King Krule, The Academy, Dublin, Wednesday.
The title of King Krule’s latest album The Ooz could double as a one-word sum-up of the album as a whole — a slithering, nocturnal, nervy journey inside Londoner Archy Marshall’s head.
The Ooz doesn’t slot nicely anywhere — it’s flecked with off-centre guitar strumming that wobbles out of tune, while Marshall veers between spoken word interludes, halfshrugged stoned raps, skronky, loose jazz and ragged punk. The whole thing is pinned down with deep, fluid bass, electronic drones and Marshall easing into the odd Joe Strummer vocal tic.
ELVANA, Academy Green Room, Dublin, Tonight
This almost sounds too preposterous to write down, but Elvana are a band of Geordies who play Nirvana covers, but instead of a Kurt they’ve got an Elvis impersonator singing.
Both of these music icons are turning in their grave right now, but this is nowhere near as daft as the Christmas jumper parties that’ll be marauding around the city centre tonight. It’s the kind of drunken idea that no one else follows up on, but Elvana have stuck to their guns and are going balls-out Memphis grunge.
A trawl through their videos shows the band nailing Breed, School and Rape Me, with ‘Elvis’ in full-bloom Viva Las Vega mode, like Nicolas Cage on a crack bender. It could be the silliest, most brilliant gig of the year, thankyou ver’much.
A CO-PRESENT CHRISTMAS, Drop Dead Twice, Dublin, Tomorrow
Dublin Digital Radio show the Co-Present has teamed up with a fine roster of Irish acts and Pieta House for an alternative Christmas charity album, with the launch tomorrow night.
The 15-track album is on sale from Bandcamp and in selected record shops for e10, and it’ll be on sale at the venue as well. The live show features Columbia Mills, Session Motts, I Have a Tribe, Tanjier and Junior Brother, getting into the festive spirit with their take on Christmas standards and a few originals.
All proceeds from ticket and album sales will be donated to Pieta House Suicide and Self-Harm Crisis Centre.
Moo Kid 