Tag Archives: pop

rorynellis

Rory NellisBelfast solo folkishness

What you may need to know…

01. When not garnering loving glances from the Irish music press, Belfast singer-songwriter Rory Nellis is also the frontman of Belfast indie lads Seven Summits.

02. Having debuted formally with 2014 extended-player The Moon, Nellis’ solo run kicked off in earnest in 2015 with crowdfunded long-player Ready For You Now.

03. Streaming above is Nellis’ new single Casual Discrimination, an earthy riposte to the hardening of empathy in the current climate. Also available for free download.

04. It’s taken from upcoming solo record There Are Enough Songs in the World, releasing in November of this year.

Thoughts: A grand, uke-flecked piece of indie-friendly folk pop that sets the tone nicely for Nellis’ next long-player.

Rory Nellis

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CatacombsCork pop outfit call it a day

What you may need to know…

01. Promising Cork psych/gaze/pop outfit Catacombs called time on their brief run last week via social media, after a year’s absence from live activity.

02. They’d been steadily gigging around Leeside, around the smaller venues, sharing stages with lo-fi pop outfits like No Monster Club and HAGS, among others.

03. Streaming above is last single Glow, thrown up on YouTube as a parting shot.

04. For those of you fond of nineties-esque jangles and fuzz, their handful of demos and singles are available here.

Thoughts: A warm note to finish on, erring on the homelier side of indie/pop as opposed to getting lost in reverb and awash with psychedelia.

Catacombs

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The Winter PassingTipperary post-hardcore

What you may need to know…

01. Post-hardcore, indie, emo, and so forth: signifiers seem to make less difference to Tipp outfit The Winter Passing and their pristine pop as time goes on.

02. Having paid their dues over the past five years with endless Irish and UK touring, solo and in support of touring acts, the band last year released their debut album A Different Space of Mind.

03. Streaming above is the band’s new single, Significance, coming from the band’s upcoming E.P. Double Exposure, releasing through Big Scary Monsters in the U.K. in April.

04. Says guitarist Rob Flynn to DIY Magazine on the E.P.:

”This record is a lot more personal than any of our previous work. The songs touch on mental health and well-being themes, a central point being the anxiety caused by stability and instability in your life and dealing with your ability to ‘be ok’. This time the writing is more personal to each of us individually, and from a new stand-point in each other’s lives in comparison to ‘A Different Space of Mind’.”

Thoughts: Strident yet sensitive. Inspiring in its honesty, The Winter Passing’s perseverance is reaping its just reward.

The Winter Passing

Talos by Brendan Canty lowres

Talosmuch-fancied electro-pop Corkman announces debut album

What you may need to know…

01. Last we heard from Talos in this column, Eoin French and collaborators were unveiling a debut extended-player after an enviable run of electronic pop singles.

02. Following a wait of years, extensive touring and some stunning visuals, his debut album Wild Alee has been confirmed for release on April 21st.

03. Streaming above is the lyric video for the album’s lead-off single Odyssey, released last Friday. In case you missed it, etc.

04. A full Irish tour has been announced for April-June in support of the long-player, including dates in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Waterford, Kilkenny, Dundalk, and Leap. Full listings here.

Thoughts: Astounding electronic music from an artist and his collaborators that have been ready for bigger things for a long time.

Talos

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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

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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

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Milky Teeth – Cork indie/pop solo endeavours

What you may need to know…

01. Milky Teeth is the solo nom-de-chords of Cork musician Robbie Barron.

02. Self-recorded and mixed by the man himself, the project keeps him ticking over inbetween stints with The Shaker Hymn and John Blek & The Rats.

03. Streaming above is the found-footage video for new single Sleepiness & Weary Wit, a taster of a planned full-length.

04. Available for free/pay-what-you want download at the project’s Bandcamp.

Thoughts: Not far removed from either of his musical day-jobs, yet distinct in its own right as a slice of hazy guitar-pop.

Milky Teeth

Elk

Elkpop/hardcore/punk from Cork

What you may need to know…

01. Returning from a prolonged hiatus are Leeside live faves of the mid-late aughts, pop/heft outfit Elk.

02. Releasing debut album We Should Start Our Own Gang in early 2009, the lads went quiet shortly thereafter, re-emerging live periodically, including for the launch of a split 7″ single with Crayonsmith in 2011. It’s been a busy few years, with the boys keeping the fires burning in, offhand, No Spill Blood, Hands Up Who Wants to Die, All Tvvins and Guilty Optics.

03. That long-player of theirs is streaming above, and available for free download via Bandcamp.

04. Elk return on Saturday night at Tivoli Backstage in Dublin, supporting GUILTY OPTICS alongside Ten Past Seven. Ridiculous lineup.

Thoughts: Straightforward pop lurches into dreamy sounds, lurches back out into heft and distortion. Something for everyone, and a welcome return.

Elk

Ganglions

Ganglionsmath-pop-punk with a Cork accent via Sheffield

What you may need to know…

01. Based in Sheffield, but sporting a pronounced Cork accent via vocalist Eimear O’Donovan, as well as drummery from Clonakilty man Brian Scally, Ganglions’ crossovers of pop, punk and math-rock make for a busy noise.

02. Eagle-eyed Irish music observers may remember O’Donovan from her time with Cork pop band KVX, and her memorable contributions to Bantum’s first album, on singles Oh My Days, and alongside Owensie on Roll Pt. 2.

03. Streaming above is the band’s self-released debut E.P., FETCH!, put out in February of last year and available for streaming and download.

04. The band plays Quarter Block Party, on the first weekend of February. Time and venue to be confirmed on release of the festival’s brochure. This follows their Irish debut at Cork’s Fred Zeppelin’s in December, in support of Terriers.

Thoughts: Bright, bristling, surfy, tappy, intricate, high-energy power.

Ganglions

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SillkString-laden alt-folk from Cork

What you may need to know…

01. Sillk are a Leeside three-piece, and while at their heart a folk band, exhibit noirish/chamber-pop tendencies in places, due mainly to a dense undercarriage of cello and violin in their tunes.

02. The band’s debut E.P. Time is a Clock, recorded by Elastic Sleep/African Fiction man Chris Somers, releases this week on CD and digital download.

03. Streaming above is the video new single Switchblades Don’t Sleep, taken from the extended-player, directed by Eadaoin O’Donoghue and shot by Enrique Carcinero.

04. Launching tomorrow night at the Village Hall venue on Patrick’s Quay, Cork at 8.30. More info here.

Thoughts: A dichotomy of light-hearted play and heavy subject matter, balanced, bearing a wide, irreverent grin.

Sillk