Keep It Fresh

Roll on 2007. So another exciting (I hope) year of music is ahead of us so it’s only fitting that we open with January’s gig guide. A little bare to be honest particularly when you put it against the past few months. And then theres February. Don’t get me started on that…yet. But keeping with the here and the now, the next month ain’t all bad. You have numerous opportunity’s to catch Air Traffic across the country and Shayne Ward in The Point. Wardy gets my vote. You know by now that Ham Sandwich always put on a good live show, Micheal Knight/Ben Folds are most defiantly a good thing and be sure to check Blood Red Shoes/Psapp for something different.

I wish everyone a great new year. If you’ve been reading the blog up to this point, I thank you and hope you’ll continue to put up with me. I’ve got a plan for 2007. Come along for the ride. Gig guide after the jump.

PS - It’s my birthday in February. If anyone wants to sell me a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah ticket I’d be the happiest 21 year old in the city. Continue reading ‘Supermassive January Gig Guide’

It is of course that time of year. The time when we reflect upon the year of music past. Top 100, top 10 and top 5’s. The magzines are doing it (Q=nonsense NME=sense), the blogs are doing it and I’m doing it. First up…top 15 tracks of the year.

Top 15 Tracks of 2006

(based on memory, iTunes playcount and general good vibes)

1. Cassius - Toop Toop
2. CSS - Let’s Make Love…
3. Justice Vs Simian - We Are Your Friends
4. 1990’s - You Made Me Like It
5. The Raconteurs - Steady As She Goes
6. The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control
7. Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing!
8. Hot Chip - Over And Over
9. Girl Talk - Bounce That
10. Sunshine Underground - Dead Scene
11. Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation
12. Young Galaxy - Swing Your Heartache
13. Aleia Diane - Pieces Of String
14. The Rapture - Get Mself Into It
15. YeaYeah - Matt & Kim

Moving on…drum roll please. My top albums of 2006 are based on two simple rules. How much did I talk about the album and how long did it stay in my CD player. Easy.

Top 10 Albums of 2006

1. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
2. CSS - CSS
3. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
4. Hot Chip - The Warning
5. The Young Knives - Voices Of Animals And Men
6. Cat Power - The Greatest
7. The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home
8. The Rapture - Pieces Of The People We Love
9. TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
10. Girl Talk - Night Ripper

Special mention for The Butterfly Explosion “Turn The Sky” EP. My EP of the year.

And that as they say is that. Putting these list together made me realise how much was missing from my CD collection. Lots of catching up to do over Christmas. Really interested to hear other peoples albums of 2006…arent lists fun?!?

It’s always handy to look into who else is signed to the label of bands you already dig. Pushed by the recent run of NME cover CD’s (1965 Records & Transgressive Records down, Modular to go), I started having a root around labels that were putting out bands I like. So while having a potter around Arts & Crafts (Broken Social Scene, The Dears, Stars) I came across their newest signing…Young Galaxy.

I can’t say too much on the band themselves because well, there ain’t much information about. This is taken from their myspace…

“Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless are Young Galaxy. Formed in the fog and bonfires of the West Coast and currently based in the romance and severity of Montreal, they create a kaleidoscopic sound with heavy tones and hypnotic male/female vocals.

Recorded with Jace Lasek and friends at Breakglass Studio in Montreal, the album will be released Spring 2007.

Young Galaxy will tour this fall supporting The Dears. The touring lineup of Young Galaxy will include Pat Sayers, Stephen Kamp and Susan Beckett.”

And thats about as far as it goes. I do know that their first 7″ that was released November 28th is an absolute stunner. Hypnotic intertwining vocals on top of shoe gaze instrumentals makes for 6 minutes of dreamy bliss. Check it out now and wait with bated breath for the Spring 2007 release of their album.

MP3 Young Galaxy - Swing Your Heartache

Hey kids. A lil late but the ice rink has owned my soul as of late. Whats a boy to do? Moving on. December’s up against alot on the gig front. Tidying up a year that has witnessed some outstanding gigs and trailing behind two months that brought Hard Working Class Heroes & Bud Rising, December is gonna have to fight tooth and nail to prove itself. And fought well it has. There are quite a few highlights. Rodrigo y Gabriela take up their annual residence in Vicar St. this month from the 4th - 7th. Tickets are €31 which to be honest I’m not sure I want to pay for a show I’ve seen several times. Get your arse in gear and you can catch Fionn Regan at Whelans tonight. I really really recommend Band On An Island playing Eamon Dorans on the 11th. Looking forward to seeing them live again. Foggy Notions get it right again by bringing us Si Schroeder at Whelans. The Young Knives is a must. The only real problem is where to park your arse for New Years Night… Continue reading ‘Supermassive December Gig Guide’