Listen To Spies - Liars Call Me King EP With Free Download

Spies first came to my attention last year when a friend recommended them to play a gig I was putting on in The Twisted Pepper. They were then called Lumiere and I instantly loved their post punk tones, dipped in contorted Indie murmurs that were reminiscent of Joy Division and Interpol.

So it is a year later and they are just about to release their first proper EP Liars Call Me King on 7"and free digital download via their Bandcamp Page. This three track EP has seen Spies flourish confidently as a band and develop into something quite exciting. Liars Call Me King, Falter and Fill The Silence make up this fantastic 3 track EP and you can avail of them digitally for free by heading to their Bandcamp Page.

If you like what you hear, you will be able to grab your copy of the 7" from October 27th in Ireland in Tower Records and any other decent record shops.

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.

New Mystery Jets song "Flash A Hungry Smile".

Mystery Jets return with some brand new music for you to salivate over with Flash A Hungry Smile. This is the first track taken from their third studio album Serotonin due out on July 2nd in Ireland and 5th in the UK on Rough Trade Records. The more I listen, the more I love Flash A Hungry Smile, it's wonderfully happy with a nice vintage pop sound.

Serotonin was produced by Chris Thomas whose works include Different Class from Pulp and Anarchy In The UK from the Sex Pistols.

Listen & download your free copy of to Flash A Hungry Smile HERE.

Video- Wild Beasts We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues

The mythical new single from Wild Beasts released at the end of March times well with their UK and Ireland tour. We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues is another ethereal offering from the bands Two Dancers album and as shown below it's accompanying video duplicates this affection.

Wild Beasts Irish dates are as follows:

The Roisin Dubh, Galway-March 25th
Cyprus Avenue, Cork-March 26th
The Academy, Dublin-March 27th
Support on these dates comes from Villagers and Lone Wolf.

Local Natives - Airplanes Video.

I love the Local Natives album Gorilla Manor and they have just made a delectable video to Airplanes, a wonderful song with stunning harmonies that represents Local Natives finely.
They are due to play in Academy 2 in Dublin on March 10th and tickets are a steal at €13.50.
Take a peek at their video and enjoy what they are about.

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.

The Dodos-Longform Video

The second track on The Dodos 2009 release Time To Die is the alluring Longform, a pounding and fast paced concoction of drums and guitar that they have just made a video to.

The video to Longform has me dreaming of summery days in the countryside and temporarily wipes away the winter blues. The perfect antidote to a cold day. Enjoy the warmth!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

Sean Bones-Dancehall Video

I was unsure whether I liked this song when I first heard it but its contagious and summery notes have me bopping along every time I listen to it now. Sean Sullivan or Sean Bones, who is also a guitarist with indie poppers Sam Champion, released his debut album Rings last week and Dancehall is the first single to be taken from the reggae inspired album. If that wasn't enough to keep Sean Bones busy then, Sam Champion also have a new album ready for the listening on September 4th called Heavenly Bender out on North Street Records. Check them out!

Micachu And The Shapes-Golden Phone: Video

The Micachu and The Shapes album Jewellery released in April this year is one of 2009's more eccentric albums. With most instruments on Jewellery home made, it's no wonder Mica Levi (Micachu) is being talked up. There are many interesting and excellent tracks on the album including Lips and Curly Teeth but one of them is definitely Golden Phone and here it is accompanied by a video.

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...

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

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

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.

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