Dream Wife's remix of Don't Ask Me Twice by Porridge Radio from the expanded edition of Every Bad

Guimarães, o local da estreia dos Porridge Radio em nome próprio | Reportagem

Já não tinha memória de entrar no Café Concerto situado no piso inferior do Centro Cultural Vila Flor em Guimarães para assistir a um concerto. Aquele espaço de restauração tem, desde há alguns tempos, uma nova gerência privada. Esse local tem sido dinamizado com eventos musicais pela nova equipa numa programação própria.

Na passada noite de sexta-feira dia 25 de novembro foi a vez de lá voltar para assistir ao concerto dos Porridge Radio, concerto promovido pela ‘A Oficina’ a gestora do centro cultural vimaranense em colaboração com a nova gerência do Café Concerto.

Por apenas 5€ foi possível adquirir ingresso. Uma pechincha para ver uma das mais recentes e excitantes bandas do indie rock britânico. Como evidente, também dada à lotação limitada, os bilhetes esgotaram facilmente e com alguma antecipação.

Dana Margolin (voz e guitarra), Sam Yardley (bateria), Georgie Stott (teclados) e Maddie Ryall (baixo) são os 4 jovens britânicos de Brighton que formam os Porridge Radio e que tão boa conta de si têm dado desde que surgiram. Sobretudo desde 2019, ano em que assinaram contrato com a Secretly Canadian. Foi já com a chancela desta editora norte-americana que lançaram ‘Every Bad’ em 2020. Um álbum merecedor de críticas muito positivas pela imprensa especializada e que teve, inclusive, direito a ser nomeado nos Mercury Prize desse ano.

Porridge Radio no Café Concerto do CCVF [mais fotos clicar aqui] Já no decurso deste 2022 lançaram ‘Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky’. Foram os temas destes dois álbuns que os trouxeram a Guimarães.

A estreia em nome próprio aconteceu em Guimarães porém a estreia em Portugal aconteceu no Vodafone Paredes de Coura no passado mês de agosto. Assisti a esse concerto tendo sido um debute nacional bastante auspicioso. Nesse concerto ao final da tarde no palco secundário daquele festival do alto Minho fiquei com bastante bom feeling e definitivamente fã. Agora na passada noite de sexta-feira em Guimarães, ao segundo concerto em solo luso, a história foi outra. Passamos do verão para uma noite fria de outono, passamos de um local ao ar livre num palco privilegiado para uma espécie de pequeno clube noturno com audiência bem menor, pois claro. São enormes as diferenças entre os dois concertos. Ponto idêntico foi a forte entrega dos músicos durante a performance.

Dana Margolin (a vocalista) esteve mais concentrada e bem menos comunicativa. Notou-se igualmente um cansaço, a determinado ponto indisfarçável. Eles estão em digressão com concertos quase todos os dias desde 11 de novembro.

Apesar disso a jovem deu o seu melhor em palco, assim como os seus outros 3 companheiros de banda. Sam, Georgie e Maddie estavam aparentemente bem melhor e não se notou neles cansaço como em Dana.

Maddie Ryall no baixo [mais fotos clicar aqui] Eles entraram em palco pelas 22:10 horas ao som de “Maneater” canção da cantora canadiana Nelly Furtado. “Give / Take”, “End of Last Year” e “Splintered” foram as 3 primeiras tocadas e a partir da última citada a atuação prosseguiu num ritmo superior.

‘Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky’, álbum lançado em maio passado esteve fortemente representado na setlist. Invariavelmente tornou-se no foco do concerto naquela que foi apresentação muito sólida das canções mais recentes.

Não faltou igualmente a execução de algumas canções de ‘Every Bad’, disco de 2020. Sem surpresa a atuação terminou com “Sweet”, um dos temas âncora dos Porridge Radio, tocado após uma saída simulada antes do encore. Como a própria Dana afirmou, dada a exiguidade do espaço não dava para uma saída e consequente entrada de forma mais dramática…

Sam Yardley na bateria [mais fotos clicar aqui] “World Class Music” como quem diz música de classe mundial eram as palavras escritas no bumbo da bateria, provavelmente, de forma irónica. O que parece mais do que uma certeza irreversível é que eles estão no caminho correto para terem um maior reconhecimento a esse nível mundial.

O público presente esteve algo compenetrado e ficou sempre num estado morno. Pese essa situação não regateou as merecidas palmas nas transições dos temas. Pessoalmente esperava uma atitude mais calorosa, provavelmente por causa do concerto ter-se realizado num espaço mais propício para isso. Obviamente quem esteve presente foram fãs da banda, alguns até vindos de fora da cidade.

A banda seguiu para Lisboa aonde tocou no Super Bock em Stock terminando assim a sua breve passagem por Portugal neste mês de novembro.

Georgie Stott nos teclados [mais fotos clicar aqui] Setlist Café Concerto do CCVF – 25/11/2022 Give/Take End of Last Year Splintered Jealousy Trying Good for You 7 Seconds Birthday Party U Can Be Happy If U Want To Lilac The Rip Back to the Radio

Encore Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky Sweet

Vejam toda a foto-reportagem: clicar aqui

Texto: Edgar Silva Fotografia: Jorge Nicolau

Porridge Radio - Back To The Radio

Video for Back To The Radio from English indie rock four-some Porridge Radio, which is taken from the forthcoming album Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky and will be released on the 20th May 2022 via Secretly Canadian.

Porridge Radio are a British indie rock band formed in Brighton in 2015. They are fronted by vocalist, songwriter and lead guitarist Dana Margolin. The other members are keyboardist Georgie Stott, bass guitarist Maddie Ryall and drummer Sam Yardley.

With so much great music being made, some albums are always going to be overlooked come the end of the year. Time is the biggest hurdle with that. Be it a lack there of to cover every artist with a new album cycle, needing more of it to give a great listen the full attention needed to digest, or the timing of a release just not hitting the same way it does months later, it can grow more difficult by the day to take in everything while appreciating it.

This year, Recommended Listen is taking a look at some of the best overlooked albums on these pages throughout 2020. These are albums that weren’t fully reviewed, found on any volume of Listen to These., on this year’s Best of 2020 lists in any form, and in some cases, not mentioned even in track or video coverage at all. You may already be familiar with some of them, but it would remiss to not given them their due. As the year wraps up, let this be a reminder that discovering new music has no expiration date either.

Arca - KiCk i [XL Recordings]

KiCk i is the the first in a purported four-part series from electronic music reinventor Arca, and with its timing of being released in the midst of the summer’s busy release schedule, it’s understandable how a listen that demands an attentive ear could get lost in the mix. KiCk i, similar to that of Arca’s kindred experimentalist Bjork and her own avant-pop rendering Volta, is still both the artist’s most accessible formation to date, and yet, an alien aural experience by modern pop music standards in the way its human construction collapses and glitches with intention. What we hear here, however, is Arca coming to the forefront of her sound with her voice being used as both instrument and narrator, blurring the lines between any one kind of convention.

Charli XCX - how i’m feeling now [Atlantic Records]

She’s the main reason this post exists, but when she released the year’s first certifiable quarantine album, it didn’t quite hit the same way it does now in December. That’s not to say that how i’m feeling now was not understood upon initial impact -- it seems to be a going theme that Charli XCX works her best experimental pop magic when she’s moving fast and quickly -- but at the start of springtime when the fears of the pandemic were at their most fresh and agonizing, it was difficult to get into the same space as that which she had carved out in the dark using black diamonds and digital euphoria. Time heals, though, and just as Pop 2 sparkled in its own winter, Charli’s isolation feeling wears better forever in the cold just like December.

Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia [Warner Records]

To call Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia an overlooked album is technically a huge overstatement considering it has been near the top of most major publication’s year-end list and she’s earned the title of 2020’s biggest pop star not named Taylor Swift. Future Nostalgia, much like the Weeknd’s After Hours, came into view at the worst possible timing, however -- Those first arduous weeks of lockdown when the last fucking thing on your mind at that time was club music and dancing. Still, the UK songwriter’s energy has prevailed at the end of 2020 with its funky synthesis of disco, electronica, and futuristic pop production. It may be one of the few things in pop culture this year we feel wistful about when we hear it a decade from now.

Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death [Partisan Records]

Another overlooked listen that fell victim to a super-saturated summer release schedule, maybe it’s better than Fontaines D.C.’s A Hero’s Death, in all of its desperate lamentations, be appreciated during these wintry months than late under the scorching July sun. The most surprising revelation behind the theatre curtain of the Dublin post-punk band’s sophomore effort is in the manner which frontman Grian Chatten has sunken his working class shouting matches into the foci of a bleaker state of mind, and yet, not at the expense of dark comedy and appropriate growl. A Hero’s Death may be a quieter raucous from Fontaines D.C., and also one that suggests that the depths of their sound are most visible when methodically circling the drain.

A Hero's Death by Fontaines D.C.

Infant Island - Beneath [Dog Knights Productions]

We are in the throes of a screamo revival, though Infant Island are a whole different behemoth in that realm on their sophomore outing Beneath. Here, the Virginia-based five-piece eviscerate the scene’s intensity through charring post-rock epics and answering back at the void with raw, bleeding screams. Their style -- a bastion of hardcore, black metal, and beautifully atmospheric rock echoes -- barrels in with it the heaviest kind of weight on the soul every time Infant Island awaken from the pitch black craters. Ultimately, it consumes you and leaves you in their ash.

Beneath by Infant Island

LOMA - Don’t Shy Away [Sub Pop]

One of the things we are slowly, but surely beginning to see in indie rock and guitar-based rock right now is that artists are once again gaining confidence in sounding atypical. LOMA -- the trio of songwriter Emily Cross, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer Dan Duszynski, and Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg -- quietly are making these strange moves in the further out regions of their sophomore effort Don’t Shy Away. Informed by desertscapes, forests, occult energy, and its own divinely defined relationship between earth and soul, the listen absorbs both the physical and spiritual worlds through sound with LOMA acting as its vessel to communicate between each.

Don't Shy Away by LOMA

Peel Dream Magazine - Agitprop Alterna [Slumberland Records]

Some of the most interesting sounds coming from the next generation of shoegaze shape-shifters this year weren’t always the ones that filtered feedback through a dark, brooding punk heaviness. Akin to fellow breakouts Dummy, Peel Dream Magazine -- the moniker of NYC songwriter Joe Stevens -- is veering far away from those boundaries as well as those in some of today’s indie rock traditionalism with a lush, sun-bent projection on the sound that is entrancingly weird and dilates inner elation. On Agitprop Altnerna, Peel Dream Magazine sophomore effort, the band’s music achieves a new level of metaphysical experience through its collaborative cast, enriching the colors dispersed by its prism.

Agitprop Alterna by Peel Dream Magazine

Porridge Radio - Every Bad [Secretly Canadian]

Porridge Radio were a victim of their own buzz here on Recommended Listen upon the UK post-punk band’s release of their acclaimed sophomore breakout Every Bad. It admittedly happens when an indie rock band with all of the press envy going for them already in every place else (especially with bigger publications) equates to putting their work on the backburner here so that other lesser-covered independent artists can get due coverage just as well. Every Bad is very good, though, with guitarist Dana Margolin tapping into a dynamic,, aggressive side of intimate melancholia with her emotional voice as keyboardist Georgie Stott, bassist Maddie Ryall and drummer Sam Yardley steer the storm in the rough seas of life around her.

Every Bad by Porridge Radio

R.A.P. Ferreira - purple moonlight pages [Ruby Yacht]

2020′s rap game was ruled by its underground hive, and purple moonlight pages was part of writing that story. As the restart button for R.A.P. Ferreria, f.k.a. the prolific Milo, this album hears the man behind the moniker, Rory Allen Philip Ferreira, breaking down the barriers surrounding his bars for an experimental foray into jazz-informed rhymes given a brassy luster by producer and multi-instrumentalists Kenny Segal and his crew, the Jefferson Park Boys. Coupled with poetry of both the personal and the philosophical, the limitless rhythm and flow moving throughout purple moonlight pages has found a place for R.A.P. Ferreira's work where the free art and the perfected in prose can coexist.

purple moonlight pages by R.A.P. Ferreira

Samia - The Baby [Grand Jury Music]

Emotional guitar music being vesseled inside finely-crafted indie rock songwriting is once again in a better place than it’s been left these past several years, and an artist like Samia Finnerty is going to be helping taking it further with her own pen in it after releasing this year’s breakout full-length debut The Baby. If you found yourself humming along to the coming-of-age buzz around the glossy Gen Z navel gazing of UK pop-rock export beabadoobee, this collection of songs by Samia may actually cut keeper below the surface thanks to the way she lyrically mediates life’s darkness and young tribulations adulting during a fucked up time in history with a rose-tinted canvas in her sound. She feels its all, and you’ll feel seen, too.

The Baby by Samia

SAULT - UNTITLED (Black Is) & UNTITLED (Rise) [Forever Living Originals]

The identities behind the collective members of SAULT are as hard to pin as the release dates of their albums themselves, which in 2020, had a tendency to drop out of nowhere and made for two of this year’s most enigmatic moments in alluring sounds from unknown places with their breakouts UNTITLED (Black Is) and UNTITLED (Rise). Each listen arrived as bookends between the epicenter of a summer of protest and resistance across the globe, with the UK band’s fusion of house, experimental electronic, and modern R&B creating a document on the ongoing cultural evolution of these Black-centric styles, but as a medium to confront racial issues through an artfully accessible message.

UNTITLED (Black Is) by SAULT

UNTITLED (Rise) by SAULT

The Weeknd – After Hours [Republic Records]

After Hours is another example on this list of an album you would handedly lose an argument in technically calling “overlooked” considering the Weeknd’s Starboy streaming power and chart-topping success is not losing momentum any time soon. It did go up against a huge emotional wall when it was initially released right as lockdown mode was more on the mind than donning fashionable heathen pop, though, even if it's Abel Tesfaye’s strongest collection of post-breakup wreckers and R&B sizzle perfected through the cool currents of his Uncut Gems score collaborator Oneohtrix Point Never and the always-slick singles synthesis of Max Martin’s hand. Grammys don’t mean a thing, but in the pop universe, it's weird when one of its biggest names can't get a nom at the top of their game.

CANTLON'S CORNER: HOCKEY NEWS AND NOTES VOLUME 7

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Planning for the 2020-2021 AHL season is well underway as is the possible return of the NHL in the summer and a possible late-in-the-year start to the following season are dominant news stories this week. North American players have been signing deals to play next season in Europe. The first few of those, even though this AHL season is still a "suspended" rather than a "canceled" season, but expect that designation could change by week's end or by early next week. Last week, the Hartford Wolf Pack's signings for next season of Vincent LoVerde and Mason Geerstsen to AHL contracts combined with two of the five players confirmed heading across the Atlantic Ocean would certainly make it seem like the towel has been tossed in on 2019-20 season. Nikolai Goldobin of the Utica Comets was the first to announce he was heading back to play with CSKA Moscow (Russia-KHL). On Sunday, Zach Redmond, 31, an assistant captain the last two season with the Rochester Americans, signed a one year deal with EHC Munich (Germany-DEL). His production slipped to 30 points from 50 after having played in 50 games last season with Rochester. A Ferris State college grad, then in the original CCHA, played 373 AHL games with 70 goals, 157 assists for 227 points. Last year he played in his second AHL All-Star game and was named winner of the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman. He was selected to the AHL First Team All-Star with the most goals by an AHL defenseman (21) in 2018-19 including a league-best 10 game-winners. He played 133 NHL games with five different teams garnering 29 assists and 38 points. Redmond played three seasons of junior hockey with Sioux Falls (SD) Stampede (USHL) in 2008-09. Two players are expected to sign in Switzerland are Cory Conacher (Syracuse Crunch) and Philippe Hudon (Laval Rocket). Peter Cehlarik (Providence Bruins) is weighing offers from several Swedish Hockey league teams. The list of US college players signing with North American teams is up to 90, Including Division III players and Euro signings, such as Zach Remers of Buffalo State College (SUNYAC) with Kalmar HC (Sweden Division-1), the total number is 146. Former New Haven Nighthawk, Grant Ledyard, was the head coach this past season with the college club program at the University of Buffalo Bulls (ACHA Division-1) in the NECHL (Northeast College Hockey League). His assistant coach was one of his three sons, Ryall, a graduate of the school. AHL NEWS It would seem to be a forgone conclusion that by mid-to-late May, the AHL season officially will be canceled. The current blueprint that's being worked on is to pivot to next season. Players were paid through what would have been the end of the 2019-20 season. Several independent sources have stated that’s the working AHL philosophy, meaning there will, sadly, be no Calder Cup champion this year. The NHL, on the other hand, seems to be intent on finishing the 2019-20 season that had about 14-15 games left before the Covid-19 pandemic shut it down. They are discussing finishing the regular season and commencing with a summertime Stanley Cup playoffs. Cantlon's Corner has learned that four-to-five cities have been identified with low COVID-19 rates and restrictions that have been or about to be lifted. Those US cities are Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, In Canada, the cities are Edmonton and Toronto. Las Vegas was also under consideration, but the NBA plans on having one of its camps to resume their season there. It’s a numbers game in how many people can be in one facility at any one given time. While logic would say that with the NHL, having a team in Las Vegas with none in the NBA, that the NHL would get first shot at it, that's not where the conversation is at this point in time. The players are being asked what their status is with all of this. The NHL does not want to get into a nitpicking negotiation for the re-opening. However, some players are balking at the idea of returning with the plan of locking down and isolating the players to reduce the chance of an outbreak occurring while the season is resumed. Some players are not happy that they would be taken away from their families for that long of a time. The cost of canceling the remaining NHL season and the playoffs is estimated at $1.1 billion. The losses if they do play are expected to be only $500 million. There is a myriad of tricky issues, one of which is that players with contracts that are set to expire on June 30th. There would likely need an addendum or some other sort of legal instrument that would be approved by both the NHL and NHLPLA to extend the deals till September 1st. Assuming everything is done by August, free agency would begin in September for both the NHL and AHL. At that time, the NHL Draft, potentially virtually as the NFL did, could possibly be held. The discussion also includes starting the 2020-21 NHL and AHL hockey seasons after Thanksgiving with the NHL All-Star Game likely to be scrapped. However, the AHL All Star Classic is set for Laval in late January and still could receive the green light. This all subject to change. CHARLOTTE  Relationships change like seasons. Some are equitable, amiable, and a mutually parting of the ways. While others can be more contentious and acrimony ensues. It's safe to safe the odd exit of the Carolina Hurricanes from the Charlotte Checkers as their top farm team, clearly falls in the bitter category. On Tuesday, the Checkers issued a very rare, extraordinarily biting and snarky press release that upstaged the worst kept secret in hockey that is frankly, baffling, The Hurricanes are moving their AHL team to the Chicago Wolves and leaving the Bojangles Coliseum behind. “While we are aware that the Carolina Hurricanes are nearing an affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes have had little dialogue with us regarding this matter. In an era when NHL teams are placing great value on affiliations with closer proximity between the two clubs, we understand the confusion such a move would cause.” Street chatter has the Checkers becoming the affiliate of the Florida Panthers, the only team in the NHL without a clear affiliation with any AHL team. Could this be a sign of a bigger move lurking in the background? NWHL DRAFT Congrats to the Danbury-based Connecticut Whale on their picks in the NWHL Draft. The five-round event for the league’s six teams saw the Whale take Kayla Friesen of Clarkson University in the first round (second overall). Yale University’s Saroya Tinger went fourth overall to the Metropolitan Riveters. The other Whale selections included Victoria Howan (University of New Hampshire) in the second round (seventh overall) and in the third round (13th overall) forward Savannah Rennie (Syracuse University) was selected. In the fourth round, the Whale chose Amanda Conway (Norwich University - 19th overall), and in the fifth and final round, they had two picks taking, with the 25th pick, Nicole Gaigliaro (Adrian College) and their final pick (27th overall), Maddie Bishop (Sacred Heart University). The league expanded to Toronto, a former CWHL (Canada Women’s Hockey League) city for 2020-21. With six teams, the NWHL's status as a minor league operation will help in getting visas for their players from Canada and Europe. The Toronto team will conduct a name the team contest this summer. NEW COLLEGE HOCKEY PROGRAM This came out of left field, but it might fit into a regional puzzle. The Long Island University (LIU) Sharks announced they will launch the 61st NCAA Division I college hockey program. The school, located in Brookville, Long Island (Nassau County) already has a women’s program that won their conference (New England Women’s Hockey Alliance) post-season title in year one. when they knocked off Sacred Heart University (Bridgeport, CT) in the semifinals and St. Anselm (Goffstown, NH) in the final. One NCAA requirement hurdle is now out of the way with a men and women’s program in the same sport. The surprising announcement stated they would start the program as a Division I independent immediately for the 2020-21 season. They’re already in a national search for its first head coach and are paring candidates down to three finalists. The press release didn’t mention a conference it might join, but the AHA (Atlantic Hockey Association) would seem to be the most logical choice as they said they have talked to the AHA, ECACHL and Hockey East. The men’s team, like the women’s team, will be using three rinks to play their home games in. They are The Ice Works in Syosset, the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, and a game or two at the newly renovated, Nassau Coliseum, the home of the NHL New York Islanders who are building a new arena at Belmont Park. Interestingly, the school is 20-25 minutes from Ronkonkoma (Suffolk County) where there is a proposed 7,500 seat arena that has been talked about and whose initial proposal was submitted. A group, JJL Group, of Chicago has hired former Islander and New York Rangers great, Pat LaFontaine, to gain letters of commitment from an AHL team and college program to be the primary tenants in the proposed new arena. The JJL Group was given a second extension by Suffolk County until April to gain the necessary commitments, but with the COVID-19 crisis there has been no word on the project. This announcement might change things, Over the coming weeks more info will be coming on LIU and the arena in Ronkonkoma. AWARD WINNERS The Double AA affiliate of the Wolf Pack, the Maine Mariners announced their team's season awards. Center, Terrence Wallin (Gunnery Prep), was named the Community Leader Award winner. He played 23 games with the Wolf Pack in the 2018-19 season. “Terrence has devoted himself to the community in Portland,” said Maine Head Coach, Riley Armstrong, in the team's press release, “He continues doing work even now with his zoom hockey skills to help develop and grow the game in Maine.” The other winner of note as the team’s Most Improved Player went to Ty Ronning, who finished up the year with the Wolf Pack. “The way Ty approached this season on being sent to Maine was a 180 from last season,” said Armstrong. “His maturity level both on and off the ice was eye-opening for me. The way he played in Maine, he really deserved to be up in Hartford.” Ronning had 11 goals and 26 points in 28 games for the Mariners and had a pair of call ups to the Wolf Pack – first on October 24th, 2019, and again on February 3rd, 2020, after which he stayed in the AHL for the remainder of the season. With the Mariners in 2019-20, Ronning had three multi-goal games, highlighted by his second career hat trick on January 24th, 2020 in an 8-1 home win against the Worcester Railers. Ronning will forever hold unique status in Mariners history for his five-point ECHL debut on November 24th 2018 versus the now-defunct Manchester Monarchs, still a single-game franchise record. USHL DRAFT The USHL draft will be held this coming Monday (Phase 1) and Tuesday, (Phase II). Phase I of the Draft is ten rounds of “Futures” age players only, U-17 players for next year’s season (2004 birth year players only for the 2020 Draft). Phase II of the Draft will take place the following day beginning with round one. This draft is open to players of all ages eligible to play junior hockey and are not currently protected by another USHL team. BEIJING OLYMPICS 2022 The final rankings by the IIHF for 2020 for men’s and women’s hockey were announced and they are the bases for seeding and grouping for the 2022 Beijing Olympics to be held February 4-20 2022 in the capital of Communist China. Group A: Canada (1), USA (6), Germany (7), China (12). Group B: Russia (2), Czech Republic (5), Switzerland (8), Qualifier 3 (11). Group C: Finland (3), Sweden (4), Qualifier 1 (9), Qualifier 2 (10). The Olympic Qualification for the men’s teams has already started in November 2019 and will end with the Final Olympic Qualification scheduled for 27-30 August 2020 in the following groups: Group D: Slovakia, Belarus, Austria, Poland. In Bratislava, Slovakia. Group E: Latvia, France, Italy, Hungary. In Riga, Latvia. Group F: Norway, Denmark, South Korea, Slovenia. In Norway (city TBA). The women’s side has also been set. Sadly, the US and Canada both were placed in Group A derailing a possible Gold Medal game between the two best teams in the tournament. With only two tournaments played this season, the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Ranking also didn’t change much. The top-six countries remained in the same order and will be the ones directly qualified for the Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament in Beijing 2022, which will be played in two-tiered groups: Group A: USA (1), Canada (2), Finland (3), Russia (4), Switzerland (5). Group B: Japan (6), Qualifier 1 (7), Qualifier 2 (8), Qualifier 3 (9), China (10). The chance of a US-Japan or Canada-Japan or some other nation Gold Medal guarantees no ratings outside of the US and Canada. A best of three Gold medal series between them would be a ratings winner and help the women’s game on the grandest stage of all. The US and Canada are clearly heads and shoulders above everyone else in women’s ice hockey someday other nations will join them-just not now. The women’s world championships were scheduled to be in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia in March and were among the first international hockey events canceled because of COVID-19 as the US was seeking its fifth straight title. CARLSON ON THE MEND The last six weeks of COVID-19 has demonstrated that nobody is spared from it. One-time New England Whaler, Steve Carlson, 64, the youngest of the Carlson brothers, was released from a Johnstown, PA hospital and has initially tested negative for COVID-19. "Steve is home from a two-day hospital stay. He is continuing to gain strength and is in good spirits. Prognosis looks good with further cardiologist consulting and more testing is needed. He is COVID-19 negative. A special thank you to the doctors, EMT, emergency room, seventh-floor nurses, technicians and security guards at Conemaugh (Memorial Medical Center)," remarked his wife, Vicki Carlson, in a press released late last Friday afternoon. Carlson and his brothers Jack and Jeff, along with Dave Hanson, made brawling an art form. They were the inspiration of one of the all-time greatest hockey and sports movies, Slapshot as the infamous, Hanson brothers. Carlson himself addressed the concern for his well being. "I am grateful and humbled for the outpouring of prayers, concern, and well-wishes. To have friends, fans, and the hockey family, put on the foil during this time, gives me strength. I, and my family, are looking forward to a full recovery," using one of the more memorable quips from the movie in his foil reference. Jack had been recalled to the Minnesota Fighting Saints (WHA) during filming, so he didn’t appear in the movie, so Dave Hanson was his replacement and his name helped create the iconic characters. Steve was not nearly the fighter. His two brothers were never going over the century mark in penalty minutes. He was a more defensive-minded center. In Johnstown, of the old North American Hockey League (NAHL), he led the team in scoring with 88 points. His brothers were on the wings along with Hanson creating controversy whenever they played. They won the NAHL championship. He played one full NHL season with the LA Kings in 1979-80. He played with Edmonton on the last WHA Oilers team with his roommate being a very young, Wayne Gretzky. He played for the harpoon Kelly green uniformed New England Whalers in 1976 and half a season in 1977 each totaling 69 games with 10 goals and 26 points. He was acquired from the Minnesota Fighting Saints, who originally drafted him in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft, as a free agent, when the first edition of the Fighting Saints folded in May 1976. He was reacquired on the WHA Intra-League Draft in 1976 by the reincarnation of the Fighting Saints that were originally supposed to be a WHA team in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then in a cash move, he was traded along with brother Jack, Bill Butters, Mike Antonovich, J.P. Levasseur, and Johnny McKenzie in January 1976 to Edmonton. Nearly a year later, in January 1977, the Oilers traded him, his brother Jack again, along with the legendary Dave Keon, McKenzie and goalie Dave Dryden (the great Ken Dryden's older brother) to the Whalers for future consideration in future Hartford Whalers Dave Debol, winger Danny Arndt and cash. He was claimed off waivers by Edmonton in May 1978 prior to the last WHA season and played the whole season with the Oilers. Carlson’s entrance to the NHL wasn’t simple either. His NHL rights were traded to Detroit for a physical minor-league defenseman, Steve Short on December 6, 1978, by LA-even though he wasn’t in the NHL at the time or drafted by either team. The Kings reclaimed him on waivers from Edmonton prior to the NHL expansion draft on June 9, 1979, the first season after NHL-WHA merger. Carlson had six solid AHL seasons, two with the Springfield Indians, and the last four of his playing career with the Baltimore Skipjacks finished his AHL career with 207 points in 341 games. Former New Haven Nighthawk, Dan McCarthy, who played with him in Baltimore, and a full season with the Birmingham South Stars in the old Central Hockey League, has fond memories of their playing days. “Carly was a great teammate and player. His sense of humor was fantastic. He always had a smile on his face and would pull pranks on players regardless of who they were. Every team needs a Steve Carlson on their team and in the locker room. Hope he gets healthy quickly.” TOM WEBSTER Canlton's Corner received a nice e-mail from former New England Whaler and all-time WHA leading scorer, Andre Lacroix, regarding the passing of Tom Webster last week. “Tommy Webster was a true natural goal scorer. He was a great teammate and he never looked for the glory. He played both ends of the ice as good as anybody. You could always depend on Tommy in a critical situation. The best part about Tommy, he was even a better individual.” Read the full article

A boa fúria dos ídolos da nova geração - Dia 2 do Vodafone Paredes de Coura 2022 | Reportagem

Joe Talbot dos Idles [mais fotos clicar aqui] Oficialmente a lotação não esgotou, ontem quarta-feira dia 17 de agosto. Era uma das datas mais plausíveis para isso, porém para quem esteve no recinto a noção é de que não cabia mais ninguém…

 A slot deixada de vago por causa do cancelamento dos King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard foi ocupada pelos BadBadNotGood, desta forma anteciparam em 2 dias a sua performance. Esta alteração foi completamente inesperada e apanhou de surpresa os festivaleiros no dia de arranque do Vodafone Paredes de Coura. Afastada a chuva, se bem que as nuvens pairaram em algumas ocasiões, o sol fez a sua bela aparição e proporcionou um suave e reconfortante colorido dourado à paisagem Courense. O tempo quente quanto baste na parte da tarde contrastou com o fresquinho acentuado da noite/madrugada.

Tiago Martins dos Gator, The Alligator [mais fotos clicar aqui] A jornada festivaleira iniciou-se no palco secundário com uma banda vinda de Barcelos. Foram os Gator, The Alligator banda formada por Eduardo da Floresta, Ricardo Tomé, Filipe Ferreira e Tiago Martins e que foram felizes num palco de sonho durante uns bons 45 minutos. Estiveram todos vestidos de branco, um outfit que lhes assentou na perfeição. A malta esteve devidamente animada, contou com conterrâneos seus, e a festa fez por entre saltos e crowdsurf. Deu até para um peluche em forma de jacaré ser atirado para o palco. Passei depois alguns minutos pelo palco principal e ouvi Sofia Marques cujo seu artístico é Mema.. A artista de Aveiro esteve sozinha em palco. Pareceu-me um erro de casting esse destaque dado à artista de forma tão prematura. O público esteve mais a “fazer sala” e a desfrutar da natureza do que outra coisa qualquer… Dos concertos que vi, acredito que de toda a jornada, a maior surpresa foram os britânicos Porridge Radio. A líder do projeto Dana Margolin apresentou-se com uma t-shirt dos Deftones. A banda conta também com Geordie Stott (teclas), Maddie Ryall (baixo) e Sam Yardley (bateria). Uma banda jovem já com alguns seguidores pelo nosso país e que fizeram questão de uma boa receção ao quarteto de Brighton. Um dos momentos mais intensos e vocalizados em uníssono foi durante "U Can Be Happy If U Want To". Uma estreia sólida em Portugal e que terá mais 2 capítulos em novembro. De minha parte, até já, até Guimarães!

Dana Margolin dos Porridge Radio [mais fotos clicar aqui] De passagem para o jantar vi e ouvi por alguns minutos o norte-americano Alex G e a suavidade da sua música esteve perfeita e a coincidir com o belo pôr-do-sol. Com as energias já carregadas deu para mais uns minutos de BadBadNotGood. A banda canadiana dispensa as guitarras, numa jornada em que foram épicas, proporcionando um ambiente muito chill com o seu estilo musical experimental intimamente ligado ao jazz. Os ecrãs de ambos os lados do palco principal não transmitiram o concerto para proporcionarem uma experiência mais visual na qual imagens coloridas e animadas fizeram a “ponte” para a paisagem sonora. Antes do “prato principal” fui até ao palco secundário. Lá tocaram os irlandeses The Murder Capital e as generosas expetativas não foram defraudadas. Eles ainda são recentes ao panorama musical pós-punk só que não se fizeram rogados e com uma excelente atitude assinaram um concerto sólido e muito bem conseguido.

Enérgica atuação dos The Murder Capital [mais fotos clicar aqui] A expetativa máxima deste dia estava toda centrada na performance dos Idles e o sentimento era partilhado por milhares, bastava ver a quantidade de pessoas com t-shirts alusivas à banda de Bristol. Para mim foi a segunda vez depois de os ter visto em 2018 em pleno palco principal do NOS Primavera Sound. Na altura acho que pouca gente imaginava o tremendo impacto que iriam ter… Estes britânicos não desiludiram, nem um pouco, durante a hora de atuação. O público esteve morno durante a parte inicial do concerto e nem entendeu bem o pedido de Joe Talbot para "abrir uma ala a meio". As reações do público foram ágeis a partir desse momento e em ritmo crescente de intensidade. A performance destes rapazes britânicos foi dinâmica, com membros da banda a fazerem crowdsurf unindo-se aos que os idolatram. O turbilhão emocional da juventude na frontline já era uma certeza e foi impressionante de sentir e visualizar. Certamente ficou na memória da banda, de quem assistiu a esta estreia no Couraiso bem como inscrita indelével no histórico do Vodafone Paredes de Coura.

Idles proporcionaram um momento épico [mais fotos clicar aqui] A melancolia escura e fofinha dos Beach House sob um céu estrelado deu o tom para uma reta final de noite mais descontraída. A cenografia estava minimalista com um uso limitado de luz em palco um aspeto visual no ecrã gigante atrás do trio a ajudar na amplificação das canções. Esta sua segunda aparição no Alto Minho foi bem conseguida e proporcionou um concerto reconfortante. A atuação dos Viagra Boys foi intensa e bem-sucedida principalmente pelos músicos da banda sueca e não tanto pela performance algo errática do seu vocalista Sebastian Murphy. Mostrou-se feliz por estar no Porto (normal a fraca geografia portuguesa), agora a saída que teve em palco parando o concerto foi estranha. Perante um mar de gente no palco secundário, não havia mais nenhum concerto, a performance destes suecos teve um sabor punk muito pronunciado e até foi ampliado pelo entusiasmo do pessoal presente.

Sebastian Murphy vocalista dos Viagra Boys [mais fotos clicar aqui] As últimas atuações que vi, não tiveram concorrência, e concentraram as atenções totais. Pior a situação do público em Viagra Boys, impossível acomodar minimamente bem tanta gente. Já em The  Murder Capital não foi tão complicado pois os irlandeses antecederam os Idles e as atenções da maioria já estavam concentradas nos ingleses. Entre os concertos de Idles e Beach House houve uma pausa longa. As dificuldades de movimento foram notórias, as idas ao WC ou na restauração foram tarefas mais difíceis. Foi a natural constatação de que o recinto tem as suas limitações e que os contratempos são ultrapassados com boa vontade e paciência das pessoas. Ponto final de destaque para a presença de muitos músicos portugueses, especialmente de bandas alternativas, inclusive alguns dos que já atuaram no Sobe à Vila ou no dia anterior, casos de Bruno Pernadas e de Adolfo Luxúria Canibal dos Mão Morta.

Vejam toda a foto-reportagem do 2º dia: clicar aqui

Texto: Edgar Silva Fotografia: João Machado

Lilac by Porridge Radio - Director: El Hardwick

Porridge Radio – Who By Fire (Leonard Cohen Cover)

Porridge Radio perform a wonderful cover of the Leonard Cohen song, Who By Fire, live at St Giles’ Camberwell.

Porridge Radio are a British indie rock band formed in Brighton in 2015. They are fronted by vocalist, songwriter and lead guitarist Dana Margolin. The other members are keyboardist Georgie Stott, bass guitarist Maddie Ryall and drummer Sam Yardley.

Video: Porridge Radio - “The Rip”

According to Porridge Radio frontperson Dana Margolin, “The Rip” -- the second single from the British indie rock band forthcoming effort Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky -- was created with the intention “to sound like massive pop, like Charli XCX, but with the instrumentation of bands like Slothrust or Deftones.” Not quite! But even better is that it sounds only like Porridge Radio could, with heartaches baring raw on their sleeves, and alongside drummer Sam Yardley, keyboardist Georgie Stott and bassist Maddie Ryall, the four-piece stays true to its song title in ripping electric through cosmic beams like a universal calamity about to collapse. “The back of my head / The back of my hands / I threw it away before it went bad,” Margolin’s voice quivers amid the imbalances of power.

In its music video directed by her sister Ella Margolin, she confronts the freefall and faces of the unknown. “The Rip” takes you away below...

Porridge Radio’s Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky will be released May 20th on Secretly Canadian.