https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/436/Foo-Fighters-Wasting-Light#Comments 1 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=436 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=436&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/436/Foo-Fighters-Wasting-Light A review of the album 'Wasting Light' by Foo Fighters Review Snapshot: Let me start with something that may be controversial for many  fans of the Foo Fighters: this might just be their best album since 'The Colour and The Shape'. I’m just saying.    The Cluas Verdict: 9 out of /10   Full Review: What you see is what you get with the Foo Fighters, one of America's last standing (real) rock bands that haven’t changed their form since Dave Grohl kicked off with his post-Nirvana days with the Foo's debut.   This, their seventh album, drops twenty years after Grohl worked on ‘Nevermind’ with Kurt Cobain, but this is only noteworthy because Grohl has recruited both Butch Vig and Krist Novoselic to play a part in the album's production. Pat Smear, who hasn’t stepped in on a Foo’s album since 1997’s 'The Colour and The Shape', has also been re-recruited.   Another point that peaked my interest when I first heard about this record was how they went about it: shunning their state of the art studio 606, instead opting to make a huge rock record… in a garage. Not only that, it was completely recorded using analogue gear with Vig ditching his Pro Tools. The result is a solid sounding record that hasn’t gone through relentless studio cleansing.   This album breaks out with ‘Bridge Burning’, a track that is sure to be a staple part of their stadium diet. With it Grohl pulls you back into the Foo Fighters' definitive sound with “These are my famous last words”, a line that lets you know you’re back in your comfort zone with this record.   Clearly influenced by his days in Them Crooked Vultures, Probot and even Queens of the Stone Age, you don’t question Grohl when this album plays heavy, particularly if their video alongside Lemmy from Motorhead for ‘White Limo’ is anything to go by.   This record has its negatives but they’re hard to spot and few and far between, disregarding some of the lesser tracks this album is still one magnificent piece of music that will be heard ringing throughout stadiums late into their next three records.   Simply put, buy this record. If you love the Foo Fighters all the trimmings are there. If not, this is still a solid rock record with enough eclectic tracks to intrigue even the biggest music snob. Gregg Synott Listen to this album here on Soundcloud. Greg Synnott Thu, 19 May 2011 11:46:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:436 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/90/Imelda-May-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=90 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=90&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/90/Imelda-May-live-in-Dublin Imelda May (live in The Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland) Review Snapshot: For such a small woman, Imelda May has a huge presence, controlling not only the stage but the crowds sense of control as well, with everyone losing control alongside her. The queen of Rockabilly has returned to her home town and no sense of grandeur following her rise to the top  is going to pull this girl from her roots. The Cluas Verdict? 8.5 out of 10 Full Review: Coming back to Dublin after a year of commercial success with critical praise and international stardom, one could fear that Imelda May could have lost sight of where it all began. She hasn’t. Catching the first of four end of the year shows in the Olympia Theatre, a venue I have called once before a place of faded grandeur, where better to let your hair down and revel in your success.   May comes out on the stage showing off what she’s known best for, her style, charisma, an insurmountable surge of talent and that jaw dropping quiff. May’s got a look of determination on her face as she takes the stage setting out to prove that success doesn’t make you lazy. Almost every song that was played has this unparalleled potential to take the charts by storm from the very sultry ‘Big Bad Handsome Man’ to the incredulous strains of ‘Psycho’. Not giving the crowd a break from their singing and dancing to catch a breath before moving into the rigorous ‘Sneaky Freak’ and then pulling it all back with her on stylised version of Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ May proves she knows how to keep the crowd coming back for more.   Frantic bass lines and the trickiest of hooks and solos, May’s band know their place on the stage, holding back and letting her take the full stage for what it’s worth, letting the crowd see what they have truly paid to see: a spectacle of true musical talent.    The jubilant mood only increases throughout the night as May aims to entertain not only the crowd but also her parents, who she only noticed watching her from the balcony part way through the show.   The set ended in the only way one could expect. An all out true Rockabilly performance of ‘Johnny Got a Boom Boom’. But this couldn’t be the end could it? Of course not. Returning to the stage with a seasonal Santa style dress, May treats the crowd to an encore of Christmas songs to get them ready for the coming holiday. You haven’t heard Christmas until you’ve heard ‘Holy Night’ Rockabilly, and ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’ in true Rockabilly style with a barrage of billowing fake plastic snow.    A fantastic end to a fantastic year for this queen of Rockabilly who can only expect better more to come in the New Year.   Greg Synnott   More ... Greg Synnott Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:90 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/225/The-Cast-of-Cheers-Chariot#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=225 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=225&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/225/The-Cast-of-Cheers-Chariot A review of the album 'Chariot' by The Cast of Cheers Review Snapshot: A band that’s made many Top of 2010 lists (including my own) and now has been shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize. It’s a wonder The Cast of Cheers have come so far with little or no promotion. After all many people are still wondering where this Irish four-piece came from? And where can they get a hold of the album? The Cluas Verdict? 10 out of 10 Full Review: You’ll be hard pushed to find a negative review of this album or of these guys live, they just steal your music players and the stage leaving you crave more of their addictive math rock tinged with indie-pop influences. It is a cross-over few would dare to try and even fewer would succeed in achieving. The Cast of Cheers have proven time and again that they are set for big things with their catchy choruses and irresistible guitar melodies. Host to such a dynamic range of sound, you’re never completely sure what genre this band are trying to draw from. Their ruthlessly infectious bass lines (complemented with one of the tightest drummers to come out of Ireland) has them taking a similar direction as Battles. The lead vocals of  Conor Adams are pleasantly laced with crunchy distortion that adds rough edges to most of their songs, except when he hits back with the reverb in the likes of ‘Deceptapunk’. Vibrant with a punkish attitude that pushes the levels of experimentalism to its limits (whilst jerking it back and forth so speedily with the help of loop pedals) you can’t help but look on in awe when they take a stage. Indeed you can’t say you’ve heard The Cast of Cheers until you’ve seen them live but this act translates so well onto a record that you won't be disappointed with their recorded output. The swift pace and infectious offerings from songs like ‘Tip the Can’ and ‘Derp’ will have you dancing alongside many others before you can say "The Cast of Cheers? My new favourite band".    The Cast of Cheers are one band to watch in 2011. Hopefully it's a year that will see a new release from them with their groundbreaking sound, and with their growing level of success why wouldn’t there be? But for now, go and get their debut ‘Chariot’ for free online (either from Soundcloud or Banclamp) and sit back and enjoy (that is, if they don’t have you on your feet in minutes). And as you do you may wonder why they keep on singing the line “Is there any f**king love in here?”...   Greg Synnott More ... Greg Synnott Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:225 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/92/Two-Door-Cinema-Club-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=92 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=92&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/92/Two-Door-Cinema-Club-live-in-Dublin Two Door Cinema Club (live in The Tripod, Dublin) Review Snapshot: Having finally gained access to The Tripod after being refused entrance at 17 with a fake ID you could forgive Alex Trimble for looking a little nervous on stage, this time facing a sold out headline show with a 1400 strong crowd. With just one album under their belt one wondered whether this band could live up to standard everyone else seems to have set them.  The Cluas Verdict? 7.5 out of 10 Full Review: As it turns out, you don’t need more than one strong album's worth of material to pull off a headline show. Not when you have two equally strong opening acts and the right kind of music playing in between to keep the crowds energy pumping. Opening the doors at 7:30, you could tell the small crowd standing outside were glad to be out of the cold. It wasn’t long before we were faced with the dazzling flash of strobe lights staring blindingly at a trio that can only be described as Belfast’s best party band. Sadly for Not Squares, emerging as the opening act they were met with a miniscule crowd who were too cold to move to their dancey uplifting blend of electronica and post-punk.   Taking the stage shortly afterwards were what I could only describe as one of the best bands emerging out of Ireland at the moment: The Cast of Cheers, who arrived fully formed at the start of this year with their (free to download) debut Chariots. Having only come on the scene this year, you would not expect this band to play as tightly as they did, with edgy vocals and a guitarist not afraid to throw himself around the stage manically between lead duties. One wonders where they thought up the idea of using a sampler loop pedal to have a mysterious guitar play from somewhere unseen whilst they thrash about onstage.   Having little knowledge of this band apart from hearing their name thrown about once or twice I was amazed to see the number of people in the crowd singing and dancing along, leading me to wonder, why they’re still singing “is there any f**ing love in here?”   The clocks struck 9:30 and Two Door Cinema Club were greeted with a full room of high octane energy, something that works well when you’re music is vibrant punchy electro pop. Having finally put the drum machine away, for touring purposes at least, they've brought with them an actual living drummer who can now let their full sound be known.    Herein lies the failing in their debut album ‘Tourist History’, it just doesn’t live up to their live show. Two Door Cinema Club are something of an anomaly, when playing live they possess this profound surge of energy, that no matter how experienced or inexperienced a band may be, it just can’t be replicated on record.   The band played solidly through their first album, treating the crowd to a new track, a teaser of positive things to come. Suffice to say I was never one to question whether any act was worthy of headlining their own show but tonight made me realise, the support act can and will upstage you in more ways than one if they are good enough, as is proof with The Cast of Cheers.   If you have the opportunity to go see Two Door Cinema Club, it’s certainly worth the money, if for no other reason than they’re really fun to bop around to with a crowd particularly in a small venue such as Tripod. But tonight was a fine example on the importance of keeping your eyes on the opening bands, considering they could be headlining even larger shows in the coming years and you can say you saw them when they upstaged everybody.  Greg Synnott More ... Greg Synnott Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:92 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/94/The-Frames-live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=94 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=94&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/94/The-Frames-live-in-Dublin The Frames (live in The Olympia, Dublin) Review Snapshot: The Frames haven’t played a small venue in Ireland in a while but Glen Hansard has proven that no matter how long he’ll stay away from his roots he’ll always return with a bang. From ‘Santa Maria’ and ‘Revelate’ to his minute covers in the middle of songs (tonight it was the turn of ‘Kashmir’ and ‘Lilac Wine’). He showed it wasn’t all serious as he delivered over-served fans with his wit the now expected quips and anecdotes between songs. The Cluas Verdict? 9 out of 10 Full Review:  “I want my life to make more sense… I want my country to make some f**king sense!” he quips halfway through the show proving that Glen Hansard isn’t as removed from the everyman as his fame would have you believe. Sell-out tours with The Swell Season and getting his hands on an Oscar has not removed this busker from his roots. Coming back to Ireland fully formed and playing as furiously as ever The Frames are one of those bands that split opinions like no other, especially when at home. Love them or hate them no one can deny that seeing them live is somewhat of a spectacle. From the minimalist stage you have nothing to focus on but the sheer brilliance of a band celebrating what is now their 20th anniversary. This performance mirrored their entire career in many ways, with a slow lulling start (‘Headlong’) before picking up gear about halfway through and creating a bond with the crowd, something that seems to be rather underestimated by many bands these days. There is something special in a front man that can both conduct his band and ultimately conduct his entire audience, leaving them longing for so much more.  Proving that Irish devotion to music isn’t dead, The Frames relationship with the crowd is intense. Like long term partners, members of the audience could be heard discussing the very first and last time they had seen The Frames play, even fondly recalling that one time they had run into Glen Hansard busking on a street in Dublin. Everything from a classic Frames show are present, incoherent rambling song openings, crowds singing along, snippets from others songs (yes he treated everyone to his usual rendition from Willy Wonka) but the crowd doesn’t fully catch up until they play ‘Lay Me Down’ speeding it up halfway through in what seemed to be homage to The Sex Pistols.  The final leg of the gig is an exciting run through of crowd favourites from ‘Revelate’ to ‘Santa Maria’, with ‘Fake’ having the crowd gleefully singing along, It ended on a monumental rendition of The Auld Triangle with dedications to Damien Dempsey.  This is the point when nobody expects the gig to be over, it played like it would never have stopped, and felt like it should have never ended. But, alas, the band left the stage and the lights came up leaving the audience in take in The Olympia in its faded sense of grandeur. Greg Synnott More ... Greg Synnott Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:94 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/231/Elliot-Smith-An-Introduction-to#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=231 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=231&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/231/Elliot-Smith-An-Introduction-to A review of the album 'An Introduction to' by Elliot Smith Review Snapshot: A number of seminal musicians emerged in the early 90s and died prematurely and where many of those musicians pushed the dynamics of their genres, Elliot Smith’s legacy was achieved via a house style that’s about as common as it gets: one man and his guitar. It’s now been seven years since the world lost something quietly elegant: a singer-songwriter gone before his time. This release is strongly recommended for those who have yet to pick at the surface of Elliot Smith. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: Elliot Smith was one of the greatest songwriters of our era and for his dedicated fan-base, every album was the soundtrack to a new chapter in the singer's always troubled life. However this album offers nothing new for existing fans - nothing unreleased, nothing live and thought to be lost to the sound desk. Yet, as its title makes clear, this release is intended as an introduction to Elliot Smith and it can succeed in what it has set out to do: drawing in a new generation of fans that may one day find themselves in a record store reaching out for more Elliot Smith. Presented in no chronological order this collection focuses heavily on Smith’s earlier releases, his “hits” if you can call them that, and hosts some of his heavier, emotional tracks like 'Miss Misery' and 'Between the Bars': songs so personal, so engaging that some first time listeners may find them too heavy a load to handle. As is the way with an album such as this, 'An Introduction to…' will invite more familiar listeners to simply scrutinize what they might consider sins of omission, like I have. But that is not the point. This is an opportunity for new ears to discover Elliot Smith, an opportunity for those new to his charms to scratch the surface of his work, to understand how conflicted he once sounded and experience his love of singing of a girl "who made her life a lie so she’d never have to know anyone". If you’ve yet to pick at the surface of Elliot Smith, get this album. For those who already have a few Elliot Smith releases in their collection, give this a miss and instead go listen to 'Figure 8'. Greg Synnott More ... Greg Synnott Tue, 07 Dec 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:231