Here comes the good time

Goodtime John is currently putting the final touches to his second album and follow up to last year’s acclaimed debut Brought Four Ways Out of Town. Entitled I’ll Sing Until The Sun Turns Cold, it is said to be a much more adventurous and inventive album which is bound to turn heads and please ears. The record was produced by Goodtime John Cowhie himself and is being mixed at this very moment by Alan O’Boyle, the Decal bod who has recorded The Redneck Manifesto and the Connect 4 Orchestra.

Speaking of Decal, the duo are sadly no more. Don’t fret too much ‘cos Boyler will continue to trade as Decal while Dennis McNulty turns to other projects. The current Rotters Golf Club 12” release is going swimmingly with glowing reviews and praise in all the right places. Jockey Slut, one of the very few dance mags that is worth its cover price, bigs up the boy Boyler on the free CD in its June issue. Equally interesting was an in-depth feature in its May issue about the greatest Anglo-Irish band to ever grace planet earth, My Bloody Valentine. “In the past 12 months records by such disparate artists as Death in Vegas, Manitoba, Joy Zipper, the Rapture, the Polyphonic Spree ... and Sigur Ros have all betrayed a debt to [frontman] Kevin Shields’ extraordinary visceral vision,” enthuses Jockey Slut. I’d also add Radiohead and Mogwai to that list as ‘Myxamotosis’, perhaps the standout track on Hail To The Thief, has a distinct hint of MBV about it and Happy Songs for Happy People has a few Loveless like moments. Incidentally, Thom Yorke and co. were on the guestlist for the recent Dave Couse gig in the Village as A house supported a fledgling Radiohead back in the day. Unfortunately, Oxford’s famous five couldn’t make it on the night. Dave has great new single out called ‘Familiar Feeling’ from his Genes album. Its backed with a cover of ‘Close Watch’ by John Cale.

Following a full-house in London’s legendary Ronnie Scott’s, Rodrigo y Gabriela have been confirmed for an appearance on the acoustic stage at Glastonbury… Pip Moore is sadly no longer a fixture in The Dudley Corporation. Pat Magauley has assumed bass duties. Meanwhile, its has been show bizness as usual with a Glasgow gig and the recording of their second album in the city’s famous CHEM19 studio (Mogwai, The Delgadoes etc.). That’s why Chemikal Underground doesn’t have an official 19th release – it’s the catalogue number of the studio!

Local bands Seventh and The Dogboy Conspiracy were the first acts in play in the brand new Ballina Sports Centre in Co. Mayo. IMRO will be running a Band Live project in the venue over the summer. Staying in the North-West, Letterkenny’s bruising noise poppers Berkeley have just played a succesful run of UK dates and will schedule a full Irish tour after they honour their Witnness engagements. Meanwhile, a few miles away in Derry former Cuckoo/Clearshot lads Jetplane Landing have been playing lots of excellent new material live on their Tour of Extremities so expect them to be studio bound for album number two in the very near future. The brilliant Desert Hearts have also been keeping themselves busy, including a date with Roscommon/Dublin art punk sonic terrorists Estel.