Hello, and welcome to the first of what will hopefully be a regular-ish column. My name is Aaron Poole, and you may (but mostly likely may not) recognise that name from a podcast called Cabin Fever on this very site. You also may have read some of my articles on NeedCoffee.com. But most importantly, you may recognise me from www.myspace.com/aaronhbp.

If you’re a musician or in a band and have tried to add me as a friend, you have inspired this column.

Whether you think MySpace is an out of date social networking site or think it’s the Daddy of them all, you can’t argue with the sheer volume of music available on the behemoth.

Over the years I have been constantly inundated with spam requests from people, and in a lot of ways it has been an adventure. I have found some gems who I now spend money to see and hear – and also some duds which had me nearly break my mouse clicking the ignore button. In fact, it’s been such a journey that I have now decided to share it with the rest of you.

So I am going to fully review every band that sends me a friend request. For better or for worse (and let’s face it, they’re going to be mostly shite) they’re going to get a moment in the spotlight. Some will sweat under the pressure and others may shine.

The following are the friend requests I received in the month of September.

MySpace is dead, long live MySpace.
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NCCO1
www.myspace.com/ncco1

Wow, I don’t know where to begin with this one. I’m still not sure this really is classed as music. He (and this is the fault of one man) classes his stuff as “Experimental / Classical / Electronica”. At the very least, he got the experimental bit right, emphasis on the mental.

Everything sounds like it’s the background music in one of those artsy plays that your friend keeps inviting you to but you’re running out of excuses for not attending. Sounds of sand being brushed and chattering teeth are played over the long, so long, out-of-tune notes that some drugged up hippy is playing on an oboe.

l Satiro Danzante is the closest thing to a melody the guy presents in the 10 offerings on his page. It has a full and rich sound and can be both tense and impressive in parts but at 11 minutes and 23 seconds you’d be forgiven for not caring by the end of it

While obviously gifted (it’s hard to make such a racket without actually having skill), this is not accessible stuff.

Now, it would be harsh of me to pan this man completely, as he’s not trying to play to the common denominator. A perusal of the page shows that this is all meant for art exhibitions. Never has the word “installation” been used so much on a myspace page (thankfully, the page is easy to read and laid out well). So at the very least I will accept that this just isn’t for me. May be for you… but I doubt it.

Presentation = 3/5
Content = Lots!
Music = 1/5
Friend Request = DENIED!

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TIME IS A THIEF
www.myspace.com/timeisathiefband

College bands are fun, aren’t they? They always have a decent melody, some rolling guitar riffs, and plenty of opportunities to shout in synchronicity and marvel at how young and bloody awesome they all are. How stupid are old people, right? Conforming? Not for us, sir!

Problem is, I’m not in college anymore, and have grown past that age of needing to be in that clique, so I can judge this stuff in a fair and balanced way…

The first thing that pisses me off about this shite is the blandness of it all. Sure, there is an attitude there, but that attitude has been watered down by years of commercialized pandering to the masses, controlled by recording contracts and music execs. To a certain extent I have no qualms with that when it comes to signed bands. They knew what they were getting into when they signed that dotted line. They’re driving home in their shiny cars and are comfortable with the decisions they made. What irks me, however, is the fact that the music trickles down and influences new generations of musicians and kids in garages to rock in a very controlled and styled way; making it lack any sort of sincerity in hopes of sounding “polished” and “professional”.

This is not rock and roll. No matter what the myspace label may say.
On a personal level, and my biggest stumbling block with Time Is A Thief, is that they don’t sound Irish. The band, half of which used to play in a Rage Against The Machine tribute band, hails from Cork, Ireland. It’s not just the fact that the lead singer (Adam Carroll) sings with an American accent. It’s more about how both lyrically and musically there is nothing in these songs which speaks from a local perspective. They have a song called “Juror No. 3” which offers nothing other than the plot-line of an episode for Law and Order. There is little in the way of heartfelt emotions in here – and if there is, TIAT is having major problems conveying them.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, Time Is A Thief spend too much time trying to sound cool like their favourite bands instead of concentrating on creating that oh so out of reach wonder – namely music with soul.

Presentation = 4/5
Content = A couple of songs and links to other social networking sites of theirs.
Music = 2/5
Friend Request = DENIED!

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The Frequency
www.myspace.com/thfrequency

LAME.

Seriously? You’ve been a member of myspace since 06/05/08 and you still haven’t gotten yourself a background picture? More than two songs? More than 282 profile views? More than 3 pictures?

Christ, I have more than that and I’m not in a band. Maybe I should be. I could write better crap than this too.

AVOID.

Presentation = 0/5
Content = You’d get more from the back of a postcard
Music = 1/5
Friend Request = DENIED!

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BriBry Is Sky High
www.myspace.com/bribryisskyhigh

Admittedly not a Friend Request, but I received an invite to an event from this stranger, and in the wonderful world of the internet and myspace this means he is now on my radar.

The Dublin native Brian O’Reilly plays with a bunch of friends under the title BriBry Is Sky High, and is releasing some material on iTunes on September 26th, it appears. And you know what?, I wouldn’t mind catching this guy live.

Young and leaning towards the oh-so-fashionable London indie troopers has not faded the message, this kid has charm.

“A Poem I’ll Sing Out Loud” is the highlight of his output offered here. In fact, I think it would do well as a mainstream single. Provoking memories of THAT song by Plain White T’s but not nearly as sickly, there is real heart played out in the lullaby-esque melody.

The only complaint I have is that the 4 songs available for listening are not enough. They have given me a taste for what this kid can offer, but I’d be fascinated to hear more so my opinion can become fleshed out.

I’m really impressed by “Astronauts”, too. A cold, torn song bleeding out with frustration. As chilling as it is bittersweet.

A perusal of the videos offered remind me instantly of Fionn Regan. Now, I’m not for a second comparing the talent of such a genius to BriBry Is Sky High, but if he’s not an influence of this kid then I’ll personally let BriBry Is Sky High come slap me in the face.

I think I’m smitten.

Presentation = 3/5
Content = Average, a couple of songs and a couple of videos
Music = 4/5
Friend Request = ACCEPTED!

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