Although on the other side of the world at the moment, I am distraught over the news of Mark Linkous’ death. When I was starting out in music journalism, I approached the man in Whelan’s during a sound check, saying that I was a writing for an independent music magazine and could he meet…

Collaborations are all the rage these days. A lot of groups are shedding this idea of the act as an insular band of brothers, them against the world and all that hokum and instead are recognising the need to keep things fresh and interesting. Many artists, therefore, have reached the consensus that there is…

The ornate ceiling of Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom has withstood everything from political rallies to Oasis to The White Stripes, so why should a visit from Them Crooked Vultures be any different? Listening to their debut album, it shouldn’t. The much publicised group of Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and Josh Homme has received mixed…

Think too much about The Mars Volta, and you could end up becoming very confused and frustrated. From the immediacy and comparative conventionality of At The Drive-In came one of today’s foremost exponents of prog-isms and extended jam interludes. For the creative duo of vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López, every gig is…

Anyone who’s ever laid eyes on Dublin krautrock three-piece will not be surprised to hear that this debut LP is a strange proposition. Drummer Anto, axeman Rooster and organist Ray look like they were stolen from the set of Fraggle Rock one night. A highlight at this year’s DEAF festival, as well as a…

The laneway outside the Button Factory is alarmingly quiet just moments before Ash take the stage. Have the Downpatrick trio really fallen that much from superstardom that filling the modest Temple Bar venue is now an effort? Not so, it turned out. Walking into the venue, it became clear that the throng were just…

The reddened interior of the Savoy cinema is a broth of hormones and anticipation as a few hundred school girls squeal piercingly as the curtains roll back for the preview screening of New Moon, the Twilight sequel. Security has been tight. All mobile phones and iPods have been confiscated on arrival and sealed in…

We last saw Muse live October 30, 2000. It was a stunning show from the then fresh-faced three-piece. No fancy visuals, laser shows or equipment, but by god did they pack their piss and vinegar that night – the set culminated with Matt Bellamy on all fours ripping the strings off his very-bruised plug…

As one of the more produced rock bands in the shops these days, it was hard to imagine what Danish rockers Mew would deliver in the live setting when the technicians had gone and they were left with just instruments and effects. Tonight dispelled any such fears, but the full-ish Academy crowd were just…

In a recent interview, Channel One referred to doing free shows as their best career move. Attending a gig by the Dublin quartet can be as jarring as it can be euphoric, a blend that is commonly sought by acts but rarely realised. It is on the strength of this reputation more so than…

On paper, The Men Who Stare At Goats is a wonderful film concept, with potential in the mystification and bemusement departments on offer. So what has gone wrong with director Grant Heslov’s adaptation of Jon Ronson’s 2004 book of the same name? It’s hard to put your finger on it because what you are…

Stephenie Meyer’s ubiquitous vampire novels are already becoming the gothic horror Harry Potter, a humungous franchise that will sweep peripheral talents into its coven. Such was the swelling anticipation for New Moon, the follow-up to Twilight, that music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas seems to have been allocated a blank cheque to cherry pick from the…

In what could well be remembered as a slip-up of Spinal Tap proportions, Depeche Mode’s David Gahan wrapped up a recent show in Peru with the words “Thank you very much, Chile!”. It’s fair to say that a good portion of the 30,000 fans in the Peruvian captial Lima on Tuesday (October 13) were…

In a departure from the rough-edged kitchen-sinkery of This Is England and Somers Town, Shane Meadows shoots and scores in the mockumentary genre with this silly but soft-centred rock biz spoof. Paddy Considine (the name may not ring an immediate bell, but the face certainly will) is the swaggering Le Donk, the kind of…