Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 13, 2011, 4:27 am
Evict the dreary Bon Iver, invite a galley of Scottish music aristocrats (there are 2 Canadians on board), swap your choice of rural desolation to the highlands and what you get is the Burns Unit. It's hardly a supergroup because that would denote a sense of the masses entirely knowing who they were...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 12, 2011, 1:34 pm
I'm kinda of annoyed with myself at how I could have come to miss the Twin Atlas (after writing this paragraph I discovered I hadn't, memory collapsing here). I mean they create the perfect template for every song that I hold dear, namely indie pop nuggets with lush harmonies and fine jangling chord...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 12, 2011, 4:50 am
Promoters Hefty Horse go from strength to strength (they've even branched out into compilations) and last night in Whelan's, for the princely sum of €5, offered 3 really promising up and comers. First up was Carlow duo the Holy Roman Army who sound immeasurably better live than they do on record. ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 11, 2011, 9:41 am
No he hasn't deserted Oliver's Army, that is unless the bespeckled one has lost 30 years and gained a schloch of curly mane. This is instead San Fran duo Chris Owens and Chet White who stretch a really great idea to nearly 7 minutes. Towards the end it does tatter a tad but there's no denying the cl...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 11, 2011, 5:56 am
The Last Night TV's story is something to behold, both inside (!, read on) and outside of what goes on in the studio. One of the more remarkable snippets being the fact that lead singer Spencer Bayles is in the Guinness book of records for having the biggest appendix ever removed (over 8 inches long...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 10, 2011, 4:27 pm
Unless the internet's collective search enginery are very much wrong it would appear that Portland indie popsters the Online Romance have stalled. Last update suggested a new album nearing completion with 'Ladybug, Don't Smile' being a forerunner for what was to follow. Not a peep for the longest t...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 10, 2011, 6:29 am
How about this for a period piece from the Madchester era? The year was 1991 when colloquialisms like Candy Flip probably meant a lot to much of the youth of the day (look it up). Hedonism was not confined to northern Britain but it was defined there in clubs like the Hacienda. Candy Flip only exist...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 10, 2011, 4:40 am
Slowwave are a new band from Tacoma, Washington about to release their debut EP. 'Drag Lake Sin' is a surprisingly varied piece drifting from new romanticism ('Scraphead' is particularly noteworthy) to electronica and back to more traditional indie rock templates. It may or may not help their cause ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 9, 2011, 3:50 pm
The fab Shelflife label may be based all the way over in America but that doesn't stop them from tapping into some of Northern Europe's most precious musical commodities. To Champagne Riot, Burning Hearts and the Radio Dept. you can now add Finland's (they come from the same neck of the woods as Cat...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 8, 2011, 4:02 pm
Unfortunately all 5 members of Athens band Easter Island have regular shaped heads, thus making it near impossible to pull jokes about the moniker they chose for themselves. Might be a little bit harsh to do so anyway given the shimmying artistry displayed on ‘Proud’ which is the first taste fro...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 7, 2011, 6:35 am
What is it about a song that features whistling that makes it all the more memorable? Probably best to ask Otis Redding or Monty Python for the definitive answer but it may be down to the fact that everyone can do it making the song somewhat more accessible. While air expellation doesn’t always hi...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 6, 2011, 6:30 pm
If ‘It’s Because of People Like You’ were an item of clothing it would be a slinky night dress, nothing too sexy just a piece of cool frockery to enhance it’s wearer. The song has a delicious awkwardness that only enhances its aura, perhaps that comes from the drifting organ which resembles ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 6, 2011, 8:37 am
Christopher Willits ain’t your common-or-garden artist, there are many strings to his bow (teacher, philospher) so even if his music doesn’t do for him what he wishes then a life on social welfare remains unlikely. His musical output is staggering, as ‘Tiger Flower Circle Sun’ is his latest ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 6, 2011, 6:55 am
With only a smidgeon of evidence in the case for Jonny I have finally been able to get over my reservations about Teenage Fanclub’s recent output. That’s because the Norman Blake/Euro Childs (Gorky’s) collaboration sounds like things used to sound for the fabulous Glaswegian outfit. The first ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 5, 2011, 3:12 pm
If this be Math (Maths?) Rock give me sum more please. Yes, a track from the new year and it only 5 days old (‘Good Luck’ originally surfaced last summer but in the spirit of presenting things as if they were just off the press and we were the first to mention it let's gloss over this truth shal...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 3, 2011, 11:40 am
I know we will be back to them so if Philadelphia’s Reading Rainbow (named after a children’s programme that ended on US TV a couple of years back) don’t grab you on this occasion they will down the line. It’s safe to say we’re fans, appealing as they do to our greying ears where snippets ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 3, 2011, 4:27 am
A good soundtrack isn’t everything in a movie but it certainly helps (in so much that it kept my interest in the otherwise quite dull live action ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’). Without James Murphy’s (yes, he of LCD Soundsystem) interventions ‘Greenberg’ would still have been memorable (Ben Still...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 2, 2011, 3:26 pm
It took about 3 reads before I saw Parson Red Heads instead of Parsnip Red Heads, not that I’ve anything resembling a passion for vegetables, just a minor glitch in ye auld hugger's speed reading faculties. The miscalculations were all on my side though because this Oregon group (relatives and oth...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 1, 2011, 3:05 pm
One of the things I am looking forward to most in 2011 is spending more time with LP’s rather than just jumping into hammock with any loose mp3 I can get my grubby little hands on. Goes with the territory of having more time to do such things I guess but then I won’t be depending on adverts from...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Jan 1, 2011, 5:14 am
It may be tempting, without knowing for sure, to announce that Antimagic are the first Irish band (or band from any other nation for that matter) to appear on this blog in 2011. You see with names like Ted McGrath and Marcia Cahill it could be a fair enough assumption but then they are based in Broo...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 31, 2010, 12:32 pm
Elizabeth Morris is one of foursome Allo’, Darlin, an antipodean/anglo group who made waves earlier this year on foot of their gentle self-titled debut. We knew them (well, Liz at least) as her beautiful rendition of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ made it onto our 2009 Christmas compilation. Seem...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 30, 2010, 10:49 am
Hope you like our shapely (and I’m not referring to our ‘all the appearances of a fattened turkey without the feathers’ body) new design. Not a whole lot of difference from the way it looked before but it had been a couple of years since the last overhaul so it felt almost mandatory. Anyway, t...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 22, 2010, 6:03 pm
There must be a thousand takes on ‘Little Drummer Boy’, the majority of which are pants but then you have exceptions like the Dandy Warhols ecstatic take. Nova Scotia band the Heavy Blinkers took a pithy view from a new perspective, that of the little boy through the eyes of Mary & Joseph. If th...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 21, 2010, 4:46 pm
37 hours of snow and already people here in Dublin are saying that Bing’s ‘White Christmas’ is giving them the chills. We are truly a funny sort, spend the whole year dreaming of a white one and then when it happens we’re complaining about leaky boots and slippy pedestrian thoroughfares. Tha...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 20, 2010, 4:07 pm
Besides Low’s ‘Just Like Christmas’ no contemporary festive number has hit me quite like Venice Is Sinking’s ‘The Grey Line’. Now while I like my December party numbers to be weighed down with sleigh bells as much as the next person there are times when the alternative can be just as sat...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 20, 2010, 6:15 am
The now departed De Rosa from Glasgow were signed to Chemical Underground and like true nationalists never softened their brogue to bailout international ears. So it took a few go’s before lyrics could be deciphered and while it’s not exactly family friendly ‘Under the Stairs (Xmas Reverie)’...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 19, 2010, 2:46 pm
It’d be hard to score Sofia Talvik anything less than ten for her efforts to promote her own music. The Swedish singer has certainly got the internet down and uses each one of its promoing tools to the max. Now in somebody else’s boots this could turn as many away as it attracts but the ace up T...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 18, 2010, 9:45 am
By my reckoning Candy Claws are up to half a dozen in their campaign to write the most songs by any band containing snow in the title. Given that they are nestled at the foot of the snowy Colorado hills it probably isn’t all that surprising though. We ourselves spent a winter’s month in New Zeal...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 17, 2010, 4:24 pm
Really surprised myself with what finished on top, maybe hugger is maturing. For those who've missed the journey to this point | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on e...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 17, 2010, 2:18 pm
The penultimate gathering of the coven of songs that filled our hearts this year, here's the story so far | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | Presenting our 12th to 7th fave songs of 2010. You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 15, 2010, 4:04 pm
Despite what you might think we don't know what number 1 will be ourselves! Catch up on what's been covered so far | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | Getting so close now, it's 18 to 13! You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 14, 2010, 3:59 pm
We've reached the halfway stage in our best songs of 2010. If you've missed the countdown up to this point click away to | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | Let's here it for 24 to 19! You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info o...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 13, 2010, 10:59 am
Part 3 of a 7 part epic on the road to this year's top song. The countdown to date (part 1 & part 2) can be found under the player. Ladies and gentlemen may I present numbers 30 to 25. You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 13, 2010, 9:29 am
Briefly sweeping aside that top song from 2010 countdownery I just wanted to mention that Christmas is not far away. That makes me very happy because it means lots of nice things happening all at once. Not least the opportunity to dance to songs that have been popping up since the year dot. Cosily f...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 12, 2010, 6:18 pm
Part 2 on our countdown to the best song of 2010 (as voted by me). The songs from part 1 can be found under the player. Tonight it's the turn of numbers 36 to 31. You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the so...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 11, 2010, 4:40 pm
  In a shameless copycat tactic we’ve taken it upon ourselves to reveal our Top 42 songs of the year over the course of the next week as opposed to all in one go like the last 4 years. This year it made sense to leave Indiecater to one side and give the shoddiness of non-indiecaterland a chance t...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 10, 2010, 6:24 pm
I posted this a whole 5 years ago so figured it deserved a second airing given its redemptive powers at this time of year. Of course it made complete sense that power poppeteers Grandaddy record a Christmas song but who could have guessed that they’d make awkwardly long, imperfectly sown lyr...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 10, 2010, 3:00 pm
It's ye auld hugger's first foray into the land of script writing so bear that in mind as your sharpen your virtual knives. Apt Red is an internet based programme by RTE (Irish national broadcaster) aimed at teenagers which is starting to branch out into music, or more precisely the music that can b...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 9, 2010, 4:46 pm
Not sure what kept me from their door for so long, I mean I’d gotten serious prompts from someone I respect and yet I turned my cheek and chased the indie dragon elsewhere. Thankfully a rumble through a miscellaneous bunch of mp3’s set me on the right road and Pittsburgh’s Lohio are now painti...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 8, 2010, 4:59 pm
Before it was turned into Japanese whale meat primalscreamremixed.com actually contained some cool remixes (undeniably not sanctioned) by the Glasgow band who trade under the name of Primal Scream. I visited on occasion but purely for the kicks supplied by the Screamadelica reimaginings. The band ha...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 8, 2010, 4:30 pm
Seems I am incapable of extricating myself from the sound of Christmas or in this case from the songs whose natural habitat is forever blanketed in fluffy ice matter. ‘All The Things We Were Supposed To Be’ is really quite heartbreaking and is taken from Amy Bezunartea’s current album ‘Resta...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 7, 2010, 4:47 pm
If you get a sense of the familiar then you are probably as big a Candy Claws fan as I. Like much of what happens on their Colorado label (Act So Big Forest, hello everyone!) interchangability among its roster of bands is a consistent theme so much so that Ocean Bump! often has vivid dreams of the s...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 6, 2010, 5:25 am
As Christmas songs go it ain’t your normal snow blitz but then who wants to endlessly retread the same old jingles every year? So Boca Chica from Pittsburgh decided to kick some sawdust in Santa’s face and not even the beacon that is Rudolph could get him out of this scrape. ‘Not On Christmas ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 2, 2010, 6:30 pm
Is 2 great records enough to make a great band? The answer is quite simple really and it goes something like yes and no. Yes, Idlewild appeared to be onto something really special after their 2nd and 3rd (‘Hope Is Important’ & ‘100 Broken Windows’) releases announced an act unafraid of tear...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Dec 1, 2010, 5:05 pm
You’ve gotta credit Ohbijou for coming away from this cover of Wham’s sonic demigod with little or no eggnog on their faces (the slight drift into munchkin vocal early on excepted). It’s not that they’ve altered the piece that radically but by infusing it with their own quirks it gives ‘La...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Nov 30, 2010, 4:53 pm
I’m not sure if there are many people in the world who think Scott Masson is a musical genius but there is at least one and you are reading him now. Not only does the Detroit based artist throw open the gates to the urban field he cultivates with colourful melodies under his Office project but he ...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Nov 29, 2010, 3:55 pm
Something to cast you adrift from the inclemency all around. Yeah, we definitely need our escape routes and I find it’s hard to beat a few minutes of twee pop to lift the gloom. This one is courtesy of Michigan trio Lightning Love who last put a long player together about 2 years ago. I really lik...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Nov 29, 2010, 4:36 am
As part of my daily crunch I try to clean out the tags on the countless songs that are arrive inbox inadequately labelled. On inspection this perfect little nugget from Hamfatter expressed the notion that the recording was owned by one Hamfatter Ltd. Little surprise really given that the band receiv...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Nov 28, 2010, 3:34 pm
If any sound could capture the mood of my head of a Sunday evening it would be this one. It comes from a French duo who have turned the act of being an artist into an artform (they write, record, print a handful of copies, go to ground). Mehdi Ameziane and Solange Gularte call them themselves Natura...
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Kevin D. posted an article on mp3hugger - Nov 27, 2010, 4:14 pm
It’s been bitter in Dublin for the last 48 days and for once it has nothing to do with the harsh economic climate or our biggest export. The degrees have really nosedived and last night we had the pleasure of trying to sleep through endless thunder/lightning/hail, not exactly the soft fluffy snow ...
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