Category Archives: Music

Every kind of sound imaginable.

13606450_10206494781670272_3154480478402577154_n

Rory Francis O’Brien – playing Cork County Hall for Culture Night

What you may need to know…

01. The name may ring a bell for lapsed observers of Irish noisemaking – Rory O’Brien, of Kerry post-rockers Ten Past Seven, has been continuously active during that band’s hiatus.

02. These days he flies solo under his full name, singing off-kilter balladry and observations, and as Dancing Bears, a project bringing together ambient acoustic work and béalcheol. He’s also been busy with nine-headed metal nightmare Kawtiks and the annual Dragon of Shandon parade every Hallowe’en on Cork’s northside.

03. Streaming above in its entirety is 2013 cassette release The Eve of the Ides of March, recorded live in Cork’s Fred Zeppelin’s and featuring electrickery from fellow Leeside experimentalist James Fortune.

04. Performing next at Cork County Hall in Bishopstown on the 16th of September for Culture Night, alongside Crevice.

Verdict: A veteran of independent Irish music that continues to forge his own path, in his own time.

Rory Francis O’Brien

13043768_613733632108491_5626396302682975458_n

Joey Gavin – releasing debut single Run

What you may need to know…

01. Artsy, psychy pop is the new forte of Dublin-based Joey Gavin and his band. Eagle-eyed observers might recognise him as low-end wrecker for noise-poppers THUMPER.

02. Run is the first single from Gavin’s second E.P., a move away from his folkier solo leanings, and features backup from, among others, Alan Dooley of math-rockers Yonen.

03. Streaming above, accompanied by that rarest of beasts these days, a B-side. The Hunt fleshes out Gavin’s folk streak in low-key, full-band fashion. Available now digitally via Dublin-based indie-label cornerstone Little L Records.

04. Playing Electric Picnic this weekend, on Saturday at 5pm, on the Ranch stage at Trailer Park.

Verdict: Contrasting sides, one of concise pop movement, the other of more lush, introverted musings. An exciting preview of an upcoming EP that should help establish Gavin as one to watch.

Joey Gavin

TitleScreen4

Tapt – Donegal-developed and published rhythm game

What you may need to know…

01. Because not all musical endeavour involves bands and artists, presented for your consideration: Tapt, an Irish-developed rhythm game for iOS.

02. Developed and self-published by Donegal man Stephen Coyle, the game focuses on rhythm rather than melody, unlike a lot of similar endeavours, and encourages attention to detail in listening to said tunes.

03. Streaming above is a playthrough of the first stage by French mobile-game YouTuber First Stage, demonstrating its capabilities.

04. Get it at the App Store, and check the various expansion packs. Every purchase helps fund Coyle’s development of an educational edition of the app.

VERDICT: An interesting concept that should rightly help a lot of people with the basics of rhythm, and provide a satisfying puzzle-game experience on the way.

Tapt

All Irish music tech/app-related projects welcome to submit to the column, please, to the usual email address. No charge.

13247959_1219842391370090_995644865742925861_o

Participant – playing Hard Working Class Heroes festival.

What you may need to know…

01. Participant is the nom-de-plume of Co. Dublin ambient/indie singer-composer Stephen Tierney.

02. Releasing debut E.P. Bit Slow in 2014, the Irish gigging/festival grind and accolades from the Irish music press swiftly followed. Last year saw the release of sophomore extended-player Content.

03. Streaming above is Leave Me Here, released back in March of this year.

04. Participant is among those lined up for Hard Working Class Heroes this October, from the 6th to the 8th, across various Dublin venues.

VERDICT: The most admirable aspect of Participant’s brittle, gentle sonic sensibilities is the discipline and effort into maintaining such minimalism. Such care rich reaps rewards for those that bear with it.

Participant

Naoise Roo

Naoise Roo – Playing Galway and Hard Working Class Heroes fest

What you may need to know…

01. Dubliner Naoise Roo’s star has been on the ascendant, with a heavyweight voice to bear heavy subject matter.

02. Debut long-player Lilith released last year on bespoke tape label Little L Records, and quickly established herself and her band, going on to share bills with the likes of Elastic Sleep, and circumnavigating the Irish festival scene.

03. Streaming above is the bare-bones, single-shot video for For You, taken from Lilith.

04. On September 24th, Naoise and outfit take on Galway’s Roisin Dubh as the first date of her upcoming #WHORETOUR in support of upcoming single Whore. Support from Irish DIY-music cornerstone (and featured photographer) Laura Sheeran. She also plays Hard Working Class Heroes fest, October 6th-8th across Dublin.

VERDICT: From a diminutive frame emerges a preternaturally sultry vocal and prodigious presence, given a gently menacing alt-rock undercurrent by an equally accomplished group of collaborators.

Naoise Roo

14038_826577020718489_5065509864325536482_n

JAFARIS – Performing at Hard Working Class Heroes

What you may need to know…

01. The Dubliner formerly known as ProFound has been making waves in Irish hip-hop in recent times.

02. Seemingly oozing with a new confidence since changing his pseudonym, Jafaris is no slouch outside the sphere of hip-hop and spoken word, appearing in Sing Street and writing scripts in his own right. Accompanying Hare Squead on tour and navigating the Irish festival grind has fine-honed his live presence.

03. Streaming above is the video for Lucid, released last month, and shot/edited by Gorilla and collaborators.

04. Confirmed for Hard Working Class Heroes fest, happening in Dublin from October 6th-8th.

Verdict: Spacey, psychey beats underpin lyrics and honesty reminiscent of early-2000s UK hip-hop. A compelling prospect.

JAFARIS

11988512_1163181067030480_8917658348220008745_n

Exiles – confirmed for Hard Working Class Heroes

What you may need to know.

01. Hop into your red Ferrari with your girl, and cruise into an unending neon night with Exiles‘ super-polished synth-pop reverie.

02. Hailing from Carlow/Kilkenny, the trio takes direct influence from the full spectrum of eighties pop culture, from Hall & Oates, to the Lethal Weapon II soundtrack.

03. Streaming above is the outfit’s debut single, Red Lights, available now, and the leadoff track for their debut E.P. of the same name.

04. Appearing live at Hard Working Class Heroes fest, October 6-8, in Dublin. For more info, go here.

Verdict: Pristine pop from the South-East, via LA in the ’80s. Grin-inducing stuff.

Exiles

12771760_799432046827958_7300123101903299011_o

Tuath – confirmed for Hard Working Class Heroes

What you may need to know…

01. Psychedelia/shoegazing, genre-upsetting noises as Gaeilge from Donegal, you say? These might be your lads.

02. Tuath are a collective of musicians that revolves around singer Robert Mulhern and saxophonist Ashley Mobasser, formed in July 2014, and slowly garnering adoring looks across the media room from the likes of Louderthanwar and An Taobh Tuathail.

03. Streaming in its entirety above is the band’s debut EP, Existence is Futile, released this past June, via Bandcamp.

04. The band has just been confirmed for Hard Working Class Heroes festival in Dublin, running from October 6th-8th. For more on the line-up and venues, click here.

Verdict: An odyssey of sound and texture that feels at once fresh and challenging, while peppered with just enough points of reference throughout to reward a broad palette.

TUATH

unnamed

OST – New single from Limrock soloist’s third album

What you may need to know…

01. Artist and musician Shane Harrington’s OST project continues his ongoing observations of life in New York City, and his own internal monologues.

02. After moving to New York from Limerick in 2011, Harrington released debut album Invisible Ink for Sketching Ghosts the following year, and followed up with last year’s drone-inflected Dreams During Hibernation full-length.

03. Streaming above is new single Homeless, the first from album #3, Uncaused, releasing September 19 on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp. Pre-orders available now.

04. Harrington relates some of his experience with collaboration on this record:

“Guitars, bass, sequencers, synths, organ, engineering and mixing were all handled by myself. This contributed to the lengthy time it took to finish the album. Drums were played by Zoe Black, a homeless (at the time of recording) percussionist from Japan, who has since left New York.

“She was living out of a suitcase near Tompkins Square park when I met her and I feel she has elevated the songs with her unique jazz-influenced style. The final track contains a field recording of her singing with a gospel choir in Prospect Park. I do not know the name of the song, nor do I know what became of her.”

Verdict: Doing away with sampling completely has entirely changed Harrington’s trajectory, resulting in bare-bones, jazzy, post-rock excursions like this. This record could be one of the year’s sleeper faves.

OST

13466520_1838155249741794_4295219883683749319_n

Generic People – Cork audiovisual collective now curating a stage at Electric Picnic

What you may need to know…

01. Ant, Ronin and collaborators are the ever-evolving, media-agnostic group known as Generic People.

02. Beginning life as a collaborative electronic project, the group has expanded from production, DJing and playlisting, to live open improv performances, to large-scale visuals and multimedia installations, including the recent large-scale projections of Maser’s Repeal the 8th logo in Cork City.

03. Streaming above is a preview of the band’s upcoming live album, recorded live at the Cork School of Music and filmed by local production house EPIC. The band have also put down a live 12-hour mixtape of dark disco and other deep cuts.

04. The collective presents Afterdark in the Hazel Wood, their first-ever curated stage, at Electric Picnic, a massive coup to say the least. Confirmed so far are Cathy Davey, We Lived In Cities, Jack O’Rourke, MKAI, Carried By Waves, Exit: Pursued by a Bear, Emmet Homebeat and Cork record-slinging legend Jim X Comet’s David Bowie Experience.

VERDICT: Platform and medium are no restriction for the ever-evolving Generic People, and given the opportunity to flourish on the biggest stage Irish music has to offer, you can guarantee something special.

Generic People