‘A Heavy Abacus’ is the latest single to be released The Joy Formidable‘s excellent debut album The Big Roar.
The single is pretty typical of the kind of epic and boisterous indie-rock anthems which litter their debut album, one of the finest of 2011. ‘A Heavy Abacus’ also demonstrates how great of a vocalist Ritzy actually is and it’s out on July 11th.
The Joy Formidable return to Ireland in October to play Dublin’s Whelan’s (16th) and Limelight in Belfast (18th).
This weekend (8th – 10th of July) Oxegen rolls into Punchestown for the festivals annual appearance in Kildare.
Normally what it lacks in class it makes up with quality acts but this year I’m not so sure. Apart from other issues, I feel this is one of the most uninspiring Oxegen lineups for sometime and I don’t know if I can bring myself to shell out the cash for a ticket.
Now that bit is over I’m sure plenty of you have no such dilemma and can’t wait for the festival to kick off. Whether or not I make an appearance is irrelevant and there’s still quite a lot music worth catching over the 3 days (full stage times etc over on State.ie.
Here’s some personal selections for the weekend and feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments below, it is always greatly appreciated.
Tame Impala (17:50 2FM Hotpress Academy Stage)
Australian psychedelic rockers Tame Impala’s stunning debut album, Innerspeaker stole many hearts last year. Expect a dazzling dose of warm fuzzy psychedelia brimming with feel good vibes, raw fuzzed up hooks and riffs. This is just the thing to set the weekend in motion.
Tame Impala – Desire Be Desire Go via Tim Bretantrum
The Strokes (21:30, Vodafone Stage)
What to say about The Strokes that hasn’t already been said? Ten years ago they helped rescue guitar music from the doldrums. A decade on, following a lengthy hiatus they returned with Angles, a record which proved the are still relevant musical force today. This should be one of the highlights of the weekend with a set full with old favourites, ‘Last Nite’ & ‘Take it or Leave It’ and new, ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ & ‘Machu Picchu’.
The last time I saw them (2004?) they were awful, Casablancas was a state but hopefully both he and the band have got their house in order.
The Strokes – Machu Picchu via smithblogsatalanta
Leftfield (23:30 Heineken Green Spheres)
Dance pioneers Leftfield (albeit minus Paul Daley) return to our shores for yet another show. These guys revolutionised dance music throughout the 90′s, pushing it to new and daring levels with two seminal albums Leftism and Rhythm & Stealth. Their show at Electric Picnic last year was disappointing with much of the atmosphere being lost in the cold night air.
Hopefully playing in a tent will suit them better along with a bit more from the Rhythm & Stealth era , perhaps the once proclaimed ‘loudest live act in the world’ can win me over again.
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Other recommendations: Maverick Sabre (18:00), The Shit Robot Show (20:15), Tiga (21:15 ) – all in Red Bull Electric Ballroom.
Cashier No.9 (15.55 Heineken Green Spheres)
Belfast 5-piece Cashier No.9 have been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for a number of years now. 2011 is fast becoming ‘their year’ with the release of the scintillating Goldstar EP and their debut album, To The Death Of Fun to rave reviews. Gloriously catchy, infectious and shimmering indie ahoy.
We Are Losers have signed to UK indie label Dance To The Radio for the release of their debut double a-side single Sunset Song/Cheerleader.
Since releasing their self-titled debut EP for free on Bandcamp, what began as a Gavin Elsted solo project quickly became a full band assembled from former band mates Stephen Conlan and Gary Clarke and mutual friend Bronwyn Murphy-White. Ever since, We Are Losers have been wooing music fans in Ireland with superb live shows at HWCH and supports with Local Natives and The Phantom Band.
Sunset Song/Cheerleader picks up where their self-titled/released debut EP left off last year, with two more supreme slices of jangly, fuzzy and cheery lo-fi indie.
Losers have been singled put for a lot of praise on this blog before and they remain very much ones to watch!
The limited edition Sunset Song/Cheerleader 7″ is out in Ireland on 15 July and the UK on 18 July.
Toddla T has been busy readying the release of his second album Watch Me Dance, out in August, his first for Ninja Tune.
He found time to hide out in the Red Bull Studios for two weeks creating a tune-a-day with a selection of UK wide artists for his exclusive Red Bull mixtape. Crafted from scratch over 2 weeks with 9 special guests from all over the UK, it’s presented in a mixtape style but is in fact 9 exclusive Toddla T collaborations.
It’s a great mixtape which at just under 30 minutes has all the usual Toddla T ingredients; big bass beats, dancefloor grooves, funky basslines, electro/dance hall riddims with a touch of soul and of course, serious feel good vibes!
The tracklisting is after the jump along with a thumping remix of his latest tune ‘Watch Me Dance’ (w/ Roots Manuva) from SebastiAn which has been doing the rounds of late.
Download: Toddla T – Red Bull Mixtape Vol. 1