https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4464/Soulsavers--album-of-the-year#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4464 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4464&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4464/Soulsavers--album-of-the-year Firstly, apologies for the quietness on the Blog front of late - partly general busyness but also partly due to Short Cuts' wedding plans in the New Year! But... I've been listening to a record that I just have to share. Soulsaver's latest, called Broken. It features the talents of Will Oldham, Mike Patton and Jason Pierce but, crucially, the record absolutely belongs to Mark Lanegan who reigns over 10 of the tracks on the album. Even though Soulsavers have produced some down-tempo electronica in the past, this record is soulful with some Neil Youngish guitar breaks. And it includes a brilliant cover of Some Misunderstanding from Gene Clark's classic No Other, one of the greatest albums of all time. Listen, wallow and enjoy.  More ... Stephen McNulty Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:48:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4464 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4465/First-View-U2--No-Line-on-the-Horizon#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4465 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4465&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4465/First-View-U2--No-Line-on-the-Horizon From here on in, Short Cuts is going to change tack a little... as well as bringing you the good stuff that bubbles up here in Oz (I see that NME gave Empire of the Sun 8/10 earlier this month... see this earlier blog), I'll be providing a First View on some of the premier releases of the year.  And what better place to start than U2's new release, No Line on the Horizon. Stephen McNulty Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:22:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4465 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4466/Neil-Young-and-Leonard-Cohen--live-in-Sydney#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4466 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4466&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4466/Neil-Young-and-Leonard-Cohen--live-in-Sydney What a week. Short Cuts managed to score tickets to the Sydney Entertainment Centre to see these living legends within 5 days of each other, supported by US reverb-rockers My Morning Jacket (Neil) and Australian singer-songwriter, Paul Kelly (Leonard). The proximity of both events to each other presents an opportunity to compare the late career trajectories of these extraordinary men - probably a flawed premise, I accept! Stephen McNulty Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:38:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4466 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4467/Short-Cuts-at-the-Sydney-Festival--All-Tomorrows-Parties#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4467 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4467&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4467/Short-Cuts-at-the-Sydney-Festival--All-Tomorrows-Parties The last festival Short Cuts attended was so long ago that I'm not even sure what it was! I suspect it might have been Feile, 1995, when the sadly missed Irish festival moved to Cork City. My abiding memory of the event was feeling sorry for Kylie Minogue (who was mid transition from teenie bopper to dance icon and performing her first open-air festival). Her microphone didn't work for her first few tunes, but she battled on, manfully ignoring the crowd's cry of "Show us your arse!"... Stephen McNulty Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:56:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4467 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4468/Best-newly-discovered-Aussie-bands-2008#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4468 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4468&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4468/Best-newly-discovered-Aussie-bands-2008 Prompted by French Letter, here are some of Short Cuts' favourite "newly discovered" Aussie bands. Stephen McNulty Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:17:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4468 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4469/The-Raconteurs-and-friends#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4469 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4469&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4469/The-Raconteurs-and-friends Firstly, apologies for the fact that the blog has been rather inactive of late. Many reasons, of course, but that will change! This is a quick one. Regular readers will be well aware of Short Cuts love of bluegrass (as evidenced by my choice of the best record I bought in 2007 - link here). From producing Loretta Lynn to swapping riffs with Keith Richards, Jack White as always worn his influences on his sleeve. Well add bluegrass to the list! Just watch this wonderful clip...   Stephen McNulty Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:53:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4469 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4470/Hands-up-all-MGMT-fans#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4470 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4470&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4470/Hands-up-all-MGMT-fans Can MGMT be influential? Already?! This is by Empire of the Sun who are a collaboration between Sleepy Jackson (who made the rather wonderful Lovers) and PNAU (read more about them in a previous blog here). An album is due soon and if it's as good as this lead-off single, we are in for a treat! Also reminiscent of Phoenix, I think?  More ... Stephen McNulty Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:27:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4470 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4471/A-Tribute-to-Tree-RIP#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4471 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4471&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4471/A-Tribute-to-Tree-RIP All of us have people who teach us about music. Mat was one of those people for me and, upon the shocking news of his untimely death on Sunday morning, I present to you all some of the music that he led me to. Stephen McNulty Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:53:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4471 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4472/Pivot--Sigur-Ros-fave-Aussie-band#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4472 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4472&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4472/Pivot--Sigur-Ros-fave-Aussie-band Pivot, an experimental post-rock instrumental 3-piece, have been selected by Sigur Ros to support their latest tour (see the CLUAS review of Sigur Ros' latest album here). Stephen McNulty Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4472 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4473/Australian-Electro-Pop-its-quite-good#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4473 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4473&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4473/Australian-Electro-Pop-its-quite-good Forget the cliched image of Australian pub rock. There is a burgeoning (and actually quite enjoyable) electro-pop scene. Here's some of the best tunes I've heard recently. The Presets are a rather avantgarde Sydney duo who make music that meshes the Pet Shop Boys with Nine Inch Nails (if the mood takes them). This video for their Girl And The Sea tune is fabulous - unfortunately I can't embed it but I urge you to check it out here. Their new record, Apocalpso, got this rather rave review in the Guardian today. Pnau have been on the scene in Oz for 10 years or so and have consistently produced some compelling electronic music. Their debut, Sambanova, won an ARIA (Australia's top music gong) in the late 90s but this poppy little number (which was used as the soundtrack to a milk ad!) caught my ear.  Cut Copy have had a number one album in Australia this year with In Ghost Colours (and look like replicating some of that success across the world). It's called More of a straight-forward dance sound and they borrow more than a little from New Order. Still... not a bad influence.       More ... Stephen McNulty Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:13:37 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4473 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4474/Midnight-Oil--Australias-Best-Ever#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4474 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4474&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4474/Midnight-Oil--Australias-Best-Ever It was the summer of 1987. I'd just turned 13 and I was working for my father as a labourer, mixing cement and carrying blocks on a building site on an orchard farm in County Armagh. I was earning 10 quid a week. I was working with grown men for the first time, trying to appear worldly and mature. That didn't last long once my uncle found out that I fancied the orchard owner's daughter and that I was too scared to do anything about it. (I found out that she fancied me too. That scared me even more.) I remember being glued to the Wimbledon tennis championships as a I was a rabid Stefan Edberg fan (so was the orchard owner's daughter...). But mostly I remember attending my piano lessons on a Thursday evening when Victor, my piano teacher, would spend most of the lesson playing records - The Alex Harvey Band, Led Zep, The Pet Shop Boys (!)... The summer of 87 was great, I was growing up and I was growing to love music. That summer was also all about the Michaels - Jackson's Bad and George's Faith. Surely two classic of the finest pop albums of the 80s, I agree... but, for me, Midnight Oil's Diesel and Dust was the album of the year, if not my childhood. It was sensational. Beds are Burning was an incendiary single (pardon the pun). A song that evoked the outback and heat and was as uncompromising as Peter Garrett's haircut. I bought the tape from Gene Stuart's Record Shop on Irish St and, quite literally, played it until it died. I'm sure I had at least three copies of that album in a short period of time (do you remember when your tape player used to chew up only your favourite cassettes?).  Colombia are re-releasing the album complete with a DVD documentary of their outback Blackfella/Whitefella Tour, an experience which inspired the album and its focus on Aboriginal rights. Alongside Beds Are Burning, Dead Heart is the emotional hart of the album and the classic Sometimes ("Sometimes you're beaten to the core/Sometimes you're taken to the wall/But you don't give in") was a clarion call to the original inhabitants of Australia - don't give up. Just a few months ago, the newly elected Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, apologised to all Aboriginal people for past wrongs. No doubt Peter Garrett, his Minister of the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, was a proud bystander. For me, Diesel and Dust is the classic Australian album. This re-release is a great excuse to get acquainted with one of the best rock bands of the past three decades. Unfortunately I never got the experience an Oil live show - did any of you?  More ... Stephen McNulty Wed, 07 May 2008 08:09:54 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4474 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4475/The-Eels-And-schizophrenia#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4475 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4475&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4475/The-Eels-And-schizophrenia   Are the Eels a power pop band? Or a string-laden chamber pop band? Or are they an acoustic duo? Or a three piece punk band? The reason I ask is that I’ve seen this band play 4 times in the past 5 years and, on every occasion, they’ve been a completely different live proposition. They are, without doubt, the most schizophrenic of live bands. And that’s one of the many reasons why I love them to pieces. It seems as if Mark Oliver Everett (or Mr E or just plain E to everyone bar his bank manager) hears many voices in his head and listens to the loudest when he’s planning his world tours. It must be a kind of madness. Which, with is family history, kinda makes sense… Last night’s show in the Enmore theatre in Sydney began with a screening of a BBC funded documentary that traced E’s efforts to find out more about his father, Hugh Everett III, a quantum mechanics physicist who is credited with coming up with the theory of Parallel Universes. This theory has been embraced in popular culture through shows like Doctor Who and cult movies like Donnie Darko. E’s investigation took him on a tour of all things Quantum – from Princeton where his dad developed the theory, to Copenhagen where the film detailed the meeting that his father had with eminent scientist, Nils Bohr. The documentary, whilst highly amusing in parts, touched on some desperately sad events – the suicide of E’s sister, the depression of his parents, the sudden death of his dad just as his theory was becoming more accepted. Many of these events have been detailed in the Eel’s albums over the years but the onscreen revelations added an extra layer of feeling to the band’s intimate performances later in the evening. Maybe “band” is too strong a word. The Eels, on this world tour, consists of E himself and “the Chet”, a multi-instrumentalist who accompanied E on piano, harpsichord, the saw, guitar and, most thrillingly, the drums. It’s a Motherfucker, performed solo at the piano, was as amusingly poignant as ever but the evening really kicked off when the duo warped into some kind of White Stripes version of the Eels and thrashed their way through Flyswatter, Bus Stop Boxer, Novocaine for the Soul and Led Zep’s Good Time Bad Times. Without this manic period, the gig may have slipped into anonymity. In any case, the Eels clearly buck the trend. How many bands tread the boards each tour, trotting out a few numbers for the new record and a smattering of old faves to a ripple of applause (and yawns). I salute the Eels, and in particular Mr E, for their (his?) contrariness and the fact that they wish to challenge me as a fan on each and every tour. I can’t think of many other acts that compare?More ... Stephen McNulty Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:29:20 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4475 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4476/Short-Cuts-Releases-of-2007#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4476 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4476&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4476/Short-Cuts-Releases-of-2007 Firstly, Short Cuts apologises for the length of time between this and the last entry - a situation which will hopefully be remedied by a New Year's Resolution (!). As is now customary in the 00s (the decade of lists?), Short Cuts has, at last, decided to reveal its releases of 2007 in descending order. But first, let's discuss the disappointments of the past 12 months. There were two that hung over the year like stale smoke. After a blistering gig in the Enmore theatre as documented by Short Cuts back in April here, Wilco released the MOR Sky Blue Sky. Moving from alt to schmaltz, the record was lazy and confined. Impossible Germany, the only classic song to be added to the Wilco canon, shone like a beacon. What that record could have been... In addition, Short Cuts noted the enmity between 50 Cent and Kanye West prior to their simultaneous album launches. West's Graduation turned out to be the lesser of his "School Triumverate" - it was bloated, lacking in melody and class. Now onto the list. Bubbling under were The Shepherd's Dog by Iron and Wine, Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Radiohead's In Rainbows. As always, Short Cuts welcomes comments, insults and the rest! 10 - Under the Blacklight by Rilo Kiley. A pure pop confection of the highest quality. As has been noted in the reviews, there is more than a whiff of Fleetwood Mac here but don't let that put you off. The production quality is high, the guitars preen and Jenny Lewis' lovely voice wraps itself deliciously around songs about losing one's virginity (15), sex for cash (Moneymaker) and threesomes (Dejalo). Spot the theme?    9 - Raising Sands by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Plant (whose one night stand with the surviving members of Led Zep was the only serious rival to Radiohead's In Rainbows as Musical Event of the Year) and Krauss cover a collection of folk, country and blues standards under the watchful gaze of T Bone Burnett. The result was, for me, the loveliest record of the year. It just swoons out of the speakers.     8 - Baby 81 by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Every self-respecting Best Of list needs a turned-up-to-11, air guitar fest and Black Rebel provided it in Black Spades this year. From the off (Took Out a Loan), the record is compulsive rock'n'roll. Snarling lyrics and thumping drums ensure that the Jesus and Mary Chain comparisons still hold water. But... when the tunes are this good, who cares?    7 - Overpowered by Roisin Murphy The title track was the Single of the Year - a brash, confident pop song that Kylie, Madonna, Gwen and others of that ilk would give up some serious botox time for. I've always had a soft spot for this kind of sugar rush electro pop. Until the next Goldfrapp release, Overpowered will be on rotation when I need my music to put a smile on my face. Roisin Murphy remains undervalued. A shame.     6 - Moby Grape by Moby Grape Blending 5 voices and 2 lead guitars, the rerelease of Moby Grape's eponymous 1967 release introduced me to  my new favourite 60s band. Mixing pop, blues, country and whatever the hell else they fancied, Moby Grape is pure West Coast US heaven. There isn't a bad song on here but Omaha and Fall On You are particularly special.     5 - Cruel Guards by The Panics Undoubtedly the Australian album of the year, Perth's The Panics made a record that referenced the 80s, hip hop and pure old-fashioned songwriting. This young foursome have a knack for writing uplifting tunes that are completely moreish. A useful skill. Check out the video for their excellent single - Don't Fight It - here.   4 - Time Machine (A Best Of) by Shack   What a band! Shack have released 3 classic albums in my lifetime (Waterpistol, HMS Fable and The Corner of Miles and Gil) yet they are virtually unknown to all you music lovers out there. This timely (geddit?) compilation will convince you all how right I am - their brilliance is taking the humdrum (Cup of Tea) and making it magical. As good as the Stone Roses and Oasis, these Scousers make perfect psychedelic pop.     3 - Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem Are LCD Soundsystem too cool for school? Short Cuts used to think so but this new record proves how utterly wrong that perception is. It is a cool record. But in a good way. Referencing Bowie, disco, Krautrock and dance, James Murphy seems to be able to mesh all this together into something that is addictive, fun yet strangely moving too. North American Scum was a great single too.     2 - 23 by Blonde Redhead This record came out of left field for me. With a male and female lead vocal mix, lush production and gorgeous haunting tunes, 23 has been the record Short Cuts has played most on his MP3 player this year. Ergo it is the new release of the year. Imagine a less obtuse and wilful My Bloody Valentine and you might get close. Dreamy stuff.    1 - The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard and Clark Now I know that a 28 year old bluegrass rerelease of 2 albums on a single disk (that was not even released in 2007!) may strike you all as an unusual choice for Release of the Year. But but but... it's just bloody fantastic. So warm, mellow, tuneful. Gene Clark, of course, went on to great fame with the Byrds but he never bettered these two records he made with guitarist/banjoist Doug Dillard in the late 60s. The highlight is the first record (what a moniker!). Why Not Your Baby was covered by Velvet Crush on their seminal Teenage Symphonies to God. Mournful and joyous mix on this simply brilliant compilation.More ... Stephen McNulty Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:55:52 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4476 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/398/Manu-Chao-La-Radiolina#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=398 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=398&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/398/Manu-Chao-La-Radiolina A review of the album La Radiolina by Manu Chao Review Snapshot: A stonking new album from the multi-million selling music revolutionary, Manu Chao. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: 'La Radiolina' is Manu Chao's first studio album in 6 years (and is my first experience of this French-Spanish performer). The record is the follow-up to Chao's three million-selling 'Roxima Estacion: Esperenza'. Chao grew up in Paris but now lives in Barcelona. Fronting anarchic genre-bending Mano Negra (Black Hand) until the band split in 1995, Chao has been travelling the world releasing the odd album to support his travel bug. Over the course of 21 songs (stuffed into 52 minutes of solidly infectious music), Chao sings in (to my ears) four different languages and numerous styles. Of course, the flamenco styling of Latin music is to the fore, but 'Rainin in Paradize' is a full-on rock song with a lovely fluid guitar motif and driving drums (a la Tom Petty's 'Runnin' Down a Dream'). And it's just great. Especially his lyric rhyming 'atrocity', 'hypocrisy', 'democracy' and 'crazy' - imagine a serious political song sung by Manuel from Fawlty Towers. But in a good way!   But there is much more here. Evocative reggae (reminiscent of Exodus era Marley), sparse ballads, Calexico-style desert folk mixed in with some strident political sloganeering makes for an indulgent treat. I love the Mariachi guitar and trumpet on songs like the melancholy 'Mala Fama' and the more exuberant 'La Vida Tombola'. Indeed, like many of the tracks, it fades out after less than two minutes. Manu's tunes never out-stay their welcome. Most of the time this works, but sometimes the album feels like the listener is surfing the radio dial, dipping in and out of the tunes on offer. Maybe this is deliberate, hence the album name?   Manu Chao was a hero of the sadly departed Joe Strummer and the reggae stylings, mad laughter and Man-of-the-People rants are very reminiscent of the Clash. In recent years, both men became firm friends and I can imagine they had a shared view of the world. This album can't fail to enhance Manu Chao's reputation. 'La Radiolina' will make you pine for the rapidly disappearing summer season (at least for you guys north of the equator). Stephen McNulty  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Stephen McNulty Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:42:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:398 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4477/John-Butler-Trio-and-Keith-Urban--ARIAs-2007#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4477 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4477&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4477/John-Butler-Trio-and-Keith-Urban--ARIAs-2007 The ARIAs are the Australian equivalent of the BRITs - when all the great and good in the Australian music industry indulge in a night of backslapping and self-aggrandising. I watched the show principally because the legend that is Nick Cave got inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. But, unexpectedly, the highlight of the evening didn't involve the long-haired Grinderman. The organisers of the BRITs tend to throw a strange collaboration into the mix - remember Tom Jones and Robbie Williams, or Bjork and PJ Harvey, surely one of the more bizarre and well worth another look. Well the ARIAs chucked hippy John Butler and country singer Keith Urban together for a "jam". And it was surprisingly wonderful.  I reviewed the John Butler Trio's latest record, Grand National, a few months ago and it really is a bit of a stinker. He lived down to his reputation when he accepted the award of Best Independent Release and launched into the kind of left-wing agenda driven speech that even Michael Moore might have baulked at. Keith Urban, a bona fide country superstar here in Oz (as well as being the hubby of one Nicole Kidman), also received an award for Best Country Album. I refuse to listen to the record because of its name - Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing. Jeez... So when they came together, I really didn't expect much. How was I to know that Urban was an incendiary guitar player and that Butler could put aside the politics and thrash out a great tune? It really is well worth a listen - make sure to hang around for the last couple of minutes.    More ... Stephen McNulty Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:30:23 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4477 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4478/Radiohead--how-much-are-they-worth#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4478 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4478&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4478/Radiohead--how-much-are-they-worth   Isn't it quite outstanding news? A new Radiohead album, called In Rainbows, due out in 10 days in digital format... and it's free! Or extremely expensive. It's up to you, faithful music lover.  If a digital download doesn't float your boat, you can fork out 40 quid for a hardbook package with 2 CDs and a Vinyl album too and wait until early December for delivery. Just bizarre! The Guardian have, conveniently, listed the known tunes with some quite dubious YouTube links. 1. 15 Step 2. Bodysnatchers 3. Nude 4. Weird Fishes/Arpegii 5. All I Need 6. Faust Arp 7. Reckoner 8. House of Cards 9. Jigsaw Falling Into Place 10. Videotape So how much will you lot all fork out for the digital release? I won't pay full price on the general principle that MP3s are an inferior product. But for the sheer audacity of this idea (and the fact that it might influence some of the more far-sighted record companies), I'm willing to stump up a few euros. Check out the site - it's lovely. Isn't it great to be just bloody excited about music again?!More ... Stephen McNulty Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:45:58 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4478 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4479/Introducing-Australias-Stones#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4479 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4479&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4479/Introducing-Australias-Stones I came across Angus and Julia Stone when I was chatting a record store guy in Bondi Junction and I asked him to put a CD in my hand that he thought I would love. That CD was a compilation of the 2 EPs they had recorded to date - Heart Full of Wine and the charming Chocolates and Cigarettes. I was completely hooked. One of the key characteristics of this Sydney North Shore sibling band is that each one writes songs that are instantly identifiable - Angus is more a strum-a-long Elliott Smith type whilst Julia veers from acoustic Bjork to a kind of breathy Joanna Newsom folk sound. They recently recorded their debut album in the UK (where they fell under the wing of Fran Healy of Travis fame). The album is called A Book LIke This and this is the lead off single, The Beast. I find it uttlerly beguiling and it's a lovely video too.     The Beast is very much an Angus song. Julia's music is a little more challenging, but it's part of the drama of this band. Have a listen to I'm Yours.   I can't wait to see these guys live. By all accounts, it's like seeing two acts... the other melds into the background during each song. But... I'm waiting until a certain someone who's currently in the UK beats a path to my door here in Sydney before I book some tickets. I have a feeling it will be a night that I want to share.  More ... Stephen McNulty Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:49:50 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4479 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/408/Garbage-Absolute-Garbage#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=408 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=408&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/408/Garbage-Absolute-Garbage Review snapshot: Garbage start out not being garbage... and then slowly but surely they become absolute garbage. Unfortunate. The CLUAS Verdict? 5 out of 10 Full Review: Garbage fairly well leapt out of the blocks in the mid 90s. They seemed perfectly formed. Powered by Butch Vig (famed producer of Nirvana's Nevermind and other luminaries like Sonic Youth) and fronted by Shirley Manson, a Scottish dervish whose look was more suited to the shoegazer bands of the late 80s, Garbage received massive support from MTV. Now 4 albums and 12 years later, the band have decided to consolidate with a Best Of collection. Or is it an epitaph to what has become a faltering career? Absolute Garbage shoots its bolt early on. Vow, Queer, I'm Only Happy When It Rains were all sleek, poppy hits garnered from their eponymous, and best, debut album. Shining brightest of all is Stupid Girl, a fab tune with a Claytonesque bassline and a sexy lyric. Manson's snarling delivery was reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde. But it's all downhill from there. Garbage have, essentially, remade their debut with ever decreasing rewards. I Think I'm Paranoid was a minor hit. Their Bond theme, The World Is Not Enough, was pretty much unmemorable (as was the movie) - I challenge you to hum the tune. Probably the best of their latter period songs, Androgyny, has been bizarrely omitted from this collection. By the end of the album's generous 18 tunes, one has to desperately resist hitting the forward button. My advice? Pick up their debut album from a bargain bin. It's an interesting document of 90s alternative pop. Stephen McNulty  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Stephen McNulty Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:37:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:408 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4480/Ryan-Adams--is-it-all-Dylans-fault#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4480 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4480&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4480/Ryan-Adams--is-it-all-Dylans-fault Those of you who've been with CLUAS for a while may remember that I was an Adams evangeliser. I reviewed his first two solo records for these hallowed pages - Heartbreaker and Gold. These records, alongside the final Whiskeytown album Pneumonia, represented Adams at his most vibrant and vital. Acclaim was immediate and fulsome. Over time, Gold has tarnished but the other two represent an early 21st Centuty zenith in singer songwriting. The stage seemed set for Adams to achieve superstardom.  Except things have not gone quite according to plan. Adams has dated famous actresses, developed a proper drug habit, fallen off stage. All the while, he’s been churning out album after album. Five official album releases later (13 unofficial releases streamed from his website) and Adams’ latest, the rather excellent Easy Tiger, has been met with a collective shoulder shrug from most music critics. Another Adams record stuffed with plaintive melodies, country-rock leanings, sad songs about sad girls… Yet Adams has remained a big live draw. Playing two Enmore Theatre shows in a row has demonstrated his marketability here in Sydney. Having seen him play three times before, each one being a dramatic and memorable night, I was excited. The band trotted onstage in almost darkness and played in the blue hue of a few Chinese lanterns over the centre of the stage. Calls of "Turn the lights up!" started almost immediately. The crowd murmured as Adams kicked into Goodnight Rose, the lovely opener from Easy Tiger. I could not pick where Adams was standing onstage. The gloom was distracting but the band’s sound was clear, chunky and strong. Adams was in fine voice. Over the years, his voice has definitely improved. Dear John was an obvious early highlight as was Wild Flower from Gold. Intricate melodies delicately played and sung. It’s hard to pinpoint where it all went horribly wrong. I could point at the band which seemed to play at the same intensity all evening. That’s not to say that weren’t competent. Just that without light or a focal point on stage, the music was found lacking. And there were too many samey guitar licks. It could have been that Adams let Neal Casal, his lead guitarist, interact with the audience. Adams’ only outburst was to admonish us for "not knowing how to act" as the band took an early intermission. That legendary stroppiness was there in spades. Maybe it was because he played lots of new or obscure songs and the lack of familiarity grated on those of us who know that he has many classics in his back catalogue. Maybe the effort that Adams clearly demands of his audience is not repaid with interest by him and his band. It was obvious that the calls from the crowd resulted in a set change – did we deserve to be punished? Does this sound familiar? Even faced with what was clearly a below par gig, the Adams apologists were immediately out en masse. Under the byline ‘Seems Like the Greater They Are, the More You Have to Like It or Lump It’, the Sydney Morning Herald’s chief music critic Bernard Zuel reckoned the show had been Dylanesque in its wilful awkwardness but that it had moments of brilliance. Whilst the article is mostly piffle, does he have the nugget of a good point there?   The debate on this Adams Blog sheds further light on what was an infuriating night. Is an artist being disrespectful to the paying public by being difficult and awkward? Can these recent awful Adams and Rice gigs be attributed to Dylan’s behaviour on his Never Ending tour?  More ... Stephen McNulty Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:03:34 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4480 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4481/50-Cent-vs-Kanye--Rap-Crap#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4481 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4481&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4481/50-Cent-vs-Kanye--Rap-Crap For those of you 'down with the kids', this will be old news. 50 Cent and Kanye West are releasing their new albums (Curtis and Graduation respectively) on on the same day in the US - September 11th. A rather entertaining war of words has now escalated to the following sensible conclusion: they'll be debating who has the best album live on television. As you do. Fiddy's somewhat baffling response to West's TV debate request closed with "Just don't be asking me if I am a conscious rapper. I know exactly what I am saying - so I am conscious". I read this imagining Fiddy in baby oil placing his finger on his chin and pursing his lips a la Dr Evil. Kanye's somewhat more reasonable reply ("What am I going to debate about?") has led to even more drama! Fiddy has declared that he will never make another 50 Cent album should West outsell him. This is an empty threat as Cent is regularly amongst the highest selling artists in the world. Still, we can but hope. At least this level of juvenile engagement probably won't result in multiple gun-related rapper casualties. Still, this is all rather reminiscent of other music battles. I thought I'd start a list of my own personal favourites, NOT in the order of their cultural significance of course! The Stones vs The Beatles Still a healthy debate a full 35 years plus since the bands were at their peak, this argument will probably never be definitely settled. For me, Beggar's Banquet to Goat Heads Soup wins the day. Oasis 'Roll With It' vs Blur 'Country House' Conventional wisdom ran that Blur won the battle (Country House debuted at no 1, beating Roll With It to top spot) but that Oasis won the war. Morning Glory went on the sell squillions and the Gallagher brothers became OK and Hello fodder. But... Blur scored bigger hits in the US (Song 2?) and have arguably released better and more challenging albums than their Mancunian foes. For me, Blur by a street. One True Voice vs Girls Aloud Heh! 2 "bands" created on 2002's Popstars - The Rivals. One managed by Pete Waterhouse, the other by Louis Walsh. "Sound of the Underground" announced the arrival of a sassy young group that wiped the floor with their male rivals. One True Voice fell apart after just two singles and Pete Waterman has never been heard of since. Yey! The Music Industry vs Downloaders Still raging. And dealt with elsewhere on the CLUAS blogs. The Dark Wars - Norwegian Death Metal vs Finnish Black Metal 1992 - 1994 It's not just the rap genre where musical conflict has escalated to murder. Varg Vicenne of Barzum stabbed Øystein Aarseth of Mayhem 23 times and is currently serving a 21 year jail sentence for his trouble. The Killers vs The Bravery The Killers currently ahead on points in the Lightweight Dead-eyed Careerist Championship of the World. Any others I've missed?More ... Stephen McNulty Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:05:33 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4481 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/413/John-Butler-Trio-Grand-National#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=413 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=413&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/413/John-Butler-Trio-Grand-National Australian roots activists return with their fourth long player. The CLUAS Verdict? 5 out of 10 John Mayer, Roy Harper, Dave Matthews… how you react to that list pretty much determines whether the John Butler Trio are your bag or not. The John Butler Trio are led by Mr Butler himself. Native of North America, he moved to Australia at age 10. Grand National is the band’s third album and he is credited almost single-handedly with making roots music fashionable down under - roots music being an umbrella term covering  a kind of looping, groovy brand of rock replete with wah-wah guitar solos, banjos, lap-steel and vaguely political lyrics. He preaches peace (man) and has the dreadlocks to show he takes it all very seriously. The opening track (and lead off single in Australia) is the highlight of the album. Better Than is funky, melodic and soars over the rest of the tunes on the album in that it does not sound forced. It is driven by an insistent banjo riff – if you’re going to download a track from the album, make it this one. Daniella has a vaguely hip-hop feel to it. Butler syncopates his words in some embarrassing take on Dave Matthews. It’s awful. Funky Tonight does exactly what it says on the tin – throwing banjo, harmonica, congas and cowbells together in a messy squall. It works well enough but is followed by the execrable Caroline, a dreadful ballad about child abuse. The lyrics are trite, almost insulting. Poisonously syrupy. The musicianship is of a high standard, including a fabulously jazzy interlude on Gov Did Nothin’. The song is still let down by some entertainingly cack lyrics – “Now I don’t mean to offend / No I don’t wish to start a fight / But do you really think that the gov would do nothin’ / If all those people were white”. Sheesh… Groovin’ Slowly is Bob Marley-lite. Devil Running up the ante with its opening backwards guitar solo over a droning didgeridoo before the ubiquitous groovy acoustic takes over. The chorus comes over all emo(!).The rest of the record floats by almost by accident. Stephen McNulty More ... Stephen McNulty Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:07:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:413 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4482/Introducing-Australias-finest-Augie-March#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4482 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4482&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4482/Introducing-Australias-finest-Augie-March As I've been in Australia for a while now, I've been assimilating the local Aussie music scene. One band has stood head and shoulders above the rest and I feel it's now the time to introduce Ireland (and the world) to the genius that is Augie March. Stephen McNulty Sun, 05 Aug 2007 04:49:07 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4482 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4483/Astral-Weeks-Astral-SE#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4483 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4483&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4483/Astral-Weeks-Astral-SE Earlier this week, the Guardian asked a number of credible musos du jour (Mark Ronson,  Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips et al) to talk about a "classic" album that failed to light their fire. The article here delivers a masterclass in Sacred Cow slaying. Everything from Nevermind to Pet Sounds to The Stone Roses gets it in the neck. Whilst I disagree wholeheartedly with Alex Kapranos slagging off Marquee Moon (how could he?!), I must admit that I found myself nodding vigorously to myself with descriptions of the Arcade Fire's  Neon Bible ("..an agglomeration of mannerisms, cliches and devices...") and Is This It (..the Strokes are the new Duran Duran; the new decadence for the new millennium...). Of course, it got my thinking. Time to invite my fellow CLUASers to slay some sacred cows of their own. To start with, I'd like to nominate the two albums that adorn the top of the CLUAS Best Irish albums - Van the Man's Astral Weeks, and Loveless by that famous "Irish" beat combo, My Bloody Valentine. The directionless dirge that is Astral Weeks is knocked into a tin hat by  the delightful Moondance, whilst Loveless sounds like some recorded a bad album for their iPOD underwater. Now I know that the guitar layers and swoony indecipherable vocals are supposed to transport me to a nether world.... but there ARE NO TUNES! Patti Smith, Horses. Neigh I say. Poetry recited over a sloppy bar band? There isn't a single Dylan album that I can listen to the whole way through. Now call me a philistine (and I know some of you already think I am) but there are just too many words. Blonde on Blonde? I find myself skipping tracks. Visions of Johanna's genius is drained by is length. Why are the Clash worshipped?! So many of their songs sound under-rehearsed and rehashed. And, the worst crime of all, they inspired the truly awful Libertines. Surely the most over-rated band of recent times, Up The Bracket is off-key, gravelly and ridiculously derivative.  And so, my friends, I ask you this. What is the most over-rated album of all time? Do you agree with my choices or would you prefer to add some new and familiar names to the list? OK Computer anyone?  More ... Stephen McNulty Sat, 16 Jun 2007 11:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4483 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4484/Sacred-Cow-Slain--Clint-Eastwood#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4484 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4484&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4484/Sacred-Cow-Slain--Clint-Eastwood "My candidate for the worst movie-star director of all time has to be Clint Eastwood. Because he's still a big star and he stays on budget, Hollywood continues to indulge his directorial fantasies, yet in nearly 40 years of half-assed attempts at directing he has never developed a style of his own. Every directorial chop Eastwood displays was stolen from Don Siegel or Sergio Leone - real filmmakers who taught him what little he knows. Clint's only original theme, present from Play Misty for Me all the way to Million Dollar Baby, is that of a paternalistic white male who exercises the power of life or death over a woman: invariably, he chooses to kill her." Alex Cox, May 25th 2007 Isn't that one of the best Hollywood Sacred Cow assassinations of all time? It's from a recent Alex Cox column in the Film and Music section of the Guardian newspaper. Alex Cox, for those of who may not be up to speed on your bitter independent film directors, is British and is best known for his 80s low budget output - Sid 'n' Nancy, Repo Man and, perhaps, Straight to Hell starring the late great Joe Strummer. I know him best for his simply brilliant  early 90s late night BBC2 slot, Moviedrome, where he introduced his favourite movies and seemed to have free reign. For young impressionable movie fans like yours truly, Moviedrome's diet of sexy, sometimes violent, but always intriguing cult films was manna from heaven. He's probably more responsible for this blog than anyone. A list of the movies shown on Moviedrome with some of Cox's characteristically dry intros can be found here. What a list! Opening with The Wicker Man, through to Barbarella, Five Easy Pieces, Get Carter and Badlands, Moviedrome was a movie education. I note that in the 1992 season, Cox showcased a Play Misty for Me directed by Clint Eastwood... ahem... Cox's assassination of Clint Eastwood may be tongue in cheek (maybe?). But there is definitely some truth in the observation that Eastwood is a director without a signature note. Unlike his contemporaries (Scorcese, De Palma etc) who's movies are identifiable almost from the opening reel, Eastwood's movies cannot be regarded as the work of an auteur. Eastwood's movies are watched almost out of duty (except for the truly wonderful Unforgiven). Anyway, as Cox is an inspiration for this column, I thought it appropriate that I assassinate my own Sacred Cow. And I invite you all to do the same below. Lars von Trier. Even saying his name makes me feel bilious. I've walked out of two movies in my life (I've also been marched out of a movie... but that's a subject for an entirely different blog) - one was Out of Africa (I was young and bored). The other was The Idiots, a movie about idiots, directed by an idiot, made for idiots. Von Trier's movies are pretentious, affected, disheartening, wilful, empty, intellectually bankrupt and just plain threatening. Letting his actors stay in character (i.e. actors pretend to be spastic for our entertainment) for hours on set, he even claimed this technique as his own even though the great Robert Altman, in honour of whom this blog is named, had been doing it for years. Yet this sadistic man has devotees all through the movie-loving world. He sagely agrees that he is difficult with his actresses as this extraordinary interview with Newsweek describes under the headline, Meet the Punisher.... Couldn't have put it better myself.More ... Stephen McNulty Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:02:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4484 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4485/Richard-Swift-Wilco-on-Jools-tonight#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4485 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4485&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4485/Richard-Swift-Wilco-on-Jools-tonight Once in a while, stuck on the other side of the world, I envy the quality TV that you lot get in the Northern Hemisphere. One of the shows I miss most is Later with Jools Holland. And tonight's show has a simply brilliant line-up. Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem, Joan Armatrading, Wilco and my hope for breakthrough of the year, Richard Swft. The last, and only, time I saw Richard Swift live was on a visit to see our esteemed editor in Brussels. As is his wont, Eoghan organised that we, with our better halves, would go see a gig that he had picked out. Swift made up one of two relativlely obscure singer-songwriters - the other being Baxter Dury, son of the late Ian Dury. Dury's rather predictable reggae-like urban dramas were completely obscured by Swift's dramatic, almost vaudevillian, chamber pop. Swift had a memorable head of hair (!) as well as a tight, funky band. His melodic delivery perfectly suited his songs. I bought a double CD that was available on the night - a compilation his previous two albums, the Novelist / Walking Without Effort.  This year Swift returned to the fray with one of the albums of the year, Dressed Up for the Letdown. As the title suggests, it's a melancholy delight, full of pointed lyrics. Artist and Repertoire , typically, is a conversation between Swift and his A&R man - "Sorry Mr. Swift, but there's no radio that likes to play the songs of your lovers' sorrow". Many of the songs evoke Richard Hawley, Rufus Wainwright... And he deserves to be in this exalted company. his albums can be wallowed in. So enjoy Richard Swift on Jools tonight. And then go buy his really rather wonderful records...  More ... Stephen McNulty Fri, 25 May 2007 02:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4485 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4486/Prince-in-London-for-a-21-night-stint#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4486 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4486&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4486/Prince-in-London-for-a-21-night-stint True living legend Prince has announced a 21 date residency in London later this year. The details known to date can be found here. 21 shows!! What's interesting about Prince's escapade is that he has fixed ticket prices at £31.21 in tribute to his latest (and really rather fine) album 3121 - ticket buyers will also get a copy of the album (I'm assuming a digital download). The price means many of his fans can now afford to see the man credited with some of the most spectacular stage shows of the 20th century. Prince claims to have prepared over 150 songs for the shows and that he will play a different set list each night. He's bringing the symbol shaped stage that was showcased during the Superbowl half-time show. Seeing such a spectacle for that price must count as one of the bargains of the year (though cynics might snort that this ploy is designed to guarantee a full house for a fading musical force). In any case, I applaud the idea and I think other, more close to home, moneymaking franchises could take note. The PrinceFest will also present music lovers with an opportunity to appraise Prince's work. A friend of mine directed me to this interview with Alan Leeds. It is genuinely awe-inspiring. I challenge you to read it and resist putting on Sign of the TImes or Purple Rain or Around the World in a Day. In an era of mind-numbing hyperbole, this guy genuinely is a musical genius. Definition of frustration? I'm visiting London for two weeks this summer, leaving for Sydney on July 28th. Rumoured date of Prince's first show? July 29th.More ... Stephen McNulty Wed, 09 May 2007 02:31:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4486 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4487/Grindhouse-gets-errr-ground-down#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4487 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4487&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4487/Grindhouse-gets-errr-ground-down During the utlimately rather forgettable 300, I found myself thinking about the trailer I'd just seen for Grindhouse, a double bill directed by Robert Rodriguez (who made the heroic Sin City) and Quentin Tarantino (do we need to list his triumphs?). The gorgeous Rosario Dawson as a stripper with a machine gun for a leg. A grizzly looking Kirk Douglas wearing an iconic eye patch. Again. The trailer was so gloriously over the top - a quick scan round the audience revealed many a popcorn muncher elbowing his partner or mate, mouthing "what the f*** is this?!". I've been annoying my partner about this film for months. And, now, the release in Australia (and Ireland) has been postponed. Indefinitely. The box office takings of the movie in the US have been disastrous - a measly $12 million in its opening weekend (over Easter - traditionally a strong movie-going period). Considering the movie had a reputed budget of $100 milliion, this represents a flop of titanic proportions. A double bill of Rodriguez' Planet Terror (a zombie horror flick) and Tarantino's Death Proof (a car chase cum serial killer cum god knows what else) complete with spoof trailers, Grindhouse was shot as a homage to the cheap 'n' nasty, violent, pornographic low budget movies of the 60s and 70s. It sounds a winner, doesn't it? Both directors, now firm friends, have made careers of taking scenes and dialogue from movies and directors they love, and putting a new milennium spin on them. Reservoir Dogs owed much to Ringo Lam's 1987 Hong Kong thriller, City of Fire. Rodriguez's El Mariachi was a Western that was indebted to John Woo who, in turn, was a disciple of Sam Peckinpah. Tarantino took pop culture to new heights in Pulp Fiction especially and even if you didn't get all the film or genre references, the movie was so much fun that you could not help being swept along. So what's gone wrong? It seems to me that the problem with Grindhouse is that the whole movie is a reference to a genre that is not held in such high esteem. And didn't Tarantino and Rodriguez already make a grindhouse movie with From Dusk To Dawn with it's vampires and violence and a vamping Salma Hayek. Reports of American cinema goers leaving halfway through as they did not know it was a double bill are probably exaggerated, but are symptomatic of the movie's many problems. Rumour has it that Grindhouse will, ironically, now be split into its constituent parts and released as two separate movies. Tarantino's effort, Death Proof, will apparently be showcased in Cannes (where he controversially won the Palm D'Or for Pulp Fiction) while Rodriguez's effort is in limbo.  All I am is massively disappointed. There have been few cinema events this past year and now Harvey Weinstein, in his wisdom, has decided that America's indifference to this challenging movie will be reflected worldwide. Has Tarantino really lost the plot? Or does he deserves studio support since Weinstein's powerful position in Hollywood owes much to Reservoir Dogs. Maybe Grindhouse is too much of an in-joke for a mainstream audience ($100 million for such a movie does seem ridiculous) but godammit, it needs to be seen!  More ... Stephen McNulty Tue, 01 May 2007 08:43:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4487 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4488/White-Stripes-Icky-Thump-a-preview#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4488 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4488&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4488/White-Stripes-Icky-Thump-a-preview ... can be heard here. The Stripes are even more Led Zep than ever. Magnificent!  More ... Stephen McNulty Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:45:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4488 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4489/The-Shortlist-Short-List#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4489 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4489&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4489/The-Shortlist-Short-List One of the more interesting of the music prizes on offer is the ShortList. The list this year is remarkable in that it's virtually a distillation of the past 12 months of our CLUAS discussion board faves!... Band of Horses, Beirut, Joanna Newsom, Cat Power. All CLUAS discussion topics over the past months and all very much in with a shout of winning. For those of you unfamiliar with the "rules" of Shortlist, any album released in the U.S. in 2006 is eligible for nomination as long as it had not been certified gold for domestic US sales of 500,000 or more. The list is chosen by a random selection of musicians - this year that selection really is a fascinating combo. We will have a winning album chosen by Franz Ferdinand, KT Tunstall, Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), last year's winner Sufjan Steven and Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips front man) amongst other luminaries. A long list of 61 has been whittled down to the following:- 1.     Band of Horses - Everything All the Time 2.     Beirut - Gulag Orkestar 3.     Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Letting Go 4.     Cat Power - The Greatest 5.     Girl Talk - Night Ripper 6.     Hot Chip - The Warning 7.     Joanna Newsom – Ys 8.     Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope 9.     Spank Rock – YoYoYoYoYo 10.   Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards For me, the standout is the Tom Waits magnum opus which is rewarding me every time I play it. But if we assume that a living legend really doesn't need another award, then it becomes a quite tricky decision. I'm disappointed that Midlake and Beck didn't make it from the long list as they made, in my opinion, the best albums of their careers. I love the Bonnie Prince record, but it's not the best he's made (you need to go back to 2002's I See A Darkness for that). Cat Power is a little one-paced... Band of Horses have a long way to go. Regina Spektor's Begin To Hope is wildly uneven as the CLUAS review pointed out. I reckon it will boil down to a straight choice between Hot Chip and (the wildly over-rated?) Joanna Newsom. And Newsom will win. More ... Stephen McNulty Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:19:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4489 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4490/Wilco--the-Band-of-our-time#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4490 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4490&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4490/Wilco--the-Band-of-our-time It happened halfway through last Wilco's first ever headlining gig in Sydney last night . The band were ripping through Walken from their imminent release, Sky Blue Sky.  I was sat by the sound desk, in a leg brace - long story. My good friend Fergal, enjoying his virgin Wilco experience, turned to me and took a Robbie-Robertson-a-la-Last-Waltz stance, wide-legged, jerking back and forth, guitar swinging from side to side. I looked back to the stage and realised just how much Jeff Tweedy resembled the former Band front man. Right down to the ear to ear grin. Yep, this was not the grumpy Jeff I'd experienced in the past - this was a happy Jeff. Jeff, the raconteur, taking the piss out of Steak 'n' Kidney (Sydney) and describing Tasmania as "the two-headed state". The music was just as joyous. Encompassing songs from all of their albums, the gig hit some extraordinary heights. Misunderstood was HUGE, the audience yelling "Nothing!" with the band over and over and over again. Set closer, the ever avant-garde Spiders, showcased the dualling guitars of Tweedy and lead guitarist, Nels Cline. This was a continuing motif of the night - Tweedy's guitar was dirty, messy, strangled and Cline's was bright, exact, soaring. Together they made a truly compelling sound - the three minute guitar salvo at the end of At Least That's What You Said was a hair-raising highlight. California Stars from their still wonderful Billy Bragg collaboration Mermaid Avenue was as littingly lovely as ever. Theologians, Jesus etc and Hummingbird were expertly despatched. Drums, guitar, piano, perfect vocal harmonies. Wilco could really be the Band of our time. There were glimpses of Dylan, Bowie, the Stones and the Band, of course, but Tweedy has morphed this alt-country collective into something that is so much more. Such a celebratory concert doesn't quite dispel all my doubts about the new album though. The set featured five songs from Sky Blue Sky, due out at the end of May, and I'm not sure I could argue that lack of familiarity is the reason none stood out as highlights. Hate It Here, introduced by Tweedy as the "Domestic Song", talks of domestic bliss, of missing a loved one when he or she is not home. It's soulful, beautifully sung by Tweedy, but it lacks the bite and challenge of previous Wilco classics. Sky Blue Sky sounds settled, comfortable. Whilst I suspect this respresents where Tweedy is with his life right now, it means the record is all too easy to absorb. The band tour Europe in May (though I notice that Dublin doesn't seem to be on the current itinerary). They play two shows in the Shepherd's Bush Empire (the best music venue in the world, in my humble opinion) - an exhilarating night is guaranteed.  A webcast of the gig is here.More ... Stephen McNulty Sun, 22 Apr 2007 04:44:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4490 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4491/Hidden-Gems--Dead-Mans-Shoes#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4491 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4491&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4491/Hidden-Gems--Dead-Mans-Shoes So there is a movie that is coming out soon that has me positively salivating.... it's not Fincher's Zodiac. Nor is it the Rodriguez/ Tarantino lovein, Grindhouse. No - it's This Is England, by maverick English director, Shane Meadows. The reason? I believe Meadow's last movie, 2004's Dead Man's Shoes, to be one of the greatest pictures of recent years. It's a rivetting revenge thriller starring the British Isle's one true acting superstar (are you watching, Colin?) , the very wonderful Paddy Considine. He plays ex-soldier Richard with such menace, magnetism and macabre humour that I would readily compare the peformance with de Niro's iconic Travis Bickle - yes, Considine really is that good. Meadow's makes very personal pictures. His Once Upon a TIme in the West was a western based in, you guessed it, the Midlands (Dead Man's Shoes reminds me of Leone's Hang 'em High in its tone) and his newest release, This Is England, is a semi-autobiographical skinhead drama and promises to be as compelling and confonting as Dead Man's Shoes. Over time, I'll talk about some other lost masterpieces, but if you have some of your own, list them below.More ... Stephen McNulty Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:37:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4491 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4492/Word-Up#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4492 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4492&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4492/Word-Up American TV shows seem to be picking up some increasingly interesting music - I was sitting watching CSI with my girl this evening when a perfectly funky version of Cameo's Word Up was showcased. A little digging turned up that the song (available for download below) is by a London soul singer called Willis - more info here. If you are intrigued, Willis is playing the Plastic People on Curtain Road in London on April 28th. Cover Versions are pretty special to me and, over time, they'll become a major theme of my blog. I hope you like this as a starter for 10...  Download: Willis - Word Up More ... Stephen McNulty Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:43:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4492 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4493/Warning-there-is-a-Blog-here#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4493 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4493&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4493/Warning-there-is-a-Blog-here As the BBC recently reported, a draft "Blogging Code of Conduct" is being proposed after perceived threats made on a popular blog against US developer, Kathy Sierra. Ms Sierra was threatened on the US blog Creating Passionate Users. The offensive comments (details here) caused Ms Sierra to cancel a personal appearance at the SXSW festival. The main tenet of the proposed code of conduct draft is that :- anonymous blog messaging should be banned; writers must take responsibility for comments as well as content; don't say anything that you wouldn't say in person; users of sites that advocate "open" blogging should be warned on that site's home page before they blunder into the deep and dark abyss that is known as free speech... Forgive my facetiousness. But doesn't this remind you of Tipper Gore's anti offensive language campaign in the mid eighties that resulted in the now infamous Parental Advisory Sticker. Recent US albums facing censorship from the sticker included Gwen Stefani's menacing The Sweet Escape and Bloc Party's disturbing Slient Alarm, putting them in the same basket as much more infamous Eminem and Ice-T albums... The mind boggles.  Clearly the imposition of an unenforceable law that has little or no control and boundaries has a precedence in the US. So should we be worried about the Blogosphere? Or should CLUAS impose its own rules and regulations in an attempt to stamp out a fire before it flames. Blogs obviously provide a more immediate, and intense, forum for debate. That may mean that fundamental differences come to the fore faster, and nerves are laid bare. The facelessness encourages a lack of control that is less apparent on other media. So what does this mean? To me, the best Blogs exhibit a kind of intense honesty that cannot be seen in the House of Commons or on a newspaper letters page. I take full responsibility for the content of my Blog. If I am to take further responsibility for the content of the comments on my Blog, my position becomes a lot less tenable. The legal concept of Copyright does not apply (and should never apply) to a Blog so any Code on Conduct could only be a voluntary exercise, right? Even so, we are moving at a pace towards our first legal challenge to the right to reply to a Blog. Allowing people to vent is, in my opinion, a positive thing. Whether it be that the new Arctic Monkeys is crap or that that Mugabe should be removed forthwith, it's still a valuable opinion. Some people are inherently aggressive, nasty, uncontrolled but I just fail to see how imposed voluntary rules can possibly help - those humane enough to take such rules into account are unlikely to ever sink to the level of abuse in the first place. CLUAS allows me to choose whether to allow anonymous comments to the Blog (something that differentiates the Blog from the Discussion Board, for example). That is a good thing. Long may it continue. More ... Stephen McNulty Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4493 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4494/Back-in-the-Days#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4494 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4494&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4494/Back-in-the-Days A comment ("...back in the days when it meant something to him...") left by the reader 'Wazza' on my first blog entry has got me thinking. It was in reference to Robbie Williams and seemed to suggest that Williams' heart is no longer in his music, that somehow he'd lost his muse. Williams' rise was certainly a dramatic one - from making it massive by proving his old mates wrong, by having 250,000 people chant his name. Maybe now Williams is suffering from the Rules of being a Celebrity in the Modern Age that dictate that he cannot stay on a pedestal that high. He has to fall. Maybe that fall has everything to do with his manic depressive nature but, personally, Williams has, in recent years, become a much more interesting artist (though both Williams' record company and would probably disagree based on the quite dismal performance of his 2006 release, Rudebox). It seems to me that the music now means more to Williams than his audience. "...back in the days when it meant something...". Another interpretation of Wazza's comment applies to the quite extraordinary number of 40+ year old rock stars who are returning to their old stomping grounds in the hope of rejuvenating both their lives and their music. The Who's Endless Wire was a tired rehash of Tommy except the main protaganist wasn't a deaf, dumb and blind boy but Townsend himself explaining away his rather unusual websurfing activities. The beauty of the Stooges was that their thrillingly ugly slabs of sound raged against their perceived lack of respect. Now their first release in over 30 years, the Weirdness,  sounds cleansed, anodyne and should never have been allowed to happen. The Pixies have reformed. The Police are reforming... and are guaranteed to make huge amounts of money from their impending world tour. Indeed Pixies legend Black Francis has clearly stated that he is in this game for the filthy lucre (and let's not even talk about that Sex Pistol's reunion embarrassment). Does the music still mean something to them? Not that this drive to recreate the glory years can be a totally negative thing.... The elder statesman of literate Aussie rock, Nick Cave, has regressed on his latest release, Grinderman, to the clanking, discordant days of the Birthday Party. And rather thrilling it is too with its dirty laughs (No Pussy Blues) and garage beats. Indeed the original press release for the band describes them rather perfectly - "Foul-mouthed, noisy, hairy, and damn well old enough to know better." Grinderman stands out because, whilst it is a nod to the past, it doesn't pander to the past. Cave is 50 years old this year and he sounds it. But you can hear his heart is still in it. And he kinda sounds like the Stooges... There are some bands that I would love to see reform, for purely selfish reasons of course. REM (the original Bill Berry lineup), the Band, Midnight Oil. Any other suggestions? More ... Stephen McNulty Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:47:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4494 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4495/Love-the-Songs-not-the-Audience#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=4495 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=4495&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/4495/Love-the-Songs-not-the-Audience Have you had a musical experience that, over time, has festered in your mind until you reach a point where what you feel now is much more intense than what you felt at the time?   Well, let’s talk about Damien Rice’s show at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney, last month. Having had mixed Rice live experiences in the past, I was wary of his mood. On occasion, he can be a storyteller, an engager. On others he can be sullen and dismissive. But seldom, if ever, has an artist shown such disregard for his audience as Rice did that night in Sydney. He was surly, he turned his back to us. He refused completely to engage. His band played with a kind of cautious acceptance, reverentially bowing their heads at the appropriate times as if to let him know that they understand. The show only sparked to life when the band played a glorious Cold Water in near total darkness. How pleasurable it was to not have to look at him! When Rice had left the stage, Vivienne Long gently taunted him by pretending that he was the devil. The tension lifted, albeit briefly. He returned for the encore, a still prickly yet warmer set of songs that teased the audience by hinting at how good the show could have been.              Separated at birth, according to Vivienne Long... Now weeks later, when I reflect on the show  I feel a kind of bilious frustration. I’ll never see him again, I threaten. He’s lost me this time, I moan. Surely he knew that there were paying customers out there who would go home unsatisfied. This clearly wilful antagonism has got me thinking about what constitutes a great gig. I filtered through the live experiences that have stayed with me through the years. Is there a common theme? The Flaming Lips at Hammersmith Apollo, Sufjan Stevens (download some live Sufjan tracks here) at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the Stones in the Olympic Stadium Barcelona, Solomon Burke at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Eels at the Metro Sydney, Gillian Welch Shepherd's Bush. Great gigs, great songs played with exuberance and not a little showmanship. Ray laMontagne, Richard Swift, Antony Hegarty – performers crippled by shyness and depression yet capable of transcending their vices to connect and thrill. Then there's Sleepy Jackson, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Ryan Adams - live performers of huge potential let down by egotism and negativity. Yet still those were memorable gigs, for the wrong reasons of course.   Rice can polarise an audience (like Adams) – the same show can inspire reverence and despair in equal measure, as can be seen by trawling the message boards of his website. My feeling is that he loves his songs, not his audience. He expects his audience to expend significant effort to listen - his band's reverential poses challenge us to bow our heads, to copy their body language, to succumb. He doesn’t want to earn our approval or acclaim. He doesn't seem to care. Indifference or perceived slights by his paying fans are met with overt resentment and not a little anger. Possibly this anger (immaturity?) is what drives him. What is clear is that this challenging Irish performer can be even more intriguing on the nights he misses than on those he hits.More ... Stephen McNulty Fri, 23 Mar 2007 02:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:4495