The latest batch of names for the Electric Picnic are as follows:
Wolf Parade
Stars
Black Mountain
Brendan Perry
K’Naan
Heathers
Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Sebastien Leger
The Japanese Popstars
Jackbeats
Mixhell
Kormac’s Big Band
Joker & Nomad
The Subs
Sneaky Soundsystem (DJ set)
The Rubberbandits feat Crystal Swing
As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday June 29, 10pm-midnight
Last night’s show was a Far Side of 2010 So Far special. Naturally, I had more tunes than time.
Thee Oh Sees “I Was Denied” (In the Red)
Penguin Prison “Something I’m Not” (Neon Gold)
Funeral Party “NYC Moves to the Sound of LA” (Jive)
Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks” (Self release)
Tanlines “Real Life (Memory Tapes remix)” (True Panther)
Sleigh Bells “Infinity Guitars” (N.E.E.T.)
Civil Civic “Less Unless” (Self release)
These New Puritans “Three Thousand” (Angular)
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti “Bright Lit Blue Skies” (4AD)
R.S.A.G. “Be It Right Or Wrong” (Rare Production)
The Morning Benders “Promises” (Rough Trade)
Beach House “Norway” (Bella Union)
Janelle Monae “Wondaland” (Bad Boy)
Gorillaz “Stylo” (Parlophone)
Flying Lotus “Do the Astral Plane” (Warp)
Floating Points “Peoples Potential” (Eglo)
Foals “Spanish Sahara (Deadboy remix)” (Transgressive)
Caribou “Kaili” (City Slang)
Dam Mantle “A Statue That Is Perpetually Unveiled” (Halleluwah Hits)
Bonobo “We Could Forever” (Ninja Tune)
Villagers “Home” (Domino)
Cathy Davey “Army Of Tears” (Hammer Toe)
Squarehead “Fake Blood” (Any Other City)
Cults “Go Outside” (Self release)
O Emperor “Don’t Mind Me” (K9 Sessions for Icon)
Ann Scott “Universe” (Raghouse)
Gil Scott Heron “Me & the Devil” (XL)
My interview with DJ Shadow, his first in several years, from today’s paper is here. He plays Belfast’s Ulster Hall on Sunday and Dublin’s Tripod on Monday.
The feature in the paper also included a panel of additional quotes from Shadow, but this panel doesn’t appear to be online. Those quotes can now be found after the jump.
(more…)
Oscar Wilde comes to mind when considering the story of Dublin-based promotions company Rockefeller Productions and its main man, James Delaney O’Neill. To have to cancel one gig may be regarded as a misfortune, but to have problems with five high-profile acts – Ute Lemper, Marianne Faithful, Grace Jones, Tony Curtis and Marilyn the musical – in the space of a week looks like downright incompetence. Add in The Chippendales and, well, read on…
(more…)
As has become the custom in these parts at this time of the year, here’s a rundown on what has rocked OTR’s world in the first six months of this year. It’s a list so I know OTR readers will have their own lists to offer along with lists of stuff I’ve left out or overlooked so please bring ‘em on.
Some notes: the Mount Kimbie and Janelle Monae albums come out in July, but both of these have been on the OTR jukebox for a while, hence their inclusion. Albums listed in no particular order, bar the first three on the list.
Flying Lotus “Cosmogramma” (Warp)
Janelle Monae “The ArchAndroid” (Bad Boy)
Villagers “Becoming A Jackal” (Domino)
Sleigh Bells “Treats” (N.E.E.T.)
Mount Kimbie “Crooks & Lovers” (Hot Flush)
Foals “Total Life Forever” (Transgressive)
The Morning Benders “Big Echo” (Rough Trade)
Caribou “Swim” (City Slang)
Beach House “Teen Dream” (Bella Union)
Mountain Man “Made the Harbor” (Bella Union)
Carolina Chocolate Drops “Genuine Negro Jig” (Nonesuch)
Lindstrom & Christabelle “Real Life Is No Cool” (Feedelity)
James Vincent McMorrow “Early In the Morning” (Burning Rope)
Gil Scott-Heron “I’m New Here” (XL)
Gonjasufi “A Sufi & A Killer” (Warp)
Prins Thomas “Prins Thomas” (Full Pupp)
Titus Andronicus “The Monitor” (Merok)
Laura Marling “I Speak Because I Can” (Virgin)
Actress “Splazsh” (Honest Jons)
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti “Before Today” (4AD)
R.S.A.G. “Be It Right Or Wrong” (Rare Production)
Robyn “Body Talk Pt 1″ (Konnichiwa)
Phosphorescent “Here’s To Taking It Easy” (Jagjaguwar)
Cathy Davey “The Nameless” (Hammer Toe)
Gorillaz “Plastic Beach” (Parlophone)
Trentemoller “Into the Great Wide Yonder” (In My Room)
Baths “Cerulean” (Anticon)
LCD Soundsystem “This Is Happening” (DFA)
Vampire Weekend “Contra” (XL)
The Redneck Manifesto “Friendship” (Richter Collective)
Tune into The Far Side on Phantom 105.2 from 10pm tonight for The Far Side of 2010 So Far featuring some of the above.
Maybe the best way to review Stevie Wonder’s show at Dublin’s O2 the other night is to simply run through the setlist. “Uptight”, “Master Blaster”, “Signed Sealed Delivered”, “Living for the City”, “Fingertips”, “Higher Ground”, “For Once in My Life”, “If You Really Love Me”, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”, “Superstition”, “Happy Birthday” and, yes, even “I Just Called to Say I Love You”: you didn’t have to wait very long for a stone cold classic to come your way. Sure, there were odd bits and pieces when Stevie unleashed a few ballads from the less well-received parts of his career (ie anything since 1980), but you could always go for a walk around the venue and take in the view when he played those ones.
(more…)
This week, the perpetually troubled EMI music group told the world about its new plans to stem losses and get itself out of the mess it has been in for years.
Aside from another round of musical chairs in the boardroom (do the managers who got them into this mess really have the gumption to get them out of it?), the company also made one of those double-Dutch statements beloved of big business about its future intentions.
The company is set to “reposition itself as a comprehensive rights-management company serving artists and songwriters worldwide”. This, they probably hope, will sort things out “going forward”.
What this means, OTR thinks, is that the Terra Firma-owned group hopes to make money by concentrating on its recording and publishing back catalogue rather than on signing and developing new acts.
Such grandiose catalogue-pimping can be profitable if you have the right acts, such as The Beatles, the band who sold 13 million albums last year.
Much of the heavy lifting in terms of acquiring copyrights and catalogues has already been done down the years by A&R departments on the recording and publishing side of the house, so there’s little cost involved. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of publishing revenue to be earned right now from the current popularity of TV shows such as Glee and American Idol.
But will such repositioning really help EMI to survive? There’s no doubting the depth of the company’s catalogue, but it’s hard to see how relying on heritage acts rather than finding new stars can be a sustainable business model.
Unless, of course, EMI cuts costs even more. After all, a few suits with laptops should be enough to manage and administer back catalogues.
The latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in The Ticket. All tips for future New Music picks welcome
Vancouver singer-songwriter now signed to Arts & Crafts who will be introducing the well-crafted, superbly observed and tastefully decorated songs on his “Nice, Nice, Very Nice” album to a much wider audience. He’s playing Glastonbury this weekend so OTR readers partying at Michael Eavis’ farm should check him out. Thanks to Charlie Taylor for the tip.
Londoner in Dublin Paul Hammock makes classic electronic music with a swish twist in the tail. Debut album “Switching for a Living” has been released by reliable capital city electronica filters Alphabet Set and is chockablock with evocative, occasionally majestic bleep power.
Dublin-based four piece fronted by Republic Of Loose’s Emily Aylmer with a strong line in melodic, dark-centred electro-pop a la their MySpace’d “So Far”. Expect an EP this summer and more gigs up and down the country.
Herbie Hancock: Belinda McKeown talks to legendary jazzer, pianist and producer Herbie Hancock about his Imagine Project that brings together Pink, Seal, Jeff Beck, India.Arie, Anoushka Shankar, Konono No 1, The Chieftains and Lisa Hannigan.
The festival business: Leagues O’Toole looks at the state of the Irish festival business as another “difficult” summer season gets under way.
The Middle East: ahead of their Dublin show tomorrow night, Jordan Ireland from ace Aussie act (and longtime OTR faves) The Middle East talks armies, online and the perils of whistling with Tony Clayton-Lea.
Plus: reviews of music releases from Christine Tobin (CD of the Week for “Tapestry Unravelled”), Robyn, Wild Nothing, Baths, “Horse Meat Disco II”, Max Richter, Laurie Anderson, Sweet Jane, Chris Singleton & the Distractions, Micah P Hinson and others, and new movies rated and slated including Get Him to the Greek, The Collector, Whatever Works and When In Rome.
All this and more in The Ticket, in print, online and the best of The Ticket on the app.
The OTR plugs service is now open for business. Please feel free to plug and recommend stuff away to your heart’s content, but remember some simple rules. Declare an interest where one should be declared. Plugs are accepted on the whim of OTR and may be edited for length/clarity/common sense. Plugs which mention a commercial sponsor are really ads and will probably not be published in this slot. Plugs which plug the same stuff every week will also be deleted – if people ain’t interested by now, you should really get the message. Stevie Wonder rules OK.
This week’s essential tunes on the OTR jukebox. Please feel free to add your own selections below.
Trentemøller “Into the Great Wide Yonder” (In My Room)
Dashing tunes, gorgeous textures and a new definition of a highbrow electronic pop aesthetic from Danish producer Anders Trentemøller on his second album.
Perfume Genius “Learning” (Organs/Turnstile)
Debut album from Seattle’s Mike Hadreas whose striking voice and hugely moving, melancholic songs makes for a truly magical listening experience. Download the title track here.
Various “Deutsche Elektronische Musik” (Soul Jazz)
Another winning compilation from the Soul Jazz crew, this time running the rule over Krautrock (and Krautronica) from 1972 to 1983. Contains Can and much more besides.
Aero Manyelo “Just In Time” (Outhere)
South Africa may be out of the World Cup, but the hosts are still producing killer (non-vuvuzela) dancefloor cuts, like this scintillating slice of kwaito from the “Ayobaness” EP. Tip of the hat to Nialler9 for the recommendation. Listen to the tune here.
Eddie Harris “Silver Cycles” (Atlantic)
The title track from Harris’ 1969 trip into experimentation never fails to surprise with its avant-garde touches and glorious psychedelic diversions.
It has been an interesting week in the music piracy business. The BPI (the British version of IRMA) issued a cease-and-desist notice to Google requesting them to remove links to nine hosting sites, such as Megaupload, Sendspace and Usershare, which they claim are hosting illegal downloads. It’s a move which has been surprisingly long in the works and signals that the BPI and IRMA are not just going to stick to P2P offenders.
Then, the big guns came out on the lawn. In a classic play from the “I’m-mad-as-hell” school of acting, US vice-president Joe Biden took time out from his hectic schedule to give Jolly Roger flag-wavers a piece of his mind. “Piracy is theft, clean and simple”, said the VP Of Everything (including Wars, Environmental Disasters and Economic Failures). “It’s smash and grab, it ain’t no different than smashing a window at Tiffany’s”. Go on, imagine Sarah Palin coming out with that one.
Biden’s remarks came as the US Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Victoria Espinel, presented 33 recommendations on how the US government will help IP owners to protect their rights.
Espinel had words of comfort for those who are getting their asses kicked by online pirates: “help is on the way”. This “help” consists of such familiar ideas as encouraging ISPs to be more pro-active in stamping out online piracy and lobbying at an international level to get other governments involved in the campaign (they could have said “like we’ve done so successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan).
However, it’s hard to believe that it is really as easy as talking tough, getting the legal eagles in and making even more recommendations which may never be acted upon. Every single one of these high-level attempts to deal with online piracy, from the BPI’s move on Google to IRMA’s ongoing actions against Irish ISPs, appear designed to take us back to the situation which prevailed before the internet was on tap in every corner of the globe. Is it really possible to turn the clock back? Does the record industry think people are going to go back to buying CDs if online piracy is stamped out?
It would surely be better for all concerned to deal with the here and now and accept we’re in a brand new situation. There have been many suggestions made about how copyright holders and content creators can deal with the new realities and get paid. Of course, as is always the case, some of these suggestions are viable and others are totally unworkable. But the suggestions have been made and are there to be tested. Yet the record industry, the sector which has been the most high-profile victim in all of this, continues to rely on courtroom machinations to get its way. Sadly, it seems that the notion of trying out new ideas for size is too onerous for this beleagured industry to consider.
Per the Savoy Theatre website, Grace Jones’ Cork shows in July have been cancelled.
There is no word as of yet on the Dublin shows which are scheduled for the Wright Venue. However, tickets for the shows are not currently on sale on the Ticketmaster site.
Jones’ Irish shows were to be promoted by Rockefeller Productions, the company behind last night’s cancelled show by Ute Lemper in Dublin’s Grand Canal Theatre.
A message was posted on the venue website from the act’s agent saying that the reason for the cancellation was because “the promoters organising this event have failed to fulfil their contractual obligations, making it impossible for Ute to go ahead with the show.” This message has now been removed.
I know a lot of OTR readers will be in Cork on Friday night for the Harmonic show at Live at the Marquee and, for them, here are the stage times
Doors open at 6pm
Villagers: 6.30pm-7.15pm
Camera Obscura 7.45pm-8.30pm
Midlake: 9pm-10.15pm
Grizzly Bear: 10.45pm-midnight
For anyone travelling down from Dublin, the new motorway is only fabulous
As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday June 22, 10pm-midnight
Tame Impala “Solitude Is Bliss” (Modular)
Sleigh Bells “Rill Rill” (N.E.E.T.)
The Constellations “Setback” (Parallel Lines)
Cloud Control “Ghost Story” (Ivy League)
Fang Island “Life Coach” (Sargent House)
LCD Soundsystem “You Wanted A Hit (Soulwax remix)” (DFA)
Robyn “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do” (Konichiwa)
Roisin Murphy “Momma’s House” (AWAL)
Magic Kids “Summer” (True Panther)
Squarehead “Fake Blood” (Popical Island)
Wild Nothing “Chinatown” (Captured Tracks)
The Sonics “Shot Down” (Etiquette)
R.S.A.G. “Before They Make You Run” (Rare Production)
Breton “The Well” (You Will Be Following)
The Roots “Doin’ It Again” (Def Jam)
Janelle Monae “Dance Or Die” (Bad Boy)
Raphael Saddiq “It’s A Shame” (Levi’s)
Aloe Blacc “Femme Fatale” (Stones Throw)
DJ Mujava “Mugwanti/Sgwejegweje” (Outhere)
Aero Manyelo “Just In Time” (Outhere)
DJ Cleo “Mabeza” (Wall Of Steel)
DJ What What “Sekele” (Universal)
Portishead “Chase the Tear” (Amnesty International)
Hudson Mohawke “Snapdragon” (Warp)
Cignol “Role Player” (Alphabet Set)
Mount Kimbie “Field” (Hotflush)
Perfume Genius “Learning” (Organs/Turnstile)
Dark Dark Dark “Bright Bright Bright” (Supply & Demand)
Gerry O’Beirne “The Desert & Two Grey Hills” (Self release)
The reformed Godspeed You! Black Emperor play Dublin’s Tripod on December 10. Tickets are now on sale at €24 a pop from usual outlets.
It may be time to export “unforeseen circumstances” to the U S of A. Over the last few weeks, there have been a flurry of stories on the Stateside news wires about under-performing gigs. Music biz blogger Bob Lefsetz started the ball rolling with a claim that artists booked by the Creative Artists Agency had cancelled 200 shows alone. On the back of this, Billboard did some digging around and found artists such as Christina Aguilera, The Eagles, U2 (due to Bono’s bad back, the poor lad), Rihanna, John Mayer, Limp Bizkit and The Go-Go’s have pulled shows or entire tours. So-called hot acts like the Jonas Brothers and Kings Of Leon were also said to be experiencing slumps in ticket sales.
Sadly, there has been very little use of “unforeseen circumstances” to explain the lack of people willing to pay high ticket prices to see an act play a few songs. This appears to be an Irish answer to an Irish problem, for now.
Many observers are blaming the prospects of the worst summer for the live business in years on our old friend Live Nation. The music giant’s business plan has long revolved around consolidation and venue control. Once you mop up the local promoters, you can monopolise the venues. Once you have the venues, you make your bucks by selling beer and popcorn to the fans who turn up to see the acts and hitting touring bands for a large chunk of their merchandising cash. Add in their hook-up with Ticketmaster and you have a music business monster, albeit one lumbering around the place, making losses and looking a little dishevelled like the England football team at the World Cup.
But when you dig a little deeper, other reasons come to the surface which have more to do with the act than the promoters and which are probably very familiar to Irish music fans. In these recessionary times, high ticket prices are a no-no (unless, as our friend Morov outlines at comment number 22 here, you’re in Moscow) so acts with high-end shows are finding little love because people don’t have the disposable income in their pocket to pay for those tickets
Then, there’s the fact that acts are out touring this summer who were out on the road last year and were also on the road the year before. As we saw here with Paul McCartney earlier this month, diminishing returns set in when an act does the dog in a market (two shows in six months is doing the dog, Macca) and thus you have to buy ads like you’re Harvey Norman to shore up the show.
For the act, especially heritage acts with an established audience who haven’t written a decent new tune in decades, touring is the only way to pump up the pension fund. But there comes a point when people just don’t want to see that act again. Look at Bob Dylan – is there anyone in the country who hasn’t seen Bob’s mumbling dog and pony show at this stage?
The issue of artist fees – the mechanism which controls how high ticket prices will go – was raised last week by the Association of Independent Festivals, which represents such UK fests as Green Man, Eden Sessions, Bestival, Creamfields, WOMAD and others.
Co-founder Ben Turner told BBC 6 Music that some headliners will cost more than a million pounds and that this figure continues to rise. “I think it’s something that agents, managers and artists need to be more aware of, that these festivals that they supposedly love, they need to show some support for that. There comes a point where a promoter has to go, ‘Do you know what? I’m not going to pay that far’.”
But if Turner and his festivals aren’t prepared to splash the cash, some promoters are – like Live Nation. Andy Copping from Live Nation told the BBC that promoters don’t really have a choice.”Big bands have to get paid and get paid big money because they’re the ones that are pulling in the people. The younger bands, smaller bands, only pull a certain amount of people. The bigger bands pull a big amount of people and they need to be remunerated for that.”
Yet as Copping’s parent company are finding out on their home patch, bigger bands demanding big fees does not always translate into big crowds to see them which means losses all round. For all this, Live Nation continue to demonstrate remarkable expansionist tendencies. Adrian Warner reports that they’re in a battle with fellow multinational live music giants AEG to take over London’s Olympic Park after the 2012 Olympics, MCD’s Denis Desmond admits in a recent interview with live industry mag IQ (full feature not online) that the plan is to recreate the Live Nation/Gaeity Investments’ model, which is currently in play in the UK, in Ireland (he says the deal is “nearly there”) and that magazine also carries a full rundown on Live Nation’s plans in Germany and Australia. You have to wonder if Live Nation know something no-one else does about the global economy.
If you’re looking for something stimulating and enlightening on this blissful summer’s day, check out Vincent Woods’ fine interview with Alex Ross from last night’s Arts Tonight show. As many OTR readers will know, Ross is the author of The Rest Is Noise, a hugely recommended read on 20th century music, and a music writer with The New Yorker. The interview can be streamed or downloaded from here.
From the fools and their money department: Kiss fans with $5,500 to spare can have a meet and greet with a difference with Paul Stanley. Five and a half grand will get you an audience with Stanley AND a signed guitar which he will then smash up during a show. Rock and flaming roll.
That was the weekend that was: any readers who want to regale the rest of us with reports from Body & Soul, Sonar, Croke Park, Páirc Uí Chaoimh or other gatherings from the weekend can do so below.
Heading to New York soon? Take a hip-hop tour of the Bronx with Grandmaster Caz as your guide.
The debate following the Contemporary Music Centre’s recent Future Of Music In the Digital World conference continues to ebb and flow on OTR. So far, we’ve had contributions from three of the day’s five speakers – Bill Whelan, Gerd Leonhard and Andrew Dubber. The other speakers, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and the Minister of Fun Mary Hanafin, can join the action here.
Gazooks, there’s a new Lenny Cohen album on the way! You know what that means, don’t you? Yep, more tours.
Irish major labels v UPC: EMI Records (Ireland) Ltd, Sony Music Entertainment Ireland Ltd, Universal Music Ireland Ltd, Warner Music Ireland Ltd and WEA International Incorporated have commenced Commercial Court proceedings to force UPC Communications Ireland Ltd, the third biggest broadband provider in the Irish market, to block or disable access to sites which allegedly facilitate illegal downloading of music. Per the labels, a 48 hour scan of UPC’s networks found some 37,500 copyright infringements on UPC per month. (Comments will not be published on this case as it is currently before the courts).
Meanwhile in Spain, judges have ruled that file sharing is comparable to lending libaries after a case was taken against file-sharing site CVCDGO. Per Billboard’s report, the ruling states: “since ancient times there has been the loan or sale of books, movies, music and more. The difference now is mainly on the medium used – previously it was paper or analog media and now everything is in a digital format which allows a much faster exchange of a higher quality and also with global reach through the Internet.”
US readers of OTR hoping to get their Spotify freak on had better make new plans. Per Business Week, the US launch of the service has been delayed because the Big 4 labels want Spotify to junk its free model and find a guaranteed revenue stream it can share with them.
Interesting report from the Guardian on how “unlimited” data contracts for mobile users are set to be 86′d due to a tiny number of users slurping loads of data.
Mo’ New Yorker writer plugs: excellent piece from Sasha Frere-Jones on the current state of online music. Plus Frere-Jones also responds to readers’ questions about the piece and the issues raised.
Now that the Tories (and Mini-Tories) are back in power across the Irish Sea, Ian McCann is looking forward to some decent protest music.
The Super8 Shots film festival gets underway in Galway this week and will run in the city from Wednesday to next Sunday. It will feature screenings, workshops, exhibitions, events and the like in various venues, including Kelly’s, Number 8, Roisin Dubh, the Galway City Museum, Nimmo’s and Bell Book & Candle. More info here.
And finally, time to dust off a Far Side fave from earlier in the year and get into the groove again
Some predictions do come true and the continued rise and rise of the smaller music festival is something which has been on the cards for quite some time.
Over the last few years, On the Record’s annual census of Irish festivals and outdoor shows has pointed to a steady growth in the number of festivals which are thinking small rather than going extra-large.
This weekend’s debut outing for the Body & Soul festival at Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath and next weekend’s Sea Sessions in Bundoran, Co Donegal are just two examples of the move away from the mass tribal gatherings.
Over the next few months, festivals like Glasgowbury (Draperstown, Co Derry), Castlepalooza (Tullamore, Co Offaly), Indiependence (Mitchelstown, Co Cork), Cork X Southwest (Skibbereen, Co Cork) and Temple House (Ballymote, Co Sligo) will be opening their gates and hoping people turn up to see everyone from Mercury Rev (Castlepalooza) to Bonnie “Prince” Billy (CorkXSW).
Even though most of the festivals are capped at a 5,000 capacity – you’re into licensing scenarios once you go over 5k – getting the folks into the field is still a considerable ask.
As every promoter knows only too well, 2010 has been the year when the notion of an instant sell-out has gone right out the window. People are waiting until the week of a show before getting their credit cards out. The amount of radio and print ads for shows which would previously not require such a push has been unmissable.
However, the growth in volume alone would indicate those behind the fun-sized fests believe Irish fans are prepared to take a punt on their events. It seems to be the case in these recessionary times that small rather than large is way of the walk.
This week’s essential tunes on the OTR jukebox. Please feel free to add your own selections below.
Robyn “Body Talk Pt 1” (Konichiwa)
No-one makes tunes with quite the same amount of jawdropping snap, crackle and pop as this Swedish electropop queenpin. First of three mini-albums due in ’10.
Galaxie 500 “On Fire” (Domino)
Back on the radar thanks to Domino’s recently re-issuing the band’s back-catalogue. Subtle, slow-burning, haunting, dramatic sounds from a trio of dream-pop pioneers.
Tennis “Marathon” (Fire Talk)
Denver husband and wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore apparently wrote a bunch of songs like this gorgeous indiepop sleeper while sailing on the Atlantic for eight months. Download it here.
Zoe Keating “One Cello x 16: Natoma” (Self release)
Hypnotic and beautifully blissed-out sounds from the Canadian avant-garde cellist and composer. New album “In the Trees” due soon.
Roy Ayers “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” (Ubiquity)
The ultimate summertime jam. Mellow soul power with plenty of the smile factor from the vibesman.
Joan Jett: Sinead Gleeson puts another dime in the jukebox and hears from riot grrl number one Ms Jett about life in The Runaways and The Blackhears.
Bollywood and beyond: Ireland’s first Indian film festival starts next week and Donald Clarke looks at how we’re finally copping on to the world’s biggest movie industry. Plus DC’s top 10 films on show.
Tunng: Mike Lindsay tells Tony Clayton-Lea about using seashells as instrumentation and scoring music for porn ahead of the band’s appearance at this weekend’s Body & Soul festival.
Plus: reviews of music releases from Eminem (CD of the Week for “Recovery”), Kele, Ed Harcourt, James Yuill, Here We Go Magic, Ratatat, Lorn, Sean Millar, Joe Pug, Danu and others, and new movies rated and slated including KIllers, MacGruber, Our Family Wedding, Wild Target, Please Give, Wild Grass and His & Hers.
All this and more in The Ticket, in print, online and the best of The Ticket on the app.
The OTR plugs service is now open for business. Please feel free to plug and recommend stuff away to your heart’s content, but remember some simple rules. Declare an interest where one should be declared. Plugs are accepted on the whim of OTR and may be edited for length/clarity/common sense. Plugs which mention a commercial sponsor are really ads and will probably not be published in this slot. Plugs which plug the same stuff every week will also be deleted – if people ain’t interested by now, you should really get the message. Please note the silage season is now in full swing.
The latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. All recommendations for future New Music picks welcome
Squarehead’s “Fake Blood” is a charmingly ramshackle slice of slacker indie pie and stands out a mile on the the Popical Island compilation of new(ish) Dublin acts. Squarehead plays the Popical Island all-day bash at Whelan’s in Dublin on Saturday so you can see if there’s more where that comes from. Listen to “Fake Blood” here.
From Minneapolis with stop-offs in New York and New Orleans, Dark Dark Dark make hugely appealing, widescreen chamber-pop. Check out their “Bright Bright Bright EP” for some more infectious, heartbreaking tunes from the lonely corner of a smokey saloon bar.
Recent Duke University sociology and business graduate Posner first raised the roof with his “A Matter of Time” and “One Foot Out the Door” mixtapes. Now signed to J Records and recently spotted touring with Drake, expect his soulful raspy hip-pop to feature all over the gaff in the coming months.
As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday June 15, 10pm-midnight
DJ-ing plug: I’ll be DJ-ing at the Cork Midsummer Festival Club at The Pavilion tonight (Wednesday June 16). Admission is free and the music kicks off at 10.30pm. On the menu: summertime jams, future hits, indiepop fever and whatever else makes sense.
Janelle Monae “Cold War” (Bad Boy)
Robyn “Fembots” (Konichiwa)
Jamaica “I Think I Like U 2” (Control Freak)
Penguin Prison “A Funny Thing” (Neon Gold)
Holy Ghost “Static On The Wire” (DFA)
Animal Collective “Summertime Clothes” (Domino)
Tanlines “Real Life (Memory Tapes remix)” (True Panther)
Blondes “You Mean So Much To Me” (Merok)
Omar Souleyman “Leh Jani” (Sublime Frequencies)
Charanjit Singh “Raga Malkauns” (Bombay Connection)
Squarehead “Fake Blood” (Popical Island)
Tennis “Marathon” (Fire Talk)
James Blake “Measurements” (White)
Summertime Jams #1
Rockers Revenge “Walking On Sunshine” (London)
Martha & The Vandellas “Dancing in the Street” (Motown)
Stardust “Music Sounds Better With You” (Roule)
Monarchy “Love Get Out Of My Way (Holy Ghost remix)” (White)
The Clash “This Is Radio Clash” (CBS)
Bernard “Pretty” Purdie “Soul Drums” (Date)
Notorious BIG “Hypnotize” (Bad Boy)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble “Alyo” (Honest Jon’s)
Dave Pike Set “Mathar” (MPS)
Gene Chandler “Good Times” (Okeh)
Dawson Smith “I Don’t Know If I Can Make It” (Coast to Coast)
Roots “You Got Me” (Okah Player)
Stylistics “People Make the World Go Round” (Avco)
RAMP “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” (Verve)
Harmonic takes places at Live at the Marquee, Cork on Friday week, June 25, and will feature live sets from Grizzly Bear (their only Irish show of 2010), Midlake, Camera Obscura and Villagers. It is, you will agree, one hell of a tasty bill.
Thanks to our pals at Foggy Notions, we have THREE pairs of tickets to give away for the show.
To win, simply tell us below what’s the best thing you’ve heard in 2010 to date. As easy as that. You can, of course, just list an album or a tune, but a few lines telling us why the album or tune rocks your world would be nice. Anyone who mentions the vuvuzela will be immediately disqualified. Competition runs until noon on Thursday.
Meanwhile, here’s Conor O’Brien from Villagers performing album standout “Home”.
Last Friday, the Contemporary Music Centre hosted a one-day conference at Dublin Castle on The Future of Music In A Digital World. My report on what was a very interesting, thought-provoking and occasionally entertaining day is here.
It’s all here, pop pickers. I foresee a run on Friday tickets.
Many years ago, I interviewed Dinosaur Jr frontman, J Mascis. He said he was just back from a Frank Sinatra gig somewhere and was going to see the Rolling Stones somewhere else the following week. “You got to see these people when they’re still around”, mumbled Mascis.
(more…)
Last week, a feature in this paper examined how Irish films had performed in their home market.
As the piece by Ted Sheehy noted, box office returns have been mixed for films backed with marketing funds from the Irish Film Board.
Sheehy outlined some surprisingly large tranches of cash given as marketing support to some Irish films.
Non-repayable grants of €75,000, €50,000 and €75,000 were awarded to the distributors of Perrier’s Bounty, Ondine and Zonad.
Unfortunately, this marketing spend did not work. According to the Film Board’s own website, Zonad spent just two weeks in the Irish Top 20 chart, earning €33,848 in box office receipts in this time. Even the film’s producer and distributor described its performance as “disappointing”.
Although it’s something of an academic exercise given the predictable failure of the Music Board of Ireland a few years ago, it is worth considering how similar largesse might have energised the domestic music sector.
Even a fraction of this marketing spend would have been hugely beneficial to acts with new albums or tours to sell. Imagine, for instance, if some of that marketing cash had been available to augment the efforts which went into hawking recent Irish releases by Cathy Davey, Villagers and R.S.A.G., to name just three 2010 albums.
There is an argument that many acts already have access to non-governmental cash (and many acts are also doing quite well without it), but this argument can also be applied to the film sector.
The problem for the music sector that there’s no-one to make their case. The failure of the Music Board of Ireland to do anything of note during their tenure, bar producing more useless reports, means that situation is unlikely to change in the near future.
This week’s essential tunes on the OTR jukebox. Please feel free to add your own selections below.
Janelle Monae “The ArchAndroid” (Bad Boy)
Adventurous set from the fabulous Monae – easily the most outlandish, ambitious and out-there soul, funk, r’n’b and pop odyssey ever inspired by 1927 sci-fi flick Metropolis.
Blondes “Touched” (Merok)
Five-track EP from Brooklyn duo Sam Haar and Zach Steinman making state of the art dubby, thrilling Balaeric electronica with much heart and soul.
!!! “Strange Weather, Isn’t It?” (Warp)
The forthcoming fourth album from the punctuation crazies sees them tipping the cap to the Ze Records back-catalogue as the punkfunk grooves continue to roll. Listen to new track “AM/FM” here – !!! play the Body & Soul Solstice Gathering at Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath on June 20.
Ann Scott “Flo” (Raghouse)
Campfire tunes with sublime arrangements and small hours atmospherics on the Irish singer-songwriter’s striking third album. Listen to “Universe” from the album here.
Charanjit Singh “Synthesizing: Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat” (Bombay Connection)
“Compilation recorded in 1982 in India with the classic Chicago Acid set-up years before Pierre and co handed their acid tracks to Ron Hardy” (as selected by OTR reader Clom)
His & Hers: Laois-born director Ken Wardrop talks to Donald Clarke about his new film where 70 women from the Irish midlands talk about the men in their lives.
The Gaslight Anthem: Frontman Brian Fallon talks about the sweet smell of success ahead of the release of their new album “American Slang”
World Street Performance Festival: Davin O’Dwyer finds out what drove the world’s best contortionists, jugglers and weirdoes onto the streets to entertain – and what they’d be doing if they weren’t swallowing sharp blades.
Plus: reviews of music releases from Enrico Pieranunzi (CD of the Week for the Italian jazz pianist), Sleigh Bells, We Are Scientists, Enemies, R.S.A.G, Scissor Sisters, Ariel Pink, Peter Wolf Crier, Suzanne Vega, “Greenberg OST” and others, and new movies rated and slated including Brooklyn’s Finest, Letter to Juliet, Greenberg and Black Death.
All this and more in The Ticket, in print, online and the best of The Ticket on the app.
The OTR bulletin board is now open for business. Please feel free to plug and recommend stuff away to your heart’s content, but remember some simple rules. Declare an interest where one should be declared. Plugs are accepted on the whim of OTR and may be edited for length/clarity/common sense. Plugs which mention a commercial sponsor are really ads and will probably not be published in this slot. Plugs which plug the same stuff every week will also be deleted – if people ain’t interested by now, you should really get the message. Now, who’s going to see Macca?
The latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. All recommendations for future New Music picks welcome below.
Post-punk darkcore grooves from Melbourne trio who’ve released a few records down under and who recently hooked up with Blast First Petite for label adventures elsewhere. New single “Young”/”You” will have you craving for more.
Two Limerickmen and a dude from Wisconsin based in Hangzhou in southeastern China kicking out the experimental jams with dark hardcore sounds, intense drones and hypnotic loops. Check out their debut EP “The Bullet Catch”
Three sisters from Watford attracting louder and longers rounds of applause for their shy, bittersweet folk-pop tunes, fantastic harmonies and all-round classy minstrel melodies. On tour in Ireland from June 15.
You’ll always face a few hurdles in a brave new world. Back in October, Public Enemy began to use the Sellaband service to get funding from fans for their next album. The band needed $250,000 and they were confident that they would encounter no problems getting a huge number of Sellaband believers to open their wallets and pony up.
This week, though, PE announced a significant change in plans. Claiming that “the fan funding model is still not fully developed” (true that, as only 2,225 believers were prepared to invest in the new album – or maybe they heard the new material?), PE have now dropped their asking price to $75,000 and have already $56,000 in the Sellaband piggybank. Even established bands, it seems, are having the music industry 2.0 blues and many new-fangled get-rich-quick schemes turn out to be the stuff of the snake oil salesmen.
It really is a weird time for this business. Last week was the worst week ever for US album sales, as that market continues to recede faster than my hairline, yet the number of new bands coming to the table shows absolutely no sign of abating. The mistaken belief that the live music sector would save us all has come home to roost faster than a Lady Gaga costume change, but we’re still seeing new venues (three new venues due in the next few months in Dublin city-centre alone), tours and festivals coming on stream.
Meanwhile, those who made out like bandits in the last golden age of the record business continue to offer pearls of wisdom from the high moral ground. OTR’s old mucker Thom Yorke has advised new bands not to sign to major labels. Not only is this rich coming from someone who owes his entire career to one of those major labels (and the much maligned Every Mistake Imaginable at that), but Yorke has also conveniently overlooked the fact that (1) no-one is really signing new bands these days and (2) new bands are sharp enough not to need an old-school rock relic to tell them that major labels are a bad idea. Indie rock’s Victor Meldrew needs a reality check, rather than just another cheque.
Yorke’s ruminations aside, the question remains the same as it did when we started poking around and kicking tyres all those years ago: where’s the money? Yes, I realise and acknowledge that there are many (many) acts who’re happily in this game for non-financial reasons, but this is aimed at those who are seeking third-party funding of one sort or other to get an album out, a tour off the ground or build on their first release or tour. Where do you go to get that capital?
While there are plenty of opportunities to explore for acts with established audiences (such as corporate patronage, for instance, even though PE’s experiences with Sellaband demonstrate that it’s not all beer and skittles), it’s a different story for new bands. No labels to invest time, cash and patience in their first few albums. No live music windfalls until they can draw an audience and it takes a lot of time to draw that audience. Is it really a case of struggling on under their own steam until an angel investor sees an opportunity or is there some other solution which everyone has either overlooked or hasn’t explored? Answers on a postcard please.
Last seen here making outlandish demands backstage at the ‘08 Electric Picnic (oysters are hard to come by in Stradbally at the best of times) and putting on a hell of a show, Grace Jones plays four Irish shows next month. Catch the iconic one at the Wright Venue, Dublin (the venue in the retail park out in the ‘burbs) on July 21 and 22 and at the Savoy Theatre, Cork on July 23 and 24. Tickets are €56 a pop.
As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday June 8, 10pm-midnight
DJ-ing plug: I’ll be DJ-ing at the Cork Midsummer Festival Club at The Pavilion next Wednesday (June 16). Admission is free, the music kicks off at 10.30pm and you’ll probably hear some of the following tunes and lots (lots!) more.
Monarchy “Love Get Out Of My Way (Holy Ghost! Remix)” (White)
Montauk “Holiday” (Brilliantine)
Aeroplane “We Can’t Fly” (Eskimo)
Holy Ghost! “On Board” (XL)
Blondes “Moondance” (Merok)
The Aikiu “Just Can’t Sleep” (Abracada)
Matthew Dear “I Can’t Feel” (Ghostly International)
LCD Soundsystem “Throw (Carl Craig remix)” (DFA)
BLK JKS “Zol!” (Secretly Canadian)
Gun Outfit “My Whole Life” (PPM)
Ariel Pink “Bright Lit Blue Skies” (4AD)
Renee Fleming “Intervention” (Mercury)
John Boutte “Treme Song” (Boutteworks)
Janelle Monae “Wondaland” (Bad Boy)
The Middle East “The Darkest Side” (TME)
The Phoenix Prestige “Deathdefyers” (Infernal)
Lorn “Army of Fear” (Brainfeeder)
Crystal Castles “Celestica (Thurston Moore remix)” (Polydor)
Steve Mason “Understand My Heart” (Double Six)
Laura Marling “Alpha Shallows” (Virgin)
Dirty Projectors “I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine” (White)
Mountain Man “How’m I Doing’” (Bella Union)
Sunforest “Magician In the Mountain” (Optimum Sounds)
Horse Feathers “Thistled Spring” (Kill Rock Stars)
The Free Design “An Elegy” (Optimum)
Ali Farke Toure & Toumani Diabate “Machengoidi” (World Circuit)
Capital city pie fans, the rumours are true: Pieminister will have a stall at the Point Village Market every weekend for the summer. You will not need to go to Stradbally for your pie and mash and gravy fix. Their stall was the only one doing any business when OTR was there, but then again, it was a miserably drizzly bank holiday Sunday afternoon. Hugely disappointed to learn that the Shoot My Dog! stall didn’t feature guns – a lost opportunity.
Europe says no to Chris Brown: it seems everyone’s favourite girlfriend-beating r’n'b star will not be hitting (sorry) these shores this month. News alert via OTR reader Simon.
Thanks to all those who came along to the latest Banter session at the weekend with the mighty Andy Votel. I’d forgotten that Votel knows how to spin a yarn and the conversation covered the full sprectrum of his career, from graphic designer at Grand Central Records and setting up Twisted Nerve with Damon “Badly Drawn Boy” Gough to his Finders Keepers‘ label and occasional penchant for Bavarian harmonica music. We’ll have the podcast available shortly.
We head out of town and hit the north-west and the Eargail Arts Festival for the next Banter on July 17. “Outstanding In Their Own Fields – Where The Irish Music Festival Goes From Here” features Paul McLoone (Today FM, The Undertones), Una Mullally (Sunday Tribune, TG4’s Ceol Ar An Imeall), Declan Forde (POD Concerts and Electric Picnic booker) and myself looking at the current health of the domestic music festival scene and how things might look five years from now. It takes place at the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny on Saturday July 17 from 3pm. More information here and there’s a full list of the musical attractions at the EAF, including Villagers, Cathy Davey, The Unthanks, Talvin Singh and many more here.
We heart Village Voice headlines: “Fiery Irish Guy” And NYC Music-Blogger Extraordinare Patrick Duffy, He Of Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, Which Is, Alas, Shutting Down For Good. Pity the story isn’t quite as grabby as the head, though.
Charlie Brooker reviews the iPad! To be honest, you probably already knew what he thought given his past views on Apple products, as published in 2007, 2009 and, indeed, earlier this year. Question: does the commissioning editor even bother to read Brooker’s copy anymore? Bet they ask him to run the rule over the new iPhone 4.
Perhaps they’d be better off asking someone from the US Justice Department. The Feds are currently probing how Steve Jobs’ boys do business with media outfits in areas beyond music. Wonder did they discover any links between Apple and MasterNation in that other probe?
Classical nightclubbing: Berlin’s Yellow Lounge come to BAC to do the classical-music-in-a-club thing with a live set from the Fauré Quartett (music from their “Wunderkind Mendelssohn” and “Popsongs” albums), DJ selections from Bernard Clarke (Lyric FM’s Nova show) and VJs C-Division and 3-PIN providing the eye candy at the Button Factory, Dublin on June 16.
Forget Live Nation, it’s Lidl Nation! The live music monster are dropping service fees for the rest of this month in an effort to bump up sales. Per Live Nation medium-sized cheese Jason Garner (look, he ain’t Rapino, who is the LN big dog), it’s an effort to do something about the fact that 80 per cent of shows don’t sell out and 40 per cent of all tickets go unsold.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael are getting hot and heavy about Ticketmaster’s little cousin Get Me In. Given that very few gigs are sold-out these days, this really is storm in a teacup territory for the main opposition party. Maybe it’s their equivalent of Eamon Ryan’s daft-as-a-brush run-in with the rugger-buggers.
Off the Richter scale: effusive Irish indie Richter Collective are taking over the Creans Marquee stage at the Le Chéile Festival (Oldcastle, Co Meath) this year on July 31 with an-day bash featuring Not Squares (we heart Not Squares), BATS, Jogging, Hands Up Who Wants To Die, The Continous Battle of Order, Grey Mayhem and Boutros Bubba. Admission is €12.
Time to get busy in a Burger King bathroom. Read Rob Sheffield on why Digital Undergound’s “Humpty Dance” is still a jam of the summer 20 years on or get down below. Oh yes, we’re feeling it.
Thurston Moore once said that not breaking up was Sonic Youth’s “biggest career faux pas”. Moore was probably joshing a little when he talked about reunions with Spin magazine back in 2007. “What would have happened if we did break up after Daydream Nation or even after Dirty and had gotten back together two years ago?” he mused. “We probably would have made so much money.”
There’s a lot of truth to that throwaway comment, as the reunion bandwagon continues to roll. At last weekend’s Primavera festival in Barcelona, it was obvious that a lot of bands were enjoying a decent pay day by forgetting past differences and putting the show on the road again. Reunited acts on the bill included Pavement, Pixies, Orbital, Mission of Burma, Liquid Liquid, The Slits and Sunny Day Real Estate.
Arguments for and against reunions were there in abundance. Pavement’s temporary return to live action, a reunion that percussionist Bob Nastanovich says is partly to help him pay off gambling debts, has been the hit of the season, with the band performing arguably far better than they ever did the first time around.
It’s another matter, however, with Pixies, a band who have spent six years on the lucrative reunion trail and now resemble a karaoke act pretending to be the band they once were. The lack of any new material to date, bar a one-off single, may be a blessing in disguise.
But there’s little doubt why Pixies and everyone else are still on the bandwagon. When large cheques are dangled in front of you, it would be rude to say no. You can be sure that any band calling it a day any time soon will probably have the dates for the reunion tour already in mind.
This week’s essential tunes on the OTR jukebox. Please feel free to add your own selections below.
Monarchy “Love Get Out Of My Way (Holy Ghost! remix)”
Now, this is what you call a remix. Holy Ghost recast Monarchy’s new single as a discotastic walk on the wild side. Trust us, you’ll feel like dancing.
Skibunny “Walk Don’t Walk” (Smalltown America)
Taster for forthcoming debut album “Hugs” from Mark Gordon and Tanya Mellotte, longstanding Belfast indie DJs/producers/remixers turned ace electro-pop duo. Check out the track here
Josh Ritter “The Curse” (Independent)
The standout track from the Idaho troubadour’s latest album “So Runs The World” now comes hand in glove with a magical video from drummer and marionette puppeteer Liam Hurley.
Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden “Jasmine” (ECM)
Recent Ticket CD of the Week sees the great pianist and bassist hit the studio together for the first time in yonks to produce an album of peerless, delicate sounds for the wee small hours.
Beach House “Teen Dreams” (Bella Union)
“Something that brings me back to the days of My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins. A really well constructed album.” (selected by Jeremy Hickey AKA R.S.A.G.)
Scissor Sisters: Brian Boyd hears how a break from recording the difficult third album helped put the sex and disco back into the multi-million selling New York band.
The Acorn: Kanye West and Elbow are fans but, as Sinead Gleeson explains, don’t let that put you off the Canadian band.
1.2.3.4: besides being Mickey from Dr Who, Noel Clarke is also the director of Kidulthood and Adulthood and he talks to Anna Carey about his latest movie, 1.2.3.4.
Plus: reviews of new music releases from Crystal Castles, Dervish, Delorean, Trentemoller, Bettye Lavette, Brendan Perry, Andy Bell, Rox, Oasis and others, and new movies rated and slated including 4.3.2.1, She’s Out Of My League, The Killer Inside Me, The Infidel, Death At A Funeral, The Girl On the Train and The Brothers Bloom.
All this and more in The Ticket, in print, online and the best of The Ticket on the app.
Technical difficulties: we know that a number of you have been experiencing problems posting comments on OTR this week so apologies for this. The technical team know about the problem and are working on fixing it. To help them out, please email any error messages you receive, along with the type (and version) of browser which you are using to tech@irishtimes.com.
Banter plug: The latest Banter session will feature a chat with Andy Votel tomorrow night plus a screening of cult Aussie biker movie Stone. Full information here.
The OTR bulletin board is now open for business. Please feel free to plug and recommend stuff away to your heart’s content, but remember some simple rules. Declare an interest where one should be declared. Plugs are accepted on the whim of OTR and may be edited for length/clarity/common sense. Plugs which mention a commercial sponsor are really ads and will probably not be published in this slot. Plugs which plug the same stuff every week will also be deleted – if people ain’t interested by now, you should really get the message. Enjoy the long weekend.
The latest New Music selections from the On The Record column in tomorrow’s edition of The Ticket. All recommendations for future New Music picks welcome below.
Obviously followers of the Animal Collective and Panda Bear creeds, Minneapolis duo Billy Freed and Richard Gill are daydream believers with a hankering for sunny, spacey psychedelic pop grooves. Check out their current calling card, “In Season”, here for more.
Three girls and a boy from London and Cambridge ready to step into the arena with a debut album “Teatime Favourites” for Damaged Goods full of howling pop tunes, scruffy punk guitars and bittersweet melodies.
Music for that early morning comedown, Nate Grace and his Austin, Texas friends are top of the class when it comes to crafting woozy, ghostly, alien tunes. Both “Easy” and “Voices”, for instance, are perfect examples of the Pure Ecstasy trip.
It began as a gag on Twitter. A few weeks ago, various tweets began to fly around the place tagged #bandtips. They ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous, advice on how bands should look in photos to things any aspiring pop combo should never do. Pretty soon afterwards, there were also #journotips and #PRtips, but neither quite ignited in the same way for some reason.
Every morning when I open the post, I think about band tips and how so many acts don’t have a clue what they’re doing when it comes to dealing with the press. Worse, many of them seem to have hired PR companies who obviously get paid handsomely to make the bands look so clueless. Not all PR companies offend in this way, I hasten to add, but there are some out there who give the profession an even worse name than it currently has.
The worst cases by far are those acts who happily send out lavish press packs with badly written band biographies (there’s a reason why you should spellcheck documents, you know) and outlandish, unproven claims about the band’s popularity in their local village. These packs may also contain actual printed photos (I think I last used a print pic back in 2000), a badge, a t-shirt, stickers and a bar of chocolate and/or lollipop. Well, I suppose that’s breakfast sorted.
It never fails to amaze me that there are still deluded bands and managers out there happy to spend their cash on this sort of tripe. Do they really think cynical hacks and busy radio DJs and producers are going to be impressed by brightly coloured envelopes, claims about being “Ireland’s Hottest New Band!” or assorted samples of Haribo confectionery? Are some people in the media really swayed by this? Do the bands not think that the money (and time) expanded on these elaborate packs and flim-flam would not be better spent writing decent songs, updating their studio equipment or paying for various costs on their next tour? Do the acts not realise that most of us will snaffle the sweets, groan at the pullout quotes from hacks and publications we have no time for, throw away the press pack, play the CD and then forget the band’s name?
Many moons ago in the paper, Maeve Binchy used to have a column called Unasked For Advice in which she dispensed advice to people who weren’t necessarily looking for it, but who were going to get it anyway. I don’t think Binchy ever advised Irish rock and pop groups – I could be wrong about this – but I’m borrowing the column idea for this post nonetheless.
Bands, please note that there is no need for press packs or any of that aul’ shite. If your PR adviser says there is, well, he or she is lying. They got told this at the music biz course they went to because the person giving the course didn’t have a clue and last actually worked at the coalface in the 1980s. Or wanted to get work for their mate who was a photographer, snapper or lollipop salesman.
You don’t need to send the media anything other than the CD and an one-page sheet giving some basic details about the band. These details should contain your band name, where you’re from and where you’re at. List upcoming gigs. List the release date for your single/album. You don’t really need anything more than that. You certainly don’t need to send a photo.
Make sure you include a contact number. Yes, include an email address and your MySpace or web address too (by the way, put your photos on these sites and make sure they can be downloaded), but make sure there’s a fecking contact number on the one-page sheet. And on the CD too, by the way. We might want to contact you. We might need to contact you in a hurry and email just doesn’t do it. Most importantly of all, never ever ever ever put a quote from Hot Press on your press release – we stopped laughing at those ones years ago.
No need to thank OTR for this. Just consider it our service to the nation. And our teeth.
You will note that I’ve not outed any acts above. All of those bands who have provoked this post should consider this a first warning. I may well start a Doofus of the Week post to highlight the band who send me the most ridiculous press pack every week. Then again, that might only encourage some of them.
Latest additions to the bill for the Body & Soul Gathering at Ballinlough Castle, Co. Westmeath on June 19 and 20 are:
R.S.A.G.
Broken Records
Blue King Brown
Katie Kim
Patrick Kelleher
Wiggle
Also in gig news, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings play Dublin’s Tripod on November 6. Tickets on sale next week. Check out a free download of the title track of their current album “I Learned the Hard Way” here.
As played on The Far Side, Phantom 105.2, Tuesday June 1, 10pm-midnight
Sleigh Bells “Riot Rhythm” (N.E.E.T.)
Herzog “Living Alone” (Transgressive)
B-Movie Lightning “Triple Trouble” (Micropolis)
Not Squares “Release the Bees” (Pogo)
Factory Floor “Lying” (Blast First)
John Talabot “Matilda’s Dream” (Permanent Vacation)
Canyons “Dancing On Silk” (DFA)
Dada Trash Collage “In Season” (Burn the Witch)
Skibunny “Walk Don’t Walk” (Smalltown America)
Chief “Breaking Walls” (Domino)
Liquid Liquid “Cavern” (99)
Can “A Spectacle” (Spoon)
R.S.A.G. “Before They Make You Run” (Rare Production)
Renee Fleming “Intervention” (Mercury)
Eli “Paperboy” Reid “Young Girl” (Capitol)
The Unthanks “Lucky Gilchrist” (Rough Trade)
Jay-Jay Johanson “Make Her Mine” (Art)
Peter Wolf Crier “Hard As Nails” (Jagjaguwar)
Solar Bears “Photo Negative Living” (Planet Mu)
Bonobo “Kong” (Ninja Tune)
Van Dyke Parks “Donovan’s Colours” (Warner Bros)
Keith Jarrett/Charlie Haden “Body & Soul” (ECM)
The latest Banter session will feature the one and only Andy Votel in conversation next Saturday (June 5) at the Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1.
DJ, producer, musician, graphic artist, label boss (Twisted Nerve, Finders Keepers etc) and sneaker pimp: a chat with Votel can and probably will go in many different directions.
The Banter session will be preceded by a screening of Stone, Sandy Harbutt’s timeless Australian cult film about “a new breed of motorbike gang” which comes with a banging soundtrack of electronic sound effects, psychedelic guitars, cosmic grooves and funky basslines. See trailer below.
Doors open at 7pm, the film starts at 7.30pm-ish and Banter will get underway around 9.30pm. Admission is a fiver in advance (sign up here).
Afterwards, Andy will be DJ-ing on The Stage with Micí Durnin at Cock Diesel.
(1) Reasons why Primavera works: a beautiful city, a cracking line-up, fine weather, no mud, very few idiots. Urban festivals of this ilk are the new rock’n'roll for those of us too old and too unwilling to camp.
(2) Leagues has covered all bases in his comprehensive and hugely enjoyable day by day reviews (see below) so massive thanks to him for trojan work on the reviewing front.
(3) My own top-of-the-list highlight were Sleigh Bells. I’ve become addicted to their debut album “Treats” and they were just what I was expecting and then some when they hit the P4K stage on Friday night/Saturday morning. That beguiling mix of banshee howls, looped-to-fuck nasty bangers, high-kicking frontwomanisms, filthy guitars and rapid beats would be nothing without some decent tunes and they’d plenty of those.
(4) The other monster highlight for me were Liquid Liquid, a band I’ve been curious to see for years. It was jerky rhythms and offkilter, punkfunk grooves ahoy and hearing “Cavern”, “Bellhead” and “Optimo” live put a smile on my face.
(5) I could have listened to Van Dyke Parks playing piano, singing songs and telling tales in the giant Auditori all night long. This masterclass in perfect pop music (with a few diversions to New Orleans in 1857) was a sublime example of how the Primavera jigsaw works.
(6) It was the year of the returning indie superheroes of old with the likes of Superchunk, Pavement and Pixies. Seeing Superchunk live was a big ol’ nostalgic trip for me, while the 30 minutes I saw of Pavement was enough to know that their reunion is definitely on the right musical tracks. My first Primavera was back in 2004 when Pixies played the first European show on their reunion tour. Six years on, they are just going through the motions like a well-oiled karaoke machine. Bet they’re getting well-paid for their efforts, though.
(7) It wasn’t all old-school. The first band I saw to grab the festival by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shaking were New Jersey’s punks Titus Andronicus. I’ve seen them a few times before, but this was one of those shows which turns casual observers into superfans. Others who turned things up a few notches: No Age, Cold Cave, Japandroids, Thee Oh Sees and Beak> (hugely impressed with them)
(8) And let’s be honest, it wasn’t all good either. I thought The Drums were a joke (the return of Haircut 100), The Big Pink were excruciating boring, The Slits were annoying, Broken Social Scene were dull and Mark E Smith reminded me of some cranky bugger cadging fags from passerbys outside a pub (and that was just when he was singing).
(9) Then, there was Florence & The Machine. There are many who might wonder if a booking like this – and maybe Pet Shop Boys – was wrong for a festival like Primavera, but the response to both acts rendered that argument null and void. I’ve seen FATM a few times in the last year, but this was on another level entirely. Gone are the reticence and nervousness of ealier days, to be replaced by a super-confident pop star who knows what her arsenal of songs can do – and more importantly, how her band can twist and turn those tunes into lovely shapes.
(10) Prediction: there will be a hell of a lot more Irish people at Primavera 2011. As Leagues mentioned in one of his reviews, there was no escaping the fact that there was a huge number of Irish fans at Parc del Forum this time out. This number will only grow as people realise that going to a festival doesn’t have to involve standing in a muddy field in the Irish midlands, surrounded by drunk idiots, getting pushed around by power-tripping security men, listening to terrible bands who have no place on the bill and getting turfed out of the site at midnight. There actually is another way and this involves taking a plane to a city out foreign.