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  • The Crayon Set: EP Review

    The Crayon SetThe Crayon Set release their debut E.P. on October 12th. The band have just recorded their first album and the E.P. is going to be available for free download as an introduction to the band.

    The four track opens with No. 1 Fan, an uptempo indie pop breath of fresh air, complete with brass section. The sound that the seven piece have captured here is pure indie heaven. The jaggly guitars and female vocal combo, complete with a ‘Ooh ah’ refrain made these ears take notice. I love the line ‘you play guitar like you were waging war’. It’s memorable, catchy, perfect opener.

    ‘I Wanted You’ shows a slightly more tender side to the band. The Crayon Set retain their melodies and backing vocals, which seem to be a signature of the band. Here too, strings and I think oboe are given their time to breath. All the instruments are given space and are beautifully mixed, all held together by the drums and bass line. (more…)

  • Q.I.: The Making of (Brilliance)

    QI Stephen FrySo this was on the telly last weekend, I missed it but caught it on YouTube. Why am I putting a video about the making of Q.I. on the blog? Quite simply, Q.I. is the best television programme that has been made in the history of EVERYTHING, ever. Plus I never want to lose the link!

    The show also features one Mr Stephen Fry, who, if I ever got on Who wants to be a Millionaire’ would be one of my five ‘Phone a friends’

  • Interview: Dan Boeckner of Handsome Furs

    Over the past year, I’ve got to chat to some interesting bands in interesting places. When I managed to catch up with Dan Boeckner from Handsome Furs, he, along with the rest of his touring group were travelling from Tahoe in Nevada to Boise, Idaho.

    Phone coverage in mountains isn’t good though and it took a three phone calls to get things going. When they did, Dan freely chats about touring and being in a band with his wife Alexi Perry. He also reveals his Irish heritage and his memories of Whelans.

    There are a couple of things that automatically come to mind when talking about Handsome Furs, the first is the very noticeable chemistry yourself and Alexia have. It comes across musically and visually. If you weren’t a couple would you still have that visual element?

    ‘I think they only thing that might not happen is that we might not occasionally kiss on stage. I think Alexia and I are both from the same school of performing which is a 100%, un-self aware full body performance. Just speaking for myself, maybe it’s because I grew up listening to The Clash and punk rock and watching videos on Canadian MTV of Iggy Pop and Clash playing and being like ‘That’s how you play music! That’s how you project to people’ I think if we weren’t a couple the energy would still be there, on stage, we might not smooch, occasionally.’

    (more…)

  • Culture Cafe on RTE 2XM: Show 8 Playlist and Podcast: 14/09/2011

    Culture Cafe 8Hard to believe this is the eighth show on 2XM.. Here’s what happened:

    1. DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick: Crossroads (Culture Cafe theme)

    2. White Town: Your Woman (The White Panda remix featuring Dorrough)

    3. Chat with Róise Goan from Absolut Fringe Festival

    4. Patrick Wolf: Time of My Life

    5. Chat with Pat Collins, Wexford Town Clerk about Culture Night

    6. TeaTronik: Home

    7. Chat with Shellah Moloney of 2020 Art Gallery in Cork

    8. The Brilliant Things: Something to Say

    9. Adam Cohen: What Other Guy (Recommended Free Legal Download available from AdamCohen.com)

    10. Culture Cafe event guide with Kevin McCabe

    11. Chat with Lorraine May, TBCT about Culture Night

    12. Givers: Swimmhaus Johannesburg

    13. PJ Harvey: The Words That Maketh Murder

    14. The Chakras: We The People

    15. Chat with Steve from The Koubas

    16. The Koubas: Get Over Yourself

    Also I’ve been asked what music is being used for the Event Guide. It’s The Aftermath and it’s the B Side to their single Lost Possession, it’s a track called Electro Lenza.

    Thanks for listening if you’d like me share something with me for the show mail me nessy @ culturecaferadio.com (Take out the gaps)