https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/60/Casiotone-for-the-Painfully-Alone#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=60 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=60&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/60/Casiotone-for-the-Painfully-Alone Owen Ashworth began recording as Casiotone For The Painfully Alone in 1999. His unique songwriting has spawned 5 albums over those years and he has steadily grown in popularity. I caught up with him on his North American tour to ask him some questions. Did you enjoy your brief stop off in Vancouver? Did you get any time for sight-seeing? I never made it to Vancouver, unfortunately.  I got in a car accident on I-5, just north of Seattle.  My car was wrecked and I spent the night of the Vancouver show in a Travelodge in Everett, Washington.  I walked to a 7-Eleven and bought a beer and some Sun Chips and then laid in bed listening to a Seattle talk radio program called Too Beautiful To Live on the motel clock radio.   You're about half way through your North American tour. How has it gone so far? I'm home now, and other than the car accident, I think the tour went pretty well.  I felt very good about most of the shows, and enjoyed playing solo more than I have in a while.  I loved having the new songs to play.  For a few weeks I was touring with a band called Cryptacize, and that was a great time.  I really like their music and they are wonderful people to boot.  For the last week or so I was touring with my brother Gordon, which is always a lot of fun.  Gordon was playing solo sets as Concern.  I like the new Concern album a lot and his sets were pretty awe inspiring.  We've done a lot of touring together at this point. Are you happy about how Vs Children turned out? The album yet again was received well by the press. Does it annoy you at times that commercial success and critical acclaim do not always go hand in hand? I really like Vs. Children.  I wish I'd mixed a few of the songs differently, and I regret a few word choices, but that always happens.  Of all of the albums I've made, it's the one that I feel the most proud of, and it's the album that I feel the best represented by.  There were some very nice reviews, which I definitely appreciated, but the album didn't really get the reaction that my label had really hoped for or expected.  I guess it's been selling about as well as the last one, and that's just fine by me.  I'm grateful that some people have been able to connect with the new songs.  It makes me excited to get going on the next one.  As long as I'm making music that I enjoy listening to, I'll keep on doing it. In the past decade, what has been your proudest moment? There has been a lot of pride talk in this interview, hasn't there?  I don't know about a proudest moment.  Moments are tough.  I take some pride in looking back over months or even years of work and seeing the distance I've covered.  There have been times when a new song is coming together where I suddenly realize the potential in what I'm working on, and those moments are really exciting.  I think I tend to enjoy being in the middle of those experiences more than the stepping back and dusting my hands off, so to speak.  Okay, no more being proud for a while, okay? As Casiotone For The Painfully Alone you are very distinctive in both your music and lyrics, using cheap keyboards and frank lyrics. What inspired you to take this approach? I have always responded to music that feels direct and vulnerable and maybe a little rough.  I like things to feel kind of claustrophobic.  Do you know that Harry Nilsson song, "Early In The Morning?"  I just heard it for the first time a few years ago, but man do I like that song.  My friend Tyson played it for me.  It's just the right amount of uncomfortable, and it just lets you in this really personal kind of way.  I like that.  I wish I had heard that song before I started this band, because it would have been a really easy thing to point to as a direct line of inspiration. Etiquette saw a slight departure from the direction previously shown from Casiotone, a direction that was continued on your latest record. What initiated this change? I had used up most of my favorite Casio pre-sets, and it just felt like time for something new.  Different challenges, new sounds, more expensive equipment. Where did the name Casiotone For The Painfully Alone come from? It is a rather 'emo' sounding name. Have you had any trouble with misguided teenagers turning up at gigs? Back when I was only letting my close friends hear my songs, before it occurred to me that my music was supposed to be called something, I made a tape for a friend who had requested some extra sad keyboard music.  I had this little piece of music as my outgoing answering machine message, and she called and heard it and liked it and asked to hear some more of it.  So I made her a tape, and I wrote Casiotone for the Painfully Alone on the tape, just to describe the music on it.  She thought it would be a good idea if I started playing shows, so she put Casiotone for the Painfully Alone on the flyer of a show she was putting together, and the next thing I knew, my band had a name and I was supposed to play a show.  Surprise surprise.  I've had no trouble with misguided teenagers whatsoever.  I am happy to welcome any anf all misguided teenagers to my shows. You were doing a film making course before you turned to songwriting. Do you think that this has influenced your story-telling tendency in your music? Maybe at first but I've been writing songs for a long time now.  I don't know if anything influences my songwriting more than other songwriting.  I hear John Prine and all I want to do is go write songs. Finally, other than your own of course, what has been your favourite album of the year so far? I like the new Mount Eerie album a lot. There are some unbelievable sounds happening on that album.  Truth & Distance by Concern is another big big favorite.  Little Brother drones hard. Garrett Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/61/Pains-of-Being-Pure-At-Heart#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=61 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=61&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/61/Pains-of-Being-Pure-At-Heart Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have being creating waves in the indie scene since they released their debut EP last year. Their fuzzy indie pop has proven infectious and their debut eponymous album is amongst my favourite records of the year. I chatted to them during their tour of North America to see how things have gone so far, and what plans they had for the future. How are you doing? Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Did you enjoy your time in Vancouver? Things are great! We had a pretty awesome time in Vancouver - there was a rowdy crowd, which made things extra fun. How did the band get together? We were all friends first, and would hang out a lot and geek out about music.  We formed to play at Peggy's birthday party, though at the time it was just me, Alex and Peggy with an iPod on drums. We played about 5 songs with 4 chords in 10 minutes. It may have been really bad, but we had so much fun we didn't notice. When you were beginning in New York it must have been difficult. It is a city full of bands and musicians. Was it difficult to prove yourself to be better than your peers or did it drive competition to make you better? Well, we're not really competitive or anything-- sort of the opposite, actually. We genuinely love so many bands that live around here, like Crystal Stilts, caUSE co-Motion, Vivian Girls, My Teenage Stride, Zaza, The Beets, Chairlift, etc.  To us, we just found it inspiring to be in a city with so much going on creatively, and that made us want to do the best we could. Many people have commented that TPOBPAH's sound reminds them of bands such as The Jesus And The Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and the C86 scene. Were bands such as these your influences or are these reference points off the mark? It's super flattering to get compared to those iconic bands, but we're not really that cool. I watch videos of JAMC, and they're just so cool - we're not really as awesome as that. But it never bothers us if people want to associate us with such amazing artists from the past. The band name is quite prosaic. Where did it come from? Did anybody try to pressurise you into changing it into something more marketable? The band name is taken from the title of a short children's story written by a friend of mine in Portland, OR. He's a bit of a character, but means well. We had the name before we really even had songs - it seems to fit us very well. You played Whelan's in Dublin when you supported The Wedding Present last year, didn't you? How did you find playing Ireland as an experience? We REALLY liked Ireland. It's a place we'd never traveled to before, and it was just so welcoming and nice. All the people were so supportive and cool and would take us out for drinks after the shows. We definitely want to come back! Are you planning to play Ireland again anytime soon? I'd really like to, but i don't think we'll have any Irish dates for a while. How did the tour with The Wedding Present come about? How was it? We were pretty flattered that we got asked to support them, it was super amazing to be able to tour with such a deservedly legendary band. I have no rock'n'roll antics to report - they were very down to earth, kind and dedicated to what they do. They had no shortage of good songs to choose from in their set. It was a great time all around. Their fans were amazing too. Your debut album has garnered a lot of critical praise. Did this come as a surprise to you? Yes, it was definitely quite the surprise. Most of the bands we loved growing up were never all that well known-- it was a shock that anyone besides a handful of people were into this kind of music. We're pretty grateful for that, and realize it's kind of illogical - but awesome. Has the 'buzz' around the band affected anyone in the band yet? How have you handled it? Haha, no. I really haven't noticed anything weird or different - our VH1 Behind the Music episode is going to be pretty boring. You are currently touring the debut album in North America. How has your tour gone so far? We've done a about 6 week of touring in the US this year up to now, but we have our first month long national tour this September. America is huge, and we're playing 30 more dates and still not going everywhere.  We're really excited about it, though Arizona and Texas can be pretty hot in the summer time... I guess we'll have to eat a lot of ice cream. My grandma, realizing this, got the band some Dairy Queen gift cards. Basically, my Grandma rules a lot!!! What does the rest of 2009 have in store for The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart? We have a national US tour to support the release of our new EP, Higher Than the Stars. Then we're coming back to Spain, France, England and Scotland for a few more dates in November and December. When that's all through we'll start working on our next album, which we're all really looking forward to. Garrett Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:61 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/121/The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-live-in-Vancouver#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=121 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=121&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/121/The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart-live-in-Vancouver The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (live in The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver) Review Snapshot: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart put on a great show, marred only slightly by some odd song choices. The fun noise pop of the album translated excellently to their live show. Their debut is still one of my most highly recommended albums of the year thus far, and they did not disappoint in concert. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: In a rather regal basement in an old hotel on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart delighted and exhilarated the near-capacity crowd with their brand of indie pop. The ceilings are low and the bar sells cans. There are rugs on the floor and stag heads on the wall. The venue holds the atmosphere perfectly. The band took to the stage at eleven to greet their audience, already primed by the excellent Girls. They opened, oddly, on a track off their lesser known debut EP, leaving the crowd rather subdued until they rolled into the opening drum beat of ‘Young Adult Friction’. In an instant the crowd went wild. This frenzy rarely dampened throughout the show   The band has many of the ingredients required for a successful indie band. They hail from New York. They have an Asian girl on keyboards, a hot guitarist sporting a grungy Nirvana t-shirt and floppy hair-do and a slightly nerdy bassist. They played naturally and with great verve, with each member having more than enough presence to be capable of holding a stage by themselves. ‘This Love Is F*cking Right’ and ‘Come Saturday’ receive the rapturous reaction as expected. Judging by the response of the audience in the Biltmore Cabaret, I would expect to see their eponymous debut album reaching the higher ranks of end of year lists.   Pains also treated the crowd to new tracks that they have written for a forthcoming EP. They follow much of the same style as the previous releases, but when it sounds so glorious, I am not complaining one bit.   The show did suffer from some odd setlist selections. Both ‘Contender’ and ‘Hey Paul’ were glaring omissions, and ending on the relatively subdued ‘Teenager In Love’ was an odd decision. Nevertheless, these mistakes are bred from inexperience. What I witnessed that night was a young band with the world at its feet; a band with bags of potential and songs to soundtrack many summers ahead. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:29:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:121 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/308/Taking-Back-Sunday-New-Again#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=308 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=308&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/308/Taking-Back-Sunday-New-Again A review of the album 'New Again' by Taking Back Sunday Review Snapshot: 'New Again' is a typically poor album by a terrible North American band. Standard mainstream emo rock targeted at young teenagers that do not know better. There perhaps should be watchdogs set up to stop this practice. The Cluas Verdict?3 out of 10 Full Review: When I was listening to ‘New Again’, I was honestly hoping that my battery might die. I was wishing that the annoying sound of Taking Back Sunday’s latest album would give way to the drone of commuter rail. Alas no. I persevered however and gave the band a chance. After all, I did not care for ‘Closer’ the first time I heard it at 14. My ears have deceived me before. I can now say though, that Taking Back Sunday are no Joy Division. They’re not even on a par with A Certain Ratio. ‘Bleed America’ - the record that launched a thousand terrible emo bands. Jimmy Eat World have a lot to answer for. The difference between Jimmy Eat World and their spawn is that Jimmy Eat World actually had some good, fun throw-away songs. Taking Back Sunday on the other hand just display repetitive distorted guitars, basic guitars and occasionally cringe-worthy lyrics. I could not help but think that Taking Back Sunday sound like a generic winner of a high school battle of the bands. If I had my way, they would have stayed in that moment of glory in their sweaty gymnasium. Single ‘Sink Into Me’ does have its merits. I mean I can see how it can appeal to its audience of young teenagers. It has relatively ‘deep’ lyrics about relationships and infatuation. The song rawks. The lead singer sounds angsty. Their parents probably don’t understand them either. Some teenagers just love this stuff. I might have too if I was 8 years younger. If there are any fans of the band reading this now, I implore you not to go straight for comment box below to lambast my ignorance, but instead to pause and take a deep breath. You are better than this. Go and search for Times New Viking’s last album and listen to it instead. I’m sure you own ‘Nevermind’, but do you have ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’ by Pavement? Go explore and you’ll never look back, I promise. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:308 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/67/Katie-Kim#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=67 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=67&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/67/Katie-Kim Interview with Waterford's Katie Kim Katie Kim is one of the many fine acts to emerge from Waterford in recent times. Her album last year, Twelve, met with a warm critical reception with Donal Dineen championing ‘Radio’ on his show and Jim Carroll dubbing it a “subtle, slow-burring magic”. Earlier this year she jetted off to Toronto, but she returned recently. She talked to Cluas to discuss Canada, the ups and downs of her career to date, and the future. So, Katie, you have been in Canada a few months at this stage. How has it been treating you? Well I was there for around 3 months. I'm back now. There’s still a big question mark looming over my head about why I went at the particular time I did. Twelve had just been released, I adored my band, I was starting to get used to the live situation and the album just started getting some really good attention. But I had been living in Ireland for a long, long time and as excited as I was about Irish music and Waterford (where I live) at the time, I needed to get out and see, experience, wake up, write, record somewhere else. So I did and I had an amazing time. But I had to be there to realise that it was like starting over all over again, which I wasn’t ready to do. I missed my band too much and the amazing people in it.  I’m actually headed over to Vancouver in a couple of months. Are there any cultural quirks that a fellow Irish traveller should be aware of? I really don’t want to generalise here but oh god yes!! The sense of humour is quite different. I've been reared in a country where taking the piss out of each other is the norm and if you can’t hack it; close the door as you leave! But I discovered this isn’t the Canadian way! Also I had to get used to fragile Canadian male emotion! The guys over there are so open about their feelings! Very Dr. Phil-like, but as I said I don’t want to generalise. They are also one of the nicest most accommodating bunch of people I've been lucky enough to encounter.  Was there anything you missed most about Ireland? Musically or otherwise? When I was there I spoke to lots of promoters and journalists who were so shocked I left Europe to come to Toronto. They just couldn’t get it! It was all:" Why did you come here?? Europe is amazing! We’ve sent all our bands over there to make money" But I suppose it’s the same wherever you go. I was too busy being wide-eyed to really miss anything to be honest. Except, of course, again, my band. When did your first love of music bloom, and musically, who or what has been the biggest influence on your music? First? Hmmmm... I would say, clichéd as it is, always: from a memory of standing on a piano in a hotel at my sister's confirmation singing 'Frère Jacques' when I was 3 to my obsession with the Sound of Music and learning every word of every musical that came out around that time to the Queen obsession, when I was 7 years old. When Freddie Mercury died, I can remember being inconsolable. Just terrible, and on and on. All of these things and all of the other things that came after influenced me and still do. Music influences me. People influence me. Art influences me. I couldn’t possible try to pin-point one biggest influence.  Have you played many gigs there yet? How does it compare to Ireland? I played 3 gigs in Toronto; one in a vintage clothing store, one in a Goth club and one with a whole heap of amazing Irish bands for Canadian Music Week. Then we went on down to New York and played down there. Everyone seemed to really enjoy them. I got amazing feedback and made a lot of new friends. But comparison-wise, it really didn’t differ much. The Irish tag was a bit more impressive over there though. As it is here with bands from abroad. In 2005 you released an album with your previous band Dae Kim on Matador. Why did we hear no more from them? I don't know. They are a seriously talented bunch of people. I believe Dae Kim is no more now. But Ian Chestnut (the guitarist) and Ellie (drummer) is now Percolator. Who are awesome! Check them out - http://www.myspace.com/percolators! Dave Grimes (original member and guitar genius) is now The Bear People, he is a one of a kind talent. Tommy Farrell (bass player) is now in a band called Fighting Spiders, and Terry Cullen is now running his own PR company called Pier 13. Terry was in the game for a long time and I suppose he needed a break. Being in that band taught me nearly everything though. I had a f*cking amazing time in Dae Kim.  You released your debut solo album last year. Were you happy with the reception it received? I'm still a bit shocked about it, because it was such a small little release. I didn’t make it awfully accessible. It being only released on vinyl and really no press except on Myspace and one or two reviews. Donal Dineen started playing ‘Radio’ regularly and people started talking from there, so I have a lot to thank him for. He’s also hero of mine, so you can imagine. Disaster struck when you were recording the album. For those not in the know, do you want to tell them what happened? I left a fantastic music course in Cork, used the money to buy my first computer so I could start home recording. I recorded around 40 - 50 tracks, it got a bug after a year - an internet bug may I add, nothing to do with the recording software, so I asked the guy who built it for me to fix the small bug. He did so by simply wiping everything on the hard drive. So! Gone! Forever! Like I’ve said before, they were hazy days. I went through a lot of wine during that period. A lot of wine. What made you decide to only release Twelve on vinyl? I worked in record store for nearly 5 years. I saw how beat up CDs get. They’re so fragile but at the same time, sometimes so throwaway. I love vinyl - the smell, the way people look after them and look up to them and the sound of the needle if it gets a bit dusty is like morphine to me. So it was an easy decision. I’ve had to make up a few CDs though, as a lot of people have got on to me about it, so there'll be 200 made, but that’s it. You have collaborated with numerous artists over here, such as Ten Past Seven, David Kitt and Cars In Walls. Have you any plans to hook up with some Canadian artists? I'm going to be working with Milosh (an ambient electro producer). Dineen introduced us, which I was elated about. He makes beautiful music. I met so many great people over there, that I'm still in touch with and we all send tunes through e-mails to other and do bits and bobs for each other when we need it. If you had to pick one moment, what has been the best moment of your career to date? Hearing Radio being played on Small Hours for the first time.  What is your next step from here? Lock myself away with everyone for a while, write, record, play, travel and buy a Tenori-on. Garrett Cleland You can check out Katie Kim’s Myspace at www.myspace.com/dancekatiekimdance. More ... Garret Cleland Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:67 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/142/Maximo-Park-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=142 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=142&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/142/Maximo-Park-live-in-Dublin Maximo Park (live in The Academy, Dublin) Review Snapshot: The Geordies return to Dublin to play new material and their old familiar songs to a packed Academy. As always they provide an energetic and enjoyable show, but sadly the new tracks don’t excite as much as I had hoped. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: I was glad to see New Amusement on the bill. I don’t want to name names, but so often I get stuck watching some awful band with ideas far more grand than their talent. New Amusement once again impressed me. The newer tracks seem to follow on from the good standard they already set on ‘Any Port In A Storm’, but ‘Gone To Sea’ is still their stand-out track. Any fans who had worries that Maximo Park would shirk away from playing their most popular tracks from their debut or their 2007 follow-up, ‘Our Earthly Pleasures’, preferring instead to debut songs from their upcoming new album had their fears allayed immediately as Maximo Park ripped into ‘Graffiti’ with the energy we have come to expect from them. They are a fun band, and they know it. They hold no pretentions about what they are. They acknowledged this when introducing one of their new songs as being about a dancefloor, in fact, the second song in the set concentrating on that subject matter! And as a fun band, they entertain, with lead singer Paul Smith jumping around like an exuberant teenager, stamping on his pressure sensitive lit up podiums as they belted out ‘Girls Who Play Guitars’, ‘The Coast Is Always Changing’ and a host of their other hits. The tracks off the new album do not seem to live up to the highs set by their first two albums, unfortunately. Even the band seemed to enjoy playing tracks like ‘Our Velocity’ and the excellent ‘Limassol’ more than previewing tracks like ‘In Another World (You Would’ve Found Yourself By Now)’ and ‘A Cloud Of Mystery’. ‘Let’s Get Clinical’ was an exception, a song that retains the catchy hooks that made the debut so instantly likeable. Perhaps they just need time to grow into these new songs. We will see when ‘Quicken The Heart’ is released in a couple of months. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:39:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:142 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/143/A-Place-To-Bury-Strangers-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=143 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=143&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/143/A-Place-To-Bury-Strangers-live-in-Dublin A Place To Bury Strangers (live in Whelan's, Dublin) Review Snapshot: The loudest band in New York brings their Jesus and Mary Chain meets My Bloody Valentine to Whelan’s of Wexford St. It’s an experience, but is definitely not for everyone.  The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: You wouldn’t find Hitler playing music this loud…  Whelan’s seems to have abandoned its previous and strict curfew of 10.30 pm, as APTBS only took to the stage a few minutes after 11. Three support bands and a headline might seem like good value for €15, but that might not always be the case. The support bands here were Dublin’s own Sweet Jane, and two American outfits, Darker My Love and Dead Confederate. For the most part they were all quite mediocre and repetitive, with the exception of, in parts, Dead Confederate. And then A Place To Bury Strangers took the stage. After the first few notes I squeezed my ear plugs in. People nearby looked in envy at my friend and I. They clearly were not prepared for the barrage of sound and noise they were about to endure. There were signs posted around the venue stating that strobe lighting was to be used. They should have had one up recommending the use of ear plugs, or even ear muffs. But it was more than just noise. APTBS are not covering up a lack of talent by becoming ‘New York’s loudest band’ or shrouding their songs in an atmospheric wall-of-sound. Under the squealing guitars and thunderous bass lies melody and rhythms that escape most traditional bands. ‘To Fix The Gash In Your Head’, one of the stand- tracks on the album, was played in pulsating form with Ackermann throwing his guitar about with abandon. Towards the end of the night the vocals were becoming totally drowned out by the wall of sound. I had to take my plugs out, just to feel the full volume. My head felt like it was about to explode. The visuals being projected behind the band were becoming more and more frenetic. It culminated in a sonic climax. As the volume soared they moved into ‘Ocean’, I saw about ten people leaving. I’m not sure if it was because they had an early start in the morning and it was nearing midnight, or simply because the noise was beyond belief. The girl beside me was desperately trying to pull her partner away, but he was lost in the noise and was unmovable. The music was consuming our bodies. And then it died away. With little ceremony they downed their instruments and left the stage, briefly thanking us. It was a sonic experience, but I’m not sure if I would put myself through it again, unless they really tap into their potential on their next record. Their music does at time lack variety, and any longer than the 45 minutes they played would have dragged. Their music has ambition though, and this might just be the beginnings of something quite impressive. They might be shoe-gaze, but they are looking to the stars. My only gripe would be that I think some of the people at the bar could not hear them clearly! Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:52:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:143 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/76/Angel-Pier#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=76 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=76&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/76/Angel-Pier With an upcoming headline slot at Andrew's Lane Theatre, supported by A Lazarus Soul and Lines Drawing Circles, Irish indie newbies Angel Pier are causing a bit of a stir. How did Angel Pier come about? I had been writing & demoing on my own with mixed results & put the word out through a few friends that I was looking to put a band together. A chance meeting in Whelans one night between one of these friends & Mark, a drummer who was currently bandless set the wheels in motion. We met, exchanged music & talked about what our aims would be with this new band & began rehearsing. Around that same time I noticed a message on Garageband.com, a site I forgot I had ever signed up to, from a Canadian guitarist who was coming to Ireland & looking to play while he was here. Since it was 5 months since he sent the original message I figured chances were slim that he’d still be looking. He replied saying he was arriving the next week & he’d like to meet up. He played guitar, I played piano & we gelled pretty quickly. I knew Vinny through the very odd chat about music in the local & texted him to see if he’d like to try out with us. I think we got through 2 new songs the first night he was there. We’ve never told him if he passed the audition or not but he’s still coming to rehearsals… Who are your key inspirations, musically or otherwise? I’m sure it’s the same with most bands but our tastes are quite varied. Luke & Vinny would come more from a rock background & myself & Mark would be indie-heads. I think that’s what defines our sound though, the results are completely different to anything we’d do individually, the sum of the parts etc… Mark & I would share a love for bands like The Cure, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine & The Stone Roses, though any influence on our sound would be subtle, while Luke’s tastes would range from the Beatles & Clapton through to contemporaries like Midlake & Interpol. Vinny would share tastes with all of us while leaning towards grunge… Songwriting-wise genre is not important as long as the songs are great, Nirvana, The Beach Boys, Radiohead, The Beatles, The Cure, Bowie. You gotta set the bar as high as possible & see how far you can jump!... What has been your best moment to date? Downstairs in Whelans January 31st 2009. We played our second Whelans headline & had Autoban & The Ambience Affair in tow. We’d been working on a ton of new material & showcased it live that night for the first time. The amazing crowd, the reaction to our new songs, the vibe, everything surpassed anything we’d previously done. You recently played your first shows outside Ireland when you did two shows over in England. How did that experience compare to your Irish shows? It was a little like starting over without the home crowd. We were playing smaller venues than back home but still have a following through the Irish in London & Myspace, Facebook etc… We went over basically to test the waters & were surprised by the great reactions we got. What is your opinion of the current music scene here in Ireland? Of your contemporaries, who would be your favourite? The Irish scene is extremely healthy at the moment in my opinion, there are great bands in lots of genres & sub genres though I guess it’s mostly indie. With acts like Fight Like Apes & Jape breaking through in the UK it paves the way for others to follow. It’s a psychological foot in the door so to speak. I’m a fan of lots of Irish bands, A Lazarus Soul, Lines Drawing Circles (we’re playing with both next Saturday March 7th in Andrews Lane Theatre… ahem), Fight Like Apes, Jape, Heathers, Villagers, R.S.A.G. but my own personal favourite would be the Ambience Affair. Just go listen & you’ll see why. Who do you think should win the Choice Music Orize? For me it would be between Fight Like Apes, Rarely Seen Above Ground & Jape. We’re all big fans of Jimmy Eadie so Jape would be the definite frontrunner. So far you've been getting good press from important publications like the NME, Hotpress and the Irish Times, but has there been much attention from the record labels? Would you like to sign to a major or stay independent? We’ve had very positive feedback from a number of labels but we’re demoing and rehearsing a ton of new material for our debut album before getting into that area. Indie or Major, as long as we love the label & they’re passionate about the music we make. We’re hoping to get to play the Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May, maybe we’ll get to play in front of a few labels then. What are the plans for the debut album? We’re writing & demoing like madmen at the moment to ensure a good choice of songs for the album. We’ll be releasing a digital single & limited edition 7” in May of this year to coincide with an Irish tour. We’re hoping to record the debut album this summer… What was your personal favourite record of 2008? Hmmm, well the most played records in my collection last year would have been Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, White Denim, Little Joy, Bon Iver, Yeasayer, In Rainbows (Radiohead) & TVOTR. It would have to be between In Rainbows & Yeasayer, it’s too hard to decide… The Oscars were on last night, and Penn took the gong for best actor, but who did you think deserved the award? I had to ask our guitarist about this one as I mostly live in a music only bubble. Luke reckoned Mickey Rourke should have got it… You can check out the band’s music on their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/angelpier Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:76 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/156/Port-OBrien-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=156 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=156&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/156/Port-OBrien-live-in-Dublin Port O'Brien (live in Crawdaddy, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Port O’Brien come to Dublin on the back of their excellent ‘All We Could Do Was Sing’ album, but fail to recapture the energy displayed on the record for the most part of the gig. The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10 Full Review: ‘A damn cold night outside’, proclaims Van Pierszalowski. Considering he spent many months every year as a teenager as a fisherman on boat in Alaska, that’s saying something. Still though, despite the weather and some financial crisis I keep hearing about, the punters were not put off. About 100 people turned up to see Port O’Brien, the band that has been receiving favourable reviews from the Times and Pitchfork for their latest album, ‘All We Could Do Was Sing’. Maybe it is due to the fact that Ireland is the last stop on their European tour, but the performance seemed tired and lacking the exuberance I expected from this band. Both the older tracks from their first album and their new material were deadweight for their set list. They were not helped by the technical problems that made Zebedee Zaitz perform the first two songs solo, or the fact that the banjo players string snapped. The songs were a bit lifeless and felt like they were being played as a chore. The band’s crowd interaction was a welcome distraction from their overlong tuning breaks. They did not know that Boyzone were Irish! That revelation answered the question of who is the greatest musical export that Dublin has to boast. When they did play from ‘All We Could Do Was Sing’ the crowd reacted well, but the songs often lacked the urgency, claustrophobia and fervour that is heard on the record. The band ended on ‘I Woke Up Today’, the opening track of the album, and the band’s greatest moment so far. Pots and pans were dispersed throughout the fans to bang along in time with the music and the crowd were encouraged to, nay ordered to, sing along. This was the sort of performance I came to see and it redeemed the gig. The energy that had been lacking throughout was explosively released at once. No encore - there was no way they could come back out and top that. This was a somewhat disappointing performance from the band that has produced one of this year’s better albums. Still though, their farewell song was enough to make it worth the long walk over to Crawdaddy. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:156 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/346/Daniel-Lanois-Here-Is-What-Is#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=346 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=346&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/346/Daniel-Lanois-Here-Is-What-Is A review of the album Here Is What Is by Daniel Lanois Review Snapshot:Here Is What Is is a weak record by acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois. Failed attempts at being 'artsy' and an overly long running time make this a wearisome listen. The Cluas Verdict?5 out of 10 Full Review: Daniel Lanois made his name producing for big name artists over the last few decades. He has worked with Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and U2 to name but a few. ‘Here Is What Is’ is the fifth studio album from the Canadian. The record opens with just the voice of Brian Eno describing a chest of drawers he once bought. It is one of a few tracks that are simply conversation. The only interesting one of these tracks is ‘Beauty’ where the origin of beauty and the marvel of how it originates from nothingness is discussed. This beauty he speaks of however, he fails to create himself. That said, the album does open well, with the first few tracks catching my interest. Forgetting about the spoken word opener, the first song is a cover of Emmylou Harris’ ‘Where Will I Be’. It would be an understatement to say that he does the song justice. His soft voice helps creates a pleasurable and more subtle sound for the song he produced for Harris on ‘Wrecking Ball’. Interests wanes early on though. It is overly repetitive, centring on the Lanois’ favourite instrument: the steel pedal guitar, and at an arduous 64 minutes long with unadventurous instrumentals taking up far too much of that time. He may be described as the man with the Midas touch when it comes to producing albums, but as a solo artist he does not hold a candle to the names he has worked with. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:346 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/187/Bon-Iver-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=187 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=187&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/187/Bon-Iver-live-in-Dublin Bon Iver (live in Tripod, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Bon Iver played a short, but sublime set in Tripod. They took the record 'For Emma, Forever Ago', to another level, adding layers and new sounds to it, whilst retaining the beauty that has made it the great album it is. The Cluas Verdict? 8.5 out of 10 Full Review: Over the winter of 2006-7 Justin Vernon retreated to a remote cabin in Wisconsin. It was in this isolated sanctuary that he recorded nearly all of what was to become ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’. The record is a quiet masterpiece and there was a massive air of anticipation before this gig. This Sound Track gig was due to take place next door at Crawdaddy, but it was moved to Tripod at the last minute for a seated gig. Support came from James McMorrow and Get Well Soon. McMorrow is a local lad. His performance was decent, if a bit too influenced by Ray Lamontagne. Get Well Soon is a 7 piece with members from Germany and Ireland. With a horn section and a girl bashing cymbals they try to be quirky and original. Instead they are boring and repetitive. Live, Bon Iver is a three piece. Justin Vernon is joined by Sean Carey on drums and his former music student, Mike Noyce, on baritone guitar. There had been an announcement before the gig to keep noise to a minimum due to the quiet nature of Bon Iver’s music. For the most part though, this request was needless. They are so much louder live. They use the extra guitar and drums to build beautiful walls of sound to elevate songs such as ‘Flume’ and ‘For Emma’ While the massive fantastic codas they played were great, the highlights of the gig were in the quieter moments. ‘Skinny Love’ is my favourite song off the album, and possibly my favourite song of the year so far. Live, the drums were louder and more urgent, making the song more forceful. At one stage I just closed my eyes, and let the music take me over, not allowing anything distract me from it. Wonderful. After a solo rendition of ‘Re: Stacks’, they ended on ‘For Emma’. It was perfect. Apologising for the brevity of the show, Vernon admitted that they simply did not know any other songs. A shout from the crowd suggested that he should just play them again. After a thoughtful pause, he replied that it would probably be too weird. Perhaps it would have been “weird”, but I’m sure that no-one would have objected. Support act, James McMorrow, put it excellently when he said that the music of Bon Iver was “beauty for the sake of beauty… for the sake of art.” Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:18:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:187 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/190/Times-New-Viking-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=190 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=190&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/190/Times-New-Viking-live-in-Dublin Times New Viking (live in Andrew's Lane Theatre, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Times New Viking played to small crowd on a Monday night. They gave it everything though. They were trashy, noisy and superb. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: Times New Viking released their third album 'Rip It Off' to much fanfare in blogs and, most importantly, Pitchfork. Being signed to Matador had not caused them to change their sound away from their lofi home-recording beginnings on the Stillbreeze label. Instead 'Rip It Off' is like early Pavement going punkier. It's so noisy that it almost gives you a headache. Importantly though, it sounds great. So, on Monday night they brought their noise to Ireland. It was my first time in the new Andrew's Lane Theatre. It is a decent well designed venue, even if the artwork on the wall makes the place seem as though it's screaming out to be accepted by the Dublin 'scene'. The gig started with little ceremony. The 'roadies' just picked up their instruments, tuned up, and started playing. I had wondered how well they could translate the sound they create on record to their live performance. Would they have to employ an incompetent soundman? Whatever they did, they captured the sound of the album brilliantly. The vocals were drowned out and the music was fuzzy. It sounded great. With each track clocking in around the 1-2 minute mark, they fitted 20 songs into their short set. Highlights were 'Teen Drama' and '(My Head)', but many were so indistinguishable behind the raucous noise that it was hard to tell which track they were playing! Regardless of that, it was fast and it was fun. After just 40 minutes, it was over. Drummer Adam Elliott headed outside for a smoke with the fans, while Beth sat on the stage talking to the fans. The guitarist just stood on stage and finished off the bottle of Jameson that the 3 of them had made impressive progress on during the gig. There was no pomp about this band. There was no showmanship.There were no frills. They came on stage, made wonderful noise and left. And that's what Times New Viking are all about. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Fri, 30 May 2008 13:36:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:190 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/192/Jens-Lekman-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=192 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=192&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/192/Jens-Lekman-live-in-Dublin Jens Lekman (live in The Village, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Jens Lekman returned to Ireland to play the last date on his tour. An excellent gig from one of indie pop’s greatest performers. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: Last December, Jens Lekman played to an adoring crowd in Whelan’s. It was just him and his percussionist, with a cameo from Owen Pallett (better known as Final Fantasy). That gig stands out for me as the best live experience of 2007. It finished with Lekman and Pallett playing a final 5 songs in the alley way beside Whelan’s. On Sunday night, he returned. This time he played next door at The Village. The place was crowded and there was an air of expectancy. Obviously, word had spread even further due to both his last performance, and his spectacular latest album, ‘Night Falls Over Kortedala’. As promised, he brought a full band this time. He opened with “I’m Leaving You Because I Don’t Love You”. Thanks to his accompaniment on bass, cello, violin and drums this time, the sound was much fuller and slick than his last visit. His voice was in fine form once again. The control he has over his voice can only really be appreciated live. It is flawless. The setlist consisted of nearly all of ‘Night Falls Over Kortedala’ interspersed with a few of his older tracks. Lekman began ‘Black Cab’ by telling the story of a Turkish fan who approached him after a show disappointed that Jens had not played the song that goes: 'dooooo dooo’. Like the majority of the gig, ‘Black Cab’ was a splendid celebration of joyous pop. His performance of ‘Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo’ was possibly the happiest song I’ve ever seen played live. The horn section used on the record was replaced with a violin, which added another dimension to the song. Lekman commented that he felt it brought out the innocence of the song. Jens Lekman is probably the funniest musician I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much at a gig before. His wit shows in both his lyrics and his on-stage banter. For the past couple of years he’s opened ‘A Postcard To Nina’ with the tale of how he visited his lesbian friend in Berlin, who had told her father that she was engaged to Jens, in order to hide her secret from him, before launching into song. After just over an hour, he finished with a beautiful solo rendition of ‘Sirin’. It was a superb gig and Jens is a fantastic performer. However, it did not live up to the standards of his Whelan’s performance. It probably never could have. There was a bit more intimacy at that gig. The crowd were adoring that time where as they seemed colder in The Village, rarely joining in to sing. Only ‘Sweet Summer’s Night On Hammer Hill’ could get them to come out of their shell a bit. Sunday just was not special in the way that night in December was. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Wed, 28 May 2008 10:24:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:192 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/370/New-Amusement-Any-Port-In-A-Storm#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=370 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=370&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/370/New-Amusement-Any-Port-In-A-Storm A review of the album 'Any Port In A Storm' by New Amusement Review Snapshot: This is the debut release from local Dublin act New Amusement. Up until now there has been little said about this band, but this mini-album should put them on the map as far as the local scene goes. It’s simple indie pop rock but it’s a pleasure to listen to. They may start making waves yet. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: Last month I popped into the Student Bar in UCD to see a Fight Like Apes gig. It was a Champion’s League night but fortunately they had televisions screening the Man Utd Roma game during the support band’s set. However it was not long into their performance that my neck craned away from the TV set to see what band were producing these quality indie rock sounds. Alas it was New Amusement, a name unknown at the time to both myself and the good company I was keeping. For the next half hour they distracted me from Rooney and co with a solidly excellent set. Imagine my surprise when their mini-album, ‘Any Port In A Storm’, found its way into my post box for review last week. I eagerly popped it into the CD tray and pressed play. Instantly I can tell that in the studio they are quite different to their performance at the Student Bar. The distortion present at the gig was not intended by the band, just a feature of the venue it seems. So it’s different to what I expected, but it’s good. In a similar vein to Delorentos, New Amusement write catchy indie pop songs, but with a tinge of melancholy. This twist is shown best in the standout track on the album, ‘Gone To Sea’. It’s fast paced and light but with a down beat tone to it. “Like a sailor gone to sea, who’s to blame for this farewell/Walked the beach and the sand was hot, now the tide has blown away”, sings Brian Molloy. ‘Are We Winners’ shows the band’s confident self-assured side. It has a real sense of urgency, and as far as indie pop rock goes, it is a cut above The Pigeon Detectives et al. In parts, this album may sound a bit formulaic, but as debut releases go, this shows real promise. New Amusement, another good addition to the local scene. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Tue, 06 May 2008 12:58:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:370 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/199/Concerto-For-Constantine-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=199 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=199&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/199/Concerto-For-Constantine-live-in-Dublin Concerto For Constantine (live in Whelan's, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Concerto For Constantine rocked out a packed Whelan's. Their live show was brilliant, both musically and visually. The Cluas Verdict? 8.5 out of 10 Full Review: Concerto For Constantine consists of JJ72’s Mark Greaney, Idlewild’s Gavin Fox and Binzer of The Frames and Bell X1 fame. JJ72 remain one of my favourite Irish bands of all time and regard ‘I To Sky’ as one of the finest Irish records this decade. Their protracted demise frustrated and disappointed me, but I was full of excitement when I heard about Greaney’s latest project. They have been gigging since November but tonight, Binzer’s birthday, was my first experience of them. The stage is set. Dressed in a uniform of black overcoats, jeans and boots, Gavin Fox and Mark Greaney take to the stage illuminated by flashing strobe lights. They burst straight into an electrifying set. They play straight-up self-indulgent rock, and it’s brilliant. At times it's almost a return to 90s grunge. On stage, Mark and Gavin have such a connection that one cannot help but think that these two men were born to play together. One song in and I’m thinking, “thank Christ JJ72 broke up”. Concerto For Constantine played for just over and hour, not once lapsing into songs from their previous acts. Their visceral performance was filled with passion as Mark screamed down the microphone to a backdrop of throbbing basslines and thumping drums. The influence of The Smashing Pumpkins has always been evident throughout Mark Greaney’s career, but no more so than with Concerto For Constantine.. They ended on an instrumental number with Gavin Fox picking up an acoustic guitar. As they played, thousands of scraps of black crepe paper rained down from the ceiling. It was a bizarre and stunning visual experience. Then, they burst into one final rip roaring track. Based on tonight, this band may be one of Dublin’s brightest talents.  Garret Cleland   More ... Garret Cleland Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:27:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:199 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/375/Chris-Bathgate-A-Cork-Wake-Tale#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=375 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=375&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/375/Chris-Bathgate-A-Cork-Wake-Tale A review of the album 'A Cork Wake Tale' by Chris Bathgate Review Snapshot: The latest offering from Michigan folk artist Chris Bathgate, ‘A Cork Wake Tale’ is a decent and rewarding listen. Similarities to Sufjan Stevens can be seen, but unfortunately his talent is not as great as his contemporary. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: Chris Bathgate’s talent is certainly not going unnoticed in his homestate of Michigan where he won ‘Best Solo Artist’ by the Detroit Free Press. This album is his first UK release, and he has become the latest folk artist to be put on heavy rotation by BBC Radio 2. The album opens with ‘Serpentine’. This sublime track turns out to be the highlight of the record. It’s a beautifully simple piano led ballad. Its cyclical melody sucks you in and absorbs you. While ‘Serpentine’ may be the highlight of the album, the rest does not disappoint. It is an eclectic mix of songs for a folk album. ‘Restless’ and ‘Smile Like a Fist’ see our troubadour let out his rockier side, while he is at his downbeat and melancholic best on ‘Madison House’. The use of a reverb-laden outro on ‘Last Parade on Ann St.’ and his use of horns throughout show Bathgate’s diversity. Despite the mix of sounds, this album does not lose focus. ‘A Cork Wake Tale’ is a fine album, well worth a listen. The fact that it never lives up to the brilliance showed on its opening track might detract from the album, but do not let that deter you. It is an absorbing listen that intrigues the ear on first listen, and rewards thereafter. Garret Cleland  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Garret Cleland Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:25:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:375 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/387/Bill-Coleman-Ill-Tear-My-Own-Walls-Down#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=387 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=387&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/387/Bill-Coleman-Ill-Tear-My-Own-Walls-Down A review of the album 'I'll Tear My Own Walls Down' by 'Bill Coleman' Review Snapshot: I’m not going to blame my lengthy absence from this site on this album. That would be slightly harsh. It most certainly did not fill me full of inspiration and enthusiasm for writing though. An insipid debut effort. The Cluas Verdict? 3 out of 10 Full Review: Bill Coleman is an Irish singer-songwriter. Yes, another one. This, his debut, is a typically unoriginal effort. Coleman’s voice appears sweet but by the third track will simply irritate the listener. His lyrics are that of a bored 14 year old who thinks he can be the next great poet. The songs limp by. I despair. ‘Say It Like You Mean It’ starts off with simple and such catchy pop riffs that one could mistake it for being Rilo Kiley for a moment. However, Coleman’s voice combined with lyrics such as “I want you to want me, and I want to want to want you back” ruin any chances I thought I had of finding a gem on this album. ‘The Pull Of The Pint’ is the standout track on this album. It’s a simple track in which Coleman ditches the annoying whine from his voice. But it’s not enough to redeem this album. I don’t know what it is about singer-songwriters that annoys me so much. I hate trash metal for example, but those bands don’t annoy me nearly as much. These guys go through a break-up and decide that the only way to get over her is to pick up a guitar. They exorcise their demons by exposing the public to their uninventive playing and awful lyrics. Their existence simply riles me.  It’s not necessarily a bad record, just utterly mediocre and forgetful, like so, so many. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:50:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:387 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/419/Funeral-For-A-Friend-Tales-Dont-Tell-Themselves#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=419 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=419&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/419/Funeral-For-A-Friend-Tales-Dont-Tell-Themselves Review Snapshot: Funeral For A Friend return with a rock album that shows them trying to be taken serious, but it's hard to when the songs are just not there. The CLUAS Verdict? 4.5 out of 10 Full Review: On Tales Don’t Tell Themselves Welsh band Funeral For A Friend move away from their emo beginnings and become an all out rock band. As part of this transformation and they have also attempted to create a concept album. This, their third full length, is a story about a fisherman, named David, who is lost at sea. Excited? The album starts well with the epic opener ‘Into Oblivion (Reunion)’ raising my hopes for this album. Both ‘The Great Wide Open’ and ‘The Diary’ are also highlights on this album making the first third of this album actually pretty solid as Funeral For A Friend rawk out. After that however, it all goes down hill. ‘The wheels fell off’, as some might say. The album just seems to blend into a mesh of repetitive riffs and annoying whiney vocals. It is a record that musically reminds me of local ‘battle of the bands’ competitions - technically proficient, but lacking any song-writing inventiveness. The whole nautical theme really grates after a while. It may have seemed like a good idea, but the ‘concept’ is a boring one. My mind just shuts off listening to him sing about raising sails and the open water. It’s about as engaging as the dialogue scenes from Castaway. They may no longer be emo, or post-hardcore (on that note, what is it with music journalists and putting the word ‘post’ before a genre to make a new one?), but in changing direction, they are now a boring, mainstream rock band. Consequently it may lose them a lot of fans who adored their debut effort, ‘Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation’, and, honestly, I can’t see them finding new legions of devotees as a result of this album. Garret Cleland More ... Garret Cleland Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:57:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:419 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/427/Johnny-Boy-Johnny-Boy#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=427 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=427&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/427/Johnny-Boy-Johnny-Boy CLUAS Verdict: 6.5 out of 10 An inconsistent, genre-hopping debut, from the band that gave us one of the finest singles in recent years. Johnny Boy, a Liverpudlian duo, open their eponymous debut with ‘You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve’. This mouthful is a slice of pop perfection and was released as a single in 2004 to critical acclaim but sadly passed the general public by. The album that we had to wait this long for is a frustrating listen as JB jump between genres with varying success. At times the listener is rewarded with gems which, other than ‘Generation’, include the electro-infused indie of ‘15 minutes’, the punk rock of ‘Formaldehyde’ and the Spector-esque splendidness of closing track, and debut single, ‘Johnny Boy Theme’. However the gaps between these songs are filled with tiresome choruses, strained vocals and over-the-top rants about modern day consumerism and other such socio-political hot topics. If they are not careful, Johnny Boy might just fall into the dreaded trap of becoming a ‘singles band’, and an obscure one at that. Garret Cleland   More ... Garret Cleland Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:427