JIM CARROLLon music
Reunion update: The Smiths are dead, long live The Smiths
Well, that’s that for another year. If you were napping or doing something important earlier this week, you will have missed the latest hokum about The Smiths’ reunion.
The fact that people are so desperate for this to occur can be gauged by the fact that this rumour originated on gossip site Holy Moly. But instead of treating this with the utmost suspicion, many instead went on a merry dance around the houses for a few hours before the story was knocked on the head.
Again.
It’s always amusing to see Smiths’ fans go through the full spectrum of emotions over this hoary old canard. There’s the initial amazement that their idols might actually really come back together again. There’s delight at the thought of seeing the band who soundtracked their teenage years back in the last century playing together on a stage.
There’s shock when they realise that Moz and co are probably just doing it for a huge pay cheque from a festival promoter and nothing more. And then there’s the inevitable disappointment when Moz dismisses the whole idea with a quip that is not half as witty as he thinks it is. If you were cynical, you’d call it a publicity stunt for the singer’s stop-start-stop-stop-stop-stop solo career.
But Smiths’ fans are not alone in hankering for their heroes. As we have seen again and again, reunions are the new goldrush.
The Stone Roses were one of the big draws on last summer’s touring circuits and, in previous seasons, everyone from Pulp to Pixies to Pavement cashed in their chips and played for the cheques. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular – hailing returning favourites is a lot easier to do than picking a new act from the pack to champion because the narrative is already there in black and white.
New Music
RIVAL SONS
The holy grail for many in the music biz is to replicate the success of bands like Kings Of Leon and The Black Keys and it’s easy to see why many are going “hell yeah!” to Rival Sons. From Los Angeles, here’s a band who’ve got hard-rocking blues that could lead to sold-out stadiums. Keep
On Swinging sounds like a hit to these ears. rivalsons.com
RACHEL SERMANNI
Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni’s debut album Under Mountains has been winning plaudits for its classic, folk-influenced songs, strong pop arrangements and Sermanni’s distinctive voice. Her Irish tour finishes with dates at Dublin’s Whelan’s (tonight), Galway’s Monroe’s (tomorrow) and Wexford Arts Centre (Sunday).
[ rachelsermanni.netOpens in new window ]
HAWKLION
Really impressive EP from Dublin trio Hawklion, formed by former members of The Looks. Tracks on the EP like Gold Silver and Marseille catch the ear with their perfectly pitched, rabble-rousing, angular poise. EP features Villagers’ drummer James Byrne as guest.
[ soundcloud.com/hawklionOpens in new window ]
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For more, see: irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord
