Take a look at the latest edition of the Alternative Ulster magazine which includes a chart of the best 50 Northern Irish songs of the past 5 years.  Gravitas came in at number 9 and is included on the free CD, Seapunk is at number 15 and New Kings at 20.  Not bad.

We were in the studio last weekend recording a cover of The Undertone's 'Jimmy Jimmy',  to be released as part of a compilation CD celebrating 25 years of the Good Vibrations record label.  It's sounding pretty good and should be available for purchase soon.  Before anyone else asks, yes of course it is a tribute to Mr Devlin!

Finally, thanks to the Panama Kings for a great night on Monday, and especially to Stuart for joining us on stage for extra guitar duties.  Rock and/or Roll.

Apologies for not updating this regularly.  Must try harder.

Roisin.

 

Hey, just to let you know that Desert Hearts will not be playing at the Limelight gig on thursday 19th.

Coolio

Des

We're still buzzing after supporting two of our all time favourite bands last week.  You can read about it here-

www.culturenorthernireland.org

and here-

www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/atl

Life is good!

R

Have a look at the Drowned in Sound review of our gig at the Black Box last week - www.drownedinsound.com/event/view/34255

 

we will be recording a few new songs with ben mcauley

in the OH YEAH building this january

we cant wait!

desert hearts

 

our new robert johnston designed t shirts are available at

http://www.nodancing.co.uk/ndshop.asp
or
www.nodancing.co.uk

also we are supporting the good life along with shiels
in auntie annies on the 3rd december 9pm $6.50

des.

here is the video for central line



 



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supporting the white stripes belfast 2004 (sound redubbed)


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nvtv kick out the jams acoustic session 2007


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sea punk live in york 2007

Desert Hearts - Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki



8 out of 10

Desert Hearts are like finding some money in a coat you haven't worn in ages. It makes you feel absolutely fantastic even though it has been there all the time and it's really just a sign of your own forgetfulness. The Irish trio released 'Let's Get Worse' their debut album in 2002 on Rough Trade and it followed the inevitable line of critical acclaim, some decent support slots and then… well not a whole lot.

Fast-forward five years and Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki is ready to stake a claim for a place in your heart. Opener 'D Moon Pilot' draws comparisons to those Canadians, Broken Social Scene I believe they are called, and it's certainly not a bad place to start. However 'Sea Punk' shifts the game up a notch with intense noise and leading vocals, playing the sort of indie rock which singles out bands like The Wrens and Meneguar for the luminaries they are.

The production work of Andy Miller (Mogwai and Arab Strap) certainly works wonders with the atmospheric sound scope, or the way sounds can shift and transport themselves to another level such as the appropriately titled 'Gravitas'. However this shouldn't be confused for a happy place. If the almost entirely black CD case didn't give you much of a clue, Desert Hearts aren't particularly happy, such as 'Ocean', "you've got an ocean where you heart should be/ a deep blue ocean of uncertainty/ you really make me want to go for a swim/ but I cannot swim" even though the music belies something more of upbeat nature.

Other delights to be found in the Desert Hearts rather desolate centre can be found in 'New Kings' which again shifts the band into another territory playing with art rock, while 'Bone Song' sounds a bit like a drunken man crying into his half empty pint. Closer and album title is sad and sentimental making you almost want to comfort them. However, with what's proceeded you know that this band is more than capable to look after themselves. All we hope is that more people take notice this time.     

Listen: www.myspace.com/deserthearts

Tracklist:
1.     D Moon Pilot
2.     Sea Punk
3.     Gravitas
4.     Central Line
5.     Goodbye to Everything
6.     Urchin
7.     Ocean
8.     New Kings
9.     Black Albino
10.     Bone Song
11.     Apple
12.     Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki

DSD FORUMS
Posted: 28/January/2007




ISSUE 21 ALBUM REVIEWS

Desert Hearts – Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki (Gargleblast/No Dancing)
A second LP from this trio. 'D Moon Pilot' opens as pop, but not as you might now know it, as it develops from a trot to a brief canter and then just as quickly flatlines. I guess the key to Desert Hearts is the application of Roisin Stewart's bass guitar, shaking like the nervous guilty under polygraph on 'Sea Punk' and skipping playfully on the distinct and vivid 'Ocean'. On 'Gravitas' however it is the chang of Charlie Mooney's guitar which carries it, as well as a punctuating shriek. 'Central Line' takes us on a rattling, white-knuckle sprint along the middle red. 'Apple' has a little of the Flaming Lips about it, as the brass bursts while the title track trickles emotively over a bed of strings. A crisp, sophisticated music pitched between new-wave slant and post-rock intimacy. Skif.




..>..>

..>..>..>..>..> ..> ARTIST: DESERT HEARTS
..>..>..>..> ..> ..> TITLE: Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki
LABEL: Gargeblast Records	..>..>..>..> ..> ..>
RELEASE #: GARGLE004CD
RELEASE DATE: 30th October 2006
TRACKS: 12
TRACK LIST: 1. D Moon Pilot 2. Sea Punk 3. Gravitas 4. Central Line 5. Goodbye To Everything 6. Urchin 7. Ocean 8. New Kings 9. Black Albino 10. Bone Song 11. Apple 12. Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki
..>..>..>..> ..> ..> GENRE:  Alternative / Experimental Rock
..>..>..>..> ..> ..> BAND MEMBERS: Charley Mooney – guitar, voice Roisin Stewart – bass, voice Chris Heaney – drums
..>..>..>..> ..> ..>
This is the first time that I have had the chance to hear the music from Desert Hearts. The band back in 2002 released their debut album and now after four years it was the perfect time to strikes back with their newest step. "Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki" is the title of their newest work; it has twelve tracks and more than forty minutes of pure alternative / experimental rock music. For one more time Desert Hearts worked with Andy Miller (Mogwai) as their producer and I am sure you can imagine the result. Most of their compositions are well written with very interesting ideas and I am sure if you will close your eyes while you listen to the new album from Desert Hearts you will be able to travel far away from your land, in a great countryside where you want to live forever there but it is only for forty minutes, unless you push the repeat button. Last but not least, the band had supported acts like The White Stripes, New York Dolls, Peaches and many more. SCORE out of 7.7/10 Antonis Maglaras

So, the Sea Punk/Central Line single was released yesterday and the Radio 1 DJs are loving it - so far we've had plays by Zane Lowe, the lovely Colin Murray, and Mr Lamacq has made it his Single of the Week.

No Challenge.

Dessie Heart. x

@ the 13th note the usual insanity in ensued

thanks to servant and st. deluxe for playin fuckin rockin sets

and to andy bush the excellent soundman

yours bummingly,
des.

The Good People of York

What an amazing bunch of people.

First off, Joe the promoter. Gent.

Food, Beer and money up front. His ace-ness was a sign of things to come.

While trying to navigate the van through Yorks stupidly narrow streets we met some people....

1) The Traffic Warden - who said we can park anywhere as long as she couldn't see us. Parking sorted.

2) The diamond jumper man - so we take a wrong turn and end up stuck in a market square with about ten cars behind us. Diamond jumper man comesup, moves all the traffic back, clears the road, guides us out and waves us on our way.

3) The Van men - So Christopher Columbus here takes his second wrong turn in 2 minutes sending the van down a one way street. A dreaded white van comes towards us. But instead of giving us the middle finger and calling me a stupid f**king, c**ting, piece os s**t. He just laughs, waves as if it's no problem and waits 'til i move. Then, he pulls up along side, asks were we're going and offers to act as our gudie car. Up the Hoods say us.

4) The Van guys bring us to the venue, but it's down an alley. I have stopped the van for about 15 seconds and get a rap on the window...'need any help'? Another randomer offers help, pointing us to a god parking spot just down the road.

We sit on the balcony, have a few (free) beers and wait on our (free) food arriving. Charlie has one milk too many and second song in cartwheels into the air after slipping on some beer. But it was a recovery of biblical proportions and the band go on to play one of the best shows i have seen.

Joe and York...thanks lots :-)

from the pen of James Devlin
ceo/no dancing records

The tradition of live music in art spaces is a cool one that dates back to the Exploding Plastic Inevitable when the Velvet Underground showcased new tunes to the freaks and beautiful people of Warhol's Factory crowd. The Proud Gallery in Camden with its tardis-esque roof space is certainly a cool venue and perfect for such a balmy evening. But don't the patrons just know it. Cool enough to attract the beautiful people that's for sure but the only freaky thing about them was their preference for supping overpriced bottled beer rather than enjoying the bands on offer. A fear that this may be a night of style over substance was fuelled by the furniture on terrace. The canvas deck chairs displayed pictures of such icons as Marc Bolan, Jim Morrison, Gene Simmons and Pete Doherty – the impression was that the likes of Pete Townsend, Angus Scott or John Cale would not have been fashionably stylish enough for parking the posteriors of this crowd.

Such suspicions threatened to be confirmed by night's first act - Tiny Masters of Today. The guitarist wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a large number '12' which neatly worked out to be the average age of the bands stars, 11 year old Ada and her brother 13 year old Ivan, endorsed by such luminaries as Bowie and Karen O. (The trio was completed by Russell Simins, drummer from the John Spencer Blues Explosion.) Initially it was hard to decide if this was a grotesque gimmick or an inspired vision of the future. Considering that they hail from Brooklyn and were playing to a room full of Camden Trendys at least twice their age, the assertion of one chorus that 'all my friends are here with me' seemed a little bit weird and sad. But fair play to Tiny Masters of Today they proved themselves to be more than just a novelty with a tight live act and a couple of joyously rockin' tunes. Their finale of a cover of House of Pain's Jump was anything but grotesque and did indeed border on inspired. Ada even told us that 'this is a real song' as if the Camden crowd didn't know it.

Next act The Invention, fronted by a singer my companion described as like Eddie Vedder on speed, gave their all for a dedicated following. Most couldn't be drawn away from their lime topped beers but the committed fans didn't care singing along to all the songs and while not exactly liking to shoot guns nevertheless showing themselves to be pretty dangerous with flailing elbows.

And then there were the Desert Hearts. The faces of Ada and Ivan might one day feature on art gallery deck chairs after pricking the top 40 a couple of times, but one imagines that even with sales outstripping Elvis the Desert Hearts with beards and grungy cardigans will never be icons to the beautiful people. In any case they'd be wasted on this bunch. After a frantic opening they asked of the smattering of people bothered to take an interest in them 'so is this how it is in London?' - the answer was muted silence but should have been a reassuring 'no this is how it is in an art gallery in Camden'.

Sharing a producer on their most recent album Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki with Mogwai and Arab Strap, the Desert Hearts can be seen as part of this Celtic lineage. Where Arab Strap might be a contemplative sulk and Mogwai the pre-row brood on tonight's performance Desert Hearts are the tantrum and argument itself. They wanted to play a laid back set, explaining this was because 'we're fucked' but instead delivered a 'rifftastic' set of urgent guitars and driving drums which shook the stage if not the whole venue. By the end of their set the crowd had swollen by the passionate sound of the Desert Hearts but still many of the beautiful people drank their cocktails on those deckchairs. For those freaky enough to enquire what was going down on stage it was a triumph for substance over style.

Review: Muxloe (Apr 10th 2007)

So half way through the Desert Hearts mini-tour and all is well.

No arrests, no fights, no problem.

Emily Eavis, Amy Winehouse, Editors, Mighty Boosh and a couple of hundred others were at the gig last night.

But being the 'rock and roll' folk the band are, we left early to get a chip.

Roll on York.

from the pen of James Devlin
ceo/no dancing records

We at Gargleblast are so unbelievably chuffed of Desert Hearts for making such a tremendous album that we've decided to celebrate by giving away (for a limited time only!) the phenomenal tune BLACK ALBINO absolutely free of charge. You can download the track FREE at the Gargleblast myspace NOW!

Buy the album HOTSY TOTSY NAGASAKI now!

Love,
Gargles
x

After their much praised debut, Let's Get Worse, the Desert Hearts seemed to go into hiding. Released in 2002, it topped many a year end list but, after a 4 year wait, they've returned with an aggressive yet tuneful record filled with catchy riffs and angst driven lyrics with the front cover hinting at the contents within; dark, disturbing and yet oddly beautiful.

From first pressing the 'play' button you get mesmerised by the crunching rhythm section and pulsating riffs. They sound like the missing link between Sonic Youth and Sparklehorse, spinning together the more pop-orientated aspects of these bands and fusing them into this glorious sound. "Goodbye to Everything" sounds like Sparklehorse with the whispered and fuzzed up vocals yet running through it are crystal clear guitars and electronic tones. "Gravitas" is one of the many highlights. Beginning with some echoing guitars, delicately placed around a simple drum line with the vocals quietly sung, it then jars into something altogether more aggressive - the drums crash through with screaming howls in the background and the guitars thrashing around.

What's really amazing about this album is how fresh it sounds. You can hear their influences firmly in the songs, but they way they've arranged them and hooked them into their own form and spirit is what really impresses. Each song is a compelling listen, an amazing mix of styles and sounds that captures the imagination. "Ocean" takes it's cues from Californian surf-pop and early Weezer with its chiming guitars and catchy riff yet descends into crashing guitars and feedback. "New Kings" is one of the best indie tunes I've heard in ages, a perfect blend of absorbing riffs, "ba da" harmonies and a sing-a-long chorus, the guitar line echoes in my head for hours after I hear it.

This record epitomises all that's great about music. They've managed to successful channel their influences and musical heroes into something original. They've created some wonderfully vivid and exhilarating music and which even extends to the excellent album title which has an amusing story behind it apparently... they just haven't told anyone, yet. If they keep on making records like this however, they won't be able to hide from it for very much longer.

www.myspace.com/deserthearts | www.gargleblastrecords.com

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Richard Hughes