James Vincent McMorrow – I Should Go
Tinseltown in the sun.
In this puckish satire on our self-obsessed age, an aspiring actor (Ezra Ewen) prepares for an audition in Hollywood…
This video for James Vincent McMorrow’s new single was directed by David Helman.
Nick says: Ezra goes to Hollywood.
JAPE – We Threw A Dead Thing Overboard
The lord of the ring.
Jape aka Richie Egan commissioned eight different filmmakers to create a video for each song on his Sentinel album. The final promo (above) was shot by Gar O’Rourke and tells the tale of a young boxer with the eye of the tiger.
Nick says: It’s a knock-out.
Hilary Bow – Don’t See Any Lines
Cork singer/songwriter Hilary Bow teamed up with Liam O’Maonlai in June to record this song for World Rufugee Day.
Now Cormac Porter has made a state-of-the-art video animation (above) that amplifies the message welcoming asylum seekers to these shores.
Nick says: Take a Bow.
Sons Of Southern Ulster – Polaris
The stars of the County Cavan.
David Meagher and Justin Kelly aka Sons Of Southern Ulster have put the border county on the map with their “punky space-folk”.
This video by Nicky Fennell is for a song from their second album Sinners And Lost Souls (top).
Nick says: Stars in their eyes.
James Shannon – Cross Faded
Everybody was kung fu fighting.
Welcome to the very entertaining new video by Dublin rapper James Shannon.
Cross Faded is the second single from the album The Night Before The Morning After.
James says:
“Set in 1970s Dublin, it tells the story of James Shannon as himself, in a feud with a gang of Kung Fu fighting pimps. (Video director) Cuan DeBúrca plays the lead Pimp and sends Jaysuz Hernandez, played by Dante Canale, to take care of Shannon.
“But the final fight scene reveals a twist as James Shannon breaks out his secret Kung Fu skills and fights off the pimps before himself and Bingo on the bike, played by Ciarán McGrath, walk victoriously into the sunset.”
Nick says: Oscars all round.
My Sweet Beloved – Infernal Fires
Smokin’.
There’s a palpable sense of foreboding about this new single from gothic rock four-piece My Sweet Beloved.
Ex-Skindive singer Danielle Harrison Byrne (top right) provides suitably atmospheric vocals to match guitarist (top right) Derek Byrne’s heavy chords.
Danielle also directed the video.
Look out for their self-titled debut album.
Nick says: Hell’s bells.
Bobbi Arlo – Breathe
And relax.
With her new single ‘Signs‘ just released, we thought we’d rewind to Bobbi Arlo’s last single ‘Breathe’ whose video (expertly edited by Kelly Evans) was made during the first lockdown in Spring “as a means of taking people’s minds off all things anxiety driven”.
Nick says: Go Arlo!
Bullet Girl – Concrete Bed
Noise punk’s not dead.
It’s alive and kicking thanks to Dublin desperados Bullet Girl who up the ante with their new single.
Guitarist Dylan Keenan directed the memorable video:
“My main vision while directing was to create a hypnotic, almost disorientating, experience to match the ferocious nature of the track. We shot the black and white sequences with (singer) Aaron in some of the most dilapidated areas of Dublin.
“He is purposely brought in and out of focus as I wanted him to almost blend into his surroundings. The song is about Dublin City, and so our aim as a band was to feature it as a character of its own in the video.”
Nick says: Bullet the grey sky.
Thom Southern – Shivers
Power pop, anyone?
Influenced by My Bloody Valentine and Beck, Belfast’s Thom Southern (top) recalls the heyday of 1990s indie rock with his debut single.
Thom says:
“Shivers is the concept of love feeling like a drug, a sensation of being outside one’s own body, floating and observing oneself from a different perspective. I wanted to embody this meaning within a dense sounding track, to mainly focus on one swollen guitar sound which never stops throughout and accompany that with repetitive beatnotic drums.”
Nick says: Southern comfort.
God Knows featuring Hazey Haze – Mup I Said
Hazey shade of autumn.
Limerick rapper God Knows returns with another single from his Who’s Asking? EP Vol. 2 with special guest Hazey Haze in tow.
God Knows says:
“Mup I Said (“come up, I said”) is a call to action. It’s an observation of how things change as time moves forward. Some of the people that I started this journey with have settled down and discovered new dreams, some have deferred them, some like myself and my peers are still on job. Mup means ‘it’s not over til it’s over’. Don’t give up on yourself. Come up.”
Nick says: Straight outta Limerick.
