MRU Magazine

NOVEMBER 2011

MRU NewsWe have a brand new

section on our website

and this is the place to

be!

WWW.MRUTV.COM

Artist of the month

DEM FOOLSExclusiveinterviewwith HazelJadeRogers

Who is

running

your

band?Turn to page 11

Full feature onDublin’s

hottests rapper!Turn to page 12

Turn to page 22

2 ::: October 2011 ::: Music Review Unsigned

ContentsPage 3 - This month Amanda gives her views on the unsigned and the

signed in the industry.

Page 6 to 9 - Featured CD reviews

Page 10 - Live Review at the Workmans club Dublin..

Page 11 - Who is running your band

Page 12 - Leathal Dialect feature

Page 15 to 16 - Album reviews...

Page 18 - How to make this the best ‘music’ year ever

Page 22 to 25 - Exclusive interview with Hazel Jade Rogers

Editor: Trevor Halpin

[email protected]

Writers:

Amanda Burns

Arne Eichler

Collie Bartley

Emer Kelly

Maria Molloy

Luan Roberts

Kelly McGill

Paul O’Connell (POC)

Lidija Radacic

Photography:

Alison Lambert Hughes

@ Dragon Photography

Paul Kolbe

www.paulspics.eu

Links:

www.musicreviewunsigned.com

www.mrutv,com

www.facebook.com/musicreview

unsignedofficial

www.myspace.com/musicreview_

unsigned

www.youtube.com/MusicreviewU

nsigned

www.twitter.com/musicreviewU

Design Editor: David Duggan

Music Review Unsigned ::: November 2011 ::: 3

Isaw on the news (Oh yes, the NATIONAL

news) that Westlife are breaking up. How

ignorant of me not realise how important

this is, clearly it’s right up there with war and

civil unrest and the economic downturn and

all that craic.

Well, superhero that I am, I have a solution.

If what Ireland needs is a band, made up of 4

talented and good looking lads to become it’s

biggest musical export, I have it. They’re

names are Ronan, Joe, Paul and Enda, and

they go by the collective name of Race the

Flux.

As it happens, they aren’t actually anything

like Westlife, what with them being able to

actually write a song and, y’know, play

instruments. But my argument for them

becoming one of Ireland’s biggest musical

exports stands. If nothing else, we could at

least prove that we can do more,as a nation,

than get off stools and grab the air just as the

song reaches the bridge.

Of course, there is much else, much, much

more. Last month, I was writing about a band

called Town Criers (amaze-balls), who are one

of three bands falling under the umbrella of

Cold Room Records, an independent record

label founded by three bands; Town Criers,

Ka-Tet and Race the Flux.These three bands

took things into their own hands, set up Cold

Room Records, andembarked on a national

tour, entitled The Novel Tour, taking in venues

all across the country.

This month, it’s the turn of Race the Flux to

be featured.

Hailing from Roscommon, this four piece

was born in 2008 and are swiftly carving out

a spot for themselves on the Irish music scene.

They appear to be gigging extensively, seems

like every week I see a different event on

Facebook. This bodes well for them; you don’t

get brought back for a second gig if the crowd

hasn’t liked you. They’re hardworking lads,no

doubt about it.

On vocals, Joe Padfield is honestly

incredibly easy to listen to. None of that

pitchy, cracky off-key stuff that I often hear,

on account of many recordings being done on

a shoe-string. Nope, this guy needs no

cleaning up, no polishing. He looks like a

rock-star, he sounds like one, to my mind he

may well be one. Except, maybe without the

paycheque? I dunno, but he has something

that I find more often than not to be missing

from the vast majority of vocalists. He has grit

in his voice. Not the forced kind you hear 'cos

a singer is killing himself to reach a note, but

just because it’s there. And it sounds good.

And, as good as he is, he has some excellent

back-up. Let there be no doubt, and no

mistake, Paul Higgins has a voice that could

quickly become your favourite sound.

Padfield plays guitar/piano, Higgins covers

guitar/synthesizer, Enda Stritch is on bass and

all instruments are played to a staggeringly

high standard.

Then there is the common denominator of

all three bands that fall within the Cold Room

Records circle; Ronan Connaughton on

percussion.

As I said before, prodigious is not the word.

This guy is in a league of his own. He’s

creative, he’s clearly versatile (3 different

bands, boys and

girls). If he

pimped himself

out as a session

musician, I’m

pretty sure he

could end up

needing medical

attention for

exhaustion, he’d

be that much in

demand. As it

happens, I can

think of many

acts that could do

with his kind of

help!

Usually, when a band describes themselves

as “progressive” or “experimental rock” it’s,

well, bull. It’s usually a loose translation for

“we wanna be a rock band, but we’re pretty

much a bad pop band, who like to mess

around with our old Casio’s and call it music

”. (Trust me; I spend A LOT of time trawling

through MySpace.)

This is, by a very long mile, the ONLY time

I’ve found that term to fit. This is the only time

it has made sense, because (batter a

cliché;)they’re different. Legitimately, they

have something different and authentic about

them.

Race the Flux are most definitely what it

says on the tin, and more.

It’s weird; they don’t remind me of

anything. I don’t find them reminiscent of

anybody. And yet, I can see exactly where

they’d fitin, and fit in well. Record execs say

all the time how there’s a gap in the market for

this and that (sadly, this “gap” gave us Justin

Bieber), well, there’s a Grand Canyon sized

gap for a band like this. All the great bands of

my time seem to be ageing and getting ready

to pack up, maybe an act like this is the next

logical step.

Recorded, they rock. Live, they’re fan-

frikin’-tastic.Currently, they’re recording their

debut LP, set to be releases in early-mid 2012.

So for now, get online-

Facebook/Myspace/Breaking tunes, all that

craic-and check out what’s on offer.

It’s rock and it’s roll and it’s a whole lot

more.

“Run while you can, there ain’t no smoke

without fire”.

Damn straight, so take cover music world,

Race the Flux are set to set the place alight.

http://www.facebook.com/Racetheflux

www.myspace.com/racetheflux

Oh Music, Where Art Thou?By Amanda Burns

On The Other Hand:

This one is gonna be short. And easy. I just

saw a documentary on TV; apparently Steps

are reuniting.

Oh. Sweet. Heart. Of. Jesus.

Was the once not enough?? Was one

murdering of the Bee Gees and several other

massacres of the eardrums of the masses not

enough? Has Hitler come back as a zombie

and found a way to torture the world again??

This is not fair. They’ve already committed

musical genocide once. They’ve made their

money and they’ve had their turn. Push them

aside and give somebody new a chance.

As it stands, this hasn’t seen the light of day,

yet.It’s still in the pipeline; no charting has yet

taken place, and so let me warn you now,

record buying public;

DO NOT DO IT!!!!!

Sign up today! and be part

of MRU

www.mrutv.com

6 ::: November 2011 ::: Music Review Unsigned

Little did I know Ballyfermot

College was hiding some sheer

talent! Pyramid Hill’s new EP All

Human mixes rap music with soul music

and stays on the line of delivering fresh

and heartfelt music.

With influences ranging from Led

Zeppelin to Alicia Keys this seems to

shine straight through this album and

gives us the rock yet RnB feel not

forgetting the hard hitting rap lyrics.

Pyramid Hill has that unique and

unmissable sound that is hard to find

nowadays.

What stunned me most was the

vocalist Alison Daniel. Throughout the

whole EP she captured me with her

soulful singing and elegant piano

playing. The beat breaking rapping

performed by Oggan Ryan made me do

the head nod with his genuine rhymes.

This EP is packed to the brim with

music that is fit to inspire many young

musicians.

Dublin folk/Reggae band Dem

Fools have a distinct and unique

sound about them, with vocals

like Luan Parle and Gemma Hayes, Dem

Fools are a band to look out for! Nice

lyrics, good use of instruments and

amazing vocals hopefully this Single

will be the beginning of something

wonderful for Dem Fools. I really

enjoyed listening to their song ‘Not as

hard as it Looks’.

Dem Fools are currently in the You

Bloom battle of the bands contest and

will need all of your support in the run

up to this, for more info and how to vote

for them visit their Facebook page for

updates, the only criticism I would have

about them is that there wasn’t enough

songs on the CD for me to listen to!

Pyramid Hill :::

All Human

Review by Kelly McGill

http://www.breakingtunes.com/pyramidhill

Dem Fools ::: Not as hard as it looksReview by Emer Kelly

http://www.facebook.com/demfoolsmusic

http://www.facebook.com/salvitro


Sal vitro are one of those great

bands that get you nodding your

head in appreciation while

listening to their tunes.

Personally I wouldn’t be a blues funk

rock fan, however, the tracks on This

Thing Of Ours are so indisputably good

that it really doesn’t matter what music

is your usual forte.

The EP begins with “Swear By Your

Love” a frenzied track that will make

even the most reluctant person get onto

their feet.

“Wear it Out” is more laid back with

an unbelievable funky cool ambience.

The third and final track on the EP is

“Strange Friends & Peculiar Enemies”

and to think this band hail from

Dundrum and Naas is unreal, they

wouldn’t be out of place in a 1960s

American funk rock bar.

Sal Vitro ::: This Thing of OursLead vocalist Josh Dundford has the

perfect voice for this kind of music.

He is unfaltering in his

delivery.

Sal

Vitro list

some of

their main

influences as

Jimi Hendrix,

Buddy Holly

and The Who

and while you

can hear that they

have been deeply

inspired by artists

such as these, they

have made their own

mark on the genre of

music they love.

This Thing Of Ours

leaves me with a smile

on my face and a need to catch these

guys live.

Review by Maria Molloy

Who knew that the streets of

Cork where hiding such

talent. Polly Barrett’s album

Mr. Bookshop is an album packed to the

brim with mellow folk songs that are a

pleasure to listen too.

There is no truer sound than the

natural voice pulsing threw your

eardrums and with Polly’s mellow

relaxing, true Irish vocals; I can’t help

but want to hear the next track. Polly

really pulls on your heartstrings in this

album with her from the heart lyrics.

This album is simplicity at its best. With

the backing vocals by Michael Daly

combining beautifully with Polly’s

voice, nothing seems to go wrong in this

album.

With its plain and

simple guitar plucking

throughout the whole 11

tracks, it gives the album

a complete endless

tranquil atmosphere.

Polly’s voice almost has

an Andrea Corr vibe to

it, except a more updated

and modern version.

The stand out track on

this album is February as

it truly reflects Polly’s

love of nature with her

lyrics making you feel

like you though you are

there in the moment.

Polly seems to capture

the true beauty of love and nature in her

lyrics and that’s what makes this album

stand out from the crowd.


Polly Barrett ::: Mr Bookshop

http://www.myspace.com/pollybarrett


House Party Massacre, or HPM

for short, are a London based

punk/alt rock band who are in

desperate need of better production. The

drums on this EP are particularly

unpleasant and it’s very hard to listen to

their harsh metallic reverberation for an

extended period of time.

Second track on New Breed

“Pavements Turn To Red” would have to

be the standout track of the EP meaning

it’s actually possible for me to listen to it

without wincing.

The EP persists without any songs

particularly jumping out at me but as “28

FoREver” kicks off with in your face

guitars and a low rang growl I’m excited

for the first time while listening to it.

However, it soon disintegrates into

chaotic confusion.

Final track “Pointless Paranoia” is the

least punk and most monotonous song

I’ve heard in a long time. It’s verging on

depression inducing territory.

If it’s the typical punk characteristics

of chaos and anarchy HPM want to

exude with New Breed then they have

definitely achieved it, but not in the

genius way of the Sex Pistols, more so in

a disordered way with no definite

musical direction.

HPM ::: New BreedReview by Maria Molloy

http://housepartymassacre.com/

http://www.letsshoot.ie


Life and Death opens with the

promising “Man On Earth” it

encompasses a relaxed, chilled

out vibe with some great screeching

guitars. Although the vocal is powerful it

becomes a bit tiresome as the track

carries on. The verses are a tad too

dragged out, however, the

original promise of the

track is reclaimed in the

soaring chorus.

Second track, “We Own

The Night” opens with some

deep bass and when the

guitar and backing vocals kick

in it really gives the song a

terrific flare. At this stage I’m

getting the feeling that the

singer’s voice has a bit of a

marmite air about it. However, like

with the sticky brown stuff, I for one

cant decide if I love it or hate it. The

song has a timeless quality about it,

settling somewhere in between classic

and modern rock.

By the time “The Greatest” kicks in I

realise what I’ve been finding so

familiar about the vocal, it sounds very

like Bono which isn’t necessarily a good

thing. The music takes a dramatic turn

just after the 3 minute mark which I feel

is too late, the track would have lost

the listeners attention by

then. What is

made

clear

by now

though is that the

guitarists in Artful Renegade

have undeniable musical talent.

“Crawling Angel” boasts another

promising start although by the time the

long intro finishes and the vocal kicks in

the song is verging on boring. By this

point I’m losing interest in the EP with

the tracks all seeming to merge into one.

I’m sitting on a train while listening to

this EP and it’s never a good sign when

the endless stretches of bleak fields

become more interesting than the

music.

As the last track “Hurricane”

kicks in I have decided that I

don’t love the singer’s marmite

voice. The vocal arrangement in

the pre-chorus just doesn’t

work, it makes no sense to me

and it doesn’t sound in

keeping with the rest of the

song. But again the track

showcases great musical

ability.

Over all I found Life and

Death frustrating because this band no

doubt has heaps of potential. Perhaps if

they didn’t over milk the songs (most of

which are over 5 minutes) the EP would

have stood out more.

Artful Renegade ::: Life and Death

Review by Maria Molloy

http://www.facebook.com/ArtfulR

When trying to promote your music, it can

all get too much too soon. Well, there is

like million things to do! Your To-Do list

is huge. All things are important. People

to contact, music to record, blogs to read

and lyrics to write. It can get

overwhelming really fast! (FACT – when

you are overwhelmed you are actually

finding more reasons to procrastinate than

when you are better organized)

Single most important thing you need is

to plan your time - schedule time with

yourself to work ON your music career

development. Get a piece of paper right

now (or open a new file on your

computer), you will also need to have

your calendar in front of you.

So… let’s schedule you :)

You have to do SOMETHING each day

to promote your music, band, yourself,

career in some way. Today, you might

only have 20 minutes for it, but tomorrow

you may have 90 minutes, maybe next

Saturday you have 3 hours, and on

Sunday or Tuesday only 20 minutes. The

point is that YOU DO have ‘some' time

EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE

(at least 20 minutes right?)

When you plan your ‘music career time’

you will make consistent progress towards

living the life you WANT. But if you don’t

actually make an “ACTION PLAN” then

NOTHING will happen!

Set goals, decide on the steps you need

to take, divide them in tasks and go for it!

For example, if you want to play gig for

300 people in March, how would you go

about it? Do you have music you would

like to play? Would it be special event,

invitation only or gig with few other

bands? Where would you like to have it?

How will you promote it? Once you know

EXACTLY what your gig will be like,

work back from it and ask yourself:

“What do I need to do today to get to that

goal?”. Those are your to-do steps.

Tony Robbins said, “When you focus on

something it becomes possible. But when

you schedule it, it becomes REAL!” So

make your music career ambitions REAL

right now! Please, don’t just sit there…

DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW! You

deserve it, your music deserves and your

current and future fans deserve it too!

Do it now!

by Lidija Radacic


been in bands that could almost taste the

big time.

What has been created is big time

music, which really works live. The EP

launch at the Workingman’s Club is a

testament to this. The big crowd that

gathered was treated to a throwback.

Neither star-gazing nor shoe-gazing,

this music is suited to both. Song’s like

‘Sign your release’ and ‘Hung on you’

are intrinsically constructed, which is no

mean feature considering the amount of

equipment combined to create their

sound.

On occasion it can feel like there is

one extreme 80s effects too many for the

present time - it having been cast-off

along with lolo balls, fat frogs

(unfortunately) and leg warmers.

However on the odd occasion a double-

drum snuck in, just to bring you back to

those overly fluorescent days, and

memories of Weird Science (check it out

on IMBd) et al.

There is a big swell towards early 80s

electro music, which will get stronger

with the approaching Euro football

championships next summer. Don’t

believe me? Check out the Celtic, and

now Irish, fans devotion to the classic

‘Just can’t get enough’. However I

doubted Les Marionettes could produce

a terrace trembler to trouble Depeche

Mode - that is until Keith managed to

get a little ‘Ole Ole Ole Ole’ into their

last tune.

On the face of it, it’s a band taking

a step back nearly thirty years to

sit at the top table of music

beside the Gary Numans, Bronski Beats,

and Depeche Modes.

The clothes, lights, styles, and general

impression give credence to this, but this

is a band for musos. Everything they do

is a nod to what has come in between

now and then, and the show, the music,

the energy, the rhythm, as well as the

bravery to create an image, is validation

enough that Les Marionettes are indeed

a breath of fresh air.

To Andy Bell, there is a bit of a Frank

Black influence, to Kraftwork - a britpop

leveller. It’s pure electro-pop, but not

necessarily as your finger-less glove and

pleated jeans wearing folks would

remember it.

Les Marionettes work and that is down

to hard work and no end of talent. They

are very far from the Blizzard-type

blandness that appears to be the aim of

and extent of the music ambition

pervading the live scene at present.

All four band members have been on

the music scene long enough to know

what has to be put in to get anything out.

Keith Farrell and Ger Eaton have been

everywhere from a field in Somerset to

the Jools Holland’s BBC set, while Lucy

Cody and Derren Dempsey have both

Les Marionettes ::: Debut EP

LaunchThe Workman’s Club /Dublin,Thursday, November 17, 2011

Review by Collie Bartley

From Friday 1st December

Vantastival will be accepting

applications from musicians hoping

to play the 2012 Vantastival festival.

Interested acts should email

[email protected] with the name

of the band or artist in the subject

line. The email must contain a link

where the judging panel can listen to

a minimum of three tracks. Artists

should not send mp3 tracks attached

to their email. Vantastival will take

applications until 16th January.

Vantastival accepts submissions

from all acts who write their own

original music, as well as traditional

groups, and the festival prides itself

on showcasing the finest up-and-

coming unsigned Irish acts. Covers

bands will not be considered.

Previous years have seen rising talent

such as O Emperor, The Ambience

Affair, The Riptide Movement and

We Cut Corners take to the stage,

while headliners have included Jack

L, Alabama 3, Whipping Boy, Duke

Special and Kila to name a few.

In its first two years Vantastival has

announced itself confidently on the

Irish festival scene. With rave

reviews under its belt, the festival

will move from Dunany Estate to

Bellurgan Park, Co. Louth, in 2012.

The new venue is an estate of

extraordinary natural beauty just off

the M1 motorway north of Dundalk.

Vantastival is a celebration of

campervan culture and a top class

music festival rolled into one. Three

stages of live music and

entertainment host nearly 70 acts

over the course of the weekend, while

a range of activities focusing on the

campervan lifestyle make it the only

festival of its kind in Ireland.

Ticket prices are very recession

friendly at 89 euro for three nights

camping and a limited number of

special offer Christmas tickets at 60

euro will be available from the

website in December.

See www.vantastival.com for more

details.

Vantastival 2012 NowAccepting Applicationsfrom Musicians


Talking to a lot of bands, I see the

pattern emerging. There is usually

one person who does a lot of

running around and promoting the band.

This person would be the one who tries

new things, comes up with press releases,

calls radio stations and send music out for

people to hear it. Rest of the band might

contribute a bit, but rarely have I ever seen

all band members contributing equally.

What can happen in this scenario is that

the band leader gets fed up because rest of

the band is not working on it with them,

or they just burn out and start looking for

the new opportunities. There is the

difference between people who truly

“want to make it” and people who are

“waiting for their break”.

What are the solutions to this?

One of my clients said that the moment

he stopped having a band and started

hiring musicians to play with him for the

gigs was the break through moment. It

was the moment he got freedom to make

the music he really wants and no drama

about replacing one person or another for

the gig or recording. Also, as all band

members were getting paid, they were

more professional about it, made sure they

perform really well and basically

eliminated squabbles and no shows.

He also went out and got involved

people who were going to manage his

band, contact people for him, and do his

marketing or any other thing that was

required. That way, he had time to truly

work on his music, knowing that he is not

the one who needs to spend time on

redesign web site or organizing photo

shoot. Results he got were also much

better, and from plays on the few radio

stations, he got to play at festivals all

around Europe.

You have no money to hire out someone

to do all this for you?

Find someone who will do it for you for

free. You don’t have to go to the best

music manager. Ask a friend who is

project manager or marketing manager or

has a knack for running a business if he

can spend few hours a week helping you

run and promote the band. Or ask around

if there is someone who could help you –

you would be surprised amount of people

who might want to get into the music

business and are happy to spend few hours

working for the experience only. And

finally, if they truly believe you can make

it, then they will be motivated by possible

future returns.

Once they are successfully, and you

start making money, everyone will start

making money :)

So, one lesson you should take from

today – delegate as much as you can!

Who is runningyour band?by Lidija Radacic


Rapper Lethal Dialect releases

his latest single "Keep It

Real", which is the first track

off his new album LD50. In an

interview with MRU Lethal-D (real

name Paulie) explains how he first

got involved with the rap game,

saying. "I realised I loved it

(rapping) long before I realised I was

good at it. It really wasn’t until id

been at it a couple of years before I

started to realise I was actually good,

but only on the strength of everyone

else telling me that."

When asked where his inspiration

comes from in his writing/rapping,

The 23 year old simply says, "Life in

general, Im so distracted by the

music at the minute I really don’t

have time to be thinking of anything

else. Its cliche for an emcee to say,

but realistically, if I wasn’t doing

this, what I would be doing is most

likely nothing positive."

In response as to why he feels there

has been such a rise in the amount of

Irish rappers over the last few years

Lethal-D says with a hint of

sarcasim, "It’s not easy to be good at,

but it’s easy to do, all you really

need is an internet connection, a

fisher price mic and your good to

go", and on the current standard of

Irish Hip-Hop he says, "There really

is no ‘top’ of this thing. Every Irish

emcee who has stayed relevant has

had to, and still is working hard to try

and make something happen. Its an

up hill battle, some are just further up

the hill than others."

With a lot of Irish rappers tending

to lean more toward the US cliché

content of "money & Ho's", Lethal-

D seems to have a more socially

important message to his lyrics, he

points out that his lyrics come from

what he see's around him on a daily

basis whilst always trying to remain

positive, saying, "I'm Just depicting

reality, in all forms harsh or not so,

all of the messages that brings good

or bad. The main message would be

despite how harsh it gets its always

harder to stay positive than negative

and that theres really no benefit

taking the negative route."

Luckily for MRU, Lethals buddy

Costello returned with his crystal ball

to see where he'd be in five years

time, L-D says, "Realistically, if

nothing significant happens with this

in the next year or two I probably

wont be still doing it, but a few

things in the works (musically)

already would say otherwise."

We here at MRU agree that Lethal-

D is one to watch in the future, with

the honesty in his lyrics and sense of

identity as a musician, he may be just

what is needed in a country facing

reality after the blind years of the so

called "Celtic Tiger". L-Ds music is

a stark reminder of the social

inequality that still does, and always

has prevailed in this country.

Download "Keep It Real" now at …..

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leth

al-Dialect/186626141358217

Lethal in the rap game!By POC

WITH

TREVOR HALPIN-DAVID DUGGAN-KEITH MCLOUGHLIN


With Town Criers going into

hiding to write their debut

album, they have however

stated on their website to expect a

“slightly” bigger sound from the album.

With listening to this EP I cannot wait to

get my hands on the album. Talk about a

seriously rocking EP! Town Criers have

gained one extra fan from there EP Wake

Up. This infectious rock band seriously

know when to throw in the oul guitar

riffs, with starting track Wake Up

sounding like it gained some inspiration

from Irish Band The Coronas, with lead

vocalist Dermot Kelly sounding like

Danny O Reilly with his crisp Irish

voice.

With three songs following after Wake

Up, it seems some songs like Wake up

and my favourite one Imitation had the

power to overshadow the other two

songs with their guitar solos and a

powerful lyrical performance. To Town

Criers credit Wake up shows the lads

split personalities showing that they can

pull off a good solid rock song and then

change to a slow

mover (Something that

many bands cannot pull off).

I now wait in anticipation for the news

of the lad’s debut album which I’m sure

is going to be not only a beautiful album,

but an album that will inspire many

other up and coming Irish bands. http://www.myspace.com/wetowncriers

Town Criers ::: Wake Up Review by Kelly McGill

Whether you want to capture yourfamily's precious milestones or getstriking images to market a product,you can rely on Alison's DragonPhotography to make it happen.

http://dragonphotography.eu


Sweet Jane, a Dublin based band,

originated in 2008. With the

support of fans Sweet Jane

released their first EP, Blackhearts &

Blackboots. With their nonstop touring

schedule, supporting acts such as

Glasvagas and playing gigs such as

Electric Picnic this August, Sweet

Jane came to their next stop, Sugar

For My Soul.

Sugar For My Soul is a full

on psychedelic rock album.

With its 12 song track list

ranging from “Bleed” to

“Fade to my Heartbeat”

Sweet Jane bring their

own unique slant to the

music industry.

This album is unlike any

album I have listened to, as it has a

peace and tranquil vibe to it. It almost

feels like a summer album. Sugar For

My Soul does not fit into your average

music genre, as the use of female

and male lead vocals done by

Danda Paxton and

Lydia Des

Dolles

captures me as soon as I hear their

voices compress into one. Even though

there are dragged out guitar solos,

surprisingly it seems to fit in and make

the album whole.

The album defiantly has a sixties sense

to it. It seems as though the band has

been heavily influenced by The Rolling

stones and guitar hero Jimmy Hendrix

has clearly influenced Lead guitarist

Danda Paxton. However Sweet Jane has

grabbed the 60s and twisted it

around into modern times

to fit this album. With a

song such as Close your

eyes reminded me

somewhat of Oasis.

Sugar For My Soul is an

album that’s well worth the

listen and should be listened to

with an open mind. It relaxes your

mood and sends you into a time

machine back to the sixties.


Sweet Jane ::: Sugar For My Soul

http://www.facebook.com/SweetJaneMusic

Released in August of this year,

"Kill or Cure" is the latest album

from the Essex based two-piece

Alice Rock. The album is fun and

upbeat, but has a rough surface under its

sugar-coated pop exterior.

The vocals provided by Alice have a

sing-song quality to them, reminiscent of

girls teasing each other in the

schoolyard. They are not shrill or

irritating, rather playful and catchy. The

majority of the album is stylistically

homogenous, with a few highlights to

keep the attention of the listener. "Kill or

Cure" comes across as musically similar

to the Ting Tings but with a quirky, punk

rock edge. The album plays with the

themes of futurism, both optimistic and

dystopian. The album never grows too

serious though.

On "Model QT100" Alice declares her

affection for a fictional device, satirizing

society's need for the newest model, only

to dispense of it when something better

comes along. Both "Old Fashioned Girl"

and "The Breeding Lady" bring up the

dichotomy between traditional rearing of

young ladies versus the modern,

technologically steeped, standard. They

save the best for the last in "Kill or

Cure". The final track is the most

complex and biting of them all. Alice's

vocals are laid bare as she questions

whether or not society is driving itself to

its own demise.

"Kill or Cure" comes across as a

professionally

produced, lyrically clever release. The

album holds together tightly and does

not feel dull or tedious at any moment. If

any of the vitriolic enthusiasm in Alice's

vocals translates into live performance,

they certainly would be worth catching

in person.

Review by Luan Roberts Alice Rock :::

Kill or Cure http://www.alice-rock.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/SweetJaneMusic

remember - if something's not panning

out, change it or try something new -- no

matter how well you think the idea

should be working. Your audience will

tell you pretty quick if something is

effective. Keep an eye for the clues!

8. Make an offer. Great, you have CDs

for sale and gig dates to promote. But,

how to get people interested? Make an

offer! Buy one, get one free. Order

within five days and get a 20% discount.

Arrive by 9 pm and we'll buy your first

drink. Get the picture?

9. Make bridges. Everyone has regrets,

poor decisions they made and bridges

that were apparently burned. If you still

ponder these events, they can eat you up

and turn you bitter. Contact people

you've had a falling out with or

apologize to someone who really needs

to hear that from you. Clear the air and

make space for your success to bloom.

10. Make haste. Don't make the mistake

of waiting too long for the time to be

right, for all your ducks to be in a row,

for the situation to be perfect. That time

may never come.


So we kick off series of marketing

articles and ideas for your band. Get in

touch and let us know what worked for

you, what are you struggeling with or

just want to share with the community. :)

It doesn't have to be New Year's Day to

make resolutions (althought we are

getting close to that time of the year) and

set goals for your music career. Any time

of the year offers a great opportunity for

a fresh start. To make the most of the

next 12 months, consider these 10 ways

to "make" this a year to remember.

Ever heard the proverb: “Fail to

Prepare. Prepare to Fail?”

1. Make up your mind. Or, decide what

it is that you want to achieve over the

next year. Music industry is not just

about your talent – it is about you

knowing what you are going for and

being focused on it every breathing

moment. How big are the gigs you are

doing? Are you releasing single, or

album? Where is it played? What

festivals are you at? How will you get to

those goals?

2. Make it KISS. Keep it simple silly!

Don't overburden yourself with a

complex plan. Pick a couple of key

marketing areas and focus on them.

Keep things simple. Also, make it easy

for other people: easy to figure out who

you are and what you play ... easy to

place an order ... easy to get in touch

with you. Clarity is wonderful thing

3. Make great music. A bit obvious, no?

No amount of money or great marketing

ideas can effectively promote music that

doesn't connect with anyone. What's

considered "great" music is subjective --

but you should always strive to write,

record and perform music that is highly

satisfying to you and a growing number

of fans.

4. Make a network. To promote your

music, you must connect with people ...

and follow up with them repeatedly. Get

a system. If you use Excel or notepad, it

makes no difference – just get names

and get in touch with people.

REGULARY.

5. Make love (not war). Stop fighting

unnecessary battles. Don't always look

for what's wrong with your career ...

because you'll just get more of it. Zero in

on what you want, keep things positive

and operate from a position of warmth

and passion. Think pink!

6. Make lemonade (or get a tequila

slammer, whatever you like to use

lemons for). When you get some

negative feedback, look for the

opportunity to learn from it. Why did

this happen and what can you do to

make sure it doesn’t happen again?

Failure is a part of life. Winners have

ability to overcome obstacles set in front

of them and learn from them.

7. Make it or break it. While having a

positive attitude is key, being objective

and realistic is important too. Always

view your marketing activities with a

fresh eye. Talk it over with your band,

family, friends, innocent bypasses… And

by Lidija Radacic

How to make this the best

"music" year ever?


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Photo by Paul Kolbe

Hazel Jade RogersInterview

By Arne Eichler

Dubliner Hazel Jade Rogers is a 15-year-old singer/songwriter

who has already attracted plenty of positive comments from

some major music insiders.

Despite her tender years, big things are expected from this multi-

talented lady who is equally at home when singing, playing music,

dancing or acting.

In this interview, Jade will be speaking to Arne Eichler about

everything from her very first gig, to her theatre career, to her year

abroad studying in England.

Hello, Jade – welcome and thank you

for talking to us. First off, many

congratulations on playing your first

official gig at the Ruby Sessions on 15

November. How did you get on?

It was awesome! I can tell performing is

one of the highlights for me.

Of course, my nerves where a little

uppity, but I calmed down after the first

song and really had a good time. The

place was packed – loads of people

where standing.

All I could think was: "Wow there's a

lot more people in here then there was in

the sound-check, that’s for sure.”

The sound didn't work on my guitar

for one song, but I kept going, and I got

a few laughs from the crowd, because I

accidently referred to “old people” as

being over-25s.

But it was fun and I’ll definitely be

returning to the Ruby Sessions. I’m

looking to practice whenever and

wherever I can now – to up my

experience in performance.

That’s great, Jade. So are you already

planning some future gigs?

I'm hoping to get a couple of gigs

through my manager at the moment.

The Mercantile seem interested and The

Grand Social are seeing if I can perform

there.

But for definite, on Sunday 18

December I’ll be performing an

acoustic set at the Liffey Valley

Shopping Centre in aid of the Peter

McVerry Trust for Homeless people.

There'll be a few other artists there as

well, as well as carol singing.

You’re definitely one of our younger

interviewees. Is it difficult going to

school while working so hard on

your music?

I’m currently in 5th year, but I'm

finding it quite hard to balance school

and music life. There's a lot going on

at the moment.

I decided not to do transition year,

because for me didn't seem like the

right choice - I'm looking at going to

College, and want to get there sooner.

I’m hoping to study an art/music-

based course - haven't made my mind

up yet - but there's a lot of courses that

look really interesting.

Could you give us a few examples of

your musical influences?

Hmmm . . . my biggest influence

would have to be Pink – especially her

older music.

I feel her lyrics and melodies come

across as a window for people to drift

away from all the pain, hate..Cont. and

worry in the world and be their own

person . . . at least that’s what I felt when

I first heard her nine years ago.

Her reason for writing is to make the

world a better place and to help others –

something I see as a number one reason

to become an artist.

Secondly, Christina Aguilera, because

her song-writing and melodies are

complicated but effective, connecting

the listener to the lyrics.

And then Nickelback: their strong,

edgy grunge-like songs have an

energetic lift, and the lead singer Chad

Kroeger has a very low, ruff vocal which

is very powerful to me. A lot of their

songs being about drugs, sex and rock

‘n’ roll – it’s a vision of life lessons for

everyone.

How do you normally go about

writing your songs? Do ideas just

come to you?

As I said earlier, I am not organised, so

having a basic structure or formula is not

something I work off.

Basically, if I come up with some

lyrics somewhere randomly – for

example, the shower, school or a friend’s

house – I end up saving the lyrics in my

phone notes, and creating a melody later

when I'm at a piano.

And vice versa, when I come up with a

melody on piano, guitar or just with my

voice, I record it on my phone and use it

later to write lyrics, too.

You’ve mentioned that you co-write

some of your songs. Whom do you

generally collaborate with?

Well, a young producer called LaGuil

worked with me on “Kiss My Lips”, and

we have another one we're working on at

the moment with him. He lives over in

Canada, but we just bounce stuff over

the internet to each other.

I've also worked with a group over in

the UK called Rural Roots. I did a rap

song with them which I’ve not put out

yet.

I co-wrote a while ago with some guys

over in the US – a group of musicians

called Bullring Entertainment and I often

co-write with my mum, as she's a

songwriter too.

Right, and do you have any musicians

that perform with you?

I hope eventually to have a band to

perform with, but at the moment, I'm just

getting my performing feet, so I

generally ask musicians to help now and

then when it's needed.

I see that you play piano, drums and

guitar. Do you have a favourite?

I can't pick a favourite because for me

the all have their parts.

Drums is something I get better at if I

get angrier – it seems I push myself

more to get the beats right and it’s great

for letting off steam. I’ve been messing

on the drums since I was three . . . I can

truly say I'm not that bad!

Guitar I’ve been playing four years

now. I’m not amazing at guitar by all

means.

I would call myself more or a rhythm

guitarist than anything else. I love

playing it because it can fill a song out

great, giving warmth.

Then Piano: been playing since I was

five and it’s by far my best [instrument].

There is not really any pop song I cannot

play on piano, but I'm not particularly

fond of the Classical “grade tunes” – as I

call them – though I like classical music

and do play some now and then.

I guess I don't like exams and forced

structure – but then who does.

Interestingly, you spent a gap year at

Redroofs Theatre School in the UK.

Did you go there to develop your

music or for other reasons?

Ah, Redroofs! I do miss that school –

and the people, of course.

I went to Redroofs to explore who I

am as a person, and basically mature and

meet new people.

My parents thought it would be good

for me and help me develop, as I'd been

bullied quite a lot when I was younger

and they felt I needed to rediscover my

confidence.

It’s also something that inspired me to

write my first song ever, because before

the age of 13 neither me nor my parents

knew I had writing abilities.

And what would a typical week there

have looked like?

A typical week in Redroofs was relaxed!

From 9am ‘til 12pm we would do

academic studies, for example, Maths

and English.

Then we would get changed from our

school uniforms into our dance gear;

from 1pm ‘til 4pm we’d have classes in

dance, acting, singing and musical

theatre.

When I attended Redroofs, I learnt

four types of dance: modern, ballet, jazz

and tap, [it’s the] reason I enjoy dance so

much.

Regularly, school productions would

happen. I featured in a personal

perspective from the school on the

Christmas tale “A Christmas Carol”,

which was very fun. I also did a number

of auditions and I feel I learnt and re-

discovered who I was when I was there.

Well, it definitely sounds like it must

have been an exciting time for you. I

noticed that you’ve performed

professionally at the National Concert

Hall and the Olympia and Gaiety

Theatres. Is that something you’re

still involved in?

Yes, my dramatic acting days.

I managed to be in three professional

productions (all around Christmas) in the

National Concert Hall – being Annie as

an orphan, Oliver as one of the gang,

and Carmen as a couple of parts.

Each consisted of about 25 shows a

play and I've been in simply loads of

smaller productions put on at various

locations too numerous to mention.

In school every year a play is put on

and recently I played the plant’s voice in

“The Little Shop of Horrors”, and in the

Olympia I played a Sugar Plum Fairy in

“The Little Nutcracker”.

I think my acting allows me to be more

myself when it comes to performing

these days . . . also I don't suffer from

having stage fright.

Your song “Still Love You” is being

considered for a film in the U.S. –

sounds great. Are you allowed to give

us a hint as to what this film is?


Well, all I know is that the movie is set

in Iraq, and it’s about a relationship

developed between a U.S. soldier and a

prisoner. So: fingers crossed!

“Kiss My Lips” was featured on

WDAR 96FM, have you had any

airplay on any commercial Irish

stations yet?

RTE Pulse are going to be playing that

song soon. We have approached SPIN

103.8, too, and we’re waiting for a

response – hopefully soon. And also

REDfm (Radio station in Cork) are

considering playing it, too.

It's difficult to get airplay on the major

stations, though. I don't understand why

sometimes.

I am doing an interview with a

Californian radio station on 1 December,

and I've to play a song or two live over

Skype, I think. I don't think they're

major, but it's nice to be asked.

You’ve had lots of positive comments

from people in the music industry.

Have there been any serious

discussions about the possibility of a

contract?

I did get asked to join with a

management/label company over in the

UK, but decided it wasn't for me at the

time.

I was also approached by a London

publishing company, but my mum says

we'll hang on to our own publishing.

I've had some approaches from a few

companies in the U.S., but nothing

concrete yet.

I'm very happy, though, that Dublin

music manager Noel Taylor is now

looking after me, and he'll be directing

my career forward into the future.

Have any producers or industry

insiders ever offered any stand-out

advice on how to develop further?

For example, something that really

stood out from you other than the

standard “keeping working hard”?

Yes, I've had some really strong

feedback – from major industry heads,

too.

I was told that I have to develop an

identifiable image (back when I was 13),

and that I had to focus on a particular

genre of music – I find that hard,

because I like lots of different styles of

music.

And finally, I had to start performing

live as a music artist, which was also

hard because not many venues will let

you perform aged 13/14. But now I'm

coming up to 16, it's got a lot easier.

Where do you normally record?

Most of the time we record at home

using professional recording software,

and we've loads of guitars, pianos and

even an electronic drum kit.

We used to have a full recording studio

with mixing desks and all, but that's

been replaced by a MacBook with

software-based recording packages.

Recently I recorded with the band Big

Digger and we hired out Salt Recording

Studios on the Howth Road in Sutton.

We recorded my new single which will

soon be released!

It is a smallish recording studio but

very cosy, and it has everything you'd

need. If we need to record, we always

go there, and I've also done guitar and

drum lessons there too.

Thumbs up for Frank Kearns, the

owner, who runs a holiday rock school

there too.

What’s the best online channel for

your fans to keep in touch and check

what you’re up to?

Definitely Facebook - it’s

www.facebook.com/hazeljaderogers;

with over 12,000 fans, I try to keep

everyone updated.

I use my personal page constantly but I

always check in and update my fan page

at least once a day. Even if I have

nothing to say I will ask a random

question.What are you currently working on?

I saw that you’ve just recorded your

new track “Forgive, Forget” but is

there anything else?

Yes, as I said, I went into the studio with

Big Digger – a group of guys who are

hilarious but are also a gifted bunch of

musicians.

We spent hours in the studio laying all

the tracks down and getting the timing

right, so I was busy with that.

And yes, I’m currently writing another

two or three songs – when they will be

ready I can't say, but we’re in the middle

of writing a new song with LaGuil, who

also created the backing track for “Kiss

My Lips”.

We hope to have that song up and

ready to record in the next month. Next

year we think is going to be a big year

for me, and I’m hoping to do one full

major release of a very special song I

wrote a while ago.

And finally, what are your plans for

the next six months?

Wow - long time. Well, I’m hoping to

become more aware of my performance

and how to handle it. I also want to

write another album and keep up with all

my school work. A lot to do!

I also want to collaborate with other

artists and hold some gigs for my

Facebook fans.


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