Dinousaur Jr AND Built To Spill!!

Galway is great. Small place, far away from Dublin, much smaller than Cork, some of the best gigs going on anywhere! I'd recommend living here for a little while, apart from the weather it's fun, some fun clubnights, you can walk everywhere and you can get free bowling when you buy a pint on Mondays and Tuesdays! For a small lazy college town, the level and calibre of bands that pass through here is pretty sweet! (Bon Iver, The XX, Fuck Buttons, Modest Mouse and stuff like that).

So the latest, with thanks to the good folks at the Roisin Dubh is Dinosaur Jr. and Built To Spill on the same lineup!

May 10th is the date, Black Box is the venue and tickets are €30 from roisindubh.net

Dinosaur Jr - Over It Alt

Built To Spill - Car Alt

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Initial Oxegen Lineup announced, The Good, The Bad and The Pointless

The lineup for Oxegen, one of Europe's biggest and (lineup wise) best music festivals has been announced! Oxegen will run over the 9th, 10th and 11th of July at Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare.

A traditionally rock oriented festival, this is the first year that the choice of headliners has strayed from that. From Blur, Rage Against The Machine, The Who and James Brown over the past few years, to this year's headliners Jay-Z, Eminem and Black Eyed Peas the festival seems to have strayed a little. With them, on the main stage, will be Kasabian and Muse, great live I hear but I can imagine I'll find something better when the rest of the acts and times are announced.

No matter, what of the rest of the weekend (so far of course)? Well here's where we get to the pointless. Stereophonics. Wolfmother. Newton Faulkner. Plus bands that are, eh, grand, like The Coral and Rise Against.

The dance stage is looking pretty good so far, not all my kind of thing but traditionally the dance arena has proven successful in housing the scumbags (of which there are many). Armand Van Helden, Steve Angelo, Simian Mobile Disco, Erol Alkan, Steve Aoki, A Trak And Aeroplane have been announced. A possible Duck Sauce Live buzz with Armand and A Trak maybe?

And the rest, i.e the good! Faithless, Calvin Harris, Temper Trap, Broken Social Scene, Vampire Weekend, Two Door Cinema Club which all sounds wonderful.

And finally, two acts I've seen before, were amazing, but under different settings that are playing the main stage, a fact that to be honest is scaring me a little. Florence And The Machine and Prodigy. I'd be scared that Florence's show would be lost in any sort of daylight and in a massive field in the open air. And The Prodigy, who I saw headline to second stage while The Killers were playing the main stage a few years back. I'm afraid they'll go on at about 9 when it's still bright, not enough people are out of their collective trees, the light show might be lost to the brightness etc. What I mean is The Prodigy's show might not be given the importance it deserves. Headlining the second stage again as a whopping alternative to the Black Eyed Peas or some sheeeiiite might have been wiser. But sure we can only wait and see.

Not fucking camping this year though. Not a fucking hope. 4 years of Oxegen camping too many, I'll happily camp at Electric Picnic, but the abundance of dickheads at Oxegen, as well as the consistantly shit weather means this year I'm finding a B&B!

Florence And The Machine - Hurricane Drunk Alt

Faithless - Insomnia Alt

Prodigy - Out Of Space Alt

Short Songs

Short songs that rock.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Pin Alt

Nirvana - Molly's Lips Alt

White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl Alt

Any suggestions?

I like a good short song I do.

Dancing tonight anyone?

The Weekend has Landed
All that Exists now is CLUBS, DRUGS, PUBS and PARTIES
I’ve got 48 hours off FROM the world, man
I’m gonna blow STEAM out of my head like a SCREAMING KETTLE
I’m gonna talk CODSHIT to strangers ALL NIGHT
I’m gonna LOSE THE PLOT ON THE DANCE FLOOR
The free radicals inside me are FREAKING man!
Tonight I’m JIP TRAVOLTA,
I’m PETER POPPER
I’m going to NEVER NEVER LAND with my chosen FAMILY, MAN
We’re going to get more SPACED OUT than NEIL ARMSTRONG ever did
Anything could happen tonight, you know?
This could be the best night of my life!
I’ve got 73 quid in my BACK BURNER I’m gonna WAX the lot, man!
The MILKY BARS are on me! YEAH!

...from the film Human Traffic

Josh Wink - Higher State Of Consciousness Alt

LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (Soulwax Shibuya Remix) Alt

Them - Baby Please Don't Go Alt

Have fun!

It's all gone Pete Tong

While the country either awaits with baited breath the results of the Meteor Awards in Dublin (my prediction, Westlife win everything, everyone forgets all about it tomorrow, winner of "best new band" remains as forgettable as they ever were), watches Eastenders to find out who killed someone or something or debates whether Willie O Dea should have resigned or not, I sit here not giving a flying fuck and enjoying this song.

The Specials - A Message To You Rudy Alt

p.s, international readers. That man with the gun and the moustache in the photo was, this morning, our minister for Defense. He thought it would be funny to point the gun at a camera. I shit you not. He was kicked out today for lying in court about comments he may or may not have made about another politicians night-time shenanigans. But that's neither here nor there, but yet another fine example of how our country is run by cartoon characters.

A Full Irish

Quick few recent or upcoming Irish releases. There's a really healthy feeling about the Irish scene at the moment, and if we can count the North in that too we're talking a wholesome jamboree of wonderful music.

A few weeks back I heard that one of the country's finest bands The Redneck Manifesto have signed to possibly Ireland's finest label, home to Adebisi Shank, Bats and Not Squares, Richter Collective Richter Collective

Well their first single came along today, the album Friendship, will be out March 26th

The Redneck Manifesto - Black Apple Alt

I got this album in the post today, I'm still making my way through it but am looking forward to seeing them live. The band are called The Butterfly Explosion, they sound a little like God Is An Astronaut, but only a bit, sure ahve a listen anyway and if you like it then go buy their album, Lost Trails, when it comes out on March 1st.

The Butterfly Explosion - Crash...See You On The Other Side Alt

Finally, the best new band I've heard in a bit, and I know I posted about them a few days ago, but for anyone who missed it, here's a tune for listening to an if indeed you want to have a listen to more than just this then download the whole lot
here!

The Cast Of Cheers - Tip The Can Alt

Tuesday Tunes

Quick one for the evening as I've decided that tonight, I'm going out. That's all.

So the other evening I downloaded an album by Cast Of Cheers, an Irish band that have come out of flipping nowhere, but I forgot to fucking play it on the radio show! Ah well, here it is now, I'll play a few tunes on Sunday night. Tight, fast, loud and technical is what they are, and a delight to listen to!

The album is free to download here

...with a physical release coming in April

Cast Of Cheers - Tigerfox Alt

I have been rockin some serious excitement since my pre-Christmas love affair with Boy Lilikoi, the first new single from Jonsi, frontman with Sigur Ros, who are now on hiatus, about hearing more stuff. Not quite as buzzed about the album after hearing a few more songs but have a listen here and see what you think!

Jonsi - Go Do Alt

I've been following Villagers since the December hype around the band in 2008. The musical project of Conor J. O Brien have toured about, released a beautiful E.P, been signed to Domino records, with an album on the way and are heading to SXSW in March. I have a session from Conor from a long while back that I'll post soon along with other sessions (from the lek of Messiah J And The Expert and Alabama Three) shortly.

Villagers - 27 Strangers Alt

Finally, it's sad to hear that Richter Collective band Marvin's Revolt have called it a day. After ten years together they've split up. Very nice guys the one time I met them, and great live, go n'eirigh an bother leo and all that jazz.

Marvins Revolt - Organise Your Arms Alt

Tunes from last night's show!

I'd booked today off work to hang around with my lady, as I kinda missed Valentines day but I got a call to come fill in today, so from 12:45 it'll be three hours of me pretending to be excited about whatever top 30 hits are laid out in front of me! Such is 9 to 5 though, gotta get payed, cash dolla monies and junk like that. So here are a few of my favourites from last nights show.

Alex Metric, you fucking hero, you just made my summer, can't see myself or any other DJ I'd like to see not play that for the next few months. The tune itself, Gorillaz first single from Plastic Beach (March 3rd), features Mos Def and Bobby Womack, and is wonderful in itself but this remix is simply fucking ridiculous.

Gorillaz - Stylo (Alex Metric Remix) Alt Link

Japandroids will be releasing 5 singles, limited to 2000 compies on 7" at different stages of 2010, each with a cover as a B-Side, the B-Side on this one is Racer X by Big Black. Good stuff.

Japandroids - Art Czars Alt

Josh Ritter, hmmm. Is he Irish? Why do I assume he is? Am I confusing him with Fionn Regan? Why do I accept both of them, yet generally treat singer songwriters like the plague? i.e to be avoided at all costs as the spawn of Glen Hansard? Funnily enough Josh is supporting Swell Season at the moment but this tune is really good, it's the first single from So Runs The World Away which is out April 23rd, and he'll be played the Radisson Live Lounge as part of a Roisin Dubh presents gig here in Galway the following day (April 24th if you weren't paying attention)

Josh Ritter - Change Of Time Alt

All I know about Mose Allison is that Allison by the Pixies is about him, and on Live At Leeds by The Who, the band play Young Man Blues. Mose is an 83 year old jazz pianist who will soon be releasing The Way Of The World on Anti- records, home to the likes of N.A.S.A, Tom Waits and Os Mutantes.

Mose Allison - My Brain Alt

Kids of rockstars giving music a go is rarely a good idea. Untalented and spoiled spawn of has been musicians landing record deals and publicity before they've even picked up an instrument tends to be kryptonite to any music fan. In saying that the likes of Damian Marley and Norah Jones have done well with little begrudgery to the world of contacts and favours they were born into. I saw Sting's sons band support The Police a few years ago. Sickening level of nepotism. All that aside, his daughter Coco, going under I Blame Coco is pretty good. This Miike Snow remix is deadly!

I Blame Coco - Caesar ft. Robyn (Miike Snow Remix) Alt

iTest, Feb 14th

Choons for the evening, I'll post some mp3's tomorrow, but right now, I've three minutes left in the radio show, I'm getting out of here, I've a lady at with Up on DVD and it's Valentines day!

Lo Fi Fnk - Marchin' In
Japandroids - Art Czars
Felix Cartal - Popular Music Intro
Radio Dept - Heaven's On Fire
So Cow - Random Girls
Not Squares - Asylum
The Tallest Man on Earth - King Of Spain
Lali Puna - Remember
Mose Allison - My Brain
Delphic - Doubt (Riton Re-Edit)
Hot Chip - I Feel Better
Happy Birthday - Girls FM
Wakey! Wakey! - 22
Dr. Dog - Shadow People
I Blame Coco - Caesar ft. Robyn (Miike Snow Remix)
Fang Island - Daisy
So Cow - Mess Me Up (Nobunny Cover)
Gil Scott Heron - Me And The Devil
Graffiti Island - Head Hunters
Gorillaz - Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)
Vampire Weekend - Holiday
Caribou - Odessa
Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours
Lost Chord - Cheats
Free Energyu - Dark Trance
Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
She And Him - In The Sun
Lupe Fiasco - What U Want
Josh Ritter - Change Of Time
First Aid Kit - You're Not Coming Home Tonight
Goldfrapp - Rocket
Beach House - Norway
So Cow - Dunno
FM Belfast - Par Avion
Fucked Up - Neat Parts
Yeasayer - Madder Red
Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn
Egyptian Hip Hop - Rad Pitt
Fionn Regan - Gencide Matinee
Not Squares - Aye Yo Pa
Dum Dum Girls - Put A Sock In It
The Roots - How I Got Over
White Denim - Yoyo

New Moooosic

Have you ever found that while listening to the hip new band you realise that if you strip it down or change a few bits around it'll sound just like a band that ain't so hip? I played Surfer Blood's Swim for a friend last week and he said if you cleaned it up, gave it shit lyrics and over produced the shit out of it it'd be a KISS song. Funny take on it, not to take away from any of the music, I just think you can make music that's essentially similar sound different with a few tweaks. Not really sure what I'm on about, just up and awake, I was one mess of a DJ last night, thanks to everyone who came out and sorry to Keith who had to put up with me, I got listenership figures for the radio show and I'm way up so I, eh, celebrated big style last night.

Dum Dum Girls are a filthy Lo-Fi mess from L.A, actually it's just one girl called Dee Dee, who after she'd played one show (with members of Crystal Stilts, Crocodiles and Blank Dogs) was signed to Sub Pop last summer. I've been playing Jail La La for a while on the radio and I'm not getting sick of it, which is a great sign!

Dum Dum Girls - Put A Sock In It Alt Link

My wee rant at the start of this post was because of this song. It starts of with a guitar solo straight out of some long dead country rock song from the 80's, with messy drums splashing behind it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I think it's cool that bands are making simple songs, this one is an absolute gem. It kinda conjures up memories of sitting out on my roof smoking cigarettes after everyone had gone to bed for some reason, maybe it's just one of those songs that comes with extra nostagia, applicable to any situation, I don't know. But it's wonderful and will be out Feb. 23rd on Stuck On Nothing, which is on DFA Records. All good then, shite-ing on aside, just enjoy the tune, buy the album and make up your own rambling spiel about it. I reckon it'll be my spring time album.

Free Energy - Dark Trance Alt Link

And again, a band that seem to be melding Thin Lizzy with Blink 182. And yet again, that's not a bad thing, firstly in that Thin Lizzy are one of the finest rock bands of all time and were a massive part of my adolescense, while Blink are definitely the ultimate guilty pleasure! But also that they take guitar clashes, frantic precision drumming and meld em into lovely vocal harmonies, cracking melodies and a great fun atmosphere. Kind of like a party choir! Their self entitled album is out on Sargent House on Deb 23rd. Check out their myspace, they've some great t-shirts on there, I'm gonna get a credit card come pay day and buy one, boo yeah!

Fang Island - Daisy INSET NAME HERE

So Cow - Meaningless Friendly

I've gotten my hands on a few EXCLUSIVE tracks from our man out foreign, So Cow! I got them in the pub just before he fecked off to the U.S for a monster tour that'll take him all the way to SXSW, and, well everywhere else for that matter. If he's not visiting your town, then your town must be shit. I joke of course, I've never been to your town. Follow his trek on myspace.com/socow.

Anywhoodle, his album will be called Meaningless Friendly, it'll be on Tic Tac Totally!! and is due out the end of this month, but keep an eye on the myspace or here for more updates.

So I got four songs, I'm gonna post three, to keep yis guessing, and one for just me that I'll listen to all the live long day.

Girl Racer originally turned up on a concept album about our home town of Tuam that was peppered with in jokes and only played live once, at a gig a few friends and I put on back home. He didn't have a band with him so he played from a backing track with myself and various members of The Ralphs on fake instruments. If you want the album mail me, I have it somewhere!

But, ye, sure have a listen to these, if you are in the States or heading to SXSW then check the myspace and go see him live (avec full band), it's a truly wonderful pop show and once the album comes out purchase it and enjoy it!

So Cow - Girl Racer Alt

So Cow - Dunno Alt

So Cow - Random Girls Alt

J Dilla

J Dilla died four years ago today. Didn't know any of his stuff then. I've listened to some since. I like it. R.I.P then.

J Dilla - Workonit Alt

Three remixes for a silly Monday

I had an interesting morning. My day off started with a phone call from some heads who overindulged last night, last time I'd seen everyone was when we all went bowling. How the fuck does bowling turn into completely losing the plot! As I said, interesting morning!

So nothing taxing, just three killer remixes!

DJ Yoda - A-Team Theme Alt

Ennio Morricone - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (Bandini Remix) Alt

N.A.S.A - Whachadoin (NROTB Remix) Alt

iTest, Feb 7th

Here's the tracklist for last night's show, fun times and all that, eagerly awaiting a few albums to come in, I feel I've been playing the same Jonsi and Fightened Rabbit tunes for months! More stuff like! If you want to mail promos for the blog and radio shows mail to:

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

iTest on i102-104, Sundays from 6 til 9 across the west of Ireland and on i102104.ie

Bomb The Bass - Megablast (Hip Hop On Precinct 13) ...show theme!
Four Tet - She Just Likes To Fight
Free Energy - Something In Common
Frightened Rabbit - Nothing In Like You
She & Him - In The Sun
Miike Snow - Billie Holiday
Fionn Regan - Catacombs
Yeasayer - O.N.E
Electric Church - Rusted Cranium
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Gil Scott Heron - Me And THe Devil
Delphic - Halcyon
Dinosaur Feathers - Vendela Vida
Vampire Weekend - Holiday
Hot Chip - I Feel Better
Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros - Home
The Tallest Man On Earth - King Of Spain Alt
Len Price Three - After You're Gone Alt
Damian Marley & Nas - As We Enter
Fucked Up - Neat Parts
Graffiti Island - Head Hunters Alt
Surfer Blood - Neighbourhood Riffs
Caribou - Odessa
So Cow - Girl Racer
Groove Armada ft. Bryan Ferry - Shameless
Not Squares - Asylum
Lost Chord - Ronald And Nancy
The Roots - How I Got Over Alt
Love Is All - Kungen
Egyptian Hip-Hop - Rad Pitt Alt
Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn
Wakey! Wakey! - 22
Jonsi - Boy Lilikoi
Eels - Gone Man
MEN - Simultaneously
Electric Church - Darker Side Of Me
Titus Andronicus - Richard II
Surfer Blood - Swim
New Young Pony Club - Chaos
Vampire Weekend - White Sky
Gorillaz - Stylo
Yeasayer - Madder Red
Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind

Bitta fun of a Saturday morning

Thursday night was off the wall. The clubnight is really taking off in a big way, but the free beer is making shit of my productivity on a Friday!

I played this on the radio show a few weeks back and forgot about it. It's a bonus song from iTunes and Japanese versions of Contra. So having a listen again I reckon it's really really good, better than a lot of the songs that are on the album, and I love the album. Whoop indeed.

Vampire Weekend - Giant Alt

Electric Church are a long gone metally Alice in Chains/Therapy? style band from down my side of the world. They were ploughing away during the mid 90's but as happens most bands packed it in and moved to other parts of the world and grew up. Or did they?! Nope, they're back for one gig only in Tuam Co. Galway on Saturday Feb. 13th, and have remastered some tunes for a single. Niice!

Electric Church - Rusted Cranium Alt

I was trawling through blogs earlier and found a kick ass mix that kicked off with this bad boy. I managed to track it down, it's one of those tunes you find every few days that you know you're gonna be listening to for a while. Ever since I ended up at an acid house party in Dingle Co. Kerry when I was 17 and didn't really know anyone, or anything about pills, was sober and danced my arse off before the party got shut down, I've been fascinated by early 90's dance! Every now and then I'll search out a new housey kinda tune but I find that there's so much shite it can often be a tough search. This is a dancey hip hop gem. It's from 1988's Year Of The Dragon, the year I was born. So it's well possible this is what I was bopping about to in the womb! ...who am I kidding, it was probably Wet Wet Wet or something equally awful.

Bomb The Bass - Megablast (Hip Hop On Precinct 13) Alt

Few tunes

I'm finally having a night in. Forced upon me of course by my own body. I haven't excercised in a long time so two hours of football today has wreaked havoc on my muscles. I'm a shell of a person!

So I've been couching it up for the evening, getting mellow and listening to a bomb of tunes.

Youtube is great. Every so often I get a craving to watch a skate video or listen to a bitta metal, two teenage standards that I've left behind, but sometimes in the right, eh, frame of mind I like to indulge in a bit of the ould loud!

Sepultura - Refuse-Resist Alt

The last time Hypnotic Brass Ensemble played Galway I only caught a few songs, because, after paying €25 or something for two tickets they went on later than expected and I'd to run off and DJ at a different club. They're playing again in Roisin Dubh on April 15th. If this happens again I'm gonna be super pissed.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Ballicky Bon Alt

And after a long time wondering what the big fuss over Mark Ronson's Versions album I found this. I haven't been without it DJing in a while, it's a gem.

Bob Dylan - Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine Alt

Not Squares Asylum Video

A week or so ago I saw a Belfast band I'd never heard before supporting Disconnect 4. Not Squares is the name of the band, they're from Belfast and are a whopper of a band live! Two bassists who also play synth and an animal of a drummer making rabid, funky, dancefloor indie-style something or other. This morning state.ie posted the video for their debut single Asylum. Two hours later I robbed it and posted it on popgoes... Heh heh, online thievery, thanks State!

Not Squares - Asylum from Bright Stem on Vimeo.