MORE SONGS I LIKE AT THE MO

Listening to - The White Stripes - I just don't know what to do with myself

Hmm, so more tunes I like at the moment are (hang on, is this blog just becoming one about songs. No? Fuck it.)

Razorlight - Somewhere Else
The video is another ego wank for Borrell, but there's something sweet about this song.

Linkin Park - Faint
Purely for the string sample. Noice.

Kasabian - Club Foot
Best track on the album. Already becoming a classic in my opinion.

The Game feat. 50 Cent - How We Do
An oldie at this stage, but a very goodie. "I put Lambrogini doors on that Escalade".

Black Velvets - 3345
PARTY RAAAWK.

The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Another fantastic (Canadian) band from Merge Records, home of Lambchop, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, The Third Eye Foundation, Dinosaur Jr. etc. From 'Funeral', an album of the year already for me.

Listening to - The Streets - Empty Cans

Una

Easter Weekend

Listening to: The Money - Bell X1

HAPPY EASTER!

I have just eaten two packs of rolos from my rolos egg and feel a bit worse for wear.

Today is really thesis day, as much as that sucks. I have to get some topics for my articles on Neoconservatism. I think one will be 'The NeoCon Godfathers', another will be the historical development of neonconservative theory, and maybe an analysis of the media's treatment of neoconservatism. Tum tee tum. Very boring altogether.

Listening to: Sister Saviour - The Rapture

Una

SHE'S HEARING VOICES

By Bloc Party is the BEST SONG EVER (at the moment)

Happy Easter Saturday.

So Good Friday, what did I do?

1. Called up to Burco

2. Went for a picnic in Belgrave Square with Catriona, Burco, Niamh, Ed, Paul, Ciaran, Killian, Aideen and later, Dan.

3. Ate cheese in Ciaran's

4. Went bowling and played pool in the Leisureplex in Stillorgan

5. Went to a party in Jenny's in Temple Bar

6. Got home very late

7. Not good friday anymore

Una

Listening to: Try, Try, Try - Smashing Pumpkins

Tunes, Tunes Tunes

Listening to - The Valleys Of New Orleans, The Veils

Hmmm. There are so many bands pushing up the surface meaning each are given a shorter shelf life, and an even shorter span in the limelight. Luckily, the inability to categorise these new(and newish) bands - apart from, say, by nationality - counts in their favour. Groups will not be categorised (and by default, written off) as part of a 'movement', like the incredibly insubstatial bands that made up the numbers in 'Britpop'. Instead, bands seem to be fashioning their own individual pigeon holes by running from any nearby label. Well, they're all going to end up on The OC at some stage, so run while you can little boys.

That said, I'm digging more and more new songs these days. Am i mistaken, or is this a great opening for 2005's music scene? Dunno

My Chemical Romance
I'm Not OK (I Promise)
Takes a while to get used to the vocal, but this is good stuff

King Of Leon
Four Kicks
Still, yes, still listening to Aha Shake Heartbreak. SOOOOO rockin.

The National
Abel
Crazy, intense and earnest. Who do these guys think they are? For some reason, it reminds me off 'Whole Of The Moon'. The singer looks a bit like a smacked out Sting.

Editors
Munich
80s deadpan vocals, highpitched synths, tapatapatapa along nicely. And a neat bassline.

New Order
Krafty
Perfect pop song to hang out with

Mad Capsule Markets
Happy Ride
Japanese pop metal? OH YEAH!

Razorlight
Stumble and Fall
I try to hate Johnny Borrell, but this song is quality. Probably the only Razorlight track I really feel. Somewhere Else is poncy and Rip It Up just confuses me.

The Rifles
Peace And Quiet
Pissed off Kaiser Chiefs. Grr. Yay.

Elton John
Turn The Lights Out When You Leave
What a nice country ballad! Didn't see that one coming. AND Teri Hatcher is in the video, score.

Feeder
Feeling A Moment
Took a lot of time for this to grow on me, but I love the woo-oo-wooo-oo guitar part. Reminds me of what Feeder are really good at, not brainlessly rocking out, but the quiet, introspective moodiness, like an accoustic version of 'Dry' I had on a Rock Sound CD years ago.

The Music
Bleeding From Within
A pretty dark follow up to the excellent 'Breakin'' Rading U2's lyrics to thumping effect.


Listening to - Union of Souls by 3 Colours Red

Una

Kathleen Edwards - Away

Away, Kathleen Edwards

I remember the way
Driving on lane
Speeding all the way
Alone in the rain

I was rehearsing a part
From down at the bar
My mouth smelled like drink
We were laughing I think

I’ve been away

Do you pick up your phone?
Do you check your mail?
Do you answer your door?
Even if it’s late?

Because I don’t know who to call
I don’t know who to write
And I think I forgot
What your face looks like

I’ve been away

Do you think I’ve changed?
I swear I never tried
Memory is a terrible thing
When you use it right

I was rehearsing a part
From down at the bar
My mouth smelled like drink
We were laughing I think

I’ve been away

Been away.

My Favourite Songs At The Moment

There's a lot of good shit out there at the mo:

- ANYTHING by Kasabian, especially their recent accoustic session at some radion station in San Fran

- The Subways - Oh Yeah
Cottoned on to these kids maybe a few weeks ago. Such a cool three piece with fuck loads of energy. 'Oh Yeah' is such a great tune. They're supporting The Chalets at the Village soon. I'm there.

- The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
me and Lili were playing this full blast in her gaff the other day. I've been loving it for a while now, the verse just grooves. Such a party soon. They're playing The Ambassador later this month. Of course, I'm there. I think this song might just pip 'Oh My God' as the best track on the album

- Futureheads - Hounds Of Love
Possibly, one of the best covers in recent memory

- Bloc Party - Little Thoughts
If you're hungry from stuff not off Silent Alarm, this early track is the one. Funnily enough, it doesn't sound incredibly like a lot of stuff on the record. It's not as developed, but interesting to see where their sound might go, if it has progressed so far from this.

- Britney - Do Somethin'
Possibly only choosing this because of how hot Britters looks in the video. Ah, no, though, still a choon.

- Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes
Lots of chicks with guitars at the moment, it seems. This is such a happy pop song. Nice one. Truly delightful.

- Do Me Bad Things - What's Hideous
Not sure to expect much from these guys after this single, but it's a fun one anyway. Filthy/gorgeous glam rock vibe. Too much make-up, good laugh. Catchy, but not cutting edge. They're playing Crawdaddy soon. Might be there

- Willy Mason - Oxygen
Yeah, it's lo-fi, but this is truly positive earnest stuff. Really nice. Prefer this rawness and simplicity to the more polished Bright Eyes stuff, although I'm liking 'First Day Of My Life' too.

- Kathleen Edwards - Away
This is such a sad pretty song. She's one of my new faves, adding to the list of chicks with guitars of course. The album, Back To Me has another few good tracks (In State, Back To Me), but this is the sweetest.

- Ashanti - Only You
This is definatly my number one crunk 'n' b track at the minute. Savage party track.

- The Rifles - Peace And Quiet
Just heard this today. Must give it another few listens, but it feels good.

- Beck - Epro
Fucking hated this when I first heard it, and then I woke up to the nanana chorus. SO GOOD. No matter how hard I try to stay away from Beck, he just pulls me in. Sweet indie fuck.

- Secret Machines - Road Leads Where It Leads
Really want to see these guys live, missed them with The Killers and Chemical Brothers. I don't know if this is a new single, but it's great all the same. Really hooky straight forward rock, from a band who now how to do things differently. Probably one of my favourite bands currently.

Daft Punk - Steam Machine
To be perfectly honest, this is the only half decent song on the new album, the majority of which is brutal. Sheeeeat


Listening to: batttery, by aesop rock

Una

Rankin' Roger wearing the green hat Burco and Lili bought for me for my birthday. It's famous now! 

LADY LICK

YAY!

Juliette and The Licks are coming back to Dublin. The Village, April 15. Laney and I shall be attending, I've requested an interview from MCD.

Rawk.

Listening to: Let Go Now - Alligator

Blog talk on MSN

Una says:
im updating my blog instead of thesising

Tadhg says:
i'm not in on this blog phenomenon

Tadhg says:
what's your about?

Una says:
nothing in partic

Una says:
just a reminder of what i do i think

Una says:
http://unarocks.blogspot.com/

Tadhg says:
something else to distract me now

Una says:
actually, its broken or something, menu wont move down, hmmmm

Una says:
ill fix it in a sec

Tadhg says:
good

Tadhg says:
basically it's a diary

Una says:
yeah, i suppose

Una says:
but not 'i feel so confused'

Una says:
'diary' is a dirty word

Una says:
JOURNAL

Una says:
thats what it is

Una says:
WEB-LOG

Tadhg says:
after all, you are a diaryist

Una says:
it's fixed now

Una says:
take a loooook

Tadhg says:
i think it was working before for me anyways

Una says:
oh

Una says:
WHATEVER

Rankin Junior/Mini Murphy of The Beat (photo by LILILILILI) 

Another photo of Lili and Burco I took.  

Me, always the poser, with my green hat later to be of much attention @ Voodoo 

the most amazing pic EVER! 

A fantastic photo by ME! (for once) This is us watching corrie before going out 

THESIS THESIS THESIS

No more ignoring it. DAMMIT.

Yeah, so a series of features on a few different issues relating to neoconservatism. Hmmmm, thoughts will follow.

Listening to: Holiday - Green Day

U

THE BEAT GOES ON

Listening to: Projects - Ash

Man, I love the Beat. We saw them last St Patrick's Day, and they played in Voodoo last night, so of course we were there. I was sporting a snappy green trilby, which Rankin Roger wore for a song, before giving me his tshirt. Quiet fantastic. The night was fueled by laughing, Corona and liquid gold. Ahem.

We got there at 8.30 or something, but nothing was going on, so we went around to The Dice Bar for a drink. The Beat didn't come on until after 11 I think. So, there was waiting around and pizza eating. I was so spent when we got back to Lili's. Totally crashed on her bed.

Listening to: Fools Gold, Stone Roses.

Morning dawned St. Patrick's Day parade outside Lili's door, Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas, over-priced lunch in Dublin Castle and pool in the Palace. The the long long long bus home.

I am so tired right now

Listening to: Music When The Lights Go Out - The Libertines.

Rock (quietly)

Una

From Good To Not Good

Listening to: Awake - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Last night, Sarah, Corina, me and Lili were sitting in Lili's gaff talking about age. I'm feeling birthday-y relfective. Anyway, I don't know if I can deal with eight more years of my 20s! Rawk. Sarah said it gets easier, and how 22 and 23 are the most pressurised years given that you're finishing up college and people expect you to embark on some kind of world changing career. "When I was 22 I thought I had a future, then you realise it's just bullshit." Sarah's motto.

This week has been particularly random; high highs and low lows. Of course, Jenna was here, which involved Dublin tours, my birthday night out, a road trip to Glendalough and Powerscourt, and general blasts from the recent past. And the Sunday Indo asking me to write that travel article on Cork (which I told everyone was out today but is published next weekend. very smart of me).

Listening to: Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines.

Then, it went weird. Jenna had to go home early because her brother was in hospital, and I went into one of my last days in college. I was so tired Thursday night I couldn't even stand up. Circumstances led me to have about 10 hours sleep in total all week. So I cancelled an interview and in the morning had all these voice messages from Sophie B. Hawkins about how she was taking her dogs to the park and would then call me later or something. When the interview eventually happened on Friday evening, she was crazily deep. Her owls, birds, cats and dogs were a weird cacophony of background noise on the phone. She kind of sounded like Linda Perry.

I was in Lili's Friday evening and determined to go home because my body was wasted. Standing at the bus stop in the pissing rain just after noticing I was singing to myself, I get a call from Sarah who says she's in the Mansion House at some CD launch thing.

Listening to: 44. Calibre Love Letter - Alexisonfire

So, I head up, in the rain and am greeted by a bunch of people. I get my bearings realising we're in Cafe en Seine about to head to some freebie dinner that some person in charge of all the weirdness is organising. Then, I'm sitting at a table in Milano's with Sarah, Corina, Michael from V2, Seamas from Tower Records, Paddy Casey, some chick I forgot to introduce myself to and some guy Ken who was in charge of the CD launch. Quite randomly bizarre I have to say. The chicken ceasar salad wasn't great. Sarah, Corina and I were trying to tell jokes, but we kept fucking them up and then Paddy was telling the minginest jokes, not to be repeated here.

Ah, and them home. So Friday, I met Anthony, Corina and Sarah at Ba Mizu and then us girlies headed to Lili's where the aforementioned age conversation took place. Oh, before we went up to Lili's, Anthony had a copy of The Guardian's clubbing listings and they had lifted a description I had made of Remedy, so I must email them and pull them up on it. Anthony was putting on the Hacker in Temple Bar Music Centre. Corina and I sat on couches backstage making conversation with the French DJ ('Mick' as we christened him), momentarily booting drunk people out when they got backstage by mistake and then heading out onto the stage for an ickle dance.

Listening to: This Modern Love - Bloc Party

I got the nightlink home. The first time in ages though. I had to run a gauntlet of drunken and victorious French rugby supporters. Hongh hongh hongh. Actually, Sarah is probably in France by now. So, yeah, I was so tired this morning, and a bit of a dumbass when I realised my article wasn't in the Sunday Independent (roll on next weekend I suppose).

Listening to: The Bucket - kings of leon

Another journo fuck up this week followed this morning. My editor emailed me and said I had no right to republish interviews I have done for the Event Guide on funkymofo.net, so we're gonna have to take them down and make them different. I'm a bit of a dumbass for that one.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have to type up that Sophie B Hawkins interview today, then send an invoice and get paid tomorrow. I hope my ed doesn't go too crazy at me when I meet him tomorrow. Also tomorrow, I'm a buying my ticket to The Beat on 'St Patrick's Eve', this made up 'eve' which has stolen all the gigs from St. Patrick's Day. Whatever.

una

Listening to: Strong Enough - Sheryl Crow

happy birthday to me

22 on tuesday - 8.3.83

Jenna was here; Hogan's, Dame Lane, fun, in other words.

Headaches.

Birthday present? The Sunday Indo ringing me asking to write an article.

Boo ya.

bathroom dancing 

Burco, Me and Lili in the bathroom at 4 Dame Lane 

Sun Kil Moon - Glenn Tipton

Cassius Clay was here more than Sonny Liston
Some like KK Downing more than Glenn Tipton
Some like Jim Neighbors, some Bobby Vita
I like 'em all.

I put my feet up on the coffee table
I stay up late watchin' cable
I like old movies with Clarke Gable
Just like my Dad does
Just like my Dad did when he was home
Staying up late
Staying up alone
Just like my dad did when he was thinkin'
'oh, how fast the years fly'

I know an old woman ran a donut shop
She worked late servin' cops
But then one mornin' baby, her heart stopped
Place aint the same no more
Place aint the same no more
Not without my friend
No more
Place aint the same no more
Man, how things change

I buried my first victim when I was nineteen
Went though her bedroom and the pockets of her jeans
And found her letters that said so many things
That really hurt me bad
I never breathed her name again
But I like to dream about what could've been
I never hear her calls again
But I like to dream

counselor

hunter s thompson's last typed word in the middle of a sheet of paper in his typewriter.

hmm.

listening to -pat kenny