Download: Mercury Rev - Senses on Fire Remix

Fujiya and Miyagi seem to be remixing a lot of stuff these days. This time they've turned their hands to a song from the new Mercury Rev record Snowflake Midnight, 'Senses on Fire'.

Now what I would like to see is a mix between this and Kings of Leon's 'Sex on Fire'. That would be interesting!

Mercury Rev - 'Senses on Fire' (Fujiya and Miyagi Remix)

Mercury Rev have a few remaining shows left to play in Ireland, and are at Vicar Street on November 2nd. Tickets are on sale still, and support comes from the phenomenal Howling Bells.

Stream: Duke Special - I Never Thought This Day Would Come

I Never Thought This Day Would Come, that the Irish Times would be streaming albums online. But with Jim Carroll in control of the twisty music knobs over there, I should have seen it coming.

Anyhow, you can read a review of the new Duke Special album, I Never Thought This Day Would Come here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/dukespecial/

He's looking a bit more tanned than usual in that photo too is our Duke.

Live: I Am Kloot at Whelan's

Yet another December show. How can I afford them all?

I Am Kloot return to Ireland on December 15th, and may even throw in a cover version of Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody'. Actually, probably not, but we can hope!

I bet we'll start hearing the Christmas music in shops before the end of this month....

So here's one to start you off..

Live: More MGMT at the Ambassador

Due to phenomenal demand they filled a tent at Oxegen. You may have heard. They also sold out yet another Irish date. So another has been added. Why are these guys so popular? I like them, but they're no Gaslight Anthem. Check out Thundercrack Playlist's great post on them here:
http://thundercrackplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/10/gaslight-anthem.html

Enough about that, MGMT are due to play an extra show at the Ambassador on November 4th.
Tickets cost €24.50 and are on sale this Monday, the 13th of October.

Album Cover: The Killers - Day and Age

Nice looking art for the new Killers album Day and Age. Has the O2 gig sold out yet?

Tickets are on sale this morning limited to 4 for person.

Album News: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Strange title, strange artwork. But a tracklist.

Animal Collective's 2009 record will be called Merriweather Post Pavilion according to http://www.myanimalhome.net/, and features the following songs:

1. In the Flowers
2. My Girls
3. Also Frightened
4. Summertime Clothes
5. Daily Routine
6. Bluish
7. Guys Eyes
8. Taste
9. Lion in a Coma
10. No More Runnin
11. Brother Sport

Brendan has come up with following possible renames:
'House' is now 'My Girls'
'Dancer' is 'In the Flowers'
and
'Bearhug' is now 'Summertime Clothes'

Hopefully he's right.

And thanks to one of my other readers for pointing out that "Merriweather Post Pavilion is the name of the album. It's a venue in the Baltimore/Greater D.C. area where the AC guys grew up."

Album News: Annie - Don't Stop delayed

Annie's follow-up to Anniemal, which was a highly anticipated album here, has now been pushed back to 2009 to allow further work to be done on it. Rumour has it that it was just so-so in its present incarnation. So hopefully it will be much improved when it is finally released next year.

The new release date is April 6th, 2009.

Original video for 'I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me', which may well be changed now:

Album News: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

Yet another album title change for the follow up to Alright, Still...

Lily Allen's formerly titled Brilly Allen or Stuck on the Naughty Step will be called It's Not Me, It's You in its latest incarnation.

We do have solid info about the release date however. That's fixed for February 9th, 2009.

Live: ?uestlove DJ set at Shine Bar

Thanks to the ever-wonderful (now free) State Magazine for details of Roots drummer ?uestlove (or Questlove or Ahmir Thompson) doing a DJ set for free (just like that aforementioned magazine) in Shine Bar on Wexford Street on November 12th.

Tickets are free! Yay!

Watch The Roots - 'The Seed 2.0':

Download: Carlon - 'Cantaloupe'

Disappointed that Band of Horses released no record this year? Well, until they get off their asses (or high-horse, ha!) and release something, you'll have to find something to fill the void in your life. How about New Jersey band Carlon? Their debut album Johari Window (produced by Muse and the Boss producer Ross Petersen) has just been released.

In fact, you can stream the entire thing here:
http://spinner.aol.com/artists/new-releases-full-cds?defaultTab=19

But if you want a more solid example, why not download 'Cantaloupe'?
Carlon - 'Cantaloupe'

Album News: Coldplay - Prospekt's March Tracklist

Updated tracklist for upcoming Coldplay EP Prospekt's March:

1. Life in Technicolor II
2. Postcards from Far Away
3. Glass of Water
4. Rainy Day
5. Prospekt’s March / Poppyfields
6. Lost +
7. Lovers in Japan [Osaka Sun Mix]
8. Now My Feet Won’t Touch the Ground

Still no cover art available, but there is some for the Lost single.

Watch: Kanye West - Love Lockdown video

Strange. God knows what to expect from the new Kanye album. Different stories and ideas been thrown at us from every angle.

Anyhow, watch the video for Love Lockdown on Kanye's blog here:
http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/?em3106=209224_-1__0_~0_-1_5_2008_0_0&em3161=&em3281=

Live: Teddy Thompson at Vicar Street

Teddy Thompson returns to Dublin to play Vicar Street on February 10th, 2009. That's advance warning anyway! No date on tickets, but it's early days. I'll let you know when I hear the info. They'll be about €25.

Watch him play Bill Withers' 'Ain't No Sunshine':

Stream: The Spinto Band - Moonwink

I first posted about this excellent album a few weeks ago, but now you can listen to the whole thing online.

Listen here:
http://spinner.aol.com/artists/new-releases-full-cds?defaultTab=15

But even better than that is the free download of two tracks from the record.
The Spinto Band - Summer Grof
The Spinto Band - Pumpkins & Paisley

Spork Review: Ryan Adams - Cardinology

Read my own review here: http://swearimnotpaul.blogspot.com/2008/10/album-review-ryan-adams-cardinals.html

First album review of Cardinology online. Taken from the Twisted Spork.

The new album by Ryan Adams is his most mature and restrained album to date. It is also his most lyrically ambitious. Take a song like “Cobwebs,” where it easy to mistake him for Jeff Buckley as he lets his voice swoop like never before bringing to life his metaphors and imagery. Or the following song, “Let Us Down Easy” which shows a lyrical sophistication that is unlike anything he’s done. It is reminiscent of Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks. There was a poetic clearheadedness about it that seemed to signal the beginning of a new era of songwriting for the artist. It did nothing to diminish the accomplishments of the past, or really to foretell the future, but it added another layer of complexity and value to his body of work. Adams’ resume is already pretty damned impressive, and anyone who dips into the unofficial world of his music quickly realizes that the albums are just the tip of the iceberg. He has to be one of the most prolific modern songwriters and miraculously little of it is crap. Listen to the beautiful ballad “Evergreen” and marvel at the fact that this is the same guy who produced punk albums, heavy metal manifestos, suicide anthems, Grateful Dead-inspired country rock and stabs at every other type of music imaginable. Now he seems content with an album of expertly crafted songs, played with great authority by his superb band the Cardinals. Through their non-stop touring and recording this band now plays with the sympathetic ears of a real band - not just a backing group. Perhaps that’s the secret to the title of the album. Ryan Adams has finally gotten himself into a place of health and productivity in an environment that allows him to realize his musical vision, whatever it is today. He has moved from death-wish prodigy to seasoned poet. Lucky for us.

Watch 'Fix It' in Syracuse:

Stream: Keane - Perfect Symmetry

I was not a big Keane fan at the time of their first record. It was so-so in my opinion. The second album did not change this opinion. 'Is It Any Wonder' was yet another U2 rip-off. However, this third album Perfect Symmetry could well change that opinion, as it harks back to the 80s.

It's released here on Friday, and looks set to be better than all those other similar-artists that are releasing albums around now. Kaiser Chiefs, Travis, Snow Patrol, I'm looking at you!

Stream it here:
http://www.last.fm/music/keane/Perfect+Symmetry

Download: Au Revoir Simone - 'Lark' Remix

You may already own Au Revoir Simone's excellent debut The Bird of Music. Maybe even an EP or mini-album. But you better be prepared for what's next...

Reverse Migration is collection of their favorite remixes and cover versions their friends have created from The Bird of Music. It could well be interesting if this track 'Lark' is anything to go by!

Air, Hot Chip, and The Teenagers are all involved. Good line-up. Hopefully the rest will match.

Reverse Migration Tracklist
01. The Lucky One - Slow Club
02. Sad Song - Pacific!
03. Fallen Snow - The Teenagers
04. I Couldn't Sleep - Darkel
05. A Violent Yet Flammable World - Montag
06. Don't See The Sorrow - Keith Murray
07. Dark Halls - Best Fwends
08. Night Majestic - Matt Harding
09. Stars - Disco Pusher
10. Lark - Ruff and Jam
11. The Way To There - Mark-Anthony Tieku
12. Sad Song - Alexis Taylor
13. The Lucky One - James Yuill

Download Au Revoir Simone - Lark (Ruff and Jam Remix)

Live: The Killers at the O2

Everytime I go to type O2, I keep going to type zero-two. Strange. Don't think I'll ever get used to it.

The Killers play the O2 on February 20th, 2009 (perfect Christmas present for your other half - tickets to this). They also play Dublin's Odyssey the following night.

Tickets for the southern gig cost €50.80 (so Christmas will be costing €101.60 this year), and £38 up north. They go on sale this Friday at 9am. Expect them to sell quickly.

Watch a fanmade video for 'Human' (i.e. a chance to listen to a new song):

Live: Fight Like Apes at the Academy

My God, the album is great. Expect a review up in the next while (whenever I find time).

Fight Like Apes will play material from their two EPs and debut album at the Academy on December 5th.

Tickets are on sale today and cost €14.50. Bargain.

Watch 'Jake Summers':

Download: Hold Steady Majestic Videos

Thanks again to Connor for posting the remainder of the Hold Steady set at the Majestic Theater in Madison. The rest of the videos are in the first post:
http://swearimnotpaul.blogspot.com/2008/10/download-hold-steady-live-at-majestic.html

Lord: http://www.sendspace.com/file/q6dida
Hornets: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ifwfc5
Slapped: http://www.sendspace.com/file/rngj4z
Southtown: http://www.sendspace.com/file/so6mb3

Album News: Prospekt's March Tracklist

A letter from Chris Martin (with awful handwriting) that reads:

Dear Coldplay fans and friends...

First of all, thankyou for the incredible year you have been giving us so far; from asking for our songs on the radio, to buying an album, to coming to a show; we owe you in a big way. As audiences you have been incredibly awesome to play for, and I might add that your singing has been in excellent form.

In the spirit of trying to do things a bit differently and keep everything fresh, we are going to do a few musical moves that we have not previously attempted. Firstly, in a few weeks we are going to release a version of Lost! which has a guest experience on it in the form of JAY-Z.

Then in November, we are happy to announce we are putting out an E.P. called PROSPEKT'S MARCH. It contains five songs that were not finished back in May (our deadline for Viva La Vida) but that have just been completed. They are:

1. Life In Technicolor ii (which is a song)
2. Postcards From Far Away
3. Glass Of Water
4. Rainy Day
and
5. Prospekt's March

We are very proud of these and are pretty excited to release them. They have been the subject of many discussions and arguments; some might be considered too catchy or too heavy for Coldplay songs but in our minds they complete the VIVA LA VIDA picture.

If you want to get the E.P. you can download it or order it from the internet or you can get it in a special edition of the album called "Viva La Vida: Prospekt's March Edition".
The version of Lost with JAY-Z on it will also be on this.
We really hope you enjoy it and we look forward to singing these songs with you in cities across the world.

thanks for reading - sorry about the handwriting.

love CHRIS