DATE ARCHIVES : February 2011

White Noise Sound – White Noise Sound

Welsh music is going through somewhat of a Renaissance at present with The Joy Formidable, Gallops and We Are Animal taking up the mantel. Another band that can be added to this growing list of emerging stars is Swansea’s White Noise Sound.

The Welsh 6-piece do hold a torch for the shoegaze bands of the past, no bad thing but with the help of Pete Kember (Spaceman 3) and Cian Ciaran (S.F.A) on production duties their sound has a life blood of it’s own.

The album opens with ‘Sunset’, a blast of scuzzy rock n roll swagger not felt since the early days of B.R.M.C. Don’t be deceived, it’s not all swagger over substance. Apart from the opener and the rousing ‘Blood’, another obvious single candiate, we are treated to a sprawling mass of distorted guitars, atmospheric floating vocals and meticulously crafted subtle shoegaze.

Their ability to turn a hand to all is personified by the hypnotically spacey ‘Fires In The Still Sea’, ‘No Place To Hide’ and the epic ‘There Is No Tomorrow’. Throughout, White Noise Sound walks a fine line between originality and familiarity with perfection. With one caveat, it does however require your time and attention, only after several listens can this record be truly appreciated for all its worth.

WNS have delivered a monstrous debut record of some stature. 2011 may only be young but we will be hard pushed to find a better guitar album this year.

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Mp3: White Noise Sound – Sunset via Alive Record

White Noise Sound – There Is No Tomorrow via bicyclops

Miles Kane – Come Closer (Steve Mason Remix)

Miles Kane releases ‘Come Closer’ toward the end of February with his debut record expected soon after.

What better way can there be to wile away the time than listening to Steve Mason take on Kane’s 60′s inspired riff-a-plenty rock music.

That’s not all. There’s a Kane freebie, ‘Kingcrawler’ available via Facebook.

 Miles Kane – Come Closer (Steve Mason Remix)

Miles Kane – Kingcrawler (Live at RAK Studios) via jpnarc

Video: James Vincent McMorrow – This Old Dark Machine

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James Vincent McMorrow has been on the lips of Irish music journo’s and bloggers alike throughout 2010. It seems he’s getting plenty of praise and attention for his debut record Early In The Morning across the  water in North America now too.

I’m still undecided on the album but ‘This Old Dark Machine’ is a wonderful high point from the record.

Introducing: No Monster Club

No Monster Club is the brainchild of former Dublin Duck Dispenser Bobby Aherne. He has also recruited two parts of Grand Pocket Orchestra to his cause.

The trio came on the radar after witnessing last months ‘One’s to Watch’ showcase in Whelan’s. They did their level best to blow the roof off Whelan’s with their chaotic, high energy performance. It was easily the finest set of the weekend.

Apart from pilfering shows they bash out some of the finest lo-fi, garage indie-pop you are likely to hear. These charming, short bursts of energetic pop are a mixture of sunshine surf-rock and hyper rough-a-round the edges Strokes-esque loveliness. Hopefully they are with us for sometime to come.

Keep an eye out for their live shows and check the wonderful Young Guts Champion. It gets better, next on the agenda is a split cassette album with our good friends We Are Losers.

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 No Monster Club – The Last Bottle In The World

 No Monster Club – Wish Me Well

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Video: Playmobil Stop Motion ‘Joy Division – Transmission’

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Here’s a tasty stop-motion Playmobil make over of Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’ crafted by the tentative hands of Software DR.

The recording is from a classic 1979 BBC performance. Wonderful stuff which must have taken forever to do but it was worth it.

New: The Strokes – ‘Under Cover Of Darkness’

Yes, The Strokes are back with single, ‘Under Cover Of Darkness’ from their forthcoming long-awaited 4th LP Angles out on 18th March.

On first impressions it sounds like ‘classic’ The Strokes; up beat, fast paced indie-punk, if a little bit busier. Casablanca’s vocals are unusual, it sounds as though he has a cold, not bad just different. You can have a listen below and decide for yourself.

The song will be available to download for free for 48 hours from their site. Nice to have them back!

The Strokes – Under Cover Of Darkness via stripeyjumper/The Point of Everything

SertOne – ‘The View From Above’ EP

Electronic music is one of the most neglected and under exposed genres from the Irish music scene. It is all the more baffling when you consider the quality of some recent releases. One such record is the forthcoming debut EP from Armagh native SertOne.

The View From Above sees SertOne serve up seven cuts of decidedly different, genre defying and toe tapping tunes full of electro goodness. The formula seems so simple; blend a variety of fresh electronic beats with some glitchy hip-hop beats and add some silky samples, wallah! A wholly original sound from the crisp infectious beats of ‘Past, Present, Future’ to the hypnosis inducing ‘8mm’ always flowing, always captivating.

A superb debut of simply outstanding quality. One can only imagine this guy is destined for a bright future.

The View From Above is out on February 21st via the new ‘Melted Music’ label and the launch night is February 25th at Morrisson’s, Belfast.

SertOne – Past, Present, Future

SertOne – Astro-Bazaar

Video: Gruff Rhys – ‘Sensations in the Dark’

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There’s hardly a month goes by without the need to post something highly bloggable involving Gruff Rhys. February is no different.

As we ready ourselves for the release of third solo album Hotel Shampoo he’s released the video for ‘Sensations in the Dark’.

We’ve already been treated to ‘Shark Ridden Waters‘ and ‘Honey All Over‘. The album is out next week and should be a cracker.

The Heavy – ‘That Kind of Man’

Toward the end of last year The Heavy released How You Like Me Now? EP. News to me, till now.

As one of the most introducing groups of the past few years there’s never a bad time for The Heavy. They serve up yet another unhealthy slice of retro funk, soul and rock inspired grooves and they do it with an unmatched confidence and swagger.

Grab ‘That Kind of Man’ below. Make sure and check out the EP and the rest of their back catalogue.

 The Heavy – That Kind of Man via latitude32

The Heavy – How You Like Me Now

Beware of Politicians Baring Gifts

 

It’s election time in Ireland. We have a timely reminder from Captain Moonlight, who else, to be wary of politicians and their electoral promises.

Taken from his second album Return of the Barnstormers, ‘Party People’ is unfortunately as relevant as ever.

Download ‘Party People’ for FREE below.