Ballad of the Broken Seas Isobel Campell and Mark Lanegan
Strange bedfellows number 63. We’ve had Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra, we had Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue, now we’ve got the ex-singer with twee Scottish Popsters Belle and Sebastian linking musical notes with the ex-front man of Queen of the Stone Age. As ying and yang couples go, you couldn’t go much further unless you paired up Lemmy and Shirley Temple.
This record sounds like nothing the duo has previously done which probably explains why it works so well. At times folksy, at times country, even whimsical in places, Ballad of The Broken Seas is timeless, dreamy pop full of seductive hooks and melodies.
Miss Campbell takes most of the songwriting credits and also produces. Kudos is due to her for utilising the talents of Mr. Lanegan. The contrast of her angelic vocals and his deep, melancholic delivery works its magic on most of the tracks here.
Rodrigo y Gabriela
This is the third album from Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and is the first instrumental album to go into the Irish charts at number one. One listen and you can hear why. Produced by John Leckie of Stone Roses and Radiohead fame, this album captures their mesmerising live essence. Listening to it you can almost visualise the notes dancing in the air with their mix of flamenco, jazz and rock styles that leave you awestruck that so much sound could come out of two guitars.
The songs are their own compositions except covers of Metallica’s Orion and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, that will make sure you never listen to them in the same way again! The highlight for me was the bonus DVD which includes interviews with the duo and live performances where you can see as well as hear just how talented they are.
If you like good music get this, if not I think Chico has an album out soon!
The Kooks Inside In/Inside Out
The Kooks are a four piece out of Brighton following in the Artic Monkeys trail of kids with enormous talent (their average age is only 20). This is as good a debut album you’ll hear all year apart from the aforementioned Monkeys.
The album is full of catchy little pop/ rock songs that grab you and leave you wanting more. So full of clever guitar riffs, hooks and choruses that try as you might you can’t help but like the little upstarts! There is hardly a bad song on this album which is a rarity nowadays.
Standout tracks include Seaside, Naíve (on which 19 year old lead singer Luke Pritchard’s emotion filled lyrics instantly have you pressing the repeat button), Sofa Song and You Don’t Love Me.
The only downside is lyrically it’s pretty much the same old theme of relationships and girls but what else would you expect from such a young group, profound statements about the political climate!
FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS IN APRIL/MAY/JUNE
Jack L Olympia April 18,19,20
Don Williams Olympia April 21, 22
The Cardigans Ambassador April 23
Janis Ian Vicar Street April 24
Saxon Temple Bar Music
Centre April 27
Chris Rea Olympia April 28
Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds Point April 30
Ian Brown/ Republic of Loose Dublin Castle April 30
Kaiser Chiefs/ Graham Coxon Dublin Castle May 1
Richard Hawley Whelans May 1
The Kooks The Village May 2
Jose Gonzalez Olympia May 8
Josh Ritter Vicar Street May 12, 13
Take That Point Theatre May 12, 13
Bon Jovi Croke Park May 20
Hard-Fi Ambassador May 23
Editors Ambassador May 24
Elton John Point Theatre May 28
The Wedding Present Ambassador June 3
Billy Bragg Vicar Street June 3
G4 Olympia June 7
Robbie Williams Croke Park June 9
Gun N Roses/ Motley Crue RDS June 9
Metallica RDS June 11
Bob Dylan / Flaming Lips Nowlan Park, Kilkenny June 24
FESTIVAL FEVER GRIPS THE COUNTRY
Infused with the success of the Electric Picnic, promoters POD Concerts are running a second boutique festival, this time aimed at the clubbing crowd, in Ballinlough Castle, Athboy, Co. Meath on June 4. The Garden Party, which will no doubt become a regular on the festival circuit scene, will take place across four stages in a beautiful walled garden that is part of Ballinlough castle grounds. The top class line-up already includes: Too Many DJs, Toots & The Maytals, Asian Dub Foundation, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Nightmare On Wax Sound System, Guilty Pleasures, Scratch Perverts (DJ set), Booka Shade, Markey and Alexander Robotnik. Adding to the Whit weekend jollities will also include a cabaret, theatrical karaoke and a flea circus. Tickets priced €65 are on sale now.
DYLAN KEEPS IT COUNTRY
Still in June and still in the heart of this green and pleasant land of ours, Mr. Bob Dylan will once again headline The Kilkenny Source Festival on Saturday, June 24 in Nowlan Park. Special Guests will be The Flaming Lips, who judging by their performance in Electric Picnic last September will be one hard act to follow. Tickets for what could be the most interesting pairing of the summer are on sale now at €55.
ORIGIONAL GLAM ROCKERS ARE BACK!
Reunions, reforming and getting back together again is very much in the air these days. In fact, it’s difficult to think of any band who split up years ago that hasn’t attempted a comeback of some description recently. The latest major players to announce a comeback are Roxy Music, who are working on an album of new material with their original line-up for the first time in more than 30 years. And the good news gets even better when you realise Brian Eno is also taking part in proceedings
The band’s last album was Avalon in 1982, but this new effort will be the first to feature Eno since 1973. No release date has yet been set but you can expect to hear plenty of the new material when Roxy Music play one of the must-see gigs of the year in Vicar Street on July.
PUNKS NOT DEAD, PART 6
More good tidings for the 40 something’s among us!
The Slits, who could safely be described as ‘The First Ladies of Punk’ perform a reunion gig in Dublin’s CrawDaddy on April 20 next.
The all-female trio were early pioneers of punk. Their 1976 album Cut was a brilliant mix of punk, reggae and dub beats. Their career didn’t last long but they have been and continue to be a huge influence on many female bands.
Original members Ari Up, Viv Albertine and Palmolive will be joined on stage by dub maestro Adrian Sherwood whose has worked with many famous people including Sinéad O’Connor. Ari Up’s mum, Nora by the way, went on to marry Johnny Rotten.
LORD OF THE RINGS:
BELL X1 - SPEED OF SOUND
By Brian Kelly
It is about time another Dublin band went global. U2 have been top of the tree for so long and have done us all proud, but the good citizens of the world have to realize there is more to Ath Cliath than Adam, Bono, Edge and Larry.
Enter stage right Bell X1. Four hearty fellows from the western fringes of Dublin, who in the past four months alone compiled this impressive set of statistics:
1. ‘Flock’ the band’s third album went straight to number one in the Irish charts.
2. Their recent nationwide tour was completely sold out.
3. Bell X1’s concert in the RDS on January 31 was the first time a Dublin band sold out this vast arena in many years.
Bell X1, whose name came from the aircraft used by Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier, formed from the ashes of Juniper, a band which featured all the current Bell boys: Brian Crosby, Dave Geraghty, Paul Noonan and Dominic Philips plus one Damian Rice.
Rice’s rapid success as a solo artist contrasted with Bell X1’s slow but steady progress through three albums and thousands of miles of travel and support slots in Ireland, Europe and America.
The band made a significant breakthrough with the release of ‘Music in Mouth’ in 2003. The album went double platinum in Ireland producing four top 40 singles.
What makes Bell X1 stand out from all other contenders is the creativity and quality of their songwriting. Singer Paul Noonan is one of our most gifted lyricist and songwriters: his wry couplets and distinct turn of phrase mark him out as a genuine wordsmith amidst a school of rock hacks.
Conquering the UK is next on the band’s agenda. An extensive tour plus the release of ‘Flock’ will hopefully create a legion of new admirers for the band and generate enough press interest to raise the profile of the boys in Blighty.
Bell X1 have already enjoyed some success in the States where their song ‘Eve is the apple of my eye’ was used as background music to a famous lesbian kiss on the hugely popular TV show ‘The OC’. The ripple effect caused by the record has enabled the band to gain a foothold in the country.
They have toured the US several times, shifting thousands of copies of ‘Music in Mouth’ and completely selling venues on the last visit in 2005.
The road to rock ‘n’ roll success is paved with bands that never went the distance or never made the grade. It is more difficult for bands to sustain a career now than in U2’s day simply because there are too many groups vying for the attention of record companies. As well as this, big labels rarely take the time to nurture and support bands on a long-term basis. If a band’s first album doesn’t sell, they don’t always get a second chance.
Bell X1 has got thus far on talent alone. They are simply the best band to emerge from the capital in the last decade. If they can sustain the momentum they have made to date, you can expect to turn on your television in a few years time and see the band with their glamorous model girlfriends beside them, interviewed by Lorraine Keane at the premiere of the latest blockbuster movie.
It is all ahead of them. Proceed at the speed of sound boys.
MUNDY, FROM BURR TO THE WORLD
By Brian Rutherford
Mundy ranks among the top performers in Ireland. He is a singer/ songwriter with a certain depth that as you get to listen more, becomes uplifting. He has released three CDs, or albums as he likes to call them: ‘Jelly Legs’, ‘24 Star Hotel’ and ‘Raining Down Arrows’ and a fourth is soon to be released.
He has performed all over Dublin and Ireland, indeed the world, but still ranks the small-time gigs as the ones to remember. He now lives in Ringsend. I did a quick interview with him in between his busy schedule and this is what he had to say.
Real name?
Edmund Enwright.
Where do you come from?
Birr in Co. Offaly.
How long did it take to get a record deal?
Fast, I came to Dublin when I was 17 and at about 19 people started to take an interest. I started out at the songwriters’ club in the International Bar, which was run by Dave Murphy on Tuesday nights, and it’s there that record companies heard about me.
Where have you gigged?
The International, The Manhattan Peanut Party in Finglas, Chebangs in Ranelagh and Slattery’s. Internationally I’ve played the UK, France, America, Australia.
Where was your favourite venue?
Probably the International Bar, it was kind of a special place for me, but it’s not in existence anymore.
Who are your influences?
A lot of longterm writers like Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams who is an American Country/ Rock singer. I like a lot of Indie bands as well
What inspires your lyrics?
Day to day celebrations and tragedies. My musical influences would not inspire me lyrically, more people and their day to day lives, and the world.
How many CDs have you sold?
I’ve sold 40,000 with my second album in Ireland (‘24 Star Hotel’), 50,000 with my first album globally (‘Jelly Legs’) and 18 or 19,000 with my third (‘Raining Down Arrows’).
What’s it like living in Ringsend?
There’s a good community aspect and because I’m from the country I find it easier than a classified Dubliner, because I’m a bogman I suppose (laughs) and I’m not threatened because of that.
Where do you drink locally?
I drink in the Yacht and the Oarsman now and again but I’m a stone’s throw from Town, so I’d wander in there a lot.
Any plans on marriage or children?
Dreams, but nothing as yet.
What’s the new CD about?
It’s a live CD recorded at the end of 2005 with a collection of audience favourites from the last three albums.