After plugging away for a while, things are really starting to happen for Little Green Cars, they’ve just finished a US jaunt and the rejigged ‘The John Wayne’ has garnered radio play cross Ireland and the UK as well as doing a nice session for XFM’s John Kennedy last Wednesday night.
The John Wayne is taken from the yet to be titled debut album which is due for release in 2013 on Glassnote Music/Island Records and has been stuck in my nut all week!
After taking a few days off this week, I thought I’d make a few changes to the blog, how the post are laid out on the homepage and changing the Free Music Category as there were some gems I didn’t cover because I only did it on a Monday.
Anyway to rectify that, I’m starting off today with some free music from Stereophonics. ‘In A Moment’ is dark and broody and I quite like it. It’s taken from the ‘phonics upcoming album ‘Graffiti On The Train’. You can grab it from Stereophonic’s Facebook page or from their website.
Go get your download and while it’s downloading, have a look at the video.
Upstairs in Whelans November 14th 2012
Sometimes a language barrier can be an issue, especially in music but when Honningbarna take to the Whelan’s stage, the fact that they sing in their native Norwegian tongue makes no difference. Honningbarna are a punk rock band from a Christian area in Norway and since winning a Spelleman award, the equivalent of a Norwegian Grammy for their debut album, ‘La alarmane gå’. Since that the band have overcome tragedy, with the death of their drummer, Anders Askildsen Eikås, in January this year.
The energy that the band exude beautifully matches the frantic nature of their music and here upstairs in Whelan’s they are as happy to make the most of the floor space in front of the stage, as that of the stage itself. The band wear the same clothes on stage all the time, a sports top, a boiler suit while front man, Edvard Valberg, sings and plays cello while wearing a schoolboy’s uniform.
Tonight, the band show a little more of a rock than straight up punk sound, helped along by some epic classic guitar licks. The band give every ounce in every song and their enthusiasm for their own music is infectious. Although there’s a small crowd here tonight, it doesn’t matter, every note is being played with urgency. The type of urgency that makes you want to be fifteen again and be in a band.
Honningbarna are fantastic performers, bouncing off each other and easily winning the punters over. The question and response vocal style of the band would obviously work a little better in a language the audience could understand, allowing them to partake. Honningbarna are a politically motivated band and despite the majority of the assembled audience not speaking the language or understanding the lyrics, the belief and passion the band have make up for this, easily. To the right, just in front of the stage, there are a pocket of people, singing every word of every song, giving it welly. Towards the end of the set, Edvard leaves the stage and joins them as they all jump up and down in unison. The group includes Edvard’s Mother and sister, who have joined the band in Ireland. Thumbs up for Mrs Valberg!
The energy and determination this band have is infectious and is a something special to behold. Take note, one of the best live bands I’ve seen.
edit: I put this video on youtube
Pretty full show this week’s so much jammed in there that I didn’t get to play all of Avec Sans’ The Answer, thanks to my guests. Rachel Austin, Preachers Son and Motor Cycle Display Team. Don’t forget to enter the competition for a copy of Captatio Benevolentio.
Here’s what I managed to squeeze into sixty minutes:
1. DJ Flip & Freezemast Slick: Crossroads
2. The Rolling Stones: Doom And Gloom
3. Mark Geary feat Jenna Nicholls: That’s What They All Say
4. Rachel Austin: Appletree
5. Chat with Rachel Austin
6. Rachel Austin: Don’t Call Me
7. Chat with Preachers Son
8. Preachers Son: Come On
9. Motorcycle Display Team: Betweenager
10. Chat with Motorcycle Display Team
11. Motorcycle Display Team: Better Than Sex
12. Motorcycle Display Team: Brickwall
13. Avec Sans: The Answer
Thanks for listening, don’t forget you can listen to the full show again on the RTE Player. The show is broadcast every Wednesday at 1400 GMT and is repeated every Sunday at 2100 GMT. You can also subscribe to the Culture Cafe podcast on iTunes.