W♥M

W♥M203: 29 Love Songs

W♥M203: 29 Love Songs (69 mins) Read More Lush I have mentioned this at various time, I was more of the Britpop-sounding Lush vs their early shoegazing beginning. That doesn't mean I don't occasional enjoy listening to Gala or Spooky … Morrissey In 2000, Morrissey went on tour in support of his ¡Oye Esteban! DVD. Although it wasn't a traditional album release, the DVD itself … Belle & Sebastian Most people would pick If You're Feeling Sinister, but I prefer Arab Strap. B&S can do no wrong, up until Catastrophe Waitress and Life Pursuit, of course. I'm not happy with the "Christian" … The Lucksmiths Fans just discovering the Lucksmiths, good news for you, there is a 'greatest hits' double disc compilation called Cartography For Beginners out now. Track listing were compiled …

Ryan and Vu recorded this special Valentine's Day Podcast on 02/14 (if you subscribe to the podcast, you got it on that date).

In this #203 Episode, clocking in at "69 minutes" of course!, we compile some of our favorite love (and hate) songs.

We also talk a little bit about music news including:

De La Soul gave all their music for FREE on February 14 for 25 hours, in honor of their 25th anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising, which contained their greatest hit "Me Myself And I". The promotion was also to coincide with their upcoming 2014 album called You're Welcome.

Morrissey is riding high on his Autobiography book and has announced a new U.S. tour with songwriter/keyboardist Kristeen Young, and Tom Jones to join Moz in Los Angeles and Sir Cliff Richard in New York.

Morrissey's tour dates:

May 07 San Jose CA Civic Auditorium
May 10 Los Angeles CA Sports Arena
May 13 El Paso TX Plaza Theater
May 14 Albuquerque NM Sunshine Theater
May 16 Salt Lake City UT Kingsbury Hall
May 17 Denver CO Ellie Caulkins
May 19 Lincoln NE Rococo Theatre
May 20 Lawrence KS Liberty Hall
May 22 Dallas TX Majestic Theatre
May 24 Austin TX Austin Music Hall
May 25 Beaumont TX Julie Rogers Theatre
May 27 Memphis TN Orpheum Theatre
May 28 Nashville TN Ryman Auditorium
May 30 St Petersburg FL Mahaffey Theater
May 31 Miami FL Adrienne Arsht Center
June 4 Atlanta GA Cobb Energy Center
June 6 Atlantic City NJ Revel Ovation Hall
June 7 Boston MA Boston Opera House
June 10 Baltimore MD Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
June 13 Chicago IL Civic Opera House
June 14 Flint MI James Whiting Auditorium
June 16 Lewiston NY Artpark Main Stage Theater
June 17 Wilmington DE Grand Opera House
June 19 Hershey PA Hershey Theatre
June 21 New York NY Barclays Center Arena

Joni Mitchel: Blue Warner Bros

Our Love Songs:

Joni Mitchel - A Case of You

The National - Slow Show

Morrissey - Jack the Ripper

The Cure - Love Song

REM - The One I Love

Josh Ritter - Girl in the War

Belle & Sebastian - I Fought in a War

The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs

Ryan Adams - Sylvia Plath"

The Lucksmiths - Smokers in Love

Weezer - Across the Sea

Looper - Impossible Things

Hello Saferide - Long Lost Pen Pal

Don't You Want Me Baby? Virgin

Our Hate Songs:

Human League - Don't You Want Me Baby?

The Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)

Ben Folds Five - Song for the Dumped

Lush - Ciao! (featuring Jarvis Cocker)

Bonus section: catching up on television shows! "Her", Black Mirror, Star Trek: Continues, unused concert ticket stubs, and falling in love with Lazy Line Painter Jane.

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vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

W♥M185: What's in a Name?

W♥M185 (52 mins) Read More Sinead O'Connor I love Sinead O'Connor. Probably not as much as she loves Bob Dylan, but I have been obsessed with her songs for a long time now. A few years ago, she released How About I Be Me (and You Be You) .…

The legendary Ryan is back on W♥M Radio! We recorded a special "tech-talk" section, but I will have to save it for a future non-music podcast.

Up for topics:

What's in a name? (courtesy of www.nme.com)

Fleet Foxes was first called Pineapple, but they had to change the name since there was another local band going by Pineapple.

Elastica originally called themselves Onk and Vaseline (but they had to change it when The Vaselines threatened them legally). So in 1993, they became Elastica.

Radiohead was called On A Friday in 1995 because that's when they met to rehearse.

Oasis originally named themselves after a Beatles song called "The Rain", so the band name was Rain.

Blur was called Seymour

Coldplay originally started as Pectoralz, and then changed their name to Starfish.

Pink Floyd had several names: Sigma 6, The Meggadeaths, The (Screaming) Abdabs (or Architectural Abdabs), Leonard's Lodgers, The Spectrum Five and The Tea Set.

The Detour became The Who in February 1964... then that summer they changed their name to The High Numbers. When that didn't take off, they changed their name back to The Who.

Bjork was in several bands before going solo: Spit and Snot, Sugarcubes, and Gling-Gló,

SINEAD O'CONNOR
O'Connor will be in America to do a series of residency dates in November 2013. Originally the tour was to take place in 2011, but that was quietly canceled due to various personal reasons. See complete tour dates on our previous article.

FATHER JOHN MISTY
Ryan's last gig was for Father John Misty (you can read more about him here). Seems like FJM will be returning to life on the road later this year:

08/24/13 Monterey, CA Monterey Co. Fairgrounds
10/06/13 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
10/07/13 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
10/08/13 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
10/11/13 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
10/12/13 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
10/13/13 Madison, WI Capitol Theater
10/14/13 Pontiac, MI Crofoot Ballroom
10/18/13 New York, NY Town Hall
10/22/13 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
10/23/13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/24/13 Richmond, VA The National
10/25/13 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
10/26/13 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
10/28/13 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
10/29/13 Austin, TX Emo's
10/31/13 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
11/01/13 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
11/02/13 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern

BELLE & SEBASTIAN AND GOD HELP THE GIRL
We love B&S and GHTP, it's only too bad they're only playing big festivals at the moment.

08/17/13 "Paredes De Coura"
08/30/13 "Zurich Open Air"
09/01/13 "End Of The Road Festival"

Ryan is gutted that he could not attend the London premier of the GHTP Musical Film, but we have an article on the Los Angeles premier. Apparently Stuart Murdoch's wife is preggers, according to the report.

Jennifer writes that the film was "Stuart’s story of the forming of Belle and Sebastian", so if you love B&S, it's definitely worth looking into.

As for the rest of God Help the Girl:
Asya who appeared on GHTP is currently in Chaos Chaos, but previously in Smoosh.

Neil Hannon (aka Divine Comedy) who appeared on the GHTP album is in a project called The Duckworth Lewis Method. Their new album Sticky Wickets came out last month, July 2013.

T.A.T.U.
Ryan tries to forget t.A.T.u. rather unsuccessfully. No idea what the two Russian girls are up to these days, but Vu is still in love with Julia Volkova.

Apparently there was a t.A.T.u. reunion four or five years ago. Then as recently as in last year, in various interviews Julia and her t.A.T.u. partner Lena Katina does not keep in contact. That's is untrue, apparently the two will team-up once more to play Kiev (Ukraine) on September 27th, while Lena is playing Hangar 110 in Sao Paulo on November and Cologne in Germany October 5-6th.

Julia recently appeared in a few singles in 2012: Lyubov Suka/Back to her Future and Любовь-Сука (feat Dilma Bilan). She also appeared in a film called "Zombie Fever". Lena will be releasing a new solo album in 2013.

CLOUD
The impossible to find Cloud band has an album called Comfort Songs that Ryan really loves. The album came out last week (August 5th) via Audio Antihero Records.

Song of the show is "Stomach Pit" from the album, which you can find more information on their bandcamp.

Bonus: XBONE or PS4? Cherie Currie from the Runaways is a 'cherry bomb'. Red Hot Chili Peppers could have been called Tony Flow And The Miraculously Majestic Masters Of Mayhem, or as Ryan would have it as TFATMMMoM.

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vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Introducing Kardemimmit

Discography [2006] Viira [2009] Kaisla [2012] Autio huvila Tour Dates 02/02/13 Wrexham Wales, United Kingdom 03/19/13 Cafe Mascot Helsinki, Finland 03/23/13 Kanteleviikko Ylivieska, Finland 05/29/13 Semifinal Helsinki, Finland 06/21/13 Private gig Rautalampi, Finland 07/08/13-07/14/13 Kaustinen Folk Music Festival Read More Ólöf Arnalds Ólöf Arnalds, cousin to Ólafur Arnalds, is a woman singer/songwriter who doubles as a touring band member of múm..…

Recently I signed up to World Music Network’s download subscription service. The service allows me to download two albums per month from labels such as Rough Guide. The package provides a neat little  nudge into widen my horizons. And thus I am doing a write up about a Finnish folk group called Kardemimmit.

They featured as a bonus disc (Introducing Kardemimmit) alongside The Rough Guide to the Music of Scandinavia album. After some research I discovered that Introducing Kardemimmit is a rebranded, reissued Kaisla. Now I know next to nothing about the music scene in Finland - aside from watching a documentary claiming tango was invented in Finland - but Kardemimmit's Kaisla was  a lesson well learned.  The album has a magical, medieval vibe to it. I initially attributed this magic to the harp, however the main instrument is actually the kantele, which has apparently existed for approximately 2,000 years and yet nobody told me about it.

Four friends from music school, Maija Pokela, Jutta Rahmel, Anna Wegelius and Leeni Wegelius, their music covers a wide range of Finnish musical styles such “reki-style of singing, Perhonjoki valley kantele style, Karelian small kantele and runo-song traditions as well as archaic improvisation.” As I said, I am no expert in Finnish folk so that’s a copy and paste job from their biography. Think Joanna Newsom with a kantele (which is definitely not a harp) and shorter songs (in Finnish).

Now I know this style of music ain’t going to be to everybody’s taste, but the opening track is called Maiden of Death so I guessing there is a darker element to these songs. Rock on (or just chill out). I’d recommend this album to traditional folk fans everywhere.

As for The Rough Guide to the Music of Scandinavia album, there’s only one band I know on it, múm (btw Ólöf Arnalds has recently successfully  funded her next album via PledgeMusic). The rest of the album is as a diverse as I've come to expect from Rough Guides. My highlight track has to be Texas by Wimme - strange Sami techno.

ryan () ♥ www.kardemimmit.fi ♥ twitter.com/Kardemimmit

W♥M052: Outtakes #1

W♥M052 [download (16 min, 15mb)]

Subscribe to our show at gcast.com (RSS), more information at podcast.weheartmusic.com.

Sorry this week's episode is an outtakes show because I was out all all weekend. I'm finally home, chillaxing with pajamapants and going to put on Messenger 2: The Scarecrow on the TV.

The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket

I am hoping to put together a semi-regular Britpop Podcast show - please send me name suggestions. I'd like to have the word 'britpop' in the title, but not necessary.

The good news is that we actually have enough material to last for a few weeks (!!), so I don't actually have to do any real work as it's all recorded and processed (I just need to copy and paste it into a 10 minute show).

So, in order of appearance on the first outtakes: Ryan, Goodnight, States, Graeme K, Kate and Lara. Bonus: Devi.

Hopefully next week, we can bring on Raconteurs expert Christopher.

08/23/2009 21:49:04 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

W♥M050: Welcome Back Ryan

W♥M050 [download (79 min, 36mb)]

Please visit our website for more information, podcast.weheartmusic.com.

The White Stripes - Hello Operator

Welcome back Ryan to the W♥M team. Celebrating the 50^th episode of W♥M Radio, we talked about a few things: Gary McKinnon, an overview of the podcast, music & tech: Twitter and Spotify, what we're listening to, The White Stripes, Fruit Bats, Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill", M Ward, Modest Mouse's King Rat, etc.

The show is long, split into two parts: the organized topics section and the random "just two guys talking" segment. The long run time also means extra large file size, so I had to compressed the file to just mono and at 64kps. It sounds OK to me - but if you want a higher stereo quality, send me an email and we'll have to do a file-transfer or a yousendit kind of thing. The stereo file is over 70mb, the mono file is 36mb.

Ryan compiled is a list of musicians/music-related websites on Twitter:

colinmeloy, fruitbatsmusic, monstersoffolk, subpop, BBC6MusicNews, guardianmusic, rufuswainwright, theboyhimself, hypem, pitchforkmedia, IndyMusic, EOTR, Dominorecordco, portobrien, forfolkssake, realdaytrotter, asthmatickitty, easystarallstar, greenmanfest, TheWordMagazine, TheDandyWarhols, BeardedMagazine, THE_EELS, and heymanchester

Since I had problems with the previous (free) audio recording software, we used a new one called Powergramo, which seems to work out just fine. I may have to pay for the "professional" version as the "basic" version is quite limited (to just recording skype to skype). If you have any good suggestions for a free Skype (usb mic) recorder, please let me know. I would prefer to not pay, but it looks like all the skype software costs money.

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Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on mypodcast.com

08/10/2009 09:16:30?♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band

Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band Fruit Bats Tour Dates 08/15/09 Kelowna BC--Sturgeon Hall 08/18/09 Victoria BC--Lucky Bar 08/19/09 Vancouver BC--Media Club 08/20/09 Seattle WA--The Crocodile 08/21/09 Seattle WA--Mural Amphitheater 08/22/09 Portland OR--Doug Fir 08/24/09 Gundlach Bundschu Winery 08/25/09 SF, CA-Amoeba FREE INSTORE 08/25/09 SF, CA -- Independent 08/26/09 LA, CA--Spaceland 08/27/09 Tucson AZ--Plush 08/28/09 Santa Fe NM--Corazon 08/29/09 Denver CO--Larimer Lounge 08/31/09 Oklahoma City-Guestroom 08/31/09 Norman OK--Opolis 09/01/09 Dallas TX--Good Records 09/01/09 Dallas TX--The Loft 09/02/09 Austin TX--Waterloo Records 09/02/09 Austin TX--Mohawk 09/03/09 Houston TX--Walter's 09/04/09 Baton Rouge LA-Spanish Moon 09/05/09 Oxford MS-The Lyric 09/06/09 Atlanta GA--The EARL 09/07/09 Nashville TN--Grimey's Music 09/08/09 Nashville TN--Exit In 09/09/09 Knoxville TN--Square Room 09/10/09 Chapel Hill NC--Local 506 09/11/09 Washington DC--Black Cat 09/12/09 Philly PA--Kung Fu Necktie 09/14/09 Brooklyn NY--Williamsburg 09/15/09 Cambridge MA--TT's 09/16/09 Buffalo NY--Soundlab 09/17/09 Newport KY--Southgate 09/18/09 Louisville KY--Zanzabar 09/19/09 Madison WI-Orpheum 09/20/09 Chicago IL-Reckless Records 09/20/09 Chicago IL--Schubas 09/21/09 Chicago IL--Schubas Discography [2001] Echolocation [2003] Mouthfuls [2005] Spelled in Bones [2009] The Ruminant Band [2004] Another Christmas Gift For You... (Various Artists) Read More The Shins http://weheartmus... The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Russ...

"He always has smokes and he always gives buckets of love"

I’ve been told that I like a certain type of music; quirky, offbeat vocals, jangly guitars and reflective, out-there lyrics. In the two years I’ve been writing for  W♥M, I can honestly say I have never been more excited by an album.

If you are looking for a laid back collection of summer tracks then I suggest you look no further than The Ruminant Band by the Fruit Bats.  Eric D. Johnson, singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist, led me on a journey to the heart of the summer. It is only fitting that I write this review with the sun beating on my back as this album radiates a fuzzy warmth and joy. If you are suffering from the recession blues, down on your luck then maybe you have just stumbled upon your cure.

The Fruit Bats began life as a side-project for Eric D. Johnson, and while band members have come and go, he has remained at the heart of the band. This album is very much about the band. While I haven’t yet been able to land an interview with the band for the podcast, you’ll have to settle for a quotation lifted from a recent interview with Reverb magazine:

“Previously, when I did those other albums, I think I set rules for myself. This time I didn’t try to go by the book so much… I played very little on this record – I wrote the songs and the vocal arrangements, and played some piano, but for the most part everything else is the band. That trust is something that comes with time… My band is really talented, so I wanted their voices to be heard.”

- Eric Johnson, Reverb Magazine Interview, August 4, 2009.

I hate comparisons but they have a similar vibe to Vetiver and, understandably, The Shins (Eric Johnson is a member of The Shins). In my opinion, two great bands to sound like. What makes the Fruit Bats stand out in my Songbird library is the fact their sound remains, without a doubt, uniquely the Fruit Bats.

Like most modern bands. the Fruit Bats have a website, they have a myspace page, they tweet, they blog and, for the photography geeks, they have some pretty amazing photos (by Annie Beedy).

The tracks to own are ‘The Ruminant Band’, ‘Singing Joy To The World’ and ‘Hobo Girl’.

The album is already available in the USA and is due out in the UK on 24^th August 2009. The Fruit Bats have supported Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine and others. There is a chance you may already know them. Before this week, I did not, so I am enjoying my discovery. Their North American tour is listed above. Their UK tour is due to been announced any day now. Guaranteed, if they are in Manchester, I’ll be there.

What do others think? Uncut described the album as 'Delicately constructed an skillfully executed' and Mojo said 'The best love songs are those where the end is nigh. Fruit Bats frontman Eric Johnson evidentially knows this, even his sunniest, most hopeful sounding songs have an implied sense of loss. Lovely though' 4/5.

This isn’t deep philosophical music; it is easy and care-free folk pop and I love it! Enjoy your summer, enjoy the Fruit Bats.

Sincerely,
Ryan

 08/09/2009 15:09:42 ♥ ryan () ♥ fruitbatsmusic.com ♥ myspace.com/thefruitbats ♥ twitter.com 

Radiohead - Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

Harry Patch

I am aware there are a lot of Radiohead fans on W♥M, so I thought I'd mention a recent release by Radiohead called 'Harry Patch (In Memory Of)'. 

It is a tribute to Harry Patch, who died on 25th July 2009, aged 111. He was the last surviving veteran of World War 1. The song swept me off my feet as it is a fitting tribute to a man, who in later life became a convincing anti-war campaigner and a powerful critic of all wars in general. I have no intention of posting the song on here. Buy it as it only costs £1 and the money goes to the Royal British Legion, 'a UK charity providing help and welfare to the serving and ex-Service community and their families'.

If you would like to read more about Harry Patch then check out the write-up in the Independent. The song can be purchased directly from the Radiohead Online Store.

   ♥ ryan () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ myspace.com 

 

Free Gary McKinnon: Chicago - Change the World

This is the tale of one man, two countries, extradition, criminality and morality...oh, and a protest song.

Once upon a time there was a British Citizen named Gary McKinnon. He had a great talent for hacking into computers; he also believed that the US Government was keeping secrets. He believed that the US Government had information about UFOs and he wanted it. Instead of switching on the television and watching the X-Files, he switched on his computer and hacked into various US agencies. In doing so, he has earned himself a place in the unofficial record books, by "committing the biggest military computer hack of all time". I do not seek to excuse his actions; hacking is wrong and he shouldn't have done it. Did he endanger lives? No. Did he highlight vulnerabilities in the US Government's computer systems? Yes. We can only be grateful that it was Gary McKinnon and not a terrorist or unfriendly government.

Chicago - Change the World

Anyway, a couple of years later, the US Government sought to extradite him under a new extradition treaty signed with the UK. Avoiding legalese, this treaty allows the US Government to ask for a British Citizen to be extradited to the States and, essentially, after a brief court appearance and a signature from the Home Secretary, the British Government will pop them on the next flight. In Gary's case, the process has been successfully delayed by a very clever legal team making a series of applications, however the initial decision to extradite him was fairly unchallengeable in law.

Don't worry though, if you are a US Citizen then the British Government still needs to make a case against you, with evidence, before you win your free trip. Apparently, you are protected by your government and constitution...

Now Gary McKinnon isn't just a UFO-obsessed computer hacker, he also suffers from a form of autism known as 'Asperger's Syndrome'. This goes some way to explain his obsessive behaviour. It also means he is a vulnerable person; if he is extradited, tried, convicted and imprisoned in the US, his mental health may decline and be permanently damaged. The extradition alone could trigger psychosis or suicide.

There are two serious injustices in this case. The Extradition Treaty is flawed. It was entered into after September 11, without any real Parliamentary debate, on the pretext of assisting with the extradition of terrorists to the USA. Gary McKinnon is not a terrorist. Moreover there is no reason why Gary McKinnon couldn't be tried and imprisoned in the UK. In terms of his mental health, it means his family will be close to him. His mum should be credited for organising the campaign against his extradition.

Why am I posting this on a musical review website? There is a protest song! Well, to be more precise, there is a cover of a protest song ('Chicago - We can change the world' by Grahman Nash). And it isn't the greatest protest song in the world. We are not talking Bob Dylan's Hurricane, but then I cannot remember the last time I heard a decent protest song. It features David Gilmour, Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde & Gary McKinnon. You can buy it at Free Gary McKinnon. The song is 'a plea to Barack Obama to come from Chicago, to help Change the World and to allow Gary McKinnon to have his life back'. You decide how much you are willing to pay for the song and the money is then donated to the Free Gary Campaign.

I know most of the readers of W♥M are based in the USA and by now you be thinking either 'Vu stop Ryan from posting on this site' or 'What can I do?'. Well, there is something you can do! Complain to Vu (about me) or complain to Obama (about Gary's extradition).

Gary McKinnon has lost of all hope of the British Government stopping this and now needs your help. He needs you to write to your President, your congressman or your senator. He needs you to campaign for the extradition proceedings to be halted and for him to be tried in the UK. If you are minded to take such an action then check out his website.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Ryan

 

August 1, 2009 14:00   Ryan my♥posts freegary.org.uk

Two Nights of The Young Republic

The Young Republic - Girl From The Northern States The Young Republic Tour Dates 08/16/08 J.J.s Market Nashville, TN 09/11/08 Westgarth Social  Middlesbrough 09/12/08 End of the Road Festival 09/13/08 End of the Road Festival 09/15/08 ULU  London 09/16/08 100 Club London Read More The Young Republic return to the UK in September http://sites.goog... The Young Republic return to the UK in September They impressed fans on their last dalliance over...

Sometimes bands are so good you just have to see them twice; in fact you have to see them on a Wednesday and then the following Thursday, which is exactly what I did this May when I saw the Young Republic in Barfly in Liverpool and then the small little folk bar at the end of my road in Manchester

It is a decision I do not regret because I am fairly confident that The Young Republic are a band of great talent and skill. By all accounts, they are still surprisingly young! The voice of lead singer, Julians, is misleading. His voice suggested warily old-timer, or at least somebody in his early thirties. However his physically appearance led me to conclude that I should never judge a voice by it's singer...or something along those lines.

The Young Republic have it all; skilled musicians, great lyrics and the ability to perform. I will never forget the amazing Tom Waits cover I bore witness too (two nights in a row). I do not exaggerated. It was very impressive.

Having heard their debut album I was expecting to enjoy a night of good music but in the end I just had to settle for two nights of awesome entertainment.

The Liverpool show was a shared event. I went to see the excellent Port O'Brien, however I was humming The Young Republic as I left the venue. It was their heavier, plugged in set.

The Manchester show was in a folk bar, which The Young Republic didn't realise until the night. Quick on their feet, they decided to play their Paris set. It was supposedly played in a lower key, but it remained an impressive performance.

The only disappointing news was the absence of their new and irreplaceable drummer, Dustin Jensen.

Do not despair if you are worried about missing their May tour as a reliable source informs me that The Young Republic are due to return to the UK this September for gigs that included the ever wonderful End of the Road festival (Once again, the best line up of the UK Summer Festivals). This time they should have their band too!

More excitingly, I am told they are working on their follow up album. If they capture the energy they display on stage then rest assured this album will be something very special indeed; it may even solve the global energy crisis!

Links: theyoungrepublic.net myspace.com/theyoungrepublic

 08/05/2008 13:00:22  ♥ written by ryan ()

Jacob Golden @ The Cluny, Newcastle

Tour 20 Jan Mac Arts - Birmingham, UK 25 Jan London Roundhouse - London, UK 27 Jan The Cabaret Voltaire - Edinburgh 28 Jan Night & Day - Manchester, UK 29 Jan Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK 30 Jan Bodega - Nottingham, UK 01 Feb Soundhaus - Northampton 03 Feb The Cellars - Portsmouth 04 Feb Phoenix - Exeter, UK 05 Feb Louisiana - Bristol, UK Albums Revenge Songs [2007]

Another night at The Cluny, Newcastle's premier nightspot and another skinny white dude with bold rimmed glasses, an uber-trendy t-shirt, and a guitar. It will come as no surprise that this apparent Bright Eyes clone was born in California and has served his time in the musical prison that I imagine to be Portland, Oregan. 

 

See these days I don't want to like musicians and their bands. I want to hate them with a jealous passion. I can't sing. I can't strum a tune. I can barely write a sentence, let alone a song. But these ain't the reasons I want to detest every new act that comes my way. My hard drive is full. A few spare megabytes is a rare commodity. 

 

After Jacob Golden had sung the first two lines of Shine A Light, I mumbled a few choice words as I realised I was probably going to have to eliminate another album to squeeze in his collection of Revenge Songs. 

 

Jacob Golden referenced the friend of the outcasts, Daniel Johnston. Instantly showing his musical heritage, good taste in music, grabbing my attention and dampening my inner critic. Jacob Golden may look like a Bright Eyes clone but he sincerely isn't a Bright Eyes clone. He has a voice of his own and he wanted to share it with the Cluny. Golden went on to offer up a delightful collection of tracks spanning across his two albums, topped up with a new song called Bluebird. Although the crowd at the Cluny was sparse, the cheer produced after each song suggested otherwise. At one point it was so loud, even Golden couldn't resist letting out a woo. 

 

Hold Your Hair Back

Jacob Golden

The highlight of his self-analyatical performance had to be Bluebird. In the great traditional of folk music, it told the story of a boy confronted with a privitol moment in his life. It seemed to be very much an autobiographical piece, and was timed perfectly to match the moment Jacob truly found his voice on stage. 

 

My sister-in-law remarked that he seems so nice on stage but henched her bets that he made be a serial killer. I have to admit there is a vein of gritty realism running through his songs. 

 

Of course, the Cluny is the perfect venue for these sorts of singer-songwriter performances as it naturally promotes an personal connection with the audience. Golden was supporting The Autumns and The Kiss Away Trail. Neither band impressed me much but both bands are destined for great things as they have been labeled the next big thing by people at the BBC et all. In his three months in the UK, Golden has also supported the demonic tongued Stephaine Dosen. 

 

Feeling Like Christmas (again)

Expect a North American tour in 2008 after the completion of another UK tour. His latest album will be reviewed some time soon. 

 

If you sign up for his mailing list, you receive a free track (Hold Your Hair Back) from the album. Golden also has his own myspace page and facebook fan page...just like WHM.

In keeping with this tradition of releasing Christmas music, Jacob put a wonderful tune called 'Feeling Like Christmas (Again)' on his myspace as a free download. As a special treat, I have included it in this post (Apologies for my lame attempt at album art) but it is definitely worth heading over to his myspace page and grabbing a copy for yourself.

 

 December 23, 2007 21:00   Ryan my♥posts jacobgolden.com