The College Tribune, Vol 24 Issue 5, The Siren

College Tribune Entertainment Supplement 9.11.2010

Music

Dan Binchy chats with Darwin Deez Pages 4

Travel

Liam Maguire gives his verdict on Berlin Page 12

Fashion

Campus Style Examines UCD Fashion Pages 6-7

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playlist Kid Cudi – Scott Mescudi vs. The World With material as weak as this routinely coming out of perpetually stoned Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi, don’t hold your breath on him fulfilling the promise shown on his 2008 mixtape ‘A Kid Named Cudi’. Cee Lo Green makes an appearance too, complimenting Cudi’s halfassed rapping with a bland, soulless chorus. Avoid like the clap.

Crystal Castles – Not in Love ft. Robert Smith If you needed reminding of how much of a genius The Cure’s Robert Smith is, look no further. Smith takes one of the weaker tracks on the Crystal Castles album released this year, gives it a fistful of electronic steroids and turns it into something quite special. Don’t expect to hear anything better this week/month.

Jamie Woon – Night Air (Co-Produced by Burial) Effortlessly groovy, this track combines Woon’s wonderfully sultry vocals with an unusually melodic beat from one of the godfathers of dubstep, the enigmatic, rarely seen above ground, Burial. What is really impressive about this track is how easily Burial distance himself from the worn out, deep bass sound that has been mimicked beyond belief. A recommended download.

Nadine Coyle – Insatiable Nadine Coyle, the Co. Derry member of Girls Aloud, has released a solo album, and ‘Insatiable’ is the first single. The album is available exclusively at Tesco. It sold a laughable 117 physical copies in the UK on its first day of sale last week. This song shows us that she sings better than Cheryl Cole, but still makes horrendous music.

You’ll find it in aisle four, beside the magazines and crisps.

By Aonghus McGarry

Music

D4’s

The Siren 9.11.10

GIG Guide Darwin Deez Academy 2 Tuesday 9th November €14.50

Ryan Cullen D4!, a Dublin subculture that is generally associated with fake tan, SUVs and a fashion sense that screams “ OMG, where did you get that Abercrombie underwear”. People called d4s generally never live in d4, they just like to think they do, and follow the d4 culture. To become a D4 head, one has to overcome a strict initiation process,

Many of these vain, daft dubes can be seen

usually involving being dipped into a large

fermenting in DonnyBrooks ‘The Wezz’,

pot of fake tan, hair sprayed with Parazone

which houses many d4 activities like slut

and styled to resemble a derelict buzzard’s

dancing, guess the Coronas song and ‘Who

nest. Some even have to re-inact roles as

has Daddy’s car keys?!’. Ross o Carroll Kelly

Willy Wonka’s Oompa-Loompas. If they

sums it up in the following “We end up in

pass this with flying colours(that colour

a nightclub that looks familiar but I’m, like,

being orange), then they must attend

too shit-faced to recognise which one it

countless Linguistics classes to enable

is and the next thing I remember is, like,

them to communicate with the rest of

Joanna and Keelin dragging me out onto

their endangered species. “IThen Sorcha’s

the dancefloor for some Backstreet Boys

mobile goes off, roysh, and it’s, like, Jayne

song, I think it’s Backstreet’s Back, and I

with a y, who’s, like, her best friend, or used

can hordly stand I’m so locked. But then I

to be until she caught her snogging with

Believe I Can Fly comes on and, like, Joanna

me in Fionn’s house on New Year’s Eve.

holds me up while we’re slow-dancing, and

Sorcha had a total knocker fit and, like

then it’s Two Become One by the Spice

finished with me.” When it comes to music,

Girls, which Joanna says she SO loves. I snog

the average d4 would tend to enjoy the

her on the dancefloor, roysh, and she is a

whining of the Coronas or the schreechs of

totally amazing shift, but the night is a total

the Blizzards.

bummer from then on.”

Gorillaz The O2 Thursday 11th November €59.80 MIA Tripod Friday 12th November €38.50

Foals Olympia Theatre Monday 15th November €23.50 Paul Weller Olympia Theatre Tuesday 16th November €44.90 Spoon Academy Thursday 18th November €25 LCD Soundsystem Tripod Friday 19th November €39.50

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Grand Canal Theatre Saturday 13th November €30-€39.50

And so I watch you from afar Whelan’s Saturday 20th November €15

The Walkmen Tripod Monday 15th November €22.50

The Gaslight Anthem Olympia Theatre Sunday 21st November €23

The Specialist

by Ciarán Leinster

Without George

Without George are a four-piece from Cong, Co. Mayo. Despite the fact that their fan base is restricted to me and their mothers, they’re actually pretty amazing.

Even, despite the fact that they are, as some members of the Siren team may say, “boggers/culchies/muck savages”, they’re still pretty good.

I’ve been the keeper of this great secret for over two years, since I first saw them support Blondie at the 2008 Galway Arts Festival.

For me, they blew Debbie Harry’s outfit out of the water, with their energy, stage presence, charisma, and most importantly, their songs. While I couldn’t tell you most of the songs they played that day, the one that stayed fresh in my mind for weeks, until I decided to find the group on MySpace, was “Some People”, probably the best song off their self-titled 2008 debut album.

Without George was released as a download-only album, and no singles were issued, aside from “Terrible Shame”, which was only a radio single.Their debut was selfproduced and self-released as well, so that

gives an indication of how little-known the band are, even in Galway city, where they play regularly in, amongst others, Monroe’s Tavern.

However, they are not just confined to playing toilets at two o’clock on Tuesday afternoons. Partly due to their manager, Pearse Doherty, an ex-Saw Doctor, they recently scored some other high-profile support slots; namely with Bell X1, the Stunning, and the Saw Doctors themselves.

While this doesn’t quite amount to being the obligatory Irish band first on the bill at Slane Castle, it’s quite an achievement for four guys coming from a region who’ve never really produced a rock‘n’roll band of any stature.

That’s what endeared me to Without George straight away; the fact that they play pure, unabashed rock‘n’roll. That’s not to say they’re simple-mindedly bashing away on guitars just to be as loud as possible.

Instead, it’s more of the spirit they create, a wildness that is rare in bands these days.

Compared, not totally ridiculously, to Bruce

Springsteen, front man and songwriter Mark Spellman has great command of the crowd, whether it is 50 or 500. They draw on a number of classical influences, including Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, as well as taking aspects from the country music that they grew up hearing in pubs around the “wild spot” they hail from.

All the energy and life in the band is channelled into their eleven track debut, which perfectly captures the spirit of fun, adventurousness and charisma that defines the band. The opening four songs, from quick-paced “Terrible Shame”, through to radio single “On My Way”, “Some People”, and “Say What You Got,” all bristle with charm, wit, energy and pure talent, and is easily on the finest four-song runs of recent times.

After that, the album takes an obvious slight dip, although “Running Out”, “Done” and “Shotgun” are still among the best tracks.

“Say What You Got” is probably the most interesting song; partly due to the fact that

around halfway through, the song pauses slightly, and Spellman performs a dialogue between two characters in a mob movie which has never been made. He has a great ability to throw his voice, which is also heard at the beginning of “Wild Town” in which he gives a Dukes of Hazzard-style intro to, further playing up the band’s ‘culchieness’.

While success and popularity has largely eluded the band on these shores, they have so far fared better on America’s east coast.

Not only are they currently recording their follow-up in New York, they played several well-received gigs there last year, including an impressive St. Patrick’s Day performance in Brooklyn. However, they have played Electric Picnic a few times (including all three days in 2008), headlined the prestigious Tuam Music Festival, and played as part of the well attended Volvo Ocean Race festival in Galway last summer. Without George have also appeared on TG4, and internet site Balcony TV, to critical acclaim.

Surely headlining Oxegen is the next natural step?

The Siren 9.11.10

Music

The Scoop

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Bruce Springsteen The Promise

Graham Luby

For a city used to almost annual visits by The Boss, Dublin’s Springsteen fans went through something of a dry spell this year. But in having to make do with this year’s “Live In Hyde Park” DVD to ease the summer’s withdrawal symptoms, absence has had its usual effect on the hearts of fans, and as a result, they have anticipated “The Promise” in the same way that some look forward to Christmas. A collection of B-sides and alternate versions culled from the recording sessions of 1978’s classic Darkness on the Edge of Town, The Promise is in danger of being eclipsed by its own hype. It would be easy to dismiss it as a mere financial stopgap until the next studio album, however the collection could be worth all the hot air for the opening track alone - a ballsy alternate version of “Racing in the Street” that left this reviewer wondering why it had not seen daylight until now. Next, “Gotta Get That Feeling” keeps the musical momentum rolling, complete with an obligatory saxophone solo, while tracks such as “Fire” (originally written by Springsteen for a certain Elvis Presley) and the Roy Orbisonesque “The Brokenhearted” further showcase Springsteen’s flexibility as a songwriter during that period. However, what really cements this collection in terms of quality and credibility is the addition of a studio version of the live staple “Because the Night”, notably the first release of a studio version by Springsteen himself.

To give these choice cuts a spin is to open an aural time capsule. The Promise is a snapshot of Springsteen’s mindset during the Darkness sessions - born out of frustration with legal troubles and the pressure to repeat the success of Born to Run, the songs produced in this period once again railed against stifling responsibility and the unending boredom of small-town life.

Definitely not just for completists, any fans of classic Springsteen should give this a listen.

Elliott Smith

An Introduction to Elliott Smith

Daniel Nolan

Generally, ‘Introduction To…’ albums seem a bit pointless. Buying one of the artist in question’s albums would usually be a better way for a listener to introduce themselves to the body of work. In this case, however, it seems appropriate. The general perception of Elliott Smith is of a dour and relentlessly dark singer/songwriter. This view has undoubtedly been reinforced by issues external to his music, particularly the nature of his untimely death in 2003. Wes Anderson’s use of his song ‘Needle in the Hay,’ to soundtrack a suicide attempt in ‘The Royal Tenenbaums,’ probably didn’t help either. It seems that, seven years after his death, it’s an appropriate time to re-evaluate Elliot Smith’s back catalogue. This collection of his songs does a pretty good job of doing that. It also does what it says on the tin, offering a selection of Smith’s songs that give a good representation of his song writing, rather than a straight ‘Best Of…’. The album opens with ‘Ballad of Big Nothing,’ from his most celebrated record, ‘Either/Or.’ It’s vintage Elliot Smith pop, and makes for a good starting point. ‘Pictures of Me’ is one of Smith’s most immediately accessible tracks. It also displays a swagger unusual to his songs, as he sounds more pissed off than melancholy. ‘Alameda’ is similarly resilient, as Smith denounces a former partner - ‘Nobody broke your heart/ You broke your own cos you can’t finish what you started.’ The only songs selected for the record that come close to supporting the perception of Smith as a permanently miserable writer are ‘Between the Bars’ and ‘Twilight.’ But even these tracks are wistful and haunting rather than depressing. In fact, they’re the type of tender ballads that the likes of, say, Richard Ashcroft aspire to achieve, but usually come up short. By the sounds of it, Elliott Smith reeled them off effortlessly. The record bows out with ‘Happiness,’ from ‘Figure 8.’ It’s a bright, mellow track, made all the more effective by the contrast with Smith’s more melancholic songs, as he repeats at the end ‘All I want now/ Is happiness for you and me.’

Matt & Kim Sidewalks

Aonghus McGarry

‘Sidewalks’, the latest album from Brooklyn band Matt & Kim, finds the married couple in creative stagnation. As expected, the energy and enthusiasm that was so blaringly evident on 2009’s excellent ‘Grand’ is still evident on their latest effort, albeit watered down. Heavy synths and ubiquitous keyboards have become the hallmark of Matt & Kim’s sound and where ‘Grand’ had magical moments of raw emotion, ‘Sidewalks’ suffers from slight over-production. Kim’s drumming resembles drum machines used on purely electronic albums while Matt’s voice comes perilously close to over autotune distortion. Pitch perfect vocals have always been a part of Matt & Kim’s sound however, and that isn’t to say they don’t have a function in their songs. Lead singles ‘Block After Block’ and ‘Cameras’ combine an unusual hip-hop beat with Matt’s tweaked voice with surprisingly pleasant results. Despite the band being well known for anthemic tracks such as the underground hit ‘Daylight’, and to a lesser extent ‘Good Oul’ Fashioned Nightmare’, ‘Sidewalks’ is largely devoid of songs with the same singalong quality. ‘Silver Tiles’, together with ‘AM/FM Sound’, are arguably the album’s strongest tracks, the latter possibly being inspired by Cliff Richard’s ‘Wired For Sound’, a conclusion drawn from this reviewer’s attempt at finding meaning in largely meaningless lyrics. But Matt & Kim are not a band trying to push the boundaries of musical poetry. Their songs have one objective, to make people smile, and in this they are successful. ‘Sidewalks’ is an explicitly summery album released at the start of winter, and will be particularly pleasant during the dreary months ahead. What originally made Matt & Kim so endearing to their cult following, and distinguished them from the other indie-pop duos doing the rounds on the blogosphere, is still evident. This is a deliriously upbeat record that will leave the listener likewise.

Cheryl Cole

Messy Little Raindrops

Simon Mulcahy

Cheryl Cole. It is very difficult to avoid hearing that name wherever you go. Whether it’s on The X-Factor, hair advertisements, magazine covers or other meaningless television appearances, it’s proving tough to escape from Cheryl. Strangely enough, the reason she’s famous in the first place is through TV publicity and endorsements earned. Her music career to date can easily be forgotten about, seeing as she is almost just as successful as a result of her looks. This follow up to her number one solo debut seemed to come out of the blue for most people and there wasn’t much build-up to its release, as the public never truly got a break from her. This has resulted in the usual anticipation of an artist’s return to the music scene being quite underwhelming, if existent at all beyond her immediate fanbase. The album opens with “Promise This”, which is also the first single. A ridiculously catchy hook distracts from the rest of the track, which is a shame because it has one of the only truly sentimental moments of the album in its bridge. Like a lot of the album, the lyrics are drowned out by the sheer amount of production on the track, and Cheryl’s vocals are diminished as a result too. This is one of the factors leading to the album’s main failing: the fact that there is little or no sense of sincerity or emotion throughout, even in the ballads.There is an absence of dedication on Cheryl’s part, which leaves a lot of the songs feeling empty and contrived. The songs that stand out are usually memorable for the instrumentation and/or catchy choruses such as “Everyone,” “Hummingbird,” and “Yeah Yeah”. This album will do well since it is full of songs that will get everyone dancing (“Waiting” and “Let’s Get Down” particularly will achieve this), but there is not enough substance to make this album feel as important as it thinks it is.

In conclusion, this release is unsurprisingly a perfectly fine, if unimaginative pop album that will find its home with young girls and people who read ‘Look’ magazine.

Susan Boyle The Gift

Ciarán Leinster

What’s worse than a Christmas album in November? A Christmas album in November by someone from Britain’s Got Talent is the answer. “The First Noel”, “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Away In A Manger” all are included in Susan Boyle’s second album, as well as the New Year favourite, “Auld Lang Syne”.

There are also covers of, amongst others, Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”, and yet another version of Leonard Cohen/Rufus Wainwright/Jeff Buckley/John Cale/Alexandra Burke’s “Hallelujah”. So, in short, it’s a collection of some of the world’s most covered songs, but sung in a ridiculously high voice.

As someone who never watched a second of Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent, or heard any of her stuff, I wasn’t quite what sure to expect from The Gift. In truth, her voice isn’t terrible, as long as you like singing as high-pitched as it seems humanly possible. It’s not for everyone though.

That being said, her target audience is probably not 19 year old male college students. Somehow, she makes all these songs sound exactly the same, even though the themes, genre and century of the composition differ greatly throughout.

Despite the obvious clinginess of pretty much the whole album, if producer Stevie Mac’s career is anything to go by, this will be absolutely huge; the total album sales of his works stands at over 65 million.

To be honest, this is yet another reason to become a hermit and live in a cave, completely shunning society.

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The Siren 9.11.10

Darwin Deez Interview Andrew Hoepfner talks to Dan Binchy about the band’s hipster image, being geeks and their debut album.

Darwin Deez are... different. Their name is different. Their style of music is different.

Their dress sense, while more commonly seen amongst hipsters nowadays, remains a change from the norm. Even their onthe-road antics are refreshingly geeky, preferring to visit (and affectionately mock) Stonehenge and post the results on their MySpace profile rather than get hammered and trash hotels.

When I speak with bassist Andrew Hoepfner (I’m told lead singer Darwin is losing his voice and needs to save it for a gig), he sounds tired, but delightfully irreverent and friendly. I’m immediately put at ease when I tell him that “indie” music (as the band have been categorised) wouldn’t be my usual fare.

“What do you usually listen to?”

Slightly wrongfooted by having the interview turned around on me so early, I manage to mumble out a cursory few bands.

Classic rock kinda stuff, you know, Hendrix, Zeppelin... “Do you like Thin Lizzy? They are, uh... often rocking our van.”

The interview is to continue much in this vein. Hoepfner seems pleasantly ignorant of established interview protocol, preferring to have a genuine rambling conversation rather than a formulaic question-and-answer format.

He describes the band as “homemade alternative indie pop”, and indeed there is a certain homemade aspect to everything they do, what with debut album Darwin Deez having been recorded on a laptop.

Speaking about their live set, Hoepfner relates “Between every song or two, we’ll kick and clap and sway and just get the crowd going”. There’s a real sense of all of this being a labour of love, rather than a profit project for the band. According to Hoepfner, who says his goal is to make eye contact with “every visible face in the crowd” at every gig: “It’s really important to me that everybody is in this together, and everybody has fun together...”

When I mention the “hipster” image that has been somewhat forcibly attached to the band by some members of the media, Hoepfner seems perfectly fine with it, despite the negative connotations that have become attached to the term.

“Yeah, Darwin’s always been keen on hipster fashion and stuff, and Cole [guitarist] is also fairly well versed in that area. I mean, I don’t know, it’s kind of weird because I feel like the concept of “hipster” is always the concept of the “other”, someone outside of you. You’re never a hipster yourself, you’re always just a person. I feel like to an extent that’s what it’s like inside the band, we’re all just like these nerdy people that grew up with our parents and are faking it... Like we’re faking that we’re cool. I don’t think anybody minds... It goes with the territory, you know, we like to look wild.”

So they’re geeks, and perfectly OK with it. In fact, their closest moment to what might be termed stereotypical rock ‘n’ roll came in 2008, when Hoepfner and lead

singer Darwin Deez (AKA Smith) were members of a side project, a band known as the Creaky Boards. They posted a video on Youtube comparing their song “The Songs I Didn’t Write”, with Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”. In retrospect, the title of the Creaky Boards’ song should have been a dead giveaway, but the internet nearly imploded with accusations that either Coldplay had stolen a small-time band’s song, or that the Creaky Boards had cooked it up as a publicity stunt. Hoepfner’s response?

“It was a prank! And it worked, in that it was wildly successful, and I think that’s hilarious... Maybe you can be the publication that spreads the complete story.

I’ve tried to tell other people that it was just a joke but it was kind of buried under all the press that happened that week, you know.

Looking back in music history there’s all these ways of corporate rock and... Rock that’s kind of watered-down, wallpaper stuff, and you think back and there’s like; Huey Lewis and the News, or Milli Vanilli or whatever. I think it’s funny that, in 2008, I successfully pulled off a prank on the corporate rock band of that year.”

And I mean it when I say that’s as close as the band gets to the usual rock band drama; they don’t indulge in drugs, alcohol, or groupies, their primary addictions being “cereal” and “the Internet”. Asked what else they do for fun on the road, Hoepfner actually chuckles, embarrassed, and mumbles “We play, um, Scrabble. We play Yahtzee”. Cole

chimes in, reminding him to tell me about their pre-show ritual. “Well, one thing that we do... before every show, the band gets in this close huddle and we all hug each other and we all kiss each other.”

A bonding moment not unlike the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ pre-gig psych-up, and indeed the band are all currently engrossed in Anthony Kiedis’ [of RHCP] autobiography, Scar Tissue, so much so that they recently covered the song of the same name on a radio broadcast. Asked about other possible covers, Hoepfner says none are in the works as of yet, but “we just made our first attempt at integrating Darwin’s hip-hop project into the set. So at one point Darwin and Cole rapped over a beat that Cole made. There’s actually a mixtape that’s coming out, it’s gonna be available for free on the internet next year... and it’s gonna be Darwin rapping over music from “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”.”

The debut album, Darwin Deez, is full of upbeat numbers, driven by jangly guitars and Darwin’s belted-out vocals (see “Radar Detector”, “Constellations”, and “Up in the

Clouds”). On the other end of the spectrum are songs like “Bad Day”, in which Darwin wishes an eternity of bad luck on a romantic rival, and “Bed Space”, a forlorn and introspective meditation on loneliness.

Was this a conscious attempt to subvert the happy-clappy sound Darwin was becoming known for?

“Well, actually this is an interesting story.

Darwin and I were discussing how artists get pigeonholed into kind of a shtick.

So Alanis Morissette had “You Oughta Know” and so she was “angry girl”... And Darwin said ‘Now I have my video “Radar Detector” and so I’m happy guy’. And so I said; ‘what are you going to do with the next album, are you going to affirm “happy guy”, or are you going to expand?’ And he said ‘affirm AND expand...’ We’re gonna explore the structures, we’re gonna explore other sounds, and it’s gonna have more depth, the next album.”

So there you have it. Geeky, funny, and with an unexpected depth that is yet to be fully plumbed. Keep an eye on these guys, you won’t regret it.

excellently, peaking at number five in the UK album charts. She apparently puts on a good live show, and should be a good coup for Other Voices.

The final act confirmed to perform is Sheffield’s finest songwriter, Richard Hawley. He’ll also apparently curate an episode of the show, and will select some of the other guests, which could be interesting.

Hawley’s solo career has taken off, very gradually, over the past few years. With the release of 2005’s ‘Cole’s Corner’, his third solo record, Hawley began receiving plaudits for his exceptionally warm and well-crafted songs. Part of the charm of his work is its timelessness, as his main inspiration comes from the songwriting of the 1950s and 60s. Since ‘Cole’s Corner’ he’s released two

more fine albums, 2007’s ‘Lady’s Bridge’ and 2009’s ‘Truelove’s Gutter,’ the latter of which received Mojo magazine’s Album of the Year award last year.

So it shows every sign of being another fine series for Other Voices, with more acts due to be confirmed soon.

Hearing Voices Dan Nolan RTÉ announced last week that the alternative music programme ‘Other Voices’ will return for a ninth series in early 2011.

The show has become somewhat of a staple in the station’s musical section. It’s also stuck admirably to its original intentions of broadcasting alternative music from around the world, as well as giving publicity and opportunities to Irish acts. A lot of great acts have played Other Voices since its inception, and a lot of others have received a helping hand from the show on their way up.

The show is set apart from other music shows by its atmospheric setting in the Church of St. James in Dingle, Co. Kerry.

The performances, which tend to be relatively stripped down, are lent an intimacy by the unusual setting and proximity of the small audience. The likable Annie Mac has again been announced as the host of the new series, her third with the show.

RTÉ have also announced some of the acts that will feature in the new series, and from early indications it looks like the line up could be pretty impressive. The most impressive coup confirmed so far is that The National will perform. In recent years they’ve established themselves as one of the finest live acts going, and have

made a handful of the past decade’s most memorable records. They’re currently in fine form, having released their fifth album, ‘High Violet’, to pretty much universal acclaim. It’s been heralded as their finest work yet in some quarters, and their appearance on the Other Voices bill should cause some excitement.

Also confirmed to perform is Marina and the Diamonds (‘is’ rather than ‘are’ because, while she’s Marina, the titular Diamonds are apparently her fans rather than her backing band, which isn’t corny at all). It’s been a good year for Marina (pictured), as she’s come from obscurity to see a handful of her singles in the charts. Her rise to prominence began at the end of last year, when she was voted number two in the BBC’s ‘Sound of 2010’ poll, which predicts the acts that’ll ruffle feathers in the year to come. She was only beaten by Ellie Goulding, who also topped this writer’s list of the most boring people in the world, though she may not be aware of this.

Marina and the Diamonds’ debut single, ‘Hollywood,’ was solid, catchy pop and boasted a big chorus, but nothing she’s done since has quite lived up to it. Her debut album, ‘The Family Jewels,’ still sold

The Siren 9.11.10

Waiting for the Beat to Kick In...

Tracey O’Connor chats to Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip regarding the new album, being political and side projects.

Peeping around a corner at The Workman’s Club, I spy a hairy Goliath type gesturing flamboyantly at the David before him, quashing some softly-muttered request with a throaty chuckle.With whiskers to rival Serj Tankian and a forthright manner, Scroobius Pip (aka David Peter Meads) could easily be mistaken for an Amish preacher. Although considering such songs as “A Letter from God to Man”, it may not be such a vast error in judgement. Lying back in a swivelling armchair, Daniel Stephens, or Dan le Sac, appears every bit the evil mastermind as he oversees the stage setup.

Differing vastly in attitude, hobbies, means of expression, music taste and perhaps most notably in appearance, the strikingly tall and hairy Pip dwarfing the more conventional Dan, this deranged duo could as easily have been called Mercury vs. The Sun or Plankton vs. Whale. Bananas in Pyjamas they are not. Nevertheless, a compelling merging of talents they most certainly are.

The two joined forces in 2006, have released two albums and are almost at the end of three and a half years of touring together.

Unusually, they focus heavily on gigs rather than releasing material. Pip’s background as a spoken word poet naturally places emphasis on writing for performance. One would imagine that as a DJ and remix producer, Dan might be more accustomed to a self-contained environment, free from

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the pressures of live shows, but interestingly he feels that performance has contributed immensely to the growth of both the group and themselves as individual artists.

“Before, if I was doing something which was edgy, it was just too edgy, it was just, like, unlistenable, because I hadn’t learned what the audience could tolerate. Pip’s own rhythmic patterns have changed greatly, he has got more of a flow than before and that’s just doing hundreds of gigs.” In fact, they regard their earlier work such as “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” and “Thou Shalt Always Kill” as far better live than on the 2008 album, ‘Angles’. “The first album now sounds closer to the second album when we play it live because we’ve reworked it with the new knowledge.”

While the sound may change, the lyrical content is likely to keep cultural and political issues at its core. Most groups shy away from challenging themes when releasing singles, preferring to keep strong opinions for albums only. Dan vs. Pip seem to keep a general policy of not aligning with the status quo and have released singles which range from the philosophical, “A Letter From God To Man”, to the gritty social observations of “Great Britain” and “Get Better”. The desired effect is not to create controversy however, nor, as might be easily guesses, to appeal to the masses.

Rather, the aim of Pip’s verses about

Something for the Working Man David Murphy heads down to Dublin’s newest music venue, The Workman’s Club, to find out what’s on offer.

Dublin has its fair share of mid-level

explains Karl, one of the venue’s managers.

music venues, the type of venues that are

“We saw an opportunity to do things a little

so intimate you feel connected to the

differently. The Workman’s Club has a lot of

people on stage. Places such as Whelan’s,

character, it’s quite rough around the edges.”

Crawdaddy, The Academy, The Button

With a smaller capacity than most, one

Factory and Tripod to name but a few, have

might see it as a perfect spot for a singer-

had the privilege of welcoming music greats

songwriter, acoustic set. But the Workman’s

like Jeff Buckley, as well as more recent big

Club aren’t just happy with this. The new

names in music like The Killers. A new

venue is out to challenge the rest and offer

addition to this mix of smaller venues is the

good value for money to the punters too.

Workman’s Club on Wellington Quay.

“It only has a capacity of under 300 which

The Workman’s Club opened its doors on

is smaller than the others. Regardless of size,

the 25th September, and since then it has

however, people are always looking for the

hosted artists like Villagers, Imelda May,

best value for their money. We’re offering

Damien Dempsey and the 2007 Mercury

cheaper drink prices to go with the music

Music Prize nominee, Fionn Regan.

and so far it has been well received.”

Despite this impressive list though, the

With the economy struggling, and people

question still begs to be answered. Why,

being wary of how they spend their money,

with so many venues of the same nature

big venues like the O2 are still charging

already in existence, is there a need for

exorbitant prices which many people are

another?

simply no longer willing to pay. Gig goers

“We saw a bit of a gap in the market which

are turning to arguably better quality gigs in

we thought would be good to build on,”

smaller venues for less of their hard earned

humanity’s failings and Britain’s crime issues are to challenge the listener and create greater awareness of the subject. “The point of something like “Get Better” is hopefully that when people hear it they will actually discuss it, it will actually resonate in some way.” In fact, while these releases receive less radio play than the more conceptually mundane “Cauliflower” or “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”, an unexpected spinoff has been high usage in school groups, especially for Religious Studies, Politics and English classes. “We get messages saying we played this to our class…it’s interesting because they use it as discussion”.

A myriad of political statements could be wrung from the 2010 album, “The Logic of Chance” and still awash with observations on injustice and society’s flawed values.

With Pip performing all the verbalised work of the group it could be assumed that Dan feels somewhat under-represented.

The man in the back, or, “more to the left” as he prefers it, is often left out of radio shows in favour of his more vocal other half.

In fact, when they performed in Limerick earlier this year, a girl asked for a photo of Pip and the soundman, and proceeded to brag about her photo with Dan le Sac vs.

Scroobius Pip and tag the two of them in it on Facebook. “I found it more offensive because he weighs about three stone more than me.” Despite the very opposite

nature of the two individuals, both Dan and Pip place high enough value on their relationship to work hard at preserving it. Maintaining separate identities, even regarding their group name, has been their primary tactic to prevent one’s personality becoming subsumed by the other. Both have substantial side projects, Dan le Sac as a promoter, DJ and remix producer for the likes of Biffy Clyro and The Maccabees; Pip as a spoken word poet and collaborates with a number of different musicians, including I Shouted Gun, a fairly coarse British punk band. “We’ve kept those separate identities to make sure we don’t put that conflict in the relationship.”

Wisely, they have arranged the writing process so that it is “a sterilized, cotton wool experience”, with both of them writing separately when not on tour but emailing material back and forth, commenting on and making changes to each other’s work.

“I never then have to hear him go “That is terrible!” and he never has to hear me go “What a pretentious twat!” Despite the varying interests of the two (Pip is a massive wrestling and football enthusiast with a strong bent for religious imagery and emotional expression, while Dan is most definitely not), they rarely argue over lyrical content. More often than not, there is an excess of musical, rather than vocal, material and most of the lyrics are facilitated by Dan’s prolific music-arranging. The collaboration is an interesting one in that Dan might be inspired to write a music piece based on a lyric, while Dan’s music provides the lyrics with a certain definition and character

of each is enhanced twofold by the work of the other. “On the last album there was just one lyric he wrote where I just didn’t feel it represented the subject matter correctly. His opinion on it differed so much from mine that I just felt that I couldn’t let him have the really dope beat I wrote for it.”

It is very apparent that the two have developed a lot since they first began to work together in 2006, musically and personally. So what of the future for the dastardly duo? There is no plan for a specific direction, although they get rather nerdy about the idea of exploring a new sound and finding sounds you can lend personality to, although that may be the talk of two over-toured and creatively under-nourished musicians. Certainly, they are keen to take a break. “We’ve been doing it for three and a half years pretty solidly, so we can afford to take a break for a few months and get a fresh perspective on it all.” If you haven’t yet decided if you’re on or off the good ship Sac vs. Scroobius there is no need for panic.

With a very stable working relationship and a belief that “both albums aren’t finished yet”, this match made in an absurd tripped-out, electro-rap heaven looks set to continue ploughing through socio-political thought, exploring rhyme and metre and mixing, pilfering and conceiving sounds to confound our expectations.

which Pip cannot provide himself, a sort of musical symbiosis in which the work

cash. Karl feels there is a hint of that but nothing more. “Yes, that’s true, to a certain extent. However, good acts, acts that don’t come to town very often, will sell out. Once it is value for money, no matter if it’s a venue of 300, 3000 or 15000, people will go.”

Dublin has a vibrant music scene, which is evident in the type of acts that continue to come and play here. “Dublin has a lot to offer. International acts love playing here.

The reception they receive from their crowds is among the best there is,” Karl says assuredly. He also agrees local talent is on the up. “The home grown scene here is better than it has been in a long time. There are more aspiring musicians about these days, which is fantastic.”

The Workman’s Club was a venue during the Hard Working Class Heroes festival and wants to give opportunities to new local bands to showcase their sound. “We have this new thing where we allow a band to pick who their support acts will be, what music will be played during each set, how long each set will go on and what time they will finish and the DJs for the rest of the

€5 after. Away from music, there are other

30th, hip-hop duo Dan Le Sac v Scroobius

night. We basically let them take over the

events available too. “We try to be as diverse

Pip on the 4th and 5th November and

venue in the way they see fit. Just last Friday,

as possible. Only a couple of weeks ago, we

Irish alternative rockers Delorentos on

Cloud Castle Lake ran a night here.”

had a wedding on a Monday, a play on the

December 16th.

Phantom FM have also launched a new

Tuesday and a book launch and reading on

indie club night in the Workman’s Club

the Wednesday. We hope to be able to cater

every Thursday playing ‘alternative floor

for everyone’s taste.”

fillers, massive rock anthems and indie

Upcoming shows at the Workman’s Club

remixes.’ It is free in before eleven and only

include Halves album launch on October

For further gig listings be sure to visit theworkmansclub.com

6

Music

The Siren 9.11.10

“ There Are Two Types of Music: Good Music & The Other Kind” Conor McKenna chats with veteran music blogger Nialler9 about his experience in Irish music media, his tastes and his altercation with IMRO. Music blogging has taken the

critic is saying good and bad things for the

industry by storm. No longer do

sake of better understanding it in music but

we look to the likes of NME to

being the music blogger is about basically

bring forward the best new bands

cheerleading the bands that you like.”

fortnightly; music blogs churn out

Niall doesn’t want to be seen as purely

great new acts every day. Pitchfork

promoting one type of music, though he

has become one of the best known

notes that there are some blogs out there

and most visited blogging sites

that do, “I couldn’t do that myself, that’s not

for music in the US. Its success is

the way my taste works. That’s the whole

built on breaking music news early

thing about me; I’ve always had a very

and dedication to promoting new

eclectic taste in music.” He remarks that it’s

acts. Home-grown blogger Niall

all very well having genres but he focuses

Byrne, perhaps better known by

on what’s good, if it passes that test then it

his alias Niall explains, “Blogging

gets posted.

is just taking over from the first

Considering the blog’s success it’s hardly

rung of the ladder that used to

surprising that Niall’s mail is saturated with

be a combination of zines and

music both digitally and physically. He

independent

blogs

receives somewhere between forty and fifty

have become a legitimate source

CDs a week plus a large amount of links

of breaking bands.” Proclaiming

to bands’ MySpace pages; though Niall says

‘I knew them before they were

that “most of the CDs that come in are for

famous’ is becoming more and

State rather than for the blog.

more common with the ever

That said even in the weeks where good

increasing numbers of internet users

music is scarce Niall never finds himself

visiting blogging sites; the result is

in a situation where he feels he has to post

that record companies often have to

a band just for the sake of it, “that never

pay closer attention to blogs than to

comes into it at all.”

their own scouts.

In addition to writing for his blog Niall is

radio. Now

Niall has come to enjoy what Irish

also editor of State.ie which is the remnant

Times

Courtney

of State Magazine which published monthly

describes as “Bono-like levels of

for under a year in 2008 before restricting

fame and worship.” The success

its publications to the online arena. “It

is built on what Niall describes as

was never something that I considered I

“an audience that have stuck with

could do, but I’m very glad that it did,” he

me for years and I guess in terms

remarks when the topic was broached, “It

of Ireland, I’m probably the one

was a challenge. When I was asked to write

who updates the most.” At the

for State I had no idea or experience in

Irish Blog Awards Niall has been

editorial content or anything like that. But

overwhelmingly well received with

I’m very glad that I did, I think it’s made

four consecutive wins in the ‘Best

me a better writer overall.” It was clearly a

Music Blog’ category.This reception

clever move by the board in State to take

has propelled Niall into magazines,

Niall on; besides his blogging experience he

columns in the national papers and

has no journalism qualification as such but

a chair on the judging panel of the

this hasn’t stopped him on his rise through

Irish Choice Music Awards. The

the ranks of the Irish music media. He

result of all this is that 2,500 people

relates back to the negativism in reviews by

visit nialler9.com every day:“a lot of

saying that being editor for State gave him

people with similar tastes to myself

the opportunity to broaden his writing skills

are looking at my blog for that

and write some pieces that he wouldn’t

reason.” The fact that Niall’s website

have written for his blog.

is more popular than Hot Press’s is

writer

Kevin

“

magazine makes you more likely to read

can manage a turn around and start making

the articles in it because you’ve paid for it

some money again.

whereas on the internet some people might

What of the future of State? Niall remains

have a tendency to skip over articles to ones

positive on that front: “I would like to

on bands they’re more familiar with.

see that in the future, time and money

State currently has over 60 volunteers that

permitting,

contribute regularly: “a couple of those

something that would be able to be read on

people only do stuff once a year or twice a

portable devices and displayed digitally.”

year; some do it once a week; and some do

Our conversation turns to the Irish music

it every day.” Unlike other music magazines

scene: “What makes Ireland so great is that

where competition is high to even get on

there isn’t one defining act or one defining

the contributors list, Niall says that, “really

sound.” Niall muses, “I can clearly see that

all you have to do is send us an email with

I could change my blog over to Irish only

some samples of your work: mainly with

and I would have no problems filling it

something closer to what we’d cover so that

with content.” He certainly seems very

we could have an idea of what you could

enthusiastic about the industry mentioning

do and how you could fit in.” Some basic

Irish bands such as Cap Pas Cap and We are

Given that State Magazine folded after only

mistakes that are made by hopefuls are the

Losers. “I think we’ve finally got out of that

testament to the changing nature of

a handful of issues and that the future of

confusion with State.ie and State Magazine,

singer-songwriter lull that held us back for

Irish Music Media.

music news seems to be internet based it

magazines on stuff like that.” Niall seems

as Niall quips “even if you look up the State

a while”: could be in relation to the stream

“I don’t have a lot of time for

seems prudent to question the need for

hesitant to write off magazines completely

Wikipedia page that’ll tell you that we’re

of pop acts that Ireland has turned out over

negative stuff on my blog”, Niall

physical print journalism: “I would like to

though because as he states himself:“I always

not in print anymore!”

the past number of years especially with the

talks about how music blogging

think it would be a combination of both;

find I can’t read long form writing on the

“There’s no money in State at the moment.”

now-distant success of shows like Popstars

should be distinct from critically

that a music magazine will still exist in the

internet. I just don’t have time to read it

It is sad in some ways that one of the biggest

and You’re a Star.

assessing music; “the thing about

form that it is now but may not be paper

on a screen and I don’t want to read it on

attempts to create a new outlet for Irish

It’s great to talk to someone who really

my blog is that it’s my taste, it’s very

based. Who knows, if iPads and devices like

the screen.” He mentions too that there is

music has come to the stage where it’s not

seems to care about the industry in Ireland.

different to criticism. Being the

that take off we could all be reading our

an element to which physically owning the

even profitable. Hopes are high that State

Sometimes we become more concerned

Who knows, if iPads and devices like that take off we could all be reading our magazines on stuff like that”

that

we

could

produce

7

Music with what’s going on outside of Ireland to see the talent that exists here. With many articles being written on the troubles facing the music industry in the economic downturn it is a breath of fresh air to hear someone speak so optimistically about the future of Irish bands.

Niall and indeed other Irish bloggers made music headlines in May with regard to an email they had received from IMRO. The issue was that there had been no payment of royalties on behalf of bloggers to the bands they were promoting. Bloggers were understandably upset by this; it was the bands themselves after all who had given their permission to put their music up. On this issue Niall stated categorically that: “Well there really hasn’t been a result.”

IMRO are still in the process of deciding

“

I can clearly see that I could change my blog over to Irish only and I would have no problems filling it with content.”

who paid IMRO couldn’t upload their own

on royalties and no overarching authority

“There’s no address that music operates in

music to their website. That’s essentially

to decide how they are collected. His fear

a worldwide web or that it’s global and that

what they were saying with their license.”

is that other rights organisations will start

licenses should apply worldwide if needed.”

In essence IMRO are refusing bands the

to charge a license fee for uploading music

Unfortunately in the absence of anything

right to do as they please with their own music. Niall feels however that one of the main issues here is that there is a lack of knowledge about what the license entails: “I was talking to Nick from Richter Collective about it he said that he rang them up out of interest to ask them about it and they said: no you’ve no permission to put your own music up on your own website even though you made it.” It seems an incredulous situation to be in; performing and recording your own music without the permission to do anything with it. Niall says “The biggest thing was that the bands didn’t know there

“

Artists who paid IMRO couldn’t upload their own music to their website”

was a problem to give me tracks.”

like an overarching authority there is little hope that such a worldwide license could come to pass.

“My biggest problem with IMRO is that I’m not convinced that all the money will go to [the band in question].” states Niall emphatically. He’s right to question the method IMRO use to collect royalties; the concern many have with large music rights organisations has often been that the smaller bands get paid last after all the money has been distributed among the larger ones.

Niall, blogger, writer and music enthusiast will hopefully continue to lend us his tuned ear for many blogs to come. For those of

the best way forward though it may be the

Niall rightly points out that there are

case that a €150 license fee will be charged

broader implications to what IMRO is

from other countries: “I can’t afford that.

you who haven’t checked out his blog, go online, find something and then lose yourself in something new.

to people who upload Irish music. Niall,

first place. What I did have a problem with

doing here: “Let us open to a lot of other

No one else who has a blog can afford

ever the supporter of Irish music, is defiant:

was the way they went about it and the fact

issues worldwide. The license only covers

that either.” Niall does hint a way in

“I’d no problem with paying for it in the

that what they were really saying was artists

Ireland.” There is no worldwide regulation

which this problem should be dealt with:

For more visit www.nialler9.com & www.state.ie

Nialler9 recommends:

{ {

harmlessnoise.wordpress.com www.thepointofeverything.com Blogs barrygruss.wordpress.com thosegeese.wordpress.com

James Vincent McMorrow Memory Tapes Gazelle Twin Bands Strands Stephen Shannon Adebisi Shank Lisa O’Neill

fashion

8

The Siren 9.11.10

Back to Black, & Pink Marguerite Murphy investigates Amy Winehouse’s fashion debut for Fred Perry On perusing the lovely new section of Fred Perry’s online presence, my eyes rest upon an interesting pastel pink and black theme chosen by a web designer to surround a posing Amy Winehouse, who is frankly, looking a bit of alright. Highlighted are her words: ‘I’m really excited about doing this collection with Fred Perry, we’ve been working on it for a while and it’s great to finally see it come to fruition.’ I am left marvelling at how this must have been the most intelligible and relevant sentence ever strung together by the pop Queen to have it featured slap bang on the top of the page.

Hmm...

On looking through the seventeen piece collection, I would like to say I was greatly enthused to see that the combination of pink and black was not just a web design flaw, but a recurring colour scheme throughout - featuring key items like the pastel pink or black waist belt (RRP £65), a nipping grey pencil skirt (RRP £80) which stylists have matched with Perry and Winehouse’s

pink and black polos, golf-style jumpers and outerwear. But since I have eyes, it didn’t quite work for me. The collection ranges from £60 to £275, aimed at the usual market, which is refreshing – it’s good to see an Amy Winehouse label hasn’t bumped up the pricing here. Recently Fred Perry has been bridging the gap to the younger market, and sprucing up their ‘down with the kids’ image, what with festival sponsorship and musical participations, so it seems a branding with La Winehouse was an obvious step.

Winehouse’s appearance often left little to be desired in the last few years, but now we know a cleaner, happier, jazz voice, whose quirky style is starting to show through without the beer can in hand. Her retro glam style ties in perfectly with Fred Perry - it is undeniably a good pairing. But are the threads up to scratch?

To be perfectly honest, the collections smacks of ‘Fred Perry does Fred Perry’ with added publicity, but as usual, the quality of

Campus

Style

By Danny Lambert

From Left: Tom Morrison-Bell (Age 25) International Relations - Masters Favourite Item of clothing: Top Hat Style Icon: ‘The Mods’

Aishling Roche (Age 19) First Arts Favourite Item of Clothing: Leather Jacket.

Most expensive item of clothing: Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress.

Style Icon: The Olsen twins.

Ciara Gleeson (Age 19) Second Year Psychology Favourite Shop: Topshop Style Icon: Agnes Dean

clothing can’t be faulted, flattering lines and smart casual assortment with a few gems amongst the usual polo dresses. The standout piece would have to be the iconic Perry polo top, which finds itself in spun silk for this collection. For a while, Fred Perry took on a ‘rich chav’ status, but are doing a U-turn, instead going a little bit ‘Cook from Skins’ in keeping with the ‘lad’ who’s on trend. All of Fred Perry’s line caters well for masculine and feminine silhouettes, but the Amy collection is aimed primarily at women. The previously mentioned standout silk polo comes in a flattering peach hue, which takes a retro flavour, drawing inspiration from the Teddy Boy and girl trend of 80’s Brits, like La Winehouse herself.

Aside from the business of the clothes (which frankly are a tad passé), the idea of Amy as designer makes for an interesting choice.

Three time Wimbledon winner Perry was famed for his bold brash outlook on life, and never succumbed to the social etiquette

of his 1940s Wimbledon audience. He was perceived as a chancer, a working class boy who had ‘done good’, one who never let the condescending tennis fans get him down, so much so that his business mind surpassed his talent on the courts to find us buying his styles in 2010. Winehouse gives off the same sort of charm: the broken soulster who so easily could chuck away her talent for living in the now, swamped by the media every time she goes on a bender,

who isn’t viewed as the ‘classiest of birds’ (bloodied ballet pumps, anyone?).

But when she isn’t injecting heroin into her toes, the world wishes her well with her quirky styling and entertaining mannerisms – her appearance on Never Mind the Buzzcocks was absolute genius (YouTube it!). Like Perry she may have the headlines against her, but she keeps coming back, bouffant and tattoos in perfect positioning, so the best of luck to her.

fashion

The Siren 9.11.10

Chic

A Tight Situation

Say goodbye to bare pins for another two seasons.

Roisin Sweeney talks fashionable coverage.

Tights are a vital part in the wardrobe of most women. This is not necessarily because they help create a look or bring drama or interest to an outfit, but because they are practical. Not only do they allow you to wear your favourite dresses in winter without freezing, but they also let you show off shorter skirts at night without showing too much skin.

However in the past couple of seasons, there has been a huge proliferation of printed, coloured and textured tights on the runway.

Miu Miu showed us ribbed and embellished tights in grey and black, as did Cynthia Rowley, while Balenciaga reminded us of the allure of simple polka dot tights.

Rodarte’s lacy spider-web version also made a real visual impact.

It is Chanel, however, that has been the real front-runner of the trend. In the past few seasons, Karl Lagerfeld has given us nude

tights with ballet dancers’ ribbons running up the leg, two tone black and white pairs, black at the front and white at the back, and the pièce de résistance of transfer tattoos wrapped around the thigh, mimicking the look of hold-ups.

All these developments have inspired a slew of high street copies, which the women of UCD have sported with gusto. The most popular looks that have filtered down to the mainstream are the mock-suspender tights, as well as anything in lace. Coloured tights have also made it onto many students’ legs, but often it doesn’t look quite right. If you’re going to wear a bright colour block, a lot of co-ordination and outfit planning is needed to make it look right.

Another less-than appealing trend that has raised its head again is ripped tights, with credit going to Taylor Momsen and Lindsay Lohan. The purposefully laddered tights

9

Leather Gloves

It is time we accepted that winter is well and truly upon us.

And what better way to embrace this than with a pair of leather gloves?

They come in a variety of colours and styles to suit all tastes, and even better, they are basically waterproof!

Lanvin Collection for H&M thing only really looks good in fashion editorials; in real life it’s just too messy. The best tights available at the moment are the Henry Holland collection for Pretty Polly.

The prices range from €11 to €29, and there are lots of different varieties. They are good quality, as they’re made by Pretty Polly, and they look amazing, with suspender print versions done in a non-trashy way; sweet Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty prints, and lace panelled versions.

Although the new variations on tights are great, having stockpiles of black and sheer

tights is really the most important thing.

They’ll go with anything and they’re flattering. A pair of sheer nude tights banish all imperfections on your legs, and give you a tan – just don’t wear them with open toed shoes. Black tights are always slimming and make your legs go on for miles when teamed with any kind of black heels. The new tights available are a trend. They look great at the moment and will probably stay on-trend for another season at least.

But nothing makes legs look better, sexier or longer than simple black or nude tights.

Have Faith in Goth

The words ‘designer’ and ‘affordable’ don’t usually go together. However by November 21st, H&M, South King Street, will all stock an array of Lanvin gems which won’t break the bank. The perfect place to snap up a glitzy dress for the upcoming party season.

Aran Knits Thick, woolen, cream jumpers and cardigans with big, dark, brown buttons that are so cozy it still feels like you’re under a duvet. Aran sweaters and cardigans are a must item this winter.

Eek

Do not fear! This gothic trend doesn’t mean you’ll be banished to the square in Temple Bar on Saturdays, Aoifa Smyth explains.

Over the Knee Leather Boots

I am sorry, but seriously?

We love leather this season, but we don’t like it spreading from foot to thigh.

Hats with ears Adorable on babies, infants and lil’ teeny emo-boppers, but not when you’re a young adult in college. You can’t be expected to be taken seriously when you have two pairs of ears on your head.

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and this brings one make up trend to mind: vamp. Channel your inner vixen this winter in an array of wine, black and red shades.

For a base, stick to a tone which complements your overall skin tone. You don’t need to go ghostly pale, if this wouldn’t suit your complexion. That being said, dark bronzey colours won’t suit the trend.

The brows: the bigger, the better. Plucking should be kept to a minimum, if necessary.

Eyebrow pencils can be purchased in various colours, but stick to a colour as close to your hair tone as possible, unless you’re blonde, in which case go for a light brown.

Rimmel stock a variety of shades, which only cost a couple of euro. Moving onto the eyes, it’s all about drama. Kohl is your best friend with the goth trend.

Smokey eyeshadows are a must, in black, grey or brown tones.

Opt for a shadow with a sparkle or sheen for night time glamour. Make lashes look as big as possible layering on mascara.

Carbon Black, by L’Oreal Paris does the trick with two brushes, one for volume, and one for colour.

Rich Black by Max Factor is also a must for flamboyant lashes.

Blusher is optional, but if you usually wear it, then by all means stick to it.

For blusher virgins out there, a wine or purple based blush will nicely complement this look. Nars pan-stick blushers are perfect for this.

Keep it minimal though, if you’re considering throwing lipstick into the works.

Finally: the lips. Dark lipstick is everywhere at the moment. It’s all over the catwalk; it’s on the female contestants of X-Factor and most importantly on the shelves of our pharmacies making it easily obtainable.

Whether you opt for a rust red, plum, wine, raspberry or, if you’re really brave, ebony,

keep the rest of the make-up quite toned down. Every make-up counter in Brown Thomas will display a variety of vamp tones, but rather than splurging, try out a cheaper option first.

Buy a cheap and cheerful lippy in Boots, or even try Topshop’s make up line which has lipsticks in red, wine and black for €12.

Once you find the right shade and get accustomed to sporting this sexy look, opt for a MAC version, which won’t fade so fast.

Dare to wear this super sultry trend this winter. Whether you just try out the lippy or undergo a complete vampire transformation, open your mind to this trend, which is so chic this season.

Crappy Umbrellas Rain, rain everywhere and yet, not a sturdy umbrella in sight.

by Kellie Nwaokorie

10

The Siren 9.11.10

Ditch The Fitch Alex Fingleton urges us to forget the big brands & shop closer to home An economic downturn has an effect on all industries. Fashion is no different.

Most of us will be too young to remember the last Irish recession in the 1980s.

A campaign began encouraging the sale of domestically made goods in an effort to support the country during a tough time.

Products yielded the stamp “Guaranteed Irish.”

Cutting to the chase, the people pulled together at a difficult time to ensure our prosperity in the future.

In the early 90s, British fashion house Burberry was on the verge of going out of business. The main department stores seized to stock it and the heritage of Burberry was soon to be extinct. Once again people pulled together to support the cause.

Jump on 20 years and it’s tough to walk down the streets in London without catching numerous glimpses of the iconic plaid design.

Proof of the threat to our favourite designers is the closure of Maria Pinto’s Boutique. Michelle Obama wore three of her dresses during her husband’s campaign for presidency. If a designer can get the First Lady of the United States of America as a brand ambassador, and still fail to run a financially stable company, what hope do the young designers of today have?

Irish designers have always flocked to London, and can they be blamed? With London being so close geographically and ranked as the fourth Fashion Capital of the World for 2010 (above France even), numerous opportunities await them. Anna Wintour has said, “You come here to find the next Alexander McQueen or John Galliano,” whilst commenting on the importance of London

If Michelle Obama can’t prevent bankruptcy, who can?

By supporting the London fashion scene, we support the Irish designers who operate within it. It’s very hard to believe that people settle for the American brands, A&F, AE; yada yada yada. Apart from the obvious, the fact is there’s more variance

in prison uniforms than in whole lines by these companies. Instead, we must look at the innovations which have developed in London. Trench coats were invented by Burberry during World War One; Alexander McQueen pushed the boundaries of Hipsters to Bumsters, and Vivienne Westwood has simply pushed every boundary.

Having proven that there is something special about London, it’s our responsibility to ensure its survival through thick and thin.

House of Holland provides some cool tees if that’s your thing. Smart slogans pushed Henry Holland onto the scene and now

he’s involved with producing a full line with Debenhams, so they are definitely a place to start. A lot of Vivienne Westwood’s stuff is risqué, but the Asymmetrical Polo Shirt is a timeless classic and a cool spin on a standard look. Luckily for the people who can’t afford Burberry, and claim their reason is because ‘chavs’ wear it, the Burberry Prorsum line has eradicated the traditional plaid. No excuses anymore.

Ireland’s Paul Costelloe (pictured) has been showing in London for years. Admittedly, the clothing is not suited for campus use; however it’s a nice reminder of Irish talent holding its own. Orla Kiely produces some

of the cutest wool coats, which are also worthy of a mention.

Ensuring the future of what we have recognised as an exciting fashion community should be on our agendas. If we let the companies which lead the way in design and trends go bankrupt, the next step is that we will all wear uniforms.

Quinn School of Business has already taken the lead with having Abercrombie as compulsory for your wardrobe. Nobody is asking you to pull a Danniella Westbrook stunt, but the next time you are about to purchase that tat, think about the alternatives nearer home.

I Wanna Be Forever (21) Young Kate Brady creates some hype regarding the arrival of Forever 21 to Dublin

Whether you’re a regular shopper when you hit the States in summertime, or you’ve never seen any of their stock – the news of Forever 21’s arrival in Dublin has been buzzing in our ears for months now. Finally, this November, all 64,000 square feet, 250 employees and 3 floors are ready to open its doors to its first European destination.

The chain is supposedly known for its “fast fashion” and ability to produce stock that offers runway looks at high street affordable prices, and due to its massive success since 1995, Forever 21 now has 460 stores in 15 countries worldwide.

Having never been to, or heard anything in particular about the store or its stock, the excitement of Forever 21 coming here on

November 12th never really had any impact on me. However, adamant not to ignorantly join in for the sake of it, I decided to do some research and see exactly what was so exciting about the store that made its arrival such a huge deal.

First of all it looks like it is going to be an empire of a store, with three floors, five brands, 250 employees, and eight style concepts structuring the store. Its main competitors are said to be Zara, H&M and New Look in terms of price, as well as Topshop/Topman and Urban Outfitters in terms of style. With regard to location it’s situated in the Jervis Street Centre in North Dublin, taking over the space that was temporarily occupied by the Arnotts

Project store. With regard to quality and reputation, its anticipation seems warranted.

Secondly, the store stocks five brands: Heritage 198, a seemingly casual college style brand comparable to Abercrombie & Fitch. HTG 81 kids, a children’s brand comparable to Gap yet a little more modern and stylish. Twelve by Twelve, the very popular and elegant couture brand with

Thirdly, Forever 21 structures its stock thematically under the eight concepts.Those being; Cabin Fever, Rock and Royalty, Wild Thing, Frosted Frocks, ModPop, Hard Candy, The Wonderer and Denim. I won’t bore you with tedious comparisons but by the looks of things there seems to be a great range incorporating all the different looks as they manage to include styles such

Also in terms of Stock, F21 change their store’s “looks” every six weeks, creating an ever-changing selection of merchandise.

They do this by having only 100 of each garment delivered, allowing for a swift changeover when stock runs out - and meaning that, unlike Penneys, this affordable clothing won’t be walking past you on every man, woman and child on campus.

dresses comparable to Lipsy, a little more expensive due to costly materials used. 21 Men, a seemingly simple, but stylish, brand that looks to be a mixture of Topman style, H&M basics and Zara’s Men’s sophistication.

Love 21, meanwhile, is a more professional, mature range aimed at the stylish working woman with maternity sizes available.

as military, punk chic, ladylike, floral party frocks, bright electro, 60s inspired, tribal, lace, faux fur, a great selection of shoes and plenty of denim. With ranges inspired by Kate Moss and Rihanna , jeans priced at under ten Euros a pair and ongoing praise for its bags, accessories and underwear section, Forever 21 so far has a lot to offer.

With an overwhelming 70 trucks of stock arriving over three days before the opening, Forever 21’s arrival looks to be the perfect solution to fill the “waiting for Christmas” weeks to come and bulk up our winter wardrobes with style we can afford. Forever 21 - you may have won this time, let’s hope us cynical Irish embrace you.

11

The Siren 9.11.10

Film: The Kids Are All Right Director: Lisa Cholodenko Cast: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo After a lacklustre year for the indie film, writer-director Cholodenko delivers with a movie that adroitly balances intelligent, witty dialogue with deeply resonant emotional moments. Moore and Bening play Jules and Nicole, parents to Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), whose biological father is an anonymous sperm donor. As Joni celebrates her eighteenth birthday, Laser, a conflicted teenager searching for a father figure, begs his sister to make contact with the man that helped to bring them into the world. So they meet Paul (Ruffalo), a laidback thirtysomething who had never taken the time to think about where his donations had

development, but when Jules is hired to landscape Paul’s garden, they become more intimate and things start to take a more ominous turn for the once happy family.

Despite the implicit drama of the plot, Cholodenko refuses to overplay any of the scenes, and with the quality of the cast available, it never threatens to be anything less than compelling. Bening and Moore are highly convincing as a couple who have seen many highs and lows together, but after all this time, just may be taking each other for granted. Ruffalo plays against type as a hapless character who gradually realises that this sudden acquisition could provide what has been missing in his life. The great

gone – until now. As Joni predicts, revelation is scripted in an entirely “the moms” react anxiously to this realistic fashion, which is refreshing

in Hollywood no matter how low the budget, and could see an Oscar nod for Bening in the New Year (currently edging ahead of Moore).

The subplots involving the “kids” of the title – Wasikowska and Hutcherson – are also well done, not shying away from issues of sex, drugs and implied violence.

Far, far more than a film with the sole agenda of supporting gay parents and their families, viewers come away with just as much awareness of love, commitment, and the shattering of youthful ideals. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but

The Kids Are All Right is a film with a refreshing approach to human sexuality, refusing to preach to its audience, and thus rendering whatever message derived from its superb performances to be all the more powerful. See it now before

without the overwhelming sense of being taught a great lesson.

the awards pile up.

According to the writer herself, Room was the easiest novel she had ever written, even though it was not always easy to capture the voice of a five year old. Luckily, she could rely on her son as a source and she admitted having tried out some of the events in Room, e.g. if a child can get out of a rolledup rug. Donoghue freely acknowledged the fact that her novel has been triggered by recent events displayed on the media,

but she insisted and proved that there is so much more to her story than a fictionalized catch-line. Asked why the novel was set in America and not in Ireland she answered “I was very sure that an Irish neighbour would have sooner or later poked their nose over the hedge and thus have discovered Room.” Even though the book didn’t end up winning the Booker Prize, it deserves attention and is well worth reading.

Book Review: Room - Emma Donoghue Stefanie Boehm I started reading Emma Donoghue’s “Room” on a Sunday evening, not the best idea because once you get engaged with the story as it will hold you captive to the very end. I only put the book away at 8 am when I had to get up for class.

All his life Jack has lived in the ‘Room’ with Ma, only visited by Old Nick, who brings food and sometimes a Sunday treat. As far as the boy knows, ‘Room’ is the only real place.

Following that, there is TV and nothing that is on TV really exists. But on his fifth birthday, everything is turned upside down when Ma tells Jack about the world outside and how she came to be in the ‘Room’ in the first place. When the circumstances get worse to the point that their lives are endangered, Ma risks everything and Jack has to die to finally be able to live.

Told in the words of the five-year old Jack, Room confronts the reader with a story easy to read, but hard to digest. The huge contrast between the innocent protagonist and the events narrated make the novel all the more disturbing. Skillfully the author creates a balance between the authentic

voice of the child that tells the story and the necessity to allow the reader an adult understanding of the situation.

The use of present tense leaves us with the

feeling that Jack tells us his experiences while they are happening. Even though Ma and Jack might be able to escape the

‘Room’, the reader has to worry if they will be able to escape the effects of what they have gone through.

Room is a story about a relationship between mother and child as well as about growing up. The author carefully develops every single element of the novel to create a unique atmosphere and relate the story in several layers. She also holds up an inexorable mirror of reality that criticizes society as well as the media, in a way that leaves it to the reader to make the final judgment.

Jack and Ma become realer with every page the story advances, having lovable qualities as well as faults. The reader becomes one of the many friends Jack makes in his new world and the hardest moment is when we turn the final page and are forced to say “Good bye Room. Good bye Jack!”

Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin and graduated through the College of Arts in UCD, earning a first class honours BA in English and French. Her latest novel “Room” has been shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize 2010 and for this occasion she was invited to read in front of a big audience at Trinity College on October 9th.

12

The Siren 9.11.10

Where East meets West!

Following his travel experience in the German capital, Lee Maguire gives his verdict of Berlin

“Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a citizen of Berlin) was President John F Kennedy’s statement to thousands of people at the Brandenburg Gate in June 1963. In 1961, Berlin had been partitioned by a wall and Kennedy attempted to inform the crowd that regardless of which side of the wall you reside, it is the city as a whole that you must identify with. Almost five decades later, the wall has been demolished and the city is united. The German capital is being transformed beyond recognition – whilst a component of its tumultuous past remains alongside the modern.

Flying from Dublin to Berlin Schoenefeld Airport is relatively easy with Ryanair, and Aer Lingus also ferry scores of tourists back and forth. Germany is an hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, therefore the flight time is approximately three hours outbound and two hours inbound. A short but pleasant stroll from the terminal is a S-bahn station (the Berlin equivalent of the London Underground) where a train will escort you to the city centre in less than thirty minutes.

Berlin is home to roughly three and a half million people, and therefore obtaining accommodation even on a frugal budget is relatively simple. I had heard of the Bax Pax Hostel in Kreuzberg, which contained a bed inside a Volkswagen Beetle. The car, situated in the German room, is more comfortable than I thought it would be, but if this doesn’t float your boat, you could try the Swiss or Italian themed rooms.

After a siesta, I ventured out to go off exploring. With little difficulty I had my dinner for less than €5, a mouth-watering falafel crammed with strips of meat and vegetables with a generous dollop of a mysterious sauce, which was hot and spicy in equal measure. Before retiring for the night, I purchased a Berlin ‘Welcome Card’, which allows unlimited access on the S-bahn for two, three or five days. If

you wish to become familiar with the city centre, I suggest taking one of the tours led by Sandlemans New Europe, which meticulously organises several tours daily commencing in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The payment is simple; you give a donation upon the completion of the tour and around €5 is an adequate payment.

The walking tour takes in many interesting sites, including the residence of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the square in which many Jewish books were burned in 1935, the University of Berlin, whose alumni include Albert Einstein, and the hotel which contains the balcony where Michael Jackson dangled baby Blanket off in 2005. Another stop is the site of Adolf Hitler’s bunker (it was destroyed by Soviet Soldiers to prevent it becoming a place of worship to Neo-Nazis.)

It was here on April 30th 1945, that Hitler and his new wife, Eva Braun, took their own lives. A stop at the German Parliament Building, the Bundestag, is worthwhile, as it is the most visited tourist attraction in the city, with queues forming daily. As a result, a pre-booked guided tour of the Parliamentary Chamber is advisable. A tour includes a talk about the structure of the German government, along with a description of the layout of the room if parliament is in session, while a tour also provides plenty of background about the history of the building and an overview of the construction of this beautiful building.

On my own visit to the German capital, I seized the opportunity to travel up the iconic glass dome, designed by Lord Foster, located at the top of the building – where breathtaking views of the city can be obtained.

Berlin contains a plethora of museums to cater for all walks of life. My personal favourite was undoubtedly the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, illustrating the history of

the Berlin Wall superbly from its erection in 1961 to its destruction in 1989.

The museum is located on the frontier, the most interesting section – containing ingenious methods people used to escape from the oppressive Communist east to the more liberal west. Such methods of escape included the simplest of cars to hot air balloons. Another noteworthy visit was the Jewish Museum, which describes the history of the Jewish population from PreChristian times to the present day.

If one feels emotionally strong enough, I would suggest visiting the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. 2711 concrete slabs are located on the site, encompassing almost five acres. People are encouraged to walk in between and around these slabs to reflect on the Holocaust meaning of this monument. The museum located beneath the monument is extremely beneficial for those who wish to contextualise and

chronologically trace the horrendous treatment experienced by the Jewish population. The information is presented in various formats including photographs, letters and diary entries, all of which have an effect on the reader.

The locals are determined to preserve their past for future generations.

This attitude is best captured at the East Side Gallery, where a segment of the wall has been transformed into an outdoor art museum, where up-and-coming artists can create beautiful works of art on the columns, providing it with a new lease of life.

The night life in Berlin is world-class with countless bars and clubs to keep the normal visitor and the flocks of backpackers amused. In my own experience of the city, I came across a nightclub which appears to be a former air raid shelter, whereas another nightclub contained a fire fighter act.

The beer can be ordered in large tall glasses

or, if one prefers, in bottle form, which can be returned for money.

One’s taste buds are always aroused and stimulated in this city and I was fortunate to attempt the cuisine of many countries during my short stay. Recommendations include attempting traditional Thai noodles or Vietnamese curry, all of which are as easily affordable as they are to be found. If you have a sweet tooth, pop into one of the many bakeries, where one can pick up a pastry covered in fruit and custard which is simply delicious.

One will find it difficult to say farewell to Berlin – as JFK once said, I am a citizen of Berlin.

Following my time in Berlin, I also believe that anyone fortunate enough to visit this city will leave it feeling like they too are a citizen.

This truly unique city encapsulates the past, present and future in equal measure.