Music and art can change our World for the good. You already know how chaotic it is these days if you are awake: Swine Flu hype, G20 Riots, Vaccinations, Nuclear Standoffs, RFID chips, health care arguments, economy, Iraq War, terrorism, the New World Order, 1st amendment violations, unemployment, and the list can go on and on.

Now if we all rise up together we can push the oppressive things out of the way. I have compiled a Jamendo only playlist of artists I really like because of their honesty and musical quality. Please download at the link below and pass around. We can do this. It isn’t over and as long as we are breathing we can do something.

And here is another idea: If you can play guitar or piano, sing or write, get going and make a song about whatever you are going through. No matter what. Flood the internet with your viewpoint. Let’s not give in to the elite bullies in charge who want to manipulate, con and destroy us with their fear-mongering. These are all distractions.

if you paint or draw do that, too. Flood the internet with your world. We have more numbers behind us than those elite. They hide behind their power and wealth. Come and get going.

Make youtube videos, too and post. Do it!

Here’s where you can play or download the playlist for free:

Turn On, Tune In, and Rise Up Playlist

1. Rancho Relaxo – From The Hip
2. Rancho Relaxo – Quebec
3. The Zombie Drivers – There Is No Law
4. The Zombie Drivers – Shine in the Rain
5. The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray – A Girl Got A Car Accident
6. The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray – One-eyed-woman’s dream
7. The Ragas – Blues Raga 2
8. The Ragas – What Ya Say
9. The Dada Weatherman – What Gandhi Said
10. The Dada Weatherman – Flying On A Cloud
11. Timado – True Blue
12. Timado – Turning
13. THE GOLDEN DAWN – Enjoy the Nature
14. The Golden Dawn – Let the Sunshine In
15. I Am Not Lefthanded – Falling
16. I Am Not Lefthanded – Long Goodbyes
17. Jamison Young – Live On A Moon
18. Jamison Young – Cold World
19. Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra – Monkey Boy
20. Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra – Meshugge
21. Jim Guittard – BJM-Like Song
22. Jim Guittard – The Sun Shines Today
23. Ben’s Imaginary Band – Connectiveness
24. Ben’s Imaginary Band – My Self-Centered World
25. Charline Lucie – Crimes de compagnie
26. Brad Sucks – Overreacting
27. Brad Sucks – Gasoline
28. Waterfalls – The Dandy Bell
29. Waterfalls – Get Tight And Loose
30. alterlabel -Optimystic
31. Blood Ruby – Midsummer Fires
32. Blood Ruby – Babel Babel
33. Illusion of Art – Machines
34. Illusion of Art – La Plano
35. The Heavens – Echo Serena
36. The Heavens – This Beautiful Machine
37. The Wagner Logic – Conflicting Sound
38. The Wagner Logic – So Hard
39. Glass Waves – Hey Nuclear
40. Glass Waves – Virginia Tech
41. FATHER JOHNSON – Treat Ya Kind
42. FATHER JOHNSON – Transcending
43. ARTSomerville – Are You Sleeping?
44. ARTSomerville – I know, I know
45. Chapter 9 – In the Universe
46. Chapter 9 – Small Apocalypse Song
47. The Verandas – Rescue Me
48. The Verandas – Anemone
49. Charlie Gibson – Eu Só Posso Cantar
50. Charlie Gibson – Porto ou Faxinal

I Am Not Lefthanded have released the single Everybody Sleeps at their official site for a free download and its a catchy one- at least something good has come of Kathryn’s sleepless nights!

Interesting idea for making a video for the tune- they are taking submissions of people sleeping with triumphant bears or having bears sneak about behind them while going about their night-time routine.  Check the download page for details and everybody that submits will get one of their snazzy t-shirts.

Was I in the correct venue?  Whelans packed on a Monday?

Packed it was and there was even a big crowd for the support Crayonsmith.  It was a busy night for me as well since I had been chatting with the band I Am Not Lefthanded who happened to be on in the Upstairs venue- a big crowd for them as well so it really was a Friday vibe on a Monday.

Crayonsmith had some good tunes on and it was good to see him with the guitarist and keyboard player…from memory the last time I had seen him support Yeasayer he was playing solo.   He does really have a great dark electric vibe for most of his older tunes and the two new tunes he played still had the electrics but a bit on the lighter side with more syncopation.

Ran Upstairs to chat with the rather delightful Kathryn and Daniel from I Am Not Lefthanded and came back just in time for the School Of Seven Bells to kick off.

It was certainly more of a minimal setup on stage than I was expecting- with only Claudia on a synth at one side, Alejandra on a guitar at the other and Ben Curtis on another guitar in the middle.  With the large sound that they have I really was expecting for there to be more keyboards and synths.  Saying that simplicity is a good thing and with no distractions other than the rather striking twins (and Claudia’s coy smile) it was easy to concentrate on the sublime harmonies emanating from their small frames.

They started off with Face To Face On High Places and followed by the excellent Iamundernodisguise and Wired For Light before conversing with the crowd…about the delights of Swords Village…yeah go figure- the nightlife must have improved since I was last there.  There was then a big guitar intro for Chain and the definitely some movement on the floor for the instantly recognizable and my fav Connjur.  The very eastern sounding Prince Of Peace was up next with White Elephant Coat and the excellent Half Asleep following.  A very big sounding My Cabal was up- definitely better live- before another mention of Swords- Alejandra was definitely giving the place a plug!  They ended on Sempiternal which had a great vibe and alas there was no encore…not surprising since they played most of their tunes but it was only when I got the cd that I realized they had two bonus tracks they could have aired for us!

Overall an excellent set and my favourites Connjur and Half Asleep sound great- their other tunes actually sound better live as well since they seem to have a bit more of an umph than the cd versions.  No matter though, the twins voices are excellent and maybe its a twin thing (Heathers , Tegan & Sara) but there is just something special about the harmonies they weave that is so enticing.   Hopefully they will be doing the festival circuit this summer and I will catch them again soon.

Place was being cleared out fairly quickly and ran back upstairs to I Am Not Lefthanded and managed to catch their last tune Long Goodbyes which was pretty damn good.  Expect to hear more from this trio and Kathyrn said they would be back in April so you can catch them then!

Of course with the School Of Seven Bells having a bit of buzz there were a few gig people I knew…hadn’t caught Tayna and Sinead in a while…and Aoife Mc who played a SVIIB tune at Soundcheck last Thursday!

From a submission comes I Am Not Lefthanded- in their own words ‘a mostly-Irish, currently London-based, female-fronted, over-hyphenated, mellow-rock band’.

Interesting name and I can only presume that they must have been traumatised in school by Christian Brothers who noticed them using their left hand!  What I know though is that with whatever hand they use they create they have a pretty damn good sound.

Their new mini-album of 6 and a bit tunes is called Yes Means No and it really reminds me of the late October Project with the timbre of Kathryn’s voice, the backing of Daniel and Benji and building rhythms in each tune.  Long Goodbyes, Endline (Choose Nothing) and Boatsbutnottheocean are particularly good and really show the strength of the vocals and instrumentation with a nice soft head bopping vibe.

Head on over to their official site to download Long Goodbyes,  check out their videos and buy the tunes!

They haven’t performed in Ireland for quite a number of years but will be doing a three stop tour in Ireland including Upstairs@Whelans on the 23rd of Feb w/Vitruvius and Kitty & the Can Openers.

Endline (Choose Nothing)

Long Goodbyes