Ash Chats '1977' Revival With ITN

Full Q&A session below. Ash performs the legendary album tonight in London.


MP3: Ash - Meltdown

NME Catches Up With Ash At Download Festival

Watch the full Q&A session with Tim & Mark below. Enjoy an Ash track at bottom.


MP3: Ash - Meltdown

Ash Announces One-Off '1977' Gig

Hear the classic LP in its entirety at:

Friday, September 5th
Roundhouse (London)
Chalk Farm Road
NW1 8EH

For ticket info, head here.

MP3: Ash - Kung Fu

Retro Clip: Ash Visits Craig Kilborn, Circa '01

Enjoy Free All Angels tune, 'Burn Baby Burn', below. Visit Ash at their MySpace page.


MP3: Ash - Kung Fu

Ash Announces NYC St. Paddy's Day Extravaganza

Details are scant.

However, here's what we know thus far:

A) 3/17 @ Brooklyn's Music Hall Of Williamsburg.

B) Support comes from Levy.

C) Purchase tickets here.

Sure to be an amazing (and drunken) evening!

MP3: Ash - Dark & Stormy [alt link]

Retro Clip: Ash Visits Jools Holland, Circa '01

Enjoy 'Burn Baby Burn' in the video below. Download an Ash tune at bottom of post.


MP3: Ash - Meltdown

Ash Covers Dusty Springfield

Watch frontman Tim Wheeler tackling 'I Only Want To Be With You' in the clip below from Last Chance Lottery with Patrick Kielty. Download an original Ash tune at bottom of post.


MP3: Ash - Dark & Stormy [alt link]

Ash Demonstrates Their Bartending Skills For AOL

Here's the band's how-to guide on one of their favorite alcoholic beverages - the Irish Car Bomb, live on AOL Sessions this past August. Download an Ash tune entitled 'Shadows', from their latest LP, Twilight Of The Innocents, at bottom of post.


MP3: Ash - Shadows [alternate link]

Ash Embraces Japan In New Clip

Watch the Irish trio performing atop a Tokyo rooftop in this brand new video for Twilight Of The Innocents tune, 'End Of The World'. Download the track at bottom of post.

MP3: Ash - End Of The World

New Ash Video: Love It Or Hate It?

Check out the brand new clip for Ash's 'Polaris' below and share your thoughts with us in the comments. Click here to read my review of their latest LP, Twilight Of The Innocents.


MP3: Ash - Polaris

Review: Ash - Twilight Of The Innocents

Today, Ash will release their final studio album, Twilight Of The Innocents (Europe only, US date TBD). In case you missed the news last month, the band has promised us myriad singles over the next few years, but no future full-length albums.

For someone who has been following Ash's career since the mid-'90s, such as myself, this declaration was slightly disillusioning. It also raised my expectations for Twilight Of The Innocents to astronomical heights. Thankfully, my disappointment has completely vanished upon hearing Twilight in its entirety this past weekend.

Twilight has the vigor and radiance that I've come to know and love from Ash. Each of the album's 12 tracks are classic, in their own right. From the soaring opening riffs of 'I Started A Fire' to the closing chords of the album's title track, Twilight is truly spectacular. Kudos, boys. Check out one of the LP's catchiest tunes below.

MP3: Ash - You Can't Have It All

Ash Denies Split, Confirms Final Album

Straight from frontman, Tim Wheeler: *"The way people listen to music has changed, with the advent of the download the emphasis has reverted to single tracks. It hasn't helped that most people have forgotten how to make a decent album. I'm constantly disappointed with records I buy... I believe our new album is the pinnacle of everything we've done thus far, and I'm proud that this will be remembered as our last album. The future lies elsewhere and we can have a lot of fun by changing things up. It's like the Wild West at the moment and a time to take chances and try out new ideas.

When you're tied to the album format, you find yourself waiting six months between finishing a record and releasing it... By leaving this behind we can enter a new phase of spontaneity and creativity. We have our own studio in New York, we can record a track and release it the next day if we feel like it, give it to people while it's fresh. We're the first band to do this, but I very much doubt we'll be the last."

We've been one of the best singles bands of the last two decades and we're still younger than a lot of bands on the current scene. I'm excited to push this claim further by dedicating ourselves wholly to the art of the single for the digital age."*

Ash's final album, Twilight Of The Innocents, will be released on July 2nd. Read our exclusive interview with the band here.

MP3: Ash - Meltdown

Ash Reveals Album Art & Track Listing For 5th LP

The fifth album from Ireland's finest trio will be released the first week of July. It's titled Twilight Of The Innocents and features the following tunes:

Tracklist:
1. I Started A Fire
2. You Can't Have It All
3. Blacklisted
4. Polaris
5. Palace Of Excess
6. End Of The World
7. Ritual
8. Shadows
9. Princess Six
10. Dark And Stormy
11. Shattered Glass
12. Twilight Of The Innocents

For more info, head to Ash's MySpace.

Old-School Ash MP3: 'Lose Control'

8 Questions With: Ash

Keeping up with one of our own, and your favorite features here on the site, 8 Questions With, this week we got the opportunity to interview Mark Hamilton, bassist and all around sweet guy for our favorite Irish hitmakers, Ash (he can be found in the center of the accompanying photo). Here's how it went down.

1. The Music Slut: With such a massive group of songs to choose from (13+ years of tunes!), how do you decide which to play on tour? The last few times I've seen you guys, it's been half new stuff and half 1977-era tunes.
Ash: Well on this current University tour we're playing 5 new songs and then a selection of back cat stuff. We usually like to throw a good bunch of singles in there as that's what a lot of people wanna hear and then we also usually play a few fan favorite album tracks that we know work well live. It usually good not to do too many slower songs as people tend to lose interest and fuck off to the bar. We try to keep it intense and full on for 90% of the set. We got this new song called In Hell which people are freaking out about with is cool, it's our current favorite to play. Songs like Burn Baby Burn, Kung Fu. Orpheus and Girl From Mars usually send the crowd into a frenzy which is what it's all about.

2. The Music Slut: Any Irish talent we have yet to hear about but should be in the coming months? We figure you all might be a good authority on that front.
Ash: Check out V//Formation, they're currently on tour with us and are from the same area where we grew up. A few went to the same school and are mates with Tim's younger bro. They're like the Pixies with a fun twist. Really cool band. Hopefully they'll get signed and get a break.

3. The Music Slut: How was it recording the new album in NYC? It seemed like you guys were having a brilliant time at the 'secret' show at the Annex a few months back!
Ash: Yeah that was a fun night. We also did a 'fashion week gig' around the same time which was a blast. We were actually pretty anxious before those shows as psychologically it was a big step reverting back to a trio for live and we weren't sure how it'd go / what people would think, but it was a really positive experience and we came out of it reassured we where fine as a 3-piece. Recording the album was a lot of hard work and crazy hours but it's also been really rewarding. It took from September until the end of January to nail it but it's finished and as it's our first fully self produced album it feels like a real achievement. Tim has become a wizard on pro-tools over the last year and after taking a long time to set up we got a fully functioning studio, which is pretty amazing.

4. The Music Slut: Who's idea was it to create the Ash Hangman game for guessing the album title? It's genius! Oh, and can you help us out? We're stumped!
Ash: That was my idea. It's good to wind up the fans and it keeps them checking back on the website! No help shall be given; the Ash boarders have pretty much got it nailed already with a handful of letters.

5. The Music Slut: Who's currently receiving heavy rotation on your iPod?
Ash: Brand New - I love them to unhealthy levels.

6. The Music Slut: Do you ever get tired of fans shouting out for 'Girl From Mars' incessantly? If so, is that why it is usually played relatively early into the set?
Ash: We're holding it back to near the end of the main set now. We'll never get tired of playing it. The fans go mental and that's what we love!

7. The Music Slut: Arctic Monkeys - Love? Hate? Overhyped? The best thing to happen to music in the last ten years? You can be honest with us!
Ash: I think the album's great and I've seen them 3 times over the past 12 months. They seems better in smaller shows like less than 1000 capacity, I really enjoyed them at Webster Hall. At Reading it seemed like the big stage dwarfed them but when Muse came out it was a different story. That's why they're playing 2 Wembley Stadiums which is unbelievable.

8. The Music Slut: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us! Any words of wisdom/wantonness for The Music Slut?
Ash: God Bless them Sluts! ; ) Oh yeah everyone needs to go add Ash as their myspace friend and sign up to our website. 2007 is gonna be busy for us and the new album's our best yet. Honestly it really is!

*Emoticons and all, how can you not love these guys? If you want to take Mark's advice, you can check out Ash's updated MySpace page HERE!

MP3: Ash - Orpheus (acoustic) (via Adventure Club)

Ash Plays Hangman + Brand New Track!

Oh, Ash. How I love thee. The fine Irishmen are back with another stellar album, the follow-up to 05's Meltdown.

It will be out this spring and the band wants YOU to guess the title. It's not as easy as it sounds.

I've been staring at this puzzle all morning and the best I could come up with is 'Elevated To The Raincloud'. As you can see, I need some help. Anyone? Guesses?

While you struggle, take a listen to the first single from the unnamed album, below!

It's brand spankin' new and one of the most entertaining & energetic songs we've heard thus far, this year.

MP3: Ash - I Started A Fire

Snow Patrol & Ash: They Built This City On Rock N Roll!

While Sigur Ros is busy de-constructing highways, Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and Ash's Tim Wheeler are dispersing their energy into the opening of the 'Oh Yeah Building'. NME reports: The building, an old whiskey bonding building in the heart of Belfast's resurgent Cathedral Quarter, will be home to rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, performance space, a café and office units to incubate new music businesses. The brainchild of former NME assistant editor Stuart Bailie, is it has been called 'Ground Zero' for Northern Irish music.

"What is needed is a nexus to focus musical energy into and to unite the Belfast music scene in a way that has been elusive until now," said Lightbody. "What the Patrol would have given for the advice of professionals; the space to rehearse or cut demos; a place to hang out and listen to music and meet people that might one day change your life."

Meanwhile, Tim Wheeler says the following about the project:

"I think this is a fantastic, long-overdue idea for Belfast...The music scene in Belfast needs a hub like this. As a musician from Northern Ireland I remember how difficult it was starting out. Finding places to play and meet like-minded musicians was incredibly hard. We had no idea how to get the attention of record labels, our options seemed very limited in Northern Ireland at the time. Luckily for us we got a breakthrough, a contact in London and got a record deal over there."

Sounds pretty good, eh?

*Read our review of Ash's brilliant show @ The Annex back in October, here!*

MP3: Ash - Meltdown

Charlotte's Out Of The Ashes And Into The Blue

Do you guys and gals remember Charlotte Hatherley from Ash? She was the beautiful guitarist and background vocalist who left the band a few years back. Her and Tim made 2 of the prettiest frontpeople in Britrock...

Well, she is just about set to release her sophomore (did anyone know she had a debut?) solo album The Deep Blue, in March. NME also claims that she will preface the album with a fan-only EP featuring new single 'Behave' amongst other tracks, including an exclusive remix. A UK tour is in the works for next February.

Website/MySpace

Is it just me or does she sound a lot like Juliana Hatfield? Either way, I'm itching to hear the full album!

MP3: Ash - A Life Less Ordinary (live)

Ash @ The Annex: Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant

Ash played a not-so-secret midnight show last night at The Annex. Oh, and they sounded fucking amazing, totally at the top of their game. The 10-song set opened with 1977-fave 'Lose Control' and closed with one of their biggest hits to date, 'Burn Baby Burn'.


The crowd of rowdy Brits made for a great turnout and incomparable energy. The open Southern Comfort bar helped as well.

The new songs that Ash tore though are more Meltdown-esque than any of the other albums. By this I mean, they are full-on assaults. Sitting 'Orpheus' next to newbie 'Roulette' was not a far cry whatsoever.


Of course, probably the biggest cheers of the night were awarded to 'Girl From Mars' and 'Kung Fu'. During 'Kung Fu', it felt like the floor was going to collapse. I've never seen so many smiling faces frantically jumping up and down at The Annex before.


The boys in Ash were feeling the love too. Truly, this was one of the strongest sets I've seen then perform out of the half dozen times or so that I've seen 'em. Kudos! And thank the lord that this time they didn't have to OPEN FOR THE BRAVERY!




Thank you Ash. Welcome to NYC!

Oh, setlist:

Ash Working 12 Hour Days To Complete Next Album

"We've been flying through stuff - averaging a song a day, or a day and a half." Wheeler refused to disclose their ideas for the album title, but did reveal a new direction for one of the tracks. "There's a song called 'Saskia' which we wanted to have a cold Eastern European kind of feel. So we were listening to a lot of the Bowie records that he did with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti."

Wheeler also explained how the band managed as a three-piece at a recent comeback gig. "I wasn't worried about the older songs, but there were a couple of recent ones that we weren't sure about. The stuff off 'Meltdown' sounds really cool as a three-piece - it has that extra space."

The band have been spending around 12 hours a day in the studio, and hope to release the album next May. (via NME)

As if you didn't already know, FREE ASH SHOW THIS THURSDAY @ MIDNIGHT @ THE ANNEX, GET THERE EARLY!!!

Free ASH Show Next Thursday!

Mark from Ash wanted me to pass this info to you.

This is gonna be amazing!