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Tag: Irish indie

  • Free Music Monday March 26 2012: Knots

    KNOTSI heard this E.P during the week and cropped up again on Facebook yesterday. After delving in to see who these guys are, I’ve found out that KNOTS stands for King’s Now On The Stage, a three piece Dublin based band who formed in January of this year. So getting this EP out already is a decent feat. A little birdy, though, told me that these guys were previously in a band called Nation of the State.

    It was recorded with Ger McDonnell and shows the trio to be competent musicians who know how to write a good song. I like the use of some samples in there, would like to hear more of that, I’m looking forward to seeing how these guys grow and develop and differentiate themselves from the herd.

  • The Walls: Stop The Lights – Album Review

    TheWallsStopTheLightsThere are times when trying to listen to a new album can be difficult. Life gets in the way, one needs to be in the right headspace to let it in. With a couple of long train journeys imminent, The Walls’ new album ‘Stop The Lights’, made its way to my iPod. With nothing else to distract me, I put on my headphones and pressed play.

    The Walls aren’t known to be the most prolific of bands, it’s been seven years since the release of ‘New Dawn Breaking’ but respect for the Wall brothers Steve and Joe’s talents hasn’t and shouldn’t wane. As the album begins with ‘Bird in a Cage’, their storytelling ability is most evident. Snippets of life packed into three minute bursts and though some of these snippets tell of life’s tough stories, they are also somehow uplifting. ‘It Goes Without Saying’ holds a mirror to Irish society, yes, we had it all but look at what we have now. To many, these could be depressing but the style of words and instrumentation turn these into positive twists. Hard to do, but they’ve done it.

    If one was to chronicle influential Irish bands of the late 20th Century/21st Century, The Walls and the brothers’ previous band, The Stunning, would have to get a mention more than once. What’s interesting with ‘Stop The Lights’ is that we can hear other influences you wouldn’t expect. At one point, Steve Wall seems to have a Bob Dylan influence while ‘Dead Flowers’ has a beat that The Naked and Famous would be delighted to possess. Despite their vintage, The Walls are still exploring and are all the better for it.

    ‘Stop The Lights’ looks back through words but looks forward with positive instrumentation and a sense of hope. This album will out live my train journey, it will be with me for a long time to come. Three albums in twelve years isn’t a whole lot but if they are like this one, I’m more than willing to wait, impressive stuff. (more…)

  • Free Music Monday 12/03/2012: Lianne La Havas

    liannelahavasIn quick snappy time, a new Lianne La Havas date was announced for The Academy on May 9th 2012, in what seemed like just hours after her gig in The Sugar Club on Saturday night. If you haven’t heard her now is a great time to bag yourself a copy of ‘The E.P. Live in L.A.’ and see what the fuss is all about.

  • Le Galaxie: Powers of Miami (Video)

    legalaxieOne of the albums that I do really believe deserved to get a Choice Music Prize nod was Le Galaxie‘s Laserdisc Nights II. Ever since some of these guys were in 66 Electric they have grown as musicians and have been getting better all the time. Le Galaxie are one of the best in the country.

    Here’s the video for Powers of Miami from the album and as many are bound to have said, not for the first time, ‘Michael Pope, you little dancer!’

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