Review: The Fall - Ersatz G.B.

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 29th of November 2011 issue

3/5

                It is literally almost an annual event that The Fall release a new studio album, and with their 29^th LP to date, they have yet again found a new sound. For 35 years, The Fall have never remained stagnant in the one sound, always fresh (though that is possibly to do with Mark E. Smith’s constant rotation of the band’s line-up). This album is no different in that respect, but on the other hand, it does not offer the sharpness and intrigue that almost all of their back-catalogue does.

                The album opens with the rather gripping ‘Cosmos 7’ – a racing, Cramps-like track, with hypnotic guitar and bass work and the unusual ramblings of Smith himself. A wonderful opener, Cosmos 7 makes the listener expect quite an interesting album, but when it ends, pessimism does start to grow. For the next few songs, the album frankly becomes incredibly boring. They feel like filler tracks with no real inspiration behind them other than the sake of writing a song. Even Mark E. Smith’s signature spoken style of vocals seem almost like they’re just placed on top, not really fitting into place here. I had just about given up hope for the album during the 4^th track, ‘Mask Search’.

However, by far the most vocally interesting track, ‘Greenway’, came right after. In this, Smith growls over a mock-heavy metal  backing, lyrically reminding us of the MES charm we all know and love as he explains “I had to wank off the cat to feed the fucking dog”. There are plenty of false-endings in it, but it never really seems overdone or too long. The album from then on takes a welcome turn and becomes extremely enjoyable. Number 6 on the track list, ‘Happi Song’, is sweetly sung by his current wife Eleni Poulou and is reminiscent of the better side of the German underground indie-pop scene.

The Fall briefly return to their post-punk origins in the ever so slightly Devo-esque song ‘I’ve Seen Them Come’, showing the strengths of the rhythm section, which is incredibly tight on this album. They even go so far as a shockingly doom metal like sound with Monocard with slow drums and bass line, hypnotic guitars and swirling synths. The album ends strongly with the pulsing punky ‘Age of Chang’*, as Smith seems to rally for revolution. Ersatz G.B. is well worth a listen, though perhaps not quite as memorable as The Fall’s past work.

http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_5/21

 

Review: Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 29th of November 2011 issue

3/5

Before releasing their newest LP, ‘Fallen Empires’, both singer Gary Lightbody and lead guitarist Nathan Connolly of Snow Patrol claimed it would not only be their longest album to date, but also their best. And they were not wrong... Oh wait – yes they were! Fallen Empires is less an album and more a collection of songs. The whole thing is very disjointed and feels like an amalgamation of 2 or 3 half-formed records. Though it has many strong points, overall it has just too many forgettable tracks to be considered their best. It is, however, most definitely their longest, and certainly feels that way when listening right through. It’s not at all an excruciating listen, nor is it incredibly disappointing, just altogether OKAY.

Part of the problem with this album is the overwhelming production for some sadly underwhelming tracks. For example, the single ‘This Isn’t Everything You Are’. The mix and the instrumentation make it huge and anthem-like, but on closer inspection, it really lacks substance or any sort of a hook. It is just not very memorable, but does seem impressive at first and is a pleasant, albeit, throwaway track. Perhaps a better example would be the sweetly nostalgic (though woefully titled) ‘Lifening’. It contains some rather charming lyrics, and though there isn’t anything terribly insightful, that isn’t the point of the song – it is merely a sentimental meandering into his hopes for life. Lifening is a song which feels like it should be tackled in its simplest, most innocent of forms; that is, Lightbody and the acoustic guitar, but there is so much thrown in that the sensitivity of it becomes completely lost and neither the lyrics nor the music are strong enough to justify that.

The first three tracks on this album bring the band into an electronica style, which works incredibly well for them. The opener, ‘I’ll Never Let Go’, is probably the strongest as a song on the album and is reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem and early U2, while ‘Called Out in the Dark’ is a playful, fun pop song, leading into ‘The Weight of Love’ which feels as though parts were layered on top of each other precariously, with very unusual, though interesting, harmonies. The title track itself is wonderfully produced, like a cacophonous wall of sound which later collapses to a choir and Lightbody leading the revolution. ‘The Symphony’ also is electronica based and is a wonderful ending to the album, almost sealing it. However, it doesn’t end there, but goes on into the rather boring ‘The President’ and drags on further with a teaser for their next album.

With regard to style, Fallen Empires jumps around quite a bit, with songs similar to their previous work, electronica and the country twangs of ‘The Garden Rules’. Although it can be interesting, this sometimes makes it easy to drift off during. Overall Fallen Empires can be a tad boring, but worth a listen for Snow Patrol fans. 

http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_5/21

 

A Spotlight on Sligo's Myles Manley

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 29th of November 2011 issue

              On the 13^th of November, I saw Sligo musician Myles Manley take to the stage for the Grand Social’s Saucy Sundays. After tuning up, Manley, without his backing band, performed an acoustic set of 30 minutes, which consisted very bravely of mostly material he has never performed live. Myles is not at the moment signed to any record label, but he grabs this with much optimism, glad of the creative control he has in independently recording and distributing himself. Previously having recorded as a solo artist with just his acoustic guitar, Myles has just finished recording a 7-track CD with his backing band, which is the direction he is looking to pursue in the future. At the moment, Manley is over in New York for some time playing gigs while he’s there, but he is looking to release his recordings in January/February of 2012 when he will be once more playing the Dublin circuit.

                At 7.30, Myles awkwardly stood at the microphone and started to play. As soon as his voice entered the room silence fell and eyes looked to the stage. It was an extremely unique, unusual voice, but mesmerising all the same. This is where Manley’s strong Neil Young influences can be best understood. His guitar work started very open, turning to a muted strum; Myles uses dynamics to the most effective degree in both his voice and guitar playing. The chords themselves are very open and dissonant, creating some discord. As the song finished, Manley awkwardly but graciously accepted the applause and started into the next song. This had more of a folky, very fluid melody in the guitar, with the rhythm pounding out. He sentimentally began “First time I met you, I thought you were a genius”.  The bass in the guitar droned through, the atmosphere in the room was both calm and rigid, not knowing what was the come until we got some relief with the line “Jesus, he met John,  John met George and Paul”.  He then rounded off with a soft adagio.

                In the next piece, Manley offered defiantly the line “I’ll find a way to make you mine again”, which returned through the song again and again. On the “mine”, he gave a wonderfully unsettling harmony with the notes from the guitar. The imperfect harmony became more and more haunting and twisted as the dynamics became more intense through the song and at one point, one man in the club exclaimed “He’s on something that guy!” With the next song, Manley threw out a childishly playful insult to someone – “He’s impotent, that’s why he’s raising his voice”. However, his pop hit masterpiece came at the end of the show, with the very memorable “I Fuck Your Wife”. Manley sang as though taunting, telling of what he does when you leave the house. He even wears your clothes. At the end of this, Myles coyly thanked the audience and stepped down for a pint. He was the most memorable performer of the night and well worth a look.

http://soundcloud.com/mylesmanley
  http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_5/16

[Note: Though the headline calls him Sligo's Myles Manley and he is from Sligo, he is now based in Dublin and that is where he performs most of his shows]

Black Sabbath to reunite with Ozzy Osbourne

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 29th of November 2011 issue

                On the 11^th of November 2011, with much rejoice from the heavy metal world, the band many consider to be the originators of the genre as we know today Black Sabbath announced that they would be reuniting with original lead singer and icon Ozzy Osbourne for a world tour and to record new material for 2012. On the 11/11/11, a video of 3 minutes and 31 seconds in length was posted to the bands official Youtube which was posted on their website and Facebook page detailing the achievements Sabbath received since its birth in 1968, building the suspense leading to the words: “2012. Black Sabbath reunites”.

Speculations and rumours concerning a reunion have been rampant for years. In the past, Osbourne has reunited with his band to headline Ozzfest, the last instance of this being in 2006. Since then, Ozzy has stated that he would like to get back to work with Sabbath, but he did not think it would be possible as they had attempted to record new material in the early 21^st century, but it didn’t work out. In August of this year, a journalist from Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham claimed that guitarist Tommy Iommi told him the band were back in the studio on the 15^th of August “getting the show back on the road”. Two days later, Iommi sent out a statement from his own website stating that this was a complete exaggeration and it was untrue.

On the day of the official announcement, all four members of Black Sabbath held an event at Hollywood’s Whisky-a-Go-Go, hosted by punk icon Henry Rollins of Black Flag. At this, the band gave the news for the first time of their planned tour and album. They also suggested that the new material will be similar to the sound Sabbath began with. This sound is synonymous with slow heavy riffs, fuzzed guitars and plenty of uses of the tritone (or the diabolus in musica, the Devil’s interval) and dissonance. It is the sound that became known as heavy metal and, even further down the line, doom metal, particularly in their 1971 LP Master of Reality with Iommi’s ominous riffs and Ozzy’s melancholic vocals. This album would directly influence doom artists such as Sleep or Electric Wizard in the 90’s.

Some Scandinavian and Russian dates planned for Black Sabbath’s world tour in 2012 have been released on their website. The band will also be headlining Download Festival, held in Donington Park, England, usually sometime in June. More dates are expected to be released. 

http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_5/15

Review: Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 15th of November 2011 issue

4/5


            After Adams’ break from music in 2009 due to hearing and balance issues, the announcement of a new record this year did not come without huge excitement. And on listening to the album, there was not an ounce of disappointment. Ashes & Fire is Adams’ saving grace from the last few records and certainly a break from his attempt at what he called “sci-fi metal”. With this record, it feels like his work has come full circle; Ashes & Fire behaves as though it evolved from his first record - 2000’s Heartbreaker, but this time with a settled, content sensibility about Adams. He finally seems secure and assured. The album pulses with confidence that wasn’t there before, without losing the tenderness and, at times, vulnerability. Ashes & Fire really does appear to carry on where Heartbreaker left off, resolving what Adams left unsettled with his shift to a more pop sound for his second album Gold.

            This album gives exactly what one wants from an alternative country album. The emotion in the songs teeter delicately between the melancholic and  the content. Within each song, the voice carries many subtleties and is the strongest, most consistent it has ever been. Lyrically, the record is more mature than before, though it can have its clichéd moments; Come Home being a good example of this as he proclaims he will “be here for you standing by your side”.

            The production on the record is flawlessly fluid. Adams leads while at the same time still very much remaining part of the band. The instruments and melodies are intertwined: guitars flow together and organs pour out through the mix while Adams holds it all in place. Yet, the atmosphere is, at the same time, serene and isolated, as the reverb creates plenty of empty space between the instruments. Songs like Do I Wait? And Save Me exploit this in particular and are almost hymnal - I could only describe the album as whiskey-gospel music. It is tenderly defiant, especially in the closing track, I Love You But I Don’t Know What To Say, as he calmly states “we belong here”.

            Though most of the albums ambience stays statically sacred from the opening track Dirty Rain, there are some sparks of freshness. There are moments of Guthrie-like folk melodies over contemporary country music like in Lucky Now or Kindness, with its pop chorus, and also Dylanesque wailing such as in the title track. Ashes & Fire is an extremely pleasing record, I found myself listening right the way through again and again. And though it may not be the alt. country album of the year, it is most certainly a return to form for Adams. Definitely worth a listen. 

 http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_4/20

Review: William Shatner - Seeking Major Tom

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 15th of November 2011 issue

1/5

            Going into this review with much excitement, it saddened me greatly to have to give this such a low score as one thing out of five. I have been quite a fan of some of Shatner’s earlier attempts, in particular his 2004 album Has-Been, which contained along with some humorous pieces, intensely tender prose-poetry. Seeking Major Tom was just not very enjoyable, a huge disappointment. Before listening to the album, I went in knowing it would not be another Has-Been, but I was optimistic that I would get a laugh out of it. Instead, I sat through 95 minutes of a tired joke. The intended humour in Shatner’s musical career is made painfully obvious, whereas before it was more subtle in that no one really knew if his wonderful cover of Rocket Man was entirely serious or not. This album feels like he is poking you in the ribs himself intermittently saying “This is funny, isn’t it? Ha-ha, do you get it?”

            The album consists of covers of classic songs that fit in with the concept of the record: space and space travel. Song choices range from Bowie’s Space Oddity to Hawkwind’s Silver Machine to Sabbath’s Iron Man. The gimmick of his infamous version of Rocket Man even shows its face in the form of  the 6^th track on the record. On each song of the album, Shatner is host to a different musical partner, all of which being huge musical icons. Some contributors include Nick Valensi of the Strokes, Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic and Wayne Kramer of the MC5. The album was promoted with a music video for Bohemian Rhapsody, which is probably one of the lowest points on the record. It is perhaps the most contrived moment of a Shatneresque reworking. However, the album has it’s brief moments through the 95 minutes of pain. One of these moments comes in the lighthearted tweeness of The Byrds’ Mr. Spaceman, on which legendary Kinks guitarist Dave Davies plays. Also, the take on Sinatra’s Lost in the Stars seems very natural and works particulary well. It is perhaps the only pleasant track to listen to on the whole record, sharing with Mr. Spaceman the title of being the only enjoyable tracks.

            Over all, this album is a pained joke; it is less a comedy of errors and more just an error in comedy. Avoid at all costs, no laugh shall be gotten from it. 

http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_4/20

Sonic Youth’s Gordan & Moore Split

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth's student paper) for the 15th of November 2011 issue

            After 27 years of marriage and an incredible 30 years together as part of the music industry, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth announced last month that they have separated. The news was revealed on the 14^th of September by means of a press release from the bands label Matador Records. The statement requested the ex-couples personal privacy, stating that they “do not wish to issue further comment”. With full involvement from both Moore and Gordon, the band will be going ahead with its South American tour for November, though it has also been said by Matador that plans beyond this are “uncertain”, leaving us to ask the question, is there a future for Sonic Youth?

            With 17 studio albums, 8 EPs and constant touring in the last 30 years, the “No-Wave” noise rock group have created a huge splash in the music scene, taking punk, post-punk and grunge to never-before-seen territory throughout their career. Beginning their career in 1981 with their self-titled debut record, Sonic Youth have influenced many bands to come after them, including The Afghan Whigs and The White Stripes. Their sound is defined by unusual guitar tunings, piercing feedback and the distinctive back-and-forth vocals of both Gordon and Moore, singing with the anti-melodic style synonymous with their punk influences. Sonic Youth were a massive part of the alternative scene in the 80’s/90’s. So much so that their 1988 album Daydream Nation is so well regarded and considered culturally important that it is one of the few rock albums to be inducted into the USA’s Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

            In a live setting, Gordon and Moore are known for their onstage sexual chemistry and intensity, both between each other and also the audience. The song writing partnership has always been very strong and the couple’s connection seemed concrete within their work and personal lives, though this never overshadowed Lee Ronaldo or Steve Shelley as vital parts of Sonic Youth. In her 2001 book about being part of the band, Kim Gordon wrote that when she met Moore it was “love at first sight”. The two have never been shy of praising each other to the media in interviews. It was always apparent that respect and admiration was a big part of their relationship. Moore, in the past, has described his wife as “the coolest fucking person I’ve ever met”. In 1994, Gordon gave birth to a baby girl, Coco Hayley Gordon Moore, 17 years before the break-up. With all of this in mind, it is incredibly sad news that the couple have parted ways. Not only is it a terrible shame for Gordon and Moore themselves, not forgetting their daughter Coco, but the dwindling questionable future of the band will leave many fans in worried suspense until word of what’s to come is sent ‘cross the breeze.

Thurston Moore will be playing The Button Factory without Sonic Youth to back him on the 27^th of November. The last scheduled gig for Sonic Youth as a band shall be taking place on the 14^th of November – the future for the band from then on is uncertain. 

http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_4/15

Extreme flooding across County Dublin

Written for The Print (NUI Maynooth student paper) for the 15th of November 2011 issue

            On the 24^th of last month, Dublin experienced well over a months worth of rain in that one day. 82mm of rainfall hit the Greater Dublin area alone, bringing the monthly total to a record number for October, with Dublin Airport valuing levels at 169.5mm. Throughout the country, tens of millions of Euro worth of damage was caused by the tremendous outpour on that Monday.

            Businesses and households alike suffered immense damage from flooding. Water damage cost one family from Pearse Street in Dublin‘s city centre €4,500 on flooring alone without even considering the rest of the house. A woman from the same street, at 77 years old, claimed to have never seen flooding that bad despite living in the same house since the 1960’s. Many parts of Dublin city centre experienced extreme flooding, including Inchicore and Dundrum.

            On the day of the deluge, video-sharing website Youtube encountered its own flood in the form of the footage of Dundrum Shopping Centre while a 7-ft wall of collected rain-water burst through the buildings doors and windows and surged through the centre after the river Dodder burst its banks in the Pembroke District. Shop furnishings, stock and the floor and wall coverings were destroyed by the gushing water, costing thousands. One restaurant owner had to face a loss of over €20,000 from lost revenue and ruined stock. Apart from Tesco, which had a generator, and shops in the south area that were largely unaffected, power had been cut throughout Dundrum Shopping Centre by the floods and was restored shop-by-shop by the ESB.

            Full details on costs for the damage are still not known, but insurance prices are expected to soar as claims began to come in from the day after the floods occurred. This will effect not only those living on flood plains, but in fact all policy holders. However, without question the biggest tragedy to Ireland due to the floods came as the bodies of 25 year old Garda, Ciarán Jones, and 35 year old hospice worker, Celia de Jesus, were found. Jones had been swept into the Liffey on Monday evening, his body found the next morning. Celia drowned in her flooded basement home in Harold’s Cross, Dublin. 

http://issuu.com/MSUVPSEC/docs/the_print_volume_3_issue_4/3