It’s been a nice holiday, boys and girls

But now it’s back to business.

Adrian Crowley won Wednesday’s Choice Music Award, bagging €10,000 in the process

That should buy him a few Wii games at the very least.

November’s Season Of The Sparks was a worthy winner and warrants further listenings, even if you convinced yourself that another act deserved it more.

This is democracy

and it works, damnit!

You can see some video coverage of the Choice awards on Nialler9’s blog.

And of course, the victorious Mr. Crowley here.

PS. Unable to afford a ticket, I can at least confirm all the artists sounded quite fantastic on the radio stream from Vicar St.

OK, Geoff, TTS appreciates your hard work, epic gig-going ability and prolific nature on a Monday morning, but for your own health, you’re getting gagged until further notice right after this review. A cup of tea is being snail-mailed en-route to you now as a consolation.

Adequate Geoff wrote:

Well Codes, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Last time I saw you, you were a different band. You had lineup changes and you certainly didn’t sound like this. Is the change for the better? Well…

The band emerge after a noisy and light-filled empty stage full of equipment hisses at the crowd for a full two minutes. They launch into new track The Known World and it is very good indeed, being louder and more progressive than expected. Singer Darragh is cocksure, but honestly thankful to the supportive hundreds. There are some great moments onstage where the music and visuals connect beautifully. The post-rock moments are especially enjoyable and when they do this, they do it very, very well. Unfortunately, when they do their pop moments they really do bear resemblance to bland ol’ junks himself. Not that they’re anything wrong with Pop music, but this Pop music  sounds so similar to that Pop music that comparisons are both predictable and unavoidable. Between sounding like Keane and Explosions In The Sky, Codes become less like a band forging a unique path than one still searching for definition.

Regardless, the performance is brilliant and the tracks are impressively bellowed throughout the halls of The Academy (which really is a great venue these days). Codes save their best 3 tracks (Malfunctions, ThisIsGoodbye, 4Winters) for the encore and when they finish up, there is a genuine feeling that this is one of the best bands in the country at the moment. The best? Possibly. We’ll find out what the critics (who get paid to) think decide in two days’ time.

Well that was enlightening, Geoff. Back in your cage, now.

Codes play at the Choice Music Award 2010 ceremony in Vicar Street this Wednesday, March 3rd.

myspace.com/codesofficial

My, my, Adequate Geoff, you’re on a roll today, aren’t you? Here’s another review to digest in whatever is a brain’s equivalent of stomach acid.

Adequate Geoff wrote:

I see Crawdaddy has upgraded the €2 alcopops offer from Smirnoff Ice knockoffs to Smirnoff Ice. It’s about as welcome as a tiger in an aviary when a strawpedo is suggested, but nothing gets you into the mood for a gig that you suspect might be a little bit raucous like a sharp intake of ethanol.

Wounds make it on at around half past 3 strawpedos later and the singer announces just how much the band likes to party. They’re certainly in the right place. The band ease through the tracks of Trees and Dead Dead Fucking Dead, despite at times being in the audience, on the audience or upside down. A smashing cover of Search & Destroy is most welcome and the young ones are won over. Mission accomplished, it seems.

Yet we have to analyse the situation. What makes Wounds‘ brand of Garage better than, say, The Things‘? Well, it’s listenable for one; the atonal melodies are nicely hit upon and work well. What makes them original? Not a lot really. Wounds tread worn ground, although they do it competently. One shouldn’t go to see them expecting the new Radiohead. One should go for a good throwabout with plenty of beer in tow. “Who wants a beer?” the singer enquires while handing bottles of Miller to the fans.

Nice one.

Wounds play Psychofest @ Twisted Pepper on April 24th. The Dead Dead Fucking Dead EP is out March 29th.

myspace.com/thewoundsband

TTS hasn’t quite gotten over the stage fright of staging a review for a band onstage, so once again, the onus is on Adequate Geoff to take us through it:

Adequate Geoff wrote:

The Libertines, eh? They’re responsible for as much music created in Ireland and England over the last decade as Nirvana have been in America for the last two. You don’t need to wear a leather jacket to show it, as long as you touch upon the pseudo-poetry tossed around by Doherty and Barat. Titles such as “Things That By Myself I Just Can’t Find” don’t half set the alarm bells ringing. Thankfully, The Murder Clues have music good enough to spare any blushes.

Zemaria and a less-pop-punk-more-Black-Sabbath-than-previous Kevinonabike warm up the stage for the gathering audience. It’s unusual to see a midweek gig for a Dublin band in a venue this size so crowded. The Murder Clues lap it up and confidently holler a dectet or so of energetic tunes, including new single Ladies & Headbangers, an acoustic singalong and a cover (Fratellis? I think it was Fratellis. Fratellis? Anyway…). Sweat prevails in the air when the band leave the stage for the second time. “Can we do one more?” singer Brian asks. The people yell their support. The sound engineer nods. He knows the answer.

Not terribly original, but terribly good live. The Irish Libertines, eh? Yeah.

The Murder Clues play The Academy 2 on March 26th and their new single is available for free download on their MySpace.

myspace.com/themurderclues

TTS isn’t much good at reviews.

So we’re handing all future reviews to our friend, Adequate Geoff.

Adequate Geoff says:

Whelan’s is rammed like a biplane into a Texan IRS building. There is a buzz about John, Shelly & The Creatures, and rightly so, with knowledge of their excellent instrumentation, easy-going, catchy compositions and of course that song on the Discover Northern Ireland commercial. Anyone who’s seen their performance on balconyTV will know exactly what to expect. They take to the Whelans upstairs stage and play a clutch of songs that will warrant further listening when the album is released (March 5th). At times mellow and predictable, but always entertaining and assured. Long May You Reign takes the hearts of the crowd and lifts them up (like skinny antennae) to the Whelans ceiling. Triumph? Not quite yet. Success? Getting there.

John Shelly & The Creatures are back in Dublin on the 9th of March for the Ruby Sessions in Doyle’s.

myspace.com/jsatc

Well it finally happened.

Ruairi shrieked and shrieked until he couldn’t shrieks no more.

As a result, his voice was gone

and the pod was in danger of being lost forever!

But thankfully, ever-useful friend Mike was on hand and able to get the day off work from AT&T.

So join Mike and Rú (doing his best Bob Dylan impression) for another rollercoaster round of TALK TO STRANGERSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssss

Tracklist:

The Wonder Villains – TV

Thousandaires – Resolution

A Plastic Rose – Kids Don’t Behave Like This

Fiona Dunkin – Ring In An Oak Tree

Sounds Of System Breakdown – Vinegar Joe

The Cast Of Cheers – Strangers

Sive – Sunkissed

Panda Kopanda – Spirals

Ladydoll – You Know Best

Team Fresh – Last Orders In Rovinj

:things of notE

Free EP @ http://aplasticrose.bandcamp.com/

Free single @ http://www.soundsofsystembreakdown.com

Free album at http://thecastofcheers.bandcamp.com

Pavelware

Oh yes

This is a lot of fun

Gigsoc DIT return TONIGHT with their 2nd annual Battle Of The Bands

I mean a REAL battle

mud and everything

with honest judges, as opposed to a show of hands or something more ludicrous

So grab a ticket and bring a friend

Because this one’s going to be good

Heats 2, 3 and 4 to follow on 04/03, 24/03, 12/04 respectively.

The final will be in the Button Factory on April 26th.

The winners might just get something from me too…

myspace.com/craftycrimsoncats

myspace.com/aggroculturehome

myspace.com/hollowhite

myspace.com/localstrangers

The ever-wonderful, informative and entertaining AU magazine is now available absolutely free from their website.

The monthly publication is a very real indicator of music in Northern Ireland, far more so than any outlet down here.

Except maybe here?

but our boots aren’t that big yet.

Yes, get it now!

iheartau.com

You could do a lot worse than go see Wounds in Crawdaddy during Antics.

€5

Though I’ll wager you will spend more than that.

Wounds have just made their new single DEAD DEAD FUCKING DEAD available on their myspace.

And you’re still not listening?

myspace.com/thewoundsband

myspace.com/antics_crawdaddy

After a short hiatus recording with my band…

in the middle of nowhere…

TTC is back and TTS will follow shortly.

Meanwhile, you can read all about the recording session here

if you are so inclined

incidentally, nice to see you again!

and may I say what a smashing blouse you have on.