POST CATEGORY : Introducing

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.

Introducing: Sean OB

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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

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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.

Introducing: Ten Fé

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Ten Fé are the London-based duo of Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan, who’ve been making serious headway through previous singles ‘Make Me Better’, ‘In The Air’, ‘Elodie’ and ‘Turn’.

The pair aim to make further strides with the announcement of their debut album ‘Hit The Light’; penned for release on February 3 2017. Accompanying this news, Ten Fé have revealed a taster of their forthcoming debut LP, with new single ‘Overflow’. Adorned with all the hallmarks that’s made their name thus far, ‘Overflow’ is ‘indie-music-to-dance to’ and a compelling blurring of the lines between synth-pop, ’80s new wave and electronica. Built around some synth-driven, ’80s new-wave nuances, these combine with guitar lines to create a lush, almost neon quality. Moorhouse’s baritone vocals provide an emotional weight, while ‘Overflow’ is propelled forward by an urgent, vibrant electronic beat and insistent bubbling bass. A stunning distillation of their synthy sound.

The album is coming in the new year but to whet your appetite, you can listen to ‘Overflow’ and ‘Make Me Better’ below.

Introducing: Lucky Beaches

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Looking to the past for inspiration is common place in modern music, after all, isn’t everything is borrowed? And when it done well, it can be very rewarding.

A case in point is Lucky Beaches, an artist originally from Liverpool but now residing in Los Angeles. Lucky Beaches latest single ‘Go It Alone’ is an unashamed throwback to a bygone age, carefully crafted with an obvious love and care. Steeped in the sounds and mystique more commonly associated with his native Merseyside, ‘Go It Alone’ is three-minutes of heavenly, classic pop-craft. Waltzing percussion, twangy guitar and a powerful, emotive croon combine for a journey through the time-honoured themes of love, loss, and heartache. Dripping with melody and harmony, it is overwhelmingly endearing, pitch-perfect pop executed with deft touch, elegance and excellence. A great combination.

You can listen to ‘Go It Alone’ and the slightly rockier, ‘Pink Champagne’ below, right now.

Introducing: La Bête Blooms

 

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Hull alt-rockers La Bête Bloom have been blazin’ and bashing a trail of rock ‘n roll destruction for a while now, and their work thus far has been nothing short of impressive.

All ends up, La Bête Bloom’s dynamic and visceral concoction of alt-rock, grunge and post-punk makes for one hell of an exhilarating experience. Tracks like ‘TV Speaks’ and ‘Nothing Left But The Taste’ suggested a bright and noisy future but the Hull post-punks’ new single ‘Breaking In’, is the best yet. In just over two-minutes, they unleash as potent assault of guttural guitars, ear splitting feedback. Combined with pummelling percussion, fizzing and hissing guitars, the vocals manage to cut through with an aggressive intent, adding a level of menace and building to a ferocious, explosive climax. More urgent, abrasive and altogether more aggressive than their previous efforts, ‘Breaking In’ is the first barnstorming taste from their forthcoming EP I Know It’s Nothing, which is due out early next year. Blooming beasts indeed.

No concrete date on the new EP but you can listen to new single ‘Breaking In’ – and some other choice cuts – below. Watch this space!

Introducing: The Immediate

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There’s a bit or a role reversal with this one, all will become abundantly clear below….

The Immediate are a three-piece power pop band from Mold in north Wales. Originally active in the ’90s, they split in 1997 due to frustration, an argument over a mouth organ and the success of Stereophonics – all valid reasons, no?

Earlier this year however, the trio of of Duncan Farmer, Richard Harrison & Adam Walton reunited – the latter’s BBC Radio Wales show is one of my favourites and a fine source of superb new Welsh tunes (role reversal explained) – not for one last crack at fame but for the love of making music. This love and that of music from The Jam, Small Faces, Ride, Badfinger & Teenage Fanclub among others, shines through brightly. Crafting songs about hope and love in the face of the moribund, daily grind, playing to please only themselves, with no thoughts of success or acclaim and having fun along the way. Taken from their debut EP Shadows and Ghosts, ‘Yoko’ is a case in point. Succinctly summing up The Immediate’s raison d’etre in a scintillating three-minutes, ‘Yoko’ is a guitar heavy, riff-filled indie rocker bursting with melody and vitality; and in Walton’s own words, it’s ace! Sometimes that is quite enough.

There is an album in the offing for the new year but for now, why not give ‘Yoko’ a spin below. You can get their debut EP, Shadows and Ghosts as a free download via Bandcamp.

Introducing: Dioscó na mbó

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Dioscó na mbó are a Sligo-based three-piece with a real flair for a deliciously vibrant and catchy blend of disco, funk and kaleidoscopic pop.

Using old analog synths and multiple instruments they craft insanely catchy, extremely addictive and pretty brilliant music designed to make people dance. While previous singles ‘Dioscó na mbó’ and ‘Brassanova’ fully embrace the disco/funk side of things (and magnificently so), their latest single ‘We Can Run’ adds a neo-psychedelic direction. A heady swirl, ‘We Can Run’ finds Dioscó na mbó sifting through a warm and fluffy haze of soft but lively drum rhythms, subtle grooves, baggy-esque beats, sweet melodies and ravey euphoric undertones. The trio’s musical vision is overwhelmingly bright, uplifting and optimistic – and the bringer of feel-good vibes. There are shades of a more tempered Jagwar Ma or Bad Sounds, with a touch of Super Furry Animals or The Beta Band. Great company to be in yes but it isn’t without merit, this is superb stuff.

You can check out the warm and fluffy aural feast that is their latest single, ‘We Can Run’, below – along with the playful and addicting ‘Dioscó na mbó’ and ‘Brassanova’.

 

Introducing: Whenyoung

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Whenyoung are a London-based Irish trio – Aoife (vocals/bass), Niall (vocals/guitar), and Andrew (vocals/drums) – who’ve got quite the flair for urgent, driven and fiery punk-flavoured garage-rock.

They sound brash, fiery and driven by a furious intensity. With their debut single ‘See How They Run’ / ‘Show Me How’ earlier in the year, they have made one hell of a first impression for themselves. ‘See How They Run’ is a ferocious two minute burst of vitality that fizzes and crackles amid crunchy guitars, relentless percussion and knockout vocals – fierce and raspy yet simultaneously pleasant. This vocal trait carries over into ‘Show Me How’ which is just as bold, brash and brilliant a squall of screeching guitar noise. Not only is Whenyoung’s sound blisteringly ferocious. it is catchy, hooky and totally irresistible!

You can check out ‘See How They Run’ / ‘Show Me How’ below. Whenyoung will be in Dublin next month, they play Hard Working Class Heroes on Friday, October 7th (The Workman’s @ 22:30).

Introducing: Our Hero From Horse Country

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Our Hero From Horse Country is the new project from Knoxville Morning / Band On An Island rabble-rouser, Ciaran Dwyer.

Under this new moniker, Dwyer will release a trilogy of solo, acoustic albums. The first of which of is ‘A Horse Walks Into A Bar’, a carefully curated a selection of 11 acoustic jams that celebrate his favourite Newbridge pub, Con Cummins. Each song has a relevance to his favourite local boozer, either written there, sang there or have some sort of sentimental attachment to the place. Recorded in a single day in the heart of Horse Country itself – The Curragh of Kildare – with Karl O’Neill (who also mixed it with Rubber Keogh). There are some old tunes, some new ones and some cover versions, including one of his all-time favourites ‘Blue Murder’ by Brian Brannigan. Introducing his new project, Dwyer has shared a first single ‘Buster Blue Eyes’ – a personal favourite I must hasten to add. Ponderous and reflective, ‘Buster Blue Eyes’ shifts seamlessly through the gears, from a gentle acoustic strum to a stirring, rousing and triumphant crescendo. A side-project created with love, care and attention and as far as intros go, ‘Buster Blue Eyes’ is perfect.

You can listen to ‘Buster Blue Eyes’ below. And if you’re down with that, the whole A Horse Walks Into A Bar album is here.