Its easier to open from the corner. Core: The interior is elegant in a downtown Manhattan way On My iPod Joey Tempest of Europes six-track mix Tuesday, September 29, 2009 metrolife 13 Today: Victoria Beckham judging American Idol The case for: Victoria Beckhams moment of becoming a major US star in her own right is finally here, courtesy of American Idol. She wont disappoint, as most are determined to hate her which will spark rubber-neck viewing. However, she does have her loveable traits: besides a wardrobe full of designer junk, Beckham owns a dry sense of humour, intelligence and some Spice on her CV to back up her relevance. No one is better placed to advise young pop tarts on how to propel mediocrity into the showbiz stratosphere. The womans worth 121million, so give her some credit, she must be doing something right. Andrei Harmsworth The case against: Shes the only Spice Girl never to have had a UK No.1, her one and only solo album flopped hell, we cant really place what her singing voice actually sounds like. As far as musical qualifications go, Idol she aint, which is why her presence as guest judge on the next series of American Idol a talent show, dont forget is about as appropriate as inviting Lee Ryan from Blue to host Mastermind. Worse still, rumour has it that she was wooden in her first recording. At least the show now has someone to teach the kids how to avoid falling a*** over tit in platform heels. Phew! Sharon Lougher Space Oddity by David Bowie This is the first single I ever bought. I was just a kid and I was amazed by it. I think the lyrics inadvertently helped me write The Final Countdown. I was intrigued by space early on. Bad Reputation by Thin Lizzy Everyone in the band listened to this when we first started out. Its got great attitude, just great, hard rock music. It inspired us. Hysteria by Muse Muse are one of my favourite English bands. They push the limits a lot. Hysteria has a great chorus and bass guitar riff that opens the song and just builds in a really exciting way. I went to see them at Wembley and the audience went nuts for it. Space Station No.5 by Montrose This track really started things off for me. It blew my mind when I first heard it. The singing is spontaneous and loose very good rocknroll singing. It comes from an underrated album and Sammy Hagar, of course, went on to be in Van Halen. Cochise by Audioslave Europe always put this on in the studio when we make a new album. We use it as a benchmark: this is exactly how good rocknroll should sound. Am I Wry? No by Mew Mew are a Danish band who are quite unknown to the general public. Theyre popular with musicians and artists but Im not sure theyve broken into the mainstream yet. If you get a chance, go to see them live. They play really original, sort of prog pop. Europes new album, Last Look At Eden (earMUSIC), is out now. RATED/SLATED Things that split us down the middle much enthusiasm in someone who spends a considerable part of each day thinking about cake. The lemon sorbet is, in fairness, okay but the drizzle of raspberry sauce is superfluous while her bog-standard vanilla ice-cream is dismissed with a flick of the wrist and a meh. East has much to recommend itself: the service is exactly as it should be and the dishes are mostly spot-on and moderately priced. Indeed, had desserts been up to scratch it would have merited a well- deserved four-stars. The bill for three came to 72. Daragh Reddin East Korean Grill, Crane Lane D2. Tel: (01) 764 5136. GIG Howe Gelb It isnt everyday you get to share breathing space with a songwriter who has not only inspired a legion of (often more acclaimed) artists but also spawned his very own genre. Howe Gelb is one such musician as a footloose young songwriter in Tucson, Arizona, he struck upon the revolutionary idea of combining country and rocknroll influences, thereby creating the mash-up that became known as alt.country. Youll find a little bit of his DNA in southern-fried rockers as widely flung as Wilco, Calexico, Neko Case and Ryan Adams (nearly all of whom are friends and collaborators of Gelbs). In one of those ironic twists all too common in the music industry, he himself remains largely an underground figure. Whilst his solo output and work with the band Giant Sand are adored by a cultish following, hes never quite made the transition to the mainstream. Not that he seems terribly bothered by this. A true original, Gelb continues to chart his own course, releasing records that are, by turns, deeply affecting and endlessly eccentric (in the past two years alone, hes put out four albums). Throughout his topsy-turvy career, the only constants are that sandpaper growl and the shiver-inducing way he strums his guitar. Eamon de Paor Tonight, Whelans, 25 Wexford Street D2, 8pm, 20. Tel: (01) 478 0766. www.howegelb.com new ART REVIEW Ghosts Of The Future Shape-shifting structures make for a fascinating spatial odyssey in Brendan Earleys first solo show at Mothers Tankstation. Drawing heavily on 1950s aesthetics, Ghosts Of The Future begins in the front gallery, which has been painted a grey-green, reminiscent of military offices. Black marker pen drawings of mutating space-age architecture, enhanced by areas of dcoupage, adorn the walls. Each structure is rendered in short, refined pen strokes, the assorted gradients of pigment lending an almost glassy, reflective quality as if the barren landscape is sun-bleached. Underscoring the science field trip vibe is the installation piece, 9 Reports, that incorporates an old U-matic tape machine playing a recording of JG Ballards short story, Reports From An Unidentified Space Station, read by artist and theorist Brian ODoherty; we hear entries from a captains log offering observations on a metamorphosing and unsupervised space station which seems to echo Earleys drawings. The narrative is aided by a hypnotic video of stars shooting through space. Elsewhere, a concave, angular sculpture on castors (half time capsule, half fallen satellite) may be in the process of being remodelled or, alternatively, dismantled. Alongside is Chart Of A Space No.2, a spectacular, large-scale pen drawing whose painstakingly layered marks on paper resemble seismographic lines. Lucy White Until Oct 31, Mothers Tankstation, 41-43 Watling St, Ushers Island D8, Thu to Sat noon to 6pm, free. Tel: (01) 671 7654. www.motherstankstation.com Just when we thought the term gourmet food market had gone the way of 100 per cent mortgages, the Ranelagh Village Market suggests that shoppers (well, those on the southside at least) are still prepared to treat themselves. Located just opposite the Luas stop, the Ranelagh Village Food And Craft Market boasts a food hall, arts & crafts area and hot-food cabins in two landscaped gardens. Participating retailers include Nicks Organic Coffee Company, Suhas Falafels, Blazing Salads, Cows Lane Co- Op, The National Print Museum and many others. Theres also a play area and limited parking. Main Street, Ranelagh D6, Thu 10am to 7pm, Fri to Sun, 10am to 6pm. www.irishvillagemarkets.com TRY THIS Ranelagh Village Food & Craft Market Net Result What Weve Found Online www.mixcloud.com: Mixcloud is trying to do something different in the way that we listen to Internet radio. Frustrated by how hard it was to discover and promote radio online, the developers of the site set out to make Mixcloud the radio equivalent of YouTube, acting as a platform for on-demand radio shows containing both music and talk. With more than 1,000 content partners and presenters, the site has been growing in popularity since its beta release a year ago and, although it currently focuses more on dance (current highlights include mixes by Radioclit and DJ Herve, pictured), it is expanding to cover more genres. Well worth bookmarking. www.shortology.com: Got something to say? Then get straight to the point with this opinion-based site that cuts out the waffle. Opinions are posted on the site in no more than seven bullet points, helping to reach the right audience easier and faster, whether its a political or artistic statement. http://thounds.com: Thounds wants to make it easier for musicians and singers to record and collaborate across the globe. Users can record their ideas and theyll be stored online so the artist can then share it with other users, who can contribute their own ideas. Anthony Gibson index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html