Welcome to the ramblings of a man who really should have grown out of listening to "that sort of music" a long, long time ago...A place to share thoughts and photographs on music and related paraphernalia.
Showing posts with label Damian O'Neill & The Monotones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Damian O'Neill & The Monotones. Show all posts
"Más o Menos", the superb opening track to Undertones guitarist Damian O'Neill's critically acclaimed new instrumental album "An Crann, has been given the remix treatment in a new E.P. out now on Dimple Discs Records. First of all, the fuzzed-up French band The Limiñanas' remix concentrates mainly on "Más o Menos" immediately memorable bass riff, which I always thought was reminiscent of Dave Richmond's iconic bass sound on Serge Gainsbourg's classic concept album "Histoire de Melody Nelson". Indeed, Lionel Limiñana has added new Serge and Jane Birkin style male-female spoken word verses in French that are really evocative of "Melody Nelson". He has then married this influence to the hypnotic Krautrock beats so favoured by The Limiñanas to create an atmospheric and highly evocative version. I'm extremely honoured to have been involved in some small way in getting Damian hooked up with The Limiñanas and to hear the end result of two of my favourite Artists working together, almost bought a tear to the eye! I knew Damian was, like me, a big fan of The Limiñanas and by coincidence, last year they were including a cover version of "Teenage Kicks" in their set-list. I must admit my first bit of meddling was to try and get Damian on stage with the band at the Scala in London's Kings Cross to join in with The Undertones classic but he politely declined. However, I did introduce them after the gig and then came Damian's idea of a possible remix, so he later asked to be put in touch as he could feel The Limiñanas might be able to draw something special out of "Más o Menos" and indeed they have. There's a feature on The Limiñanas' Scala Kings Cross show at the Retro Man Blog archive here.
Damian with Marie and Lionel Limiñana - Photo Retro Man Blog
Here's the video to The Limiñanas remix of "Más o Menos" which suits the theme of Lionel's narrative concerning a girl searching for the grave of Andrew Weatherall...enjoy!
Next up, the excellent Kevin Sharkey remix draws out the Spaghetti Western influence throughout "Más o Menos", with its haunting whistling, tolling bells and thunderous timpani shot through with a stinging fuzz guitar chord. Sharkey has then married this cinematic sound to more traditional remix elements such as scratching, spiralling synth motifs and rhythmic bongo drums and the original backing vocals are much more prominent. Its like taking Ennio Moriconne's "Man With a Harmonica" to the dance floor. Both versions are superb examples of how a song can be twisted into two very different, but equally imaginative and effective takes on the original, which is also included on the E.P. for good measure. At present unfortunately, there are no physical formats available but you can buy the download from the Dimple Disc Records Bandcamp page here. For more information on all of Damian's solo projects and collaborations please check out his official web-site here.
Damian & Dimple Discs boss Brian O'Neill - photo by Retro Man Blog
For our Retrosonic Podcast special episode recorded at the "An Crann" album launch party and Q&A with Damian and journalist Ann Scanlon, please subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iTunes or you can listen/download direct from our SoundCloud site below. You'll also find our other thoroughly entertaining episodes with Damian along with the That Petrol Emotion/Everlasting Yeah special available in the archive.
We captured a great evening's entertainment at the Heavenly Social in London on November 6th with Undertones guitarist Damian O'Neill promoting his excellent new LP "An Crann" in a Q&A session hosted by Brian O'Neill of Dimple Discs Records and music journalist Ann Scanlon. As well as the story behind the record and its various influences, Damian also discussed various anecdotes from his time with The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion and The Everlasting Yeah. As well as tales of The Undertones on Top of The Pops, touring with The Clash and news of the forthcoming That Petrol Emotion box-set, we also find out how Damian nearly joined Dexys Midnight Runners and how he should have been a famous footballer! The episode is soundtracked by Damian's personal selection of songs from the new album. You can subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for free at Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts or direct from our SoundCloud site below.
You can order "An Crann" from the Dimple Discs Records Bandcamp site here. For more information please check out Damian's official web-site here. Photos from the night copyright Retro Man Blog. Thanks to Damian and Viv, Ann Scanlon, Brian O'Neill and Neil Waite from The Undertones Rocking Humdingers Club page.
Top Photo, Damian with Dimple Discs boss Brian O'Neill. Third Photo, Damian with That Petrol Emotion, The Everlasting Yeah bassist Brendan Kelly. Fourth photo Damian with Ann Scanlon.
The Undertones played a blinder at the beautiful Art Deco De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea on Saturday, a thirty three song set-list packed full of their melodic Pop nuggets. There was certainly no let up in the intensity as the songs whizzed by and the always amusing Mickey Bradley even commented on the rapid-fire delivery, "You can hold your breath right through to the end of most of our songs" and "we're playing even faster so that Billy can get back to watch Match of The Day". The band are on top form and the wonderful backing vocal harmonies from Damian and Mickey really shine through, although the crowd give them a run for their money as they join in whole-heartedly. Paul's voice and confidence has come on leaps and bounds (in fact he does quite a lot of leaping and bounding on stage) since I first saw one of the early shows after the band got back together. The 'Paul-era' songs so brilliantly collected in the recent Dimple Discs compilation "Dig What You Need" are well represented and in particular "Oh Please", "Thrill Me" and "Dig Yourself Deep" are as good as any of the classics from their impressive back catalogue.
Mickey and James Brown with respective books - photo Retro Man Blog
But yes there's no escaping those classics and of course we get them all, "Here Comes The Summer", "Get Over You", a sublime "Wednesday Week", "Jimmy Jimmy" dedicated to Loaded editor James Brown and "Teenage Kicks" dedicated to the ever-youthful U.K. Subs frontman Charlie Harper, both present at the show. John and Damian's inter-twining guitars are as vibrant as ever and those timeless riffs on "You've Got My Number" and "I Know A Girl" really hit home. It's great that they play some of the less celebrated gems such as my favourite, the heart-tugging "Tearproof" and tracks such as "When Saturday Comes" and "Crisis of Mine". I recently wrote - at some length I know - on the importance and impact of The Undertones (and their various off-shoots) on my life in a feature on their stunning show at the Camden Electric Ballroom back in April so I won't repeat myself here, but needless to say The Undertones treated us to another life-affirming evening's entertainment. Anyway, please do check out my feature here if you would like to know just why they mean so much to me and there are lots of lovely photos if you do get bored with my heartfelt ramblings!
You can check out more videos from the show at our Retro Man Blog YouTube channel here.
Damian O'Neill has been busy outside of The Undertones too - the brilliant second album by 5 Billion In Diamonds to which he contributes, has finally been released on vinyl and then Dimple Discs will be putting out his new instrumental solo LP "An Crann" on coloured vinyl and CD. The vinyl pressing of this sounds particularly impressive and there have been advance copies for sale at recent Undertones shows. Before Saturday's show Damian told me he was a bit concerned what die-hard Undertones fans might think of the album seeing as it is all very atmospheric and instrumental, but I think anyone who did invest in a copy at the merchandise stands would be extremely impressed. As we discovered in our thoroughly entertaining career retrospective Retrosonic Podcast with Damian "From The Undertones to The Monotones" - he is no stranger to ambient and instrumental music and "An Crann" is a damn near perfect and satisfying listen. From the absolutely stunning opening track "Mas o Menos", which draws heavily on the Gitanes soaked Gallic atmosphere of Serge Gainsbourg's "Histoire de Melody Nelson" and The Liminanas, we are taken on an evocative journey through eleven beautifully constructed pieces of music.
"An Crann" is not Folk music and it's not an album of 'ambient soundscapes', or is it? It's very difficult to categorise. It could almost be the soundtrack to an imaginary movie or incidental music from a prime Nordic Noir drama and yet then sometimes I get hints of Anton Karas's "The Third Man" or John Barry's "The Persuaders" theme. Then there are very organic, pastoral pieces that take you right out of your living room and place you deep into the middle of some mysterious fog-bound forest. The album's sound and feel is captured perfectly in Damian's daughter Rosa's stunning cover photography, in fact as the album was mainly recorded at home during lockdown, "An Crann" is something of a family affair. Damian plays most of the instruments throughout and wife Viv, along with Rosa, both add suitably atmospheric and effective vocal harmonies to the proceedings. To promote the album, Dimple Discs have arranged a Q&A session with Damian in conversation with Ann Scanlon at The Social at 5 Little Portland Street in London on Sunday November 6th, doors open at 7pm and tickets can be bought here. Copies of "An Crann" will be available on the night but if you can't make it, you can order from Bandcamp here. Don't forget to check out our Retrosonic Podcasts with Damian, two on his own music and a special on That Petrol Emotion where Damian is joined by Raymond and Ciaran from the band - you can subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for free at Spotify, iTunes, Apple Podcasts or direct from our SoundCloud site below:
For this very special episode of Retrosonic Podcast we are very pleased to welcome Claudia, Mary and Judy from Baby Shakes, New York's finest purveyors of pure Punk Power Pop into the virtual studio to discuss the band's history and influences. We chat about what it's like in New York for bands during lockdown, how the girls met, what inspired them to form a band and their song-writing process. We learn about some of the great musicians and artists they have gigged with and their favourite countries to play, including a special section on their affinity with Japan. Along the way they pick some of their favourite and most evocative songs including those that played a part in shaping the Baby Shakes sound. Then, of course we concentrate on the band's own music, from their very first single right up to date with their fantastic brand new release, "Sweet 'n' Sour", a glamtastic 7" single featuring Damian O'Neill and Billy Doherty from their heroes, The Undertones. You can subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for free at Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Mixcloud or directly from our Soudcloud site below, so sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy!
You can check out the recent Retrosonic Podcast with Damian O'Neill from
The Undertones here, where he also discusses working with Baby Shakes on the
"Sweet 'n' Sour" single. Podcover Photo by Nate Frohn. Retrosonic Theme
by Adam Donovan. For more information and news on Baby Shakes please
check out their official web-site here. Here's the superb video to "Sweet 'n' Sour", the single can be ordered
from Dimple Discs Records here. With thanks to Claudia, Mary & Judy.
As we once again return to an unwelcome period of lockdown it's time to invite another very special guest into the Retrosonic Podcast 'virtual studio'. So, for Episode 7 of our Lockdown Lowdown series I am delighted to welcome Damian O'Neill, guitarist with The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion, The Everlasting Yeah and (as Damian confesses) "guitar gunslinger for hire"! I wanted to find out more information about his recent collaboration with the excellent New York based Power Pop band Baby Shakes and their brand new single "Sweet 'n' Sour", a stomping version of a track from Damian's own solo album "Refit Revise Reprise". Damian and his Undertones colleague, drummer Billy Doherty produce and play on the single which also features a cover of the Undertones "Really Really". We talk about his involvement with Dimple Discs Records, the label he runs with good friend Brian O'Neill who have released "Sweet & Sour" as a stunning 7" single on coloured vinyl. We also discuss and play a track from another excellent Dimple Discs release from Eileen Gogan & The Instructions album "Under Moving Skies" and catch up with news on Damian's latest projects including new music from 5 Billion in Diamonds. Finally, we get a long-awaited update on what's been happening with The Everlasting Yeah. You can download/listen to the episode directly from the Retrosonic
Podcast Soundcloud site below or subscribe for free at Spotify, iTunes,
Apple Podcasts and Mixcloud.
In the latest special edition of Retrosonic Podcast Damian O'Neill, guitarist with The Undertones, That Petrol Emotion and The Everlasting Yeah talks to Steve from Retro Man Blog about his excellent new solo album "Refit Revise Reprise". The album is released via a Pledgemusic campaign under the name Damian O'Neill & The Monotones and comprises twelve tracks recorded at Damian's home and at Press Play Studios in South London. Co-produced, engineered and mixed by Damian, Andy Ramsay (ex Stereolab) and Paul Tipler with musical contributions from Sean O’Hagan (The High Llamas) amongst others. There’s some old, new, borrowed and blue on this record. You’ll hear new songs and instrumental tracks that are guaranteed to thrill and melt your heart plus Damian has delved into his musical past and revamped selected self penned Undertones/That Petrol Emotion songs too. It’s Glam/Stomp/Dreamy Pop with a cascade of guitars, vibes, organ, bells and whistles. Damian takes us on a thoroughly entertaining journey through the new album which also touches on some of his other solo projects and collaborations such as 5 Billion In Diamonds, No Flies On Frank, A Quiet Revolution and the "Trapped In A Cage" single. There's also a world exclusive of one of the first ever performances by the mysterious Derry based Psychedelic Garage Rock band The Wesleys of "Love Parade", a track which would go on to become an Undertones classic! Here's the brand new video of a superb track from the album "Sweet & Sour" directed by Douglas Hart.
You can order the album on CD, download or vinyl and check out the various bundles and packages at the Damian O'Neill & The Monotones Pledgemusic site HERE. For updates, information and news please head over to the official Monotones Facebook page here. Please visit our Soundcloud site to listen/download the episode or easier still, check it out below...
If you prefer, you can stream the episode at Mixcloud or subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast on iTunes for free at the link here to ensure you don't miss another episode! And don't forget to check out our archive for the hugely entertaining story of That Petrol Emotion and The Everlasting Yeah with Damian, Raymond Gorman and Ciaran McLaughlin - it's a must listen for any fan!
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