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Ash – Neon (Single Review)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, Single Review with tags A-Z Series, Ash, Ash az series, Ash I single, Ash Neon review, ash Neon Reviews, Ash Z-Z series on February 1, 2010 by Tickets There

Sorry for the lack of updates recently folks. Our editor had a nasty fall last Friday but we’re back on track now and just in time for Ash’s latest release, Neon.

We’re up to the latter I now (single 10 in the A – Z Series inc. Return of White Rabbit). So far the series has been pretty terrific. Tracks such as Space Shot, Arcadia, Ichiban, Tracers, Joy Kicks Darkness and ROWR are already classics as far as the fans are concerned and they’ve gone a long way in proving that Ash are a band deserving of any and all attention and praise we the people can pile on them. With another seventeen singles to go over the next year, one has to wonder if there’s any stopping the lads in their quest to prove that bands can – work perfectly well outside the classic album format. Judging by Neon, it’s going to be very hard stopping them for making it work.

Neon is a slightly off beat kind of mesh of sounds heard on the other tracks. Despite the album format disappearing, it’s very obvious that these songs all share a very common tone and structure. I’ve been listening to it since around ten this morning and originally I thought it was one of the weaker tracks like Dead Disciples but nope, proven wrong again. It’s a brilliant track with an oddly catchy chorus. The dark overtones in the verse work so well against the more upbeat direction the chorus takes.

Another winner and it just gets stronger every time you listen to it. Tickets There is back, Ash are back, Ireland get ready…..actually, Ireland, please just don’t slap us for saying something as corny as that.

Click Here to visit Ash-Official.com.

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MySpace Review – Cellar Door

Posted in EP Review, IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Cellar Door, Cellar Door EP, Cellar door ep review, Cellar Door MySpace, Cellar Door reviews on January 22, 2010 by Tickets There

Although three days boozing has made Tickets There a little reluctant to write anything, let alone listen to and review a new band, we’re pressing ahead! There’s a band in Cork that I’m told deserve attention and we felt our EP Review category could use a boost so here it goes.

Cellar Door formed in late 2005 by four lads from Cork. Can’t say for when this EP was released but it was in the last year any who (lads, update your blog or details). There’s just three songs so it’s a nice tidy selection of material.

Opening track, Role Model is a mix of many, many different styles. The tempo of the song is similar to The Killers or Snow Patrol but it’s played with harder edge. The Verse is similar to something the Flaws would write but the chorus is such a restrained burst of Ian Curtis-esqu power. Just as that fades there’s a ripping, shredding awesome guitar solo thrown into the mix. The second half of the track makes much better use of the chorus and leaves you happy enough that these guys have alot to offer.

Warsaw follows and it’s a more Stone Roses-E / darker number. The singer, Dave Barrett’s voice is great. There’s a real low depth that bellows softly over the music adding a great backing all by itself. The songs less upbeat that Role Model and it’s closer to something Snow Patrol would play, especially during the chorus. Role Model had the great chorus, Warsaw has the best verse. The guitars makes another appearance but this time it’s much more toned down and held back and doesn’t contribute have anywhere near the same effect. Not bad but nothing that would get Tickets There excited.

Petter Pot’s finishes things off and this time it’s a ballady number. Some of the lyrics have just been used far too many times before. The music’s nice but bland and it’s just not strong enough to convince us that it’s from the heart.

Overall not bad. Role Model has its moments, Warsaw has its moments and Petter Pot isn’t good enough to be that famous so it won’t annoy you in the long run. Tickets There thinks the singers voice is too good on the first to tracks to waste it on the same singer songwriter effort every other musician in the country writes.

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here!

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Glen Hansard, Jape, Davit Kitt, Andy Irvine & More for HAITI Benefit!

Posted in Music, News with tags Andy Irvine, Glen hansard, glen hansard HAITI, HAITI, HAITI benefits, HAITI concerts, HAITI Jape, HAITI Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, HAITI Whelans, Planxty on January 21, 2010 by Tickets There

A dream lineup for any Irish music fan, brought about by terrible circumstances. There’s three very prominent Haiti benefit Shows coming up in Whelan’s with a whole host of Irelands brightest musical talents. Tickets There favorite Jape, Andy Irvine, Glen Hansard and The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock will join several other bands to raise funds for Concern amongst other relief agencies.

Please Click Here to see Whelan’s Official Website for details about each show and see the full line-ups below.

HAITI BENEFIT:
Whelan’s, Wexford St, Sunday 24th January, Doors 8pm
featuring
GLEN HANSARD (solo)

————————————————————————

Haiti Crisis Benefit Concerts:

Sunday February 14th: Whelan’s 8pm

Andy Irvine (Planxty),
The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock,
Mumblin Deaf Ro,
The Hounds,
Big Monster Love,

Wednesday February17th: Whelan’s 8pm

David Kitt,
Jape (solo electronic),
Legion of Two,
Patrick Kelleher,
Goodtime John,

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IRISH NOISE! – Raging Conflict (MySpace)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags irish heavy metal, irish Thrash metal, Raging Conflict, Raging Conflict album, Raging Conflict ep, Raging Conflict people of the lie, Raging Conflict review on January 21, 2010 by Tickets There

I’ve been listening to these guys on and off for a good two years now but I’ve never gotten a chance to give them a review or even see them live so here goes, at last.

Although the Irish Thrash metal scene is quite small, there are some fine acts. Groups like Mass Extinction (Our personal favorites. So good we even got off our arses, went into town and bought their EP), Gama Bomb (Who we’ve just reviewed) and these lads here, Raging Conflict. Unfortunately, due to places like The Voodoo Lounge closing, many of our local acts have no outlet in this country to display themselves. They end up having to head over to Europe or the US to get any sort of recognition, but they keep going.

Whatever the indie bands moan about in terms of sales and gigs, the Thrash lads have it eighty times worse but it fuels their determination, aggression and power making their songs sharper, heavier and more authentic. At the end of the day, Thrash Metal represent s part of California twenty years ago and making that relevant now in this country (Departed – Jack Nicholson voice) is no easy task, especially considering how rigid the guidelines of ‘what constitutes Thrash’ can be.

Opening song Attrition is so densely heavy and aggressive you’d swear it was Slayer covering Black Flag. There’s little catchiness, no melody and not a harmony in sight except the occasional input from the devil. The solo’s are unforgiving in their attack and the guitars form a steel cordon around the rampaging drums and vocals. Bring on the onslaught!

From the word go, second track Lost Generation seems pretty intent on letting you know Raging Conflict are more than capable of playing faster, heavier and angrier. Ah, just had to sit back and soak that one in. The drums at the end sound like they’re about to explode and if they go, you’re going to! Imagine being in sky, in the middle of a thunder storm with a giant demon smashing its fist on you. Suppose you could call that heavy Metal!

Finally we come to our last song, People of the Lie and despite its rather silly title, it’s one of the strongest Thrash metal songs you’ll hear coming out of this country any time soon. The chorus is perfect uppercut, duck and cover styled metal with a sudden bellowing change in the unstoppable riff war machine.

Another band you need to check out. Ireland has alot of heavy metal fans (well, at least we have alot of those little bitchy Emo kids) and they need to realize we also have alot of great heavy metal bands. Don’t just wait for Metallica to play for two hours once a year, go and find some fresh, young original talent near you and encourage them to play. Better than waiting for a bunch of fifty year olds who don’t even have the hair to bang anymore!

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here!

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IRISH NOISE! – Gama Bomb (MySpace)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Gama Bomb, Gama Bomb free album, Gama Bomb MySpace, Gama Bomb reviews, Gama Bomb thrash metal on January 21, 2010 by Tickets There

Irish thrash metaler’s Gama Bomb’s name has been flying around for awhile. Tickets There first heard them on the great Irish Thrash Search of 08 along with acts like Mass Extinction, Slave Zero, Municipal Waste and, surprisingly enough, many others. At first we opted to get behind mass Extinction (they’ll have fun with that comment in Bruxelles TT – Ed) but now we’re ready to give the boys their well deserved chance on the TT plains, especially after being inundated with those updates about them on Blabbermouth.

Opening song Slam Anthem is a relentless monster of a track. The riffs, the solo’s, the drums, the screams and the non-stop beating it dishes out are more than enough justification for this country have its own thrash scene. Lyrically it isn’t as powerful as classic era thrash but musically it’s flawless. The styles use bounce from Metallica’s earlier, Kill Em All material to Testament and even Judas Priest. Tickets There likes this.

Skeletron is another monster of a track. The rampaging assault of the guitars is a brutal smack of pure adrenaline. The vocals are much sharper here than the previous track and overall structure is just more complex and layered with guitars rammed into every available orifice in sight. Savage, brutal, sweet!

Final track, New Eliminators of Atlantis BC is back to the same style we heard on Slam Anthem. Overall the style of all the songs is pretty much formula but if Slam Anthem is the best overall track, Skeletron has the best guitars then this one has the best chorus. A stomping beater of a chorus that actually conjures up the power most power/thrash metal groups aim for but rarely reach. A fine effort worthy of the Priest themselves.

Well short n sweet I say. As Thrash goes these guys are pretty good. The music is stellar, the singer…well, you warm up to his style pretty quickly. The only major thing Tickets There found lacking was those dark, solid stand alone riff and drum moments that give the songs pits of power than get unleashed in very small, furious bursts. In all fairness, These songs are simply ‘too busy’ to give that impending feeling of the apocalypse but after hearing them, Tickets There will be downloading their album to see what lies ahead.

Excellent band, highly recommended.

Click Here to see their MySpace and to Download their album For Free!

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MySpace Review – Nakatomi Towers

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Nakatomi Towers, Nakatomi Towers ep, Nakatomi Towers Myspace, Nakatomi Towers reviews on January 20, 2010 by Tickets There

We’ve had Country, we’ve had dance, we’ve had Rock, Metal, Indie, Punk, Instrumental and now we need some Electronica. Every now and again Tickets There will make a note of bands we’ve heard and liked while prowling through MySpace Profiles but only ones that either didn’t have enough songs to review or just had demo’s, live recordings or previews rather than final recordings. One such band was Naktomi Towers and hearing them now makes us very happy we didn’t press ahead and write up their review for the sake of it.

As usual we’ve never seen them live or heard their album.

Belfast seems to be bursting with some very interesting acts at the moment. We’ve been coming across a fair few of them recently but rather than name them out, we’ll leave you to go and read the other reviews and give us hits. That’s right, it’s all about us and our needs. We’re not very giving music fans.

Anyways back to the point, Nakatomi Towers are a two piece (self described) Indie / Electro / Pop group and all we can say is, they do it well. For one of the first time in our lives, we’re conflicted over which version of first song, Cut Me Out we like most. The original is poppy, upbeat and catchy as hell. The remix is full on dance, break beats and any other dance review cliché you’ve seen on Tickets There before. One great song, two great versions. Tickets There is hooked and Nakatomi Towers, you shall pass.

Second track, Magnetic is less poppy and the dance aspect is toned down. The harmonies during the chorus are well done and overall the song’s quite pleasant but nothing to drive Tickets There over the wall with excitement and it’s certainly not on par with Cut Me Out. Still though, for a band that only formed last June, they’re not doing too badly so far.

What You See brings us to an end of the normal cuts on their MySpace. It’s very relaxed and disconnected. There’s a constant beat going through that song that doesn’t let it drift off as much as the Magnetic and it keeps the chilled out, mellow vive buzz. It also doesn’t follow any strict structure and manages to evolve and change as it progresses. Very nice song, even if you’re not a dance fan it’s worth checking out.

Final track Strait Laces (Seconds Out Remix) is annoying and that’s all I have to say about that right now.

Well, not too bad overall. We’ll need to wait until we hear the album before making the final decision but What You Say and Cut Me Out are very decent tracks and they grew on us very quickly. There’s a very nice, gentle upbeatness about the band and hopefully the fruits of their labors will turn out to be gems in the near future.

Click Here to visit their MySpace!

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BREAKING NEWS: PHANTOM-FM FIRST FRIDAY RETURNS!

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, News with tags Doris, Phantom FM, Phantom FM First Friday, Phantom FM First Friday 2010, Phantom FM Oliver Cole, Phantom FM Ollie Cole, Phantomfm, Phantomfm Myspace, The Red Labels, Zealots on January 20, 2010 by Tickets There

Well, they announced it a week or two ago so I’m not sure how BREAKING it is but hell, caught your attention didn’t it.

Anyways, Phantom First Friday will return to The Academy on February 4^th. Headlining the event will be legendary Turn front man, Oliver Cole who’s debut solo album is excepted to come out later this year,

Also on the night you’ll see sets from The Red Labels, Doris and Zealots.

Doors open and eight and It’s free in before 22:00 (that’s 10pm for all you non-military folks out there and Ten in the morning for all the smokers).

We’ll see ye there!

Click Here to see Phantomfm.ie

See more News / Reviews about Oliver Cole by Clicking Here

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MySpace Review – The Whiskey Limbs

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Bruce Springsteen, Irish music, The Waterboys, The Whiskey Limbs, The Whiskey Limbs ep The Whiskey Limbs album, The Whiskey Limbs myspace, The Whiskey Limbs reviews, U2 on January 20, 2010 by Tickets There

Resisting the temptations of listening to Megadeth, we’ve decided to find another of Ireland’s underground unsung heroes instead. The list is beginning to run dry so we’re hoping a few kind folks and bands out there will get in touch and point us in the right direction. In case you think Tickets There is always about the guitars, the glitz n glamour, the swagger and adrenaline of rock n roll, we’re here to prove you wrong. Tickets There likes all good music…except Ska, we hate Ska. What a totally useless genre exploited by people who can’t get over their Police obsessions.

Over the last week we’ve had reviews about Hardcore Punk, Dance, Instrumental Heavy metal, psychedelic rock and now we’re turning our focus on country! Dublin five piece, The Whiskey Limbs have been keeping us entertained for the last couple of hours so it’s high time we start this mother, jJust incase our Megadeth inclination returns (can you say that? – Ed).

As usual we’ve never seen the, live or heard their EP/Album.

Eight songs!! MySpace Reviews or always harder to do on the spot when there’s that many tracks but it also gives you a much better idea of what the band is capable of. First track, Dancing on the Fuse is like a mesh of The Waterboys, Bruce Springsteen/E Street Band and Damien Dempsey. It’s got the country, it’s got that blues/rock tempo all topped off nicely with a hint of home brewed country n folk. The chorus, like almost all the songs here, is infectiously catchy. There’s nothing I don’t like about this tune and as first impressions go, this ain’t a bad way to start. Damn this doggy dance floor, damn these heavy shoes, Damn the Smashing Pumpkins for releasing that piece of shit single yesterday!

Second track Pretty Jane is very similar in styles but just as enjoyable and makes good use of their guitar player towards the end. Third track Meantime, sees the first real departure into a more serious, stripped back track. Colm Davis’s vocals at times give hints of a ‘put on’ effort but every time your mind slips in that direction, he pulls you right back and his delivery just improves on every listen. Backing vocalist Amy Frayne manages to make more of a mark on this number aswell and her harmonies add real depth and soul to the music. Another winner.

Dead Man’s Dream brings the rockier element to the forefront again. It’s upbeat, catchy and as an added bonus, has the best guitar solo we’ve heard so far. The following track, Dare brings things back to the relaxed feeling we heard on Meantime.

Love Song brings is to the second last track of the review. At first it gives the impression of a very slow, very romantic piece before revving up into a full on Celtic country assault. Colms’ vocals suddenly switch to a much harder Irish style and it really works. Love Song is possibly the most upbeat and enjoyable song in the playlist while final song, Half Way Girl is possibly the most bland. It’s a tired style heard too many times in your life. It’s still played well but there isn’t the same energy about it as there is in the others.

Overall, great stuff. This is an album/EP worth buying for anyone looking for a change from the ever growing instrumental / metal / techno / singer song writer acts out there. Tickets There will be watching these guys from now on.

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here.

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The Smashing Pumpkins – Widow Make My Mind (Single Review)

Posted in Music, Single Review with tags Smashing Pumpkins, Smashing Pumpkins new single, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Smashing Pumpkins Widow Make My Mind, The Smashing Pumpkins Widow Make My Mind reviews, The Smashing Pumpkins Widow Make My Mind single on January 20, 2010 by Tickets There

In the year 1555 AD, the poet Dante Alighieri’s defining contribution to the literary world was released. The Divine Comedy told a story of Dante traveling through the seven circles of Hell before passing through Purgatory and eventually moving onto Heaven to culminate in a meeting with God. The poem is, for lack of a better word, amazing. The visions, imagery and complexity are astonishing and it gives mankind a window into the mindset of medieval religious beliefs and fears. However it seems Dante forgot or declined to mention one of Hell’s most torturous elements, a ‘song’ titled Widow Make My Mind that has recently been recorded and released by The Smashing Pumpkins.

Yesterday Tickets There had the unpleasant experience of hearing Billy Corgan’s latest efforts and it’s fair to say the Pumpkins are now lost forever. Describing the song would be completely and totally pointless because it’s so devoid of life that the only reason I’m writing this review is because I wanted to post that intro (thought of it in the shower and had a chuckle).

It’s just a pointless, useless, terrible excuse for a song from a man who once fronted one of the most influential and powerful bands in the world. Their last studio album, Zeitgeist was a complete commercial and critical disaster but it seems Corgan is intent on finding out of the Pumpkins can sink any lower and guess what, they have.

Well done Billy. Next time release a solo album instead and let the Pumpkin name retain some shred of its former credibility.

(NOTE: Tickets There refuses to point you in any direction that might let you hear this obnoxious piece of music.)

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MySpace Review – Fighting With Wire

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Fighting With Wire, Fighting With Wire myspace, Fighting With Wire reviews on January 19, 2010 by Tickets There

Has anyone else heard the new Smashing Pumpkins new single? It’s so sickening it’ll make you see the sense in communistic censorship. What a terrible song and Tickets There (like all schizophrenics out there) hates it when a bad song imbeds it’s self so deep under your skin you can’t think of anything else.

To remedy this, TT is going for our third straight MySpace Review and fortunately we found our secret list of acts we’ve found, given a quick go and approved. Today’s choice from the list is (Drum roll – Ed) Fighting With Wire. They’re from Derry and they’ve been around since 2003, so they’ve had plenty of time to prepare for the biggest moments in their lives, their very own Tickets There ™ MySpace Review™®©

As usual, we’ve never seen them live or heard their album…but we’re gonna.

First song, Everyone Needs A Nemesis once again represents the Foo Fighters sound the last band we reviewed (Fingersmith – Ed) had. It jumps between some doggy musical influences but there’s a highly respectable core and the playing is outstanding. The Chorus is so damn perfect it’s hard to flaw it..so we won’t. Absolute belter of a song that we’ve enjoyed for the last twenty minutes. Cannot wait to see what’s next.

Last Love Song has more of a scattered opening. This is another band with another great singer. We have been finding so many of these recently and we’ve only got one question, where the hell have they all been? He’s got that American twinge to a point but the actual power and ability will blow you away. Tickets There is liking these guys.

All For Nothing has a fairly mundane start. The vocals are too in your face and it sounds very like Lit. The others had a little more power which brought them over the edge but this one sounds a little lax. Oh, two minutes in, is that a surprise I hear? Nice riffage before going back into the chorus. And the riffage returns. Not a bad finish and an alright song.

My Armoury starts off with intense guitars. Vocal style completely changes (different singer?). oh, other guys comes back pretty quickly. Probably the best intro of the lot but it goes a little whiney afterwards. The guitars during the chorus are great and the drumming is brutal!…but alas, the song is too watered down with that voice. The ending’s pretty decent but agh, probably our least favorite of the lot.

Final opinion…..some dodgy moments but alot of great ones aswell. If they turned down the American-ness then they’d sound a little more believable. Then again, this wasn’t an issue of the first few tracks so Tickets There will need to hear more before making a final judgment. For now we’re giving the thumbs up.

Go and Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here!

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MySpace Review – Fingersmith

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Fingersmith, Fingersmith JD Set, Fingersmith myspace, Fingersmith reviews, Foo Fighters on January 19, 2010 by Tickets There

After trying a whole heap of acts from this years JD Set (Read Here for More), we were coming to the conclusion that aside from Stone Throwing Youths, everything else was amateur…until we found Fingersmith. Formally known as Silo and hailing from Co. Cork , they just released their debut album (The Annexe) in December and they’re currently working on a follow up EP. Honestly, the name didn’t grab us so they were on the ‘leave till later’ list but we’re hooked. They’ve an almighty band and we need to stop yakking and start praising.

As usual, we’ve never seen them live or heard their album.

After spending the last few days thinking we may have found the best bands in Ireland already, we were wrong (once again). Third song on their playlist, Freakshow is on at the moment so let’s start there. Guitars are brilliant, composition is brilliant, drums, bass and flow are incredible and the singer’s voice, holy god the singer’s voice is inspiring. What a savage, always changing, heavy as hell song. The riff is pretty much unstoppable and the speed is dizzying. What else can you say? We Freakin (NO PUNS! – Ed) love it.

Going back to Sub, things seem a tad slowed down. The first time you hear it you’ll find two words screaming at you. FOO FIGHTERS! There, we said it and it’s out of the way. FF sounding or not, it’s a great track and for all you fans of harder rock, I’m delighted it’s the slowest one they have up. The recording is so tight and layered that it the song continually grows gradually faster and heavier on each chorus/verse. Singers vocals are standout once again and we like it.

Last but not least, Pogo doesn’t waste any time letting you know that things will be a little heavier this time. The riff is infectious and the sudden changes are really enjoyable and make the main riff a little more dangerous. The Chorus is a little…ugh. The words Pogo the Clown will start to get annoying but considering he was a maniac serial killer, we’ll let them have it. In fact (joining the dots TT? – Ed), was that a recording of Pogo at the start? Maybe, Maybe.

Really enjoyed these guys. Very strong musically, very good writers, performers, recording artists and we’re hoping a great live act as well. They’re pretty original but still draw heavily from big sounding hard rock / pop rock which is never a bad thing unless it’s Nickelback. Along with Stone Throwing Youths and House of Dolls, add these guys to your list of albums to buy, gigs to see and bands to worship because in ten years, they’ll be stateside pissing away your money on booze, groupies and …well, they’re Irish so more than likely souvenirs for their mums!

Check out their MySpace Now by Clicking Here.

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MySpace Review – House of Dolls

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags brit pop, Bruce Springsteen, House of Dolls, House of Dolls Before She Walks, House of Dolls Gimme Some Glory, House of Dolls Ireland, House of Dolls MySpace, Humanzi, Joey Rammone, Punk Rock, The Future Kings of Spain, U2 on January 19, 2010 by Tickets There

Dirty, sleazy and good. Three words that sum up Tickets There’s highly professional opinion of House of Dolls. We found these guys days ago but haven’t been able to properly sit down and give them the dedicated focus they deserve from us. Now, with the wind in our hair, the sweat on our brow and a taste of last night’s Guinness on our breath, it’s time.

As usual, we haven’t seen them live or heard their album/EP wot-eva!

Opening tune, Before She Walks is like something straight out of the late eighties Brit alt rock scene. It’s got that relaxed, psychedelic ambiance but enough guitars and up-temo-ness to ensure it doesn’t send you to sleep if you’re having a few puffs. It’s well written, well played and enjoyable. Let the MySpace Review begin!

Second track, Gimme Some Glory is alot sharper. The singer’s voice is great and the band sound right. It’s not the craziest mother f**ker on the planet, but combined with Before She Walks, it’s more than enough reason to pick up their album. Light Starts to Fade begins like a forgotten Joy Division B-Side. The vocals are much rockier, the song’s explosive and filled with overtones of the impending ‘danger’ Tickets There loves so much. One thing we’d like to see changed is the guitar leads. Musically they’re damn good, so why not turn them up a few notches and let them make their mark? This is a demo rather than a real recording but that’s the only thing TT would want to see changed.

Vampire Blues starts like a Bruce Springsteen meets U2 cover from the eighties until the keyboards and guitars come tumbling in. I cannot for the life of me figure out who the vocals remind me of. Feck it, pretty decent song with a great upbeat chorus. Lots of guitars, lots of catchiness, lots of love for House of Dolls from Tickets There.

On Collider, the lads really unleash their hard rock side. It’s faster, bleaker, punk rock stomping down the door making you pogo like a mad man. The guitars rampage through the track, only stopping to let the lead spiral off into a mesh of blues rock tangents. This is the kind of song we like, expect the vocals get pretty annoying about three minutes in. It’s only a demo but they need to be replaced with words or left out altogether (is it the singer or an escaped sheep with delusions of a career in recording? Hell, If Babe can do it, that sheep can do it). Also, there’s too much space in the final minute and a half with nothing to fill the void. If it gets abit of a cleanup, this will be a serious track. So good, Humazi will be kicking themselves they didn’t kill House of Dolls and steal it.

Second last track, Suicidal Jesus starts well. Guitars revving u, drums just waiting for their change to have at it, throbbing bass lines and the crash, yes!! This is what we want to hear. The riff is very similar to the The Sex Pistols version of Stepping Stone but the song is taken in another direction. This is where the vocal styles really sound their best. The verse is a mix of punk, urban rock and more punk. Imagine Joey Rammone signing with Ash (for lack of a better example) and you’ll get there. The day is saved once again and Tickets There is happy.

Finally we come to the last track of their playlist, Prostitutes and it’s probably one of our favorites. The vocals are back to the muffled, gritty styles of Light Starts to Fade and the guitar riff is as rough n ready as anything we’ve heard. In some ways it sounds similar to The Future Kings of Spain but they’ve added a nice punk sound to the mix that works well.

There were a few different tracks up the other day and thankfully they’ve removed the one song we really hated, Slowly Coming Down. What they’ve left is an excellent representation of what could become one of Irelands best rock bands of the decade. They may need to pick up the pace of a few tracks to keep it exciting but for now; they’re more than ok in our books.

Check out their MySpace now by Clicking Here (and welcome to the first review on Tickets There .com)

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www. Tickets There .com

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, News with tags http://www.ticketsthere.com, Tickets There Music Blog, ticketsthere, ticketsthere.com Tickets There! on January 18, 2010 by Tickets There

Howdy folks,

In November 2007, Tickets There was started as a laugh after watching the EyeBrowy Tout Spaced skit. Over the last two years things haven’t changed a whole pile except we’re swearing less and people are reading more. We’ve had a great laugh doing it and we’ve discovered loads of fantastic music which, at the end of the day is the whole point behind this blog. We don’t make money from TT and we don’t want to. We’re not in this for anything other than to find good bands and give them as much exposure as we can.

Today, Tickets There finally has its perfect home and we’re proud to announce that our new address is

www.ticketsthere.com.

Since it cost a kingly sum of over $14 to get this up and running, you can be sure Tickets There will be working overtime to make this a decent blog for you to read, for us to enjoy and most importantly, to give the bands we like a respectable source of feedback. Tickets There aren’t critics, we’re music fans.

Thanks alot for making all this worthwhile and I can promise you this is the last nicey nice post you’ll be seeing on this site for awhile. Now, on with the show!!

Kindest Regards,
Tickets There! (Broke N Bloggin / Irish Noise!)

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MySpace Review – Stone Throwing Youths

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags irish rock, irish rock music, Stone Throwing Youths, Stone Throwing Youths band, Stone Throwing Youths cork, Stone Throwing Youths Dublin, Stone Throwing Youths MySpace, Stone Throwing Youths reviews, Stone Throwing Youths West of Ireland on January 17, 2010 by Tickets There

Hangover is starting to disappear, feeling is returning to skull and Tickets There feels we’re ready to review yet another of Irelands emerging acts. For the next twenty or so reviews, we’re going to focus on unsigned bands competing in this years JD Set. Click Here to read more about that. Anways, ff Jack Daniels and music are involved, we’re betting there’ll be a handful of hard rock acts turning out for the prize. Judging by the opening riff from the first band we’ve checked out, we’re not going to be disappointed.

Haling from…all over Ireland by the looks of things, Stone Throwing Youths seems to be the brain child of two men, Mr. Brian Casey (Vocals, Guitars, Piano – names awful familiar) and Andrew O’Sullivan (drums).

As usual, Tickets There hasn’t seen them live or heard their album / EP

Wow. Opening song Relive Reborn is flat out deadly. It’s got a savage riff. It’s got savage vocals. It’s a hard, bruising monster of a track that smacks you’re head around a little. If any early nineties grunge act had released this, it’d be a classic. Brian’s vocals sound a tad weak at the start but as the song moves on it’s very obvious that his voice is absolutely fantastic. It’s heavy, harsh, powerful and in need of a serious producers attention to release it’s full potential. Tickets There loves this song! Tickets There really loves this song.

Since Long Ago starts a little slower leaving Tickets There to drop it’s excitement and come to terms with the fact that yet again we’d found another band who tease with one belter and then force you to sit through their emotions. That is until about a minute in when the guitars kick off, the chorus turns out to be ballad rock without the cheese and it only gets better. The guitars appear more and more as the song grows darker. A major riff appears, the vocals get gritty and the day is saved. Another one Tickets There loves.

The future’s bright, the futures Too Much Information. Riff, Riff, Riff!! Oh, give this man a Les Paul and make this song explode like it wants to. Deadly, power drive of an opening riff. Dark verse, Marilyn Manson meets Motley Crue style chorus! Retracted speed, bruising power and the daunting off beat drums let the mighty chorus smash through the dizzying void. Vocals are incredible, Jesus, imagine seeing this sh*t live!! Incredible stuff. Aw, must be played many more times at full volume. Where the hell have these guys been!

Yes, Piankiller style drum opening, Stone Roses style guitar and then what? The Pogues covering The Smashing Pumpkins before turning back into the Stone Roses covering Snow Patrol or something? It’s like three deadly bands covering the catchiest band on the planets latest single at the one time in different styles. It’s got the upbeatness of a person suddenly realizing they’re at Woodstock watching Jimi Hendrix. Downside Down, deadly!

That’s it!! Hell, if Tickets There ever get’s any money we’re paying for these guys album, their tour, their merchandise, their houses, cars, commercial sports teams, groupies, reunion press statements, pr and management companies, boats private islands, acting career startup cash, travel and accommodation during guest tv spots, drugs, smokes, booze and court cases. Twelve thumbs up, Nine out of Ten (Their album will get Ten, saving it ya see). Everything a respectable rock fan could want from a group…except a couple of solos.

Go check them out now or stop reading Tickets There!! CLICK HERE to visit their MySpace!

Seriously!

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IRISH NOISE! – The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock (MySpace)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock album, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock Dublin, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock myspace, The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock reviews on January 16, 2010 by Tickets There

Since my upstairs neighbors insist on blaring out their mix of cheesy eighties pop, really loud techno and what ever other shit they find, Tickets There has decided it’s headphones and review time. We’re having a little difficulty typing, reading, forming thoughts, staying coherent and keeping upright today, so please bear with us.

Today’s Irish Noise takes a look at a band that actually sounds Irish (for a change). The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock (ah, they just stuck on Rhythm is a Dancer. No souls!) are a four piece traditional / folk / alt. rock group from Dublin. They’ve got one self titled album in the can and the second TT heard them we were hooked. Their songs are so layered, well written and, well, so different from any other music out there at the moment. As soon as their first song, In Country Dark starts you’ll find your hand moving towards volume control and giving it socks. Imagine Idlewild playing classic bluegrass and you’re on the right track. Great stuff!

Second and final song of their MySpace Player (note to self, buy this album), The Hare is a strange one. It’s more upbeat and faster than In Country Dark and it’s got this vocal swapping thing going on. The lads blend traditional Dublin styles with modern ones. They jump from folk story telling to doom banjo metal.

Ah sorry folks, music upstairs and hangover are driving me mental so we’ll leave it that. All in all a pretty sweet group. It’s nice to hear young Irish people updating our traditional music and making it relevant and appealing to a new generation. They’re on the list of bands Tickets There will be going to see live.

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here

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IRISH NOISE! – And So I Watch You From Afar (MySpace)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags And So I Watch You From Afar, And So I Watch You From Afar choice music award, And So I Watch You From Afar choice music prize, And So I Watch You From Afar Dublin, And So I Watch You From Afar Ireland, And So I Watch You From Afar myspace, And So I Watch You From Afar reviews, ASIWYFA, Choice Music Award, Choice Music Award 2009, Choice Music Award 2010 on January 15, 2010 by Tickets There

On Wednesday, Tickets There took one of our almost daily constitutionals to our local. We’d been listening to I’ll Eat Your Face for almost the whole day and decided to check what the buzz was amongst some other metal loving folks. Surprise, Surprise no one had ever heard of them and one lad is completely convinced I’ve made them up. Wasn’t much of a shock when it turned out none of the, had heard of And So I Watch You From Afar either. One word, disgraceful! Obviously the main reason for their lack of press hasn’t been a lack of talent on the bands side but rather a lack of coverage on Ireland’s sexiest music blog, Tickets There. So it’s time to ratify this!

2009 Choice Music Award Nominees ASIWYFA, are currently one of Irelands brightest shinning hopes for international stardom (what the f**k TT, try not to jinx every band you review. Ass! – Ed) Their self-titled debut was a widely acclaimed by pretty much everyone who came within two feet of it and their live shows are regarded and talked more than any other band on the scene. Along with the likes of I’ll Eat Your Face and Adebisi Shank, they’ve helped shape a very impressive, exciting and unique heavy metal / melodic scene that music fans of this country should be proud of.

So, with all the hype and promotion out of the way, what’s it all about you ask? Well, going through their MySpace player track by track would be a complete waste of time, as it is for almost any instrumental band. They blend a massive range of styles throughout all their songs ensuring not a minute goes by without something new being added. Tracks like Set Guitars to Kill, S is for Salamander, Clench Fists, Grit Teeth…GO! and TheseRIOTSareJUSTtheBEGINNING are brain stomping, ear bleeding metal riffage in all directions. Huge, blazing guitars of fire spewing lashes of landmark solos, belting, bone breaking bridges and some of the most intense jamming’ you’ll hear any band accomplish for many a moon.

They display a much more melodic side on tracks like And The Voiceless, with it’s powerful, overhauling bass lines and Tip of the Hat, Punch In the Face which follows along the path the Red Neck Manifesto set out…before transforming back into their trademark adamantium metal madness.

What more can you say? Four Irish lads making a hell of alot of impressive noise. Love IT! Any more words would just keep you from checking them out when really that’s what you need to do. Go to their MySpace, listen and love.

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here.

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MySpace – Murder Plan

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Murder Plan, Murder Plan band, Murder Plan MySpace, Murder Plan review on January 15, 2010 by Tickets There

After spending a whole night watching Simpson’s, Cannibal Corpse videos, listening to Judas Priest, ASIWYFA, I’ll Eat Your Face, Judas Priest and Massive Attack…ah you got me, like I’d listen to that rubbish. Anyway, after all that, Tickets There has decided and formally decreed it’s time for some reviewing. We had an incredible run of luck recently with the bands we’ve found, ones that have been recommended and ones that have had the balls to ask for a review so why not? Nothing beats listening to good music for the first time.

Tonight’s subjects are Dublin Blues five piece, Murder Plan. They’re about to start recording their first album so it’s just live cuts on their MySpace but what the heck. Tis the season for branching out after all. I’ve had a few listens over the last few weeks and they really grow on you…as long as the first song doesn’t drive you away beforehand.

As usual, we’ve never seen them live or heard their album…although, we’ve given their MySpace a few spins.

First track God Help You at first sounds quite good but I found repetitive listens get on your nerves. Whether the singer wasn’t recorded properly or if she was just having a bad night, the vocals sound far too strained during almost all of the high notes. According to our ‘research’, she has an amazing voice so benefit of the doubt kicks in here. That’s the problem with live recordings, you just can’t fully tell.

Second is Ain’t That The Way and this is much better. The notes are lower and the songs faster, meaning everything is spot on. It’s quite a simple track and it lacks massive character. There’s no big event in the song but it’s catchy and will stick in your head for abit.

Wasdum to Wisdom takes its piano lead from Ain’t That The Way. It’s very similar in sound except this ones a little more on the rock n roll side of blues. The vocals are stronger here than on any of the others we’ve heard so far and they manage to incorporate a few of those classic blues moments. Reaching the high notes at the end of the chorus once again proves to be a challenge but the first guitar solo of all the tracks so far saves things. All’s well and ends well.

Nina’s Waltz is a nice, laid back track that relies more on the vocals than any of the others. Thankfully lead singer, Stephanie O’Keeffe is on the ball. The piano melodies are quite nice and the gentle hints from the guitar add to an overall pleasant ambiance.

Now we get to Tickets There’s personal nominee for their best song, The Dead Tango. More of a jazz feel to the opening than blues, that is until the real smokey blues piano and smooth guitar get laid down. The chorus is haphazard in all the right ways. A cluster of crashing instruments with a fast tempo. At times it sounds like the players are tripping over themselves trying to play as they all work their hardest to come together before falling apart again just before making contact. I like it.

Annesley Bridge on New Years Eve is a song I’d prefer to hear on record. Like God Help You, the vocals are completely off again. Obviously Tickets There isn’t trying to say we could do better but we firmly believe Murder Plan can and will. Music good, upbeat and building. We love building.

So that’s it folks. We wouldn’t flip head over heels but the again, it’s not one of our favorite genres of music….unless there’s a man with a Les Paul and a top hat in the band, missing gigs because of his heroin problem.

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here.

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MySpace Review – Ghundi

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags Ghundi, Ghundi Galway, Ghundi MySpace, Ghundi reviews, Hardcore Punk on January 14, 2010 by Tickets There

On Tuesday, Tickets There was worried about our ability to properly assess dance music. Today, we’re worried that some hardcore punk will shatter our poor, hung-over, sensitive brains. Ya know what, it ain’t too bad. Although our history with Galway’s hardcore bands isn’t the best, we’re determined to fire ahead with this review because Ghundi are pretty sweet…as hardcore goes.

We haven’t seen the band live or heard their album….And honestly, we’re not big fans of the genre but good music is good music no matter what ‘scene’ it belongs to.

Ok, Fake Cures for Fake Threats kicks things off and it’s full on, standardized hardcore. They jump in with no messing around. The songs grand, alot of this hardcore stuff all sounds the same to me. The singer’s voice is pretty good and there are some good lounging bass moments. The guitars are fairly sharp and more metal than normal hardcore. Also, the screams are pretty good. Hmm, not bad.

Next up is I Was A Teenage Suicide Bomber and somewhere during the ‘heavens just a rumor chorus’ Tickets There was ready to bail out. There has to come a point in your life when you utter those fatal words, ‘I’m getting too old for this shit’. But, turns out we’re not. The music is savage (a word I use alot but not half enough). The guitars and drums are full on, belting punk and some of the bridges are just classic. Great riffs and despite the actual lyrics being a little ..cliché, the singer has a great voice. He doesn’t just roar everything all the time, he doesn’t rely on the band to always be there to back him up to make every other line of every verse stand out and it’s just pretty good.

Sanity Clause is more along the traditional Hardcore lines again except this one has a sharper than sharp guitar rumbling away. Anyone remember Female Hercules? Same kind of crunchy sound in this song. It’s energetic again (well, it’ll hardly be a ballad).

The Last Electric Robot opens with a subtle bass line before an almightily heavy guitar bursts in sporadically. The vocals aren’t as strong as the previous numbers until you get into the song. There’s some of that roaring back and forth nonsense that just sounds like someone’s drilling into your brain and it almost completely destroys the end of the song, but they manage to pull things back together at the last moment.

Caught Dead starts off almost exactly where The Last Electric Robot finishes (as does any traditional hardcore track). This is what Tickets There doesn’t like about this music. It just seems to all run together and sound the same. Thankfully, Caught Dead is short and the following tune, Drop the Dead Junkie sees the back running back to what they do best, HEAVY GUITARS and riffs up your ass! Again it’s short but there’s some furiously over the top guitar playing, mental stuff!

Last headache once again sees them going back the traditional Hardcore route. Not bad, pretty fast and full on but ends too abruptly. What about the acoustic melodies? what about the four tier harmonies? what about the mandolin? I guess there’s just no place for old relics like those in today’s music J

Overall, well, surprisingly enough, we thoroughly enjoyed them. One of the better ones we’ve heard from Ireland and well worth ago. If you live in Galway, go see em. They know what they’re doing.

Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here.

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