Support act Fear of Folk, delivered a fine set of mid tempo acoustic rock numbers, think Travis at their best, with added pedal steel and you wont go wrong. Several of their songs were of an extremely high standard. Which indicates that they are well ahead of the curve, for a relatively new band on the scene.

It was standing room only as The Quicksand Band, cemented their live reputation in front of a buoyant crowd, at the launch of their début album Approaching Rain, upstairs in Whelans.  Hailing from Tallaght, this alt country rock quartet, follow in the dusty footsteps of Neil Young, Tom Petty, and Wilco. Delivering a range of material from breezy, feel-good, 60′s folk tinged Cali-pop, to brooding grungy premonitions of death.

Lead singer Justin Corr, has a powerful emotive voice capable of belting out big luscious notes with ease. The Quicksand Band, are very much a vocal-harmony group and the interplay between Corr and lead guitarist Phil Clarke, is at times exquisite. Clarke’s guitar riffs in the main, are classic meaty country-style riffs. But he is not afraid to delve into Harrison-esque blues territory, on songs such as “Beaming Out”.  While his solos have an alt rock guitar hero feel to them. The rhythm section of Shay “sex-face” Cosgrave (drums) and Bonezz (bass) is accomplished.

The murky, Neil Young style “Stars Appear” is an early highlight, built on a crunchy swamp riff.  Forthcoming single “Learning” is a breezy radio friendly jaunt, set somewhere between early Fleetwood Mac and Nilsson, which extends into a long expansive guitar solo. Expect to hear this track on the radio next summer. Clarke, takes lead vocals on several songs “Bury My Bones” sees him deliver his finest vocal of the evening. This song, must certainly be in the mix for single status. Having a distinctive sound, with an old west gold-rush feel to it.

The album’s title track “Approaching Rain” is another highlight. It showcases Corr’s gentler side on another radio friendly number. Midway through the track Clarke enters with a highly hummable melody line, which sets the song up for a lighter in-the-air extended finale.  Songs such as “All The Love” and “Time” further showcase the bands diverse sound.  A cover of Van Morrison’s “Warm Love” caps of an excellent performance.

Approaching Rain, is available from Tower Records and bandcamp now. With an itunes release to follow shortly.

Behold is the name of the 11 track record, and if you liked the first album you’ll love this one too. It’s much the same easy listening rock with just a pinch of abnormality. The record has been out for a few weeks now and it’s been getting nothing but good press. And the good news is it’s about to get more!

Easy listening rock music isn’t very hard to do. Millions of bands have been down that road and some have done well for themselves. But not all make it, and that’s because they don’t always know what they’re doing. Jon Cohen knows exactly what he’s doing, and this is seen through out the album. The song ‘Don’t Be The Cloud‘ could not be a better example of a genius of the genre doing what he does best. It’s the kind of song you could put on repeat as you fall asleep.

But don’t think the LP is all quiet chords and triangles, there are one or two songs in which the pace quickens up. ‘No More Videos Just Teasers‘ is a song in which JCEX get louder, and yet it still somehow fits in perfectly with the rest of the album. As well as that every song on the album has its own little thing going for it. They all have a personality that draws you into it.

I don’t often find a record in which I like every song. There’s usually an Achilles heel somewhere, usually towards the end. But if anything Behold gets better and better as it goes along, and you slip further into a blissful state of mind.

I write this with all the best in mind – Jon Cohen is coming into his prime in the wrong decade. The fan base is out there, but if he was around in the late 60s people might be talking about his band like they talk about The Beatles today. And that’s about as much praise as I can be giving.

Reviewer: Claire Kane

When Cathy Davey announced a three night residency at Dublin music venue, Whelan’s, an immediate buzz of excitement circled among music fans in the capital, as it would be the first time Davey would play in Dublin in just over year. Rather than playing the same show on three different dates, Davey decided to offer fans a different kind of performance for each show; on the 9th she would revisit her critically acclaimed performance from the 2008 fringe festival, ‘Songs That Scare Children’, those heading to the gig on the 16th will be treated to a set entitled ‘Heroes’ in which she will perform covers of her favourite songs by the artists that have influenced her. On February 2nd however, fans of Davey were delighted to take in a performance of several of her personal favourite songs from her first three albums.

The gig was opened by Joe Chester, whose mellow soundings meshed well with the chilled out atmosphere before the crowd enlarged. Once Davey arrived on stage, the atmosphere changed as the audience grew in numbers and excitement. Opening with Habit, Davey seemed on good form, greeting the crowd with a genuine smile. It was not long until the room was buzzing as Davey churned out the hits with “Reuben”, from 2007 album Tales of silversleeve, getting a particularly warm welcome from the crowd. In Davey’s earlier career her timid demeanour was often the subject of commentary, however during the set she admitted that she had become more comfortable in her own skin, and was more at ease with talking to an audience in between songs; this lent a friendly and upfront quality to the already intimate gig. Her new-found comfort was obvious as she danced while singing more recent songs such as Dog and a relaxed confession that at one point she hated her first album. Her positive attitude certainly impacted her performance for the better  as she delivered each song with gusto, not slipping up at any stage, apart from a minor hiccup. When the remarkable singer was launching into a cover of Billy Holiday’s Gloomy Sunday, a preview of what is to come on the 16th, she stopped during the intro to re-tune her guitar but, as with all true performers, she did not appear flustered and her band backed her up with an impromptu yet professional interlude as she tuned up.

One particular highlight of the evening was Sing for your supper, arguably Davey’s most remarkable song, her voice somehow seemed at its best than it had been throughout the entire night, almost sounding like a well produced, recorded version of the song, so perfect it was. The audience was in the palm of her hand, instantly seduced by the simple guitar and soft vocals of the song, and moved to clapping along as the drum beat built up. Once the main performance was finished, Davey and her extremely talented band returned to the stage to deliver the inevitable encore which consisted of two songs; the tender End of the End and her best known song, Moving. The latter was received with a woop of delight from the crowd, leaving the show off where it had started, with excitement and joy from both the singer and her fans.

Rodrigo y Gabriela are back once more with their 5th studio album to date. Area 52 is an altogether different venture than before for the dynamic virtuoso duo. Area 52 sees Mr.Sanchez and Ms.Quintero team up with a 13-piece Cuban orchestra called C.U.B.A. For anyone that has followed the pair over the years or has seen them live will understand that they usually perform alone, just the two of them. Their live performances have been acclaimed for their sheer excitement and intensity. This having just two members, imagine what the help of 13 more exceptional musicians could sound like. This is what Area 52 aims to show us.

In 2011, Rodrigo y Gabriela entered the studio with Hans Zimmer to record sessions for his ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ film. This was a new venture for the duo and Area 52 is another leap into the world of the unknown for R y G.

This 9-track album consists of 9 songs that have been released on previous albums. The aim was to add a new depth to each song, and in certain cases, flip the song on its head with the 13-piece orchestra. The result is an electrifying, full-bodied attack of flamenco infused musical output.

Previous album favorites such as ‘Diablo Roja’ get a thorough going over with the inclusion of a massive horn and drum section. This track conveys the hypnotic quality that entrances so effortlessly during their live shows. At just over 5 minutes this track takes you on countless ups and downs, rises and falls that almost leave you out of breath from just listening. An experience that unfortunately is not replicated throughout the album. Songs such as ‘Logos’ fail to impress as the word boring springs to mind, a word that would never arise on the original recording of this song. There is obvious Asian and African influences thrown in here too, lovers of worldly music will be in their element, while old R y G fans will revert back to the originals.

The standout track comes from ‘Tamacun’ which manages to add something extra to the original release. I believe this album is a success as it’s a new sound and interesting road to explore. As a musical album, it’s exciting, frantic and flawless. I can’t wait to catch the first date of their tour, hitting Dublin’s Olympia on the 19th February. If this album isn’t your thing, R y G have assured fans that the two act performances will be coming back sooner rather than later but for now, lets enjoy this superb effort.

Review and Photos: Abraham Tarrush

Fresh from her sold out date in Academy 2 last October, Kina Grannis returns to Dublin to play the Academy. A YouTube sensation, Grannis rose to fame when she won the Doritos’ Crash The Super Bowl contest, having her video Message From Your Heart aired to almost 100 million viewers. Not a bad way to be introduced to the world.

Her online following soared, resulting in a record deal. However, due to lack of creative control, she passed on the offer and decided to release her début independently. Stairwells charted on the Billboard top 200, and placed at #5 on the iTunes Pop Charts. The album was re-released in 2011 to coincide with her first international run of shows. The video for her single In Your Arms was released online in November, and has clocked up over 5 million views to date. The video was widely acclaimed for the ‘jellybean art’ style used, and is the result of a year of freeze-frame animations. Surprisingly, the venue is far from full tonight. A bit odd considering how fast the last show sold out, perhaps the step up in capacity was ambitious, nonetheless we have an excited crowd.

This time round, she is accompanied by cellist Keith Tutt, who also provided instrumentals for Stairwells. It’s a great addition to the performance, helping bridge the gap with the studio tracks. Speaking of her excitement to be back on tour, and expressing her appreciation for her following, Kina proceeds to record the cheering crowd for her tour diary – something of a tradition after the last tour.

She performs a strong set, with a surprisingly small amount of covers, the first being a new twist on the Britney Spears single Oops I Did it Again, as well as plenty of her own material, old and new. The latter shows a fresh, yet readily identifiable sound which makes expectations of a sophomore release look very promising. Returning for her encore, she performs The Goldfish Song, with an anecdote of its true meaning. Joined by support act Imaginary Friend, the night comes to a close with a cover of Coldplay’s Fix You, a recent addition to her YouTube channel.

It’s been a night of mixed emotions. In regards to live shows, there’s still a fair bit to go, but understandable considering the nature of her rise. Her talent is undeniable, and it will be nice to watch her grow as an artist.