Go here for a link to get all the albums of bands playing Electric Picnic that I have put up. Bands like Fujiya and Miyagi, Electrelane, The Fall, The Jimmy Cake, Warlords of Pez, Camera Obscura, Final Fantasy, Modest Mouse, Si Schroeder, Bjork and not least Sonic Youth. Fuck a duck I'm getting excited. Go Here for an Excel version of the line up of Electric Picnic courtesy of our friend over at Serenity Now!
Four years ago a Czech girl was living with my twin bother in Galway. She moved out and left behind a CDR with "Bjork" written on it. The cd contains severely unknown gems that are not on any studio album. Until two months ago this "Bjork" album was a utter mystery to me and all my friends and then stumbled upon what the cd was; Quiet Fireworks. A collection of Rare Studio Tracks from 1993-1997 and b - sides plus three live songs from one of the Violently Happy singles recorded live on Spanish TV, Oct 13th 1993. A really unknown gem. What you think?
In my book the best Modest Mouse album. Great from the start and it never lets up song after song. Hopefully they play some old songs this weekend since the last two records have been quite poor. I'm I been too harsh, what you think?
One week til Electric Picnic so for the coming week i'll post up classic cuts from what should be this years highlights. First up Ireland's own Si Schroeder who was robbed like Richard Hawley at last years Mercury Music Prize, at Ireland's equivalent prize this year. His record label describes his 'music' as sounding like "classic songs in the Simon & Garfunkel vein mixed with an old recording of a drunken Slovenian orchestra playing backwards through an AC-15. There's a little bit of Africa in there too. And, somewhere within this melange, Si sighs in a soft, whispered voice of love, mental illness, international terrorism, and the problems he has with his homeland." Great stuff indeed and it will be interesting to see how he will produce these heavily layered songs live when he plays Electric Picnic on Sunday.
Two weeks or so til Electric Picnic and since Sonic Youth are currently doing alot of shows performing Daydream Nation from start to finish, one was to assume that a part of the set at this years picnic will contain songs from Daydream. So here it is, the most popular album by my favourite band. Classic but hey, aren't they all. Buy It Myspace Here is a nice South Bank Show documentary from 89 on Sonic Youth called "Put Blood In The Music" with some cheesey flooding "talking heads" and nice clips of the Youth.
Bill Callahan Aka Smog is playing tonight in Dublin, woo woo hoo. To celabrate here is a 4 track ep I picked up last year. It contains two of the best songs on A River Ain't Too Much to Love "Rock Bottom Riser" and "I Feel Like The Mother Of The World" and also two great great b sides "Bowery" and "Fools Lament". I guess they never made it on to the album because parts sound like other songs on the album but fucking hell Bowery is so so good. Here is the two videos that came with the cd also. The first video has one of my favourite actress in it, Chloe Sevigny. Nice.
One of my favourite Irish bands ever, but they never really made it outside of Ireland. National Prayer Breakfast or N.P.B. do a heavy mix of 1950s rock n roll and noisy pixies-esque pop sensibilities what should have you jiving down the street. NPB's lead singer is now in his own alt. country band "Patrick Freyne and his Bad Intentions" which are also very good. But for me it's all about NPB first album, so good, it should be illegal. Myspace Link In Comments.
A 4 track 7"ep which includes a faster and more produced version of This Is The Dream Of Win And Regine (Now entitled This Is The Dream Of Emma & Cam) and a cover version of Joanna Newsom's Pear, Plum Pear. He is back in ireland again this summer at Electric Picnic and releasing a new album later in the year.
Go here to download a cover of Mariah Carey's Fantasy of a fansite myspace. Link In Comments.
A mix-tape I made for a camping trip to Glendalough. It's one of two compilations I made to help us on our "trip" in a forest up a mountain. This one is full of vintage rock n' roll, post rock psychadelica and primal drumming. 01 Wooody Wooodpecker - Dan Deacon "Sonic Warrior" Dan Deacon is taking his part Booji Boy , part Animal Collective craziness to Europe. He plays Crawdaddy, Dublin on the 17th of August, Liquid Lounge, Cork on 18th and Roisin Dubh, Galway on 19th. For more tour dates go here. 02 Surfin' Bird - The Trashmen 03 - Sheena Is A Parasite - The Horrors Yes yes, it's just a "Birthday Party" rip off, but i like it. The pop promo is tastey also, done by mister Chris Cunningham and features Miss "Morvern Callar" herself, Samantha Morton.
04 Yadnus - !!! Liken the Sonic Youth reference. These boys are playing Electric Picnic this year also. 05 Rock N' Roll - The Human League I pilfered this excellent cover version off Gary Glitter's 1972 hit from a compilation called "The Trip" compiled by The drummer and singer of Pulp. The next song and track 12 is also robbed from said mix.
06 The Villain - Lieutenant Pigeon Full Groove. 07 Atlas - Battles I didn't go to see these boyos again when they played two months ago. I just broke my knee and feared I would lose myself when they kicked into this track. Killer song from a somewhat disappointing album.
08 Up With People - Oneida Fuck a duck, if this doesn't get you jumping like a mad thing, i don't know what would.
09 Broken Toy Soldier - Raconteurs Love the guitar sound and hypnotic rhythm section on this track. 10 Optical Sound - The Human Expression Cheers to Spoiled Metropolis for this quality slice of 60's American psychedelica. 11 There Is An End - The Greenhornes Got this gem firstly off the Broken Flowers OST. It turns out that 2/3's of the Greenhornes are now in The Raconteurs. The flatmate was sure this track was in a bond film. 12 Rock on - David Essex "Who's that?" "David Essex." "Butter me arse! The younger, sexier Cliff Richard. (Long Pause) Is it?" "Yup". 13 People - Animal Collective "Yeaaah PEOPLE" 14 Earth (edit) - Joe Henderson More heady grooves. 15 Lets Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack - Liars They can't seem to do any wrong. 16 Outro - Liars 17 Pacific Coast Highway - Sonic Youth From Sister, love the threatening rhythms that flow into a psychedelic soundscape and back again to stabbing guitars. I was lucky enough to see them play it live once in Glasgow's Barrowlands. 18 Reunite on Ice - Blood On The Wall Yes yes I know it sounds too much like a Sonic Youth rip off, but yet again, I like it. 19 Tu doch nicht so - Carambolage Thanks to Annie's Animal for this track from a sweet sweet 7". 20 Land Of 1000 Dances - Cannibal & The Headhunters Thats all folks.
Owen Ashworth has made his break though album, Etiquette. With the help of his trusty SK-1 and his heart single stitched onto his sleeve he has produced "classic" songs like "Bobby Molone", "Young Shield" (which is even on an episode of The O.C. for fuck sakes) and the irresistible "Love Connection" that has kept this album in my stereo for months now. For a film school drop he doesn't do much in the line of pop promos but I found a video for Nashville which is basically a scene from Lovers Of the Arctic Circle (1998) by Julio Medem with a psychedelic white balance. It's one of only 5 or 6 films I've seen more that once in the cinema and is well worth a look, as will as Sex And Lucia (2002) and his first film Vacas (1992).
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