Fox Avenue - 18/02/12

After a long wait from the postponed headline November show, Fox Avenue and Jody Has A Hitlist finally made a welcome return to Dublin and Belfast this week. The early matinee show was most likely the reason there wasn't overwhelming liveliness inside the venue of The Academy, Dublin on a cold February day, but that didn't spoil the show for the bands and the audience. With doors opening at 12 noon, I arrived just before 11am, and there were already about 50 to 60 people queuing for the highly in demand place at the barrier.

Broken Glass on Broadway

Starting the show off on a great note were young Irish band Broken Glass on Broadway from Clonmel and Dublin. Considering this was most likely their biggest gig of their short career, the band interacted extremely well with the crowd, and have gained quite a few fans from it. Doing original songs, I think they have a unique sound, as it's nothing quite like anything else in the Irish scene right now.

Kelan; Jody Has A Hitlist

Octane Ok literally had the audience on the floor at one point, and straight away connected with the audience. They put on a great set even if a little repetitive, but sadly it was obvious that the crowd were not here to see them.

Next, Jody Has A Hitlist put on a fantastic live set, beginning with old favourite Nobody's Looking At You, playing the singles from their latest Choose Your Battles EP and older songs. Padraig McAlister, (vocals, guitar) and Kelan O'Reilly (keyboard, vocals) took to the stage with humerous banter that was self called "awkward" at times. The highlight of their hour was Comebacks Aren't Your Thing (I finally heard it live -yes! But it's no Steer Clear - sad face) and the group ended breaking fans hearts (almost) but saying it would be their last Dublin show of the year.

Patrick; Fox Avenue

Even though it was a joint headliner between Jody Has A Hitlist and Fox Avenue, Fox Avenue completely stole the show.

With talk of dead grandma’s and verging on racist comments, you’d think this would make it awkward for the audience. Not for Fox Avenue. Their dedicated fan base know that the boys are only having the banter, and are well known and loved for it.

Dara; Fox Avenue

Playing a brand new song – White Lies – they later showed off their hip hop groove to covers of Hello, Paper Planes by M.I.A, and even teasing the audience by beginning What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction, ending with We Found Love by Rihanna. Ended the show with the big radio hit Tonight.

The guys afterwards were nothing but grateful for everyone staying back to meet them afterwards, thanking everyone individually, with lots of hugs thrown in. I hadn't seen them in almost two years so I was delighted after the day. Definitely worth the wait.

Snow Patrol and Florence and the Machine announce Phoenix Park date

Snow Patrol and Florence and the Machine have confirmed they will play Dublin's Phoenix Park on the 8th of July!


The major concert is the second announcement of the kind, the first being The Stone Roses playing three days previous on the 5th of July as part of their reunion tour. The concerts are a replacement to Oxegen festival being cancelled for this year.


Tickets will go on sale from 8am on Friday 24th February at the price of €59.50.

Kickstart The Season

Kickstart the Season are a Dublin 5 piece, in the middle of releasing a new EP.

The pop-punk band share joint vocals between Ciara Walker and Sean Hodson, giving us a new sound we haven't heard before - in a good way, of course!

Having only formed in the middle of 2011, the band are already up and coming in the Irish scene, and will play their release show in Whelan's on the 16th of February with other favourite Irish acts such as Boy Versus Romeo and Alice Can't Turn Left.

The lead single from their release Take Me Out has strong vocals, with the guitar against it perfectly and leaves listeners wanting more. They are an energetic and simply catchy song, and we can be sure to hear more from them soon!




Make sure to catch their EP Launch show, details here
Expect big things from these guys.
Check out their Facebook page HERE and download the two tracks HERE!

In Elegance EP

When you think of girl fronted rock bands, you think of Paramore, Evanescence, maybe even The Pretty Reckless. Not in this case. Here, In Elegance come into their own. With their newly released 3 track self-titled EP, the Belfast 5-piece have found their own sound, and won’t be giving it up anytime soon.

The vocals are simple, yet powerful, with perfectly fitting guitar sounds and drums for the finished product.

Putting Easier Said Than Done as the opener to this release is perfect, it takes listeners right in to the action, which leads into heavier sound of Burn Bright, Fade Fast which is a completely different sound altogether. As stated before, the vocals on Open Your Eyes are haunting and my, what an addictive song.

The three tracks as a whole have the ability to leave you wanting more, much more.

A brilliant new sound, exactly what we need. I'm glad they don't sound like anyone else and aren't just going down the same route. They are going to be huge. 5/5

Check out their Facebook page HERE and download their EP from HERE!

Kodakid new single and video

Before they set off on their tour for their new single, Shake Skin, Waterford band Kodakid have released the video for it. I had high hopes for this single as The Music & The Mic had already reviewed them before, and let me tell you, my hopes were met. And then some.

The video has a very retro style to it, which fits the song with it's slow rhythmic drum beat, and stand out, heavy bass line. There is definitely a traditional rock 'n' roll feel to this band, and then the vocals come in, keeping with the tempo of the song. And as the song closes, slowly, again with the beat of the drum and quieter vocals, it leaves you wanting more. A simple yet powerful song.




Make sure you check these guys out before they're big.
Check out their Facebook page HERE and the new single will be released as a free download from 9th February HERE!

StayOkay! release new teaser

The boys have released another teaser for their upcoming EP, out in March!

Be excited!

(Note: seriously how do these guys only have 1600 Likes on Facebook?!

You know what to do.. http://facebook.com/stayokay)

StayOkay! release new video and tour dates.

StayOkay! have posted a teaser clip of what to expect from their upcoming EP, out early next year! I for one am excited already.



AND
that's not all..
The boys have announced a mini Irish tour with good friends in Boy Versus Romeo and In Elegance, with very special guests announced at a later date.

Dates are:
10th February - Auntie Annie's, Belfast
11th February - An Cruisin Lan, Cork
12th February - The Good Bits, Dublin
13th February - Kavanagh's, Port Laoise
14th February - Roisin Dubh, Galway

Canterbury announce StayOkay! as support

UK band Canterbury have announced that they will be bringing our good friends StayOkay! on the Irish dates of their upcoming January 2012 tour, kicking off in Dublin's Academy 2 on the 20th of January, and in Belfast's Speakeasy on the 21st.

It'll be a great way to ring in the new year and it's their first shows of what will be a busy 2012 for them!

Also playing are Time Is A Thief.
Tickets priced from €15 including booking fee are on sale now from ticketmaster.ie

Red Hot Chilli Peppers announce date in Croke Park

Having sold out the O2 Arena in a matter of minutes, Red Hot Chilli Peppers have announced they will play Croke Park on June 26th 2012!


The band had a third successive number one album in Ireland with their latest release and tenth album - but first release in five years - I’m With You.


Tickets for what is already being stated as the hottest gig of the year, are priced from €59.50, and will go on sale from www.ticketmaster.ie at 8am, November 4th.

You Me At Six "Sinners Never Sleep" album review

Surrey band You Me At Six have come a long way from their 2008 debut album Take Off Your Colours which established them as the new pop-punkers on the scene. While this album was all about partying, girls and their teenage years, with their second album, Hold Me Down being another slice from this, only having more experience. Now on their third album, Sinners Never Sleep is lust, love and anger. Altogether a stronger, angrier album, this time, wanting to show they are simply just a rock band. This is the end result of the band almost breaking up and constant fights between the members - a grown up album, writing about more important events in life, even though they are barely out of their teens. Leaving mysterious countdown timers and pictures on their website near the news of the album in August, this led to it becoming one of the most anticipated albums of the last few months.
Here's my track-by-track review of their latest offering.


The album opens with the previously released single that everybody knows and loves, Loverboy. It is catchy, full of strong riffs, and of course a chorus full of 'da-da-da's'. Stand out track of the album. Next track is Jaws On The Floor, which shows much change in the lyrics, over the style of song this time around. Lyrics like ‘life’s a bitch but I’m friends with her sister' put with powerful emotion show the change in the band. Bite My Tongue featuring Oli Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon shows an angrier side to the band, and is an all-round thrilling number that gives us an insight to the band from singer Josh Franceschi's viewpoint on the members' hatred of each other. From there on, it ranges into slower songs, something that comes effortlessly to You Me At Six, with This is The First Thing, and No One Does It Better taking a few listens to get into, but then are as addictive as the rest. Little Death has the most catchy, sing along chorus on the album, while Crash is the big ballad, showing the band do acoustic settings perfectly. It is perhaps not as good as earlier efforts (such as Always Attract), yet Franceschi's vocal are as smooth and perfect as ever. The album gets better with another stand out track, Reckless, a bouncy, catchy number with lyrics such as "I'm Mister Reckless with a capital R". This song reminds us of their pop-punk roots, as does Time Is Money, featuring Winston McCall of Parkway drive, showing the band have not forgot where they started. The Dilemma is a simply fantastic song, and a welcome change from older songs. When We Were Younger closes the album, and on a beautiful note too. A 6 minute long song, and keeping with the overall album, it is completely heartfelt and honest from the band.


While the album is so much more grown up, it is still recognisable as the You Me At Six we all know, with fuller vocals, the way guitars and bass work against each other, and the heavy drums. A must have for fans, and will have at least one song that you'll tap your foot to. Hopefully it will be a grower, and it could easily be their best material to date. 7/10

Storyboard are.....

Dublin band Storyboard played their last show today under that name, and have became...
All It's Worth!

Many people thought it would be the end of them, but it's not!
Download their new music here, and some of Storyboard's songs here.

Blink 182 - 'Neighborhoods' review

Comeback albums are always hard to do - trying to please old and new fans and critics alike is a job in itself. With Neighborhoods, Blink 182's first record after 8 years, being the most anticipated album of 2011, the question on everyone's lips is "will the album live up to expectations?" The record was previously set for release in May, but the band took another few months to complete it, and in the meantime rescheduling their UK tour and cancelling headline slots at festivals, angering fans. (But also meaning 2 added Ireland dates for June 2012 - yay!)

Here's my track-by-track review of the album.
Opening with Ghost On The Dancefloor, showing not all tender songs have to be slow or acoustic, and this has all the style we know and love from the band. This leads into Natives, which fans will be relieved to hear this is classic Blink 182. With lyrics such as "maybe I'm better off dead", showing the skill from the band by putting the more depressing song lyrics onto upbeat, poppy songs. These lyrics are all wrong however; Blink's songs are those that you just need in your life.
Next is Up All Night, one of the two songs put online months before the release. Back then, it received a mixed response, and compared to some of the brilliant songs on the album, it is not some their best work. The next single After Midnight follows, showing a slower, more tender side to the band. Heart's All Gone is the other song that was put online, in anticipation for the album, and while it was given a better response, there are also much better songs on this album. Next track is unexpected gem, Wishing Well, a feel-good, catchy song, with many 'la da da's, from Tom Delonge that simply make you want to get up and dance. A personal favourite and one of the best on the album.
Kaleidoscope has a similar sound to others on the album, yet it is still excellent, with more mature, meaningful lyrics. Perfectly leads into This Is Home, another catchy song. MH 4.18.2011 is also a song that is reminiscent of older Blink 182 tracks, but still holds its own. Last but not least, Love Is Dangerous is a perfect song to end the album, gradually getting heavier with soft joint vocals from Delonge and Mark Hoppus.

Overall, the lyrics are extremely well-written, showing a more mature and grown up side, compared to the band who once wrote about fucking a dog, your mom, anything in the earlier years. With joint vocals from guitarist Delonge and bassist Hoppus, the album is still recognisable as Blink 182 (whether that's from Delonge's unique voice, or just the way the guitar, bass and Travis Barker on drums work), but anyone looking for another Dude Ranch or Enema Of The State will be disappointed.
Another problem is the short 10 songs on it, when it could / should have been much longer.

Nevertheless, with an album as constant as this, we can see why it took so long.
And it certainly was worth the wait.

Nirvana - Nevermind

Today, 24th September, marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana's highly influential album, Nevermind!
The album is responsible for making rock mainstream, and influencing many rockstars as we now know them.
Critics and music fans alike call it one of the greatest rock albums of all time - and we can see why.

If you're a fan of music at all and haven't listened to this album, DO IT.

One of the greatest songs of all time...

My Chemical Romance drummer out of band

My Chemical Romance have fired their touring drummer Mike Pedicone, who has been with the band since Bob Bryar departed in March 2010, after he was caught stealing from the band at a show on the Honda Civic Tour with Blink 182, and admitted it to the police. In a statement made on www.mychemicalromance.com/, guitarist Frank Iero wrote:

Hello all,
Some shit happened last night and before the blogosphere gets all crazy with false statements and ridiculous opinions we want the true story to come from us... But please listen close because this is the only time we are ever going to talk about this. The relationship between My Chemical Romance and Michael Pedicone is over. He was caught red handed stealing from the band and confessed to police after our show last night in Auburn, Washington. We are heartbroken and sick to our stomachs over this entire situation. The band has no intention of pressing charges or taking this matter any further than we have to. We just want him out of our lives. The people who play in this band are a family, and family should not take advantage of each other like he did. We are currently moving forward, and hope to have a new drummer in place for our show in Salt Lake City, Utah. The show must go on.
XOMCR

Former The Bled drummer Pedicone later tweeted: "What happened is more complicated than it sounds but I did make a mistake. It was never my intention to hurt this band or all of you." and "It was an error in judgement based on a whole other situation that's way deeper but this does not define me."


Jarrod Alexander (ex-Death By Stereo, The Suicide File) is currently filling in on drums for My Chemical Romance.

"You Got Me" Taking Back Sunday single

Taking Back Sunday haven't actually put out a single for the U.S. yet, but for Ireland, "You Got Me" is being put out, with a special acoustic version of "Sad Saviour" as a b-side. Available now at itunes!


You Got Me is pop-punk at it's best. With it's background "woah-oh's", it makes a perfect single. It's catchy, and at times has a heavier sound, keeping with the album, and a range of vocals from the bridge to the chorus. 
The album overall is very open and honest from the singer, and this is about Lazzara's current wife, Mischa, and her pregnancy. "I was there when you were worried/I was there when you were sick/I was there when you were positive/'This is not happening,'" he sings in the song's second verse.


Definitely one of the best on the album. 9/10