We’ve still got another five months to go until the year’s end, there is a certainly a clear frontrunner for the most pleasant surprise of the last 12 months. Do you remember a nearly a decade ago when the phrase “wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy” entered our cultural milieu? Ke$ha managed to represent an alternative side to female empowerment while also being completely unbearable. Honestly, it’s been eight years and I still can’t understand the actual appeal of songs such as ‘Blah Blah Blah’ or ‘Your Love Is My Drug’. After the initial spark and a…
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Since their self-released debut made a critical splash and got the then high-school band signed to Fat Possum, The Districts have seemed to belong to a different age: the Pennsylvania group’s penchant for plaid shirts and moody guitar theatrics evoked the likes of Pearl Jam and even Crazy Horse, while singer Rob Grote’s vocals recalled the early 2000s indie of Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire and My Morning Jacket. A Flourish And A Spoil, their sophomore effort, was a minor triumph which found Grote singing tales of small town heartbreak over garagy riffs that The Replacements would be proud of. Popular…
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You Are The Light Of The World is the title of Body Of Work’s new EP, a five track collection of improvisations from the Berlin based duo of UK and Ireland natives Tom Moore and darken malign. Released through the circle of dolphins collective, it’s the first work from this newly formed duo and is complimented by being equal parts a visual and musical project. It’s an interesting work, with the primary tone of the EP being one of unease. Both members are non-binary femmes and ex-catholics, whose interests range from a fascination with “wasted youths festering in subcultures” to “liberating…
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What is it about Brand New that has allowed them to be one of rock music’s most enigmatic bands for 15 years now? Despite being raised from the same scene that birthed acts who’ve experienced fairly minimal critical fanfare over the years, Brand New have managed to eschew traditional press courting and yet maintain their role as a media darlings. And now in a sudden, startling drop, they release their fifth album, Science Fiction, after eight years in relative obscurity. For fans who were worried by their most recent single, ‘Mene’, Science Fiction is a return to the form that has…
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As sub-genres go, Irish hip hop may have once sounded like a wilfully obscure one. In the past two or three years however it has grown to become a scene that is healthier and stronger than ever before, making it impossible to ignore. Rejjie Snow is a legitimate global star in the making, if his Joey Bada$$ featuring mixtape The Moon & You is anything to go by, with fellow Dub Damola not far behind. Limerick’s Runsangano Family are fast becoming one of Ireland’s most celebrated domestic acts. Dublin duo NEOMADiC then drift comfortably into this vibrant and diverse scene, forming when MC…
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For over fifty years now, Randy Newman has been a mainstay of the American music industry, as a songwriter, a performer and a film composer. His songs have been covered by dozens of famous artists, several of his albums have met with critical acclaim, and he has made a comfortable living as the composer of choice for the likes of Pixar (to date he has composed the soundtracks of seven Pixar films). So he is that rare beast, both critically rated and ridiculously successful. Dark Matter, Newman’s 12th album proper, covers a lot of ground in its nine songs, using…
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The only way to discover something truly new in music is to experience it without any preconceptions as to what it could encompass. Remove all your expectations, clear your mind of any niggling biases, shut yourself off from any stimuli that could interfere and truly immerse yourself. It’s advice we could all do well to follow, but when the occasional press release promises the birthplace of a brand new genre it’s near impossible to stop your mind spinning with all possibilities of what’s about to happen. Songs I Taped Off The Radio, the second album by Galway-based Loner Deluxe does…
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Growing up in Alabama, Caroline Sallee (aka Caroline Says) wasn’t within reaching distance of the formidable west coast. After college, she became a waitress in Yellowstone as an exercise in solitude and isolation, saving up to complete a journey of transfiguration along the aforementioned path. She returned to Alabama to record 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t be Wrong in her parents basement, a debut album that captures the melancholic loneliness of such a journey within its nine tracks, just shy of 30 minutes. The thoughts that Caroline Says convey in this initial release are all felt in a passing manner. It’s…
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Rebecca Shannon, AKA Chirpy, is long due her time in the sun. Having been involved in various outfits and guises for much of the last decade, the Dublin native is owed acclaim. Her understanding of music is evident with her latest EP, Real Life. The release, which she wrote, recorded and produced, demonstrates her control over how she wants her work to be put forth. It’s delicate and raw with some truly gorgeous arrangements to boot. While it won’t set the world ablaze, it’s an extremely convincing attempt. At six tracks and a remix, it’s a tidy a little package which…
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The most troubling time in anyone’s life is adolescence. And often, insecurities born during this time are masked by either acts of defiance or retreat as a way of coming to terms with the transitional phase. It is important then to note that Arcade Fire released their debut, Funeral, 13 years ago. Prior to the release of Everything Now, the fifth studio album from the Canadian band, they engaged in several viral marketing campaigns, each news story or act as incredulous as the last, all garnering substantial media coverage. It began with a fake Twitter profile presented under the guise of…