SoundCheckin' all the way to the Picnic

SoundCheck was mucho funsies last night. Partly because Sarah Fox, Haido, Adrian Crowley and Sinead Ni Mhordha played such awesome tunes, partly because mothafuckin' Sigur Ros came down to check out the funsies (I think it was the French Fancies that lured them), partly because many people discovered the amazingness of two-for-one strawberry mojitos, and partly because SoundCheck is ALWAYS funsies, so it was just following its usual form!

Can't wait for next week when the decks will be manned by Quigo, Bluebirds Are So Natural, Grand Pocket Orchestra and Jim Carroll.

Word. Up.


So, enjoy the Picnic everyone! Say hisies if you see me. Oh, and don't miss The Radio playing the Little Big Tent @ 3pm on Saturday, because I'll be one of the backing singers! Random!

Electric 'not muddy' Pinic

Evelyn Cusack Jim Carroll reports from Stradbally.

How the presidential election will be decided

Electric Picnic timetable

Here is a handy print-out-and-keep pdf timetable featuring the five main-ish stages that has been doing the rounds.

Of course, none of this is 100% because the times still haven't been announced by Electric Picnic themselves, which is a bit ridic.

Line-ups for loads of the other stages are here.

Blogger arrested for leaking Guns n Roses tracks

Seriously. Does the FBI not have better things to be doing?

Rock Your Cork Out

Trailer for a new doc on the music scene in Cork:

Happy Birthday Burco!

You rawks the pawrty.

thisispop(giant)baby

Panti has some photees of the construction of what is set to be one of the highlights of Electric Picnic, the thisispopbaby tent. Guess what? A GIANT BABY is involved. Scaredsies. But also awesome.

The line-up is here.

NBC, Olympic coverage, and the case of the gay diver

NBC - whose coverage of the Olympics made records in the US - liked telling the stories behind athletes at the competition. They would talk about their familes, wives, husbands or partners, and pick out the supporters in the crowd who were there rooting for them. That was until Matt Mitcham, the 20-year-old Australian diver, won a gold medal in the 10m platform competition.

Even though Mitcham was the only openly gay sportsman at the Olympics, and even though his partner Lachlan Fletcher (who made it to Beijing thanks to a grant from Johnson & Johnson's Athlete Family Support Program), NBC never mentioned either fact, and never picked Fletcher out in the crowd, a privilege they clearly reserved for straight athletes. Even when Mitcham won his gold, preventing a clean sweep by China in the eight diving events - a remarkable achievement - and even when his win was made more emotional by him climping into the stands to reach his mother, and to hug and kiss his partner, NBC's cameras remained blind. If that's not a story of triumph and emotion, the stuff that TV sports coverage usually laps up, then what is?

When questioned about the fact that Mitcham's partner was ignored, while the spotlight was offered to other athlete's partners, NBC originally defended their decision not to cover Mitcham's personal story, saying that they can't cover every athlete's personal life. Fair enough, except, surely Mitcham's story - coming out to the Sydney Morning Herald 6 months before the Olympics, being apparently the only gay man competing, his dramatic gold medal win, and his victory being highest profile win ever by a gay man in an Olympic event - is worth a line from the TV network?

The website AfterElton.com, who first approached NBC for comment, makes the point:

"...the network frequently covered events involving upsets or controversial victories, especially those concerning the United States and Olympic hosts China: the Japanese upsetting the U.S for the gold medal in softball, the U.S victory over Serbia in Men's waterpolo, the controversy surrounding the Chinese women gymnastics team. However , Mitcham’s shocking derailment of the Chinese diving juggernaut didn’t quite rate...

NBC sports is a news organization and reporting historical, groundbreaking moments is their job. Had Mitcham actually been the first black diver competing, and had he pulled off the same stunning achievement, NBC’s ignoring it would be considered a travesty at best."

But now NBC is backtracking, and as outsports.com reports, the network has apologised for snubbing Mitcham, saying simply, "We regret that we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham’s story. We apologize for this unintentional omission." Short, if not sweet.

So, did NBC simply 'miss and opportunity'? Was this an 'unintentional omission'? Or were the images of a young gay sportsman, hugging his partner in victory, quietly censored?

pre-Picnic funsies!

Don't forget SoundCheck is on tomorrow night, with DJ sets from Sinead Ni Mhordha, Adrian Crowley and the SoundCheck DJs. Should be loads of funsies, can't wait.

Have been pretty much chilling all week (Rose of Tralee binge Monday night and last night, interupted by a few scoops in Residence yesterday evening) so I can't wait for SoundCheck on Thursday and then the Picnic. FUNSIES.

Oh, forgot to blog yesterday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ANTHONY! Anthony rocks. Had mucho funsies (and sushi) at his party in Spy on Friday, but it was his real birthday yesterday, so many happy returns, MooneyMan.

UnaRocks articles of the day

Dr Dre's son (20) found dead - The Guardian

Python eats zookeeper - BBC

Hillary throws 'almost' everything behind Obama - Slate

Cher may play Catwoma - Fox News

Four arrested in Obama assasination plot - CBS

Google Earth shows animal magnetism - BBC

A history of 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' - Rolling Stone

Both sexes prefer male leaders - McClatchy Washington Bureau

Pitchfork pretty much slates new Bloc Party record - Pitchfork

The Internet's biggest security hole - Wired

The Chinese adoption effect - Vanity Fair

A hip-hop feminist's point of view - Feministe

Weekly Club NME dunzo? (again)

Word on the street is that the weekly Club NME, which launched just last month at the Button Factory and attracted names including cockandbullkid, Lethal Bizzle, Cadence Weapon and Futureheads has hit the skids. It is thought that the club will move to a monthly slot.

Club NME Dublin on MySpace

Takashi Murakami does Kanye West

'Good Morning'

I need this shop in my life

Drool.

(thanks to Deesies for the hedzup)

SoundCheck Picnic!

Y'all better hit SoundCheck @ Spy, South William St this Thursday for our Pre-Picnic Party from 7pm - 11pm.

We've got ADRIAN CROWLEY and SINEAD NI MHORDHA on hand to DJ, alongside the SoundCheck DJs, who will be playing a choice selection of tunes you can look forward to hearing @ the Picnic; Foals, CSS, Santogold, Jape, Modeselektor, The Gossip and all that jazz.

Two-for-one cocktails (amazing mojitos, cosmos and more) will be ready for the drinkin' all evening, and we'll have some special tasty treats for soaking up said cocktails too. Should be a great way to kick off the Picnic weekend!

Here's the Facebook event for this Thursday.

See y'all down there!

CDs I shall be listening to this week

The Game
LAX
Geffen

Slipknot
All Hope Is Gone
Road Runner

Rolo Tomassi
Hysterics
Hassle

Compiled by Rob Da Bank
A-Z of Bestival
Sunday Best

Absentee
Victory Shorts
Memphis Industries

Jenny Lewis
Acid Tongue
Rough Trade

Nightmares On Wax
Thought So
Warp

Animat
Earplay
The Big Chill Recordings

Ame
Fabric 42
Fabric

Emiliana Torrini
Me and Armini
Rough Trade

The New Year
The New Year
Touch And Go


And books I'm reading this week:
'Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You', by Sam Gosling
'Re-make/Re-model: Art, Pop, Fashion and the Making of Roxy Music', by Michael Bracewell
and I'm finishing off 'New Moon', by Stephanie Meyer

Fight Like Apes @ Indiependence

UnaRocks articles of the day

Priest to hold nun beauty pageant - BBC (thanks Ragin)

Madonna compares John McCain to Hitler - New York Times

Band people thought were meant to be the Foo Fighters bottled at Reading - NME

What would Biden's Middle East policy look like? - Slate

Margaret Thatcher suffers from dementia - Mail on Sunday

Saudi child, 8, files for divorce - BBC

Josh Homme to produce new Arctic Monkeys album - Guardian

New biopic on The Germs' frontman will revive a gay icon - Advocate

Scottish invasion @ HWCH announced

Sons & Daughters will curate the Scottish invasion at this year's Hard Working Class Heroes Festival, which will feature a bunch of bands including; Desalvo, Fangs, Foxface, Frightened Rabbit, Half Cousin, Larmousse, We Are The Physics, We Were Promised Jetpacks and The Whisky Works.

The Holy Trinity

Word up to D-2.0

The return of Some Days Never End

Remember this? Well it's back for one day at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on Sunday 26th October with Human League, ABC and Heaven 17. Tickets are €44.50 and are on sale August 27th.

Electric Picnic stage times (?)

A boardie on the Picnic message board has posted this list of stage times. There's nothing to indicated that it's the genuine list, but sure, here it is anyway. Click to enlarge.

Here's a site map too (again, click to make big, yo)

Sexism, Orangina, woodland creatures having interspecies sex and the Advertising Standards Authority

I presume by now, most people have seen the weird, disturbing, crap, and really a bit offensive ad for Orangina. No? Well, here it is:



The ad was originally intended for French viewers, but has since made its way on to British and Irish TV. The London Independent on Sunday gets comment from Kidscape, and also reveals there have been 147 complaints about the ad. The Indy on Sunday also has this opinion piece giving out about the depiction of lapdancing in the ad. The Telegraph reports on it too. We're not that used to seeing Orangina ads on TV, but this one is part of a £1 million campaign from the drinks company to muscle in on a competative market. Talking Retail reports that the ad was a success in France, and then found a wider audience online, before it was decided to air it in Britain.

Sunday Sundae

I'm in the Hackney massive - coincidently an Olympic borough for 2012 - watching the closing ceremony of the Olympics on the TV.

Notes on that so far; (live blogging style)
Beginning:
- the way they did the countdown with fireworks for numbers was cool
- why are all the drummers wearing bicycle helmets?
- the giant drums look like giant Babybels. I'm hungry
- bits of tin foil are falling off that silver drum yoke
- light wheels! woah!
- ok, bored now, gonna get coffee
- where are Becks and Leona?

13:19
- ten thousand athletes invading the gaff. Makes you wonder about all the scandal that goes on in the Olympic village. All those super fit people with hot bodies? Shagfest '08, one would imagine.

13:25
- bit strange having toddlers behind a drum kit

13:28
- Tom Daley has popped up with Olympics rings drawn on his cheek. I kind of feel sorry for him, so much pressure and hype for a 14 year old. Maybe he'll end up like a diving Britney.

13:30
- 'coxless four'. That still makes me laugh
- Here's Bahrain now, first gold medal ever

13:31
- One of the Canadians is wearing a balaclava. Not a very smart move with all those mental Chinese coppers around

13:32
- I really want the Russian tracksuit top. Where can I get one?

13:36
- Marathon medal ceremony. A few of my mates are running the New York marathon in November. Massive task. I get tired just thinking about it

13:40
- Kenya has a great flag.

13:41
- that British BMX chick is really hot

13:42
- the wrapped stems on those roses being presented now look like spring rolls. I'm hungry.

13:45
- that's nice that the volunteer reps are getting the spring roll roses. One million people involved in putting the Olympics on. Fuck, how is London going to match that?

13:48
Greek national anthem now. They're really milking this 'we invented the Olympics' buzz. Chancers.

13:50
- That Chinese Olympic official's tie is crooked. Someone will probably get sent to a work camp for that fuck up.

13:52
- Big speech. Important Chinese official presumably thanking the parish priest for the loan of the hall, and congratulating athletes for their achievements. Probably won't mention suspicious boxing judges screwing our boys out of a few points.

13:54
- 'one world one dream' (unless you're from Tibet)

13:56
- BORING. Shut up with the speeches, give us Leona

13:58
- God Save The Queen now. Once again, give us Leona. The Union Jack looks a bit bunched up going up the pole. Oh! Fixed now.

14:01
- Lowering the Olympic flag now, "to the strains of the Olympic Hymn". I did now realise there was an Olympic Hymn

14:04
- Here comes Boris. Twat.

14:05
- Important official is struggling with waving the flag properly

14:06
- Boris waving flag now. Looks silly, as usual. When is he going to get a suit that fits?

14:07
- Take your hands out of your pockets Boris, you eejit

14:09
- Eh, a big red bus is driving through the stadium

14:12
- British child with football walks across dancer's backs
- Oops, the top coming off the red bus, quite vividly evokes the 7/7 bombings

14:13
- Yay! Leona, she looks petrified. Can't really hear her vocals
- Whole Lotta Love

14:14
- Sound for the Leona / Jimmy Page performance clearly not set up for the TV recording and is barely audible. Oopsies. Chinese sabotage?

14:15
- Bottom has come off Leona's dress. God, this is bad. Can't hear a thing! Jimmy Page is sweating.

14:16
- David Beckham has arrived, holding the football aloft. Some random bird is playing the violin in her pants

14:17
- topless bus is on the move. Bit shambolic, that bit

14:23
- interpretive dance, scrolls, blah, shots of the Olympic flame

14:24
- Olympic flame goes out, cue 4 years of never ending Olympic-related stories in the British press.

14:25
- woah! 'Memory Tower', full of 400 people dancing on top of each other. cool

14:27
- memory tower rocks!

14:32
- ceremony suddenly morphs into the Eurovision after loads of fireworks and the introduction of a pop band who look like kiddie entertainers.

14:33
- ok, bored now. byesies, it didn't have giant inflatable bears like Moscow in '76, did it?




Here are some other things I'm checking out today;
The BBC's photees of Fight Like Apes at Reading & Leeds.

The new Sunday Tribune magazine, which you can read just like a magazine online.

I wonder if Hotpress is a bit uneasy about the continuing fall out over their dodgy interview with John Gilligan.

The Olympics

People give out about Ireland not winning that much (2 bronze medals so far, go on Kenny etc), but we're a small country. Something random struck me mid air this morning (luckily, I was on an aeroplane): if India is such a massive place with over a billion people, why do they suck at everything in the Olympics? They've only won three medals, so we are as good as them, with only 4 million people, innit?

my perpetual state of confusion about the new Bond song

Is it just me or has every week for the past few months yielded a Bond song story? First there was Mark Ronson walking out of the studio while trying to record a song with Amy Housewine. Then wansn't Duffy meant to do it, and finally Leona Lewis was going to be warbling about the 'Quantum of Solace' (whatever that means) Now the NME is talking about a track Jack White and Alicia Keys have recorded. Ya wha?

Is State magazine folding? *update*: nope

Just heard a rumour there that State is in trouble from a good source. Yet to be confirmed though, so I wouldn't say anything is certain yet. Hopefully what I heard isn't true, and the magazine will continue to publish the quality writing that it has so far.

Would be pretty crap if the print version is to go bye-bye. Personally I would hate to see it go, as it's a great magazine. The website is still up and running, with the latest post made today.

Will try and get more info...

*update*

State sez:

"One day there’s State, kicking along in the whole of our health and next thing, there’s the sniff of a wake, a crowd start assembling – all friends of the corpse – wondering about our welfare. Well, we are please to say that rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. Sorry if your weekend involved coming over to our house, keening over the laid-out, six-issue deathbed and kissing our angelic-looking masthead while drinking some of the good whiskey, eating Aunt Mary’s sandwiches and telling us you were “sorry for our troubles”.

Truth of it is, State has never felt better. We just put out our sixth issue marking half a year in the business with the amusingly ‘controversial’ Abba cover, we stuck a cover CD on it for y’all and have steadfastly been working away gathering more great interviews, reviews and rumours to satiate your appetite, kind reader, for all things musical. As you’re now on our website you know what a fantastic place it is to visit, heaving with the best music news, downloads, reviews, interviews and rumours that are usually true. Like a musical Brown Thomas without the doorman in the top hat.

So we’re feeling chipper, but we’d be lying if we said nothing’s changing. The world is moving fast and we were always planning to have a look at everything we’re doing at the half-year mark – a little health check-up if you will – and in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes, some re-arranging. But before you go out and buy a black tie don’t think we’re re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. If anything, we’re rearranging hammocks on the luxury State yacht. Full details on where we dock, and the hammock system shortly but in the meantime you’ll find everything you need in our current issue, and on these very web pages here. No flowers please."

that's that, then. Good news all round.

what's up with Pepsi and Obama?

interesting

Musical Knowledge: Men V Women

It's always a contentious argument, and there's an interesting discussion about this in the comments section of the Killers post below.

Butcher Queers #2

Managed to leg it away from a a brilliant night at SoundCheck last night for half an hour to Pantibar with FionnTimes for the release of the second issue of Butcher Queers magazine (which features an article by moi). If you haven't picked up a limited copy of the mag yet, you can still grab it @ Pantibar or download it from the GCN website.

Cosmetic surgery for bags

Done with your face? The move on to your bag. A new range of bags from Zagliani are injected with botox for a 'smoother finish'. Seriously.

*The Vinny Club* @ SoundCheck tonight!

YO! Don't forget the awesome The Vinny Club is DJing @ SoundCheck @ Spy on South William St tonight, along with Haido and myself. Should be bags of fun.

Action kicks off at 7pm and lasts until 11pm. We've got bazillions of cocktails going 2-for-1 along with some sweet tasty treats for yo stomachs. ROCK ON! See y'all there.

SoundCheck blog
SoundCheck MySpace
SoundCheck Facebook

The Killers @ the Academy

So, the Killers warmed up for tonight's Marlay Park gig at the Academy last night, in front of around 650 people. It was a great gig, but a bizarre one too. It's so strange to see a giant stadium band in a club setting. A bit like Tom Cruise in a primary school nativity play. But less creepy.

You can't fake it when you play to that size of a crowd, and the Killers got away with it. Flowers' voice was the best I've ever heard it live. He was brimming with nervous energy. The rest of the band barely moved or broke a sweat throughout (apart from, obviously, the drummer) so it was all on Flowers' head. He shook about, ran around the stage, and drew his awkward presence from a mixture of an undecided, insecure rock god, occassionally visibly mimicking Ian Curtis.

The band did an excellent version of 'Smile Like You Mean It', on piano and violin. 'When You Were Young' and 'All These Things That I've Done' stood out, along with the excellent 'Mr Brightside'. My highlight though was 'Under The Gun', my favourite Killers track. They played something else, which was probably a new song because I didn't recognise it, and it was awful altogether, but most of the tracks stood up.

All in all, a very interesting, special sort of gig. When you have anthems like they do, nothing else really matters.

The Killers - 'All These Things That I've Done' from Una Mullally on Vimeo.

Before the gig, I hit that fashion thing in South William where my mate Killian aka RedMonk had some rockin t-shirts he designed. After the gig, I went to the G to meet FionnTimes, Ragin, Brian and the Return of Lucy. Welcome home dude! Good to have ya back.*update* didn't hit the Marlay gig, but a couple of people are complaining about the sound at the show in the comments section below.

get in the Picnic mood

A good Electric Picnic playlist is here. Something to do in work when you're day dreaming about campsites, cider and CSS.

The Killers @ the Academy tonight

Anyone else heading along to this? Should be fun to see a massive band in a small venue. I hope they don't play 15 songs that no one has ever heard of, but my moles say a similar gig they did recently featured two songs from Sawdust, two new songs and most of the hits.

Let's Get It On

Was having a conversation recently about songs that turn you on. Hot songs, yo!

These are the top three so far:
Missy


Busta & Janet


Uh Huh Her



Any more to add?

new Bloc Party - 'Trojan Horse'

Worse than 'Mercury'?

New EP from The Organ

Just after blogging about them yesterday, a comment from BarryB informed me that The Organ will be releasing a new EP on October 14th. The 6-track EP is titled 'Thieves'.

YAYSIES! I'm so excited about this.

If you're a fan of The Smiths, Interpol or good guitar music in general, then you will love this band.

'Steven Smith'

*exclusive* Crystal Castles to play next Heineken Green Sphere gig

You heard it here first:

Crystal Castles will hit Cuba in Galway on September 30th as part of the Heineken Green Spheres gig series. Tickets as usual will be free, but you're going to have to register with the site to get them.

Can't wait for this. Missed them at Glasto, but their ALT gig was pretty rocking and am looking forward to their Picnic appearance too. Their debut album is one of - if not my top - favourite album of 2008. It's funny, because I gave it a rest for a couple of months there, but have gone back to it recently, and it's amazing how some records can really grow and age in your head, and you can rediscover things all over again, have new favourite tracks and here new sounds. The CC record is that kind of thing.

Like burgers? Like trainers? Well...

Nicked from Kanye's blog.

Would sure go well with some SHOESTRING FRIES!!!!roflzlolz!1!

*head explodes*

Bloc Party to release new album 'Intimacy' this Thursday

Didn't see that one coming. It's a digital release first and the CD will be out in October.

Fight Like Apes explain album title

If you want to know what it's called 'Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion' then click here.

The Vinny Club @ SoundCheck this Thursday

Chip tune hero The Vinny Club will be DJing @ SoundCheck @ Spy this Thursday. Yes!

Details are on the SoundCheck blog.

Twilight

I've read the book, and am on the second one now. 'Twilight' is ok, but not brilliant, and 'New Moon' is a bit stupid. Am looking forward to the movie, but the trailer looks a bit like Buffy-flavoured dodginess, no?

IDIOT

Brian McFatHead is a tool. It makes you wonder how he felt about one member of the band that made him a millionaire being gay. Oh, yeah, look, there he is wearing pink. Dumbass.

via Mulley.

Why don't people like The Organ more?

This is something I think about on a daily basis. They have long split up, but they're still one of my favourite bands.

Brother


Love, Love, Love

UnaRocks articles of the day

Ballykissangel river most polluted one in Ireland - Sunday Tribune

Lily Allen blames EMI for album release delay - NME

Are hidden nature cameras making animals crazy? - Slate

The Script's new album is number one in the UK and Ireland - Hotpress

Kate Perry interview - Rolling Stone

Seattle swingers club shut down - Seattle Times

Gay dating site chairman steps down after donating to McCain - Advocate

Nick Zinner's photo exhibition - Fuse Gallery

Most college students have suicidal thoughts - USA Today

The Perfect Vagina

Did anyone watch this documentary on Channel 4 last night? It was pretty good. Myself, Meadzer and RoRoRecession watched it and were talking about it loads afterwards - generally a good sign, given that we were hiding behind the couch while watching Failte Towers.

Lisa Rogers, the presenter, was brilliant; funny, smart, emotionally engaging, perfect. She blogged about it for the Guardian last week.

M.I.A. is back!!

(sorry)

Pantibar on de webternets

I love the new Pantibar website. The design is so simple, but I love it. More bars and clubs should have comprehensive websites.

Panti's thisispopbaby buzz @ the Picnic should be hella fun.

New Uh Huh Her video

'Not A Love Song'



Word to Thai Bang for the headzup

Things wrong with Ireland today

THE THREE Rs

Rain
Recession
Reality TV

RE: Reality TV - Anyone see the final of Failte Towers last night (PS: memo to the contestants, it's FAILTE not FAULTY towers. How bad does a programme have to be when those taking part can't even get the name right?) The judges weren't at all likable for the format, and the entire programme just seemed to be made up of an extended edit of 'best bits'. The presenters were fine, but everything else gets a big X.
The Tribune's Patrick Freyne has a review of it here which is well worth a read, hilarious stuff as usual from Patrick.

RE: Rain - I've recently rediscovered umbrellas. Usually hate carrying them around, but by god, they do work! PS: Anthony, I have your umbrella.

RE: Recession - I'm broke.

I had a couple of fun days in various parts of Britain over the weekend. Things that happened:

- Sainsbury's vodka is good value at £4 a shoulder

- Tom from Kasabian stole my lighter, but I forgive him because he and his bandmates are lovely, lovely men

- Wales is beautiful, as was the Green Man Festival

- Deep fried haggis = not a good idea

Cake Wrecks

Amazing blog about what happens when cakes get fucked up.

Thanks to Deesies for the heads up.

...

Across the water for work for a couple of days, so blogging will probably be light.

Yo Majesty, Tripod November 4th

Ok, so they are supporting Neon Neon, but it is worth getting there early and catching Yo Majesty alone. Yaysies!

Albums I shall be (or am already) listening to this week

Fight Like Apes
Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion
Model Citizen

Brendan Canning
Something For All Of Us
Arts & Crafts

Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
XL

Conor Oberst
Conor Oberst
Wichita

Roots Manuva
Slime & Reason
Big Dada

Rex The Dog
The Rex The Dog Show
CoOp

Fujiya & Miyagi
Lightbulbs
Fulltime Hobby

Oppenheimer
Take the Whole Midrange and Boost It
Fantastic Plastic

Calexico
Carried To Dust
City Slang

Volcano
Paperwork
The Leaf Label

Pivot
O Soundtrack My Heart
Warp

Minotaur Shock
Amateur Dramatics
4AD

QK+YOM+FRI: ALB LNCH

You're Only Massive and Queen Kong launch their collaborative album 'Dot-Dash' this Friday @ the Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar at 8pm.

The album is fucking brilliant, by the way.

UnaRocks articles of the day

Michael Carrick reveals Man Utd's dressing room music - NME

How the new gymnastics scoring system rewards creativity - Slate

Behind the Killers new album - Rolling Stone

Boy starved for not saying 'Amen' - CBS

Clinical trials test potential of hallucinogenic drugs to help patients with terminal illnesses - Guardian

How to tap a phone line - Wired

cool new video from Sickboy

'Silence In Conversation'


(saw this via the Jazz)

Ledgebag*

Seriously, how amazing is Phelps? Unfuckingbelievable.

Although this article about the type of pool being used in Beijing, which is contributing to all of the swimming records being broken makes for interesting reading.

*TM Nialler9

Mystery Jets cancelled

From Pod:

We regrettably announce that Mystery Jets have to cancel their CrawDaddy show this Saturday. A statement from the band states:

"As Blaine continues to recover from ailments on his feet, a reoccurring injury relating to his Spina Bifida – we regret to inform you that the following dates must also be cancelled:

15 Fri Belfast Custom House Square
16 Sat Dublin CrawDaddy

See www.myspace.com/mysteryjets for a full personal statement from Blaine from his hospital bed."

Full refunds will be available from point of purchase. Please check www.pod.ie for further updates on a rescheduled date.

Question: was last summer better or worse than this?

Answer: I don't know fo shizzle (fo drizzle?), but me and Roisin and YoCo were debating this in Hogans last night, after I ate too many olives in Market Bar and YoCo ate too many mini cakes @ the Swatch launch.

I think this summer is better, because I vaguely remember a few weeks of really hot weather back in April and June and at Oxegen. Perhaps this is just a retrospective hallucination. As far as I can recall, last year, it was kind of sunny in April and then pissed rain until September.

Either way, I think you'll agree, the rain is a pain in the fucking swiss.

(photee by Alan Betson)

Fight Like Apes noooz

FLApes will release 'Jake Summers' as their second single on Friday Semptember 19th in the run up to their debut album release 'Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion' (Sept 26th). ’Jake Summers’ will be released on limited edition, electric blue 7” vinyl in a matching hand – stamped bag, CD single and download. The 7” flip is‘Corey Pop’, with ‘Snore Bore Whore’ ( spherical mix ) as the additional track on the CD.

They've got some new Irish dates lined up too:

Dublin Whelans Friday 26th September
Cork Cypress Avenue Saturday 27th September
Galway Roisin Dubh Sunday 28th September
Limerick Dolans ( Upstairs ) Monday 29th September
Waterford Electric Avenue Friday 10th October
Letterkenny GMV Saturday 11th October
Dundalk Spirit Store Sunday 12th October
Mullingar Stables Friday 17th October

The band has also just scored some tasty support slots with Kasabian, playing with them in Carlisle and Newcastle on August 16th and 28th. Further live dates are on their MySpace.

The Parks

I've been banging on about these guys before, yet I never really hear many people talking about them. Chance and a recommendation from Delorentos got me into them first, and now you can download their track 'Nothing Comes From Nothing' by going here. Incidently, the HWCH download chart is such a brilliant way of listening to new tunes from new Irish bands. I love it.

The Parks on MySpace.

Pic by Ciaran McPhotos

I feel like listening to MC Solaar today...

... so I am. He's one of my favourite artist(e)s ever. If you're not familiar, pick up 'Qui Seme le Vent Recolte Le Tempo', 'Prose Combat' or the live album 'La Tour De La Question'

SoundCheck this Thursday: C O D E S

The awesome C O D E S will be DJing @ SoundCheck @ Spy this Thursday.

As usual, it's free in with great tunes, brilliant cocktail promotions (as in two for one!), tasty treats and runs from 7pm - 11pm. Rock. On.

Valencia

Anyway, my reason for going through Heathrow in the first place (see below) was I was coming back from London after coming back from Valencia. Valencia is SO LOVELY. I had such a nice holiday (photees soon). Stayed in a lovely guesthouse (Casa Sibarita, would HIGHLY recommend it) in a tiny village called Rafelguaraf. The people of Rafelguaraf were in the middle of their fiesta celebrating the village's patron saints, which was so cool. There was a brass band that seemed to march endlessly around the village's little streets and squares for three days, processions with giant statues of Mary and of saints and a giant crucifix and amazing traditional clothes - massive embroidered cloaks and dresses and the likes. Also, an AWESOME fireworks display, which was savage.

The nearest town, Xativa, was really cool. It has an amazing castle, which we went to one day, but it was about 40 degrees and I nearly died trying to walk around (#1 reason why I have no tan - it was too hot most afternoons to sit out in the sun. Even in the evening it was still in the high 30s.)

Valencia itself is awesome - great bars, shopping, an amazing giant market and a really cool aquarium. So, am very rested now, despite Heathrow vendetta. Wish I was back on holidays :(

Heathrow: Remove the Stone of Shame. Attach the Stone of Triumph.

Only in Heathrow could a much hyped and promised refurbishment of Terminal(ly ill) 1 be an even bigger fucking cockup than the shitheap it replaced. I have made a sport of raging against West London's concrete bolloxville over the past few years, but more than ever this year (I've made around 20 flights, I'd say back and forth to London in '08, *runs from John Gromley*)

The gulag that you are normally placed in for flights from the UK to Ireland in Terminal 1 has been jazzed around a bit - for the better, one would think, given that that is surely the point with 'improving' something. But nay! How foolish of a mortal air traveller to think such tosh.

Instead of being able to slide out the left hand side of the Terminal check in area into that rather stupid bomb proof wing they make Aer Lingus fly from, you have to go through several shades of unbelievable shit-hassle to now make a 50 minute journey from London to Dublin.

First of all, the Aer Lingus check in staff presume everyone who flies is thicker than the grease on their overpriced on board breakfasts, and tries to prevent people from using those boxxy green machines to check in themselves. WHICH IS WHAT THEY ARE FOR. No, no, instead, there is much examination of printed tickets and reference numbers and all the like, before they insist on checking in for you, as if you are some playschool numbnuts who has never flown before. I denied them this opportunity by doing it myself.

Then, instead of going through the older security area, you are now herded in with international passengers through giant confusing security queues, screamed at by divs in blue woolen vests, and shuffled through a maze of poles and carpet. But this is just the first step of security. At the end of the queue, some weapon forces you to stare at a camera like the terrorist that you are and takes you picture, before you are poked through further (practically with an electronic pitchfork) to the ACTUAL security queue, because that was just a warm up.

You are forced to remove you shoes (which has to be one of the dumbest security rules around. In fact, all this ritual humiliation that passengers have to endure in airports these days surely increases the chance of developing terrorism. I for one would have only been too happy to have blown the fucking place up after all this shite), and as it happened, I was wearing no socks and had to plod barefoot along a filthy floor, while the security staff did their bit to nab those freedom hating terrorists by talking about who they are shagging and whose fringe is nicer.

After this, is the new improved shopping and food bit. Anyone who flies Heathrow to Ireland will know the annoyance of having only a shitty little cafe, WH Smith and mini duty free near their gates. This place instead has an empty chocolate shop and a Dixons, and a Mulberry. Of the three places they have to ear, two were sit down restaurants and one Cafe Nero. Who the fuck wants to sit down to a meal in an airport? Surely most people just want to grab a coffee or a sandwich. So obviously, there was a GIANT queue at the cafe, and the restaurants were deserted. Idiot planners.

Over? Not quite. When you go towards the gate, you have to go through YET ANOTHER security check, - sorry, 'validation' check - with the rudest possible staff, who screamed at an elderly couple in front of me who weren't walking fast enough to the counter for their liking. Terrible stuff.

Then, you think "I wonder what the new Aer Lingus gates are like." Well, get this, when you leave 'validation', you get to the EXACT SAME OLD RIPPED UP SHITSTAINED CARPET TUNNEL that existed before the elaborate and illadvised diversion. You're at the EXACT same starting point you would be if they kept the old Ireland departures section.

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Kraftworkin

My mate J-Wolf has a new blog about all things crafty called Kraftworkin Kitsch. You know you loves it:

Librarians who love cat eyed glasses, once a week a group of Boston ladies get together and craft up loads of goodies. We even cook food. So we decided to start an off-shoot where we could show our work to the masses (er, or....one reader) and maybe promote others to make handmade gifts for one another. There's really nothing better.

So if you like all things nifty crafts, knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, cooking, and heck, where you can buy awesome handmade items and clothes, then Kraftworkin' is for you.

Super Extra Bonus Party: the remix

The Boners are releasing a remix album called 'Appetite for Reconstruction' on October 10th at a partay in ALT. They say:

"We're shittin ourselves delighted to present to you a remix album of our eponymous debut album including remixes from Decal, Deep Burial, The Vinny Club, Ambulance, Prince Kong, and a host of other stylish bastards. We've been listenin to it for a while now, and it's right fookin good, I tell thee!

It will be released as a FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD from www.superextrabonusparty.com, and our myspace in October.

No decent album goes unaccompanied by a mind-bending knees-up, so we're 'avin it fookin laaaaarge in Andrew's Lane Theatre on October 10th.

For a tenner you get:
- An 8 till late line-up comprising of us and 3 or 4 other live acts plus dj sets
- A free cd for the first 300 humans on the door
- A chimp in a spacesuit smoking montecristos

Full line-up will be announced when we feel like it bitches... er, being a couple of weeks that is.

In other boner news, we're still wanking away feverishly on the second album, so stay tuned and as a wise old man called Jon Bon Jovi once said, "Keep the Faith""

And here's me thinking they were going to buy a new kitchen with that Choice Prize cheque.

Fucking ace album cover, too.

best Irish magazine cover this year

Why are people going loola over here? I'm a lifelong ABBA fan, can't wait to pick this up + the free CD is a super extra bonus.

I always think it's hilarious when people go backlashtastic about a new publication / radio station / venue / festival that targets them. Just think, imagine if we didn't have State, then the only music magazine tourists would see in shops upon arriving in Ireland would be Hotpress (I know I go on and on about how rubbish Hotpress is, but really, the only good things about it are this blog and the odd Peter Murphy interview). Do we really hate those coming to our lovely isle that much that we want to make them think we know nothing about music? Do we want to live in a world / country / Easons aisle, where there is only one Irish musical option? And that options smells of dodgy reviews, heavily edited opinion, sensationalist reporting, endless commercial features, favouritism, and letters from people who like luv The Blizzards 4eva? I think not, my friends.

So for all the people who go nutso because State won't review their band, can't get them a girlfriend or declined their offer to commission a 14 page spread on Primus, just imagine, if State didn't exist, it wouldn't be there, innit?

more Sarah Haskins!

Target Women: Birth Control


Obsessed, me?

Yes.

Rihanna for vice prez

Queen Kong & You´re Only Massive @ SoundCheck

Yo! You´re Only Massive and Queen Kong will be rocking SoundCheck tonight at SPY on South William St. 7pm - 11pm, FREE in, two for one cocktails and brilliant tunes.

Enjoy!

Brokeback/bank

Went to see Brokeback Mountain at Somerset House last night in Londing. It was SO LOVELY. Open air, about 600 people, giant cinema screen, great sound, lovely bar (with no queues) and food and free Pimms. Splendid.

Before that it was brokebankcard mountain when I raided American Apparel and also bought some shades and rings and other stuff in Urban Outfitters.

And before that, we went to see Frank Gehry's new summer pavillion design in Hyde Park, which was awesome.

Now I'm eating Maltesers and getting ready to head to Brighton for the final Pride party, and basically make fun of all my homies who are totally hungover from last night. Yaysies!

Off to Spain tomorrow...

Blogiday

Yo. Blogging may be slim over the next week, as I'm running around London, Brighton and Valencia until Monday 11th.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend. Play safe and rock hard.

SoundCheck Fridays starts tonight!

Hi ho. Just in case you missed last night (what were you thinking?) or if you want to come back for more (that's more like it) SoundCheck is on in Spy tonight. It's the first Friday we've done, so, funsies!

It's the same sweet, sweet deal as Thursdays - free in, loads of great cocktail promotions, namely the savage two for one / two for a tenner option, cakes galore, and awesome tunes - indie and beyond. All this kicks off from 7pm to 11pm.

Tonight, myself and Anthony Remedy will be doling out the sounds. After SoundCheck, Headman is on. Should be a good night altogether. See y'all down there, it will be the best way to kick off your bank holiday weekend!

Violens

I've been listening to Violens quite a bit over the last couple of days, simply because I love their echoing 80s drum beats on 'Trance Like Turn', and the whole hippyish sound of all of it. Jorge Elbrecht's vocals sound like they're from thirty years ago. They don't have many (any?) killer tunes, but still an interesting enough diversion.

Incidently, they're supporting MGMT when those boys play the Ambassador on November 3rd. One would imagine a second date on the 4th will be added soon, considering they have the day off and the gig sold out in a quarter of a second.

You can get a Violens track called 'Violent Sensation Descends' on this blog post.

guess the lego album covers

Get all these right, and I'll send you a copy of the new DVD - 'The Swell Season: Live From The Artists Den'. First one to get it right in the comments section wins.