• The Chancer’s Guide To… Beck

    July 16, 2013 - By 

    Beck has been quiet for an uncharacteristically long time. During the five years since the Dangermouse produced Modern Guilt he has formed a Record Club in which he and a bunch of musician friends re-record classic albums (Skip Spence – Oar; INXS – Kick to name but two). He also completed Song Reader, a 20 song album only available on sheet music (meaning you need to gather together your own musician friends and play the songs yourselves if you want to hear them). Finally though, new music, written and recorded by Beck, is beginning to filter through. With two albums apparently…

  • Everything Sucks #001: Shit Videos

    July 12, 2013 - By 

    So, now that we’re a few weeks removed from the colossal pant-wetting that happened online in the wake of Birmingham teenager Danish Ghaffar (or D4NNY, if that’s your thing) uploading his seminal masterwork ‘Goodbye’ to YouTube and its garnering of over a million views, let’s take a minute to consider the phenomenon of shit music videos before the next one arrives, shall we?   I’m as guilty as the next asshole of laughing at people who perhaps didn’t think their career choices through. I’m currently sitting on Drop-d.ie, a site I run, until we reboot it at some point in…

  • Dan Hegarty: Sweet 95

    July 12, 2013 - By 

    It was a time when the Blur Vs Oasis nonsense was reaching its peak; the Battle of Britpop as it was called. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart was WWF (now WWE) Champion, and it would be just a number of years before Irish Rugby fans would become familiar with a man by the name of Brian O’Driscoll. Kerbdog – ‘Sally’   1995 was a year when the grit of what was known as grunge had been replaced by the aforementioned Britpop bands of varying merit. While on these shores bands like Rollerskate Skinny, Whipping Boy, Kerbdog, and Watercress were doing their respective…

  • Dan Hegarty: Sound & Vision

    June 24, 2013 - By 

    There are lost albums, those that should have made their way to ears all over the world, but for what ever reason didn’t. Explosive from Cork band The Shades was released to critical applause nine years ago. Rather than getting any further into what might or should have been right now, take a listen to this gem, and treat yourself by streaming/downloading it for free below. Explosive lp (Free Download) by The Shades In true rock n’ roll fashion Kodaline launched their debut album, In A Perfect World, on a boat last Thursday. On the same day, they also found…

  • Getting Re-acquainted: Kitchens of Distinction

    June 14, 2013 - By 

    In the last few years, shoegazing (or ‘dream pop’, as our American cousins call it) has made a real comeback, a whole new generation of inarticulate youths picking up guitars and delay pedals , ready to kneel at the altar of My Bloody Valentine. But whilst MBV, Slowdive, and Ride have re-entered the musical vocabulary of the current swathe of indie rockers with floppy fringes, Tooting’s Kitchens of Distinction have remained mysteriously … mysterious. Coming together after meeting at a party in 1985, Patrick Fitzgerald, Julian Swales, and Dan Goodwin comprised one of those bands that could only have existed…

  • The Chancer’s Guide to… Primal Scream

    June 12, 2013 - By 

    With the recent arrival of the immense More Light and cheers of “return to form”, now seems like the right time to make sure we’re all up to speed with the Scream Team. Have you got a grasp of their past efforts on which to contextualise that form? Do you know your ‘Velocity Girl’ from your ‘Country Girl’? ‘Movin’ On Up’ from ‘Can’t Go Back’? If not, here’s a round up of some of the most significant albums that laid the foundations for Primal Scream as they are today. Also look out for the handy ‘things to say’ which you…

  • Lost In Necropolis: Overoth

    June 10, 2013 - By 

    In the second installment of his Lost In Necropolis column, Conchobhar Ó Dochartaigh interviews Belfast death metal band Overoth. Eight years into their tenure, he gets their thoughts on everything from the musical technicality, lyrical themes and the current state of Northern Irish metal. ___ Tell us about the writing for the upcoming album. Recently, songs have been slightly more mid paced, giving a more brooding feel to the songs. Is this a conscious effort to bring more atmosphere to the sound, or has it simply been a natural process? Daniel: It’s been a natural process. The older stuff was…

  • Dan Hegarty: Aliens, Queens, & Infinity

    June 10, 2013 - By 

    Call them Alien Pop, call them electro-pop pretenders, what ever your opinion of Nanu Nanu is, it’s difficult not to rattle off superlatives when you’re speaking about their debut album Unit 1. What was essentially a side project for Laura (Glitterface) and Marc (Mirrorman), may well have turned into their main focus for the foreseeable future. If calling this a contender for debut album of the year is considered hype, then I stand guilty as charged! It was a pleasant surprise to see the new Queens Of The Stone Age album Like Clockwork getting to the number one spot in…

  • 2013: Metapocalypse

    June 4, 2013 - By 

    Thirteen. It’s an unlucky number for some, but certainly not for fans of metal. I say metal. Of course, what I really mean is METAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! This year sees some of the biggest and loudest  bands in the history of metal descend upon Ireland like an eagle on a sleeping mouse. If you aren’t a big fan of heavy guitars, you might be safer indoors for most of this year. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Bands such as Slayer, Mastadon, Nine Inch Nails, Lamb Of God and even the fathers of heavy metal (or should that be grandfathers) – Black…

  • Dan Hegarty: Hey Ho Let’s Go!

    May 28, 2013 - By 

    What is it about the months of May and June that I love so much? Is it the weather? Nope, certainly not! To be honest, it’s always a great time for new music being unleashed, along with people getting into festival mode. We’ve been served very well on both fronts this year; Enemies, Cat Dowling, Solar Bears, Little Green Cars, and Alias Empire delivered sterling albums, and the festival circuit looks in pretty good shape. Independent festivals like Knockanstockan, Castlepalooza, and Indiependence have announced their line-ups; and there are the larger gatherings like Forbidden Fruit, Sea Sessions, Oxegen, Longitude, Body…