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Tune of the Week // Clock Opera – Changeling

Last I heard of Clock Opera was at a gig in Academy 2 in Dublin a couple of years ago. They were touring their album ‘Ways To Forget’. I had seen the band live a few times, including at Camden Crawl Dublin and had interviewed them also. I really liked their sound and they were a really nice bunch of lads. The other thing I remember was at that Academy 2 gig, someone took their beloved jug, used on stage as a percussive instrument. I wonder if they ever got it back.

Being bad, I had originally signed up to their mailing list using an address I now don’t use that much, so I completely missed that the band were back doing their thing after a slight line up change and were hoping to record an album with the help of crowdfunding.

Now that they’ve reached their goal, this week the band posted ‘Changeling’ on their Soundcloud page.

Changeling still has many elements that we can still associate with previous Clock Opera work. Bells literally do ring in change in this track, clever association with lyrics and production use church bells as part of the rhythm section. Guy Connolly’s vocals are tender, almost whispered in points. All elements combine for a perfect first born from the new album.

You can get ‘Changeling’ as a free download by signing up here on ClockOpera.com

The band are on tour in December and are doing a now SOLD OUT show in The Old Blue Last in London. Guess who is really happy they got tickets? Yup me!

LIVE DATES
26th November, The Old Blue Last, London. Free EYOE show.
5th December, Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg. Supporting Maximo Park.
7th December, Kesselhaus, Berlin. Supporting Maximo Park.
9th December, Esselhaus, Cologne. Supporting Maximo Park.
10th December, Backstage Werk, Munich. Supporting Maximo Park.
11th December, Melweg, Amsterdam. Supporting Maximo Park.

Photo of Clock Opera from here

November 8, 2015
The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM // Show 98 // Nov 7 2015

I really enjoyed this week’s show and loved chatting to Greg Holden, he seems like such a nice down to earth guy.

Greg has a really interesting story, things weren’t going great for him and he was about to give up music, when he was asked if he would contribute his song ‘Home’ to an American Idol finale. The artist who sang it, Philip Philips, went on to have the biggest selling American Idol winning song with it, selling an incredible 5 million copies, yup you read that right, FIVE MILLION copies.

I chat to Greg about all that and his latest album ‘Chase The Sun’.

Greg Holden

Here’s what happened:

1. The London Ear Intro
2. Clock Opera: Changeling
3. The Wild Wild: Sing
4. Saint Sister: Madrid
5. Niamh Crowther: Little by Little
6. Pleasure Beach: Go
7. The Academic: Northern Boy
8. Greg Holden: Hold On Tight
9. Chat with Greg Holden (Part 1)
10. Philip Phillips: Home
11. Chat with Greg Holden (Part 2)
12. Greg Holden: Boys in the Street
13. Pumarosa: Priestess

Thanks for listening, The London Ear broadcast on DAB radio, Saorview and outside Ireland you can listen online.You can listen to the show again on the RTE player. REMINDER: The show has a new timeslot, every Saturday at 1300.

Don’t forget to check out the new RTE 2XM website.

The London Ear on RTE 2XM // Show 98 // Nov 7 2015 // Chat with Greg Holden by Nessy on Mixcloud

Photo of Greg from Here

November 7, 2015
Tune of the Week // The 1975 // Love Me

I’ll be honest, the first time I heard this, I was a little confused. Despite loving the band’s debut album, on first listen, ‘Love Me’ left me scratching my head.

‘Love Me’ sounds like David Bowie, a dash of Talking Heads with one cup of INXS and a teaspoon of Duran Duran. The 1975 have always worn the influence of the 1980’s on their sleeves but this really could be a single from 1983/1984.

Dig a little deeper though, and ‘Love Me’ is a social commentary about the ‘celeb culture’ and price of fame and the engagement of the general public in this thing which isn’t really a reality at all.

‘Caught up in fashion, Karcrashian panache and a bag of bash for passion
You’ve got a beautiful face but got nothing to say.
You look famous, let’s be friends and portray we possess something important
And do the things we’d like.

Kinda says it all really. Add a video filmed in 4:3 with the band seemingly a little out of it, surrounded by Elvis, Ed Sheeran and a host of ‘celebs’ and front man Matty Healy making out with a cardboard cut out of Harry Styles, soaked in pink, this beautifully sums up the Material Girl-ness of the lavish lifestyle we perceive the rich and famous to have.

Beautifully clever and a grower of a song which I now can’t get out of my head.

The 1975 photo from here

November 1, 2015
The London Ear on RTÉ 2XM // Show 97 // Oct 31 2015

Today on the show, I had a chance to speak to Connor from Otherkin, who seem to be taking the UK by storm at the moment!

Here’s what happened:

1. The London Ear Intro
2. The 1975: Love Me
3. Mura Masa featuring Shura: Love for that
4. Trick Mist: Tampering Heavy
5. O Emperor: Switchblade
6. Spiritwo: Mesumamim
7. August Wells: Alice, Dear Alice
8. Ports: Gameplay
9. Maverick Sabre: Come Fly Away J Vibe Remix
10. Foxes: Better Love
11. Chat with Conor from Otherkin
12. Otherkin: Feel It
13. HoneyMilk: Psychorocker
13. Novelist: Endz
14. Lethal Bizzle & Stormzy: Dude

Thanks for listening, The London Ear broadcast on DAB radio, Saorview and outside Ireland you can listen online.You can listen to the show again on the RTE player. REMINDER: The show has a new timeslot, every Saturday at 1300.

Don’t forget to check out the new RTE 2XM website.

The London Ear on RTE 2XM // Show 97 // Oct 31 2015 by Nessy on Mixcloud

Otherkin Photo from here

October 31, 2015