The State of the Music Nation.

So, what have I been listening to lately. Well apart from the usual suspects, Foo Fighters, Newton Faulkner, Bell X1, Bloc Party and Jack L (where's this new album eh?) I have been listening to some new finds.

Codes
This is the band I keep almost seeing live, having walked in just as the gig ended both in the Sugar Club in November, and last week in Cork, but despite that songs like Cities and Edith are quite good. I'm pretty bad at the describing genres of styles of music, but these guys are like a more assured Killers, with more interesting vocals.

Dirty Epics
Ok, so the only reason this band has come to my attention is a late night cruise of Channel 6, but they have this infectious rock/pop sound, best seen in songs like The Cure. Still getting to know them, but they are a really promising band, despite seeming to exclusively play fashion party gigs. Hope to get to Galway, back to Cuba, for a gig next week, but if not may have to iTunes the album.

Explosions in the Sky
Texas guitar based post rock. Sounds odd, but in reality is nice melodic and tuneful rock music (not rock, not rawkkk, nothing to hard here). There music forms the backbone to the soudtrack of the film Friday Night Lights, and the TV series that kind of follows on, but kind of doesnt. Both FNL and EitS are well worth a look.

Zoey Van Goey
West Cork meets Canada in Glasgow? Michael John McCarthy, the most famous brother from Ballydehob has formed a post Elephant band, and they are turning out really nice music. Songs like Foxtrot Vandals, Cotton Covering, and Songs to the Embers are all solid. Ep has been released, but is tough to come by here. Try to get a Scottish friend to get it for you, or rely on apple.

Pamela is also recommending some new music:
Amy McDonald, Ham Sandwich, The Ting Ting's

It's Been A Month

Ok blog fan, sorry for not updating this blog more often. Not to give you excuses, but I am up the walls with college, and have found it tough to get a handle on a new topic.

But soon I promise, this blog ain't dead.

My Vices In Life

Like all good children of the Celtic Tiger my life comtains many vices and temptations. From my penchant for international travel, to my desire to posess material objects. But some vices are more harmful then others.

Due to a level of financial comfort, I have collected degrees like confetti. And like confetti, they are worthless without an occasion. Sure, I can hold my own in conversations about politics, history, law, current affairs, but I do all this safe in the knowledge that I remain, as of yet, unchallenged by the BIG BAD WORLD. I am fast approaching a time where I can't go on much longer in college, and need to jetison the lifestyle I have become accustomed to. So thats harmful vice one, being an eternal student.

Like wise, Ireland is now rivalled only by Rome in terms of its hedonism (exaggeration for blogerific effect). So for me, going out three, four nights a week is acceptable. This kind of social life feeds into the perpetual studenthood, and its a weird cycle. The pernicious influence of many varied social gatherings, which multiply the more circles I can gain access to, feeding my late starts, and later finishes to the day. The physical toll is also pretty considerable, with the collected influence of too many pints and chipper dinners building up. Vice two, party all night.

Thirdly, well to be honest, this society has had the same effect on me as many of its other products. I have been filled with a sense that I can solve the worlds problems, in tandem with an abject removal of my moral compass. Gone are the ideas of my parents and grandparents, about self reliance, which feeds a minor debt problem, or about simple moral truths, which mean I sometimes can justify lies in order to improve the situation of myself and others. So thats number three, an inflated sense of self worth, but with no moral compass.

I'm sure theres more, but thats enough self deprication for now.

So, the title.

Ok, so the title of my new blog is a bit odd. Let me explain.

Its a reference to one of my favorite books, Notes From A Coma, by Mike Mc Cormack. Mike is another Galway native (well Mayo, but close enough), who writes really interesting fiction. Notes is about a futuristic prison experiment, in Killary Harbour, which uses suspended animation to keep subjects incarcerated. I was fortunate enough to have him suggested by a friend with far better taste in literature than I, and am now passing on the recommendation to you lot, my limited public.

Also, I have appalling spelling, grammar and punctuation, so if that offends you, my sincerest apologies.

I will be posting about stuff that interests me, so expect anything and everything, from movies to music, to random law related bunkum.