https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/246/Max-Richter-Infra#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=246 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=246&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/246/Max-Richter-Infra A review of the album Infra by Max Richter Review Snapshot: While not pushing the boat out too far with this piece, Max Richter, a composer famed for his work with such bands as Future Sounds of London, has constructed an evocative and sensitive piece filled with emotion and imagery. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: It’s hard to avoid the first thought that enters the mind when listening to this track: films. But comparing this stand-alone studio album is not an insult. In fact the thought merely betrays its true nature: a ballet, conceived alongside choreography by Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie for the Royal Ballet. This music on this album is developed somewhat from the original opera, so that it stands alone and perfectly valid as a studio album in itself. Yet to immediately associate it with soundtracking is a testament to the strength of imagery and atmosphere with which the composer has imbued it, not a belittlement of it in itself. In fact, the rich evocativeness of Richter’s music has been recognised numerous times and has been featured in film scores, including that of last year’s ‘Waltz with Bashir’ documentary, or Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’. Written for piano, string quartet and electronics, Infra is a refreshingly unembellished score, conjuring up impressions and atmospheres with apparently little effort. Though the instrumental writing is not particularly groundbreaking or new – in fact, much of it smacks just a little too much of Glass and Nymen for comfort – Richter has clearly kept things simple for a reason. Neither is the source material of the electronic movements all that original or inspiring. Radio interference, intercepted signals, feedback and static are at this stage hackneyed ideas for electronic composition, but again Richter treats them with the same delicacy as the instruments. Found sounds from Schubert’s Winterreise make an exceptional addition to the electronic background, however, as a perfect example of mood, material and theme. Sparse textures, short beautiful motifs and an aching and unassuming sadness that (mostly) manages to stay clear of cliché are evidence of the piece’s original inspiration: T.S. Eliot’s the Wasteland. Similar to the poem, the piece is delicate, poised, outwardly calm, but hints at a roiling discomfort beneath. By putting the instrumental and electronic parts together, Richter has created a duality that pervades the entire piece in different ways, not least in the structure of the piece itself. The work is divided into short movements named Infra 1-8 and Journey 1-5. While material is shared between the two, there are definite shifts in mood, for example the almost threatening dynamism of Journey 2 versus the calmness of Infra 1.The effect is like a juxtaposed 66e and Steve Reich, a marriage of classical techniques and contemporary aesthetics that makes for an interesting and evocative listen. Anna Murray Infra 1 by max richter More ... Anna Murray Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:246 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/41/The-Ambience-Affair#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=41 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=41&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/41/The-Ambience-Affair Give us a bit of background to The Ambience Affair to this point. We met two years ago in a music shop in Dublin. I had been playing solo for about a year previous to that.I felt there was a need for something extra as the songs weren't progressing in a way that I wanted. I invited Marc to one of my solo gigs and we soon decided to form the band. Have there been any particularly memorably highs and lows thus far? High points would probably be some of the gigs we've been lucky to play. Our last EP launch tour was one filled with great moments. I think we've been very fortunate to not have had many lows at all so far. Sure, we've played the odd awful gig or two but in general, I can't think of much that made me question being in the band. Your stripped-down set of live self-sampling and looping have drawn many comparisons to pioneers like Owen Pallet. Do you think you draw a lot of influence from him and similar artists? I think that although we do an aesthetically similar thing, Owen Pallet is an entirely different songwriter and musician. It is true that he was one of the first musicians who showed me the capabilities of a loop-station, but I'd like to think we've applied our own unique take on using one as a songwriting tool. You released the excellent Patterns EP earlier this year. Who did you work with in producing it? Or did you go the fully independent route and do it all yourself? We've assembled a team of fairly gifted people around us which I think has helped us alot along the way. From the artwork done by Alex Synge to working with producer Ian McNulty, it's all been a team effort to get a quality record into people's hands. As we're currently not signed to any label, we released it independently. Were there any pleasant or unpleasant surprises along the way, from recording to releasing? Are you happy with its reception so far? The reception has been great. It's weird to think that we've only stocked it in one record shop in the country and it has got such exposure, from radio DJs to the CSI thing. I guess 'Parting Patterns' being used on CSI:NY was one of the pleasant surprises. Some have said that while it is one of the better releases by an Irish artist over the last year or so, it somewhat fails to capture the real Ambience Affair essence, as it lacks the build-ups, excitement and thick textures of the essentially process-based live show. How would you respond to that? I think alot of artists try too hard on recreating the excitement of a live show on record. At first, we were like that. We were very wary of doing anything on record that we couldn't do live but the experience we gained from recording meant that we realised that the songs were going to be limited in sound if we stuck to exactly how they are performed live. Now we're not afraid to make the two things a separate entity. Our live show will always hopefully captivate in a way that a record never will. Do you think the Ambience Affair will remain a predominantly live or studio act? I'd like to think that we can be both. As I've spoken about in the last question, I think people should hopefully go to our gigs and watch an interpretation of our songs in a live setting, rather than us pressing play on a laptop and it being note perfect like it is on record. This month saw the release of EMI's New Breeds compilation double CD of some of the more underground of Ireland's music acts. The Ambience Affair naturally features: can you tell us how that came about? We were just contacted by the organisers and felt it to be a great opportunity to get further exposure and to be in the same group as many talented contemporaries Might this be indicative of a new deal in the works with EMI... I don't think so, we're just happy to be involved with the project. What other acts in the Irish music scene are exciting you most these days? The Irish music scene is very healthy at the moment with bands such as Villagers, O Emperor and We Cut Corners all writing consistently brilliant songs. We're lucky to have played shows with all three and got to see their talent up-close. It's great to have bands like that pushing you to write better songs. What do Ambience Affair have in store for us over the next year or two? The rest of the year will involve doing a support tour of Ireland in July and our own headline tour in October. This, together with a few festivals should keep us going. We've just started recording/demoing for the album so we hope to have it completed by the end of the year. Then we'll look into properly releasing it early 2011. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Fri, 28 May 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:41 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/44/Valerie-Francis#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=44 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=44&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/44/Valerie-Francis CLUAS fires some questions at Valerie Francis, creator of Choice Music Prize nominated album Slow Dynamo. Tell us about the album - its conception, creation, response... Is there anything you'd go back and change about it now? I wouldn't change a thing. I don't think it's good to think like that. We did exactly what we wanted to do at the time and we did it the best we could. I couldn't ask for anything more. I feel that making a record is capturing those songs right then and there. It's a moment and that is how they were meant to be in that moment. A musical Polaroid. I always wanted to make an album and it took a while to make it a reality. I had a few failed attempts at getting started. I think frustration turns into drive after a while. Jimmy [Eadie, the album's producer] is a good friend and I pretty much begged him to record my album. At that stage I just knew I needed to do it and I needed to get people involved who would see it through to the end. Be committed. No one I know is more committed to making music than Jimmy. He puts his whole heart into it. There's no ego either. Which is very important. No sitting around telling each other how great you are. I think that would have made me lazy and distracted. It was just about the music. Being immersed in that for a year was the best year of my life to date. That and Jimmy makes a really good cuppa.  Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? How could I not be happy with the response! I was happy with the reaction from friends alone. It just got better and better. My Dad even listened to it. He said "that's a good tape you've got there". How relevant do you think music awards really are to musicians and music fans? Awards aren't a science. It's a select fews opinion of your album. Just like reviews are one person's opinion. Every musician wants to be heard. It means my album will be heard by some who might never have come across it. I'm very grateful to be 1 of 10 albums up for the Choice. Over 200 Irish albums released last year. Rock on us! Do you think the idea of the album is relevant and capable of holding its own in a world of digital downloading and plummeting CD sales? I can't answer that question. What is relevant? It's music. Some people will like it. Some people won't. As far as CD sales. I knew how drastically that was changing while we were recording. It was never a deterrent. I want to make music. It's what I've been doing my whole life. I'll keep doing it until I'm dead I imagine. Whether anyone's listening or not.    Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? Absolutely. Just look at all the Irish albums released last year. I know these are tough times but music is born through tough times. We all need relief from worrying about how much money we don't have. I want to go to a gig and step into a bubble. Lose myself in music. I think this will be a good year for that. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? It was a surprise to a lot of people including myself that David Kitt wasn't on the list. I also thought Patrick Kelleher was a shoe-in. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Without a doubt Adrian Crowley's Season of the Spark.  Best gig you went to in 2009? Grizzly Bear at Vicar Street. The bass player plays oboe. Come on! Does it get any better? Plans for 2010? I want to record a new album. Here we go again. Please! Check out the CLUAS interviews with these other artists who were also nominated for the 2009 Choice Music Prize: Interview with Dark Room Notes (nominated for their album 'We Love You Dark Matter') Interview with Adrian Crowley (nominated for his album 'The Season of the Sparks') Interview with Laura Izibor (nominated for her album 'Let the truth be told') Interview with The Duckworth Lewis Method (nominated for their self-titled album) Interview with And So I Watch You From Afar (nominated for their self-titled album) More ... Anna Murray Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:44 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/46/The-2010-Choice-Music-Prize-nominees#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=46 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=46&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/46/The-2010-Choice-Music-Prize-nominees Now in its fifth year, the Choice Music Prize is well established as a key milestone on the Irish music scene's calendar. The albums shortlisted for this year's prize represent a diverse and intriguing mix of Irish releases of the last year. The winner will be announced in Vicar Street on 3 March 2010 (8 of the 10 nominated acts are confirmed to play on the night). Always going that extra 1609 metres for its readers, CLUAS prepared a set of questions for each act nominated for the 2009 award. We've so far gotten replies from 6 of the 10 acts, check out the links below to see what each act had to say: Interview with Valerie Francis (nominated for her album 'Slow Dynamo') Interview with Dark Room Notes (nominated for their album 'We Love You Dark Matter') Interview with Adrian Crowley (nominated for his album 'The Season of the Sparks') Interview with Laura Izibor (nominated for her album 'Let the truth be told') Interview with The Duckworth Lewis Method (nominated for their self-titled album) Interview with And So I Watch You From Afar (nominated for their self-titled album) The other artists nominated this year were: Julie Feeney (for her album 'Pages') Bell X1 (for their album 'Blue Lights on The Runway') CODES (for their album 'Trees Dream in Algebra') The Swell Season (for their album 'Strict Joy') More ... Anna Murray Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:46 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/47/Dark-Room-Notes#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=47 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=47&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/47/Dark-Room-Notes CLUAS fires some questions at Darragh of Dark Room Notes, the creators of the Choice Music Prize nominated album We Love You Dark Matter. Tell us about the album - its conception, creation, response... Is there anything you'd go back and change about it now? Well the album was a important for us as it helped us say "OK this is where we're at, let's put out these songs that we've road tested at gigs, record them as best we can and start writing for a second album, let's keep moving forward".  So we recorded live, a track a day over 14 days and kept a momentum in the studio of "this is a nearly live album". The response has been amazing and the album is now getting a global release on BBE records, we've already started writing the second album, what we would change on We Love you Dark Matter? The original art work was banned, that was a shame.   Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? Yes, definitely, and DRN are playing more gigs because of it which helps you become a better musician: it's a win win situation How relevant do you think music awards really are to musicians and music fans? Difficult to say, there's certainly been a lot of debate about it. You don't write to win awards, you write and play to wow each other, to turn each other on, but I think competition is healthy and I know the money would help any of the bands survive making more music. Do you think the idea of the album is relevant and capable of holding its own in a world of digital downloading and plummeting CD sales? Yes, of course, but only if a band are prepared to leave out filler tracks. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? Yes, there's a lot of diversity out there if your prepared to look. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? U2 Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Giz a copy of all of them and we'll tell you. Best gig you went to in 2009? Whitest Boy Alive Plans for 2010? Tour abroad, meet new people, record the second album and fight with each other all over again! Check out the CLUAS interviews with these other artists who were also nominated for the 2009 Choice Music Prize: Interview with Valerie Francis (nominated for her album 'Slow Dynamo') Interview with Adrian Crowley (nominated for his album 'The Season of the Sparks') Interview with Laura Izibor (nominated for her album 'Let the truth be told') Interview with The Duckworth Lewis Method (nominated for their self-titled album) Interview with And So I Watch You From Afar (nominated for their self-titled album) More ... Anna Murray Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:47 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/48/Adrian-Crowley#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=48 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=48&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/48/Adrian-Crowley CLUAS fires some questions at Adrian Crowley, creator of the Choice Music Prize nominated Season of the Sparks. Tell us about the album - its conception, creation, response... Is there anything you'd go back and change about it now? I had already begun writing songs for Season Of The Sparks by the time Long Distance Swimmer was released. I recorded it over the course of fourteen days in Dublin. I'd head over to the studio on the 121 bus with a plan for the day ahead. It seemed to come together easily and I had a clear vision of how I wanted it to sound. I try and develop the songs as much as I can outside the studio so when it came to recording the songs they were down in pretty much one take. The response has been great with reviews and general good will coming from previously unexplored territories thanks to a new record deal with an amazing label. I'm still proud of the album and can't say there's anything about it I would alter. I'll soon be thinking of album number six though. Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? Yes. In fact the response is continuing so I'm still in the thick of it. It's been an amazing few months since the album was released worldwide in November, we're getting feedback from Canada, France, Japan.. it seems the initial reaction has been that the album has struck a chord with certain people across the map. How relevant do you think music awards really are to musicians and music fans? They have a relevance of course. From the point of view of the music maker: well, I would say that anyone who places all their chips on getting a nomination for a music award needs to ask themself some serious questions on why they're in the game in the first place. I had been making albums for almost nine years before I was nominated for anything so you need your own impetus to keep going. It's important to be proud of what you're doing anyway and it's important to acknowledge the praise of others when they come forward with a gesture of acknowledgement. It would be ungracious to think otherwise. When I got the call about this nomination I was totally flattered. There's no denying the sense of encouragement that brings. From the point of view of music fans, sure I imagine they/we are likely to make new discoveries as a result. Do you think the idea of the album is relevant and capable of holding its own in a world of digital downloading and plummeting CD sales? I seem to remember having a conversation about this before. Well from my personal point of view I'm hardly going to alter how I write music just because of a changing format out there in the wider world. I'm still going to dedicate sections of my creative life to a collection of musical narratives. That's how I work. More relevantly though, I think the concept of an album will continue to last. I can't see people getting excited about a new release by an artist unless it's presented as a collection of new works. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? I would say yes, most definitely. It's rich with hidden gemstones and and people doing things for themselves and others without their eye on the conventional barometer. In my eyes that's what constitutes a healthy scene. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? I don't really think about it in that way. When you think about how many albums were released this year and the ten slots to be filled on the shortlist it's anyone's guess really. I feel more inclined to congratulate the others on the shortlist then begrudge anyone of their place there. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Probably Slow Dynamo! Best gig you went to in 2009? Probably Gareth Dickson from Glasgow, Upstairs in Whelans at Homelights Festival in November. That was magnificent. Plans for 2010? Writing and touring in both familiar and unfamiliar places and spending time with my family. Check out the CLUAS interviews with these other artists who were also nominated for the 2009 Choice Music Prize: Interview with Valerie Francis (nominated for her album 'Slow Dynamo') Interview with Dark Room Notes (nominated for their album 'We Love You Dark Matter') Interview with Laura Izibor (nominated for her album 'Let the truth be told') Interview with The Duckworth Lewis Method (nominated for their self-titled album) Interview with And So I Watch You From Afar (nominated for their self-titled album) More ... Anna Murray Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:48 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/49/Laura-Izibor#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=49 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=49&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/49/Laura-Izibor One of the nominees for the 2010 Choice Music Prize CLUAS fires some questions at Laura Izibor, creator of Choice Music Prize nominated album Let The Truth Be Told. Tell us about the album - its conception, creation, response... Is there anything you'd go back and change about it now? There was no real concept involved in making the album. I was just a 17 year old girl writing songs in her bedroom about real & honest things. I wouldnt changed a thing. Let The Truth Be Told captured a very pure and timeless part of my life. Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? I was extemely happy with the response to the album. So many people connnected to it and that is all you can ask for as an artist. How relevant do you think music awards really are to musicians and music fans? I think its always nice to receive any recognition for your hard work especially when it is from such a credible awards as Choice Music Prize. Do you think the idea of the album is relevant and capable of holding its own in a world of digital downloading and plummeting CD sales?
 I as an artist always have to believe it is relevant, as the day I think an album I write is not, is the day I will quit. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment?  I think the scene as its presented to us is not in a good place but if you look harder beneth the surface there is great music being made. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? I’ve always thought Royseven’s The Art Of Insincerity was a fabulous album. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Codes Trees Dream In Algebra. Best gig you went to in 2009? India Arie in Memphis was very special. Plans for 2010? Going on tour with Chrisette Michele, my own headline tour in the US and make album number two! Check out the CLUAS interviews with these other artists who were also nominated for the 2009 Choice Music Prize: Interview with Valerie Francis (nominated for her album 'Slow Dynamo') Interview with Dark Room Notes (nominated for their album 'We Love You Dark Matter') Interview with Adrian Crowley (nominated for his album 'The Season of the Sparks') Interview with The Duckworth Lewis Method (nominated for their self-titled album) Interview with And So I Watch You From Afar (nominated for their self-titled album) More ... Anna Murray Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:49 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/51/The-Duckworth-Lewis-Method#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=51 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=51&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/51/The-Duckworth-Lewis-Method On their Choice Music Prize nominated album The Duckworth Lewis Method CLUAS fires some questions at The Duckworth Lewis Method, creators of Choice Music Prize nominated album The Duckworth Lewis Method. Answered by Thomas Walsh (a.k.a. Duckworth). Tell us about the album - its conception, creation, response... Is there anything you'd go back and change about it now? It is a 'cricket pop' album, was conceived for fun and laughter, created through sheer bloodymindedness, sweat, toil and a dollop of talent here and there and the response has been phenomenal. Especially in the U.K where it spent 6 weeks in the album charts reaching the number 40 position (the week Micko Jackson popped his ivory clogs too). The only thing I'd change is one 'Am' chord but I won't tell you where or on which song that would be. How relevant do you think music awards really are to musicians and music fans? The pertinence of music awards is double edged. On the one side they are meaningless and on the other they are slightly less meaningless. Though myself and Lewis have always had a soft spot (just below the knee) for the Choice Music Prize. That's the one that's all about the music 'innit? (Sorry, went a bit urban on your bottom there). So to answer your question in a chewable soundbite....."The chosen choice of Duckworth & Lewis's award of choice, if we had to choose, would be chosen as the Choice". Do you think the idea of the album is relevant and capable of holding its own in a world of digital downloading and plummeting CD sales? Personally neither myself nor Lewis make records and think about their relevance in today's world. We just make music we want to make. If people want to buy it we're as happy as a one armed opening batsman hitting a six at Lord's. Other than that..... Simon Cowell and Susan Boyle are relevant in music at present. Need I say more? Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? (Noise of gun clicking and trigger being cocked) "The Irish music scene is very healthy." Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? Gilbert O'Sullivan & Twink. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? We had the pleasure of meeting 80% of the nominees recently for a chin-wag and some photos and we all found out that none of us had heard any of the others' albums. Best gig you went to in 2009? Macca and/or Roy Wood. Plans for 2010? A concept album with comedian Matt Berry about pigeons from Ballymun. Check out the CLUAS interviews with these other artists who were also nominated for the 2009 Choice Music Prize: Interview with Valerie Francis (nominated for her album 'Slow Dynamo') Interview with Dark Room Notes (nominated for their album 'We Love You Dark Matter') Interview with Adrian Crowley (nominated for his album 'The Season of the Sparks') Interview with Laura Izibor (nominated for her album 'Let the truth be told') Interview with And So I Watch You From Afar (nominated for their self-titled album) More ... Anna Murray Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:51 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/52/And-So-I-Watch-You-From-Afar#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=52 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=52&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/52/And-So-I-Watch-You-From-Afar One of the nominees for the 2010 Choice Music Prize CLUAS fires a few questions at And So I Watch You From Afar, creators of the Choice Music Prize nominated album "And So I Watch You From Afar". Tell us about the album - its conception, creation, response... Is there anything you'd go back and change about it now? The album was the culmination of two and a half years' work; it captured the genesis of our wee band. The response has been nothing short of phenomenal, we're not exactly the most accessible band but people seem to be into it. Personally I wouldn't touch it, it's a moment of our lives, you can't change your past. You can learn from it but you can't alter it. Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? "Staggered" I think would be the correct answer! Critics seemed to be into it which was awesome, but the people that come to our shows or email us or make crazy videos and fire them on youtube, that's the stuff that fills me with pride. How relevant do you think music awards really are to musicians and music fans? It's nice to have a sense of approval but ultimately I don't see it as the be-all-and-end-all. Having said that, we are a young struggling band who happened to release their debut album at a point in history where stealing music has never been easier, so the money would certainly help us to tour more and record! Do you think the idea of the album is relevant and capable of holding its own in a world of digital downloading and plummeting CD sales? Hell yeah, but I'm getting on, I'm 28 and remember waiting patiently for albums to come out. Nothings changed for me. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? As a whole, the whole island, I don't remember a more exciting time, but then I'm in a little bit of a biased position! Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? Adebisi Shank and Bats. Although I think Adebisi's album was released last year. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Again I'm very biased... Best gig you went to in 2009? The Jesus Lizard at Pukkelpop in Belgium, we played too, so getting to be on the same bill as them was a dream come true. Plans for 2010? I'm pretty sure we're touring or recording everyday now until the day we die. Why would we wanna do anything else? Check out the CLUAS interviews with these other artists who were also nominated for the 2009 Choice Music Prize: Interview with Valerie Francis (nominated for her album 'Slow Dynamo') Interview with Dark Room Notes (nominated for their album 'We Love You Dark Matter') Interview with Adrian Crowley (nominated for his album 'The Season of the Sparks') Interview with Laura Izibor (nominated for her album 'Let the truth be told') Interview with The Duckworth Lewis Method (nominated for their self-titled album) More ... Anna Murray Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:52 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/296/James-Yorkston-and-the-Big-Eyes-Family-Players-Folk-Songs#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=296 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=296&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/296/James-Yorkston-and-the-Big-Eyes-Family-Players-Folk-Songs A review of the album Folk Songs by James Yorkston and the Big Eye Family Players Review Snapshot: An almost ideal combination of ye olde tunes with contemporary musical sensibilities, Yorkston and friends have created an album that is interesting and near irresistible. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: The title of this album is not only apt for its content, but also for its mood. Folk Songs, in title and nature, is simple, unassuming and charmingly frank. With eleven traditional tracks, it is an album of genuine grass-roots folk, marking it as occupying a different sphere to the Bob Dylans and modern folk artists. The question in listening to such as album is whether or not to hear it as part of, and on the same page as, the indie rock – or even folk rock – institution, or hear and value it as part of something separate, that of folk and traditional. The answer lies somewhere in the middle: Yorkston and Green's arrangements of these songs give them both historical and contemporary relevance, and serve to create a overall exploration of the potential for the modernisation of traditional folk from beginning to end. In almost every instance Yorkston and co. retain the melody, rhythm, style, modality and even fal-do-ral refrains of the original, but place them in a new context through creative instrumentation, enveloping gentle tunes in an unexpectedly edgy environment. Opener ‘Hills of Greenmoor' is an embodiment of uncomplicated and (semi-) authentic folk simplicity, with a simple guitar picking pattern creating the traditional drone and later doubling the melody, a low-key instrumental refrain, and minimal percussion. ‘Just as the Tide is Flowing' is even less dense, with only the guitar remaining, still providing a simple pattern and drone, while a female voice ornaments a gracefully nursery rhyme-like melody with a simple descant. The third track, a bard's tale of a girl disguising herself as a soldier, sees things pick up a little with the first instance of prominent percussion, and a certain extra life to the guitar drone and instrumental refrains. However, from here on is where the lines truly become blurred: ‘Mary Connaught and James O'Donnell' with its quick-moving harmony, quick marching drumbeat, lively guitar, subtle backing vocals and the addition of more low-mix, non-lead instruments betrays its origins as a tune newly-composed for a traditional lyric. For the remainder we see modern values try to commandeer the album, usurping those of folk. A poacher's ballad is enveloped in a environment of soft rolling cymbals and toms, the strings echoing the voice in an arresting overall swell, culminating the totally unexpected entrance of string sounds creating an alien effect like distortion and feedback, adding a layer of unease. ‘I Went to Visit the Roses' – also a new air to an old lyric – shows a more subtle blend of instruments, even verging on riffing, while the minimalism of ‘Sovay', despite its unmistakable modal harmony, positions it closer to Mark Lanegan than trad. James Yorkston, along with the Big Eyes Family Players, has not only tried to redefine folk for a modern audience, but the musician's and "songwriter's" role as the medium between history and listener, finding the perfect balance between retelling and interpreting, faithfulness and creativity. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:296 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/122/Castlepalooza-2009-Day-2-live-at-Charleville-Castle-Tullamore#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=122 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=122&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/122/Castlepalooza-2009-Day-2-live-at-Charleville-Castle-Tullamore Day Two of Castlepalooza 2009 Review Snapshot: The expected rain finally hit Castlepalooza on Sunday, though it did little to dampen spirits that were still high from the day before, while the second day saw some of the best performances of the weekend. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: The Hot Sprockets, mostly dull though they were, had one gift: the ability to make the crowd forget that the rain had begun. Having paid far too much attention to the style and music of early Kings of Leon (the hairy days), they are nevertheless one of the few bands in Ireland at the moment whose main ethos is good naturedness and fun, making their show pretty enjoyable if not groundbreaking. In fact, they probably couldn’t be more different from the band that followed in the HMV tent: the quite frankly bizarre Patrick Kelleher and His Cold Dead Hands. Dark, strange, and accompanied by a table of electronic instruments and gadgets – and an accordion – Patrick Kelleher and his band give the impression of people who have spent too much time together in a small room with little contact with the outside world. That doesn’t make them any less brilliant, his strange gothic-tinged music beautiful. Sandwiched between Kelleher and Le Galaxie were the 202s, another band who made use of electronic backing tracks, though unlike Skibunny, they at least had the ability to capitalise on them. The 202’s are all catchy songs and varying sounds, and one to keep an eye on. Le Galaxie, as ever, proved themselves one of the strongest live forces doing the Dublin circuit at the moment. Their sound may be all power, created by discrete layers, but their strength really lies in their ability to interact with the crowd, at once terrifying the people in the front row by practically jumping on top of them and involving those at the back. The combined energy of any of the bands on Castlepalooza’s first day was nothing compared with the buzz from the crowd in the HMV tent for those 40 minutes. The Chapters...well, the Chapters were alright, it's difficult to say much more than that. Inexplicably, the songs on their album, released earlier this year, are already beginning to sound dated, but unlike most acts over the weekend, the majority of their audience at least knew the songs. Robotnik, also on the Main Stage, proved to be my final act of the night, and though followed by Channel One and Noise Control, made a fantastic closing act. Though visibly nervous and unused to the imposed distance between himself and the audience, Chris Morrin quickly warmed to the situation, immersing himself in his usual antics and bizarre stage behaviour, including pelting the audience with bread during a version of Pat the Baker. To merely say Robotnik is quirky is to sell short his ability to entertain, entrance and of course create great music, strange though it might be. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:32:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:122 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/123/Castlepalooza-2009-Day-1-live-in-Charleville-Castle-Tullamore#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=123 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=123&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/123/Castlepalooza-2009-Day-1-live-in-Charleville-Castle-Tullamore Day One of Castlepalooza 2009 Review Snapshot: The first day of this boutique festival was a mixed bag, a kind of rollercoaster tour of today's Irish indie. Altogether a great night, with just one or two low points. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: This reviewer has always had a kind of love/hate relationship with Castlepalooza: though in all honesty, it’s not the fault of the festival. The first year it was my cheap, leaking tent and 14 hours of heavy rain; this year, the tent situation was circumvented by booking a very un-rock’n’roll B&B, it was the stomach upset, seemingly mild food poisoning from eating a dodgy chicken burger at the festival, which led to me shuffling off early on Sunday back to said B&B. It’s hard to criticise a festival as selfless as this one. With a conspicuous lack of big corporate sponsorship (with the exception of HMV and Metro, whose presence were still unobtrusive), the whole weekend is run by volunteers and all to raise money for the restoration of the beautiful castle at which it is held. Not only that, but with the majority of all acts at the festival Irish, the organisers showed themselves to be dedicated to Irish music. On the other hand it is a boutique festival, and though eco-shops, workshops and a spa are a unique idea for inclusion in a festival, this one has begun already to descend into cheap gimmickry. I finally reached Charleville Castle in time to catch Holy Roman Army at the HMV stage. Disappointingly for such a hotly-tipped band, they completely failed to make any kind of impression beyond leaving you vaguely questioning the point of having the sax just doubling the synth through most of their final songs. The Ambience Affair however, made a far greater impression by playing one of their best gigs so far. Some problems with sound and some beside-stage carpentry meant a delayed start, but The Ambience Affair simply and utterly absorbed the attention of the audience. A musician who has the layered structure of rock down to a fine art, Jamie Clarke’s guitar loops and samples really do create an inimitable ambience, part Final Fantasy, part small-club band. Staying in the HMV tent after such an uplifting experience was perhaps ill-advised. The introduction promised an affair that was ‘the most deborched…and lecherous’… really The Rocky Horror Picture Show Live was nothing but embarrassing, for the people involved and everybody watching. Cue quick exit to the main stage and Angel Pier, a band with a lot of promise but a disappointing lack of stage presence. They are nonetheless a considerably stronger force than even one year ago, Angel Pier have a melody-driven pop-rock mix which is clearly still maturing. Dark Room Notes, long a favourite of Cluas, didn’t disappoint. Even though their singer looked more trendy banker than rock god, the band is one of the few who can create an album-perfect sound without compromising live energy: energy is what DRN is all about, and while We Love You Dark Matter was one of the best releases of the year, they have definitively proven that their electro-indie was meant for the stage. Similarly, next band Super Extra Bonus Party simply live for performance. SEBP, though fallen quiet since their initial splash on the scene a few years ago, have a sound that is surprisingly refined and immaculately honed for the stage: club beats vie with heavy distortion and thumping rock basslines. In fact, SEBP would easily have qualified for putting on the best show of the weekend, were one - if not two-fifths - of the band being incredibly annoying onstage at all times (headbanging and generally cavorting in what just seemed a very contrived way). From here, day one of Castlepalooza began to go downhill, starting with a steep dip: Skibunny. With a complete absence of a personality of any kind, the kind of lyrics that most people stop writing at age 14, some simply quite poor music and some cringey on-stage interaction, the duo’s only redeeming feature was their halfway-decent backing tracks. Never again. It was hard to fault the headlining David Kitt’s performance, but easy to fault the choice of line-up that led to his slot. As always he proved himself a brilliant musician and songwriter, assisted by Somadrone’s Neil O’Conner and playing some mean geetar. But as the build-up of heavy beats through Dark Room Notes, Super Extra Bonus Party and Project Jenny Project Jan made way for subtle grooves, loud aggression for nuance, and the crowd’s gentle inebriation for all-out pissed, Kitt simply failed to hold sway with most. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:09:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:123 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/65/Mark-Kozelek#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=65 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=65&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/65/Mark-Kozelek Aloof as ever, Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon and previously Red House Painters, had a very quick word with Anna Murray ahead of his Andrew’s Lane gig this Thursday. Do you regret the demise of Red House Painters? I never saw it as a demise. Sounds a bit dramatic. Those guys are some of my best friends, and all of them are involved in Sun Kil Moon. Jerry and Phil play and travel with me on the SKM tours, and Anthony plays drums on the records. You are famous as much for rearranging other peoples' songs as for writing your own. 'Cover versions' are so often derided as being uncreative and unoriginal - what do you think of that attitude? I've talked too much on the covers thing, beat it to death. People think whatever they think about it, what can you do? You have been involved in quite a broad range of collaborations (with other musicians, labels etc) than most artists. Do you think it's important to the development of your musicianship to be involved in so many things? It doesn't really affect me as I don't involve my self in other projects in a very big way. I won't commit to anything if it’s going to eat into my own space. Has your close working relationship with Alan Sparhawk of Low and his unique aesthetic had any influence over your own work? Not in any way really. But it’s interesting to see how another artist works. Alan has a pretty hardcore work ethic, and it’s kind of fascinating for me to watch. What made you re-issue Nights of Passed Over? Long story, but the deal went sour with my book in Portugal. I wanted to put out a newer, updated version that I had some control over, that fans could find easily. Have you any interest in publishing more of your writing? Not at the moment. Most of your Sun Kil Moon albums have had a thread of narrative links. Do you think concept is important to the creation of an album? I don't really think about all that. I just record songs until there are enough for an album. Many of the songs are spread over a few years, if not more - so I’d say that I’ve never really made a concept album from a to z the way a band like Pink Floyd would go about it. Of all the records you have been involved in (writing, playing or production), do you have a favourite to listen to? Whatever the current one is. I never listen to the older records, unless I have to for some reference or something, like to remember what key the song was in. Will there be a linking thread to your live show or do you go with the flow? Usually go with the flow, which I think upsets people! Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:65 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/77/Choice-Music-Prize-nominees-Halfset#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=77 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=77&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/77/Choice-Music-Prize-nominees-Halfset Halfset are without doubt one of the least known of the Choice Music Prize nominees: a brief mention here, a support slot there... But with Another Way of Being There, the band's second album, and their pretty exciting blend of electronics and an unabashed dedication to experimentation, they began their dogged ascent from background to foreground in earnest. They answered a few Choice questions for Cluas... Tell us about the album. How long you worked on it? What snags you hit along the way, and how you overcame them? Looking back now, is there anything you'd change? We always take our time with music. Another Way of Being There was released three years after our first album Dramanalog came out and we did work on it pretty consistently over that three-year period. Over forty ideas were brought to the table. These were worked down to seventeen and from these ten were chosen for the album. The benefit of taking that time to make it is that it’s just as we want it to be and looking back we wouldn’t change a thing. Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? The album received an amazing response, we thought some would like it more than others but overall it has been really well received. How do you feel about the idea of music awards in general? It can be a bit odd putting music into a competition as music is so subjective and can have such different effects on different listeners. However, from a business point of view it can draw attention to music that people may never otherwise get to hear. Do you think the idea of the album is a little antiquated in these days of single track downloading and plummeting CD sales? I still love the idea of an album as it is a combined body of work. You get an insight into what was going on for the period the music was written and if you invest time in a great record it will reward you many many times over, much more so than a one-off downloaded track in my opinion. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? I think there is always something musically good going on in Ireland. Like anywhere, you just have to invest a little time to find it. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? There are plenty but Chequerboard, Jimmy Cake and Katie Kim all made great records last year. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Jape Best gig you went to in 2008? Mount Eerie upstairs in Whelan’s and Lightspeed Champion at Oxegen Plans for 2009? Keep making music   Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:77 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/78/Choice-Music-Prize-nominee-Lisa-Hannigan#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=78 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=78&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/78/Choice-Music-Prize-nominee-Lisa-Hannigan With Sea Saw, Lisa Hannigan has finally broken her last ties with Damien Rice and established herself as an artist worth watching. Her nomination for the Choice Music Prize is unneeded proof of her acceptance by critics as well as the listening public. She took a few minutes off from her US tour to answer some questions for Cluas... Tell us about the album. How long you worked on it? What snags you hit along the way, and how you overcame them? Looking back now, is there anything you'd change? I was working on it for about a year before recording, writing and arranging the songs and then rehearsing them with the band. We recorded it in two weeks in march in the cauldron. There were no snags really, it just took a bit of time to find the right people to work with.  Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? Absolutely, although I tried not to read too many reviews the response at the gigs was brilliant. Hearing a song on the radio was great too. How do you feel about the idea of music awards in general? I don't know, it's a funny one. I'm just very happy to be in a list with Richie Egan! Do you think the idea of the album is a little antiquated in these days of single track downloading and plummeting CD sales? Not at all.. not for me anyway. I'm a big fan of album artwork too and you miss out on that if you download stuff. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? I think Ireland always has a healthy music scene as it's so ingrained on our culture. There's so many great venues to play around the country at the moment too. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? Loads. In particular I liked One Day International's Blackbird and Fred's Go God Go. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Jape's Ritual is an amazing record and Mick Flannery's White Lies is beautiful too. I like all the one's I've heard actually. Best gig you went to in 2008? It'd have to be Bon Iver's gig in Tripod which was incredible. Plans for 2009? Play more gigs, write more songs, finding my missing cat. Any recommendations for the coming year (music or otherwise) you have to offer Cluas readers? Keep an eye out for my cat!   Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:78 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/79/Choice-Music-Prize-nominee-Rarely-Seen-Above-Ground#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=79 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=79&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/79/Choice-Music-Prize-nominee-Rarely-Seen-Above-Ground Going from drummer to solo artist is an unusual career change, but as Organic Sampler proves, Jeremy Hickey has found his niche. A fresh focus on the groove rather than the details, without ever letting those slide, has led to Rarely Seen Above Ground nominated for this year’s Choice Music Prize. He answered a few questions for Cluas. Tell us about the album. How long you worked on it? What snags you hit along the way, and how you overcame them? Looking back now, is there anything you'd change? The double album in all took about 3 years. I recorded it back to back. The bonus disc first and then Organic Sampler. The only snag I hit along the way was when it came to recording drums. I recorded a lot of the drums in my home studio. The space was very small and it seemed to take a bit of time. Then I recorded all the drums again in a studio in Dublin in one day. I then had to choose which ones were the best takes not for sound quality but for suitability for the mood of songs. That was the only thing that caused some hassle, but it was a worthwhile experience in the end. I think all these things are. Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? Yeah, I was very happy and felt blessed with the response the album received.  How do you feel about the idea of music awards in general? I never liked competitions. I don’t like pressure you can’t have some control over. I do like the fact that with music awards there is a lot more awareness of not just what you are doing but seeing what’s out there right now, what/s fresh. Do you think the idea of the album is a little antiquated in these days of single track downloading and plummeting CD sales? Not really, in fact I think it makes bands and artists work harder at making an album, not as a concept album but as an album that tells a story and flows from start to finish. I believe if an album is constructed well people will want to buy it and hear from start to finish whether it’s on CD or download. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? I do think the Irish Music scene is in a healthy state at the moment. Especially for independent artists and bands. I don't feel we need these companies to get the music out there and heard.  Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? Jimmy Cake, Katie Kim to name a few. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? Jape's Ritual, Mick Flannery's White Lies and Messiah J and the Expert Best gig you went to in 2008? Seun Kuti in the Village. One of Fela's many sons. Full band including members of Fela's 1980's band. And I brought the right dancing shoes, me. Plans for 2009? I am currently working on the new album. Playing live is were its at for me so lots of touring in Ireland, Europe and the states.  Any recommendations for the coming year (music or otherwise) you have to offer Cluas readers? I'm excited about this old school rock n roll revival. Not just the rockabilly thing. But an awareness of the history. The song writing and the grooves. I think blending styles is what it's all about. A little bit of borrowing is always the way forward. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:79 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/80/Choice-Music-Prize-nominees-Messiah-J-and-the-Expert#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=80 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=80&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/80/Choice-Music-Prize-nominees-Messiah-J-and-the-Expert Messiah J and the Expert's place in Irish music is almost unique. A rapper/producer duo that has found equal adoration among die-hard rockers and indie kids alike. 2008 seems to have been their year, and their album From the Word Go has been nominated for the Choice Music Prize. They answered a few questions for Cluas. Tell us about the album. How long you worked on it? What snags you hit along the way, and how you overcame them? Looking back now, is there anything you'd change? The Expert: First up, I wouldn't change a thing with this record as it's the best piece of work we've ever done. We definitely hit a few snags -  as I'm sure all bands do - but no major ones, just things we thought were going to work but didn't, so we had to adapt; like strings not working on a song etc. We worked on it for the bulk of 2 years and was definitely the most difficult album we've made so far. We spent an awful lot of time writing and writing, scrappping bits, rewriting until it was just right. We were much harsher on each other than ever before and I think that really worked to our advantage. The writing partnership was much closer than before with both of us chipping in with each others ideas a lot more. MJ: Exactly what he said. So proud of this record. Wouldn't change a thing except our bass player's nappy Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? The Expert:Yeah. We got our best reviews yet, and more importantly the general response from people is that they really like it. How do you feel about the idea of music awards in general? The Expert: I have mixed feelings. I suppose it depends on which awards ceremony it is, really. MJ: They can be a bit silly but I think ones which have serious people judging all types of music for what it is are credible. Do you think the idea of the album is a little antiquated in these days of single track downloading and plummeting CD sales? The Expert: I feel that the album format is still the most important music format that exists. There are a lot of people who can be lucky and write one good song but trying to write 10 or more that all fit perfectly side by side on an album in one listen is a real skill. You don't watch certain scenes from movies or read certain chapters in books so why should we do that with music. You need to digest the full thing to get the complete picture. MJ: I do my very best not to skip tracks on albums because they were all meant to be heard in a particular order.  At least that's my take on it. It's definitely not everyone's - I peer over people's shoulders on buses and watch them put on one song on their iPod, not even listen to it through, put on another and then repeat this process til they've heard lots of two minute sections of songs. I cant understand it really other than it's probably a good thumb workout. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? The Expert: I think its in the best state its probably ever been. You have loads of different bands making loads of different types of music and that’s just really exciting. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award who you feel should have been? The Expert: No one will ever be completely happy I suppose, so it's a very difficult job nominating. I really liked a lot of the Crayonsmith White Wonder album. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? The Expert: Jape – Ritual. MJ: Same here Best gig you went to in 2008? The Expert: Bjork in the Waterfront by a country mile. Easily one of the best gigs I've ever seen MJ: Terry Callier at The Electric Picnic. Small tent, not many there...brilliant show. Plans for 2009? The Expert: A & B. Any recommendations for the coming year (music or otherwise) you have to offer Cluas readers? The Expert: Be nicer to grannies who cycle MJ: Consider where Mrs. Mangle from Neighbours is right now.   Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:80 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/81/Choice-Music-Prize-nominee-Jape#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=81 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=81&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/81/Choice-Music-Prize-nominee-Jape Richard Egan, a.k.a. Jape, has been a staple on this ol' "scene" of ours for quite a while now, producing record after record of quality, often disparate, material. This year sees the nomination of last year's Ritual album for the Choice Music Prize. He answered a few questions (with characteristically few words) on the album and nomination for Cluas. Tell us about the album. How long you worked on it? What snags you hit along the way, and how you overcame them? Looking back now, is there anything you'd change? The album is called Ritual. It took me three years to make. I can't really remember what snags I hit but they were nothing too hardcore, apart from the old crippling self doubt. I tried my best at the time, looking back...I try not to look back. Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? Yeah, I mean it's not something I would tend to dwell on too much, but the fact some people liked it means I can keep going on for another bit so that is just fine with me. How do you feel about the idea of music awards in general? I would put them in the same category as pornography, good to look at every now and again but you don't want to spend too much time in that world. Do you think the idea of the album is a little antiquated in these days of single track downloading and plummeting CD sales? I definitely do not think the album is an antiquated idea in these days of single track downloading. Sales don't have anything to do with a particular artists vision, and as long as there are people with attention spans to match, the album will remain a valid expression. Usually it takes a few tracks to get across the breadth of what you might want to say. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? I don't like the word, 'scene'. There are definitely some bands, songwriters, producers and DJs from ireland who are making good music in 2009. Way better than anytime I can remember really. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? Katie Kim, Adebisi Shank, Spook of Thirteenth Lock, Jimmy Cake, Vinny Club, Crayonsmith... It's hard to say and I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting; there really was a lot of good Irish albums put out in 2008. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? I couldn't say, I pretty much like them all to be honest, the ones I have heard anyway. Best gig you went to in 2008? Ola Festival in Spain was cool. Villagers in dublin. We spent a lot of time touring around and saw a lot of great bands. 2008 will be remembered as the year of seeing bands. Plans for 2009? Write and record a new album. Any recommendations for the coming year (music or otherwise) you have to offer Cluas readers? Not really... I'm sure they know what the score is.  Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:81 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/82/Choice-Music-Prize-nominees-Oppenheimer#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=82 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=82&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/82/Choice-Music-Prize-nominees-Oppenheimer Oppenheimer are possibly one of the best natured and refreshingly enthusiastic bands in Ireland at the moment. The Belfast-based electro-pop duo's second album Take the Whole Mid-Range and Boost It, an infinitely fun piece of work, has brought them not only a Choice Music Prize nomination but deserved recognition in this Dublin-oriented music scene. They answered a few questions for Cluas. Tell us about the album. How long you worked on it? What snags you hit along the way, and how you overcame them? Looking back now, is there anything you'd change? We recorded the album over the course of about four months, mostly in the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast. We moved into the shell of the studio in June and spent two and half months pushing drums around this huge building and turning everything up really loud. The Oh Yeah project was just getting off it's feet so we basically had the run of the building, we could record anywhere, in bathrooms, elevators, stairwells. We recorded as many different sounds as we possibly could, while layering as much as possible. We had some friends play guitar, bass, violins, brass and also sing on the album over that summer. It was nice to expand on the sounds by involving other people, some of those relationships have developed really well, as we're now frequently expanding to a four piece live with amazing finger tapping guitars and extra synths and vocals. We also recorded some drums and pianos in New Jersey while on tour and we finished the album up by recording vocals and mixing the last song in Portland, Oregon at the start of a three month tour. It's without a doubt the most rewarding, exciting and fulfilling thing we've ever done, every single day we'd think of something ridiculous to try and then we'd do it! We only hit one snag, recording a tricky vocoder part, it was five in the morning, Shaun was asleep on two office chairs and I finally managed to get it down. Those tears have been mostly forgotten. I do remember franticly still mixing the second last track at 4a.m. when Shaun knocked on my door to go to the airport to start that three month tour, it was a close call! Award nominations aside, were you happy with the response the album received? We're both really happy that a lot of people really appreciated how hard we worked on expanding our ideas and sounds. To be honest though, this nomination has come at a time when we've been feeling pretty bad about a lot of what being in a band is all about. We had a terrible time around the album release, car crashes and nearly bankrupting ourselves through tours. Our label was really disappointed with sales and press and I'm not sure what else, this had a huge knock-on effect on our enthusiasm and confidence both in ourselves and what we were doing with our ideas and shows and attitude to music. Somewhere recently we realised that we both need to be really happy in order to make the band work, so we've taken the steps to be happy and we've come back to the band with an unrivalled sense of excitement and joy. Truly though this nomination was a really big confidence boost, it's been the first word of praise we've heard for Take The Whole Midrange... in I don't know how long! How do you feel about the idea of music awards in general? They can be so wide ranging it's hard to say. I think generally acknowledging music that means something to people is a good thing, be it an award nomination or a person from Salt Lake City, Utah telling you that your songs helped them through a really tough time, it's nice to know that someones listening. Do you think the idea of the album is a little antiquated in these days of single track downloading and plummeting CD sales? Not really, not to me. I think it makes it easier for people who otherwise never would buy any music to get the songs they like. Kids listen to i-pods all day, so people are listening to more music than ever. It may be in a different way, but I think there's still more people than ever who love the art of listening to an album from start to finish, through a good pair of speakers or headphones. I think generally the people who complain about it should instead be doing what they claim to love, making albums, listening to albums, releasing albums and helping people create music that means something to them. Do you feel the Irish music scene is in a healthy state at the moment? I can only really speak for Northern Ireland, but I think it's better than ever. There are so many exciting bands and great songwriters around and we're for the most part all helping each other out up here. Bands like In Case Of Fire, Fighting With Wire, And So I Watch You From Afar, Tom McShane, General Fiasco, Cutaways,  Panama Kings and Mojo Fury to name but a few are all out on tour, recording albums, doing their thing and helping each other out. There are a bunch of bands from all over Ireland that I love who are making exciting and interesting music like Fight Like Apes, The Dudley Corporation, Ham Sandwich and Adebisi Shank. Any artists who weren't nominated for the Choice Award, who you feel should have been? Fighting With Wire, Ham Sandwich. Your favourite album from those also nominated for the Prize? It is Fight Like Apes. From the moment I heard a scratchy demo of Jake Summers on myspace I loved them! It's been amazing watching them grow into the monster that they now are and a joy to hear their amazing record. Getting to play shows with them is always a pleasure too. I had them play at my wedding reception last month, it was beautiful watching them destroy a venue while our families looked on, half in horror, half in joy. Best gig you went to in 2008? Headlights in Belfast. Genghis Tron in Belfast. They Might Be Giants on our last night of tour with them in Florida was pretty special too! Plans for 2009? We're recording a new album, which we'll take out on tour and then complete after the summer. We're heading off to America for our tenth tour, this time with OK Go. All we're hoping for is to record loads of music, make fun videos and play shows that are fun. Any recommendations for the coming year (music or otherwise) you have to offer Cluas readers? I just got back from two weeks in Iceland. I was there on honeymoon - If you haven't been, you should go! You'll find loads of music there too, it's amazing that they sell albums in their tourist shops that you'll struggle to find in the coolest indie record shops in London or New York. Ireland should catch on! Musically, if you haven't heard Edgar "Jones" Jones, Mates Of State, The Bronx, Headlights, Cursive, DJ Scotch Egg, It's A Musical, Matt Pond PA or David & The Citizens go find them and you'll hear so many good songs this year!   Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Mon, 23 Feb 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:82 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/159/Fight-Like-Apes-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=159 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=159&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/159/Fight-Like-Apes-live-in-Dublin Fight Like Apes (live in Whelans, Dublin) Review Snapshot: I still haven't decided whether I enjoyed this gig or not. Fight Like Apes themselves were undeniably excellent as ever, but an over-excited crowd made the whole thing a manic affair. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: I think I preferred Fight Like Apes when they were just starting out. While I always admired their ability to get an often-bemused crowd moving, they seemed to have honed this into an ability to induce spontaneous loss of limb control and often senses. Last night’s album launch gig in Whelans, was one of the most terrifying gig experiences of my life: after a heavy hour of being squashed, I left nursing an aching head from the impact with a metal dustbin and aching neck from the impact with someone’s elbow as I was crushed between two people reaching for a crowd-surfer, bruised arms and a dress that stank of spilled drink. And I narrowly missed being egged while walking home, although I can’t really hold the gig to blame for that one. But yet it was inexplicably one of the best gig experiences. Nearly all of the problems of this gig were the result of the young and over-excited crowd, whereas Fight Like Apes themselves played a blinding set, with admirably few album plugs. There is very little of interest to say of their support band, whose name I couldn’t even catch, but that they need to learn that noise and screams are much more effective reserved for climactic peaks and dramatic effect, and that pushing your singers’ voices will make for an early retirement for them and loss of interest for everybody else. Evidentally thy have listened to too much At The Drive-In without learning any of their ingenuity or complexity. But, their bass-player knows how to hit a groove and lash out riffs, making a noise no three-piece should be capable of. FLA were, as ever, funny and good natured, despite the violence of their songs, and they play the old songs with the same fervour and crazed energy they do the new. The band themselves have come a long, long way in the last few years – and have apparently concentrated most on developing their already-strong live performance and crowd-control techniques – mostly whipping them into a frenzy. They are more powerful, more wild, and just a little more controlled. However, with this has come a certain complacency: when you know that you will get a screaming reaction no matter what you do, you tend to hold back. MayKay, while putting so much more effort into her crowd interaction than in their early days, is nonetheless putting less into her own performance. The screaming aggression and sudden crying breaks from the slightly introverted – dare I say girlish? – norm is being lost, and slowly making the Fight Like Apes show more ordinary. Nevertheless, judging by last night’s show, Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion should prove to be one of the best Irish albums of this year. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:55:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:159 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/162/Autamata-Sounds-Of-System-Breakdown-and-Robotnik-live-at-HWCH-Day-3#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=162 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=162&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/162/Autamata-Sounds-Of-System-Breakdown-and-Robotnik-live-at-HWCH-Day-3 Autamata, Sounds Of System Breakdown and Robotnik live at HWCH Day 3 Review Snapshot: Despite the inclement weather, Sunday’s HWCH drew the best performances from the artists and the biggest crowds from their fans. The Cluas Verdict? 7.5 out of 10 Full Review: Going into the last night of the HWCH festival ’08, I calculated that out of the ten or so acts I had so far seen, there were only two that I would have no interest in checking out a second time. Thinking this a good statistic so far, I held a lot of hope for the final tally. Unfortunately, the first hour began pushing up the score of the uninteresting, and “technical difficulties” seemed to haunt the night. My Brother Woody, who released the pleasant and summery It’s A Long Way From That Sort of Thing You Were Raised earlier this year, opened the night in The Academy 2 to an scant audience and presented a set that matched the album perfectly: tight, warm, bouncy, just a little throwaway and most of all safe. As a friend described it: “a perfect present for a niece you don’t know very well – safe, and they’re guaranteed at the very least not to hate it.” My Brother Woody were followed closely by Not Men But Giants, whose sloppiness, repetitiveness and stop-start rhythms left no real impression apart from a jerky buzzing like some sort of unsteady but persistent bee. The Academy 2’s straits considerably improved with the crowds that accompanied Robotnik’s shambles of a gig. Losing ten minutes in getting his equipment organized – and more time one song in when it broke down again – his energetic antics lost a little of their impact. Yet, when Robotnik managed to carve his way through three high-density songs before time was called, the crowd cried out for more: Robotnik, despite his awkwardness and frustration, has exactly what both the previous bands lacked. The short set pounded with imagination, spontaneity and verve. It could be argued that his rolling on the floor with a SuperSoaker during Puddlestarter was a little much, but try telling that to Chris Morrin, a man to whom the divide between stage and audience means little. As Key Notes will attest, Robotnik's stood out as one of the best, if most cursed, performances of the weekend. Next to Eamonn Doran’s and Sounds of System Breakdown, a man (plus friends) whose set showed how both man and machine can let you down in times of need. After an average first track, the aptly named guitarist suffered from a severe bout of programming flu; and then to exacerbate matters, once the sampled beats were back up and running, was forced to spend another few minutes educating his drummer, who appeared unable to find the downbeats. After this dubious and embarrassing start, Sounds Like System Breakdown proceeded to throw everything he had into what remained of his set, turning what could have been a fairly ordinary few songs into a tour de force of rhythmic experimentation and sonic adventure. Seeing Sweet Jane traipse in, lugging their gear from the rain-flooded Meeting House Square, caused both confusion and the warm glow of the knowledge that you were right after all to stay indoors. Whether Sweet Jane’s set was in fact cancelled has yet to be ascertained.  Autamata, the sweet pop/electro-heads of the Irish scene, came as one of the biggest system shocks of the whole weekend. To any (including myself) who had until tonight only known the recorded Autamata sound, this Button Factory gig could have been nothing else. Pounding with a feral bass and sexy aggression, Autamata lose all their innocence when put on a stage, with producer and guiding force Ken McHugh jumping up and down, and one of the most unusual voices in the Irish circuit soaring and growling. Unfortunately, Autamata, possibly most good-natured band in Ireland, appeared to bring with them an entourage of posing scenesters, leaving me stuck behind a trio of extremely intoxicated dancers, who were totally feeling the beats, man. So at the end of the final round the scores are Uninteresting: 4, Decent Enough: 15. While the Hard Working Class Heroes weekend had its faults, it certainly made its point. Anna Murray In addition to Steven O'Rourke's Festival Diary for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of HWCH 2008, check out the following CLUAS reviews of bands who played the festival: One Day International, Mackerel the Cat and Others at HWCH (Sunday) So Cow, New Amusement and more at HWCH (night 3) Foxface, Bats and others at HWCH (Saturday) Frightened Rabbit, The Vinny Club and Bats at HWCH (night 2) Crayonsmith, The Parks and A Lazarus Soul at HWCH Chequerboard, Alphamono and Fiach live at HWCH Nakatomi Plaza, Half Cousin and Lines Drawing Circles live at HWCH Super Extra Bonus Party, Groom and The Dublin Duck Dispensery live at HWCH More ... Anna Murray Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:44:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:162 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/165/Crayonsmith-The-Parks-and-A-Lazarus-Soul-at-HWCH#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=165 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=165&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/165/Crayonsmith-The-Parks-and-A-Lazarus-Soul-at-HWCH Crayonsmith, The Parks and A Lazarus Soul at HWCH Day 2 Review Snapshot: After a little timetable confusion, Day 2 of HWCH '08 proved a slight disappointment after yesterday, but with a few outstanding performances The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10 Full Review: Strange things have been happening at this festival: between some serious organisational miscommunications, poor sound and last night’s timetable mix-up. Having turned up at the supposed starting time of Hybrasil’s set in the Button Factory (7.45 according the HWCH schedule booklet) and waiting a twenty minutes before heading, a little let-down and confused, toward Andrew’s Lane and Grand Pocket Orchestra, I was more than a little annoyed this morning to double check the online schedule and discover that Hybrasil’s set was in fact timetabled to start at 8.15. Although I missed out catching one excellent band, I was lucky to catch another. Earlier this year, GPO released their debut EP this year – an interesting but apparently misleading work, giving the impression of a quirky, poppy, jittery and melodic group having fun. Grand Pocket Orchestra live is a totally different beast: though still undeniably jittery and quirky, it is wild, aggressive, and loud. At its heart is a girl, obviously starved for attention but with an interesting collection of instruments, and a guy, a singer who throws shapes a little like Ian Curtis, or a little like a mime artist with a geometry obsession. Although the sound was at first muddy and indistinct, making it impossible to distinguish one instrument from another, a blinding set of songs emerged from the confusion and swept the crowd along with it. Then the frenzied rush over to A Lazarus Soul in the Button Factory. And after the band started, an equally frenzied desire to rush back out again. Not familiar with the band before last night, I have been assured by Key Notes that when not bereft of their keyboard player as they were last night, A Lazarus Soul are quite a band to behold; yet I remain unconvinced. In a world where story-telling and sentimentality in lyrics are out of fashion and obscurity and allusion are in, A Lazarus Soul write impassioned songs that read sometimes like a Roddy Doyle novel with the humour stripped away, accompanied by dull crunching rock and some very 80s synth. With that deep and arresting voice their only redeeming feature, this was performance that was more dull than you can believe. And so I was ready to be impressed by the Parks, Ireland’s favourite new wünderkinder. Having just finished their Leaving Cert, they are unseasoned and nervous, but all the more likeable for it. The Parks are a power trio with potential, but they have yet to shake the sound of a teenage garage band. Although still a little loose around the edges, each member of the band is an excellent musician with the air of a teenage heartthrob, while singer Ciaran has a voice that is as yet young but can easily become one of the most distinctive in the Irish circuit. The Parks are good at what they do, they’re just not quite there yet. Crayonsmith proved to be the last gig I could make: the last 66 bus of the night leaves at 11.30, leaving me with less than five minutes of Le Galaxie. Much saddened by this state of affairs, I believe Crayonsmith must have been aware of my predicament, and gave one of the best shows of HWCH 08 so far to make me feel better. Songs from this year’s excellent White Wonder album were given a new injection of life and dirtied; far from the clean sounds of the album, a greater concentration on guitars and bass gave the band crunch and power, with no sacrifice in melody or sound. Not just that, but the Crayonsmith gig proved to be the busiest and most fun gig so far, with close to a full house of obvious fans. Anna Murray In addition to Steven O'Rourke's Festival Diary for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of HWCH 2008, check out the following CLUAS reviews of bands who played the festival: One Day International, Mackerel the Cat and Others at HWCH (Sunday)So Cow, New Amusement and more at HWCH (night 3) Autamata, Sounds Of System Breakdown and Robotnik live at HWCH Day 3 Foxface, Bats and others at HWCH (Saturday) Frightened Rabbit, The Vinny Club and Bats at HWCH (night 2) Chequerboard, Alphamono and Fiach live at HWCH Nakatomi Plaza, Half Cousin and Lines Drawing Circles live at HWCH Super Extra Bonus Party, Groom and The Dublin Duck Dispensery live at HWCH               More ... Anna Murray Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:50:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:165 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/167/Nakatomi-Plaza-Half-Cousin-and-Lines-Drawing-Circles-live-at-HWCH#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=167 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=167&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/167/Nakatomi-Plaza-Half-Cousin-and-Lines-Drawing-Circles-live-at-HWCH Nakatomi Plaza, Half Cousin, Lines Drawing Circles (live at HWCH Day 1) Review Snapshot: The first night of Hard Working Class Heroes 2008 seemed a little quiet, whether because of the poor timing of the festival the increased price of tickets, or just because of the intermittent rain. Reports so far have been mixed, but this reviewer found Day 1 to be a brilliant night. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: Most of the talk surrounding this year’s HWCH event has centred on the change of venues after last year’s concentration around the POD complex. While this brought its fair share of difficulties for the festival, I did not encounter quite so many organisational problems as another Cluas reviewer; in fact, Day 1 proved to be a great night out, where running from venue to venue added to a (probably misplaced) sense of adventure and discovery and where Meeting House Square hosted one of the most entertaining, if not necessarily best, acts of the night. Running a little late and not wanting to face the epic journey across the river to the Academy, I opted to catch a disappointing Heartbreak Cartel at Andrew’s Lane Theatre. Playing to a mere thirty-odd people, their almost-famed stage antics – replete with in-jokes, wigs and cheap costumes – seemed nothing more than a cover-up for an as-yet underdeveloped live performance. While respect for their attempts to provide that extra entertainment factor must be given, it is obvious that it may be a while yet before their show will really involve their audience, until that germ of an idea will develop into something worth catching. Unfortunately, peel away the showmanship and you’re left with nothing memorable: each song washes past you leaving you with no definite recollections of it, only a sense of something rhythmic and bouncy and vaguely Modest Mouse-ish. Next to Meeting House Square and Fred: a Cork quintet who had never before played in Dublin and who proved to be the biggest surprise of the night. After a few minutes of slightly awkward chatter with that slightly quirky Cork humour the band launched headlong into a set that rocked and bounced and jerked its way along, with a sound that was so remarkably tight and together it came as a shock. Suffering from few of the sound problems which apparently afflicted other acts at the Square (and having unfortunately to contend with an alarm going off throughout their set) Fred were entertaining, funny, extroverted and talented and are without a doubt a band to watch for the future. If nothing else they prove that the Irish Times occasionally get things wrong: “like Sly & The Family Stone in a swordfight with the Flaming Lips, refereed by Brian Wilson” is in fact almost entirely inaccurate, and any review which fails to mention the influence U2 have had over singer Joseph is an inaccurate one. Lines Drawing Circles, also in Meeting House Square, proved to be one of the biggest disappointments. Every track appeared to have a similar structure and sound, as if they had one idea and stuck to it, but were unable to develop it properly. But what was most disappointing was that on listening to the tracks of the debut EP release in March this year, Lines Drawing Circles songs are in fact really, really good. Unfortunately their multi-layered sound seems only to suit records and possibly smaller, louder and more intimate venues. Half Cousin, in Dame Lane, came as another surprise. Part of the Scottish invasion, Kevin Cormack has two albums and a number of EPs/singles to his name: releases which this reviewer has already ordered since seeing his awkward fumbling set. After a long soundcheck, Half Cousin began as if he didn’t want anybody to notice, and looked throughout as if he was frustrated and confused that he was unable to control his drum machine and synth, play guitar and sing at the same time. While most songs appeared to have little or no structure apart from the underlying glitchy homemade beats so that it was sometimes difficult to tell when one track ended and another began, each contained enough ingenuity and originality for an album by a lesser artist. A set in the Sugar Club can only be hoped for. Last was Nakatomi Plaza at the Button Factory. Anthony, an ex-66e, who together with Le Galaxie (playing the same venue on Day 2) is looking to get over the giant name of that lost band…although this doesn’t stop them mentioning 66e in all their descriptions and press releases. The force behind 66e’s characteristic guitar/electronic sound, Nakatomi Plaza has turned to the heavy beats of house, but with all the dense layerings expected of an ex-66e: this set had the feel of a club, but one where you stand still and try to sift through the ear-bleedingly loud and crowded sounds. Manning a single synth and laptop, and with Predator projected onto the back of the stage behind him, Anthony’s constant smile made Nakatomi Plaza a slightly off-kilter show. Anna Murray In addition to Steven O'Rourke's Festival Diary for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of HWCH 2008, check out the following CLUAS reviews of bands who played the festival: One Day International, Mackerel the Cat and Others at HWCH (Sunday)So Cow, New Amusement and more at HWCH (night 3) Autamata, Sounds Of System Breakdown and Robotnik live at HWCH Day 3 Foxface, Bats and others at HWCH (Saturday) Frightened Rabbit, The Vinny Club and Bats at HWCH (night 2) Crayonsmith, The Parks and A Lazarus Soul at HWCH Chequerboard, Alphamono and Fiach live at HWCH Super Extra Bonus Party, Groom and The Dublin Duck Dispensery live at HWCH               More ... Anna Murray Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:42:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:167 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/369/Clinic-Do-It#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=369 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=369&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/369/Clinic-Do-It A review of the album Do It! by Clinic Review Snapshot: Do It! sounds like an indie band who have gone on a bad trip and taken some vintage instruments with them, with the result that Clinic sound like a four-piece power rock group who have been placed behind a sheet of glass in the dungeon of some warped fairground (just listen to the Coda, with its vaudevillian nightmare intro). It works. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: Although my first encounter with Clinic left a decidedly unfavourable impression on me, with 'Do It!', their fifth album, I finally get it. It’s a new sound creation, floating some way above accepted style and genre, and this is a well-made demonstration of that. It is clear from opening track Memories, that Clinic’s strength do not necessarily lie with their songwriting, but their ability to create and work with sounds. Whichever side of the natural/raw vs. production debate you might stand, you just can’t deny that the studio has done Clinic a whole lot of good. Most songs on this album are undeniably decent chugging alt / art / punk / rock / folk / eh? tracks but with often uninteresting and/or indecipherable lyrics and frankly quite strange lines from all instruments, it’s their manipulation and combination of unusual and often vintage sounds that makes them stand out from the crowd: Clinic think like an electronic band but act like old-fashioned rockers. Each and every track sees a new mix, a new guitar setting, a different organ, a vocal drone, some deeply-buried harmonica or brass. Constantly changing panning, EQ. and mix settings make each of those sounds in each track a new and distinct event. Clinic have restructured the musical hierarchy, removing melody from its top post and replacing it with rhythm and sound-world; harmony is still in there somewhere, although their ex-key chords make it a difficult thing to follow. Although they have mastered both subtlety and directness, it’s the former that permeates most of this album, particularly in their rhythm and barely discernible drum beats. Drum and instruments meld and progress in an organic and natural way, despite their unnatural and industrial overtones. As an introduction to their music, 'Do It!' provides a solid base of the Clinic aesthetic; as the fifth in a line of albums, it, like its music, follows a steady path of progression which can only continue with the next. Anna Murray  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Anna Murray Tue, 06 May 2008 13:06:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:369 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/376/Crayonsmith-White-Wonder#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=376 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=376&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/376/Crayonsmith-White-Wonder CLUAS Verdict: 8 out of 10 Review Snapshot: As ever running that fine line between rock, pop, electronica, alternative, and general unclassifiable, Dublin’s Ciarán Smith has produced an album of tracks that are well-written, well produced, well orchestrated and well performed. What more could you want? Review: Out On A Limb is close to becoming my favourite record label, indie or otherwise, and OOAL0011 - in real words Crayonsmith’s White Wonder - is even more quickly becoming one of my favourite albums. Crayonsmith’s early and possibly more familiar lo-fi sound has expanded and developed into something totally original and new to the Irish market. Subtle snatches of melody, classic if sometimes unexpected harmonic twists, droning percussive synths and charming vocals so beautifully layered and produced that you can almost imagine them standing in rows in front of you: percussion, guitars and synths in rows up each side and Ciarán standing somewhere in the middle, his voice entering and falling out of the swells of sound. Each track is nothing if not considered, containing a wealth of musical ideas that combine to create a soundworld that almost feels like a glimpse into a new world. It’s so easy to rave about a new artist, new album or new sound, and then after touting it as the best thing since X&Y, to all too quickly lose interest, but this album has so far stood up to a week of constant listening, and still they are new things to discover. This fascination is due in part to the band’s admittedly not-totally-original concept for the album. Having pulled George Brennan on board to help out, White Wonder is a combination of sampled and electronically produced beats and sounds and live instrumentation. And what’s best about it is that you can’t tell which is which, and what appears to be a new and different sound is in fact in part made up of old sounds. Crayonsmith are just too clever for their own good.   In terms of tracks, the album fits so well together, it can be difficult to pick out worst and best bits. In fact, it’s sometimes difficult to tell what belongs in one song and what to another. Consistency is the keyword with this release, but a number of songs such as The Boat, the gently melodies of which move slowly but inevitably towards a hurtling crash of sparring harmonies and guitars only to be suddenly reined back in, and the crunching Anything, which is as perfect an example as any other of the melding of sampled and real, stand out. Opener White Wonder Theme and Lost in the Forest and closer We Sleep bookend the album perfectly with their complementing expansive synth sections and driving verse patterns.   Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:34:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:376 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/201/The-Duke-Spirit-live-in-The-Village-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=201 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=201&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/201/The-Duke-Spirit-live-in-The-Village-Dublin The Duke Spirit (live in The Village, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Undaunted by less than perfect sound, the headliners delivered up to their reputation and a set that left the crowd panting, even if the supports failed to make an impression. The Cluas Verdict?  7 out of 10 Full Review: Each time I go to the Village, I find another reason to dislike it as a venue. Sometimes it’s the crowd; sometimes the painfully cool and smooth veneer, its attempts at looking like an underground venue while having fake-marbled, mirror-lined bathrooms. On Sunday it was the sound. While the Village has one of the better sound systems in the Dublin area venue circuit, the effect of this is too often ruined by having the volume turned up to 11: four or five instruments become smushed into one mashed-up whole with occasional words, high registers become toneless squeals and low registers become painful thumps. So while the crowd was big and enthusiastic enough to absorb the volume – and energy – generated by the Duke Spirit, the support acts suffered. David Hope, acting as opener, is nothing more than a big sweet man playing big sweet songs, and as such was instantly likeable, but as quickly forgettable. Sweet Jane, suffering as their sound was from the aforementioned volume problems, were only just on the bearable side of ear-popping, although whether greater clarity of sound would have improved their performance or not is difficult to say. Not only did the Dublin band take their name from another band, but it appeared most of their music too. Obviously a little too overtaken by admiration for bands of the grungy and shoegazing past, a lacklustre set culminating with their almost superfluous female singer smashing her tambourine and writhing in what she seemed to think was a seductive manner. So rock’n’roll, man. Despite the unsubtle excellence of their debut album Cuts Across the Land, the Duke Spirit have proven that they are undoubtedly a live band. Stripped down to bare basics, their songs are simple, but have a great depth of sound, reaching down to the bowels and up to the pinnacle of the sound spectrum. After suffering from the dreaded sophomore slump – latest album Neptune simply fails to live up to its predecessor’s edge – new songs such as Sovereign, Send A Little Love Token and My Sunken Treasure were given an energy and verve to match the darker counterparts from Cuts…, such as Red Weather Hill. As a band, the Duke Spirit are tight, original, energetic and exciting, but collective talent aside, it is equally undeniably Liela Moss that is the heart and soul. One of the best frontpersons to be seen in a band in at least a decade, she long ago reached the poise, sexiness, confidence and sheer rock energy that the aforementioned posturing Sweet Jane frontlady, among others, strives for. Her stage presence, passion, moves and that voice all combine to make her a formidable entity, a ball of blazing energy that commands your attention, although never enough to overshadow her bandmates. The Duke Spirit records may be good, but live they pound, they scream, they rock, and they make you move. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:45:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:201 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/383/My-Brother-Woody-Its-A-Long-Way#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=383 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=383&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/383/My-Brother-Woody-Its-A-Long-Way Review Snapshot: At its heart this is a happy album, full of innocence and charm, with some excellent songs and catchy hooks. Everything you want in a disposable summer album, but little more. The CLUAS Verdict: 7 out of 10 Full Review:  Cute is not a word I’d often associate with albums, but it’s one that just keeps recurring when I think about My Brother Woody’s 'It’s A Long Way from That Sort of Thing You Were Raised'. I don’t know if it is how they were raised or something they picked up along the way, but this album is all honest charm and good nature. Even the long-winded title is apt… in a totally unusual and inimitable way. It’s all in the inescapable Irishness of this album: although gladly lacking in fiddles and faux-celtic-air melodies and although much has been made of it’s good vibrations, Californian overtones and ‘bops, oohs and aahs‘, lyrically and sentimentally, My Brother Woody’s hook-driven tracks are inescapably the product of the modern Irish humour and lifestyle. With songs like 'Getting Old Goes With Getting Fat', 'Wish I Was a DJ 'and 'Super Serotonin Girl', this album shows a complete lack of the pretensions and self-consciousness of other musicians, while displaying a superb song-writing talent and well-developed musicianship almost hidden beneath its sweet cheer. Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:21:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:383 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/388/Flaming-Lips-UFOs-at-The-Zoo#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=388 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=388&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/388/Flaming-Lips-UFOs-at-The-Zoo A review of the album U.F.O.s at the Zoo by The Flaming Lips Review Snapshot: Although guilty speculations of animal cruelty creep sidelong into the back of your mind with this gig in an Oklahoma Zoo, it’s far too easy to ignore them. This is as good a recording of a gig as you’re likely to find, especially when energy and surprise are that gigs main assets; if nothing else, with this DVD The Flaming Lips again prove themselves masters of gimmickry and sheer entertainment. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review:  A zoo, a UFO light-rig, giant orange balloons, confetti launchers, armies of dancers in fancy dress, little laser lights and Wayne Coyne’s now infamous plastic bubble antics are the stuff that great gigs are made of, apparently: they appear at each Flaming Lips gig – including last November in Dublin – and every Flaming Lips gig is, without a doubt, a great gig. But their effect is somewhat lost when the energy and immediacy of these shows is removed, and what normally seems quirky and on the lovable Lewis Carroll/Dr. Seuss side of fantastic now smacks just a little of desperate. Still, a Flaming Lips gig is a Flaming Lips gig, and so fans, especially those who missed out on last years gig, will be glad to see this. Wayne Coyne’s band – as, let’s face it, the others are quickly becoming minor parts to the Wayne Coyne/Flaming Lips experience – have yet to produce a recording that fails to capture their audience in some way, usually going for the heart straight through the imagination. With production that borders on perfect, it’s easy to wonder how a lot of their songs would translate into a live setting. However U.F.O.s at the Zoo proves how little the band really need to worry about it, for even when their performance is not perfect, that inimitable humour and light-heartedness carries each song through, from their early She Don’t Use Jelly, to Do You Realize??, to the now-infamous Yeah Yeah Yeah Song. You just wish it was easier to hate that chorus…   There are only two major flaws to be found in U.F.O.s at the Zoo, aside from the inevitable jealousy and unspecific animosity it evokes towards the lucky people who were there. The first is the disc itself – an MVI which stores audio, only for transferring to an MP3 player, and video which can be watched on any normal DVD player. Except that it can’t, so you’re left with a CD/DVD that can only be played on a computer. But that’s ok, because there’s enough computer-based bonus material to be found there in the form of free downloads etc to make the hassle of staring into your PCs small screen well worth it. The second problem is in the show itself: clips of the concert are interspersed with clips of fans queuing and talking about nothing very much interesting. In other words there’s a lot of material added that appears to be doing nothing much other than beefing up the time, material that would be much better suited to a bonus or making-of type disc. Anna Murray  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Anna Murray Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:50:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:388 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/391/Stalkers-Yesterday-Is-No-Tomorrow#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=391 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=391&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/391/Stalkers-Yesterday-Is-No-Tomorrow A review of the album Yesterday Is No Tomorrow by Stalkers Review Snapshot:It is almost a prerequisite in listening to this album that you not have a problem with uncomplicated music. Stalkers are a straightforward hard rocking band who write fantastically singable rock songs: this album may not change the face of music as we know it, but it’s a lot of fun. The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10 Full Review: The most remarkable thing about this album is its sheer relentlessness. Stalkers don’t concern themselves too much with the finer points of harmony, melody or subtlety, but they do hammer out rough rhythms and roars of vocals, tripping over their own squealing guitar solos, chunky riffs and remarkably hooky choruses in an effort to push it through the speakers with as much power as possible. Wasting no time, the band launch into opening track Yesterday Is No Tomorrow as if there’s a giant hand pushing forward from behind, and they simply can’t help being forced forward. What follows typifies each track on the album: you have your early rock/12-bar-blues-based riffs piled high with simple, innocent overdrive, your half-shouted vocals, and your standard driving backbeat, low in the mix but pinning everything down. Through songs like I’m Feeling Alright and Sun’s Coming Up, Stalkers create an irresistible atmosphere of joyous abandon and carefree fun with an edge of nostalgia, both lyrically with their honest and unassuming stories, and musically with some pleasantly surprising references to the guitar solos of early rockers and even the melodies of the Beach Boys. There’s even a little Frank Black in there somewhere. Every song, whether it’s about stalking someone, having a great time, circus girls, or wanting to ‘do as we may!’ in what must be one of the most strangely grammatically correct choruses ever written, is utterly singable – albeit a little manic – and totally infectious. However, the album fails to stand up to repeated listening: there’s only so much happy, carefree rock you can listen to, without feeling a little manic yourself. This is an album for specific occasions, rather than regular rotations. With such frothy –light-hearted tunes and subjects, it’s more suited to sunny afternoons than the rain and wind of a November release.  Anna Murray  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Anna Murray Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:55:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:391 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/429/Steer-Clear-NoYou-Hang-Up#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=429 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=429&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/429/Steer-Clear-NoYou-Hang-Up Not a perfect album, but not a bad one within the strict quality confines of uneventful teenage punk. CLUAS Verdict: 6 out of 10 A band of the new generation, N. Irish pop-punks Steer Clear have topped Bebo music streams with thousands of online fans. But so have a lot of bands: is that a genuine reflection of a good album? Yes in some ways, no in others. A triumph of marketing and good production over musical content, No…You Hang Up is filled with angsty pop-punk of a breed common across the generational band of age 12-15. For all that, there’s some undeniably catchy choruses, clever guitar work, erudite references to classical and classic rock, punk, metal and even pop. Despite the difficulties inherent in telling any songs apart, each of them are some good tunes with decent, if not ground-breaking or even naff-free, lyrical content.  Anna Murray Anna Murray Wed, 27 Jun 2007 05:13:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:429 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/430/Ghosts-The-World-is-Outside#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=430 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=430&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/430/Ghosts-The-World-is-Outside CLUAS verdict: 7 out of 10 Reincarnations of electronic outfit Polanski, Ghosts show with this album that they're a band of warm intentions and clever songwriting. This new record from the band has one of the best opening tracks to grace an album in quite some time, despite sounding suspiciously akin to Jet's bass intro to Are You Gonna Be My Girl. However, the song itself (new single, Stay the Night) is a jazzy piece of crossing instruments, brass, walking basslines and a singable melody. Unfortunately, the majority of the remaining songs have a tendency to fade into the background no matter how much you try to concentrate on them, while the band themselves seem unable to settle on a sound of their own, instead borrowing from a others. Still, Ghosts are a band with a collective head for melody, and this album will inexplicably grow on you, no matter how much you resist it.  Anna Murray More ... Anna Murray Wed, 27 Jun 2007 05:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:430