Miami being the third track to be released. It's a funky one with a fantastic video directed by Dave Ma, that slightly reminds me of Aphex Twin's Windowlicker and all it's weirdness. Miami is certainly a step away from Foals video's gone past and features transsexuals and body builders having a bit of a scrap! I don't need to say much more than have a look.

A serious contender for album of 2010, Total Life Forever is out now!

Foals - Miami

FOALS | MySpace Music Videos

The Retro Revival club present Graham Day & The Gaolers

If blistering garage rock is your thing then you won't want to miss the next Retro Revival Club night on May 8th in Le Cirk. Authentic as it gets when it comes to garage rock, Graham Day & The Gaolers are set to headline proceedings and they already boast an army of fans from Steve Lamacq, Ian Brown and the Horrors to Noel Gallagher, but don't let the latter put you off.

Graham Day has played with Billy Childish & The Buff Medways and Thee Mighty Caesars, as well as lend a hand as a producer on albums for The Len Price Three and The Discords. Alongside Dan Elektro and Buzz Hagstrom from legendary US garage band The Woggles, you get Graham Day & The Gaolers. A band that will certainly charm you if nothing else. Support on the night comes from The Revellions and The Bloody Shanks. Doors 9pm and tax is €8.

Photo's: You Me At Six live @ The Olympia, March 28th 2010

You Me At Six played a blistering sold out show in Dublin's Olympia Theatre on Sunday night.
Despite suffering from laryngitis, front man Josh Franceschi and the rest of the band brought it full throttle to an ecstatic crowd. Their setlist was made up of some old favourites from Take Off Your Colours but mostly consisted of tracks from their new album Hold Me Down with Safer To Hate Her, Liquid Confidence and the bodacious Underdog receiving ear splitting reactions.
Here are some photo's of the show.

Josh Franceschi

Matt Barnes

Max Helyer

Josh Franceschi

You can view more HERE

The Maccabees Feat. Root Manuva-Empty Vessels Video

A collaboration I was surprised to hear about was the coming together of indie rockers The Maccabees and Roots Manuva, while despite being slightly sceptical at first I am glad to say this works a treat.

This track is featured on the bands current album Wall Of Arms under the title No Kind Words, but with the new lyrics input from Roots the song itself was re-named Empty Vessels.
It was released as a single back in November but the video to the track has just surfaced.

"If you've got no kind words to say, you should say nothing more at all". Well I am going to be kind and say this is a fine re-working of an already great song.

Photo's: You Me At Six supporting Paramore live @ The O2 Dec. 12th 2009

You Me At Six were the main support act for Paramore last night in The O2 and they certainly know how to bring it live. They played mostly tracks from their debut Take Off Your Colours including the super catchy Kiss And Tell, Finders Keepers and Save It For The Bedroom but also included one of their fantastic new tracks, The Consequence.

You Me At Six are set to release their second studio album Hold Me Down here on January 8th in Ireland and 11th in the UK.

Here are some pics from the show and you can view the rest HERE.

Josh Franceschi


Max Helyer


Matt Barnes


Chris Miller

White Rabbits - Percusion Gun Video

Brooklyn, NY keep churning out the goods as another band to emerge from their very healthy music scene and slap you in the face with goodness are White Rabbits.

Originally from Missouri, this six piece indie rock band are about to drop their second studio album at the end of January and it is titled It's Frightening through Mute Records. Despite already having released this in the US, White Rabbits are still fairly new in this part of the world.
They cite Bob Dylan and The Specials as their influence of choice and have toured with The Walkmen and Richard Swift. Percussion Gun is their new single out now also through Mute and it is one of those 'on repeat' tracks. Test it for yourself!

Twin Atlantic-What Is Light? Where Is Laughter? Video

Twin Atlantic return with the raucous What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?, the third single to be released from their sterling debut album Vivarium. The band shot the video in sunny LA last month and despite no sun actually featuring in the video it's still extremely slick.
The lads have just announced details of another headline tour of the UK to kick off in January with Irish dates to be added soon. Watch this space.

Warp Records introduce Nice Nice

Warp Records are yet again on the ball when it comes to signing decent talent and Portland Oregon's Nice Nice are no exception. Duo Jason Buehler and Mark Shirazi have been playing together for about 10 years and their music is all about the loops which they prefer to do rather than use samples and the result is ace.
A wonderful mish mash of hypnotic rhythms and intense, consequential guitars all ready for the listening.

The first track to be released from Nice Nice on Warp is One Hit which shall be available on 7" format from November 20th but, as an introduction to the band you can download the mp3 of One Hit and it's B-side Ark Drum from the Warp website for free. This precedes the bands new album Extra Wow which is released here in April.
Nice Nice are also about to embark on a European tour so head to the Warp site for dates and details.
In the meantime have a listen to both below.

One Hit

Ark Drum

These New Puritans to release new album in 2010.

Southend-On-Sea favourites These New Puritans have just announced details of their brand new studio album Hidden, released here on January 15th 2010. The album is produced by band members Jack Barnett and Graham Sutton and was mixed by the man who has mixed and produced for J Dilla, Madlib and MF DOOM, Dave Cooley. A note posted in the news section on the Domino Records website said 'the album draws equally on on the rhythmic lexicons of dancehall and 20th century post-minimalism, with instrumentation redolent of both the oceanic brass of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes and the plastic textures of modern U.S. pop. It is sometimes brutal, sometimes melancholy, and sounds like nothing else'.

Instruments used in the recording of Hidden include; six-foot Japanese Taiko drums, a thirteen piece brass and woodwind ensemble and Foley recording techniques (including a melon with cream crackers attached struck by a hammer, used to simulate the sound of a human head being smashed)...lovely!
Angular Records shall be releasing the album in the UK and Ireland while Domino shall release the album worldwide.

The tracklisting is as follows:
1. Time Xone
2. We Want War
3. Three Thousand
4. Hologram
5. Attack Music
6. Fire–Power
7. Orion
8. Canticle
9. Drum Courts–Where Corals Lie
10. White Chords
11. 5

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!

Photographs @ HWCH '09

Hats off to the organisers of the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival '09. It was a fantastic weekend of live music, photography and panel discussions. Most importantly though it showcased a lot of Irish musicians from all genres and it left me in doubt that there is a serious amount of talent in Irelend. I took some photo's of that very talent I speak of and for more you can click HERE.

Distractors live @ Academy 2 for HWCH '09


Distractors live @ Academy 2 for HWCH '09


O Emperor live @ ALT for HWCH '09


O Emperor live @ ALT for HWCH '09


Gran Casino live @ ALT for HWCH '09


Gran Casino live @ ALT for HWCH '09


Sweet Jane live @ ALT for HWCH '09


Sweet Jane live @ ALT for HWCH '09

Twin Atlantic coming to a town near you this week.

After playing to a largely under age audience in The Academy supporting Taking Back Sunday in July, Twin Atlantic have released their debut album Vivarium and played a tonne of gigs all over the place including the hugely popular Sonisphere festival. Their own headline tour has seen them grace the stages of venues up and down the UK and they are about to return to Ireland for 4 gigs of their own.

Starting this Sunday the band are in to play the following dates:
Sunday October 4th- Auntie Annies, Belfast
Monday October 5th- The Roisin Dubh, Galway
Tuesday October 6th- The Academy 2, Dublin
Wednesday October 7th- Old Oak, Cork

Last month I wrote a wee piece about the band and their video for You're Turning Into John Wayne but check out the video to their first single released from Vivarium, Lightspeed.

Girls-Lust For Life Video

Lust For Life has been around for a couple of months now but I love it and thought it worth a mention today. It's wonderfully summer filled melodies have me pining for San Francisco and that's exactly where this duo are from. Girls are Christopher Owens and JR White, yes the band is made up of two males whose lyrics are less than sugar sweet against the pleasant musical façade.
In Lust For Life Owens sings about being crazy and fucked up in the head, good for you mate, it's good to know, but it is one of those songs that you end up humming and for hours on end and really enjoy. Definitely worth checking out.!



Girls debut album is out this Friday on Fantasy Trashcan and is titled Album while the bands UK tour kicks off on October 9th.

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.

Festivals a go go

This August bank holiday sees a tonne of adventures at the ready for music fans.
We have Castlepalooza in Charleville Castle, Tullamore showcasing some of the best Irish music currently doing the rounds. Expect great things from the sublime Ambience Affair, the boisterous Super Extra Bonus Party, Prodigy-esque antics from Noise Control and get in fancy dress for the ultimate Rocky Horror Picture Show performance.


For ravers and rockers, Marley Park is where to head this weekend with Metallica, Alice In Chains and Mastodon all playing there on Saturday August 1st. David Guetta, Fatboy Slim and Fake Blood shall then be pumping out beats of the large variety on Sunday August 2nd.

Lastly for the adventurists this weekend, check out Field Day Festival in London's Victoria Park. It has a pretty darn great lineup with Mogwai, The Horrors, Micachu and The Shapes, Mystery Jets and Final Fantasy all ready to ear please. You also have the chance to bring out your inner kid with The Young Offenders Ping Pong, Onion Peeling Contest and the Egg and Spoon and Sack races all taking place throughout the festival. What more could you want.