Hey, what about……?

So yeah, maybe it seems a bit unfair that The Mae Shi won the highly coveted nick thinks… album of the year when Nick called it ‘overwrought’ and ‘juvenile’ and that they ‘should have worked on it a little longer’. Surely there should be some recognition for Nick’s favorite record of the year, yeah?

So from the man himself: ‘I haven’t heard anything better than that Spook Of The Thirteenth Lock album, it’s the best thing on the list by a long shot’

So now all that’s left to do is break the news to the band and lazily put the same set of questions Bill from the Mae Shi was asked to head Spook Allen Blighe:

Hey Al, how does it feel to be nicks favorite album of the year?

We feel honoured, particularly looking a the other records reviewed over the course of the year. We’ve been fans of the blog for some time. A great idea for a blog and well executed.

Can you please sum up 2008 for The Spook in 5 words?

Practice, practice, practice, practice, rockin’!

What are your top five musical moments from the past year?

1/ My Bloody Valentine reformed, saw them in Manchester and it was amazing.
2/ Portishead – Third
3/ Zu live at ATP
4/ A great year for Irish albums – Givemanakick, Jape, The Jimmy Cake, Adebsisi Shank to name a few
5/ Playing a gig with Italian post rockers Dianne and the Shell, unhyped total deadliness!

And your favorite non musical moment from the last year?

Well, speaking personally, getting engaged in New York!

Congratulations! so what are the spooks plans for 2009?

We’ve been lucky enough to get offered a 5 date tour of Japan, so we’re off in February. Also we are working on new stuff at the moment so fingers crossed we’ll be doing some recording

http://www.myspace.com/thespookofthethirteenthlock

nick thinks… Top 25 of 2008: 22 // The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock – S/T (Transduction 2008)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick: foot tapping stuff, traditional irish rock or, no wait, irish rock traditionals?

though I’d say people who are big into traditional music would say it’s a load of rubbish because it’s more rock than anything else really.

yeah, energetic, great sound, I’m afraid to say… I like this.

I’d say outside of ireland this would only appeal to an older audience, maybe. 

I know the roughness in the voice adds to the sound but I’d like them to enunciate a bit better so I could follow the lyrics.

in a strange way, they’re playing unoriginal music but making it sound original

remember yesterday’s band? 

uh huh

well they had the experimental bits just like these guys do but here it sounds relevant, it adds to the music and doesn’t seem tacked on to come across as original.

I don’t know how big these guys are in ireland or internationally but they deserve to be big, every song is interesting and brings something new to the sound. calling them traditional irish rock doesn’t give them their due, they’re much more than that.

really excellent stuff.

I don’t want to sound funny here but this is the best thing I’ve heard since the Arcade Fire, I’m quite excited by the whole thing.

Jesus. That didn’t go as planned. Full disclosure: The Spook are friends, band mates, yadda yadda yadda, but their album would still be here even if they happened to be total pricks who I hated, I just thought that maybe Nick would give it a cold to luke warm reception, not the gush of love that just happened, to put me somewhere near the clear. wowzers.

http://www.myspace.com/thespookofthethirteenthlock