featured

Have You Heard #1 – Sub Rosa

0 Comments 28 July 2008

Welcome to Have You Heard? In this (hopefully) regular feature we strive to bring to you acts from across the country that are knocking on the door of mainstream acclaim. Will you let them in? Are we the door? Are we the knocking? Have we lost the run of this convoluted metaphor? All this and less will be brought to you with an introduction to each band and a quick summing up, in their own words, as to what they’re about.

This week’s band is Cork four piece Sub Rosa, who enjoyed much success at last year’s Hard Working Class Heroes Festival when their tune “Walk Tall” reached number one in the event’s download charts, beating off stiff competition from the cream of Ireland’s unsigned acts in the process. The band released their debut eponymous EP (available online through their myspace) last April and have just announced that they will play the Electric Picnic this year.

Sub Rosa – I Won’t Be There

Sub Rosa – Waiting For Me

In Their Own Words:

Sub Rosa’s unique style reflects diverse influences, ranging from Portishead and Interpol to Nine Inch Nails. Dark organ sounds, driven guitars and arresting rhythms combine with an understated female vocal to create an intense mood that commands attention. The band’s ethos, inspiration and aspirations stem from their desire to create a unique, honest set of songs with strong melodies that stick. On-stage, Sub Rosa’s energy and passion fuels an all-involving, captivating live show.

Sub Rosa are:

Jenny Judge: Vocals, Keys
Cormac O Regan: Guitars, Vocals
Brian Dwyer: Bass, Keys
Ronan Mc Cormick: Drums

Live Dates:

• August 8th Mc Carthy’s Bar, Dingle
• August 29th-31st Electric Picnic, Stradbally Co. Laois
• With lots more to be added…

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/subrosa06

news

Mercury Music Prize 2008

0 Comments 22 July 2008

This year’s shortlist has been announced, causing the annual cries of ‘I can’t believe they left out…‘ and ‘who the hell are…‘ Guess List reckons it’s not a bad list (better than last year anyhow).

And the nominees are:

• Adele – “19″
• British Sea Power – “Do You Like Rock Music?”
• Burial – “Untrue”
• Elbow – “The Seldom Seen Kid”
• Estelle – “Shine”
• The Last Shadow Puppets – “The Age Of The Understatement”
• Laura Marling – “Alas I Cannot Swim”
• Neon Neon – “Stainless Style”
• Portico Quartet – “Knee-Deep In The North Sea”
• Robert Plant And Alison Krauss – “Raising Sand”
• Radiohead – “In Rainbows”
• Rachel Unthank And The Winterset – “The Bairns”

We’d like to see it go to Radiohead; they’ve previously been nominated 3 times (for Ok Computer, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief, as well as Thom’s ‘The Eraser’ last year) and have never won it. It’s only fair!

Suprisingly overlooked this year:
Portishead, Foals, M.I.A, PJ Harvey, Los Campesinos!, Hot Chip, Spiritualized, and Jamie Lidell.

Unrealistic hopes that should’ve got nominations:
Nalle, Dans Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Johnny Flynn and our very own Jape!

reviews

Beck – Modern Guilt

0 Comments 21 July 2008

Don’t let the 34 minute running time fool you – producer Danger Mouse (one half of Gnarls Barkley) helps pack every second of Beck’s third album in as many years with ideas, marrying introspective lyrics on life, aging and the environment with breezy 60s psychpop and beats. It’s often an album with polarising juxtapositions, and it all works almost despite itself.

“Gammaray” chugs along with a surfer riff as Beck muses on the ice caps while “Chemtrails” sees a Pink Floyd dream float by as he worries about “watching the sea / full of people / trying not to drown.”

What could have been stale and melancholic is kept engaging and the production saves Beck from wallowing in his own pessimistic observations- despite singing of how ‘My body can’t get no relief,’ on ‘Youthless,’ the song  has a laid back bass and click beat with flourishes of electronica and distant vocals reminiscent of Hot Chip.

The title track deals with a subconscious collective guilt at the woes of the world (“Don’t know what I’ve done but I feel ashamed”), yet the subject matter never weighs the song down courtesy of a toe tapping bass line.

Only the slow burner of the beautiful final track ‘Volcano’ does the tempo match the weight of the lyrics, a song that wouldn’t be out of place on a lost Elliot Smith album.

Overall the shuffle of Danger Mouse’s beats and bass make this a fun summer record, while Beck’s lyrics ensure it one with a conscience. A focused return to form.