The Last Tycoons/ The River Valley Band/
Hitman Lord
Whelan’s
05/05/10
Angela Macari O’Looney
On my way home from an earlier gig, I ventured into a free gig in Whelan’s where a sizeable crowd was building up. With three very different acts performing, it was a great night and I’m glad I had a chance to acquaint myself with each. The headlining band was a charming ensemble, with a distinctive and extremely upbeat sound. The Last Tycoons are a hybrid of genres and definitely unlike the usual style of band doing the rounds.
Consisting of vintage sounding guitars, Pogues meets Rolling Stones lead vocals, soulful backing vocals and the liberal use of harmonica; they can pull you into their world and seduce you with their songs.
Also participating this night was a unique act; Hitman Lord, who is a young singer/songwriter with an interesting slant to his style. His music is described as Indie/Pop, but has a dash of soul and a splash of Rocktonica to add to his intoxicating sound. His influences include Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, X.T.C. and he claims that ‘Once you push with technology to find new sonic territory, there must be the beating heart of a blood and guts song, for music to have genuine gravity’. I like this sentiment!
Hitman Lord recently released his debut Self titled album with the help of producers Steo and Keith Farrell, who have been involved with names such as Pugwash, Neil Hannon, Boss Volenti and Mundy.
He performed Wanna healing music which has an explosive intro and a choppy beat. Chorus is catchy and with a memorable riff repeated throughout and a nice slowdown for the middle eight, this is a cool number. More N Dearly, Future, Shining and Who were other numbers in his set.
S.A.R. is his debut single and has exciting lead guitar in it. His vocals are pretty special in this. Chorus has a sense of mystery in the sexy notation. Guitar riffs and hooks are divine and create a pulsating rhythm.
Upside World is a slow number with a trickling riff intro, which is used throughout. There’s an oriental quality to this beautiful riff. Soothing, sweet and featuring this young mans unbelievable vocal range, this song is particularly outstanding.
I drank as
This has a three four tempo and a lovely chorus. It’s a number with a dramatic feel to it and fab guitar. Unusual and really catchy too!
The River Valley Band
With a full sound which includes Guitars, Bass, Electric Piano and loaded with excellent harmony, this fun quartet took a great evening to yet another level!
Hailing from Kilkenny, they are a mix of Blues/Folk and Classic Rock. With influences such as Bob Dylan, they style their music on Southern American Folk. Formed in ’07, they have become quite a success story.
Charlz was the opening number. Rhythmic, with cool harmony in the chorus, it’s a delightful song. I love the piano here and the jazzy wind down at the end.
Life I adore has a slinky beat and involves a great guitar solo. Harmony was excellent here also. Sliding notes on guitar and flourishes here and there on keys give it interest. They do a mock slow finish, but soon things explode into a lively, bashing last chorus. The building audience loved this!
They went on to do a long, but really enjoyable set. Freight train starts with bluesy piano, building up to a choppy but fast beat. The melody is catchy and simple, but with the close harmony throughout, it’s a top class number, with lots of show stopping piano riffs, drum rolls aplenty and a brilliant guitar solo just before the finish.
Hamburger Hill is one I particularly enjoyed, involving harmonica and fab guitars.
The Kid This had a very Bruce Springsteen style to it, with harmony in the chorus absolutely great, piano glissandos to beat the band and just about everything a fantastic number should have.
I love the bit at the end, where they add this gorgeous finale with a crescendo of sound coming from every instrument. They belt this out as if their very lives depended on it and you get a big rush of adrenaline and just have to stomp your feet.
The Last Tycoons
Steve Fanning-Vocals/Guitar, Dan Fitzpatrick-Guitar/Vocals/ Banjo, Aoife Ruth-Organ/Piano/Fiddle/Vocals, Matt Roddy- Bass/ Fiddle/ Vocals and The Hog- Drums/Percussion are the crazy, but very entertaining band who were the stars of the show this night.
They started with a lovely harmonic sung intro. Instruments were subdued, with no drums and then as a slow rhythm developed Aoife and Matt did some lovely backing vocals. His height and general stage presence give Steve great command over the audience.
They then burst into a totally explosive rock’n’roll style number called Speed. Guitar uses slider and fab lead takes the mood right up, with a sweet riff repeated throughout. Love the guitar!
Seven Days
A gutsy guitar riff in this number is the key feature. It has a catchy beat and a memorable melody line. Lyrics too are witty, with the backing vocals in the chorus fab.
Dry Law
Steve’s vocals are so like Shane McGowan in this number. Trickling guitar is sweet. He is passionate telling the sad story of prohibition of alcohol and the melody reflects the sorrow and the lyrics are poignant;Everybody’s jumping on the wagon, everybody’s gonna pay a fine/ everybody’s giving up their vices to the Lord, well I’m not giving up mine.
The closely sung harmony in the chorus is choral and lifts things brilliantly. Harmonica adds to the atmosphere too. Guitar, keys all totally beautiful here!
Casa Nova has a slinky, bluesy tempo.
Banjo and harmonica express the sentiment of this moody piece. Steve’s vocals are deep and downbeat. Lots of ‘oohs’ in the chorus and minor chords continue the low feeling!
One of my favourite songs of the evening was Sunrise which is fast moving, with a great chorus and some manic choppy guitar chords in it and riveting riffs. Banjo, harmony and harmonica filter in, adding to its charm.
Another song which is from their recently released album was performed. Who needs Radio (parts 2 and 3) is a blues style song, with a soulful refrain in the chorus behind Steve’s bassy vocals. All instruments very impressive for this song where Aoife sings the middle eight and joins Steve for the chorus.
A few covers and some more excellent originals kept the show going and all were performed with polish, charisma and style. There’s something irresistible about the combination of instrumentals, deep lead vocals and that extra ability to place harmony so well in each song.
This was a gig I had certainly not planned to be at. Yet I discovered a powerful sound in The Last Tycoons and the other guests who performed in Whelan’s this night. I wouldn’t consider myself a devotee of R&B or Folk/Rock, but I will be watching for an opportunity to catch all the participating acts again.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Charity gig at Crawdaddy
Stewart Kenny
A-Z Children’s charity gig
Crawdaddy
05/05/’10
Having thoroughly enjoyed his debut album I’ve fallen so far, I consider myself a big fan of Stewart Kenny. In a gig scene that’s overflowing with aspiring musicians and singer/songwriters, it’s not often one stands out from the rest. In my book, this guy who has been involved with composing, producing and performing since his teens is one in a million!
So I was delighted when he invited me to this gig in aid of Ugandan Orphans, where other top acts were participating. On arrival, I met my host and also the organizer Conor Ebbs and received a very warm welcome. I was amused by the bowls of kiddies party favours on the bar tops and tables about the venue. The atmosphere was cheerful and a good crowd gradually arrived.
Opening up the show, Stewart and his guitarist Barry Brennan began with a gorgeous number I haven’t heard before called Feet made of Clay. This has a three four rhythm and beautiful chords, building up to a dynamic chorus. I’m swept away by Stewart’s vocals as he goes right up to a higher octave. The melody line is soothing and memorable.
All Boats will Rise is from his debut album and has a staccato beat. A really sweet number, this has a magical melody line and a sense of drama and urgency in the lyrics. Chorus simply delicious!
The fear of the Night
A moody song, this has inspiring chord combinations, interesting chops and changes throughout and highlights Stewarts vocal range to great advantage. Lyrics are poignant and are performed with emotion ;Welcome to my world of doubts and fears.
Prom Queen
Stewart dedicated this one to his favourite reviewer. Ah!
I totally adore this song and think it is the nicest from his debut album. It has a feel good melody line, a bouncy beat and a chorus that draws you to sing along. It got a great response from the audience too and I’m not surprised. I had to sing along with this one myself, it is so irresistible. Love the key change for the last chorus.
All Day Through
With lots of minor chords, this love song has a melancholic feel to it. Guitar is delectable throughout, lyrics wonderfully descriptive and the melody line very pretty.
Stewart’s set involved one brilliant cover and in my opinion it was a fab hat trick.The Whole of the Moon, which is a popular Waterboys number was a great choice. With just acoustic chords, he could still create a big sound and did this vibrant song justice.
Blood on the Wall
This is a song about a fight for freedom and it involves tragic lyrics, which paint scenes of war and destruction; The blood on the wall’s still wet. However, it is beautiful and performed with such passion by Stewart. The last verse is done with an anthemic beat, then picks up to a faster pace for the final chorus.
For the next number, Stewart invited a guy called Edward up to the stage, to join the other guitarist. This lifted the atmosphere and was needed for the remainder of this really brilliant set.
Santa Monica
A sense of movement here in the rhythm makes me imagine driving along an American highway. Guitars roll, Stewart going right up for the last chorus. This song is very exciting and quite a contrast to the earlier numbers.
Stewart’s last number was Saint Ricardo, which is an upbeat piece with a choppy chorus. The audience clap along with him and things are in full swing for a great evening.
Other acts taking part in this gig were Goatboy, a folk rock/ experimental act, No Sozopol, who are releasing their debut album and Conor Ebbs, who is a singer/songwriter.
Goatboy
Goatboy is the moniker of Dublin singer/songwriter Mark O’Sullivan, who recently released his album Moon after Yule. He made his debut live performance playing support to KT Tunstall, which is quite an achievement. Mark performed four songs; Untitled, I got you, Girl in a Dream and Winter tears.
With all being memorable laid back songs, sweet guitar riffs and chords feature in each. Girl in a dream is a pretty special love song with romantic lyrics.
Winter Tears is my favourite from his set. It involves a haunting refrain for the chorus and Mark’s vocals would remind me of Phil Collins. He has something special and I look forward to checking out his album.
Conor Ebbs
This young man from Knocklyon, Dublin has just completed his four track E.P. which features Joe Kenny- Production/ Guitars/ Keys. Conor’s influences include stars such as Roy Orbison, Paul Simon and Jeff Buckley to name but a few.
Conor performed The Garden Path, How Sweet, Where we need to be, Alliance, Hungry for Love and Arise.
He has quite an interesting vocal range and can sing jazzy or just easy going pop songs and his repertoire is unique too. Of the set, my favourite would be as follows:
Arise
Slow, with a catchy melody-line, a splash of harmony in the chorus and soulful lyrics, this is a gorgeous number.
How Sweet
Three four tempo, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and Conor’s velvety vocals all go into this. It has a short, but extremely sweet guitar solo in it and lots of riffs to delight the senses. Backing vocals are perfect. Middle eight is sung and demonstrates his vocal range.
Where we need to be
Harmonica and trickling guitar in the intro, this is a sad love song. Keys and guitars here are delectable, as is the melody and harmony filters in here and there. Lovely!
No Sozopol are a Dublin band, whose members include former members of The Corsairs. They performed an entertaining set.
They are currently working and album, due for release in the near future.
How encouraging at a time of recession, that these young people are willing to donate their time for charity. Well done to one and all!
A-Z Children’s charity gig
Crawdaddy
05/05/’10
Having thoroughly enjoyed his debut album I’ve fallen so far, I consider myself a big fan of Stewart Kenny. In a gig scene that’s overflowing with aspiring musicians and singer/songwriters, it’s not often one stands out from the rest. In my book, this guy who has been involved with composing, producing and performing since his teens is one in a million!
So I was delighted when he invited me to this gig in aid of Ugandan Orphans, where other top acts were participating. On arrival, I met my host and also the organizer Conor Ebbs and received a very warm welcome. I was amused by the bowls of kiddies party favours on the bar tops and tables about the venue. The atmosphere was cheerful and a good crowd gradually arrived.
Opening up the show, Stewart and his guitarist Barry Brennan began with a gorgeous number I haven’t heard before called Feet made of Clay. This has a three four rhythm and beautiful chords, building up to a dynamic chorus. I’m swept away by Stewart’s vocals as he goes right up to a higher octave. The melody line is soothing and memorable.
All Boats will Rise is from his debut album and has a staccato beat. A really sweet number, this has a magical melody line and a sense of drama and urgency in the lyrics. Chorus simply delicious!
The fear of the Night
A moody song, this has inspiring chord combinations, interesting chops and changes throughout and highlights Stewarts vocal range to great advantage. Lyrics are poignant and are performed with emotion ;Welcome to my world of doubts and fears.
Prom Queen
Stewart dedicated this one to his favourite reviewer. Ah!
I totally adore this song and think it is the nicest from his debut album. It has a feel good melody line, a bouncy beat and a chorus that draws you to sing along. It got a great response from the audience too and I’m not surprised. I had to sing along with this one myself, it is so irresistible. Love the key change for the last chorus.
All Day Through
With lots of minor chords, this love song has a melancholic feel to it. Guitar is delectable throughout, lyrics wonderfully descriptive and the melody line very pretty.
Stewart’s set involved one brilliant cover and in my opinion it was a fab hat trick.The Whole of the Moon, which is a popular Waterboys number was a great choice. With just acoustic chords, he could still create a big sound and did this vibrant song justice.
Blood on the Wall
This is a song about a fight for freedom and it involves tragic lyrics, which paint scenes of war and destruction; The blood on the wall’s still wet. However, it is beautiful and performed with such passion by Stewart. The last verse is done with an anthemic beat, then picks up to a faster pace for the final chorus.
For the next number, Stewart invited a guy called Edward up to the stage, to join the other guitarist. This lifted the atmosphere and was needed for the remainder of this really brilliant set.
Santa Monica
A sense of movement here in the rhythm makes me imagine driving along an American highway. Guitars roll, Stewart going right up for the last chorus. This song is very exciting and quite a contrast to the earlier numbers.
Stewart’s last number was Saint Ricardo, which is an upbeat piece with a choppy chorus. The audience clap along with him and things are in full swing for a great evening.
Other acts taking part in this gig were Goatboy, a folk rock/ experimental act, No Sozopol, who are releasing their debut album and Conor Ebbs, who is a singer/songwriter.
Goatboy
Goatboy is the moniker of Dublin singer/songwriter Mark O’Sullivan, who recently released his album Moon after Yule. He made his debut live performance playing support to KT Tunstall, which is quite an achievement. Mark performed four songs; Untitled, I got you, Girl in a Dream and Winter tears.
With all being memorable laid back songs, sweet guitar riffs and chords feature in each. Girl in a dream is a pretty special love song with romantic lyrics.
Winter Tears is my favourite from his set. It involves a haunting refrain for the chorus and Mark’s vocals would remind me of Phil Collins. He has something special and I look forward to checking out his album.
Conor Ebbs
This young man from Knocklyon, Dublin has just completed his four track E.P. which features Joe Kenny- Production/ Guitars/ Keys. Conor’s influences include stars such as Roy Orbison, Paul Simon and Jeff Buckley to name but a few.
Conor performed The Garden Path, How Sweet, Where we need to be, Alliance, Hungry for Love and Arise.
He has quite an interesting vocal range and can sing jazzy or just easy going pop songs and his repertoire is unique too. Of the set, my favourite would be as follows:
Arise
Slow, with a catchy melody-line, a splash of harmony in the chorus and soulful lyrics, this is a gorgeous number.
How Sweet
Three four tempo, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and Conor’s velvety vocals all go into this. It has a short, but extremely sweet guitar solo in it and lots of riffs to delight the senses. Backing vocals are perfect. Middle eight is sung and demonstrates his vocal range.
Where we need to be
Harmonica and trickling guitar in the intro, this is a sad love song. Keys and guitars here are delectable, as is the melody and harmony filters in here and there. Lovely!
No Sozopol are a Dublin band, whose members include former members of The Corsairs. They performed an entertaining set.
They are currently working and album, due for release in the near future.
How encouraging at a time of recession, that these young people are willing to donate their time for charity. Well done to one and all!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Lisa Shane
Lisa Shane
demo
Angela Macari O’Looney
On my first encounter with Lisa Shane’s vocals I immediately think Cindy Lauper, T’pau, Madonna. She has seductiveness about her style and guitars in each song are excellent.
Harmony adds to each number too and is sung by Lizzie Lee. Guitarist is Scott and lends to the atmosphere of every song.
Lisa’s music is described as Rock/Acoustic/Electronica. There’s a good deal of variety in her compositions, but I have my preferences as I listen closely to each performance. She’s sensuality and femininity; with a bit of kick ass rock thrown in and with time and a bit of polish, could bring something exciting into the Irish female rock singer scene.
It’s All Good
In this number and in particular the intro, guitar is appealing. The verse is seductive, with Lisa’s vocals sweet but becoming more dynamic for the chorus, which involves an explosion of distortion laden guitars.
While I like this song, I’m not a fan of her vocal style for the chorus here. The video is powerful and so is the song, so I feel it should involve less coy kitten and more oomph!
However, I find it’s got a great beat, a catchy melody line and would go down well at a live gig. Baseline is vibrant and guitars just become more and more sensational throughout.
Boxing Gloves
A slow soulful piece, this has a lovely chorus and excellent harmony. I like the lyrics of this love song.
Crazy is another sweet number, performed with just an acoustic guitar and a touch of harmony here and there. Lisa is made for this kind of number, as she pours out each line.
Undone
Rhythmic, with a really catchy chorus, this has a tricky key change that lifts it right up for the last chorus. Definitely my favourite of Lisa’s songs, the guitar riff is delightful and memorable.
Imitation Mother
This fast moving number has an exotic style and dramatic notation. It’s another example of Lisa’s versatility, with her voice deep and mysterious. I love the melody here, plus the stark stop at the end of the last chorus.
Wild Outdoors
The lyrics are metaphorical in this song, but beautiful and a little sad. The melody is pretty and trickling guitar excellent. In songs such as this, Lisa’s vocals are top quality, clear and emotional.
Lyrics are poignant, chorus simply lovely!
The door slams hard, the paintings fall, more cracks appear on inner walls.
Lisa’s influences include Sheryl Crow, Janis Joplin, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and P.J. Harvey. Her new album You Are Here is due for release soon and promises to include a good mix of both rock, electronic and acoustic songs.
Named in the Daily Mail as ‘One to watch out for’, her star is slowly but surely rising. Not surprising with her feisty style, confident personality and oozing creative talent.
demo
Angela Macari O’Looney
On my first encounter with Lisa Shane’s vocals I immediately think Cindy Lauper, T’pau, Madonna. She has seductiveness about her style and guitars in each song are excellent.
Harmony adds to each number too and is sung by Lizzie Lee. Guitarist is Scott and lends to the atmosphere of every song.
Lisa’s music is described as Rock/Acoustic/Electronica. There’s a good deal of variety in her compositions, but I have my preferences as I listen closely to each performance. She’s sensuality and femininity; with a bit of kick ass rock thrown in and with time and a bit of polish, could bring something exciting into the Irish female rock singer scene.
It’s All Good
In this number and in particular the intro, guitar is appealing. The verse is seductive, with Lisa’s vocals sweet but becoming more dynamic for the chorus, which involves an explosion of distortion laden guitars.
While I like this song, I’m not a fan of her vocal style for the chorus here. The video is powerful and so is the song, so I feel it should involve less coy kitten and more oomph!
However, I find it’s got a great beat, a catchy melody line and would go down well at a live gig. Baseline is vibrant and guitars just become more and more sensational throughout.
Boxing Gloves
A slow soulful piece, this has a lovely chorus and excellent harmony. I like the lyrics of this love song.
Crazy is another sweet number, performed with just an acoustic guitar and a touch of harmony here and there. Lisa is made for this kind of number, as she pours out each line.
Undone
Rhythmic, with a really catchy chorus, this has a tricky key change that lifts it right up for the last chorus. Definitely my favourite of Lisa’s songs, the guitar riff is delightful and memorable.
Imitation Mother
This fast moving number has an exotic style and dramatic notation. It’s another example of Lisa’s versatility, with her voice deep and mysterious. I love the melody here, plus the stark stop at the end of the last chorus.
Wild Outdoors
The lyrics are metaphorical in this song, but beautiful and a little sad. The melody is pretty and trickling guitar excellent. In songs such as this, Lisa’s vocals are top quality, clear and emotional.
Lyrics are poignant, chorus simply lovely!
The door slams hard, the paintings fall, more cracks appear on inner walls.
Lisa’s influences include Sheryl Crow, Janis Joplin, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell and P.J. Harvey. Her new album You Are Here is due for release soon and promises to include a good mix of both rock, electronic and acoustic songs.
Named in the Daily Mail as ‘One to watch out for’, her star is slowly but surely rising. Not surprising with her feisty style, confident personality and oozing creative talent.
Battle of the bands at the Button Factory
D.I.T. Battle of the Bands final 2010
The Button Factory
29/04/10
Angela Macari O’Looney
It’s unbelievable how fast time goes and at one of Dublin’s top venues, it was time to battle it out again. J-Walkers, Rusty, Bo Jangled and Agro- Culture were selected from the many acts competing to get this far. So I knew that I and my guest were in for a treat!
J.Walkers
After a fabulous introduction from the MC, this cheerful foursome from Kildare took to the stage. Fronted by Steven Cassells; a guy with a winning smile, a brilliant voice and a way with rhythm guitar, they began their set with Time.
This starts off in a slow anthemic style. Vocals are excellent, especially harmonies and with lead guitar filtering in, dynamic builds up. A great choice for opening up their set, this powerful number got a great response from the audience. Being the first band on in a competition is never easy. Yet, these weren’t doing too badly and the new bassist blends in well.
With a trickling guitar intro and a delicious baseline, their second number was Tonight. This acoustic song is sweet, with a gorgeous melody. Harmony performed by the bass player Jonas Zaidys, makes a huge difference to the overall sound. They have a knack of composing brilliant choruses and this really beautiful song is no exception. An in sync middle eight done by guitars, a catchy refrain of ‘No, no, no’ behind the verse and an interesting increase in pace, all define this as one memorable number.
Wasting all your time is a reggae song. This involves some amazing guitar riffs and a short, but classy solo by Steve O’Connor on lead. Harmony sung by both he and the bassist create a full sound. Providing the essential backdrop to J.Walkers set was drummer extraordinaire Clifford Deane.
Steven introduced the bassist, who is from El Salvador. I think he fits in excellently with the band and makes an enormous difference. For their next song Waiting there, he does slap style bass that gives a funky feel to things. Lead does a scorching solo and harmony sprinkled in here and there adds to the sound.
I hoped they’d do my favourite J.Walkers song So damn easy and was thrilled to bits on hearing the intro. Jam packed with spark, a lively lead solo, flanger and distortion, this superb reggae number was going down well with the punters and the guys themselves were enjoying it. A big drum roll took this exciting set to a close.
Rusty
Beginning their set with Something about you; a choppy song which builds up to a faster pace, this Rock/Alternative band were entertaining from the get go!
With a Jimi Hendrix standard guitarist, who does amazing outbursts of lead throughout, this was quite a showstopper.
Liam Keegan-Vocals/Guitars, Nick Pickett- Vocals/Guitars, Keith Hayden- Vocals/Bass and Robbie McGonigle- Drums/Mixing hail from Skerries and have recently released their debut album Rusty.
Their second song started off bouncy, becoming faster for the chorus. No More is vibrant, with a catchy chorus. Lead vocals are good, with just a splash of harmony. Lots of distortion is used for guitars.
She wins begins soulful and slow. Nick swaps places with Liam to sing this one. Again guitars are the highlight of this act; with some great riffs and I like the way it seems to burst into life for the chorus.
The lead solo is particularly memorable. This has a fab rock vibe to it.
Television – Bassist does a lot in the intro here. I love the rhythmic, funk/Rock style beat. A cool riff done in sync, with ascending notation catches my attention and harmony lends to the scene here too. Guitars are superior throughout this memorable number.
Lost without your friends was the last of this set. Liam’s vocals suit this number well. Backing vocals are good and guitars too, but I find it a little bit long drawn out.
BoJangled
Just like the previous acts, BoJangled gave us an exceptional performance. With their Indie/ R&B/Ska style, they did a delightful set which I thoroughly enjoyed.
BoJangled are Steven Clifford-Rhythm Guitar/Vocals, Brian Sinnot-Lead Guitar/Vocals, Rob Gaffney-Bass and James Clifford-Drums. Formed in 2008, they have a unique sound involving a mish-mash of genres that is upbeat and very entertaining.
They performed Happy Families which has a catchy chorus, with lovely harmony and vocals that are very polished. I liked the part where the music stopped and they sang out the words ‘Shock wave’. The guitar riffs and hooks are delicious too!
I found that this band seemed really relaxed up there and I totally loved That Friday Feeling, with its witty lyrics, choppy beat and fantastic lead guitar solo. Steven’s lead vocals are top class. With such amazing singers in every act, I felt rather sorry for the judges of this competition.
Jenny is a Raver has great lyrics and lovely harmony in the middle eight, which is performed by the entire band. Riffs are excellent, as are guitars throughout. Flanger is used in spates.
Taking influences from names such as Madness, Arctic Monkeys, Velvet Underground and Oasis among many others, they are very promising indeed!
Aggro Culture
Grunge with a capital G springs to mind immediately, as this crazy bunch from Dublin take to the stage. The lead singer Leigh O’Reilly is top notch and loaded with charisma. Distortion packed heavy rock chords blast out from guitars c/o Leigh on Rhythm, Dafydd James on lead, with loads of bass c/o Spud Murphy featuring throughout the whole set. Perfect, if you like this sort of thing and judging from the reaction from the audience, one of the popular contestants.
The singer does this possessed- by- the- devil style vocal that I dislike. But he oozes showmanship and there’s no denying the standard of musicianship in the instrumentals.
They began their set with Mutant, where you can barely hear the music for the distortion. Gruesome, adrenaline charged stuff!
If they wanted to be a bit different, they definitely succeeded.
For What is hunger the singer sat at a keyboard and sang with his natural voice. You get quite a surprise here, because he has a great voice and in this number, which is the best of their set by far, he shines.
Although this set was outstanding, it became more of a floorshow, with exhibitionists throwing caution to the wind and taking off their shirts to head bang. The singer shook a huge plastic bottle of mineral water over those nearest the stage. It was mayhem and a tad O.T.T. in my book!
It wasn’t a long wait before the judges announced the winners of the contest. People from IMRO and EMI were among them and must have had a struggle picking out a best. But in the end the prize went to Aggro Culture. I’ve learnt that it’s like the Grand National at these events and with the standard of talent in the young bands involved, you never know!
I was a bit sad that all the bands couldn’t win and was rooting for J.Walkers, but totally loved each act and wish them lots of luck in the future.
The Button Factory
29/04/10
Angela Macari O’Looney
It’s unbelievable how fast time goes and at one of Dublin’s top venues, it was time to battle it out again. J-Walkers, Rusty, Bo Jangled and Agro- Culture were selected from the many acts competing to get this far. So I knew that I and my guest were in for a treat!
J.Walkers
After a fabulous introduction from the MC, this cheerful foursome from Kildare took to the stage. Fronted by Steven Cassells; a guy with a winning smile, a brilliant voice and a way with rhythm guitar, they began their set with Time.
This starts off in a slow anthemic style. Vocals are excellent, especially harmonies and with lead guitar filtering in, dynamic builds up. A great choice for opening up their set, this powerful number got a great response from the audience. Being the first band on in a competition is never easy. Yet, these weren’t doing too badly and the new bassist blends in well.
With a trickling guitar intro and a delicious baseline, their second number was Tonight. This acoustic song is sweet, with a gorgeous melody. Harmony performed by the bass player Jonas Zaidys, makes a huge difference to the overall sound. They have a knack of composing brilliant choruses and this really beautiful song is no exception. An in sync middle eight done by guitars, a catchy refrain of ‘No, no, no’ behind the verse and an interesting increase in pace, all define this as one memorable number.
Wasting all your time is a reggae song. This involves some amazing guitar riffs and a short, but classy solo by Steve O’Connor on lead. Harmony sung by both he and the bassist create a full sound. Providing the essential backdrop to J.Walkers set was drummer extraordinaire Clifford Deane.
Steven introduced the bassist, who is from El Salvador. I think he fits in excellently with the band and makes an enormous difference. For their next song Waiting there, he does slap style bass that gives a funky feel to things. Lead does a scorching solo and harmony sprinkled in here and there adds to the sound.
I hoped they’d do my favourite J.Walkers song So damn easy and was thrilled to bits on hearing the intro. Jam packed with spark, a lively lead solo, flanger and distortion, this superb reggae number was going down well with the punters and the guys themselves were enjoying it. A big drum roll took this exciting set to a close.
Rusty
Beginning their set with Something about you; a choppy song which builds up to a faster pace, this Rock/Alternative band were entertaining from the get go!
With a Jimi Hendrix standard guitarist, who does amazing outbursts of lead throughout, this was quite a showstopper.
Liam Keegan-Vocals/Guitars, Nick Pickett- Vocals/Guitars, Keith Hayden- Vocals/Bass and Robbie McGonigle- Drums/Mixing hail from Skerries and have recently released their debut album Rusty.
Their second song started off bouncy, becoming faster for the chorus. No More is vibrant, with a catchy chorus. Lead vocals are good, with just a splash of harmony. Lots of distortion is used for guitars.
She wins begins soulful and slow. Nick swaps places with Liam to sing this one. Again guitars are the highlight of this act; with some great riffs and I like the way it seems to burst into life for the chorus.
The lead solo is particularly memorable. This has a fab rock vibe to it.
Television – Bassist does a lot in the intro here. I love the rhythmic, funk/Rock style beat. A cool riff done in sync, with ascending notation catches my attention and harmony lends to the scene here too. Guitars are superior throughout this memorable number.
Lost without your friends was the last of this set. Liam’s vocals suit this number well. Backing vocals are good and guitars too, but I find it a little bit long drawn out.
BoJangled
Just like the previous acts, BoJangled gave us an exceptional performance. With their Indie/ R&B/Ska style, they did a delightful set which I thoroughly enjoyed.
BoJangled are Steven Clifford-Rhythm Guitar/Vocals, Brian Sinnot-Lead Guitar/Vocals, Rob Gaffney-Bass and James Clifford-Drums. Formed in 2008, they have a unique sound involving a mish-mash of genres that is upbeat and very entertaining.
They performed Happy Families which has a catchy chorus, with lovely harmony and vocals that are very polished. I liked the part where the music stopped and they sang out the words ‘Shock wave’. The guitar riffs and hooks are delicious too!
I found that this band seemed really relaxed up there and I totally loved That Friday Feeling, with its witty lyrics, choppy beat and fantastic lead guitar solo. Steven’s lead vocals are top class. With such amazing singers in every act, I felt rather sorry for the judges of this competition.
Jenny is a Raver has great lyrics and lovely harmony in the middle eight, which is performed by the entire band. Riffs are excellent, as are guitars throughout. Flanger is used in spates.
Taking influences from names such as Madness, Arctic Monkeys, Velvet Underground and Oasis among many others, they are very promising indeed!
Aggro Culture
Grunge with a capital G springs to mind immediately, as this crazy bunch from Dublin take to the stage. The lead singer Leigh O’Reilly is top notch and loaded with charisma. Distortion packed heavy rock chords blast out from guitars c/o Leigh on Rhythm, Dafydd James on lead, with loads of bass c/o Spud Murphy featuring throughout the whole set. Perfect, if you like this sort of thing and judging from the reaction from the audience, one of the popular contestants.
The singer does this possessed- by- the- devil style vocal that I dislike. But he oozes showmanship and there’s no denying the standard of musicianship in the instrumentals.
They began their set with Mutant, where you can barely hear the music for the distortion. Gruesome, adrenaline charged stuff!
If they wanted to be a bit different, they definitely succeeded.
For What is hunger the singer sat at a keyboard and sang with his natural voice. You get quite a surprise here, because he has a great voice and in this number, which is the best of their set by far, he shines.
Although this set was outstanding, it became more of a floorshow, with exhibitionists throwing caution to the wind and taking off their shirts to head bang. The singer shook a huge plastic bottle of mineral water over those nearest the stage. It was mayhem and a tad O.T.T. in my book!
It wasn’t a long wait before the judges announced the winners of the contest. People from IMRO and EMI were among them and must have had a struggle picking out a best. But in the end the prize went to Aggro Culture. I’ve learnt that it’s like the Grand National at these events and with the standard of talent in the young bands involved, you never know!
I was a bit sad that all the bands couldn’t win and was rooting for J.Walkers, but totally loved each act and wish them lots of luck in the future.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
New band 'Indigo Flow'
Indigo Flow
Demo
Funkalicious guitars, jazzy vocals and the feel good factor throughout each song are the focal points of this fresh young band from Clane, County Kildare.
Dan Boland- Guitar, Ross Nevin-Vocals, Aine Nevin-Bass, Paul Connor Gordon- Guitar and Tiarnan McCarville- Drums are the members that make up this interesting outfit. The minute I hear them, I feel the urge to boogie!
A flanger packed intro in What the Funk?! is followed by a cool funky beat, bass and guitar taking you to the verse with an in synch riff. Vocals are adequate but just a tad pale. I’d like to hear the chorus of this catchy number belted out with more conviction. Perhaps a touch of backing vocals would help too. However it’s the first original song they recorded and considering this, it’s pretty impressive!
Everyone’s a critic – Vocals are seductive at the beginning of this lovely song. Guitar chords are jazzy and sweet. Then out of the blue, things explode into a fast moving, delectable chorus, with drum rolls, bashing cymbals and a charming melody line. The guitar solo in this is top quality and for me would be a key feature. I really enjoy this number, because it is so different and that element of surprise is cool. The vocalist’s performance here is excellent and I feel he has a natural ability to sing jazz.
Intermission features a totally awe inspiring guitar solo and in general the instrumental side is outstanding. Beginning with a trickling intro and a soothing baseline, this number is moody, becoming dramatic. Ross performs this one with more conviction as he pours out the lyrics.
A simple acoustic intro takes you into a very special cover of the late Michael Jackson’s Black or White. Ross has quite a light voice and although it’s difficult to recreate such a wonderful song, which would have been a huge production number for the King of Pop, it’s a salute to him which is well performed and will always succeed in getting a positive response from Jackson connoisseurs, or anyone who enjoys singing along to a cheerful cover.
Hump de Bump
Opening with big discords, this number picks up to a funk beat and involves amazing guitar riffs, Jamiroquai style vocals, a superb baseline framing everything and here, Ross’s vocal ability comes to the fore. He adds character to the lyrics, as he shines in the chorus which is upbeat and fun!
Is that a splash of another Michael Jackson number I hear in there? The instantly recocngnisable riff from ‘You wanna be startin’ something?’ fits in just perfectly.
Formed in September 2009, this young band have great promise and can create music with attitude. Currently recording their debut album Go with the Flow, they blend well and with such talented musicians, will go far. Ross is a singer who so obviously enjoys experimenting with classic pop, mixed with a more up to the minute genre and also possesses a penchant for the jazzier side of things. This gives him an edge!
Are they Rock, Funk, Pop or Jazz?
They are a delicious concoction of all of those genres and inspire a party atmosphere and create dance music that just oozes personality!
Angela Macari O’Looney.
Demo
Funkalicious guitars, jazzy vocals and the feel good factor throughout each song are the focal points of this fresh young band from Clane, County Kildare.
Dan Boland- Guitar, Ross Nevin-Vocals, Aine Nevin-Bass, Paul Connor Gordon- Guitar and Tiarnan McCarville- Drums are the members that make up this interesting outfit. The minute I hear them, I feel the urge to boogie!
A flanger packed intro in What the Funk?! is followed by a cool funky beat, bass and guitar taking you to the verse with an in synch riff. Vocals are adequate but just a tad pale. I’d like to hear the chorus of this catchy number belted out with more conviction. Perhaps a touch of backing vocals would help too. However it’s the first original song they recorded and considering this, it’s pretty impressive!
Everyone’s a critic – Vocals are seductive at the beginning of this lovely song. Guitar chords are jazzy and sweet. Then out of the blue, things explode into a fast moving, delectable chorus, with drum rolls, bashing cymbals and a charming melody line. The guitar solo in this is top quality and for me would be a key feature. I really enjoy this number, because it is so different and that element of surprise is cool. The vocalist’s performance here is excellent and I feel he has a natural ability to sing jazz.
Intermission features a totally awe inspiring guitar solo and in general the instrumental side is outstanding. Beginning with a trickling intro and a soothing baseline, this number is moody, becoming dramatic. Ross performs this one with more conviction as he pours out the lyrics.
A simple acoustic intro takes you into a very special cover of the late Michael Jackson’s Black or White. Ross has quite a light voice and although it’s difficult to recreate such a wonderful song, which would have been a huge production number for the King of Pop, it’s a salute to him which is well performed and will always succeed in getting a positive response from Jackson connoisseurs, or anyone who enjoys singing along to a cheerful cover.
Hump de Bump
Opening with big discords, this number picks up to a funk beat and involves amazing guitar riffs, Jamiroquai style vocals, a superb baseline framing everything and here, Ross’s vocal ability comes to the fore. He adds character to the lyrics, as he shines in the chorus which is upbeat and fun!
Is that a splash of another Michael Jackson number I hear in there? The instantly recocngnisable riff from ‘You wanna be startin’ something?’ fits in just perfectly.
Formed in September 2009, this young band have great promise and can create music with attitude. Currently recording their debut album Go with the Flow, they blend well and with such talented musicians, will go far. Ross is a singer who so obviously enjoys experimenting with classic pop, mixed with a more up to the minute genre and also possesses a penchant for the jazzier side of things. This gives him an edge!
Are they Rock, Funk, Pop or Jazz?
They are a delicious concoction of all of those genres and inspire a party atmosphere and create dance music that just oozes personality!
Angela Macari O’Looney.
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