Your next Hozier moment: check out PORTS

09-Mar-2015 By Ciara Sheahan 1 Comment

The “Blurred Lines” copyright case between Marvin Gaye’s family and Robin Thicke continued this week. Ironic that it’s centred around the pop hit “Blurred Lines” as the defence tried to induce a smoke and mirrors approach to their side of “Hey, hey, hey” story. The row centres over Thicke’s alleged stealing from Gaye’s track “Got To Give It Up”. It’s all good girls, chewing gum for the brain and $16 million dollars worth of “Feel but not infringement” accord to Thicke. “Blurred Lines” caused offence and controversy over the lyrics, but stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for three months. So clearly, somebody likes it.

The whole episode leads me to think… Mainstream music. Who does want it?

Saturated with overrated Kanyes, Taylors, Mileys and Pharrells. Low in fibre, high in sweeteners. Produced by the mindless, consumed by the masses. Musically replicated nodding dogs moulded by a warped mercenary system that’ s dominated by big labels, bland radio, deluded talent shows and engorged awards ceremonies. Stay on the standard FM band and that’s all you’ll get. But…. there is hope.

If you tweak the dial, go up the indie scale, step out of your musical comfort zone you may find a BBC Radio app. When you do, you’ll uncover a universe of eclectic musical diversity spanning multiple genres and generations. It’s on this frequency that you may encounter your next Hozier moment. That moment in time when the world stops for a second. When a voice, a lyric or a sentiment seizes your subconscious. Cerys Matthews on BBC Radio 6 regularly provides such musical moments. Best known for her indie pop heritage in 90’s band Catatonia, she is a faithful advocate of the band in Whelan’s tonight.

PORTS, formerly known as Little Bear are a foursome from Derry, Northern Ireland. They came onto Cerys’s radar having appeared twice on “Other Voices” music series in 2014. She was so impressed, she included them in her live broadcast from the RTE studios in April last year called “From Dublin With Love.” PORTS came in and did a set that included “The Devil Is A Songbird,” which is tonight’s opener.

It starts with a lonesome melody whistled through the reverb feedback from two mobile phones. Softly framing insightful lyrics, a lingering luxurious arrangement with a delicate yet desolate sound scape. It’s a thing of beauty. “The devil’s a songbird picking at my heart/ Her face was black/ Her dress hung like a painting on the wall” writes frontman Steven McCool. His writing style is visual, carefully weaving the words through the music. Attributing his key influence to Dylan Thomas, McCool’s poetry is engaging before it even meets the music.

“The song reflects the delicate nature of of the trouble in a relationship” Stephen told me. “When you see past the ugliness that can sometimes arise, you realise the songbird is actually a beautiful thing. You just need to look at it differently.”

Stephen seeks to create a cinematic connection with his writing, taking the listener on a journey through the songs. He wants his words to paint so many pictures. And that they certainly do.

Moving onto Night Dries Like Ink is a song about his brother leaving for Australia, the grief of the departure, the essence of loss. It’s another fragile decadent beauty. A swollen sound scape with oceanic tones throughout, sombre and dark. McCool’s language, “Night dries in/Like ink against a glowing sea/Brother I swim, part of you is part of me/ Fixed to the land motionless I call to thee/ Blessed by the leaves and the autumn skies surrounding me.” Perfect poignancy for this sparkling set list. I’d Let You Win follows, carrying the delicate jewel of regret and wistful yearning layered with lush guitars, shimmering in Richard Hawley style.

The lads deliver a stylish, dramatic version of Moby’s Why Does My Heart? part of a recent BBC recording. Oversized, exaggerated with massive effect, it’s as good if not better than the original. There’s a song from their highly anticipated new album called In Summer next. Magnificent, sunshine, Summer scape sound. A faint whiff of Groove Armada, huge cymbals, uplifting hooks. If feels like PORTS just stole the sunset and put it in a song. The band have been travelling with The Prima Quartet, I can only imagine how utterly stunning the combination must be. They’ve been playing Killer, reworked and rearranged with the quartet. It’s on the new album apparently. Bring it on. Final offerings of the night were Letters. Ghostly vocal echoes, a folky feel and charming percussion on a rising pace that evolves into extended serious riffs from Ryan. Closing with The Few And Far Between PORTS end their set much to the disappointment of the crowd.

PORTS will give you your next Hozier moment. The Devil Is A Songbird will wind it’s way into your universe. It won’t be on Bland FM or on samey samey MTV. It will blaze a trail through the hungover haze of plastic fantastic pre-manufactured pop. It will shine like a rebel diamond cut out of the sun.(Brandon Flowers phrase, thanks BF) Be ready for it. You can get your hands on Anicent Wave right now. The album has been two years in the making but it will be here very soon. These guys have worked hard to retain their artistic integrity. They’ve politely refused a couple of contracts, declined offers to make their work more “Radio 1 friendly.” This album is their baby. Very soon it will be woven in your soul. (That’s Imagine Dragons by the way). Check out PORTS Band on Facebook for more info.

Here’s a look at the Other Voices performance:

Save the right to perform: #saveirishbusking

15-Feb-2015 By Ciara Sheahan 1 Comment

Keywest busking on Grafton Street

Dublin is famous for it’s busking tradition. Tourists love it, locals appreciate it .

Busking provides a free platform for bands and artists carving their craft of performance.

The list of famous buskers on Grafton Street includes names like Bono, Kodaline, Passenger, Sinead O’ Connor, Paddy Casey, Damien Rice, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Riptide Movement, Keywest and Mundy. Aside from just singers, Dublin city streets and open spaces are populated by dancers, jugglers, acrobats, poets and comedians. From St. Stephen’s Green through Temple Bar to Henry Street, numerous artists and groups perform daily enhancing the artistic ambience of the city.

However, there is a dark cloud looming over the expression of art within the city. The dark cloud consists of protest from residents of Temple Bar who don’t want anyone playing after 11pm, (even at the weekends) anywhere near their homes. Apparently business owners have complained about buskers being too loud outside their shops, which to be fair might be the case if it’s one guy with a crappy accordion squeezing out the same dirges all day. And several councillors who seem to think that busking is still back in the 60’s with one guitar, one voice and a golden plec.

As streetscapes become more populated, busier and noisier so the humble busker has had to compete by using amplifiers. Amps however are the devils hearing aid, according to the mysterious minority protesters. The anti-amp brigade wanted a complete ban on amps throughout the city. Especially residents of Temple Bar who don’t want them within three metres of their homes. It’s ok by the way for the sirens, traffic, disco bars and general city centre noise, but not for two guys singing Wonderwall at 1am on a Saturday night.

Keywest are a Dublin based band who have built a massive fan base, due to years of successful busking on Dublin’s streets. They have mounted their own campaign to draw attention to the ridiculous nature of the new by-laws. Here’s the letter they submitted to Dublin City Council.

Dear Councillors,
My name is Andy Kavanagh & I’m a member of Keywest. Lets talk about Street Performing. It is no longer just busking. No longer just a Banjo and a rebel song. It’s a varied and vibrant artistic community.

Before I start I want to be clear as I think we’ve begun on the wrong foot. I believe in control on street performance. On more than one occasion I’ve met with assistant city manager Brendan Kenny and the Lord mayor Christy Burke and discussed my position. I even had a part to play in bringing these regulations to the table. Now it’s time to make them reasonable and workable.

Seems rational right? Well according to Councillor Mannix Flynn, “the amplifier in street performance and busking is like a virus. It kills creativity and wards off other artistic individuals.”

WOW It’s this attitude in people that had Galileo in fear of his life.

If I’m interpreting this correctly, banging an acoustic guitar loudly and wailing Oasis songs out at the top of ones voice is real talent and therefore preferable to an acoustic guitar plucked expertly in the stylings of the incredibly talented and now world famous Dublin buskers Rodrigo y Gabriela! Surely not.

A old banjo player wailing rebel songs is more desirable to the public majority over the soft sweet voices and plucked guitars of buskers turned superstars Ed Sheeran and Passenger.You’d have bagpipe over a Violin that is beautifully enhanced by backing music. No longer can the people of Dublin or the Tourists that visit us enjoy a magician that performs a captivating show, a circus act that delights with its mastery of acrobatics or a Dance act demonstrating perfect synchronicity and skill.

And the expert Street Performers that travel the world every year can no longer consider Ireland a place to show off their skills.
All of the above mentioned acts require amps. Amps allow talented people to reach out to audiences. You may have a problem with Keywest but what did all of those talented people do. You have insinuated we don’t respect business’s. That’s simply not true.
We leave business cards in every store so they can text if they feel our volume control or crowd control is not up to scratch. We pop in after the first set to check if everything is ok.
We have never ignored a request to lower the volume or move on. Never!
We ask our crowds to stand at the halfway point on the street and we finish sets after 4 songs to disperse the crowd. We do 4- 5 sets lasting two hours in total. We don’t repeat songs even once in a day and we don’t play in the same place more than twice a week or ever at night. What more do you want ? We have written statements from managers in over 30 stores on Grafton Street supporting Keywest in particular.
No Mannix the real enemy here is a lack of talent and lack of respect, not amplifiers.
You’ve referenced going back to the days of Bono and Glen Hansard busking without amps. That is a day gone by I’m afraid just like Morse code and telegrams. The reality is very different. With no amps you will have a swarm of oasis songs, accordions, brass instruments, bongos and bagpipes.
There was a time people travelled in horse and carts until the birth of the car and upon it’s groundbreaking arrival it presented a whole new set of problems but in the interest of human progress we adapt and create new systems to integrate the newer more modern ideas. We don’t just abandon what we don’t yet understand and go backwards.
You may not like Keywest but many Irish people do.

We are now 52,000 people strong on Facebook because of busking. Ireland’s new arrivals on Aer Lingus and Arab Emirates flights are pointed in our direction through a landing tourist information video. Youtube views of Keywest performing on Grafton street amount to over 10 million views. Most importantly the voting Dublin public decided we were “Dublins Best Street Performers 2014” with 60% of the vote.
Like many buskers we’ve done our fair share to promote Irish tourism.

I’ve performed all over the world. The rules vary but by and large they are aiming at the same thing. Dublin is Ireland’s capital city and I believe we should be trying to come in line and break new ground on the international standard. I’m addressing you as a very proud Dubliner. I live on Ormond Quay opposite Temple Bar and I enjoy all the city has to offer. I am not at all hesitant when I say, to me, Dublin is the perfect blend of everything and one of the greatest cities in the world to call home.

I am organising this campaign to bring light onto a topic that has been shrouded in darkness when it comes to the Irish public. Keywest are no longer a regular sight on Dublin streets but as busking has now given me a voice I intend to use it to save the free spirit that makes Dublin so great. This campaign is not in the interest of self preservation it is on principle.
I believe in respecting everyone. I believe we can implement controls that improve the quality of buskers and the quality of life for business and residents. I believe in compromise. A ban on amps is not a compromise. A decibel level of 80 decibels is exceeded by just talking on Grafton St so I don’t believe that is fair either.

I’d rather not expend my efforts in a campaign against councillors but on a campaign with councillors that enhances living in or visiting this fair city.

Andy Kavanagh,
Proud Dubliner and Street Performer

In spite of Andy’s spirited and impressive campaign against the impending bye laws, earlier this week Dublin City Council voted to ban all busking after 11pm. A complete ban on busking outside the GPO and in O’Connell Street (wonder if that counts for choirs raising money for charities at Christmas?), no busking on Temple Bar Square, a limit of 80 decibels (street noise level) and a lower level of 75 decibels in Temple Bar. Buskers have to pay for a permit of €30 to busk or €90 extra if you have an amp. The Keywest campaigners haven’t given up yet. They’re determined to #SaveIrishBusking:

Glen Hansard, legendary Dublin busker and Oscar winner said: “As a busker, one thing that does not work is self-consciousness. A busker needs to be working. A busker needs to shed all ego and get down to work. Play your songs, play them well, earn your money, and don’t get in people’s way.”

Surely we as a community cannot let the interests of a few over sensitive ears in a prime city centre location undermine the very fabric of our artistic society. Watch, post, retweet and contribute to #saveirishbusking.

youbloom artist spotlight: Kingdom Of Crows

04-Feb-2015 By admin Leave a Comment

Having formed Kingdom of Crows as a one man acoustic project in 2011, Stephen Kelly invited two guests, Bob Power and Brian Brennan to record a demo with him in the studio in 2012. Due to the unique sound this resulted in, Kingdom of Crows played some Dublin based shows as a three-piece acoustic act in late 2012.

Soon after this, Stephen started work on what would be the first track for his debut album. Stephen commented: “It was a humble three guitar piece named Call of the Void, it was suggested that I continue building the song, adding vocals, drums and bass to it”. Enter Lucy Early vocalist and lyrics writer (formerly with Factions) and guests bassist Robert Stanley (The Very Special/The Outsiders) and drummer Ken Mcgrath (The Very Special/The Outsiders).

Stephen notes: “Our sound grew and grew but we still maintained our acoustic roots and style. Eight new songs were written on top of Call of the Void, some including guests like the talented international violinist Nuria Garcia Salas of Catalunya and Ireland’s own Jonathan Yeates (Mr Blueface), who also produced our debut album The Truth is the Trip in his studio The Casualty Factory.”

In early 2014, now with nine new songs ready to go and the addition of two popular songs from their 2012 demo,these are Dreamless Sleep and Elizabeth which have been revamped in the new Kingdom of Crows sound, the band were ready to start recording their debut album.

However the process was brought to all but a complete halt after guitar/keys player and main songwriter for the group Stephen Kelly suffered serious injury in a motorbike accident. Through his love of music and sheer determination Stephen vowed “after nurturing the songs for so long nothing was going to stop this album being completed” and after six months of recovery Stephen returned to complete the project.

They chose the title of their debut album, due for release later this year as The Truth Is The Trip. Remarking on the influences for the album and title, Stephen said: “The title of the album has great relevance throughout the record and also in what was going on in the world at the time of recording. What really goes on in the world won’t be seen on mainstream news and when we open our eyes and realise the truth of what is actually transpiring, that is surely a trip”.

Stephen adds: “Our goal has always been to harness all of our influences into our music, be it from Luke Kelly to Bob Marley or Black Sabbath to opera, we don’t want to limit ourselves to one genre or style and we hope people can hear and feel that when listening to the album”. With that in mind, take a listen to some of the bands edgy and thought provoking music, which we feel would suit many movie and TV scores well: http://www.breakingtunes.com/kingdomofcrows

Music & emotions: can music make you a happier person?

12-Jan-2015 By admin 1 Comment

There is a saying that “When words leave off, Music begins…” Music is very much essential in day-to-day life. When there are no words to speak at that time music speaks… Music is said to be a universal language… Music is an important part of life. It is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and charm to life…

But can music make you a happier person?

Music is powerful, it can change your mood, the way you feel, and change your heart. The kind of music you listen to controls your mind. Whether you’ve had a rainy day or a bright sunny afternoon music has a positive effect on your mood.
“It is well said that Music is the shorthand of emotion…” Music helps alter our mood… Music is the best way to distress yourself in times of worry, and the best way to celebrate and appreciate the good things in life.
There are many of benefits of listening to music, some of these are: Strong sensation: – Music gives us a deep emotional experience especially if we are performing it on stage.

Diversion: Music helps us prevent the mind from unpleasant thoughts which often take over our mind It diverts our mind from negative energy to positive energy.
Discharge: Music can discharge us from the bad memories. It helps us to get rid of an unwanted feeling or memory.
Mental Work: Music can also bring nostalgia, sometimes we can associate a song with anecdotes and old friends. It can take us through the beautiful moments in our lives.
Consolation: When we are disappointed music forgot all our problems momentarily
Becoming a Better Listener: Music makes you a better listener. We listen to the voice of the singer, the beats and the notes and the symphony and the moment we are able to distinguish between the different sounds we hear we are on the path of becoming good listeners.
Make Better Decisions: Learning music or listening to it can help you make better decisions as it improves focus and concentration.
Develops Patience: When we play an instrument it usually takes years of practice and patient listening to perfect it. This practice develops patience in us.
It Reduces Stress & Makes You Healthier: When we listen to music we can forgot the stress in our life. It helps uplift our mood. Stress is the worst form of negative energy, we can fight that with music.

The list goes on and on. Music really is the key to success. We all have our likes and dislikes in music. Some like pop and others prefer rock, whichever is your favorite music makes you a happier person!

Post by Binny Sharma. Binny is an all-round musician. He is a singer, lyricist, composer and performer. When he is not singing, he likes to travel. Catch him at his personal website binnysharma.com or on Twitter @beingbinny.