Tag Archives: Ireland

Extra Fox

Extra Fox – Lunar Float

Here’s what you may need to know…

01. Extra Fox is the nom-de-plume of Dubliner Neil Adams, formerly of many outfits, most notably the at-one-time much-fancied The Cast of Cheers.

02. Last week saw the release via Soundcloud of new single Lunar Float (streaming above), a beatsy track that plays with acoustic strings, handclaps, and an array of synths in looping, building fashion.

03. The project had its live debut last year, with support slots for fellow Cast of Cheers spinoff All Tvvins and Dublin outfit Sleep Thieves occurring after a string of singles going up on his Soundcloud.

04. It’s a tad more restrained than previous single Palm of Gold, mastered by Mati Schwarz (All Tvvins among others), an upbeat piece that marries a definite pop sensibility with biting vintage synth sounds.

Verdict: There’s much here to love for fans of electronica and Adams’ previous projects, but also taps into a rich vein of pop sensibility, providing further intrigue for math-rock nerds and casual listeners alike.

Extra Fox

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The Vincent(s) – Aleister

Here’s what you may need to know…

01. Cork-based “death-pop” ensemble The Vincent(s) this week unveiled the video for new single Aleister, from upcoming full-length Death to the Vincent(s).

02. It’s a more immediate and raw sound than we’ve heard from the band, off the back of previous singles Opium Den Song and Song for the Sea.

03. The latter of those two was given a ridiculously fuzzy, doomy remix by Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols, who’s said to have remarked that the band “the sickest and most totally believable heavy rock motherfuckers ever” after a set at Sea Sessions a few years back. As you do.

04. They play Tricky McGarrigle’s in Sligo tonight, Cyprus Avenue in Cork tomorrow night, and the Roisín Dubh in Galway on Thursday night in support of the new video and upcoming new material.

Verdict: These lads have been slogging away for the past few years, and it’s starting to work out, with last year seeing high-profile support slots emerging from hard touring. Expect to hear more from this crowd this year.

The Vincent(s)

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My Tribe Your Tribe – Garden Song

What you may need to know…

01. Kildare alt-rockers My Tribe Your Tribe have just released new single Garden Song this past week, ahead of an upcoming 4-track EP this May.

02. The trio had a busy 2015, with festival appearances all over the country, including Other Voices, Electric Picnic’s Body & Soul stage, Hard Working Class Heroes, and others.

03. Garden Song is a move into more indie/alt-inflected territory, following a 2015 of synth-informed singles. It’s also a tad bit more of a mover than big, sweeping pop tunes like Ghost With You.

04. They’re playing the Sin É in Dubland tomorrow night in a free show, ahead of a run of single-launch shows around the country: Thursday March 3 at Monroe’s in Galway; Saturday March 12 at the Village Pump in Rathangan, Co. Kildare; and Sunday, March 13 at the Crane Lane Theatre in Cork.

Verdict:  Slowly demonstrating an ever-increasing range of influences and reference points, My Tribe Your Tribe are ones to watch for fans of the greater indie-&-alternative oeuvre.

My Tribe Your Tribe


For the weekend that’s in it.

Saturday, February 16, 1974.

When the quarterback style toss into the line-out was the done thing.

Edmund Van Esbeck, writing in the Irish Times said:

Ireland’s total of 26 points was the highest yet recoded against England at any venue by an Irish side.

John Pullin was warm in his tribute to Ireland after the game: “the Irish pack is definitely in the veteran class and tired a little towards the end, but they are still a formidable proposition for any opposition.”

Previously: Cabbage Patch Kids

Retro Rugby on Broadsheet.ie

Video: Associated Press

 

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The Great Balloon Race – Chocolate Beans

What you may need to know…

01. Hailing from Cork, where they’ve been active for the past few years with various line-ups, psychedelia/folk four-piece The Great Balloon Race head in a more blissed-out, jazzy direction with new single Chocolate Beans.

02. Following on from 2012’s Cardboard album and last year’s Daryl and John single, it’s available now, for free/pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp, and free download from Soundcloud.

03. An accompanying video,  above, was directed by Cork film-maker and photographer Blair Alexander Massie. This is their second collaboration, having worked on the live performance video for Daryl and John.

04. The band are launching Chocolate Beans at legendary venue Connolly’s of Leap this Sunday, with support from promising Cork noisy/synthy unit The Barchester Chronicles. Doors at 9pm, €10 in.

Verdict: Part of a small but vital clutch of bands that comprises Cork’s psych-rock (and related ephemera) scene, The Great Balloon Race have been one of the city’s best-kept secrets of the past few years. Here’s hoping it doesn’t stay that way much longer.

The Great Balloon Race

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Slow Skies – Winter Night

What you may need to know…

01. A gentle piano ballad that brings the best out of the cool, breathy voice of Karen Sheridan, a.k.a. Slow Skies, Winter Night released last week on Dubland-based Paper Trail Records.

02. Working with producer Conal Herron, whom she met while studying music in London, the pair have struck up a working relationship on previous singles that continues here, contrasting a strong voice over delicate keys and strings.

03. Says herself: “Winter Night is about trying to capture a place in time or feeling you once had and wanting to hold on to it, not wanting to move on from it. It’s that feeling you have where you wish you could go back in time and just be in that moment or feeling again. It comes from a place of longing”

04. The single follows a busy 2015, including working closely with Cork audiovisual stable/label Feel Good Lost on live appearances in Ireland and Iceland.

Verdict: A spine-chilling piece of sparse, stark folk that’s an early contender for Irish end-of-year singles lists. Beautiful.

Slow Skies

solarbears

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Solar Bears – Wild Flowers

What you may need to know…

01. Released a week or two ago by Rob da Bank’s independent label Sunday Best, Wild Flowers marks the return after a three-year hiatus of Dublin/Wicklow electronica duo Solar Bears.

02. Comprised of Rian Trench and John Kowalski, the duo have previously been signed to the  Planet Mu label, with publishing through legendary electronic label Warp. They’re currently preparing their third full-length, Advancement, due on Friday March 18.

03. The Wild Flowers vid was directed by Michael Robinson, who’s previously done promos for Bibio, The Go! Team, and Ronika.

04. To make up for their extended live absence, and to prepare for said upcoming LP, the lads have recorded a fantastic live set of nearly an hour’s worth of new material, for Boiler Room’s Upfront sessions. Stream and download it for free.

Verdict: Simply put: welcome back, Solar Bears. We’ve missed you. Now hurry on and get the new LP out.

Solar Bears

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Sounds Of A System Breakdown – Punishing Love

What you may need to know

01. London-resident Dublander Rob Costello, alongside collaborators Ed Costello and Richy Kelly, form the live electronic collective known as Sounds of System Breakdown. Rather than do the whole static laptop-and-beardstroking bit, the band exist in the physical space, swapping instruments and generally giving it socks.

02. They’re somewhat of a veteran outfit by now, together/active in some form since 2008. New EP Punishing Love (title track streaming above) is their first release since August 2014’s Giving Up single, also included on the EP. Vinyl pops and clicks pockmark a steady mover of a tune, strong beats underpinning a stark yet layered soundscape.

03. The video was directed by the good folk at FailSafe Films, and has a novel twist on the whole “dancer in video” trope – it was filmed at a Strictly Come Dancing night at St. Patrick’s GFC, in Lordship, Co. Louth. It follows Jade and Christopher’s quest to bring home first prize, a beautifully-realised look at small-town life, teamwork, and developing partnerships.

04. No announced live dates in support of the EP just yet, but, oh, look: it’s out on limited edition 12″ vinyl. Get that here. It’s also up on iTunes and Bandcamp for download, and on Spotify for those so inclined.

Verdict: Much to be loved here by fans of electronic, indie, ambient and post-rock. A multifaceted outfit showcases a multifaceted sound.

Sounds of System Breakdown

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Slow Riot – post-punk from Limerick.

What you may need to know…

01. Emerging from Limrock‘s fertile musical underbelly, post-punk trio Slow Riot arrive with equal measures of atmosphere and songsmithery, wrapped up in sparse, yet tense production.

02. New single T R O P H Y W I F E is currently doing the radio rounds, but is as of yet unavailable for online consumption, so here’s their Cathedral EP from October of last year. T R O P H Y W I F E releases April 15th via Straight Lines Are Fine (and we’ll have it in this post as soon as it becomes available).

03. Both the EP and the upcoming single were produced by Kevin Vanbergen (The Pixies, The Maccabees, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The La’s, Biffy Clyro) at the helm. Some heavyweight company to keep, to say the least. On top of this, the EP was recorded in the Manic Street Preachers’ Faster studio in Cardiff.

04. Opening for Girls’ Names in Dolan’s on February 27th, they’ve had a good run in 2016 already, touring with synth-poppers I <3 The Monster Hero, and being named one of State Mag’s 16 for ’16.

Verdict: The new single’s a good ‘un, adding to what you hear above with a good dose of rhythmic, propulsive sensibilities. Keep an ear out for these lads. If they can maintain this momentum, there’s surely big things on the horizon.

Slow Riot

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September Girls – Love No One

What you may need to know…

01. Dublin-based shoegaze/psychedelia specialists take off the gloves with upcoming album Age of Indignation: bolstering their increasingly raw, garagey sound, the five-piece tackle everything from feminism, to religion, to Irish life as we know it at present. Heavyweight stuff, to say the very least.

02. Named for a Big Star song, the band came together in 2011, and immediately proceeded on a number of single and split releases via various labels, before settling with UK indie pillar Fortuna POP! for debut album Cursing the Sea. The band signed with Brooklyn indie label Kanine Records for their subsequent Veneer EP, co-released with Fortuna.

03. The British press are all over the quintet. From the Guardian and the Sunday Times, to the NME and the sadly-departed The Fly, praise was everywhere for their debut LP. Time magazine, no less, deigned them among the 11 best new bands in the world in 2014. Lofty expectations to exceed a second time around, especially off the back of appearances at SXSW and Liverpool Psych Fest.

04. Jaw on the Floor, inspired both by the 1916 Rising and early feminism in Ireland, features the album’s only big vocal cameo: Oliver Ackermann, of the equally excellent A Place to Bury Strangers.

05. The album, released April 8 and followed by an upcoming Irish tour, continues in this vein, taking aim at social media, modernity and the legacy of the Catholic church in Ireland. Love No-One (above), deals with narcissism in the modern day.

Verdict: Their upward trajectory has been frightening, and they look set to provide the tempestuous, confrontational agit-pop that our generation has been sorely lacking, hopefully opening up as many conversations about the issues at hand in Ireland as their reverbed-up, boxcutter noise.

September Girls