Even Better than the Real Thing, Vol 2
The surprise huge success of last year’s EBTTRT album proved that, despite the continuing bootleg craze, there’s still a market for the gentle cover version, and that people are prepared to dig in their pockets for charity records.
Phil Udell, 15 Dec 2004
The surprise huge success of last year’s EBTTRT album proved that, despite the continuing bootleg craze, there’s still a market for the gentle cover version, and that people are prepared to dig in their pockets for charity records. No shock that there is a second volume – this looks set to run and run – and no real musical shocks here either.
The format has remained the same: acts on Ray D’Arcy’s Today FM show cover a current pop tune in return for plugging their own stuff, and many of the artists from the firt instalment return here for a second bash. Yet with the surprise element gone, the effect is somehow less thrilling. Glen Hansard and Rosey look to repeat last year’s highlights with Britney and Beyoncé covers respectively, but don’t quite capture the spirit of the songs as they did before. Given that the beauty of most of these originals was their sheer pop energy, the sensitive singer-songwriter treatment leaves them sounding a bit flat. Even a song like ‘Dry Your Eyes’, which you would think would be a shoe-in, completely misses the point.
However, when the artist manages to really engage with his or her song the results can still be wonderful. Juliet Turner’s take on ‘A Winter’s Tale’ works better that her version of ‘Toxic’, itself no slouch. The Walls obviously take as much inspiration from Natasha Bedingfield’s ace ‘These Words’ as everybody else, while Paddy Casey’s teaming with the Dublin Gospel Choir is pure inspiration – especially on Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’. Not a perfect album, but then it’s not a perfect world, as those who would benefit from its purchase would testify.
Phil Udell
Latest Related Articles For This Artist
Reverential tribute to late folk singer.
REVIEW: 2011-08-23
Vampire juggernaut goes indie schmindie for third outing.
REVIEW: 2010-06-30
Latest Related Videos For This Artist
Criminally under-rated psychedelic songwriter gets to the tribute album treatment
2010-06-29 - REVIEW
Probably the best collection of songs from bands you’ve probably never heard of you’re ever going to hear
2010-06-15 - REVIEW
Quality compilation, but where are the women?
2010-01-28 - REVIEW
Making more out of less, the fundamentals of the Irish music scene are still sound.
2008-11-17 - REVIEW
Keep an eye-out for these hot albums that have just been released and for some upcoming shows in November.
2008-11-03 - Reports
The Northern Rock scene is showcased to superb effect in this Gary Lightbody-approved compilation.
2008-05-07 - REVIEW
If ever a cause needed highlighting, it’s the ongoing tragedy in Darfur, Sudan, which in the recent words of Goal’s John O’Shea "the international community has all but abandoned".
2007-07-23 - REVIEW
A taster for the latest Camping compilation, EP 1 captures the edgy atmosphere of a three-day warehouse party in Berlin. Ben Klock’s ‘Similar Colours’ is a dark, jacking acid track, while Ellen Allien’s take on Safety Scissors’ ‘Where Is Germany’ juxtaposes menacing, brooding riffs with a shuffling groove that Kompakt would kill for.
2007-04-30 - REVIEW
Ceol ’07 is the third instalment of an annual compilation, created as part of Seachtain Na Gaeilge, which collects native-language tracks from contemporary Irish pop/rock groups.
2007-02-26 - REVIEW
The debut on Magda’s new label defies expectations. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the infectious chords and squelchy bass of Konrad Black’s ‘Coma Couch Surfing’, was the latest Clone release, and Troy Pierce’s ‘The Day After Yesterday’ surprises again with an old school Chicago jam.
2006-10-02 - REVIEW
Rogues Gallery, can be roughly – if fancifully – described as a Hallowe’en masqued ball staged on a decrepit ghost galleon. Featuring a cast of hundreds arrayed over two albums and 43 tunes, it’s an unruly assembly whose various belchings, bilgings and bemoanings lurch in tone and timbre from the bawdy to the doleful.
2006-09-13 - REVIEW
James Holden and Milky Globe (aka Lo boss Jon Tye) team up for a synapse-frying excursion on ‘Sun Spots’ that starts like Seefeel, before mutating into deadly Aphex-inspired off-kilter electro-oddness – fractured beats, pulsing sub-bass and drifting melodies. Tye and Nathan Fake’s dubstep-inspired ‘Lava Flow’ is even better, sucking you into an acid-flecked netherworld before making you cry with haunting reversed melodies and really scary FX washes. Top.
2006-09-05 - REVIEW
You can set your watch by Front End Synthetics and their smorgasbord of diverse electronica.
2006-01-18 - REVIEW
Unplugging the amplifiers brings out the gentler, more vulnerable side of any band. Acoustic 05 offers an unprecedented expose of these moments, drawing from an impressive pool of A-list artists. From monumental names such as Oasis, Snow Patrol, Paul Weller, Damien Rice and Stereophonics to up-and-coming favourites like Brendan Benspon, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Josh Ritter, Ray Lamontage and Bright Eyes, there's something for anyone who appreciates the subtle beauty of turning the music down.
2005-08-11 - Interview
With any collection of this sort, some tracks don’t work as well as others. However, there are so many highlights here that it seems churlish to focus on the few that don’t work.
2005-04-05 - REVIEW
Sixteen stone-cold dancehall classics from the last decade. Tracks from the likes of Shabba, Super Cat, Junior Reid, Mad Lion and – of course – Chaka Demus and Pliers make this the best ’90s dancehall album in the world ever.
2005-04-04 - REVIEW
Like our friends in the North, DJ Hell and Gigolos haven’t gone away, you know. On the latest annual Gigolos compilation, the German label keeps up with the changing times and features Tiefschwarz’s body-house rocker ‘Blow’, Play Paul’s electro-pop ‘Love Song’ and the psy-disco of Emperor Machine’s mix of Psychonauts.
2005-03-30 - REVIEW
When he’s not off partying with Sven Vath or DJing for three days in a row, Richie Hawtin runs the Minus label and its latest compilation runs the full gamut of the techno spectrum, from his own skeletal ‘Circles’ to Mathew Jonson’s full-blooded bass track, ‘Rainforest’.
2005-03-29 - REVIEW
From the '70s porn image on the cover to Comtron's pervy contributions, there's no doubt that Black Label have hit on a strain of electro that's high in the sleaze stakes.
2005-03-22 - REVIEW
Maybe the title should read 'electronic disco', as the best tracks on this compilation have nothing to do with filtered disco.
2005-03-15 - REVIEW
This new compilation makes nods to both mainstream approval and Novamute's cult status.
2005-03-14 - REVIEW
Free party types Spiral Tribe – they were behind the legendary 1992 Castlemorton rave - deliver a compilation as well as a DVD documenting their travels. If you’re into going apeshit to industrial techno and psychedelic trance in a disused factory in Slovakia, then this is for you. If not, avoid it.
2005-03-04 - REVIEW
It’s another year, so that means another compilation from the ever-reliable NRK. Musically, it’s the same deep, flowing techy house as ever, with contributions from Miguel Migs, David Alvarado and Nick Holder and a mix CD from Hipp-E.
2005-03-03 - REVIEW
There’s enough 1970s-style rock and roll on this wildly eclectic album to boot it firmly out of the folk category. But with the likes of Andy Irvine, Martin Hayes, Cara Dillon and Bert Jansch on board as well, who’s to argue? Besides, it’s a good cause. With all profits going to the Ulster Wildlife Trust and the WWF, this labour of love by music journo Colin Harper is – amazingly – the first wildlife charity recording since the Beatles gave ‘Across The Universe’ to No One’s Gonna Change Our World back in 1969.
2005-03-01 - REVIEW
Tonight’s noisily chatty office-party crowd are certainly excited about something, but it may or may not be Life After Modelling. They should be, though: the Lifers’ short set is a compact bang-zap of straight-as-a-die Noughties post-punk, leavened by dreamlike, hand-holdey boy-girl harmonies.
2005-02-18 - REVIEW
Taking the ‘concept’ compilation to a new level of daftness is ‘We Can…’, which sees 70s funk and soul legends like Tina Turner, Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder take on The Beatles’ back catalogue. Times must be tough over at Harmless.
2005-02-16 - REVIEW
Mad German techno woman Ellen Alien’s Bpitch label is often as much of a miss as a hit, but this compilation has more highlights than lowlights. Kiki, Sascha Funke and Paul Kalkbrenner, as well as Mode Selektor in more accessible mode, all contribute to this fine compilation.
2005-02-07 - REVIEW
Old dub reggae bands don’t retire, they just transform themselves into DJs and mix compilations like ‘Beatz & Bobz’. Dreadzone deliver exactly what you’d expect from a typical breaks set, although the ravey ‘High Noon’ by Tom Real and Renegade Sound Wave’s bass rumble are the undoubted highlights.
2005-02-04 - REVIEW
Compiled and mixed by Joe Ransom – no, we’ve never heard of him either – this mix features some breaks, some hip-hop a dash of house and electro and, as a grand finale, Dynamite’s tale of woe about working in the music business, ‘Industry’.
2005-02-04 - REVIEW
The fare from acts like Chiara Browne & The Rose Ponies, Q, Earthquake Hair, Wally Page and Sonny Condell is excellent.
2005-01-31 - REVIEW
Mixed this time around by the musical know-it-alls that are Glasgow’s Optimo DJs, this is like a ‘Radio Soulwax’ for Wire fans.
2004-12-14 - REVIEW
If you thought Switzerland was a boring place then think again, as this compilation collects minimal and electro strands of house and techno from underground names like Quenum & Lee Van Dowski, Crowdpleaser and Ben Larsen.
2004-12-04 - REVIEW
Soma’s annual compilation doesn’t yield any great surprises, but, like the label itself, it’s solid and reliable with tracks from Envoy, Funk D’Void and newcomer Alex Smoke.
2004-11-29 - REVIEW
These Fermanagh-based musicians and singers are a real find, especially the bouncy opening track, ably played on fiddle by Brenda McCann.
2004-11-25 - REVIEW
Bringing together the diverse strands of modern electro, this brilliant compilation on Device features nu Italo from Bangkok Impact and Legowelt, Chicago meets The Hague on Orgue Electronique’s ‘La Notti Del Terrore’ and purist electro breaks from Porn Darsteller and Johnny Cortex.
2004-11-23 - REVIEW
With its ambitious subtitle promising future volumes, this CD has been compiled to benefit the purchase of flutes and the provision of bursaries and master classes for emerging musicians.
2004-11-22 - REVIEW
As you might expect, the sound and mixing quality falls down on a track or two, but for the most part it’s of an extremely high standard, and there are some real gems here.
2004-11-16 - REVIEW
Grand Central’s roster display a wide spectrum of influences on ‘Autumn’, from classic Motown soul to off beat folktronica and even some indie-electro from rising star Riton.
2004-11-03 - REVIEW
Tanty unveils its latest collection of bowel shattering basslines, plaintive lyrics and melancholy vibes from Jah Warrior, Dub Funk Association and The Interrupter.
2004-10-19 - REVIEW
Josh Wink’s label shows its diversity on this compilation: alternating between lush techno from David Alvarado, Steve Bug’s minimalism, D’Julz 303 fixation and Yann Fontaine’s deep house, ‘Fall Collection’ is a fine collection of underground dance floor music.
2004-10-11 - REVIEW
MFF are set to explore the acid sound again on their new ‘Bad Acid’ compilation and this sampler shows what we can expect.
2004-10-01 - REVIEW
Boybands, Girlbands, Rock Bands, Pop Bands. They were all on show today in the Phoenix Park. To the 100,000 strong crowd who turned out to see over 30 acts perform, it was a hugely enjoyable afternoon, the 30-odd minute walk through the park to the site notwithstanding.
2004-09-21 - REVIEW
Coming at us from South Africa, this collection of electronic music veers into the ‘ethnic chill parody’ section on a few occasions, but some of the contributions, including RSL feat. Ladysmith Black Mambaazo’s ‘Elungelo’, are well worth a listen.
2004-09-16 - REVIEW
‘Caipíní’ or ‘people who wear caps’ is an affectionate way of referring to a particular type of rural personality, now a dying breed.
2004-09-16 - REVIEW
It was dubbed a “boutique” festival. but how did The Electric Picnic measure up as an event?
2004-09-09 - REVIEW
This double pack from Iron Box’s back catalogue is the ideal opportunity to check out this excellent techno imprint.
2004-08-25 - REVIEW
Celebrating their 100th release was never going to be easy for such an erratic yet often inspired label...
2004-08-19 - REVIEW
It’s a pleasant musical release, but don’t expect any earth-shattering revelations.
2004-08-05 - REVIEW
Domenic Cappello’s fine underground stamp returns with three soulful electronic tracks.
2004-06-25 - REVIEW
Ultra trendy Frankfurt night Fashionist releases its first mix.
2004-06-22 - REVIEW
Back in 1977, English folksinger Peter Bellamy made a recording called ‘The Transports: A Ballad Opera’ that still makes it into lists of great folk albums of all time; just recently, MoJo magazine went so far as to highlight it as one of the ‘Top 100 Recordings of the 20th Century’.
2004-06-08 - REVIEW
Delightful electro-house comp from the excellent German label – cuts from DJ T, Justin Kohncke, MANDY and Chelonius R Jones’ wondrous ‘I Don’t Know?’.
2004-06-01 - REVIEW
There’s lots of great talent around. I’ve been saying so for what seems like centuries, but even my normally positive outlook received a pleasant jolt by the quality of much on offer here.
2004-05-28 - REVIEW
These compilations keep on getting better as the good Dr Lektoluv’s selection reaches further underground.
2004-05-27 - REVIEW
Dutch electro hub Clone brings together some of its biggest underground tunes on one CD
2004-04-22 - REVIEW
Mournful and melancholic Jamaican Reggae gems
2004-04-21 - REVIEW
During the years 1936-39, more than 45,000 individuals from over 50 countries travelled to Spain to volunteer as soldiers in the (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to repel the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco. Pennsylvania-based Appleseed Recordings have now brought out this 17-song collection of songs inspired by the conflict.
2004-04-15 - REVIEW
During the years 1936-39, more than 45,000 individuals from over 50 countries travelled to Spain to volunteer as soldiers in the (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to repel the fascist troops of General Francisco Franco. Pennsylvania-based Appleseed Recordings have now brought out this 17-song collection of songs inspired by the conflict.
2004-04-15 - REVIEW
Catskills, who seem to have only Pepe Deluxe and Bushy on their roster, let beat heads loose on their back catalogue..
2004-04-13 - REVIEW
The 20 recordings on this 70-minute CD were made between 1997 and 2001 at the piping festival held each November under the auspices of the Armagh Pipers’ Club.
2004-04-13 - REVIEW
Elusive come good with a collection of Irish electronic music that ranges in styles from dreamy sound scapes, glitchy cut-ups and wiry hip-hop to the beautiful folksy feel of Jimmy Behan’s ‘Normal Situation’.
2004-04-06 - REVIEW
If someone unfamiliar with the current crop of Irish musicians were to cock an ear to Other Voices 2, they could be forgiven for thinking that Ireland’s rock ‘n’ rollers were mellowing out.
2004-03-30 - REVIEW
This compilation brings together a tenuously-linked group of artists who got tired of waiting for record companies to open their ears and decided to release their own music.
2004-03-29 - REVIEW
Rockin’ comp of accessible techno, house and prog from the slightly whiffy Filterheadz. Saturday night music.
2004-02-26 - REVIEW
Deep and soulful head nodding house mix featuring luminaries like Demarkus Lewis, Martin Solveig and Caldwell himself.
2004-02-24 - REVIEW
A collection of sweet electronic oddities aimed at the head rather than the feet by underground producers like Trajet, Michael Manning and Yellotone.
2004-02-20 - REVIEW
Internet-only label Thinner delivers a brilliant compilation of clicky, dubby house and deep techy tracks from Johan Skugge, Dialogue, Eloi Brunelle and Dennis DeSantis.
2004-02-12 - REVIEW
Double techno mix with Christian Smith’s New York set in party mode and Ben Sims’ London selection in tougher, loopy mode.
2004-02-04 - REVIEW
Seminal German dub techno label Poker Flat’s latest compilation features great club tunes from Jeff Bennett, Steve Bug and Jeff Samuel as well as a bonus mix CD from Jon Tejada.
2004-02-03 - REVIEW
Detroit and acidic takes on the minimal German groove from artists like Sweet’n’Candy, Mitte Karaoke and Jacek Sienkiewicz.
2003-11-05 - REVIEW
Wonderful mixture of early punk-funk, new wave and electro.
2003-09-18 - REVIEW
The island of saints and scholars has of late been transformed into a land awash with singer-songwriters.
2003-08-21 - REVIEW
Nialljamesholohan is a competent singer-songwriter whose work on his Cattle Of Fish demo could best be described as an acquired taste.
2003-08-11 - News
The days of pop dominance are over. The worm has turned, and a whole new slew of blood and guts rock and roll bands are coming through with records that carry more than a hint of greatness. The darkling posse is headed by the Kings Of Leon – but there are outfits from all over the world who will be vying for poll position over the coming 12 months.
2003-08-01 - Interview
Both these albums serve a valuable purpose in giving new bands a vehicle to be heard, but more attention in the quality control departments would stop the true gems suffering in the presence of the merely mundane.
2003-07-30 - REVIEW
An increasingly popular platform for emerging and established talent, this monthly showcase (run in conjunction with IMRO) has been hanging the “House Full” signs of late.
2003-07-21 - REVIEW
Again, it is showcase nights like these that remind us of Irish music’s capacity to evolve and remain self-sufficient, without the clout of the industry which claims to wholeheartedly endorse the scene.
2003-07-18 - REVIEW
Dan Hegarty becomes the latest ex-Phantom DJ (following Cormac Battle and Jenny Huston) to be brought on board at 2FM
2003-07-09 - News
It’s refreshingly pleasant to watch sets by bands that seem so thrilled and honoured to be playing on a decent stage in front of a healthy-sized audience.
2003-07-09 - REVIEW
A solid if predictable collection of major, mainly Irish acts then, but hardly a “definitive” representation of Lisdoonvarna as it truly was.
2003-07-08 - REVIEW
Some of the finest artists from Ireland and abroad captured unplugged and impassioned over the course of 39 tracks.
2003-07-07 - REVIEW
BCI confirms that they will be accepting bids for not one, not two, not three but four new Dublin-area radio stations
2003-07-04 - News
Ex-Phantom spinner Jenny Huston gets the second of two new yoof-programming DJ positions at 2FM
2003-06-30 - News
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
2003-06-26 - News
Multi-band bash/multimedia blowout Hard Working Class Heroes - featuring LaRocca, Alphastates & Hi.Rise among others - comes to the Project in August
2003-06-26 - News
The Best Of The Garage Gigs series comes to Whelans for a two-night stand
2003-06-25 - News
The Blackwater Festival - featuring Shane MacGowan, Mundy and more - comes to Cork in July
2003-06-25 - News
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad, folk and roots music.
2003-06-19 - Interview
You might think that Dublin needs another acoustic-flavoured album on the market like it needs a SARS epidemic, yet this is a joyous mixed bag of intimate-sounding folk, upbeat indie and ’80s fused electronica.
2003-06-10 - REVIEW
Following incidents at both Justin Timberlake's Point shows, ticket forgeries in Ireland are looking like being on the increase, warn Ticketmaster
2003-06-03 - News
Westlife and other pop heavyweights confirmed to play Special Olympics closing ceremony in Croke Park
2003-05-28 - News
Number one, and five, and one respectively, with a bullet: The Frames, Damien Dempsey and (ahem) Mickey Joe Harte hit the toppermost of the poppermost
2003-05-26 - News
Three days of heaven on earth for fans of alt. country, Americana and roots.
2003-05-26 - REVIEW
Driven along by their now trademark keys, ‘Last Of The Big Time Benders’, ‘Sing Song Sung’ and soon-to-be-released single ‘I Built A Gun’ are as good a triumvirate of tunes as you’ll hear from any young(ish) Irish band.
2003-05-22 - REVIEW
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad, folk and roots music.
2003-05-21 - Interview
You'll already have heard that the winner of our Face The Music competition (and for that matter the grand-prize winner of €2000 worth of gear from Richer Sounds) - was one Derek Dunne of Drumcondra. Well, here are the few, the proud, the runners-up (...and we do mean "the few")
2003-05-12 - News
This fascinating album sits down fiddler Séamus Creagh, accordionist Aidan Coffey and guitarist Mick Daly alongside five of their Newfoundland counterparts, to collaborate on tunes from both traditions.
2003-05-12 - REVIEW
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad, folk and roots music.
2003-05-08 - Interview
But what about the music? If it did feature what was described recently as the “usual suspects” there’s no denying the popularity of the current class of 2003.Short sets from Lisa Bresnan, Bellxi’s Paul Noonan, Leya and Nina Hynes got the show on the road with Bresnan in particular impressing everyone present with her knock-out voice.
2003-05-06 - REVIEW
Hankering for some early-to-mid-week, new-singer-songwriter action? Here comes the Sun Zoom Spark
2003-05-02 - News
Obviously, it’s the album of the TV show, which is for the most part absolutely brilliant, where the crème de la crème of the Irish music community, along with a few adopted extras, decamped to St James’ Church, Dingle, for a week of gigs.
2003-05-02 - REVIEW
Oh, the summer time is coming and the music, theatre, comedy and arts are sweetly blooming. Colm O’Hare details what’s budding on the festival front
2003-04-29 - Interview
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad and folk.
2003-04-10 - Interview
A major outdoor performance of Riverdance is being planned for Croke Park as part of the 2003 Special Olympics, being hosted this year in Ireland
2003-04-08 - News
With something of a renaissance having taken place in the Dublin independent scene over the past few years, now seems as good a time as any to bring ourselves fully up to speed with the sounds emanating from the Belfast underground.
2003-04-07 - REVIEW
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Heineken Rollercoaster Tour 2003 arrives in Castlebar tonight for the final show, and after Waterford, Cork, Tralee, Dublin, Maynooth, Sligo, Carlow, Athlone, Limerick and Galway, everybody appears to be present and correct.
2003-04-03 - REVIEW
With titles like ‘Cum When You Cum’, ‘Cafe Necrofilia’ and ‘Wasted So Ferociously Stoned’, The Unsuspecting Public will probably not be playing at a folk mass anywhere near you in the forseeable future
2003-04-01 - Interview
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad and folk.
2003-03-27 - Interview
As an introduction for those unfamiliar with the music, it’s not half bad, with veterans Seán Keane and Charlie Lennon coexisting comfortably with young turks Slide and lesser-known artists like Mary Staunton, Céide and Irish-American singer Cathie Ryan.
2003-03-24 - REVIEW
Saying hello to tonnes of new talent from Cork - and saying goodbye to Zeppo. Plus, of course, more
2003-03-13 - News
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad and folk.
2003-03-13 - Interview
It ‘s upsetting, however, that the specific track choices here frequently reduce truly great artists with vari-coloured work, and a number of obsessions and preoccupations, to their one track that most addresses what a lecturer at my university used to call The Ongoing Fight.
2003-03-12 - REVIEW
Far from a cheap, shoddy cash-in, however, the soundtrack turns out to be a well put together overview of the US punk scene.
2003-03-05 - REVIEW
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad and folk.
2003-02-27 - Interview
Belfest 2002 – a compilation of 23 of Northern Ireland’s finest young things – displays a seriously broad range of styles.
2003-02-26 - REVIEW
Check out the talent in here dept: read the prizewinning entry for the hotpress.com Your 2002 writing competition - and the three runners-up, too
2003-02-24 - Interview
Old-school legends Chubby Checker and Bo Diddley lined up to play major new festival in Letterkenny
2003-02-24 - News
Investigate this primer course for future DJs, starting in late April in the Music Centre
2003-02-24 - News
Those fine people what brought you Wonky and Wonky2 announce multi-band, multi-media Paddy's Day Weekend frolics in new Wexford St venue The Village. Confirmed bands include The Jimmy Cake, Enon and Uptown Racquet Club
2003-02-17 - News
Comparing the insipid, whiney ramblings of The Offspring and Rancid to the incendiary anthems of movement-instigators The Sex Pistols, The New York Dolls and The Ramones is like comparing a firecracker to a nuclear explosion. But then you already knew that
2003-02-17 - REVIEW
Those fine people what brought you Wonky and Wonky2 announce multi-band, multi-media Paddy's Day Weekend blowout in new Wexford St venue The Village. Confirmed bands include The Jimmy Cake, Enon and Uptown Racquet Club
2003-02-17 - News
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad and folk.
2003-02-13 - Interview
The Heineken Rollercoaster Tour is taking to the road again and this time the capital is nobody’s hometown gig. From Kells come Turn, from Limerick Woodstar and from Cork The Frank and Walters. Next stop: a venue near you.
2003-02-12 - Interview
As a sort of accompaniment to Hot Press' current cover story on the Heineken Rollercoaster Tour bill-sharers, we decided to make 'em our Archive Artists Of The Week. Getcher old news stories, getcher reviews, getcher interviews. You know you want 'em
2003-02-07 - News
One of the new breed of value for your euro events with a free CD-R for the first 100 punters, this is the ultimate anecdote to the rip off of spiralling ticket costs.
2003-02-06 - REVIEW
The Green Room Sessions Presents - Heineken's brand-new, totally free-gratis-and-for-nothing gig series - hits the music venues of the nation starting late February. First band up: Lemon Jelly. Read on for details
2003-02-04 - News
With little to offer in the visuals department – five blokes playing guitars whilst remaining stationary having lost its allure many years ago – The Thrills instead hope to get by on sheer pop class instead.
2003-01-30 - REVIEW
You had your say: the Irish and international results for 2002
2003-01-30 - Interview
New and independent Irish artists rock the Hot Press Readers' Poll 2002
2003-01-30 - News
Get texting to win the first of a series of prize-stuffed Supersonic Blag-It Bags
2003-01-29 - News
Often quite beautiful, yes, and probably perfectly matched to the visuals, but it doesn’t make this an album to which you’ll necessarily want to return to again and again.
2003-01-28 - REVIEW
Colin Carberry reckons that the next 12 months in Northern Ireland are going to rock. And then some.
2003-01-27 - Interview
It’s the battle of the unsigned. Five winners from individual Ignition gigs are tonight going for gold on the TBMC stage in an attempt to blag the €2,000 recording time that’ll be awarded to the winner.
2003-01-22 - REVIEW
Aspiring John Cassavetteses, Sam Mendeses and Martin Scorseses take note: Lights, Camera, Action - a seminar on video editing and production organised by Apple Computers - comes to the Music Centre on January 29
2003-01-22 - News
You say that everything sounds the same: enter the competition for a place on the 2003 IMRO Showcase Tour, and show 'em how it's really done
2003-01-22 - News
This Bud's for you: the 2003 Budweiser Premier Band Challenge could give your band just the kinda 2000-euro cash injection you've been thirsting for
2003-01-20 - News
Comedy hit a spectacular high in 2002 with the success of The Office, The League of Gentlemen and Bachelor’s Walk. But there may be even better to come this year, as three generations of Irish comic talent tell us.
2003-01-17 - Interview
News, gossip, gigs and new releases from the world of trad and folk music
2003-01-16 - Interview
Ten, nine, eight… we count down the contenders for 2003. Words Hannah Hamilton, Colin Carberry, Niall Stokes, Richard Brophy, John Walshe, Eamon Sweeney and Stuart Clark
2003-01-15 - Interview
How did Belfast fail in its bid to become European City Of Culture? The fault may well lie not with the city itself, but with its salesmen…
2003-01-15 - Interview
Our beats & Pieces resident rounds up what has been a hectic year on the Irish dance scene
2003-01-15 - Interview
And we did. and now we’re doing it again. Liam Mackey rounds up the maddest, baddest and most memorable sayings in Hot Press over the last 12 months
2003-01-08 - Interview
"In time, we might just come to look back on this as a vintage year. It belonged, almost inevitably, to Coldplay": Phil Udell recalls his 2002
2003-01-06 - Interview
Stuart Clark rounds up the music news stories that made headlines in 2002
2003-01-06 - News
Old News Is Good News Special : Hot Press writers pick their fave music writing of 2002
2002-12-20 - Interview
...it's time for your say. Write your own "end-of-year roundup" - and be in to win no less than the 30 best albums of 2002. Yowsa!
2002-12-20 - News
The Department of Communications is to recommend that the Broadcasting Commission make more radio licenses available
2002-12-18 - News
8 Mile has opened in the States to rave reviews and a rapturous public reception. The film soundtrack, masterminded by Eminem, deserves more of the same
2002-12-18 - REVIEW
It’s Christmas, time for some of the leading lights of the Irish musical family to return from far-flung stages and convene for a traditional evening of reflection, revelation, conversation, merriment and, well, gargle. The guests: Glen Hansard and Colm Mac Con Iomaire of The Frames, Gemma Hayes, Mundy and David Kitt.
2002-12-18 - Interview
One-off clubs, chillout nights, New Year's Eve events and of course gigs, gigs, and more gigs to suit your every mood: hotpress.com picks the very best stuff to do over the holiday
2002-12-16 - News
The MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 may have been a bit of a damp squib, but an electrifying Foo Fighters, a boards-sweeping Eminem and a nekkid Christina Aguilera prevented it from being a total washout.
2002-12-16 - Interview
Even aside from the abundance of quality tracks, the boo boos have a tongue in cheek “I know I’m making a fool of myself but I don’t care” twang to them
2002-12-16 - REVIEW
Glastonbury denied an entertainment license due to "inadequate security, damage to local environment" and having "outgrown" its usual festival grounds. "We are not too bothered," says founder Michael Eavis, who plans to appeal. "I think it's going to be fine"
2002-12-13 - News
Adrian Crowley, Nina Hynes and friends play a gig in support of There Is Hope, a suicide prevention charity, this weekend in Dundalk
2002-12-12 - News
Adrian Crowley, Nina Hynes and friends play a gig in support of There Is Hope, a suicide prevention charity, this weekend in Dundalk
2002-12-12 - News
Northern Irish punk legend Terry Hooley gets the biopic treatment in new film Big Time
2002-12-11 - News
Hot Press can reveal that the line-up for next year's Heineken Rollercoaster tour is The Frank & Walters, Turn and Woodstar.
2002-12-08 - News
Featuring a gorilla-sized compilation from Goppa Records, the inaugural Foggy Notions tour; and a rare My Bloody Valentine-spotting in Whelans
2002-12-05 - News
Christy Moore, Paul Brady and Paddy Moloney to publicly oppose Section 21 of new Arts Bill, which proposes to financially separate traditional music from the rest of the Arts Council's remit
2002-12-04 - News
Gobsmacking live gig/TV series 'Other Voices' - featuring shining lights of new Irish music - planned for local church in Dingle in December
2002-12-02 - News
The Reading Festival is definitely coming to Ireland next year, say the Mean Fiddler Organisation. Not so fast, say MCD. Let the games begin...
2002-12-02 - News
As High Fidelity’s Rob so rightly said, there’s an art to making a good compilation
2002-11-29 - REVIEW
Art/design/music collective The Whispering Gallery feel the noise in Dublin's Project
2002-11-27 - News
Ten years on we come upon a timely update showcasing some of the artists featured on the first album as well as a pleasure cruise through some not catered for back then
2002-11-25 - REVIEW
This reviewer’s problem is with the ‘Hits’ part of the title. It means that all the songs are necessarily singles, and therefore not necessarily the work of bands at their musical best
2002-11-23 - REVIEW
'Tis the season, so it's Christmas gigs a-go-go with Woodstar, Josh'n'James, the Juice Machine and a Very Corpo Christmas Caper to say the least. Ho ho ho
2002-11-21 - News
Barcelona might have Sonar, but, on the strength of its debut outing, Dublin’s DEAF is also set to become an essential date in the global electronic diary.
2002-11-19 - REVIEW
1 Love, is a compilation album of major artists covering number one hits from the past 50 years, with the proceeds going to the War Child charit
2002-11-11 - REVIEW
MCD and Aiken prepare for a war of the promoters over the Rolling Stones' Irish leg of their world tour
2002-11-05 - News
Get ready for new Dublin rom-com Goldfish Memory - not to mention its soundtrack, featuring Hedrock Valley Beats, Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan and Glen Hansard among others
2002-11-01 - News
Irish festivalgoers are going to be spoilt for choice next year, as Witnness, Green Energy and Slane will be sharing the calendar with an Irish version of (wait for it!) the Reading Festival
2002-11-01 - News
The quadruple-covered collector's edition of your favourite mag is dangerously close to selling out nationwide - so we need your help restocking while it lasts. Yes there IS something in it for you, since you ask
2002-11-01 - News
Want to be a singer/dancer/actor (circle as appropriate), do you? Or are you just an attention junkie? Either way, Ireland's first-ever Showbiz Bootcamp (featuring your guide, "life coach" Judymay Murphy) will sort you out
2002-10-25 - News
The second in a monthly series of showcase nights designed to highlight singer-songwriter talent
2002-10-23 - REVIEW
The proceeds from a new CD featuring the cream of Ireland’s musical talent including U2, Sinéad O’Connor and Ash will benefit people living with mental illness
2002-10-22 - Interview
MTV's Base Lick Party heads to Portrush, Co. Antrim
2002-10-17 - News
The Collectivities unfortunately sells all involved a little short in the way of packaging and general presentation
2002-10-16 - REVIEW
DEAF (The Dublin Electronic Arts Festival) turns the Guinness Storehouse on, starting Saturday October 26th; and the Fleadh Electronic brings an acoustic-electric collision to Vicar Street on the 27th
2002-10-15 - News
U2, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison and Phil Lynott go postal this month as a new set of Irish commemorative postage stamps is released - and Hot Press get into the act with an also-commemorative four-cover special to match. As the man said, save 'em, swop 'em, collect 'em all
2002-10-14 - News
Our mates at Witnness bring a four-tet of big names to Ireland as the next in their rather special Experience gig series
2002-10-10 - News
Fancy yourself the next Ash or JJ72? Over 14 and under 20? Then the Wella Shockwaves Unsigned Competition is waiting for your vids and demos
2002-10-09 - News
Take a group of up and coming, like-minded singer-songwriters; put them up on stage, and let them perform a short set of their own songs
2002-10-08 - REVIEW
Swap your strat for a spatula: leftfield heavyweights contribute to Document: A Story Of Hope – a cookbook with a difference
2002-09-26 - News
A thrilling collision in the Guinness Storehouse between the aural and visual worlds, Wonky2 - brainchild of Leagues O'Toole - proved that at some parties, you don't have to check your mind in at the door
2002-09-17 - Interview
It's a lazy, slow-mo Saturday with bouts of rain as the gates open for Derry's inaugural all-day outdoor music festival
2002-09-16 - REVIEW
Maybe the place is just too big, maybe the sound's too low or the songs too weak, but rapt musical attention is giving way to inflatable chair fights and beery boredom
2002-08-29 - REVIEW
Seven hours and ten DJs later, it seems clear at this, the first Smirnoff Experience since the summer break, that dance music is in shockingly good health
2002-08-28 - REVIEW
Cambridge Festival - a touch of pop, no little style, not strictly roots
2002-08-22 - REVIEW
Prodigy, Oasis, a cast of thousands and you - the full story of Witnness 2002
2002-07-31 - Interview
Kicking Against... triumphs where others falter, strictly because the only barometer for inclusion is sheer quality
2002-07-19 - REVIEW
The current penchant for 4/4 led electro probably wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Munich based DJ Hell and his rapidly expanding Deejay Gigolos empire
2002-07-19 - REVIEW
This compilation on new label Remote Audio brings together some of the more daring explorations of the style, combining tough dance floor shapes with blissed-out electronic textures
2002-07-18 - REVIEW
Like its predecessors, this double CD features some of the finest Irish and international artists in a pared-down, mostly unplugged setting, letting the songs do the talking
2002-07-05 - REVIEW
The end result is an album that is a music collector's wet dream, with enough mouth-watering partnerships to keep most music fans happy
2002-07-01 - REVIEW
To most clubbers Smirnoff Experience has become synonymous with cutting edge club-nights all around Ireland, representing house, progressive, trance and, tonight, the harder end of dance music
2002-06-20 - REVIEW
Mundy, Kila and The Revs also confirmed for tonight's World Cup homecoming in the Phoenix Park
2002-06-18 - News
Barry Murphy, Risteard Cooper and friends - Apres Match to you - head the bill at tonight's big little homecoming party for the Irish World Cup side tonight in the Phoenix Park. Oh yeah... some lot called Westlife are playing as well
2002-06-18 - News
If you only buy one deep/tech/prog comp this fortnight, make it this etc etc etc.
2002-06-18 - REVIEW
The crowd began to file out in little rivers of sunburnt Goths and bleary-eyed metallers, exhausted, damp and hollow from the final blast of euphoria
2002-06-11 - REVIEW
It must be that time of year again as the first proper chill out album of 2002 hits our desk.
2002-06-11 - REVIEW
At its core, the idea was simple enough; gather together some of the writers who had penned hits for Garth for a live show
2002-06-10 - REVIEW
If your idea of hilarity is a "I like the Pope - The Pope smokes dope" t-shirt then you might dig this
2002-06-10 - REVIEW
Spread across two CDs and clocking in at 40 tracks, the real beauty of ’80s.
2002-06-07 - REVIEW
Some of the selections on Total Lee make delirious sense in conception and execution
2002-06-04 - REVIEW
Possibly the finest collection of unsigned Irish talent I’ve ever come across in rapid succession
2002-05-31 - REVIEW
Being a 'Miami' (Miami = Ibiza for trendies) comp, there’s no trance on offer - just house and prog
2002-05-31 - REVIEW
Forget the wanky, indulgent rawk music that is force fed us by MTV2 - this is pure, it's raw and it's sometimes out of tune. Most of all it's fun.
2002-05-27 - REVIEW
Candles and quiet. Red drapes framing the makeshift stage and an evening of stolen moments to look forward to
2002-05-22 - REVIEW
In a sense, ATP is an anti-festival. Each year's 'curator' - the band who decide what other acts to invite - is willfully chosen on the grounds of their rejection or open denunciation of the mainstream music system
2002-05-20 - REVIEW
Digital T - the dizzy electronic sibling of the annual BelFest bash - returns for its second year to give good showcase action
2002-05-17 - REVIEW
'Soulful Behaviour' - mixed by DJ Addiction - gives you a bit of a flavour of the many shades of d'n'b
2002-05-16 - REVIEW
An ideal compilation for all you hotpress rockers that are reading the dance reviews by accident
2002-05-15 - REVIEW
Dead Languages is yet another must have that documents some of Dublin’s best DIY stalwarts
2002-05-10 - REVIEW
Six hot bands, a full house, a fine new venue and attitude by the yard
2002-05-08 - REVIEW
The finalists, chosen from the hundreds of entries received, were all winners of the regional heats that had taken place up and down the country since January
2002-05-07 - REVIEW
This is a quality compilation that never succumbs to musical self-indulgence
2002-05-07 - REVIEW
But seriously kids, it's only the most dedicated music fan/snob that really digs this gear ... in an oh-so-ironic way, of course
2002-05-01 - REVIEW
A collection of fresh beats from Japan, this is indeed quite worthy of your attention
2002-04-30 - REVIEW
Wonky was conceived for the eyes and ears as a celebration of the best live bands around sharing a stage with the best new electronic producers with the most entertaining visual backdrop possible courtesy of D.A.D.D.Y. and Del-9
2002-04-26 - REVIEW
The Reindeer Section return with not-difficult-at-all second album; Del 9 get The Frames animated; Kevin Shields produces Primal Scream; and The Sabbath means no work and all play
2002-04-26 - News
You should always be wary when the music media suddenly 'discover' a new sub-genre of dance music
2002-04-24 - REVIEW
This soundtrack is essentially a collage of the work of three bands - Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays - with a few house tunes and the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and The Clash thrown in for good measure
2002-04-22 - REVIEW
Fierce Northern Irish guitarristas Indigo Fury win Bacardi / Hot Press Plugged Band Of The Year - and go home with no less than EUR30,000 worth of music industry goodies. Congratulations! ...Lend us a tenner, willya
2002-04-19 - News
To no-one’s surprise it was Indigo Fury who bagged that last place in next week’s grand final
2002-04-16 - REVIEW
The sheer range and breath of music assembled here is staggering
2002-04-12 - REVIEW
If you're familiar with Peacefrog's work, you'll have an idea of what’s going on here - serious music that doesn’t take itself too seriously
2002-04-09 - REVIEW
The penultimate heat of this increasingly tense battle for a coveted place in next month's grand final saw five more contenders fight it out at this fine venue on the banks of the Shannon
2002-04-03 - REVIEW
Welcome to the world of electro-breaks, an underground world populated by Radioactive Man, Dublin's own Decal and the somewhat more mellow Transparent Sound
2002-04-03 - REVIEW
An enjoyable mix of drum and bass, broken, loungey beats and straight-up deep house, it succeeds where so many other compilations fail - it gets the balance right
2002-03-27 - REVIEW
The third Dublin heat of this year's increasingly interesting battle saw five very diverse acts slugging it out for a coveted place in April’s grand final
2002-03-26 - REVIEW
With a line-up boasting the likes of David Kitt, Mundy, Nina Hynes and Damien Dempsey, it’s no wonder that Trinity's Edmund Burke Theatre was jammers
2002-03-26 - REVIEW
Some of the Om compilations have been more hit than miss over the past while, but it's hard to argue with Volume 6
2002-03-22 - REVIEW
With a line-up boasting the likes of David Kitt, Mundy, Nina Hynes and Damien Dempsey, it's no wonder that Trinity’s Edmund Burke Theatre was jammers
2002-03-21 - REVIEW
Bristol label NRK are undoubtedly one of the finest house labels in the world and this, their fourth ‘best of’ compilation speaks volumes for the ruthless quality control regime they exert
2002-03-19 - REVIEW
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
2002-03-13 - REVIEW
Three of the most celebrated third-degrees ever conducted by longtime Hot Press interviewer Joe Jackson
2002-03-13 - Interview
London alternative station XFM comes to Dublin - the Jameson distillery, to be exact - for Patrick's Day. On hand to enjoy tunes, competitions and free booze will be Hot Press and, possibly, you. Read on
2002-03-11 - News
The Flowers remain as positively charged as ever, and songs like 'Hallelujah Jordan' and 'Don't Go' remain among the best to come from an Irish band, but there is a uniform harmlessness to their work that begins to pall before too long
2002-03-08 - REVIEW
It's kind of hard to get over-excited about this relatively faceless kind of electronica as so much of it is often hit and miss - with a thin line between one and the other. Happily, the majority of the 11 tracks here remain on the right side of the line
2002-03-05 - REVIEW
David Holmes and Orbital are set to launch the new, state of the art, superclub-ified 1200-capacity Tivoli, opening on March 23rd
2002-03-04 - News
Listening to the label's second compilation of the last twelve months, it's clear that they don’t like to be pigeonholed
2002-02-28 - REVIEW
Sonic Youth's baby, the infant is characterised by a very furrow-browed, collegiate-American kind of overseriousness
2002-02-25 - REVIEW
The second regional heat of this year's contest saw five very different acts battling it out for a coveted place in April’s grand final
2002-02-20 - REVIEW
From the opening bars of ‘The Trip To Seapoint Set’, a composition of Conor Byrne’s, that we were in for no ordinary night was glaringly obvious
2002-02-13 - REVIEW
Look! Up in the sky! On 150 movie screens nationwide! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Hot Press' first-ever cinema advert! Extra popcorn not included
2002-02-13 - News
It's almost like a mix-tape made up for you by a mate with particularly discerning taste....
2002-02-11 - REVIEW
Belgian party people Eskimo surface with their third and best compilation to date
2002-02-07 - REVIEW
Seeing Six, A1, Hear'Say and Fifth Avenue writhing around onstage bore a striking resemblance to Barbie and Ken coming to life. And they could sing.
2002-02-04 - REVIEW
Apart from the token grinding breaks, the album represents the synergy between breaks and raw house music
2002-02-03 - REVIEW
The Heineken Rollercoaster Tour 2002 Revs up next week: wild ride guaranteed. Hop aboard...
2002-02-01 - News
New year, new talent. Peter Murphy and Chris Donovan have a peek at those who look, in the new year, like hitting their peak... You read it here first
2002-01-22 - Interview
Boasting a truly diverse line-up that united house music in all its various hues, as well as some good old fashioned rave attitude courtesy of Orbital, this was an extravaganza that lived up to the hype.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
The final outfit to hit the stage are Horizon, and there's no doubting the classic, American rock influence running through them. The judges thought they did enough to give them the nod in what was a tight contest indeed.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
New year, new tunes - are you ready for the country? And the hip-hop? And the alt.rock? Etc...
2002-01-17 - News
Hot Press Readers' Poll favourites prepare to steal the show at this year's South by Southwest. Those Texans won't know what's hit 'em...
2002-01-17 - News
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a Historic Irish Pop Moment. No. 1 DJ in the Hot Press Readers' Poll? says Tom Dunne to Dave Fanning. I'll have that, cheers...
2002-01-17 - News
There’s enough quality and originality on display here to rival anything you’ll get on the like of De:Focus, Warp and the like.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
…No Eye is beautifully presented – each song arrives with a few (amazing) photographs and a brief illustrative tale.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
For a start, the tracks – from the deeper gear {Soul Patrol) to the quirky (Derrick Carter’s bumpin’ mix of the amazing Hot Lizard, Unslung Heroes) to the downright dirty and tribal (Eastside Movement, New Alumunists, Hipp-E and most of the others) – are excellent.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
Fcomm’s chill-out album. But just as the title is original in the face of so much similar guff at the moment, so is the music.
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
Holmes has got his finger well and truly on the pulse on the music of the period
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
A brave manifesto, released in conjunction with a music information website
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
You spoke, we listened: the results of the Hot Press Readers' Poll 2002
2002-01-17 - Interview
A brave manifesto, released in conjunction with a music information website
2002-01-17 - REVIEW
Easily the best compilation of its sort since the classic A-Z Of Irish Rock.
2001-12-06 - REVIEW
Howells pushes his usual diverse blend of tough, dark techno-influenced progressive gear The reliable Warren takes it a bit more ‘large’
2001-11-29 - REVIEW
Apart from the odd dodgy moment, it’s another enjoyable diversion for the non-purist skankers
2001-11-29 - REVIEW
Howells pushes his usual diverse blend of tough, dark techno-influenced progressive gear
The reliable Warren takes it a bit more ‘large’
2001-11-29 - REVIEW
The predominant style on High Altitude, the label’s first compilation, is a deep, fluid approach rather than the more familiar, tough military-style breaks.
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Am I missing the point here? Or does this latest installation of Soul Addiction sound exactly the same as the last one?
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Heading in the opposite direction of their peers, SSR, under the guiding hand of DJ Morpheus, have put together a double CD of hard-to-find, previously unavailable left-field tracks
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Collecting seven of the region’s most exciting new bands, the emphasis is most definitely on the shouty, in your face, nu-metal end of things.
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Eleven tracks from eleven artists worthy of cocking an ear or two at and seeing what you fancy.
2001-11-08 - REVIEW
Songs From A Small Room is one of those rare live albums that really captures the moment – this is as real as it gets
2001-10-11 - REVIEW
Seismic represents their support of dance music’s two most modern styles – dance floor breaks and dark, techy house
2001-09-27 - REVIEW
This project was set up with the sole aim of providing an outlet where young, unsigned bands can play properly organised gigs in established venues
2001-09-13 - REVIEW
Allthough Guidance have a habit of churning out meandering deep house compilations, this 14-track label mix stands out for one particular reason – noodle house it ain’t.
2001-08-30 - REVIEW
The Burden brothers and their 430 West label have been responsible for some of the finest dance floor house and techno to come from Detroit over the last decade.
2001-08-30 - REVIEW
San Fran man DJ Garth takes the controls for this increasingly popular (and increasingly frequent) mix CD series.
2001-08-30 - REVIEW
However, despite the label’s prolific output, this fourth instalment of ‘Botchit Breaks’ provides us with the most complete overview
2001-08-02 - REVIEW
The plaudits that the first volume in the series received from such luminaries as Steve Lemaq and DJ Magazine are legion, and happily this volume is more of the same.
2001-07-05 - REVIEW
Since it set up shop three years ago, Dynamite Joint has been one of the few dance imprints that has pursued a truly eclectic vision.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
While Belgian club Eskimo will go down in history as being the only promoters to throw a party in a disused underwear factory, they obviously aren’t content to rest on their laurels (no pun intended).
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
Internet radio station Groovetech launches their record label with a compilation, and who better to compile it than the Milesahead crew, regular broadcasters on the digital station.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
The product of Jon Richards’ famed in-studio sessions on Galway Bay FM, this double album is crammed with the cream of Irish talent.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
Baz Luhrmann’s forthcoming musical is set in the 19th century, features classic songs from the 20th and was made in the 21st. A lot of big names – Bowie, Beck, Bono – have been co-opted to make this soundtrack more interesting than your average movie tie-in.
2001-06-07 - REVIEW
Like Synergia 1, a bit of a mixed bag this, but worth investigating
2001-05-24 - REVIEW
Black America mightn’t have wanted a martyr like Tupac Shakur, but they got him anyway. This latest selection is the first of two double albums culled from Shakur’s dreadful “Makaveli” period.
2001-04-26 - REVIEW
Wall Of Sound leave bigbeat behind (we’ll miss you) and jump on the cred-ship with some nifty licensing action. Telle are the Norwegian label that brought you the Kings Of Convenience and Annie’s wondrous ‘Greatest Hit’, unsurprisingly included here, along with the hitherto unheard of (to most) talents of DJ and producer Erot and company.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
Chicago house label Guidance have a bit of a following amongst “those who know”. And why not? Apart from a couple of misses, their output is generally on-point in a very non-threatening kind of way.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
You had to be there, I guess. Except of course that there was actually then, 1977, and I was 15 and Ian Dury and the Blockheads released New Boots And Panties and that was the first time I ever heard the words sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll used in the same sentence.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
Despite the potential horrors of selling Irish music to an American audiences, Green Linnet has managed to avoid many of the attendant clichés that have plagued Celtic music overseas.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
BACARDI PLUGGED BAND OF THE YEAR Dolan’s Warehouse Limerick. Katie Gallagher’s Gray, Co. Wicklow.
2001-04-12 - REVIEW
Not even a suspect device on the railway line could prevent the Bacardi/hotpress team from reaching Belfast for the Northern leg of the new-look plugged format.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
First on stage tonight were Lucas, whose songs were melodic and meandering but with enough unexpected twists to maintain interest, and an ultra-confident singer boasting a voice like Vedder's, but with high notes.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
Good reason to get to a gig early: if you do, you might catch a cameo from the drummer out of Slayer… Well, his nearest approximation, anyway.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
Once you see the names Brian Eno and David Holmes printed on a soundtrack tracklist, you know it has to possess at least some serious heavyweight potential.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
Once you see the names Brian Eno and David Holmes printed on a soundtrack tracklist, you know it has to possess at least some serious heavyweight potential.
2001-03-01 - REVIEW
While Ireland's club scene is often praised, sometimes excessively, there is no parallel between the standard of Irish nightlife and the quality of indigenous dance music production.
2001-02-01 - REVIEW
Superstition's newest compilation displays their ability to change, refine their sound and move with the times.
2001-01-17 - REVIEW
Eukahouse and a handful of other like minded labels were responsible for some of the UK's finest dance music in 2000.
2001-01-17 - REVIEW
Bristol house label Nrk deliver the third chapter of their Nite:Life mix project, with San Fran man Miguel Migs at the helm. Mr Migs has had a pretty good year so far: a plethora of releases on Large, Yoshi Toshi and Nrk and the like.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The ultimate heist movie, The Italian Job was everything the British wanted to be in the late sixties: full of street-savvy wit and push-your-luck cheek; astoundingly sharp-dressed in an era of longhaired hippie unwashedness; nation-conqueringly sexy; composed and smirking with hubris in the face of sure disaster.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
So… Blair Witch 2 has hit the big screen and Mr Manson has assumed charge of all things original sound track. Quite fitting really. The musical emulation of hype, eyeliner and distortion pedals meets the cinematic emulation of forests, shaky cameras crews and things that go bump in the night.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The album title may not leave much to the imagination, but the best of Plus 8 proves that, during its seven-year existence [from 1990 to 1997] Hawtin and Acquaviva’s label pushed the boundaries of techno more than arguably any other imprint.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The Christmas album concept isn't fairing too well in the credibility stakes, mainly thanks to the ‘milk-it’ strategies that Cliff Richard and Dustin have perfected.
2000-12-07 - REVIEW
The third installment in the acclaimed Transatlantik series sees no deviation from the high quality, deeply chilled standards of its predecessors.
2000-11-23 - REVIEW
Older jazz sources may have been incorporated into techno, house, hip-hop and drum'n'bass in recent years, but this phenomenon hasn't stopped the sound itself from progressing independently, on its own terms.
2000-11-23 - REVIEW
That we have a very strong core of songwriters who have not yet made it to a high level of prominence is an accepted fact; it is also true that there are those who with a little encouragement, discipline and luck, would make it to a higher level. This CD, mixed bag though it is, is ample proof that there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
Mixed by Eskimo’s resident DJs Mo and Benoelie, this CD features some real forgotten dance music gems from the last three decades.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
For the last decade, Germany’s Tresor has been the most consistent supporter of US influenced techno, and, as many independent record labels continue to fold, it’s testament to Tresor’s lasting power that they’ve managed to reach their eighth compilation in as many years.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
The sub-title says it all. You really couldn't sum up Alan McGee's arrogant revisionism of British music in the last fifteen or so years in a better and more overblown phrase. Despite the illusions of grandeur, there is no denying Creation's mighty influence.
2000-11-09 - REVIEW
Four years on from Organik Technoloji and Botchit & Scarper release an equally eclectic collection of breakbeat workouts.
2000-10-26 - REVIEW
It’s been six years since Full Cycle’s last compilation, Music Box, and in the interim things have changed radically. Reprazent winning the Mercury Prize may have helped the label gain more exposure, while Through The Eyes shows that the tightly linked roster are content to plough on with scant regard for their public image.
2000-10-26 - REVIEW
Some people say monthly hard house club Fish is the best Friday night in London.
2000-10-12 - REVIEW
Ten years ago a trip to Japan inspired Coldcut duo Jonathon Moore and Matt Black to free themselves from the shackles of major label contracts and set up Ninja Tune, an innovative, experimental and eccentric label like no other.
2000-09-28 - REVIEW
Before Aerosmith and Run DMC joined forces for the classic ‘Walk This Way’, it was thought unthinkable. Metal? and Rap?? Together???! But in this, the decade of fusion, the boundaries have been well and truly broken by Korn, Limp Bizkit and others. It was only a matter of time before some clever soul squeezed the concoction of pseudo rap/metal on to compilation disc.
2000-09-14 - REVIEW
Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon’s Classic stamp reaches its third compilation, and there’s no let up in the quality control department. In a period when so many house producers are still looking to the disco filter as a device to gain attention, it’s revealing that the Classic stable looks to funk sources and employs more subtle, minimal house grooves.
2000-09-14 - REVIEW
Hell’s piss-ripping Munich-based Deejay Gigolo’s label has always looked to sources more diverse than most of the body popping stamps, and their fourth collection proves that they’re still way ahead of the competition.
2000-09-14 - REVIEW
The third in maverick Howie B’s conceptual compilations (following spy-funker Pussy Galore and porn-shocker Suck It And See) where Pussy artists from around the globe interpret the theme… in this instance, cartoons.
2000-08-17 - REVIEW
The late Tim Buckley, father of the less talented Jeff, was a sixties singer-songwriter whose extraordinary vocal range gave him one of the most lyrical voices of his generation. This double-CD by a variety of generally B-list alt-rockers gallantly falls somewhat short of their hero’s achievements.
2000-08-17 - REVIEW
*Breaks, Blips and Beats from Independent Dublin,* is the sub-title.It sounds promising but this turns out to be a bit of a mixed bag.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
Collections should sometimes carry a health warning. Temple Records are responsible for this release, a gabháilful of fine musicians, most with Scottish roots, purveying a snakecharmer's mix of slow airs, songs and dance tunes, played on Scotland's stalwart instruments. And that's where the Surgeon General needs to step, centrestage, scalpel in hand.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
The Pure Bodhrán - The Definitive Collection is an interesting come all ye exercise that doesn't quite manage to gather the momentum it promises. Versatile and eclectic as the bodhrán is, it simply doesn't have the strength of personality (at least on the tunes collected here) to hold a double album together.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
Here we have a good-but-not-great anthology of lost songs and remixes from City Slang - home over the years to alt-faves as diverse as Gallon Drunk, Hole and Sebadoh, and more recently Calexico, Yo La Tengo and Lambchop - who are celebrating ten years in 2000.
2000-08-03 - REVIEW
Mission: Impossible 2 opens with a bit of a damp squib - Limp Bizkit's 'Take A Look Around', in which Fred Durst ruins Lalo Schifrin's original Mission Impossible theme with the addition of a lacklustre rap and the occasional burst of noise.
2000-07-06 - REVIEW
Co-operative effort in the music business is a rare phenomenon these days. Unless motivated by the promise of commercial gain, that is.
2000-06-22 - REVIEW
Co-operative effort in the music business is a rare phenomenon these days. Unless motivated by the promise of commercial gain, that is.
2000-06-22 - REVIEW
The west has truly awoken us with these two excellent compilations hitting the racks simultaneously.
2000-05-25 - REVIEW
The west has truly awoken us with these two excellent compilations hitting the racks simultaneously.
2000-05-25 - REVIEW
While last September's Homelands Ireland debut was unquestionably a great day out, the sleeve notes here take the hyperbole to new found hyperbollocks levels.
2000-04-27 - REVIEW
Every once in a while an Irish dance compilation appears. Sometimes, it's nothing more than a corporate giant flexing muscles or, in the case of the D1 and Bassbin collections, a taster for greater things to come.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
Damon Albarn is certainly keeping busy. Not content with helping Michael Nyman score the movie Ravenous, the Blur frontman embarks on his first solo work for Thaddeus O'Sullivan's Martin Cahill biopic:
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
Mixing beats to ethnic samples is nothing new. Increasingly it has moved toward a bland, easy-listening, new ageism that is non-aggressive and uncontroversial.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
The Apache Tribe label is an offshoot of a Belfast clothes shop that prides itself on being much more than just a store - a hybrid of modern culture showcasing the previously hidden talents of local DJs and first-time producers from as far afield as South Africa.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
ALTHOUGH FEATURING a wide-ranging supporting cast that includes pedal steel player about town BJ Cole, Ann Dudley and Rush's Geddy Lee, Euphoria is essentially guitarist Ken Ramm's project.
2000-04-13 - REVIEW
UNLIKE ITS legendary ancestor, Woodstock '99 could hardly be described as "three days of music, peace and love", ending as it did in a riot.
2000-04-12 - REVIEW
By this stage, you're no doubt aware that Bono co-wrote this movie and provides no less than six songs on the soundtrack, some with his old muckers in U2 and others with The Million Dollar Hotel Band, which prises the likes of Lanois and Eno away from the desk and into more standard musical roles.
2000-03-16 - REVIEW
I haven't seen the movie which spawned this soundtrack, but the music certainly stands up on its own and should prove another winner for Madonna's Maverick label.
2000-03-02 - REVIEW
A new Danny Boyle flick is never complete without a hyped to the hilt, in yer face compilation of the current cream of trendies, and The Beach is no exception.
2000-02-17 - REVIEW
"14 finger clicking choons from the Sunny South" reads the upful by-line from Southern Fried - a collection of music from producers based in and around the Cork area.
2000-02-03 - REVIEW
This mini-album had its genesis in the Irish tour undertaken late last year by The Frames, Jubilee Allstars, David Kitt and Dave Cleary, but it's calibre makes it more than just a souvenir of that jaunt.
2000-01-20 - REVIEW
Seka/Sister is a marathon collection of 22 songs from a plethora of artists (both well known and obscure) in aid of a women and children's refuge in Croatia.
2000-01-20 - REVIEW
Seka/Sister is a marathon collection of 22 songs from a plethora of artists (both well known and obscure) in aid of a women and children's refuge in Croatia.
2000-01-20 - REVIEW
Galway’s stable for unsigned talent, Origin Records, involving both the Zhivago Record store and Cuba live venue, follow up the successful release of this year’s To Boldly Go compilation with yet another album. This time, nine unsigned Galway-based acts contribute eighteen original tracks.
1999-10-27 - REVIEW
THESE TWO compilations have been released to commemorate the tenth anniversary of promoter Vince Power's hugely successful annual celebration of Irish music.
1999-09-29 - REVIEW
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.
1999-08-18 - REVIEW
So it must be summer when the British Foreign Legion, fuelled by lager and libido, embark on their annual pilgrimage to the Clubber's Mecca and spiritual home of pills n' thrills and bellyaches that is Ibiza.
1999-08-18 - REVIEW
Ór, meaning gold, is indeed a suitable title for this collaboration between two of Ireland's finest acoustic labels, bringing together as it does 16 tracks going back over a 30-year period, which indicate at first glance just what a rich seam our native music mines.
1999-08-04 - REVIEW
Celebrating ten years in existence this year, the Ballyfermot Rock School has come in for more than its share of criticism over the years ."You can't teach rock n roll" is the main accusation levelled at it, and there's an element of truth in that.
1999-08-04 - REVIEW
All too often movie soundtracks are bland affairs, with the now traditional love ballad leading the charge towards chart success. Thankfully, this one takes a couple of risks.
1999-07-21 - REVIEW
Where there's a crisis or a human catastrophe, a charity album is never far behind, with artists, major and minor, eager to be seen to be doing something to ease the suffering of the victims.
1999-07-07 - REVIEW
Another of Blood And Fire's excellent collection/samplers from their range of classier '70s reggae/dub plates - and it's good! Heavyweight 3 features 14 tracks from the likes of Horace Andy, Bim Sherman and Johnny Clarke, showcasing some of the era's most exciting sounds, punk notwithstanding.
1999-04-14 - REVIEW
In the broad arena, the Irish language has rarely been given the credit it deserves. Reasons abound for this state of affairs - a cack-handed policy regarding its teaching since the State's foundations, the cosy 'club' atmosphere of some of those who use it, alluded to by Liam O'Maonlai in a recent interview in this magazine, and the 'what use is it' brigade shouting from the rooftops.
1999-04-14 - REVIEW
The Faltering Flame is a collection of poems and songs united behind the common theme of striving for peace in Northern Ireland. All the profits from the sale of this CD go to the Cornerstone and Currach projects, two bodies working with mixed community groups on the peace line in Belfast. Needless to say, it's a very worthy cause and deserves your support.
1999-04-14 - REVIEW
Previously better known for its strengths in traditional music, Galway is now playing host to some very strong contenders in the rock arena. Its status as a college town has, no doubt, something to do with this, but then it has always been a melting pot for fusion of ideas.
1999-03-31 - REVIEW
This second country-influenced collection in a series that started with Viva Americana is something of a double-edged sword - for a fan of the genre it is a treasure trove of demos, live or alternate takes, rare tracks and exclusive recordings of select artists from the Americana stable.
1999-03-03 - REVIEW
VARIOUS ARTISTS King Of The Beats Volume 2 (Mushroom)
1998-07-22 - REVIEW
Various Artists Le Flow: The Definitive French Hip-Hop Collection (Trace)
1998-07-08 - REVIEW
Hot Press/Bacardi Unplugged Competition (UCC, Cork)
1995-02-08 - REVIEW
Various Artists: “Beat The Retreat: Songs By Richard Thompson” (Capitol Records)
1995-02-08 - REVIEW
VARIOUS ARTISTS: “Music From The Motion Picture Pulp Fiction” (MCA)
1995-02-08 - REVIEW
HOT PRESS/BACARDI UNPLUGGED BAND COMPETITION (Trinity College, Dublin)
1995-01-25 - REVIEW
WASP FACTORY/ SCHTUM/ASH/ CHIMERA/ KELTIC POSSE/ SOUND CROWD ORCHESTRA (Queen’s Freshers Ball, Belfast)
1994-10-05 - REVIEW
Female Hercules/ Cruiser/ Pincher Martin/ The Knocking Shop: “Raisins and Vomit” (Ratfish Records)
1994-08-24 - REVIEW
SINEAD LOHAN AND DECLAN SINNOTT, NOMOS AND OPEN KITCHEN (featuring Hank Wedel) (Whelan’s, Dublin)
1994-02-23 - REVIEW
VARIOUS ARTISTS: “I’m Leaving Tipperary” (Globestyle Irish)
1994-02-23 - REVIEW
Hothouse Flowers/ Aslan/The Dubliners (New Year’s Eve at The Point Depot, Dublin)
1994-01-12 - REVIEW
VARIOUS: “The Very Best Of That Loving Feeling” (Dino)
1993-12-15 - REVIEW
THE CHURCH & GENERAL CELEBRATION CONCERT (National Concert Hall, Dublin)
1993-12-01 - REVIEW
ELEANOR MacEVOY has a lot to answer for. Without her that little vessel that goes lub-a-dub-dub every time a stethoscope gets near it would still be languishing in the advertising pages of the Irish Medical Times, all arteries and veins, but no soul.
1993-09-08 - REVIEW
COINCIDENTALLY during the week the CIA opened its files on the JFK assassination, Americans had another reason to flash back to 1963: the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the March On Washington for Civil Rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In celebration of this milestone, initially made historic by the "I Have A Dream" speech, March On, an album focusing on the theme of civil rights, has been released.
1993-09-08 - REVIEW
RADIOACTIVE BENEFIT (Baggot Inn, Dublin) IT'S 3.25 on Thursday 22nd July, and I casually flick on my tranny.
1993-08-11 - REVIEW
If, as has been rumoured, they introduce an Honours List in this country as a means of acknowledging valuable contributions to the community, we'll have to propel the Danceline duo to the front of the queue.
1993-07-28 - REVIEW
THERE WAS a time when the magical words "for charity" were the guarantee of any old tat selling a million but nowadays, cynicism being what it is, there has to be musical substance to the good intentions.
1993-07-28 - REVIEW
Niall Stokes' Albums of 1977: Graham Parker, Stick To Me (Phonogram) and Bob Marley, Exodus (Island)
1977-12-15 - News
hotpress.com
Blogs on hotpress.com
Additional Sites on hotpress.com
- The Music Show
- The Jagermeister Freezer Sessions
- Hot Press Rock Photo
- The Philip Lynott Exhibition
- The INEC Homegrown Sessions
- HTC One Hotpress Photojournalist
- Genre Free Compilation
- MIX 13: Music Industry Xplained
- Shoot To Thrill: Make a Hot Press Cinema Ad
- Other Voices
- Best of Ireland
- The Big Break
- Hot for 2013
- Josh Ritter
- Eoin Glackin
- Bitter Rocc
Contact Us
Hot Press,
13 Trinity Street,
Dublin 2.
Rep. Of Ireland
Tel: +353 (1) 241 1500
Email:info@hotpress.ie
Click here for more contact information.
Click here to find out more about Hot Press
Hot Press always welcomes feed back so if you've got something to tell us click here.
Advertise With Us
For more detail on how to advertise with Hot Press click here or call us on +353 (1) 241 1540
©Hot Press 2012. Why be a member? | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About Us Jobs @ Hot Press