PlayRewind

Game on

 
 I would like to start by saying that Henrietta Game have some cheek. They think they can lie to us and nobody will notice. They have the neck to claim they are a newly formed band, not yet a year old. Merely babies crawling towards musical maturity. I am surprised they have gotten away with such a bare faced lie for so long. No band sounding so breathe takingly beautiful could be anything but the product of years of careful and pain staking practice. Clearly they have been locked in a vast studio for the past 10 years and worked hard for 12 hours days to hone their craft to the sublime level at which it now stands.

Seriously though this group are the proud owners of some of the finest melodies I have heard in years. Cello, piano, guitar, glockenspiel, violin and a whole heap of vocals in perfect harmony.  I could describe them as Bodies of Water meets Damian Rice as it in part captures what they are about but sheer genius will better cover it. They produce a glorious down tempo blend of stringed instruments and vocal harmony but I think it is the glockenspiel that really does it for me. It acts as a counter foil to the lower tones of the cello and deeper violin arrangements and helps the gamers stand out .  When they release an album it will have to be on the short list for the Choice music award if there is any justice in the world. If not perhaps their name should be put in the hat for the Nobel peace prize, it seems anyone can win that one. Talent of this level deserves to be recognised.

See you yourselves in the Lantern, Navan Oct 30th
Ruby Sessions, Doyles Pub Dublin 10th Nov
The Sugar Club Dublin 11th.

 LINK

Floating heads are funny

I may get laughed at for my next statement but I like Newton Faulkner.

To many he is just another wuss strumming his six string and being offensively inoffensive. But he has a playfulness that some of his counterparts lack. One of the main crimes committed by the guitar wielding balladeers is that they take themselves waaaaay too seriously. Newton on the other hand can laugh at himself. Here is the proof. Its called Badman and its taken from his second album Rebuilt by Humans. Which incidentally is a fine album for those of you in a more sedate (yet happy) frame of mind. This is far and away the funniest video I have seen in ages.

He plays the Radisson hotel in Galway 27th feb

                  Ulster Hall in Belfast 28th feb

        &        Oylmpia in Dublin Mar 1st

The Doctors are in

Doctor Leaves. Not much of a name unless there is a reference I have missed.
But what is in a name, would a melody by any other name still sound as sweet? Some bands have a catchy name and not much else. Doctor Leaves have the opposite. The name may have left me cold but I have defiantly warmed to their sound.
A Dublin two piece, Ben Shorten and Dara Munnis, have cobbled together a rather unique and quirky sound for their debut 4 track eponymous EP. They are multi instrumentalists and this adds a great deal to their aural arsenal. They also record with session musicians for a fuller sound.

This is most evident in the first song No Step Forward. It’s a jaunty number with multi layers and tempos which hops all over the shop. It could have been a totally aimless disaster in the hands of less competent song writers but the playful lyrics and whimsical vocal delivery help make this an endearing and uplifting tune.

When Darkness Turns To Light is a much more conventionally structured song. Acoustic guitar with cello accompaniment which strays into Damian Rice territory.  Vocally they are not in the same league but it is sung in such a way that makes the theme of rejected love all the more real. A song of understated heartache.

Seven Year Itch is a much livelier affair. Vocal harmony and female backing vocals (or at least a girl gently going “Ooooooh” at the back of the room) coupled with lively guitars and nod your head drumming.

Finally there is Small Fish, Small Pond. It is the semi acoustic song with a toe tapping rhythm complete with classic (flogged to death) guitar solo fade out ending that has to appear in every bands catalogue apparently. Doctor Leaves at least put in a bit of piano. This could best sum up Doctor Leaves. They know what the picture should look like but they still decide to colour outside the lines. Well worth a listen.
 
You can download it for free at their website if you don’t believe me.Here ya go.

To Marta

Happy birthday Guinness!

Raise a glass to the man who brought us the black stuff, hang overs and is linked with the international image of my little island. Its 250 years since he signed the lease and became the cause of countless births deaths and marriages in Ireland. Here is to you sir.

Go see William Elliott Whitmore

What are you doing at the end of Sept? Around the 20th if you are in Dublin or 21st if you are in the city of the tribes? I'll tell you what you should be doing. Reread the title, there is a hint in it.

William Elliott Whitemore is some form of country/bluegrass singing legend. A rough gravelly whiskey soked voice and lyrics which are both simple and profound. Country music should always this, in turns political or personal. There is often little more to his songs than a banjo or six string and his voice but trust me that is all is needed to make a great feckin' song.

If you doubt me go to Whelans on the 20th of Sept or 21th in the Roisin Dubh and then you can post up your apology the next day you doubting Thomas.

Giveamanakick are packing it in

AHHHHHHHHHH, NooOOOoooOOoO. Damn. Feck. Blast.
One of Irelands most creative rock outfits are calling time after three albums and a whole shed of fantastic gigs.
In their own words

At least they give us one more chance to see the madness live before they kick the bucket (sorry).

Sat 14th Nov: Cyprus Avenue, Cork
Fri 20th Nov: Whelans, Dublin
Sat 28th Nov: Roisin Dubh, Galway
Fri 18th Dec: Dolans Warehouse, Limerick

New Pearl Jam song!

The Fixer the first track from Pearl Jams 9th studio Backspacer is now up on their myspace site.

Loving it.

Here have a listen & ENJOY 

The lads are working with producer Brendan O’Brien again and it is sounding good. Album will out on Sept 20.

The omens are good

I will now demonstrate the fact that I am a master of understatement.

I like the Prodigy.

The above is like saying Keith Richards has dabbled in drugs. So with that in mind think what it means when I say that I am foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the new Prodigy album Invaders Must Die on the 23rd of this month. Having heard a couple of tracks from it I can say all the orally generated foam is worth it. The sounds like Liam has dug out all his old rave records and dropped em in a blender with a gun and several large angry dogs. Omen is the first single and the video captures the mood and menacing energy of the Prodigy.
Yum.