PlayRewind

The omens are good

I will now demonstrate the fact that I am a master of understatement.

I like the Prodigy.

The above is like saying Keith Richards has dabbled in drugs. So with that in mind think what it means when I say that I am foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the new Prodigy album Invaders Must Die on the 23rd of this month. Having heard a couple of tracks from it I can say all the orally generated foam is worth it. The sounds like Liam has dug out all his old rave records and dropped em in a blender with a gun and several large angry dogs. Omen is the first single and the video captures the mood and menacing energy of the Prodigy.
Yum.

The Gaslight Anthem. The Band Springsteen should have formed.

Are you like me? Do you wonder what would happen if musical greats of  yester-year were starting out today? Would Elton John pass the squeaky clean, pretty boy, white teeth tests needed in order to sing love songs to the masses? Would Bob Dylan’s total lack of ability to hold a note stop the great man reaching the blinding heights he has ascended to in music? What would the greats of rock sound like? Could Alice Cooper survive in today’s shock rock scene?

I have found the answer to at least one of the “what if” questions regarding the greats. If a young Bruce Springsteen started a band today he would be in The Gaslight Anthem. The New Jersey outfit have two albums out, the first (Sink or Swim) sounds like Bruce and Jimmy Eat World hammering out the adrenaline soaked rock. The second (The 59 Sound) is a more polished affair. It still has the blue collar lyrics but Jimmy Eat world have been replaced by a Killers cover Band. It still rocks and the voice of Brian Fallon keeps the raw emotional quality that make this band compulsive listening.

They are bringing their revved up old school rock to the Academy on the 4th March with support on the night by Frank Turner and Polar Bear Club.

Gaslight Myspace

Meteor Awards Nominations

What no D'arcy for DJ? I thought it was some sort of rule he had to be in it.

Best National DJ

Tony Fenton  TodayFM
Dan Hegarty  2fm
Alison Curtis  Today Fm
Dave Fanning  RTE Radio 1
Ray Foley  Todayfm
Rick O’Shea  2fm

Best Regional DJ

Dermot, Dave & Siobhan  Dublin’s98
Keith Cunningham  Red FM
Leigh Doyle  Beat 102.103
The Zoo Crew  Spin South West
Mark Noble  FM104
Jon Richards  Galway Bay FM

Best Irish Band

The Blizzards
Republic of Loose
Fight Like Apes
The Script
Snow Patrol

Best Irish Male

Mick Flannery
Damien Dempsey
Duke Special
David Holmes
Jape (Richard Egan)

Best Irish Female

Enya
Lisa Hannigan
Gemma Hayes
Imelda May
Tara Blaise
Camille O’Sullivan

Best Irish Pop Act

Boyzone
The Blizzards
The Coronas
The Script
Westlife

Best Irish Album

Fight Like Apes Mystery Golden Medallion
Snow Patrol  A Hundred Million Suns
Lisa Hannigan  Sea Sew
Messiah J & The Expert  From the Word Go
The Script  The Script

Best Irish Live Performance

The Coronas
The Blizzards
The Swell Season
Fight Like Apes
Republic of Loose

The Japanese Popstars do Beyonce.

Despite the sexual implications of the title (and the hopes and wishes of the lads probably) The Japanese Popstars have not done the sexy R’n’B queen in the late night drunk “I’ll ride ya” sort of way.

What they have do is a banging remix of Single Ladies. You can find it on their myspace. here
It's a thumper of a choon and is worthy of the boys, which is saying a lot considering their first album We just Are got praised by all and sundry in the dance world. But more importantly I liked it.

Choice MusicPrize shortlist

The 2009 award line up looks like this:

Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion

Mick Flannery - White Lies 

Halfset - Another Way of Being There

Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew

David Holmes - The Holy Pictures

Jape - Ritual

Messiah J & The Expert - From The Word Go 

Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It

R.S.A.G. - Organic Sampler

Now that that has been said I would like to know where the hell are the likes of Autamata, Give A Man A Kick and Adebisi Shank? In any list of creative artists who deserve more lime light than they get these three are no brainers.David Reid co- founder of the whole thing said

“We’re hoping that the key players in Irish radio will stop and take a look at some of the good albums on this list which might not have come to their direct attention until now”.

So why are these guys missing and the Script (who hardly need more exposure) tipped to win the thing?!

That said I am happy to see David Holmes, MJEX and Lisa Hannigan on there so its not all bad. Each act will play live in Vicar Street on March 4th 2009 before the winner gets announced.
The winner will get their grubby paws on 10 grand and a trophy.