Damien Rice

not my cup of tea...

It’s been ages—he hasn't dropped a full album since 2006, and man, I am really craving
his last one was absolutely stellar.
If you look at my username, you can probably tell I have a massive soft spot for this kind of music.😉
One of his absolute best tracks has to be I Remember I Delicate, though from his most recent record, I'd say Grey Room and 9 Crimes are the standouts (even if he released those a while back).
I'm not entirely sure what his roadmap looks like right now, but he's been performing a bit more and making appearances lately. I'm just sitting here waiting and hoping for some fresh music.😁

Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk here, but I own both of his albums and they are absolute train wrecks. I have never heard so much whining, sobbing, and overacting in my entire life. A friend of mine listened to him once and told me she actually wanted to slap some sense into him just so he'd stop crying like a baby.
He’s definitely trying to pass off all this moping and ridiculous songwriting—not to mention those grating melodies—as high art.
Even James Blunt isn't half as dramatic as this guy.
Check out these lyrics:
Fuck you, fuck you, love you
And all we've been through
I said leave it, leave it, leave it
It's nothing in you
And did you hate me, hate me, hate me, hate me so good
That you just let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out
Let me out, let me out, let me out

Give me strength...

It’s alright by me... I couldn't listen to him on a constant loop, but there are days when he hits the spot perfectly...

Solid vocals... and the interpretation is there, I'll give him that.

Some people might not care, but honestly, I really do.
And if we’re being real, there is so much to dive into when it comes to indie and contemporary music 😁
Let's keep this going.

I guess most of his stuff just doesn't really grab me, and I find his lyrics to be a little bit lackluster, if I'm being honest. If you're looking for something in a similar vein, maybe Elliott Smith would be a better bet since he's probably a much more skilled guitarist and tends to write better lyrics.

Alright, switching gears here; Damien Rice is a completely different beast compared to Elliott Smith.
Those lyrical snippets we discussed are just one song, and their overall themes
along with their performance styles, are worlds apart.
Smith leans much more into that indie rock vibe—and he’s got incredible tracks, obviously—but
his sound is driven by the guitar, which feels very much like classic American indie, whereas Damien definitely carries that Irish folk influence.
Ultimately, I dig both of them, but I wouldn't try to compare them.

And here’s the big reason I actually started posting: I’m hungry for new music.
Or better yet, live shows. There is just nothing like experiencing music live, but unfortunately,
Damien rarely tours, and we lost Elliott five years ago.

That’s why I’m waiting on you, Ronald Morales51. I’m looking for new albums and new concerts; indie piano rock is my heartbeat.😁

His tracks like Cannonball, 9 Crimes, Cold Water, and Delicate are just truly incredible... 🙂

A friend from Ireland gave me this CD about four years ago. It's actually pretty good stuff!

It is truly tragic 😢

The guy is genuinely incredible, and it feels like such a missed opportunity that he only put out two albums.
That BBC Four session concert is absolutely phenomenal.
Some of those live performances actually surpass the studio versions, especially when you hear 'Eskimo.'
Beyond the vocals from Damien and Lisa, there’s a certain magic added by the cello that really sets it apart.
If you're a fan of his work or just appreciate great singer-songwriters in general, this is a must-watch.

I’ve been listening to him for years... seven, eight? Honestly, who knows anymore. I’ve practically worn out both albums. Then he and Lisa broke up and he just vanished, except for that little track he did with Melanie. Even then, I was still blasting his albums, dreaming about actually seeing him live one day. If a concert had happened three or four years ago, it probably would’ve felt like some kind of catharsis. But man, he basically fell off the face of the earth until about a year ago. By then, I’d already aged right past him.

Still... for the sake of all those years, I’d go. He’s playing near the Czech Republic this summer, which is the closest thing I'll get. 🤷

Personally, I find him pretty terrible... he’s just your typical representative of that hipster emo generation—all moody and aimless, lacking any real songwriting ability, yet somehow churning out "art" specifically designed to appeal to urban snobs.

Here it is... she's back with some fresh material 🙂

The new album drops on October 31st "My Favorite Faded Fantasy"
. A lot of words in that title, 😬 pretty much
.
Anyway, here's Song Here
.
And here’s another track from the album, live version: The Box
.
Me and my buddy Damien are renewing love 😍
.

If anyone is heading out to Milan on October 18th from somewhere like Chicago, Detroit, or anywhere else in the States for Damien Rice, hit me up via DM. We’ve got a car, but we’re missing a driver... looking to head out from the Chicago area!
There are three of us right now... we’re thinking costs would be around $83 per person for the round trip. We'll be heading back right after the show ends.
The only tickets left are in the last section for 28 bucks.

New - The Greatest Bastard

Just me and my thoughts 😬

Here’s the official single: I Don't Want to Change You Full

Full version

If this isn't about Lisa... 🤷
It’s been years, and he’s clearly changed. You can hear it in these tracks. Honestly, I think his whole concept of love has shifted. Eight or more years ago, everything was just emotional chaos. Now, it feels like he’s found some kind of peace, even within that unrequited thing he had with Lisa.
Mostly digging it.

So, Damien is playing in Chicago next April, but—get this—the tickets were snatched up instantly the second they went on sale. Like, gone. Poof. 🤣👎

I actually managed to snag tickets right around 12:30 PM, and honestly, I even scored a pretty decent spot—row 11, seat 11... though I can't say for certain if I'll actually make it to the show. If some other big concert pops up on my calendar in the meantime, I might just let these go.

Until then, I’ll just keep playing it every now and then; I feel like "O" is the perfect album to get lost in during a depressing, gray American winter.

got one ticket? if you somehow manage to snag a second one, hit me up in my DMs. i'll take 😁