Hey, the word is that the hotpress.com member offer CDs are selling like proverbial hot cakes! A note of warning: THEY DO SELL OUT, so grab them while you can.
All CDs are €10, with post and packaging free for people in Ireland, €2 for people in the EU (UK included) and €3 for the rest of the world [€10 is approx: $11 or £7 GBP]
And watch this space for further offerings as the month goes on. Stake a claim to your key choices from this lot, and then stay tuned. To jump straight to the buying part, click here Or read on below to be coaxed gently....
It’s only taken two years, €40,000, one orchestra, four studios, a clatter of musicians and a deranged individual on a didgeridoo, but now, like a fine pint of ale, The Riptide Movement’s double disc beast is ready to be enjoyed. Sitting pretty at number six in the official Irish charts at the time of writing, Keep On Keepin’ On is a thrilling example of the band’s unique style, typified by time-travelling powerhouse blues.
One of Ireland’s best-kept electronic secrets, OCHO combines the unique talents of Stace Gill and DOS into one mind-blowing sound. After two years of hard work, the Dublin outfit is finally ready to release their ambitious debut album Young Hunting, which combines atmospheric layered trans-cultural electronic music with lush dynamics akin to the likes of Imogen Heap and Mazzy Star.
A collective of talented musicians from various musical backgrounds, The Hip-Neck Blues Collective specialise in blues and folk-tinged hip hop. Formed in early 2011, the collective have been working tirelessly since, contracting new members, gigging with the likes of Scroobius Pip, B. Dolan, DJ Woody and Sneaky Soundsystem, and recording their sensational debut EP Millie.
24-year-old Galway girl Laura Sheeran blends classical influences with heavy electronic production, filtering it all through a dark, witching gauze. In the tradition of pop eccentrics such as Bat For Lashes and Polly Scattergood, her album What The World Knows is deep, dark and mysterious, but thanks to Sheeran’s ear for a glittering hook, delivered with a knowing wink.
Returning with an album of dark, alluring sonic journeys into the avant garde, Laura Sheeran talks about a tough year, ‘80s soundtracks and her little...
With fewer and fewer people buying CDs, Dublin songwriter Laura Sheeran is among the increasing number of artists opting to finance their music via the...
Alarmist: Alarmist
23 Apr 2012
Individually known as Neil Crowley, Elis Czerniak, Osgar Dukes and Barry O’Halpin, exploratory rock outfit Alarmist have earned many a rave review since they appeared on the Irish music scene last year, with Hot Press dubbing their self-titled debut, “one of the Irish EPs of the year.” A fizzing, charging bombshell of a record featuring staggering drum patterns and intriguing song titles aplenty, Alarmist will go down well with fans of Norwegian instrumentalists Jaga Jazzist and, locally, members of the Richter Collective family.
The Dublin multi-instrumentalists will launch their self-titled EP at the Tower Records birthday celebration on August 18 and in Block T on August 19.
The Cornshed Sisters: Tell Tales
23 Apr 2012
In an age where we are utterly bombarded by wave after wave of mediocre nu-folk, it’s comes as a pleasant surprise to find that the debut offering from Geordie four-piece The Cornshed Sisters is actually pretty good. Featuring Marie Nixon of dearly departed ‘90s indie legends Kenickie in their ranks, the record includes some truly special vocal play (see acapella number ‘Tommy’). Meanwhile, if you’re not charmed by ‘Dance At My Wedding’, you’ve clearly got a gaping hole in your chest where your heart should be.
David Lyttle began performing professionally at the age of four in his family folk group and he’s scarcely taken a break since – in fact, he was recently described by Hot Press’ Colm O’Hare as a “veritable one-man industry”. Featuring a long list of cameos from MOBO-winning/Mercury-nominated rapper Soweto Kinch to rising-star Irish vocalist Rhea and session icons Jason Rebello (Sting) and Pino Palladino (Adele), it’s no wonder Interlude is earning him wide-spread recognition as a producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
He’s one of Ireland’s leading jazz drummers, a prodigy who picked up his first instrument aged four. David Lyttle tells us what to expect from his Music...
Rapidly emerging as one of the most inventive and intriguing artists in the land, genre-hopper David Lyttle discusses jazz, hip-hop and his new soul direction.
“I’m from the country,” David Lyttle informs us. “Jazz is an urban music. I probably shouldn’t have anything to do with it.”
Protobaby: The Spark
23 Apr 2012
Fresh from putting multiple cyber-noses out of joint with their video for recent single ‘Traditions’, Limerick foursome Protobaby present their debut album The Spark and – good news! – it’s chock-full of incendiary indie anthems and stadium-straddling rock numbers. ‘Only A Spark’ is worth the price of admission alone, while ‘Microchip’ and the aforementioned ‘Traditions’ are made all the more interesting by singer Colm McGuinness and his wonderfully evocative baritone.
The Hot Press ‘Ones To Watch For 2011’ are to take in several dates around the country
Liz Lawrence: Bedroom Hero
23 Apr 2012
Vocally, singer-songwriter Liz Lawrence’s closest relative is Laura Marling, although Ms. Marling has never sounded as chirpy as Lawrence does on her debut album Bedroom Hero. The catchiest thing on the record is probably a rousing number called ‘Oo Song’, while the woozy ‘Bathroom Spoons’ is a clear standout, as Lawrence croons divinely over a chorus of echoey shoops. That’s not to say that our folky mistress of ceremonies isn’t capable of tugging on the old heartstrings.
Sharon Shannon turned to the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for help on her latest album Flying Circus, whose classical touch has propelled her much-loved traditional style to exciting new heights. Opener ‘Top Dog Gaffo’ playfully sets the tone for an album that exudes a sense of serious fun. There’s a delicious lightness to her skittery playing on the three-piece suite ‘Windchime Dance’ and she creates an appealing wistfulness on the sumptuous ‘Butterflies’, while ‘Wood Road’ has a soft-rock delicacy that further lifts the mood.
Sharon Shannon and her Big Band – with guests Mundy and Shane MacGowan – play a special light night gig in Castlebar this Christmas season, with more...
Recorded over two nights in July at Dolan’s Warehouse in Limerick, Sharon Shannon’s new live album is one big party piece; every one of the 29 tracks on...
At some point Sharon Shannon realised that being one of the most highly-regarded instrumentalists in Irish music doesn’t make you the kind of dynamic...
Damien Dempsey takes two Meteors and then represents Ireland at the London St. Patrick’s day parade..and much more in Folk Centre: the latest folk news,...
Yeah, it’s got posthumous vocals from Kirsty MacColl, post-retirement ones from Sinéad O’Connor, and a Malawian rap artist jamming with a British soul...
Here is an album conceived in Winkle's Bar, Kinvara, the juices got flowing over a weekend rave-up, with Liam O'Maonlai, Adam Clayton and Mike Scott just...
With a guest list worthy of a Paddy Moloney project, this is an album which, on the face of it, could have sunk beneath the pressure of too many big names,...
Cars Love Girls: Skip School
23 Apr 2012
Cars Love Girls is the brainchild of Bres and Orla Breslin (of chart-topping funk-poppers Republic Of Loose), a brother-sister duo with an aptitude for making unapologetically commercial pop. Debut album Skip School opens with the shimmering ‘What’s On My Mind’, before the upbeat ‘These Girls’ cruises in, all heart-melting harmonies and cascading keyboard fills. ‘Lose Your Mind’ is beefed-up Fleetwood Mac backing Madonna, while the bouncy ‘Future Ex-Wife’ cheekily channels Prince.
Half Nothing is the debut solo project by multi-instrumentalist and Dublin native Evan Kennedy. Kennedy, inspired by the spontaneous dynamic of live performance, produced an album without one particular genre or mood in mind. Instead, the electro-rock album vacillates between melodic rhythms and thumping, hard rock bass. Kennedy, who counts dubstep, metal, rap, and folk among his extensive influences, has created a distinctive first effort with Half Nothing.
20 years after their debut album, the band hailed as Irish indie royalty are releasing their sixth studio album, Greenwich Mean Time. The Frank And Walters’ latest album exudes the same pop brilliance and lyrical minimalism as earlier releases, but focuses this time on appreciating the present above all, rather than anticipating the future or dwelling on the past. The Cork natives, who have been called Ireland’s answer to The Smiths, continue their reign as one of Ireland’s foremost indie-pop bands with Greenwich Mean Time.
Celebrating its fifth birthday, it’s great to see how Cork X Southwest has grown. What started off as a tiny festival on the back of a lorry is now the...
Two Leeside legends for the price of one is the deal as Who acolyte ‘Irish’ Jack Lyons pens a new tome about The Frank And Walters entitled A Renewed...
If you want to hear how a note should be held, have an earful of Paul Linehan’s request for you to ‘goooo’. But go in a good sense, for the refrain of...
The Frank & Walters have announced an extensive tour to coincide with the April 20 release of ‘Fight’, the latest single to be lifted from their fab A...
The Frank And Walters may modestly acknowledge that they have only one hit, but unlike the majority of their early-’90s contemporaries they refuse to...
Perennial Cork favourites the Frank And Walters are back. A near death experience followed by period of reflection, then a slate cleaning triple album of...
After the success of the Vodafone TBA series, which has seen the likes of the Republic Of Loose and Franz Ferdiand play secret locations, The Franks &...
The Franks' last release was a shimmering seductress of a single remixed by the hand of God (Kevin Shields!), and their fourth album contains more sonic...
"And the sweetest sounds that you've not found are waiting there beneath the clouds." In cold print that might read like some sad-o, hippy-dippy...
Mako: Living On Air
23 Mar 2012
Declan O’Shea and Christian Montagne have fused the best of their French and Irish backgrounds to create an edgy, psychedelic indie-rock debut, Living On Air, that earned the duo four Grammy nominations. O’Shea and Montagne established a name for themselves internationally by touring with Iggy Pop, Linkin Park, Live, and Bush as Cyclefly. The crisp vocals, quirky melodies, Bowie-esque sound and mellow maturity on Living On Air should ensure that the pair will find comparable success under their new name.
Four-piece blues-rock band Oddsocks Revival’s sophomore effort, It’s Time, cements its status as an ideal prototype for a homegrown hard-rock band. The Sligo natives have been touring Ireland since 2009, and with its unique four-part harmonies, four lead vocalists, and propensity for twin guitar solos, Oddsocks Revival is reminiscent of the stadium-rock bands of the ‘70s that crafted classic rock. Oddsocks Revival’s It’s Time combines a variety of funk, blues, and hard rock, creating a unique, stand-alone sound.
Introducing is the debut album from Cavan-based band C. O’Neill & Co. and it’s a wonderfully ragged and whiskey-soaked release that’s full of dark observations and bruised and battered ballads. Album highlight is the epic and anthemic ‘Look Da No Hands,’ which features a guest appearance from Whipping Boy’s Fearghal McKee, his typically impassioned spoken-word performance ending proceedings on a massive high.
Since bringing their body of work under the banner of Hope Is Noise in late 2004, this Cork four-piece have built a dedicated following, drawn equally to their ability to construct a winning pop tune and their incendiary, hardcore tendencies. The result is a sound that, in places, resonates with a more considered take on Husker Du and Foo Fighters’ knack for a tune, and burns with a rage comparable to Hot Snakes or At The Drive-In.
Rock With Your Cork Out – a documentary on the Cork rock scene – will be screened at The Pavilion next week, with live appearances from Hope Is Noise...
Hope Is Noise will be playing the Half Moon, xxx on 30 September with The Revs. Here's a little background on the hand-picked support...
Track Dogs: Track Dogs
23 Mar 2012
Eschewing the typical band line-up, Track Dogs have opted for cajón (flamenco box drum) instead of drums and trumpet in place of electric guitar. The resulting sound, as showcased on their self-titled album boasts all the energy and freshness you would expect from a debut record, combined with the confidence and diversity that only comes from bands with a great many miles under their be
The foursome are promoting their new album on July 7, and will be giving away free copies!
Valentine Black: Desire Lines
23 Mar 2012
Valentine Black’s debut album Desire Lines (fun fact: it’s named after the paths made by walking through forests!) mixes the heart of Springsteen with the melodies of Bowie and the lush arrangements of Arcade Fire. Dealing primarily in pop-tinged folk rock ditties, Valentine Black’s straight-talking yet romantic LP covers the topics of love, loss and even murder. A solid debut.
There’s a lot to love on Kildare crooner’s new album.
Confidants
05 Feb 2012
A fascinating second record from lo-fi pop tribe Land Lovers, Confidants sees the Popical Island signees veer from the blueprint of their debut, mixing swooning, vintage-sounding lullabies with their usual fare of sharp-shooting quirk pop. Lyrically, anything goes, from death (‘Terry & Julie’) to football (‘Gravedigger’), as vocalist Pádraig Cooney swings with all the cool of an aging crooner.
The debut album from this Italian/Irish rockabilly threesome has already gained rave reviews from fans and critics alike, with our very own Jackie Hayden labeling it “exuberant... rough, ready and raucous”. Citing influences as diverse as Enio Morricone, The Ramones, The Delfonics and Johnny Cash, this is an album that surprises as well as excites.
Taking influence from alt. rock, drum and bass and metal, Leeside trio Screenreader present their debut album Disconnect The Dots, a self-produced 9-tracker that burns a trail from start to finish with high-impact rhythms and fuzzed-up electronic textures. Predominantly confined to a spare bedroom and cramped attics, the band recorded the album in just five days. Could have fooled us.
Cork trio's debut is a riff-tacular short, sharp shock.
Shake Skin
05 Feb 2012
Waterford foursome Kodakid clearly did their homework before creating ‘Shake Skin’, a sultry, swagger-drenched piece of blues rock that could easily be a lost Black Keys number. Elsewhere on the record of the same name, you’ll find ‘Low 7‘, a thoroughly ballsy rock track, and debut single ‘Pray’ which featured on the Hot Press/Irish Daily Mail Fighting Chance CD and earned the band an appearance on TV3’s The Apprentice.
The Waterford-based foursome announce a debut single and gigs in Dublin and the UK
Ambition
05 Feb 2012
Cork-born Stephen O’Brien delivers a pop-punk , folk , Alternative. Vocals sounding out like Kurt Cobain and David Bowie. This self-made second album “ Ambition “produced with Ciaran O’Shea and guitar work by Rory Murphy. Offers a rapport for those without a voice , along with a compelling attitude .Songs of honesty and substance.
Cork singer's second album is full of odes to the outsiders.
Now
05 Feb 2012
With some 30 records to his name, veteran folk singer Patsy Watchorn has decided to pay tribute to some of his favourite songs on his newest album, Now. Tackling Ewan MacColl’s ‘Dirty Old Town’ and Paddy Kavanagh’s ‘Raglan Road’, Watchorn’s full-bodied, rough-hewn voice evokes the late great Luke Kelly, while also containing a subtlety that sets him apart from the cruder exponents of the craft of ballad-singing.
Dublin singer delivers masterclass in ballad genre.
So Long December
23 Jan 2012
Having perfected their dynamic blend of pop and punk on their debut EP, Cashel alt. rockers Futurism are back with their second release, the appropriately-titled So Long December. Taking cues from the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Incubus and A Day To Remember, the Tipp foursome have plenty to offer, including beefy guitar riffs, slick drum patterns and razor-sharp vocals.
Propeller Palms are a new ten-piece outfit from Waterford featuring Paul Butler of Neuro on lead vocals. Debut album All In This Together sees them blend elements of hard-edged rock, blues, funk and soul. There’s such density to the sound you hear fresh naunces on repeated listens, and it has a live feel you rarely get in studio efforts. This debut album is charged with an exultant energy that makes it crackle from start to finish. The result is one of the most rewarding Irish debuts we’ve heard for quite some time.
You may not recognise the face but Paul Butler is a rock star twice over. As a member of Neuro and ID he’s seen it all – tours with Phil Lynott, wild...
On the thrilling Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards, Dublin noise poppers We Cut Corners show just how much you can do with a drum kit and a guitar. The peppy 10-tracker sees them jump easily between making a glorious guitar-shredding racket (the Patti Smith-esque ‘Three People’, the poppy ‘The Leopard’ and the plaintive ‘Say Yes To Everything’) and creating perfectly crafted lo-fi folk pop (‘A Pirate’s Life’, ‘Dumb Blonde’).
They bonded over their love for Radiohead and originally featured the word ‘camogie’ in their name. You could say We Cut Corners are an indie band with a...
The Dublin duo have released a brand new video for their single 'Go easy', from their upcoming album Today I Realised I could Go Home Backwards . Watch...
The Ambience Affair, We Cut Corners and Windings will take to the stage at Upstairs in Dolan‘s on Thursday December 17
SAD
30 Nov 2011
Little Xs For Eyes are a folk band with a retro doo wop shuffle, but like so many of the ‘60s girl groups they emulate, their appeal is based on more than the sunny sound of their tunes. Their candied melodies and shoop-filled arrangements push the boundaries of twee, but the lyrics don’t mess around either - at one point front woman Bennie Reilly even threatens to beat up her lover’s ex! - making debut album SAD a sweet and soulful gem.
The textured melodies and Bennie Reilly’s soft, mouse-sized voice make it easy to like the indie-folksters’ debut – and there’s even more that’ll...
Live In Sweeney's
30 Nov 2011
Spectacular skiffle band Gypsy Rebel Rabble have been thrilling crowds on the Irish live circuit for quite a while now, so it makes perfect sense to recorded their debut album live in the venue where they hold a weekly residency. Live In Sweeney’s does what it says on the tin; it’s a riff-a-minute amalgamation of bluegrass, folk and punk, all tied together with catchy harmonies and soft melodies.
Rising from the ashes of acclaimed ‘90s rockers The Driven, Cork’s Pavlov’s Dogs’ debut offering Truth Of Your Lies is a raw and raunchy affair that boasts a magnificent vocal performance from Paul Power that would put goose pimples on your goose pimples. Operating in the same territory as The Black Keys and The Kills, the band’s soulful brand of swamp rock is at its best when it’s totally stripped back and whiskey-soaked tunes like ‘Young Lovers’ firmly mark them out as one of Ireland’s best no frills rock bands.
The Cork rockers will celebrate with a gig in Crane Lane.
Burials
10 Nov 2011
As the name might suggest, Burials, the debut album from Dublin trio The Ambience Affair, is brimming with conflict. Jamie Clarke’s vocals sound delightfully feral throughout, particularly on ‘War Weary’, a two-fisted battle song with plenty of underlying groove, and ‘(---)’, a raging piano ditty. Packed with rolling rhythms and murky riffs, Burials is a beautiful blitzkrieg; thoughtful, accomplished and powerful.
The album artwork may well resemble an early Bon Jovi demo but this debut album from Dublin power-popsters Saccade is packed full of reasons to take them very seriously indeed. Force Of Habit manages to pull of a very clever trick, presenting a collection of hook-driven rock songs that would fit right at home on any decent radio station but also one that stands up to be counted. There’s a sense of urgency here, not to mention an enviable confidence.
Dubliners' debut underlines healthy state of Irish rock.
S’all Vibration
30 Oct 2011
Born in the Congo but a resident of Ireland for the past seven years, the multi-talented Niwel Tsumbu has crafted a sound that is immersed in world culture and yet entirely his own. Third album S’all Vibration is something of a departure from previous works, mostly focusing on electric instrumentation and creating a more upbeat tone in the process. Embracing his desired theme of “being in balance with yourself and the universe”, Tsumbu’s latest release is a stirring antidote to recessionary blues and his most accomplished effort yet.
Cork-Based congolese composer makes a gorgeous wall of sound
Time Will Tell
30 Oct 2011
Dublin native Valerie Armstrong’s debut effort is 30 years in the making. Such a time period triggers thoughts of record label squabbles and creative differences, but Armstrong’s story, like her music, is both poignant and uncomplicated. Having put her burgeoning music career on hold to start a family, it appeared Valerie’s dream of weaving songs together was lost. Now, with children and ideas fully formed, she returns to the path she once walked with Time Has Told Me, an incredible debut rich with mood and atmosphere.
She’s been waiting a lifetime but Mary Coughlan’s former backing singer Valerie Armstrong has finally realised a long-held ambition. She has released the...
Easy Meat
16 Oct 2011
On Easy Meat, Northern rockers LaFaro tear their way through masses of distortion and fast riffage with all the bravado of raging bulls, with vocals mercilessly plugging any gaps that appear. The pace and fury hardly dies down through songs like the highly charged ‘Have A Word With Yourself’, the menacing ‘Settle Petal’ and breakneck title track ‘Easy Meat’.
They’re loud, they’re proud and they “endorse” really heavy amplifiers. Also Lafaro are partial to a spot of inter-band shagging. That’s what their...
The Devil In Music
16 Oct 2011
It took half a year to perfect the 13 songs that make up the aptly-titled The Devil In Music, the debut album from Limerick’s Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters. Produced by Hole and REM knob-twiddler Owen Lewis, the opus is a slinky slice of low-slung alt. rock that calls to mind Queens Of The Stone Age at their most relaxed; it’s an assured, esoteric offering that fizzles with invention.
It was bare-faced pluck that earned Limerick foursome Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters a place in the Play On The Day finals last week. Now, Celina Murphy catches up...
Who knew that a rain stick and a didgeridoo had a place on a punk and blues record? Limerick’s Fox Jaw Bounty Hunters aren’t afraid to sprinkle their...
Build Me A Swan
16 Oct 2011
The Chakras’ debut LP is an ambitious record by anyone’s standards, but for all its experimental tendancies, it’s also breezy and full of hazy hooks. The influence of The Verve pushes itself to the fore on tunes like ‘Drifting (Take A Walk Inside)’ and the gorgeous title track. These five Dubliners are dab hands at heartfelt balladry and Build Me A Swan is a record that deserves to be lived with.
The Chakras have set up camp in London and have the man who discovered The Verve and The Smashing Pumpkins in their corner – as well as other lovable...
If political philosophers needed proof that man is inherently prejudiced, they need only consider about how one would expect a band called The Chakras to...
The Very Lotust
16 Oct 2011
Catchy, quirky and almost theatrical in approach, The 1922s blend deft, piano-based melodies with skilful harmonies and dramatic arrangements to create something really unique. There’s a music-hall quality to their infectious debut album, The Very Lotust, mixed in with a Ben Folds Five sensibility that is unselfconsciously compelling.
After the release of their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album, The Dying Seconds spent 2009 earning their live chops gigging around Ireland and the UK, during which time the band evolved from a two-men-and-their-laptops situation into a bombastic six-piece with trumpets, strings, synths, singing, guitars and lots and lots of drums! Partially recorded in a factory and a church, the resulting second album is a maelstrom of joyful melancholy.
Siobhán O’Brien’s new self-titled album is a difficult one to pin down, with Hot Press’ Edwin Mc Fee noting, “The genre gymnastics work really well on this charming LP”. If all that isn’t enough, Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains gushed that O’Brien has “a voice the world should hear” and Bob Dylan invited her on stage after hearing her sing.
Siobhan O' Brien had emails sent from her account claiming she was stranded in Nigeria and needed money
SMPTE Babies And Stereo Throat
02 Sep 2011
The debut album by When Good Pets go Bad is a concise showcase of the versatility of their sound ranging from off-kilter pop to pure raucous noise. The tracks range from the punky sound of Buzzcocks-esque ‘Far Cry from Nowhere’ to the record’s climatic ‘Da Zu (Kid); keeping a ruthless hold on the listener till the very last note of the finale.
With an infectious blend of good ole rock ‘n’ roll, country, blues and gospel, Dublin six-piece The Hot Sprockets have created a rootin’, tootin’ debut album by the name of Honey Skippin’. With a pile-driving rhythm, the title track recalls both the Stones circa Let It Bleed and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion at their demented finest, while elsewhere they burn down the road again on the ‘60s R&B rocker, ‘I’m Leaving’. A triumph
Up-and-coming Dublin bands Scarecrow Disco and The Hot Sprockets are releasing a joint limited edition 7” vinyl single on their own label Go Splitsy Records.
From the check shirts to the bolo ties to the facial hair, Dublin blues quintet HOT SPROCKETS are a band committed to their genre. Granite-voiced lead singer...
The Hot Sprockets, Red Kid, Peakin Trippers and The Valentinos will join forces on May 9 at Radio City, Dublin in support of the 4 peaks challenge in aid of...
Tieranniesaur
30 Aug 2011
Finding groove in the madness is clearly the forte of Dublin collective Tieranniesaur – highlights on their self-titled debut album include the cartoonish ‘In The Sargasso’ and the ‘Pretty Girl String Quartet’, which manages to be eerie and funky at the same time. The musicians behind Tieranniesaur are undoubtedly enterprising, but it’s vocalist Annie Tierney’s razor-sharp tongue that makes this album really special.
The debut album of Humanzi drummer Brian Gallagher, Don’t Look Behind You is a highly engaging affair. Brian’s vocal style recalls Blur, New Order, The Beatles and Elliott Smith by turns. ‘Ode to Nowhere’ is a solid ‘cowboy’ song while ‘Living Is For Dreaming’ is a Supergrass-influenced radio rocker. Move aside Conor O’Brien and Cathy Davey. There’s a new gunslinger in town.
In Light On/Light Off we finally get a recording of Ana Gog that does justice to their live sound. This is an album-lover’s album. The songs, although varying from quiet melodic numbers to frantic, percussion-driven instrumental passages, all seem to evoke the same world. The band’s instrumental and vocal virtuosity, although omnipresent, never becomes overbearing. Light On/Light Off is a study in subtlety and balance.
Hard to categorise and near-impossible to describe on paper, but very easy to enjoy: that just about sums up what is a very fine debut from the charmingly-monikered Henrietta Game. The Dublin-based four-piece purvey an effervescent stew of folk, jazz and classically-tinted alt. indie that makes superb use of unconventional instrumentation and truly dazzling vocals. In short, Black Ship is a string-driven thing of rare beauty.
The Dublin folk-alt band beat off stiff competition and will now join Saccade and Lady Doll in the grand final on April 29
The Greatest Event
29 Jul 2011
The Man Whom’s magical indie-baroque blend of Villagers meets Neil Young has had critics all aflutter for a while now, but The Greatest Event sees multi-instumentalist Ian Doyle break into stunning new territory. ‘Sing Till There’s No Songs Left’ features emotive harmonies, uplifting brass, and swagger in spades, while ‘Leavin This Town’, is a handsome tune with a lyrical edge that makes it relevant to these forlorn times.
One of Wexford's leading lights reveals his long-awaited swoonsome debut
King HeSheMe
30 Jul 2011
Wicklow’s More Tiny Giants have a truly great performer in their ranks with Paul Finan, whose pipes call to mind Black Francis on their debut album ‘King HeSheMe‘. The band themselves are no slouches either and employ trombones, mandolins, violins and more to flesh out their ragged brand of rock ‘n’ roll, making this imaginative and ambitious debut a thoroughly enjoyable affair.
Dublin foursome More Tiny Giants – who recently made it onto the bill for Hard Working Class Heroes – are offering their entire Wolves At The Door ...
The Mysterious Chords - Thirteen Steps
15 Jul 2011
The Mysterious Chords are a melodic acoustic three-piece from Dublin and their debut album Harrington Street features 10 songs rich in melodic content written by lead singer Pat Fagan. Recorded in Dublin at Resolution Studios and mixed at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios in Bristol by Goldfrapp cohort Greg Freeman, this album is a must for fans of compelling acoustic guitar stylings and rich vocal harmonies.
Classically trained trio craft an impressive acoustic guitar-based debut
Barry McCormack - Small Mercies
15 Jul 2011
Small Mercies is the fourth solo album from former Jubilee Allstar Barry McCormack. Considered a tireless Dublin eulogist since his days with the Allstars, Barry’s new record continues to chronicle his hometown’s fortunes. Recorded by Choice award-winning producer Stephen Shannon, the album finds Barry playing with a full band for the first time since he went solo and features some of the best local indie talent backing him up.
With a cracking new solo album on the shelves and a move to Paris on the cards, things are starting to happen for former Jubilee Allstars frontman Barry...
Despite the litany of miseries that besets McCormack’s characters, the heart of We Drank Our Tears beats with the indomitability of the human spirit and...
Zombie Computer
15 Jul 2011
Hailing from Co. Cork, Zombie Computer have quickly gathered a cult following on the strength of their no-holds-barred live performances. Their eponymous debut sees them collaborate with former Motown songwriter Leon Ware (him of Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Quincy Jones fame) and push their melodic and rhythmic sensibilities to the limit.
Their debut album was an experimental foray into ballsy freaktronica, but on stage Cork trio Zombie Computer really let their eccentricities out. Celina...
You can download their take on 'Seven Nation Army' here.
Marcata
15 Jul 2011
The Minutes’ debut album Marcata takes its name from the upstate New York recording studio where the band nailed the record in a five-day blowout under the watchful eye of Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus). James Felice of The Felice Brothers guests on a couple of tracks, with further contributions to the heady brew coming from John Goodmanson (Jaguar Love, Fight Like Apes, Catheters).
Ahead of their trip to Eurosonic and February show in the Academy, The Minutes fill us in on how they spent Winter 2011 on the road getting hassled by the...
Bright New Sounds champs The Minutes will release their new single next month.
Sleep Thieves - Heart Waves
08 Apr 2011
Electro-pop peddlers Sleep Thieves have received high praise from every publication and blogger you can think of over the last 12 months, but now that their debut album has finally hit the shelves, these three Dubliners can really give themselves a pat on the back. Heart Waves builds on the Dublin trio’s already adored sound – it’s a feverish mix of killer dance beats, cleverly-programmed bleeps and dirty synths.
Rising Dublin-based trio Sleep Thieves will support DRN at their album launch this week.
Declan O'Rourke - Mag Pai Zai
08 Apr 2011
With glowing endorsements from the likes of Paul Weller and Eddi Reader, among others, not to mention a huge following at home and abroad, you have to wonder why O’Rourke hasn’t broken through internationally. On the glorious Mag Pai Zai, his vocals are stronger than ever, reaching a sort of transcendence on ‘Be Brave And Believe’, and evoking the crooning sound of Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee on ‘Dancing Song’. A stellar collection.
Not very long ago, Declan O’Rourke looked set for the big time. His fanbase included Paul Weller and he’d just signed to a major label. Global success...
To celebrate their 10th birthday, The Ruby Sessions have organised four weeks of celebrations including performances from some of the best acts Ireland has...
To make up for the frustration of having to wait until next year for a new album, Declan O’Rourke fans can bag themselves a Special Edition version of his...
O'Rourke's third single from the platinum-selling Since Kyabram is exactly the record a guy would put on after the woman he’s besotted with agrees to marry...
Despite sharing a home with fellow troubador Paddy Casey, singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke isn’t one for late-night acoustic sessions. You’re far more...
Having sold-out all of his pre-Christmas shows, Declan O'Rourke embarks on a major nationwide tour in March.
Yeh Deadlies - The First Book Of Lessons
24 Mar 2011
Yeh Deadlies’ The First Book Of Lessons is currently garnering generous praise from all corners for its sweet harmonies, cheery disposition and catchy hooks, but this is an album that also bristles with the melancholy of growing pains. Highlights include the punk pop wordplay of 7” single ‘Magazine’; the swing-band-meets-Lizzy strangeness of ‘Sophomore Evil’; and the droning kraut-rock of’Learning Chinese’.
The spookily titled The Dead Living is aptly out on October 30!
Hands Up Who Wants To Die - Buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, Buffalo, buffalo.
24 Feb 2011
Powerhouse melodies, instrumental mayhem and all-out shriek rock dominate on this snappy 38-minute debut by Richter Collective grindcore outfit Hands Up Who Wants To Die. Clumsy and loutish in all the right ways, but also intelligently written and overflowing with heart – there’s no two ways about it, Buffalo, buffalo... is a brute of a record. We love the smell of Napalm Death in the morning.
With their debut album currently ripping open the ear canals of all who feast upon it, noise-rockers Hands Up Who Wants To Die could well be Dublin’s most...
A Lazarus Soul - Through A Window in the Sunshine Room
24 Feb 2011
Through A Window In The Sunshine Room is the third album to be released by A Lazarus Soul, following 2001’s Alsrecord and 2007’s Graveyard of Burnt Out Cars. Featuring long-time collaborators Joe Chester and Tony Hegarty, his latest work also includes guest performances from Ger Griffin (Rollerskate Skinny) and Martin Kelly (Sun Bear/The Ruby Tailights).
Comprised of members of various local indie outfits (among them Future Kings Of Spain and Mexican Pets) A Lazarus Soul have delivered an intriguing second...
If it’s a “stomping indie single with echoes of Joy Division and The Smiths” you’re after, look no further than the last opus from Dublin contenders...
Exit: Pursued By A Bear - Exit: Pursued By A Bear
24 Feb 2011
There are some really solid ‘Blue Monday’-era New Order moments on this ambitious debut by Cork’s Exit: Pursued By A Bear – ‘You Got Burned’ is a full-on techno floor-smasher, 'Amédée’ is blessed with a genius zigzagging blip interlude and closing track ‘Squirm’ has a charming apocalyptic flow. Elsewhere, ‘Charter Of Basic Principles’ is a groovesome mash of hefty percussion, jolting guitars and ricochet-ing bleeps. A genuine groove sensation.
Replete with Beatle-esque pop melodies and heavenly Beach Boys-inspired harmonies, Duncan Maitland’s Lullabies For The 21st Century is a homegrown power-pop gem. The lo-fi delights on this stunning debut are sure to woo fans of sunny retro rock. Duncan is touring Ireland in March, with dates in Cavan, Dundalk, Dublin and Cork, as well as UK and Spanish dates.
The 13 Dalis is the first release in 15 years by Patrick Campbell Lyons of '60s psychedelic art-rock outfit Nirvana (no relation to Kurt Cobain et al). Recorded in London, Spain and Morocco, the 13-tracker includes a special appearance by his Nirvana cohort, Greek multi-instrumentalist Alex Spyropolouss. From the shimmering 'Sunset City' to the nostalgic 'Flowers For Friday', The 13 Dalis will surely please fans of '60s favorites The Zombies and The Kinks.
Generally somber offering from the original Nirvana
Sweet Jane - Sugar For My Soul
10 Feb 2011
A fiesty record with bags of old-school rock 'n' roll charm, Sweet Jane's Sugar For My Soul was release last July to critical acclaim. The Irish Time dubbed them a "remarkably good live band, who blend loaded psych-rock and a sweet natured dream pop disposition with a clear affinity for the rockier sludgier end of Americana". Sweet Jane have been invited to play at SXSW in March, and release their first single in the UK, 'Close Your Eyes', on February 28.
You won't find any new-age doohickeys on the credits of this LP, but Marc O'Reilly still serves up real flashes of brilliance. The hushed French mumblings on 'La Question; are hopelessly hip, the breakneck guitar on 'Tell Old Joe' is rather trilling and our master of ceremonies deserves massive props for managing to segue from Afro rhythms to near classical guitar so effortlessly on 'An African Day'.
With swelling rhythms, delicate strings and a gorgeous, understates vocal, Aliens is a Latin-infused gem from Dubliner Owensie. José González is clearly and influence, but elsewhere 'Dark Place' chimes with Bossa Nova swing that could have come from the pen of the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim and 'Tied To A Name' recalls the Moore brothers (Christy and Barry) in their most experimental moments.
A burly, shaggy man with a big growly voice, Stefan Murphy writes gold-toothed Cathoholic blues tunes, ballads, shitkickers and swamp rock shanties, some of them odes to folk like Johnny Thunders and Jeffrey Lee Pierce. On TMS & the Baptists, his third album, Stef bellows protest songs, love songs, Saturday night out-of-it songs and Sunday morning coming down songs. Strong stuff.
The Mighty Stef has a brand new end-of-year single ‘Sing To Me’ set for release on Friday, December 11 and has outlined his plans for 2010 exclusively to...
Dublin-based artist The Mighty Stef has revealed to Hot Press that he has
recorded a studio version of the song he wrote in response to Ireland's
football...
Now a provocative solo artist following a spell with the Subtonics, The Mighty Stef (alias Stefan Murphy) invites Jackie Hayden round for some pasta a la...
He’s a law unto himself is Stef, making the kind of records that nobody else could get away with. ‘Poisonous Love’ is an ode to a doomed love affair...
They don’t call him the Mighty Stef for nothing – brimming with showmanship and out-on-a-limb theatrics, this double A-side is the perfect marriage of...
Aiming to raise money for their travel to South By Southwest in Texas, The Might Stef play a fundraising gig next week in Dublin
POP Scar - Popscars
17 Dec 2010
For the uninitiated, POP Scar is the moniker for an anonymous, mask-wearing musician based in Dublin and this is his debut album. Part of an increasingly popular (and nameless) genre where anything goes, Popscars calls to mind the inventive lunacy of the likes of Jinx Lennon, and our hero flits between Spanish influences (‘That Gypsy Grin’) and stark, spoken word pieces (‘Love On Colours’) with ease
Weird, almost wonderful high-jinks from mask wearing Liffey-sider
Bill Coleman - You Can't Buy Back Your Life
17 Dec 2010
Bill Coleman released his debut album in 2003 back when he still had a real job. Since then he's performed regularly, both in Ireland and the UK, with various people (David Kitt, Heathers, Declan O'Rourke and Grant Lee Phillips to name but a few), on various stages (Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Castlepalooza) making waves with a guitar, a laptop and a whole load of live-recorded loops.
He released his second album 'You Can't Buy Back Your Life' in October of this year. Hot Press says it's "...a hugely satisfying collection of songs ... dynamic, punchy and sonically rich ... A triumph and a sure-fire hit!".
To individualise each album cover Coleman put 1,000 together and spray-painted them with the name of the record. This means each cover is unique, and numbered, making each one a little bit more personal and special than your run-of-the-mill record. Ideal Christmas stocking material!
News and gossip from the domestic front with Roisin Dwyer
Neosupervital - Battery Power
24 Jan 2011
Clocking in at a snappy 34 minutes, the second album from Dublin one-man outfit Neosupervital seems to have been made with the dual intentions of making you shake your groove thang and leaving you hungry for more after the mirrorball stops spinning. Topped and tailed with a pair of blippy ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ tracks, disco anthem ‘Do What You Feel’ is a clear standout, boasting a bassline Chic legend Bernard Edwards would be proud of.
Beat 102-103 and WIT have joined forces to present two of Ireland’s grooviest acts in Waterford City’s Phil Grimes’ Bar and then broadcast the gigs on...
Hot Press are joining forces with Beck’s Fusions to find the act who’ll support Neosupervital at the initiative’s exclusive launch party in the Dublin...
Eight re-mixes of this track taken from the debut album of Ireland’s answer to Hot Chip might be seven too many for most people. But there’s no denying...
It’s a bit late in the year for this to become a summer anthem, which is a pity, as Neosupervital has delivered an excellent tune to whet appetites for an...
NEOSUPERVITAL has taken the music of the 80s as his blueprint, added in a large dollop of tongue-in-cheek humour, mixed in some observations on modern...
Classically-trained cellist Vyvienne Long first came to our attention as a musical cohort of Damien Rice, but with debut album Caterpillar Sarabande, the Dublin lass finally has a chance to shine in her own right. You’ll already know the hopelessly cute ‘Happy Thoughts‘ from the even cuter Easy Singles ad, but rest assured the rest of her stunning debut is just as enticing.
She’s best known as Damien Rice’s cello player. Now Vyvienne Long is staking her claim as a solo star. She talks about caterpillars, success with Damo...
Cellist Vyvienne Long and Kila's Colm Ó Snodaigh are among the artists playing at this month's Shoestring Collective gig in the James Joyce Centre, Dublin.
Not content with being a key member of the Damien Rice band, Vyvienne Long has released an EP that finds her doing wondrous things to the Flaming Lips and...
So far best known as Damien Rice’s cello player and the provider of quirky cover versions, Long could well be a star waiting to happen. Birdtalk is a good...
Dublin based band Tupelo are a lovely lil mix of bluegrass, folk, rhythm and roots, and their 11-track debut album Dirty Money is a fantastic feel-good album, including live favourites ‘Firefly’ and ‘Bad Man.’ The banjo has never been so cool.
The seeming indifference of the Department of Education has prompted the band TUPELO to release a song to highlight the plight of children attending...
Dublin acoustic roots band Tupelo have released a single and are doing a gig at the Village to support the campaign of parents and teachers at the Gaelscoil...
The rhythm and roots 5 piece have just added a Bank Holiday date at Whelan's to their string of upcoming summer gigs.
Clara Rose - A Portfolio
17 Dec 2010
Clara Rose is a raw, original, Irish Roots musician. Her unique blend of raunchy blues, mesmerising folk and sultry roots are hard found in these troubled times.
Clara Rose is now joined by a 7 piece backing band. With Clara Rose on lead vocals and guitar they form, ‘Clara Rose & The Relatives’. Their much acclaimed show at Flat Lake Literary and Arts Festival (2009 & 2010) hurtled them onto the scene and they have since supported Don Baker in The Lost & Found in December 2009 and played at her album launch McKenna's Brewery in Monaghan and a stellar Dublin Album Launch in The Odessa Club on 10th September.
Throughout her career to date Clara Rose has played with such Irish legends as Horslips’ Johnny Fean, Brian Downey, Henry McCullough and Rob Strong.
Led by versatile guitarist and songwriter Joe Cleere from Carlow, Cleere is a band with a renewed appetite for hard-driving virtuoso guitar rock. ‘Road To Nowhere’ is a stormer of an opening track, all free-range guitars and thundering drums, while ‘Sick Day (All A Joke)’ is superbly bolstered by the bold trumpeting of Ben Dooze.
Avoiding using diva-esque lead guitarists and singers not only saves bands from getting bottled by angry fans at concerts (not that we’re thinking of anyone in particular), but it also allows them to focus on their slamming drum and bass section. Thread Pulls’ debut album New Thoughts is a sparse but spectacular futuristic album that lives up to the Dublin band’s live performances.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking a group of rockers had mislaid their rhythm section, but Dublin duo Thread Pulls produce a ruckus that most...
It's taking place next month in The Workman's Club.
Bat Kinane - A Lifetime To Kill
24 Jan 2011
Holy acoustic albums, Bat Kinane has been busy! The guitarist with hard rock outfit Glyder used the little free time he had to record A Lifetime to Kill, an eclectic mix of pastoral folk, blues and prog-rock that has touches of Thin Lizzy and Johnny Cash and is well worth a listen.
Bringing some much needed oestregen to Irish electro music, Babybeef, aka Sarah Carroll Kelly’s debut album is a blend of 1980s plastic pop and dark electronic beats. Babybeef has already made several Ones To Watch lists in the Irish press (including making it onto HP’s own shortlist at the start of the year), and her irresistibly catchy album is sure to live up to the hype.
Though the songs are catchy, and having an Irish electro frontwoman is a much-needed addition to the current domestic scene, it’s hard for a one woman...
The official launch party is in the Twisted Pepper.
Fran King - My Sweet Elixir
24 Jan 2011
A contestant from You’re a Star actually making a decent album? Never thought I’d see the day… Getting rave reviews in the US, My Sweet Elixer is an infectious and undiluted pop offering reminiscent of Paul McCartney and James Taylor, and is so sweet it may well induce a toothache.
Fran King was one of the finalists on You’re A Star, but don’t let that put you off. Beautification, the Terenure native’s debut album, is an assured...
Stephen Maguire - Irish Soul
24 Jan 2011
Belfast-native Stephen Maguire’s been a very busy boy these past three years, touring the length and breadth of Canada, but luckily, the folky crooner has managed to find the time to record his debut album Irish Soul. Honest, reflective and passionate, Irish Soul is chocked full of just that.
Seraphim (debut) has been described by music industry insiders as the ideal album with which to soundtrack the coming Winter. Apart from sublime vocal performances from Bass herself, it comes with lush harmonies and an adventurous mix of songs from several genres, including rock, pop, classical and traditional. Bass’ high-class vocals on Seraphim are augmented by some of Ireland’s leading musicians, including arranger and pianist Peter Roycroft, Dave ‘Doc’ O Connor, and Leonie Bluett, whose clarinet became one of the central talking points on ‘Life On Mars’. Rebecca Rodgers and Orla Mulreid turned in delicious backing vocals too. The album was engineered and mastered by Niall Daly, and produced by Andrew Bass.
Dublin soprano Sarah Bass will join fellow soprano Rebecca Rodgers for a concert of classical and popular favourites
Gemma Ray - It's A Shame About Gemma Ray
24 Jan 2011
Raw, powerful and uncontrived, It’s A Shame ... is a cocktail of old and not-so-old songs from blues vixen Gemma Ray. The LP, Ray’s second, includes covers by artists as diverse as Gun Club, The Cookies, Ella Fitzgerald, Obits, Mudhoney, Etta James and Buddy Holly. It’s a shame? It’s a masterpiece!
The strangest cover record since the heyday of cat power
Liz Is Evil - Failed Philosophy
24 Jan 2011
The genre-straddling Liz is Evil have finally unleashed Failed Philosophy - an eclectic and electric slab of wax that reminds us why we fell in love with the Dublin band in the first place. Essentially a bit of a musical pick ‘n’ mix, they flirt with cowpunk (‘Mount Molehill’), 50s-esque rock ‘n’ roll (‘Beached’) and Primus-like, jazz inspired noodle-ry (‘If’) while also giving everything their own unique stamp.
Trees is a record of 11 lovingly crafted songs exploring the intricacies of growing up, falling down, getting back up, smiling and reflecting upon it all. Positive, fun and just a little bit quirky, Keane’s left-of-centre approach shines bright on songs like lead single “Alice”. “Saw a Wave” and the hook-heavy “Microscopic” point to a brand new talent unafraid of experimentation, of blurring boundaries, but radio-friendly and accessible just the same.
After three years in gestation, Una Keane will release her debut LP Trees at the start of November
Snowy White Blues Project - In Our Time...Live
24 Jan 2011
Spanning a career most guitarists would kill for, Snowy White presents In Our Time...Live, a unique chance to experience the Brit blues maestro doing what he does best. The Snowy White Blues Project have shared the stage with the likes of Thin Lizzy and Pink Floyd, and this album captures them at the height of their powers, playing at De Boerderij in Holland.
After gaining a reputation for a carnivalesque live show, Dublin alt. poppers Grand Pocket Orchestra finally unleash their debut album on the universe. Building on two solid EPs, The Ice Cream is a ramshackle collection of eighteen charming lo-fi pop songs squeezed into a preposterous 36 minutes. As HP’s own Celina Murphy puts it, it’s a “bewildering, experimental, vicious little gem of a record.”
Their album The Ice Cream became an unexpected candidate for homegrown debut of the year when it landed in our laps last month; now, Celina Murphy meets mad...
Our headliners Grand Pocket Orchestra, if you didn’t already know, are a mad scientist of a band. Pulling out the xylophone and the melodica almost as...
Fresh from a stint in New York – and a visit to Canadian Music Week – GPO will head east to play a mini-tour in Germany and Denmark next month, before...
Grand Pocket Orchestra and Joe Echo will be making the trip to Charleville Castle, Co. Offaly, courtesy of the Hot Press 'Your Band At Castlepalooza'...
News and gossip from the domestic front with Roisin Dwyer
The Candidates - If You Got It
24 Jan 2011
The Candidates are a nine-piece band with a 4-piece raging horn section. Whilst collectively penning their own, home grown, funk instrumentals, dance floor busters and lyrical nuggets, they also sprinkle their live shows with some classic tunes and rare B-sides from 60’s and 70’s acts ranging from the likes of James Brown and Aretha Franklin to The Meters and Funkadelic.
Funktastic debut from ireland’s answer to George Clinton and his mates
Black Soul Strangers - Animate
25 Jan 2011
With a raw energy few artists can convincingly convey, Black Soul Strangers have already won the praises of many a reviewer, as well as comparisons to big hitters ike Coldplay. Tracks ‘The Haunting’, ‘Lies’ and ‘Animate’ convey a plethora of sounds, incorporating everything from a crashing drum across a studio floor to a 50-strong choral harmony.
Dublin's Black Soul Strangers have announced a series of Irish dates for the coming month, including stop-offs in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Derry.
Frantic Jack - Independence
25 Jan 2011
Best known for their subtle blend of acoustic rock, Frantic Jack follow the successes of two Top 20 chart singles with debut album Independence. With influences ranging from Dire Straits to Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam, the band has seamlessly molded their own unique sound and captured the attention of audiences across the country.
The single 'Hold On' by Edenderry five-piece Frantic Jack single has crashed into the Irish charts at No. 9, the only independent release to enter the charts...
Four years after the release of critically-acclaimed debut Smile...It Confuses People, Million-selling Scottish troubadour Sandi Thom is back with sophomore album Merchants and Thieves. Retaining her penchant for a kicking power melody and a trenchant lyric, the record adds a new blues
For all her genuine qualities, and the fact that she comes across as a decent and likeable person, underneath all the angle, hype and argument as to whether...
Sick of playing to tiny, empty venues Sandi Thom used her MySpace site to sell herself to the world. Before she knew it, thousands were tuning in.
Enemies - We've Been Talking
25 Jan 2011
A kind of wonderful breezy jive dominates this, the debut LP by sunny instrumental foursome Enemies. Yet, the seven-minute epic ‘Creamist’ ends with a decidedly hardcore flourish, while the LP’s most thrilling track ‘Fierce Pit Bosses’ carries a sneaky funk underbelly. Sure, this is post-punk kept light and fluffly, but they’ve shaded it in in all the right places. An unwaveringly gorgeous first outing.
Celina Murphy meets the biggest enigma in Irish rock to talk bust-ups, break downs and the assorted mechanical creatures that grace their wonderful second...
Clocking in at a delicious 39 minutes, the first album from Jogging is relentless, gushing and ten times freer than your average debut. Tracks like ‘Fostered Foes’ and ‘Shape Up Shakedown’ keep the vocals to a minimum but opener ‘Threadbare’ uses Ronan Jackson and Darren Craig’s sporadic bellowing as a more of a focal point. Take note: this Dublin trio have real soul, teasing us from beneath a mass of dizzy guitar work and ferociously barked vocals.
Jogging was born when Dublin indie-pop outfit Coldspoon Conspiracy finally called it a day.
"We looked for new musicians for the bones of three years,"...
You can also catch them live tomorrow night in Whelan's.
Ann Scott - Flo
25 Jan 2011
Following the acclaimed Poor Horse and We’re Smiling, Scott’s third album is her most personal to date. Twice nominated in the female category at the Meteor Awards, Scott’s songs vary from barebones acoustic sketches to grander piano –led material. She explores jilted folk, melodic blues and kitsch pop over the course these fourteen dark songs
Taken from her forthcoming album We’re Smiling , this slightly skewed break-up song finds Scott sharing the studio with Katell Keineg, David Kitt and...
Ann Scott drew a crowd that lapped up her clever lyrics, evocative melodies and fantastic voice
The Rags - A National Light
25 Jan 2011
Finding inspiration in everything from Joyce and Wilde to The Smiths and The Pogues, A National Light is the debut LP by one of the most underrated acts around. Crammed with intricately arranged and lyrically resonant compositions like ‘Razors & Ropes’ and ‘A Mirror To A Woman (Is A Bullet In A Gun)’, The Rags are persistently mournful yet ultimately uplifting - this is one of the most head-rushingly potent Irish records in recent memory.
Rags frontman Danny Anderson’s gobby self-assurance may prove off-putting to some, yet to dismiss the Finglas five-piece outright is unjustified. Their...
This is THe Rags' second EP of beautifully crafted, elegantly presented music. ‘Monsters & I’ ups the ante on their hugely impressive debut by turning up...
Few new Irish bands arrive as seemingly perfectly formed as The Rags. Everything about the package that surrounds their debut suggests that they’ve got...
John Shelly & The Creatures - Dinosaur
25 Jan 2011
The evocative, summery strains of ‘Long May You Reign’ was featured on the Northern Ireland Tourist Board ad earlier this year but that’s not to say it’s the only weapon in John Shelly And The Creatures’ rock arsenal. With a heavenly piano arrangement and distorted electronics, ‘Marley Street’ is almost ethereal, while ‘Heavyweight’ the album’s final salvo sounds like The Byrds-meets-Nirvana.
The follow up to his mightily impressive Holy Shakers album of a few years back, Myna Birds was put together last year while Gavin Glass toured the US as part of Lisa Hannigan’s band. Steeped in Americana and recorded on analogue tape i Nashville, it features a cast of impressive luminaries, including members of The Jayhawks and Wilco. Terrific tunes like the powerful ‘Just Like Rome’ up the ante, with Glass’ distinctive vocals cutting through like a knife.
Taking time out from touring wih Lisa Hannigan, GAVIN GLASS holed up with members of the Black Crowes and Wilco for a memorable new album. He explains how...
News and gossip from the domestic front with Roisin Dwyer
Veda - Stars Edge
27 Jan 2011
The debut album from Dublin-based drag artist Veda, Stars Edge recently hit the top ten on Irish iTunes Album Chart and No. 2 on the Tower Album Chart. Veda continues to perform her camp, cult show at The George every week. On record, her upbeat, high energy electro pop draws its influence from the likes of Steve Strange and Boy George, as well as more recent acts such as MGMT and Patrick Wolf.
An irresistible and powerful debut album from Navan lad Simon Fagan, Outside Looking In includes live favourites ‘Damn Honey’ and ‘Water’s Edge’ as well as the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) winning gem ‘Never Really Cried’. A classically-schooled musician, Fagan does well not to let his obvious muso credentials get in the way of penning quality pop songs.
He's received admiring glances from Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson and the artist currently known as Prince. But a flirtation with a military career meant...
Album Outside Looking In is out on May 14, and single 'Damn Honey' is out now
Lunasa -Lá Nua
27 Jan 2011
Thirteen years and seven recordings on from their internationally-acclaimed eponymous debut, Lunasa are back with their marvellous seventh LP. Lá Nua (New Day) sees inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves steer the Celtic fivesome into surprising new territory.
Dundalk's Spirit Store will celebrate 10 years of world class gigs with a special evening of music on Thursday, October 29 featuring some of the acts who...
Trad quartet Lunasa, named to honour the Irish harvest god Lugh, who also gave his name to the month of August, have become something of gods themselves...
Parades, parties and green stout are all very well. But there’s so much more to St Patrick’s Day. Fans of traditional music, in particular, have good...
Like their English counterparts Flook, Lunasa continue to plough their no-vocal take on the Irish tradition with considerable success, and those who enjoyed...
On Lunasa's third album, the alchemy is much as before, aided and abetted by the subtle playing of guest musicians of the calibre of Ed Deane, Kieran Wilde,...
Glyder - Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow
27 Jan 2011
Irish band Glyder began their musical journey in 2004 at the annual Phil Lynott tribute gig Vibe For Philo. Three albums and two EP’s later, Glyder have developed a very distinguishable and unique sound, blending their classic rock influences with a truly modern sound. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow features a guest solo by one of rock’s finest guitarists, Dave Menketti from Y&T.
"Glyder use their twin guitars to the max, and in vocalist Tony Cullen have a gritty frontman who avoids the macho excesses of so many other exponents of the...
Wicklow hard rockers Glyder have announced of hefty tour in support of UK hard rockers Thunder.
Walter Mitty And The Realists - Green Light Go
25 Jan 2011
Green Light Go is the debut album from Walter Mitty And The Realists, a band built to fill dance floors. Known for their a frenzied adrenalin- fuelled live shows, the winners of Indie Week Canada have managed to capture this energy in the studio, and thensome! Produced by The Cranberries sticks-man Fergal Lawler, this first offering from The Mittys is already being hailed as a masterpiece.
Having bagged the prestigious Best Band award at Indie Week Canada, Leitrim/Limerick collective WALTER MITTY AND THE REALISTS wasted no time getting into the...
95 FM's Green and Live will be bringing the XMas Bash to Dublin with acts such as the Funeral Suits, Black Daisy and Walter Mitty and the Realists in the...
Limerick's Gohan Records label is looking for the county's rising stars to feature on a new compilation album.
Karen Coleman - No Secret
25 Jan 2011
One of Ireland’s leading session singers, Karen Coleman has spent two years writing and recording debut album No Secret. Recorded in two lake houses in the Irish
countryside with some additional sessions in Trieste, Italy, the album showcases Coleman’s definitive blend of jazz, soul and R n’B.
Now a staggering 32 years in the business of making albums, we reckon Kildare singer-songwriter Luka Bloom is more than capable of summing up his tender new record himself. He says of Dreams In America; “I’m allergic to nostalgia...And yet, perhaps it’s ok to press the pause button for a moment, and reflect a tiny bit on experiences over a period of time. Not dwell too long; just feel it again, pay respect to the places and the people.”
Kildare’s favourite son and godfather of the singer-songwriter scene, Luka Bloom, talks to Jackie Hayden about his most intimate album to date, Innocence,...
With no frills or gimmicks, what you get is Bloom’s impassioned singing and distinctive guitar style, along with what sounds like a 1,000-strong audience...
With an Irish tour approaching and a new album in the shops, Luka Bloom looks back on three decades that have taken him from busking in a pub in Newbridge to...
Armed with just his guitar and emotive voice, Bloom magically transformed a large theatre into an intimate bedsit, for this was not just a gig but a...
It would seem that inside every successful singer songwriter there’s a covers album struggling to get out. Following George Michael, Annie Lennox et...
The Dead Flags - Gentleman's Club
25 Jan 2011
Described as an “all singing, all dancing extravaganza” by your humble publication, Gentlemen’s Club is the blistering, energetic debut album from Sligo-born pop-punk masters The Dead Flags. Produced by Karl Odlum, the album takes you on a journey from manic rockers to hooky pop-songs to reflective bawlers and full-on rockabilly work-outs.
Potty-mouthed frontman Billy Fitzgerald talks about THE DEAD FLAGS getting bigged-up by Therapy?’s Andy Cairns and fends off accusations of sexism.
Keith Mullins - The Great Atlantic
25 Jan 2011
An alumnus of the Conor Oberst/Ryan Adams school of songwriting, Keith Mullins’ debut LP is a record of surprisingly pleasurable twists. Subtle strings, clever production and gentle backing vocals courtesy of Ciara Delaney all represent a fantastic support system for Galway man Mullins as he sings his sad little heart out, and the results are good enough to triumphantly set him
With a breezy mix of Americana and folk, Keith Mullins is a singer-songwriter with serious chops. Celina Murphy talks to the Galway man about fate,...
Brian Canavan - You're An Electron
25 Jan 2011
Your humble publication has called Dubliner Brian “a huge talent” and there’s no better way to sample his infectious brand of pop-rock than on debut album ‘You’re An Electron I’m An Electron’. Possessing a wicked sense of humour and some seriously unique songwriting skills (if you don’t believe us check out a tune called ‘Carol Vorderman Counting Me Down’), this Canavan lad is one to watch.
Long regarded as one of the finest and most uncompromising songwriters of his generation, Martin A. Egan presents The Tune, an album recorded between 1992 and 1997 and featuring performances from Donal Lunny, Keith Donald, Peter O’Toole, Don Baker, the late Jimmy Faulkner and other Irish musical luminaries. Released as a Special Limited Edition on his own Slinky Vibe label, the album represents for Egan “a triumph of the human spirit over the ghosts of the past”.
Formed in 2007 after a change of personnel, attitude and clothes, The Last Tycoons evolved from highly acclaimed Dublin band Porn Trauma. Hailed as one of the hottest new things on the Dublin scene; with vintage sounding guitars, liberal use of harmonica and soulful backing vocals, there is
The Dublin alt-country merchants give us a preview of their forthcoming debut with lead single 'The Dry Law', which you can have a listen to right here...
With a sound located in the early ’70s, this laid-back, slice of bluesy rock from the Dun Laoghaire outfit (formerly trading as Porn Trauma) falls...
Sharon Shannon -Saints and Scoundrels
27 Jan 2011
Fresh from taking home the Best Traditional Artist gong at the Meteor Music Awards, Sharon Shannon’s eighth studio album Saints And Scoundrels is further testament to Shannon’s prowess not only as a musician and band leader, but also as a writer and producer. The multi-platinum selling accordion player has contributed new original instrumental compositions to the album and has co-written a song, ‘Shifting Summer Sands’ with Carol Keogh.
Sharon Shannon and her Big Band – with guests Mundy and Shane MacGowan – play a special light night gig in Castlebar this Christmas season, with more...
Recorded over two nights in July at Dolan’s Warehouse in Limerick, Sharon Shannon’s new live album is one big party piece; every one of the 29 tracks on...
At some point Sharon Shannon realised that being one of the most highly-regarded instrumentalists in Irish music doesn’t make you the kind of dynamic...
Damien Dempsey takes two Meteors and then represents Ireland at the London St. Patrick’s day parade..and much more in Folk Centre: the latest folk news,...
Yeah, it’s got posthumous vocals from Kirsty MacColl, post-retirement ones from Sinéad O’Connor, and a Malawian rap artist jamming with a British soul...
Here is an album conceived in Winkle's Bar, Kinvara, the juices got flowing over a weekend rave-up, with Liam O'Maonlai, Adam Clayton and Mike Scott just...
With a guest list worthy of a Paddy Moloney project, this is an album which, on the face of it, could have sunk beneath the pressure of too many big names,...
Hermione Hennessy - Songs My Father Taught Me
27 Jan 2011
Christie Hennessy’s death in 2007 left an enormous hole in the traditional music scene but daughter
Hermione is keeping his memory alive with Songs My Father Taught Me. A classically trained pianist, Hermione’s debut showcases a performer whose entire life has been steeped in the poetry and music of Ireland, with vocal stylings that remind of the likes of Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, right up to the beautiful and dramatic style of Ute Lemper.
The late Christie Hennessy’s daughter and musical collaborator Hermione will release her solo album Songs My Father Taught Me on March 5, with her debut...
Dirty 9S -Start Screaming Start Dreaming
27 Jan 2011
This fivesome first came to the public’s attention when they won Deis Roc on TG4, performing in front of a panel which included the legendary Jim Lockhart from Horslips. Named after the less than flattering nickname given to their local bus service, the 39, the Dubliners’ debut album Start Screaming Start Dreaming is brimming with infectious guitar-led rock.
The band picks what is arguably the unluckiest day of the year (Friday 13th November) to release their new single.
Jude Shiels - Without Silence
25 Jan 2011
Jude Shiels is the son of Brush, who actually produced this album and added guitar and bass here and there. However, Shiels Junior is an inventive player in his own right – with an accomplished jazz-inflected Latin-American/bossa nova style that adds lustre to Without Silence. The drumming of Mack Hynes bring a sensitivity to the party that highlights Shiels’ expressive qualities as a guitarist and songwriter of style and taste.
With elements of Sigur Rós and Elbow, Dublin/London foursome Pilotlight have already been hailed
as Ireland’s answer to Radiohead. The cerebral outfit have created an incredibly polished debut album in The Post War Musical, which is chocked full brooding and sweeping alt. rock that oozes confidence.
Music to listen to if you want to transport yourself back to post-Nirvana, mid ’90s grungelite-by-numbers hell. If you do find yourself in possession of...
Kila - Soisin
25 Jan 2011
Soisín is the ninth studio album from traditional/fusion band Kíla, Portraying a softer side to the band, the album is entirely instrumental and features violin, saw, guitar, mandolin, flute, uilleann pipes, double bass and percussion. Usually famed for their boundlessly energetic live performances, Soisin is music to rest, to reflect and even to cry to.
There'll be a buzz of activity on Harcourt Street in Dublin over the coming weeks, with Kila, Just Jack, Peter Bjorn & John being amongst the newly announced...
Non-profit organisation Duisigh will use music to raise awareness and money for the victims of the horrific Chernobyl disaster that happened 20 years ago.
Nostalgic yes, but never burdened by maudlin sentimentality, Kíla sing of an Ireland proud of her tradition and of a heritage bereft of tackiness so...
While fans will undoubtedly love it, Kíla’s Live in Dublin is a good place for newcomers to start, too, capturing as it does the special celtic-rave...
A complex outfit who take traditional music into strange new territory, Kila fuse folk rhythms with all kinds of otherworldly sounds without losing their...
Brian Canavan - You're An Electron
25 Jan 2011
Your humble publication has called Dubliner Brian “a huge talent” and there’s no better way to sample his infectious brand of pop-rock than on debut album ‘You’re An Electron I’m An Electron’. Possessing a wicked sense of humour and some seriously unique songwriting skills (if you don’t believe us check out a tune called ‘Carol Vorderman Counting Me Down’), this Canavan lad is one to watch.
Dublin’s Unsigned... The Best Of, is a compilation CD of 14 tracks from 14 of Dublin’s most established unsigned artists. The compilation combines a plethora of genres from contemporary folk right through to electronic pop, showcasing the immense and varied aptitude of the current music scene. Released by Fatfux Records, Dublin’s Unsigned was created to showcase the individual quality of each act and to expose their music to a larger audience, in doing so encouraging the growth of our homegrown music scene.
Sounds of System Breakdown are an electro-post-punk three piece who use guitars, drums, synths and a theremin to concoct a weird and wonderful brew of head-thudding riffs and danceable beats. Already legendary for their live performances, their self-titled debut album announces the arrival of a major new force in Irish electro.
Dublin band Sounds of System Breakdown are offering the track ‘Vinegar Joe’ as a free download from their MySpace page from next Thursday.
Red Twelve - Mines
26 Jan 2011
Dundalk five-piece Redtwelve have a well deserved reputation as a potent live force. That they’ve managed to capture their power and glory in the studio on this impressive debut bodes well for the future. From the buzz-saw guitar of opening cut ‘Unopposed’ to the Cure-like jangle of ‘Afraid’ and the low-key, almost pastoral acoustic folk of ‘Caught Inside’, their versatility is unquestionable.
The Jades’ debut album is a collection of original songs written about life, love and everything in between. Renowned for a rollicking live show, Amber Skies is just a snap shot of what these girls
can do (you don’t find an all singing, all playing, all songwriting threesome everyday, not in Kilmuckridge anyway). With a show at this year’s Oxegen festival behind them, support slots with
the likes of The Bangles, The Saw Doctors and Damien Rice, a four star rating from Hot Press’s
very own Jackie Hayden, this is definitely an album to set to repeat.
The Jades' lead singer Sheila O'Sullivan has a powerful and beautifully textured voice which holds its own against a background blast of guitars, bass, drums...
Georgia's Horse -The Mammoth Sessions
26 Jan 2011
Described by our critic as ‘beautifully downbeat Americana’ that ‘wraps the listener in a ghostly embrace’, Texas outfi t Georgia’s House offer an album of sonic treats featuring bleak and menacing tracks like ‘Bugg Super Love Song’ and ‘Bloom’. The beautiful debut record features haunting vocals by frontwoman Teresa Maldonado, adding perfectly to the album’s haunted feel.
Dublin outfit Vasco Junior have made an excellent debut with this album of dynamic rockers. The impassioned vocals, thumping bass and taut drums combine to make an irresistible sonic cocktail. Throw in lyrics fi lled to the brim with observational gems about everyday life and you have a mightily impressive debut album.
The indie rock five-piece are set to launch debut album Everyone Back On The Bus this Friday.
Ricky Warwick - Belfast Confetti
26 Jan 2011
Former Almighty frontman Ricky Warwick shows us he still has what it takes at the ripe old age of 42, with this, his most important work yet. Musically strong, the record is raw and honest, and marks the fi rst time where Warwick writes openly about his hometown. The powerful 11-track LP features tracks like the Waterboys-esque ‘The Arms Of Belfast Town’ and the anthemic ‘Punchin’ Thunder’.
Former Almighty man Ricky Warwick has just finished adding his special touch to Circus Diablo's debut album, which also features contributions from Velvet...
Ex-Almighty man and sometime Dublin resident (he now spends most of his time in LA) Warwick has an impressive pedigree. Apart from his time with the Scottish...
Former Almighty man Ricky Warwick returns to the fray with the release of his second solo album, Love Many Trust A Few , which features contributions...
The guitar textures are layered high in the mix but not to the exclusion of Warwick’s confident, assertive vocals.
Simplifires - Why People Make Countries
26 Jan 2011
Described in a recent issue of Hot Press as “stonking Mexican-Irish stadium rock”, Simplifi res’ Why People Make Countries is an epic record, which has earned the group a four star review from HP’s Edwin McFee, along with shining recommendations from Rolling Stone and others. The group, made up of 3 Mexicans – Shine, Rodrigo and Alex – and one Irishman (lead singer daveO), have previously opened for bands like Ratatat, and have generated quite the buzz across the pond, playing a four week residency at a New York club n late 2008, where they wowed industry peeps and won many a new fan.
The Irish/Mexican band report from the infected city, with frontman daveO pleased to inform us it's not as bad as the news is making out...
Frightened Rabbit -Liver! Lung! Fr!
26 Jan 2011
This incredible collection is comprised of live material from Scottish quartet Frightened Rabbit. The mostly accoustic rendition of their showstopping album Midnight Organ Fight was recorded in July 2008 in Glasgow and was mixed by Mice Parade’s Adam Pierce. The stripped-down instrumentation brings singer Scott Hutchinson’s vocal delivery to the fore, showcasing Frigtened Rabbit’s emotive lyrics and memorable
melodies. Many guest artists also make appearances on Liver! Lung! Fr!, including James Graham (Twilight Sad) and Ross Clark, among others.
Slow-burn success has been order of the day for Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit. With this year’s The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, they’ve finally caught fire.
Glaswegian pop-folk fusionists Frightened Rabbit arrive in next month for a series of shows around the country.
Aoife Moriarty -Dolls And Jigsaws
26 Jan 2011
Moriarty began her songwriting career in The International Bar scene of 1999 alongside the likes of Damien Dempsey, Declan O’Rourke and Damien Rice. Since then she has taken her music to places as far away as Long Island, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis and Munich. Ranging from folksy guitar to pop, Aoife Moriarty draws on a wide range of influences and this is truly echoed on her album, which offers a strong collection of tracks, from slow-burning ballads to current single ‘Alphabet Soup’, a definite hit in the making.
Riot pop group Story Of Hair impress with this great debut album. Made up of two boys (Ger and Paul) and two girls (Amanda and Caroline), this is a band who are all about fun, catchy pop. ‘Myface’ and ‘Dropdown’ are definite standouts, but this is an all-killer, no-filler record with 15 tracks of pop perfection. Or, to quote our own Edwin McFee, “Story Of Hair don’t fuck around with jazzy break-downs or pointless solos and instead keep hitting us with the good stuff”.
Highly-rated Dublin act The Story Of Hair step up for headline duties when Limerick’s Live 95 FM stage another of its Green And Live sessions.
Walter Mitty And The Realists - Green Light Go
25 Jan 2011
Green Light Go is the debut album from Walter Mitty And The Realists, a band built to fill dance floors. Known for their a frenzied adrenalin- fuelled live shows, the winners of Indie Week Canada have managed to capture this energy in the studio, and thensome! Produced by The Cranberries sticks-man Fergal Lawler, this first offering from The Mittys is already being hailed as a masterpiece.
Having bagged the prestigious Best Band award at Indie Week Canada, Leitrim/Limerick collective WALTER MITTY AND THE REALISTS wasted no time getting into the...
95 FM's Green and Live will be bringing the XMas Bash to Dublin with acts such as the Funeral Suits, Black Daisy and Walter Mitty and the Realists in the...
Limerick's Gohan Records label is looking for the county's rising stars to feature on a new compilation album.
Fiach - So I
24 Mar 2010
One of Ireland's best kept music secrets, Fiach is now ready to be launched into the hearts of music lovers the length and breadth of the country. Described by HP scribes as a “supreme performer”, the 24-year-old Dubliner has already shared the stage with Sinéad O’Connor, Damien Dempsey, Bellx1, Declan O'Rourke and Mundy to name a few.
New singer-songwriter on the block stakes his claim
Little Palace - Invitation Time
26 Jan 2011
The influential Kells- based band reconvene with a new album, having retreated back into the studio in ‘08 to record songs written by vocalist Michael Brunnock. “They were good songs and we all felt that there was unfinished business, so why not!” Brunnock says. The new album features a re-working of live favourite ‘Secret’, which features gorgeous strings courtesy of Colm Mac Con Iomaire.
Ham Sandwich have competition for 'Best Band In Kells' title
Sanzkrit - After the Wedding
15 Oct 2009
Bushy-tailed Monaghan foursome Sanzkrit have a unique sound on their side, where bold pop melodies toy with a dark undercurrent of moody rhythms. After the Wedding boasts a fiery mishmash of alternative influences, resting on just the right side of Interpol. The Sanzkrit sound is nothing if not consistent, the exception being hidden track ‘You’ve Changed, Man’, where they seem to have traded in the guitar-driven gloom-rock for a touch of the Dandy Warhols.
Sanzkrit have revealed that the next single from their album After the Wedding will be a double A-side, featuring the songs 'Carnivore' & 'Leave the Lights On'
Monaghan men Sanzkrit spend most of their spring on the road, in support of their new EP.
The Coronas - Tony was an Ex-Con
09 Dec 2009
The biggest Word Of Mouth success story in recent memory, the Coronas have slowly but surely become one of the best Irish bands of the the past five years. Sophomore release Tony Was An Ex-Con features more trademark smart pop rock than you can shake a stick at and if the rollicking Kooks-y ‘Far From Here‘ isn’t a massive hit, I’ll eat my proverbial hat.
It was Ball Gowns and Tuxes all round as the annual Trinity Ball took place over the weekend with last minute additions The Coronas among a host of acts who...
The Coronas are on the march. Having spent six weeks in LA working with studio guru Tony Hoffer on their third album Closer to You, they are about to embark...
FORGET WESTLIFE OR THE SCRIPT. THERE'S THOSE THAT SAY THE CORONAS ARE IRELAND’S NUMBER ONE HEARTHROBS. WITH A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL 12 MONTHS BEHIND THEM, THE...
The Dubliners' Tony Was an Ex-Con is at the top spot, while there are new entries from M.I.A., The Coral and Arcade Fire
Garret Baker - Fading Fast
Fading Fast is the debut album from Dubliner Garret Baker, a published novelist and playwright, who took to the guitar and performing late in life. The songs range from tales of a drink and drunk ravaged underbelly of a town, to dark romantic ballads, and the album has been described as having ‘beautifully crafted haunting folk songs’ (Road Records). This is an album sure to capture your imagination.
Tiny Magnetic Pets - Return of the Tiny Magnetic Pets
15 Oct 2009
Ambient electro-acoustic duo Tiny Magnetic Pets blend influences such as Eno, Krautrock, Goldfrapp & Massive Attack into a unique and refreshingly fragile soundtrack for Summer 2009. Sean Quinn’s sense of musical exploration teamed with Paula Gilmer’s tender vocal delivery on tracks such as infectious single ‘Girl In A White Dress’ make this a definite contender for the Irish album of the year.
Herm – that’s Roscommon man Kevin Connolly – present a slice of perfectly twisted indie with debut release Monsters. Connolly’s offbeat humour ensures the album stays light despite featuring tracks about nihilism and self-loathing, while his adventurous musical style keeps things interesting. Nina Hynes duet ‘Year Of The Horse’ is a charming highlight.
Adopting the maxim that simplicity is the key, ‘Rosemary’ is a nicely earnest acoustic song, buoyed with an undeniable feel-good factor.
Melophobia - Who Will Remain Standing
05 Aug 2009
Kildare natives Melophobia offer their ambitious prog-rock debut, Who Will Remain Standing. The four-piece have been together for five years, and in that time they’ve learnt a thing or two about how to craft a good tune. “Layers of thick melody underpinned by infectiously catchy hooks” is how they describe their sound, while our critic likens frontman Dave Prendergast to a young Eddie Vedder!
Enya-rock concept album about living in Kildare (I think)
Gatsby - The Sweet Science
15 Oct 2009
Once hailed by this very publication as “Dublin’s best kept secret“, Gatsby serve-up a devastating offering with the release of their stunning debut album The Sweet Science. Drawing inspiration from The Smiths, Teenage Fanclub, Elvis Costello, Wilco and Sugar Ray Leonard, the Dublin four-piece may have the feel-good album of the year on their hands.
Getting off to a great start as winners of the Kilkenny battle of the bands, followed by a string of dates in the UK, Myp et Jeep quickly became a favourite at Dublin’s Garage gigs with their hook laden melodic anthems. Hot Press’s own Colm O’Hare said of debut Blood Is Not Enough “a hugely impressive collection – rocks like few other homegrown albums in the recent past.”
Wanting to keep the album very much a full live record, Lynch introduces new influences on Tickety-Boo, all the while remaining true to his philosophy that ‘a good song should have a strong melody and meaningful lyrics’. The ten track record features hit singles ‘It’s Coming Down’ and ‘Quicksand’. Rockier than anything he’s done to date, anyone expecting an album of soulful singer-songwritery whispers should think again.
A Dublin singer writing about guns could have rather unfortunate connotations these days, but Lynch’s country rocker places his story firmly in the realms...
He’s Ireland’s latest singer-songwriter sensation. But Colm Lynch is no mere Damien Rice clone. In fact, his debut album, A Whisper In A Riot might be...
Though he comes across like almost every other acoustic guitar totin’ soul who has graced a mid-week open-mic session, this Killiney troubadour’s years...
It’s fair to say that Killiney native Colm Lynch is entering a hugely crowded market of singer/songwriters, but his debut major-label single indicates that...
Doris - The Working Title
13 Aug 2009
On the back of a sold out gig in ALT, two top 30 singles and a respectable amount of airplay on Ireland’s radio stations comes debut album The Working Title. Recorded in Jam studios by Martin Quinn, the album mixes subjects ranging from love to death, the fear of getting older to one night stands, and the struggles of being in an independent rock band in the Irish music scene. As well as the critically acclaimed album launch gig, Doris recently helped Phantom FM celebrate the first birthday of the highly successful ‘Phantom’s First Friday’ gigs in Dublin’s Academy to a packed venue so get them while they’re obscure!
This City Street is the stunning debut from Kilkenny band Saving J. 13 stellar tracks of ear catching riffs, soaring harmonies, and melodic guitar lines, featuring the brilliant singles 'Bus stop', 'Indication Street', and 'Everybody'. With the lads being described by Hot Press as diligent students of the golden age of 90s US Power Pop, this is sure to one of the stand out albums of 2009.
A series of spooky coincidences led to the formation of Marble City guitar-slingers Saving J. . Having garnered a huge local following, they’re ready...
Khorea, Ozzmium, and Saving J will be among the the 19 acts playing this year’s APA Future Sounds Festival, a drug and drink-free bash taking place this July
Kilkenny's Saving J aim to continue the town's tradition of producing high-quality bands as they release their debut single.
The Jades - Amber Skies
26 Jan 2011
The Jades’ debut album is a collection of original songs written about life, love and everything in between. Renowned for a rollicking live show, Amber Skies is just a snap shot of what these girls
can do (you don’t find an all singing, all playing, all songwriting threesome everyday, not in Kilmuckridge anyway). With a show at this year’s Oxegen festival behind them, support slots with
the likes of The Bangles, The Saw Doctors and Damien Rice, a four star rating from Hot Press’s
very own Jackie Hayden, this is definitely an album to set to repeat.
The Jades' lead singer Sheila O'Sullivan has a powerful and beautifully textured voice which holds its own against a background blast of guitars, bass, drums...
Fiona Melady - The Fear I Fear
The album, largely driven by piano and keyboard, slides between brooding, soulful tracks with strong dynamics, to pure pop! Recorded in Jam Studios, Exchequer Studios and Experimental Studios, Fiona really had the best of the best working with her on this album. Musicians include Ian Melady and Paul Noonan (drums), Martin Quinn, Steve Shannon and JOhn Colbert (bass), Ciaran Kavanagh and ANdy Coogan (guitar), and Mamisa (strings). The Fear I Fear is truly a record to savour.
The name may not ring a huge number of bells, yet Fiona Melady has been something of an Irish musical mainstay over recent years, first as a member of Turn...
The sister of Turn’s Ian Melady has a go for herself with debut single ‘Day In December’ (which, by the way, was released in December). It must have...
Nell Bryden - What Does It Take?
The past two years have been a whirlwind for bluegrass/soul artist Nell Bryden. Playing almost 500 shows in 24 months, including support to KT Tunstall and Counting Crows, she has already released five CDs independently. Her first label release When Does It Take was produced by Grammy-winning producer David Kershenbaum, and is sure to see her reach great heights. Already a hit on Irish radio playlists, Nell will soon be doing an Irish tour to showcase her music – a fascinating blend of traditional and modern soul.
New York songstress continues Irish tour with Dublin gig.
Sixteen Layers - I Am No One
Irish four-piece Sixteen Layers spent two years writing and recording their rockin’ debut, I Am No One, with the help of Foo Fighters/Stereophonics producer Jim Lowe. Highly praised by our own Edwin McFee – who described the album as “a sonic tour de force” – the album promises great things for the lads, who’ve already earned comparisons to the likes of U2 and Thin Lizzy.
Still in her early twenties, Cork artist Nicole Maguire is already making waves with her debut album, Fight The Score. Having gained the attention of America-based muisc mogul Sam Feldman – who has had a role in managing Bon Jovi, Avril Lavigne and Norah Jones, Nicole has since played support to Nanci Griffith on her Irish tour, and is planning a visit to Nashville next summer to meet with top international songwriters and producers.
Cork singer-songwriter NICOLE MAGUIRE is rapidly making a name for herself with her full-on pop-rock songs, swoonful voice and dogged determination. On the...
Cork singer Nicole Maguire's new single 'I'm Gonna Be' is out tomorrow (August 1), with an album to follow in October.
Ian Whitty - The Lucky Caller No 9
Having already earned rave reviews and a spot in the Hot Press Readers’ Poll as one of the best Irish debuts of last year, The Lucky Caller No.9 by Ian Whitty & The Exchange is still going strong after seven months on the shelves. The album is a testament to the power of Whitty’s urgent, evocative storytelling. This is an indie folk act to keep an eye on, with stand-out tracks including singles ‘Not On Your Side’ and ‘Houndstooth Shirt’.
As soon as the strains of Ian Whitty’s 7-track album Will O’ The Wisp begin, the listener gets a palpable and rather unwelcome feeling of deja-vu.
Paranoid Visions - Beware Of The God
The third record from reformed legends Paranoid Visions shows the Irish punk group to be as fiercely political as ever, pulling no punches on songs like ‘High Cost Of Living’ and ‘Shell To Sea’. Our critic describes it as “a biting, sneering beast”, with key tracks including ‘Fritzl’s Basement’, ‘Sex Kills’, and ‘Mongoloid’, the latter of which is given an added dimension by new co-vocalist Aoife Destruction.
Featuring an unsurprisingly ugly image of Brian Cowen’s visage on the front cover, veteran Irish punk act Paranoid Visions have just released Der Election...
Noise terrorists Paranoid Visions have had their first hit record after 30 years. Is this mere carelessness or part of a cunning plan to subvert the nation?
Just when you thought anger, frustration, despair and hopelessness were things of the past, along come Paranoid Visions, with their first new material since...
Stalwarts of Irish punk rock Paranoid Visions are to release an album of their own unique interpretations of Christmas classics. And with titles like 'Harp...
From 1983 to 1992, Paranoid Visions were staples of the Dublin music scene, Ireland's true punk heroes.
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland - Happy In Galoshes
(Softdrive records)
25 Mar 2009
He had it, he blew it, he’s back. Scott Weiland is making something of a Mickey Rourke statement with Happy In Galoshes, determined to put his lost and ludicrous days behind him (we’re referring to Velvet Revolver, not the booze and coke binges). The STP singer’s second solo album in ten years bristles with Protestant work ethic (the deluxe version weighing in as a 19-song double disc) and last chance saloon spleen.
Unfortunately the pedestrian melodies sometimes let the side down. The material assembled on Happy In Galoshes sounds and smells like songs, but often falls short of that elusive songness, the mysterious element that transforms dots on a page and notes on a scale into something that makes the hair stand up on your nape.
When Scott’s not playing the seasoned hard rock vet with a catholic bent (‘Missing Cleveland’, ‘Blister On My Soul’), he’s being Bowie (‘Paralysis’, an Oakenfold-assisted xerox of ‘Fame’). He’s best when he’s not trying too hard, on the vaguely country rock of ‘Tangled Up In Your Mind’, the Queen-y/Coyneian melancholia of ‘She Sold Her System’, or even the Josh Homme homage ‘Beautiful Day’.
By far the best thing here is a mellow and reflective piece of borderline tropicalia entitled ‘Killing Me Sweetly’, where Weiland sounds like he’s singing from the soul rather than playing a role. In fact, Disc 2, where he discards most of the rock trappings in favour of country-western and acoustica (‘Hyper-Fuzz-Funny-Car’, ‘Somethings Must Go This Way’) and even a cover of The Smiths’ Reel Around The Fountain’, provides far better indication of where the man’s true vocation lies.
Happy In Galoshes is at best a gutsy and intermittently inspired effort from a mid-league player striving to rise above his station.
Padraig Rushe is a hugely talented vocalist, formerly a member of the Dublin Gospel Choir, who left the group to pursue a solo career. Greyworld is his first independent release, and shows off his soulful voice and passion on tracks like ‘Wandering Man’ and ‘Peacefully’. A must for soul fans, or anyone who appreciates the beauty of music by the likes of Luther Van Dross, Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley.
Portlaoise MC Wally recently impressed HP’s Edwin McFee with this collection of rap gems, which he described as “as confrontational as a gang of football hooligans”. The rapper has been working on his debut release for the last two years, recording the album in Red Lake Studios in Portlaoise. The impressive So Now They Know Me truly captures Wally’s personality, with tongue-in-cheek number ‘Rather Be A Rapper’ a stand-out.
The Laundry Shop are two Irish lads and a Swedish girl, and are already well known to anyone with a TV set through the use of their ‘Highs And Lows’ on the Discover Ireland ad campaign. Grandstanding is the band’s debut LP, a quality collection of rock numbers that deserves a wide audience. Especially impressive are the Foo Fighters-esque title-track, along with the elegant ‘Terrified’.
Featuring former Angels Of Mons man Stephen Robinson, the track ‘Highs And Lows’ has travelled with him in a re-recorded form. The racing refrain, which...
Ever watched that Discover Ireland telly advert and wondered what the tune was? The answer is 'Highs And Lows' by The Laundry Shop - and it's being released...
Colin Devlin - Democracy Of One
25 Feb 2009
Colin Devlin is an Irish Songwriter that has carved out a strong musical career over almost two decades, with many of his songs used in film and television productions such as Batman Forever and also HBO’s Six Feet Under.
Democracy of One takes Colin Devlin to new heights. His warm intimate lyrics and tones are deeply inviting and explorative. With “super producer” Pierre Marchand, also featuring drummer Matt Chamberlin. A diverse and dramatic collection of acoustic guitar and piano, combined with powerful lyrics. It’s a musical treat waiting to be enjoyed.
The Revellions are a fresh Dublin band inspired by 1960s rock. Putting a new edge on garage rock, the band create a truly modern sound. Wailing blues singer Al Moore shares lead vocal duties with guitarist James Lister, creating an impressively exciting sound on this, their debut record. Signed to London indie label Dirty Water Records, the band have impressed both at home and abroad, bagging a slot at last year’s Hard Working Class Heroes Festival in Dublin, and now getting a fair amount of media coverage in the UK. Highly rated by HP blogger Naomi McArdle, these are ones to watch for sure.
The garage rockers set for hometown gig this Saturday
Carosel - Kaleidoscope
25 Feb 2009
Kaleidoscope, a poppy treat filled with upbeat, sunny melodies, is the debut offering from Irish musical duo Carosel. Bandmates Pete McGrane and Michelle Phelan are also engaged to be married, creating an endearingly sweet chemistry on the record. The commercially friendly release is a contemporary blend of pop, folk, jazz and more, with infectious melodies guaranteeing the band a sizeable amount of airplay.
After almost two years spent recording, Kerry based duo Lineage (featuring cousins Alex O’Brien and Miguel Ahumada) are finished and on the verge of releasing their debut CD. The album takes the listener on a voyage of musical discovery, taking in many cultures, languages and genres, including hip hop, reggae, funk, jazz and good oul pop. From Here And From There shows Lineage to be an inspired act, possessing the courage to redefine musical boundaries. This first offering is truly global.
100 Midnights is the second album from Dubliner Stefan Murphy, following on from his debut release Sins Of Sainte Catherine. A diverse and dramatic collection of multi-genre songs, well arranged and luxuriantly crafted, the record calls to mind the likes of Arcade Fire and Nick Cave, but is also startingly original, blending country songs with sea shanties and more sombre tracks. It also features excellent duets, with vocal help from none other than Mr Shane MacGowan, and former Pogue Cait O’Riordain.
The Mighty Stef has a brand new end-of-year single ‘Sing To Me’ set for release on Friday, December 11 and has outlined his plans for 2010 exclusively to...
Dublin-based artist The Mighty Stef has revealed to Hot Press that he has
recorded a studio version of the song he wrote in response to Ireland's
football...
Now a provocative solo artist following a spell with the Subtonics, The Mighty Stef (alias Stefan Murphy) invites Jackie Hayden round for some pasta a la...
He’s a law unto himself is Stef, making the kind of records that nobody else could get away with. ‘Poisonous Love’ is an ode to a doomed love affair...
They don’t call him the Mighty Stef for nothing – brimming with showmanship and out-on-a-limb theatrics, this double A-side is the perfect marriage of...
Aiming to raise money for their travel to South By Southwest in Texas, The Might Stef play a fundraising gig next week in Dublin
Cara Dillon - Hill Of Thieves
Derry-born Cara Dillon has been singing in public from a young age, and formed her first band while still in her teens. She signed her first major deal in ‘95, and since then her records have met with astonishing critical and popular acclaim, thanks to her clear, expressive vocals, paired with understated arrangements and seductive production. Our own Jackie Hayden recently gave this new album a four star review, praising Dillon’s rich voice and her skilled, emotional performance.
Here Dillon brings her warm, natural style to standards like ‘Black Is The Colour’, ‘Lark In The Clear Air’ and ‘I Am A Youth...
Saville - Nostalgia
Nostalgia garnered widespread acclaim from all the leading music critics on its recent release, including a glowing review from Hot Press' Colm O'Hare, an ‘Album of the Week’ award from the RTÉ Guide, and ‘One of the best albums of the year' from both the Irish Times and the Sunday Times. Similar high praise was heaped on Somnambular Ballads, the previous release of the Coolock four piece, with comments such as ‘pure pop heaven’ and ‘these soul-boy Dubs are one of Ireland’s best bands’, and the thirteen tracks on Nostalgia have raised the bar even higher. The first single from the album, ‘Symphony of Sound’ received lots of quality airplay – the single is an ode to Dublin city and is full of Joycean references – as the RTÉ Guide puts it, “the band’s very own ‘pocket-sized Ulysses’ which in its ambitious scope aims to capture the sounds and sights of Dublin in one day and succeeds admirably”.
Colm O’Hare talks to local indie heroes Saville, the acclaimed quartet determined to make their inspired blend of ’60s pop and rock heard above the din...
Disappointingly not a fresh musical venture from erstwhile Jim’ll Fix It supremo, Jimmy Saville, this is nonetheless a supremely accomplished slice of...
Saville are proud bearers of all the best kooky traditions of pop - dreaming and not scheming, singing paeans to the stars when everyone else is getting a...
Rory - God Bless The Big Bang
05 Feb 2009
This is the debut solo offering from ex-Revs frontman Rory Gallagher, 12 new songs recorded in just 12 days in a home studio in the middle of Germany with Rory playing every instrument on the record. It is a complete breakaway from the fizzed up indie-punk of the Revs with a more mature sound that falls somewhere between George Harrison and Damon Alburn. The ‘big bang’ could be the start of something very special for this young Donegal man.
Former Revs leader Rory will launch debut solo album God Bless The Big Bang with an instore signing and acoustic session at HMV on Dublin's Henry Street.
Saucy Monky - Between the Bars
Saucy Monky’s third record Between The Bars contains just five songs, but that’s all the time this all-girl band need to make an impact. Brilliant punky pop from start to finish, the album features the sure-fire radio hit ‘Acrobat’ and the excellently-titled ‘Listening To Morrissey (And Julian Cope)’, the latter of which was described by our reviewer as “an introspective indie bedsit hit”. Sounds good to us!
The second single to be taken from the quartet’s sophomore album Turbulence, this track enters fast and furious, bounces along exuberantly and then exits...
With the release of their hugely impressive Turbulence album, LA/Irish outfit Saucy Monky have emerged as genuine contenders. As the critical plaudits...
Turbulence, the debut album proper from Saucy Monky, is one of those records. It is at once rich, smart, sexy, thrilling, entertaining, diverse and hugely...
They may be three-part American to one part Irish, but Saucy Monky have made Ireland a priority over the past 12 months – and 2004 should see them reaping...
Two girls, two countries, two very different perspectives: put them together and they make Saucy Monky – originators of some of the sexiest and most...
A part-American, part-Irish quartet, Saucy Monky have earned their spurs playing the college scene around LA and it shows on Celebrity Trash, an assured...
Though soaked in the musical culture of Southern California, female-fronted indie quartet Saucy Monky say there’s an undeniably Irish strain to their music.
Best Band Name We've Heard All Week winners Saucy Monky are Lobby-bound
Scott Maher - 21 Bends
18 Nov 2008
21 Bends is the second album from Dublin singer Scott Maher, following 2005’s promising Cartoon Moon. This latest release highlights Maher’s gorgeous voice with delicate melodies and skilful guitar-playing. The songs too, are beautifully honest, and of such a high calibre that it’s no wonder Maher is currently taking the States by storm. Check out 21 Bends before he hits the stratosphere.
Maher fills the John Lennon role in the hugely popular tribute band The Classic Beatles so no great surprises that his debut solo album displays plenty of...
The Saw Doctors - Live At The Melody Tent
The legendary Galway group release this collection of hits, including ‘N17’ and ‘Will It Ever Stop Raining?’, along with 12 other trad-pop gems, recorded at the Melody Tent in Cape Cod. The band play the venue each August, and with an enthusiastic group of friends and fans in attendance, these shows have a unique atmosphere that has now been captured on record, with the highlights showcasing the wonderful live energy created by these truly great musicians.
The Saw Doctors in the Hot Press Signing Tent at Oxegen 2011. Can you see yourself in any of the pictures. If so, click on the link below and enter our...
Following four sell out shows in June, The Saw Doctors will play two more album showcase concerts in Galway this month, both at Upstairs at Kelly's, Bridge...
The Saw Doctors have been announced as the headline act for the first day of this year’s Lark In The Park music festival in Moira Demense Park in County Down.
The Saw Doctors, one of Ireland's most enduring acts are back in the frame. Their To Win Just Once, The Best Of The Saw Doctors album has debuted at...
Tuam legends the Saw Doctors will be seeing out one of their most successful years yet with a gig in the Royal Theatre in Castlebar this New Year's Eve.
