Keep It Fresh

:: Band On An Island ::

Hailing from Newbridge, Co. Kildare, the rock n’ roll five piece have been picking up more fans with each passing week. They’ve played support for Air Traffic and The Mighty Stef, bringing the house down at a host of venues across Dublin. Honest lyrics sung by charismatic front man Ciaran Dwyer coupled with the riotous noise of his fellow band-mates (the inclusion of violinist Eimear Dempsey adds an extra kick to the bands music) makes their live performances a must see. See them in 2007 whenever and wherever you can.

Listen on MySpace

:: Tokyo Police Club ::

The story of the band that nearly didn’t happen has become the stuff of indie legend. The Candian four piece nearly packed in all this music malarkey for something as small as eduction. And thank the gods they didn’t. One of the hottest acts a 2006 CMJ festival Tokyo Police Club are in a very nice position as 2007 kicks off. Released in April ‘06 on Canadian label Paper Bag, their EP A Lesson In Crime has gone down a treat. Best buds with The Strokes and ready to take over Europe in the coming months, Tokyo Police Club will be the soundtrack of indie joints everywhere. And its gonna rock to fuck.

MP3 Tokyo Police Club - Be Good

MP3 Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment

:: The Hussys ::

Dancey and catchy. I like dancey and catchy. I like The Hussys. The Hussys are dancey and catchy. The Glasgow 6 piece have two EPs under their belt and with some hope 2007 will see some label signing and more great releases. More pop than the Long Blondes and more bite than the Pipettes, this is a band I can’t wait to see live. This is music to make you smile on a rainy day. Their two EPs have sold out but you can download below and from myspace.

MP3 The Hussys - Napoleon Dynamite

MP3 The Hussys - We Expected

:: Best of the rest ::

And that brings this little feature to an end. All these guys will most definitly soundtracking my 2007 and there are so many more I could have written about. No doubt the remaining 11 months will throw up many more great bands and artists. Here’s 10 some that are definitly worth a click…

• Star Little Thing
• The Brownies
• Bolt Action Five
• Queen Kong
• The Pigeon Detectives
• Rest
• Matt & Kim
• Noise Control
• Blood Red Shoes
• Foals

Bloody insane is all I’m sayin. The start of any given new year is supposed to be quite on the gig scene but the last couple of weeks and the coming month sees a rake of music talent descend upon Dublin. The obvious highlight is the fantastic line up for the NME Indie Rave Tour. CSS, Klaxons, New Young Pony Club and Sunshine Underground make up the nights entertainment. Selling out weeks ago its sure to be a good one. Theres two opportunities to catch the excellent Butterfly Explosion. The play support for for two CD launches, Channel Ones EP at TBMC and Ham Sambo’s new single click…click…BOOM! at Whelans. The 19th sees the 1990’s play their first headline gig on these shores. Tickets are still available so get some now! Ratatat, Tilly & The Wall, Au Revoir Simone and The Bluetones are all musts not to mention The Wrens, Junior Boys, Forward Russia and Fujiya & Miyagi. What a month. A predict being very poor by March. Full listings after the jump. Continue reading ‘Supermassive February Gig Guide’

I hate the term indie-pop. I think its over used and over rated. However its hard not to use it when describing a band like My Teenage Stride. Instantly accessible with catchy guitar riffs it could be the obvious influences from the likes of The Smiths or Jesus and Mary Chain that makes My Teenage Stride so likable. But their probably sick of hearing that. The point of the matter is that their making good music and we like good music. Then consider lead man Jedediah Smith. The man plays the instruments, sings the songs then gets behind the mixing task. Impressive and enjoyable, My Teenage Stride are the Go! Team of *deep breath* indie-pop world. To Live An Die In The Airport Lounge is a cracker and will appear with 13 other delightful tracks on Ears Like Golden Bats released Feb. 7th.

MP3 My Teenage Stride - To Live An Die In The Airport Lounge

MP3 My Teenage Stride - Terror Bends

Allow me to introduce Maria Taylor. One half of Azure Ray and member of Keep It Fresh favs Now It’s Overhead. When not busy with these projects she drums for Bright Eyes and collaborates with the likes of Moby and Crooked Fingers. Oh yeah and she also has a solo project. Her latest offering is due out in March and it’s called Lynn Teeter Flower.

This marks Taylor’s second solo release after 2005 debut album 11:11. On Lynn Teeter Flower Taylor experiments with her song writing, mixing in guitar, organs and sweet layered vocals with some electronic elements. The results are amazing and this is a release I am very much looking forward to. A high ranking competitor for the 2007 Cat Power slot me thinks…

MP3 Maria Taylor - A Good Start

MP3 Maria Taylor - No Stars

MP3 Maria Taylor - Irish Goodbye

So if its one thing I’m useless at, its keeping on top of my gig ticket purchasing. So with the February gig guide on the way (and feck me is it something else) I thought I’d do a bit of forward planing and have a quick gander at some gigs that I will buying my tickets for well in advance. Let’s not have a repeat of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah thank you very much. Moving on…

David Kitt has just announced an up close and personal for Friday 27 April at Whelans. Kitt will be playing through his new album ‘Not Fade Away’. What makes the night even more interesting is that support comes from The Blow. The Portland duo have been around for a while but it was a performance at this years CMJ festival in New York that has brought them to the attention of the music media. Pitchfork love em as does the latest issue of Foggy Notions.

The latest issue of Foggy Notions also loves Joanna Newsom. Ms Newsom will be playing the Olympia Theatre on April 14th. I first saw her perform on Later…with Jools Holland and was blown away. I can only imagine what this amazing performer is like in the flesh. Joanna’s album Y’s went down a treat in 2006 so this show will likely sell out. Check here for more on her live shows.

The Cooper Temple Clause have confirmed a performance at Whelans Friday 23rd March. It’ll be interesting to see how this venue suits the boys and their sometimes Muse-esqe large rock sound. New album Make This Your Own was released Jan. 22nd. Early reviews (that would be Dan’s) are two thumbs up.

Everyones new favourite band CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) have announced their first ever headline Ambassador date this April 21st. Their Bud Rising gig sold out well in advance and tickets for the NME New Rave Indie Tour recently sold out. Once the heat is off the NME dates, April is sure to sell out quick. I’ve seen the guys twice now and each time has been ha-mazing! Not to be missed.

ENTER SHIKARI also play the Ambassador Theatre on April 2nd. The band have featured in NME’s New Noise 2007 special and have been kicking up a storm everywhere as one’s to watch for ‘07. If you havent heard them its…well it’s…very hard to explain. Its apparently the genius mash up of dance and metal but to be honest it doesn’t sound like anything particularly groundbreaking or new to me. And if I must be honest I do kinda like it…I think. And to continue the honesty thread I haven’t a clue how to say their name. My 15 year old cousin told me how. I felt old.

Take another look at this handsome foursome and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a scene from a new series that merges Trailer Park Boys with Spinal Tap. Well its not (unfortunately). Its Austin’s latest and greatest export, The Laughing. Any band that includes a glockenspiel gets my vote. And any band that wears matching white vests with a crying tiger printed on the back defiantly gets my vote. So it is with no surprise that I highly recommend The Laughing. Rising from the ashes of previous projects, the band are set to launch their debut EP, Tiger Cry, on Feb. 10th. I’ll be talking to the lovely people at Road Records about gettin me a copy of that but until then here’s a little taster courtesy of partyends.

MP3 The Laughing - Wearing The Colors

:: Butterfly Explosion ::

With the first print of their EP/Mini-album, Turn The Sky, recently selling out (more on the way kids!) and two songs (Sophia & Next Year) appearing on Phantom FM’s Top 100 of 2006, its quite easy to say that it was a good year for Butterfly Explosion. And in the wise words of D:ream, “things can only get better”. Indeed. Currently working on new material and with a two week trip stateside planned for late March, their blend of melodic shoe-gaze and full on post rock is sure to go down a treat with Americans. Before jetting off you can see the band anywhere from Belfast to Cork. Check here for more info.

MP3 The Butterfly Explosion - Chemistry

MP3 The Butterfly Explosion - Sophia

photo:dan

:: 1990’s ::

With one of the coolest logos around, some the most poptastic and catchiest tunes on the market and with a fan base that includes The Long Blondes, CSS and The Gossip its easy to see why the 1990’s are everyones new favourite underground band. These dudes put on a must see live show and I’m really quite excited about their headline gig in Whelans on Feb. 19th (oh February…what a month your shaping up to be). If if your only hearing them for the first time, you’ll already feel like you know all the words. I’m really looking forward to see what 2007 has in store for these guys. I own two band t-shirts. 1990’s is one of them. Nuff said!

MP3 1990’s - You Made Me Like It

MP3 1990’s - Arcade Precint

:: Air Traffic ::

So what did 2006 see for Air Traffic. Well…deep breath…releasing their debut single Just Abuse Me on a limited edition of 500 CD singles and 7” which sold out in a matter of days, signing a long-term album deal with EMI Records, doing live and recorded sessions at the famous BBC Maida Vale studios, unexpectedly being asked to perform two songs on “Later….with Jools Holland”, being personally invited by Snow Patrol to play some dates with them on their sell out tour in December and finally making it into the 2007 hot lists of both NME and Hotpress. So far on the horizon for 2007 is the much anticipated debut album, a rake of UK dates and their first Irish dates. I’ll see y’all at the Hub tomorrow night for the first of these.

MP3 Air Traffic - Never Even Told Me Her Name

MP3 Air Traffic - Shooting Star(demo)

What more could you want from a fashion label that offers bags, stickers and badges to compliment their wares? Nothing thats what! I mean…stickers. STICKERS! Bot on over to i heart guts to view all in this cute as hell, if even slightly gross, range. Nobody should be without a uterus tee shirt in this day and age. I really do heart guts.