Swear I'm not Paul: 25/01/2009

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Saturday, January 31, 2009

Yesterday I Listened to #2

Bell x1 - Blue Light on the Runway

Bell X1 - Blue Lights on the Runway

Well at least the single 'The Great Defector', which is as close to Talking Heads as you'll ever get. Even moreso than David Byrne's album with Brian Eno last year. It's a great little song, but it's not the direction I had hoped for. They'll never make an album as good as their first two. Totally different records than this or the last one, Flock, but both are oh, so good.



Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Check out a post from a few days back for a download to the first track from this. I've listened to that song, 'Seven Mile Island' endlessly since I've got it, and it could well prove to be the song of the year. Incredible.



Duncan Sheik - Whisper House

I'm a Duncan Sheik fan, I love almost everything he does to some amount. Well, some of it is just okay, but I still really like it. I'm not sure yet, but this could be his finest work since Daylight.



I am Not Lefthanded - Yes Means No

Excellent mini-album that was released last year, but I've waited until 2009 to hear. It really is good, and if the band, now based in London, but from Ireland originally (well some of them), can keep this up, they'll be massive. A great little record.

TV Review: Your Country Needs You



The final of Britain's great white hope for the Eurvision song contest, Your Country Needs You, with Graham Norton presenting and Andrew Lloyd-Webber writing the song, is on as we speak.

I'm half-watching it. But just needed to take the time out before the winner is announced to blog about it. It's totally the wrong idea for what the Eurovision is in 2009. The show lacks oomph. Take for example, the first girl, Jade, who came out and sang a flaccid version of 'Lady Marmalade', a song which should ooze sex. Like when Christina, Mya, Kim and co. did it for Baz Luhrmann a few years back. The song was made totally asexual, and the lyrics became "Will you sing with me tonight?". How dismal.

The Gary Barlow lookalike has a decent voice, but is also quite bland. The only hope Britain have is in the Twins. And that's only because they're pretty and thus have a selling factor. However, they've been paired with a song penned by Lord Llyod-Webber which can only be descibed as "boring". The melody and all is excellent, but it never moves out of third gear, and the "this is our time" message of it seems like the poor cousin of 'Three Lions'. Now there was a Song for Britain you could get behind. It was filled with oomph.

But in this half-jury half-bloc vote Eurovision, they have half a chance. With the jury. I can tell you now, after seeing last year's show, a black person has no hope of winning. Eastern Europe isn't forward thinking enough for that. (Sorry Latvian readers, but I've been over your way, and a lot of you are quite racist.) Sure just take the "No Irish" signs on Polish building sites. And the monkey chants in Bulgarian football.

There will be plenty of better looking males from the Med, so you have to vote for those two girls. And then when they get on stage, they better be wearing almost nothing. Otherwise UK, you've no hope.

Oh, and Ireland's search will be even worse.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Watch: U2 - Get on Your Boots

Official video for the new U2 single.

World exclusive what?



It's been taken down, full info here:
http://darraghdoyle.blogspot.com/2009/01/curious-case-of-new-u2-video-and.html

Thanks to Darragh for originally posting it.

Blogs What I Like: Lego 365


Lego a day. Oh God I love Lego. I even got Lego for Christmas from my brother. The Batmobile. Fuck yeah!

Anyhow, this guy (Dan, a really nice guy - he's beaten me in photography competitions before) takes a photo of a legoman each day. Brings me back:
http://legomyphoto.wordpress.com/

Album News: Dave Matthews Band - New Studio Album

Just a date for this, April 14th 2009. But the photo of Tim Reynolds says it all for me:

Setlist: Keane, O2 Dublin, 26 January 2009



Photo from Nickya. A reader, Greg emailed in the following, please let me know if it's the right setlist.

1. The lovers are losing
2. Bend & break
3. Better than this
4. Everybody's changing
5. Again & again
6. A bad dream
7. This is the last time
8. Spiralling
9. Try again
10. Sunshine
11. We might as well be strangers
12. Snowed under
13. You haven't told me anything
14. Leaving so soon?
15. Altantic
16. Perfect symmetry
17. You don't see me
18. Somewhere only we know
19. Crystal ball
20. Playing along
21. Black burning heart
22. Is it any wonder?
23. Bed shaped

Watch: Bloc Party - 'Call the Shots'

Yes, that Girls Aloud tune. Kele, you've outdone yourself.

Download: I Am Not Left Handed - 'Long Goodbyes'


Peter over at 2UIBestow has been harping on about these guys, so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about. Yes, they're very good. Thanks Peter. And also, yes, I am not left-handed. My girlfriend is, but I'm a righty!

The following is taken from the band's mini-album Yes Means No, which I have had a chance to listen to, and think it's all sorts of wonderful.

Download:
I Am Not Left Handed - 'Long Goodbyes'

Listen to more, and but the mini-album here:
http://www.iamnotlefthanded.com/music.html

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Watch: Franz Nicolay - Goddamn Lonely Love

Hold Steadyer plays Drive-By Truckers song originally written by Jason Isbell? What could be better? Oh it's on banjo. Amazing. I need say no more...

News: Meteor Awards Nominees 2009

Forget the Oscars, these are the real awards. No really. Yeah, I agree, it's sometimes hard to take them seriously. There should be an edgier alternative. The Best Irish Band has Fight Like Apes in it, which is a plus, but Republic of Loose are definitely past their sell-by date. Best Irish Male is probably the best category, as all 5 are solid artists. Best Irish Female is always one they have trouble filling and usually wollop Sinead O'Connor in there. This year, it's Enya. Live performance? Who nominates these...?

Best National DJ
Tony Fenton – TodayFM
Dan Hegarty – 2fm
Alison Curtis – Today Fm
Dave Fanning – RTE Radio 1
Ray Foley - Todayfm
Rick O’Shea – 2fm

Best Regional DJ
Dermot, Dave & Siobhan – Dublin’s98
Keith Cunningham - Red FM
Leigh Doyle – Beat 102.103
The Zoo Crew – Spin South West
Mark Noble - FM104
Jon Richards – Galway Bay FM

Best Irish Band
The Blizzards
Republic of Loose
Fight Like Apes
The Script
Snow Patrol

Best Irish Male
Mick Flannery
Damien Dempsey
Duke Special
David Holmes
Jape (Richard Egan)

Best Irish Female
Enya
Lisa Hannigan
Gemma Hayes
Imelda May
Tara Blaise
Camille O’Sullivan

Best Irish Pop Act
Boyzone
The Blizzards
The Coronas
The Script
Westlife

Best Irish Album
Fight Like Apes – Mystery Golden Medallion
Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
Messiah J & The Expert – From the Word Go
The Script – The Script

Best Irish Live Performance
The Coronas
The Blizzards
The Swell Season
Fight Like Apes
Republic of Loose

Vote here:
http://meteormusicawards.meteor.ie/nominees.aspx

Live: Kings of Leon at Oxegen 2009

First act confirmed for Oxegen 2009 is the one band that play there every year: Kings of Leon!

No surprises there. Similarly, rumours about the other two headliners point to former Oxegen mainstays The Killers and Snow Patrol. Expect more when the grapevine gets shook a little more.

Watch 'Crawl' at last year's festival:

Download: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Seven-Mile Island



Brilliant. Just like everything else Jason Isbell does. The album is officially out next month, but for now, you can legally (no leaks) download a song from the new record, the wonderful 'Seven Mile Island'

Download here:
http://www.lightningrodrecords.com/sevenmileisland.php

Plus, buy a signed CD:
http://e2ma.net/go/1679078569/1524791/55888501/goto:http://www.buymusichere.net/rel/v2_viewupc.php?storenr=13&upc=61689299682

Monday, January 26, 2009

Sorry guys

Sorry for the lack of updates, but Ronan is currently unwell, but his sick note expires at the end of the week, so he'll definitely be back by then.