Review: Hunter-Gatherer "I Dreamed I Was A Footstep In The Trail Of A Murderer"

As 2009 comes to a close, many will be turning their attention to (what feels like) an endless roll call of "best-of the year" lists, while others shall snort with an air of pomposity proclaiming 2009 to be the finest year for music in recent history. Oh, if only those folk were paying attention as opposed busying themselves with lamentable quotes.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, there are those that are keeping themselves rather busy and getting creative minus the bloated self-serving bullshit - one of those is electronic musician, Hunter-Gatherer whose debut album, I Dreamed I Was a Footstep in the Trail of a Murderer, will officially be released on Friday December 11th.

Beginning with the slow-burner "Rivulets", it is instantly apparent that Hunter-Gatherer's music is steeped in filmic ambient electronica - darker and more subdued than Burial and leaning towards the accessible end of Aphex Twin.
It is obvious that a deep amount of care and attention has gone into these pieces, as rhythms ebb and flow and and subtle cosmic-atom sounds weave intricately around my headspace. Occasionally, there are moments where the percussion feels somewhat static, but considering the complexity of the majority of the sultry offerings, that is a minor issue.

Subtlety is something that hardly lends itself well to the modern age; however it is nice to see an artist break that mould from time to time and Hunter-Gatherer does this with aplomb. This is evident on tracks like "Snow-Globe", "Arc-en-Ciel" and "And Then We See The Capitals Adorn Themselves With Leaves" where sombre reflections take the stand; however they do so without dragging the long-player down. If anything, the more drawn out pieces really make this album work.
From time-to-time, I Dreamed I was a Footstep... the use of rigid synth sounds leans the album towards a slightly retroactive feel that is in vogue now, but may well fall fowl to the steps of time; however their use does not feel shoehorned and is quietly pleasant to hear within the constraints of the album's rarefied atmosphere.

It doesn't chastise it's listeners with severe bouts of over-pretentiousness that others might have in the same position and for a genre that all-too-often gets it very wrong, Hunter-Gatherer has got it very, very right on this occasion. I Dreamed I Was a Footstep in the Trail of a Murderer will be for sale in independent shops nationwide, as well as available for download from all major sites - be sure to get it.
Hunter-Gatherer MySpace
Rating: 4 out of 5

Hunter-Gatherer : preview for album from Hunter-Gatherer on Vimeo.

Leigh

Cold in Berlin Single Launch (Old Blue Last, December 1st)

(repost)
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Cold in Berlin's new single, Destruction // What Went Wrong?, will be launched from 2076 Records on Monday November 30th. The double A-side, which is the bands' second release, will be available for download on all major providers and on limited edition vinyl styled CD-single (I'm assuming it'll be similar to T-Woc's Reign Blood EP).

Only 200 copies of the single will initially, all hand-crafted and numbered by the band, so these may go very quickly indeed. There may be more news of further pressings thereafter and as well as that, the good people of 2076 have agreed to release two more follow-up singles and an album for the band later next year.
The single will officially be launched at the Old Blue Last on Tuesday December 1st and although the support list has yet to be announced, I can reliably inform you that it will be free-in.
myspace.com/ColdInBerlin

Currently watching:
GP2 Asia Series "Round of Abu Dhabi, Sprint Race (Rd 1, Race 2)


Leigh

The Economy's of Attraction

Economies do strange things to motor racing - during the boom times, you will no doubt see manufacturers throw hundreds of million of Pounds/Euros/Dollars at a team in a bid for success and during the crashes, you often witness the large companies run for cover as plucky privateers with bigger ideas than budgets make the best with what they have. It is the yo-yo effect that the economies of most capitalist cultures live by and right now the spindle is turning very close to the ground.

It is very sad when teams depart; whether they be large behemoths or small outfits, but the truth is they will not be missed - instead their identities will etched into the sports history books and confined to comments along the lines of "do you remember when..?"

Although Grand Prix racing has existed since 1906, Formula 1 was born into a post-World War 2 in 1947 and commenced in 1950 with such exotic marquees as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maseratti and Talbot. All but Ferrari disappeared by the likes of BRM, Cooper and ERA emerged and when the small teams left, a different set of manufacturers descended upon the sport.
It is a cycle that has repeated a couple of times since then and is happening once more. While this decade has removed Ford (in the guise of Jaguar), Honda (again) and this year alone BMW and Toyota, with Renault teetering (also again); it has also borne witness to the birth of USGPE, Manor and Campos-Meta. Lotus returns also, but it is arguable as to whether that is just a name disguising the entry.

Away from the cars themselves, hosting countries are also having problems with the economics of Formula 1 - mainly due to a couple of insane deals signed away during the boom times by the mysterious CVC; like a large number of mortgage arrangements from the last five years, when they are examined with revised attitude to economics, they simply don't make sense.
Given the current climate, the traditional circuits do not seem to be able to able to afford the races, with a number of promoters seeking public reimbursement - thus pressures rise, arguments start and negative feelings take hold and germinate, spreading into the public consciousness. Let it be known now that I do not wish Silverstone to look like the Abu Dhabi circuit - ever!!

However, the saving grace for a number of Grand Prix is the return on investment for many of the minor local economics; whereas some of the promoters are left counting their losses, many of the nearby towns and cities are reaping the benefits - with that in mind, there is a drive to get local governments and communities to invest in these events, if only to help boost local businesses.
It would appear that it is something the has been soaked up by the city of Montreal. There have been quotes that minus the Grand Prix, Montreal has apparently reported a shortfall of something in the range of $85 million Canadian Dollars and in tough economic times, it's a large sum of money to not have in the banks. The old adage "you need to spend money to make money" reared its head once again and as of yesterday, the Canadian Grand Prix has returned for 2010, but this is only the first step.

Long before they withdrew from the sport, the manufacturers - and in particular BMW - were making rather loud noises about the lack of an American Grand Prix and they have a point. Whereas the likes of Williams, Force India and other new teams are there mainly for the racing aspect of the sport, the manufacturers are there to sell their cars and sell their brands and for them to be absent from one of the largest free markets in the world bordered on absurdity; but where in the US can Formula 1 go to?
Apart from Indianapolis, there's pretty much no circuits in the US that possess a high enough licence to hold a Grand Prix and there is supposedly a large amount of ill-feeling between the Hulman family and the FOM; which only really leaves the city streets to speed around on. When F1 left Watkins Glen in 1980, the series wandered the US looking for a new home and for the following decade, it travelled from city to city to city to find a permanent locale, but it was in vain. After a couple of years racing on the streets of Phoenix, F1 left the United States in 1991. One wonders if the series may once again confined to the travelling circus act of the past.

There is little doubt though that beginning of the USGPE team may reinvigorate Formula 1 as a popular form of motor racing in the US, but is hiring the Argentine driver Jose-Maria Lopez the way that the American squad need to go? While there is little doubt that every team needs (a lot of) money to racing, the advent of pay drivers in top level motorsports has often created a catch-22 situation for many outfits and while the large sums of money and sponsorship are welcomed with open arms, they are regularly partnered with technical incompetence and an inability to match speed with consistency. Without a driver to truly lead a team, they will no doubt fall backwards before hitting the wall hard - sponsors don't like it when their chosen cars are coming last.
This is not a slur against Lopez, but the rather an acknowledgment of what pay drivers achieve compared to what the top drivers can do. It is a long realised fact that during economic boom times, teams are much more able to field higher quality drivers, yet during recessions, sponsors and backers will run for the hills just as ride buyers decide to invite themselves in.
From here, the spindle can only go upwards - we hope.


Leigh

The Life and Times of Speech Debelle

Without doubt, this has been a very bad week for 2009 Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle. From the moment she very publicly dumped her record label, Big Dada, til the aftermath of the Take That Singstar launch show on Wednesday, the last few days has probably done more to kill her music career stone dead than anything else possibly could.

Blaming her record company for not shifting units of her album comes across as rather lame and one wonders if you have been listening to the wrong advice recently - sadly, it would appear Debelle may be about to disappear into the Mercury Music Prize black hole; along with the likes of Ms Dynamite, Badly Drawn Boy, M People, Talvin Singh and Roni Size.

However, at this stage a myth must finally be lifted; there is no such thing as "the Mercury Curse" - that a large percentage of Mercury (Music) Prize winners either disappear instantly (or fade over a slightly longer period) probably has more to do with ego guiding poor decision making rather than any sort of prize-related bad luck and it is an ego that has reared its ugly head again.
Quite simply she believed the Mercury would deliver her tens-of-thousands of extra sales and it didn't happen; citing Elbow as an example of the Prize's success was simply moronic - at least the Manchester band have been around a long time and were fairly well known prior to winning the prize for Seldom Seen Kid in 2008.

Here's a clue for you Speech - your album picked up much criticism at its release and if your album isn't selling and if you're gigs are only sparsely attended and poorly received, then it's quite possible that your album has not penetrated the masses. Tough shit, but sadly it actually happens a lot. It is quite conceivable that the finger of blame should be pointed somewhere closer to home - now please fuck off.

Unfortunately, I cannot embed the video, but for those that have not seen the Take That/Speech Debelle travesty yet, look now.

Current listening:
Death in Vegas "Satan's Circus"


Leigh

Jenny Huston "In Bloom - Irish Bands Now"

It has been said on a number of times on this site before that Ireland's relationship with homegrown music (and other media) is an oft peculiar one. A commonly cited complaint from a whole host of artists and musicians is the overwhelming lack of support filtering from the broadcast and print media and an unwillingness by local or national governments to invigorate or encourage grass roots art and heritage.
Ill-conceived priorities and policies has to a degree scarred a generation of artists and a witness can view the shame of our country by acknowledging a landscape cursed with ugly and unnecessary architecture, amid offices decorated by red tape.

In the face of such an ugly concrete (and glass) jungle, it is somewhat unfortunate that Irish music is currently known on the international scene for mirroring this obsession by producing some obscenely bland acts, such as the likes of Snow Patrol and U2 - where everything that is clean and safe germinates.
Yet, should one take some time to dig beneath the surface and one will find a treasure of artists whose imagination and artistic integrity far outweigh the stadium-rock behemoths that are forced upon the deadened masses by Ireland's national radio stations.

The stories of the artist's that sit beneath the precipice has at last been captured in a brand new book called In Bloom - Irish Bands Now by 2FM presenter, Jenny Huston. Born in Vancouver, Huston moved to Ireland in the mid-90's and began a career in broadcasting at (the then pirate) Phantom before moving to 2FM during the summer of 2003. In that time, she has championed many Irish artists - whether they be independent or backed by a major - and it is that spirit that has driven the Canadian national to release this document.

Opening with a foreword by Frames frontman Glen Hansard, the book features in depth interviews with many of Irish music's current leading lights, including Cathy Davey, Delorentos, Fight Like Apes, Mick Flannery, Mercury Prize nominated Lisa Hannigan, Jape, Villagers and a number of others. The book also presses home artists that need to be watched for future development; not least Talula Does the Hula, Heathers, Halves, Ham Sandwich - most of whom I think may have been covered here at some stage.
A sublime infectiousness often graces Huston's 2FM broadcasts (every Friday, 10pm-midnight; every Sunday, 7pm-9.30pm) , so expect more of the same when you grace the pages of In Bloom.

In Bloom - Irish Bands Now is published by Currach Press and will be officially released tomorrow (November 27th) and should be available from all good book stores at a rather handy price of €20 - indeed just in time for Christmas.
In Bloom Web Page
In Bloom Facebook page


Leigh

Check Out Our Band!!: Neon Highwire

One of things that really irritates me about MySpace (and numerous other websites is this new fangled obsession with floating adverts that expand down your screen if you dare to come within a thousand pixels of it; thereby necessitating a deep sigh and a search for the neatly disguised "close me" button. The internet has this and a lot more little inadequacies that irritate me.

Something that the web has been instrumental in fostering of new artists - giving them air that they may never have had before. Of course there are drawback to this, as one has to sift through many more shit bands, but on occasion gold can be found. London based band, Neon Highwire, sit somewhere in the middle-ish bracket.

Formed in the death row of 2008, their sound can be best described as the utter bastard children of modern electropop/indie artists such as LCD Soundsystem, Justice and Bloc Party after they've being impregnated by the fathers of the new wave disjointed; Devo and Fugazi.
Rather than lay claim to overly simple rhythms a chord progression, Neon Highwire's songs are laced with touches of elegance and intricate meanderings that makes them rather nice to listen - an impression is also left that these may also be killer dancefloor chooooooons.

Neon Highwire have a nice selection of tracks on their MySpace page, that should be spun at least once; however extra props to stand-out pieces "Akira!" and "Neon Blink". What I got to listen to this evening were quite well recorded demo's, so it be intriguing to sit down and hear the fully mixed and mastered beasts that I'm sure they can produce - in the meantime, MySpace and its irritating fold-out ads will have to do. We may not have to wait too though, as their debut EP, Luminescence, will be getting be getting a 2010 release with a UK tour to follow thereafter.

Neon Highwire will be supporting Easy Music favourites, Cold in Berlin at their single launch at the Old Blue Last in Old Street next Tuesday (December 1st), with Tiny Islands and Ignug - doors are at 7.30pm and it's free in, so make sure to catch them.
Neon Highwire MySpace

Leigh

New Arrivals: Death in Vegas "One More Time"

Although this has been out for ages, it still nice to pick up odd bits like this. Released inbetween The Contino Sessions and Scorpio Rising in 2000, this was a limited edition 10" red vinyl that did not see a CD and digital release until 2007. Technically if you were to try and flog this on eBay, you probably would not get that much for it, but I'm not an eBay person and this shall be staying firmly in my record pack.
Also turned up this afternoon was the Russian language Songs of Romance by Pyotr Tchaikovsky lead by pianist Mstislav Rostropovich.





























Leigh

Review: Elephant Stone "The Seven Seas"

Canada has had something of a chequered history when it comes to modern music. For every Galaxie 500, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Venetian Snares, Metric and Women, there in turn rises the lamentable and awful Nickelback, Celine Dion, Joni Mitchell, Rush and Bryan Adams; then there are Montreal's Elephant Stone.
Formed out of the ashes of the High Dials in 2008, Elephant Stone play something that is akin to sweet indie power-pop; although on occasion touches of psychedelia trickle throughout their music.

Their debut album, The Seven Seas, released in Ireland earlier this year on Indiecater Records reveals a band immersed in the sounds of 1960's psychedelic pop of the Byrds, while also directing a nod towards the Stone Roses, Kula Shaker and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
This is an exercise in summery jangle pop (which is odd seeing as this is November) and while I would normally be wary of such sonic pilfering, I must admit that this rather pleasant stuff.

The opening quartet of "Bombs Away", "How Long?", "I Am Blind" and "The Seven Seas" deal in rather dark lyrical passages, while all the time letting upbeat rhythms bring positive moods to the fore - you can feel happiness win out right the way through this long player.
Nearing the halfway point is the first of two songs on the album that clocks in at over 7 minutes; "The Straight Line" splits in two with jangly sitars on one side and buzzing square sines on the other. Its a full 2-and-a-half minutes before any other instruments join in and from that moment on, it descends into a raga jam with tabla's joining the mix of instruments at the 5 minute mark. This is definitely intriguing stuff and worthy of at least one bedroom wig out.

The second half of the returns to the earlier's jangle pop movements with "Blood from a Stone", while "Oh, Heartbreaker" breaks out Rishi Dhir's more rockier tendencies. Admittedly, Elephant Stone may pick up a few jibes for picking the name of a Stone Roses single, but it cannot be ignored that The Seven Seas' eighth track, "A Morning Song", is a direct lift from "Waterfall" by the Stone Roses to the point where it's not even funny; something made even more clear cut as the production of both tracks is also very similar.
The Seven Seas closes with its second long player, "Don't You Know" and this is the perfect way to finish out their debut as it encapsulates many of the better elements of the previous eight pieces and locks them into a 7-and-a-half minute psychedelic pop/rock sonic blast.

There is plenty to recommend here and it's not difficult to see why this album was nominated for 2009's highly prestigious Polaris Music Prize. Although it loses marks for siphoning a little too much from their influences, it crams enough excellent rhythms and instrumental wanderings to make this a rather joyful listen.
Elephant Stone MySpace
Buy the Elephant Stone "The Seven Seas" on Indiecater Records
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Leigh

An Open Letter to Heart FM (and all other commercial radio monstrosities)

There are something things in life that need to be said, feelings that need to be aired and truths revealed. Following a somewhat harrowing and volatile Friday afternoon in work, here one such truth - an open letter to Heart FM...

Dear Sir or Madam,

As an office-based enforced listener, I would just like to remind that today is Friday November the 20th, yet for some bizarre reason your station is proceeding with this frankly obscene obsession of playing Christmas songs.

Admittedly, I thoroughly believe that it would be fantastic if a law was drawn up that forbade the playing of Christmas songs outside of December 1st and January 6th; however that would be wholly unrealistic as it would introduce an unwarranted block on your rights as a broadcaster.

Regardless of that fact, I don't recall ever hearing Halloween songs in the middle of September - do you? I would appreciate it if you (and others at Heart FM) would cease this frankly wrong notion that people are jolly before December 1st and therefore kindly ask you to refrain from playing such seasonally heartfelt meandering crap for another 12 days at least.

Could you please do us all a favour and cease this aural profanity?

Yours sincerely,

Leigh O'Gorman

Squire

They responded this morning by offering me the chance to win Whitney Houston tickets. Fuck sake!!

Currently watching:
ITV's Motorsport UK "November 20th Edition"


Leigh

Review: Bill Coleman "Welcome to the Breakdown"

I really, really need to respond to e-mails and other media much faster. Over time, correspondence and requests for reviews and stuff come in and I take note and mumble something along the lines of "this afternoon..."
Eventually two weeks pass and a feeling of "ohhh yeahhhh..." crops up as the display reveals a nearly forgotten message - these messages are extra special when they turn out to be good. The e-mail sent by Bill Coleman turned out to be one of those rather good moments.

"Welcome to the Breakdown" - a lead single from his EP, Black & Red, announces its intentions immediately as a static throbbing synth surges over defiant 4/4 drums creating an instant hook.
This hook is tamed somewhat by intricate guitar and secondary keyboard lines that balance beautifully - for once the handclaps are welcome.
When the vocals arrive, they tell the tale of someone who is out of work and on the dole - something that many can empathise with at the moment, but rather than sit back and wallow the song's character lurches into a songwriting stab.
The chorus opens up and reveals a seriously energetic piece that should get living people dancing like idiots. Although "Welcome to the Breakdown" is in itself a solo-file single, the aforementioned Black & Red EP, can also be downloaded from Coleman's own website for a price of the customers discretion.

There are touches of Beck and Hot Chip littered throughout this, without ever daring to steal directly from their wares - with the result "Welcome to the Breakdown" has imprint all its own. The song is evenly matched with a wonderfully satirical video showing (current... ahem) Irish Taoiseach, Brian Cowen trying to solve the ongoing economic crisis.

Coleman has shows coming up in the Academy 2 in Dublin (Nov 28th); the Spirit Store, Dundalk (Nov 29th); the Spinmaker, De Barra's and An Cruibin in Cork (Dec 13th, 15th & 16th), so if you can make it down to at least one of those, you may find yourself with a nice pre-Christmas treat.
More please!!
Bill Coleman MySpace
Rating: 4.5 out of 5




Leigh

Review: Arrow in the Sky "Do What Thou Wilt"

Coming together in the deaths of 2008, I have been led to believe that Mulligar band, Arrow in the Sky, musings lean towards to the folk-rock spectrum - something that, even I must admit, made me shudder my shoulders.
Their MySpace tells of influences from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills & Nash, Turin Brakes and Simon and Garfunkel. While Turin Brakes are hardly the worst band in the world, the other three influences is (for me) the musical equivalent of getting shot in the stomach and left to die on the streets like a sick dog - this could be... interesting.

However, in the spirit of fairness and keeping a somewhat open mind, Arrow in the Sky's debut EP Do What Thou Wilt shall get an open listen.
Opening with "Half Glass of Emptiness" and instantly sounds as if it was constructed by summer. Rather than stepping in the world of past players, Arrow in the Sky's ware's are more reminiscent of folk tinged world music with upbeat melody's winning out over apparently downcast lyrical musings. It's almost as if the Apostles of Hustle have come to beat Paul Simon to death and I can only approve of that.
As the EP slides into the second song, "Last Breath", it become even more apparent how excellent both the instrumentation and the mix is. Apparently simplistic rhythms neatly mask deeply complex arrangements in what is a neat in studio magicians trick, making the openers a joy to listen to.

Unfortunately though, the rest of the EP exposes some of the limitations - not necessarily of the band - but of the genre as a whole. As "Verbal Waltz" fills out the third track and flows into the subtle veins of "Little Puritan", my attention spans grinds to a halt and my mind begins to wander as restlessness sets it. The uncertain feeling of "same, same" is confirmed with the fifth track, "Agape", and as good as the songs are structured, there's not enough happening to draw this listener back into the fold.

The EP closes with "Turn this Life Around" and while this is all heartfelt stuff, the struggle to maintain interest has long since been lost. If anything, I start to think what TV show this would star in, as some of these bits would be perfect for a shit US drama, much in the same way material by A Fine Frenzy fits that niche. In fact, I can feel the "deep" scene now, where all the characters in Grey's Anatomy find time to contemplate to whatever musings the producer is in love with that week. "Turn this Life Around" would be perfect for that end of episode weeper moment.

Admittedly, I may hate Simon and Garfunkel with a passion, but I don't hate Arrow in the Sky - in fact they're rather pleasant (in a drinking Cider in a park on a hot summer's day kind of way); however like the aforementioned influences, the variations are limited and boredom creeps in a little too easily to truly appreciate this.
Part of the problem is that Do What Thou Will measures in at a half hour, which for 6 songs is too long - with some of the songs unnecessarily breaking the five minute barrier long and this gives the impression of dragging after a while. All in all a good effort, that might have worked better a two separate singles as opposed to one overlong EP.
Arrow in the Sky MySpace
Rating: 3 out of 5

Currently watching:
FIA Formula 3 "2009 Grand Prix of Macau, Feature Race"


Leigh

Review: The Ralph's "Waste of Time / Gunfire"

Galway based band, The Ralphs, have just independently released their debut single - the double A-side Waste of Time/Gunfire. Apart from the two leading songs, the single also includes two others tracks, firstly "Dead Ends" and then an extended version of "Waste of Time" closes the CD.

According to their MySpace, the Ralphs play energetic punk rock and indie songs and when you hear them, you know they mean it.
Opening with "Waste of Time", the single immediately kicks in with surging upbeat guitars and squared solid kick beats that unashamedly wears its rock 'n' roll heart on its sleeve. They instantly conjure up comparisons with the like of The Only Ones and early Blondie and whilst not wholly original, one senses that this was never the point - this is the sound of a band having fun.

With the first A-Side finished, the CD moves to song number; the slightly more subtle "Gunfire". It is here that the Ralphs really hit the nail on the head; it would have been so easy to produce just another 2-and-a-half minute sonic romp, but instead the band respond with a more measured song.
Trickling acoustic moments sit nicely over the floating bass, whilst manic scatterbrain drums pound in the background - this is excellent in its simplicity and yet they parts being played are actually rather complex. Even the lyrics are just right as 'Jamie Ralph' repeats the line "you're falling to pieces, like my heart" throughout the bridge, one senses that this is stays on the right side of "nice and does not become Bon Jovi-esque schmaltz. "Gunfire" is a fantastic song that may not have the power or the sublime energy of "Waste of Time", but is probably pound-for-pound the best track on the EP

While not stellar stuff of the A-Sides, "Dead Ends" serves its purpose as a loyal and adequate B-Side. Occasionally the vocals in the track faulter slightly, but it is the only real niggle on what is a fantastic release. For all intents and purposes, "Dead Ends" is filler, but as a B-side, it does its job very well and maintains attention going into the final track.
Initially I wondered why there was a need to include an extended version of the A-Side; most bands just add an extra chorus/solo/bridge to the end tacked on, but there is an intro verse here which while not perfect is still rather pleasant - I can see why it was left off the single version though.

All in all, the mix of the single is also very good - so good in fact, that I can't think of anything to say other than it sounds great. It is purely guitar, vocal, bass and drums and all the better for it - bullshit need not apply. Admittedly, this is hardly Mozart, but then again, who cares if it is or not? A Waste of Time is something this single is not - great stuff
The Ralphs MySpace
Rating: 4 out of 5


Leigh

Movers and Shakers

Often when things heat up in the world of Formula 1 and the IRL, a tendency to just sit back, relax and watch what happens sets in as I am very well aware that things move very fast - often too fast to assert any sort of reliable thought or opinion.
On many occasions, a potential will be announced, only for it to be discarded later and to find out that it was just a negotiating ploy; so rather than keep knocking 100 word reports (I tried it once), I decided to wait until everything was done before I launched into an article (or tirade).

There is, naturally, only one place to start - Jenson Button, McLaren and Mercedes - for these three elements factor together to create one truly unusual story. It seems incredibly odd that a driver would choose to jump ship after winning a title with that team, but it would appear on paper, that that is what happened - only four weeks after securing the Formula 1 World Championship, Jenson Button has signed a deal with McLaren; some days after the Mercedes team announced that they had bought Brawn GP.
Now I will be the first to admit that Button is an excellent driver and a deserving World Champion - after not all titles are won in a blaze of glory; you only need to see Alain Prost's championship years to understand that, but does he really have the raw skill to challenge Lewis Hamilton in a team that the younger driver has bedded in?

Admittedly, I don't believe for a moment that the McLaren will instantly side with Lewis, but they may do so if Button is not up to speed quickly and that is the factor that may become an uphill battle for the reigning champion. Hamilton's knowledge and experience with the McLaren group - which goes back long before the start of his F1 career will mean he will have a psychological head start, irregardless of Button's current World Champion status.
Another issue the team must face is the driving styles of the two drivers is utterly different and this could have a negative impact on how the team approach car design and set-up status. It is well known that while Hamilton favours a car with light rear-end and that Button loves a car that pushes up front and McLaren may find it difficult to find useful dual set-ups at certain tracks next season.

However, Button can at least lay claim to the fact that he has a drive for 2010 season; something that Kimi Raikkonen cannot say. The Finnish 2007 World Champion has found himself locked out of a drive after being dropped by Ferrari in favour of Fernando Alonso and unable to secure a seat back at McLaren - even Brawn-Mercedes have passed on the subdued Finn.
Unfortunately for Raikkonen, since winning the title in 2007, he has had two seasons during which he has showcased flashes of brilliance (especially in the latter half of 2009), but has switched off if the car and team hasn't been geared towards him and it nails his attitude in one foul swoop. The inability that he has displayed to guide a team to victory if the team is not 100% behind him has made many other teams wary of him and as fast and as skilled as Raikkonen is, none of the top teams are likely to build a squad around him when the Constructor's battle is looking to get fierce between four outfits.

In the meantime, it appears as if Nico Rosberg is going to have one seat the Mercedes team; however if it is not Raikkonen in the second car, then who will it be? Since the announcement of the Brawn-Mercedes deal, rumours have been bouncing round regarding an all-German team for 2010, with a keen eye for Sebastian Vettel to be with the team in 2011; but who would possible go to a team like Mercedes for one year only?
Initially, there were whispers of Nick Heidfeld, but as good as the BMW Sauber driver actually is, it must be remembered that neither he nor Rosberg after yet to win a Grand Prix - despite having 237 starts between them and that is a number that will not sound appetising to either Ross Brawn or Mercedes team.

Since then, rumours of a Heidfeld have fallen away and talk of a Michael Schumacher return have come about again. Schumacher was initially thought to be replacing the injured Felipe Massa at Ferrari earlier this year - a return made impossible following an unhealed neck injury sustained in a German Superbike race in February.
The possibility of a Schumacher return raises one or two questions; such as "why bother?" The legacy of the 7-times world champion is currently intact; however he runs the risk of damaging his stellar reputation if his comeback is a failure. Not only is three years out of the car is a very long, but the Formula has moved on with giant steps since then - never mind the fact that Schumacher has not raced cars competitively for over three years and has only had marginal testing time.
Yet he may be the most sensible option available - his ties with Mercedes are well known and he has the comfort of not having to worry about a contract for 2011 which is the one thing that other drivers would naturally fear and brings me back to the question "who would possible go to a team like Mercedes for one year only?"
It is rather unlikely than an experienced driver would jump to Mercedes in the middle of career for one year as come July, he will be back in the situation of having to search long for a drive again - with few other top seats available for 2011, anyone that drives for Mercedes next year might find themselves on the scrapheap or with a minnow for the following year. It is also a questionable move for a new driver to the sport and could lend itself to the Verstappen / Button factor; whereas a driver starts with a big team for one season before spending years mired at the back of the grid trying to rebuild their career.

However, there is a huge potential for Schumacher to not be the final option and it all boils down to whether or not Renault will be on the grid next year. Toyota's number 2 driver, Timo Glock, had been rumoured to partner Robert Kubica with the French team, but has instead signed for the new Manor Grand Prix team amid nervousness regarding the ongoing uncertainty as to whether Renault will be in F1 next year. Should Renault jump ship, Mercedes may indeed be the perfect spot for Kubica to kick-start his career following a disappointing final year with BMW.

Indeed Robert Kubica is not the only driver looking to restart his F1 career now that Heikki Kovalainen has been expectantly ejected from the McLaren team. Following two rather poor seasons that granted him one very fortunate Grand Prix victory in Hungary 2008 (Massa led every lap until the car broke two laps from the end), Kovalainen has been removed from the Woking squad and word has been very quite regarding his next move. What must worry Formula 1's second Finn is that many of the top and mid-field slots have been taken up and unless he takes a step backwards, he career could be finished after only three years - Mercedes could halt that slide backwards, but will the German manufacturer want to take on Kovalainen after having dealt with him at McLaren?

There is still a seat available at Force India, but it is questionable as to whether they can maintain the good form that they produced in the latter half of 2009; however as it stands, the lamentable Nelson Piquet Jr is one of the favourite for that drive - pending on whether he delivers ample sponsorship or not.
For a moment I am not going to refer to Piquet Jr's antics at Singapore in 2008; however I will point to his substandard performances with Renault during the eighteen months he was with the squad. There were far too many accidents and races where he was near the back and as sad as it may appear, the quality was simply not there.
This is the time that Force India need to produce results to follow on from 2009 and they may not find that with Piquet Jr. Adrian Sutil is still with the team for 2010, but he needs to crash less - when he was on it, he was very good, but he now finds himself in a very different position than in previous seasons as this is the first year that he will lead a squad.

As you can probably tell from the above, this has indeed been a very big week with regards to the movers and shakers of Formula 1, but I will finish this with one quick paragraph from the IZOD IndyCar Series - the Australian driver, Will Power, will be driving the number 12 car for Penske Racing next season and for that, the series can only benefit as I believe that Power can challenge for the title.
Interestingly enough, I couldn't help but wonder if the Penske squad is grooming the Australian as a permanent replacement for Helio Castroneves when he contract is up. Admittedly, Castroneves may get a year's extension on his contract, but following that, the Brazilian will be 36 years old and both Power and other team-mate Ryan Briscoe will be at the peak of their abilities.

Power was initially brought in to cover races missed by Castroneves last year following his tax evasion trial, but it is questionable as to whether anyone believed he would be as good as he was and although Power's oval skills need to be finetuned somewhat, Penske team president Tim Cindric may have just stumbled on of the finest drivers to have entered the IRL in its short history.
At 28, Power has both time and ability on his side to become champion of a series that is looking to become more and competitive as it rebuilds itself following the merge of the IRL and Champ Car in 2008.
Next year is looking to be something special indeed.


Leigh

Review: The Dirty 9's "Lucy Opus" (*Updated)

A faint synth opening subtly leading to delay soaked drums that sit obediently under wandering guitars as the opening drifts into the first verse, before powering into the into the second part of the first phase. By the way, this The Dirty 9's - and it happens to be rather good.
My attention thus grabbed, "Lucy Opus" - the first single from their debut album Stop Screaming, Start Dreaming - surges into the chorus with the distortion pedal on full, powering through moments of sheer angsty pop/rock.

Normally I would hate, but there is something rather pleasant, yet vital about the way The Dirty 9's have structured this song and the key is in how each part perfectly blends together - the song rolls very nicely through the second verse and chorus and eventually into a subtle and rather acquiescent bridge, before driving once again into the final chorus and outro.
There are touches of Placebo and Manic Street Preachers that float nimbly throughout, yet the band never seem dragged down by those influences; rather a niche has been found and a corner declared.

They have had positive mentions from State.ie and downloadmusic.ie and I think I will add to those. The single , which will be released on Friday November 13th, was produced by Greg Haver, which probably accounts for the Manic's reference, sounds rather fine indeed and the song certainly pumps out high decibels without going overboard.
The Dublin-based 5-piece are still a relatively young band (they've been in existence for only a year) and I would like to hear more in the future, just to see where they go from here.
myspace.com/thedirty9's
Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Leigh


(*Updated)
The video for Lucy Opus is below
- Leigh

My Cup (R.I.P.: 1988 - 2009)

This was originally one of a six-pack picked up in the late 80's and tonight, the last one cracked under the pressure of a nice cup of tea.

It has traveled with me from house-to-house and from country-to-country, but on Thursday November 19th, 2009 it held its final cup of tea.
I shall miss you dear cup; nothing shall ever replace you in my heart.


Leigh

Review: Conor Furlong "Playing with Fire"

Conor Furlong's new album, Playing with Fire, was released on Friday November 13th. Featuring some soaring pop-rock tunes, the singer-songwriter has crafted an interesting album with 10 new songs - led by the single, Wrong.

To be honest, it's very difficult to know what to make of the "sound" - from the album sampler, the songs all appear to be rather well structured, but suffer from occasionally being overlong; however any real issues are based within the mix of the instruments.

According to his MySpace, Furlong is influenced by the likes of Bowie, the Beach Boys and Beck; although their are touches of Neil Young to his material as well. While these influences are present and correct in the material, they don't overawe or chain the songs down.

As already pointed out, the biggest issue seems to be the actual mix of the album - there is far too much compacted air throughout the songs that is reminiscent of some mid-80's production methods, as well as instrument levels that simply don't sit right.
The greatest example of this is the placement of the lead guitar in some of the recordings - on "Wrong", for example, the guitars are too prominent and where they could simply define the nature of a piece, they at times overpower and come on too strong; with the result that other instruments are drowned out.

"Are You Going to Sleep Tonight" is more subtle in its mix and it is here that Furlong's vocals feel much more confident. The bridge is perfectly balanced and the song is equally well structured, until the guitars come back in. With both this and "Wrong", I can't but feel that there are some unnecessary parts being thrown to the songs and in both these cases, it is a guitar solo throw in.

"Godless" is easily the most impressive here as the bass rumbles perfectly in tandem with nicely mixed guitars and even though it clocks in at over 6-minutes, it never feels drawn out or too long and it finishes with subtly and sleeks into "The Preacher".
This opens with what sounds like whale song, before the rest of the instruments charge in; generating an energy that instantly lifts this song of the ground. However, once again, it is drawn downwards by failings that could have been easily fixed at the production stage. The singing is at times quite weak as the vocals seem to struggle when trying to maintain notes in the higher range, which is a shame as there is great potential for a radio-centric single here.

There are some decent songs here, if not exactly revolutionary; however I believe an odd mix and some unnecessary instrumental pieces with other outstanding problems stops this from being a true success. If Furlong had been reigned in by an outside influence, this could easily have been a much better album as the talent or good song construction is obvious from the outset - it really just needed more work.
The album can be bought from iTunes, Road Records and Tower Records and the single "Wrong" is available for free from Furlong's own website.
Conor Furlong MySpace
Rating: 2.5 out of 5


Leigh

Autoban; The Mad Hatters Ball (Whelan's, Dublin; December 5th)

Dublin-based indie band, Autoban, will be staging a Christmas party at the Academy 2 in Dublin on Saturday December 5th and are quite determined to make it somewhat memorable.
Rather than tow the regular gig line and have a few band's playing while neatly accessorised with copious amounts of alcohol, the threesome have decided to enlist a dress-code of sorts - i.e., some form of headgear will be necessary.

The band are hoping that the "The Mad Hatters Ball" will help them raise some money to go towards recording their new EP. Thus for one night only helmets, top hats, caps and/or some other sort of elegant or thrashy head warmers will not only be welcomed, but fiercely encouraged.

The band will be supported by DJ's from the Academy's very own No Disko clubnight, but as of yet no other support has been announced; so keep a lookout on their MySpace for any info or news that may arise.
Autoban MySpace
No Disko MySpace


Leigh

Shit Album Covers... Stereophonics "Keep Calm and Carry On"

...has a new entry. I have yet to hear Stereophonics new album and am not really pushed to either as their previous pub-rock musing's have consistently failed to rouse any interest.
They are, for all intents and purposes, that band in the background that keep chugging away; saying little of relevance and often what is said is vague to the point of meaningless.
If music can be described as a series of colours, then the Stereophonics are slightly dull beige, with an option on light afternoon brown.

With a large degree of success, they have managed advance the theory that "safe-rock" is an actual genre and convince a generation of small-time drunks that playing unimaginative bullshit in the key's of C and E is all you have to do to get signed to the major label gravy train.
Thankfully, the train has been derailed and gravy is actually watered-down soup.
For fuck sake, they even contributed to the frankly unnecessary history of "Handbag's and Gladrag's" by Mike d'Abo - any band that can be featured in the same sentence as Rod Stewart must surely be stopped now - along with Coldplay and their ilk, it is the sick music of the office prison; an incarceration made worse by the epileptic bleetings of BBC Radio 1 or Heart FM.
Personally, I'm with Bob Hoskins as in The Long Good Friday - "shit 'em!!"

With regards to the actual subject matter, I would ask people to seriously look at the cover of Keep Calm and Carry On - I mean look at it!! Four brooding bores plonked down at a table for breakfast, while the sea washes around their neatly manicured legs, as they glare intensely into the middle distance with an air of subdued contemplation... fuck off!! Christ, if Kelly Jones sucked his cheeks in any further, there will no oxygen left for the rest of us to breathe - what a cunt!!
Of course, the picture metaphor in conjunction with the album title is pretty obvious, but it is also very poorly executed. Last, but not least; it just looks like a really shit, cheap and nasty Photoshop/Quark Express job. At that level, there should be no excuse for something so shoddy, but then again, it is the Stereophonics...


Leigh

Max Headroom

The Max Headroom Show is a programme that I have not seen in a very long time. Originally broadcast on Channel 4 in the mid-80's, its surreal mix of mash-up TV, cyberpunk intellect and the corruption of (what was then) modern media made for intriguing viewing; if at times a little nauseating.
For this post, I have managed to find the final episode of the original series which happens to feature music from the Redskins (not long before they broke up) and an interview with a 6-foot tall giant talking cock (aka Sting).











Leigh

Super Extra Bonus Party (The Academy, Dublin; November 13th)

Something that should be burned into people's mind's is that any happening that takes place on Friday the 13th is a risky venture; that it should take place on Friday the 13th during the Month of Dead Souls is indeed asking for large amounts of trouble, only to be relieved by excessive amounts of Valium and Nembutal mixed with cheap red wine and crumbled up biscuits.

That is unless, of course, you are Super Extra Bonus Party. The Kildare sextet will be performing one of their final shows of the year at The Academy, Middle Abbey Street in Dublin with support from Bats, Le Galaxie, Heathers and Band on an Island.
The live show will be followed by DJ sets from IStandCorrected and CNRCNRY. Doors open at 8pm and run right through until 2am.

During the Bonus Party's set, long lime collaborator and MC, Rodrigo Teles, will be making his final appearance with the band before he splits back to Brazil to be with family and the bambino Teles. The band will also be joined on stage by Heathers for the song "Comets".
If you haven't got it already, be sure to pick up Bonus Party's rather fantastic second album, Night Horses, if not at the show itself, then at the shops.

Tickets for the show are priced at €17.50 from Ticketmaster outlets and can also be purchased from agent's website. Have fun - I am sure it will be wonderfully delightful.
Super Extra Bonus Party
Bats
Le Galaxie
Heathers
Band on an Island
CNRCNRY


Leigh

New Arrivals and Happenings

No explanation needed:
Broadcast are one of my absolute favourite bands' ever - they rarely play, so I cannot fucking wait. As for Battles, I can give or take them as they're not very interesting, but the inner-thinking is that I shall get rat-fucked.






















Leigh

The IZOD IndyCar Series

(I was meant to post this last weekend, but... forgot).

The IRL has had a couple of title sponsors over the years, but neither of those were successful ventures and, to be honest, were half-arsed from the outset.
However, the series has just signed a new title sponsor in the shape of IZOD with a 6 year-plus deal that, rather than just keep the series alive, but even push it towards sustainable heights once more. I've stuck the press conference below - most will think it's boring, but for me it was a genuinely exciting announcement. As well as that, I am also amazed at the how the models in background don't move a fucking inch for 21 minutes solid...


Announcement

Discussing the IZOD IndyCar Entitlement

Driver Reaction to IZOD

Leigh

Irish Music on Television / Internet Shocker

The Irish Music Industry has recently received a severely unexpected shock when news trickled out the Irish music was to be broadcast. On television. It is well known that Irish music and television have got something of chequered history as seen recently with the cancellation of Channel 6's Nightshift and the showing of RTE's lamentable Raw Sessions.

However, last night saw a new 6-part show begin on RTE 2 and initial reports about the program appear to be rather positive. The show - titled When Under Ether - is presented by Michelle Doherty (formerly of Night Shift) and Elton Mullally and aim's to focus on Ireland's often overlooked indie and alternative music industry, with the first episode showcasing live music from Delorentos and David Geraghty.
The debut broadcast also featured music videos from the likes of Grizzly Bear and the XX, so the ever so slightly leftfield angle of the show (I'm being generous here) is apparent for everyone from the off. It is on at 11.50pm for the nex five Tuesday nights; however I am not sure if it has been cleared to be broadcast on the RTE's website (song's rights and that legal stuff).

Don't go away yet folks, because the good people at Analogue Magazine have produced the debut of a cracker of a bi-monthly web series, called (funnily enough) Analogue.
After an aborted attempt at producing a short episode earlier on this year, the chaps from Analogue went back to the drawing board and have returned with a nicely refined product. This new series will present artist features and documentaries, as well as interviews, performances and music videos.
The series' first episode contains interviews, performances and other tidbits from the Kronos Quartet, Patrick Kelleher and So Cow. Zeroing in on such diverse influences, such as indie, lo fi, folk, classical and electronic on both the local and international scene, Analogue is attempting to break the tired traditional approach to music television and create a new progressive format with diverse cinematic techniques.

Episode 1 of Analogue was directed by Graham Seely and Tim Gannon and produced by Brendan McGuirk and can be found below for viewing pleasure.

Analogue Episode 1 from Analogue on Vimeo.

Current listening:
The Ralph's "Waste of Time / Gunfire"


Leigh

Music Conference Weekend (Riverbank Arts Centre, Co Kildare, Nov 21st - 22nd)

Next weekend, First National Music (FMC) will be hosting a free music conference weekend at the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare (Ireland). Starting the weekend off on Saturday November 21st at midday, will be the National Music Industry Clinic - a talk focused on career's in the music industry with a panel of experts; including Keith Jonson (IMRO), Alison Curtis (Today FM), Angela Dorgan (FMC) and Alexi Vokos (The Delphi Music Company) amongst others.

Following the panel, musicians and other interested parties will have an opportunity to book a 10 minute 'Speed Session' with panel members in order to talk about how best to get your music out there, pass on a demo and ask about your next move in your music career.

On Sunday November 22nd, Filter - The Irish Electronic Music Conference will also be taking place. Opening at 11am (and staying open until 5.30pm), it is a day-long music conference dedicated to the Irish Electronic and Dance music industry. Hardware and Software workshops will be available as well as a forum with industry insiders and experts to discuss topics that are relevant to Irish electronic musicians, DJ's and producer's.
Appearing at the forum will be Mark Kavanagh, Jack Fox (RTE Pulse), Orla Feeney, Jeff Timony, Desy Balmer and a whole host of others. The workshops will include introductions to Logic Audio and Ableton Live as well as demonstrations of various turntable techniques.

The conferences will be brought to you by the FMC, who are also responsible for the wonderful Hard Working Class Heroes Festival, the Music from Ireland Project and breakingtunes.com; however the majority of their work consists of serving information and advice for artists in the popular music sector.
For information and advanced booking, go to the Riverbank website or contact them at 045 448327; you can also e-mail their box office at boxoffice@riverbank.ie.


Leigh

Toyota F1

Aaahhh Toyota, we hardly knew ye...

Of course it is naturally disappointing when a team decides to leave Formula 1 - especially one as big as Toyota. The Japanese manufacturer are just another in an ever growing list of Asian companies to have decided to jump from developmental motorsports in the last 18 months; that list includes Bridgestone and Honda (F1), Subaru and Suzuki (WRC) and Kawasaki (Moto GP) - there may be others that I have not heard about yet.

Whether Formula 1 will truly miss Toyota or not is a different matter, but the initial feeling from fans and viewers is that while it is bad news that another team has left the sport, no one is surprised that Toyota have split - it is news that had been rumbling for over a year. There were strong rumours at the start of this season that they had to win at least one race during the 2009 season, otherwise a serious rethink would be necessary.
Considering that they had some of the highest funding in Formula 1 history, the best the team managed was 4th place in the Constructor's Championship in 2005 (which was achieved under speculation of cheating) and a number of 2nd place finishes. However, 13 podiums in 8 years for a team that reportedly spent over $1 billion is simply not good enough - the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Renault have won World Championships by spending less money.

Stories of political infighting and difference of opinion regarding future direction seemed to plague the team following team boss Ove Andersson's departure from the squad in 2003; too much influence wielded by people from outside of the team itself also seemed to be a constant complaint - there appeared to be many instances of the team itself not working as a productive unit and Toyota are not be the first (or the last) to fall into that trap.
The truth be told, Toyota are not a racing team; they're a car manufacturer - one of the biggest in the world, if not the biggest. For a company such as this, motorsports is a side-issue and like Jaguar and BMW, they seem to lack the appreciation for motorsports to understand its finer nuances.
Many large constructor's see F1 as a massive marketing tool, but I have never met a single person who bought a Toyota, Honda, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault or Ford because they happened to be competing in Formula 1 - it is not a theory that enters the public consciousness.
Toyota failed, sadly, because they didn't know how to race.

There is one remaining question for Toyota: "was Timo Glock actually injured?" Whenever this subject came up over the last couple of races, there was a feeling of "Timo's still injured (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)", but we happen to have this Japanese who can jump in the car at a moments notice.
Admittedly Kamui Kobayashi did a very good job in the two races he drove for the team in Brazil and Abu Dhabi (if maybe a little ragged at times), but rolling out the national driver when the boardroom are considering pulling the plug was a little crass. Meanwhile, Glock himself appeared to be wandering around the paddock with seemingly little actually wrong with him.
In a sense Toyota had very little to lose in fielding the Japanese driver - they were mathematically too far ahead of the teams behind them and were never realistically going to catch the McLaren or Ferrari teams for 3rd or 4th place, so what ever result that Trulli and Kobayashi got in Brazil and Abu Dhabi would have little potential baring on the eventual outcome.
So, did Glock deliberately crash in qualifying and thus, was he injured at all?

What now for Trulli, Glock and Kobayashi? Well, the rumour mill says that Trulli will be at Lotus and will be back with former Toyota and Jordan designer Mike Gascoyne at the new Lotus team and that Kobayashi is to battle it out with Takuma Sato for the second seat at the returning squad, while Timo Glock is nearly certainly signed by Renault, but it has yet to be officially announced.
How ironic that the last fuel stop in modern Formula 1 was done by a Toyota..? Well, not at all actually - that was just a coincidence...

Current listening:
ADULT. "Why Bother?"


Leigh

Pat Kenny "Frontline"

Since leaving the Late, Late Show earlier on this year, TV presenter has moved to a Questions and Answers type show called Frontline.
Normally the show passes without incident - that was until last night, when he was verbally molested in what was (but shouldn't have been) one of the funniest pieces of television I have seen in a very long time.




Leigh

Kap Bambino / Hello Sunshine (Old Blue Last, London)

T'is Tuesday November 3rd in the Old Blue Last in London as Kap Bambino return to launch their new single Batcaves. Having never been to the venue before, i can only compare to the upstairs room in Whelan's, Dublin or maybe like a tiny version of Cargo.

It is grimy and small and will most likely suit what comes next.

Batcaves is the third release from Kap Bambino's third album, Blacklist, and to celebrate they have brought with them some French compatriots in the shape of hard rock duo Hello Sunshine.

After a while of waiting and twiddling my fingers, Hello Sunshine jump on at around 9.30pm and make their presence felt immediately. The two-piece, just comprises of a drummer and guitarist, but don't mix them up with some cheap White Stripes knock off - these guys are all about noise, screaming, heavy string stroking and double peddles and they were quite fantastic. In the space of 25 minutes, they seemed to churn out about 10-12 songs, but it was quite hard to tell as many segued into the next piece, thereby creating a multitude of medley's.
They came, they played, they finished, they'd get me to see them again if they came back over.

There was about thirty minute wait before Kap Bambino came on and in that time place seriously filled up - I mean, it filled up far beyond capacity. By the time they started, I was already firmly pinned against the stage monitors.
As Bouvier Orion clicked a few buttons and got some programs going, grumbling noises began to emirate from the speakers - a grumbling that took a few moments to gain definition and reveal itself to be New Breath. Suddenly, there were great pushes from behind as the crowd surged forward and became more and more raucous. The energy running from Kap Bambino was immediately apparent and the enraptured tapped into it for all its worth, creating a current that carried most through the pains and exhaustion.
Over the course of 50 minutes, the French couple steam-rolled their way through most of the now familiar new album, as well revisiting old favourites from their 2006 long-player, Zero Life, Night Vision. A brief two song encore ensued before the live show wrapped up and the DJ kicked in.
Admittedly, I would have loved to have hung around a had a couple of beers and chill out for a while, but I was far too fucked to even contemplate that - besides I badly needed a shower and several pints of water.

Apparently they are supposed to be back in December supporting Peaches in Koko, but I haven't seen any details yet. As much as I would love to see them again, I can't be arsed with paying to see Peaches, but if someone had a freebie...
Before I finish up, I must note two things took away from the show:

• it was massively overcrowded (as in waaaaay over venue capacity) - as I was front and centre, there were occasions where I was jammed up against the stage in quite a bit of pain and the bruises thereafter covered significant portions of my legs and back.
• it was far too loud. I don't mean that in an old guy sort of way, but considering how much volume gets soaked up by the audience, I was still left with ringing ears about a day and-a-half after the show; thereby necessitating, no headphones or loud music until Friday.
  

But other than that, it was great ...and yes, that is me doused in sweat in front of Caroline Martial in the above photo.
(photo: unknown credit)


Leigh

Le Galaxie (Whelan's, November 18th)

Irish electronic band, Le Galaxie, will be playing their final Dublin show of 2009 at Whelan's on Wexford Street on Wednesday November 18th, with support from the ever reliable Ambience Affair and Neosupervital.
This show will form the final stage of the Autumn 2009 tour, which has already seen the four-piece perform in Waterford, Dundalk and Galway and will see them play further shows in Belfast and Cork (as well as one other Dublin gig).

The Whelan's event will see Le Galaxie headline in the venue's main room and to celebrate this fact, there will be a free download of "Victory" available on the day.

Seeing as how the show takes place on the same night as the Irish World Cup Qualifier against France, they will not be on stage until around 10.30pm.
This will be followed by the late club "Intergalactic" which promises to play weird and wonderful dance/indie/electro/gabba (!!); which I will believe only when I see it.

Doors are at 8.30pm and the door tax is €10; however if you e-mail the band at legalaxie@gmail.com with the words 'Jean-Luc Picard' followed by your name, then you get a princely €2 off.
LeGalaxie MySpace
Ambience Affair MySpace
Neosupervital MySpace


Leigh

Mike Lawrence "Culture"

A few folks that know me, know that I am a fan of a number of Formula 1 and Motorsports websites and blogs in general, but one of my favourites is a website called PitPass. Many F1 websites and journalists tend to be rather sycophantic simply because they have to be - any anti-FIA articles are often met by a withdrawl of one's press pass.

Over the weekend of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, there were many empty platitudes offered to the wonderful facilities and the wonderful hotel and the wonderful flashing lights and the wonderful yachts, but few spoke of the circuit itself - which speaks volumes. When some of the drivers did open up, many spoke of how it wasn't much of a driving challenge at all; but at least the facilities were good...

Personally I couldn't care less where F1 goes, as long as Australia, Britain, Monaco, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Canada and the United States are on the schedule - fill up the rest of the 8 races in the middle of the ocean for all I care, but if the circuit isn't up to it and isn't a challenge, then what's the point. As it stands, none of the new territories has yet to pass the 5-10 year test* and when you also factor in the empty grandstands at Malaysia, Bahrain, China and Turkey, one must consider if they ever will.
So, it is refreshing to see PitPass' finest writer taking a truly worthwhile and necessary dig at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi (amongst other things).
Mike Lawrence "Culture"

Current sickness:
A Cold "Constant coughing, fleeting nausea, temperature and a runny nose"


Leigh

*the 5-10 year test:
If a country has such an international event, then rather than scoff it immediately, a certain amount of time is given in which a grassroots level of drivers may develop - if there is not even a blip on the radar after 10 years, then the project may be deemed a failure. There are obvious exceptions to this rule (i.e. - Spain) but they are very rare indeed.

The Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive Centre

I initially started The Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive centre about two years, but back then I was up to my eyes in college work and had no time to maintain it in an efficient manner. However, every so often I have managed to get a few motorsport related posts up onto Easy Music... and I have finally got round to transferring them.

Officially the Archive Centre will be a place for news, tidbits, opinions and race/event reviews and although it may be fairly quiet-ish for the most part, there'll be occasional blatherings from yours truly about the state of life with four-wheels and what can be done to make it better.

In the meantime, the odd motorsports article will still appear on Easy Music... as that it my central site, but this be a specific place for motoring nuisance. It must be remembered that I do and will continue to spend a vast majority of time talking out my fucking arse - and so let it be...
The Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive Centre


Leigh

David Firth "Jerry Jackson is RLY RLY Board!"

More animated works of utterly bizarre genius from Fat-Pie's David Firth with this BBC short released a few weeks ago.




Leigh

The Playground (November 14th, London)

To ward off of the scared bones following a predictably disastrous Friday the 13th of November (let's not forget the November is the month of dead souls!!), I may have to attend this fully recover - or maybe because I want to.
The fact that it is only a mile or so from where I live is also a bonus.














































Current listening:
Siouxsie and the Banshees "Hong Kong Garden"


Leigh

Glenn Beck is a Seriously Frightening Man

...and I worry about the folks that buy into his deluded bullshit, but this is beyond parody. Part of me wants to believe that it is all a practical joke and that when he gets home at night, he is a level headed normal individual, but then again...
So, could Glenn Beck be the American version of Jeremy Kyle or is it the other way round?
(Yes, I know this came out a while a go, but I only caught it recently)




Leigh

New Arrivals: Kap Bambino (Multiples)

Kap Bambino
"Red Sign / Acid Eyes 7-inch", "Dead Lazers EP", "Blacklist"























Leigh

Channel One Album Launch (Friday, Nov 6th)

Dublin electronic-rock foursome, Channel One, will be releasing their long-awaited debut album, Sound to Light, tomorrow evening at the Button Factory (formerly Temple Bar Music Centre), Dublin. Although they have moved on somewhat from their edgier days towards a more considered spacial sound, the Dublin band still pack one hell of a punch in a live setting.

So with that in mind, be sure to pop down to the Button Factory - doors open at 7.30pm and is free in before 11pm. Support on the night is from the wonderful Le Galaxie and both bands will be followed by a host of DJ's; including Bodytonic's Barry O'Donoghue.

The album itself is out tomorrow and will be on sale at the show and will also be available from Amazon, iTunes and various record shops around the country.

Currently listening:
Deerhunter "Cryptograms"


Leigh