No Roller
Ocean
Angela Macari O’Looney
No Roller have had great success to date and built up a nice following since they formed back in 2008. The band have done quite a lot of gigging around Dublin and 2009 saw the release of their debut album High Places by Narrow Roads.
Following this, they reached the final of Emergenza Battle of the bands this year. Agreat achievement indeed!
Members are Aaron Laidlaw-Guitars, Damien Farrell-Drums, David Clarke-Vocals, Tom Dunne- Bass, and Warren Solan-Guitars.
Influences include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Nirvana to name but a few. Their sound is described as Rock/ acoustic/ Indie and combines gutsy Rock’n’Roll with Celtic Passion and imaginative melody lines.
Ocean
This new single is laid back at first, involving a trickling guitar, then bursts into distortion packed chords with a slow drumbeat and baseline. David comes in with the soulful verse, his vocals gritty but reaching falsetto notes at times, which demonstrates his impressive vocal range. The melody is haunting and the lyrics deep.
Things build up gradually, with backing vocals performing a refrain behind David as he sings the sweet chorus. This arrangement is really appealing and still the trickling guitar riff continues, keeping the listener focused.
In the two years they have been together, they have worked on their sound and developed it, maintaining their unique eclectic style and just seem to go from strength to strength.
This love song is really special and is soon to be followed by their second album, which will hopefully have as much success, or more than their first.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Julie Feeney and the Pages Orchestra
At
The National Concert Hall
29/05/10
Angela Macari O’Looney
Julie Feeney, whose album 13 Songs won the Choice Music award in 2006, has an abundance of musical talent and also possesses the skill to compose, produce and even conduct an orchestra. Her album Pages drew the attention of Choice Music Award judges for a second time earlier this year, where she performed at the final in Vicar Street.
Like many of her admirers from every age group, I headed to see Julie perform at the National Concert Hall. Her orchestra, led by Louis Roden arrived onstage and soon after this, our star made her entrance attired in a dress sculpted and hand stitched from the pages of Julie’s orchestral score, by Sharon Costello Desmond.
Tapping a pair of drumsticks, she beat a tattoo and sung a jazzy piece, involving tricky vocal percussion and complex notation.
With a delightful intro on Cello, Monster was next. From the Pages album, this has beautiful harmony. She had two backing vocalists who did some amazing close harmony throughout the whole show.
Her third song featured her female drummer/percussionist and demonstrated Julie’s remarkable vocal range.
Grace is soulful, involving trickling notation on harp and is an outstanding arrangement. I thought it very touching hearing some of the audience sing the chorus with her here.
The orchestra then played a beautiful instrumental, featuring strings, piano and Cello. Julie returned to the stage now dressed in yet another exciting costume, consisting of a cheeky ultra modern Basque style skirt, worn over black leggings and top and upon her head, a miniature version of the colourful playhouse from the cover art of Pages.
Quirky costumes, eccentric ideas and very original music seem to be Julie’s signature. Yet beneath the colourful, childish fantasy lies a true genius with a fascinating imagination!
She continued her wonderful set with lots of songs from both of her albums. I particularly enjoyed the two part harmony for Knock Knock, performed by her male and female backing singers. This is a gorgeous song and the way it starts with just vocals, gradually building up is awe inspiring.
Wind out of my Sails was spectacular and she then did the amusing Myth, which involves whispers, chattering and Julie coming down into the audience whispering, while her singers sing the chorus. The plucky violins in this piece create drama with stops and starts throughout, while each time she freezes with the bright spotlight behind her, there’s a delightful air of suspended wonder.
The theatrics and interaction with her audience adds to the atmosphere greatly. Piano and Flute performed a sweet instrumental, while Julie went off to change into her next costume.
This time she returned wearing a kind of Cloud costume, all white tulle, with a cocky white bowler hat and glittering red shoes. She was a vision indeed!
Julie mentioned her tiny accordion, explaining that it is the self same one from her schooldays and still has her name and address written in her mother’s handwriting. Her many anecdotes and chats with the audience lent a touch of intimacy to the occasion.
A beautiful piece by Philip Lask received a big response. Also a number called Fictitious Richard, which is a tongue in cheek story with a pretty melody and I enjoyed the use of lighting here. The shape of this auditorium is perfect for Julie’s songs and lends to the general atmosphere. She made sure to thank everyone involved in her success and also her fantastic orchestra and singers.
Mr. Roving eye guy, Life’s Nudge, One More tune, Valentines Song, You Broke the Magic and others from Julie’s treasury riveted each listener to their seat. She got two encores and for her first she performed Hallelujah. I’m not usually a fan of this song; however Julie can perform any piece and make it sound special.
I wondered were other people waiting for the same thing as me. Continuous applause brought our sparkling lady back onstage, to perform two final songs. The first was the chirpy Love is a tricky thing, which was a thousand times more brilliant live than on CD.
I somehow knew what her choice for the very last song would be and I wasn’t wrong!
She had kept her trump card for long enough now and when the familiar intro for Impossibly Beautiful rang out, there was a collective sense of joy amid her adoring fans.
Heartbreakingly beautiful, this song is haunting and delicious. As people were leaving the auditorium, you could here them still humming the chorus.
You get a feeling that despite her boundless ability to compose and perform and her enormous success in the music business to date, Julie never loses her connection with her followers, who each seem to know her personally and vice versa.
In the foyer she shook hands, had photographs taken, chatting away warmly with everyone. This and the memory of a wonderful show left me smiling as I headed out into the drizzly Dublin night.
At
The National Concert Hall
29/05/10
Angela Macari O’Looney
Julie Feeney, whose album 13 Songs won the Choice Music award in 2006, has an abundance of musical talent and also possesses the skill to compose, produce and even conduct an orchestra. Her album Pages drew the attention of Choice Music Award judges for a second time earlier this year, where she performed at the final in Vicar Street.
Like many of her admirers from every age group, I headed to see Julie perform at the National Concert Hall. Her orchestra, led by Louis Roden arrived onstage and soon after this, our star made her entrance attired in a dress sculpted and hand stitched from the pages of Julie’s orchestral score, by Sharon Costello Desmond.
Tapping a pair of drumsticks, she beat a tattoo and sung a jazzy piece, involving tricky vocal percussion and complex notation.
With a delightful intro on Cello, Monster was next. From the Pages album, this has beautiful harmony. She had two backing vocalists who did some amazing close harmony throughout the whole show.
Her third song featured her female drummer/percussionist and demonstrated Julie’s remarkable vocal range.
Grace is soulful, involving trickling notation on harp and is an outstanding arrangement. I thought it very touching hearing some of the audience sing the chorus with her here.
The orchestra then played a beautiful instrumental, featuring strings, piano and Cello. Julie returned to the stage now dressed in yet another exciting costume, consisting of a cheeky ultra modern Basque style skirt, worn over black leggings and top and upon her head, a miniature version of the colourful playhouse from the cover art of Pages.
Quirky costumes, eccentric ideas and very original music seem to be Julie’s signature. Yet beneath the colourful, childish fantasy lies a true genius with a fascinating imagination!
She continued her wonderful set with lots of songs from both of her albums. I particularly enjoyed the two part harmony for Knock Knock, performed by her male and female backing singers. This is a gorgeous song and the way it starts with just vocals, gradually building up is awe inspiring.
Wind out of my Sails was spectacular and she then did the amusing Myth, which involves whispers, chattering and Julie coming down into the audience whispering, while her singers sing the chorus. The plucky violins in this piece create drama with stops and starts throughout, while each time she freezes with the bright spotlight behind her, there’s a delightful air of suspended wonder.
The theatrics and interaction with her audience adds to the atmosphere greatly. Piano and Flute performed a sweet instrumental, while Julie went off to change into her next costume.
This time she returned wearing a kind of Cloud costume, all white tulle, with a cocky white bowler hat and glittering red shoes. She was a vision indeed!
Julie mentioned her tiny accordion, explaining that it is the self same one from her schooldays and still has her name and address written in her mother’s handwriting. Her many anecdotes and chats with the audience lent a touch of intimacy to the occasion.
A beautiful piece by Philip Lask received a big response. Also a number called Fictitious Richard, which is a tongue in cheek story with a pretty melody and I enjoyed the use of lighting here. The shape of this auditorium is perfect for Julie’s songs and lends to the general atmosphere. She made sure to thank everyone involved in her success and also her fantastic orchestra and singers.
Mr. Roving eye guy, Life’s Nudge, One More tune, Valentines Song, You Broke the Magic and others from Julie’s treasury riveted each listener to their seat. She got two encores and for her first she performed Hallelujah. I’m not usually a fan of this song; however Julie can perform any piece and make it sound special.
I wondered were other people waiting for the same thing as me. Continuous applause brought our sparkling lady back onstage, to perform two final songs. The first was the chirpy Love is a tricky thing, which was a thousand times more brilliant live than on CD.
I somehow knew what her choice for the very last song would be and I wasn’t wrong!
She had kept her trump card for long enough now and when the familiar intro for Impossibly Beautiful rang out, there was a collective sense of joy amid her adoring fans.
Heartbreakingly beautiful, this song is haunting and delicious. As people were leaving the auditorium, you could here them still humming the chorus.
You get a feeling that despite her boundless ability to compose and perform and her enormous success in the music business to date, Julie never loses her connection with her followers, who each seem to know her personally and vice versa.
In the foyer she shook hands, had photographs taken, chatting away warmly with everyone. This and the memory of a wonderful show left me smiling as I headed out into the drizzly Dublin night.
The Cannoneers of the New Command
Cannoneers of the New Command
7inch Vinyl
Sadie was a Girl/ Shake the Law
Angela Macari O’Looney
Californian Indie/Rock band Cannoneers of the New Command are Tim Galvin-Drums/ Percussion, Joe Taylor- Guitars, Robert Pierret- Bass and last but not least Mike Monasky- Vocals/Guitars.
Together since 2009, the boys have been previously involved in other projects such as The Beautiful and Damned, The Pacific and Ellie Sky.
This year sees the release of their debut 7inch Vinyl, which was launched at The Spaceland Club in Silverlake, Los Angeles, with Spectrum(AKA Sonic Boom from Spacemen 3).
Asked to have a listen to their songs, I instantly felt the urge to jump up and dance around on my first listen.
Sadie was a girl opens up with a Rock’n’Roll guitar riff and a thumping drumbeat. The melody line is catchy, with harmonies sprinkled into the chorus and middle eight. Mike’s cheeky but appealing vocals, along with Joe’s guitar riffs and hooks throughout are key features. I love when the instrumentals fall back and Mike does a chorus, with only the drums accompanying him and then Robert comes in with a sexy baseline, taking it back to a full stomping chorus. I get the feeling they have a cross section of influences. I’d be thinking of Rolling Stones, Beatles here mixed in with more up to the minute styles.
Chord combinations are interesting, with a nifty key change sneaking in to give it that extra spice!
Shake the Law is a choppy number with guitars doing an in sync riff, baseline excellent and the explosive chorus involving catchy ‘Ahs’. A typical sing along Rock style song, it’s upbeat and arrogant. Backing vocals sing the melody line in a lower octave to Mike, giving a slinky, seductive feel to things. Guitars repeat the riff and a distortion packed break adds interest. I like this cool strut, which would make me think of Bowie’s ‘Jean Genie’!
Going home, Coming down
This is an acoustic love song with a rhythmic guitar in it, three four tempo and Mike’s vocals are low and moody in the verse. I like the chorus, where his voice lifts and becomes more vibrant and emotional. In this slower number, he sounds a little like Richard Ashcroft from The Verve, with his soulful pouring out of each line.
This fun foursome don’t take themselves too seriously and seem to enjoy performing together immensely. They’ve built up quite a following and I hope we’ll see them visit our shores some day.
7inch Vinyl
Sadie was a Girl/ Shake the Law
Angela Macari O’Looney
Californian Indie/Rock band Cannoneers of the New Command are Tim Galvin-Drums/ Percussion, Joe Taylor- Guitars, Robert Pierret- Bass and last but not least Mike Monasky- Vocals/Guitars.
Together since 2009, the boys have been previously involved in other projects such as The Beautiful and Damned, The Pacific and Ellie Sky.
This year sees the release of their debut 7inch Vinyl, which was launched at The Spaceland Club in Silverlake, Los Angeles, with Spectrum(AKA Sonic Boom from Spacemen 3).
Asked to have a listen to their songs, I instantly felt the urge to jump up and dance around on my first listen.
Sadie was a girl opens up with a Rock’n’Roll guitar riff and a thumping drumbeat. The melody line is catchy, with harmonies sprinkled into the chorus and middle eight. Mike’s cheeky but appealing vocals, along with Joe’s guitar riffs and hooks throughout are key features. I love when the instrumentals fall back and Mike does a chorus, with only the drums accompanying him and then Robert comes in with a sexy baseline, taking it back to a full stomping chorus. I get the feeling they have a cross section of influences. I’d be thinking of Rolling Stones, Beatles here mixed in with more up to the minute styles.
Chord combinations are interesting, with a nifty key change sneaking in to give it that extra spice!
Shake the Law is a choppy number with guitars doing an in sync riff, baseline excellent and the explosive chorus involving catchy ‘Ahs’. A typical sing along Rock style song, it’s upbeat and arrogant. Backing vocals sing the melody line in a lower octave to Mike, giving a slinky, seductive feel to things. Guitars repeat the riff and a distortion packed break adds interest. I like this cool strut, which would make me think of Bowie’s ‘Jean Genie’!
Going home, Coming down
This is an acoustic love song with a rhythmic guitar in it, three four tempo and Mike’s vocals are low and moody in the verse. I like the chorus, where his voice lifts and becomes more vibrant and emotional. In this slower number, he sounds a little like Richard Ashcroft from The Verve, with his soulful pouring out of each line.
This fun foursome don’t take themselves too seriously and seem to enjoy performing together immensely. They’ve built up quite a following and I hope we’ll see them visit our shores some day.
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