iTest, Jan 31st

iTest is my radio show on i102-104fm, we cover the west of Ireland, and the world I suppose on i102104.ie

Sundays from 6 til 9

Here's what I played this evening ....

Gorillaz - Stylo
Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Please Don't ft. Santigold
Yeasayer - Madder Red Alt
Dinosaur Feathers - Vendela Vida
Feed The Bears - Compete And Wrestle
Mumford And Sons - The Cave
Groove Armada - Shameless ft. Bryan Ferry
Love Is All - Kungen
New Amusement - Planner
Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
Delphic - Halcyon
Vampire Weekend - White Sky
Free Energy - Something In Common
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devils Tattoo
Lost Chord - Ronald And Nancy
Goldfrapp - Believer
Two Door Cinema Club - Costume Party
Not Squares - Asylum Alt
Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind
Titus Andronicus - Richard II Alt
Hot Chip - I Feel Better
MEN - Simultaneously
The Sunshine Underground - One By One
Beach House - Norway
Surfer Blood - Swim
Damian Marley & Nas - As We Enter
Happy Birthday - Girls FM
Frightened Rabbit - Nothin Like You
Wakey! Wakey! - 22
Drive By Truckers - This Fucking Job
Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
Four Tet - She Just Likes To Fight Alt
Fionn Regan - Genocide Matinee
Yeasayer - O.N.E
She & Him - In The Sun
Dinosaur Feathers - Teenage Whore
Gill Scott Heron - The Devil And Me Alt
jj - Let Go
Love Is All - Repitition
We Cut Corners - Toll Free

3 Songs

So Cow was a few years ahead of me in school in Tuam Co. Galway. It's a great little town with a bit of a reputation about the country. I went home yesterday to visit the folks and had a read of the local paper. Heroin has popped up apparently, and the zombies are out in force stealing pennies from kids, in other news a guy I went to school with is in court for taking a golf club to a guy. I can't imagine it was anything like the Tiger Wood's wife style noble golf club battering situation, more an "I'd rather you weren't conscious anymore" style confrontation.

So Cow has been writing and reahearsing and recording tirelessly for the past few months ahead of his U.S tour which kicks off in New Jersey on February 11th, moving through the country and rolling on down to SXSW in March. He's playing on St. Patricks Day in Austin Texas, if you're there I would highly recommend you go!

At the moment the band are playing each of their home towns before they leave, the drummer (for the life of me can't remember his name) in Dublin on Thursday, Galway, for Jonny the bassist tonight before Gigantic in Kellys (5 bucks in, and I'll be playing in the bar so come say hi after!) and Tuam last night for Brian.

It was a whopper of a gig in the Woolstore, which is effectively a shed behind a bar. Because the electrics were so dodgy the heater had to be turned off so everyone was frozen! Bahfiddle opened, they're a grindcore two piece. Rural Savage up next, a messy, fun punk band from Donegal for whom it was their second gig, and amoung one of the better live shows I've seen in ages. Thirdly, The Ralphs came on, they are from Tuam, 2 brothers, a cousin and their best friend Brian. Jamie, the singer wanders on stage with a bandaged hand, he and Leigh the drummer had gotten into a bit of brotherly argy bargy the night before. In fairness to Jamie, despite the bust hand he horsed through the set and got a great reaction. Finally, So Cow hopped on stage and blew everyone away. It was a pop show of epic proportion!

So Cow - To Do List Alt

Another band that are hitting the SXSW trail in March are Dinosaur Feathers, listening to the myspace now and I really like them. Not much to say really, just well worth checking out!

Dinosaur Feathers - Vendela Vida Alt

And I love She & Him's new tune! It's rather similar to their first album's sound, but hey, if it ain't broke ...it's funny with that band, I wonder would I be half as endeared to them if Zooey Deschanel wasn't in it? I hope I would cos as far as I know I really like them, but jaysus, she's great isn't she! So is M. Ward but I mean, come on! Volumn II is out March 23rd

She & Him - In The Sun Alt

And sure, dyou know what? How about another So Cow tune, remember Galway folks, Kelly's tonight, Doors 9p.m, €5, it's the last time to see Mr. Cow for a while. And for you lot in the U.S of A, check out his myspace for details on where he'll be playing near you!

So Cow - Runaway (Del Shannon Cover) Alt

Lost Chord E.P Launch tonight!

I've just been given devastating news. I have to cover the breakfast show on the radio station I work in, because the usual presenter has taken the day off because she's gonna party it up tonight after the same gig I was planning to go to. As it is I'll be DJing until 3a.m, then in work again at 5:30a.m, but I was planning to go partying tonight, gutted, big style, but that's work for you.

Exciting times for anyone about Galway tonight. Lost Chord E.P launch is tonight, so after months of gigging, recording and getting up to all sorts of shenanigans, the lads have a lovely little 6 track E.P in their hands that they can send to some big label, get signed, water down their sound and go hang out with Stereophonics and Travis or something! ...well that's not going to happen but it will be fun to see what happens these promising young dudes, the only thing that we can be sure of is tonight, everyone will have fun, except me, who has to go to be for 2 hours before getting up for work again.

Support is from Funeral Suits who've gained much love in the west of Ireland through gigging with a few of the bands around and generally being solid dudes and a pretty good band, it'll be interesting to see what their new stuff is like. I'm not massively gone on their solo stuff, rather "indie" by numbers, but their live shows are brilliant and have led to support slots to the likes of Passion Pit so I'll certainly give them another chance.

myspace.com/funeralsuits

There Is No Lost Chord E.P

Cheats Alt
You Do Not Do Alt
Up North
Records Not Fear
Ronald And Nancy
Cheats (Crimes Against Remix)

myspace.com/lostchordband

It's all going on tonight in Roisin Dubh from 9, free in

Word tells me a few of the kids will be dipping off to Kellys for Substance after, they'd feckin' want to anyway or there'll be shlaps! Partying etc. after as ever and stuff

No work for me today

I wandered about the charity shops in Galway today, didn't see much, then popped up for Bell, Book and Candle, a second hand records, books, CD's, DVD's shop with a lovely owner named Paul. I go up once a week to say hi and see what bargains I can pick up. I picked up a load of CD's for sweet F.A today, here are my finds.


From Dirty (1992) by Sonic Youth, a band I addmittedly know too little about, so, eh here goes
Sonic Youth - 100% Alt

I love Funeral by Arcade Fire, it's been on my laptop and iPod since it came out but every time I go to buy it it's so expensive, due to it's fancy-ish (i.e not plastic case) packaging. Now I have it. Sweet!
Arcade Fire - Wake Up Alt

Another album I've known and lovely for a long time but never actually got a physical copy of. Now I have one. On the subject, Billy Corgan! If you're reading this you owe me a good show! That Dublin gig was atrocious! There was nothing you could do about the shit apathetic teenagers that were there but c'mon, who the fuck were those tossers playing with you?! Patch up with James and Darcy, please!!
Smashing Pumpkins - Tales Of A Scorched Earth Alt

Creepy, creepy E.P cover for Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy (1997), mad bastard, but sure they all are down in Limerick, at least he's making spooky music, as opposed to shooting people.
Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy (Pappy Mix) Alt

When I was a young teenager my rather religious parents became alarmed at the contents of the CD's I brought home, Slayer being the prime targets, what with God Hates Us All, Hell Awaits and all that, so I'd get mates to copy them and write something like Rory Gallagher on the CD, result! Finally got physical copies of Seasons In The Abyss and South Of Heaven (check out the video for Seasons ...late night Kerrang! TV gold!)
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss Alt

And from South Of Heaven (1988)
Slayer - Live Undead Alt

And an album I stole by accident from a guy I was in a teenage band with but lost again, Harvest, by Neil Young
Neil Young - Old Man Alt

On top of that I got Slash's autobiography, ate scrambled eggs and feta cheese for breakfast while reading and had homemade soup for lunch made by my friend Yvonne while playing Mario Kart on SNES. Yvonne plays bass in a great Galway band called Disconnect 4, here's a tune from their debut E.P, Modern Love which came out this summer.

Disconnect 4 - Eighteen Alt

Vampire Weekend covering Ca Plane Pour Moi for French TV

...just after posting that last one I found this! I don't know if Ezra Koenig ever studied French or anything but for someone whose first language ain't French he's really nailed this!

It's a truly bizarre setting, everyone's rocking that Cliff Richard sway n' clap while sitting down. Cept it's Vampire Weekend covering Plastic Bertrand's Ca Plane Pour Moi (which, musically anyway, is a cover of Elton Motello's Jet Boy Jet Girl, which I'll post sometime soon)

Hot and sweaty student parties

Last night I DJ'd a student night in a tiny below ground club with low ceilings and no real limit on how many could be in there. With pitchers of beer at €5 the place was packed, and being students getting drunk cheaply they were sweaty, dancing lunatics.

The place was like a sauna, and I couldn't get to the bar between songs for a glass of water. It was great!

Here are a few of my favourite small pub dancefloor gems

Blur - There's No Other Way

MC5 - Kick Out The Jams

Jim Carroll - People Who Died

Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi

Martha And THe Muffins - Echo Beach

Short And Sweet

Fionn Regan is wonderful, I'm loving the new album, Shadow Of An Empire. A cracking listen after a swim in the Atlantic Ocean and an evening of pints!

The album is out February 8th

Fionn Regan - Genocide Matinee

Doodling

Here's a wee tester. popgoes... has been added to the blog list on Hype Machine which is quite exciting as it should give the blog a little more exposure, which would be nice! Not sure how any of this works as I'm completely oblivious to the ways of formatting and anything internet related past facebook/ hypem and e-mails!

Roots Manuva - Witness (One Hope)

I'm An Idiot

I stupidly decided in the pub the other night, that today, I would go for my first swim of the year (in the cold cold Atlantic Ocean). I, am a fucking idiot.

If I don't, I'll never live this down. I need to not be a bitch.

Here are some relevant songs.

From their debut album Astro Coast, which is out now.

Surfer Blood - Swim

First single from their album Winter Of Mixed Drinks, which is due out March 1st

Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land

From Reality, out now

Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind

From Good News For People Who Love Bad News (2004)

Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty

And the picture? I've to jump off that thing. Bollocks.

100 posts. Small milestone, but I'm pretty happy! I'm going for a pint, so I'll leave you with my favourite song, thanks for reading!

Josh

The Kinks - Strangers

iTake Over with Michelle O Grady

Michelle is a bit of a hero. Two years dealing of working in the station, doing EVERYTHING, while always up for a chat and a cup of tea she finally got to go on air for a full hour of her own. Here are the tunes she played.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Starsmith Remix ft. Ellie Goulding)
The Ambience Affair - Devil In The Detail
Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone
Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
Beirut - Nantes
Jess Buckley - Lover, You Should've Come Over
Noah And The Whale - First Days Of Spring
Lost Chord - Ronald And Nancy
Diplo - Must Be A Devil
Animal Collective - My Girls
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

This is a link to download and listen to the show!

If you'd like to be a guest for an hour, drop me an e-mail joshclarke@iradio.ie

Woop!

Jolly Green Giants

Our wee green Island is on the ball at the moment!

Quick rant first. I can imagine if Louis Walshe or Hotpress had a look at my playlists they'd have something to say. It's true, hands in the air, I'm not a massive noise on Irish music. That's Hotpress' job. But I'm standing behind my position on music for the radio shows, if it's good, it get's played.

I'm against the idea that radio should be forced to play X amount of Irish music. Radio is about entertaining people, it shouldn't be an accessory used to promote another industry. It also sends out a poor message to bands that get played. Bands like The Blizzards and The Coronas get massive amounts of play and exposure here and can pack out any college bar/town arts festival in the country based on familiarity. Now it's possible that if Irish radio wasn't forced to play X amount of Irish they'd still get the same amount of play, but I highly doubt it.

Rock bands that lack credibility amoung rock music fans, protected by laws that allow them huge publicity will only end disappointed when they stray outside their privelaged status i.e once they try and "break" the UK/States/Europe etc.

My real problem with these laws is that when a band do get played on Irish radio, how can they tell if it's out of nessecity on behalf of the radio station to fulfill their quota of Irish music or if the presenter genuinely flipping loves the band?

Here's a one off declaration. If you see an Irish band here on the blog, they're not there because they're Irish. Or because they're local. The only upside on them being Irish is that there's more of chance they'll be playing locally (supporting live music) and there's more a chance of coming across them (the chances of a Korean bands first demo ending up on my desk is pretty unlikely).

They're there cos they're a really fucking good band. I'm sorry for the semi-political shiting on, I just wanted it on record.

Now, here are some really fucking good Irish bands about at the moment.

This CD has been sitting on my desk for too long. I checked these guys out this week. I rather like them.

Yes Cadets - Rufio

From Bangor. Massive hype. Worth it.

Two Door Cinema Club - Costume Party

Fionn Regan has taken too flipping long to come up with a second album! His first, The End Of History was abn incredible effort, though it surprisingly lost out to Divine Comedy for the Choice Music Prize. Fairness, losing out to the guy who wrote the theme song for Fr. Ted ain't the worst thing in the world. But I do like Fionn better. His second album Shadow Of An Empire is out on February 8th.

Fionn Regan - Genocide Matinee

I caught these guys last Friday supporting Disconnect 4, best support band I've seen in a long time. They gave me a tape after the show, to add to my colletion! Two guys playing synth and bass (like a synth and bass each) and an absolute animal of a drummer. From Belfast, you'll catch them on Richter Collective, one of the country's better labels.

Not Squares - Asylum

Adebisi Shank have been decimating live audiences around the world for a few years now. Their debut album This Is An Album By A Band Called Adebisi Shank came out in 2008, also on Richter Collective. new album due out this Summer.

Adebisi Shank - Oyasumi

Lost Chord are a Galway based 5 piece, their debut E.P There Is No is out next week. The E.P launch is this Thursday in Roisin Dubh.

Lost Chord - Ronald And Nancy

Frightened Rabbit

I love all things Frightened Rabbit, they really saved the mediocre Modest Mouse gig back in December in Galway. Their new album Winter Of Mixed Drinks is out March 1st. So far we've heard two singles, you'll find em on the blog if you have a look.

I think it may be the Scottish accent. Or maybe the fact that they're a Scottish band who aren't cashing in on Biffy Clyro's popularity ('Mon the Biffy).

Here's the B-Side to the first single from the new album, Swim Until You Can't See Land:

Frightened Rabbit - Fun Stuff

iTest Jan 24th

Hi! Apologies for the lack of insight, and more importantly, freebies but I have to run, DJing in the Roisin at 11, come on down!

Not Squares - Aye Yo Pa
MEN -Simultaneously
Surfer Blood - Swim
Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill
Fionn Regan - Genocide Matinee
Yes Cadets - Rufio
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
Lost Chod - Ronald And Nancy
Damian Marley & Nas - Strong Will Continue
Gorillaz - Stylo
Delphic - Doubt
Two Door Cinema - Undercover Martyn
Happy Birthday - Girls FM
Beach House - Silver Soul
Groove Armada - Shameless ft. Bryan Ferry
Vampire Weekend - White Sky
Editors - Papillon (Japanese Popstars Remix)
Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood
Funeral Suits - Now We're Moving, Now We're Free
She & Him - In The Sun
Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
Jonsi - Boy Lilikoi
Yeasayer - I Remember
Efterklang - Mirror Mirror
Lost Chord - Cheats
Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Please Don't ft. Santigold
Two Door Cinema Club - Costume Party
Novels - No Hard Feeleings
Kowalski - Get Back
We Cut Corners - Toll Free
Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
Smashing Pumpkins - Wiow Take My ind
Daft Punk - Legacy
Adebisi Shank - Oyasumi
Goldfrapp - Rocket
Not Squares - Asylum

Local roundup

G'wan the locals! It's been a good week for Galway music.










I've had a listen to the Followers Of Otis album that's due out in a few weeks, it's pretty good indeed. I'll need to give it another few listens but much like their E.P so lovely singalong folk music from brother's Adam, Brian, Eoin and Geoff. The album will be called And Those To Come Hereafter, keep an eye on their myspace for details.

myspace.com/thefollowersofotis

Great excitement building over the release of Lost Chord's debut E.P. The band that started out as David Phelan on his own in his bedroom under the name Walt The Wonderboy. I came across Dave while judging a radio battle of the bands on Flirt fm, Galway's college radio station, which he won. After that he enlisted Fuz from Disconnect 4 to play guitar for a few laptop/guitar/loops shows. Admittedly they were messy but they showed promise. Along the way the band have picked up a drummer, bassist and keyboardist (?) and have supported the likes of Port O Brien, The XX, Fujiya & Miyagi, Islands and New York Dolls. The E.P launch is this Thursday in the Roisin Dubh. The E.P it's is running late but you can get a copy after next weekend. It's all streaming online now!

myspace.com/lostchord

While I have bollocks all respect for the Meteor Awards I noticed they're doing some sort of best newcomer award, which clearly has a hard-on for Tuam! So fair play to The Ralphs, The Coonics (who both contributed a member each to the drunkest dude in Galway awards last night) and Keith Mullins. Details on the Meteor website.

myspace.com/theralphsmusic
myspace.com/thecoonics
myspace.com/keithmullinsmusic

And finally So Cow is off to the Shtates again! One of the best bands to come out of Ireland in a while, So Cow is Brian Kelly, also from Tuam (I'm from Tuam by the way, but this isn't a biased post, there just happens to be loads of great Tuam music at the moment!), has been writing and recording from home for months, coming out to play the odd gig now and again. He'll be playing the Woolstore behind Browne's pub in Tuam on Friday Jan. 29th, then Gigantic in Kelly's in Galway the next day ...and then he's off! He'll be kicking off his US tour on February 11th in New Jersey, then tour around, playing SXSW on his way and finishing it all up on March 31st.

myspace.com/socow

I'd put up some free mp3's but I'd be liable for an auld beat down in the Roisin later.

iTest Jan 17th

iTest is a radio show I present Sundays between 5:50 and 8:50 on i102-104fm in the west of Ireland. Check it out on i102104.ie



















Jay Reatard - Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
Vampire Weekend - Holiday
We Were Promised Jetpacks - It's Thunder And It's Lightning
OK Go - White Knuckles
Frightened Rabbit - Nothing Like You
Adebisi Shank - Oyasumi
jj - My Way
Besnard Lakes - Albatross
We Cut Corners - A Pirate's Life
Blockhead - Which One Of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer
Fionn Regan - Catacombs
Yeasayer - I Remember
Eels - Gone Man
The Knife - Colouring Of Pigeons (DAI Remix)
Hot Chip - I Feel Better
Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood
Jonsi - Boy Lilikoi
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Uffie - MC's Can Kiss
The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
Spoon - Written In Reverse
Midlake - Acts Of Man
Vampire Weekend - White Sky
Happy Birthday - Girls FM
We Cut Corners - Toll Free
Stornoway - Zorbing
jj - Let Go
Marina And The Diamonds - Obsessions
Jay Reatard - It Ain't Gonna Save Me
Novels - No Hard Feelings
The Irrepressibles - In This Shirt
Badly Drawn Boy - Is There Nothing We Could Do?
Dinosaur Feathers - Vendela Vida
First Aid Kit - Heavy Storm
M.I.A - There's Space For Ol Dat Is See
Kowalski - Get Back
FM Belfast - I Can Feel Love
Owen Pallett - Midnight Directives
New Young Pony Club - Lost A Girl
Swimmers - A Hundred Hearts

New music suggestions are always welcome, as are demos, and CD's from anyone really

joshclarke@iradio.ie or mail to

Unit 19
Wellpark Leisure Block
Wellpark
Galway
F.A.O Josh Clarke

Midweek Madness, again!

I took a break for a few days. Staff party plus a few lovely spacey days chilling out, making breakfast for peoples, charity shopping, going for pints. Awful good fun.

Here are a few gems I picked up over the past few days!

David Byrne (Talking Heads, loads of other bands) and Fatboy Slim are collaborating! They're making a concept album about former first lady of the Phillipines, Imelda Marcos and her relationship with a servant from childhood. Good lord. It's due out next month, and here's a track from it featuring Santigold

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Please Don't (ft. Santigold)

Another concept album, this time from Titus Andronicus. They're a good old rockin' band that I listened to for the first time today!

Titus Andronicus - Forever

Sweet tune from Ali Love, I really liked his last single Diminishing Returns, this one's another nice dancey number.

Ali Love - Love Harder

More collaborations! This time from the King of Collaborations and generally interesting music Damon Albarn! Fresh from reviving one of the best bands in the world for a summer of frolicking around festivals he's back with more Gorillaz! Damon's virtual friends return with their third album, Plastic Beach, on March 8th. The guestlist reads like a who's who of awesome dudes! Barry Gibb, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, De La Soul and Lou Reed. This one features Mos and Bobby!

Gorillaz - Stylo

Finally, funnily enough I got up this morning and put on Magnetic Fields wonderful 2008 release Distortion. Today I found out they're due to release another, Reality will be out on the 26th of this month

Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind

Here's my favourite song from Hot Chip's new album One Life Stand. It's out Feb 8th

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

So hot right now, jj!

My brain jury is still out on mysterious Swedes jj. Pitchfork's been in love with them since their first single Ecstacy, which admittedly is a pretty awesome tune.

Two more songs turned up on the interwebs this week.

My Way, at first it sounds a little like The XX who they're touring the US with in March, jj and The XX, genius), then this awful auto-tuned R&B hip-hop kinda thing comes in over what was a lovely song (apparently it's Lil Wayne, who the indie gods have deemed the acceptable token rapper du jour ...personally I don't get it). Then all of that disappears, with you thinking, did that actually happen? while it turns back into a nice listenable song. It won't be included on their forthcoming album jj n°3, so it may be a little experimenter for funsies. Alrighty then. The silly rapping aside though, it's a sweet little funky bouncy tune.

The second tune to drop is called Let Go. It's much more chilled out, with some nice drums and melodies and what not and stuff. Sure just have a listen and see what you think yourself!

Misfits were great

Youthful memories. What a band. What a song. What a sleeve cover!

Misfits - Bullet

M...I...A ...get's mad and get's busy

I'm trying to get my head around the new MIA tune. It's called There's Space For Ol Dat I See. It's the first track from her forthcoming album Mission.Impossible.Area (due out this summer). She's come out and said it'll be odd, musical and gimmick free, presumably meaning she'll be taking it easy on the auld gunshots.

According to Rolling Stone (as I'm slow on the Twittereeting) the song was quickly written and recorded as an attack on the New York Times. They deduced this from a Tweet from MIA, that said, FUCK NEW YORK TIMES.

It was in response to an article written in the paper that named her homeland, Sri Lanka, as top of 31 Places To Visit in 2010. The singer is not only of the Tamil ethnic group but daughter of an activist who spent years on the run from the Sri Lankan army, who declared victory over the revolutionary LTTE only last May after over 25 years of Civil War, while 300,000 Tamil are still displaced.

Adding weight to her outrage was this horrible photograph which she Tweeted with a note saying "here is the lush coastline they are talking about". Fair enough.

Here's the song: M.I.A - Theres Space For Ol Dat I See

Gotta say, I'm not majorly gone on the usual music/politics crossover but I feel MIA uses her influence in music to highlight the problems within Sri Lanka purely as an act of desparation.

Purely musically I'm still not majorly gone on it, but am looking forward to hearing more from it. She has said that she's not looking to make something that will be trendy for three months or whatever the attention span of a DJ is. She may be on to something. We're a flighty old bunch. She may also be on to something with Rusko, BlaqStarr, Diplo & Switch on production duties.

To quote the jellybeans off the Lotto ads, "this is gonna be great"!

Jay Reatard (1980 - 2010) ...an update

For those of you who missed it Jay Reatard passed away the other day. He was 29. For those of you who've never heard of him check out either of his albums, Blood Visions (2006) or Watch Me Fall (2009)

In an update, Memphis Police are investigating his death as homocide and are searching for a possible suspect. It all seems really fucked up.

You can read reactions from some musicians including The Pixies and Ted Leo on Pitchfork.com

Here's a cover of Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle by Nirvana (there's a link to the original)

Jay Reatard - Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle (Nirvana Cover)

I got decks!

I've invested in decks, mixer and table. I'm so flipping broke! Pioneer CDJ 1000 MK3's! I only started using CD's a few months back after lazily playing from a laptop that could have gone tits up at any stage. I wouldn't rule out going back to laptop at some stage but I think it'd be a shame if I didn't master CD's first. I'm getting more used to mixing and what no now, sure before you know it I'll be spinnin' like Tiesto or Scooter or someone like that...

Well excited anyway!


Indeep - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

Faithless - God Is A DJ

The Smiths - Panic

On the move to the groove, the warmup #1

I was off work yesterday so after making breakfast for a few friends we hit the charity shop trail. Galway has a few, mostly full of junk but I got the following musical items.

Pulp - Different Class (on cassette)
Def Leppard - Hysteria (on cassette)
The Police - Greatest Hits (on cassette)
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
Buena Vista Social Club - Live At Carnegie Hall
Van Morrisson - The Collection
The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers L.P
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend

...and a few more. But all for in and around €2!

And here are a few cool warmup tunes for moving your feet while you're making dinner and getting ready to dance to the music if indeed you're going out tonight

The Supremes - Come See About Me

Buffalo Springfield - Mr. Soul

James Brown - Don't Stop The Funk

Midweek Madness!!

Here are a few tasters for this Sunday's show. If you're near a radio in the west of Ireland (Connaught, Donegal, Derry, parts of Westmeath) Sunday's between 5:50 and 8:50 tune into i102-104fm or bop onto the net (i102104.ie)

I play three hours of new music, no matter the genre but generally of the youthful upbeat variety, the tracklist goes up the next day right here on the blog!

Final Fantasy is back with a new album, but Shock! Horror! he's gone and confused everyone by reverting back to his real name for the release of his third album Heartland. Oh dear. What I've heard sounds a little more electronic than his earlier stuff. Have a listen to this tune! Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

I found this tune on thestureidexperiment.com Don't know much about the band but this song is great! Happy Birthday - Girls FM

New Frightened Rabbit album, Winter Of Mixed Drinks is out March 1st. My favourite Scottish guys are one of my favourite bands from the past two years. Frightened Rabbit - Nothing Like You

I missed out on this one from a few weeks back, it's bangin'! Uffie - MC's Can Kiss

And remember kids, Substance is free in tonight wiht a free pint of Coors Light for the first 50 in at 11!

So hot right now, Kowalski!

Apologies to AU's blog. I robbed this track straight from you guys. But thanks for the heads up on this band. They're called Kowalski, from Bangor in Northern Ireland, the same place as "so hot right now" and indeed so great right now indie rock sorts, Two Door Cinema Club.

Download for free here

Looking forward to hearing more from these guys as soon as possible!

Jay Reatard R.I.P

After finishing my last post with "I'm a happy camper" moments ago I'm back with some shitty news.

Garage punk musician Jay Reatard has died in his sleep aged 29 have been confirmed. This is incredibly sad news. He was a machine that churned out quality music at a phenomenal rate.

Here's my favourite song I've heard by him

Jay Reatard - Always Wanting More

Choice Music Prize 2010

The Choice Music Prize is the annual Irish critics prize for finest Irish album of the year. It has been on the go since 2005, with Julie Feeney, Divine Comedy, Super Extra Bonus Party and Jape as the previous winners.

This year, I have been kindly asked to judge the prize! I submitted my top ten albums in December. Today the shortlist was announced, and here it is! (in no particular order)

And So I Watch You From Afar - And So I Watch You From Afar (Smalltown
America)
Bell X1 - Blue Lights On The Runway (BellyUp)
Codes - Trees Dream in Algebra (EMI)
Adrian Crowley - Season of the Sparks (Chemikal Underground)
Dark Room Notes - We Love You Dark Matter (Gonzo)
The Duckworth Lewis Method - The Duckworth Lewis Method (1969/Divine Comedy
Records)
Julie Feeney - Pages (Mittens)
Valerie Francis - Slow Dynamo (VF)
Laura Izibor - Let The Truth Be Told (Atlantic)
The Swell Season - Strict Joy (Plateau)

It's all very exciting! The event and prize itself takes place on March 3rd in Vicar Street in Dublin with some of the acts playing on the night and the judges being locked in a room to decide on a winner. I'll be locked in that room with the following fine folk

Martin Burns (News of the World)
Roisin Dwyer (Hot Press)
Tony Fenton (Today FM)
Cathal Funge (Phantom FM)
Padraic Halpin (Ragged Words)
Sophie Gorman (Irish Independent)
John McMahon (Head of 2fm)
Rob O¹Connor (Beat 102-103, Waterford)
Eva Staic (Spin FM)
Chris Wasser (Evening Herald)
Aoife Woodlock (Other Voices)

Jaysus, I'm a happy camper!

Substance clubnight, this Thursday!

Substance is gonna be massive this Thursday. For those of you who've never been it's a clubnight in Kelly's, Bridge St. Galway with myself, Josh and Disconnect Keith. We play soul, indie, electro and rock n' roll party tunes, it's always good fun! On top of that we've a mega sound system and sweet ass lights and smoke system. And cheap pints and some awful cool and sound regulars.

Here are some of the tunes that have been coming up a lot!

The XX - Islands

Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)

New Order - True Faith

Justice - Phantom II

The Raveonettes - Love In A Trashcan

Shirley Ellis - The Clapping Song

Them - Gloria

The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

Come on down!

I miss Electric Picnic

I love Electric Picnic. Last year was only my second year but as long as I'm in Ireland I'll be going along to it. I've done four Oxegens, at this stage out of duty to how good the lineup tends to be. But jesus h. it's full of tossers! Since when did paying €240 to sit in a field all day drinking cheap cider while eventually venturing into a big room to roar Whoo Whoo Whoo and Whoop There It Is at whatever DJ is playing before returning to the field to destroy other people shit become a rite of passage?

I'll happily set up a festival in a field, charging half the money and put on a Lady Gaga tribute band and a Deadmau5/Tiesto/whateverthefuckyouprickslistento CD on a loop and you can kick 40 shades of shite out of each other for as long as you want without any security guards "harshin' yer buzz maaan".

Really losing the run of myself here, oh ya, Electric Picnic. Always good fun! Here are a few songs from some of the bands I enjoyed this year. Of course Bowie didn't play, the Soulwax remix was played by 2 Many DJ's

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Roots Manuva - Witness (One Hope)

David Bowie - Rebel Rebel (Soulwax Remix)

Passion Pit - Let Your Love Grow Tall

Florence And The Machine - Cosmic Love

If you've never been, go. The photo accompanying this post is of the Body And Soul area of the festival. It's a natural amphitheater with a stage at the bottom where bands play all day, with great food and trees and stuff surrounding it and a DJ booth in a treehouse where you can lose your mind late into the night time.

Also, for the record not everyone who goes to Oxegen is a prick, it's just there are so many of them, just check boards.ie for ...oh wait, on second thoughts ...

I'm a bit of a shambles. I blame The Boat The Rocked.

Every so often I have a song that I mean to play on the show. Then I forget. And truth be told I'm a little gutted the next day. But I think my shambolic way of organising music allows for a more spontaneous radio show. If I organise things into pretty neat piles then I'll over-analyse the music and go for the safer option. I wonder how many radio presenter's have played the new Knife tune? It's an 11 minute operatic epic. If I had thought about it too much I doubt I would have played it either, but as ever I threw all of the music onto the system as the news was being read and played it as it came up. That being the upside, and funnily enough my figures are pretty healthy for the "all over the shop" nature of the show and the silliness of the stuff that gets played.

But this flipping song has been here for playing for WEEKS! And somehow it aludes me every time. I'm going to put it in next weeks folder now. I guarantee you I'll look at the file next week, think it's something else and fail to put it in the "FINAL" folder. It's not a bet I want to win. Cos it's a pretty good song! And as a result a lesser song has gotten as spot on the playlist, though they probably don't know the show exists in the first place. Jaysus, I need to get out more.

New Young Pony Club - Lost A Girl

I've probably become a shambles of a DJ since watching The Boat That Rocked. That film was definitely a band influence on me.

Happy Mondays #1

Yesterday I blogged about the fact that today would statistically be the most depressing day of the year. My friend Niamh set up a facebook notes page looking for suggestions for songs as an antidote to the bad buzz of a day that it is.

She's put all of the suggestions into a youtube playlist (we don't have spotify yet international readers) Here's a link to it

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=BDC58F766C6DAD1D

I've taken some of my favourite suggestions and put them here for download. But since I've gotten comfortable with blogging now I wan to start running a few simple weekly features. So here goes the first edition of Happy Mondays. I'm sure other blogs use this concept already, maybe even with the same name, if so I haven't seen it, but for the record as far as I know it's a unique name, if not overly original.

I'm From Barcelona - Treehouse

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy

Eels - Hey Man, Now You're Really Livin'

The photo by the way is the staff of the Roisin Dubh (roisindubh.net) demostrating the Treehouse dance!

iTake Over with Sinead Burke

iTake Over is a radio show that airs every Sunday between 8:50 and 9:50 on i102-104. It gives guests a chance to play their favourite songs for an hour and talk about them. Bar the obscene (I got in trouble for allowing NWA's Gangsta Gansta for playing) anything goes! The guests are usually DJ's, promoters, band members, bloggers etc. from the west who have something to plug.

This week we had Sinead Burke, ents editor with Sin, the NUI Galway college paper and contributor to Subbacultcha, a Dutch music magazine who did a themed show on musicians who died in the past ten years to go along with an article she's writing for Sin

Here's the tracklist

R.L - Burnside
James Brown - Three Hearts In A Tangle
Ray Charles - Greenbacks
Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love?
Willie DeVille - Spanish Harlem
Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London
John Martyn - May You Never
Nina Simone - I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Chet Atkins - Vincent
The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Elliott Smith - Needle In The Hay
The Ramones - Baby, I Love You
Blossom Dearie - Rhode Island Is Famous For You
Liam Clancy - The Parting Glass
Johnny Cash - We'll Meet Again

And listen to it here

Sinead Burke iTake Over 01-10-10

If you'd like to get involved mail me joshclarke@iradio.ie with an idea or an example of what you'd play, as long as it's not a happy hardcore hour I'm sure it'll be fine!

Check out the radio station at i102104.ie, we're a commercial radio station based in Galway who've been servicing the radio needs of the young folk (15-35) of the west of Ireland for nearly two years. Rather successfully too, we're the most listened to regional station in the country! Sunday evenings are dedicated to stuff you wouldn't usually hear on a commercial station followed by an excellent and funny problem show brought to you by Mary McGill with Darragh Harkin, aka iTalk.
Tune in like!
Radio hugs and love, Josh.

iTest Jan 10th

It's just hit me. I have the new Eels album. I've listened to the new Eels album. I never played any of last night. Fook. Being disorganised sometimes comes back to bite you in the ass.

Here's the tracklist from last nights show. I played a lot of Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer.

Intro (M - Pop Muzik (Tolga Edit))
Kormac - Scratch Marchin'
Duck Sauce - aNYway
Cousins - Around Your Waist
Florence And The Machine - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Besnard Lakes - Albatross
The Knife w/ Mt. Sims & Planningtorock - Colouring Of Pigeons
Vampire Weekend - Giant (B-Side/New album bonus track)
Led Er Est - Unkept Area
Delphic - Doubt
Love Is All - Kungen
Yeasayer - Mondegreen
jj - Ecstacy
Shout Out Louds - Walls
Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood
Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land
Fear Of Tigers - The Adventures Of Pippi Longstrump
Novels - Big Run
Vampire Weekend - Holiday
Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - Even Heroes Have To Die
Adebisi Shank - Oyasumi
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Jonsi - Boy Lilikoi
Burning Hearts - Night Animal
Stornoway - Zorbing
The Soft Pack - Mexico
Massive Attack - Atlas Air
The Balconies - Serious Bedtime
Vampire Weekend - White Sky
Final Fantasy - Lewis Takes Action
Harlem - Friendly Ghost
Yeasayer - I Remember
Million Young - Sunndreamm
Souls Of Mischief - Proper Aim
Hurts - Blood Tears Gold
Marina And The Diamonds - Obsessions
Sky Ferreira - Happy Dre
Broken Bells - The High Road
Novels - No Hard Feelings
Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
Yeasayer - Madder Red

For the Novels tracks go to okaynovels.com

Novels are a super group of sorts made up of members of Will Currie And The Country French, Tokyo Police Club, Ex-Po, Born Ruffians and Jay Sad. They recorded an E.P in 72 hours and released it for free download, though they ask that you burn off a copy for you and one to leave lying around somewhere or give away. So if you like it go do that! I've sent my extra copy to the first listener who texted in to the show when I played one of the songs on Saturday looking for it.

Editors, Papillon?

I just got an e-mail from a listener wondering what this song is. I played it on Saturday afternoon and while mailing back had another listen to it, I really like it! So very Interpol/Joy Division/New Order but so what? They'll never be my favourite band but I think this is a bit of a whopper, have a listen!

Editors - Papillon

Most depressing day of the year? Me hole!!

A friend of mine has set up some sort of facebook "notes" page looking for suggestions for happy songs. The reason being that statistically tomorrow is the most depressing day of the year. The thinking being that it's likely to be dark, wet, cold with nothing to really look forward to. Also, post Christmas chances are you are broke. And it's a Monday. Fair enough I guess.

Here are a few, suggestions always welcome, I'll add more all day tomorrow to keep the spirits up!

Noah And The Whale - Love Of An Orchestra

Elbow - One Day Like This

The Temptations - Ny Girl

Suggestions in the comment box or in an e-mail to joshclarke@iradio.ie

I love Hip Hop

Hip Hop is wonderful. I've been playing a lot of it in the bar in Kelly's in Galway on Saturday nights. Here are some gems I've been listening to recently!

I'm by no means an underground connoisseur, I just know I like chilled out stories told over a nice beat. The guns/bitches/bling/autotune thing doesn't do it for me, it's not that I can relate to any of the ghetto stories either, it's just that I don't like feeling threatened while listening to music! "Sir, I fully appreciate that your car is bigger, yes you have two bitches, congratulations, but I'd better leave before we start talking about whose glock is more affective for killing rival gang members"

Gimme a nice little tale from the street over a nice little piano loop and some scratchy manoevres!

Jurassic 5 - What's Golden

Scarface - On My Block

Public Enemy - He Got Game

Souls Of Mischief - 93 Til Infinity

Scratch (2001)

Watched an amazing documentary today on scratching. It's called Scratch. Yup. It's all up to watch on Pitchfork.com to watch free for the month but if you miss it I'm sure you can figure out where to find it yourself.

It features interviews with Grand Master Flash, DJ Premier, DJ Shadow, Afrika Bambaataa, Steinski, Grand Master Theodore.

It covers chapters on Turntablism, Battling, Making Beats, History of DJing, Hip Hop culture, loads of stuff!

It's great, I'd recommend you watch it!

Early January Mix

Galway was pretty quiet last night, bar being asked for "Sex On Fire by The Killers" it was pretty much myself and Keith having a few beers and playing some tunes for anyone who bopped up to the club. That and meeting the biggest arsehole I've ever had the pleasure of being shouted at behind a set of decks. I don't mind people roaring "Lady Gaga" at you, cos the simple answer is "fuck off to CP's" (Galway's cattle mart, think fake tan, alcopops and awful music), but when you get some drunk arsehole who will only settle for obscure electronica and demands, while saying things like "no offense but" and "I don't mean to be condescending" in a snotty accent that he definitely made up, to know what genre's we'll be "covering" over the evening. Dickhead. 5 minutes later he was dragged out kicking and screaming for harrassing some poor girl.

I felt like telling a story. I felt like a good rant to end this baesht (try pronounce that) of a hangover.

Here are a few songs I've been loving recently ...

...starting with a song I completely missed from Proof Of Youth, the second Go! Team album, I only picked up on it from skipping through songs looking for one to play live, it's a beaut and has a cool fan video to go along with it if you find it on youtube, it's called My World.

Years ago I was in the car with my mum, I heard a song that featured the line "Butterfly and Cocoon", it was a little angsty and sounded cool and it stuck in my head! Fast forward through years of it floundering around, asking people and googl'ing the few lyrics I knew to no avail while wondering if I eventually heard it would it live up to the build up, to last night. Few bottles of wine with friends after the clubnight, I'm talking about Irish music with my housemates girlfriend and asked, by any chance did she know what the song was. She did. It was from Bell X 1's first album, Neither Am I. It's called Man On Mir. Happy fucking camper.

I love the drumming montage scene in School Of Rock with Bonzo Goes To Bitburg by The Ramones playing behind it. It's cool. And I know the first few Ramones albums are best, but I have a soft spot for some of the 80's tunes like Somebody Put Something In My Drink

STRESS!! are a Galway crew who promote some great gigs in the town. Recently they ran a Nick Drake tribute night featuring Gareth Dickson, Vashti Bunyan's guitarist and Vertigo Smith, who played one of his own songs, Comfort Me at the end. He explained that he gets bored of instruments rather quickly so currently he's rocking out with a ukulele!

Happy out in music land. Much love, Josh

Nirvana - From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah

My cousin bought this on cassette from a failing toy shop when we were 11. We listened the shit out of it. Most of the songs we hadn't even heard as originals, just messy live recordings on cassette, but I suppose everything was on cassette, taped from the radio or from his older brothers C.D's, or sometimes taped from each others taping of songs from the radio!

It's a great album. The fact that it clearly hasn't been majorly messed with in a studio is amazing given that it came out in 1996, long after Kurt Cobain could have had any say, while the remaining members were fighting his widow and record labels for control and money, I can't believe it was given over to someone to "polish it up" for mainstream consumption!

This isn't really a review of the album, it'd be a bit late if it was, I'd simply forgotten about it and had forgotten how great a band Nirvana were. Like, fucking hell, they were so flipping good! Pity I never got to see them live, but hey, at least my generation has The Killers ...KURT, WAIT, NOOOOO!!!!!!

Intro
School
Drain You
Aneurysm
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Been A Son
Lithium
Sliver
Spank Thru
Scentless Apprentice
Heart Shaped Box
Milk It
Negative Creep
Polly
Breed
Tourettes
Blew

Top 100 of the Decade part 2

49: Embrace - Ashes
48: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
47: White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl
46: The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
45: The Knife - Heartbeats
44: Hot Chip - Over And Over
43: Arcade Fire - Intervention
42: Muse - Plug In Baby
41: M.I.A - Paper Planes
40: Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks
39: Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
38: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
37: Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar
36: Vampire Weekend - A Punk
35: Jape - Floating
34: Animal Collective - My Girls
33: TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me
32: Johnny Cash - Hurt
31: The Shins - Caring Is Creepy
30: The Killers - All These Things That I've Done
29: The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into The Sun
28: Mylo - Drop The Pressure
27: Modest Mouse - Float On
26: Radiohead - Reckoner
25: Sigur Ros - Hoppipola
24: The Strokes - Reptilia
23: Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At?
22: Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?
21: Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
20: Daft Punk - One More Time
19: Kings Of Leon - Fans
18: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
17: Bloc Party - Banquet
16: Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
15: Interpol - Evil
14: Radiohead - Everything In It's Right Place
13: MGMT - Time To Pretend
12: Eminem - Stan
11: Bon Iver - Skinny Love
10: Justice Vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends
09: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
08: Kanye West - Jesus Walks
07: Band Of Horses - The Funeral
06: Elbow - One Day Like This
05: The Strokes - Someday
04: Outkast - Hey Ya!
03: Doves - Pounding
02: Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood # 1 (Tunnels)
01: LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

iTake Over with Fuz and Laurie

iTake Over is a show that goes out on i102-104 Sundays between 8:50 and 9:50. We get guests in, usually bands, DJ's, promoters (i.e people with something to talk about) to play an hour of music and have a chat about whatever they want!

Last night Laurie Leech (Poetry Smackdown) and Fuz (Disconnect 4 and Lost Chord) came in to do an Irish special

Here's the tracklist

So Cow - Casablanca
New Amusement - Shocks
The Ralphs - Waste Of Time
Go Panda Go - A Certain Embrace
Le Galaxie - Transworld
Funeral Suits - Black Lemonade
Echo Shell and Stephen Murray - Billy The Thief
Sickboy - Objects
Messiah J And The Expert - Geography (Live Session)
Super Extra Bonus Party - Radar ft. Cadence Weapon
Stephen James Smith - September 1913
Giveamanakick - Borrowed Time
The Mighty Stef - Poisonous Love (Live Session)
Whipping Boy - We Don't Need Nobody Else
Crimes Against - Florida Remix

Here's the link

Fuz and Laurie iTake Over

If you'd like to do iTake Over please drop me an e-mail with your details and the kind of stuff you want to play to joshclarke@iradio.ie

iTest Jan 3rd

Back in action for 2010! Few plans for the shows in the pipeline, I'll keep ya posted;)

Kormac - Scratch Marchin'
Soundgarden - Spoonman
The Slew - 100%
Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - Even Heroes Have To Die
Marina And The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot
Broken Bells - Vaporise
Pogo - Lost
Delphic - Doubt
Fionn Regan - Protection Racket
Hot Chip - One Life Stand
Pixies - Where Is My Mind? (Bassnectar Remix)
Duck Sauce - The Motion
Florence And The Machine - My Baby Just Cares For Me (With Jools Holland's Rhythm And Blues Orchestra at the New Years Hootenanny 09)
Local Natives - Sun Hands
Adebisi Shank - Oyasumi
Turbo Fruits - Naked With You
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Final Fantasy/Owen Pallet - Lewis Takes Action (He changed his name back to Owen Pallett during the week. Awkward bastard)
Late Of The Pier - Blueberry
The Very Sexuals - Bowie Eyes (Don't think this is particularly new but falls under undiscovered I suppose!)
Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets
Skybox - In A Dream
Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood
Duck Sauce - aNYway
Novels - No Hard Feelings
Nurses - Technicolour
Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
These New Puritans - We Want War
She And Him - Thieves
Yeasayer - Madder Red
Jonsi - Boy Lilikoi
Broken Bells - The High Road
Bad Hands - Kick You Out ft. Pete Holmquist
Smashing Pumpkins - Song For A Son
Sky Ferreira - Happy Dre
Jacuzzi Boys - Planet Of Dreamers
Liars - Scissor
Fear Of Tigers - The Adventures Of Pippi Longstrump
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices
Marina And The Diamonds - Obsessions
Duck Sauce - You're Nasty

Substance New Years Party, the aftermath

First post of 2010. Apologies. You may have noticed that the last post was from New Years Eve regarding Substance. It was the single craziest night I've ever experienced, Amazing crowd in the club, a new smoke machine that covered the place in a blanket of fog and a massive countdown screen. At one minute to 12 we played Miserlou by Dick Dale And The Del Tones ,then killed lights and music, counted to one from ten and banged off Underworld's Born Slippy with a few spotlights shining down as people wished each other Happy New Year ...and when the drums kicked in all hell broke loose. Fucking whopper of a night! Thanks to everyone who came down, especially to our regulars, and especially especially to Byron and Naomi (uber regulars) who made me the t-shirt in the photo!

Substance as ever is free in every Thursday in the club above Kelly's bar with myself and Disconnect Keith, boom!