Showing posts with label Tracer AMC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tracer AMC. Show all posts
Putting 2005 to bed, part 2, highlights from Northern Ireland
I haven't been able to pay a lot of attention to local RECORDED output over the last year, but the Tracer AMC 12" and the Oppenheimer 3-song demo/ promo would be my two highlights. Embarrassingly, I haven't had a listen to either the new Tracer album 'Islands' or the Robyn G Shiels, both of which I am looking forward to hearing.
As far as gigs are concerned I have fared slightly better as I've seen a lot of really good shows. Old faves like the aforementioned Tracer AMC and Desert Hearts didn't disappoint the few times I've seen them this year, and Clone Quartet have undergone yet another transformation and were one of my highlights of BelFEST 05. Another highlight from the same night were Delaware who I had seen a couple of times before and I wasn't bothered about, but they really rose to the occasion on the BelFEST gig in the Empire. Those vocal harmonies are so sweet.
Ultimately though my two live highlights are bands I have seen a lot in 2005 and I have always been impressed by - We Are Knives (twice) and Oppenheimer (four times). In particular, Oppenheimer wowed the masses passing through the tented stage at the Vital show in Botanic Gardens, and We Are Knives supported some visiting emo-band one night in Auntie Annies and they really couln't be followed. I hope to hear loads more from these guys in 2006.
One sad final note as 2005 saw the demise of Torgas Valley Reds, one of the finest bands to come from these shores this decade. They left us a solitary 7" and a handful of great live memories.
Review: TRACER AMC + TORGAS VALLEY REDS Belfast Auntie Annie's 5th September 2004
Review: TRACER AMC + TORGAS VALLEY REDS
Belfast Auntie Annie's 5th September 2004
The difficult thing about local music is that the good bands are spread so thin that you end up seeing them far more often than you might like. In my opinion, Tracer and Torgas are head and shoulders above any other acts from Northern Ireland and consequently I have seen both of them an awful lot.
Tonight they are both sound fresh to me as I haven't seen either of them in a few months, plus the PA in Auntie Annie's has been beefed up a bit and this gives both bands an extra kick.
Having started off this review by lumping both bands together I should point out that they are actually quite different in terms of the music they play. Torgas Valley Reds are a powerful three-piece who play infectiously catchy punk rock, coming across as a reinvigorated version of their earlier band Backwater with better songs. The debut single 'Torgas Valley Blue'/ ' Me and My Buddies Would Vote For You' is a good place to start, and judging by tonight's set there's a lot more where that came from. They have been very prolific during their brief existence and I've watched their set expand and contract as they add and drop songs each time they play, although I get the feeling it is now shaping up to be a very strong half hour of songs.
Tracer AMC by contrast are an all instrumental four piece who earlier this released their debut album 'Flux and Form' to healthy acclaim from radio and press types all over the place. They do fit broadly into the post-rock pigeonhole with long songs, time changes and intricate guitar parts, but instead of just copying a formula Tracer have something distinct. Tonight they ignore most of the debut album to concentrate on new material, most of which is being heard for the first time. On initial hearing it seems rawer, edgier than the album material, and it goes down well. It will be interesting to hear how the recorded versions sound, but it bodes very well for the follow-up to 'Flux and Form'.
Belfast Auntie Annie's 5th September 2004
The difficult thing about local music is that the good bands are spread so thin that you end up seeing them far more often than you might like. In my opinion, Tracer and Torgas are head and shoulders above any other acts from Northern Ireland and consequently I have seen both of them an awful lot.
Tonight they are both sound fresh to me as I haven't seen either of them in a few months, plus the PA in Auntie Annie's has been beefed up a bit and this gives both bands an extra kick.
Having started off this review by lumping both bands together I should point out that they are actually quite different in terms of the music they play. Torgas Valley Reds are a powerful three-piece who play infectiously catchy punk rock, coming across as a reinvigorated version of their earlier band Backwater with better songs. The debut single 'Torgas Valley Blue'/ ' Me and My Buddies Would Vote For You' is a good place to start, and judging by tonight's set there's a lot more where that came from. They have been very prolific during their brief existence and I've watched their set expand and contract as they add and drop songs each time they play, although I get the feeling it is now shaping up to be a very strong half hour of songs.
Tracer AMC by contrast are an all instrumental four piece who earlier this released their debut album 'Flux and Form' to healthy acclaim from radio and press types all over the place. They do fit broadly into the post-rock pigeonhole with long songs, time changes and intricate guitar parts, but instead of just copying a formula Tracer have something distinct. Tonight they ignore most of the debut album to concentrate on new material, most of which is being heard for the first time. On initial hearing it seems rawer, edgier than the album material, and it goes down well. It will be interesting to hear how the recorded versions sound, but it bodes very well for the follow-up to 'Flux and Form'.
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