Tag Archives: alternative

grounds_1500x1000

GROUNDSIrish blood, English situation

What you may need to know…

01. Loud, Limrocker-fronted noises, based in London. That’s Grounds, properly weighty rock ‘n’ roll in the mid-’00s Brit post-hardcore vein.

02. Having assembled mid-last year, the band has been slowly making their way around their city’s gig scene, garnering adoring eyes from local media and UK rock blogs in the process.

03. Streaming above is the video for debut single Stutter, available for streaming and download over at their Bandcamp.

04. No word on any flights home for live dates, which needs rectifying, but London-based readers can catch them on a stacked punk gig at Luna on April 30th.

THOUGHTS: Noisy and unpretentious, with a fair amount of heft in those tones. Grand.

GROUNDS

16473222_1084001568392959_1302879960924936534_n

Farah ElleDublin singer/songwriter/pianist

What you may need to know…

01. Farah El Neihum, a.k.a. Farah Elle, is an alt-pop songwriter living and working in Dubland, with a Libyan background.

02. Graduating from BIMM in Dublin, Farah Elle kicked off in earnest in 2015. Debut single So Scarlet was followed by last year’s single Silk, and attendant critical acclaim. Also recently appeared on Bantum‘s Move album, on standout track Feel it Out.

03. Streaming above is Curfew, taken from her appearance at the December installment of Sofar Sounds in Dublin, alongside backing vocalists Cat Smyth and Fiona Harte.

04. Appearing at the 50th-episode special of Headstuff.org’s No Encore podcast, happening at the Workman’s Club on the 2nd of March. Also on the bill: We Cut Corners, Bantum and Windings performing live, and guest appearances from Michael Pope (Le Galaxie) and MayKay (Other Voices/Fight Like Apes).

Thoughts: Ridiculously talented, and with her whole career/body of work ahead of her, it’s surely only a matter of time before Farah Elle hits upon bigger things.

Farah Elle

Photo: Tara Thomas

16508267_1147293568702776_8163337852357638208_n

Bitch FalconDublin grunge/alternative trio

What you may need to know…

01. Aiding the seeming Irish alt-rock revival along are power trio Bitch Falcon.

02. Last we checked in with the band, they’d premiered single Clutch via Nialler9, since released on all digital outlets.

03. Streaming above is the video for same, released yesterday. Directed by Spiceburger, it plays on the band’s indomitable stage presence in a skewed take on the performance vid.

04. The band are going on a full national tour to support the new single, including dates in Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Portlaoise, Leap, Dublin and Castlebar. Full itinerary in the pic above..

Thoughts: A bold visual, accompanying a band kicking off the grunge shackles and tearing into something noisier and more grandiose.

Bitch Falcon

Neon-Atlas-Graffiti-Reality-colour

Neon Atlasindie-poppers preparing third full-length

What you may need to know…

01. Neon Atlas are an indie/alternative/pop power-trio from Cork City.

02. Emerging in the early part of the decade, the band released debut effort Absolute Magnitude in 2013, and followed up in 2015 with sophomore platter Graffiti Reality.

03. Streaming above is new single The Afterglow, released last night via Soundcloud and available for download from iTunes from March 2nd, ahead of the release later this year of their as-yet untitled third full-length.

04. A run of national touring to support the single begins on Saturday February 18th, with a hometown date at the Crane Lane Theatre.

Thoughts: Good, honest, indie-pop with that certain brightness that seems to be in the water in Cork-based guitar pop.

Neon Atlas

a3683656577_10

Gavin PriorBetween Breaths

Here’s what you may need to know…

1. Guitarist/producer/improv veteran Gavin Prior returns with latest solo LP All Who Wander, available now for preorder on Bandcamp via Deserted Village. Single Between Breaths is streaming in the widget above.

2. Currently of free jazz/metal lads Tarracóir and acapella group The Primal Barber Trio, he’s also been part of folk outfit United Bible Studies and improv group Murmansk.

3. Among the host of musicians he’s improvised live with are Can vocalist Damo Suzuki, world-renowned cellist Okkyung Lee, and London reductionist-school harpist Rhodri Davies.

4. Previous solo works The Avalon Suite (inspired by examples of second-language English while teaching in Korea), and Babbleon Cork (a series of field recordings completed while resident in Shandon’s Guesthouse) are now available for free download.

Verdict: A man with an extensive and intriguing body of work across original compositions, improvisation, and field recordings continues his journey.

Gavin Prior

11705349_1009737519078829_6721527068827083656_n

Come On Live LongFor The Birds

What you may need to know…

01. Luscious, luxuriant electronic-inflected stuff from Dublin four-piece Come On Live Long, in new single For The Birds.

02. Formed in 2011, and having run the gauntlet of Irish festivals as well as releasing a number of EPs and singles, the band’s currently gearing up for their second album Move As One, following on from 2013’s Everything Fall.

03.
Over at The Thin Air, the band have been chatsky about the album’s creative and recording processes, which see the band get together in a cottage in Co. Roscommon. They also premiered the vid yesterday, which can also be seen above.

04. The band launches For The Birds Saturday week at Dublin’s Unitarian Church. Tickets available here. Tickets €10, kickoff at 7.30.

Verdict: A tune that’s equally sultry and strident in different places, it sees the band refine its focus on its strong points, and makes the most of them.

Come On Live Long