Monthly Archives: January 2012

Review: Gotye - Making Mirrors

  By Sinead Keogh | January 31, 2012 - 3:00 pm | Music
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Point the first - it’s pronounced ‘gauthier’. Point the second, nobody have a Lana Del Rey-esque hissyfit, but it’s not his real name. He’s actually called Walter de Backer. He ‘gotye’ there, wha’? BAHA. Okay, we’ll stop. Discovered via Culch’s resident ahead-of-the-curvester Aaron, the justifiably-hyped track ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, complete with fantastic bodypainting video, was our first introduction to Australia’s Gotye who’s somehow been making waves under our radar since 2006. (Might be something to do with the fact that we’ve only been around since 2009.) Part of the Making Mirrors album, earworm ‘Somebody…’ is no one-hit wonder. Title track ‘Making Mirrors’ is also the album opener. A snappy one minute and one second long, it coaxes you into thinking you’re in for 40 minutes of easy listening before ‘Easy Way Out’ puts the Sting-sized boot in and introduces the overarching upbeat sound. ‘I Feel Better’ has an … There’s more →

Reviewed: Carlsberg VIP Club @ The 02

  By Culch.ie | January 31, 2012 - 12:00 pm | Gigs, Music, The Culch
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There’s a certain amount of nostalgia attached to any walk down the quays for a concert at The 02. Undeniably an improvement on its previous incarnation as The Point Depot, you still find yourself with a hankering after a few merch stalls, a concrete floor and a balcony that really made you feel like you were taking your life in your hands. The fact is, we’ll always feel sorry for those young pups who never got to experience a concert at The Point Depot. In the same way they don’t remember the pound coin, they’re blissfully unaware of the amount of time you could spend queueing for the ladies loos while listening to the last few muffled bars of your favourite song creeping through from the main arena and awkwardly crossing your legs. Instead, they’re mollycoddled with multi-storey parking, drinks holders on the seats and a LUAS straight to the … There’s more →

New Movie Trailer: God Bless America

  By Lisa McInerney | January 31, 2012 - 9:00 am | Movies & TV
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Spotted today over with our friends at Pajiba (at least, we wish they were our friends), this is incredibly NSFW, because it’s very inspirational. God Bless America is a blacker-than-black comedy directed by Bobcat Goldthwait and expected this summer. Take a look at the trailer and tell me that it’s not a fairytale for simmering semi-psychos, like… well, like me. Possibly you too. Possibly anyone who’s gotten sucked into YouTube comments or broken their Sky remote just before Tallafornia came on. Remember to turn the autoplay feature off if you’re not ready for a trailerload. See what we did there? Bated breath, fellow haters. Bated breath.

Volta: Irish Video on Demand

  By willok | January 30, 2012 - 12:40 pm | The Internet
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This past Thursday, saw the launch of Volta, a new Irish video on demand service offering a pay-as-you-go rather than subscription access, to a catalogue of Irish and international independent films titles. Obviously, its launch has occurred whether by coincidence or design within weeks of Netflix, a service with a global presence. Volta has less scope in its vision than Netflix, but it is a worthy one, as the service offers an outlet for home-grown material and the type of productions that won’t have a Bruckheimer-sized budget to make you feel a lesser person if you haven’t seen it. Adding to the unique quotient of the service, there is differing pricing to allow you stream (€3.99) or download (€6.99) your choices, some of which will be released on the same day and date as their theatrical release. Again, such an approach will serve well the limited budgets, scale of release … There’s more →

New (Free) Music: The Dying Seconds - All In The Dark

  By Lisa McInerney | January 27, 2012 - 12:00 pm | Music
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Dedicated readers (hi, Nana!) will remember that The Dying Seconds‘ Glimmerers was one of our Albums Of 2011. You’ve probably bought it already, seeing as Culch’s opinion is a weight around your neck from which not even an iron spine can save you, but just in case, Glimmerers is available digitally - on iTunes - from today. To celebrate the melodious witchcraft of the Information Age, the Seconds are making album closer, All In The Dark, available for free download from today from their website. Jolly generous of ‘em. G’wan, grab a taster and roll it round your earholes.

Comedy Review: Capital Comedy Club 7th Birthday.

  By Amanda | January 27, 2012 - 9:00 am | Comedy
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Capital comedy club celebrated its 7th birthday last Sunday. Seven years on and the club has a loyal following, that much was evident in at least two things throughout the night. Simon O’Keeffe is the regular MC for the night and was of course there on Sunday. I am a fan of Simon’s but on Sunday night, surrounded by his own regular crowd he came across as being very comfortable, maybe a bit too comfortable? Don’t get me wrong, the man is funny. But throughout the show he mentioned that he had a good few regulars in a few times and if it was my first time to the club and I was sitting in the audience I would have felt excluded. Robbie Bonham was on stage first. Robbie’s opening prop related jokes had the crowd instantly on his side. His ability to tell a story in such a way … There’s more →

Album Review: Delorentos - Little Sparks

  By Lisa McInerney | January 26, 2012 - 11:59 am | Featured Post, Music
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Any dismissal I’ve heard of Delorentos’ charm seems to centre on the undeniable fact that they’re easy to listen to. They’re not challenging. You don’t have to wince through an album twice to “get” them. They don’t grow on you. They are immediately accessible, stirring from the get-go, and joyfully addictive. Anyone who believes this makes them a lesser band, or that they need to somehow atone for their user-friendliness, is a sneering numpty who needs to be clattered with an anvil. That said, there’s no doubt that new album Little Sparks is greater than the sum of everything that came before it. It’s an expansion of Delos’ sound, reintroducing them as an almost hyper-real version of themselves. Their trademark hooks are even punchier, their melodies sweeter, their danceability more likely to imperil the soles of your shoes. Album opener Did We Ever Really Try? is classic Delos deliciousness, hookier … There’s more →

The Death Dealer Is Back. Movie Review: Underworld Awakening.

  By Jen McShane | January 26, 2012 - 9:00 am | Movies & TV
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Before we get started, it should be noted that I am an avid Underworld fan. With this in mind, I will be as unbiased as possible, except when referring to THAT outfit. Ass-kicking bombshell Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two Underworld films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species. Yep, this is essentially the storyline for popular Underworld flick number 4, Underworld: Awakening. The writers, wisely decided not to mention flick number 3 ‘Rise of the Lycans‘ so our story continues where underworld 2 left off. 12 years have passed since the events of the second film and Selene (Kate Beckinsale) awakens in a lab and escapes into to a world where the human … There’s more →

Free Gig: RoySeven, The Original Rude Boys and Red Empire

  By Peter | January 25, 2012 - 2:59 pm | Gigs, Radio
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XMusic and Dublin City fm PROUDLY PRESENT- RoySeven, The Original Rude Boys and Red Empire. 103.2 Dublin CIty FM will broadcast live from the X Music Superstore, Red Cow Retail Centre this coming Saturday 28th January from 2-5pm and you are invited to come along to this FREE [and fair play lads etc] music gig. Royseven, The Original Rude Boys and Red Empire live and also The legendary Mik the Who and his ’Classic Rock’ programme will also broadcast live from the store. If you can’t make it to The X Music Superstore - the place to visit with it’s huge range of musical instruments and accessories [that tagline goes in coz fair play to them for not being cheezy and Royseven rule]. directions to X music Superstore 103.2 Dublin city FM or live online More info via X Music on Twitter or on the Facebook Memo.

Sweary’s Jaw: Lana Del Meh

  By Lisa McInerney | January 25, 2012 - 12:00 pm | Celebs, Music, Sweary's Jaw, The Culch
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A couple of months back, we were all very excited about Lana Del Rey. Oh, buzzin’ at the chops, we were. A doe-eyed meta-ingénue with big hair and cartoon lips, calling herself a “gangster Nancy Sinatra” and droning like an orgasmic swarm, she was hipster-fodder of the most wonderful composition. And then there was Video Games, her gorgeously retro launch song, which was accompanied by a video that looked home-made and augmented her ethereal growls so beautifully, the entire effect was nigh-on creepy. Lana Del Rey was perfect. But, like everything that the cool kids enjoy, she had to be torn down and picked apart by the cooler kids. What they discovered was that Lana Del Rey’s real name… wasn’t Lana Del Rey. That, far from being a bedroom dreamer who spliced together her own music videos from footage she kept on projector rotation, she was… a professional artist. With … There’s more →

Movie review: A Monster in Paris

  By Jenny Foxe | January 25, 2012 - 9:21 am | Movies & TV, The Culch
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Had I gone to see this alone, this review would have been very different. Although I quite enjoyed the movie, I thought the characters a little too bland, that there was too much talking and way too much mushy stuff for it to appeal to kids. How little I know them. I took along four boys aged between 4 and 7 and they all loved it. The lead character Emile (Jay Harrington) is a timid lovelorn cinema projectionist who gets dragged astray by his friend, delivery man and wacky inventor Raoul (Adam Golberg) when they meddle in a Professor’s laboratory to the horror of the resident monkey Charles. They manage to accidently create Franc (Sean Lennon) a monstrous gigantic flea. (Not of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers variety - unfortunately). The nasty Commissioner Maynott (Danny Huston) thinks his chances of becoming mayor will be improved if he can rid paris … There’s more →

Oscar Nominations 2012

  By Jen McShane | January 24, 2012 - 3:38 pm | Celebs, Featured Post, Movies & TV, The Arts
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While I feel compelled to tell you that, yes, this year’s Oscar nominations have been announced (hurrah!), I also must tell you that all of us here at Culch are a little devastated. That’s right, The Fass has been over looked for an Oscar this year. *throws bricks at Academy members* And quite frankly, I just want to know why. To quote Joey from Friends : “Why, God. Why are you doing this to us?!” I have a feeling it’s to do with the Rated R aspect of the film but still. That’s no excuse. Anyway, the brick throwing much sums up our feelings on the matter. And while this means that I shall never again look at the Oscars the same way (EVER), I must press on and congratulate all the other nominees and films that did make the cut.