Watch: My Morning Jacket and Erykah Badu - Tyrone

I'm not sure whether it's named after the character in Coronation Street or our own northern county, but either way 'Tyrone' by My Morning Jacket with Erykah Badu at the Palladium Ballroom in Dallas, Texas is just amazing.

James and Badu both give 100 percent, and the whole thing is flawless. Wish I had have been there.

Live, No Age and Times New Viking at Whelan's

Thanks again to Jim for announcing a wonderful show. This time it's No Age, Times New Viking and Los Campesinos at Whelan's. All on the one night.

Yes, co-headlining. Amazing to get one, never mind three. They play Whelan's on October 17th, and I bet tickets will sell out quicker than Milk Tray on Mother's Day.

Tickets are €15.45 and are on sale now. Get some!

No Age 'Eraser':

Download: Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook instrumental

Those of you who get the Sigur Ros newsletter may have read about the 'Gobbledigook' Competition, which allows you to put your own vocals to the track, in order to win a sign copy of Med Sud.

The newsletter reads:
Suppose Sigur Rós ask people from all around the world to do their own re-interpretations of a tune? And what better than 'Gobbledigook', the gibberish anthem itself?

So here we are: we're giving you all the backing track stripped of lead vocal and the lyrics in both (broken) English and Icelandic as an MP3.

All we ask is that you supply your own rendition of this free-spirited branch of Sigur Ros's development. No holds barred. The only thing to fear is fear itself, etc, etc

PRIZE: There will be a signed copy of the Special Edition of Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust to the most gratifying entry - that's not necessarily the best, just the one the band like the most. Ok, do your worst....

Go to the Group page on YouTube for complete details: http://www.youtube.com/group/Gobbledigook

But forget about the competition for a second... Free Sigur Rós instrumental track! Just download that. It may sound liek Dave Matthews Band's 'Grey Street', but it's still excellent!

Download Sigur Rós - 'Gobbledigook'

Live: Fight Like Apes nationwide dates

Fight Like Apes are on the up and up. They headline a sold-out Whelan's show in three weeks, and release album Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The
Golden Medallion the same day. A busy time for the band!

Friday 26th September - Whelans, Dublin
Saturday 27th September - Cypress Avenue, Cork
Sunday 28th September - Roisin Dubh, Galway
Monday 29th September - Dolan's, Limerick

Friday 10th October - Electric Avenue, Waterford
Sunday 12th October - Spirit Store, Dundalk

Fight Like Apes And The Mystery Of The Golden Medallion tracklisting :
1. Something Global
2. Jake Summers
3. Tie Me Up With Jackets
4. Digifucker
5. Lend Me Your Face
6. Battlestations
7. Do You Karate?
8. Megameanie
9. I'm Beginning To Think You Prefer Beverley Hills 90210 To Me
10. Lumpy Dough
11. Recyclable Ass
12. Snore Bore Whore

Live: Tracy Chapman second Olympia date added

Due to phenomenal demand, or somesuch marketing slogan, Tracy Chapman has added another Olympia Theatre date. Tracy will play two acoustic shows on December 8th and 9th (the 9th being the extra date).

Tickets for both shows are €50.80, the first one hasn't sold out yet, but there are only a few tickets remaining.

Album News: U2 - Delays on the Line

Bad news folks. People on the beach may have heard it, but the rest of us won't get our grubby mitts on the new U2 record, No Line on the Horizon, until 2009. Bono announced on the official U2 website that "Early next year people will be able to start hearing what we've been doing. We want 2009 to be our year, so we're going to start making an impression very early on." So no new material in 2008. Unless of course he decides to play some music on Dollymount Strand, of course.

The reason he gave for the delay was that "We've hit a rich songwriting vein. It gets a bit dark down here but looks like we've found diamonds not coal. I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there's more priceless stuff to be found?"

He added "The last two records were very personal, with a kind of three-piece at their heart, the primary colours of rock - bass, guitars and drum. But what we're about now is of the same order as the transition that took us from The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby"

If that's the truth, expect the new album to be worse than the last one. Because everyone knows that The Joshua Tree is a far superior album. Ah I jest, but do expect the new material to be much more rock-oriented.

News: State Magazine to go Free

Lots of rumours have gone around recently about the future of State Magazine, however the real truth has finally come to light. The magazine that features the wonderful insights of our good friend Nialler, is due to follow in the footsteps of Analogue, and be available free of charge.

Now this is great news for the music lover, but what will it mean for the magazine itself? Will they still be able to afford the same great writing team? Or will those writers move on to newer pastures? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. But hopefully this free magazine will continue to exist. Because it's an excellent alternative to Hot Press, and something which is badly needed in this country. Although I must say I do prefer The Ticket in The Irish Times, but that's just me.

Their own blog has this to say:
"State is heading down a similar route. We’re taking a month to continue rearranging the furniture and when we return at the beginning of next month State will be available to pick up in a venue, bar, cafe, shop, whatever near you for free. And if you can’t get one yet we’ll post you one for the price of a stamp. Aside from the price, what else will change? Well, nothing really. State Magazine will still bring you the best in music writing on the best music around, from the well known to the stuff that you really ought to know about."

Hopefully things do remain the same. But free magazines/newspapers tend to have more advertisments in them, and the lack of a cover charge can often mean some redundancies. But as with everything else, we'll just have to wait and see...

Also, Dave from http://toofamoustogetfullydressed.blogspot.com/ has said that the name should change to "Free State". Genius.

Live: Josh Ritter at Vicar Street

Thanks once again to our very own Pamela Flood (Jim Carroll) for info on another upcoming Irish gig. This time it's our favourite singer-songwriter (screw you Damien Rice!), Josh Ritter at Vicar Street. Josh will play there on December 11th along with a massive 24-piece backing band, or orchestra as they're also called.

Original info found here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2008/09/03/josh-ritter-dublin-december/

See Josh playing 'To The Dogs' at Electric Picnic, just for 2fm here:

News: Noel Gallagher's Top 10 bands

Seems some of these musicians are getting into this blogging malarky. Some may say it's just a way to get advertising for the new Oasis album. But if it is, it's working. Because I for one am writing about it.

Noel Gallagher has posted his top 10 bands of all time on
http://www.oasisinet.com/Index.aspx
for the reading pleasure of members. Luckily, I know what they are, so to save you some time (i.e. don't bother registering - you'll get loads of email!), here they are:

1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. The Who
4. Sex Pistols
5. The Kinks
6. The La's
7. Pink Floyd
8. The Bee Gees
9. The Specials
10 (Peter Green's) Fleetwood Mac

Wonder would Liam's be similar. And is the Who at #3 because of a certain drummer?

Here's Noel talking about The Smiths, who amazingly didn't make the cut:

Setlist: Sigur Ros, Electric Picnic, 30 August 2008

Sigur Ros always fill tents when they play festivals, but Saturday's performance at Electric Picnic was their first taste of outdoor Ireland. Luckily the weather held up, and it was a perfect evening for lying on the grass and listening to the ethereal sounds of Iceland's finest act (no disrespect to Bjork!)

Svefn-G-Englar
Sé Lest
Við Spilum Endalaust
Hoppípolla
Með Blóðnasir
Festival
Sæglópur
Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
Hafssól
Gobbledigook
Popplagið

View more of Dermod's photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dermod/sets/72157607057561525/

Album News: Annie - Don't Stop cover

I like posting album covers. I like album covers in general. My Vista slideshow is only album covers. I save any I download into a folder, just for the slideshow. Yeah. I'm sad. But it's better than 40 pictures of the Eiffel Tower, right?

Anyhow, that above is the album cover for Annie's new album Don't Stop. And before you ask, yes it's out there. But no, I don't have a download. Finding stuff online isn't that hard, you know.

Watch: Laura Marling - Paradiso concert

Some of you may have missed Laura Marling at Whelan's earlier this year. I didn't it was fantastic. If you did, you should have taken my advice and seen her at Electric Picnic. But I bet you didn't. So do you really want to make yourself feel guilty for missing it? Or better for getting to catch her live on video? Well, now you can.

Fab Channel has a stream of her concert at Paradiso - Small Hall. I've no idea where the hell that is, but it's definitely worth a watch.

http://www.fabchannel.com/laura_marling_concert

Live: Bell X1 at Vicar Street

There are only ever two acts that appear at Vicar Street. One is Tommy Tiernan, and the other is Bell X1. No matter when you check their listings, one or the other seems to be performing. Well I exaggerate a little. It's been a while since Bell X1 were there.

However, Pamela from Off the Rails has announced, sorry, Jim from On the Record has announced that Bell X1 are due back for two dates in November - the 11th and 12th, to perform material from their upcoming fourth album.

Live: The Walkmen at the Button Factory

My first memory of a Walkman is my brother getting one for his Communion (I got Lego, I was much more of a child!), and when you got to the end of the second side, there would always be a good bit of blank space. The first side fit perfectly, and stopped right at the end of a song, but the second side didn't fit quite so well.

Hopefully, the band The Walkmen will fit in well at The Button Factory, when they play here this year. Lauren from Entertainment.ie has announced that they're due to play November 2nd.

No ticket prices yet, but I'll update this post when I hear more.

Album News: Coldplay - Prospects March

If you remember back to the initial hype, you may recall that Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends was initially rumoured to be called Prospekt. In the end, Martin chose a much wordier (and abstract title). But the name has not been lost, for Coldplay are set to release more new material this year.

The Prospects March EP is due out in December, and has already been recorded. It may even include VLV outtake 'Luna' which features my most hated artist Kylie Minogue on co-vocals.

Expect more news when I hear it.

Wanted: Electric Picnic Setlists

There's loads, and I know you guys have them. So if you do remember anything outside of the drink-filled-haze when you weren't causing devilment in your merriment, please email any setlist to swearimnotpaul@gmail.com

Thanks

Setlist: Wilco, Electric Picnic, 30 August 2008

A short and sweet 40-minute set from US rockers Wilco, but Jeff Tweedy and company were very impressive during their short stint on the Main Stage on Saturday. 'Impossible Germany' is a great song from their latest album Sky Blue Sky, a record that just doesn't get enough credit.

Misunderstood
Impossible Germany
Shot in the Arm
You Are My Face
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Hummingbird
Walken
I'm the Man Who Loves You
I'm A Wheel

Setlist: Underworld, Electric Picnic, 30 August 2008

Underworld played a stonker of a set in the Electric Arena, and even busted out unreleased fan favourite 'You Do Scirbble'. I didn't see them myself, but I hear they were excellent.

Spoonman
Glam Bucket
Rez
Beautiful Burnout
King Of Snake
Two Months Off
You Do Scribble
Nuxx

And by the way, do you think Mike Baldwin named his factory after them?

Setlist: Josh Ritter, Electric Picnic, 30 August 2008

One of the highlights of the Electric Picnic 2008 festival must definitely be Josh Ritter. He's been adored in Ireland for many a year now, and from the evidence of his Crawdaddy Stage performance, rightly so!

Bright Smile
Wolves
Good Man
To the Dogs or whoever
Right Moves
Fireflies
Rumours
Real long distance
Kathleen
Empty Hearts

Sheila has many more photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10578377@N06/sets/72157607053053888/

Live: Randy Newman at Vicar Street

I was not expecting this, but it may well be the only concert to top Ryan Adams and the Cardinals this year. Randy Newman has a new album out, Harps and Angels, and once again it's excellent. The man is so consistent. You may mostly know him for doing theme tunes from Toy Story and the like, but the man is so much more than that. The album Faust is a work of genius, as are songs 'Short People' and 'Political Science'.

He plays Vicar Street November 3rd, with tickets at €59.80. T go on sale tomorrow (Monday).

Watch: Cardinals - 'Uneasy Plateau'

So, the first delivery has come from the Cardinology mailbox, it's the jarring 'Uneasy Plateau' video. It's not new material, but a version of 'Easy Plateau' made a bit mental by Ryan Adams. That man is a nutjob.


Uneasy Plateau from Wilson Wolf on Vimeo

"delivery"