EOIN BUTLER's guide to downloads, singles and free audiostreams
CAT POWER
Ruin Matador ****
On the first taster from her Sun album, Cat Power lists the exotic places she has visited on her travels, helpfully using local pronunciation when she can: Saudi Arabia, Dakar, Calcutta, Soweto, Mozambique and so forth. Yes, on paper, that sounds like the sort of annoying backpacker you’d switch hostels in the middle of the night to escape. But it’s not. It’s Cat! Welcome back!
WHITE COLLAR BOY
A Real Hero **
Speaking of escape routes, this half-hour set from White Collar Boy, sponsored by Iarnród Éireann and Love Live Music, was performed live on the 11.10hrs Dublin to Kilkenny train last Thursday. And if vaguely out-of-tune garage-electronica isn't your thing, well, you could always bale out at Newbridge. irishrail.ie
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
Think About Me Hear Music/Concord ****
Just Tell Me That You Want Me is a Fleetwood Mac tribute album, featuring contributions from Best Coast, Bonnie Prince Billy and Marianne Faithful. Not hitherto a hip name for bands to drop, Fleetwood Mac remain best known for their megahit Rumours album. Predictably, the indie luminaries ignore that record entirely, with five tracks (including this) taken instead from Tusk, Rumours’ flop 1979 follow-up.
TEMPER-MENTAL MISS ELAYNEOUS ft LOUISE MACNAMARA
Step Into The Ring ***
The European championships inspired some woeful musical tributes to what turned out to be an equally useless Irish football team. By contrast, here's a talented Finglas rapper paying tribute to a genuine Irish sporting contender, Irish Olympic hopeful Katie Taylor. Heathers' Louise MacNamara is on backing vocals and all proceeds go to the Peter McVerry Trust. temper-mentalmisselayneous.bandcamp.com
KEANE
Sovereign Light Cafe
Island **
Their latest (anodyne) single finds the Keane chaps “thinking back to a time when we owned this town”. If another band delivered that line, you’d assume they were talking figuratively. With Tim Prancealot-Wigglesworth co, well, you wouldn’t know.
