By Brian Kelly, Ferghal Murphy, Brian Rutherford
By Brian Kelly, Ferghal Murphy, Brian Rutherford |
ALBUMS
If you’re expecting this album to be full of crashing guitars and pounding drums like Snow Patrol, think again! Iain archer’s solo style is just that, the bare minimum of instruments with his guitar and melodic, heartfelt voice carrying the songs. Although the songs are beautiful and well written, there’s only one that makes me want to listen to it repeatedly. The single ‘When it kicks in’, written about the troubles in the North is one catchy song with cracking little riffs and a soaring anthem-like chorus. This had me hoping the rest of the album would be the same. Alas, that was not to be.
Influenced by the likes of Primal Scream, Led Zeppelin, Sonic Youth and Depeche Mode you can hear their influences all over their debut record. Somehow they’ve managed to combine rock, punk and dance into a strange and exciting new hybrid of musical genre. The driving bassline on third track ‘Out on a wire’ is reminiscent of New Order but with killer guitars and screaming vocals. I’d say these are four angry young men as evidenced in their full speed ahead, wreck the place punk style. This works though as it is not just noise for the sake of noise, its melodic noise with a purpose. Surprisingly their music is not all about sex, drugs and rock and roll, it actually has a message. The lads tackle everything from unfulfilled potential (in song for the understanding) to how society has become more and more materialistic in the first track ‘Diet Pills and Magazines’.
'We Thrive on Big Cities' Director They have already given us one of the single of the year in Re-connect, three minutes of pure joy detailing a manís frustration and desire for the opposite sex. That track is one of 10 on this album and while it remains the standout song, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Director are more than one hit wonders. Singer Michael Maloney has the gift of writing short, punchy, hook-laden tunes that bear repeated listening. His voice is also distinctive; classically trained vocal chords adding character and class to drum tight arrangements. At 36 minutes long, the album feels a little incomplete and on some of the songs, Director seem content with the first take. As an opening salvo however, We Thrive on Big Cities has plenty more peaks than valleys.
Heaven & Earth, their previous record probably didnít get the attention it deserved and while Fingerprints doesnít break any new ground, it is a solid enough slice of mature, slightly melancholic rock. Opening track Wildflower is the obvious single of the album. It is a grand sweep of a song; heartfelt lyrics, pulsating bass and lush strings. 2nd track, Dive into the River, it is similarly upbeat and Sweet Love is another beauty, a joyful tune wrapped round a bright acoustic refrain. The mood after that seems to darken, and the rest of the album is quite sombre and reflective in tone. Overall, a few bright spots but Fingerprints is perhaps not the best 4 of Us album to date. PHANTOM FINDS ITS FEET What a joy it is to be able to turn on the radio any time of the day or night and be guaranteed good music. Since Phantom 105.2 began broadcasting loud, clear and legally last Halloween, it has been, as the advertising poster says, safe to turn on your radio again. Phantom’s remit of promoting quality Irish and international music around the clock to a discerning audience means we no longer have to wait till 7pm in the evening to hear the best rock has to offer. We have entered some kind of indie heaven when you can now switch your wireless on in the morning and hear Weezer rather than Westlife. Instead of Robbie Williams and The Corrs in the dreaded afternoon slot, you are more likely to hear Sly + Robbie and The Cardigans. Of course it is very early days yet and the JLMR radio figures are only issued every 3 months, so Phantom 105.2 will have to wait till the New Year to see how its indie-only music policy is going down with the public. Early indication, however, indicates they have already established a firm niche in a crowded marketplace. According to chief executive, Gerard Roe, the anecdotal evidence in terms of texts, phone calls to the station and hits on the website means Phantom has already found favour with listeners and critics alike. The all important revenue stream from advertising is coming through as well, with ad agencies realising the station is offering something different from the other run-of-the- mill radio stations. When the audience figures are revealed in January 2007, Gerard is confident they will reach their initial target: 2% of the radio audience, a figure Phantom hit when they were a pirate operation. Previous attempts at providing an all-rock diet of music on the radio were not very successful. FM 104 started out life as Rock 104 but literally changed its tune within months. Times and tastes have changed since the mid 90s of course, giving Phantom a much healthier environment to broadcast in. For a start, the population of Dublin has mushroomed in recent years. Immigrants and demographic changes mean a whole new audience for radio stations.There is now a much broader base for the type of music Phantom plays. The sheer volume of music available today also means punters are listening to different genres on their iPods and MP3 players. Boundaries have become blurred. Independent music is not seen as the reserve of specialist music programmes in the evening anymore. Another reason to believe Phantom will succeed is the strength of their management and consortium team. The same core group who ran the old Phantom so successfully manages the station today. Financially, Phantom 105.2 is backed by major players in the radio and music business; people in essence who want to see the station succeed on its own terms. Principal Management, who manage U2 are backers. So too is Gaiety Investments, who have an involvement with MCD promotions. Frank Gleeson, who runs Whelans and the Village venues, is also part of the consortium. It is in their interest to see Phantom succeed in terms of their investment and in promoting the Irish music industry in general. Phantom already knows who its core audience is but is keen to establish new borders. Ger Roe reckons the station in the long-term will do even better than expected. “ I think there are a lot of people out there listening to radio at the moment who are happy with what is there, because that’s all there is. As the station establishes itself, we might find more floating listeners coming across to us because Phantom is providing something different. People ask us, what do you play? Well it’s easier to say what we don’t play. We don’t play Justin Timberlake, we don’t play Girls Aloud.” Have you ever heard two better reasons to tune in to a radio station? MUSIC AND MEMORIES OF SOMETHING HAPPENS
The mix was good and through a few record releases they made their mark on the music world, becoming one of the most popular bands in the country and earmarked as one more heir to the throne of U2. When I think back to the post punk days in Dublin, certain landmarks stand out, such as the Ha’penny markets and Freebird Records on Grafton Street. It was 1983 and I was a 14 year old with a Clash badge. Together with a gang of friends, we were looking for something else in the music world. And something did happen. One day, while playing pool on Westmoreland Street, a friend of mine produced a flyer, ‘Something Happens play the Ha’penny Market’ it said. I decided to give it a look. Heading off along the Liffey I wondered what awaited me. There were about 15 people in a bare room with no stage. 20p was the price of admission. The band enjoyed playing, despite the minuscule numbers in attendance and it was this sheer love of performing, which was the hallmark of the Happens music. I tapped my Doc Martins along to a few numbers and loved it when they played the great ‘South Central Rain’ by Georgia’s own R.E.M., a band who were a real source of inspiration for SH. Not long after the gig, I was in Freebird Records when I spotted a single on the wall; it was the Something Happens early release, ‘Burn Clear’. I bought and played it till it nearly wore out. The gig was to back up the release of their first L.P., as they were called then, entitled ‘Been There, Seen That, Done That’. They got a record deal and we all celebrated through a powerful set. At the encore I shouted for ‘South Central Rain’ by R.E.M to be played. The L.P had some great tunes including ‘Kills the Roses’. The Happens reached their height of popularity in the nineties with songs ‘Parachute’ and ‘Petrol’ from the album ‘Stuck Together With God’s Glue’. With sell-out shows in large venues throughout the country, their star never shone brighter. I was a bass player myself and played a gig with a group called ‘The Bogomils’. Some of my friends followed the Happens lead and joined groups of their own. One friend released a tape with a band called ‘The Idiots’ who he drummed for, another sang with a band called ‘The Entire Building’. Something Happens inspired many new acts among us callow youth in the 80s when many things seemed possible. Tom Dunne has now gone on to thrive on a new stage as a national broadcaster and Something Happens still dust down the instruments and plug in the amps for annual shows in Whelan’s of Wexford Street. As long as the boys from Greenhills in Dublin keep the spirit of Something Happens alive, I will be a happy listener. FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS January February March |
Back to the Front
Page
Iain Archer 'Magnetic North'
'Tremors' Humanzi
'Fingerprints' The 4 of Us
Something Happens and the movement they became arrived on the Irish music stage in Ireland in the early eighties. Lead singer, Tom Dunne was a Bonoesque/Michael Stipe figure backed by one of the best guitar players around in Ray Harman, a teddy boy on bass and an R.E.M. type drummer.