Hailing from Donegal, singer/songwriter Dean Maywood has been picking up a bit of support in the past year, supporting artists like The 4 of Us and Gareth Dunlop amongst many others. His latest single is "Jane", which should act as a solid introduction to his style of music. It's a song that could be best described as alt-country, taking inspiration from artists such as John Prine or Neil Young. It's quite a sparse sounding track, allowing Maywood's heart-on-the-sleeve style of songwriting to take centre stage.
"Jane" is taken from his debut E.P, which is due for release in May.
The first time I came across the name of the band Bokito, I automatically assumed they were Japanese. I saw their name on the website for The Great Escape, and based on my incredibly rudimentary knowledge of the syllable structure of the Japanese language, assumed that was where they were from.
However, it turns out that I am wrong, as Bokito are in fact based in London, with their lead singer hailing from Kilkenny. In fact, I am now even less sure that bokito is in fact a Japanese word still in use. I've found a dictionary that seems to suggest that it's an onomatopoeic word for the snapping of fingers or a radish. However, as that dictionary dates from 1892, I cannot be sure if it is still in use in contemporary Japan. If you know better than me as to whether that is indeed the case, please let me know, for I am genuinely curious.
But back to Bokito the band. They describe their sound as a "tropical indie", which straight away means you're likely to get instant Vampire Weekend comparisons. "Better At Getting Worse" is the first track to come across our radar, and it's a decent introduction to the band, filled with organ sounds , unconventional Afro-beat rhythms, and vocals that sound surprisingly close to those of Marcus Mumford. It sounds like they'd be great fun to see live, which hopefully we'll get the chance to do at The Great Escape in May, now than I know who they are.
When I went to The Great Escape Festival in Brighton in 2014, one of the greatest discoveries that I made was not a band nor a song who were in attendance at the festival, but a group that had disbanded approximately ten years earlier. I was at the Japanese showcase during the festival (the same showcase where I witnessed the incredibly weird Buffalo Daughter in person), when I heard this wonderful shoegaze track bursting out of the speakers which completely overwhelmed me. After a short bit of DJ-bothering, I learned the track in question was "Playstar Vista", a song by Japanese band Supercar -
There were many things that struck me about that song, aside from how ruddy fantastic it was. One thing that I thought was interesting that given that it came out in 2000, it was released almost an equal distance away both from the original shoegaze scene of the early 90s and the nu-gaze revival that really got going in the late 00s, and its sound seems to come off almost like a "missing link" between the two.
But the other thing that's notable about the song is that it is sung in Japanese, it took me quite a few listens of the song for me to realise this, yet this didn't impede my enjoyment of the music (as I've alluded to before, despite my love of Japanese culture, my knowledge of the language is very limited). I guess this is one of the great things about the shoegaze genre - because the voice is treated almost like another instrument, the words themselves aren't as important, rather the feelings that they convey.
This leads me nicely onto another shoegaze band that I've recently come across, Tuath. The Donegal band's sound is very much in the mold of the My Bloody Valentine-esque shoegazers of yore (albeit with added saxophone), but what sets them apart from other bands of the same ilk is that across many of their songs, they sing completely in Irish. Once again, my knowledge of Irish is very basic at best. I can count to 20 in the language, I can say "Dia dhuit" and I know what a buscar bruscar is, but that's about it. Yet in spite of this, I was completely captivated by the sound of the band on songs such as "Uisce Uisce Read All About It" (which is part of a free E.P the group released last year) -
It is usually said that English is the universal language of music. However, if there was one genre that I would say is the most universal, it would be shoegaze. There's not many genres where the singer can perform in a language that is completely alien to the listener, still convey so much meaning and emotion. And it's bands like Supercar and Tuath that remind us of this fact.
For a more recent song by Tuath, here's their cover/remix of "Casting Shadows Over The Sun" by Shammin Delly -
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.
All Tvvins* is the project of Conor Adams and Lar Kaye, who over the past few years have been individually involved in a number of Irish bands, the most prominent being The Cast of Cheers and Adebisi Shank. Following a year building up their reputation, including a slot supporting Arcade Fire, the band signed to Warner Music, dropped their first single on us a few weeks back, picking up a lot of love in the intervening period.
And if you've heard "Thank You", then it should come as no surprise, as it's an absolutely fantastic song. Channelling the '80s rock-but-updated' template that brought The War On Drugs to international success last year, "Thank You" is a driven, stadium ready anthem-in-waiting filled with more than enough hooks to please even the most masochistic Cenobite.
"Thank You" has all the hallmarks of the first sign of All Tvvins' inevitable super stardom. With major label backing, and more tunes in their arsenal like this, they are going to be an insatiable prospect over the next year.
"Thank You" is available to download/stream now.
*pronounced "All Twins", because as Alvvays taught us, w's are so post-Latin.
If there's one thing us Irish seem to be excelling at in recent times, it's a knack for what I'd like to call epic folk, as demonstrated by bands like PØRTS in the north and In Their Thousands in the south. Now we've got another name to add to that list, in the form of Kerry based 4-piece Fallings. The track that has really got us excited is the wonderful "I Saw Ghosts", which we imagine will similarly excite fans of the aforementioned bands. The arrangement of the song starts off incredibly sparse, before building up in a crescendo into a thunderous, anthemic wall of noise. It does remind us a little bit of "Heaven" by Bryan Adams in parts, but we won't hold that against them.
The band's debut E.P, "Hide. Fight. Fall. Unite", is due to be released soon.
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-Inis 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.
Q. How does The Metaphorical Boat like its electronica served?
A. Warm. Warm and human.
And we have just been well and truly satiated, thanks to Wicklow based trio Tell No Foxx. They have already picked up lots of love after the release of their debut E.P over the summer, and to coincide with their upcoming performance Hard Working Class Heroes, they have just released a brand new single. "Fusillade"* is built upon a landscape of dark and moody electronica and beats, yet upon its foundations lies a depth of warmth thanks to its subtle guitar and thoroughly human vocals. Turn down Bastille's pop-meter three or four notches and you get a sense of what to expect with Tell No Foxx.
"Fusillade" is due to appear on the band's second E.P, which is due for release in January. They play The Button Factory in Dublin on Saturday 4th of October for this year‘s Hard Working Class Heroes Festival.
*Fusillade means a quick succession of shots fired - we love it when bands help us to learn new words.
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.
It feels a bit redundant taking the time to write about the following song, given that the above cover image tells you exactly what it's sounds like, without you needing to read a single word. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.
To date, Wexford instrumental trio Adebisi Shankhave two well respected albums to their name. With a third just around the corner, they have released the first single to be culled from it, the triumphant sounding "Big Unit", which is as epic as epic can get. How epic is epic? It is as epic as beating Mount Etna in a Queensbury Rules boxing bout. It is as epic as swimming to the bottom of Challenger Deep with just a snorkel, then having a picnic when you get there. It is as epic as riding a Great White Shark on the planet Neptune, having already trained said shark to hum the theme tune for Knight Rider. That is to say, it's a ruddy epic song indeed.
"Big Unit" is taken from the album "This is the Third Album of a band Called Adebisi Shank", which is released on August 12th.
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.
It's not usual for TMB to feature two bands from Limerick in the space of a week, but sometimes that's the way the metaphorical cookie crumbles. Five-piece electro band Silent Noise Parade already have one album under their belts, and as the band gear up for #2 later in the year, they have just released a brand new single, "Fears".
In the past week, "Fears" has picked up more than its fair share of love on the Irish blogosphere, which should come as no surprise, as it's a pretty great tune. The song is a dark and glacial, yet catchy electronic song characterised by a forceful yet memorable synth riff. It calls to mind a little bit of Prides in terms of its structure, but oddly enough also sounds a little bit like a more synthetically focused Linkin Park as well.
Silent Noise Parade's début album didn't really excite us when it came out last year, but if they can keep up the quality they've shown on "Fears", them number 2 is going to be rather exciting indeed.
"Fears" is available to download from reputable music download stores.
It has been over a year since first being introduced to Limerick based 4-piece Moscow Metro* through their wonderful debut double-A side containing the tracks "Spirit of a City" and "Cosmos" for free, which sounded near perfect in spite of the band only being together for a few months at the time of recording. Now fast-forward 12 months, and as a result of the initial love for the band, they are releasing their first E.P, "Spirit of a City".
Unsurprisingly, the E.P kicks off with the title track, and as we said last year, the song is a "mid tempo anthemic rock number in the mode of The Killers or The National,tailor made for multi-seated stadiums and for closing festival proceedings", and 12 months onwards, we stick firmly by that appraisal. The second track "Future Fades" shares a similar musical DNA, and is just as enjoyable. In fact, you can pinpoint the exact moment when the audience will go mental when this one is played live - it's at 1:35 in.
"Headlights" is a more subdued, shoegaze-y track, with the guitars turned down ever so slightly and the percussion slightly more purposeful, one that fans of Jesus & Mary Chain might get excited by. "Where It All Ends", the 'official' closing track** is similarly subdued, although it erupts into something magical by its end, a little bit of joy beneath the darkness that has gone before it.
"Spirit of a City" deserves to be the release that introduces Moscow Metro to a swarm of new fans. Last year, we said that they should be your new favourite band. 12 months on, we stand by that assessment. If you like your punk a little past the post, your guitars loud, and your darkness as anthemic as possible, then "Spirit of a City" is the release you have craved all these years.
"Spirit of a City" is available to purchase as of today.
*Written as M O S C O W M E T R O, but for the sake of my thumbs and space bar (given that it's highly likely we will be featuring this band again on numerous occasions), I will refrain from typing it in this way.
**The wonderful "Cosmos" has been left as a hidden track, presumably because its sound wouldn't flow in the context of the E.P. This is a shame, as I feel it's their strongest song. Oh well, one can hope that its hidden nature means that they'll have big plans for it further on down the line.
Two of Ireland's finest indie-pop acts, windings and Land Lovers, have come together to release a joint album. In anticipation of its release, the groups have released a split double A-side single to give us a taste of what to expect.
Limerick band windings, who already have a Meteor Choice nomination under their belt, as well as impressing at last year's Glasgowbury Festival, offer up "Neverwood", which is a fun track, as well one of the few tracks released this year that is likely to feature a Theremin solo.
Dublin band Land Lovers offer us "Vittima di Cucina", which is a sub 2-minute tune that sounds like a heady mixture of Velvet Crush, They Might Be Giants & Shonen Knife, sounding like they've been eating nothing but Haribo for a week before recording this track.
"Neverwood/Vittima di Cucina" are available to download now. The joint album "windings/Land Lovers" will be released on February 28th.
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.
It's been nearly two years since witnessing Limerick band Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters playing a blinding set at the 2012 Glasgowbury Festival to an unfortunately meager crowd. But the group haven't been without their successes, with their debut album "The Devil In Music" picking up critical praise and getting music featured in a an advert for Becks (the alcohol, not the singer, nor the footballer).
Fast forward to 2014, and the band have shortened their name to just Fox Jaw, and are gearing up to release their sophomore album "Ghost's Parade". Before that though they've got a new single out, "Kerosene". The song itself is a sinister blues-rock tune very much in the mold of Tom Waits (albeit with a less whisky-soaked singer). The music video, which has already picked up quite a few fans, lightens the tone slightly, taking the form of an affectionate pastiche to THAT scene from Reservoir Dogs.
"Kerosene" will be released on February 28th, as a download and limited edition 7" vinyl.
Dublin band The Boxing Plothave 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).
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 Noiseappear 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.
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.
You've really got to admire a band in which the vocals really feel like an instrument in its own right, which is exactly the case in "Holy Venus" by Cork based trio San Chateaux. The song combines elements of Sigur Rós and The Delays with a smattering of Irish folk to create a song that is simultaneously ethereal and down-to-earth at the same time. And the vocals - well it might be difficult to make out what is being sung, but given its fragile beauty, they could be singing about buying milk from the corner shop and it would still be engaging.
"Holy Venus" will feature on San Chateux's self-titled E.P, which is released on May 27th.
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