To mark the 45th anniversary of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, ‘sheet fave Steve Collender has done another movie re-edit, this time as a video for an underappreciated post-hardcore tune.
Sez Steve:
“The 1971 classic recut as a concept video, where the chocolate factory is a fantasy in Charlie’s head.”
Meanwhile, on Funeral for a Friend’s somehow still-inhabited social media (having broke up earlier this year)…
02. The album, Do You Think You’re Clever?, has since been released, and was accompanied by a spate of Irish gigs that culminated in an appearance at last week’s Body and Soul festival.
03. Streaming above is the band’s newest video clip, for single Another One of You. Projected visuals by Colm O’Herlihy.
Funeral Suits – New single and upcoming Whelan’s gig
What you may need to know…
01. Dublin four-piece Funeral Suits offer up an artsy, electronica-inflected take on indie.
02. Making their home on Dublin indie label Model Citizen, the band have been plugging away for the past few years, gaining notice with 2012 full-length Lily of the Valley.
03. Streaming above is the video for new single The Way Back. Directed by James Fitzgerald, the clip was released last week, alongside the song’s official streams and downloads.
Verdict: One of the better-primed candidates for a bigger stage in Irish music, it certainly seems as though such ambitions are being carried in tunes the size of The Way Back.
zhOra – heading to Wacken, helping launch new metal night in Cork
What you may need to know…
01. Sludgy, progressive metal emerges from the Premier County in the form of beardy four-piece zhOra.
02. Formed in 2011, the band quickly set about getting on metal bills around the country, currying favourable comparison with the likes of Mastodon in reviews. 2012’s EP Feet Nailed to the Ground was a glimpse at some promising heft.
03. Streaming above in its entirety is the band’s last release, 2013’s Almaz. Mastered by the standard-bearer of stupidly heavy tones, James Plotkin (Khanate, OLD). 2014’s live set at the Siege of Limerick was also committed to ones and zeroes, and is available for free download here.
04. The boys recently won the annual W:O:A Metal Battle, pipping several other Irish metal outfits to a slot at the world’s biggest metal festival, Wacken Open Air. As a warm-up, the lads are taking to Cork’s UrbanJungle on July 9th, headlining the debut edition of Welcome to the Jungle, a new monthly metal night.
Verdict: A well-deserved step onto a bigger stage for the Tipperary heftmongers. Here’s hoping it leads to further new material in due course.
The Hip-Neck Blues Collective – farewell gig in Limerick tonight
What you may need to know…
01. Hip-hop with a live blues/folk tinge was the order of the day for Limerick five-piece The Hip-Neck Blues Collective.
02. Forming in 2011, the band quickly garnering followings in their respective genres in Ireland, and sharing stages with Scroobius Pip, B.Dolan, DJ Woody and Sneaky Soundsystem, amid gigging around Ireland and various radio session appearances.
03. Streaming above are the band’s sole EP, Millie, released in 2012, and the following year’s Bill Murray video, directed by Shane Serrano.
Girl Band – new single ahead of Pitchfork Fest appearance
What you may need to know…
01. Taut, noisy and perpetually bothered, Dublin four-piece Girl Band have ascended quickly from the ranks of the Irish DIY scene and onto the world stage of independent music.
02. Debut full-length Holding Hands With Jamie came in last year on a wave of momentum generated by relentless touring, and a string of singles & EPs. It’s received massive critical acclaim, including the affections of The Guardian, among others.
03. Streaming above is the newly-released video for single In Plastic, directed by the band’s longtime visual collaborator Bob Gallagher. A tad more focused than the band’s trademark surrealism, it still manages to take potshots at Trump-era paranoia. In Plastic releases on limited 7″ July 8th via Rough Trade.
04. The single releases ahead of the band’s appearance at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival on the 16th of July. Stateside readers might take note that the band also appears with GREYS at Baby’s All RIght in Brooklyn, New York on the 14th.
Verdict: You can love them or hate them, and they do tend to divide opinion almost effortlessly, there’s nothing quite like them. Absolutely white-hot live, also.
01. Manchester-based Gavin Murray has lost none of his accent, judging by his recent output as ambient-electronic troubadour Trick Mist.
02. Last year saw the release of debut EP Jars in Rows, completely written, performed, mixed and recorded by Murray himself over the course of six months.
03. Streaming above is the video for single Crumbs Abound. Directed by Graham Patterson, it places a full living-room in the bogs of Connemara with which to create a thinkpiece.
04. Coming up next: a visit home, with a gig on Saturday in Dublin at Whelan’s, alongside fellow expat Video Blue and Dublin’s Participant.
01. Galway hardcore/post-metal outfit Ilenkus have blazed a trail around Ireland’s metal scene over the past few years.
02. Second album The Crossing, released in September 2014, came in for adoration from national and international genre press, with no less than Terrorizer mag describing the five-piece’s live show as “truly captivating”.
03. Streaming above is the video for Over the Fire, Under the Smoke, which eagle-eyed observers will remember briefly went viral. Filmed all in one shot, it sees vocalist Chris Brennan shred his vocal chords on the streets of the band’s hometown.
04. The band emerges from hibernation with an appearance at Knockanstockan fest, July 22nd-24th. Here’s hoping it’s an airing of new material.
Verdict: An innovative and focused force in Irish metal, if not in the overall Irish independent music sphere, and a must-see live proposition.