Belfast For Haiti

Don't miss this - Yakuza onstage 3:30pm at the Limelight

January

January - it's long, depressing and this year it's very very cold. Nothing like star of TVs "Madmen" January Jones I'm sure.

This year however it doesn't have to be so bad as there are some awesome shows coming up to keep you warm and entertained:

Friday 22nd Jan sees the return of The Big List magazines "Big Gig" as sponsored by a well known drinks company. Headlining are re-formed sleaze rockers Dirty Stevie, second on the bill is the one and only Yakuza and opening are post-hardcore hallions Before Machines. Kicks off at 9pm and admission is 5 of your so called "bucks"

Then on Sunday 24th Senator Steven Agnew, one local politician you can rely on not to sleep with a 19 year old boy and embezzle thousand of pounds from a property developer before trying to commit suicide, will host the Wee Green Man festival at Auntie Annies to raise funds for the Green Party general election campaign. Steven was the brains behind "Noise Against Nuclear" along with Complication a while ago and he's learned from that experience by booking some bands people might actually want to see. Headlining the bash will be Wexford mathcore favs Adebisi Shanks along with north coast punk upstarts Axis Of along with a DJ set from the notorious Not Squares - basically an hour of solid Xiu Xiu if that's your thang. Minimum suggested donation is £5 and kick off is at the traditional 9pm.

Finally on Tues 26th again at Auntie Annies is the triple threat of Comply Or Die, Black Bear Saloon and those pesky Yakuza kids again. Kick off at the predictable 9pm and admission is at a mere £2. That's a demonic 66.6 pence a band you cheapskates.

And finally the new series of "Madmen" starts on Sunday 24th on BBC4 and suddenly January doesn't seem so long or depressing. It's still really cold though.

Albums Of The Decade

Ah hell why not:

Fugazi - The Argument
Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice
The Redneck Manifesto - Cut Your Heart Off From Your Head
Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command
Trail Of Dead - Source Codes And Tags
Tomahawk - Mit Gas
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
The Icarus Line - Mono
The Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
Mark Lanegan - Bubblegum
QOTSA - Songs For The Deaf
The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's Where You Land
Isobel Campbell + Mark Lanegan - Ballad Of The Broken Seas
Sleater Kinney - One Beat
NERD - In Search Of...
Edan - Beauty And The Beat
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Nas - Godson
J Dilla - Donuts
Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Silver Jews - Bright Flight
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Dan Sartain - Join Dan Sartain
The Melvins - The Maggot
Mastadon - Leviathan
The Dirtbombs - We Have You Surrounded
Q and Not U - Power
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
The White Stripes - Elephant
Comets On Fire - Blue Cathedrals
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
Black Eyes - Black Eyes
Murder City Devils - In Name And Blood
Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time
Grinderman - Grinderman
Johnny Cash - American III
Deerhoof - The Runners Four
Outkast - Speakerboxx / The Love Below
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazurus Dig
Harvey Milk - Life...The Best Game In Town
PJ Harvey - Stories From The City Stories From The Sea
The Heartaches - Too Cool For School
The Hunches - Hobo Sunrise

Rowland S Howard RIP

Sad to hear Birthday Party guitarist Rowland S Howard died over Christmas. I think the six strings that drew blood just about sums it up. RIP Rowland:

Albums Of 2009

Are as follows:

1. Soulsavers - "Broken"
Stunning stuff once again from Mr Lanegan and Soulavers with a little help from Mike Patton, Gibby Hayes, Richard Hawley and Will Oldham

2. Pissed Jeans - "King Of Jeans"
Sub Pop reissued "Bleach" in 2009 but this time it was by a band called Pissed Jeans. It was still angry, sludgey punk mayhem though and it was still class

3. Desire - "Desire"
Not often something you hear in a record store turns out to be actually any good but this was lovely dreamy electro pop (did I just write that I like dreamy electro pop? I should beat myself up)

4. Obits - "I Blame You"
Rick Froberg returns with some bowery punk meets Bo Diddley greatness

5. Richmond Fontaine - "We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River"
Songs of misery, heartbreak and the specific North West of America, recorded here



Honourable mentions but "must try harder"s for Wilco, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Heavy Trash and Torche...maybe next year fellas

The Jesus Lizard

Well as suspected The Jesus Lizard totally slayed in Dublin last night. The band absolutely hammered it while Mr Yow yelped, screamed and howled like a maniac crowd surfing all the while. A special mention has to go to Mac McNeilly who totally killed it on the drums, one of my favourite drummers ever. Ended the night in a sweaty dirty heap so I guess I had a good time. I feel unbelievably lucky to have been able so see such an awesome band again. There's a few clips of the show on youtube. I like this one, cause I'm in it:



Be sure to cop the Jesus Lizard re-masters when they drop, forget the Beatles, this is the fab four I care about.

We're Off To See The Lizard

Excited about seeing The Jesus Lizard tomorrow in Dublin. They're playing the Button Factory courtesy of the good folks of U:Mack Productions. They totally slayed at All Tomorrows Parties in May so should be killler mc hann.