Dublin in 3D on Google Earth

Yes, they are evil, but looking at the 3D maps of Dublin on Google Earth just make me that bit happier that we have teh interwebs.

Laura Marling was born in 1990! (Oh, and a Lisa Hannigan review of sorts)

I thought she was some thirty-something tortured artiste. Holy shit.

And speaking of young lasses, the Doctor took me to see Lisa Hannigan at Whelan’s last night. Much enthusiasm from my little sister on Facebook and there was obviously much enthusiasm from many at the sold out gig, so I was expecting great things. I’ll leave aside the toadstool lamp and the cutesy boho fairy lights for the minute, that sort of froth can be overlooked if the music transcends it. 

Lisa Hannigan & Rhob Cunningham, originally uploaded by fionamorgan (who was taken out and killed by someone in Hannigan’s entourage shortly after this photo was taken)

Lisa’s voice is a truly lovely thing. A little lost in the mix in the lively moments, but the potential was obvious in some of the quieter tracks. The tracks themselves are of varying quality: harmless jaunty fare that could soundtrack a Meteor ad or else ’start quiet and get wailsome (with hurdy gurdy)’. Tellingly, they did a storming cover of an Iron & Wine track towards the end which revealed an energy and urgency missing from the rest of the night.

Anyway, I really don’t want to bitch, but I was disappointed. There were some guys in the front row who were obviously big fans, mouthed the lyrics and seemed a little in awe. First a lady came down and asked them not to take photos. They couldn’t resist of course and they were admonished again from one of the musicians. Sister, puleaze. Maybe she’s Native American.

Maybe I was in a funny place last night, as I wanted to punch all four of her band when they came out. Suits, waistcoats, lots of showbiz gurning and mugging. Maybe they were overcompensating as they did seem to lose a lot of the attitude as the gig unfolded and they no longer distracted from the star, who herself warmed up as the night progressed. Oh, give the manager, Una, her own show – she can handle a Stylophone with dignity and aplomb.

So far so meh. In stark contrast was supporting act Kevin Ryan. Ryan and his three bandmates could certainly not be accused of being boring. He’s an energetic performer with quite original vocals and he really means it man – he sweated buckets in the engaging 40 odd minutes onstage. There was no stage hogging from the band either -they sympathetically and effectively wrapped Ryan’s words in Sigur Rós-like ambient (dare I say) drone. An excellent surprise and worth investigation.

UPDATE: Listening to the studio versions at the moment, and, yes, they are far better than what I heard/saw last night. That said, several tracks just seem to go by without much todo, but a couple, for example Pistachio, are excellent.

Emmylou Harris in Dublin. The wtf moments – 13 Sept 2008

Great. Odd. Cool. Naff. Elegant. Country.

The voice is beginning to work a little harder occasionally, but it’s still pretty amazing. The sound system was a teensy-smeensy bit too loud, but overall, she delivered. The standout (for the post-Lanois crowd) was ‘Goodbye’, but for the pre-reinvention crowd, it was probably ‘Boulder to Birmingham’ or ‘Born to Run’. It was a night of odd juxtapositions. People old enough to be my parents clapped along at the really country material, while the younger set were slightly bemused. I got the impression that the crumblies were nodding politely during the credible stuff.

Yet Harris herself delivers the material from each of her incarnations with reverence. And her current credibility works retrospectively; it’s hard to imagine her ever being a slightly campy country belle regardless of the hokey material. The voice is so spectral and other-worldly that it imbues any track with gravitas.

She’s not the most comfortable or charming stage presence; her banter was somewhat politely generic, but the few flashes of genuine smiles came from her when the audience applauded the new material. Which is a good sign…

If Warners/Nonesuch were to ask me to compile an introductory Best Of, this is what I’d suggest. (this was very hard, as I had enough wonderful Emmylou moments for two CDs.

 

1. Goodbye from Wrecking Ball
2. Michelangelo from Red Dirt Girl
3. Heaven Only Knows from Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
4. O Evangeline from Stumble Into Grace
5. Here, There And Everywhere from Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
6. A Love That Will Never Grow Old from Brokeback Mountain OST
7. Tougher Than The Rest from Brand New Dance
8. My Antonia from Red Dirt Girl
9. Orphan Girl from Wrecking Ball
10. Born To Run from Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
11. I Still Miss Someone  from Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
12. Boulder To Birmingham from Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
13. Wrecking Ball from Wrecking Ball
14. Mister Sandman from Anthology: The Warner/Reprise Years
15. Hold On from All I Intended To Be
16. Sonny (Mary Black with Emmylou Harris and Dolores Keane) from Twenty-Five Years Twenty-Five Songs
17. Loving The Highwayman (Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris) from Western Wall : The Tucson Sessions
18. To Know Him Is To Love Him (Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris) from Trio
19. Sweet Old World from Wrecking Ball

Foggy tracks Eastwall, blue

Foggy tracks Eastwall, blue, originally uploaded by asteri design.

Good grief, will you just look at the amazing stuff that David is pumping out over on flickr.