Drop The Shadow - Other Voices

Drop The Shadow are a rock trio that hail from Dublin. Having released their debut single "Break The Fall" last year, they have now followed it up with "Other Voices". The song calls to mind the sound of early 90s American alt-rock, as well as the sound of more contemporary influences like Wolf Alice & Tame Impala.

The group have released a music video shot in Dublin, which features what is probably the only instance of a hair-metal hurling match in a music video (as far as we know, we haven't watched many KISS videos):



"Other Voices" is out now.

Outsider - Míol Mór Mara

This is a song that many of you will have known for a few weeks now, but is only now coming to our attention, mainly due to our aversion to football.

Outsider is the musical project of Dublin-based Sean Corcoran, whom we've come across on this blog before when he was involved with post-punk act Moscow Metro. Having recently signed to Warner Music, he released his first single "Míol Mór Mara", which is honking great slice of anthemic, driving rock in the style of The War on Drugs, or more close to home, Pleasure Beach.

The song has already built an audience through its inclusion on the soundtrack for FIFA 18, becoming the first song song in Irish to make it on the soundtrack to one of those games (the title of the song roughly translates to "sea whale", which is somewhat in keeping with the Biblical nature of the lyrics). It went over our heads because we haven't played a FIFA game for over 10 years, and let's be honest, FIFA will never match the soundtrackual brilliance that was FIFA 2000. I mean, Reel Big Fish, Gay Dad, Apollo 440 AND Robbie Williams in the same place? You can't get better than that.

Still, at least you know that FIFA 18 is in good hands with Outsider on the tracklist, and with such a global platform for his debut release, it could be the start of something rather special for him.

"Míol Mór Mara" is out now, with a rather great music video to boot as well.

Stop The Wheel - Shape Up

If you'll pardon the rather clumsy pun, the song "Shape Up" by Stop The Wheel really stopped us in our tracks when we heard it on Across The Line this week.

Stop The Wheel is the solo project of Francesco Candura, who was previously the guitarist in Italian psychedelic band Jennifer Gentle, and signed to Dublin based label Little Gem Records. The project is described as "R&B played at a campfire", and I don't think there's a better way to describe the sound of their debut single, "Shape Up".

The song is built around a simple acoustic guitar and handclap rhythm, which give a much earthier flow to the vocals than you might expect compared to the more electronically driven modern day R&B. However, the moment you truly realise that Stop The Wheel have something very special on their hands happens 1:39 into the song, when a wonderfully warm yet unnatural, higher pitched counter melody comes in, like something taken from the Alan Lomax field recordings, which juxtaposes the more harshly delivered main melody perfectly.

"Shape Up" is a wonderfully understated banger of a song, one that sounds like nothing else being recorded at the moment. Here's hoping that more people pick up on its unique sound.

"Shape Up" is taken from Stop The Wheel's debut E,P, "Too Old For This S***", which is released in May 20th.

Ivy Nations - The Mile Road

Some fine indie-rock appears to be the order of the day from Dublin 4-piece Ivy Nations. There's very little information about the band available on the internet outside of those minor tidbits - it appears the band seem to prefer to let the music do the talking at the moment. But if their debut single "The Mile Road" is anything to go by, then there's going to be lots of people who are happy enough to listen. It's a danceable rock tunes very much in the mold of Two Door Cinema Club or a little less jittery Everything Everything. It's a fine debut single, and a welcome introduction to a band who may be worth keeping your eyes on.

"The Mile Road" will be released on September 21st.

Line-In - The Life And Death of Terminus Abruptus

For the second day in a row, we're bringing our good readers some tasty Irish electronic music. Although unlike yesterday's tasty treat, this one's a little bit on the bonkers side.

Line-In is the project of Stephen Roddy, a Dublin based producer and sound engineer. He has just released the first instalment of a four part record based around Terminus Abruptus*, a fictitious* universal overlord. The first track from the release is a track called "The Life and Death of Terminus Abruptus", which gives you a bit of a taste of what to expect. It's a quirky, odd, heavy electronic instrumental which sounds like it's pitched somewhere in between Adebisi Shank and something you might find on the soundtrack of Streets of Rage. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but definitely worth your time if you're willing to give it a chance.

The first release in the series, "Overlord Pt. 1 - The Glorious Rise of Terminus Abruptus", is out now.


*which we are assuming translates as "abrupt stop". It's been over ten years since we took a Latin class. 

The Beau Motives - Let It All Go

Irish indie-rock trio The Beau Motives picked up a bit of interest earlier this following the release of their cover version of The Beloved's "Sweet Harmony". With a debut album already recorded and prepared to go, the group have just released their first official single, "Let It All Go". If you're a fan of Tori Amos, but wish she was a lot heavier and not as piano-y, then you may find something to like in this single.

"Let It All Go" will be released on October 13th.

Cloud Castle Lake - Sync

After hearing the first minute of "Sync", the first single from trio Cloud Castle Lake's debut E.P, I thought I'd written the corresponding review in my head that very moment. With the searing falsetto of Daniel McCauley, mixed with the atmospheric horn sections, it was monumentally clear -

Cloud Castle Lake are the Irish Sigúr Rós.

However, those crafty Dubliners obviously saw this coming, because after the first minute, the song changes tack completely, with the rhythms suddenly becoming more dance friendly, and the horns that had previously been atmospheric suddenly became triumphant and funky, all whilst still retaining the same earthy approach to the sound. As such, I had to amend my initial assessment slightly -

Cloud Castle Lake are the funky, Irish Sigúr Rós.

There. Problem solved. Now be sure to take a listen. I very much doubt you'll hear anything else like it today.

The debut E.P from Cloud Castle Lake, "Dandelion", will be released on September 22nd.

Slackers' Symphony - Episode in Denial

Cork born but Dublin based, "Episode in Denial" is the debut single from 5-piece electronic-inflected rockers Slackers' Symphony (who instantly get 10/10 for that gloriously demented band photo). The band's influences spread all the way from Pixies to Brian Wilson, by way of Talking Heads, although the band's somewhat rocky, yet slightly off-kilter sound probably bears more musical similarities to Manic Street Preachers than anyone else. It's a strong, yet powerful opening statement for the group, who may be worth keeping a beady eye on.

"Slackers' Symphony" is available to download now.

Codes - Astraea

Now here's a band that are making a very welcome return to our earholes. Dublin band Codes made a few ripples back in 2009 in Ireland following the release of their "Trees Dream In Algebra" album. They then relocated to London a few years later and re-released the album (including the fantastic lead single, "This Is Goodbye", but since then there has been little noise from them.

However, they're starting to emerge from the shadows once more. They played  at The Great Escape last month, and are finally ready to release their much delayed second album this year. The first track to be taken from it is "Astraea", a track which should please the convince and pique the interest of the curious. As is the band's style, the song mixes indie-rock with electronic bleeps, bloops and other assorted noodling. It's a little less hooky and a bit more intense than their sound of old, but at its heart is the same old Codes we know and love.

"Astraea" will be released on July 7th, with their album "AALTERS" to follow later in the year.

PictureHouse - Rules of Science

Don't we all love a great underdog story?

It's hard enough for new Irish acts who self-release their own material to get their music playlisted on Radio 2. But what about a band from Ireland who only had minor chart success in their home country in their prime, when you could make the top 30 with approximately 50 sales, never made the charts in the UK, and are releasing new music for over a decade? Nigh on impossible, right?

Well, don't tell that to recently reformed Dublin band PictureHouse. They were active in the late 90s/early 00s, with their highest charting single, "Everybody Loves My Girl", scaling the dizzy heights of #17 in the Irish Hit Parade. This week, the latest single from their most recent album, "Rules Of Science", found its way onto the playlist of Radio 2, the biggest radio station in the UK, seemingly against all odds. And listening to the song, it's not hard to hear why - it is perhaps the epitome of a Radio 2-friendly song. Had Take That released this piano-pop ditty when they reformed, it would have stayed lodged in the top 10 for weeks. Unfortunately, given how the singles charts skews towards songs that get airtime on Radio 1 rather than Radio 2, it is unlikely that PictureHouse will get their first UK chart hit. But who knows, its success could lead to the band reaching a new peak in their home country, and wouldn't that be a lovely surprise?

"Rules of Science" will be released on March 17th. It's taken from their album "Evolution", which is out now.

The Boxing Plot - Heidecker

Dublin band The Boxing Plot have already picked up a bit of a following down south, having played at the Hard Working Class Festival as well as picking up airplay from one of Ireland's best alternative radio stations, Phantom 105.2. They have started 2014 as they mean to go on by unleashing their latest single on the world, "Heidecker". Presumably taking its name from an American comedian (and not, as I first suspected, from the brand name of a power tool), the song can probably be best described as sounding like Editors with a much cheerier disposition. I mean honestly, could you imagine Tom Smith & co releasing a bean-tastic music video for any of their tunes? I think not.

"Heidecker" is available to download from all good music download sites (and a few bad ones as well, one imagines).

Girl Band - Lawman

Say what you like about Pitchfork (and most people do - see the hilarious Pitchfork Me Twitter feed), but no-one can doubt the effect that a feature on the website can do for emerging artists, particularly artists on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Would Girls Names have been the biggest Belfast band on the blogosphere if Pitchfork hadn't supported them from an early stage? Quite possibly, but it didn't do them any harm.

Which brings us to Dublin band Girl Band, whom we last mentioned on the blog just over a year ago. Earlier this week, they released the six minute track "Lawman", which received instant praise from some of our favourite blogs. By Thursday that praise extended as far as America, with musical juggernaut that is Pitchfork devoted several column inches to sing the praises of the band in a way that only Pitchfork can do. 

So is "Lawman" worth the praise it's receiving? If you've been a fan of their primal, sludgy sound in the past, then you'll not be disappointed, although it's an odd beast of a tune, with a bass line giving it more in line with Benny Benassi than of the Pixies. Call it a melodic drone, if you will. It's probably a smidgen too long at 6 minutes, but by the end of it you won't realise where the time has gone. 

"Lawman" is available as a free download, and is also available to buy as a limited edition 7" vinyl with a hand-stitched cover. 

Ethan's Bucket - Crown Me King

Very few people make their way into electro-rock via classical music, but that's exactly the route taken by Dublin native Ethan Kumar, who records under the name Ethan's Bucket. Having released an album of piano instrumentals back in 2012, he decided to change direction, experimenting with guitars and synths in an attempt to emulate The Naked & Famous. 

His first single in this new style, "Crown Me King", may not owe much sonically to those Kiwis, but it's still a rather great tune regardless. If you're a fan of the spacey, dreamy soundscapes of Maps, or the songs by Moby that he provides the lead vocals for, then you might just find something to love in Ethan's Bucket.

"Crown Me King" is available as a free download, and will feature on his upcoming album "Walk on Water".

Clockwork Noise - The Tourists

You just can't help but take notice of a band that describe themselves as "Nine Inch Nails playing Buddy Holly songs, with a string section." That is the sound that Irish 5-piece Clockwork Noise appear to be aiming for on their latest single "The Tourists". And although it might not exactly sound like that, it's still a rather great piece of music nonetheless.

The song sees Clockwork Noise making full use of quiet/loud dynamics, with the serene yet slightly menacing string arrangements during the first part of the song becoming slowly punctuated with moments of noise, before ending the song on a noisy, unexpectedly indie-poppy moment.

"The Tourists" is taken from the band's album "Whethermachines", which is out now.

Hudson Taylor - Care

Every now and again, I come across an artist that I mean to mention on the blog, but for some reason or another I don't get around to putting metaphorical pen to paper to write about them. Back in February, I caught Dublin duo Hudson Taylor supporting Jake Bugg in the Mandela Hall in Belfast. Having been informed beforehand that they sounded like "Mumford & Sons sans banjos" before seeing them, I was rather impressed by their stage presence and the reception to their set, getting the crowd singing along to their songs despite being relatively unknown. Although I promised myself to put something on the blog to spread the word about them, for various reasons, a post never materialized.

Not that they needed my support, of course. Since that gig, they have been signed to Polydor, supported The Rolling Stones* and built up an incredibly loyal following on YouTube. With a new E.P out next month, as well as a forthcoming UK headline tour, now is as good a time as ever to finally visit the group, and the track that should bring them to the next level.

From the sound of "Care" the lead track from their forthcoming E.P "Osea", it would seem that Hudson Taylor have picked up a few tips from supporting Monsieur Bugg, as it seems to have a similar vibe to his track "Broken". Whether or not it gets a string laden re-release produced by Rick Rubin a la that track remains to be seen, but regardless of that it's a great little track, complete with sumptuous harmonies, a laid back rhythm, and a chorus that just screams "playlist me, radio, please, please playlist me."

The "Osea" E.P will be released on October 13th.



 *Incidentally, that makes them the 3rd artist in as many weeks featured on The Metaphorical Boat to have supported that band. Jagger, Richards & co must have impeccable taste.

Meltybrains? - Intros Are So Original

You've really got to love a band who let you know exactly what you're setting yourself up for in their band name. This is most definitely the case with Irish 5-piece Meltybrains?. The quasi-mysterious group are one of a growing number of instrumental rock groups who are getting the island very excited indeed, and as their latest single, the rather sarcastically titled "Intros Are So Original" suggests, they have added their own spin on the form.

As its title suggests, "Intros Are So Original" seems to be inspired by the introductory tracks certain alternative artists' albums. Whilst it might be lazy to suggest that the song sounds like a mix between "Intro" and "Intro" by the xx and Foals respectively, borrowing the former's guitar sound and the latter's drum production, it is a decent starting point to describe what to expect. The group do expand beyond this base though, with the song adding some nifty electronics, as well as some expert fiddle playing that wouldn't sound  out of place on an Irish trad album.

So, will Meltybrains? um...melt your brain? Most definitely. But with instrumental-rock every bit as exciting as And So I Watch You From Afar or Maybeshewill, it will be a fun ride regardless.

"Intros Are So Original" is taken from their E.P "Attention! Now That We Have Your Attention", which will be released on May 20th as a limited edition t-shirt.

Sweet Jane - Witches

Since the release of their debut album "Sugar for My Soul" in 2010 and the live dates from around that time (including three nights supporting Suede), it's been all change for Dublin based band Sweet Jane. Their co-lead singer Lydia Des Dolles left the band, with Danda Paxton becoming the group's sole vocalist. The band also added brothers Neil & Conor to the line-up, giving the band a grand total of four Paxtons.

The change of line-up sees the band move away from the shoegaze-y sound of their first album into a more psychedelic rock format. The lead track from their most recent E.P, "Witches", is firmly in the rock camp, yet features prominent (synthesized) string segments throughout, making it sound like a cross between the rockier songs of Primal Scream and "Me Plus One" by Kasabian. I do wonder why they decided to keep the name Sweet Jane rather than go under a new moniker given the change in the band's sound and membership, but it's a rather nice song, regardless of its banner.

"Witches" is taken from the band's sophomore album "By the Ocean, By The Sea", which will be released on September 9th.

Gavin James - Carolina

This blog first became acquainted with Dublin based singer-songwriter Gavin James last year, after he played a short three song support slot in The Empire, Belfast for Duke Special. Despite being a virtual unknown, he charmed the crowd immensely, and even managing to get them singing along to his self-penned songs by the end. Since then, he has built up a great reputation in Ireland, gaining support slots with Ingrid Michelson and even winning the Meteor Choice Song of the Year award for "Say Hello".

Having won over his home country, Gavin James has set his sights of the United Kingdom, and with an upcoming tour as the main support for breakthrough Irish artist of the moment Kodaline, he should be able to delivery on his early promise. To mark the tour, he has released his first track to introduce him to the wider world, "Carolina."

Comparisons to Ed Sheeran are particular apt, given that both artists share a similar image and have a familiar sound. Gavin James has a much more powerful voice though, one which calls to mind some of Damien Rice's songs. "Carolina" has build upon the singer's early promise, and hopefully should pave the way for greater things yet to come.

Biggles Flys Again - Friends

Biggles Flys Again is the brainchild of Dublin based singer/songwriter Conor Deasy, which aims at creating enjoyable three minute pop gems. The first single taken from the album, "Friends", is a great example of this approach. The song is a piano-pop ditty about the value of friendship despite its various foibles and mishaps. It's a tune devoid of pretension and naval-gazing, yet filled with great charm and wit, which makes it such a joy to listen to.

"Friends" is taken from the album "Remember Saturday", which is released on March 30th, and is available as a free download.

Sounds of System Breakdown - Mayfly

I stumbled across Dublin trio Sounds of System Breakdown after they made the final shortlist considered for inclusion in Derry-Londonderry's Other Voices Showcase, alongside other acts like blog favourites Little Bear. Their latest single, "Mayfly", is a lovely electronic rock track, with a gorgeous understated chorus ("let's surface, so the weight of the world can hurt us"), and a quirky central guitar riff/synth interplay. The song calls to mind the songs of Two Door Cinema Club, Ladyhawke, and a little bit of Human League too.

"Mayfly" is taken from Sounds of System Breakdown's 2nd album, "Nomad", which will be released on 1st March.