https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/105/Way-to-Blue--The-Songs-of-Nick-Drake-live-in-London#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=105 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=105&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/105/Way-to-Blue--The-Songs-of-Nick-Drake-live-in-London Way to Blue - The Songs of Nick Drake (live in the Barbican Theatre, London) Review Snapshot: Curated by Joe Boyd, various musicians gather to pay tribute to Drakes unique songwriting. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: Way to Blue has just completed a three date tour of the UK, featuring a five-piece house band and seven-piece string section. The Barbican theatre was sold out on Saturday night with the show taking on the same format as the Leonard Cohen tribute a few years ago – everyone takes a turn, one or two songs each, and then collaborations at the end. The singers featured on the show were chosen to display the versatility in Drake’s material. Robyn Hitchcock performs “Parasite” with electric guitar, Vashti Bunyan turns “Which Will” into a jaunty baroque string led piece, Lisa Hannigan transforms “Black Eyed Dog” into an upbeat stomper and pianist Zoe Rahman gave “One of These Things First” the jazz instrumental treatment, which worked really well, sounding a little like something from Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown soundtrack. One of the highlights of the night was an unannounced guest, who turned out to be Harper Simon. I’d never heard of this guy before but it didn’t take long to connect the dots and realize he was the son of Paul. Apart from having a similar guitar and vocal technique, he was short and stout like his old man. He did a beautiful version of “From The Morning” that made you imagine what could have happened if Simon had teamed up with Drake rather than Garfunkel. Another highlight was tribute show darling Teddy Thompson who performed “River Man” and “Poor Boy”, aided by four of his co star female singers for the chorus. Songs like these, played with full band in a large theatre gives you even more of an appreciation for Drake’s song writing. He didn’t simply write songs which could then be tarted up with a band. He had an ear for hooks and was more than capable of writing songs for large rooms, given the right direction. But as we know, his talent as a songwriter was not matched as a performer. Vashti Bunyan seemed swamped in her performance on the night; her voice, soft and breathless, could not rise above the house band, despite them playing as muted as possible. As a result, the focal point of the performance failed to make an impression. This may well have been the case with Drake as well, had he undertaken an ambitious tour. The low point of the night belonged to Scott Mathews. A popular draw with the crowd, but he showed the least sensitivity to Drakes material. Performing “Day Is Done”, at times the song veered too much into Rick Astley territory. Some singers rely too much on the “Whoa Bodyform!” moment. The showed ended with a beautiful performance of “Voice from the Mountain” with everyone returning to the stage and then finally Joe Boyd, the curator of the show, paying tribute to Drake, Robert Kirby (Drakes string arranger who passed away recently) and Kate McGarrigle. Plenty of cameras in the theatre on the night, expect a possible DVD release in the future. Peter Teehan More ... Peter Teehan Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:105 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/135/RSAG-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=135 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=135&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/135/RSAG-live-in-Dublin R.S.A.G. (live in Whelans, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Big fan of drum solos? Nah, me neither. Fortunately Jeremy Hickey, spotted above ground on a drum stool last weekend, kept the solos to a minimum. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: Sure, there were lots of great fills and extravagant percussion but almost always with the backing of his very own phantom band. This is where the visuals come in. On a projected screen behind the drums was the reverse silhouette of Hickey accompanying himself on bass, acoustic guitar, handclaps and whatever else was called for. Not a brand new concept -- of all people Paul McCartney did a similar thing on TFI Friday about 15 years ago, but completely lacking Hickey's style or visual impact. Hickey's visuals were creepy and expressionless figures, one of them hooded, looking like a funky drop-out Ewok. A more interesting sight than most bands could muster. His voice is a sort of cross between John Martyn's mumble and a throaty Ian Curtis yelp. It's fairly low in the mix and if you weren't already familiar with his Choice nominated album "Organic Sampler" you'd struggle to work out what he's singing. So the songs can get a little samey. The drums are obviously centre stage and the rest of the instruments act more as foundations for the song rather than the other way around.  It's a fresh way of approaching the 4/5 piece band, though I'm not sure it can hold a crowd for an hour plus. Among the highlights of the night were "Talk Back Crawl Back", "Stick To Your Line" and "It Over", which got a good cheer from the crowd when that infectious acoustic riff kicked in, doubled by the bass.  RSAG is undoubtedly a great talent; he has enough good songs to cement a decent set and the visuals give a memorable impact to the show. However for one hour plus, the one man groove might be spread a little too thin. Peter Teehan More ... Peter Teehan Mon, 04 May 2009 20:08:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:135 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/70/Padraig-Rushe#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=70 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=70&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/70/Padraig-Rushe   Padraig Rushe, formerly of the Dublin Gospel Choir, has just released his debut album Greyworld on Loud Child Records. Currently touring Ireland with his band, his music features a broad array of influences with a soul/gospel flavour taking centre stage. Padraig talks to Cluas...   You've played some live dates recently, with your style so varied what kind of audiences have you been getting? It's been a brilliant mix so far of rockers, soul junkies and pop fans alike and all ages which is really great as an artist to see different people getting into the music.   Is it difficult to tour with a large band so early on in your solo career? No, after six years touring with the gospel choir touring with ten people feels like I'm traveling light and I've known everyone in the band so long, so its really fun!   You use the term "retro-soul" to describe your music.  What is retro-soul to you? I love the early soul records, where that raw, gritty gospel sound was still fresh and unrestricted. For this album I wanted to take a trip back through all the music I've loved and grown up with and try to drag the best bits back together.   Also you've cited the likes of Bill Withers and Luther Vandross as influences, but whats your opinion of todays soul and r'n'b? I think there's some amazing artists out at the moment like Laura Izibor, John Legend, The Script.. strip down their tracks and there are some amazing songs and lyrics underneath... That's not true of a lot of what's out there.    Finally, what next for Padraig Rushe? The second single comes out next month and I have some touring this Summer and then it's back to working on a new album I guess! I already have a tonne of ideas and things I want to try. It's all about taking risks and pushing myself as far as I can go, so we'll see how far that is!    Peter Teehan More ... Peter Teehan Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:70 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/83/White-Denim#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=83 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=83&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/83/White-Denim White Denim are a three-piece band hailing from Austin, Texas. Formed in early 2006, they specialize in tornado-belt rock & roll with a manic cut & paste energy. They released their first LP Workout Holiday last summer on this side of the Atlantic. Lead singer/guitarist James Petralli talks with Cluas.... You recently released 'Exposion' in the US, but you made the unusual step of releasing an LP ('Workout Holiday') in Europe a few months before. Was this to test the waters before a proper release or was it to tailor each album for a particular audience? At the time of the workout holiday release in Europe we really did not have that much going on in the States. We had toured the country for about four months but still had not generated any significant label interest. We just continued working on songs in Josh Block's studio when we were off from touring, and decided to add some newer material to the U.S. record. We thought it would be kind of fun to have different records out simultaneously. We did not really intend to confuse; we had just been touring much of the 'Workout Holiday' record for months in the States, and wanted to release some new songs. I noticed too that you've remixed and altered some of the songs for 'Exposion', did playing the songs live change your outlook on them or do you simply like to tinker with songs while you have the chance? Josh, who plays drums and records the band, has the uncanny ability to hear possibility in old recordings of the group.  He spent some time rearranging parts and shaping the music in different ways, and we thought it would be worthwhile to share the results with our audience.   The music uses alot of loops and overdubs (to great affect) but has playing live in the past year changed your approach to recording? Yes, the last year of playing out has helped us grow tremendously. We are more proficient on our instruments individually and more confident as a trio. We captured many more live takes for this new record, but the studio does not have a live room. Most of the time I have to try to lay a live guitar track to a metronome before anything else gets recorded. Sometimes I am successful, other times I am not. it can be a bit daunting over the first few attempts when the accompaniments are grandiose and imaginary. Many parts are composites that we learn and perform live in the studio, but we are still incorporating some looped sound.  I got my first guitar around the time i got my first phrase sampler.  Delay and looping will probably always be a huge part of my playing.   A question about songwriting - your songs are pretty formless in the traditional sense, I think its one of the most distinct things about the band, but as you develop your songwriting do you find yourself gravitating more towards traditional verse/chorus structures? The idea of connecting seemingly dissimilar parts has always been an appealing one to us as a group. We all enjoy unconventional structures in music, but that music seems very natural to us now having listened to it from an early age. We are constantly surprised that we are now a pop group, though i couldn't see us ever having more than a couple choruses in a tune. I guess we are more of an impression of a pop group really.   Do you feel any pressure as a band to write more structured songs, to try and appeal to a bigger  audience, get on the radio etc... ? We want to make records that stand a chance at lasting longer than just a few years. We hope that the music makes a significant connection with loads of people, but over time. I feel that we still have a lot to learn about ourselves and people before we write a tune as powerful as "As" by Stevie Wonder. We certainly want people to like our music but we want to remain who/what we are.   Finally, what next for White Denim? We should have a new record out soon. We are working on a supplemental body of material for that presently. Hopefully playing more and living. Interview by Peter Teehan More ... Peter Teehan Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:83 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/367/The-Black-Keys-Attack-Release#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=367 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=367&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/367/The-Black-Keys-Attack-Release A review of the album 'Attack & Release' by The Black Keys Review Snapshot:  The latest blues-rock offering from the Ohio delta duo benefits from Dangermouse's knob-twiddling. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: I'd consider the Black Keys to be part of the great spawning of second-tier garage bands after the success of the White Stripes. Maybe unfairly, they're nothing if not prolific (four albums and as many EP's since 2002), but to be honest I haven't heard the majority of their work. Seeing them live in Temple Bar Music Centre in 2006, I found them to be a strong duo, Dan Auerbach is more than capable of doing a "Jack" and moving seamlessly from rhythm guitar to lead, relying on sheer volume and distortion to bridge the gap. Drummer Patrick Carney providing a solid, unfussy rhythm section. But still, after about five or six songs it all just started to congeal into one big Zeppelin riff. He's lacking White's pop chops when it comes to songwriting and relies too heavily on riffage to lead the song. The odd middle-8 never killed anyone Dan! (Having said that, most of the crowd loved it). I got their new album Attack & Release based on hearing 'So He Won't Break' on the radio. One of the highlights of the album and a song that seems untypical of the band's sound, a definitive step up in their songwriting. That, and the association with producer Danger Mouse was enough to convince me to give it a go. I don't really know Danger Mouse other than him being part of the Gnarls Barkley duo, and producing a few familiar albums. It seemed an odd combination but an interesting one, especially for a group with a fairly limited musical landscape. What he seems to have added to the Black Keys for this album is a heavy dose of atmosphere. Some of the songs lie on a bed of ethereal backing vocals and each song tries to eek out an identity of its own - banjos, female vocalists, piano, hammond, delicate 'plinky' noises, even flutes are added to the mix. For the most part it works, such as opening track 'All You Ever Wanted', a fantastic album intro in the form of a sombre sermon announcing the arrival of the band with a characteristically huge guitar riff about halfway through. Definitely a song to draw in the listener. The track which follows, 'I Got Mine' plants us in familiar blues-rock territory again. At eleven relatively short songs, it doesn't outstay its welcome. Final track 'Things Ain't Like They Used To Be' sounding a little like Neil Young's 'Albuquerque' with added polish. At its worst it gets a little repetitive, due more to mid-tempo songs but at its best it's a fine rock album. I found it in the second hand rack about two weeks after it was released, so I'm probably not the only one who thinks the gushing five star reviews seem slightly exaggerated, but it's a good effort from the duo, with credit where it's due to Danger Mouse. If you're a fan of their previous work I don't think you'll be disappointed, but if you're after a great rock album to kick off the summer, I'd recommend Stephen Malkmus' latest 'Real Emotional Trash' before this. Peejay To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. Check out the CLUAS review of Black Keys' 2006 album 'Rubber Factory'. More ... Peter Teehan Tue, 06 May 2008 13:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:367