Last night Jape took home the Choice Music Prize, with Ritual being declared the best Irish album of 2008. This makes us here at egoeccentric happy, seeing as it made two out of three of our best of year lists. Yay.

Here's Richie Jape performing 'At The Heart of All of This Strangeness' live for RTE's WE TV:

continue reading>>

So you get the whole idea of a Top Ten of the year right? You don't need me to explain it to you do I? Click on the read more and see how my list differs from Ste and Robs



10. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

Mercury Music prize winning and all that malarkey this was the year that Elbow finally took over and while doing so brought out one of the best rock songs of the last year, the last 5 years and perhaps ever, in "Grounds for Divorce". Check it out below if you don't believe me.

Elbow - Grounds for Divorce


9. Crayonsmith - White Wonder

Proof that listening to Ste can pay off and while it took me a little time to actually bother checking out the first (but not the last) Irish act on this list it was good that I finally did. Lovers of electro type stuff in general will find a lot to dig in this little piece.

Crayonsmith - All the Elders


8. Get Well Soon - Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon


German one man virtuoso Konstantin Groppe brings his own brand of Nick Cave flavoured miserablism to the world and in the process makes one of the most unsettlingly creepy albums of quite a while. For evidence of this check out the track below "If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting" with the creepiest female voices used in a rock song since The Ohio Players "Love Rollercoaster" (go here for more on that)

Get Well Soon - If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting


7. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

So finally despite about ten years and numerous albums Death Cab for Cutie finally make something that inspires me to sit up and take notice. There's a good chance that this is largely down to the amazing video for opening single "I Will Possess Your Heart" which also happens to be a great song but whatever, Number 7 with a bullet. Although why it needs a bullet I don't know.

Death Cab for Cutie - No Sunlight


6. Ham Sandwich - Carry the Meek

Second Irish act on the list but (spoiler alert) not the last. Ham Sandwich's first album mixes perfectly the female vocals of surprise preggers Niamh Farrell and fucking mentaller Podge McNamee to make some great pop-rock tunes. Great stuff all round

Ham Sandwich - Click...Click...Boom!!!


5. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Trent Reznor takes another step towards proving that he's the greatest musical innovator that ever existed by literally GIVING us The Slip (still not sure if that pun was intentional or not). For his SECOND release THIS YEAR and his FOURTH release in EIGHTEEN MONTHS Trent literally gave away for free the entire album. What was even more surprising is that it retained the same quality that all previous releases had delivered. Plus did I mention it was free??? When it came out for a physical release 4 months later it still sold by the bucket-load. Top man.

Nine Inch Nails - Echoplex


4. The Dandy Warhols - Earth to the Dandy Warhols

A band that will unfortunately always remain as a novelty band in peoples minds thanks to that fucking Vodafone ad of 2001 and a damn shame it is too as the Dandy Warhols prove once again that they write some seriously catchy pop/rock/psychedlic ditties.

The Dandy Warhols - MisAmigos


3. Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion

Love em or hate em they write a fucking catchy song and they're damn good live despite being hairy bastards the lot of them. Irelands bright new shining hopes finally deliver their long awaited debut album and with a running time of roughly 30-35 minutes it does what its meant to. Comes in. Beats the shit out of you and leaves you wanting more.

Fight Like Apes - Digifucker


2. Does it offend you yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into

Having a silly name (a David Brent quote from the Office) didn't help endear these guys to a lot of people (Rob) and some wouldn't listen to them as a result (Rob). Foolishly seeing as they proved with this album that they're this years Daft Punk/Justice Electo-Funk types and still have a savage cool live show which anybody who saw their mid-afternoon set at Oxegen can attest to.

Does it Offend you yeah? - We are Rockstars


1. Jape - Ritual

I hate having to put the same number 1 down as Rob but he's right. This album is fucking brilliant. Go and get it now.

Jape - I Was a man






Almost made it:
Breaks my heart to not include these albums as they are savage but Pivot - O Soundtrack my Heart; Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaus; Why? - Alopecia; MGMT - Oracular Spectacular.

Better luck next time chaps

continue reading>>

It's end-of-year-list time again, and this year it's been particularly tough to round up a top ten. There were plenty of great albums out there, but there also seemed to be a big gulf between the few truly amazing records and the far more populated category of 'pretty good'. Find out what's made the cut in the readmore.

10. Simon Bookish - Everything/Everything

This year saw classical composer-come pop genius Leo Chadburn release his most accomplished album to date under the Simon Bookish moniker. Everything/Everything is elaborately & impeccably orchestrated, while at the same time being lyrically fantastic. It the kind of album that's strongest point is how damned interesting it is- strange arrangements will come out of nowhere, making you sit up and take notice. That said, at the end of the day it is a pop record, so all that aside, the songs are still enjoyable as hell.

Listen:

Simon Bookish - The Flood


9. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

The second album from canuck supergroup Wolf Parade is a thoughtful, rich affair. A fine follow-up to 2005's 'Apologies to the Queen Mary', it has shades of everything from Britpop to Bonnie Prince Billy. All made nice'n'hooky by the distinctive guitar of former Hot Hot Heat mastermind Dante DeCaro.

Listen:
Wolf Parade - Soldier's Grin



8. Santogold - Santogold

Fusing hip-hop, punk rock, and a whole lot more, Santogold's debut is nicely bold in the realm of pop. LES Artistes was one of the songs of the year for me, and the album contains a handful more gems. Expect huge success in the next year.


Listen:
Santogold - I'm A Lady


7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Another indie debut made good, this album soundtracked the summer as MGMT went stellar. Though marred slightly with a bit of filler, you can't argue with awesome singles like Kids, Time To Pretend & Electric Feel.

Listen:
MGMT - Kids



6. The Faint - Fasciinatiion


I love The Faint. This is fairly clear. So with their return after a four year absence I was pretty happy to say the least. Fasciinatiion is a touch more dancy & electro than the band's previous offerings, and has all the class that made them one of my favourite bands in the first place. One of the highlights of my musical year was when I first got hold of 'The Geeks Were Right', the first track released off the album. There was a touch of ceremony about going to a quiet room, getting 'the good headphones' and sitting down to really listen to it. It didn't disappoint.

Listen:
The Faint - Forever Growing Centipedes.


5. Story of Hair - Cheap Rate

In a year which had a crazy amount of quality Irish albums (in fairness, we could probably populate this whole list with Irish acts), this one stands out for me. Being a fan of the Hair's live show, a lot was expected of this debut LP, and I was by no means let down. From maniacally happy to reassuringly pensive, the band barely put a foot wrong in these fourteen tracks. Being the pop-whore that I am, getting an album with as many shamelessly feelgood tracks as this feels like heaven. It's also great to see a set of quality tracks actually being realised impeccably on record. It sounds like a simple thing to do, just put a mic up and press record, but it doesn't always work out that way and something gets lost (for me, this is the reason the excellent Fight Like Apes aren't quite making this list). The song below is also undoubtedly one of the songs of the year.

Listen:
Story of Hair - Unsteady


4. Why? - Alopecia

I am a relatively recent convert to Why? (thanks, Ste), but this album wholly converted me. On paper it really shouldn't work. Alt-rap, folk-hop, whatever you want to call it... it seems like a fusion doomed to failure. But it works. It hella works. Alopecia is one of those albums which stayed in my stereo for months, each and every song growing on me in turn. It's got so many elements in it that there's something for everyone- and for all that quality hip-hop to suddenly break into an metal-sounding guitar riff is something so insane it's brilliant.

Listen:
Why - The Hollows


(This is where it gets very hard. I've spent weeks trying to separate these top three entries, and have decided it's just impossible. So first place is a three-way tie).


=1. Jape - Ritual

This was another much anticipated album, one which any attendee of Jape's legendary live shows will have been expecting to be filled with greatness. And it was. Taking indie electro by the horns Richie Egan & Co. got everyone dancing, and grounded the party with what are some undeniably great songs. From the frenetic I Was A Man to the now legendary ode to Phil Lynott, every track on the album is fantastic. It makes me want to buy a synth or two. And possibly grow a moustache.

Listen:
Jape - Strike Me Down


=1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This is one of those out-of-the-blue masterpieces that so perfectly defines the musical year. Justin Vernon's tale of woe and redemption through music plays out in magnificent lo-fi, and it couldn't have worked better any other way. The album's circumstance has already become the stuff of legend, with the story behind it's conception becoming almost as enduring as the music itself. As for the songs- with only nine tracks there's not much room for filler, and every song justifies it's place completely (OK, with the exception of Team, which I'm assuming is merely an extension of Creature Fear). I've always been a fan of the ol' acoustic album, and this is by far the best of it's kind in many a year.

Listen:
Bon Iver - The Wolves (Acts I & II)


=1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science


I'll admit straight off that I have a tendency to get very excited about certain bands, and in the process heap so much praise upon them that it could be considered by some as somewhat of an exaggeration. That said... TV On The Radio are probably the greatest band in the world today. Dear Science is another stage in evolution for a band that had already completely won me over, and with this stage they flex their pop muscles while still maintaining their distinctive production and powerful energy. At times during Dear Science one would be forgiven for thinking that the band are channeling the souls of some of Motown's greatest stars. Guitar licks like those on lead singles Dancing Choose & Golden Age are made for dancing, and dancing with soul. The album's masterstroke, however, comes with the understated Love Dog, which is an astonishing recording where not a single note is wasted, and every subtlety is hugely effective. There's so much to enjoy here, and given that at this stage TVOTR have officially 'lived up to the hype', there's so much to be excited about the future for.

Listen:
TV On The Radio - Love Dog

Honorable Mentions:

First one has to go to Passion Pit, who's Chunk of Change EP is one of the bast things I've heard all year, and would have made it very, very high up this list if only it had had a couple of more tracks on it and actually qualified as an album. I can imagine they will probably be featuring on this list next year.

As for the others... Hot Chip's 'Made In The Dark' ('Shake a Fist' was definitely one of the songs of the year)... Tokyo Police Club's 'Elephant Shell'... Elbow's 'Seldom Seen Kid'... Department of Eagles - In Ear Park... The Most Serene Republic - Population... Irish favourites included Adebisi Shank, Fight Like Apes & Queen Kong/ You're Only Massive...

continue reading>>

here's what Richie from jape had to say about the cover:

"i got locked into my house yesterday and couldn't get out until this morning so i decided to record a version of africa by toto..

in my head i was thinking dj falcon meets ariel pink.. it's not too bad.. i have listened to it about 1,500 times since yesterday.. going slightly mad, i was hallucinating last night that the colours on the computer screen were exactly the same as the colours on an amstrad 464 monitor, which is the computer i would have had when this song was out probably.. so it could have been some random time slip or something.. "

continue reading>>

For the excellent I Was A Man:



Video by M&E, with help from Johnny Kelly and D.A.D.D.Y and Gareth Averill.

Via Nialler9
(by the by, Nialler's got a fun music-y game thing going on over here which I hope to find the time to partake in. You should too!)

continue reading>>

So after months and months of chatter about it, Glastonbury is finally here. All of you who looked at the line-up and said "Jay-z *scoff*" I feel sorry for you. While he'll be peddling his own tiresome brand of Hip-Hop on Saturday night I will be at a completely different stage far from him watching MGMT, Battles and CSS back to back while getting very drunk on pear cider.
Irish acts representing this year include Jape, Ham Sandwich and Warlords of Pez.
Recognise.

See in you in a week

continue reading>>

Dublin's finest delivers the long awaited album number three. Can it possibly live up to expectations?

Pros:

• Whereas album #1 was testing the water, and album #2 was finding his/their feet, here we have a band that have finally settled on their sound.
  
• And what a sound. Having given Dublin gig-goers many a mind-blowing show, Richie Egan & Co have translated their energy perfectly to record.
  
• Songwriting is of a very high standard throughout, with lyrics you can think on, and choruses you can sing.
  
• As for style, think acoustic-electric. A singer/songwriter with synths and a drum machine who really wants you to dance.
  
• While (album #2) Monkeys in the Zoo... had a few humdingers, this one is packed to the brim. If you're hoping for hit-singles like Floating, you're in luck. A lot of luck.
• I can now finally can listen to I Was a Man somewhere other than Jape's myspace page.
• Even the quiet songs are amazing- At the Heart of all of this Strangeness is subtly beautiful, and Phil Lynott is an instant singalong classic.
• But don't forget the dancey tracks- Replays, Apple in an Orchard: great; Strike Me Down: AMAZING.
• In fact, that's pretty much what we're talking about here- an album that fluctuates between great and amazing.

Cons:

• I could go for a few more tracks.
  
• That's it.

Consider the hype lived up to- this is definitely one of the albums of the year. If you haven't already had the pleasure of seeing Jape live- grab yourself some Electric Picnic tickets, cause after hearing this album you're going to want to.

Listen:
Let's go for a quiet one...

Jape- Phil Lynott


Click for mp3

continue reading>>

This Saturday (7/jun/08) Jape will be playing live a live instore in Road Records,Jape's new album “Ritual" is now instock on cd in road records as well(on the special offer price of €13.99)

more new releases from road records in the read more

The Lykke Li album is in stock on cd.

Aidan Moffat from Arab Strap has just brought out the strangest releasethis year so far. It’s a ten second long track inside a limited editionyellow plastic bottle opener. Basically every time you open a bottle with itthe song plays automatically for you.€5.99

Mudhoney are back with a brand new album this week along with a special20th anniversary reissue of the seminal “Superfuzz Bigmuff” ep[deluxe double cd edition] features all the tracks from the original12 inch ep along with tons of bonus material including a full disc of liverecordings from 1988.€13.99

The Night Marchers album (featuring Speedo from Rocket From The Crypt andHot Snakes) is in stock on cd and vinyl.
The new Gemma Ray album is on special offer for only €13.99

The new Shearwater is on special offer for only €13.99

The Subtle album is out on cd for only €13.50 (its amazing i really recommend this)

continue reading>>

Jape's long awaited third album, Ritual, is due out on June 9th, and seeing as this song is entitled Graveyard, it's as good an excuse as any to get all gothed-up:




Via the wonderful State.

Don't forget Jape plays the Future Days fest on June 14, and Electric Picnic in August. Tickets for both here.

continue reading>>

New Foggy Notions festival- line up via On The Record

Thursday June 12 - Matmos and Si Schroeder - Andrew’s Lane Theatre

Friday June 13 - Low, Atlas Sound and The Holy Roman Army - Andrew’s Lane Theatre

Saturday June 14 - Dan Deacon, Jape, White Williams, High Places and more - Vicar Street

Sunday June 15 - Bonnie Prince Billy, Baby Dee and Paul Curreri - Vicar Street

Sunday June 15 - Metronomy and Spilly Walker - Andrew’s Lane Theatre
live videos for some of the acts in the read more


Matmos - Roses and Teeth for Ludwig Wittgenstein


Atlas Sound: live @ The FADER/AT&T Sideshow


White Williams - Route to Palm


Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "May It Always Be"


Metronomy - Heartbreaker

continue reading>>

Jape have posted a new 'old' song on their myspace profile which will be available to download for a few days. The track, Cathedrals, is a nice little quiet breathy one. Which also happens to be great.

Check it out here.

continue reading>>

The gigs continue to amass, and we've got to a point that justifies another roundup.

So here we go...



First up is one for this weekend- the excellent Devotchka play Crawdaddy on Saturday. Tickets are €15.

Super Extra Bonus Party & Grand Pocket Orchestra play Whelans on Saturday April 12th. Tickets are €10.

(Best live act in Ireland?) Jape play Crawdaddy on Monday April 21st.

A Hawk and a Hacksaw will hit Crawdaddy on Sunday May 11th, with tickets at €15.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club play the Academy on Wednesday 14 May (and also play the Trinity Ball, if you're in a position to swing tickets). Academy tickets are €30 a pop.

Sunday the 25th May sees Public Enemy, The Bomb Squad, and the amazing Cadence Weapon play Tripod with tickets at €29.50 or €34.00
Tapes N Tapes, Sons & Daughters & Port O'Brien hit Tripod on Tuesday May 27th. Tickets range from €17 to €22.50.

Tripod also sees Spiritualized play on Wednesday May 28th. Tickets from €22 to €26.

Strangely, Queens of the Stone Age play the RDS Arena on 22 June as a warm up act for Linkin Park. Weird.

M.I.A plays Tripod on Friday June 27th. Tickets from €27.50 to €32.50.

Lastly for now, The Killers & Bloc Party play Marlay Park on Thursday 21st of August. I can see that as actually being a pretty good show, if the weather holds up.

continue reading>>

According to State.ie (who are doing a damned good job) Richie Jape has confirmed some details about his/their forthcoming album. The album will be called Ritual and is to be released on May 12th.

The amazing 'I Was A Man' will be the first single, and will precede the album's release.

Full tracklisting after the jump..




1. Christopher and Anthony
2. I Was a Man
3. Replays
4. Graveyard
5. Phil Lynott
6. Streetwise
7. At the Heart of All This Strangeness
8. Apple in an Orchard
9. Strike me Down
10. Nothing Lasts Forever

Good to see Phil Lynott on there. Great track. Roll on May 12th!

continue reading>>

As promised, here's a mix for today that's not to quiet, but not to crazy.

(Some of these tracks have cropped up on these pages recently, as the keen observer will spot. This must mean that the offending tracks are particularly kickass and still stuck in my head- so check em out!).

Enjoy:

Click to get Mixtape

1. TV On The Radio- The Wrong Way

2. The Faint- In Concert

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Cheated Hearts (Peaches Remix)

4. Hybrasil- When I'm Yawning

5. StarLittleThing- Lovers Of Live

6. Cornelius- Another View Point

7. Girl Talk- Bounce That

8. Daft Punk- Around The World/Harder Better Faster Stronger (Live)

9. Jape- Floating (Tronk Youth Remix)

10. Justin Timberlake- Love Stoned (Justice Remix)

11. Refused- Refused Are Fucking Dead

12. Inner Explosion- The Enemy Within

13. Les Savy Fav- Pots & Pans

continue reading>>

I hope much fun is had by all.

I shall be in Whelans, enjoying Jape- a feat that you can achieve right now by watching this video:

continue reading>>

...and it's really quite good..... BUT-and I'm sure this is a common complaint- us greedy folk want more new material, not four versions of 'Floating'! As amazing as 'Floating' is, Richie has teased us with nuggets online such as 'I Was A Man', and live gems such as 'Phil Lynott', and now I'm gagging to be able to play them on my stereo.

The EP does have two non-floating tracks on it, and they are amazing (without a second's doubt it's well worth the 3.99 you'll pay in Tower), but I guess that after traipsing around town tracking down both Jape's previous albums I just can't wait for the new one. Not that I have long to wait- early 08 is the good word. I'll just have to hold my breath until then, and keep listening to Floating (my favourite version of which is presently the D.I.M. Reworking on the EP. It's got echoes of Billie Jean! What more could you want?).

The 'Jape Is Grape EP' Is currently on sale pretty much everywhere you'd imagine it to be, including iTunes. Check it out. And while you're at it, buy tickets to Jape's New Years Eve show in Whelans. It'll be fun.

continue reading>>

Having missed both of Jape's Dublin shows with this damn sickness that I'm STILL not quite over, I can't adequately express how delightefied I was to hear that Richie & Co will be playing a new years spectacular in Whelans on Dec 31st.

Tickets went on sale today at a totally worth it 23 euro. I'm gonna do the smart thing this time and get my tickets in advance. So should you! You know who I'm talking to...

I'll make it easy for you- just click here.

continue reading>>

Jape have (has?) kindly posted this sweet new song on myspace. It's available to download through the Jape profile, or by clicking here.

For those forgetful folk amongst us, Jape play Crawdaddy this Friday & Saturday (and UCD tomorrow night). I'm hoping to make saturday night as the last Jape show I witnessed was pant-crappingly brilliant. Don't miss it!

continue reading>>

It's been far too long since I've seen Jape live, the last time being in Whelans when 'Mano Le Tough' supported him back in April. Said occasion was a bit of a jawdropper, as it was the first time I had seen or heard Richie & Co. For anyone else who's still a Jape virgin, the band is not to be missed. Particularly live, as Richie seems to have a bit of knack for getting folk dancing and/or jumping around. There's something magical about great articulate indie tunes that you can really dance to. Jape have got that fine art down to a t.

So here's the good news: the new 'Jape is Grape' EP has been in the works for a while, and looks like it's finally about to materialize. The image above is the cover shot, and it looks suspiciously like it was taken in Bray. Can anyone confirm?
Anywho, a hefty tour has been plotted for the near future, including 3 Dublin dates. (Woo hoo!)

Here are the dates in full, copied shamelessly from Richie's Myspace:

18 Oct 2007 20:00	Fabric	London, London and South East
19 Oct 2007 20:00	Digital	Brighton, South
20 Oct 2007 20:00	Stealth - Liars Club	Nottingham, Midlands
21 Oct 2007 20:00	NEW SHOW!!! SAKI - PURE GROOVE PARTY	Manchester
25 Oct 2007 20:00	Delete Yourself with D.I.M! - CANCELLED FOR JAPE :(	London
22 Nov 2007 20:00	UCD	Dublin, Dublin
23 Nov 2007 20:00	Crawdaddy	Dublin, Dublin
24 Nov 2007 20:00	Crawdaddy	12, Dublin
27 Nov 2007 20:00	A week in Slovakia/Czech and Poland Not sure of venues yet!!	All Over
5 Dec 2007 20:00	Cypress Avenue	Cork, Cork
6 Dec 2007 20:00	Dolans	Limerick, Limerick
7 Dec 2007 20:00	Roisin Dubh	Galway, Galway
8 Dec 2007 20:00	Nerve Centre	Derry, Northern Ireland
9 Dec 2007 20:00	Speakeasy	Belfast, Northern Ireland

I reckon I'll be hitting Crawdaddy, as god knows what the deal is with UCD.

Here's another new Jape gem, a video for 'Floating', one of the standout tracks from his/their second album 'The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me'.

JAPE Floating by DADDY and M&E
Uploaded by MatthewANDemelie

continue reading>>