Bad Wolf

So, um, hi. I’m back now. The blog has been inactive for 3 months while I was away, which I think entitles it to some kind of Tibetan monk style enlightenment for remaining silent. Apologies for the absence, I was captured by a big, bad wolf.  Read More

The Middle East – Sugar Club – Guest Review

After rambling about how brilliant The Middle East are for over a year, I couldn’t let a little problem like being 4,467 miles away stand in the way of covering their debut Irish gig. There could be no better solution than asking my favourite music blogger – Shane from The Torture Garden – to go in my place and write a guest review. Surely combining the two for... Read More

Taxes, Fees & Charges Mix

Wexford Train Station Output on the blog has been somewhat slow lately due to me being a little distracted by my imminent departure from these shores for a while. My trip across Canada will more than likely result in the blog’s productivity being reduced to the kind of abysmal levels normally seen when Emile Heskey is on a football pitch. As an apology for recent slacking... Read More

Sam Amidon – Whelan’s – Photos

Samamidon - Whelan's “Lovely stuff!” – that’s what I heard someone shout out at the end of one of Leif Vollebekk‘s songs. It was delivered with the kind of aggressively supportive tone of a football fan on the terraces. It seemed strange given Vollebekk’s gentle style of music and the calm, seated arrangement in the venue. We were just walking... Read More

The Joy Formidable – Academy 2 – Photos

The Joy Formidable - Academy 2 In all my years of gigs, I’ve never worn earplugs once. I didn’t even take the ones they gave out at My Bloody Valentine‘s set at the Picnic in ’08. That’s how hardcore my ears are and/or how stupid I am. I would, however, have gladly used ear plugs on Friday night while watching The Joy Formidable tear through their short,... Read More

The Antlers – Academy – Review

The Antlers When I was small I had a teddy bear called Yogi. He didn’t look anything like his famous namesake, but I wasn’t all that creative with naming things like that. My budgie was called Budgie. Anyway, I looked after Yogi and occasionally worried about his well-being too much. Peter Silberman reminds me of my Yogi bear for several reasons. I have the same protective... Read More

Cathy Davey: Album, Gig, Competition

Cathy Davey - HWCH '07 That up there is Cathy Davey v2.0 performing in 2007. With the arrival last Friday of her third album The Nameless, we have witnessed the launch of v3.0. Each stage of progression and accompanying album has brought a different side of her into the music and this latest effort is no different, in that… it’s very different. We now are in the... Read More

Showpiece Tunes

Probably not going to the World Cup Even though it’s populated by cheaters, arrogant & useless teams as well as Lucifer himself rather than honest, hard-working and slightly dim Irish lads, the 2010 FIFA World Cup is going ahead. Once again, us Irish will have to amuse ourselves by rooting for some other underdog team or just praying for France and England to be knocked... Read More

Long Weekend: Short Mix

Skreen, Co. Sligo May Bank Holiday weekend, eh? Pity the weather has taken a turn for the Irish but there’s plenty of good stuff happening. The Model in Sligo is having a pretty cool re-launch event with a great line-up of bands. Glider is on in Odessa tonight. Lots of good gigs including Surfer Blood and Planet Parade in Academy tonight, another good Ragged Words gig in Twisted... Read More

Can I break you through this world?

Broken Social Scene If I had ever bothered trying to compile my list of the best albums of the ’00s it would have been pretty futile, as two albums would still be fighting it out for top spot right now, bludgeoning each other relentlessly with no sign of either giving up. The irresitable force meeting the immovable object and all that. The fact that Broken Social Scene are... Read More