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.

The Deadline Shakes - Boy

Glasgow quartet The Deadline Shakes have picked up a bit of support recently for their first two singles. They have received radio support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson, as well as being featured in various corners of the blogosphere. Now the band have lined up the release of their second official single, "Boy", which is a shiny little gem indeed.

"Boy" is a tune that straddles the lines between indie-rock, folk and power-pop, coming across like a mixture between The Leisure Society and Belle & Sebastian. With a pure sense of joyous wistfulness, as well as a great appreciation for a well-constructed wall of sound, The Deadline Shakes have a style that should find them great admires across the UK.

"Boy" will be released on March 18th.

Northern Ireland Tunes - Round-Up #10

Here is the first round-up of various tunes from Northern Ireland that have piqued my interest this month. As it's a new year, this is the first time that these artists have gained a mention on this blog, and hopefully it won't be the last.

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Hannah McPhillimy - Jailhouse Blues

For the second year running, the Oh Yeah Centre is running Scratch My Progress, a scheme whereby four local performers are given guidance by industry professionals so that they can eventually have a long career in the music industry. Katharine Philippa took part in the scheme last year, and ended up playing in the Ulster Hall off the back of it. 

This year, the artists selected for the scheme include Go Wolf, Howl & Basic Translation. However, the artist from the scheme that seems to have piqued the most interest so far is Hannah McPhillimy. Take a listen below to "Jailhouse Blues", and it's easy to see why. It's the sort of song that instantly transports you to a smoky cafe in the corner of New Orleans. 

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Kept Under Glass - I Don't Even Like Clubs

Long drum introduction? Check. Power chords? Check. Lovely guitar riffs? Check. A distaste for sweaty clubs that play the same monotonous beats over and over and over again? The debut single from Carryduff alt-rocke trio Kept Under Glass, "I Don't Even Like Clubs", ticks all my metaphorical boxes. Plus, any guitarist who claims to have fingers of uranium-235 gets a big plus in anybody's book.


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Bellos - Something In My Mind

Formed in August 2012, Belfast trio Bellos seem to be channeling the spirit of Kurt Cobain, if their debut single "Something In My Mind" is anything to go by. It's a promising start for a band who seem to be channeling a different set of influences to many of their Belfast contemporaries.

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Bee Mick See - Hey Girl

And to finish off this round-up, here's some Norn Iron rap, courtesy of Oregon born, Belfast based Bee Mick See. "Hey Girl", the lead track from his new E.P "Birds Over Nupes" (whatever that means), takes influences from rock, ska (members of Pocket Billiards provide the horns), and grime (the song samples the same drums as "Fix Up Look Sharp"). Lyrically, there is no doubt the song could have been formulated anywhere but Northern Ireland, given the song references Boojum, Phoenix Gas, Antrim and Cow & Gate.

One criticism - using Bob Mould's name as an insult doesn't go down well with someone who considers "If I Can't Change Your Mind" to be one of the greatest pop songs ever written.

Crash & the 'Coots - Don't Kill Bugs

Having slimmed down to a three-piece since the release of their "John Coles Park" E.P, Crash & The Coots have released the first track to be taken from their upcoming E.P release. "Don't Kill Bugs" is a sub 2 minute blast of quirky low-fi alternate rock, that sits somewhere between Cake & The Flaming Lips sonically. Lyrically, the band claim that the song's central message is "as big of a statement as we will ever make." If followers of Jainism were ever in need of an anthem to promote their cause, then this song might be the one for them.

"Don't Kill Bugs" is available as a free download, and is taken from the "Hill Rise" EP, which will be released on March 25th.

Kodaline - High Hopes

Since they shot into the public consciousness in September with the release of the "All I Want" E.P, Dublin quintet Kodaline seem to have hit upon the winning formula for band success. The formula goes something like this:

Post-Coldplay influenced emotional indie x YouTube-baiting music video guaranteed to pull at the heartstrings = Popularity.

Having hit pay dirt with this formula for their first E.P, the group have continued this marriage on to the release of their 2nd E.P. The animated video for "The Answer" which dropped a few weeks ago is particularly emotion-catching, but the music video for the E.P's title track, "High Hopes", is almost exploitative in its appeal to human emotions. The video in question sees a man being saved from suicide by the woman he loves, only to see her shot to death in front of her eyes by an aggrieved party.

By the way, remember the name Stevie Russell in the future. He's the person who directed this music video. Given his ability to manipulate emotions in his directing, I'm sure a long and prosperous career in Academy Award-baiting weepies awaits him.

So is the video manipulative, or just brilliant? At the moment, I feel it's a mix of both, but watch it for yourselves and let me know what you think:



"High Hopes E.P" by Kodaline will be released on 18th March, with their debut album "In a Perfect World" to follow a week later.