IT'S a lot easier and a lot better in 96 than it was in 86. Then, we had a bunch of U2 wannabes in leather trousers and sunglasses chasing the record company executives up and down Baggot Street; now, we have a whole slew of groovy new bands, all finding their own voice and putting stuff out with precious little respect for prevailing musical trends.
A few names at random serve to illustrate the argument take any bunch of saddoes from 86 and compare and contrast with the likes of Ash, The Revenants, Rollerskate Skinny, Luggage and Sewing Room (they've a great new mini album out, more about them next week).
Up North, in 86 there was only That Petrol Emotion flying the flag, whereas these days we've got Therapy? et al kicking up a racket. The latest addition to the Northern Uproar is Joyrider, a four piece metal/pop band from Portadown. Spotted by Andy Cairns in a club in Belfast, signed to his own indie label, Blunt in Dublin, and now on Paradox (part of the A&M empire) they've just pushed out their guitar heavy debut album, fetchingly titled Be Special.
"We all just got pissed at a party and decided to form a band," says front man Phil Woolsey, "in fact we decided on our bass player for the simple reason that he used to play Velvet Underground records in the shop where he worked." Reared on a diet of The Pixies, Husker Du and anything that was loud, American and good, Joyrider have chosen the "noisy but poppy" end of the musical spectrum from which to launch their career. So far, the little rascals are doing quite well.
"The funny thing about reaction to the band is that all the metal magazines are picking up on us and the `cool' indie press is more or less ignoring us. Magazines like Kerrang and Metal Hammer (Christ, the very name of it) are really into us - which has certainly taken us by surprise because we would obviously prefer a Pixie type audience, but there you go.
Replete with teen angst pop, beered up three minute anthems and a crafty little knack for inserting melodies whenever the guitars threaten to go walkabout, Be Special is a robustly rollickin' debut from a band we're going to be hearing a lot more about.
STEREOLAB are all over the place - the missing musical link between the Velvet Underground and The Mike Flowers Pops, maybe - something they're inordinately proud of. "Nobody knows quite what to do with us," chortles Tim from the band. "We're called everything - lo fi, easy listening, space age trancy and kraut rock". Avant garde Human League? "That's a new one for me, we can put that on our list also, thanks."
The new album is the challenging but rewarding Emperor Tomato Ketchup, the gig is at the Olympia this very evening with support from Tortoise (don't bother) and a lot of hyped up guff about Powerstations and other such nonsense.
THERE'S a brand new Tuesday night "happening" up at the Fiddler, starting this week. It's called Four Mean Tuesdays and basically what you're getting is four new bands doing their stuff with a late bar afterwards. Knocking the champagne off the ship on Tuesday are Razorlove, Juniper, Nude and The Wet Preachers (doors 7.30 and it costs a fiver) ... just off the Rollercoaster tour, Revelino have at long last got some new vinyl in the shops, it's a single called I Know What You Want ... Coming up next week in your super, soaraway Irish Times: we come over all Jungle with DJ Peshay; have a few agit prop words with Chumbawamba and gratuitously ridicule Status Quo.
