Fans of the electric guitar will be pleased to hear that a special double lecture has been lined up to coincide with the Rockchic exhibition, currently running at the National Museum of Ireland.
Irish guitar manufacturer McIlroy Musical Instruments has just put the finishing touches to its 500th guitar in eight years - and announced the first international gathering of McIlroy enthusiasts.
Mono Band mainman Noel Hogan has appealed for the return of a custom-made guitar that was stolen from the Temple Bar Music Centre before their Hard Working Class Heroes appearance there.
Rory Gallagher’s posthumous Wheels Within Wheels is a remarkable collection of previously unreleased acoustic material by Ireland’s guitar legend. It comes complete with a cover by the celebrated painter, David Oxtoby, that is certain to make a lasting impression.
Distant Hearts, A Little Closer is a stirring statement of intent, with crisp, clean guitar strokes and vocals that are for the most part totally intelligible
Having played alongside the likes of B.B. King, Keith Richards and Bob Dylan, American jazz/rock legend Larry Coryell makes his maiden voyage to Ireland
The Songs Of Praise Karaoke competiton tour is set to hit the road next week, travelling to college campuses and venues all over Ireland in a search for the nation's best karaoke stars.
IT TAKES a heck of a thick neck to blithely ignore all that's happened musically over the last five years. Either that or a cast-iron identity that surpasses fleeting trends and passing fads. Randy Newman has always managed to pull it off with panache.
Rock fans are in for a special treat with the addition of a special Rory Gallagher Exhibition to the attractions at the Music Show, which takes place at the RDS on October 3 and 4.
County Derry-born Henry McCullough was the only Irishman to play Woodstock, joined Paul McCartney in Wings and lived the rock and roll lifestyle to the max.
He’s played with The Corrs and was a member of the real-life Commitments. CONOR BRADY talks about life as one of the great unsung mainstays of Irish rock and roll. photos Ruth Medjber
JENNIFER BATTEN, as well as being a solo artist in her own right, has spent 10 years slinging six strings for michael jackson. Amazingly, she has survived to tell her story to peter murphy.
Pix: Cathal Dawson.
The shuffling title track features a mournful bluesy guitar, but the idea develops further on ‘I See You’: a gorgeously languid groove, the laidback male vocals and spaced out slide guitar sound like Isolee full of downers.
You've got to feel sorry for the poor old Sullivan Brothers. The first challenge for them in sustaining any sort of musical career will be in shaking off the You're a Star debacle. 'High' sees them play to their strengths - the country market. Or rather, inoffensive guitar pop with dated guitar lines. It's not a particularly poor effort, but remains too workmanlike to get excited about.
The new double A-side single from uber-talented guitar afficionado Iain Archer is the first release from his forthcoming album Magnetic North. Archer has surpassed himself with both of these tracks: 'Soleil' is punchy and energetic, but 'Canal Song (End Of Sentence)' is stellar, boasting some intricate guitar, lilting vocals and noticeable echoes of Elliot Smith.
The nimble guitar part that runs behind the chorus of ‘All I Want Is For You To Be Happy’ reminds me of Pulp’s classic ‘Do You Remember The First Time?’. The Aftermath may still have some distance to go to attain the pithy, effortless brilliance of Cocker and co., but let’s not be negative: the UK-based, Longford-bred group have delivered a solid slice of direct guitar pop, and the echoey treatment of the vocals is a nice sonic touch.
This quirky, experimentally-minded Chicago based violinist/guitar player has apparently been churning out albums like this for years with growing critical acclaim. As the title might suggest it’s an unclassifiable hybrid of styles, though at times he comes across a bit like Elliot Smith or Iron and Wine with close-miked vocals punctuated by plucked violin strings and the odd distorted electric guitar.
The most riveting track on their underwhelming Broken Boy Soldiers debut, ‘Hands’ is a combination of ‘60s infused power-pop and hardened guitar. It shows that, when they hit their stride, Brendan Benson and Jack White can crank out a decent racket together. Benson’s polished vocal is off-set by White’s spiralling, Jimmy Page-inspired guitar lines. ‘Hands’ does, perhaps, slightly overstay its welcome but is fun in doses.
Bristol duo Apache Dropout's self-titled debut offering, although encompassing some rather diverse influences (drum'n'bass to jazz blues), is a rather meek, acoustic guitar-dominated collection.
This is good. From the conversational vocal entry, staccato guitar and throbbing drum part, there’s a Doors-ian strut to ‘In Love No More’ that is hugely refreshing. The guitar slashes are straight out of the Keith Richards textbook and there’s one of those small touches of brilliance that confirm the band have a pop sensibility in the judicious ‘Hey!’ thrown in at just the right moment on backing vocals. On this evidence, The Spikes know how to mine a good groove, keeping it tight and potent. Play it on daytime radio: the kids can stand the heat.
This project is the brainchild of one Mark Lawlor, who purveys a nice if unspectular line in folk rock motifs with occasional forays - as in 'Gill with a G' - into grunge guitar territory.
There are signs though, that with a little more focus in certain areas, something better should come from this in the medium to long term.
Blues singer Mary Stokes has announced a number of new dates – with the added good news that she will be joined by American guitar sensation Beki Brindle for at least four of her upcoming shows
Essex born Clive Carroll got the Walton’s Guitar Festival of Ireland underway at Crawdaddy, with a truly remarkable display of acoustic guitar virtuosity.
As you might guess from the title, this is the third album from Dublin-based traditional group Providence. There’s been a considerable changeover of personnel since the release of their last recording, 2001’s A Fig For A Kiss: only concertina/accordion player Mícheál Ó Raghallaigh and guitarist/bouzouki player Paul Doyle remain, now joined by Troy Bannon on flute and whistle, fiddler Michelle O'Brien, and Cyril O'Donoghue on vocals, bouzouki and guitar
Thirty years after his breakthrough Woodstock appearance, Carlos Santana returns to the fray with a star-studded album. It also reunites the San Francisco-based guitar legend with co-producer and label supremo Clive Davis, who gave Santana their first recording contract back in 1968.
Well at least they don’t look or sound like Flock Of Seagulls. Yes, we can actually report that there is a new guitar band around who don’t hark back to a particular period in time about twenty years ago. No, New York’s Ambulance Ltd look both further back to the ‘60s and ‘70s and forward to the ‘90s and, good God no, shoegazing. The problem is that they don’t seem to quite know which era or what band they want to borrow from, opting instead to chuck everything in and hope for the best.
Widely regarded as one of the best steel guitarists in Ireland, Drogheda-based Richard Nelson has been a much in demand session musician, playing and touring with the likes of Daniel O’Donnell and Mary Duff over the years. But don’t hold that against him! In his debut album Moment’s Notice, Nelson has teamed up with the cream of the Irish jazz crop -Dave Redmond on bass, Hugh Buckley on guitar, Phil Ware on piano and Kevin Brady on drums – to produce a collection of jazz standards that sound anything but.
As before, there are songs aplenty in both Irish and English, delivered in Garvey’s magnificent rich baritone and accompanied by him on deftly finger-picked guitar
With a pair of sunglasses perched atop his head, Brokaw sits on a stool centre stage and accompanies himself on electric guitar and foot-operated percussion. What's most surprising about the evening is the amount of musical diversity he's able to extract from such limited instrumentation
Shuffling in amid the whispered sounds of an acoustic guitar and a piano, Staples' husky voice is afforded the most glorious of introductions on this gorgeous first single from his second solo album.
The biggie is back in two new versions. The guitar-heavy version lacks subtetly. Better by far is the Italo-referencing ‘Moonlight’ edition, which amps up the original’s distinctive riff and monster bassline.
Flanked by a motley crew of beatnik instrumentalists the singer stands, centre stage, appearing almost weighed-down by the acoustic guitar cradled in her arms
Chugging house with beautiful key stabs, kicking hats and a rubbery bassline make this one for the Mark Farina fans. Love the sax-and-guitar-infused break on the bouncy ‘Like This’ too.
And This Voice Became is made up of just two people, Mark on guitar and Paul on drums. They name-check Damien Rice and Fionn Regan as influences. Although ‘Devil’s Hand’ takes a while to get into the swing of things, it is ultimately an impressive composition.
NYC’s In Flagranti’s subtle rework of WMW’s original simply takes them down the modern disco: cowbells, guitar licks, fat bassline… it’s all about the distinctive vocal, as proved by the decidedly flat dub.
Another nod to trans-Atlantic guitar swinging, this time stemming from these very shores, by way of Scotland and Spain. There’s more than a hint of the Pixies in the urgent bass and drums, but also a welcome touch of alternative country in the twanging lead vocal.
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet consists of four virtuoso players acclaimed across the world for their unique blend of classical and flamenco styles. As they prepare for their Irish debut, Jackie Hayden asks key member Bill Kanengiser how it all works.
With the singer-songwriters-versus-guitar-bands debate currently making waves, Derryman Paul Casey’s debut album comes as a timely release, effortlessly straddling the divide and likely to keep both camps happy.
The guitar sound is refreshingly raw and potent, without ever straying into metal territory, while they keep a firm enough grip on the melody to maintain interest
There’s a lot of goodwill out there to Joe Chester. Perhaps people feel that Ten Speed Racer deserved better than they got. For me, he has yet to convince as a solo artist. This is a perfectly fine, jangly guitar-driven number blessed with nice harmonies.
Purveyors of guitar pop, the Dublin up-and-comers gear up with a finely crafted album that wears its influences on its sleeve, but manages to sound vibrant and relevant. No real surprise when you consider what those influences are; shades of the Stranglers here, a whisper of Wedding Present and a touch of Teenage Fanclub there, but the overall sound is a lot more than the sum of its parts.
The great thing about Amy MacDonald is that she does the simple things so well, managing to sound thrilling and alive when so many of her ilk fall flat. Acoustic guitar, mandolin, drums, that voice and the kind of cutting lyric that only the young can get away with – it all adds up to near perfection.
After defining the currency and potency of much contemporary instrumental guitar music, Pajo acquaints himself with the role of a skewered folk and blues artist astonishingly well
With its meandering live bass, laser FX, chiming keys, processed guitar stabs and confused programming, ‘The Truth’ is a bit of an electronic house mess. The stripped-back ‘Lies’ makes more sense, thanks to the rolling arpeggiated bassline and not much else.
Machine-gun drums, staccato bursts of guitar and laid-back vocals, ‘Mars’ is, for my money, the finest three and a half minutes on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ much-lauded debut and is far more interesting than their usual sonic bluster.
US metallers Creed are the latest in a long line of Stateside wavemakers to hit our shores. As a guitar driven hard rock four-piece caught somewhere between Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, they've notched up a rather impressive 9 x platinum sales figure on this, their second release, Human Clay.
Once you hear this taster EP, there’s no excuse to miss out on The Field’s album. ‘The Little Heart Beats So Fast’ is based on an acidic backing and heartbreaking melodies and ‘The Deal’ combines the shoegazers’ ocean of sound guitar melancholia with a swirling, spacey groove.
‘Holding You’ is a samba-infused soul/house number with Spanish guitar that made us nearly vomit (but is excellent if you like that sort of thing) – but Ame keeps dumb white male happy with a dark exercise in digital, dubby house.
The title track and one of the better numbers from the Winning Days album this song is a game of two halves. It starts out with a languorous laid-back melody before speeding up in tempo on the back of Beach Boys-style harmonies and jangly guitar textures.
Hummingbird purvey a kind of guitar-based, proto-grunge that was all the rage a decade ago. To put it another way they sound pretty much like Pearl Jam circa 1991, albeit with more acoustic guitar thrown into the mix.
Ozric Tentacles, a UK-based quintet, hail from the musical realm of Fusionland, combining a steady base of electronic trance with the ethereal wizardry of tantric guitar solos and Eastern ambience. The Hidden Step is the band’s 16th studio album.
A slow-jam from the Ame boys. The bubbling analogue bass, breathy nothings, squally guitar and melancholic keys are okay, but don't really hit the spot. On the flip, Dixon edits Agora Rhythm's 'My Vision' into something that sounds like classic Ame. How odd.
The crazy Belgian DJ duo start off all sleazy and guitar-based then drop tracks from Italo/electro's new wave, before ending with a re-edit of Chicago's 'I'm A Man'.
The songs, while barely structured at all, host a sublime pop sensibility – fleshed out with harmonies and such, then sawed through with piercingly overdriven, trebly guitar solos
After fixing up tracks like ‘Baby’s Got Sauce’ and ‘Milk And Cereal’, G. Love has emerged from the kitchen with his latest tasty dish, ‘Hot Cookin’’. His breezy lyrics are backed by bluesy guitar and peppered with a bit of harmonica. Put this track on and sit on the front porch with a mint julep.
The Maccabees know how to put together a tight pop song and ‘About Your Dress’ is compellingly fueled by their Clash-influenced sound. Combining a driving bassline, fierce guitar, and frontman Orlando Weeks’s urgent delivery, the song clocks in at a brief 2: 17 – but leaves listeners wanting more.
Behan’s self-titled EP is also the first release on the Dublin based Kin label. A mixture of dreamy piano lines, folky guitar strumming, mellow hip-hop beats and atmospheric textures, it’s an endearing oddity and a promising debut.
Mmmm. He's gone and done it again. Dotted his i's and crossed his t's with little more than a guitar and a pair of vocal chords that must have been hatched somewhere between Sonny Boy Williamson's chest cavity and John Lee Hooker's pelvis.
Flying solo for his first hometown show in over four years, the full force of Carroll’s voice shines through, with simple guitar and piano backing bringing to the fore his strong lyrical ability.
The soundtrack to the third Spiderman film features tracks from The Killers and The Flaming Lips, but the honour of lead track goes to ‘Signal Fire’ by Snow Patrol. The sound is – well, like any other Snow Patrol song: sweeping guitar chords building with percussion to the chorus.
Force Of Nature’s remix of Ana’s ‘Shift’ plants a heavy, pulsing backing underneath the Japanese pop band’s floaty melodies and fey guitar lines, but Ame’s ‘Tonight’ points to cosmic disco’s future, a blend of dubbed out drums and warm house keys.
Formed by Jonah Matranga and Mark Weinberg, from the ashes of two bands Far and Crumb, this eponymous debut pushes all the right buttons in the grungy guitar, catchy melody and harmonies department. Add some teenage angsty lyrics and it’s not difficult to figure out why they could be the biggest teen sensations since Limp Bizkit.
The news that the Kaiser Chiefs were to deliver a second album angrier and more politicised than the first was greeted with some scepticism in this quarter. It doesn’t seem to have worked out too badly in practice, though, and ‘The Angry Mob’ is testament to that. A chunky, infectious slice of guitar-pop, it provides everything you would want from a Kaiser Chiefs record, and more. A hit.
The sound of young Coventry? Not the kind of phrase to send you into a head spin of delight, although the Ripps might go a long way towards rehabilitating the Midlands music scene with their rabble-rousing guitar rock. Nice nod to the sound of old Coventry with a none to shabby Specials cover too.
Citing influences from The Beatles and the Beach Boys to Steve Earle and Ron Sexsmith, Sundrive combine the best of their favorite bands to create their own brand of guitar pop. This subdued single is a departure from their previous upbeat release, ‘A Day Like Today,’ but the result is successful and proves that they’re a versatile outfit.
‘Beau’ was pretty much made for daytime radio: good, clean guitar fun with a catchy chorus. Let’s hope the hard-working Dublin four-piece finally get some recognition with this one. And watch out for the b-side, a worthy attempt at Beach Boys’ harmonies – you’ll be itching for the repeat button.
From the people who bought the you The Go! Team comes another gem, this time rooted more in the traditional guitar based style of things, yet still given a unique twist by way of its pure oddness, as a duet between the rumbling male and trilling female voices unfolds over some spiralling guitars. They had a previous single called ‘Donkey Stock’ you know. Worthy of much further investigation.
The Urges are a Dublin outfit who style themselves on '60s Britpop. While they are technically faithful to the genre, 'Around & Around Again' in essence sounds like The Beatles, The Kinks, The Coral and The Hives arguing over the guitar not being twangy enough and sticking knitting needles into the amp.
Although the ’90s are over, Escape Act manage to harness the sound and energy of the decade’s alternative scene on their new EP. The Belfast three-piece have a simple drum, bass, and guitar arrangement, but the upbeat and catchy melodies are engaging. This EP will stay in your head for days, but the tracks are so likeable that you won’t mind at all.
Ireland’s most unappreciated performer, delivers the goods yet again. Beautiful hooks and melodies fly out of his guitar as if sent from the back of beyond in deepest Cork. His latest album, Hey Dreamer, is a stunner, ‘I’m Moving On’ being one of its many highlights.
Homegrown guitar-pop outfit Sundrive wield a strong melodic sensibility, sunny guitars and mid paced tempos on ‘Storybook Girl’. However, despite their holier-than-thou sound, a distinct lack of bite sees them wavering into MOR territory on occasion. Not bad, but it’s just a bit too much like Picturehouse for my taste.
There's a nice little guitar strum courtesy of Kurt Cobain, then David Grohl hits home with the sticks. Chris Novoselic's bass grinds in and before you know it you're powerless against the euphoria of one of the year's truly excellent songs, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.
The Pigeons are completely unapologetic on their new single, and why shouldn’t they be? ‘I’m Not Sorry’ features gritty guitar, with front man Matt Bellows insisting, “I’ll never take it back, I’ll never take it back”. His delivery is so demanding that you’ll want to apologize for whatever the problem was.
Zep’s usual trademarks are here in force – Plant’s magnificently melancholic wail, Page’s mammoth guitar riffs, and that ferociously muscular rhythm section.
Opening with a razor sharp drum sound, a choppy bass line and ferocious guitar riff, ‘Be My Enemy’ sounds like early U2 and even Joy Divison.
Music Review | Live
54% | 20 Oct 2003
Maurice O'Brien
Any suggestion that the leather pants wearing, push up bra wearing Ruyter is onstage for mere eye candy value is dispelled after about five seconds. Fuck cock rock, this woman plays the guitar like it’s a clitoris extension.
Avoid Sander Kleinenberg’s sloppy guitar-laden mix, shrug your shoulders at Tiga’s ‘funky’ re-fix, smile politely at the original and settle on DJ T’s decent re-fix. Tough drums and a tight, Chicago-boogie plus the original catchy melody will have you humming it all the way home
Preston’s reality TV gamble really does seem to have paid off. Not only are his band back from the brink of the no-deal wasteland, they’ve started making some pretty interesting records. ‘Lonely At The Top’ builds on a ‘Dancing In The Moonlight’ style bass line to produce an indie guitar song that has its eyes and ears open to a wealth of other influences.
It’s official 1988 was a great year for music because it finally returned guitar-based pop to the chars where it belongs. Forget the turgid (Fl Acid House invasion which was merely a minimalist retread of early ’70s disco (what’s the betting on House Sucks badges in ’89?).
Missing out on the acclaim afforded fellow travellers The Strokes and The White Stripes, New Zealand band The Datsuns have decided to give their bluesy sound a indie makeover. ‘System Overload’ is duly loaded with Strokes guitars, topped off with a ridiculously OTT guitar solo. Indie greatness may well be within their sights.
Limerick’s Veneer caught the ear earlier in the year and this follow up continues the good work. The title track builds around some particularly effective guitar work, culminating in an emotionally charged indie epic, while 'Weeds (Beauty’s A Beast)' shows a more experimental edge, something that suits them a bit better. One to watch for next year.
Limerick’s Veneer caught the ear earlier in the year and this follow up continues the good work. The title track builds around some particularly effective guitar work, culminating in an emotionally charged indie epic, while 'Weeds (Beauty’s A Beast)' shows a more experimental edge, something that suits them a bit better. One to watch for next year.
Putting up quite the fight for Single Of The Fortnight, ‘Radau’ is a tantalising taster from les Astronaut’s new album. With an atmosphere that builds at its own sweet pace and an eight-armed drummer causing havoc behind a simple guitar riff, GIAN again prove themselves to be at the top of their game. If this doesn’t turn the world onto left-field electro-experimental instrumentals, nothing will. I’m guessing nothing will, though.
Whoever said old punks can’t dance had never heard of Dutch band Oil, who moonlight here as electro producers. With the same white boy guitar, nasal whine and indie strut that Happy Mondays used to sell before things got too druggy, ‘Crack…’ sees the boys’ track bubble with Italo melodies and benefit from a menacing EBM remix from Kid Goesting.
The Like are three nearly-out-of-teenage girls who have discovered pop-punk, but instead of taking it down some grotty toilet in Brixton or Brooklyn, they’re going to shake it in the stadiums of the world. That’s the plan anyway, and it could easily work, given the girls’ ability to blend candy-coated tunes with a snappy chord-driven, dirty guitar sound.
The Duran Duran sound and Suede-like lyrics in ‘She Waits For Me’ all lend themselves well to an excellent historical reconstruction of another musical era. A slick production, the big guitar sound has all the right festival twang and shriek to it. “We want to make pop music cool again,” goes their manifesto, so it’s up to you whether to take that as a gesture of optimism or a snide dig.
It wasn’t so long ago that The Chapters shifted focus to immerse themselves in a love of all things Americana. Maybe I’m misreading it, but ‘Looking For Love’ suggests another change of direction, this time in favour of a tight garage guitar sound. It’s not a bad song by any means, but ‘Heart Of Glass’ (no, not a Blondie cover) – which is closer to the Americana blueprint – is far better, succeeding more by trying less.
The hysteria that greets the arrival of Weezer to these shores and each new record suggest that they’re probably a more important band than we might give them credit for. ‘Beverly Hills’ is another spot-on punk-pop moment from Rivers Cuomo, beefed up with metal guitar riffs and street-gang backing vocals. Once again the Weezer boys haven’t put a foot wrong.
Caribou (AKA Dan Snaith, formerly known as Manitoba) makes music that is more compelling on paper than on record. ‘Melody Day’, for instance, features a mixture of surf guitar, bedroom laptronica and blissful psychedelia. Sounds exciting? Well, it’s not. The song is brusque and busy, and the production attempts to cram rather too much into a tight space. Frustrating, as there is a great track buried in here somewhere.
Although they seem to have been a name to drop for a few years, Dave’s Radio have taken to now to release their first record. Whether the time spent preparing themselves was well spent remains to be seen. ‘Kids’ is a good song certainly and one that is played with conviction, yet it does sound a little too like a standard guitar record to really stand out. The second acoustic track doesn’t offer any more clues – we’ll have to wait for the album to see if their original promise can be lived up to.
Not many bands from Longford make their way into Chris Moyles’ affections, yet The Aftermath are proving adept at making friends in high places. It’s easy to see why. ‘One Is Fun’ is very now, a quirky guitar pop tune with a spring in its step. Of course the problem with being very now is that you soon become very yesterday, so let’s hope The Aftermath have got a good exit strategy worked out. For now though, good work.
What good would summer be, if it weren’t accompanied by a soundtrack of optimistic four-pieces from British university towns going all retro on our ass with their jangly guitar pop?
It wouldn’t be good at all, is the answer. It might be filled with some more meaningful music that wasn’t uninhibitedly derivative.
But, who can dance like an idiot in the park to The Mars Volta? This is why it’s okay for The Dodgems to exist, but for the summer only.
Supernaut is the latest vehicle for former Blue In Heaven/Blue Angels frontman Shane O’Neill and Into Paradise mainman Dave Long. In many ways, their debut album is like a homage to the almighty guitar, which shapechanges throughout from a shimmer to a swagger, a sparkle to a snarl.
The former Lír man here goes it alone with ‘Amber & Green’. Sounding like Damien Rice in theme and vocal delivery, Hopkins elects to use more instruments, (including Wurlitzer and mellotron flute on ‘Paranoia Song’), so the overall effect makes it stand apart from the trite stripped-down-acoustic-guitar schtick. Take it that it’s another step up on that evolutionary ladder; intelligent, intimate and intoxicating, close your eyes and you might be in Doyle’s.
Polly’s lusty falsetto shriek, compounded with a snarling guitar riff, results in a three-minute visceral thrill, and a wonderful return to form for one of rock’s true deities.
Templeton’s intriguing music is based on stark contrast – a collision of acoustic and digital, tradition and machine. The familiar instruments – guitar, banjo – that drift in at the start of each piece are slowly eroded by digital hiss, manipulated found sounds and layered ambience, Templeton gradually slicing and sculpting all elements into something else. The result is both unsettling and oddly comforting.
One of the more interesting all-girl guitar groups in years, LA three-piece The Like blend Blondie with The Clash through the upbeat bounce of their second single ‘June Gloom’.
Sounding not unlike ‘90s Brits Lush, there’s less bombast here and a greater focus on melody then their previous outing.
Sure, the single fizzles with punk pop values but it is remarkably low on angst. Impressive.
Blessed with the pure-as-ice vocals of Jenny Lewis and the searing guitar lines of Blake Sennett this LA four-piece are one of the hottest-tipped bands of 2005. And with good reason too! Lewis’ Dusty Springfield-meets-Debbie Harry vocals are truly mesmerising while the songs are replete with memorable hooks and a range of influences while sounding wholly distinctive.
Covers and Others showcases the work of eight up-and-coming Northern Ireland bands. The general genre is straight-up rock, with many of the featured bands comprising guitar, vocals, bass and drums.
This single off Perry Blake’s sixth album, Canyon Songs, is straight out of a country western film. Blake’s duet with Dervish vocalist Cathy Doran is backed by a hefty dose of slide guitar. However, the lyrics are nothing out of the ordinary. For listeners interested in getting to know Perry Blake’s work, exploring the rest of the album’s tracks may be a better bet.
It takes a mere few seconds of the first Dinosaur Jr record in God knows how long for the years to drop away. That familiar J Mascis whine, the desire to crowbar in a distorted guitar solo as soon as possible, and the feeling that, no matter how good this is (and it’s very good) they’ll never quite match glories of ‘Freak Scene’. Still, if this is anything to go by, it’ll be fun watching them try.
Soft drum intro. Check. Husky lead vocals. Check. Lovey-dovey lyrics. Check. Female harmonic backing vocals. Check (and nice addition by the way). What we have here is a classic teenage heart-breaker of a song: complete with powerful chorus and guitar bridge. OC devotees will love it, and that’s no insult.
It's all a little bizarre. Michelle Shocked, one time spiky folk singer of this parish, is shaking her not inconsiderable barnet, shimmying around the Vicar St stage and giving her electric guitar a right good thrashing.
One of the first and finest guitar-free indie bands realise that making a second album with the same gimmick would be equivalent to continuing to argue a point when the conversation’s moved on and they’d already won. So their comeback single starts off with a teasing riff of U2 proportions before it’s engulfed by the Keane we know and love. The passion, gusto and singable chorus puts them in the running for band of the summer, and it’s only May.
Though a Leeds native, Sally Crew looks towards the garages and high school gyms of America’s hinterland for her new-wave/power pop. Continuing the automobile theme of her last album Drive It Like You Stole It, tracks such as ‘Good Morning Aston Martin’, ‘My Heart’s A Motorway’ and ‘Rear View Mirror’ recall the economical guitar riffs and pop smarts of, er, The Cars.
Galway’s Breakdown Rambler used everything but the kitchen sink when recording their latest EP and the results are lovely. The opening guitar on the title track is reminiscent of old Pavement riffs but, unlike the California band, Breakdown Rambler opt for quirky musical instruments rather than offbeat lyrics. Try to pick out the glockenspiel, spoons, and egg tube that are woven into the EP’s three songs.
This album closes with a rendition of ‘La Bamba’ (replete with an organ sound made entirely from cheese) that’s marked by the stinging clarity of Gallagher’s guitar tone and the throwaway rasp of his vocal.
While there are air-guitar riffs aplenty – and their rhythm section is one of the more interesting in the country at the moment – there’s just too much bluster and not enough soul.
Word is spreading. Following a run of successful support slots with The Chalets, Turn and Kerbdog, Boss Volenti are creeping into the nation’s heart. Their debut as a four piece is all Southern State blues and straight laced rock ‘n roll, combined with an irresistible dark dirty guitar riff. Not as hard hitting as devotes of their live show might expect. But hip-shakingly good nonetheless.
‘The band most likely to do a Franz Ferdinand in 2005!’ proclaims a UK music weekly. This single tells a different story. Bloc Party go one further than the usual flotsam of Joy Division-inspired noiseniks and combine their angular guitar-based funk/punk with a certain amount of heartfelt sentiment.
Enrique seems be coming into his own of late. He is outstanding at producing breezy, Mediterranean disco-pop songs, almost inevitably with a piercing, melancholic undercurrent. ‘Tired Of Being Sorry’ is one such song – it may, indeed, be his finest single to date. A dazzling combination of lilting Spanish guitar, rippling electronics and that heartbroken (heartbreaking?) Latin croon. It’s a surefire hit – but more importantly, a timeless pop classic.
An Ireland-only release to coincide with his upcoming Electric Picnic appearance, this EP is a must-have for fans of the Idaho songwriter. It’s essentially Ritter and his acoustic guitar on most of the tracks. Included is a cover of Modest Mouse’s ‘Blame It On The Teutons’. There are also two previously unreleased originals, ‘Harbortown’ and ‘Peter Killed The Dragon’, a gorgeous number that sees Ritter exploring his fascination with religious imagery.
Third time’s a charm for raggle-taggle Londoners Mystery Jets. Given yet another outing, the furious and infective ‘You Can’t Fool Me Dennis’ is primed to become a festival favourite. All witty one liners amid warm melodies, it sees the Jets mash together the frivolous pop of Blur with some Johnny Marr-derived classic guitar lines. Gloom free – it’s like hearing The Coral on E.
Currently being ousted in the ‘70s flare-rock stakes by Wolfmother, The Answer are back to reclaim their territory with this funky track from their debut album, Rise. Paying, ahem, intense homage to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, the foursome present an explosive, confident front, founded by some serious rock’n'roll and a guitar solo that would do Black Sabbath’s Tommy Iommi proud.
Gentle whispery vocals a la Badly Drawn Boy are the smooth chocolatey centre of this lovely airy-fairy song with some beguiling trumpets and oh-so-soft guitar. The “bah bah bah dah” lyrics will appeal to the Wannadies fans and smiley people hanging out in parks. So don’t listen to it while you’re burning dinner or reading Kevin Myers.
The guitar riff which pumps Infadels ‘Can’t Get Enough’ seems to bite at your insides. Snarling above a classic house beat and a regional accent it doesn’t just come at you, it kicks out. This is sure to be a stable of indie clubs around the country. ‘Can’t Get Enough’ is dancehall-punk infused with ska and electronica. With these tunes and this attitude, Infadels can expect to be tipped as this years Hard-Fi.
Even with the explosion of F.G.T.H. 1984 saw the rebirth of ‘the song’ (and songwriting) and the return of rock’s most rudimentary and potent instrument, the guitar.
A Belfast band on a Dublin label with their musical vision cast further afield, Panda Kopanda are keeping all their bases covered. Weighing in at a meaty five tracks, their second release suggests that they’re not short of confidence in their own material. A DIY approach leaves it all lacking a bit in the production department, although it suits their left field attitude to all things guitar-orientated. Fans of the US underground should definitely make their acquaintance.
I advise Bell X1 to hold onto him, because this boy can cut it on his own. While the jazzy piano shuffle of the song owes much to ‘My First Born For A Song’, its bleary guitar solo and ghostly backing vocals makes it closer to Cathy Davey. Geraghty’s voice is like a more rough-edged version of bandmate Paul Noonan’s – something that suits this song well. He even pulls off a finale reminiscent of The Divine Comedy at their most flamboyant.
First album in four years from the flaxen-haired boy wonders who briefly tasted stardom in their early teens (their debut Middle of Nowhere sold a staggering 6.5 million copies!) Now in their early 20’s they’ve “matured” into a competent guitar-based outfit capable of well-rounded songs with impressive harmonies.
The Discovery Of A World Inside The Moone is not nearly as pretentious as the title would suggest. It is simply the third album of glorious guitar pop from US eccentrics, The Apples In Stereo, whose frontman, Rob Schneider’s CV includes production duties for The Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as guesting on Cornelius’ well-received Fantasma.
The new single by Manchester’s latest indie guitar band featuring legendary ex-Smiths rhythm section Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce thankfully sounds nothing like a cheap Smiths tribute band, although thematically speaking, titles like Kiss Me, I’m A Social Worker weren’t licked from the stones. On first encounter 'Two Fat Lovers' is charmingly glib in content but the tune just doesn't take.
Beatles-fixated guitar bands may not be exactly what the world is waiting for right now but local lads, Pugwash, carry it off with such aplomb that it’s hard not to succumb to their charms.
Though he styles himself as a singer-songwriter, this English Son and former squaddie (who served in Kosovo) comes across as one of those earnest, Pop Idol pretty-boy types with acoustic guitar and floppy haircut – you know the kind!
If you like your Americana on the impressionistic side with broad, widescreen textures then Shearwater are for you. Frontman Johanthon Melburg’s choirboy vocals blend with layers of guitar, violins, Wurlitzer organ and glockenspiel to create a heavenly soundscape which is not a million miles from outfits like Calexico. This has been described as the perfect music for a rainy Sunday morning – and they win the song title of the week award thanks to ‘Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine’.
X marks the spot! The spirit of the Los Angeleno post-punk pioneers fairly haunts this superlative garage-rock stomper, as Andrea Zollo’s Kim Gordon-like growl interplays superbly with the kind of spiralling guitar riffs that were last heard at a Television gig circa 1978. Fittingly, the last singles page of 2003 fades out to the sound of the young soul rebels. Merry Xmas.
Although all ten of these tracks come loaded with gorgeous ornamentation – delicate string arrangements, subtle guitar plucks, resonant brass and tablas – they are essentially weak-hearted affairs
This particular Northern light has lent his distinctive guitar and vocal style to a host of collectives and collaborators over the years –from Snow Patrol and The Reindeer Section to Juliet Turner and Ursula Burns.
One of Pork’s finest drop two delightful cuts from their long-awaited new LP. ‘And...’ is combines mellow house heats with a groovy melody and a catchy vocal to great effect, while the considerably more chilled ‘Lazy’ – with its summery guitar and catchy break – seems to go on forever. Excellent.
There’s no fear of Snow Patrol surprising us. ‘You’re All I Have’ is as safe a return as you might expect from the Belfast band. Chugging guitar lines and baby faced vocals characterise three minutes of Gary Lightbody’s pleas “to hold on” to whatever girl may or may not inspired this rehash of previous offerings. Its incessantly warm and catchy chorus may make this no bad thing necessarily but we could really do without Final Straw mark two.
It’s fair to say that Killiney native Colm Lynch is entering a hugely crowded market of singer/songwriters, but his debut major-label single indicates that Damien Rice et al might be able to squeeze out just a little more.
With only some impressive guitar work and haunting string section accompanying his not-too-tamed voice ‘The Storm’ could very well be known as the single that came out just before his killer song. Let’s just hope he has said killer song up his sleeve.
Bill Callahan, pioneer of lo-fi alt-country, continues in the same vein as always with his latest single 'Rock Bottom Riser' under his Smog moniker. Melancholy and poignant, Callaghan's vocals sound deep and reedy as ever as he waxes lyrical on matters from family to his guitar. "I love my Father, I love my Mother, I love my sister too", he drones. If there was ever a song that would put you to sleep, this is it but if wallowing is your thing you'll love this.
There’s something so cathartic about listening to a noisy, shouty single. And Christ knows we haven’t had many of them for a while, as anyone with cool hair turns their attention towards The Kooks, Babyshambles or other indie, swing-your-pants bands. Whilst keeping their mosh-factor to the fore, Norwich’s Cord layer on the guitar generously, and vocalist James Leeds doesn’t even care whether he sings precisely in tune, such is their desire to rock out. The downside? It may have a touch of the mid ‘90s about it, but you can’t have everything.
If political philosophers needed proof that man is inherently prejudiced, they need only consider about how one would expect a band called The Chakras to sound. The mental image of skinny white hippies whipping out a guitar to show appreciation to rainclouds and nature-at-large is all too compelling.
But it takes all of the first two notes of their debut single to throw that idea out the window and litter the street with it. In fact, it’s as indie as they come, sounding like Ireland’s take of The Kooks. No bad starting point.
The Limerick group release the first single from their forthcoming debut Sweeter Than Bourbon. The description could easily apply to this song, which is propelled by a weeping bass and intricate, silvery guitar scales. Lead singer Rob Hope is possessed of an agile voice that moves steadily up the octave before flinging itself headlong into a chalky falsetto in the chorus. This single and their victory in the 2006 UL Battle of the Bands bode well for the future.
Cowboy X’s follow up to debut ‘Gabbi’ continues their marriage of Kim Deal vocals and Goldfrapp melodies, amid wafts of guitar-induced electronica. Peppered with hooks, ‘Between The Hit And The Miss’ references punk and radio-friendly pop before erupting into a mass of sunshine electronica. Constantly shifting styles and consistently engaging, this is pop music for the thinking man. Good stuff.
Waterford’s AcroJunk may write songs for the 21st century, but their hearts sound firmly entrenched in 1960s sound. ‘The Cold Old Playboy’ is a bouncy track with a touch of ‘60s surf guitar and the background organ of the Doors all rolled into one. The band’s harmonies on ‘Nonebrities’ and ‘Man Or Machine’ feel quite Beatles-esque but the overall sound is quite unique. AcroJunk take the best, leave the rest, and develop a likeable combination of old and new styles.
A hard-bitten Texas native Billy Joe Shaver is perhaps best known for his songwriting and as a man who has lived most of the songs he has written. Since the beginning of this decade he has worked with his son Eddie, as Shaver, their debut album Tramp On Your Street mating the tough, honest writing of Billy Joe with Eddie's hard rock guitar.
Tipped as a cross between The Streets and Badly Drawn Boy – not a cross-pollination that sounds particularly edifying on paper, whatever the individual merits of each act – Jamie T actually manages to gel his disparate influences with no small amount of style. I’d say Dizzee Rascal’s frantic, high-pitched flow combined with The Magic Numbers’ sunny guitar pop is a more accurate description of ‘If You Got The Money’ – making it one of the more compelling singles of the fortnight, if not the year.
Unique of voice and dextrous of guitar-playing, Wexford girl Wallis Bird’s singer-songwriter fare manages not to be music to get depressed to. While stately pieces ‘The Circle’ and ‘Oklahoma’ are a cut above most acoustic-led introspection, her skills are better displayed on ‘Moodpieces’ and ‘Beep Beep’ – semi-electronic tunes with acoustic playing closer to Four Tet than Ani DiFranco . A release that proves that being big in Germany can mean brilliance.
Yngve Wieland’s debut EP brings with it shades of early Bright Eyes and David Kitt throughout its five tracks. While exploring familiar lyrical territories of lost love and all that goes with it, Wieland, at his best, manages to draw the listener in with his wistful vocals and stripped-back guitar hooks.
With no frills or gimmicks, what you get is Bloom’s impassioned singing and distinctive guitar style, along with what sounds like a 1,000-strong audience lapping up every minute of it.
Bless them, they try. It barely seems to matter that there’s not one original second on here. The band has seemingly stolen the discarded notes of every student indie/rock band doing the rounds in the late '90s.
With a quiet-loud-quiet formula and the repeated line: “There’s a hundred good reasons for the choices I’ve made” it’s all a little inane. But hell, a small dose of rip-roaring guitar never hurt anyone, except maybe the people in the resulting moshpit.
With their thumping rhythms and crunching guitar riffs, Bonde Do Role are actually reminiscent of the no-brainer party music of Andrew WK, albeit with an added lyrical emphasis on lewd sexual acts.
As Fatboy Slim is well aware, folks just can’t get enough of wacky dancing. In the past month unprecedented media exposure has been bestowed on Chicago’s OK Go, thanks to a $20 video of them dancing in their backyard.
Eclipsing even Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s infamous recording, it has since become the most downloaded video of all time. The song itself is a punchy guitar-led James Bond-type punk-funk tune. Though memorable, it’s not a patch on the video which accompanies it.
Sheffield’s favourite sons return to bridge the gap between their phenomenal Whatever People Say I Am ... debut and their as-yet-unrecorded second album. When it’s released, that record will need to have a lot more tricks up its sleeve than this single. On the first listen it seems to have all the ingredients in place. Alex Turner’s wry tale of waking up beside someone you don’t fancy after a night out, the uber-tight rhythm section and the angular guitar are all vintage Arctic features. Despite this, the song seems to fall flat, never threatening to reach the heights of their previous singles.
Are Ash reinventing themselves as some kind of Sparklehorse/Super Furry Animals hybrid? Because, on the strength of this single, you’d swear they’d pulled off just such a transformation. They’ve given free rein to their pop sensibilities with a chorus as wide as an open horizon, while the Beatles plunge that leads into the second verse certainly shivered my timbers. Elsewhere, the guitar solo flickers to a blaze big enough to convince us that the Ash we know and love are still in there somewhere. It’s a belter – the sound of a summer we haven’t yet been given.
In 10 years time we’ll be looking back at The Libertines as the band that launched 100 other pretenders. The Paddingtons are the latest to take their call of punchy guitar lines and skewed vocals from Messer’s Doherty and Barât.
The Sunshine Underground were recent stars of the Indie Rave tour with Klaxons and CSS, although the indie guitar of ‘Borders’ would suggest that they have as much to do with rave as, well Klaxons and CSS. Fine, fine tune though. CSS themselves have found their label the subject of a major label buy out and so the process of pushing their album begins all over again, strangely with this rather lack lustre affair.
Godsuit are a four piece rock group based in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The group were formed in February 1993, comprising Ciarán Melia (bass), Anthony Hind (vocals), Neil Murphy (guitar) and Damon Allen (drums). Through much rehearsal and many gigs they are a tight unit with a growing fanbase. Fair enough. But what’s the music like?
‘Forwards’ has exactly the right amount of blissed out electronic ambience and wah-wah guitar drenched pop songs to appeal. It may not be cutting edge stuff, but with Zero 7 failing to impress with their recent album, this could well be the slow burning chill out hit of the summer.
Like Humanzi, Limerick’s Vesta Varro show much promise. Their much anticipated double A-side has been delayed as interest in the UK has grown. With a sound taking in early U2, Joy Division, Wire and The Cure, they fit snugly into the current scene. Sharp, polished guitar hooks are punctuated by a strong chorus. At times ‘Blue Mirror Boy’ evokes memories of Woodstar’s wonderful ‘Dumb Punk Song’. An assured debut and a band to keep tabs on over 2006.
Long a live favourite for the Monaghan 4-piece they finally give this guitar pop gem a proper single release. The guitars on the opening riff sound so much like Blur’s ‘Song No 2’ that it has to be some kind of in-joke. Luckily that’s where the similarities end on this sublime slice of teenage angst. Paul Finn has a terrific voice – sort of a cross between Bowie and Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCullough and the band’s gift for an indie pop melody is impressive to say the least.
Plan B has done for UK hip-hop, so might Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly do for punk rock. Similarly based around one young man and a bashed-up acoustic guitar, ‘The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager’ has a terse, tense intro that suggests it might explode into some kind of emo anthem – and it duly does. We’ve waited too long for someone to rescue the singer-songwriter tradition from the bland mush it’s turned into; in this impassioned 20-year-old from Southend, we might just have found our own superhero.
The textured melodies and Bennie Reilly’s soft, mouse-sized voice make it easy to like the indie-folksters’ debut – and there’s even more that’ll make you love it. They can do pastoral just as well as The Earlies, with harmonies like wind instruments played by friendly ghosts (‘(She’ll Use You) Lou’). However, they can carry off the harder stuff equally well – check out the sludgy guitar of ‘Sleepwalking’. This EP feels like watching an autumn day from inside, and the songs are just long enough for you to lie back in them.
Unlike most independent (and skint) new Irish acts, Dubliner’s The Reverb can boast of recording their debut single in sunny California. Produced by Cynthia Catania (of Saucy Monky fame) ‘Stuck in Berlin’ proves a catchy, if uninspiring debut.
Powered by a chugging guitar riff, there’s a noticeable US twang to singer John Power’s vocal as he sings over and over again a chorus which (to the band’s credit) lodges in your brain. Yet despite such a contagious hook, there’s little else here to really get excited about. Average.
It’s funny how the small things make all the difference. Had Úna Keane’s primary instrument of choice been the acoustic guitar, then the chances are that we might have passed over her debut release, saturated as we are by such things. Luckily for all concerned, Keane is a classically trained pianist and it’s this extra dimension that lifts the four songs included here.
This is one of the finer moments from Bell X1’s patchy and somewhat overrated Flock LP. Anyone with even half an ear cocked to radio will be well aware of this infectious sing-a-long from the X1 boys. A proven favourite on the airwaves, the group’s collective ears will be firmly tuned to see if UK disc jocks show a similar penchant for ‘Flame’s shouty chorus and chiming guitar lines.
Irish fans however will be more interested in a live version of the track, due to be made available on the group’s website in the coming weeks.
Sounding unlike their name might suggest (or indeed their tranquil sleeve artwork), Still Life’s sound is seeped deep in the classic rock sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Their sound is Lizzy-esque hard rock done softly. Not rocket science then, but ‘Silver Lining’ manages to be engaging enough in its simplicity. Doubtlessly louder than bombs when played life, its ubiquitous guitar lines lie low enough in the mix to draw out the subtlety in singer Jack Walsh’s clever yet very ordinary melody. Sometimes it just works. This is one of those times.
Recorded in 2003, McAlmont and Butler’s ‘Speed’ won’t be followed by a new album or tour dates. Indeed, the sometime collaborators haven’t recorded anything else in the intervening three-year period. So why has it been released? Reportedly Rough Trade boss Geoff Travis was so impressed upon hearing the track he immediately wanted to put it out. And ‘Speed’ is impressive. Much in the vein of ‘Yes’ and ‘Falling’, it’s full of bombastic arrangements, dirty guitar interventions and feel-good calls to “keep moving on”. Fingers crossed it sparks a re-birth.
The much anticipated project from ex-Cranberry Noel Hogan is as far from old-school Irish guitar rock as possible. After a subtle intro reminiscent of a Sea Change-era Beck, the first thing to strike the listener is that Richard Walters’ vocals are devastating, especially coupled with the dynamics of the tune, going from frail and introspective to full-on epic self-possessed heart-twisting melancholia.
Leya are blessed with bags of ambition. Sparse for the most part, ‘All On The Black’ is powered almost solely by Ciaran Gribbin’s soaring vocals and lyrics of departing love. Of course the crash of drums and guitar half way through comes, as expected, but nonetheless there’s a scope to the track that sets the Belfast rockers apart from most of their peers.
New Order are giants, the four-piece that saved guitar pop. At a terribly dull time in the '80s, they brought the rush of possibilities of electronic music to the knuckle-dragging indie masses and added sophistication, sex and mystery to their genre of choice, a genre dying on its arse. Every guitar band that has added electronica to its palette without fear of the sky falling in – from U2 to The Killers – owes New Order a cut.
New Order are giants, the four-piece that saved guitar pop. At a terribly dull time in the '80s, they brought the rush of possibilities of electronic music to the knuckle-dragging indie masses and added sophistication, sex and mystery to their genre of choice, a genre dying on its arse. Every guitar band that has added electronica to its palette without fear of the sky falling in – from U2 to The Killers – owes New Order a cut.
Little Man Tate are a young four-piece guitar band from Sheffield. Go ahead and take a wild guess at who they’re being compared to. Yes, the similarities are there – the distinctly northern outlook, an eye for the smallest detail and the exuberant rush of youth. ‘House Party At Boothy’s’ is a classic pop single with nothing more pressing on its mind than girls, beer and fags, but that matters little when the result is this memorable. They’ve got a mighty large shadow to step out from under, but I wouldn’t bet against Little Man Tate becoming their own men before very long.
The chief weakness of this new six-piece South Sligo group is their superabundance of musical talent: with flute, piano accordion, banjo, bouzouki, guitar and bodhrán all competing for attention, the effect is more that of a particularly good session than a band as such.
He certainly couldn't be accused of mellowing over the years as solid, guitar driven numbers like 'The Queen of Indecision', 'Liberty Hall' and 'The Ghost of Christmas Past' are delivered with no little passion
There’s no disputing that Tara Blaise is a fine vocal talent, but as of yet the young Wicklow woman has yet to wrap her considerable abilities around the right song. Her debut album Dancing On Tables Barefoot was a mixed bag full of as many bad moments as there are good. The flaky wishy-washy ‘Unbearable Lightness’ marked a notable dip with it’s over earnest chorus and cheesy guitar lines. Frustratingly its warm and engaging verses intermittently hint at the talent within. Album number two will most certainly prove make or break.
Meet Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Mexican guitar virtuosos and planet-hopping adventure-seekers who, as Kim Porcelli discovers, are partners in more ways than one
HAILING FROM Macroom, Co. Cork are the recently formed Coil, a four-piece who trade in a type of narcotic Goth pop music. The group’s line-up is Ann-Marie Ryan (vocals), Mark Tangney (guitar), Paul Kelleher (bass) and Rory Hanly (drums).
Hartman’s voice carries real emotional depth; equal parts honeyed and husky, it perfectly complements the swoonsome guitar-pop of ’Beauty Queen’ and ’Let Me Out’.
A bit like The Henry Sisters in that there’s actually a guy included amongst the girls. It’s there, some will say, where the comparisons end. Full of twitchy guitar lines, swaggering beats and call and response vocals, this mini-album attracted rave reviews upon its release across the Atlantic last year, and deservedly so.
Beautiful images, idiosyncratic phrases and quirky notions pervade this singer-songwriter’s second album, Spoonface.
Meanwhile, Christophers’ choirboy voice soars and drops, sparse, edgy guitar hums and electronic beats insist their way into the music.
A newer name on the domestic scene, this three-tracker is the northside Dubliners’ first attempt to stamp their sound on plastic. It suffers noticeably from poor production, but looking past that, they’re chock-full of ideas and they’re not afraid to use ‘em. Employing electronics liberally but still keeping plenty of organic sounds (‘The A Tune’s guitar in particular sounds good enough to eat), the four-piece come across like a cheery mix between Joy Division, The Futureheads and Boxer Rebellion. Like nothing you’ve ever heard before, basically, which is a good thing. A very good thing.
Music Review | Live
54% | 24 Oct 2002
Sean Walsh
She looks healthy, rested and fighting fit. Her band, consisting of bass, drums, banjo/whistle, cello, guitar and keyboards/ accordion, look like they’re here for a groove-laden run through some trad tunes, which, it transpires, they certainly are
Not content with just thrashing Offaly in the hurling, Carlow now turns its attention to music, and on the basis of this this offering, First Cuts pick of the fortnight The LeMons, are a stellar outfit.
It’s a relief to acknowledge the return of the electric guitar in the brooding and introspective 'Love Believes Us When We Lie', and the ‘90s Nirvana riffs and enigmatic Ferghal McKee lyrics are a great burst of school-disco sentimentality.
At a push, you’d emphasise a Whipping Boy/Jesus And Mary Chain flavour. We’re not quite in Kilkenny territory yet, but The LeMons are definitely potential champions.
From the moment the crash of Director’s instruments build to a wall of sound you know you’re in for something truly special. ‘Reconnect’ is one of the most impressive and intelligently constructed Irish debuts in an age. In parts as po-faced as Interpol, it is at its heart an abashed pop song fed astutely through new wave punk. Frontman Michael Moloney exudes an effortless cool with his sharp vocal delivery whilst those around him serve to make this one of the most exciting pieces of guitar music to come out of Ireland since The Edge struck the last chord of ‘Out Of Control’. Were it not for those pesky Flaming Lips, single of the fortnight without a doubt.
Imagine Lemon Jelly putting away the decks and building sounds around an acoustic guitar track. Now you’ve got something akin to Headgear. ‘Singin’ In The Drain’ begins with a lo-fi acoustic and vocal track interspersed with gulps of water and other idiosyncratic sounds. The chorus explodes with an Opera like “Rah rah rah”, bringing Baz Luhrmann’s sunscreen track to mind.
No slouch on the fiddle and banjo, Donegal’s Diver also plays guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán, bass, shaker and is a dab hand at writing new tunes, several of which feature on the album
There are some pretty sonic snippets throughout the evening, but none seem to be stretched over the course of a full track, instead becoming lost in a hurricane of furiously-pounded electric guitar.
The solid base of well-crafted songs complete with aching melodies, meandering vocals and evocative guitar lines set them far apart from the plethora of JJ72 covers bands currently choking the Dublin circuit.
Kinesis split up in March of this year after five years together. You Are Being Lied To is a reasonable legacy to leave behind, from the glorious cacophony of album opener, ‘A Voice To Preserve’ – full of joyously raucous guitar and quasi-gospel vocals – to the closing piano balladry of ‘The Question Has Changed’.
Doom, gloom and painfully slow distorted guitar-y dirges may not seem particularly relevant to the contemporary metal scene, nor particularly necessary.
WELL KNOWN in Irish music circles as a session musician, Ennis born/Nashville resident O'Beirne has lent his distinctive 6 and 12-string acoustic guitar talents to artists as varied as Sharon Shannon, The Waterboys and Marianne Faithful.
For all his protests otherwise, more than a hint of Pete Doherty’s shadow hangs over fellow Libertine Carl Barat’s much anticipated comeback single. When Barat (who taught Doherty how to play guitar) sings lines such as “I gave you the Midas touch before you turned around and scratched out my heart” you can’t but bring to mind the duo’s tempestuous relationship. This though is no bad thing. The Libertines were at their best when telling it how it is, and like their last record, ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’ feels like a front line report from Barat’s being. Musically the shambolic beauty of The Libertines remains, though thankfully without ever a hint of it all about to implode. The boy’s done good.
A taster for his forthcoming third album, 'Ol’ Death Whisper' marks Goodtime John’s first batch of new material since signing to Irish indie label, Trust Me I’m A Thief. Fans will be aware; Goodtime John is all about sparse atmospheric folk songs much in the mould of Bonnie Prince Billy. This means the connection between music and lyrical content is all-important. Of these five tracks, he hits the mark twice. ‘Play Funerals’ draws the listener in with its wistful vocal and melancholic imagery. ‘Nothingness’ has a similar impact. The only real let-down is the awful ‘Thought Dictionary’, with high-pitched guitar feedback that torments the ear.
Although slotting into the pop/rock category without too much of a fuss, the emphasis on melody, harmony and acoustic guitar makes sure that their sound is not overbearing
The first half-hour practically peels the paint off the walls; Conley and Prescott provide a relentless surge of thumping rhythmic pandemonium, whilst Miller coaxes wave after wave of skull-shattering distortion from his guitar.
You know you’re getting older when new artists come along who were first inspired to pick up a guitar by Pete Doherty. Glaswegian Amy MacDonald is part of the new wave of musicians, equally versed in all aspects of the medium. What impresses most is that she has both a young and old head on her shoulders. She may take a great deal of her motivation from the sheer thrill of making music and hanging out with bands (her online diary gushes with tales of sitting behind the Killers at the Brits and the like) but ‘Poison Prince’ belies a maturity beyond her years. Her voice is rich and clear and the song marries a mainstream sheen with the kind of Scottish folk twang so beloved of the missing in action Sons And Daughters. An album follows in the summer, I’d keep an eye out if I were you.
A five-track EP that showcases this Dublin quintet’s ability to mix post-Coldplay sop-rock with more sonic, shoegaze/post-rockin’ leanings – and it’s at its best when the latter come to the fore. Three songs hit home in a big way: lead track ‘Sophia’ evokes Low at their narcotic finest, while ‘Carpark’ is a powerful instrumental; awash with noise and brimming with melancholy. On ‘Chemistry’ the group develop more of a swagger, incorporating some of Spiritualized’s drone-rocking tendencies, without losing their undercurrent of bulging sadness. The formula (sugar-sweet melodies peeking through a blizzard of guitar noise) may be familiar, but it’s still irresistible when executed this well.
While the first Meeting was inspired by Nick Cave’s songcraft and The Pixies’ guitar duels, the second outing sees Andrew Weatherall blatantly wear his blues, rockabilly and garage punk influences.
Over the past six months Delorentos have found themselves in the not entirely enviable position of being tipped as the next big thing before they’d released a single note of music. Thus their debut EP finally arrives with great expectations. Fortunately, it’s a case of happy endings all round as the Dublin four piece pass their first test with flying colours. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed to recognise this as anything but the work of a band at the top of their game. Every aspect exudes pure confidence. The only possible worry, in fact, is that, with its twisted guitar riffs and awkward beats, they could find themselves tied a little too closely to the whole Franz / Bloc / Futureheads thing. Some lead, most follow and Delorentos are heading for the front.
I thought I was doomed to a night of generic college guitar bands trying to be the next Frames, but was instead treated to well-written and strongly performed music.
Elevator is safer-sounding, less adventurous and less exciting than their last blast Make Up The Breakdown, an evolution possibly not unrelated to their being snapped up by a major label. The intimidating energy level remains undiminished, and there still isn’t a note out of place - all that’s missing is anything resembling a sharp edge. At its worst, the frantic cramming of hooks and harmony vocals can create a faintly twee, sugary effect, conjuring spectres of an amped-up They Might Be Giants. At its best, there’s more than enough bite and balls in the guitar work to render such objections irrelevant.
What rescues ‘I Can Do Nice’ from the ranks of singer-songwriter orthodoxy is its beguiling melody, delivered with the fretful strokes of an acoustic guitar. The song has the delicateness of spun sulk, the weird beauty of candlelight in pitch darkness.
Twenty-four years is a long time to spend working up to a debut solo album, but Roland S. Howard follows his own wayward star.
Whether participating in the jagged juvenalia of Melbourne’s Boys Next Door, lending his trademark flicknife guitar …
The Ruby Tailights’ main-man Martin Kelly will be familiar to any stalwarts of the mid-90s Irish music scene as the frontman with the brilliant Sunbear, whose distortion-fuelled epics were years ahead of their time. This time around, Kelly has eschewed the effects pedals, however, for some relatively straightforward guitar pop.
Tagged as the next big thing to emerge from Ireland, Mainline have been gathering much acclaim from the likes of Q magazine and London’s XFM. Listening to their debut single, it’s easy to justify the hype. With a big dirty guitar riff pushing it on, ‘Black Honey’ wouldn’t sound out of place on a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or Jesus and Mary Chain album. It sounds like nothing that has come out of an Irish band in years.
It’s hard to believe that Altiplanos is only the tenth album released by legendary French-Algerian fingerstyle guitarist Pierre Bensusan since his Montreux Festival award-winning 1977 debut. But this master craftsman of the guitar wouldn't dream of committing material to disc without first honing it to perfection: each of the fourteen tracks is a gleaming gem of the composer's art.
This beautiful guitar and bass duet album is a pure pleasure to listen to from start to finish. And when I say ‘duet’, I mean just that. French fretless maestro Alain Genty is a melodic player of the first order, taking the lead as often as not and supplying no mere underpinning but a collaboration in the truest sense of the word.
Songs From A Yellow Chair is Brendan Devereux’s second album release and features his trademark guitar playing and Fionnuala Devereux’s neatly judged fiddle playing. Apart from that the instrumentation is kept pared back, with occasional bass from Joe Csibi. Some of the faster tracks like ‘Purple Gem’ might benefit from a more fleshed-out band and could pass muster as full-tilt rockers.
The first track on Dublin-based singer-songwriter Eamonn O'Connor's EP, Born To A Holy Land, is a melancholic lament to Ireland's troubled past and woes of the present day. Cello accompanies acoustic guitar to give it a deep mournful sound, with some genuine spine-tingling moments. 'Love In Vain' is a little more cheerful and up-tempo throughout and has a definite folk/country feel. O'Connor's voice is soft and wistful, lending a distinctive atmosphere to his music. 'Yellow Man Street' is accompanied by harmonica, again giving it that folk feel and subject matter sticks with the parochial and traditional. We hardly need another singer-songwriter but we can certainly make an exception for Eamonn O'Connor.
If you expected Anders Trentemoller to deliver 12 carbon copies of his break through hit, ‘Physical Fraction’, then you’ll probably be disappointed by ‘Last Resort’. If, on the other hand, you’re prepared to journey with him as he achieves his oft-stated desire of transcending techno’s confines and entering a looser, freeform world, you’ll love this debut. Punctuated by woodwind, flailing drums and guitar bursts - check the bluesy ‘The Very Last Resort’ - as much as deep, dubby Basic Channel grooves, there are a few, thankfully fleeting, moments when Trentemoller veers dangerously close to Floydian prog-rock self-parody. But don’t let that put you off: ‘Resort’ is every bit as magical as the haunted forest that adorns its cover.
Once again from the north of Ireland, we have The Id. The line up has swelled a little and now comprises Carl Papenfus on drums, Kenneth Papenfus on guitar, Tony Brady on keyboards, Brendan Kelly on vocals and Darren Campbell on bass.
Recorded in 2004 at concerts all over the USA, this live CD is the ninth release from Scottish band Old Blind Dogs, featuring fiddler Jonny Hardie, singer/guitarist/harmonica player Jim Malcolm, Rory Campbell on pipes and low whistle, percussionist Fraser Stone and newest member Aaron Jones (whose excellent duo debut with Claire Mann, Secret Orders, was previously reviewed here) on bouzouki, guitar and bass.
Johnny Foreigner's debut effort is chock-full of tooth-rattling, head-spinning guitar pop songs that fills the void that Pretty Girls Make Graves left when they imploded last year.
At times tonight, The Dennis McCalmont Band almost reminded me of early ’70s vintage Tim Buckley (around the time of Greetings From LA): the wide vocal range; the intense rhythm guitar playing; the tight, intimate band; and especially the passion.
Rags frontman Danny Anderson’s gobby self-assurance may prove off-putting to some, yet to dismiss the Finglas five-piece outright is unjustified. Their recorded output is deserving of the hype that surrounds them and ‘Razors and Ropes’ is no exception. Easily digestible, yet utterly memorable, this compelling slice of Smiths-esque guitar-pop stands out as their finest recording to date. Its charm ultimately lies in Anderson’s deft lyrics and vocal delivery. Here, he channels his arrogance into an emotive anger rendered all the more persuasive by his tender, often fragile vocal style. It’s an approach which echoes Pete Doherty and The Libertines in particular. B-side ‘Owner Of A Loveless Life’ adds weight to such lofty comparisons. Dublin’s answer to The Libertines? Maybe. Certainly, The Rags are just as exciting.
The guitar is back – and how! Instrument sales are healthier than they’ve been in years. but that’s not the only good news from Ireland’s music equipment shops.
Bringing a multi-national flavour to the West's music scene are Emmet Scanlan and What the Good Thought- a cosmopolitan group who infuse cello, classical guitar and drums with "chaotic" glee.
Nature Creates Freaks is full of frenzied angst, with gut-wrenching vocals and the kind of thrash guitar that make you fear for the band's body parts. Cay look to the Sonic Youth-led tradition of American, and particularly New York, underground rock, so it's a suprise to discover that they're actually British.
A Bob Dylan harmonica, a Slash guitar, a Prince bass and a saxophone signed by former US President Bill Clinton are among the items on offer in a pre-Grammy Awards charity auction.
After repeated listens, Squarepusher’s latest offering conjures up an image of shaven-headed nerds smirking knowingly to themselves as they rearrange their collection of Skam rarities into alphabetical order while Tom Jenkinson heads off on another extended live bass guitar solo.
It was a night of songs about drugs, guns, murder and love, rendered on acoustic, national steel guitar, decks, mandolin, and “the kind of banjo that scares the sheep in Donegal.”
This is the kind of music I'd like to be able to enjoy but simply can't. Independently, the various components - the piano, the string arrangements, the guitar choruses, the odd bits of futuristic sampling, even the slightly whiny vocals - are interesting in a Tindersticks, experimental kind of way.
New York blues prodigy JOE BONAMASSA is making a name as one of the hottest young guitar-slingers in the West. With a Dublin visit on the way, he's foaming at the mouth at the prospect of visiting Rory Gallagher's home country.
Superhate, a five piece band from Wicklow play raw, guitar-driven music. Here we have a three track demo which begins with ‘Hatpin’, an early Banshees-style horror-obsessional lyric linked to a driving backing.
Their live shows can be a little erratic, leaving some onlookers in doubt as to the "authenticity" of what they are witnessing: is the guitar playing intentionally bad or is it part of an act?
Out with the old, in with the new. Well, that’s the theory at least. In reality, the first singles review of the year is usually a pretty uninspiring experience, featuring as it does the warmed up leftovers of last year’s trends as opposed to the dawning of a brave new world, which doesn’t actually appear till around the middle of February.
Pats on the back all round then for Glen Wash, who at least offer the stirrings of something interesting. Based around one guy, Niall Glennon, from Longford but recorded in Milan, this is most definitely on the rough side (our copy comes with a hand drawn sleeve) but smacks of promise. Presumably recorded on a budget approaching zero, Glennon/Glen Wash still have the audacity to try and create a wall of guitar sound that pays homage to the days of Ride, Swervedriver et al and just about pull it off. This is deep down and dirty stuff, imbued with a rock ‘n’ roll edge that has been sadly missing from the domestic scene of late. Our advice to Glennon – get yourself a band together quick and start gigging.
Secret Orders is the debut release from the Edinburgh-based duo of Claire Mann (flute, fiddle, whistle and vocals) and Aaron Jones (bouzouki, guitar, bass and vocals). The opening set of reels firmly establishes their excellent instrumental chops, Mann overdubbing flute and fiddle with equal aplomb and Jones anchoring the rhythm section on a beautifully resonant 10-string Sobell bouzouki.
Thankfully for them, the Manchester three-piece deliver on the promise of their debut, as their sophomore effort is brimming with the kind of timeless guitar tunesmithery that marked their earlier work
The key to everything is of course the group's total empathy with their material, guitar, violin and percussion accentuating the power of tracks like 'The Raid', a 900-year-old piece, to devastating effect
The last time The Fat Lady Sings graced a Dublin stage, people were smoking in the crowd, we were buying pints with punts and the Celtic Tiger had yet to get within an ass’s roar of Ireland. The first thing that strikes this reviewer when Nick Kelly (vocals/guitar), Tim Bradshaw (guitar) and bassist Dermot Lynch step onto the stage is that the 12 years since their last live performance have been kinder to the band than their audience.
According to many, the best thing to come out of Canada since Neil Young, Edwards is the complete artist – a great songwriter with a distinctive, slightly ragged voice, a damn good guitar-player and she looks very cool onstage. One thing is certain – she’s unlikely to be appearing at venues this intimate for much longer.
THIS IS quite a progression on Dordán’s previous albums. The essential sound is still the same – violin, harp and all manner of whistles hold the melodic ground, but this time the guitar, from both Stephen Cooney and newest member Martina Goggin, is much more in evidence as a rhythm instrument. In addition, Martina handles percussion duties with some distinction, and also contributes four songs to the album.
Don’t let the plaintive piano on the short opening track ‘Mierda De Tu Burro’ fool you; this is full-on guitar-driven rock, albeit with a strong melodic streak at the heart of it all.
Something is happening here… A Walk Across The Rooftops is drawing me in.The Blue Nile are a Scottish trip whose work owes more to the Associates and their charms than to the more guitar orientated bands like post-Postcard Orange Juice and their ilk.
Trans Am have consistently been one of Americana's more intriguing exporters of out-there guitar pop – and the 21-track Red Lines consolidates that reputation.
Have guitar, will travel. That seems to be the raison d'jtre of Sean O'Neill. This is double barrel troubadour music complete with greatcoat and dusty vocals - and a skewed perspective that tilts at a delightfully obtuse angle with the world.
With all the ballyhoo surrounding the recent fortunes of UK guitar bands, there has been a tendency for the continuing rise of British black music to get forgotten, a real shame as the scene is developing a style and character which – if not totally removed from US influences – is certainly developing its own voice. Terri Walker is the latest name to glide effortlessly from the world of specialist media and clubs to the mainstream by virtue of her Mercury nominated debut. All of which has upped the pressure on the follow up not to alienate those who have lately come to appreciate her undoubted talent.
Overall, Tyrannosaurus Hives is a fairly perfunctory attempt to merge a few different new-wave guitar styles, with ‘70s punk as the support scaffolding. But, like many of their contemporaries, The Hives don’t seem to have the willingness to progress and experiment that mark out the truly great bands.
'Girl From The Hills' opens Dot Creek's debut with a quietly twanging guitar, before a plaintive male voice urges someone to fetch water from the spring, and you think, 'OK, I'm in the middle of Nowheresville, Alabama.
David Swanson’s vocals and synthesiser are the glue that pull each song together, but the lack of the screech of a guitar is sorely needed to give these songs bite, or even a hint of personality.
Two young Americans – one with a guitar, the other hitting things – plug in and set out on a journey of discovery, digging deep into the annals of American musical history. Sound familiar? Maybe, but – hard as it might be to imagine – there were musical duos before the Whites.
We persuaded Dublin singer-songwriter Barry McCormack to take time off from promoting his recent album Night Visiting to spend some time with the Shine SNO690 Guitar.
Jarring, discordant, awash with uncomfortable blasts of tuneless guitar, For Screening Purposes Only follows in the tradition of great unlistenable records such as Big Black’s first LP and Throbbing Gristle’s early work.
This is the respected folk-blues singer’s second live album and it’s a back-to-basics affair showing him in the way most people encounter his music live – with just voice and guitar. Yet these two simple instruments can convey a range of emotion that is quite remarkable.
The question has often been asked, ‘Does the world need another singer-songwriter?’. Certainly, many acoustic guitar-wielding troubadours would be better off saving their grievances for their diaries instead of inflicting them on the wider world. However, every now and then a new voice comes along that’s worthy of attention. Tessa Perry is such a voice.
As tonight’s performance grates on, it’s apparent that the entire rhythm section is buried underneath a treble heavy din. Norman Blake’s guitar solos are beautiful, but in no way as crisp and clear as they should be.
"Home emerged in Tampa, FL in 1992 when longtime collaborators Eric Morrison (piano) and Andrew Deutsch (guitar) joined up with Brad Truax (bass) and Sean Martin (drums).
Gone, or at least sidelined, is the four-piece purity perfected on Blood Sugar Sex Magik in favour of noodly guitar soundscapes, synths, choral harmonies and full orchestral arrangements
Tthe heart of the band still lies very much in the hands of the Blake, Love and McGinley trio and their desire to craft simple yet effective guitar pop. Indeed, Man-Made puts the emphasis very much on the simple, opting for a back-to-basics approach to production that sadly leaves it a decidedly underwhelming listen.
No rabble-rousing rock panto pandering, no gratuitous guitar solos or simplistic speechifying, just towering songs garnished with soaring melodies and counter-melodies.
Colin Reid is so far out of the frame that it takes a while to understand the concept. He s a virtuoso guitarist, from Belfast, who doesn t care for guitar music.
If you’re a big guitar head you’ll enjoy trainspotting this album, but if you’re an ordinary Joe who likes to keep abreast with new trends in contemporary music, forget Shangri-La – it’ll make you feel like you’re listening to a wedding band.
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She may not be a folk-chick , but for the time being, a bottle of beer, a chair and a guitar is all it takes to get Kristin Hersh through the night. Interview: colm o hare.
There’s a 30 minute break before Bono reappears to introduce the Cat formerly known as Stevens, Yusuf Islam. “A seeker,” he pronounced. “A troubadour. A pilgrim. A poet. A guitar picker. A natty dresser. A singer and writer of some of the best songs ever written. A serious Cat.”
Former Wonderstuff motormouth Miles Hunt is coming to a town near you, acoustic guitar in hand. But as John Walshe finds out, that s no reason to expect a folk extravaganza.
Slow, languorous beats. Guitar playing which, save for the odd noisy squall, is determinedly minimal. Songs of intensity, infidelity, intoxication and copulation. The voice of a doleful Scotsman. Whether Arab Strap charm you or leave you cold, there's no denying that the sonic brew they have distilled over the past five years is distinctive.
If you’ve heard the singles you’ve got a pretty good idea of what the album is like – rock tunes driven by staccato drums and three-chord guitar, delivered with plenty of attitude and passion.
Following on from Volume 1, released earlier this year, this third album from Echoboy’s Richard Warren is a moody, buzzy amalgam of the pounding guitar-drone Death in Vegas have patented, the brave-new-worldisms of Primal Scream’s Xxtrmntr and the slightly nerdy keyboard manifestos of the retro-80s/Krautrock set. It’s as noisy, mock-threatening and fun – and, occasionally, as disposable – as a high-tech, batteries-not-included toy lasergun.
The idea of a hip-hop act on Epitaph might have raised a few eyebrows amongst the West Coast Mohican Mafia, but Minneapolis trio Atmosphere are definitely imbued with the attitude of their spiky guitar label mates, if somewhat heavier on the funk then punk.
It's well-honed with lots of carefully controlled energy, great dynamics from the band with raspy vocals from Jason Perry, high-velocity riffs, power-chords a-plenty, intricate Halenesque guitar and good harmonies.
Black Sabbath guitar legend Tony Iommi’s first solo album has an embarrassing wealth of guest vocalists in harness, but with Skin from Skunk Anansie involved, as well as Dave Grohl’s serious Soundgardenish ‘Goodbye Lament’ and Billy Corgan’s turgid molten metal whine on ‘Black Oblivion’, things are in danger of becoming dreary indeed. Attempting subtlety in this company just doesn’t seem to work.
You look up 'skiffle' in the Chambers 20th Century Dictionary and it says "a strongly accented jazz type of folk music, played by guitar, drums and often unconventional instruments etc. popular about 1957".
When an album kicks off with the line "She broke my heart, so I ate her liver/And dumped her putrefying carcass in the river", you know you're not in for an easy ride. But hey, hey, it's The Hitchers - Limerick's very own post-modern, guitar-pop ironists - with another instalment of cartoon punk for our delectation and delight.
Kicking things off, Donegal outfit Berkley displayed a neat line in edgy, guitar-driven pop, which was tight and well rehearsed. They also demonstrated solid songwriting skills which, combined with an obvious live ability marked them out as definite future contenders.
His melodies do the job, and this new record utilises a peculiar but pleasing palate of muted drum figures, manipulated guitar and synth strings, but as I say, the vocal tone grates
With the truly spellbinding vocals of The Tycho Brahe’s Carol Keogh captivating the audience from the off, the suprisingly formal guitar/bass/drums/keyboards line-up masterfully wove a supremely atmospheric, hypnotic wall of sound.
She’s a mouthy young Londoner who knows how to strum a guitar and isn’t afraid to diss ex-boyfriends in song. Just don’t call Kate Nash the new Lily Allen.
This resolutely downbeat record is earnest, straightforward acoustica, with heartfelt vocals and a small palette of instruments – often stripped down to just guitar and voice.
They create a beautiful tumult, all scrawling synth, insistent rhythms, corrosive guitar and narcotised vocal: Channel One are tuned into the strangest frequencies.
Heralded britpoppers arrive with surprisingly nuanced debut, awash with yearning psych rock plaintive guitar chimes and lashings of damp-cheeked wistfulness.
The guy’s a great hard rock drummer in the busy-bee late-’60s mode, his vocal phrasing is addictive, and he’s of the Neil Young school of gutsy but physically dyslexic guitar playing
Tom McRae has been turning heads around England just by virtue of the fact that he is a singer-songwriter with much more than simply one guitar and the truth.
We all know what to expect of the bittersweet folksy blues pursuit; love, like anything else subject to our cruel whim, is to be drawn out and rewrought in a mimetic frenzy of acoustic guitar, plaintive vocals and tear-jerking harmonies. In a Fiona Apple kind of way, the dulcet Buckley is another lady who’s mistaken a paper bag for a dove.
Armed with just his guitar and emotive voice, Bloom magically transformed a large theatre into an intimate bedsit, for this was not just a gig but a celebration of life, love, sex and the Irish weather
Though he comes across like almost every other acoustic guitar totin’ soul who has graced a mid-week open-mic session, this Killiney troubadour’s years of relentless gigging have clearly paid off. For Lynch’s much-anticipated debut oozes with a confidence, passion and steely determination unusual in a first offering.
The concrete jungle of London’s downtrodden and multi-racial East End is home to some of the most terrifying statistics BBC news has to report, as well as some of the hardest, filthiest hip hop and drum ‘n’ bass beats in the UK. The area’s many big mouthed, bigging-up MCs frequently play with the term urban poet, but rarely is it so aptly claimed than in the case of this young acoustic guitar-playing, Bukowski-reading, Radiohead-loving rapper.
Thanks to their distinctively guitar-saturated sound, French outfit RINOCEROSE have carved out their own niche in the already crowded Gallic dance scene. Interview: RICHARD BROPHY.
It s sink-or-swim time for UK guitar aesthetes gene as they unveil their second album, Drawn To The Deep End. But, two years down the line, the quartet are still insisting they don t sound like The Smiths. Interview: Nick Kelly.
Half way through the second track, ‘Boss Of Me’ and we’re back in familiar territory – toe-tapping guitar pop with a chorus as infectious as a regurgitated bacteria sandwich.
Over the course of a whole album their inherent idiosyncrasies can wear a bit thin.
Holy high expectations, Batman. Here are some of the phrases being thrown around about Chichester five-piece Hope Of The States. “Like Godspeed You! Black Emperor” (gorgeous, instrumental-based, violin-led apocalypse-rockers),.“Like…Trail of Dead” (gorgeous, song-based, guitar-led, er, apocalypse-rockers). And, not least: “First credible possible heirs to Radiohead”. Arooga!
Belgian folk-grungers dEUS have returned, five years after their last acclaimed album The Ideal Crash. A cursory listen to Pocket Revolution’s opening track, ‘Bad Timing’ confirms that they are not about to alter their gameplan, and remain dedicated to slowly filling their melancholy-tinged pop songs with extra sheets of guitar noise.
Though few performers can carry off the Casio/solo-guitar/funny-banter combo (just ask Kittser), Rhys has mastered it with startling ease. He mumbles his random anecdotes, punctuated by odd cricket or ocean sound from his trusty Casio… the whole effect sounds not unlike Neosupervital rousing the comedic spirit of Andy Kaufman.
As harsh, propulsive, plangent guitar fills the auditorium, Tricky begins to rasp out the lyrics, his voice coming on like a percussive instrument. The mood is black, strangely beautiful – but frequently impenetrable too.
Simple Kid effortlessly produces the kind of Beck-like sound that stoned hippies, stuck in their musty bedrooms with an acoustic guitar and an ounce, think they’re making.
Sometimes I wish Glen Hansard’s guitar would explode, or that half way through a terrible rendition of ‘Pavement Tune’ the band would lose their way and let the song fall apart. A mistake of some sort would be nice, if only to prove that The Frames are mortal when it comes to playing live.
Music Review | Live
52% | 17 Feb 2003
Eamon Sweeney
...robust and angular workouts in the best tradition of guitar pop, managing to sound touchingly vulnerable but toweringly defiant. There is an ever so slight whiff of The Smiths, which speaks volumes about their progress
The inimitable Angie Stone arrived in pomp and bluster, along with her seven-member band, with various musical tasks fluidly exchanged between drummer, guitar-players and the classic soul triumvirate of Angie and her two Pips. The Gladys comparison is more than fair; indeed Stone draws on the pantheon of great soul artists like Aretha and Marvin to create her own brand of slick R‘n’B.
Under Rug Swept starts promisingly with the toothy guitar hook of '21 Things', but it isn't long before the groove fractures under a shopping list of Alanis' requirements in a lover, a bunch of cumbersome lines that probably scan better than they sound.
Is there anyone who will 'fess up to ordering another dozen tunes with earnest lyrics, dampened down drums, polite keyboards and sub-Floydian guitar solos?
I wonder if My Bloody Valentine were aware of the avalanche they were about to trigger when they first took Belinda Butcher's airbrushed vocals and smothered them with layer upon layer of white noise guitar?
Show Your Bones sees the crew catch their breath in the less chaotic mid-tempo pop lane. Happily, we may now discover what Nick Zinner’s ornate guitar work actually sounds like when not condensed into the over-excited, if enjoyable twenty second spurts that characterised the first record.
If you ever wondered how Slash’s legendary guitar solos would go down without the requisite fog of cigarette smoke in these post-ban environs, the short answer tonight is; they don’t. Shrugging off the rules with enviable elan, the ex-Guns’n’Roses guitarist is tonight doing what he does best – flouting convention and delivering the type of riffs for which big hair and a smattering of menacing looking tattoos are almost required.
BDB’s characteristic ramshackle guitar and endearingly imprecise vocal are this time combined with full string and horn arrangements, creating a kind of folksy motown feel, Detroit crossed with Devon
From his holiday hideaway in southern France, the hairier half of Mexican-Irish guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela talks about the rigours of life on the road, busking on the mean streets of Dublin and the duo's growing heavy-metal following.
Ollie Cole of Turn pays a fan’s heartfelt tribute to the “genius lyricist and stupidly brilliant guitar player” who tragically took his own life two weeks ago.
Meds is their fifth album, and the sound of a band straining to slip their own skin. They’ve got a whole new set of musical ordinances going on (the sound is indisputably lush and muscular in a post-industrial kinda way) but still only two tunes: the one that throbs with dum-dum basslines and Sonic guitar swathes, and the slow spacey one with the Joy Division keyboard washes and heavy delay.
This album sees Aimee Mann adopt a refreshingly speedy and ad-hoc approach to recording, not to mention a return to the comfort zone of early ‘70s AOR sounds: dampened down drums, piano, classic rock guitar licks, all overseen by producer Joe Henry (co-collaborator on Jim White’s excellent last album).
Such warm upholstery suits her un-histrionic vocal approach, and the choice of players complements the musical aesthetic and set-up (The Forgotten Arm is a song cycle about two lovers: John, a Vietnam vet, boxer and drug addict, and Caroline – echoes of the female lead in Lou’s Berlin).
While no end of guitar bands would kill to occupy the same lofty perch as this shower in the pop-rock firmament, you get the impression that Cast's reputation as solid, dependable, on-stage-at-7pm festival fodder is a source of constant frustration for frontman John Power.
Live music industry stalwart Vince Power and classical guitar guru John Feeley are the latest additions to The Music Show, set for October 4-5 in Dublin's RDS.
Icky Thump fizzes with ideas. Nevertheless, you wonder whether The White Stripes are trying too hard to prod a simple formula – guitar, drums, inscrutable irony – into a new direction.
As expected, it turns out to be a superb performance: an awesome collision of thumping bass-lines, crunching hip-hop beats, chaotic samples and funked-up wah-wah guitar, all underpinned by an incredibly powerful political message.
The six-piece outfit are undeniably exciting, with Holmes’ trademark infectious breakneck apocalyptic voodoo grooves, fleshed out with pulsating bass, pounding drums, stabbed jagged shards of guitar and equal-parts-scary-and-beautiful vocals from rapper Sean Reveron and chanteuse Petra Jean Phillipson.
Whether with THE SMITHS, ELECTRONIC, THE PRETENDERS or in brown trouser mode sharing a stage with PAUL McCARTNEY, GEORGE MICHAEL and NEIL FINN, he remains, by his own admission, the best JOHNNY MARR-style guitar player around. GEORGE BYRNE meets the cat others like to copy.
You can very much hear the band gradually piecing together the constituent elements that would make Bleach such a bewitching sonic brew; the gonzo experimentation and guitar pyrotechnics of the ‘80s US underground, married to Cobain’s Beatles-like melodic sensibilities and, of course, that searing, indelible voice.
Maxïmo Park could have easily disappeared into the slew of angular, affected guitar bands that emerged in the UK last year, but two factors helped them stay on the muso radar. One was them being the first non-electronica signing to the unspeakably hip Warp label. The second was their enigmatic frontman Paul Smith with his candid/overwrought lyrics – whichever side of the fence you sit on – and labour intensive stage workout.
Dave McSavage is one of Ireland's newest, funniest and most challenging comedians to emerge on the circuit in recent months, combining improvised guitar musings with audience laceration. "But i just want them to like me," says Dublin's most dangerous stand-up
ALTHOUGH Poe senior was getting severely inebriated he came to the conclusion that he was having a splendid time. Having just finished a large four-course meal in the company of some charming friends, he had managed to play some Elgar on his guitar, had got involved in some riveting discussions on the state of music today and now, with a lopsided paper hat on his head, swayed off down the dark cobbled streets towards the bay for a bit of fresh night air.
Tim Booth is not a man who has ever been unduly troubled by contemporary notions of cool and un-cool. In the early nineties, when Nirvana were storming the barricades, Primal Scream had the nation under an acid-drenched groove and Kevin Shields was in the process of reinventing guitar music with Loveless, Booth and his cohorts in James were encouraging patrons at Student Union discos all around Britain to literally sit down to the strains of the anthemic stadium rawk number, er, ‘Sit Down’.
As he limbers up for yet another sell-out Irish tour, guitar-picking hearthrob Tom Baxter is keen to scotch rumours of impending nuptials and wax lyrical about his love affair with this country
Preparing for his band's cataclysmic appearance at
this year's Trinity Ball in typically languid fashion,
SPIRITUALIZED mainman JASON PIERCE talks to STUART
CLARK about college days, high-altitude gigs and why he's
not too desperate for a new guitar. Pix: PETER MATTHEWS.
Their unique combination of sensual Latin melodies and brilliant, metal-inspired guitar playing have made Rodrigo y Gabriela a phenomenon in their adopted Ireland, with a platinum album, sell-out tours and barn-storming festival appearances already to their credit. Now, with the release of their third album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, their sights are set on the international arena. Here, this extraordinary couple explain why they swapped sun-drenched Mexico for rain-kissed Dublin – and, for the first time, talk candidly about the open relationship they enjoy, as long-term friends and lovers.
David Gray's debut album A Century Ends signalled the emergence of an innovative singer-songwriter with forthright lyrics, a remarkable voice, and an unusual degree of integrity. Just, one warning: mention the words 'introverted' or 'soul-searching' and you run the risk of being beaten over the head with a guitar... Interview: Lorraine Freeney
Sharing the spotlight with only his trusty guitar, Ireland's foremost troubadour Christy Moore prepares to take on audiences at The Point later this month. Here he tells Bill Graham of his growing sense of worth and self-confidence, defends Siniad O'Connor's right to free speech and explains just why good hecklers are worth their weight in gold.
After a triumphant brace of performances at last year’s Bulmer’s Comedy Festival, US musical comic Stephen Lynch brings his trusty acoustic guitar back to the event once again this year. He talks about his love of old gangster flicks, his work with Comedy Central and writing controversial songs about kittens.
WHAT IS the connection between The X Files, massive drinking bouts, Man United fans and top ten hits? CATATONIA, that s what. The Welsh guitar popsters are currently nestling in the upper reaches of the charts with their hit Mulder And Scully , and JOHN WALSHE talks to vocalist CERYS MATTHEWS about their meteoric rise to the top.
whinging, yak-herding and masturbating over the sunday dinner are just three of the tenuously-related subjects that come up for discussion as stuart clark gets completely wireless with radiohead plankspanker from hell colin greenwood.
Fianna Fail TD, guitar player, marathon runner and father of David, TOM KITT on: Charlie, Beverly, Liam, Bertie, Carr Communications, drink, dope, religion, protest singing and the high regard in which he holds his famous son.
Interview: OLAF TYARANSEN. Photography: MELLA TRAVERS
Helena Mulkerns catches up with the charming Dublin-based chanteuse on a tour of East Coast college campuses, and finds a wilfully free spirit at ease with her sexuality – if not with the industry’s categorisation of such guitar-wielding women.
NIALL STOKES takes a very personal journey back through the music and memories of a friendship with a man he was proud to have known
THE DRIVE to Cork was a lonely one. Ry Cooder on the deck, that sweet slide guitar shooting off tracers: the memories, stacked up like a vast
rack of on-line CDs, kept slipping in and out of the engagement slot. No need ever to press the play button. Now and then I had to hold back the
tears as the music of past friendship flooded the car and, with it, a terrible awareness of all the things that might have, but hadn't, been done.
Pioneering ambient artist, film-scorer, and producer of choice for everyone from Willie Nelson to U2, Daniel Lanois has assembled one of the most impressive CVs in modern rock. And with his new album, Shine, having just hit the racks, he’s far from done yet, as he tells Peter Murphy
Guitar heroes Rodrigo Y Gabriela have gone from busking on Grafton Street to jamming with Metallica. The acoustic duo talk about their long, strange journey, their fantastic new album – and their debt to the metal world
To coincide with the release of the Today FM DJ’s double-CD compilation tracking the history of alternative rock in Ireland, Tom Dunne talks to Jackie Hayden about the state of Irish music, singer-songwriters versus guitar bands and the role of Irish radio.
Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley impressed a lot of people here last year with the quirky guitar pop of her debut solo album Grey Will Fade. hotpress catches up with her as she wows the masses at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival.
Arriving in Dublin in the last sixties as a 16 year old guitar wunderkind, Belfast born Gary Moore embarked on a musical career that has seen him go through several metamorphoses and achieve numerous notable success in the process.
30 years after the music was originally recorded, Led Zeppelin topped the record and DVD charts in 2003 with the sound and vision of the band in all their pomp and glory. The guitar hero’s guitar hero, Jimmy Page reflects on the passion for music which inspired him then – and now.
1 guitar + 1 drum kit + 1 boy + 1 girl = The White Stripes. In other words, sweet, sweet noise meets the best brother and sister penned pop since The Carpenters. Eamon Sweeney meets Detroit's finest, who play Dublin Castle on Saturday, May 4th as part of the Heineken Green Energy Festival
It’s time for the singer-songwriter fraternity to move over and make room for the new generation of Irish guitar bands. Director, Marshal Stars and The Blizzards are just three of the acts who feature on the debut compilation from Faction Records, the new label which aims to promote and nuture the brightest stars of the Irish underground.
The story of how Paul Brady was transformed from a superlative folk artist into a superlative rock artist in a blinding flash of light (well, fifteen years actually). Today's reading is by Niall Stokes.
His decision to take care of business may have been a turning point but, at heart, Kieran Goss remains primarily preoccupied with his guitar and his pen.
The Smiths: the band who helped re-write the book of guitar rock, the indie darlings who became mainstream legends, the dream of a group which gave the world the unique reality of Morrissey. guitarist Johnny Marr recalls the thrilling heyday of Manchester’s finest.
1998 Bloom With A View
John Walshe talks to Luka Bloom on the eve of the release of his fourth studio album, Salty Heaven, about his return to Ireland, the inspiration behind the songs, older brother Christy Moore and the latest generations of the Moore dynasty.
Luka Bloom doesn't look 43, when I walk into the room in the Berkeley Court Hotel where our interview is to take place, he's standing in front of the window, guitar strap around his neck and an acoustic six-string in his hand - he strums it and I'd swear that he's 12 years of age. Every time he plays on stage the look is the same, one of wonder and even serenity.
With a new ‘Best Of’ bringing the band’s story up to date, U2’s guitar man steps forward to riff on good times and bad, the private life of a public figure, discovering the secrets of the universe on mushrooms, and why, after all these years, few things match the high of being a member of U2
With a new 'best of' bringing the band's story up to date U2's guitar man steps forward to riff on good times and bad, the private life of a public figure, discovering the secrets of the universe on mushrooms and why, after all these years, few things match the high of being a member of U2.
Special hotpress.com members edition: "director's cut" featuring interview sections unavailable anywhere else.
‘I Kill Guitar’ delves straight in at the deep end – techy chords snaking in and out, varied percussion – before it all goes a bit ‘electro’ after the break, with screaming keys and an overload of pads/FX/everything.
Fancy yourself a bit of a space oddity? Like your makeup zigzagged? Don't miss Rock'n'roll Suicide: A Celebration Of The Works Of David Bowie, featuring acoustic homages (by various Dublin bands) to the chameleon of rock
If you’re Randy Newman you’ll also need a piano, some borrowed dominants and lashings of irony. And that’s just for starters. Joe Jackson hears about the private, public and musical lives of one of American music’s most singular talents.
Iconic memorabilia belonging to Bono and The Edge helped to raise €1.8 million in an auction to benefit musicians left with nothing after Hurricane Katrina.
Former Almighty man Ricky Warwick has just finished adding his special touch to Circus Diablo's debut album, which also features contributions from Velvet Revolver and The Cult members.
Lowfinger operate on the basic principle of sensory overload. Think Cornelius mixed with The B-52's mixed with Huey Lewis mixed with snatches of Madchester Baggy and you arrive at something approximating their relentlessly processed vibe.
Ry Cooder's last album was released way back in 1983, the fairly successful but musically undistinguished 'Slide Area'. Since then! Well, he's done the music for 'Southern Comfort' and 'Paris Texas' but hasn't as yet produced a follow-up LP. In the absence of the latter, this soundtrack album will have to keep the fans happy.
THE SLEEVE describes it as the debut album from "the original Asian breakbeat fusionists".
Percussion is the dominant driving force throughout the album.
Husband and wife team Kevin and Geraldine Gill have been stalwarts of the Cork area bluegrass scene for over twenty years, playing in groups like the Last Chance Bluegrass Band and the Lee Valley String Band – but it’s taken them a while to get round to recording an album as a duo.
Either Scout Niblett doesn’t believe in making things easy for music reviewers or else the sleeve notes for her third album disappeared somewhere between HP Towers and my house, because my copy of Kidnapped By Neptune doesn’t even have song titles, let alone lyrics.
FRONTED BY Eric Brace, Last Train Home play a mix of folk-rock and roots country, at times recalling early Fairport Convention as much as hard-core country.
It’s a little long at 17 tracks, and hard to take in one sitting, but these songs present Americana in such an oddly compelling way that it’s almost impossible to ignore.
Former Albion band member Phil Beer serves up a more than generous helping of music on this double CD – one disc of songs and the other of instrumentals.
Idlewild's follow-up to Hope Is Important shows no signs of any difficult second album syndrome. It is a vast improvement on their debut, as Roddy Woomble and friends seem to have discovered a more melodic nature, without sacrificing anything of their spiky, almost punk edge.
If you put the American Dream to music, this is what it would sound like. College bands from the US are abundant and in the light of such successes as Matchbox 20 and Semisonic there were always going to be those who would try to follow.
After the commercial disaster that was La Passione (both the film and Rea's over-indulgent soundtrack) and last year's less than spectacular revisit to the Road To Hell (Part Two) the Middelsboro' bottle blonde returns to yet another familiar theme.
The four Of Us are back, and reflecting a new kind of maturity. Classified Personal is notable for its laidback mellowness. If you were feeling overworked, hungover or otherwise emotionally stressed, the fourteen tracks here could provide a soothing balm for your frazzled soul.
Completing this triumvirate of albums from across the Atlantic is the latest release from Texas-based quartet Beyond The Pale. Their instrumental chops aren’t as strong as they might be however, they more than make up for any deficiencies in that department with superb vocals courtesy of three fine singers.
This album collects together the two Inner Circle dub albums which were released, originally, in 1978, a time when, led by the late Jacob Miller, the group were the most popular act in Jamaica, and had enjoyed a hit with 'Everything Is Great' from their eponymous Island record debut.
Precious and few are those who can take possession of the inanimate figures of Rock'n'Roll wax museum, get 'em on the good foot, and send them out to Boogaloo down Broadway.
This, Roesy’s fourth album, sees the Birr man moving up a few gears, applying a more electric sheen to gloss up his normally acoustic-based and introspective approach.
Velvet Revolver are a formidable collection of important figures from 80’s and 90’s hard rock, and this strong mixture of personalities lends their music a certain charisma, even when it isn’t particularly accomplished.
Fresh from getting dickie-bowed up for the Irish premiere of Once, Glen Hansard has announced that he’ll be hosting the Songwriting Course at this year’s Listowel Writers Festival.
It took Gray a few songs, but by mid-set the singer-songwriter and his two-man acoustic band had moved into their flow, helped hugely by a pivotally-placed ‘Babylon’, to which the audience gave great song.
The former Bowie backing singer and occasional member of The Cardigans is an award-winning solo star in her native Canada, but given her frequent visits here she seems doggedly determined to break out on this side of the pond. Following her eclectic take on a bunch of Irish classics on last year’s Songs Of Love And Death, she wastes little time in returning with this album of her own material recorded on and off over the past three years.
With the title of their fifth album, Jamiroquoi appear to be promising momentous things. Odyssey: "Any long adventurous journey" according to my Collins pocket English Dictionary. Maybe a tad too rich a claim for 10 songs over 48 minutes?
The third heat in the Bacardi/Hotpress 'Plugged' Band Of The Year showcased a pleasingly diverse bill of young guns intent on making their mark and hoping to emulate last year's winners, Woodstar, in securing a major label deal
Master craftsmen with nothing to prove, they’re not above turning their capable hands to session chestnuts like ‘The Mountain Road’, but there are some fascinating rarities here, too – notably a beautiful air composed by Shetland fiddler Willie Hunter.
As with a lot of solo albums (Pamf plays pretty much everything) it could have done with a touch of extra editing – we could certainly live without the tuneless Butthole Surfers cover – and some of the humour is a little too stoner schoolboy, but any record that features Nina Hynes cooing like a sex kitten is alright by us.
Festival season again, and, as if on cue, the debut album from Kilkenny's Wilt arrives in a squall of seamless, subtext-free grunge pop and three-minute mosh-o-ramas readymade for summer location broadcasts on MTV.
Three years and numerous side-projects on from the somewhat underwhelming TNT, Tortoise have regrouped to lend a new clarity and warmth to the Chicago underground.
Albums named after the artist often betray a paucity of imagination that bodes ill for the fan, but Martin Stephenson’s latest opus might just be an exception that proves that rule.
The setting was most appropriate given the band's literate lyrical approach and the brooding intensity and intelligence they bring to contemporary indie rock
The North Carolina man who has won the hearts of many with his two glorious solo albums, is spending most of the evening apologising for his patchy show and wishing he could depart the stage
Adams cannot sustain the pace. He asks too much of his songs, hoping against hope that they will be strong enough to succeed in spite of his paltry efforts
Does the world need another Eric Clapton compilation? No, no, no, I hear a thousand people shriek. Especially those who, like myself, hate the saccharine soulessess of Clapton-thinks-he’s-Chris-De-Burgh songs like ‘Wonderful Tonight.’
Altan's evolution as an ace ensemble has made for fascinating observation. Wooed by the big industry players, they've (inevitably) been subtly moulded by Virgin over the past three albums.
One Man Revolution finds Tom Morello, best known as Rage Against The Machine’s firebrand guitarist, attempt to metamorphose into a latter-day Woody Guthrie.
Where they got the name from I don't know, but Emily Ryder are a bouncy, chirpy four-piece from up North armed with acoustic guitars, hooks aplenty and a nice line in tunesmithery to boot.
While Axl sits away somewhere working on those overdubs just one more time, his former bandmates are having the time of their lives. ‘Fall To Pieces’ does nothing to rewrite the rock template, but you’re in such safe hands that it really doesn’t matter.
Skin swops her former intensity for a calmer, more introspective sound that suits her themes of intimacy with self and others, the break-up of relationships and that which forms to take their place.
"Featuring a mix of classics and originals recorded to capture the band’s live strengths the performances are faultless and Mary’s voice is better than ever."
Rock has become the preserve of the nice guy. The rock trio, once synonymous with the emotive and dynamic primal noise of the likes of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Husker Du and Nirvana, is now populated by safe, catchy indie-by-numbers popsters such as Stereophonics.
She earned her reputation on the road, supporting the likes of Ani Di Franco and the Be Good Tanyas. However, Erin McKeown has long since won her own audience.
Bruce Springsteen is one of those performing artists who you should see at least once before you die, fan or not. At best, I consider myself to be merely a casual Springsteen follower, yet I felt like I was in safe hands from the moment he stepped onstage at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. and stood amidst the sumptuous drapery and candelabrum.
The new album from Gomez has less of the 'shambling' quality of old - they retain some of the bluesy New Orleans muse that marked their previous albums Bring It On and Liquid Skin, but combine it with a harder-edged technological feel
