Ear Worm #7

Following on from last week’s Valentine’s special, we now return to our regularly scheduled Ear Worm.

Eoghan O’Sullivan
Nicolas Jaar – ‘Space Is Only Noise If You Can See’
While the whole world (or Twitter, anyway) was listening to Radiohead’s new album this morning, I was trying to wrap my head around Nicolas Jaar’s new album, Space Is Only Noise. It is a mind-blowing album from the New Yorker-via-Chilean. Pitchfork obviously agrees.

But one feels that Nicolas Jaar might well fall into the same category as Radiohead in that you will either love what he has done on his debut album or you will scratch your head as to why anyone would want to listen to it. The title track is the best place to start and it’s below for your pleasure. Listen to the album in full over here.

Peter Nagle
Calexico – ‘All Systems Red’
This week I needed music that allowed me to escape! I really want next Friday’s General Election to come and go as soon as possible. The quicker we fix the problems of the country the better! Anyway to escape the rain, grey skies and politics my soundtrack this week has been Calexico’s ‘Feast of Wire’ album from 2003 and ‘Garden Ruin’ from 2006.

The great thing about Calexico for me is that the lush indie-folk sounds transport you to another place preferably where the sun shines! When I listen to these albums driving around North Co. Dublin I really could be in open countryside in Southern California! ‘All Systems Red’ is one of my all time favourite tracks. It’s the album closer on ‘Garden Ruin’ and builds up to a gripping finish.

Calexico – All Systems Red by cityslang

Nessy Monaghan
Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush – ‘Don’t Give Up’
Every now and then life throws crap at you. Crap that the only way to get past is to jump in and wade through. For some reason this song always comes to mind. Keep fighting, don’t give up.

Steven O’Rourke
Prefab Sprout – ‘Cars and Girls’
Reviewing the Padraig McCauley & the P Affection record earlier this week got me thinking about quality pop music. It’s a shame that pop’s become such a dirty word because bands like Aztec Camera, Adam & The Ants and Blondie all mastered it during my formative music buying years.

The biggest pop influence on me though, by quite some distance, was Prefab Sprout, who perfected the art of the intelligent four-minute pop song. To be honest, I could have picked any one of a dozen songs but I’d be happy enough to hear ‘Cars and Girls’ on repeat for the rest of my life. Next week, I swear, I’ll talk about something from this millennium. Maybe.