The Stunning - Paradise in the Picturehouse - Live

Cracking news, The Stunning are playing Paradise in the Picturehouse in its entirety on Friday September 21st in Dublin's Vicar St. See here http://www.hotpress.com/news/8925682.html

NPR steams - Monday 28th May 2012

Check out the new album streams from NPR this week:

Liars "WIXIW" http://www.npr.org/2012/05/27/153520354/first-listen-liars-wixiw

Japandroids "Celebration Rock" http://www.npr.org/2012/05/27/153301078/first-listen-japandroids-celebration-rock

NPR streams - Monday 21st May

Some cracking new album streams on NPR today:

Regina Spektor "What We Saw From the Cheap Seats" - Check the cracking "All the Rowboats", pure gem: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/20/152939196/first-listen-regina-spektor-what-we-saw-from-the-cheap-seats

Sigur Ros "Voltari" - New album from Iceland's finish. Album title is pronounceable, song titles aren't:
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/20/152841839/first-listen-sigur-r-s-valtari

Saint Etienne "Words and Music by Saint Etienne"- http://www.npr.org/2012/05/20/151711015/first-listen-saint-etienne-words-and-music-by-saint-etienne

The Walkmen "Heaven" - http://www.npr.org/2012/05/20/152853333/first-listen-the-walkmen-heaven

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Here" - http://www.npr.org/2012/05/20/152292529/first-listen-edward-sharpe-and-the-magnetic-zeros-here

Don Byron live review on Jazz Times

See my live review added to the community section on the Jazz Times website:

http://jazztimes.com/community/articles/30181-don-byron-s-new-gospel-quintet

NPR Live Streams

The Shins live in Le Poisson Rouge, New York:
http://www.npr.org/event/music/147985261/live-wednesday-watch-the-shins-in-concert

Zola Jesus live in Le Poisson Rouge, New York:
http://www.npr.org/event/music/141424290/live-video-wednesday-zola-jesus-in-concert

St Vincent live from the 9.30 Club, Washington:
http://www.npr.org/event/music/141801564/live-tuesday-st-vincent-in-concert#

Spiritualized "Live"

Listen to Spiritualized live in the 9.30 Club, Washington:
http://www.npr.org/event/music/152291064/spiritualized-in-concert

Sharon Van Etten video stream

Watch Sharon Van Etten live at this years SXSW Festival:

http://www.npr.org/event/music/148474924/sharon-van-etten-live-in-concert-sxsw-2012

If you like what you hear she is playing Whelan's Dublin this Friday 18th May. You can get yourself some tickets here: http://www.ticketmaster.ie/event/18004848DFEC6E48?artistid=1477290&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

NPR's new streams this week - Monday 14th May 2012

This weeks new albums streaming on NPR:

Kimbra "Vows" - She from Gotye's "Somebody that I used to know": http://www.npr.org/2012/05/13/152210736/first-listen-kimbra-vows

Mount Eerie "Clear Moon": http://www.npr.org/2012/05/13/151885639/first-listen-mount-eerie-clear-moon

Beach House "Bloom" review

Check out my review of Beach House's new album "Bloom" on High Browse: http://highbrowse.ie/music/reviews/bloom.html

The Strypes "Young, Gifted & Blue" review

Check out my review of The Strypes debut EP "Young, Gifted & Blue" on High Browse: http://highbrowse.ie/music/reviews/younggiftedandblue.html

Beach House "Bloom" review

 

Beach House are an electronic dream pop duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland consisting of Alex Scally & Victoria Legrand. “Bloom” is their fourth album of which I’ve been looking forward to hearing for the last few weeks.

I’ve listened to this quite a few times now and it is definitely a grower but I still can’t help feeling a little disappointed. Unfortunately not all the songs continue in the same vein as the stunning “Myth”. This is the album’s excellent opener and lead single.

“Wild” comes very close indeed. Victoria’s voice swoons beautifully through the opening lyric “My Mother said to me that I would get in trouble, our Father won’t come home ‘cause he is seeing double”. This song is full of emotion. The guitars echo throughout the second half of the track and builds into an incredible climax similar in ways to Interpol’s “The New”.

“Lazuli”, third track and the albums second single, is where things start to deteriorate. The intro sounds like something “Enya” released. It improves after this but not enough to save it going over your head. Other songs are just too long. The songs completely outstay their welcome like “Troublemaker” and “On the Sea”. The keyboards on “Other People” seem to go on forever yet still don’t really go anywhere.

“New Year” saves it a little. I quite like the chorus with lyrics “Can you call it, see it coming, just enough to tell a story about a portrait of a young girl waiting for a new year”.  Also improving things is “Wishes” with its Cure-like guitar sound.

This album starts off incredibly well but unfortunately Beach House couldn’t keep things going. After 2010’s third album “Teen Dream” I was hoping that they could step it up a gear. There are just too many mediocre songs on show.

By the way if you listen beyond the end of the final track “Irene” there is a secret song called “Wherever You Go”.

55/100

The Beat Goes On. . . .

"The Beat Goes On" http://www.braypeople.ie/news/wicklows-music-talent-shines-on-world-stage-3098723.html

CTJT Showcase

See my "The Beat Goes On" article from the Bray People showcased on CTJT's website http://www.ctjt.biz/student-work/showcase.html

Don Byron's New Gospel Quintet live review

Don Byron's New Gospel Quintet
Mermaid Arts Theatre, Bray
Sunday 06th May 2012

What a better place to listen to the brilliant jazz of Don Byron & his band than at Bray’s wonderful Mermaid Arts Theatre. The acoustics are incredible in this small, compact venue. You can literally here everything that’s going on, from the banter between band mates to being able to clearly hear the actual keys being pressed on Don’s saxophone.

Tonight’s performance is the last of the headline concerts of this the 13^th  year of the Bray Jazz Festival. Friday night say Norway’s Tord Gustavsen Trio and Saturday saw the excellent world music tones of Peru’s Susana Baca. Anyone that was there on Saturday night might have recognised a few familiar faces entering the auditorium at the last minute. A certain Mr Bob Geldof and a mate of his, Dave Evans also known as U2’s The Edge dropped by to catch the superb vocal talent of Susana Baca.

I was a little ignorant of jazz before tonight’s concert. I didn’t know an awful lot about Don Byron’s New Gospel Quintet but I really enjoyed it. He and his band are an incredibly talented bunch. Don Byron is a very well known saxophonist from New York. He plays all kinds of jazz, from classical to swing.

Tonight he is here to promote songs taken from his latest album “Love, Peace and Soul”.  These are all in the style of gospel icons Thomas A Dorsey, known as  “the father of black gospel music”  and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Don arrives on stage with his confident swagger dressed in a cream chinos, a pinky white stripped jacket and donning a Montreal Canadians ice hockey team cap. He is dressed in a relaxed manner and this comes across in the music. Hs is closely followed on stage with bassist Brad Jones, drummer Pheeroan akLaff, singer Barbara Walker and the excellent pianist Nat Adderley Jr.

The whole band seems to enjoy every beat throughout.  This excellent set includes songs “Highway to Heaven”, “Its My Desire” and “Sham Time”. But it’s on the incredible “Hymmm” that I found Don really showing the crowd what he can do. The drummer & bassist leave the stage allowing Don to really shine. He plays a good five minute solo intro on this tune. Nat Adderly Jr is like a puppy on stage, cocking his left leg all the time, emphasising the point that he is really getting his teeth into the performance. Vocally Barbara Walker is immense. She doesn’t put a foot wrong. Note perfect all the time and none better than the excellent closer “Beams of Heaven”.

This was a great night’s entertainment and incredible well organised by George Jacob, Festival Director. Let’s hope next year it will be just as good.

NPR album streams - Monday 07th May 2012

Best Coast "The Only Place" http://tinyurl.com/cto2afa

Beach House's brand new, & disappointing fouth album "Bloom" http://tinyurl.com/d4e9ych. Unforunately the album doesn't continue in the same vein as the stunning single "Myth".

Exitmusic "Passage" http://tinyurl.com/cwrdjvw. If you like what you hear Exitmusic are supporting the wonderfully talented Sharon Van Etten in Whelan's Dublin on Friday 18th May 2012. Tickets are available here for €16.50 each http://tinyurl.com/bld55b4.

 

Yacht with support Tieranniesaur - live review

Yacht with support Tieranniesaur - The Workman's Cub, Dublin - Thursday 03rd May 2012.

I have to be honest I’d never heard of Yacht before tonight’s gig. I was heading along to see the support act - the ever rising Dublin funk rockers Tieranniesaur. It’s the third time of seeing them this year after catching them at their own headline gig in Whelan’s and also seeing their short set at Tower Records for Record Store Day. They played a pretty decent set showcasing songs from the debut self titled album. They ended with their hit and rather funk-tastic “We Be Monsters”.

With regard their live performances – I’m a little disappointed with the main vocals of Annie Tiernaey. It’s all just a little too high pitched and nearly ruins the whole sound. Luckily enough they have Squarehead’s bass player & drummer holding everything together.

On to the headline act – electronic band Yacht. Well, what can I say? They were just fantastic. Completely unique, a one-off. Y.A.C.H.T – standing for Young Americans  Challenging High Technology – are here tonight promoting their latest album “Shangri-La”.

Blonde lead singer Claire Evans emerges on stage during the band’s bass ridden intro dressed head to toe in pure angelic white. She looks just like a 20 year old Annie Lennox dressed like Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element movie. She completely takes over the whole performance. All eyes transfixed on her incredible style. She simply oozes confidence.

The main beats man and guitar player Jona Bechtolt is just as charismatic. He bounces around stage for most of the gig, at the start even jumping off stage to sprint through the crowd.  These guys just rocked, even treated everyone to a powerpoint presentation throughout.

Incredible display from a band I’d previously never heard of. Just get yourself a ticket next time they are over.

Bombay Bicycle Cub - Olympia Theatre - review

Bombay Bicycle Club - Olympia Theatre - Monday 30th April 2012

Back in early December last year Bombay Bicycle Club played a stunning gig in Dublin’s Vicar St and at the time I thought they couldn’t top that but last night in the Olympia Theatre they did. They were fantastic, blew the roof off the place.

The Londoners seem fond of playing Dublin and it showed. They were in impressive form and the younger audience loved every minute. Unlike their Vicar St performance where they opened with the stunning “Shuffle” taken from their current album “A Different Kind Of Fix” - this time it was album opener “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep”. Following this was the slow build of “Your Eyes” and older tune “Dust On The Ground”. This was one of quite a few older tunes on show taken from the rather under- rated debut album from 2009 “I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose” - “Cancel On Me”, “Always Like This” and my personal favourite track “Lamplight”.

Guitarist Jamie MacColl introduced the part of the set as songs from their UK & Ireland only release “Flaws”. This showcased the bands more acoustic sound through single “Rince Me Down” and “Ivy & Gold”. At one point singer Jack Steadman played a wistful piano only song which send shivers down my spine. It was incredible.The crowd were in complete silience. You could almost hear the commentary from the Man City V Man Utd match in Brogan’s Pub next door.

Other tracks from “A Different Kind Of Fix” included “Bad Timing”, “Leave It”, “Beggers” and the incredible dancy bass line of “Lights Out, Words Gone”. Plenty of influences and similarities can be heard throughout the set. From the quirky, uplifting Foals to the guitar sounds of Vampire Weekend. Even the blips and beeps of Radiohead are tried out.

The bands encore consisted of the aforementioned “Shuffle” and ended the night with “What If”. This was an excellent performance. Everyone should catch this band while they are on this form and before they become stadium fillers. Most certainly my gig of the year so far. 

Coldplay review on High Browse

See my review of Coldplay's "X&Y" on High Browse http://tinyurl.com/crgsebq

Latest new releases from NPR 01/05/2012

Rufus Wainwright "Out of the Game" - http://tinyurl.com/7ernnl7

Santigold "Master of my Make-Believe" - http://tinyurl.com/bu8k73b

Norah Jones "Little Broken Hearts"

Listen to Norah Jones' new, Danger Mouse produced & most accessable album, "Little Broken Hearts" on NPR here: http://tinyurl.com/bneqefv

Listen to stream of Dr. Dee

Listen to Damon Albarn's Dr. Dee on NPR here: http://tinyurl.com/dxkmqgp