a pox on the children

I'd completely forgotten that I'd ordered them so imagine my surprise when the two latest releases from Trensmat Records arrived through the letterbox the other day. Trensmat are ardent proponents of the seven inch single and as such it behoves someone like me to give them support. As it turns out, they may not need it. One of the latest releases has already sold out the limited run of 500 copies. The release in question is Skelp by Astral Social Club. The other release is by The Shining Path. Both would appeal to listeners with particular sensibilities. If you're into noise then they're definitely for you. I've only had a chance to have a quick listen to them so I can't comment much further. If you're dying to listen to the tunes then just check out the releases on the Trensmat website.

Not much else going on on the vinyl front this weather. I did manage to bag a 7" copy of Loaded by Primal Scream the other day and I've finally managed to get a copy of It must be Love by Labi Siffre on 45rpm.

Right, I'm off to tend to my domestic duties. I've a chickedpox ridden child to take care of and it's only a matter of time before the rest of them get it.

sweet talking

This Thursday sees the return of Sweet Talk to The Sugar Club. I was at the last one of these in Dublin back in November and there was a mad drunk culchie chick telling the guest speakers that they were boring. Let's hope that she's learnt her lesson this time around and stays away. Even though I thought she was pretty funny the designer set could only tut-tut at her behaviour the last time out. This session sees a host of Irish design talent grace the podium with a selection of their design work and some accompanying narration. It's a great night out if you just want to have a couple of beers and listen to people talk about what they do for a living or for kicks, or sometimes both if they're lucky. The guests this time around are the Fashion stylist, Aisling Farinella, animators & producers Brown Bag, the illustrator Colm Mac Athlaoich and photographer, Matthew Thompson. Bring your MacBook and designer spectacles and a few quid to buy me a drink.

I picked up a couple of seven inches in town today but I really should have listened to them before I shelled out for them. The first is 'Cassius' by Foals and although its by no means the worst, I've enough average shite filling my shelves already. I can really do without space fillers when space on the shelves is at a premium. I still haven't sorted out new shelves for my seven inches. Does anyone know of a good carpenter? And I don't mean Karen or Richard! Foals play The Academy here in Dublin on April 20th.

The second tune that I picked up is by Cazals and its titled 'Life is Boring'. I only bought it because it was on the Kitsune label. Kitsune have put out a few decent tunes but this isn't one of them. It sounds like a wedding band trying to sound like Bloc Party. If its any consolation to the band my seven year old likes it. I asked him if he thought it or 'About you now' by The Sugababes was better and he plumped for the latter. I agree with him in his assessment. Cazals play The Button Factory on April 11th but if I was you I'd go and see Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings in the same venue on the previous evening.

I'm finding it hard to get time to write here in the evenings. I'm on evening duty with the new little fella and he tends to come alive at this time. He'll sit happily all day but likes to make himself heard for the same couple of hours every night. I admire his consistency.

roots and culture

I finally got around to meeting Dennis McNulty for lunch last Thursday. Dennis is pretty well known around Dublin as a result of his pioneering musical work as one half of Decal. This part of his life is now behind him but his former partner in crime, Alan O Boyle, continues to make music and perform under the Decal moniker. Dennis is a top bloke and he shares my love for cheesey 80's pop tunes and even some pretty dire AOR music. He's also continued in his pursuit of all things artistic and a large part of his life is now taken up with designing sound and visual installations, making documentaries and doing some soundtracks. What a dazzling array of talent for one so humble. Anyhow, here's just some of what Dennis is up to over the next while.

framework/ rupture


February 8th - March 8th 2008
Preview: Thursday, February 7th, 6 to 8 pm
Green On Red, 26-28 Lombard Street East Dublin 2.
(T) 01 671 3414
http://www.greenonredgallery.com

In Dennis McNulty's first solo show at Green On Red, entitled framework/rupture, this movement from street to gallery provides the starting point for an exploration of the relationship between constructed space and the experience of time. A number of interventions and works (sound, sculpture, animation and photographic images)overlap, creating a cinematic space haunted by the presence of Sam Stephenson's Central Bank building.

The show will also feature AFTERTHOUGHTS, a day of talks and discussion, which will include a screening of The Big Bank, an industrial film that records the building of the Central Bank on Dame Street, Dublin, from 1972 to 1979. Speakers include François Chastanet, Owen Drumm, Ros Kavanagh, Riklef Rambow and Ellen Rowley. It takes place on Saturday March 1st, 12.00 to 6.00. Admission is free but places must be booked in advance


'Seaview' - Berlin & Dublin

'Seaview' is a documentary film about asylum seekers living in a former Butlin’s holiday camp at Mosney, Ireland. It's showing at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Screening times and more info about the film are here - http://www.stillfilms.org/ The film will also be screened at Green On Red (address above) on Thursday 21st February at 6.30.




'Joy' @ Rotterdam

Dennis also made the soundtrack for a short film by London-based Irish artists Desperate Optimists called 'Joy'. The film has just won the UIP award at the Rotterdam Film Festival. There is some info about it here, but you'll need to be able to speak Dutch!

Launch of the House Projects book.
Project (Dublin),
Friday 8th February,
between 5 and 6.30pm

Homemade was an exhibition curated by David Beattie as part of the House Projects series of exhibitions. The group exhibition took place in his flat on Waterloo Rd. last September. A publication which has been produced about the House Projects series of exhibitions will be launched at Project next week.

http://www.houseprojects.net
http://dennismcnulty.com/apl.html


On a related artistic note, I was out for dinner the other night and on the way home I bumped into Jo Mangan & Tom Swift. They've got a new play for kids on in The Ark over the coming weeks that should be well worth checking out if you've got a few six year olds on your hands. 'Beware Of The Storybook Wolves' was written and illustrated by Lauren Child and has been adapted by Tom. It starts this Tuesday 5th February.

the birth of a new era

February 2008 sees the arrival of the latest instalment in Matt Vinyl's progeny. As someone who is always conscious of the pension problems that aging populations face, I've been busy over the last seven years creating offspring. The arrival of number four ensures that I'll have at least that many to carry the box into Glasnevin Cemetery when my time is up. Kids are a funny sort. They're made even funnier when you see your own hang ups, characteristics and traits manifest themselves in them. Sometimes its like looking into a mirror or listening to a tape of myself. I often hear them come out with the sort of shit that only I'd come up with. The advent of children in your life sees you contemplating certain questions that you'd never considered before, such as: 'What school to send them to?', 'What size car you need to transport them?' and 'Have we anyone to mind four kids whilst we're at the Electric Picnic?'

Another topic that created much debate in conversation with the Don Rosco, Kittser, the Mullet and Kate B last weekend was 'Should we introduce children to the concept of organised religion?' Although I was raised a Catholic, all my practising never made me any better at it. Nevertheless, I've a positive indifference to that particular religion given that it's the one I know most about. If the truth be told I'm actually very interested in religion and have studied (and once taught) the subject over the years. I'm not cracked on the doctrinal elements of most, nor the fundamental premise that they're based on, but the practice of religion is at least aspirational at heart. It's probably the last great lie to hang on to once the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa are shown up for what they are. Hope is a good thing. As such, my kids have thus far been baptised into my old faith. The eldest is now reaching Communion age and we've decided that it's time to feign interest for his benefit. The trouble is that neither me nor Mrs Vinyl are inclined to bring the child to Mass. We made a couple of attempts in December and one of them saw us turn up in St Francis Xavier Church on Gardiner Street for their weekly Gospel Mass. It was a good buzz and the music was great but fundamentally it was mass. You can paper over the cracks, but the foundations are still the same! The mood was lightened somewhat by a couple of charismatic types who would stand in the aisles with arms outstretched and eyes closed. I'm into those kind of buzzers. They're earnest and it's a trait that I increasingly admire in people. I'm not a man for new years resolutions so I'll make this a life change type thingy instead. I'm going to try to be more earnest. I'll keep you posted.