On The Record

  • Plugarama

    February 27, 2009 @ 10:38 am | by Jim Carroll

    In today’s issue of The Ticket, Brian Boyd speaks to U2’s Bono and The Edge about a load of stuff including those tax arrangements. There’s also interviews with producers Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite and graphic designers Steve Averill and Shaughn McGrath about the making of “No Line On the Horizon”, a chat with band manager Paul McGuinness while Simon Carswell takes an indepth look at the business behind the band.

    It’s not all U2 though. Album of the Week comes from Vetiver and there are reviews of new releases from The Prodigy, Saint Etienne, Lonely Dear, the awesome First Aid Kit, The Mighty Stef, NASA and “Floored Memory…Fading Location”, a brilliant compilation of stuff on Fat Cat’s 130701 label.

    There’s also a Revolver opinion column from myself about how Touch & Go’s news last week highlights how dismal things are for all sides of the record business, while Lauren Murphy’s music news has items on Dark Room Notes, 4FM, Oxegen and Faith No More

    On the movie side of the gaff, the new releases are The Class, Doubt, Five Minutes of Heaven, The Unborn, Franklyn and Break the Bank.

    Now, over to youse. The comments field awaits your plugs.

  • Will the last blogger to leave the building please remember to unplug the dishwasher?

    February 26, 2009 @ 8:01 pm | by Jim Carroll

    First, it was UnaRocks saying that she had enough. Now, it’s The Chancer hitting the road. I mean, who the hell will be next to sling their hook? On The Record?

    Luckily, there is no need to write an obituary because our former colleague on The Irish Times blogging blog Shane Hegarty wrote one 11 months ago, long before El Chancero decided he prefered the lure of sheep-farming.

    But seriously….. Best of luck to Del Boy and friends with whatever they decide to do next. We shall never see their likes again (if we’re lucky).

  • U2 get taxed - and Fianna Fail get Twhacked

    @ 9:13 am | by Jim Carroll

    As the bandwagon rumbles on ahead of the release of U2’s “No Tune On The Horizon”, there are some who are using U2 Week: The Crack Is Only Mighty to highlight some uncomfortable home truths about the band and their business practices.

    Ronan McGreevy reports about a protest in Dublin yesterday against U2’s decision to move their tax affairs to Holland to avoid paying tax on their royalities here. The protest was organised by the Debt and Development Coalition Ireland (DDCI) which contains such organisations as Trócaire, Oxfam and various Catholic missionary orders.

    Per Ronan’s report, “U2 moved their publishing arm in 2006 after the Government capped tax-free earnings for artists at €250,000. Previously, U2 had been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Ireland’s tax-free status for artist royalties.”

    While the band remain resident in Ireland for tax purposes, “DDCI co-ordinator Nessa ní Chasaíde said the decision to holding the protest outside the Department of Finance was to highlight the fact that U2’s tax avoidance measures deprives the Irish exchequer of taxation revenue that could be spent on development aid”. This use of a tax loophole in a foreign jurisdiction is one of the questions which Brian Boyd puts to the band in an interview to be pubilshed in The Ticket tomorrow.

    Meanwhile, Fianna Fail are not feeling the love from the blogosphere this morning after Rosparsgate. Dozens of bloggers turned up at an event in Dublin last night to hear from Joe Rospars, one of the dudes who worked on the successful Barack Obama campaign in the United States (his company Blue State also tried to help Ken Livingstone regain his job as mayor of London, but enough about that one).

    What no-one had told the bloggers, though, was that Rospars was in town rocking on FF’s dime and Blue State had been hired to help the party redesign the website. It seems from various online reports that the event was always going to be a bit of a FF love-in, but the blogeratti didn’t know about this. Cue much fuming, fury and indignation when they walked into the room and realised what was going on - check this Twitter feed to see how the meltdown happened. Meanwhile, event organiser - and Letterkenny FF councillor - Damien Blake gives his version of events.

  • Analogue - another one bites the dust

    February 25, 2009 @ 12:15 pm | by Jim Carroll

    As many of you have already noted in comments below, Analogue can be added to the list of mags who have been forced to cease print publication.

    Per editor Brendan McGuirk, it just wasn’t viable to keep the print mag going any longer. The volume of ads available for a mag like it would be slim at the best of times and fairly non-existent in the current economic shit-storm, thus hastening the scuppering of the print edition. Therefore, Analogue will, like State and the Event Guide, became an online-only entity.

    That just leaves Connected (per the mag, they’re returning with a new design in March) and Totally Dublin as the remaining freebies on the Dublin streets. It’s a sad state of affairs to be sure, but it is one which is being repeated worldwide. If the ads are hard to come by for paid publications, they just ain’t there any more for free, limited-audience free mags.

    But hey, lets accentuate the positive. All of this means that the ex-print mags now have more time to spend honing their websites, blogs and Twitter accounts. As things stand, we’re still waiting for the first great Irish online music mag to come to the fore (it sure as hell ain’t On The Record because that’s just one numptie and his laptop). While State’s online site has improved drastically in recent months, it still has a fair amount to go and I’m sure all concerned know that.

    But you can take it that those who’ve already staked a claim to online screen estate, like Drop-D and Guess List, will not let the increased competition for online eyes put them off. It will also be interesting to see if the excellent Ragged Words, which is about to undergo a bit of a revamp, will gain more readers and attention. It remains to be seen, though, if any of the above can square the circle when it comes to online ad revenue.

  • The Far Side - playlist for Tuesday February 24

    @ 9:05 am | by Jim Carroll

    As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday February 24, 10pm-midnight

    One hour of new tunes (the new Phoenix track is awesome, really like the sound of Lemonade, can’t wait to see The Hundred In The Hands live and that Kevin Blake EP is smashing) and one hour of New Orleans tunes as our Mardi Gras special turned North Wall Quay into the French Quarter for an hour.

    The Hundred In The Hands “Dressed In Dresden” (Pure Groove)
    Kinky “Hasta Quemarnos” (Nettwerk)
    Phoenix “1901″ (Source)
    Micachu “Curly Teeth” (Rough Trade)
    These Are Powers “Easy Answers” (Dead Oceans)
    Mi Ami “The Man In Your House” (Quarterstick)
    Titus Andronicus “Titus Andronicus” (XL)
    Dinosaur Pile-Up “Traynor” (Friends Vs)
    The Old Romantic Killer Band “Girl You Have All The Fun” (Bad Sneakers)
    Lemonade “Big Weekend” (True Panther)
    Fan Death “Veronica’s Veil”(Phantasy)
    CFCF “You Hear Colours” (Acephale)
    Kevin Blake “Lost At Sea” (Electric Underground)
    Animal Collective “Bluish” (Domino)
    Professor Longhair “Go to the Mardi Gras” (Ron)
    Bo Dillis & The Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indian Band “Handa Wanda”
    (Minit)
    The Meters “Hey Pocky A-Way” (Reprise)
    The Meters “Oh! Calcutta” (Josie)
    The Meters “Just Kissed My Baby” (Reprise)
    Eddie Bo “Check Your Bucket” (Bo-Sound)
    The Gaturs “Yeah You’re Right, You Know You’re Right” (Gatur)
    Chuck Carbo “Can I Be Your Squeeze?” (Canyon)
    Lee Dorsey “Yes We Can Can” (Polydor)
    Dixie Cups “Iko Iko” (Island)
    Dirty Dozen Brass Band “Cissy Strut” (Rope A Dope)
    Professor Longhair “Big Chief” (Watch)
    Earl King “Street Parade” (Kansu)
    Gentleman June Gardner “It’s Gonna Rain” (Emarcy)
    Aaron Neville “Hercules” (A&M)

  • The Specials to play Oxegen 2009

    February 24, 2009 @ 12:09 pm | by Jim Carroll

    A bunch of new additions announced for this year’s Punchestown love-in including Keane, Lily Allen, Paulo Nutini, Wallis Bird, Digitalism, The Mars Volta, Swedish House Mafia, Miss Kittin and The Hacker, Crookers (the dance shed will be only rocking) and Hockey. But the pick of the bunch? The Specials! Well, The Specials minus founding member Jerry Dammers. Question of the day: does this change your mind about Oxegen 2009?

  • The randomiser says “lovely weather for some balance sheet management”

    @ 8:36 am | by Jim Carroll

    Sad news - Unarocks has left the building. The Irish blogosphere will be a whole lot quieter without her.

    From the courts: examiner appointed to Golden Discs, liquidator appointed to various Thomas Read companies.

    What we should be hearing from the courts: Fintan O’Toole calls time on our tax fugitives

    Want to hear three girls and a guy gasbag about the Choice Music Prize? Yes, it’s the return of the Alison Curtis Show Three Girls and A Guy podcast! Hear Alison, Sinead Gleeson, Tanya Sweeney and numptie here talk about the 10 acts on the shortlist and who they think will win. Paddy Power please note: I don’t have a vote, OK?

    It’s not just U2 who want to be the new Camembert Quartet: here are the Roots (well, ?uestlove at any rate) explaining why their gig as the house band on NBC’s soon-come Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Show may well have saved the band.

    Hey, happy Mardi Gras folks! Tune into The Far Side tonight for some mo’ sounds from NOLA.

    Via FOC: say hello to the Anti-Bono. Yep, it’s all U2 all week. Did you know that there are already a couple of lads sitting outside HMV on Grafton Street in Dublin waiting to purchase “No Line On The Horizon” when it goes on sale on Thursday night at midnight? They were there last night, at any rate. Really hope the band get down to say hello. Or send sandwiches. Or sushi.

    Darklight: The Benefit is a night of movies and music featuring Dublin: The Movie… The Live Remix (Eoghan Kidney is planning to mash up those short films shot for Darklight last year), David Kitt, Somadrone, Sunken Foal and Annie T and Una Rocks spinning tunes. Admission is €20 and all cash goes to the keep-Darklight-stroking-its-chin fund.

    Peter Murphy’s world tour to plug the bejaysus out of his ace debut novel John The Revelator (gaining great reviews left, right and centre) takes him to Belfast tomorrow (Wednesday). Paperback Rioters at the Oh Yeah centre will feature Peter reading from his new book, Good Vibrations don Terri Hooley reading from his upcoming autobiography and our old muck Stuart Bailie reading from his Thin Lizzy book, Ballad Of The Thin Man. There’s also live music from Robert Holmes and Pixie Saytar. Doors open at 8pm and £4 gets you in.

    New multi-city radio station 4FM, the one which is aiming to be the Irish BBC Radio 2, goes on air on Friday with this line-up.

    And finally, via Nero, this gorgeous wee flick:

  • U2 “No Line On the Horizon”

    February 23, 2009 @ 8:48 am | by Jim Carroll

    On The Record readers with an interest in sampling U2’s new album should proceed here where there are one minute snippets (yep, 60 seconds) of all the tracks from “No Line On The Horizon” to be heard. Please let us know what you think in the comments below.

    Me? Well, seeing as you asked……
    (more…)

  • Fiona McCann! Raptureponies! Nialler9! FTW!

    @ 8:29 am | by Jim Carroll

    Congrats to my fellow blogger on the Irish Times block Fiona McCann (Arts & Culture), the lovely Raptureponies (Popculture) and the, uhm, beardy Nialler9 (Music), all of whom won some gongware at the Irish Blog Awards on Saturday night. Others won too, but a special round of applause for those three. Let’s hope it doesn’t go to their heads.

  • McPlug

    February 20, 2009 @ 9:48 am | by Jim Carroll

    In this week’s Ticket, your only man when it comes to music and movies, the New Music slots are occupied by The Gaslight Anthem and The Happiness Project (the three to check out are The Lowly Knights, Ranger 3 and Lotus Plaza), the CD of the Week is the blockbuster “Dark Was the Night” indie compilation, there are reviews of albums from Empire of the Sun, Bell Orchestre, Sholi, M Ward, Dan Auerbach, India.Arie and Ruthie Foster and Lauren Murphy’s Music News features Delorentos saying goodbye and Pirate Bay in the dock.

    On the movies side of the house, there’s an interview with Meryl Streep, Michael Dwyer’s Oscar tips, Donald Clarke on why Oscar night is film’s version of New Year’s Eve and DC’s review of the Dublin International Film Festival so far. Reviews too of this week’s new releases, namely Gran Torino, Che Part 2, Cadillac Records, Push and Confessions of a Shopaholic.

    Over to youse - get plugging.

  • Expect a quiet summer in the fields

    February 19, 2009 @ 2:11 pm | by Jim Carroll

    Sometimes, predictions do come to pass. Last summer at the height of the festival and outdoor gig season, On The Record made an educated guess that we’d see less and less gigs in fields in 2009. At the time, the main reason for thinkin this was to do with the opening of The 02 and how promoters would avail of the venue’s fixed costs and roof. Of course, we didn’t imagine the havoc the recession and credit crunch would have on the sector.

    I’m sure Malahide Castle is not the only venue which will be missing rock’n'roll punters this summer. The north Dublin venue has become a regular host on the summer gigging circuit but this will change in 2009 as this report by Robin Kiely in the Fingal Independent confirms. While there may have been 11 shows at the venue in the last few years, it’s clear that the promoters may either moved indoors or have decided not to risk their cash.

    (UPDATE Reader Sean D in the comments below queries why we’ve heard nothing about this year’s Green Energy shows, which are usually held over the May Bank Holiday weekend in Dublin Castle. Last year, these shows were announced in late January. Is this another one to add to the MIA list?)

    Of course, promoting shows is a hugely risky proposition in the first place. We may rail and rant about the big promoters here time and time again, but we’re not the ones paying out huge advances for acts who may or may not do the business. Or even acts who’re hot today and stone cold tomorrow. Imagine, for instance, if you were a promoter thinking about doing an open-air show in Dublin in the summer with Chris Brown. You saw him selling 50k tickets in nanoseconds for the 02 and Odyssey and thought “bingo”. As Chris Brown turns into the new Bobby Brown, it may be a while before he’ll be selling out shows again.

    Still, some people are optimistic and not just Team Brown. A few months ago, I interviewed Harry Crosbie for Cara magazine and he went on at great length about his plans for a big public square next to the 02 and Point Village. “By the end of 2009, we’ll have the Luas station and a big public square opened”, he said. “It’s the first square of its kind to be opened in Dublin since the 18th century. It will have free rock concerts, food markets, outdoor dancing, anything which pulls punters down.” The ad went into the papers last week seeking suitable designs for this plaza. Sounds to me like the ideal site for the revolution.

  • Dan Deacon, Dublin, June

    @ 10:27 am | by Jim Carroll

    Dan Deacon plays Dublin’s Andrew’s Lane Theatre on June 3. He will be touring complete with his new Ensemble (which appears to include members of Ponytail, So Percussion and others) to plug his new album “Bromst”. Tickets for this Foggy Notions joint will be €20. News of the day via Thrill Pier.

  • Tune of the Week - “Nothing But A Heartache”

    @ 10:01 am | by Jim Carroll

    I hear this song, close my eyes and, hey, it’s the weekend.
    (more…)

  • More on the Big 4 v the interweb

    February 18, 2009 @ 10:40 am | by Jim Carroll

    All eyes are currently on Stockholm where various record labels are trying to make the Pirate Bay buccaneers walk the plank (though the Guardian reports that things are not working out according to plan).

    However, guns are blazing elsewhere too. As John Collins reports, the Irish Big 4 labels have sent legal eagle letters to telecom and internet service providers here looking for a “graduated response” to alleged copyright infringement by their customers. It seems that the labels are hoping their recent Eircom settlement will encourage other ISPs to get with their three-strikes-and-you’re-back-in-the-internet-stone-age-Jimmy-boy programme.

    Unlike Eircom, some of these ISPs appear unwilling to play ball and more legal eagles can expect to send their kids through college with the billings from this one.

    From JC’s report: “Alex French, finance and operations director with Bitbuzz, said the demand from the record labels went too far in looking to disconnect people without “a competent court finding that they have done something wrong”.

    He said he was also concerned about the reference in the letter to Eircom agreeing to block access to “the Pirate Bay websites or similar websites”. The Pirate Bay is a Swedish website which provides a directory of films, TV shows, music and other content that can be downloaded from third parties.

    “We don’t support illegal activity on our network but this is an unprecedented agreement,” said Mr French. “Is the music industry planning to become Ireland’s de facto internet censor?”

  • The Far Side - playlist for Tuesday February 17

    @ 9:15 am | by Jim Carroll

    As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday February 17, 10pm-midnight

    Deerhunter “Never Stops” (4AD)
    Hjaltalin “Traffic Music” (Kimi)
    Micachu & The Shapes “Lips” (Rough Trade)
    Two Door Cinema Club “Something Good Can Work” (Abeano)
    Junior Boys “Bits & Pieces” (Domino)
    Dan Deacon “Get Older” (Carpark)
    N.A.S.A “Money” (Anti)
    Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band “P.I.M.P” (Mocambo)
    Hudson Mohawke “Star Crackout” (All City)
    Rustie “Tempered” (Kapsize)
    Lotus Plaza “Red Oak Way” (Kranky)
    Fever Ray “I’m Not Done” (Rabid)
    Skeletons “Stepper AKA Work” (Tomlab)
    Jinx Lennon “Folk Music for the Midlands” (Septic Tiger)
    Phantom Band “The Howling” (Chemikal Underground)
    Iran “I Can See The Future” (Narnack)
    Magic Arm “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” (Switchflicker)
    Arthur Russell “This Is How We Walk On The Moon” (Orange Mountain)
    Nico Muhly “The Only Tune: Pt 3″ (Bedroom Community)
    Bill Wells & Maher Shaka Hash Baz “Time Takes Me So Back” (Geographic)
    The Acorn “The Lullaby (Mountain)” (Bella Union)
    Karen Dalton “In The Evening (It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love
    You The Best)” (Koch)
    Mississippi John Hurt “Stack O’Lee” (Snapper)
    Dan Auerbach “Trouble Weighs A Ton” (Co-Op)
    Charlie Parr “Far Cry From Fargo” (Independent)
    J Tillman “James Blues” (Bella Union)
    Susanna/Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy “Jailbreak” (Rune Grammofon)
    Colm Mac Con Iomaire “Thou Shalt Not Carry Timber” (Plateau)

  • Delorentos say goodbye

    February 17, 2009 @ 12:30 pm | by Jim Carroll

    Dublin band Delorentos are preparing to call it a day. In a statement issued today, the band say that the decision by Ronan Yourell to leave has lead them to decide that “it wouldn’t feel right to continue “delorentos” without him”. The band are still planning to record and release album number two but, as they say, “it’ll be our last collection of songs as delorentos”

    It’s a huge shame because they did have the smarts and potential to make bigger steps elsewhere. Indeed, a couple of tours of the United States (including a very memorable couple of dates last March) created a lot of interest in the band and hopes were high for album number two.

    But such ambitions turned out to be another victim of the credit crunch. As Delorentos explained in their MySpace blog last December, a mooted record deal failed to materialise due to the prospective label encountering a problem with financing, while the collapse of their distribution company, Pinnacle, scuppered the band’s plans to release their album in the UK.

    As they said then “these are strange times for everyone, and for us in the music industry there has been a lot of uncertainty. It just happened that our opportunity coincided with this extraordinary time.”

    While we wait for their final hurrah, lets remember them this way

  • On The Record’s current soundtrack

    @ 9:30 am | by Jim Carroll

    Here are 10 albums making everything beautifully spring-like around these parts right now.

    (1) Hudson Mohawke “Polyfolk Dance” (Warp)

    Only six tracks but, man, what six tracks they are. Glaswegian producer getting those sounds he can hear on the dancefloor in his head down on tape. Hugely ambitious Godzilla-like strikes (no spares). Check out “Monde” or “Overnight” right now and prepare to swoon.

    (2) Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On (Deluxe edition)” (Motown/Universal)

    It’s amazing to listen to a new version of one of your favourite albums of all time and hear a ton of previously unheard material which throws new lights and shapes on things. Marvellous Marvin hitting all the right notes in some style. See also the dexule edition of DJ Shadow’s “Endtroducing”.

    (3) Nico Muhly “Mothertongue” (Bedroom Community)

    The new Philip Glass shows his smarts. One of a rake of really great releases on the Icelandic label which arrived last week, Muhly has worked with Glass, Bjork and Antony but this solo album is one of those wonders which weaves a majestic spell from start to finish. Quiet music for the wee hours.

    (4) Friendly Fires “Friendly Fires” (XL)

    One of the last year’s albums which sort of fell below the radar on its release but which has kept me mightily entertained since I rediscovered it before Christmas. Big-brain disco-punk with a huge pop edge to it. A million, billion, zillion times better than White Lies.

    (5) Jinx Lennon “Trauma Themes, Idiot Times” (Septic Tiger)

    Cometh the hour, cometh the Jinx. The sound of righeous anger and edgy fury in 16 different flavours. Rather than people going on with the “fair play to Jinx” schtick all the time, maybe they could actually go out and buy this record when it comes out in March, eh?

    (6) Various “Floored Memory…Fading Location” (Fat Cat)

    Gorgeous chocolate-box selection from Fat Cat’s 130701 imprint. You get divine atmospherics and post-modern classics from Max Richter, Hauschka, Sylvain Chauveau and Set Fire to Flames. Perfect music to accompany a night spent staring at the moon.

    (7) Various “Counter Culture 08″ (V2)

    The pick of what the staff from the Rough Trade record shops liked from last year. For your money, you’ll get a bundle of names you already know (Bon Iver, Department of Eagles, Fleet Foxes, Times New Viking), some interesting electronic names (Rustie, Yo Majesty, El Guincho) and a clutch of lesser known names who are well worth checking out (Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts, Salem, Indian Jewelry, Telepathe). Another reason why we need decent indie record shops.

    (8) The Tallest Man On Earth “Shallow Graves” (Gravitation)

    A wonderful record full to the brim with eerie sounds, atmospheric bird chatter, crackling backdrops and a heavyweight selection of wordy, bluesy songs from Swedish folkie Kristian Matsson. What you might hear if you go down to the woods outside Dalarna today.

    (9) Fever Ray “Fever Ray” (Rabid)

    More Swedes (this time Karin Andersson from The Knife) making magnificently moody, glacial music full of tongue-in-cheek lines (”we talk about love/we talk about dishwasher tablets”), sulky synths and slow-motion reverb. A treasure of an affair from the north.

    (10) Candi Staton “Who’s Hurting Now?” (Honest Jon’s)

    Southern soul belle enjoying yet another lease of life. While not quite as knock-your-socks-off as the Will Oldham-helmed comeback “His Hands”, there’s more than enough here to remind you of just why Staton was the toast of the old FAME gang.

  • Doves, Ireland, April

    February 16, 2009 @ 12:37 pm | by Jim Carroll

    Doves play Belfast’s Ulster Hall on April 19 (tickets £26/£23.50) and Dublin’s Olympia on April 20 (tickets €28) - tickets for both shows go on sale on Friday. I like the sound of their new tune “Jetstream” because it sounds like all their old tunes (download it here), but this here is my all-time fave Doves track for lots of reasons

  • A new week, a new randomiser….

    @ 9:14 am | by Jim Carroll

    Zip up your boots for your local record store (part 1,067). One for the Road sees a whole host of local acts (including Jape, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, The Jimmy Cake, Si Schroeder, Adrian Crowley and others) playing a Road Records “benefit and celebration” at Andrew’s Lane Theatre, Dublin on March 14. Tickets now on sale for €20.

    Is Spotify going to take over the world? It seems that you can’t go 100 yards down the street without hearing someone or other going on about the brand spanking new “celestial jukebox” - voila the Observer, Guardian and Billboard. Just a pity that certain sectors of the record business are predicatably going “ya-boo-sucks”.

    Another black day for the Irish record retail sector as a liquidator is appointed to Golden Discs. See here for that story - and also about how Bubble Hits has gone burst.

    Letter of the Day: Madam – Reading The Irish Times online last Friday, I knew, even before clicking my mouse, that the author of the article entitled “Cowen fills our need for strong father figure” was John Waters. Must everything Mr Waters writes relate to fatherhood? I have a father. What I don’t have at the moment is a Taoiseach. – Yours, etc, Caroline Lynch, Shantalla, Galway.

    No-one obviously told these tour managers that what happens on tour is supposed to stay on tour.

    Zip up your boots for your local music bloggers (part, uhm 1). It’s a battle of the bloggers (hey, what go you call a bunch of bloggers anyway? A rash of bloggers? A typo of bloggers? A plague of bloggers? A fish-and-chip shop of bloggers? An ego-trip of bloggers?) with such wonders of the local online world as Nialler9, Ricky O’Shea, Ian “Thrill Pier” Wright, UnaRocks, NaRocRoc, Sweet Oblivion, Rapture Ponies, Aoife McIndieHour, Bluebirds Are So Natural, Dublin Streets and - oh yes, sports fans - On The Record hitting the decks at Soundcheck this coming Thursday. The venue is Spy (South William Street, Dublin 2), the action starts at 7pm and admission is free before 11pm (and then a fiver).

    Enough with the drummer jokes - it seems that drumming really is good for your health

    Time magazine comes up with some ideas to save the newspaper

    The Indiecator shizzle continues. The latest release to get the reissue treatment from the online label is In Motion’s lovely debut album “The Language of Everyday Life”, a long lost Irish indie-jangle classics originally originally released in 1994 on Eamon Crudden’s Dead Elvis. Check out the reissue here, including a free download of “Hollow Blow”.

    Three strikes and you, the illegal music downloader, are out? Not so in Germany.

    Why Auto-Tune is making the world sing, sing, sing.

    You thought the Irish music industry was full of gangsters? Strewth!

    Finally, a video to mark the news that Wire play Dublin’s Whelan’s on June 6.

  • Golden Discs gone into examinership - and Bubble Hits reaches bursting point

    February 13, 2009 @ 9:53 pm | by Jim Carroll

    Full story from Mary Carolan here about another bad day for the Irish music retail sector. An examiner has been appointed to Golden Discs on the back of a request from Sony Music Ireland, who are owed €1.38 million by the chain. Per court report, six of the chain’s 20 stores were loss-making, namely the shops at Dublin’s Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Mary Street, Jervis Street and Stillorgan, Limerick’s Jetlands Shopping Centre and at Maynooth, Co Kildare.

    In other music business/media news, Bubble Hits (website not currently working) has gone off air. The pop music TV station, 50 per cent of which was owned by MCD boss Denis Desmond via his Gaiety Investments company and 50 per cent owned by station founders James Hyland and Lee Walsh, was launched as an advertising-free zone in Ireland and the UK in 2006. However when the station failed to generate enough sponsorship to fund its activities, they went looking for ads but, despite claiming 1.5 million viewers per week, advertisers did not bite.

  • Phantom Band, Dublin, May

    @ 12:14 pm | by Jim Carroll

    The excellent Phantom Band play Whelan’s, Dublin on May 26. Tickets go on sale at the end of the next week and will be €12. If you haven’t done so already, check out their “Checkmate Savage” album (review here).

  • Is it safe to mention the Choice Music Prize here again?

    @ 10:41 am | by Jim Carroll

    The full line-up for the Choice Music Prize live event in Vicar Street, Dublin on March 4 is now confirmed.

    Jape, Fight Like Apes, Mick Flannery, Halfset, Messiah J & The Expert and R.S.A.G. will all play on the night.

    Fellow nominees Lisa Hannigan and Oppenheimer will be in the middle of US tours, The Script are playing in Lisbon and David Holmes does not play live.

    The live show will be MC’d by Today FM’s Alison Curtis and there will also be snazzy video inserts on the night courtesy of Muzu TV (a Choice Music Prize Muzu channel will go live in the next few days). The show will also be broadcast live on the night by Paul McLoone on Today FM. Ticket details here.

    Musical Rooms will be running pieces between now and March 4 featuring the acts nominated for this year’s taking about their favourite rooms to write and record music.

    * Declaration of interest: I’m the co-founder of this yoke and am also the non-voting chairman of the judging panel.

  • More acts for Oxegen 2009

    @ 9:53 am | by Jim Carroll

    And the names keep coming. The latest additions are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Elbow, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Razorlight, Fight Like Apes, The Ting Tings, Pendulum, Jason Mraz, White Lies and Pat Kenny fan Pete Doherty.

  • The spinning is only fabulous

    February 12, 2009 @ 6:28 pm | by Jim Carroll

    It’s JNLR Day again and On the Record is weary. The friendly calls to spin the results and the press releases to confirm the spins have been arriving over the last few hours. Thankfully, it will be another few months before we get those calls again.

    All over the land, station chiefs have spent the entire afternoon locked away in a room going through the survey results to see how they can, uhm, “manipulate” the findings to paint their station in a good light for other media and advertisers. Budgetary cutbacks means they probably didn’t have a cup of tea or a plate of biscuits to tide them over, the poor lambs.

    But you have to admire the ingenuity of all concerned in turning what are usually flat and uninspiring figures into the stuff of legends. It is because of this dastardly craft of embellishing the truth with a smile that we have heard so much puff in recent years about weekend shows on the up (ie it takes attention away from the fact that listenership for the station’s weekday primetime shows are down). It’s why you now get press releases which are very good at comparing like with unlike, where figures for last year are compared with a three-month period and not the full year. Indeed, in the case of one station, it seems to our eyes that there are even some very subtle shenanigans going on with some of time-slots under review.

    To quote Sgt Phil Esterhaus, let’s be careful out there.

  • The randomiser from last night

    @ 12:27 pm | by Jim Carroll

    Thoroughly enjoyed the Wavves rattle last night in Whelan’s. As someone said to me afterwards, it may have sounded like just the one song over and over again, but hey, what a song! Interesting too that the song(s) were far clearer and less cluttered than on record to date. Still can’t understand what’s the story behind the Fat Possum hook-up, but I suppose it’s like the Cork hurlers, the Cork county board and Gerald McCarthy. Hey, Californian scuzz-pop and the GAA in the one sentence. Anyway… Good turn-out for the Skinny Wolves - their next gathering will be at the same venue next Thursday (February 19) with Crystal Stits and New Amusement. Go Wolves!

    Good crowd too at the opening of the 12 Points fest in the Project last night. I could only stick around to see Morla and really enjoyed Simon Jermyn and Sean Og’s mix of slo-mo electronics, superb guitar subtleties, weirdbeard Greek/Armenian textures and fuzzy sax. The festival continues tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at the Project. Check it out, people, check it out.

    Yes, the first first bunch of Ally McBeals are poised to probe MasterNation. Per Billboard, the US Justice Department are going to take a look. I understand a new tribunal (the On The Record Tribunal?) will be set up in Ireland to examine the merger

    This is the blog post of the year. Dude, if you want to do some guest posts, just get in touch.

    RIP Buena Vista Social club bassist (and lets not forget the awesome “Cachito” solo album), Orlando “Cachito” Lopez

    And finally, what every well-dressed dopehead will be carrying under his or her oxter on holidays this year - the Bob Marley suitcase.

  • Road Records to remain in business?

    @ 9:37 am | by Jim Carroll

    Following on from last month’s story that Road Records is to close, On The Record has learned that moves are now underway to ensure the Dublin record store will remain open for business.

    These plans revolve around a Save Road Records investment club with a number of music industry personnel and other interested parties taking a shareholding in the business. It is hoped that this investment will mean that the Fade Street store remains open and allow it to develop a long term strategy.

    Furter details as they emerge.

  • Tricky, Dublin, May

    February 11, 2009 @ 11:42 am | by Jim Carroll

    Tricky plays Dublin’s Academy on May 14. Looks like May 2009 is turning out to be like May 2008 with the amount of gigs on the cards - agents are waking up and promoters are taking their calls again. Tickets are €30 and go on sale on Friday. Interview with Tricky here, done last year around the release of the “Knowle West Boy” album

  • The Far Side - playlist for Tuesday February 10

    @ 9:24 am | by Jim Carroll

    As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday February 10, 10pm-midnight

    Some parish notes from last night’s show. The mighty Wavves plays in Dublin tonight (Whelan’s) and will be on The Front Row with Sinead Ni Mhorda on Phantom 105.2 today (1pm-3pm). That Hudson Mohawke album gets better and better with every listen (and his All City cuts from last year are the business too), JJ Fad were true badasses, that Q-Tip tune with Norah Jones is absolutely gorgeous, the Bedroom Community label have a very sweet back catalogue and the new Hauschka album is a thing of great beauty. And The Far Side had a go at Twitter last night. Verdict? Not as good as the Wii.

    Wavves “So Bored” (Young Turks)
    Mika Miko “Sex Jazz” (Sub Pop)
    Baby Dayliner “At Least” (Brassland)
    New Villager “Rich Doors” (Two Syllable)
    The Lowly Knights “Baby Don’t Leave Me” (We Collect Records)
    Gold Teeth “Everybody” (Pure Groove)
    Hudson Mohawke “Overnight” (Warp)
    Flying Lotus “GNG BNG” (Warp)
    Notorious BIG “Hypnotise” (Bad Boy)
    Jay-Z/Santogold “Brooklyn Go Hard” (Atlantic)
    JJ Fad “You’re Goin’ Down” (Soul Jazz)
    Queen Latifah “Ladies First” (Soul Jazz)
    Q-Tip “Life Is Better” (Universal Motown)
    Marvin Gaye “You’re the Man” (Motown)
    St Etienne “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (Heavenly)
    Lotus Plaza “Sunday Night” (Kranky)
    School Of Seven Bells “Prince Of Peace” (Ghostly International)
    Ranger3 “If We Were Ready” (Bigo & Twigetti)
    Villagers “The Sun Is Hanging From A String” (Any Other City)
    Elliott Smith “Independence Day” (Dreamworks)
    First Aid Kit “Tangerine” (Rabid)
    Bell Orchestre “Dark Lights” (Arts & Craft)
    Nico Muhly “Quiet Music” (Bedroom Community)
    Samamidon “All Is Well” (Bedroom Community)
    Soap & Skin “Sleep” (Couch)
    Hauschka “Wonder” (Fat Cat)

  • MasterNation - it’s a boy!

    February 10, 2009 @ 7:04 pm | by Jim Carroll

    The dating is over and the happy couple (formerly known as Ms Live Nation and Mr Ticketmaster) are walking down the aisle. Let the weeping and gnashing of teeth begin.

    Actually, scratch that, it has already begun.

    Here’s Marketwatch on why this deal is bad for consumers

    Good analysis from David Carr here on why it’s bad for the consumer: “let’s take two behemoths with an overwhelming footprint in the live music business, smush them together, and see how that works out for the consumer”

    Wonder how the happy couple will get on with the various regulators?

  • Putting the big man on the big screen

    @ 2:17 pm | by Jim Carroll

    The funniest moment comes after the film ends and the credits begin to roll. You’ve just watched two hours on the rise and fall of Christopher Wallace AKA Notorious B.I.G., AKA Biggie Smalls, AKA Big Poppa AKA “Christy, come in, your tea is poured out!”. You’ve followed him from growing up on the fat-lace streets of Brooklyn to watching him bringing the bling to the penthouses. You’ve watched how George Tillman Jr’s film has painted Biggie’s mentor and hypeman Sean Combs as the ultimate court jester. The credits start to roll and then you see it. “Executive Producer: Sean Combs”. Hey, who said that Diddy doesn’t have a sense of humour?
    (more…)

  • Dirty Projectors, Dublin, March

    @ 8:40 am | by Jim Carroll

    The excellent Dirty Projectors play Dublin’s Crawdaddy on March 28. Tickets will be €17. They’re one of the acts featured on the “Dark Was The Night” indie-love-in for the Red Hot organisation - have a listen to “Knotty Pine”, their collaboration for the album with David Byrne, here. Band’s new album due soon-ish on Domino.

  • Fennesz, Dublin, May

    February 9, 2009 @ 2:49 pm | by Jim Carroll

    The awesome Fennesz plays at Dublin’s Andrew’s Lane Theatre on May 6. Tickets will be €21 and go on sale on February 18. Here’s a video for “Caecilia” from the “Endless Summer” album

  • When Pat met Pete

    @ 8:42 am | by Jim Carroll

    Pat: I am the future of television. I am the future of… OK, OK, knock it off, people might talk if they see your lips moving like that with nothing coming out. Memo to self: remember to go shopping in Lidl tomorrow and let the plain people of Ireland see that I really have taken a pay-cut. Well, my company has taken a pay-cut. I hear they do great cured meats in Lidl. Anyway, here comes Pete. This could be my Frost/Nixon moment and would certainly be better than all those Alan Partridge moments I have accumulated to date. He’s quite skinny - wonder what gym he goes to?

    Pete: Blimey, that was Enya back there. Enya! Man, it was almost worth spending six hours on a plane to meet Enya. Wow, this is like that time I went to Loftus Road in 1986 and had three pork pies at half-time for the price of one. OK, so there’s Pat. Kind of square, but I hear he was a mean singer-songwriter in the beat-club era so dude must know the score. Oh shit, there’s some fans in the audience. Hold on, just one fan. Wink at her. Fans, eh? Can’t live with them, can’t afford to live without them.

    Pat: Lets look at the list of questions and see what my hot-shot bunch of researchers have come up this time. Drugs. Kate. Drugs with Kate. Kate with drugs. Kate. Drugs. Surely there must be more to the man than this? Not for the first time, I realise that my ambition to be the future of television could benefit from some researchers who do a bit more work than just type a name into Google. Look at floor manager and get the nod. Smile and manfully stroke my chin. Remind myself that I only have one chin unlike some of my peers (hi Gerry!)

    Pete: He’s not just gonna ask me about fucking drugs, is he? He is, isn’t he? OK, here it comes. Steady now…. Oh, a question about Kate. Forfucksake. Bet he won’t ask Enya about Kate. Or drugs. Look lovingly at my guitar. Pull my hat down over my eyes and wait for next question. Think great, luxurious, existential thoughts about the fluffiness of clouds, the girth of elephants and the dimensions of rainbows. Wonder if I look like Sartre when I do this?

    Pat: Eureka! He’s a Doherty so he must have some Irish in him. Decide to ditch the endless questions about drugs and Kate on my list and go for the jackpot. Hahahahaha, I really am the future of television. In your face Tubridy!

    Pete: I don’t believe it, the Irish background question. What does he want me to be do now, sing “There’s No-One As Irish As Barack Obama”? Does he not realise that most of my songs are about the joys of perfidious Albion? Does this geezer even know the name of any of my songs? Decide to pull hat further over my eyes and hope it all goes away. Fan in audience starts screaming again. Maybe someone hit her. Or bit her. Think of my favourite Queens Park Rangers away-strips.

    Pat: This is not going well.

    Pete: This is not going well. I had better play a song

    Pat: He’s going for the guitar. Golly, this is so, you know, cutting-edge. Memo to self: make sure guitar is out of sight by the time Waters, Dunphy and Harris are here. Don’t want Waters to get any ideas. And don’t want Dunphy to start singing.

    Pete: How the hell do I end this song again? There must be some chord I don’t know about. Gah. Hold on, I think I’ve found it. There, job’s oxo.

    Pat: I wonder will he now do something, you know, rock’n'roll and smash the guitar over his head or, heaven forbid, my head. Gosh, that would be something, wouldn’t it? Take that Tommy Tiernan! Rock’n'roll! C’mon Pete, smash the bloody guitar. Go on! Do something dangerous! Do something which makes everyone overlook the fact that I’ve just conducted another one of those interviews which highlights my cluelessness when it comes to popular culture, my inability to improvise a TV interview on the spot and the total stupidity of having Pete Doherty on this show in the first place. Please Pete, smash the guitar! Pretty-please?

    Pete: I want to go to the pub now.

  • Tune of the Week - “Rich Doors”

    February 6, 2009 @ 11:23 am | by Jim Carroll

    The name of the band is NewVillager.
    (more…)

  • Plug it in

    @ 10:12 am | by Jim Carroll

    This week in The Ticket, there are interviews with Bell X1 (whose new album “Blue Lights On The Runway” is a hell of a dashing thing) and Emmy The Great (guess she never read On The Record’s review of her performance at Eurosonic), a feature on indie music’s love affair with strange instruments and reviews of new albums by Lily Allen, “Counter Culture 2008″ (the Rough Trade record shop staff’s excellent round-up of the year just gone) The Phantom Band, Marnie Stern, Moriarty, Van Morrison (”Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl”), Warren Zevon (a reissue of his self-titled debut), The Fray and Sky Larkin.

    Meanwhile, Eoin Butler reviews the singles and Lauren Murphy’s Music News looks at current Irish music shows on TV and the web and previews Brighton’s Great Escape festival.

    In New Music, you’ve got profiles of the excellent Wavves and In Case of Fire plus the Three to Try are Micachu & The Shapes , Jay Electronica and Sounds of System Breakdown.

    On the Movies side of the house, there are reviews of The Good, The Bad & The Weird, Bolt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and two other flicks which get a one-star rating which means the reviews are well worth reading. As is Kevin Sweeney’s piece about how Bolt makes a profound statement about modern America.

    And finally, there’s a couple of excellent pieces in the Business section today about music downloading on the back of last week’s Eircom v the Big 4 decision. Pick of the bunch is Danny O’Brien’s column on why the record business’s plans are doomed to fail because they ignore ongoing changes in digital technology

    That’s the end of the ad from us. Now, your turn. Plug your wares in the comments below.

  • All a Blur

    February 5, 2009 @ 3:02 pm | by Jim Carroll

    Blur are the latest act added to this year’s Oxegen festival bill where they join previously announced names Kings Of Leon, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party and Katy Perry.

    Our man in the anorak on Park Road tells us that The Killers apparently are also doing it but they’re involved in heated discussions with promoters MCD about the size of the dressing-rooms, the shape of the tea-bags on the rider and ground transportation for Brandon Flowers’ ego.

    Other names we can probably expect? Lets see. Well, Franz Ferdinand are probably on the to-be-added list. Keane? Yeah, stick them on too. Kaiser Chiefs? If you must. We can also expect Passion Pit, Glasvegas, Maximo Park, Doves, MGMT, Ladyhawke and a host of acts who’ll be playing MCD gigs in the next few months.

    There will also be a token allocation of Irish bands and some sort of dance stage in the large barn on-site. Justice will probably play that one or, at least, two lads who look like scruffy Parisian DJs. You can add the names you have heard floating around in the comments field below.

    So far, so predicatable. But, to be honest, there’s nothing wrong with that. As festivals go, Oxegen know their crowd and what that crowd wants from a couple of days on a racecourse in the middle of Co Kildare. MCD did not get to their position as Irish music’s leading pimps by over-estimating the musical likes of their audience. Some On The Record readers might be happier if Oxegen was Primavera plus All Tomorrow’s Parties multiplied by Sonar (pre-2005), but that ain’t going to wash. Sure, there will be plenty of acts who’ll tick those boxes on the under-card but, by and large, it will be tried and tested names bulking out the line-up. If a festival like the one above would pull in the crowds and the cash in the Irish market, such a festival would be on the schedule. Money talks, which is why we can expect a cast of the usual suspects in Punchestown come July. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

    Anyway, Blur are - or were - a great band

  • Gigroll

    February 4, 2009 @ 2:13 pm | by Jim Carroll

    It’s the first recessionary gigroll of 2009! All the new gig announcements we’ve heard about this week so far. If we’ve missed any, get thee to the comments field.

    A Place To Bury Strangers play Dublin’s Whelan’s on March 31. They were here in December and played ALT so that’s a downgrade for the loudest band in NYC.

    The lovely Imelda May’s Dublin show on March 12 has been switched from the Button Factory to Tripod. She also plays Galway’s Roisin Dubh on March 10 and Cork’s Pavilion on March 11. Yes, 2009 is going to be the year of the rockabilly revival.

    Lloyd Cole will be spending two nights on Dublin’s Wexford Street when he plays Whelan’s on May 11 and 12 (and one night in Galway when he plays the Roisin Dubh on May 10)

    The wonderful Ponytail play Whelan’s, Dublin on March 11

    Contrary bugger Squarepusher plays an early show at Dublin’s Button Factory on April 25 and Belfast’s Stiff Kitten the following night.

    Men in cloaks Tinariwen play Dublin’s Academy on October 17. Man, that’s months away - will there even be an economy by then? We’ll have to barter to get into the show.

    And James Taylor, dude with guitar, plays Dublin’s 02 on July 3, which is the night after he plays Cork’s Live at the Marquee.

    (Thanks to Lauren for some of the tips above)

  • Ticketmaster and Live Nation to start dating?

    @ 9:04 am | by Jim Carroll

    Loads of rumours, informed speculation and leaks going round that ticket-selling giant Ticketmaster and live music behemoth Live Nation are in advanced merger talks.

    Per Reuters, “if the deal goes ahead, the marriage of the world’s biggest concert promoter and the leading ticketing and artist-management company will create a dominant force in the industry with ties to more than 200 artists such as the Eagles, U2, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Madonna and Jay-Z”.

    All of which begs the question: what’s the current status of the long mooted Live Nation/MCD love-in?

  • The Far Side - playlist for Tuesday February 3

    @ 8:51 am | by Jim Carroll

    As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday February 3, 10pm-midnight

    Tanlines “Bejan” (Young Turks)
    Kelpe “Shipwreck Glue” (DC Recordings)
    Rustie “Zig-Zag” (Wireblock)
    Hudson Mohawke “Monde” (Warp)
    Lukid “Raise High The Roof Beam” (Werk Discs)
    Animal Collective “My Girls” (Domino)
    Zombie Zombie “What’s Happening In the City?” (Versatile)
    Micachu & The Shapes “Lips” (Rough Trade)
    Vivian Girls “Where Do You Run To?” (In The Red)
    The School “All I Wanna Do” (Elefant)
    Carosel “Easy As It Flows” (Reekus)
    TV On The Radio “Heroes” (War Child)
    Indian Jewelry “Temporary Famine Ship” (We Are Free)
    Sufjan Stevens “Blood” (4AD)
    Fever Ray “Dry & Dusty” (Rabid)
    Fennesz “Perfum for Winter” (Touch)
    Dan Auerbach “Heartbroken, In Disrepair” (V2)
    The Tallest Man On Earth “Shallow Grave” (Gravitation)
    The Low Anthem “Charlie Darwin” (Own label)
    John Martyn “May You Never” (Island)
    The Happiness Project “Anna” (Arts & Crafts)
    Max Richter “January Timelapse 2″ (Fat Cat 130701)
    Blind Willie Johnson “John the Revelator” (Smithsonian Folkways)
    John Martyn “Glory Box” (Thirsty Ear)
    John Martyn “Solid Air” (Island)

  • A song for a snowy afternoon

    February 3, 2009 @ 3:25 pm | by Jim Carroll

    It’s snowing in Dublin 3 which seems as good a time as any for this song, as promised to Rockford. Your songs for a snowy day in the comments field below please.

  • The randomiser says “snark!”

    @ 9:33 am | by Jim Carroll

    A few flurries of aul’ snow KO’d the first meeting of musical greats keen to get their share of the digital pie. A pity because On The Record is extremely keen to hear all about the Featured Artists Coalition and their merry men. Lovin’ this quote from Billy “Buddy, can you spare a dime?” Bragg about social media: “everybody’s making a shitload of money except us.”

    Doom and gloom in the record industry? No-one has obviously told Indiecater Records who continue to fight the good fight and release some decent tunes inbetween throwing punches. Their latest one is the first of four EPs from Idaho band The Very Most. Get a free taste of the action in the shape of “April Is the Kindest Month” here

    Snobs in Dublin 4? Who knew? Can’t wait for the next garden fete on Shrewsbury Road.

    TMI! Erykah Badu and Jay Electronica announce the birth of their baby via Twitter. And not just the announcement either, as Pitchfork report in great detail before concluding: “this has to be the weirdest leap any major artist has ever taken into the post-everything Web 2.0 universe. The sense of mystery and remove that great artists once projected has now given way to this rampant, almost pathological oversharing, and now pretty much anyone with an internet connection can learn about every squishy moment of Erykah Badu’s labor. Maybe it’s time for the artists of the world to get off the damn computer.”

    Prince takes a page from Dylan Haskins’ playbook and puts on a gig in his gaff. Obviously, he must be still having Croker issues. Dude needs to have a word with Mundy and Sharon Shannon. The LA Times, natch, were present and correct when the Prince housequake was going down.

    Long Tail evangelist Chris Anderson puts the case for giving it all away. Well, he would, wouldn’t he, seeing as he has a new book about free-conomics coming out in a couple of months.

    It’s not just Baile Atha Cliath that is seeing high ticket sales leading to low turnouts. Greg Kot reports from the Windy City on how some acts are finding out the hard way. He notes a Neil Young gig where Shakey’s $250 plus service fees wallet-grab led to a half-empty arena.

    Win! From Slate magazine, Ron Rosenbaum gives Billy Joel one hell of a kicking. Choice quote? “He thinks people can’t stand him because he dresses wrong or doesn’t look right. Billy Joel, they can’t stand you because of your music; because of your stupid, smug attitude; because of the way you ripped off your betters to produce music that rarely reaches the level even of mediocrity. You could dress completely au courant and people would still loathe your lame lyrics.”

    The more I listen to the new Fever Ray album, the more I find to love, especially lines like “we talk about love/We talk about dishwasher tablets”. Here’s the video for “If I Had A Heart”

    Finally, heeeeeeere’s Bruce giving it large at the Superbowl (part one and part two)

  • The Event Guide leaves the streets

    February 2, 2009 @ 9:20 am | by Jim Carroll

    It’s a story we’ll be hearing again and again in 2009: another print publication deciding that enough is enough and heading for the online hills. Following on from the news that relative newcomer State magazine is to become an online-only title, veteran freebie listings mag the Event Guide (nee Dublin Event Guide) is also to cease print publication in favour of an online existence. Yep, it was a bad January for print.
    (more…)

Search On The Record

 
Close
E-mail It