Author: Team Uber

EXTENDED PLAY: ÜBER ROCK’S FAVOURITE BITE-SIZED PIECES OF MUSICAL MAYHEM

For many years, the EP – or ‘Extended Player’, to give it its full title – was a criminally overlooked format. But, in recent years, it has made something of a deserved comeback, as bands face the challenge of continually producing new material but often not being able to commit to the cost of, or time to, recording full-length albums. During the course of the global pandemic, it has become an even more important tool for artists to get new music out there, with bands often availing of limited time between lockdowns to lay down a handful of songs, or individual members taking the opportunity either to strip things right back to their basics, or indulge in online collaborations with like-minded fellow troubadours.

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THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS: ÜBER ROCK’S ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (PART ONE)

There is no doubt it, but 2020 has been a truly traumatic year for the rock ‘n’ roll Überverse, with live shows all but non-existent in the vast majority of places, and income streams completely decimated for many of those involved in the music business. The latter is a feeling we know all too well here at ÜRHQ, as we ourselves have not earned a penny since the Northern Ireland entertainments industry went into lockdown on 14 March. However, one thing that has shown through is the enormous creativity of many, many hundreds of artists, and equal numbers of those working behind the scenes, in adapting to the changed global landscape – one which, in many cases, may indeed be changed forever:  streamed shows, whether live or pre-recorded, have virtually (sic) become the norm, and no doubt will remain so, especially here in the Über Kingdom, for quite some time to come…

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VIDEO OF THE YEAR

There is no doubt it, but 2020 has been a truly traumatic year for the rock ‘n’ roll Überverse, with live shows all but non-existent in the vast majority of places, and income streams completely decimated for many of those involved in the music business. The latter is a feeling we know all too well here at ÜRHQ, as we ourselves have not earned a penny since the Northern Ireland entertainments industry went into lockdown on 14 March. However, one thing that has shown through is the enormous creativity of many, many hundreds of artists, and equal numbers of those working behind the scenes, in adapting to the changed global landscape – one which, in many cases, may indeed be changed forever: streamed shows, whether live or pre-recorded, have virtually (sic) become the norm, and no doubt will remain so, especially here in the Über Kingdom, for quite some time to come…

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The Über Rock Singles Club – A Carolling We Go…

Well, it’s that time of year, isn’t it? You know the one… when we’re supposed to be nice to people we spend the rest of the year moaning about behind their backs, stuffing our faces with over-priced party snacks and drinking far too much egg nog and rum punch… Well, we must have been at the latter already, because we’ve decided to bring you a special Christmas edition of the Singles Club, with a selection of some of the rock ‘n’ roll flavoured seasonal musical (and, in some cases, not so lustrous) gems currently doing the rounds. Put it this way: if we’ve had to endure listening to them, then we’re sure as feck gonna make sure you have to do so too…

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Dave Jakes – ‘Dave Jakes’ (By The Time It Gets Dark)

In the interest of full disclosure, this is not an album John B would have ever picked up for himself. Living where he does, in the backwoods of the American south, when he sees a self-titled album with the cover art being a dude and a trailer, the knee-jerk reaction is to assume it is country and back away as fast as possible. However, our man in Kentucky going to have to borrow from an old cliche, as he probably should stop judging albums by their covers because Dave Jakes has delivered a very pleasant surprise…

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