Vancouver Sun
Kerry Gold
The members of Ireland's The Frames
have made quite a tidy living off touring throughout North America without
once cracking the U.S. charts. Their new album, a live recording called
Set List, released on Epitaph's Anti Records (home to Tom Waits, Nick Cave,
and Merle Haggard), hit No. 1 in Ireland, so there's no love lacking back
home. And in the U.S., the Irishmen -- fronted by Glen Hansard, touted
by Ireland's music press as a mad genius -- have long since found adoring
audiences who aren't either from Ireland or seeking an evening of Celtic
balladry. "When we started coming to the States, we were sent into Irish
bars and trying to get the 'Irish vote' for want of a better word," says
violinist and original member Colm MacConlomaire. "It just became such
an irritation because we were playing to Irish people who wanted to hear
Irish music. "And there's no point for us to travel all the way over here
and play to Irish people, either," he adds. The Frames' approach is simply
about clever pop and rock 'n' roll and, with Hansard's plaintive vocals
and solid songwriting talent, the band delivers anthem-like songs that
don't depart from an essential melody. Hansard is an on-stage storyteller.
And audiences are so devoted in fact, that it's not unusual for a show
to turn into a giant, foot-stomping singalong love-in. When the Frames
arrive at the Commodore tonight, it will be the band's third time in Vancouver.
Last fall, they opened for Calexico. And not so long ago, they made another
Vancouver connection when they toured with the New Pornographers. The Frames
has a talent for pairing up with high credibility acts, and the band itself
has got the reputation of being quality Irish goods. At a luncheon for
Ireland's highly trendy The Thrills, members of that band cited The Frames
as one of Ireland's finest exports. The Frames has been around a lot longer
than the young, super-fashionable Thrills. It's entirely beside the point
that The Frames, and particularly Hansard, were once known as the real-life
band members who starred in the Commitments about 15 years ago. It's a
legacy that's haunted them since, mostly because they existed prior to
the hit Alan Parker movie, and because other than generate name-dropping
news copy, the role did little to bolster their musical career. "I think
we were cast for awhile as a Commitments spinoff, which is a bit irritating."
Speaking of The Thrills, MacConlomaire admits to feeling a tad envious
of their current fabulous-band buzz. "Definitely I would be lying if I
didn't say it was irritating or annoying or soul-destroying in the past,"
he says. "We are familiar enough with the beast that is the music industry
to not be really disheartened by it." |
