Live: Natalie Merchant at the Helix

10,000 Maniacs singer and wonderful solo artist Natalie Merchant will be stopping off in Ireland to promote her new studio album Leave Your Sleep (her first in eight years). The album comes out this Friday, while the gig is due to take place on June 1st.

Tickets cost €33.60 and go on sale this Friday.

Watch 'If No One Ever Marries Me':

Album Review: The Last Tycoons - Self-titled

Need a Rolling Stones kick? Mick Jagger not getting you up any more? Why not try Dublin's the Last Tycoons? Formed from the ruins of former band Porn Trauma, The Last Tycoons are a dirty, greasy, high-spirited rock band, sure to suit your needs.

Their debut album, The Last Tycoons was released on Good Friday and features the excellent single 'The Dry Law', which NME Radio described as "great narrative tinged country pop". The description doesn't apply to the whole record, which is somewhere nearer a cross between Beggar's Banquet and the Bad Seeds' The Boatman's Call than straight-up country pop.

It's a dirty rock album, with some fantastic story-driven tunes. Single 'The Dry Law' takes place in prohibition-era America. 'Not At All' is a National-esque tune featuring Strokesian vocals. The Last Tycoons pull their influences from everywhere, meaning that the album is a wonderful melting pot of melodies. 'Speed' is the song that really evokes memories of Mick Jagger, with it's dirty riff and growling vocals.

'The Dry Law' is a old-school pedal-steel driven tune, and although selected as the lead single, it's probably the album's weak point. The lyrics are good, but it lacks the grease of the other songs. Like 'Don't Let me Catch You', the song immediately after it. It wouldn't sound out of place on Beggar's Banquet and is a song that is sure to work perfectly in a live environment. It's easy to imagine a crowd of revellers singing along to the lines "I'm gonna keep movin and get drunker than I've ever been".

Many of the songs here are instantly memorable: 'Seven Days (Off the Road)' is a really catchy song with a lovely breakdown, 'Alaska Hotel' is a lovely piano-driven ballad. 'The Love Song' is another highlight. It's a wonderful narrative-driven song, like most of the album. Overall, this is a highly accomplished debut from a tremendous new Irish talent. Definitely one to watch for the future.

Tour dates:
11 April - Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
13 April - Ruby Sessions, Doyle's, Dublin
14 April - The Village, Dublin (Haiti Charity gig)
22 April - Roisin Dubh, Galway
23 April - The Ryston, Newbridge
24 April - Flanagans, Newbridge
30 April - Electric Avenue, Waterford
12 May - GB Shaw Theatre, Carlow

Download: The Hold Steady - April 3rd, 2010 Bootleg

The Hold Steady played some material from new album Heaven is Whenever (due May 4th) at Toad's Place in North Haven, CT on Saturday night, and you can download the full show in mp3 bootleg form below. The new songs are track 1 'Rock Problems', 13 'Soft in the Center', 15 'Hurricane J', 16 'We Can Get Together', 18 'The Weekenders', and 20 'A Slight Discomfort'. Enjoy!

Setlist:
1. Rock Problems
2. Magazines
3. You Can Make Him Like You
4. Hot Soft Light
5. Constructive Summer
6. Navy Sheets
7. Chips Ahoy!
8. Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
9. The Swish
10. Party Pit
11. Massive Nights
12. Banging Camp
13. Soft in the Center
14. Sequestered in Memphis
15. Hurricane J
16. We Can Get Together
17. Your Little Hoodrat Friend
18. The Weekenders
19. Stuck Between Stations
20. A Slight Discomfort

(encore)
21. Hornets! Hornets!
22. Stay Positive
23. Killer Parties

Download:
Full Show

Stream: Hanson - Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

Some of you may be gasping with the shock that I'm after posting a stream of the new single from those guys who sang 'Mmmbop', but don't despair, modern day Hanson are actually alright. Anyone who's heard 'Penny & Me' from their last record will agree with me, right? Plus, Taylor's supergroup Tinted Windows were pretty good too. 'Thinking 'Bout Somethin'' is the lead single from upcoming album Shout It Out, due this summer.

In addition, the press release claims: "At the end of April, Hanson are set to perform a sold out, five-night run of live shows in New York, N.Y., where they'll play each of their albums in chronological order." How cool will that be?

Watch: The Gaslight Anthem - Baba O'Riley

Nothing to do with upcoming album American Slang, but this is pretty damn cool. It's the Gaslight Anthem covering the Who classic 'Baba O'Riley' (some of you non-Who fans might know it from one of those CSI shows. CSI: Blackrock maybe.

Watch The Gaslight Anthem - 'Baba O'Riley':

Live: Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival Lineup

Thanks to Peter at 2uibestow for reminding me to check out the full listings for the Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival. There are some fantastic acts playing the last weekend of April at various venues all around the city, including Josh Ritter, Caitlin Rose, Joe Pug, James Vincent McMorrow, and most importantly (for me anyway), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

American/UK acts:
Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band
The Duke and The King
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
Jason & The Scorchers
The Band Of Heathens
Hot Club Of Cowtown
Chris Smither
Pete Molinari
Dex Romweber Duo
Joe Pug
Uncle Monk
Caitlin Rose
Elvis Fontenot & The Sugarbees

Irish acts:
James Vincent McMorrow
Clive Barnes
Ben Reel Band
Raglan Rodeo
The Rye
David Hope & The Henchmen
River Valley Band
Swingin' Blue Cats
Jezzebelle
Loudest Whisper
Rumbleshack
Tupelo
KJ McEvoy Band
TV Jones and The Tomahawks
Louisiana Joyride
Memphis Cats
Road Trouble
Niall Toner Band
The Sullivan Brothers
Beef Supreme

Check out the full line-up, as well as gig dates and ticket prices here:
http://www.kilkennyroots.com/gigs.asp

Stream: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way

The new album from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (and their best so far, in my opinion) is released today in Ireland, and next Tuesday in the US. The wonderful NPR has yet another exclusive, where you can stream the album, I Learned the Hard Way, in full.

It's a gorgeous soul-rock album, and sure to be on many end of year best of lists. Highly recommended.

Tracklist:
01 The Game Gets Old
02 I Learned the Hard Way
03 Better Things
04 Give It Back
05 Money
06 The Reason
07 Window Shopping
08 She Ain't a Child No More
09 I'll Still Be True
10 Without a Heart
11 If You Call
12 Mama Don't Like My Man

Stream:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125142001

Setlist: Mumford and Sons, The Academy, 18 March 2010

By all accounts, Mumford and Sons played a stonking gig at the Academy the week before last. They're set to return to Ireland in the summer to play Oxegen. They played a lot of tunes from their debut Sigh No More as well as some unreleased tracks and a new song. Ferg over at Seeking His Face has a full review of the gig here.

Setlist:
Sigh No More
Winter Winds
Roll Away Your Stone
White Blank Page
New Song: Feel the Tide
I Gave You All
Awake My Soul
Little Lion Man
Lover Of The Light
Thistle And Weeds
Timshell
The Cave
Dust Bowl Dance
---
To Darkness
Restless Heart

Watch 'Feel the Tide' live at the Academy:

Album News: Avril's Poison - Jules Verne

Strange little email popped in my inbox this morning, announcing an Irish supergroup called Avril's Poison. They're due to release their debut album Jules Verne on June 18th (the 21st in the UK). The most notable thing about the band is definitely the line-up. It includes Paul Noonan (of Bell X1) on Vocals, Dave Evans on guitar (you'll all know him as the Edge), Mark McClelland (formerly of Snow Patrol) on bass, Colm Mac Con Iomaire on violin and keys, and Graham Hopkins (of the Frames) on drums.

The band is McClelland's brainchild, and the press release said that he's "trying to explore new avenues, both in sound and in public profile." Although this may seem a little strange, McClelland is probably best known these days as the man who's suing Snow Patrol for 25% of their earnings.

The press release also claims that the album is "a bounding rock album, with a large series of hooks. Recorded in secret over a series of weekends, Jules Verne is set to be a landmark record in Irish musical history." The title track is due for release as a single later this month and features Glen Hansard on vocals, so as soon as I have the video, I'll post it up.

Tracklist:
1. Flutter
2. Mother Superior
3. Four Corners
4. Jules Verne (featuring Glen Hansard)
5. Too Late to Get in the Game
6. Sitting/Watching
7. Taiwan
8. Zoom
9. Phase Noise
10. This One's For You

Live: MGMT at the Olympia Theatre

As part of their UK & Ireland tour to promote their eccentric new album Congratulations, MGMT will return to Ireland to play the Olympia Theatre. They'll be performing tunes from the new album, as well as favourites from the first ('Kids', 'Time to Pretend', and all those hits you climbed scaffolding in Oxegen to see) on September 16th.

As of now, there's no dates pencilled in for the following three nights, so if this sells out quickly, I wouldn't rule out a second night. Don't quote me on that though, if you really want to go - tickets are on sale next Friday, the 9th of April, and cost €30.

If you didn't see them at Oxegen, here's what you missed: