''Upside Down Mountain'' Conor Oberst - A Review

Ever since Conor Oberst captured mainstream attention in 2005 with the acoustic glory of I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, he slowly began to shift away from the tendencies that made him such a divisive songwriter in his early career. Early is perhaps an understatement; Oberst released his debut work as Bright Eyes at the age of just 17, and the resulting recordings all the way from A Collection Of Songs... in 1998 to Lifted in 2002 marked a series of ear splitting emotional wreckage that won serious critical acclaim and reproach for its searing teenage angst. But as the Nebraska native matured, so too did the music, as Cassadaga and The People's Key showcased a much more subdued poet, one who dealt more in spiritual and political topics than the naked, soul baring extremities of the past. Much like earlier work, previous albums have found fans and detractors both with the media and Bright Eyes' legion of followers, making it seem very much the case that Conor Oberst can't escape controversy anywhere he goes.

So it's interesting then that the Omaha man's recently revived solo career has rolled on quietly and consistently since it was cautiously picked back up in 2008 in between Bright Eyes projects. Oberst's individual work seems to be a hideaway for the songwriter when he's feeling a little more down to earth and relaxed than usual, and so the folk style ramblings of his previous two solo efforts have reflected this desire for inner peace- they're content, solid pieces that'll provide you with the odd moment of serenity and warmth, but never the blistering intensity and unforgettable fire that Bright Eyes was always ready to light underneath you. So while it's safe to say Oberst has never quite delivered a solo record worthy of his most notorious stage name, there was hope for Upside Down Mountain from the start, due to quotes from the man himself suggesting a balance between both sides of the now 34 year old.

What we get in reality is a twin brother of 2008's self titled effort, a straight up folk crowd pleaser that offers plenty of warm acoustic vibes and intimate tones without ever really reaching for anything more interesting or meaningful. The album is mostly divided into two different types of song- the upbeat, pop friendly tunes that hint at a somewhat deeper subject matter without clearly defining their message (''Zigzagging Toward The Light'', ''Hundreds Of Ways'', ''Kick'') and the down tempo, solemn country sounds of the other half, which is where the record finds most of its success.

''Double Time'' and ''Lonely At The Top'' are sorrow tinged ballads that populate the mid section, with ''Lonely'' recalling ''Laura Laurent'' from prime Bright Eyes in particular, albeit without quite the same depth of feeling and emotion- the title says all you need to know about an uncharacteristically shallow subject by Oberst's standards. ''Midnight At Lake Unknown'' and ''Desert Island Questionnaire'' are laid back acoustic meditations that sound quite nice but are mostly indistinguishable from the rest of the album, while ''Governors Ball'' is a self explanatory lead single as the only track that actually uses the electric guitar. It's a strong moment, one that separates itself from the rest with nice instrumentation overall that includes a trumpet and saxophone to boot, but the real highlight of the album lies in ''You Are Your Mothers Child'', the most engaging song on Upside Down by a mile, with its lullaby acoustic nature, gentle delivery and tender, beautiful lyrical ability, the kind of which should by all rights be expected of Oberst on every track considering his prowess. In truth, for all the pleasantries of the album, best translated by the warm welcoming and soft goodbyes of ''Time Forgot'' and ''Common Knowledge'' respectively, ''Mother's Child'' is the only real moment on Upside Down that you really feel Oberst shine through in his usual hypnotic way, and that's a fairly damning verdict no matter what way you look at it.

There is nothing obviously wrong with Upside Down Mountain- as stated, it's filled with an intimate vibe and friendly melodies throughout, but that safeness and normality is the essence of the problem itself. There were always huge flaws on albums like Fevers & Mirrors and Lifted, from the broken, untrained voice and unrehearsed yelps to the voices in the background of makeshift, shoddy recording conditions, but that was what demanded our attention in the first place- it was a unique kind of heart and soul that couldn't be bought, and when Oberst grew up in the late noughties he still found a way to translate his spirit and swirling thoughts into a magical journey on a grander scale through Cassadaga and The People's Key.

But yet again the folk ramblings of Oberst haven't quite hit the right note and it's obvious after even one listen of Upside Down Mountain that they never will. The album is fine, but it feels wrong to settle for that considering the incredible talent behind it and what we all know him to be capable of on form. The unceremonious claim that The People's Key was to be a retirement album for Bright Eyes in 2012 was somewhat hard to take seriously- it seemed like that persona would always be found somewhere inside Oberst no matter what his ambitions were toward other long term projects, but now it's even harder to swallow considering the potential ramifications of a real closing of the door for Bright Eyes and that chapter of Conor Oberst's career. If this really is the way forward from now on for one of the most gifted songwriters of this generation, we'll only be left wondering what happened to that teenage boy locked inside his bedroom on a cold night in Nebraska rather than celebrating the realization of his talent and growth into the genius that befit his young age.

If you balk at the above judgement of Oberst's ability that's perfectly normal- anyone who has ever heard the man sing and play a guitar has had a different assessment of his talent over the past two decades, but it was always clear in spite of those vehemently differing opinions that he was totally unlike anyone else in music. Upside Down Mountain sounds like it could have been written by just about anyone right now- it's an album you'll hear fifty times this year, drowned in a sea of similar material, and at the end of it all, that's the worst thing you can say about an album by Conor Oberst.

6.8

Electric Picnic Adds Blondie, Sinead Connor, James Murphy & 18 More Acts

Electric Picnic have announced a further 21 names to this summers line up. The list includes Irish female icon and controversial singer-songwriter Sinead O Connor, LCD Soundsystem retiree James Murphy and legendary 80's rockers Blondie among plenty of others.

Joining them with be lower key highlights such as Scottish post rock act Mogwai, indie/post punk favourites The Horrors, and R&B idol Kelis.

For me, much like the first announcement, this is a solid line up of additions but somewhat lacking in the extraordinary quality of the past 5 or so years.

In any case, the full list of additions is as follows:

Blondie
Sinead O'Connor
Mogwai
James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem fame)
Kelis
Neneh Cherry
The Horrors
Duke Dumont
Twin Shadow
Ham Sandwich
Clean Bandit
Drenge
The Orwells
Glass Animals
Wolf Alice
The Districts
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Vancouver Sleep Clinic
Vaults
Benjamin Booker
Moko

My plan over the next couple of months is to prepare for EP by selecting my favourite artists from the line up and writing up profiles for each, including best tracks, albums and such so stick with HMM for Electric Picnic previews which will be up and running before the end of the month.

''The New Classic'' Iggy Azalea - A Review

Iggy Azalea gave us plenty of reasons to listen to The New Classic before its eventual release this year; there was her extraordinary background story, a duo of mixtapes released over the past 2 years featuring input from an impressive set of producers including mentor TI and Diplo, and then this year came a pair of fantastic charting singles in ''Work'' and especially ''Fancy'', a number one worldwide smash hit that has demanded mainstream attention over the past month. All of this points to the possible introduction of a new female hip-hop talent with crossover appeal to boot, so does Azalea's debut album deliver star quality?

Not quite. The New Classic has its moments for sure, but they're too few and far between to ever really provide a coherent product. Those moments come mainly in the form of songs we've already heard, such as the two lead singles, which boast excellent production skills and real vocal talent from Azalea. ''Fancy'' in particular is comfortably the album highlight one of the singles of 2014 thus far, making great use of another like minded artist in Charli XCX to compliment Iggy's bars. And that itself is one of the standout features of Azalea's repertoire; she can really rap. Unlike other similar female rap stars, Azalea is a real, passionate hip-hop head and this serves to make the stunning Australian stand out from a large crowd of female talent in her genre at the moment.

Other highlights include electro tinged, rap heavy album opener ''Walk The Line'', smooth R'n'B jam ''Don't Need Y'all'' and a solid run of braggadoccio tracks toward the end of proceedings from ''Impossible Is Nothing'' to ''Lady Patra'', but there are a number of problems with the remainder of the tracklist that drag The New Classic down. ''Fuck Love'' closes the album on a bad note with a repetitive, empty hook that Azalea should look to avoid in the future if she wants to be a credible artist rather than merely a loud/controversial one, while other tracks like ''100'' and ''Change Your Life'' are no more than weak chart bait with underwhelming production that Iggy responds badly too. Conversely, ''New Bitch'' is only saved by the cool synths that distract the listener from a lyrically woeful track.

If we're to focus on the positive aspects of The New Classic for a moment, credit is due to Iggy for bringing across a typically male style rap persona (with the ego, brash style and delivery) with absolutely no fear or reproach of herself, an element that deserves praise in itself- Azalea executes a style that could so easily have gone laughably wrong with a comfortable and assured personality. In addition to this, it certainly wouldn't be crazy to suggest that the Australian has learned a thing or two from ex-boyfriend A$AP Rocky regarding choice of production style, with several areas of Classic recalling Rocky's debut early last year due to their cold, dreamy synth style.

With that said it's also true that the producers here are guilty of making and breaking some tracks as Watch The Duck and The Messengers create the most average beats here and in turn the most average tunes- when Iggy is backed up correctly here, she usually responds well. It's a real shame too that the potential of the album is never realized either; the industry could really use some strong female rappers, so it's hard not to think of The New Classic as a missed opportunity.

At the end of it all, The New Classic is an inconsistent debut, but one with some great pop rap moments that make the experience worthwhile and give us reason to believe that Azalea can sharpen up and focus on her abilities while ignoring her impulse to lean toward the limelight with superficial chart fillers. While not as impressive as recent debuts like True Romance and No Mythologies To Follow, The New Classic shouldn't be dismissed; Iggy has a style that will keep her interesting and relevant for a while yet, let's just hope she uses that time to hone herself into a more adept, conclusive artist.

6.6

7 Must See Alternative & Indie Gigs In Ireland This Summer 2014

Following on from my feature on the top rap gigs to be frequenting this summer in Ireland, I'm turning my gaze to the rock scene, where again I'll be previewing a number of excellent upcoming concerts that I'll be attending over the next few months, and so should you.

Bob Dylan (17th June, The 02)

This will be a divisive one for sure; personally, I was hugely disappointed in Dylan's show at the 02 last time around but perhaps I expected too much of a man who is now 72 years of age and still touring like he was in his early twenties. In any case, there's no debating the fact that Robert Zimmerman is simply one of the greatest songwriters of all time, if not the absolute best, so seeing the legendary folk figure take to stage should be on any self respecting music fan's bucket list. Tickets are going between e65-e76.

Elbow (25th June, Royal Hospital Kilmainham)

Elbow were one of the most consistent alternative rock bands of the 21st century for a long period before they blew up in 2008 with the hugely successful The Seldom Seen Kid, and since then they've only continued their solid output with Build A Rocket Boys! in 2011 and this year's The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. Guy Garvey and co. are big favourites in Ireland due to their wonderful set of festival appearances over the past few years and you can expect them to be in flying form at the end of June as they return to our green pastures for a date in Kilmainham which will set you back e49.50.

The Arcade Fire w. The Pixies (29th June, Marlay Park)

Along with Kanye 3 days later, this is the Irish gig of the summer for my money. The greatest rock band in the world right now performing with one of the greatest and most influential of all time is not to be missed under any circumstances. Pixies new material has yet to be judged even if it does sound fairly dodgy and a small legion of fans were left alienated by Reflektor last year even if the majority rightly judged it to be another triumph from Win Butler's troops, but on June 29th any doubts will be cast aside on a night of celebration for two truly special artists who are guaranteed to put on a spectacle in Dublin for concert goers. Tickets are still available for e61.50- if you haven't picked one up, do it now.

Eels (1st & 2nd July, Olympia Theatre)

E hasn't quite reached the bar he set early in his career with the likes of Electro Shock Blues and Daises Of The Galaxy since returning in 2009 with Hombre Loco and following it up with a series of average albums, but I can personally attest to Eels superb live show having witnessed them at a belting St. Patrick's Day show in Vicar Street half a decade ago, and the Olympia will be a great setting to hear the eccentricities of Mark Oliver Everett on display. Even if E understandably leans towards his newer material, you'll be sure to hear set highlights like ''Flyswatter'', ''Cancer For The Cure'' and ''Novocaine For The Soul'' which are worth the ticket price of just under 40 quid anyway.

The Prodigy (2nd July, The Marquee)

The long awaited release of The Prodigy's 6th album How To Steal A Jet Fighter (they announced its title a full 2 years ago) is still up in the air, but it's hard to complain when hitting the road and still doing what they do best; performing live to their insane fans. After returning to form in 2009 with Invaders Must Die, Prodigy's live show was perfected on the subsequent tour, and if you were lucky enough to witness them back then, you'll need no excuse to grab a ticket to see them in The Marquee, Cork this time around even with the steep 60 euro price tag attached. It's also interesting to note their no show in Dublin- perhaps a sign that there is a festival appearance yet to be announced for the electronic legends in the capital, with the most likely destination being Electric Picnic.

Arctic Monkeys w. Jake Bugg, Miles Kane & Royal Blood (12th July, Marlay Park)

There really is no better time to witness Alex Turner and co. in action following on from one of their finest releases ever last year in AM, and you can expect a mix of classics new and old from the Sheffield lads. The supporting line up doesn't look like much to be fair, but an Arctic's show in Dublin is never to be missed, an you can expect a huge set in Marlay Park this July. Tickets are going for their expected price at e60.

The National (18th & 19th July, Iveagh Gardens)

Another hugely successful indie act of the noughties, The National's consistently impressive output continued last year with Trouble Will Find Me, another widely acclaimed record from the American natives. Their set at the Iveagh Gardens is a hidden gem considering its e42 pricing and support from Owen Pallett, Arcade Fire instrumentalist and composer as well as excellent and under appreciated solo artist, who drops his fourth individual record In Conflict before the Dublin date.

7 Must See Hip-Hop Gigs In Ireland This Summer 2014

What with Danny Brown's recent appearance at the Olympia that I so regretfully missed, Earl Sweatshirt's sick gig in the Academy and DOOM hitting The Sugar Club the same week, we haven't been short on visiting rap talent of late. The summer however, promises to be an excellent one for hip-hop lovers in Ireland as a variety of superstars new and old hit the capital and beyond.

As always I'm here to provide a running commentary by laying out the best gigs for you to see this summer so sit back, check out the upcoming live music and stay tuned for coverage of them when they happen.

Big Daddy Kane (3rd May, The Sugar Club)

This summer is set to be steeped in heavyweight appearances from hip-hop legends and kicking off the party is Big Daddy Kane in The Sugar Club in under two weeks. One of the greatest rap artists of the 1980's and most influential people ever to step to a mic, Kane requires no introduction but another good reason to catch this performance is its intimate setting, with The Sugar Club having proved a wonderful venue for hip-hop artists of late. It's also very reasonably priced at just e22 a ticket.

Grandmaster Flash (4th May, The Village)

If you're craving a massive rap weekend in early May you are most definitely sorted with Grandmaster Flash following Big Daddy Kane in The Village on May 4th. A pioneer of hip-hop beats and one of the most celebrated DJ's in rap, Flash can be seen for a measly 15 quid. It'd be rude not to.

Schoolboy Q & Isaiah Rashad (27th May, Vicar Street)

Two of the biggest upcomers in rap music right now, Top Dawg Entertainment's Schoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad both dropped albums this year to strong critical acclaim (one I agreed with, one I can't say the same about) and will be unmissable at what is sure to be an intense concert in Vicar Street come the end of May. Q's in-your-face braggadocio style rap will get the crowd rowdy while Rashad delivers the kind of contemplative think pieces that made his debut release such a pleasure this year. When you consider a price of just 26 euro for two of the hottest young rappers in the game, expect Vicar Street to be bouncing on May 27th.

Pusha T (9th June, Vicar Street)

Pusha's solo debut My Name Is My Name was one of the best rap albums of 2013 without doubt, and this is another well priced gig in the always beautifully atmospheric Vicar Street. Grab a ticket for e26 and thank me later as you witness one of the best MC's in the world right now take stage in Dublin this June.

Jurassic 5 (17th June, Vicar Street)

Another historically significant name in alternative rap, Jurassic 5 reformed last year following a break up in 2006 due to disputes among the group, and it's your duty as a self respecting hip-hop fan to see them while you can when they play the capital this summer. The band are also making plans to release a live album of their current tour so you never know, you could be part of the recording process. This is Vicar Street once again, however this time tickets are a little steeper at e36.

Kanye West & Pharrell Williams (2nd July, Marlay Park)

Alongside The Arcade Fire/Pixies set three days prior in the same place, Kanye and Pharrell are set to play the Irish gig of the summer on July 2nd. Kanye arrives as part of his spectactular Yeezus tour in the midst of recording a new album less than a year after what many (including myself) judged to be 2013's greatest record, while Pharrell is experiencing a massive career peak at the moment with the release of his second solo album G I R L and smash hit single ''Happy''. Shelling out e59.50 might seem a bit much but consider Drake/Watch The Throne's ludicrous 80 quid pricing in the O2 and count yourself lucky; it won't seem an awful lot on the night as you witness a modern music legend in all his glory.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis w. Danny Brown, Angel Haze & Ellie Goulding (10th July, Marlay Park)

Fresh off his huge Grammy win's for 2012's The Heist, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are still touring and they return to Dublin for a July show that also features the talents of one of my personal favourite artists Danny Brown, upcoming female rapper Angel Haze and the hugely successful Ellie Goulding. It's a bit of a mix and match when you look at the talent, but there's no denying this is an impressive line up and another stand out for Irish music fans.


Well that looks like a promising summer indeed. When you include the likes of Public Enemy at Forbidden Fruit, Massive Attack headlining Longitude and Outkast dominating the Picnic line up, there'll be no shortage of live hip-hop entertainment over the next few months. Enjoy it and keep it here for more rap album and gig reviews.

As if that wasn't enough though, I'm taking a look at even more excellent upcoming Irish gigs, this time with an alternative/indie rock twist, so stick with the blog as I keep you posted further in the next couple of days.

''Recess'' Skrillex - A Review

Ever since he ditched his debut emo rock project From First To Last for a solo career in 2007, Sonny John Moore has made an undeniable impact on the electronic music landscape as Skrillex, delivering a brand of hardcore electro dance that has shaped recent crazes like Dubstep while also delivering him major commercial and chart success. The genre that Skrillex belongs to is a polarizing one indeed, but if any name has been consistently referenced within it over the past 5 years it's no doubt been Moore's, and so after multiple hit singles, EP's and six, yes SIX Grammy Awards, it's definitely surprising that Recess is the 26 year old's debut studio album.

For many, Recess will mean nothing more than another unwelcome addition to a thankfully dying niche genre which has already outlived it's remarkably short life, but Skrillex's reputation as the face of Dubstep is sometimes an unfair tag to attribute to the American. For a start, many fans of the genre would throw a fit at seeing his name at the top of the leaderboard, for the same reasons that you could hope Moore is able to outlive the utterly mundane and monotonous ''wait for the drop'' nature of the music- he was always a slightly more appealing, conventional side of true Dubstep. And by true Dubstep, I mean ear destroying, brain melting, boring nonsense.

And yes, there is a large supply of that kind of sludge here, the assumed personality of Skrillex, another DJ who wants no more than to produce a set of empty club bangers, but fascinatingly, there's an entirely different side to the musician which quietly pronounces itself on Recess and sheds a lot of light on the possibility of a real future for Moore in different areas of electronic music.

''Stranger'' is the first track in a very unexpected midsection which introduces a more introspective identity to the album, experimenting with a low key sound that stands in direct contrast to the straightforward club anthems on the album, while ''Try It Out'' lives up to its name by incorporating quite lovely synth touches which lift it above the standard fare. Major highlight ''Coast Is Clear'' utilizes a wonderfully chosen guest appearance by Chance The Rapper on a weird, wonderful track with absolutely zero hint of Skrillex's past persona- it's an insanely catchy pop tune with a hilarious ''Do you wanna fuck?'' refrain that uses an interpolation of ''Big Poppa'' to good effect in the best track on the album bar none. ''Doomy Poomp'' is another curios example of self exploration here and the strangest track in a good way, while closer ''Fire Away'' is another contender for best song, a low key final sound which delves into a deeper side of electronica, promising a far more in depth Moore that could definitely go further.

Alas though, there are not only positives to be had here, and too often Skrillex produces the kind of meaningless drivel that, on the strength of the aforementioned tracks, he should now have outgrown. The title track offers a conventional hook which has led to predicatble chart success, throwing in Fatman Scoop and reusing a similiar vocal of his from the classic club banger ''Be Faithful'', while ''Dirty Vibe'' features Diplo, fresh off the most underwhelming track on Mo's debut, once again showing up for the worst song on the album by some distance. ''Fuck That'' and ''Ease My Mind'' don't even warrant a mention, you've heard them before. The best of a bad bunch is a duo of tracks with Ragga Twins (opener ''All Is Far..'', ''Ragga Bomb'') which are the usual unapologetic electro anthems but there's a sense of fun added with these guests that adds a personality and presence lacking in these usually sub par outings.

Often on Recess though, there are numerous moments which shine brighter than the darkened, oft treaded wayward path of conventional EDM and while it's a strikingly inconsistent record that perhaps just about leans on the negative side, Recess offers a musician who seems far more open to change and progression than before.

On conclusion, it's plain to hear that Skrillex is an interesting DJ who can quite easily surpass the Dubstep conventions that have both given him his success and hindered him on Recess- he doesn't seem quite ready to let go of his baby genre over these 11 tracks and this makes Recess a dwindling, boring experience for the most part that drowns alongside it's beyond average contempotraries, but when he ignores these conventions and explores further sounds it couldn't be more obvious that Skrillex is a more talented figure than Recess would have you believe.

There is a crossroads ahead for Sonny Moore on his next release whatever form it may take- either he can keep swimming with the small fishes and continue respectable but shallow commercial success, or confront his instincts and make something more meaningful, more accomplished and more suited to his ability. Hopefully, strangely, Recess can be a product of transition rather than the final version of Skrillex.

5.9

Kurt Cobain: A Tribute

This weekend marked the 20th anniversary of the passing of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain on April 5th, 1994. That day the music world lost one of the all time greatest icons, songwriters and vocalists that ever graced the business and two decades on it's only right to pay tribute to a true legend and incredible artist.

For me, to describe Kurt Cobain and my feelings toward him in words is a futile exercise; everything I can think of saying seems like such a pathetic, insignificant response to one of the greatest musicians in history. So I'll keep it as simple as possible; Kurt Cobain, and a very small group of artists like him, is the reason I listen to music. The passion, energy, love, hatred, anger, venom, intensity and most of all emotion that he delivered to fans throughout his time in this world is unrivaled in music past, present and future. And when you consider the future, it really is so hard not to look back and think 'what if'.

Because if anything ever showcased how much there was left in Cobain to give to his fans, it was that haunting performance in New York on a November night in 1993 when the Seattle native showcased the genuinely beautiful artistry behind his raw grunge and unveiled a deeper, wiser side to a desperately troubled figure that could have taken his already legendary, iconic status to new levels of genius in the 21st century.

I guess we'll never truly know just how talented Cobain really was; the scope is infinite for a man who died at 27 with the whole world in his hands, but what we were left with is even more precious due to its abrupt, unfinished ending. For those who are still listening like myself twenty years later, and will be in another twenty, Kurt Cobain is immortal anyway- the music will never burn out or fade away.