hope show 79 the lowdown
1. Damien Dempsey – Sing All Your Cares away
2. Jeff Rosenstock – Nausea
3. Tv Smith – London Hum
4. Martha – Sycamore
5. Protomartyr – Pagans
6. Uniforms – Father’s Day
7. Happy Accidents – Small Talk
8. HDQ – Down But not Out
9. Chewing On Tinfoil – An Emigrants Wake
10. Last Ex – Hotel Blues
11. Family Planning – Sauce Famine
12. Run THe Jewels – Blockbuster Night Part 1
13. Women’s Christmas – Pissing In The Trees
14. Action Beat – Heap of Clay
15. Bo Ningen – Slider
16. Duncan Redmonds – Don’t Leave The Planet without me
17. Operation Ivy – Knowledge
18. Fifteen – FBI
19. Chewing On Tinfoil – Just like Me
It’s been an exciting week. After 100,000 people marched through the streets of Dublin last month in opposition to the Govt bringing in water charges after 6 years of the politics of austerity this has been a topic in the canteeens, workplaces, cafes and pubs around the country. Social media is rife with people talking about this being the protest of the streets. Ordinary communities through the whole of Ireland are uniting in opposition to what they feel as not only an unjust tax but a step to privatisation. This could well be the straw that breaks the peoples backs. There is some amount of anger out there and it is starting to show.
All over Ireland there was smalller demonstration today, from Letterkenny to Bandon and all counties in between people took to the streets to say enough is enough. Over 150,0000 people took to the streets today. Nearly 300,000 legs – a lot of legs.
Some tinkering is being planned and the establishment are hoping this will be enough to split the resistance. next large protest is December 10 in Dublin when people will march to the Dail, our parliament. What happens in between should be interesting.
Damien Dempsey sang at a rally outside Dublins GPO, the symbolic home to the Easter Rising of 1916. “Where our where is our James Connolly” Damo sang, We don’t know but the feeling is he would not be leading Irelands largest union in its current format.
jeff Rosenstock was in Bomb the Music Industry and if he was in Ireland I have no doubt Jeff would have been leading the sing along today, as would Tv Smith. TV Smith’s new album is out now and he has been serenading us for well over 30 years now, trying to bring us on that path to a better future
Martha are more recent additions in the attempt to get us to live our life a better way, a way where community is key be that in punk rock, diy or where we live.
Protomartyr are from Detroit but could easily be from the North of England back in the late 70’s, getting ready to support the miners.
Uniforms are from, what is fast becoming, the punk rock heartland of Dundee and Make that a take records. Check out the great scene and the upcoming book yer own fest that I wish I was going along to.
Happy Accidents is the band name of choice for quite a few punk type bands. This one are the Southampton version, They’ve a new album of pop punk out now.
HDQ have been going on and off for decades. Dickie Hammond, the guitarist, hadn’t been well recently but news of his demise have been well of the mark and it is heartening to hear they are embarking on some gigs in the near future.
Chewing on Tinfoil up next but I only caught 35 seconds, a little sampler if you will
A quick change in pace as Constellation records in Montreal are always home to interesting releases. Last Ex are no different, amazing how a label consistently find goods bands.
Back to Ireland with Family Planning from Dublin and Womens Christmas from Limerick but sandwiched between them are us hip hop outfit Run the jewels.
Action Beat are a multinational, English based with a Dutch singer, not just any old singer mind you, GW SOK who is prolific with his recording output at the moment. THis is one of three new records he features on.
Bo Ningen’s new album is called three (as in III) but the connection between them and the ex-ex front man ends there. Although mayeb we could find one, after all anyone in the music business is only really two degrees of sepration away.
Take Duncan Redmonds, drummer in Snuff. So many bands have come from that era that Duncan’s presence is never too far away. This track features Dickie Hammond from aforementioned HDQ (and Leatherface, and Angelic Upstarts) amongst others.
No doubt Snuff and Operation Ivy shared some sort of space and fifteen spawned from Op Ivy, see there’s a game in this connections business.
I finish off with my second attempt at Chewing On Tinfoil. Just Like Me, there were over 150,000 people on the streets today.
Think about that
150,000
That’s a lot of human hearts. Double that for legs.
