XX Rated Love

Florence and the Machine and The xx have been responsible for two of my favourite albums of the year to date. As such, you can imagine the tidings of JOY that accompanied my discovery of a remix by The xx of Florence and the Machine's version of the Candi Staton classic 'You've Got The Love'.

Remarkably, this track not only lives up to my absurdly high expectations but practically pole-vaults over them. I can say with a considerable degree of certainty that this is one of my favourite tracks of the year.

Feast your ears:



Nice excuse to tinker around in Photoshop too.

Digitalism & Marina Go Green

My cyber-mates at Heineken Music have come up with the goods once again. They've only gone and organised a special gig featuring elecro titans Digitalism with support from blog-favourite Marina & The Diamonds.

The latest in their series of Heinken Green Energy gig takes place in Dinn Rí, Carlow on the 12th of November, the night after Marina's debut Dublin date at The Academy. Yes, Carlow is a little bit out of the way (for people like me, at least) but think how amazing it would be to catch these two rather different but equally brilliant acts in such an intimate venue.

Tickets for Heineken Green Energy gigs are free but you have to 'register your interest' here in order to be in with a chance of winning some. There's also tickets up for grabs for Pete Doherty in Galway at the moment, so be sure to enter if he's your 'bag'.

In other Marina news, Mowgli's Road has been confirmed as her first major release. The song's been floating around for a while but Marina reckons it's been one of the tour favourites and that it'll lend itself to an amazing video. The song is being tweaked for the release but you can hear the original version here:

A Thing of Beauty

I picked up my sister's copy of Limehouse Magazine this afternoon and am now kicking myself that I have been ignorant of this beautiful creation's existence for the past few months.

It's visually stunning and, although the copy is pretty standard, it's superbly edited and contains some wonderfully original ideas. I reckon it's the best Irish free-sheet since 'Mongrel'.

Apparently copies are available from Urban Outfitters so try nab yourself one if you can. If not, the two previous issues can be downloaded from here and I imagine the third one will be available soon.

Stars In Their Eyes

Any Dubliners left with a Fringe-sized cultural void in their lives this week need fret not. The next few days should provide ample opportunity to indulge in arty farty delicacies.

On Friday, Dublin plays host to its annual Culture Night, with late night gallery and museum openings and an array of free events, tours, talks and performances across the capital.

In this week's Le Cool, Jeanette Farrell addresses the mildly offensive suggestion buried in the premise of Culture Night: that for 364 days of the year we carry on like uncultured slobs and then cram our annual fix of high-brow entertainment into a six-hour period on a particular date. However, she rightfully acknowledges that it's impossible to disrepect the event on these grounds because "it's just too lovely."

The full timetable can be seen here and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for unscheduled performances by a kazoo chorus in various locations around the City Centre.

As if that weren't enough excitment for one weekend, Sunday sees D-Light Studios hosting an intriguing one-day indoor arts festival. Stargaze will feature a diversity of artists and entertainers from disclipines including music, fine art, theatre, film, food and fashion.

Contemporary artist Áine Macken, will curate a collection of emerging Irish talents in fields such as sculpture, photography, painting, installation, performance, graffiti and video. Musicians and DJ’s will perform throughout the day and visitors will be invited to dabble in a series of interactive activities, ranging from lessons in origami to salsa dancing.

Two of the pieces from the play I've directed, 'Bash', will be performed. I'm pretty psyched for this because the space is nothing short of amazing and will hopefully suit our performances really well.

The festival runs from 10am to 10pm and, considering just how much is happening, tickets priced at €10 are worthy of Arnotts' Bargain Basement.

The Legend of King Arthur

Unless you've been in isolation for, I don't know, swine flu or something, you're probably aware that today is Arthur's Day and that there are celebrations across the city (and indeed the world) to mark the occasion.

I'm looking forward to raising a pint of the black stuff to Arthur in Spy where there'll be entertainment provided by Oppenheimer, The Infomatics, and some chap named Calvin Harris. I've actually never tasted Guinness before but I figure I might as well give it a go considering the day that's in it.

I appreciate that the whole thing is basically a huge publicity stunt, masterminded by those at Guinness HQ, but I quite like the idea of people all over the world clinking and drinking at 17:59 in honour of something that was conceived at St. James's Gate two and a half centuries ago.

Sláinte!

[Image: Flickr]

Breaking The Spell?

'The Spell' is the first cut to be taken from Alphabeat's second album. I was a big fan of the Danish outfit's last record, which saw them hailed as the acceptable faces of bubblegum pop, but I can't decide where I stand on this new track.

Clever pastiche of nineties disco-pop or just out-dated drivel?



Clearly enjoying their 'Blue Period'. Very sorta Picasso.

This Is Photobomb

Photobombing. We've all been the victim of it and we've all done it. It's about time a website was set up to celebrate the practice.

Surprise Transvestite:

Navy Bomb:

Can Has Bomb:

Amen.

Get Exxcited

London four-piece The xx have announced a Dublin date. They'll be bringing their moody genre-defying lullabies to The Button Factory on December 19th, which should serve as an early Christmas present for obsessive fans like me.

Although responsible for one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year, the band have been criticised by some for failing to recreate the record's magic in a live setting. However, having been blown away by their set at Electric Picnic, I can't wait to catch them again. Anyone else want in?

The xx - Basic Space

And Then They Watched The Sunrise

Because of the hours I was working for this year's Dublin Fringe, I didn't get to see quite as many of the shows I'd like to. As it happened, the only two non-Spiegeltent productions I managed to catch were both by new Dublin-based group TheatreCLUB and, thankfully, they were fairly decent.

Rough, an original play written and directed by Grace Dyas, serves as a meditation on adolescent alienation. Two teenage girls (Roxanna Nic Liam and Aoibhin Garrihy) recount tales of meaningless sex, binge drinking, self-loathing and "sitting at home, reading your Sarah Kane". The play simultaneously acknowledges the futility of the girls' behaviour while capturing the compulsion for them to continue the cycle of self-destruction. I especially like the murky script's subversion of Doireann Coady's girly-girl stage design that featured evening-wear dresses, mirror frames and lingerie.

Dyas is also director of Group Therapy for One. A drastically different experience to Rough, this production involves audience members convening at O' Connell Bridge before catching a bus to protagonist Shane Byrne's Harold's Cross home. Seated in Shane's 'first kitchen', we are privvy to his one-man group therapy session as he tries to identify the reasons behind his inability to work to deadlines or his fears of finding himself forced to make small talk. Shane's sharp humour and some clever devices help prevent the piece from lapsing into trite self-indulgence, and the ending, well, it's just lovely.

Last yeat I somehow managed to catch every dud show in the Fringe but it seems I made better choices. Group Therapy for One wound up having to extend its run, due to the overwhelming demand for tickets (and presumably a lack of objections from Shane's family in relation to surrendering their 'first kitchen' for another evening). Meanwhile, 'Rough' scooped the third annual Fishamble New Writing Award, meaning writer Dyas will receive a €1,000 bursary towards her next script.

As I mentioned before, Dyas will be directing 'Market Research This', a script by fellow hot prospect Shaun Dunne early next year. Keep yizzer eyes peeled for more details.

[Images: Sarah Cramer]

Miike and the Mechanics

If Hype Machine trends are anything to go by, it seems that the music-loving masses are converting to the cult of Miike Snow. And well they should.

With an album as solid as their debut, it's probably a tough process choosing the singles. In this case, they've plumped for 'Black and Blue' and, to accompany its release, they've produced a lovely video:



Niice, guys. Niice.

Stuck On Repeat

Shakira - She Wolf (Villains Remix)



Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension



The Temper Trap - Fader



The Teenagers - Love No (Delorean Remix)



Florence and the Machine - Drumming Song (Jack Beats Remix)



The Big Pink - Dominos



Amanda Blank - Might Like You Better (Anto Remix)



[Image: Pablo Moran Jr]

The Return of Shanghai Nobody

As pop-outfit Sugababes continue to shuffle their line-up iike a premiership football team, they're likely to be hogging some headlines in the red-tops and glossies this week.

One morsel of information that's unlikely to be afforded any coverage is the announcement by former member Siobhan Donaghy that she is returning to music after a two year hiatus.

Donaghy was part of the original Sugababes line-up and performed lead vocals on their breakthrough single 'Overload'. After acrimoniously departing from the group in 2001, Siobhan began to carve out a musical path that was drastically different from that of her former band-mates.

Siobhan's debut solo album 'Revolution in Me' won plaudits from critics but didn't shift many copies, leading her to 'part ways' with her record label. A follow-up album, 'Ghosts', received even more plaudits from critics but fared even less well commercially, resulting in Siobhan being dropped by yet another label.

Despite insisting that she was unlikely to ever make another album, it seems Donaghy has been working on some new music. With acts like Bat For Lashes and Florence and the Machine blazing a trail for alt-pop purveyors right now, maybe Siobhan will be greeted with a less apathetic reaction from the record-buying public. Maybe not.

God knows how long we'll have to wait for the new material to see the light of day but, in the meantime, if you haven't already acquainted yourself with 'Ghosts', I suggest you do so.

Sing Me To Sleep

My favourite show at last year's Dublin Fringe was Cathy Davey's 'Songs That Scare Children (But In A Very Beautiful Way)', which, as well as being a cracking night of entertainment, served as an introduction to the abundant talents of Lisa Hannigan, David Turpin and a young man called Conor O' Brien, who performed 'Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep':



Former lead singer of The Immediate, Conor had been somewhat off the radar since the band split since 2007. However, when his new musical venture, Villagers, was earmarked as ones to watch in various 'tips for 2009' lists by music gurus towards the end of last year, he was nudged back into the limelight.

I was lucky enough to interview Conor earlier this year and, like any good journalist, I did my research and checked out Villagers' 'Hollow Kind' EP. As much as I liked the tracks, I don't think I was fully able to appreciate Villagers' brilliance until catching their live set on the Sunday morning of Electric Picnic a couple of weeks ago.

Now, after seeing Conor perform a pared down acoustic set in the Spiegeltent, almost exactly a year after first seeing him there, I've developed a fully-fledged obsession with the man and his indie-folk balladry.

Villagers are playing a string of Irish dates over the next few weeks and Conor will also be doing a couple of solo shows (details here). I implore you to catch at least one of the gigs and allow Villagers to soothe your soul.

[Image: Enda Doran]

Where To?

I'm officially no longer a student. I have no job. I have mounting debts. For the first time I can remember, I don't know where I'll be or what I'll be doing this time next week. Or the week after. Or the week after that.

And it feels fucking fantastic.

[Image: Getarooman]

Single, Heartless and Wild...

By this stage, I suspect even my grandad has seen the clip of rapper Kanye West storming the stage at the VMA's to declare Beyonce the rightful owner of country star Taylor Swift's award for 'Best Female Video'. I was only vaguely familiar with Swift's work but I think the footage of her standing forlorn on the stage after Kanye says his piece, looking at her award and knowing her big moment had been forever tainted, is slightly heartbreaking.

The reaction to the episode has been nothing short of hysterical, with President Obama being the latest to wade in on the subject. In fairness to Kanye, Beyonce's video was superior and he was somewhat vindicated when she took home the gong for 'Best Overall Video'. Of course, this does not excuse the fact that he is an egotistical, self-righteous eejit but, lighten up y'all. It's just a moon man.

Personally, I hope Taylor, Beyonce and Kanye can come to some sort of resolution after all the hullabaloo and maybe they could even collaborate musically to show that there's no hard feelings? In the meantime, we can make do with this lovely mash-up featuring their collective talents:

Kanye West, Beyonce & Taylor Swift - Single, Heartless & Wild:

Stuck On Repeat

Klaxons - No Diggity (Blackstreet Cover)



Baxter - Proof (Lifelike Remix)



The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition



Boy Crisis - Dressed to Digress



Kid Cudi feat. MGMT and Ratatat - Pursuit of Happiness



Regina Spektor - Dance Anthem of the 80's



The xx - Crystalised



[Image: Logan Jack]

And I Grinned At You Softly, 'Cos I'm A Fuckin' Wildcard...

As I mentioned in the mammoth Electric Picnic post, Marina of 'and the Diamonds' fame has promised to return to these shores in November. A single is due out in October (I have my suspicions it might be 'Mowgli's Road') but, in the meantime, she's tinkering away on her album, 'The Family Jewels'.

To tide us over, we've been treated to a new version of one of my favourite of her tracks, 'The Outsider'. Generally, I remain faithful to the first version of a song I hear but, in this case, I think the tweaking has added an extra dollop of chutzpah to the track:




Heineken Music are the ones reputedly bringing Marina back to the Emeralds in November and they've posted an interview conducted with her at Electric Picnic here.

[Image: Myspace]

Turn Me On With Your Electric Feel...

Knowing that I would most likely be flat broke by the time September rolled around, I got my ticket for Electric Picnic way back in March. I experienced the Picnic for the first time last year and was determined to make it back this year, no matter how circumstances conspired to have me stranded in Dublin.

Unfortunately, because of work, by the time I down to Stradbally and set up for the weekend, I'd managed to miss Lykke Li, The Temper Trap and a few others. There was nobody else I particularly wanted to see, so I spent most of Friday just wandering around and getting my bearings for the weekend.

On Saturday, I kicked things off with The xx. The London four-piece's debut album has already nestled itself among my favourites of this year but I was doubtful of their ability to cut it live after hearing reports that they 'lacked presence' on stage.

While its true that the band essentially stood still for the entirety of the set and banter was kept to a minimum, I really didn't think this detracted from their performance. If anything, cracking jokes and leaping around the stage would have jarred with the tone of their music. The chemistry between vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim was just as apparent as on record and, even if on a superficial level there wasn't much to see, I couldn't pry my eyes from the stage.

Next up was Marina and the Diamonds, who, you may have noticed, I've been ferociously championing on this site. I've forced my obsession with this woman upon everyone and anyone over the past few months so, if she'd failed to deliver, I might have had some explaining to do.

Thankfully a stonking performance from Marina got me off the hook and helped her to win over a number of new fans. Prowling the stage in an outfit she repeatedly warned us could lead to 'camel toe', La Diamond performed a number of tracks likely to feature on her forthcoming debut album, including 'Obsessions', 'I Am Not a Robot' and 'Mowgli's Road'. She seemed a little surprised by the crowd's enthusiasm and promised us 'Emeralds' she'd be back in November for a couple of gigs.

The cancellations of Bat for Lashes an ESG led to a re-shuffle in my Saturday evening schedule but I managed to find some worthy substitutes. I'd be lying if I said my memories of The Whitest Boy Alive and 2 Many DJ's weren't a tad hazy but I remember enjoying both sets.

Klaxons, meanwhile, offered a glimpse of an intriguing change of musical direction. There was a drastic difference between new tracks and the songs from their Mercury-winning debut and they seem to have ditched the 'nu-rave' clothing and glowsticks, even if their hardcore fans at the front didn't seem as willing to let go...

Irish act Villagers kicked off my Sunday morning in a wonderful fashion. Conor O' Brien's new vehicle have been the subject of much hype since emerging last year and it's completely justified. Backed my some fantastic musicians, Conor's soaring voice filled the Crawdaddy tent and lifted spirits during one of the soggiest periods of the weekend.

Next on my hitlist were Simian Mobile Disco, who had the misfortune of preceding Florence and the Machine in the Electric Arena. The duo tried to keep things interesting with some emphatic knob-twiddling and an impressive light show but the set never quite seemed to take off. The fact that the front few rows were made up of hardcore Flo fans, eager to get a good spot, probably didn't help their case.

Having been blown away by Florence and the Machine at Oxegen, my expectations for their set this time around were fairly high. If anything, they raised their game even higher. Flame-haired singer Florence Welsh seems to be growing in confidence at a ferocious rate and she wears it well. Her movement was mesmerising, the set-list was spot on and her vocal delivery was nothing short of roof-raising. I honestly can't remember seeing an audience left so stunned by a performance.

I solved the dilemma of choosing between Royksopp and Passion Pit by catching half of each of their gigs. In some respects, this might have been a mistake because I wound up some distance away from the stage on both occasions. That said, both bands delivered strong sets. Royksopp expertly tailored their material for a live setting and used a combination of clever visuals and props (including a life-sized robot for 'The Girl and The Robot') to elevate their performance.

Passion Pit, meanwhile, overcame technical glitches to deliver a set that was, by all accounts, a drastic improvement on previous gigs they've played on these shores. Singles 'Sleephead' and 'The Reeling' induced mild hysteria in the crowd and Michael Angelekos's bizarre falsetto was fascinating to behold.

The last performance of the weekend I caught was Basement Jaxx, whose hit-heavy back-catalogue helped them provide a cheesy but highly danceable big finish. Their set may not have been one of the memorable of the weekend but at least they were one of the few acts to avoid being swallowed by the Main Stage.

I've heard a few gripes about this year's Picnic being less fun as previous years but, honestly, I think maybe the mucky conditions impeded some people's enjoyment of the weekend. In terms of this year's line-up, the organisers certainly can not be faulted and you can bet your smelly wellies I'll be back for more of the same next year.

[All images: Heineken Music]

Daily Distraction

As if you needed any more.




Learn Something Every Day is a relatively new site, which posts cute one pictorial fact like the above. Might be worth adding to your Google Reader.

Not Only Bulletproof, But Waterproof Apparently

Few music acts in 2009 have proven as divisive as British electro-pop pair La Roux. Some find singer Elly Jackson's voice grating, others reckon her and producer Ben Langmaid's 80's pastiche borders on plagiarism.

Personally, I've really enjoyed their self-titled debut and was pleasantly surprised to discover a musical range that extends beyond the 'screechy-banshee-over-minimalist-electro-backdrop' motif. That's why it's such a pity they've opted for 'I'm Not Your Toy' as the next single

As much as I liked the track when I first heard it, I'm not sure if it's the best choice for release because it sounds so similar to the previous singles. It'll probably be a chart smash but it's unlikely to help them expand their fanbase.



[Image: Last FM]

We Go Boogie, Boogie?

After hearing so many good things about '500 Days of Summer', I'm looking forward to finally getting a chance to see it next week.

I've always been a fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt and recently begun to understand the fuss surrounding Zooey Deschanel but, after seeing this here lovely bonus film, I'm beginning to suspect they may have something between them that adds up to more than the sum of their parts.



[via Who's That Girl?]

Completely Hooked

On Pogo's mash-up videos, that is.

This latest one is great but I'm not sure if anything will quite top 'Alice' but I'm certainly looking forward to his next project - a Winnie the Pooh mash-up.