Jim Carroll
The Unthanks play Dublin’s Vicar Street on April 9 (tickets €25 plus Ticketmaster fees), Cork’s School Of Music (April 10) and Galway’s Roisin Dubh (April 12, tickets €20 and €18). Here’s the title track of their excellent “Here’s the Tender Coming” album from last year.
Eoghan – you beat me to the punch. She’s going to be monster big in 2011 – a great performer. And, pats self on back, one of her very first write-ups was in the Ticket – see http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2010/0205/1224263767443.html
Comment by Jim CarrollWow, a year in the making. But if she spent 2009 in the studio, what exactly has she been doing that has stopped her getting big in 2010? I only heard her for the first time a couple of weeks back. Massive voice. Are there any more bands that fell into the tops for 2010 that might reappear for 2011?
Comment by EoghanEoghan – what happened in her case was that Domino signed her and allowed her more time to develop. She’s been gigging A LOT too and there’ve been a few rave reviews. As for tips for 2010 still good for 2011, I’ll put my thinking cap on.
Comment by Jim CarrollSo Anna could be dubbed the next Janelle Monae (playing Tripod Wednesday – wish I could go, but damn recession) in that she was not rush-released to the public. Because from what I think you said before, Janelle played SXSW 09 and didn’t exactly thrill and was given her own time to develop and came back this year and basically took over. Nice to see ‘tips’ not fall by the wayside.
Speaking of such, am I right in saying that Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong have a couple members in tips for the top The Vaccines? They have been keeping that quiet haven’t they? Guardian had a big piece on the band on Friday which touched on the lead singer being a failed solo singer/band. But no mention of the Jing Jang Jong…
Comment by EoghanEoghan – yeah, Janelle Monae had released one record prior to SXSW 2009 but she got a lot of attention at those gigs which set her up for a 2010 release. That said, she hasn’t exactly crossed over to huge mainstream success as we all thought back when “The ArchAndroid” was released – she’s done well but not that well. I think she needs to stop doing all press and interviews and become more mysterious – she’s not a great interviewee and doesn’t really have all that much to say for herself. Mystique is always better than reading the same yarns over and over again.
The Vaccines – see http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4141490-dis-meets-the-vaccines–the-band-don-t-create-media-interest-the-media-do for full story – lead singer was Jay Jay Pistolet. Hadn’t heard of the connections with Jing Jang Jong before now – here’s the Wiki on JJJ for band member comparison purposes – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lean_&_The_Jing_Jang_Jong
Comment by Jim CarrollI might be wrong. I am going by Neil McCormick’s tweets. He was talking about new tips on Friday. He said listening to Brother made you think that Beady Eye have a chance.
This is what he said on the vaccines: “Make your own mind up about the Vaccines http://tinyurl.com/3xfpj7u Just remember, some of these men were in Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong”
When someone asked him about it, he replied: “I read it in a fanzine freesheet interview before someone obviously warned them to keep it quiet. They’ve probably had surgery”
He might have just been spreading vicious rumours….
Comment by EoghanEoghan – news to me – and I’d be hugely surprised if no-one rumbled that before now. A band like The Vaccines always attract forsensic examination of any past alliances. Plus it’s nothing new – the awful Kaiser Chiefs used to be an equally awful tipped band before they became the KC.
And Brother are awful, awful muck. Makes you almost yearn for The Twang. I said “almost”.
Comment by Jim CarrollIt is tough to wade through the stuff that people (usually NME) tips for the top. There are some bands who feature everywhere, based purely on hype, and then others that you see only in one or two places. These are usually the most intriguing ones. A few years back, after extensive flicking through all the lists, I think Passion Pit featured in only one, The SUnday Times. And I loved them from the very start of their ep, which was all that was there at the time.
I looked through the new issue of Q magazine which is starting early with the tips and nothing really stands out. It is interesting how bands develop over the course of their ‘tipped’ year. And I think I am right in saying that the Brit Awards have axed the two-year-old new band award, that Adele and Ellie Goulding won. Also, when did it become cool to like Adele? Weird seeing loads of people liking her now. Guess that is the power of Rick Rubin…
Comment by EoghanEoghan – problem with Neil McCormick is that it’s obvious from what he writes for the Telegraph that he HATES new bands and new music – if it’s not his old buddies U2 or some other giant cack-handed shed-rock shite, he’s “oh, this is not as good as it was the first time around”. Such rot
Agree with you on that – you can be sure that the vast majority of Sound of 2011 names will be major label acts who will have been hyped to the Sound of 2011 judges by their pals at the labels. The vast majority of those judges dont listen to new music every day of every week and thus wait for someone else to do the filtering for them. Of course, many of the newer acts are probably not tippable for now (lots of development work to do) but the very nature of those polls means you can predict the acts who will feature.
Passion Pit – second round of back-patting here today – we featured them on OTR well before anyone else got excited about them – http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2008/10/16/tune-of-the-week-sleepyhead/ – and had them in our tips for 2009 list – http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2010/01/04/tipping-into-twenty-ten/ (decent run of luck with the 2010 tips too!)
Adele – her new tune is BRILLIANT but her 1st album was quite good as well, though a lot of people poo-poo’d it (not us, though!)
Comment by Jim CarrollI seem to just be setting you up for a pat on the back every time. Have you heard this new band, Not Squares….
And yes, Neil McCormick is a big fan of U2. I badmouthed Bono once and he took me to task over it. But what exactly is expected of the bands who get tipped? Like, I think of Janelle as pretty big, but obviously she isn’t getting played on the radio, and I don’t think Tripod is sold out. But the new acts never really get that big. I don’t have anything to hand about last year’s lists, but I don’t think any of them are festival-headliner material.
And The Vaccines would sound great in the small rooms, I agree (I do think they are great songs), but I could never imagine them on a massive stage. Nor many other new bands. Egyptian Hip-Hop will feature in the 2011 lists (Q has already done that) but their live show is supposed to be ramshackle at best, an they change around their best known hits constantly. I can’t imagine that is the marks of a mainstream success-in-the-making…
I could go on. I expect huge thing from OTR for 2011. I am tipping you now for the best list…
Comment by EoghanI expect huge thing from OTR for 2011. I am tipping you now for the best list…
ROFLOL
Ah, I should be more modest, shouldn’t I?
But what exactly is expected of the bands who get tipped?
Varies from writer to writer. I tip acts I think people should check out and who might cause a bit of a fuss. I dont expect every act I tip to be world-beaters – just to keep producing decent music and playing good shows. I’ll be writing more about this tomorrow if I get my act together.
But the new acts never really get that big.
that comes down to other circumstances and how the industry has changed – something we’ve covered here umpteen times before. The days of loads of acts going on to become monster worldbeaters is over thanks to the demise of the record label model because nothing else has yet came along to replace it. and replicate that function Yes, there are other models but the vast majority of them are aimed at acts with established audiences NOT new acts starting out. As predicted, the live business has failed to make superstars of new acts either.
The Vaccines would sound great in the small rooms, I agree (I do think they are great songs), but I could never imagine them on a massive stage. Nor many other new bands
Hard to know – I didnt think the Kings Of Leon would end up headlining Slane when I saw them in a small tent in Punchestown in 2003. It’s down to so many different things, from band psychology to luck. I think The Vaccines will have a very good 2011 but wouldn’t bet on what 2012 will hold for them. And Egyptian Hip-Hop are ramshackle live – need to play ’00s of live shows.
Comment by Jim Carrolloff topic but i was at earls court at the weekend seeing primal scream play ’screamadelica’. it was sensational. they seemed to spend as much on production and additional musicians as the gorillaz, magical night
Comment by peteepetee – looking fwd to seeing that one in 2011
Comment by Jim CarrollTips for 2011 – Mona, James Blake and ”our own” Solar Bears. Mona could do a Kings of Leon – cool now, but derided when they become huge which might just happen. Mona for Slane 2015? Never bought into the whole Janelle Monae thing – is her Tripod gig even sold out?
Comment by QuintQuint – I really like Mona – they make me ask “where the hell are Glasvegas?”. Right now, as of 5.30pm, my 6 tips would be: James Blake, Jamie Woon, Anna Calvi, Mona, Cloud Castle Lake and Katy B, but all of this might change by tomorrow.
Comment by Jim CarrollPetee@13”off topic but i was at earls court at the weekend seeing primal scream play ’screamadelica’. it was sensational. they seemed to spend as much on production and additional musicians as the gorillaz, magical night”
Sounds good. I’m a big fan of these one classic album gigs. Was Kevin Shields with them? Looking foward to Mercury Rev doing ”Deserters’ Songs” next May at Vicar Street.
Comment by QuintMona were in that Q Magazine list. Haven’t heard anything by them yet though. Jamie Woon is produced by Burial which should guarantee him a Mercury nod if not ’success’. And Steve Lamacq had that Screamadelica show in full on the show over the weekend. Sounded unreal. Should still be up. What an album.
And thanks for the tips list session Jim.
Comment by EoghanJim@16 – Yep, Katy B too – pristine voice.
Comment by QuintEoghan – check out http://www.myspace.com/monatheband or http://soundcloud.com/theindiedave/mona-listen-to-your-love
Comment by Jim Carroll@ quint ..no didn’t see kevin up there but he is remastering screamadelica for release next march
Comment by peteeAnna Calvi supported Grinderman on their recent tour, it was first time in a long time I saw an unknown support act reallyy get the crowd behind her, very impressed.. as were a large portion of the crowd judging by the scrum around her merch. stand after the gig.
Comment by DeclanThe Unthanks are wonderful. Most recently saw them at Waterford Imagine Arts festival and it was spellbinding. New album out for the April show hopefully…
Comment by Risteardoi mosied along tosee the unthanks in this lovely old renaissance room in florence… perfect acoustics for their most wonderful voices…
Comment by AllyComments on this article are now closed.
3:34 pm
Anna Calvi is playing The Workman’s Club on February 23. That should be a good gig too. She looks like she could get big (not in the physical sense) in the time leading up to that gig. Tickets are 15ish quid too…
Comment by Eoghan