Ones to Watch- 2005

Marshal Stars:
Some say that the blues is making a comeback. Others would argue that is has never really gone away. Whatever the case, Dublin trio the Marshal Stars are certainly aware of its place in modern musical history. It forms an element of what they do, but like the music itself, it has mutated into a very different entity, referencing the primeval howl of grunge.
Still in their relative infancy as a band, things have been moving at an incredible pace for the Stars. A debut EP caught the ears of Mercury Records and a planned record company showcase was shelved in favour of a cold December night in West Cork in front of a grand total of ten people. The rest looks like becoming history. The deal was signed just before Christmas and the band are already back in the studio. The UK beckons, as does the US. Indeed, as the Stone Roses sang over a decade ago, Marshal Stars are what the world is waiting for.
[Phil Udell]

Fighting With Wire:
Formed in Derry in June of 2003, Fighting With Wire feature ex-Jetplane landing guitarist and songwriter Cahir O’Doherty on vocals and former Clearshot member Craig McKean on bass.
The band’s sound is hard-edged, guitar-based rock, not a million miles away from Nirvana, whose ‘Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle’ they do a mean cover of.
Despite their relatively short history, Fighting With Wire have headlined gigs in Derry and Belfast as well as taking part in last year’s Hard Working Class Heroes festival in Dublin. They supported Biffy Clyro on their December 2004 Irish tour and have appeared on two BBC sessions - Across The Line and Donna Legge’s Session In Northern Ireland.
[Colm O’Hare]

Sweet T:
Sweet T is 20-year old punk/pop chanteuse Marie Hughes from Glenageary. Her debut single ‘(I Love A) Millionaire’ – a cover of a classic number from punk/new wave outfit the Mekons – showcased a spiky talent in the making with oodles of attitude to boot. Late last year saw her recording new material in LA – with producer Olle Rohan – where she returns soon to continue working on her debut album. Irish audiences will have a chance to see what she is all about when she makes her live Dublin debut at the Childline benefit concert at The Point, appearing alongside acts such as Girls Aloud and Westlife.
[Colm O’Hare]

The Chapters:
Every so often, a band is blessed with the goods to back up any hype it may have generated. It’s a rare phenomenon, but The Chapters have pulled it off in fine style.
Imbued with oodles of charm, sincerity and substance, The Chapters’ music is effectively a masterclass in acoustic perfection. Matching a majestic, pastoral sound with bracing songwriting, the Dublin-based five piece have been making friends and influencing people across the capital.
The Chapters have made that elusive crossover from local scenesters to stalwarts of the live circuit. Having started the year gigging with their fellow unsigned cohorts, the band soon moved onto better things – including a support slot with The Frames.
They released an impossibly lush EP in April, The Indecision Of Arthur Molloy, which brought them to the attention of several A&R people, who began to realise that the sweet sounds of Damien Rice and The Frames were not a one-off. Though great things are expected from the band in the coming months, their revolution promises to be a quiet one. It will still be a revolution nonetheless.
[Tanya Sweeney]

The Blizzards:
Music history is littered with bands formed as a result of a bunch of school friends thinking it was a good idea at the time.
Most never get beyond the pub doors but for The Blizzards the results have been hugely more fruitful. Since their initial ‘what if?’ session of Christmas 2003, they have steadily built up a reputation – first around their home town of Mullingar and then amongst the various venues of the capital. Taking their cue from the worlds of ska, punk and reggae, what sets them apart is the fact that these influences are deployed in a more imaginative way than your average chart-topping US guitar band. With debut EP War Of Words under their belt, the real work on their album The Carney Code started at Grouse Lodge studios in Westmeath, and in Glasgow with Belle & Sebastian cohort Ronan Breslin. The final piece of the jigsaw seems to have fallen into place with the arrival of Marcus Russell, whose Ignition company handle management for Oasis and Mercury Rev. The album is due in the spring. Watch this space!
[Phil Udell]

Mainline:
Make no mistake, Mainline are shaping up to become one of the hottest properties in rock’n’roll right now. Formed three years ago by the Paxton brothers – Neil (voice and guitar), Conor and Daniel – and three friends, they’ve made impressive strides in the interim, progressing steadily at first and, in the latter half of 2004, with what’s beginning to look like unstoppable momentum.
Mainline are what Ireland has produced far too few of over the past five years: a real, dirty, dark and powerful, rock’n’roll band. They combine the sonic wizardry of Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Chain and the Velvets with ballsy, sexed-up sounds a la Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. And, live, they rock like fuck.
The Dublin six-piece made a formidable impression on the right people at the IMRO ‘Best of Irish’ showcase during 2004. They followed up this cracking performance with a triumphant appearance at the In The City festival. With legendary Dublin DJ Johnny Moy assuming the role of manager, the band have subsequently fulfilled expectations thoroughly by delivering stomping rock sets, and winning over audiences, alongside acts as diverse as David Holmes, The Walls, The 22-20s, Death In Vegas and Ian Brown. With Bob Harris championing them on BBC, and Xfm and Virgin also beginning to get on board, giving their double a-sided single ‘Black Honey / Once More (Because Of You)’ precious exposure, things are really beginning to heat up, with an honourable mention in the Q magazine 50 essential tracks for 2005 listing being the latest feather in their collective cap.
In short, it looks like success, and a devoted army of female fans, is pretty much theirs for the taking. Just don’t hate Mainline ‘cos they’re beautiful…
[Tanya Sweeney]

Angels of Mons:
If 2004 proved one thing it was that our love affair with the American underground guitar music of the early ’90s has never dwindled.
With both The Pixies and Nirvana still making headlines, the fallout from their success continues to be felt on this side of the Atlantic. It’s certainly found its way into the fibre of Angels Of Mons.
Performing with the classic three-piece line-up, the Dubliners’ sound bears all the hallmarks of those great days – bass lines you could build your house on, and searing guitars coupled with perfect harmonies and a dedication to writing memorable songs. There’s a dark twist to it too, combined with more than a hint of the ’70s swagger of the Stooges and the Dolls.
In other words, this is a band whose sound is made for 2005, and by deciding to take the now familiar DIY route, they’re in no mood to hang around while the rest of the world catches up with them.
[Phil Udell]

The Immediate:
The Immediate have come a long way in the past 12 months. Having evolved in their own words from “a scratchy, ill-conceived piece of work into something much more articulate and special”, this young band of twenty-somethings have been likened on occasion to Franz Ferdinand, The Pixies, Tom Waits and the Velvet Underground.
Having met ten years ago in a Dublin schoolyard, The Immediate formed in 2001, and made their presence felt with what they now call a “shambolic gig on the Dublin Quays”. Since then, they have managed to perfect their onstage presence into something much more artful and beguiling.
Philip Cartin, the man behind Berkeley, took an interest in the band and signed them to his Supremo label. They added a further string to their bow when they were one of 10 acts to qualify for the hotpress/Tisch music video event, where they were hand-picked to collaborate with students from New York University to create a fitting music video for the band.
With an EP Don’t Get Lost released in 2003, and growing support from BBC Radio in the UK, the band are beginning to gather real momentum. Don’t be surprised if they’re a household name by this time next year...
Trading in off-kilter noise with a finely-honed pop sensibility, The Immediate may have just found their moment.
[Tanya Sweeney]

Medea:
Rock'n'roll in Ireland is still a bit of a boys' club. While we continue to produce great women singers and songwriters, the number throwing shapes with guitars, and banging drums with gusto, remains strictly limited.
In this regard, Irish/LA combo Saucy Monky have shown the way over the past year with their superb Turbulence album. Meanwhile on the local scene, Fair Verona made some waves, with the likelihood that 2005 will see them progress to the recording stage. The gutsy Life After Modelling (with Bernie Reilly on guitar) are also looking like genuine contenders. However, there's a certain all-female outfit that might just sneak up on the inside this year.
A smartly named band from Dublin, Medea emerged from the ashes of the five-piece Playground Psychotic, all three Medea-ns – Edel Coffey (guitar, vocals), Mary Carton (bass, voxals) and Lynn Miller (drums) – having featured in that outfit.
Undilutedly indie in their leanings, Medea were among the participants in the Ladyfest event in November and the reaction to that live outing was extremely positive. Over the past month, the band have been bunkered down in the studio at every opportunity, working on what will become their debut album.
There's an insistent brooding quality about the Medea sound, that's leavened with shafts of light and beauty. Comparisons with The Breeders may be inevitable, and there are hints of The Pixies and Joy Division, but there's a melodic grace to the music which suggests the possibility of soaring, heavenly moments to come.
Right now, the seeds of something fine – and in an Irish context hugely refreshing – are being sown. 2005 could be the year in which we discover that Medea is more than just the ultimate combination of hero, villain and victim of Greek drama...
[Niall Stokes]

Claire Sproule:
The massive success of classy jazz-influenced female vocalists such as Norah Jones, Katie Melua and Diana Krall over the past few years has seen a huge upsurge in interest, with record companies clamouring for new talent in the genre. The latest beneficiary of this trend is young Derry chanteuse Claire Sproule, who has been snapped up for a worldwide deal by EMI. Her work will appear on the legendary jazz imprint Blue Note (also home of Norah Jones) for the American and Canadian markets, Parlophone Records for the UK and Europe and EMI for the rest of the world! Time will tell whether she follows in the footsteps of the above-mentioned talents, but the omens are certainly good, with Claire having just finished recording her debut album in LA in collaboration with legendary producer Stewart Levine, which is due for release in late Spring.
[Colm O’Hare]

Citizen:
“We’ve come to rescue the kids, because there’s too much lamenting, too many solo dudes, wooly-wearing tree-hugging vegans out there. Some of us are red meat eaters, who need a bit of balls in rock ‘n’ roll. That’s what were going to put back into it,” says Brendan Markham, frontman of Limerick band Citizen.
Citizen are generating a huge buzz with their gigs, which are infused with the energy of The Clash or The Jam.
Of course, Brendan Markham and Darrin Mullins, lead guitarist, have been around this carousel before as members of The Driven, who were signed with Polydor until 1998. They cut their teeth on the live scene touring with Sting, Stereophonics, Kula Shaker, Skunk Anansie, Stiff Little Fingers and playing V98 and Reading.
Now, they say the previous experience with a major has made them more realistic, if not cynical, about the machinations of the music industry.
Last year, Darrin and Brendan returned to Ireland after time spent writing music in Italy and began jamming with bassist Paul Power. They recruited Ashley Keating, drummer with The Frank and Walters, and together they became Citizen. Franks fans don’t fret; Ashley is sharing his percussive talents between both bands.
Along with playing a raft of gigs, Citizen will spend 2005 recording what Markham promises will be “a tinglingly, exciting, electric and live rock ‘n’ roll album of the sort that hasn’t been done for too many years by an Irish band.”
Don’t bet against them pulling it off.
[Rachel Gallery]

Red Organ Serpent Sound:
In the reckoning of many, not all parochial patriots born within earshot of the Bluebelles, Red Organ Serpent Sound aren’t an about-to band but have already arrived. 2005 will tell whether the rest of the planet is attuned to their presence.
Rory Moore in top hat and devil’s tale, crimson balaclava and Spiderman Kelly accoutrements, summons the hazy spirits of the purple deep, a demon punk king with no end of Shears style, covering his tracts with scattered acknowledgement to Berliner ensembles, New York baby-dolls, Iggy, Buzzcocks, half-Doors and Hole, all kinds and oodles of everything.
Hear melodious Moore once, in full-costume free flow, and recognise Mephisto forever as a faux-decadent plonker. Red Organ Serpent Sound are your simple, basic rock and roll band, like any number of other contenders except in the brilliance department. And the ease with they carry their vast erudition. Low instincts, high art and so sexy their gigs are reserved sins in certain dioceses.
They signed up to Vertigo some months back, have been on the lam in London for the last months of ‘04, quietly gigging to uproarious approval and laying down singles for release in, approx., February, June and September, to be followed up with the letting loose of The Album. There’s a game-plan in place of the sort which the standard-issue execs won’t let anyone in on, because, like as not, there’s nothing to it, and no need.
There’ll be a series of short, sharp tours and a proper push for each single and a major effort to build on the then buzz to help the album break through. By the year’s end, if justice and propriety prevail, they’ll be getting on enormous. Of course, as we have occasionally observed along the venturesome years of the accelerating slip-stream, what sometimes prevails is anything but.
Still, they’ve got a shot at it. Deep breaths. Stand back. Too close and they could peal the skin off your eyeballs.
[Eamonn McCann]

Jove:
Never let it be said that we don’t know a good thing when we see it! As previous winners of the hotpress Ignition competition for new bands, Jove spent much of 2004 cutting their teeth on the live circuit alongside the likes of the Hothouse Flowers, Aslan and I Am Kloot. With their high-energy sound, it wasn’t long before their live shows became the stuff of A&R men’s dreams.
It was, however, their momentous set at this year’s Hard Working Class Heroes festival, that sent things into overdrive. Already under their belts as a result is a coveted publishing deal with German publishers Jewel DC – additionally, several major label deals are currently on the table.
Described as a hybrid of Muse, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, several notable producers have also expressed an interest in taking on their lush, epic sound: among them are Greg Havers (Manic Street Preachers) and Dave Eringa (South). Mixing evocative, epic guitars with operatic vocals, Jove have been described by Today FM as “a breath of fresh air for the Irish music Industry.”
The six-piece have the distinction of being one of Dublin’s few as-yet-unsigned bands that have Ambassador and Vicar Street shows to their credit. They have already lined up a headline slot in the Olympia in March 2005, alongside Alphastates. It tells you all you need to know about where these boys are heading...
[Tanya Sweeney]