DATE ARCHIVES : November 2016

Incoming: A Quick Chat With Count Vaseline | Plays Broken Home This Saturday

14034830_1609223642711313_5501671496621733006_n

Count Vaseline is the new project from Stefan Murphy, formerly of Dublin rock ‘n roll miscreants The Mighty Stef, and The Count is bringing genre-warped garage sounds to Newbridge, for an intimate and special Broken Home show.

It was a dark day for Irish music back in May, when time was called on The Might Stef. Always a prolific tunesmith, it wasn’t long before Murphy introduced his new guise Count Vaseline. Falling somewhere between raw garage rock and crooning fuzz-pop – sonically a different being – the new project remains draped in his unique and intuitive storytelling ability. There’s already a debut LP, Yo No Soy Marinero – a genre-warped record that fizzes with energy, invention and brimming with weird and wondrous ideas, and full of heart – with album number two, Cascade to follow in December.

In support of his new endeavour, Count Vaseline has been playing shows across the US and Ireland, and this Saturday, December 3, he rolls into Newbridge town, for an intimate and special Broken Home show, with support from the Tallaght folk machine We Went Down.

Ahead of the weekend’s show I caught up with Count Vaseline, to chat about the new project, touring and all things music. Check the album below too!

You can find further details on The Broken Home Series here, more info on the show here and you can purchase your ticket from Eventbright.

Continue reading →

Introducing: False Heads

False Heads 2016

London grunge/punk trio False Heads have marked themselves as noisemakers supreme over the course of the past 12 months.

They have released a slew of blistering singles and their latest ‘Weigh In’, is as ferocious an intro as possible. ‘Weigh In’, and indeed their grunge/punk hybrid, is rammed with vicious hooks, fierce, crunchy guitar riffs, hammering percussion and banging bass line. Three-and-a-half-minute burst of coiled up aggression, delivered with a primal energy; this is raspy, aggressive, and downright infectious. The companion to ‘Weigh In’, ‘All Eyes’ leans toward the grungier end of the spectrum yet similarly menacing, viscerally snarling and hard to resist. False Heads certainly sound like a trio with fire in their bellies, and with a bunch of singles and live dates planned for the coming year, these guys look like an exciting prospect.

Three lads who make a whole lot of noise, what’s not to like? Well, for now, check out ‘Weigh In’ & ‘All Eyes’ – as good a start as any.

We Are Animal Return With New Single ‘Capoeira’

We Are Animal 2016

It’s been a quite a while since we’ve heard anything from We Are Animal – which is a shame by any calculation.

The North Wales band released their splendid debut album in 2010, followed by a number of singles and last we heard from them as a collective unit was a tour with The Joy Formidable in 2013. More recently the various members of the We Are Animal family have been concerning themselves with various side-projects Hippies Vs Ghosts, Fauna Twin & CaStLeS – until now – We Are Animal have released a brand new single, ‘Capoeira’. Gritty, dark and edgy, ‘Capoeira’ is engulfed in layers if fuzz and eerie and menacing tones. Cutting through this shadowy blanket of murky fuzz is the muscular, shredding guitars and buzzing riffs, upping the intensity and ferocity, while propelled along an irresistible rhythmic groove. Fierce, hypnotic and spooky, ‘Capoeira’ might just be We Are Animal’s finest and most complete work to date. And my, that is saying something.

Regards a new album, the band have established a ‘Pledge Music’ campaign to help fund the next record – all the details on that, are here. For now, get in on ‘Capoeira’ below. It does not disappoint.

Cate Le Bon Announces ‘Rock Pool’ EP; Shares Title Track

cate-le-bon-2012-colour-4-hi-res-c-angel-ceballos-770x470

Hot on the heels of one of 2016’s finest records, Crab Day, Cate Le Bon has announced a new EP Rock Pool.

Released on January 27 2017, the EP will include four previously unreleased songs dating from the ‘Crab Day’ sessions. Ahead of the forthcoming EP, we’ve been provided with taster and title-track. In just over three minutes, ‘Rock Pool’ is the embodiment to why Le Bon is a treasure. The Welsh artist is difficult to box-off with a taste for offbeat folk but an equal a propensity for psych. Swirling and imaginative, ‘Rock Pool’ sees Le Bon’s unique and powerfully versatile voice backed by a steady beat, swaying, acrobatic guitar jangle, odd sounds and keys. The strangeness, jarring arrangements and musical whimsy probably wouldn’t resonate so much were it not for the moments of melodic sweetness. A dazzling display of Cate Le Bon’s boundless versatility, captivating psych-folk and sheer brilliance.

Produced by Noah Georgeson and Josiah Steinbrick, and featuring musicians H. Hawkline, Stephen Black (Sweet Baboo) and Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), the EP will be released on January 27th 2017. Listen to ‘Rock Pool’ below.

Organised Scum – ‘The Rare Gift of Healing’

os-8-sm

London based duo Organised Scum – Tom Duggins (Vocals / Guitar) and Sean Canty (Drums / Keys) – are plotting the release of their debut EP, The Rare Gift of Healing next month.

The pair have made their name thus far for peddling melodic, Britpop indebted indie, none more so than their previous single ‘Insane Making Behaviour’. Ahead of the release of their debut EP, the pair have shared latest single and title-track, ‘The Rare Gift of Healing’. It is a rare gift indeed and with it, they bring all the laid-back, lounge-y vibes. Plying repetitive riffs, chilled vocals and simile inducing and choruses, Organised Scum brew an earwormy, gentle, woozy and ruminative cut of alt-pop. Breezy, blissful and brilliant, this is one to kick back and relax with – and if the EP matches this standard we are in for a treat.

Organised Scum will release their debut EP on 2nd December. For the time being, you can get acquainted with the title-track – ‘The Rare Gift of Healing’ and some other choice cuts – below.

The Courtneys Announce new album, ‘The Courtneys II’; Share ‘Silver Velvet’

The Courtneys II 2016 new album 2017

Vancouver indie trio The Courtneys have announced details for the follow up to their marvellous self-titled debut. Simply titled The Courtneys II, it is set to arrive on February 17 through Flying Nun.

With their 2013 debut, The Courtneys peddled a lo-fi fuzzy slacker garage-pop that drifting back toward the ’90s and first taster from the new record, ‘Silver Velvet’ leads a very similar charge. Endearingly ramshackle, it is pumped with fuzzed-up distorted guitars, sweet licks and heavy, driving bass lines. Done and dusted in exactly three minutes, it is topped off with some intricate drums and dreamy vocals, rarely has ramshackle indie been so appealing and so pretty damn irresistible. A pure noise pop gem.

The Courtneys’ new album, The Courtneys II, is out on February 17, 2017. For now, enjoy the irresistible earworm that is ‘Silver Velvet’. Also, if you haven’t done so already, check out their snappy 2013 debut LP here. Well worth your attention.

Our Krypton Son Shares New Single ‘Everything Reminds Me Of You’

13307263_1188589057848720_6206541601214482785_n

‘Everything Reminds Me Of You’ is the lead single from Our Krypton Son‘s forthcoming and long-awaited, second studio album.

Derry musician/songwriter Chris McConaghy aka Our Krypton Son is a master craftsman, and this is, you guessed it, masterfully crafted. ‘Everything Reminds Me Of You’ is a sweet, sentimental love song that gently waltzes along with swooning chord changes, sublime harmonies and sumptuous strings, to form four minutes of exquisite alt-pop. McConaghy’s vocals are impeccable as usual, soothing, warmth and inviting – along with the music – forge an endearing warm glow and punctured with some bouts of heart-strung melancholy. It conjures up similarities to slower, more emotionally weighted Blur numbers a la ‘Under The Westway’, ‘Best Days’ or the like. Always a magnificent songwriter, it is a timely reminder of what McConaghy and Co. are capable of, this is probably the most affecting work to date. It is good to have OKS back, no doubt about it.

There’s no firm date on the new album but ‘Everything Reminds Me Of You’ is out now and available from here.

You can check out the ace video – courtesy of LUMO – for ‘Everything Reminds Me Of You’ below.

Novella Announce New Album ‘Change Of State’ & Share Title Track

novella_1500x1000-1500x1000

London-based quartet Novella have shared details of their second album, the follow-up to their 2015 debut Land.

Change of State – recorded at producer James Hoare’s (Ultimate Painting, Veronica Falls) bedroom studio – will be released on 17th February via Sinderlyn Records. The group have signalled their return by unleashing lead single and title track, ‘Change Of State’. Equal parts ’60s Girl Group, catchy indie-pop and urgent krauty-psych, it opens with a gently wooing ’60s jangle, before quickly morphing into a spiralling cyclone of glorious Krautrock indebted psychedelia. Amid the dazzle of shimmering guitars, gentle melodies, energetic bursts and motorik thrust, the hypnotic, alluring vocals soar above- as close to perfection as you can get. ‘Change Of State’ serves not just as a title but is said to be inspired by the social and political changes occurring before them throughout 2016. We’ll find out next year what the full package sounds like, for now we’ve just got this sublime start to be getting on with.

Change Of State is out February 17th via Sinderlyn Records. Listen to the title track below.

Introducing: Sean OB

14485069_1831217413831384_4400941691313975301_n

Sean OB – aka Sean O’Brien – is a songwriter, multi-talented musician and producer.

His name be unfamiliar but his work will not, fronting the decidedly brilliant and criminally underrated Dublin punk-ska trio Trap Door, before joining Raglans in 2012. O’Brien has now returned with a brand new project under the moniker of Sean OB. Described as “Buddy Holly meets Jamie T” – and there is some truth in that statement – heralding this project is debut single, ‘Alive’. It marks an evolution of the punky-indie sound he carved out with Trap Door. Amid the rumbling and rattling guitars of this spiky piece of punk-tinged-indie, it is O’Brien’s gripping way of telling a tale that, like before, wins the day. ‘Alive’ is an excellent intro to a project with plenty of promise. There’s an EP in the works with producer Rob Kirwan (Hozier/The Horrors) in 2017, so keep an eye out for that in the new year.

For now though, you can listen to ‘Alive’ below, and if it is to your liking, Sean is playing Whelan’s Upstairs, this Saturday, November 19th | Doors @ 23:00 & more details here.

 

Introducing: Dama Scout

artwork-dama-scout-forget-its-good

Dama Scout are a Glasgow/London trio who have a a captivating, loud and hypnotic way with themselves.

Sharply contrasting the serenity of the honeyed vocal and hazy guitar with crushing, fuzzy interludes of snarling guitars and harmonic modulations – their sound pushes and pulls the listener. Their debut single ‘Forget It’s Good’, was first to showcase a potential for spectacular opulence. At times everything is covered with a lovely blanket of reverb and fuzz, with only the honeyed, inviting vocals cutting through the hazy, frazzled psychedelic tones before harsh, snarling guitars awaken you from this dreamy state. The trio’s latest single ‘All in Too’ meanwhile, emphatically confirms their promise; albeit in a much more energetic, fiery and muscular fashion. Disjointed and contrasting, yet it all works so wonderfully well in tandem. A spectacular intro to a band that we shall hopefully be hearing a lot from in 2017, and beyond.

You can check out ‘Forget It’s Good’ & ‘All in Too’ below.