Archive for the IRISH NOISE! Category

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MySpace Review – Stone Throwing Youths

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , , , , , , 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 , , , , 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 , , , , , , , , , , 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 , , , 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 , , , , 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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MySpace Review – Blasterbra

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , on January 13, 2010 by Tickets There

Ah Wednesday, nice. Warmed up this morning with Guns N’ Roses Bad Obsession followed by The Future Kings of Spain Lost and Found, The Delorentos Secret and You Can Make Sound before indulging in a fine selection from The Jimmy Cake’s MySpace. God I love Irish music and now that we’ve woken up, it’s time to point our happy ears to another of Irelands underground acts and give them the biggest break of their life or, the worst flogging they’re ever likely to get. Either way, it’s a MySpace Review.

Today’s choice is Blasterbra. A post-punk / alternative four piece from Co. Galway, Irelands most Beloved County…except Leitrim. They’re releasing their debut EP Soon this Friday and it’s time they went under the hammer….sorry, knife.

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

First up is Inactivist. It’s not a bad tune but it wouldn’t be one of Tickets There choices.  It’s sparsely populated, musically dense and hard to warm up to. We waited until we’d heard everything else before writing about this song and we’re delighted to say it is the weakest link. It’s not the worst song in the world but it doesn’t have the impact it’s trying to have and just remains a little sluggish. So, let’s move on.

The second track, Quiet You has abit more life to it. The vocals during the verse are a tad forced but the chorus is pretty catchy. The music’s also alot more interesting and sounds much stronger than Inactivist. It’s nothing massively original but it’s not bad either. The riff is quite slow but it’s strong enough to keep the momentum going and they don’t drag the song out, the traditional killer of good tunes.

Switchblade Romance is where we find more depth to the bands writing. If some of the heavier instrumental acts in the country had lyrics, this is what it would sound like. The music full on, belting, fire breathing rock/punk and techno all fused together and the vocals are the top notch and it’s short. Great song, more please.

Ah, fourth song, Basement doesn’t keep the same energy going. Its opening is much more stripped back that we’ve heard on any of the other tracks. Not long in we’re reminded there are guitars in the band and things start to fall together a little quicker. There’s a nifty, Guns N Roses-esque guitar solo towards the end and the song evolves into quite a good wee number.

Finally, we get to a song that probably has more meaning these days than normal. A Break in the Weather sounds like the band achieving the down beaten sound they attempted with Inactivist. It’s bleak, it’s heavy it’s good. Imagine The Cranberries covering Sepultura and you’ve got it.

Overall, not too bad (in an upbeat, positive rather than passive tone). Some very good moments and Tickets There would very much like to hear Switchblade Romance and A Break In The Weather live. Thumbs up for now and stick em on the ‘ones to watch’ list. We’d like to wish the band the best of luck with their launch on Friday (@ Freds Zepplins, Co. Cork: 20:00), hope everything goes well.

Check them out at their MySpace by Clicking Here.

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IRISH NOISE! – Sweet Jane: You’re Making This Hard (Single Review)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, Single Review with tags , , , , , on January 12, 2010 by Tickets There

Anyone want a fine, upstanding psychedelic rock track to pass the Tuesday blues? Well how about checking out Sweet Jane’s latest effort, You’re Making This Hard?

For those of you not familiar with the band, Sweet Jane is an alternative rock band from Dublin. Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘everyone in the world is an alternative rock band from Dublin’ but Tickets There can assure you that this lot are many cuts above the rest. They write well, the play well and they’re a major force on the up and coming scene. They blend classic sixties psychedelic guitars n drums with a twist of nineties indie, vintage rock along with a few of their own unique traits for good measure.

There’s something very memorizing about this song. It’s hard to stop listening to it and each play makes the chorus more and more enchanting. It’s both captivating and soulful. The verse is very quiet, very restrained and but the chorus is Velvet Underground-overdrive. It’s repetitive but it works.

Taking up room on the flip side (B-Side TT, don’t be a Muppet – Ed) is a cover of the classic Christmas Carol, Silent Night. Not bad but after hearing this song eighty thousand times during Christmas I can’t go through it again.

As singles go, this is a good un. Check out the bands MySpace by Clicking Here and the video for You’re Making This Hard below.

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MySpace Review – Solar Taxi

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , , , on January 12, 2010 by Tickets There


Recently, Tickets There seems to have turned the MySpace Reviews into an exclusive outlet for Ireland’s rock acts. That’s not the way it’s meant to be so we’re shaking things up (LMAOL – Ed). We’ve got two bands lined up who deserve some positive words. Bring on the Blues but first, bring on the dance.

Realistically, Tuesday morning is not a good time to start listening to dance music…unless you want to hate the band. This morning however, Tickets There is finding the beating tunes from Solar Taxi quite enjoyable. Now, we’re not going to go out of our way to convince we’re the biggest dance fans on the planet. We like some but we dislike / hate the majority of it. As genres go, dance and techno music is probably the worst for attracting horribly mundane acts with as much talent as a broken corkscrew. On the other hand, Irish acts such as LeGalaxie, Jape, Cowboy X, The Vinny Club and many more, are proving everyday that dance music can still be fresh, fun and exciting. I’m sure there’s some decent International dance acts as well but unless they’re called Def Leppard, we don’t care J

Blame Game is first up and it’s a pretty chill-axed, simple number. One thing that will grab you immediately is the quality of the production. It’s quite long for a dance number but it fills out the time well. There’s several well placed changes to keep things going and the song’s structure manages to keep evolving as the number goes on. What more can you say? Pretty decent tune.

CantWont is next and it’s more along the techno lines than Blame Game. There’s more force in the lyrics and it’s a little more interactive with the listener. There’s a nifty guitar soloing along in the background which makes a nice addition. Rather than constantly changing and evolving, this song is more structured and repetitive but this makes for a sweet little dance floor number.  Tickers There is liking it.

Moving swiftly passed the remixes, it’s time for Peachy Peach and yet again we have a change in styles. Instead of dance beats and techno keyboards, we get a full drum kit, a hooky wee bass line and a Sitar of all things. It keeps the upbeat tone of the previous tracks but it’s an indie/rock song through and through. Agh, the bass is sooo crunchy. Check 1 min. and 53 secs. in to see what I mean. The riff is simple, the playing is ni-ce!. Probably the best yet, kind of a pity we’re onto the last track.

Final song, In Your Skin immediately get’s back to the dance styling’s of the first two tracks. Its keyboards, bass and snare beats and  a general half two in the morning, falling around a dark floor covered in sweat, half hour queues at the bar, long stints in the toilets…both toilets, blackouts in taxi’s, bad kebabs and head spinning nostalgia.

Overall, as dance acts go I’d recommend Solar Taxi ahead of the pack. Their upbeat, tight as hell and have at least four tunes worth hearing under their belts. Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here and hear for yourself.

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IRISH NOISE! – Floyd Soul and the Wolf (New Album Track)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , on January 12, 2010 by Tickets There

You may remember a couple of months ago Tickets There getting very excited about a band called Floyd Soul and the Wolf. Well, they’re back. Each ‘full moon’ for the next …gods knows how long, they’ll be uploading a new track for forthcoming album to their MySpace, giving fans a chance to see what they’ve been up to all this time. Fans and nasty Dublin ticket touts posing at music bloggers that is.

The first track up is the sublime, Four More Hours. On first impression the song sounds drastically different from the ones we heard before. Instead of instant riffs, balls to the walls vocals and a beat you could set a clock to, there’s delayed guitars, a slow paced ambiance and a steadily building drum beat. This pushed through the first half of the song as the band delay the big build up but keep things interesting with a chorus that’s guaranteed to stick in your head. Half way though, the familiar sound of sharper muted riffs and a choppy lead chime in, giving the song more depth.

The song never really explodes but then again, it’s not that type of song. If Tickets There were a betting Blog, we’d place a tenner on this being number one in the albums play list and it would suit that number perfectly. Hopefully number two will continue where Four More Hours left of.

As they go, Tickets There recommends. Although we’d be more inclined to favor the harder, Give It A Chance but that’s because we’re silly rock fans. Four More Hours resets a more grown up, mature sound to the bands song writing and it works very well.

Check it out for your self by Clicking Here

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IRISH NOISE! – I’ll Eat Your Face (MySpace Review)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , on January 11, 2010 by Tickets There

Welcome to Tickets There’s latest review series, Irish Noise! Here we’ll be taking a look at some of our favorite underground (or just above) Irish bands and reviewing their latest singles, albums and MySpace players. Unlike the MySpace Reviews series, we won’t be selecting bands we’ve never heard of or seen live and instead, we’ll use this series to keep you up to date about the bands we’ve found and liked while doing the MS Reviews, as well as other long standing favorites of ours.

Today’s choice, I’ll Eat Your Face are one of Cork’s finest instrumental heavy metal acts. We first discovered these guys about a year ago and honestly, we weren’t taken away. Although their playing was superb, Tickets There couldn’t understand why their songs were so short and because of this, we ended up giving a slightly negative review. After months of reading nothing but positive reviews and stories about the guys, we decided they deserved at least one more shot and thankfully, Tickets There finally gets it.

Opening song, I Have a Wolf on My Head is as intense as they come. The opening thirty seconds is filled with blisteringly heavy guitars that growl at your soul, face melting drums and more aggression than you’d find on Jerry Springer. Then, out of nowhere the song briefly slips into this tranquil world of slowed down drums with a repetitive, undistorted guitar riff before once again rising in the form of a doom metal Armageddon styled anthem. It’s kind of hard to believe they can accomplish all that in one minutes and twenty four seconds but they do.

Second track, Dr. Pancake manages takes things up a notch…make that a few notches. Describing this song minute by minute would be a fruitless exercise. Its three minutes of amazing guitar riffs, melodies and shreds from The Boy, all backed by Barrytrons furious thrash metal drum stylings. There’s little room to relax this time and by the time the song ends, your ears will ring and your neck will ache. The sher number of changes alone is enough to make your head spin. Leaving IHAWOMS aside, Dr. Pancake is more than enough proof that I’ll Eat Your Face can not only write a full length song when they want, but they can write one much better than 95% of the metal acts in the country. Probably the best metal song I’ve heard in the last two or three years.

Final song, Irritant is much rawer recording that the others. Fast, dirty metal guitars that rampage unmercilessly in circles around the belting snare and bass drums. Throw in a Jazz moment, some more doom metal and you’ve got the gist.

Hand on heart, Tickets There is sorry for ever doubting this bands ability to do anything. Judging by these three tracks alone, this is an album every single Irish metal fan needs to buy, listen to and love. Well, we’ll be buying one anyway.

Click Here to check out their MySpace.

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ASH Announce April/May U.K. Tour

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, News with tags , , , , , , , , on January 8, 2010 by Tickets There

Downpatrick pop/grunge rock legends Ash, have just announced a spring tour set to begin in Southampton on the 10th of April. Tickets for all shows are priced £15.00 except London which is £16.50. They go on sale next Tuesday, 12th January.

Ash have recently finished a gigantic tour of the U.K. in support of their latest and greatest campaign, The A – Z Single Series. Click Here to Read More

Obviously, Tickets There hugely begrudges the English Ash fans for getting another chance to see the boys in action but all will be well WHEN an Irish date is penned. Check Tickets There for more info….when we have it. Safer to check every hour on the hour jut in case you miss it 😉

Full set of dates are below, Click Here to visit Ash’s official site.

19/04/10 Southampton – University Buy Tickets
20/04/10 Cambridge – Junction Buy Tickets
21/04/10 Norwich – Waterfront Buy Tickets
23/04/10 Birmingham – Irish Centre Buy Tickets
24/04/10 Leeds – Metropolitan University Buy Tickets
25/04/10 Newcastle – O2 Academy Buy Tickets
27/04/10 Glasgow – O2 ABC Buy Tickets
28/04/10 Manchester – Academy 2 Buy Tickets
30/04/10 Bristol – O2 Academy Buy Tickets
01/05/10 Brighton – Concorde 2 Buy Tickets
02/05/10 Oxford – O2 Academy Buy Tickets
04/05/10 London – Electric Ballroom Buy Tickets

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MySpace Review – The Pulpit

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , on January 8, 2010 by Tickets There

Originally we were pretty sure that this new ‘no negative reviews’ policy was going to be a serious hindrance when trying to write MySpace Reviews. We were wrong and rather than spending our time discussing which bands sound like Eunuchs for hundreds of words at a time, we can instead devote our time to discovering the rich musical voices and writers out there….or we can do what we did twice today, ask others to discover them for us. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

A special thanks to The Mighty Atomics (Deadly Band – Click Here), we’ve had the pleasure of listening to The Pulpit all evening. Are they the best band in the world? Maybe, depends what you like.

As usual, we haven’t seen the band live or heard their record.

Political Correctness Gone Mad is first and while Tickets There doesn’t like to discuss any social / political issues (except supporting any and all movements to prevent Radiohead / Kings of Leon / Coldpay and Snow Patrol from recording anymore), we will throw every ounce of our support behind the message in this song. The world is being reduced to a bunch of whinging bitches that hide behind ridiculous, overcomplicated and dilapidating laws and systems that lost sight of their original purpose many, many moons ago. Anyways, enough of that. This is a pretty sweet song. We’re really liking this surfer / sixties sound that a lot of younger bands are coming out with. There’s something very authentic about it. Political Correctness Gone Mad is catchy, it’s short and it’s quirky. I like it, Anto likes it, Tickets There likes it. Next!

Second on the list, Love Denied is a little quieter than PCGM in it’s pace. Same, simplistic structure and the singers voice has that Cathy Davey kind of cuteness that makes you want to listen. Not a whole pile to write. There isn’t any massively drastic points we need to mention other than it’s a nice song and you’ll probably like it. Don’t know if we’d buy it though.

Paula brings our selection of tracks to a close. It’s a lot more upbeat and faster than the other songs. It’s got the standard repetitive riff but it’s a nice skeletal styled one with the occasional meaty bit. The chorus get’s a tad annoying and after a few listens, this would probably be our least favorite. Not terrible, just not the most fantastic thing offered tonight. Also, it’s quite late so TT might be getting cranky.

We’ll leave it there. We enjoyed them and wouldn’t mind seeing them live. Check out their MySpace by Clicking Here to hear more.

TT over and out.

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MySpace Review – A Futurist Theatre

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , , , on January 7, 2010 by Tickets There

Ask and you shall receive. After four frustrating days with no news, f**k all to write about and a feature about a Lego band (of all things!!), we’ve finally been pointed in the right direction. One ‘discreet’ cry for help on Twitter later, the wonderful Naomi Neu (Off Her Rocker / Harmless Noise) has helped us out by bringing A Futurist Theatre to our attention, and we like them.

As usual, we’ve never seen them live or, judging by the length of the first two tracks, spent eighty six hours listening to their record.

It doesn’t take long for Tickets There to realize that opening song, Karenina will need (and deserves) alot more than the usual 1 or 2 listens to get our heads around it. At first it seems a tad drawn out. There’s very little action in the first two minutes and even when the vocals do start to kick in, it has that ‘here’s our answer to Stairway to Heaven feel’. Before long, everything starts to work and you realize it’s been working since the word go. Rather than racing around trying to get you boogying on the dance floor like so many ‘rock’ bands these days, these guys are actually interested in creating a very haunting, unpredictable atmosphere for their music so when it does explode out, it catches you completely unawares.  They blend heavy, pounding moments of head numbing noise with suspended, melon collie melodies before leaving the music to linger silently before remerging heavier and faster, each time brining something new to the flow. The song seems to get shorter and shorter in length with each listen as the brilliance of the writing becomes more and more apparent. Not a bad way to start.

Hammer Must Fall displays a totally different approach. Rather than two minutes of broken melodies, its guitars, guns, a go go. The vocals are sorely lacking in a producers touch. Much of the lines during the verses sound disastrously off course and out of tune, but never fear, our ‘research’ tells us this isn’t an issue during live shows. The chorus is both rousing and strong but just before you decide they’re playing it safe on this one, they throw in an ambient, five minute long jamming session that slowly builds and builds before culmination in an exciting mix of distorted guitars, solo’s and \m/ METAL \m/ drums. The riffage at the end is so naughty it should be arrested. Vice Squad, wagon for four please.

This is generally the point when Tickets There gets nervous. After some exceptionally gratifying moments of music from the first tracks, we generally see things tumble downhill at the half way mark and the start of The Boys Back Home doesn’t help ease the nerves. The music is a cross of the stripped back melodies of Karenina and the up-tempo pace of Hammer Must Fall. As the song progresses there’s little signs of the constant changes shown on the other tracks. Again the vocals need some production magic but they come across alot stronger than on Hammer Must Fall. Four minutes in things pick up but honestly, Tickets There has reached the end of our attention span for this one. We’ll give it another go some other time cause right now, it’s time for Almost Human!

Screaming “the belly of a whale” is an interesting way to start a song but the riff that follows in proof enough that Almost Human has something very exciting in store for you. The vocals sound much more confident but Tickets There’s old Bias against all things Emo/Nu-Metal and general American whining stops us from fully enjoying them. As structure goes, this is the best composed piece the band have on their MySpace….after Karenina obviously. It’s as heavy as Hammer Must Fall, it avoids slipping away into extended trips to jammin’ land and could happily pass it’s self as a sneaky radio favorite. The guitar word at the end is incendiary (sorry, I’ve been waiting to use that ever since I saw that movie :D).

Despite our lack of passion for the vocals, we love them. They are firmly pressed into the ‘must see live list’ and the ‘must buy their album list’. We highly recommend you check them out and give them at least two goes before making your minds up. Also, for any fans of Concerto For Constantine reading, Karenina is a must.

Click here to visit A Futurist Theatres MySpacer

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Ash – Ichiban (Single Review)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, Single Review with tags , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2010 by Tickets There


Happy New Year (once again) all. Now that Tickets There has returned and laid the ground work, the lads over in Ash feel comfortable enough to release the `seventh single of their A – Z series, Ichiban. Of course the pressures and strains of releasing a new single and video every two weeks would be much, much worse on them if Tickets There wasn’t here fighting on the frontiers, getting the words warm and typing randomly without any planning or heed for what we’re saying.

This one will catch you of guard a little. It starts with the grandest intro yet. I’m afraid my knowledge of classical music isn’t something to boast about so I won’t pretend to know if this is something I’ve heard a million times before during Sky Sports soccer coverage or if’s it’s an original composition written by the band that just sounds familiar. Anyways, enough about the intro, it’s brilliant.

After thirty seconds of grandness, magnificence, mandolins, drums and the hopes of a thousand nations, the songs does a complete U-turn and swaps the strings for a choppy rhythm riff and a style that sounds like Ash competing with modern indie groups. Obviously today’s style is rubbing of a little on the Co. Down boys but not so much that they don’t retain their own unique sound and freshness. Rather than full on heaviness, re-hashed grunge efforts or disco beats, Ichiban is wall to wall punk and classic rock!

Many of the singles in this release have sounded very serious, very far reaching but Ichiban is alot more relaxed and there isn’t one bell to be heard. It’s simple, it’s classic and its jam packed with fast guitars, heavy solo’s, harmonies and classic rock n roll swagger worthy of Jagger himself.

Tickets There has listened a few times and we’re more than happy to give it nine thumbs up. It’s far more interesting and addictive than Pripyat and definitely on par with the next single, Space Shot, which Tickets There was full sure would be the best we’d be hearing from the lads for a month or so. Everything’s coming up Millhouse and TT doesn’t want to waste any more Simpson references this early in the year. Go to ASH-OFFICIAL.COM and hear it for yourself. You’ll love it, trust us.

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MySpace Review – Beastmen

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, MySpace Review with tags , , , on January 2, 2010 by Tickets There

Well it’s a New Year and Tickets There is now finally happy enough to proceed with all the changes we hinted at, blogged about, ranted, raved, sang and argued about and so forth. Yes, a new era for Ireland’s self-proclaimed ‘sexiest music blog’, The true semi/part-time champions of the Irish independent music scene and lovers of all things Def Leppard, Tickets There!….and now on with the show.

A couple of years ago, Tickets There were not major fans of instrumental music…and we’re still not. In spite of this, the overwhelming number of impressively impressive instrumental acts this country’s producing is impossible to ignore and acts like The Redneck Manifesto, The Jimmy Cake, ASIWYFA and today’s featured review subjects (Spending a lot of time in the lab TT? – Ed), Beastmen , are quickly turning old fashioned rock singer die hards like Tickets There, into instrumental fans.

As usual, we haven’t seen the band live or heard their album / EP.

In spite of our growing love for this genre, we’re still not entirely sure how to review instrumental act. To us it’s either boring or, it’s deadly, very hard to find the middle ground. Like, what’s the point in mediocre instrumental music?. If it’s the same thing over and over again and the thing isn’t that good to begin with, then it’s crap. However, if the music keeps changing with new elements and changes constantly being added that all sync up and flow well together, then we like it and Beastmen’s first song, Porphyrin does the latter.  It’s a little less evolving that some of the other work we skipped ahead and listened to but as first songs go, the futures bright, the futures instrumental.

Second track, Esos Guapos Cabrones is a heavier number and as all our readers know, the way to Tickets There’s heart is kicking things into overdrive. The opening riff is unsettlingly familiar to the previous songs main riff but the changes start to come a lot faster in this number. The grandness of the guitars during the main riff take their zest from metal giants of the past and the pace reflects this aswell but the addition of rockier sounding guitars constantly racing alongside the overall flow adds some excitement to the music. The synths and techo leanings heard on Porphyrin are all but extinct on this track leaving a more stripped back, appealing sound.

Third and final song, Clatty uses the same riff to build on. Despite this, it manages to sound harder and fresher. The riffs are faster, the pace is increased and the song finally evolves into the monster you wanted from the start. Combined with the other two tracks, Beastmen have provided Tickets There with ten minutes of thrilling changes, riffs, races, heaviness and enjoyment.

Tickets There’s final opinion – Recommended. Go check out their MySpace now and catch a glimpse.

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JAPE: New Material On The Way

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, News with tags , , , on December 31, 2009 by Tickets There


Hi all, this is a story that popped up a couple of weeks ago but only now, when nothing else at all at all is happening in the world, we’ve decided to give it a mention. One of Tickets There’s favorite acts, Jape is apparently working on (or finishing off) some new material. According to a blog post on the bands site, new material will be uploaded soon.

As all Jape fans are fully aware, the singer never seems to stop recording and Tickets There expects that as soon as the new Redneck’s album is done and dusted, we’re going to start hearing g a lot more about Japes latest projects.

As soon as their some meet on the story, Tickets There will be sure to let ye know….three weeks after ye hear it somewhere else. Going to buy some Lego now.

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HY-GIY?: Berkeley – Hope, Prayers and Bubblegum

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, IRISH NOISE!, Music with tags , , , , , on December 22, 2009 by Tickets There

 

With the ridiculous turnover of bands we see in this country every year, some of the finest are often slipping into the ‘hiatus’ status before slipping away from consciousness altogether. Unfortunately, when it comes to the end of the year and people start their ‘Best Of’ lists, many acts that thrilled hundreds and thousands around the country just a few years before are too often left off in favor for the current ‘act de jour’. One such band is Donegal’s very own, Berkeley.

When Tickets There first started getting down and dirty in the Irish music scene alllllll the way back in naught two (2002), Berkeley were one of the most exciting, talented and promising acts going. Their debut album, Hope Prayers and Bubblegum was released the year before and through repeated appearances supporting some of the bigger acts going, TT was hooked. In terms of energy, the band resembled the same style of ferociousness on stage as the Future Kings of Spain and on record, they sounded like a undiscovered grunge act more than deserving of their chance at the big time. Fans of The Pixies, Nirvana and Big Black, will be surprised to learn that Mr. Steve Albini was sent a copy of the bands demo’s for the album and he instantly agreed to produce the album for the guys. What you have is one of the best Irish albums of the last ten years, maybe more.

Kicking things of is the chaotic, stripped back New Heavy, an obvious nod to the songs working title. New Heavy sounds like someone placed a few random mikes around the room and told the band to go mental. Very similar to At The Drive In’s style, the band shred and roar their way through some blistering moments of well composed anger. The changes and riffs are top of their game and the bands onstage rawness couldn’t be captured any better.  Not to let things down, the band jump right back with Follow Through which starts off as a full on guitar monster before the bands sublime side show’s itself and suddenly the raw, aggressive guitars are replaced with polished melodies and soft vocals. Within seconds the song’s transformed again as the guitars go to full distortion and once again we’re back in full swing.

One Way Out is a much more somber affair. The song’s composition is much grander than the first two numbers. The verse is similar to Follow Through but the chorus attempts to reach another, deeper level making the song one of the more serious styled numbers on the record. A great tune but it quickly fades away when you hear the funk fueled bass line opening of Explanations. This is a number that’s alot more radio friendly than the previous numbers and the overall production is much tighter during the heavier moments.

Ah hell, buy this album. Tickets There ain’t to tell you what every single track is like (well…you kind of are when you’re reviewing an album – Ed), where’s the magic in that? We guarantee you that if you’re a fan of At The Drive In, The Mars Volta or uplifting-ish grunge, you should like Berkeley. They write brilliant songs, they play well and they disappeared completely about two years ago. Buy their record, show them you love them and maybe we’ll coheres them into returning one day….I just got  a taste of Guinness from a plastic cup in Whelan’s.

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Ash – Space Shot (Single Review)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, Single Review with tags , , , , , on December 21, 2009 by Tickets There

For those of you who live for consistency, order and symmetry, please do not read on. For the rest of you, Tickets There is jumping the gun. Space Shot isn’t due to be released in the A – Z Series until the end of January but TT decided if the video’s out, the review should be out to. Lot of blogs, E-Zines, indie press heads and publications, like Hotpress and AU trying to steal Tickets There’s title as Irelands sexiest music blog, so we must stay on top J (PUN).

Well Tickets There has been uplifted today. After the disappointing sixth release in the series, Pripyat, we’re delighted to inform you that Ash’s good run hasn’t come to an end. In fact single H – Space Shot, has the potential to be as big as any song they’ve released before. We first heard it at the bands recent show in the Button factory and actually made the mistake of thinking it must have been on some album we never listened too much. We got a cheerful little surprise when the video appeared online a few days ago and, well…we don’t have much to say. It’s not Pink Floyd, its Ash. Just listen and enjoy the perfect pop melodies, the constant uplifting sounds and appreciate that this is just one of hundreds of brilliant pop songs the band have composed over the years.

As we saw on True Love 1980 and Return of White Rabbit, Ash need no guitars to make their blend of catchy, hooky rock…two words I’m really starting to despise when writing these singles. I’ll try and expand the auld vo-cab. as this series goes on. Space Shot is based more around synths, effects and an amazingly catchy chorus. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic but with a fresher sound.

Ash, with this Space Shot you are truly spoiling us. 10/10, Nine Thumbs Up, Love It!

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Ash – Pripyat (Single Review)

Posted in IRISH NOISE!, Music, Single Review with tags , , , , , , , , , on December 21, 2009 by Tickets There


These A – Z singles are becoming very comforting. So far we’ve haven’t had any duds and tracks like Return of White Rabbit and Arcadia have already become firm fan favorites and earned permanent positions on the bands future set-lists. As well as them, we’ve had the excellent Tracers, The Dead Disciples, Joy Kicks Darkness (one of TT’s fav’s) and True Love 1980. All great, catchy, hooky repeat phrase, repeat phrase tracks that stand up well against anything Ash have done before.

Now, we’re moving along nicely into F and a wee track called Pripyat which they’ve released a few days after a big push for their H single, Space Shot so Tickets There is thinking they’re going to start focusing the video’s and marketing for key singles along the way rather than give each one the same attention. In all fairness, Pripat’s a little dull in comparison to Space Shot so Tickets There’s hopes for the next single, G aren’t riding high.

The track has the same grandness that we saw on Joy Kicks Darkens and Tracers but it’s lacking that little push that makes Ash tracks great. There is an overall flow and style used across pretty much every single we’ve heard so far in this series but while the others have all shared common traits, they’ve still managed to maintain a uniqueness that makes them stand out as legitimate singles. Unfortunately for Pripyat, it just seems to go with the motions and settle in the background. If this was a traditional album release, Pripyat would be a B-side at best.

Despite our words, Tickets There has heard Space Shot (as can you at www.ash-official.com) and believe us, there’s more good stuff coming from the lads. Stand by for the review.

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HY-GIY?: Bell X1 – Music in Mouth

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, IRISH NOISE!, Music with tags , , , , , , , on December 14, 2009 by Tickets There

Have to take a break from Guns N’ Roses stories and it’s been too long since I revisited some of the finest albums our local acts have released over the years so let’s turn the spotlight on Kildare’s favorite sons, Bell X1.

I first discovered Bell X1 in March, 2003. I remember the date because it was the month Turn launched their second album, Forward in Vicar Street and they roped in the Bellies as support. I wasn’t overly impressed. I’d heard Neither Am I briefly the year before and hadn’t been too impressed by that either (although Man on Mir will always be amazing). That was my first impression. What made its mark was one of my housemates playing White Water Song nonstop for about two months after the gig and then another housemate constantly playing Alphabet Soup on the guitar every time someone blinked. By September I was turning my favor towards the group and that same month I was back in vicar Street to see Turn only this time they were supporting Bell X1 for their Music in Mouth album launch. Turn were great but admittedly, the night belonged to the headliners despite my love for the Kell’s trio and with that, I was hooked.

A few days later I was back in Sligo and saw a copy of Music in Mouth for sale so I bought it, headed to work thinking I’d some fine listening for the evening. Two minutes later I’d managed to bump into Paul Noonan loading gear out of a truck on O’Connell Street, into a tiny little pub called McGarrigles where the band was playing a show to around a hundred people or less. Bell X1 have been one of Tickets There’s favorite Irish bands ever since our first topsy, turvy year together and just two years after our initial encounter, the band were back in Sligo playing top over 5,000 fans in the Radisson Hotel, once again with Turn as support.

Anyway, that’s our original meeting with the band, now it’s time to discuss the music. Bell X1 have four albums, Neither Am I, Flock, Blue Lights on the Runway and our favorite and the subject of this review, Music In Mouth. I’ve picked this one for three reasons. 1, I’m not a massive fan of Flock and for some reason; I just never got into that much. 2, Neither Am I and Blue Lights On The Runway are great but not as good as MIM and 3, it was the album that got me hooked on the band. The styles on Music In Mouth and the song writing show serious improvements from their debut. The excellent Snakes and Snakes isn’t beloved by all but we like it. It’s a real upbeat, hooky number that displays the band’s talent for wacky yet cohesive musicianship, not to mention their always off the wall lyric choices.

The fantastically catchy Alphabet Soup, with its refined banjo / guitar riffs and its instantly memorable choruses follow and its overdriven, stripped back jumble of instruments after the choruses make this song as enjoyable as it is unique. Taking things back quite a distance, Daybreak presents a much more delicate side of the bands song writing. Not only is it one of the nicest songs on the record, it’s one of the nicest songs the band has ever written and anyone who, like Tickets There, has put this on first thing in the morning will know how good it is to wake up to. Lovely harmonies, lovely playing, lovely flow…and the feedback at the end gives you the final kick you need to wake up.

Off course everyone knows the very famous Eve, The Apple of My Eye. Once again it comes from the softer side of the band. What can you say about this song other than its lovely? You can say it was used during a very (searches for the appropriate PG word)…nice moment during the O.C. which ensures it’ll be a classic for many, many men out there for years to come.  

This puts us right in the ‘album track’ territory of Music in Mouth. Next to You, West of Her Spine and Bound for Boston Hill all make excellent additions to the record but it’s only when the opening notes of Tongue flare up that you realize just how sharp the Bellies song writing really is. Yes they have the knack to write perfectly sublime, enchanting and atmospheric pieces but, they also have a gift for heavy, loud bruising tracks that incorporate all the traits shown on the lighter material but still manage to kick you in the ass. The next track, White Water Song is another very, very good example of this. Chaotic guitars, bucket loads of O.T.T.-ness, Paul’s frenzied lyrics and style and the massive crunching chorus with spiraling guitar driven choruses launch forward gripping the confused first time listeners who were just warming up to the comfort shown on the rest of the album.

In Every SunFlower see’s a return to the land of album tracks but final song, I’ll See Your Heart and Raise You Mine gives the album on of its true highlights. As loveable and gentle as Eve, The Apple of My Eye but less popular making it just that little bit more special.

So that’s it, our review of our favorite Bell X1 record. Have You Got It Yet? No!! Go get it.

(What a corny way to end but I’ll See Your Heart… is still playing so forgive our soppy little words and child like gramm….I mean innocence.

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