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MP3 The Mighty Stef - Death Threats - EP
4 MP3 Songs in this album (18:33) !
Related styles: FOLK: Folk-Rock, ROCK: Rock & Roll
People who are interested in Tom Waits The Dubliners The Pogues should consider this download.
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EP Review: The Mighty Stef - Death Threats [Drop-D Magazine]
2008-05-23
Artist: The Mighty Stef
Source: Paul Murphy
The Mighty Stef is bridging the gap between his 2006 debut The Sins of Sainte Catherine and his, as yet, unrecorded follow up album with a four song EP called Death Threats. The EP is full of Stef’s familiar and unique folk-blues sound and dark storytelling vocals. The EP begins with the swinging tempo on the title track Death Threats with Stef’s storytelling building to the climactic emotional chorus: “Death comes crawling all the while/But I’m lost in my baby’s smile/And I’m gonna love that girl ‘til the day that I die.” As Stef sings “Hey! Hi! Diddeleeai and out goes she” on his version of the trad song The Mero, legendary Ronnie Drew lends his voice to come in “skipping rope still turning/children at their play/in and out of Clarendon Street/in and out to pray”. Dave King and Bridget Regan, members of trad-punk band Flogging Molly also appear on the track. Where the Nightmares Begin is the type of song an old man will stand up at closing time, in a pub, and sing with everyone around him listening intently. “In the city of sin/Where the nightmares begin/At the first light of the day/’Cause this town’s no more for the living/This town’s so unforgiving”. This slow modern ballad has the feel of a classic trad song and will imprint itself on the heart of any Irish music fan that hears it. The EP closes with the jazzy Romantic Ireland is Dead and Gone. The song begins with a free time piano before Stef strums in on his guitar, singing about coming of age and listening to The Clash. The song is a lament for the good old days. It tells the story of Ireland losing its culture and soul and now “to the shillings we are slaves”. Written at a time when Stef felt his own soul and culture were gone, The Mighty Stef uses Ireland as a whole to describe his own dark moments. The Mighty Stef’s EP Death Threats is out this Saturday 24th May on The Firstborn Is Dead Recordings The Mighty Stef will play an acoustic set in Road Records, Dublin at 2pm on Saturday to launch the EP
The Mighty Stef - Death Threats EP [ Hotpress Magazine]
The Mighty Stef''s latest effort is a collection of old-fashioned country laments infused throughout with the spirit of Dublin. And although clearly its steeped in both American and Irish roots music, its nonetheless entrenched in the 21st century with references to Luas stops, gangland violence and ''the gargle'' abounding. ''The Mero'' a collaboration with Ronnie Drew and US-Irish punks Flogging Molly is a delight - A Raw compelling and fiercely traditional piece of Irish storytelling, while the lazy sway of ''Romantic Ireland Is Dead And Gone'' recalls another irsih great Van Morrison. A fine offering from an underappreciated gem.
The Mighty Stef - Death Threats EP [State Magazine]
Stef moves away from The Sins of Sainte Catherine material into more swaggering, blues-country for the title track and it’s the best song he’s done so far. Horns, violins, shimmering guitar and Stef’s sturdy vocal delivery turn this into a rollicking dusty bar number. Tellingly, Stef is joined by some legends on the second track - Ronnie Drew and Flogging Molly for a rendition of the folk song ‘The Mero’. It’s a great mix of old and new voices colliding in a sing-song style. ‘Where the Nightmares Begin’ is a piano-led slow-burner while ‘Romantic Ireland is Dead and Gone’, inspired by some classic Irish graffiti which finishes ‘..It lies with Tupac in the Grave’, finds Stef reminiscing about his past and extholing the virtues of the Clash over piano and harmonica. It’s a step in a quieter direction for Stef and the current incarnation in the evolution of a talented Irish artist.
Interview: The Mighty Stef
[Drop-D Magazine]
2008-05-21
Artist: The Mighty Stef
Source: Paul Murphy
Come With Us To The Mighty Stef The Mighty Stef, celebrated for the storytelling nature of his songs and his passionate live shows, takes time out of his busy gigging schedule to talk to Drop-d about his forthcoming EP Death Threats, working with Ronnie Drew and the rare occasion of supporting Alice Cooper. Drop-d: You’ve been playing a lot of gigs recently, just back from a US tour, now your heading to the UK and Denmark before coming back to promote the new EP. How are the show’s going? The Mighty Stef: They’re going fantastically lately, since preparation for going to the States I had to readjust the band a bit. I have three new members in, two of my older, long serving, members left before the tour because of personal commitments that meant they couldn’t come away. So I borrowed three members from another Dublin Band called The Last Tycoons. I’ve been enjoying playing with them; it’s kind of bred a little bit of new life into myself, so the gigs have been going good. Drop-d: You’ve been compared to the likes of Nick Cave and Tom Waits in the storytelling technique employed in your song writing. Do you model yourself on anyone? The Mighty Stef: I don’t really model myself on anyone. But I would take any comparisons to the likes of Nick Cave or Tom Waits as a compliment, even if I wouldn’t 100% concur. I wouldn’t have an ego big enough to compare myself to either of those people; they are definitely two people that have influenced me. I wouldn’t say I model myself on anyone because I listen to far too much other music as well Drop-d: What else are you listening to at the moment? The Mighty Stef: I’ve been listening to Exile on Main St by the Rolling Stones over and over again for the last while. Did a couple of gigs at the weekend with Jonathan Richman so I was listening to a bit of his stuff coming up to that and I’ve been playing the shit out of Lust for Life by Iggy Pop. Just random stuff really, you don’t have to be loyal to any particular artist with an iPod, you can just flick around, it’s like watching telly. Drop-d: Your new EP Death Threats is the follow up to your debut album The Sins of Sainte Catherine. Why did you choose to release an EP and not record a full album? The Mighty Stef: Well, basically I have a full-length album more or less written and I plan to go into the studio within the next month. The reason I’m putting out a four song EP is just to bridge the gap between now and the time I’ll have the album finished and ready to release. It’s just that I think I’ve gone quite a long while without putting out a second album, so I just wanted to put out something to buy me a little bit of time and goodwill from the people that are interested in picking up my stuff. Basically, I had four songs that sit well together so I said why not do an EP? I like the idea of it. There’s plenty of new material, I just haven’t gone in and recorded it yet but that’s coming soon. Drop-d: You worked with Ronnie Drew and members of Flogging Molly for your version of the traditional song The Mero, what was it like to work with them? The Mighty Stef: It was really, really good. I was very star-struck when Ronnie Drew walked into the room despite the fact that he was barely recognisable, to his usual self, because he’s undergoing chemotherapy at the moment. To be honest he didn’t look in good shape but he worked hard on the day. I was really thankful that he put so much work and effort into it; he did an absolutely great job. His part of the song turned out amazing, everyone I’ve played it to have been really impressed. It was an absolute treat. Dave [King] and Bridget [Regan] from Flogging Molly I knew previously from touring with them last year in the States. They were great and just as star struck to be recording with Ronnie Drew as I was. It was a nice time and a day I wont forget in a hurry. Drop-d: Romantic Ireland is Dead and Gone is a lamenting song on the EP for the old days. Do you really feel that Ireland has lost its culture and soul? The Mighty Stef: When I wrote that song it was at a point where I felt that I was losing my culture and soul to a degree. It’s quite a personal song that I use Ireland as a whole to describe how I was feeling about myself at the time. When you reach a certain age you always have your dark moments, where you think that the whole world is going to shit, that was just one of those moments for me. Drop-d: Do you write your songs on a hugely personal level or do you create characters to fit in with a storyline? The Mighty Stef: I go to both extremes. I write very careful songs and I then write songs that are complete fiction as well. Some artists do either one or the other, but for me, personally I think it’s important for me to be able to do both because my life isn’t interesting enough to be able to write stories about myself all the time. Drop-d: I’m sure a few people would argue with you on that The Mighty Stef: I’m sure they would but I’d argue back. Drop-d: Finally, did you really support Alice Cooper, what was that like? The Mighty Stef: Yeah I did really support Alice Cooper. I was sitting out in a mate of mine’s back garden one Friday afternoon and somebody from MCD called asking would I support Alice Cooper. It wasn’t even with the band it was just me and an acoustic guitar, it was an extremely bizarre experience. I was standing in front of this huge elaborate stage set that Alice Copper had built for his tour with an acoustic guitar and loads of aging bikers looking at me with their jaws around their knees. After a song or two I think people saw the funny side of some guy with an acoustic guitar going up before Alice Cooper. It was a bit daunting. MCD left a lot of beer in the dressing room because I think somebody thought it was a full band so the few drinks beforehand helped me kind of loosen up a bit.
THE MIGHTY STEF TELLS IT LIKE IT IS [IRISH INDEPENDENT]
By DANIEL MCCONNELL
Sunday May 25 2008
WITH its provocative title, Death Threats, the latest release from The Mighty Stef is a brutal and deeply personal account of the grubby underbelly of life in certain parts of Dublin.
Recounting several attacks he has suffered himself while growing up in the inner city, the cult Irish singer pulls no punches when he laments what has happened here.
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Stef (or Stefan Murphy as he was born) said: "Every city has its problems, but it seems more organised and calculated and a lot worse here now, there''s a constant element of fear. I don''t want people, though, to take this so seriously. It''s just my take on the way things are here."
Included on the EP release is the track Romantic Ireland Is Dead And Gone (it lays with 2Pac In The Grave), a bold track which lashes out at Ireland''s "money-hungry scumbags" and on which Stef laments the "glory years" of his youth. The only difference is that the O''Leary he talks about is David O''Leary and his penalty success for Ireland in Italy 1990.
"That''s a track which is about suddenly realising that the way things are here at the moment and how seriously people take themselves is all b****cks."
Since he began with his debut album, The Sins Of Saint Catherine, he has become something of a cult hero in Ireland''s fragile music scene.
He is looked after by former Pogue''s manager Frank Murray and has teamed up with a new band this year, comprising two members of the Last Tycoons.
The band just recently finished an extensive tour of the US, playing support to leading Irish American band Flogging Molly, which was a massive boost for Stef and his troops.
"Doing the tour was amazing, because unlike here the venues of 2,000-3,000 a night were full when we went on stage.
"We had worked hard and we''re on form but the reaction was unbelievable."
Stef readily admits that his sardonic take on modern Dublin life is not everyone''s cup of tea and is worried that people may be put off by its dark tones.
"I worry that the EP might be heard as a prophecy of doom, but anyone with half a brain must realise that if we don''t slow down we''re in trouble."
The Mighty Stef''s Death Threats is on sale now.
- DANIEL MCCONNELL
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