April 2015

LUKE FRANCESCO CUSATO ENTER METROPOLIS THE JUVENILES ALEX MOIR PALE WAVES AINE CAHILL MONGREL STATE MONSOON SEASON

THE MANC TANK

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12 4

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MONSOON SEASON 7

NEW VALLEY WOLVES

8 ENTER METROPOLIS

SCENE & HEARD 16-17 THE RUBY SESSIONS 18-19 THE FLUFFY NOISE 20-22 SAUCY SUNDAYS BASCIVILLE EP LAUNCH 23 25-39 40-52 53-57 58

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AINE CAHILL

IRISH ALBUMS/EP REVIEWS INTERNATIONAL ALBUMS/EP REVIEWS SINGLE REVIEWS APRIL 4x4

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ALEX MOIR PETER DORAN

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U& I Mus ic Magazine 26 K ings Inn S treet Dublin 1

EDITORIAL Our April issue sees us sit down with New Valley Wolves to talk about everything that is going on with them ahead of

Editor-In-Chief: Phillip Ó’ Baoighealláin Deputy Editor: Greg Clifford Writing Staff: Eloise Cahill Gary Kavanagh Jamie Kelly Sean Brennan Liverpool Correspondent: Joe Loftus Manchester Correspondent: Dave Beech U&I Gigs Photographers: Eric Cooper Dom Marceleno

We have also got some impressive albums this month with

part of the alumni of albums in this month’s issue. While our

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that we always deliver.

NEW VALLEY WOLVES -4-

NEW VALLEY WOLVES are a band that everyone on the Irish music scene is talking about at the moment. That is because they are one of the best live acts that are currently around and the second point of note is that they are finally set to release one of the most eagerly awaited albums that everyone wants to hear.

Having seen them perform live at The Twisted Pepper in February we can certainly imagine that their album is going to be one that definitely lives up to the hype. We caught up with the duo for an interview with Unsigned And Independent and here is what they had to say.

Everything is gearing up towards your album ‘Refusal Is Our Weapon’ which will be launched at the end of this month. The title itself is a bold statement and sends out a signal of intent. In terms of how this album is going to sound is that what your fans can expect from it?

The title ‘Refusal is Our Weapon’ is an adaptation of a quote by Irish military icon Michael Collins.

Collins said it in relation to the English occupation, whereas for us, we refuse to give up on our ambition of playing in a rock band despite not having label or proper ‘industry’ support. We refuse to give up on our dream, and we refuse to pander to anyone. The entire album is a statement of intent, and a reflection of both our personalities. It’s big, loud as hell, fast and makes you want to move.

If you follow the way your singles and other releases have gone – from ‘Fire in the Blood right through to ‘Shake Your Bones’ and ‘Shark’ – how much of what you have been achieving with your music will be mirrored on the album as a whole?

At heart we’re a loud as fuck rock band. We wanted to capture that raw live energy on the album. The album continues in the same vein as the singles so far, but we’ve also expanded and evolved our sound since we started as a band, and that’s reflected on the album.

You have an impressive line-up of support going along with that launch in Whelan’s.

Travis Oaks are a band that you are always playing alongside with. How far back now does that relationship go and how did it all actually come about in the first place?

We met Travis Oaks through another band that we’re friends with, The Radioactive Grandma. We had asked the Grandmas to play a gig with us down in West Cork and they had to pull out. They suggested that Travis Oaks fill the slot. So it was one wild weekend in West Cork that we first met the lads and we’ve been friends ever since.

Who else is playing with you on the night?

First up on the night we’ve got Pierce and Eric Flemming – who are a father/son duo. Pierce has been a friend to the band for years, since before there was a NVW. He’s a legend and a great musician in his own right. The fact he’s playing on stage with his dad is a bit special and we’re delighted to have them on. After the lads, we have a Dublin band called Zebra. We played Whelan’s Ones To Watch back in January and Zebra were on the same night. We just stumbled across them playing and thought they were fucking deadly. Serious riffs.

Would it be safe to say that you are well and truly up for this gig?

Without wanting to sound sappy, we’ve both dreamt of launching our own album pretty much our entire lives. We’ve both played in countless bands over the years, w. With NVW we’ve finally found the right chemistry and it’s been more successful in every way than anything we’ve done before. April 24th will literally be a dream come true for us. Yes. We are ready to tear the face of this show and we’re beyond up for it.

Let’s talk about the album now. How long has the album been in the works for?

How does the song writing dynamic work for you as a duo?

It’s been around two years since we first decided to go for an album. We were actually on our way to record an EP at the time. In the car on the way there we realised we had the tracks for an album and decided to go for it.

Usually I (Jonny) will come up with a riff, develop it and put a loose structure on it. I’ll bring it to Baz then in a rehearsal room and we’ll jam it out. It’s at this stage that Baz has great input and comes up with ideas etc that I wouldn’t have on my own. Once we’ve got a structure down, I’ll record that, take it away and listen to it, live with it constantly until vocal ideas and lyrics come – during this phase I usually become completely obsessed with the tracks until I feel the song is where it needs to be.

It is now a good three years that you are going. In terms of output, this is your debut album and is inside a relatively respectable period for a band to have that as a tangible offering to show what they are about. Has this been the case of you setting a target for yourselves to achieve or is it a case of the timing for everything coming about as a series of events that are a natural progression that is seeing this all neatly fall into place for you?

It was a combination of a natural progression and setting the target for ourselves. As musicians we’ve always wanted an album to hold in our hands. We could have gone for a EP, but we had the tracks, we believed in the tracks, so the album was the best course for us.

If you are looking at a contemporary, Royal Blood have a sound that is very much in vogue at the moment. In terms of what they are about musically they seem to mirror a lot of the right qualities that you have as a band. Not that it ever really did, but in terms of how music goes around in cycles, do you think that there is now a growing trend for yours, and their sound, to come back into fashion at the moment?

I’ve always thought art (music included) is reactionary. Since Death From Above 1979 broke up, there’d been a serious lack of hard rock two pieces in the mainstream. Royal Blood smashed through in a huge way last year and now Death From Above are touring again. All of this is good for us, we get comparisons to both – which we take as compliments. With all the over processed bullshit in the charts today, there’s a growing hunger for real, gutsy, raw and human music – a hunger we intend to satisfy.

When you look around and see that does it make you think ‘we want some of that’ for ourselves?

Yes, definitely. If they can do it, why can’t we? We know we’ve got what it takes…it’s a right time right place scenario. If we got the opportunity, there’s not a pub, stage, venue or stadium on the planet that we couldn’t rock.

A little over a year ago ‘Shark’ and ‘Animal’ were both recorded. When you finished those two tracks did you sit back and acknowledge that the momentum was now with you to go ahead and make this album?

Or did you decide upon it after you had finished the tour?

No, we knew we were recording the album when we did those two tracks. It’s hard to find the time to get into the studio when you’re touring and gigging as much as we’ve been doing. That’s a lesson we’ll take with us for album number two.

Maybe rather than recording over two years we might take a month and get it all done. We’ll see.

Was it a case of having the songs before you went into the studio or did one or two come about after you started the recording process on the album?

It was a bit of both. There are songs that we had recorded, but we’ve dropped and songs that we had literally just written that we rushed into the studio to get done for the album. Every single song on the album had to fight for its place. We put our tracks to the test in our live shows, it’s survival of the fittest and only the very best made it onto the album.

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You have played in London and that it is a hard place to go to for any band. It is a city that is not known for its kindness. You either have it or you don’t and that is what determines if you make it there. Overall, how did you find your experience of being a musician on the circuit over there?

We’ve played London twice. Once as support and then the next time we were asked back as the headline act in a rather infamous venue called The Dublin Castle in Camden. Both times we were genuinely blown away by the support. We packed out both venues both nights. This was down to some people having heard of us already, and a small group of friends that we have in London. We loved London. It’s shown us that what we do can work on foreign shores, that it translates.

We fucking loved it and fully intend on going back.

Was there anything about London that has rubbed off on you in the right way?

The London shows gave us even more self belief.

Without wanting to sound cocky, the fact we could go to another country and pack out a venue and see people singing the lyrics to our songs, all without a label or management, it’s confirmation that we’re heading in the right direction.

You also played your first headline show in Whelan’s in June last year, so did that experience help you to grow as a band and what did you notice in terms of anything it may have brought to the music?

Whelan’s is an institution. It’s been great to us since we got started and we always love gigging there.

There’s something special about the place…as if all the legendary shows that have taken place there are still echoing around in the atmosphere. To headline Whelan’s was another milestone for us. Again, we took it as a sign that we were doing something right.

The dynamic that you have as a live act is also a strong one that has been going since 2012. How did New Valley Wolves actually come together in the first place?

I (Jonny) had just moved back up to Dublin and completed a Masters. I’ve always played in bands and was itching to get jamming again. Baz and I knew each other growing up as kids in Portmarnock and I was vaguely aware that he was a drummer. One day I just randomly messaged him asking if he fancied a jam – he did and the rest is history.

Each time we have seen you play there is a noted sense of ferocity in the sound. Who were the influences on you when you were both growing up?

For me, it was mostly bands like QOTSA, Led Zepplin, Death From Above 1979, The White Stripes and Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club. For Baz, he was big into The Stone Roses, Humanzi and The Foo Fighters.

With summer fast approaching will there be any festival appearances coming up?

Yeah, we’re playing K-Fest down in Kerry and we’re also playing Sea Sessions in Donegal – which is probably the biggest festival we’ve played to date.

We’ll book a few more festival dates too before the summer is out. To be honest, there’s a few more festivals we could have played but we don’t like to repeat ourselves playing the same gigs year after year. We’re all about progression & trying new things.

It has been almost two years since Monsoon Season got together and they have been a prominent band on both the local music scene in Dublin and the national festival circuit. They recently released their debut EP ‘Elements’ and things are starting to look up for the band.

We caught up with front woman Helen Holligan and here is what she had to say: The main thing to talk about is the EP. You went for a specific theme with each of the tracks on it representing the four elements – Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. What was the thinking behind that idea? Was that an idea that was decided on before the EP was recorded or did it come about at a certain point during the recording process?

Basically the theme of the EP is based on the zodiac. The idea that the energy in our spirit comes from the astrological bodies present on the day we were born. I suppose it was more a background theme throughout the journey of creating and recording and it was something that kept us entertained, but no it wasn’t a preconceived idea ...just more of a happy coincidence.

When you decided on the Elements theme for the EP did it affect the choice of songs that you included on the final track list?

Yes, we recorded 6 songs originally but we didn’t feel they fit the theme. Each track had to emulate a certain element. For example ‘Lost’ had to reflect the detached attitude of the Air. Two tracks that didn’t make the EP were ‘Rat Racing’ and ‘Caught in a wave’. Even though ‘Rat Racing’ was released on Bandcamp, how come the two tracks didn’t make the final cut? They are perennial crowd pleasers and part of the set so are there any plans to maybe include them on a future release?

We simply just felt that Rat Racing was already available to listen to for the last year so we wanted to give the people something new. The same is true for ‘Caught In A Wave’. We do however intend on re-recording ‘Rat Racing’ with some new instrumentation for the album.

This was something that was a long time in the pipeline. The recording process was something that you took your time with and put in the dedication over. How important was it for you to make sure that you got things sounding right, sounding the way you wanted?

Yes we did take our time. There was never a moment we thought we should compromise just to have it finished quickly. We were evolving as a band every few months because we put in that time and dedication. So as a result we got the best out of a year’s work. It was so important to get things sounding the way we wanted, so much so that we would always book an extra day recording for each song so we could spend extra time at vocals/lead guitar.

John Hedgey of The Barley Mob was involved with the production side of things.

His band has a good repoire from gigging and doing the festival circuit. When you are working alongside someone that you are familiar with how easy is it to trust his instincts?

The music from The Barley Mob has always been an inspiration for us as a band. John is the Mob’s bass player but he is also a working sound engineer and we really liked his work especially when it came to the rhythm sections of our music.

So it was very easy for us to trust his instinct. His experience and knowledge is huge part of the finished product.

Overall, the recording process took almost a year. How much of a commitment was it from the band to keep at it and not lose face after a while? That is a long period to be in a studio for on an EP. Was it a tough slog, so to speak, or was it a relatively good experience both in terms of artistic merit and musically speaking?

In all honesty it took every experience that was thrown our way to grow together. It wasn’t easy to work with everyone on a low budget. The music came about through a lot of favours and sacrifice by people who were really not obligated but were happy to invest. David Prendergast from Clique Studios was very accommodating to us and we got to record somewhere we were comfortable.

When you look back on it now have you grown as a band in the artistic sense now having done this?

Musically speaking we have all benefited from playing and recording with each other. And in an artistic sense we have found our ‘sound’ in doing this EP. So we are ready to create more.

The line-up of the band has changed as well. Who are the new members and what have they brought to the mix?

We have had a lot of different members come through the band. We have had some great players that have all brought something unique to the tunes, especially the guys from Megacone. It’s always hard to keep a group of people moving in one direction but we seem to have found that now with the new line-up. Helen Holligan (Songwriting/Vox/Guitar),Ross Nevin (Sax/Flute/Backing Vox),Gavin Crowe (Lead Guitar/backing Vox),Adam Lindsey (Bass),Franny Mcdonnell (Drums).

How has that altered the sound in comparison to what you had befpre New players means fresh ears, a new angle on all the content that is developing all the time. We have been so fortunate to be in a circle of really great players. We try to get the best out of different energies coming into the band. We are very excited to start gigging with the new guys in May. The artwork for the EP is also worth a mention. Who was behind the cover art?

Claudia Nevin is behind the artwork on the EP. She is a very talented young artist who took our ideas on board and replicated it exactly the way we envisioned it. She is also working with an independent film company BaileyBlake on our music video which will be released in the coming months.

We are now coming into festival season.

Are there any appearances for the band penciled in yet?

It’s early yet but we do have some stuff coming up. Firstly we are doing our first EP launch in Lagos in south Portugal in April. And in May we start gigging again in Ireland. We have a gig booked in The Grand Social for Saucy Sunday on the May Bank Holiday weekend. As far as festivals go we are booked for ‘The Sunflower Festival’ in Northern Ireland and Prosperous Music Festival in August. We will be adding to the list as the weeks go on. So best to keep in touch with our band page on Facebook and our official website.

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ÁINE CAHILL Our Friends In The North (Part 2) Last year an e-mail request was dropped into us here at U&I asking us to take a look at a rather promising singer/songwriter from Cavan by the name of Aine Cahill. The track in question was ‘The Pictures’ and it was an effort that really caught us in the right way here in the U&I office when we first heard it. Suffice to say we wanted to find out more about the artist and our subsequent efforts led to us finding our best Irish EP of 2014 in the shape of ‘Paper Crown’. We caught up with the artist in question and got down to everything that matters about her music. Here is what she had to say: As we are now in April, it is over a year since everything began to take off. In March of last year you released the video for ‘White Piano’. That is a very simple affair but it captures a noted sense of intimacy in the studio setting that is. Was that the intention when you were making that video?

Well, to be honest, the video for White Piano was a prize I had won in August 2013. I was the winner of Cavan Arts Songwriting Workshop. My prize being a day in the studio and a video. Bob Gallagher directed it. I would say the idea for the video was just keep it simple and let the song speak for itself. You know, that's the second time I was ever in a studio. It was a great experience and I just want to thank everyone involved. Bob, Sean, Cavan Arts, Joe Keenan and The Amazing Few. You followed that up with a video for ‘The Pictures’. Immediately that drew comparisons with Adele and Lana Del Ray for us. Would they be musical influences on you? Who else would be a major influence on your music?

Definitely, I would have to say that Lana Del Rey is a huge influence for me in terms of songwriting. Her lyrics are very poetic and vivid. She has really influenced the kind of story telling side to my songs. Adele, for me, is an amazing songwriter and vocalist, so even to be mentioned in the same sentence is unbelievable. She would not personally be a huge inspiration but I can understand the comparisons between us. Lady Gaga and Marina and the Diamonds are two artists that I extremely admire. Gaga, I think, is one of the main reasons I became interested in music. The acoustic versions of her song really struck me and pushed me to take up keyboard when I was 16. One element of Marina and the Diamonds I love is her songwriting ability. Her album 'Electra Heart', along with Lana Del Rey 'Born To Die', is two albums I listened to on repeat around the time I was writing the songs for my EP 'Paper Crown'.

The context of the song also seems to convey a noted sense of emotional heft. Is it a song that comes from a personal place or was that a quality that you managed to corner from the performance that came naturally?

'The Pictures' is based on my personal experiences. It is about escapism. I went through a really hard period in my life when I was roughly 17/18. Music helped me a lot, which led me to write the song. I wanted to write about how everyone has something different they use to escape their problems. For myself, it is music, others is reading books or watching movies. There is a feeling of fantasy in the song. I reference different Disney movies in the chorus' to relate to peoples childhood. Childhood generally being a carefree time in everyone's lives.

When we first heard ‘The Pictures’ last year we were immediately drawn to it on account of the high cinematic impact that the tune was able to evoke when we listened to it here in the U&I office. That was expertly conveyed in the lyrics and it is a theme that is paramount to a certain extent on your EP. Was that an intention when you were writing the songs?

I honestly just wrote what I was feeling at the time. I never planned for my songs to have similar themes or to be linked together. It was natural.

Songwriting was and still is a method I use to get my feelings out, it helps me to think and understand things. The track 'Paper Crown' is very personal to me, there is a lot of myself in that song. My friend inspired me to write it, we both have a strong connection to it.

Runaway is one of my favorites on the EP lyrically. Again, escapism is the main theme just like 'The Pictures'. I remember seeing an ad on T.V. for a Bonnie and Clyde documentary and that’s what triggered me to write it. I love the idea of travelling where ever I want to go and not have a care in the world. I think everyone dreams of that. To be free.

next Christmas I got a keyboard and began to teach myself by ear and from Youtube. I never thought I could sing. I did choir in primary school for a while but stopped because I didn’t like it because I was mad into sports! Something just clicked and I changed completely. My mother’s family have a few great Irish traditional musicians, so maybe that’s where I get it from.

You recorded the EP with Martin Quinn at Jam Studios. Overall the recording process wasn’t rushed and it seems to be a case of everything being developed in a way that put the music first. That shows when you listen to the EP and even more so on repeat listen.

Was it a case of being in the studio with a like-minded producer who got what you were trying to achieve as an artist? When you are working with someone like that how much does that take the pressure off you when you are able to communicate on the same wave length?

When you look back on it now where do you see his input in the music?

For every artist there is that moment where music just reaches out to them and becomes a calling for them. Can you remember when that happened for you?

Martin Quinn is basically brilliant in every way. I came to him with the bones of the songs and he made them what they are today. Anything he did, he would ask for my opinion. I didn’t have to change anything. I wouldn’t have to say much about the songs and he would have them sounding exactly like I imagined them in my head. It was so weird. I hope to be back in the studio with him as soon as possible! Martin produced the whole EP except White Piano. He played nearly every instrument on the other four tracks, so he had huge input into the music. He also gave me advice about the music industry in Ireland. JAM Studios is a great place to record…a really relaxing, chilled environment.

There is a broad sense of scope too on the arrangements and it seems that you have brought everything through from a rich place of creativity. They are also incredibly diverse. How does the dynamic of the songwriting process work for you as a solo artist and how do you run with an idea for a song once it makes its way into your mind? Are there any plans to follow this up with more new material anytime soon?

I think about an idea for a while before I physically sit down and write the song.

I had the title 'White Piano' in my head for a few days before I decided to write it. I if I let it stay in my head it gives the ideas time to grow and I know exactly what I want to say in the songs. What I believe is, if I remember something after a few days of the first thought then it will be good. If I forget it then it wasn’t going to be good anyway. I never want to forcefully write anything. I find if someone tells me to write about different things they come across as unauthentic and I can't sing with my emotions. I'm not feeling it if you get me? I have new material ready to record, Black Delilah which you have heard at my Twisted Pepper gig, being one of the songs I hope to do next in the studio.

The photo shoot for your EP took on a very detailed approach. The Alice In Wonderland theme saw you pull out all the stops for it. That was underlined with the make-up, costumes, props, professional photography…in short it sent out a message that you wanted to promote the EP in a way that signalled a sense of ambition. Is that where you want to go as an artist? It really looked the part. In terms of the theme and the concept there how did that idea come about and who else was involved with all of the aspects that came together on it?

I took a notion this time last year to do a photo shoot to have pictures for my Facebook page I had just made it at the time. I started the recording of The Pictures. I thought about it for a few weeks and once the track was finished it became clear what the theme of the photoshoot should be - Alice in Wonderland.

Everything was last minute to be honest. The photoshoot was organized by myself and my sister a week before it took place. Amy Clarke is the photographer and she is studying photography in college. Gemma McDowell did my make-up. The outfit was made up of bits from mywardrobe. My older sister Ellen, did the hat. We bought a Mad Hatter hat from the local Joke Shop and changed it to what we wanted. My father was there on the day to help with creating the setting. We shot it in Killykeen Forest Park in Cavan. I broke my heels trying to climb a ditch.

How did you first get into music?

One of the tracks you wrote was ‘Runaway’ and that was inspired by Bonnie and Clyde. What was it about their story that resonated with you in the sense that you could draw upon it in such a strong way and direct it into your song like that?

As I mentioned before, Lady Gaga is one of my main influences. She did a performance of her single Paparazzi acoustically on live radio and it blew me away. I used to listen to it on repeat while doing my homework in 3rd year. The

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There was a moment for me that made me realise, this is what I want to do. I had just begun to write music, White Piano was the second song I've ever written. I played it for everyone at home and they liked it. One evening, a friend of my sisters came over and I played it for her. She cried. That was when I realised that people could connect to my music, it made them feel something. It was a shock to me, nothing like that had ever happened before when I sang.

These songs were all just for myself and I'd sing them in my room every day. I thought nothing of them until I seen what they could do. If I write a song that even one person can relate to then I'd be delighted.

At the moment the north of the country is rich in talent. We have interviewed The Whereabouts, The Turning, David Keenan, 2 Minutes 2 Midnight in our magazine. In terms of the support mechanism that is there to support emerging artists it seems to be something built on a core ethos of being about the music and the artist. If you were to acknowledge one or two of those supports who would spring to mind for you?

Cavan Arts has been a big help to me personally. Joe Keenan runs the Café Session every second Thursday night, giving new artists a chance to perform support for more well known bands. I myself have played there five or six times now. I have supported a number of acts, The Whereabouts being one of them. If you're ever in Cavan on a Thursday night, looking to see a gig, Café Sessions in Chapter 1 is the place to be. Also, I was recently involved with The Blue Room Sessions in Longford. It's similar to Café Sessions, showcasing local talent. I supported and Cavan band called WinterKing there, lovely lads. Valerie Maguire is the organiser. They produced professional videos of the performances for YouTube which helps many unknown artists get out there.

When you see that network of supports in place do you think it has contributed to the number of emerging artists that are now beginning to come through in the north of the country?

Yes. Of course it does. There are more and more workshops and gig opportunities being created every year. They all have similar goals, to help emerging artists reach their potential. There are a lot of people willing to give you a push in the right direction and it's so encouraging to see.

We recently saw you play for the first time in The Twisted Pepper in Dublin. It was a really impressive set in our opinion. Do you have any other plans to venture down to the music scene in the capital on a more regular basis?

Thank you! Of course I would love to get involved more regularly in the Dublin music scene. Dublin has some of the best venues to play in Ireland. The Twisted Pepper was unreal, that was my first Dublin gig! I'm really excited to play more in the city.

Will there be any festival appearances for you this year or is there anything else planned for 2015 that our readers will be interested in knowing about?

I hope to play a few festivals this year! Even just one, I'd be buzzing. I want to experience the crowds and play in different counties. Most of my gigs have been Cavan orientated, I can’t wait to spread out. There could be a follow up EP to Paper Crown coming later on this year. I have a title, five tracks and a visual idea for the cover already. Keep an eye out for anything new on my Facebook or Soundcloud. I just want to end this by saying a huge, huge thank you to Unsigned And Independent for rating Paper Crown 10/10 and naming it your Best Irish EP of 2014. I have to say it was a highlight of the year for me. Thank you for the interview, all the best to everyone in the office! Just a wee thank you to Paul Cox, he's been a great mentor. Standard.

ÁINE CAHILL The band formed out of the breakdown of Peachbox.

What was it that kept the remaining members of the band together to form Enter Metropolis?

We started the forming process also in former times with the old formation. We even started working on new songs with our current producer and had the idea of changing the name and the existing image. During that time our singer left the band and all remaining members wanted to hold on to the ideas and the creation of a new and better product that reflects all our thoughts and experiences so far. Not less to mention, we were friends that played together since a couple of years and this was also our goal for the future.

You released ‘Ghost Of My Past’ as a single last year and then followed that up with your album ‘Bright Lights’. In terms of how the dynamics of writing new material work for the band, have they remained the same or is there an entirely different approach?

On the first album we worked together from the beginning because we’ve got to understand who Enter Metropolis is and how Enter Metropolis sounds. Now the way that we approach our work has changed. There are two ways of writing- firstly we write by ourselves, then choose song proposals and work on it together. On the other hand there is the traditional way in the rehearsal room.

How quickly after that happened did you begin to put together the new band?

If things are different to how they were before, just what has changed exactly?

The very first time was really hard because the old singer was also our bass player. So, we had to find two new members fitting in musical and human belongings. It was much more important to find the right singer at first, because he has to represent the band and has to define a huge part of the new sound. It took at least a couple of months and a handful of tries to find the new boy that can enter into our little family but in the end we found the best we could ever imagine.

We have developed. We learned so much about producing and songwriting while we worked on the first album with our producer. And through our side projects in different genres even our musical influences grew. We have more experience and now we know who we are and how we will sound.

You toured Ireland last month and played three gigs in Cork (Crane Lane), Bello Bar (Dublin) and Monroe’s (Galway). What have you made of the Irish music scene and the artists that you have been playing alongside and what has impressed you most about the tour?

We got to know three Irish bands we played with. Those guys were really cool and it was fun to play with them and talk a bit about different scenes in Germany and Ireland. Also all the people that promoted the tour and worked with us were really great and lovely. We were very impressed of the kindness and felt very comfortable and welcome where we were.

Unfortunately the time was a bit too short to explore some other bands or live music which we would have loved to do.

Does anything stand out about the gigs you played?

How smooth was the transition period for bedding in the new members of the band?

It was really interesting to see the processing of everything. As mentioned, it must have been really hard for anybody to join these three guys, that played for years together, that experienced really a lot and were now open to give the most important role to a person they don´t know. Everybody was really careful at the beginning but from the first day we all grew up to a little family and we became best friends very soon. So, maybe this wonderful human relationship helped a lot to find to each other and of course to work with each other.

This aspect is so important for bands because making music is always a way to show feelings and emotions. And you only can show real emotions when you feel comfortable with your surroundings. We also tried several bass players and ended up with the current, because he fits best. In comparison with the ultimate situation, the transition period was really smooth and warm hearted and formed not only our new formation, it formed friends for live.

Is there any significance behind the band name?

Absolutely, Enter Metropolis is not only our name but it describes our music. We are an alternative rock band creating an unique sound, something big that we wanted to have a name for. Metropolis was very fitting to describe that: A fictional utopia. We wanted the listener to emerge into this sound and fictional world, and we ended up with Enter Metropolis.

With your album how much of that do you identify with as being an entirely new sound and direction for you as a band now?

Every musician has the dream to create new music, unique music and I think the mix of so much creativity, experience and different genres has actually created a new sound. This doesn’t mean that we haven’t lost any influences, but we want to be Enter Metropolis and not the copy of everything else.

Was the recording experience itself a different one for you with the new line-up?

Together with the new image and the new sound we wanted to step it up a notch with the recording. To have a better overall sound and quality we went into the Horus Studios in Hannover-Germany, and recorded drums, bass and guitars over there in 4 days. The results were startling, as the customized room gave the drums a special sound, something we couldn’t achieve in previous recordings. Afterwards we recorded the keyboards and vocals back at our producers place. This gave us the flexibility we needed.

Did that bring any additional pressure or did you view it as an opportunity to have freedom?

Because of the new line-up we were actually able to achieve the previously mentioned goal of getting a new sound. We got a lot of new influences from our singer Filippo, but also from people who are not from the performing part of the band like our producer. Together we merged everything and sculpted the album to comply with our desires.

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All shows and radio interviews were great for us and we would have loved to play some more. A very special happening for us was the experience of street music. On Saturday we went to Grafton Street in Dublin city centre and played our songs in acoustic versions. The reaction of the people and the atmosphere that was created was fantastic.

And so was our impression of Ireland in general, very kind and open minded people and a beautiful landscape at all.

How does playing over here compare to playing at home and on the continent?

The Ireland tour was the very first time we played in a foreign country with Enter Metropolis so we were very excited how the audience would react to our sound. The live scene in Ireland seems to be very busy, there are many bands playing live every evening and so the audience seems to be more open-minded for bands they don´t know like us. Playing music isn´t very different in another country. It´s more about the feeling you have when you travel so far with your band, seeing a little bit more of the world and being in a van for so many hours together. You always play your show and try to catch people with what you´re doing for making a living.

Do you have any plans to return?

No confirmed plans yet but that would be fantastic if we got the chance to return. We met so many lovely people and we would like to think that maybe there´s a chance to arrange something in the future.

What are the plans for the summer?

There are some shows this summer and hopefully some festivals to play, but the main focus is to write our second album. We are working on new tracks since the last album was finished we are planning to start recording end of this year.

Darren Flynn and Claudio Mercante would be considered two stalwarts of the Dublin music scene with Moo! However they have put that band to bed and the perennial Phoenix rising from the flames has a new name. That new name is Mongrel State.

We caught up with Darren and Claudio to talk about everything that is going on with the band.

Well, as I said, it’s really been quite an evolution, so it’s not so much a really dramatic change, dynamics-wise. Four people does make road trips more interesting though. A plethora of mad conversations tend to be had! The guys all have Latin blood – so things can get quite heated, but never in a bad way. And they’re all from countries with strong traditions of cuisine and drink – so that tends to pop up quite a bit.

The new name for the band is Mongrel State, but it appears to be a lot more than just a name change.

You had the digital campaign to highlight the fact that Moo! was dead and this was going to be a new animal entirely. So is that what the intent is going to be with the new band?

In terms of the dynamic that was already there, when you were interviewing the new members was it important that you retained that sense of identity or are you deliberately setting out to create something new that had its own identity with Mongrel State?

The intent is going to be to bring into focus all the disparate elements we had going with Moo – this is more of an evolution than a wiping of the slate. The old band went through a lot of metamorphosis over its lifetime – what we had at the end was really quite different to where we started, which is why it felt right to change the name and give ourselves a new lick of paint.

Mongrel State definitely does have its own identity. It’s who we are now. There was no conscious decision though to look for someone based on their “identity”. Simply, did we like them, and could they play? The fact that we’re all from different backgrounds – both geographically and musically, is what makes us a Mongrel! The name came from who we are, not the other way round.

Traditionally the band has been a three piece, but despite the line-up changes over the years the main dynamic has always been the relationship between both you and Claudio. How important was it to maintain that and still bring in the right people with the new band to ensure that remains?

It is not just the new name that we want to discuss.

There is the new single and the new album. The single is ‘How Many More Times’ and there is a noted level of maturity on show with. Will that be a reflection of the rest of the new sound also?

Well, at this stage Claudio and I have been playing together for quite a while, and the working dynamic we have is quite established. And Sebastian (our drummer) has been playing with us on and off for over three years now, so we’re pretty solid with him too.

Who are the new members and what have they already brought to the mix?

Well, there’s Sebastian, as I’ve already mentioned. He’s really the perfect drummer for us – a student of all things Jazz, he has the chops, but equally as important, he’s got taste and an innate understanding of where we’re coming from. What Claudio and I look for in a drummer is frequently quite different. Being a bass player, I need someone I can lock in with and create grooves (I love seeing people dance when we play), whereas Claudio has much more of an overall sense of the arc of a song, so he’s very concerned about arrangements and dynamics. So we can be quite demanding! But Sebastian sails through it, never putting a foot wrong. The card we have up our sleeve is Guillermo. For years we’ve wanted to have a fourth musician in the band, but the issue was that we needed someone who is a solid guitarist AND keyboardist.

Most of the time it’s possible to find someone who is good at one, and merely passable at the other. With Guille we finally found the magic formula because he is brilliant at both.

How have you noticed the dynamics have changed from playing as a full band now that weren’t necessarily there before the new members joined?

What are those things?

Yes. A lot of what has gone on before was us figuring out who we wanted to be in this band. Now, as I already mentioned, all of it is coming into focus. No more so than on the album (which is going to be released later on in the year). Working on it with Gavin Glass really crystallised a lot of things. It sounds amazing and we’re really proud of it.

You have a launch night was held in Whelan’s on March 26th. Who played support to you on the night?

It was fabulous. We had massive support there on the night –we managed to sell out the venue – which we felt was a real validation of everything that we’ve been doing. We’ve managed to bring our old fans along with us and continue to grow into something bigger and better. It’s great to know we have people behind us, believing in what we’re trying to achieve. Lots of friends there on the night too, which was great. The Daily Howl supported us on the night. What can I say? Amazing band – lovely songs, smart arrangements, great voices and tight playing. Top blokes too. We like ‘em so much we’ve asked them along for a few other gigs we’re doing! The Harbour Bar in Bray this Saturday (4th) and then down in Crane Lane on the 19th of April.

The internet is sometime the proverbial elephant in the room, but it is also the way forward for music.

That can’t be disputed because of how it has changed everything on an industry level in the last 15 years.

Given the changing landscape of the industry and the accountability for streaming counting towards chart positions, where do you see the importance of the traditional single?

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It’s an event more so than a product in and of itself. As we all know, people are in a phase of not buying music any more (though I personally believe that’ll change again in the next few years). So releasing a single, unless you’re the likes of Beyoncé et al, is not a money making endeavour. Rather, it’s a way to show off what you do. By releasing something as a single (and putting the effort into making a great video) you’re saying “Hey! This is something you should check out!” and then new fans can use it as a way to figure out if you’re something that they’d like to get into.

The big thing though is the album. It certainly is something that you have worked for. How hungry were you before you went into the studio and how much of a focus did you develop once you got in there and started to get into the process as a whole?

How many tracks are on the album and when is it due for release? Was it all decided upon before you went into the studio or did some of it come together after you became a full band? If so what parts?

We had done a huge amount of prep before we’d gone into Orphan – to the extent of fully demoing everything ourselves first in our own studio. That work really paid off though, ‘cos we were tight when we went in – everyone knew all their parts backwards. So when it came down to us taking stuff apart again with the producer, there was no fear there – we were free to try stuff differently, ‘cos we knew it all so well. And it really paid off.

If the departure from Moo! on your current single is anything to go by, what can people come to expect from this album?

Rock’N’Roll. Guitars, drums, lots of organ, big harmonies and big choruses. Glimpses of all of our many influences, but all of them kept to heel. And some surprises too.

You wrapped that album up in February with the brilliant Gavin Glass at Orphan Recordings. Overall, from the start all the way through, how much of a labour of love has making the album been?

Anything even vaguely connected with the music industry is a labour of love. There’s no one left in this plastic hallway but lovers and dreamers. As labours of love go, it’s not the worst. Hearing a track come alive as you’re working on it can be an amazing experience – you really do get those chills of “wow! We’re doing something amazing here!”

What else is in store for the band over the course of the summer?

Lots of stuff, but I think the most exciting things for us (along side playing festivals this summer) is that we’re going to be doing a few tours of different parts of Europe!

All things are still in the final stages of arranging, but we’re going to be making some fantastic announcements in the next few weeks!

ALEX MOIR

ÁINE CAHILL As any artist will attest to there is no secret formula to success. It happens when it happens, but if you were to identify a pivotal moment for you where things began to turn the right corner for you it would be January last year with the release of ‘Ted Dexter’. It was a track that seemed to be picked up by the right people, such as BBC Radio Manchester for example, and it put you in the spotlight for the right reasons. When you look back on it now how do you view that period of your career now?

It was hard to make people listen to something without the help of a PR firm pumping it out to stations. I learnt a lot during that period which is invaluable to what I’m doing now. I felt quite bitter towards that side of the industry at the time but now I understand that it’s all about playing the field a little bit.

It also got picked up by BBC Introducing and The Jack Parker Show on Amazing Radio. That was only two or three months after it had been played on BBC Radio Manchester. At the time that was all going on what was going through your mind?

be involved in these days at least. There’s a lot of bands right now all vying to be the next Peace, they don’t realise though - it’s been done.

Two stellar chaps called Alistair and Steve. They’ve been there from the start and the process is just getting better and better every time we record something.

The music scene in the midlands is one that we are very familiar with. How have you seen things develop for a grass roots level with the music scene in Birmingham in the last few years?

The launch for that was held in The Sunflower Lounge.

Is there any significance for you holding the launch night in that venue? Who was on the line-up playing support for you that night?

Like I said, the grass roots level is quite uniform right now.

There’s a lot happening but it’s very repetitive. However, the quality of small venues and rise in promoters has to be a good thing. For small venues, Birmingham has some of the best to offer. The Sunflower Lounge has and always will be a great place to perform in Birmingham.

The Sunflower Lounge is my favourite place in Birmingham. It means a lot to me personally to be able to release my EP there.

We had some great local talent on - Emma Thomas, George Gadd and Lauren Pryke.

Would there be anything that you have seen elsewhere that you haven’t back home that you think the local music scene could benefit from if there was something similar in place?

Variety.

I was relieved if anything that my music had finally gained some traction. It makes all the work worth it to hear yourself back on national radio.

When all that was going on around you how did that impact on you as an artist? Surely it must bring a sense of pressure when that kind of attention is put upon you.

How did you use it to your advantage?

Prior to getting radio play, I was immensely bored. I was writing all these songs and performing them at open mic nights and acoustic showcases in front of 3 or 4 people but no-one was really hearing them. It wasn’t pressure, it was a welcomed edge added to the monotony of playing the circuit.

In terms of the music, who were the artists that had the most influence on you when you were also starting off?

Do you still see any of their influence coming through in your music today?

I listen to everything I can. I admire Peter Gabriel, Elliott Smith, Neil Finn and Empire of the Sun above everything though. When I was first starting out, I was mostly drawn to Jeff Buckley, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Damien Rice though.

The scene in Birmingham at the moment is at a healthy place. There are a number of pretty good venues and artists currently making the scene what it is today. As an artist from Birmingham, who would have been the local artists that you would have aspired to growing up?

When I started playing in Birmingham, there wasn’t a scene at all. I was 14 years old and there was virtually nothing. There were some touring bands but Birmingham was dead.

Birmingham was neither glamorous or cool to be in. It’s changed a lot in the last five years, it’s still not glamorous but it’s decent to

How has the scene changed from when you started out and how you now see it today?

Again, the scene has grown tremendously in the last five years.

It’s good to see live music in most bars and small venues across Birmingham.

The new EP is very different and seems to be taking your sound in a more mature direction but still retaining that sense of identity that says it is Alex Moir on the tracks.

So in terms of how you are developing as an artist what has been the main challenge and significant development for you in artistic sense with the musical process this time around that wasn’t necessarily there in the past?

The use of different instruments helps a great deal. One of the tracks uses double bass which is something I’ve not recorded with before. It’s exciting to keep things fresh. It’s essential, really.

Seeing as this is also your debut EP, how have you found the pressure and expectation that goes with that? What helped you cope with that and not be overwhelmed by the process as a whole?

I don’t think there’s any pressure. It stops me from being bored.

If I weren’t doing something with my music, then I’d feel pressured.

Now that the EP is released, in terms of how the recording process has gone for this release, who has been involved behind the scenes with you in terms of production and other aspects of the recording process?

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Another thing that we have noticed about you as a performer is that you are very keen to get out there and play live. That is not restricted solely to the music scene in Birmingham because you are familiar with the rest of the UK from the point of view of being a performer.

Liverpool Sound City would be one of the festivals that you played last year that stands out. How does playing outside of Birmingham compare to hometown gigs?

I can’t really tell any difference to be quite honest. The venues I’ve played are mostly very small so far, so they tend to pull the same sort of characters.

As we said, taking ‘Ted Dexter’ as a point of reference would appear to have been a catalyst in a way for a lot of things last year because that was followed by new material such as ‘Havana’ and ‘Night Of Nights’. What followed seemed to come after ‘Ted Dexter’ had run its course, so to speak, and answered the ‘what comes next from Alex Moir’ question that people were asking. Is that case? Was ‘Havana’ part of a plan or did it just happen to come about at the right time?

None of it was planned. We didn’t really know what we were doing. I’d wanted to release an EP for a while and we couldn’t for whatever various reasons. Putting tracks out there just seemed to be the right thing to do.

The video is a smart affair as well. The black and white seems to give it a little touch of cool also. Who directed that video for you?

Self-directed with my girlfriend, Alice.

Now when you look back over the past year and the EP has been released what is next in line?

A second EP and a tour.

Will there be any festival appearances coming up for you over the summer?

At the minute, it’s unlikely. I think I need to build up more traction first.

THE MANC TANK

by Dave Beech

PALE WAVES Manchester's a city famous for many things, but perhaps joint top of the list would its musical legacy and its working class history; both are synonymous with the city, and both embody it in different ways. From LS Lowry's bleak industrial skylines, to Oasis' desperate, if at times nonsensical, escapism, the majority of artists from the city have in some way or another been influenced

by Manchester's past. Directly combining the history of the city with music however, doesn't make for the most uplifting finished products, and one only needs to look to The Smiths and Joy Division as proof. After all, no-one wants to be Joy Division to play their birthday party.

acoustic but sacked that off straight away and went for a more sound that had a bit more fun to it.

The name Pale Waves, is there a story behind it or did it just suit your style?

No special story unfortunately. It is just that we love anything to do with the beach, so we made a name to suit that.

Obviously being from Manchester and being involved in the City's music scene is vastly different from having preconceptions about a place. How do you think the reality of Manchester's scene compares to the ideas people from outside the city seem to have?

And that's where Pale Waves come in. Baggy in the best way possible, they're a four-piece who aren't interested in Manchester's past, they don't even seem particularly bothered its future, or its politics. They're a band living in the present who want nothing more than to just dance and party, and in the case of guitarist Ryan, possibly a bit of cross-dressing, all rounded off with an irresistible innocence and a sleek pop sensibility. It's this pop edge, belying of the band's grungey image, that doesn't so much bleed through in to their music, as knock on the door politely, before letting the entire neighbourhood in for party.

We love Manchester, it's our home. It might not have a beach or be sunny but it's treated us well.

Similarly, the majority of bands in Manchester making music worth talking about seem to have segued away from the overtly masculine LAD rock of generations previous. Why do you think that is?

Forget your grey goose and laughing gas though, Pale Waves are all about birthday cake and cherryade, and anything else that's likely to give you the best kind of toothache, especially if their latest single 'The Tide' is anything to go by. Tropical guitars make the track shimmer, whilst sugary pop vocals give the ephemeral backing the perfect amount of weight. This is the sound of summer, not summers of adolescent hedonism though but summers of youthful innocence and butterflies in the stomach. Someone pass me an ice-pop.

I think bands are trying to bring something new to the table because Manchester has a lot of music to offer.

With only 'The Tide' available online at the moment, have you got any plans for another single or even an EP release any time soon?

Hi guys, first of all could you introduce yourselves and tell us how you got together?

Yeah we have indeed we are getting in the studio very soon. We are gonna try make it even more feel good than how things sounded on ‘The Tide’.

Heather(singer/guitar) - CiĂĄra(drums)- Ryan(guitar) - Ben(bass)! We got together at uni because we were all good buddies. We started off

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by Joe Loftus

by Joe Loftus

LUKE FRANCESCO CUSATO

Luke Francesco Cusato is one of Liverpool's most rapidly growing talents. His commercial beauty is accomplished by a fine and fitting concoction of dusty electric piano and his forever falsetto voice. He has been on the scene for quite a while now, though he is still as new and fresh as ever. In the past I wasn't his biggest fan but his music is growing on me and I am certain his songwriting skills are continuously growing too. At the minute he is facing the most exciting time of his life. In the past year he has been flown all over Europe to play in front of representatives from major labels, all courtesy of Sony, and in the past month he has been putting the finishing touches to his brand new E.P entitled Backbone. I pounced at the opportunity to interview him and here is the outcome.

So Luke, you've got quite a lot going on at the minute, how does that feel?

things that drew me into films too. I love a good film with a great soundtrack behind it!

Same here, Tarantino is the king of good soundtracks; Trainspotting too. Why did you originally get into song-writing?

For a few reasons I guess, I was inspired by the film 'American Beauty'. The song 'Any Other Name', particularly, filled me with so many feelings and in my head I was like ''I wanna write a song like that. I want to make people feel the way I feel about this song with my own music.'’ Using a really old Yamaha keyboard I started to learn how to play the piano by ear and used YouTube to help me learn my favourite songs and eventually started to write my own stuff. My aim was and I guess still is to evoke emotion in people. It's also a pretty cool way of expressing my thoughts and emotions.

Who influenced you?

Hey hey! Yeah it feels great, there's some really exciting things going on and I'm mega excited about the EP release too. It's pretty hectic at the moment but it's all going fantastic thanks.

Not a bother. It must be hard keeping track but then again it's got to be one of the greatest times in your life having all this promotion and attention at once?

It is indeed. If you don't constantly work hard at it then things slow down, but more than anything music is my life. So I couldn't be more thankful for all the support that I'm getting at the minute and for all the support I've had too.

So let's talk about the past. How long have you been on the music scene?

I first started busking with an old friend originally when I was about 15. We used to perform as a duo in the City Centre of Chester under the name of 'Out By Sunday' playing covers to the public. I played a little Roland Juno-D and he played the guitar as we both sang. We started doing local gigs around our hometown and after spending some time learning a load of my favourite songs from YouTube I then started to write my own stuff. I met my manager during the time I was in college (summer 2012) and to cut a long story short; here I am now!

I'd hazard a guess and say you were into music long before that?

Yeah of course. My Mum and brother have had a big influence on my music taste. Thankfully they both have made my music taste pretty diverse as they're into all sorts. Music was one of the

Many things and many people! Experiences and events which have taken place in my life so far. For example; one of my earlier songs 'Blueskies' was totally influenced by my good friend Jordan Rose. He passed away in October 2010 due to leukemia.

He was an incredible person and a massive inspiration to everyone he knew.

and represent for some time now, so I'm really made up with it.

The process has taken some time and it's been pretty intense occasionally but working with James is always a good craic.

You've also been working alongside the world-renowned Polish artist, Tomasz Alen Kopera, tell me about that.

I'm not gonna lie, my manager discovered his artwork a few months back and we both fell in love with him. The artwork for my EP cover was originally up on his site and my manager just hounded him asking if we could use it. We never thought he'd get back but he did eventually and said we could use it. So now one of his pieces of artwork is now my EP cover which feels awesome because he's an incredible artist!

Wow that's amazing. And if this wasn't enough for you, I've heard all about your gallivanting around Europe courtesy of Sony in order to play in front of some major labels. Was this not daunting for you?

How's the recent EP sounding?

Yeah, it's really hard to explain exactly how I was feeling at the time; all I know is that I was filled with a mix of emotions. But it was excitement mainly fuelled by the question of 'is this real?' But of course there was a certain pressure which weighed down on me and made me a little nervous but I guess that's part of it all really. It was an amazing experience which has given me unforgettable memories and it also created more interest within itself!

Well, I'm insanely happy with the way it sounds so I really do hope it gets a great response. It's been a big change for me regarding the sound, but definitely something I've been wanting to create for a long time.

I guess it's all just grist to the mill of being a young and aspiring musician. Must've been a fascinating experience! Would you say this is the most exciting time so far in your career?

Is it all new?

Yeah it has to be! With the change in direction regarding my sound, the growing support from the listeners and attention from more labels makes me feel extremely happy! I'm just mega made up with everything that I'm representing now too so it's definitely the most exciting time for me so far in my career.

Apart from 'All Over You' the rest of the tracks on the EP are new. TMRW magazine released that track on their YouTube channel at the end of November last year, it's been quite a slow process regarding the EP, but I'd never want to rush anything anyway.

What has the recording process been like, I know you've been working with James Mellor?

It's been amazing! Yeah, James is a legend and such a talent, not just with his production skills but also his musicianship is quality too! Ever since summer last year I've been spending my time recording at The Motor Museum with him which is based in Liverpool. It's been an incredible experience and it finally feels like a breakthrough with the sound which I've wanted to create

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So what's next for Luke Cusato?

There are so many plans for this year, some amazing gigs lined up including a festival just outside of Barcelona which I'm playing (can't tell you what that is yet though) and a lot more studio time booked in with James. In the meantime me and my manager from Tilt Shift Music are gonna be pushing the EP and see how the response is for that. But more than anything I'll just be keeping it all up, writing, recording, gigging and smiling.

https://soundcloud.com/luke-cusato

by Joe Loftus

THE JUVENILES Neo Brit-pop Gods, The Juveniles, are a melodious bar room brawl between simplistic philosophical lyrics and melancholically beautiful guitar riffs. It’s a toss-up between Shed Seven, The Frames, Oasis and the ever peculiar Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. But The Juveniles are far from some boring copycat band. No no. Their music is as fresh as it is 90's; hence why I coined them 'Neo Brit-pop'. It is as if the inventive brilliance of (What's The Story?)Morning Glory continued and underwent a few Liverpudlian makeovers. Anyhow, I caught up with Mike from the band and we talked all things Juveniles.

So Mike, according to the band’s Facebook you've been going since 2008, is that right? That's a long time to be in an unsigned band. What's that like?

Yeah it’s true that the band formed in 2008, but it was with band members who are no longer part of the band. I think we split up in 2010 and I spent a few years writing songs and then attempting to find the right band members. So the new line-up came together the beginning of 2014 so you could say that the new Juveniles were formed in 2014. But it’s never easy being in a band and I’ve experienced a lot of difficulties along the way but things are starting to look up and I have confidence that we are now heading in the right direction.

How did the band form in the first place?

I was living in Liverpool at the time and I met a guy called Chris Rylands in the Jacaranda pub. He told me he was into writing lyrics/poetry so we arranged to meet up for a jam and things progressed from there. We both had very similar tastes in music so we started to write songs together at my flat in Gambier Terrace. Then we found a bassist/drummer and started to rehearse at the old Elevator Studios in the city centre.

Ah Gambier Terrace. I read recently that Lennon and Stu Sutcliffe had a place there before they left for Hamburg. I think it was there that Lennon used to sleep inside a coffin. Anyway, how have things changed in that time?

The band has changed a lot as I’m the only remaining member. We are now a five piece band and have a synth player, two guitars and vocals, bassist and drummer. So the sound is a lot bigger than in the past and we also incorporate more vocal harmonies. The song-writing has progressed as well and I feel like the sound of the band has become more experimental and diverse because of all the different influences and input from the rest of the band.

Why did you get into song writing?

I don’t know really because when I was growing up all I ever wanted to do was art as that’s all I was ever good at in school. I have always been a creative person and I think such like art, song-writing gives you the opportunity to express yourself.

Most definitely, I can't imagine life without some form of art involved. It must be awful. Just a cacophony of boredom. No platform to be heard from. Shit that must be bad. Who was it that inspired and influenced your writing and music in the early days?

Obviously coming from the north-west it would have to be the Beatles because I was exposed to their music from a young age as well as Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and people like that. But with anything you change and you open your mind to other music. I think punk had a big influence on my song-writing and expressing yourself in that way.

You don’t just have to write about past relationships or necking a pint or lager down the local. You can write about other stuff like what’s currently going on in the world or society. I think the best bands and artists have always had an association with a specific moment in time and their music reflects that and connects with people.I think bands such as The Smiths, Joy Division, Radiohead all seemed to have a big influence on my song-writing. But also the Brit-Pop scene was pretty massive as well with Oasis, Blur, Cast, The Bluetones, Shed Seven, and the list goes on…but I’ve always been open enough to listen to all types of music, blues, jazz, classical, whatever really apart from any of that manufactured stuff. I think I like stuff that ignites an emotion inside me when I hear it. Whether it’s the artist projecting a message through their song or through their instrument I think that’s important.

Jeez, talk about eclectic. Cast are great. I caught John Power in Widnes a few weeks back - he's a great songwriter at times. What was the success of Help Me Out like?

It’s been really positive so far. We have had a lot of compliments about the song and the video as well. Fair play to videographer Felix Brassier doing such a great job with the video and translating our ideas in digital form.

What has been the hardest thing The Juveniles have had to go through?

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I think I mentioned earlier about the band splitting up and then taking time out whilst attempting find new members.

That was a tough time after the band split up. I did feel like giving up at times because you feel a bit like you are going round in circles and not making any progress. That’s why it can be difficult being in a band because things can drastically change overnight and affect the direction of the band.

That feeling of not making any progress and going nowhere must be awful man. What has been your greatest success?

I think in the early days of the band the greatest success for me was having a song played on a Liverpool FC goals compilation on LFCTV as I’m a big red. But the song that they used had swear words in so that had to edit them out which made me laugh when watching it. I think the greatest success now is that we now have a line-up we are all happy with and feel confident about. Since we formed last year we have made a lot of progress in a short space of time. We’ve spent time in the studio and recorded ‘Help Me Out’ and a soon to be released 4 track EP. We’ve filmed some videos and had the pleasure of working with some great people. So I guess our greatest success to date would be the release of our debut single ‘Help Me Out’ and the positive comments we’ve received about it. We’ve also had the single played on local radio stations such BBC Introducing Merseyside, Wirral Radio and Halton FM. You were recently added onto the bill for the Liverpool Threshold Festival, have you played many festivals before? Do you like playing them?

No. That was the first festival for me personally. I’m not sure about any of the others in the band as they have all been in bands before. So this will be a new thing for me but I’m really looking forward to it. It will be good to have a look around and listen to some of the other bands that are playing and hopefully get chatting to a few fellow musos and artists. I reckon I’ll be heading for the beer tent at some point during the weekend.

I can't blame you mate. And to conclude; What does the future hold for The Juveniles?

That’s a good question! We’ve got a few things currently in the pipeline such as more gigs, an appearance on BayTV, more festivals and we’ve got our EP release and launch on the 29th May at the Jacaranda, Liverpool. We will also be releasing some new material and videos along the way so we are all excited and positive about the future. We will post all the forthcoming events on our website ww.thejuveniles.co.uk and all our other social media pages. Cheers!

London

THE POPGUNS A band blessed with an infectiously catchy style that comes off expertly. The way that they are able to capably make everything come alive with their glorious indie pop songs offers an incredible high standard. This Brighton band really has a lot of admirable qualities in the way they cleverly process those neat qualities towards something highly conclusive each time.

THE DEFEKTERS This cool reggae act has everything down to a tee in both their music and their live shows. It is the clean way that they are able to expand upon their roots and bring modernity to their sound that harnesses the conviction. That is a quality that separates them from their contemporaries while still retaining a distinguished sense of identity that plays to a myriad of other influences also.

THE ACTIONS The underground calling of this band embraces a telling alternative style. That turns on a rich and detailed calling that embraces everything from New Wave, Trip Hop all the way through to Dark Wave. The results are staggering with a parlance occupied in the music here that is a beauty in its own right while at the same time retaining an incredible sense of identity in the process.

THE GALACTICS This contemporary duo embraces a noted leftfield calling that results in a creative assault on the aural senses. The deliberate way things are processed here incorporates indie, electronica and other genres such as New Wave to create a telling hybrid of high artistic integrity. They still possess a distinct underground vibe to their sound which is tellingly pitched each time making them a true gem to track down for those who like their music that little bit more enigmatic.

THE STAYCATIONS This Cambridge five piece have an air of confidence that comes through in their sound but that is backed up by a solid catalogue of music that catches the imagination in the right way. Their live sets have been warmly received, while the derivative of their sound is incredibly rich. As such it cannot necessarily be pigeonholed but the calibre of indie credibility running through it is all about the music but contains a descript level of poise that counts for a great deal.

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EMPATHY TEST Synthesised music has never gone out of fashion, but this London band creates something that is gloriously gorgeous. The dark derivative can be called upon in their sound just as easily as the more mainstream apparel. As such that level of maturity in their sound has them marked out for all the right reasons and is shown by how well received their music is with the press. The hype is justified.

THE MISPERS Here is another band who embraces the notion that music can be fun as much as it can be about taking things seriously. The commanding presence secured from their music comes to pass but has a notoriety that gives everything a certain point of focus time and time again. How they engage those indie sensibilities has a clear sense of notoriety which is cleverly considered each time but matched with a clever blend of style and substance each time.

THE WONDERSMITHS Not just another band but another great band for any serious music lover to discover. The stylish way that they pocket elements of trip hop together with an indie calling is what gives them a distinctive sense of identity. That credibility is called upon by giving their sound a neat tracking that has an urgency factored in. As a result their rules – just bends them in a way that sees them play inside them.

THE LOVE BARONS With a sound that clearly calls upon a knowing sense of innovation the band are fast growing in reputation. They are an alternative band but one that come across as something akin to how Madness may have sounded had they gone down the indie route. They are quite a distinct band on the London circuit and one who should begin to turn up on the radar of a few more people this year for all the right reasons.

PLASTIQUE In terms of what this band have going for them in their New Wave apparel they also have an equally impressive amount going for them in terms of their reputation for producing a sound that is highly immersive with a knowing underground calling to it. The Goth Rock elements of their sound also gives them a heightened level of credibility by bringing their sound to a more

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THE RUBY SESSIONS Doyle’s Bar (31-3-2015) You could call this night at the Ruby Sessions a meeting of North vs South when you look at the diversity of the line-up present here in Doyle’s this evening. To open there was Natalie Castillo from Argentina and to close there was November from Seattle. So with both of the Americas represented the north/south divide in Ireland was factored in by the inclusion of Callum Stewart from Magherafelt in Derry and Jack O’Rourke from Cork. But putting the geography aside, the night was all about what it is always about – the music and the proceeds from the €6 everyone paid in going to the Simon Community for the homeless.

NATALÍ CASTILLO This Argentinian artist was closing off the final gig of the Irish leg of her current European tour by playing here tonight. Such is the reputation of The Ruby Sessions that she was honoured to be joining the illustrious alumni who have graced the stage in the past. Her humble appreciation was backed up by a suitably deserving performance that got underway with ‘Same Old’.

What endears you here is the telling softness in her voice and how it lends itself finely to the delivery. That composure is noted not only in her vocals but how well it all combines alongside the softer elements. The tumble of the guitar locates the soft styling and equates well with bucolic sensibility that is smartly tabled here. That was then followed up with the finesse of ‘Sunny Days’. The wonderful weight that is brought through from the lingering drift of the guitar sees the hazy pull from the warmth of the lyrics capture something enigmatic. This closeness is cornered in a realised way and her voice also holds up extremely well. The contained pace that picks up also progresses smartly.

Sung entirely in Spanish is ‘No Hoy Iugar Par A Tres’ and it is a moving effort. The softness flows to give it an ethereal hold that proceeds to secure the patience in a captivating way. It also saw her lose herself in the innate trappings and enthral an already appreciative audience just that little bit more. Taking inspiration from Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ allows the formation to come to pass in her final song ‘Stars’. It tellingly gives the performance a pronounced presence that is enticing in excellent measures.

Her composure also adds a knowing sense of poise that sits comfortably well.

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CALLUM STEWART

The second artist on the night was someone who has a bright future ahead of him. There is a clever sensibility to his songwriting ability that knowingly shows on ‘Poison’ and is brought to bear in a suitably clever way. He also displays a good range of depth in the lyrics which helps to keep it in the moment. What endorses this vividly is the reflections he calls upon that are of his own making. He then gave the first live playing was ‘The Dam’. On the standing of the attributes called upon everything falls into place. It is also incredibly well structured with the hold of his voice naturally collecting as it filters through. This is something that handsomely adds to the overall breakdown.

The concentrated angle of ‘Gold’ takes everything where it needs to go with the harder showing. It is not overplayed either. That consideration makes the robust qualities count here. How well-versed it is helps the pitch of the delivery in a most considerate way and set up his final song ‘Free’ to come to pass off the back of. Here he has a knowing ability as a songwriter which shows in the passion. That is what grants his music a warranted desolation that the lyrics employ extremely well here. In a way they contradict the assumption that no man is an island and celebrate the longing for isolation in a way that provides both catharsis and a theme for the elements to be processed around.

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JACK O’ROURKE Cork artist Jack O’Rourke was an interesting offer here tonight. Granted a broader calling was his first song ‘Naivety’ and this showed in his voice. How kind a calling it provided for his performance allowed him settle into it with the definition coming from that sense of weight. The relativity of the tempo was also pleasing here and saw everything right as much as the lyrics. How it all pulled the audience in was backed up by a top drawer level of sophistication that was rooted in a suitable manner from the delivery all the way. His upcoming single is also an effort that captures the poise in a nostalgic way.

Revisiting days gone by suits the lyrical objective and brings about a knowing sense of texture that sees it stand tall in an approving way. With a come hither calling to it is ‘Moss’ and that is a calling that fittingly filters through from the verses.

Again the development bodes well and that is apparent in the layering which adds to the richness of the delivery. The resounding tone of the keyboard alongside the bereft notions fix deliberately to the definition on show. For his closing track he was joined by Fiona McGarry on vocals.

This is a hard one to find fault with really.

There is a soft and knowing emphasis place on the warmth in a knowing way. While it is not an entirely elegant affair it is however something with a savoury calling that favourably comes to pass. It works as a duet, but is one of those songs that could easily work if it was flying solo because the sentiment softens it and this is where the settled calling finds solace.

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NOVEMBER PEARLS

This being their last Irish gig, Seattle duo November Pearls brought the night’s fine standard of music proceedings to a close. The interesting and quickened pace to the rhythm guitar of ‘Filtering Poison’ plays it all in but they also smartly play down the tempo simultaneously. This piques your interest explicitly. Confirming that furthermore is the proven combination of the vocal and guitar work as they bring something kind to the performance that is well earned. Again they seem to know how to make the most of the candid side of their performance with ‘Out Of My Head’. The investment on an artistic level counts here with both of them bringing something of stature to proceedings that stems from the steady build in the rhythm. Those referential qualities count in a big way here. After that comes the tantalising softness of ‘Who Do You Know?’ which meets an unbridled sophistication as it moves through. The pursed vocals gradually gift it reach and feel it all out in a noted way. That was then followed by closing number ‘Ideas’, which has only been released in Iceland as a single so far. The sophistication shows in the idealised presence that the expression works off. They build upon this. As a result the eccentricity in the performance takes it all to an interesting level. That nuanced apparel is tailored to meet the needs of the song in a rich controlled way that is brilliantly noted.

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THE FLUFFY NOISE The Mezz (30-3-2015)

ALICE KIERNAN We have been venturing into town on a Monday evening the last few weeks to check out the newest club night in Dublin for unsigned and independent artists at The Mezz which goes by the name of The Fluffy Noise. We only managed to catch two of the acts this evening but an honourable mention should also go to Those Responsible who closed the night.

Alice Kiernan got everything going this evening and as she is an emerging artist her set comprised a number of originals alongside some covers.

However there was a good balance between the two so we can overlook our rule of thumb with regards covers.

Her first original song ‘Games Begin’ was a precise number. How the cut of this curtails the playing brings a rather abject sense of direction with it. The tune is treated in the right way and that comes across in how it is felt. What ably assists that process as a whole here is the select way that the collected effort shepherds the playing with an ingrained sense of belief through and through. She followed that with a neat version of Taylor Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’. Here her version capably cornered the token qualities in the performance.

Then she showed what she can do when she picks up a guitar. The homely shape to be found in ‘This Is Where I Figure It Out’ marries well to the level of sophistication secured off the back of an excellent opening line. That is carried through with a decent level of weight behind it all which keeps it moving along. You also admire something about her here and that is the darling calling she naturally has.

With her approach to the music here it adds a rich sense of reach that is neatly formulated in the process squarely.

Catching the poignancy of the Arctic Monkey’s classic ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High’ raised her game and comfortably formed her set.

That allowed ‘You’re Right’ to come in off the back of that necessity in a way that marked it out as not necessarily being a soft tune by definition. Instead it is how she walks it in that makes that initial assessment so obvious. It is however a tune with a knowing sense of heartbreak found in the running of the lyrics. That proven worth allows it to avoid becoming over sentimental and that approach happens to stand it good stead. A slight criticism of her set would be her reluctance to engage the audience that bit more with her version of Train’s ‘Drops Of Jupiter’ because she gets everything right.

There is nothing to actually take away from her rendition here but just offer that opinion as a pointer because her version here is a comfortable one with a lot going for it. It is her final song ‘I’m Running’ that fixes everything in the right way.

With the underplayed pop sensibilities everything is brought around squarely. There is also something narrow in the execution that earns your appreciation on the breakdown. It gives off a pleasing hold that is matched vocally with her understated appreciation for the knowing depth hidden away.

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BEAR PLAYS SPOONS As soon as this band took to the stage you could just sense that they have that something about them that all good bands have. Despite the fact they were a man down, as a band operating at effectively 75% of what they can do they were still better than some bands are at 100%. That is confirmed as soon as ‘In Motion’ kicks off. The pronounced turn of the play brings it on. The quality that carries an innate confidence is smartly chased down and you feel the presence come through. The bridge also has an exceptional crossover feel that offers an interesting contrast with the rigorous flow aligned up against the sunken calling that gives it flair. With hints of a progressive New Order vibe to it came instrumental ‘Fizzy Pop’. Not a lot to say about this one except that it sounded the part, which it is probably designed to do. They then picked everything back up with a notable hint of distinction about it with ‘Existential Fears’ and that is what gives their performance a good sense of belief. The sharp playing arcs complete it all with the neatness deliberating in a prevailing way which gives it front.

It is a handsome number from the band with the shots called in a way that suitably adds charm. Even though that smart suitability comes off easily it is also a fully formed track from them here.

Again they convey a knowing sense of richness from the intro alone with ‘June’s Mudfest’. That incorporates a seamless shoegazer kitsch that travels well alongside the progressive traits here. In turn there is an implicit sense of decorum in the occupation of the playing elements that enriches the texture. In lieu, or absence if you will, of any real pace there is still a telling degree of volume about it all. Another interesting opening announced the arrival of ‘Ghost’ and developed everything in a calculated way that sits right. The meandering rhythm creates something reputable that is affine aural assault on the senses. That adds a demeanour that stirs the delivery, not just from how it provides weight and slips into gear, but also from how enamoured it makes it all sound. It is what gives the nouveau underground formatting a platform to branch out from and works extremely well because it is worked extremely well. Powering along and bringing a much needed injection of pace to proceedings is ‘Prudence. But it gracefully reels that in as it clicks into gear and is rather interesting on the ear when it happens because this sees them bring a levelled showing to the texture. All of the playing components run comfortably and in an equally robust way. This advocates a caressing of the vocals that is very much in the money and makes it one of those songs exclusively for the cool kids.

Another subjective effort from the band is ‘Tsunami’. The poise of the lean and pensive qualities lingers on the rhythm. From that approach things are neatly edged and contribute in a justified way from the bereft touches that the curt roll feed off. How this finds itself coming through off the back of the playing really shows that they were up for it in the moment they occupy on the stage as this one rolls out. All good things must come to an end and ‘Ants’ saw the vocals prominently count as they came to the fore. There is an interesting sense that this might be a song that is built around them because the approach more than subtly suggests this to be the case. The secondary feel of the rhythm loses no importance either. They lay down an obvious marker with this one and the intent abides where it is supposed to and impresses that little bit more as a New Order feel cleverly creeps in to see it out.

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SAUCY SUNDAYS The Grand Social (29-3-2015)

JULIAN MULLER One of the highlights for us here at U&I is spending our Sunday afternoons in The Grand Social at Saucy Sundays. It is not just that it is an institution in its own right but it can also consider itself to be something of a Mecca for travelling musicians who feel a sense of fulfilment having walked out and performed on the stage here.

Julian Muller has played here before and his set tonight was in conjunction with his tour of Ireland with Glen Phillips and he opened proceedings with ‘Song For Us’. There is a sense of the ordained about the lighter touches that travels fondly from his guitar. That makes the showing rather descript and the lightness on show in the rhythm is delicately placed which allows the neatness to prevail. He followed that up with another opportune number called ‘Things A Broken Heart Can’t Do’.

He again makes the most of the softer pressing which is intentionally kind to his performance. It is his ability to capture the honesty in the lyrics that opens it all out in a measured way. From that approach the sophistication is collected in a clever way that is duly observed.

With the good countenance to it from the off comes ‘Little Bird’ and that conveys the passion here. The weight is elegantly touched upon and he is able to favourably embrace these neater pockets of play in a way that becomes an enthralling vocation in its own right. That allows the intended object of the affection in the lyrics to become a point of focus that works superbly throughout. Joined by Jane Willow for ‘How’ brings forth a wherewithal that kindly connects in the shared vocals. The acknowledged way that it runs alongside the weight here gives it the right amount of presence. Yet in how they combine their talents the relevance is also brought through in the finite touches holding it together.

Another point of note about him as a performer is his ability to develop a gradual stature as he adheres to the intricate elements of his playing. That is confirmed on ‘Downfall’ and it ably comes through. There is a tidy and stationary calling here that easily comes to pass in his vocals. He carefully invites the best of intentions through here by carefully measuring the direction that sees everything stay the course. His second last song was a commendable version of Ryan Adam’s ‘Sweet Carolina’ and nicely set up his closing track ‘Colour Me Softly’. It is also the title of his latest album and it is a more uplifting display. That adds a fresher element that shows as it takes flight and the approach is commendably worked here. Adding to the lustre here is the tenderness of his voice which isolates the neater side of the parlance with relative ease.

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GLEN PHILLIPS

As already mentioned, Julian Muller was opening proceedings as part of the Irish tour for Californian artist Glen Phillips. As a direct effort, ‘Leaving Old Town’ more than holds its own. The direction gives it a good calling that collects with hints of Tom Petty running through. This is what gets into the performance fashionably well. Adding to that assessment is a desirable robustness that carries the showing comfortably from how it is collectively considered. His next two songs were also fine offerings, with a good contrast between the two. Standing out for all the right reasons was ‘We’re in This Now’. The soft way that it is all eased in allows a befriended neatness to come off in a qualified way that immediately locks the steadier attributes towards toward something conclusive. The tangibility in his voice competently reassures the delicate demeanour of the flight.

Again he relies on the tidy callings of his music that sits right with his performance and his body of work. That approach hangs back in a fundamental way that comes to pass brilliantly. The rich narrative of his music makes the solemn qualities shine through.

Marking a change in direction to how his set sounded collectively was ‘Walk On The Ocean’. That is let out on the rhythm and the compact showing more than pays its dues here. The way it picks up gathers pace but the elements in the upkeep add a favourable sense of calling as it all comes to pass. Again the good sense of conviction he has about him displays when ‘Gather’ opens up as a song. In the choice calling there is an ample quality found in the rhythm that provides it with a gilded transition that comes across in the rhythm equally well. His closing number ‘Everything But You’ squarely brings a sense of poignancy that breathes life into everything in a way that is mindful of the fact. The due diligence of the more patient aspects hangs off it nicely. For what it is worth it has way of trading fairly upon what is asked of it. That is again confirmed by the poignancy captured in his performance in a way that reasons extremely well.

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IAN O’DOHERTY An independent in every sense of the word is Ian O’Doherty and he reflects the positive light that the industry finds itself in at present through what he is able to offer with FOTL Records. That aside, he is also an incredibly talented songwriter in his own right which was confirmed by his set here today. He is able to commendably capture a sense of emotion in his performance that comes from a place of sincerity and that is confirmed by his opening song ‘I Watch You From Afar’. The fragile nature is carefully considered and the attentive observations also carry a great degree of weight in the breakdown that suits the honest virtue of his voice. He opens everything strongly with ‘I Carry It With Me’ which feeds suitably into everything. The way he bends the delivery to his will in the handling with just an acoustic guitar at his disposal confirms that the telling presence is intentional. His voice also supplements how the tune is brought in which is traded fairly within the context as a whole here.

Ably capturing and appreciating the intimacy in equal measure is ‘The Temptation Of Eve’. It helps to secure the becoming traits by virtue of how it all works. What is found in the contents allows a lot deliberation on show in the lyrics make sense of the execution. That silken touch in his voice alongside the song’ worth shows what a fine body of work it is collectively. After that came another great effort that was guided through in a way that caught the emotive side just right. That is one facet of ‘Heartbeats Shifting’ that works extremely well but overall it is an effort that covers a lot of ground. The resounding pick up in the rhythm as a whole is notable for all the right reasons. As he grew into his performance a noted kindred spirit came to pass in the notability of ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ that toils away in a concerted manner. The threading of the guitar work spirits the showing through and the delicate affirmations on show also play their part here by how finely everything is captured.

Adding a sense of turbulence that feels like a natural extension to it as a whole is ‘Ceilings, Windows & Walls’. The narrow stillness is vividly felt in the lyrics and that isolation leaves the metaphors at the fore with a diverse sense of interpretation going for them. In the breakdown the dynamics provide a foundation to it that enables that assessment of the execution fit the bill.

Released as a single last year, ‘Woven’ has shown that it has gotten better with age. There is a faithful calling to his voice that adds up. The taxing splendour seamlessly blending to the partial calling also fits the part. That also evens out the edges too and glides the flight in form how it considerably builds and the imagined vocals also drag it all out superbly. With an album in the works he will be an artist we will follow intently from here on in.

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THE YOUNG FOLK It would certainly be true to say that this next band has more than paid their dues over the years and are justly being rewarded for their hard work with the extent of their touring now seeing them play sold out venues in Holland recently. We have seen them perform numerous times and they always turn up for a gig when they play. From the merry feel of ‘Wolves’ their set was defined. With the condensed feel of the drumming behind this the new approach to their sound makes the difference. It seems to give the rhythm a harder calling which marks a good departure from how things sounded before. It enriches the song and such a simple application feels as if they have reinvented their sound in the process alongside the tasteful consideration of the way the arrangement is drawn. ‘Letters’ is another song that blossoms.

The intended showing is well considered here and gives it a seasoned calling. There is merit to the equivocal showing about it as it gets into full flow that confirms this assessment.

Bowing to the brass of the trombone and the flair it brings is ‘Welcome Here’. Wonderfully deliberated as it steps out, there is a superb and strong footing to be found about everything here. Adding to that is the spirited excellence from the band as they go all out here. In doing so they manage to corner the robust side of things with high merit and this shows from how the style meets with substance. One of the great strengths this band has is their ability to knowingly craft something of magic and detail from their art. With ‘Grown’ the piano and drumming combine perfectly to concentrate the tempo with a suitable back to the combination of the bass and trombone.

They each hang back as separate attributes but at the same time also come together cleanly. That marks a point of interest here with the detached feel that accompanies the hardened delivery so suitably. Their brief set was a case of quality over quantity and they closed out with ‘Bright Eyed Thieves’. A steady degree of mysticism is concentrated in the delivery here which deadens as it hangs over the intro. It gives way with that consideration imparting handsomely on the vocals in a way that counts. That autumnal deliberation cleverly provides for it all as they call everything out off the back of this.

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BUFFALO SUNN It has been, quite frankly put, this band’s month and that comes off an impressive period for them that has seen them tour Berlin, the west coast of America and the small matter of playing at SXSW. So having them here this evening was a bit of a big deal and watching them play was an equally humbling experience. The dedication that they have as a band came to pass on ‘By The Ocean, By The Sea’. From the off there was no disputing that they were up for this gig. In how the Americana flourishes leave their mark alongside the exquisite relevance of frontman Daniel Paxton’s vocal presence you warm to the band in an agreeable way. What crosses over n next song ‘The Hard Way’ shows. Having looked across to see the three ladies at the table beside me nodding their heads in approval I knew right there and then that I wasn’t the only witness to how great this one sounded. What procured that level of armchair moshing was found in what comes off the rhythm and the way it was savoured was then harmonised by the shared vocals on the chorus. Again there is a notable tumble to their third track ‘By Your Side’ that sees them step up to the plate. It comprehends what it needs to do and does so in a way that runs with richness in depth.

The attraction is secured from how well everything is placed in the delivery.

‘Cynthia’ also enhances the pedigree of the band and the track steadily emerges from the sterling lift behind the delivery. Within the clever pockets of play the inspiration is found for the band on a collective level. It all conspires neatly as it takes flight, but what also stands out here is the latent Tex-Mex calling that is provided in the undertone and subtly brought to the front at the right moments to add vibrancy. Also necessitating well on a vocal level is the strained approach that marks the arrival of ‘Told You So’. As the delivery mesmerises you there is a point to it that contends sharply with the delivery as a whole.

The passion of the steady build happens upon a calling that is cleverly leveraged by the delivery as a whole to really show what they are about. This was a moment that very much seen them bring their A game and make it count.

After the harmony on the opening the pace cursively comes to pass on ‘Find Your Way’. As a result the attractive traits come to pass in a highly referential way that is denoted in the running by how well thought out it actually is. Everything is on the money here and that is a conclusive point confirmed by how it closes out too. We have seen this band play before and featured them on the cover of our October issue because they really are something special. With a high level of richness abounding comes ‘Like A Storm’. This is pressed ahead and everything keeps in sync. The glide in the rhythm guitar adds to that distinction and very much feels at home on this track. Everything on show here is captivating. How it all collects and spills out beautifully amounts to something of incredible potential, but, more importantly, a sense of potential that is fully realised. Another Buffalo Sunn is that they don’t just put on a good show but they close out with a high degree of showmanship as they all huddle around the microphone and guitar for their closing number ‘Mellow’. It is a rather subtle showing but the choice calling given to it from the strength of depth reflects the knowing way it is all handled.

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MY TRIBE YOUR TRIBE

We have always been impressed by the leftfield sensibilities of this band and the class that they have was also on show throughout their entire set.

They very much held their own and the New Wave refinement of ‘Will To Survive’ set everything in motion. From the beat and tracking everything is served up with real purpose which confirms the alternative approach with great vigour. They then followed that up with ‘My Friends Live Here’.

What works extremely well here is the nou disco beat that tidily runs through it all. Behind that there is a latent calypso style which is built upon in the delivery. How it hangs back as a secondary consideration allows the catchier elements come to the fore and prise the best from the rhythm in a precise manner. That was then followed up by the synth rich calling of ‘Games Begin’. This is a precise number with the deeper level of detail coming off the delivery as it is slowly brought around. It is a certified effort with knowing smarts throughout that allow the performance to coast along knowingly.

Some more calypso fervour makes its way through and warrants the virtuous essence collectively in ‘Soak Right Through’. Here the intricacy found in the rhythm allows the beat clock in sensibly. It is hardy. That is picked up from how the alternative aspects are tracked because that is a calling that carries straight through it all. On ‘Only A Horizon’ the high art feel established retains an underground calling. This makes for an interesting contrast in the dynamics. You feel a meeting of minds as it clicks into gear which is reflected by how the rhythm in the guitar steadies the tempo. Thus in turn astutely brings the right sense of balance to proceedings. With the clever feel of ‘50’ a perfect marriage between vocals and poise is cornered magnificently. This lends additional credibility to the lyrics. Overall, there is a descript projection which gives the dynamics an organic that is innovative enough to match the prolific figuration on show in the arrangement. Their closing track ‘Outside Kid’ has a telling nomde-plus feel that abides tellingly. As it is their closing song they don’t hold up on letting the passion through either and this approach has the right bearing on the delivery. It necessitates everything tellingly by adding volume to the delivery that is further confirmed as they close everything out in a way that is nothing short of a top drawer performance.

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Basciville - 'Blues In Red' EP launch @St Stephen's Church, Mount St (27-03-2015) photos by Peter O'Hanlon

Avril Reddy

Laura Elizabeth Hughes

B AS C I V ILLE

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Irish Artists NO MONSTER CLUB People Are Weird

You could easily dismiss the album’s opening track ‘Can’t Get Enough Of That Hippy Dippy Bullshit’ immediately because there is a high degree of monotony on show. However it does also have a neat showing that comes through in the later progression.

However, if you stay with it you are rewarded by how they make up for that with ‘Arms Across America’. In the tasteful opening line interest is piqued. That is followed by a high concentration of kitsch that provides the charm offensive with leftfield notoriety.

This grabs your attention and is mirrored by the diversified calling of ‘The Severed Head’. From the Avant Garde flourish of the intro the running is a stable affair that shows how invested they are in their art. They notably derive inspiration here and this is exemplified by how neat the innovation at work enables everything to come full circle.

For ‘I’ve Retired’ things seriously move up a gear. The retro flourishes on show keep the playing gains in check from the off, while the charisma of the vocals is also teased out alongside the taut urgency of the tempo.

Overall this is a tune that marvellously pulls out all the stops. Impressively drawing you is ‘Winning Streak’. Again the band plays to their strengths with a signature rhythm that parades the creativity. Under this guidance the restless nature follows the tracking in a direct manner, with the result being a captivated calling through and through. If you were asked to assess this band then you would consider them to be one who stays true to

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themselves and you sense that is the motivation behind ‘A Bad Example’. In some ways it has an apparent juvenile sensibility but within that framework is a noted joie-de-vivre that is more than the sum of its parts. Again it is the flourish of creativity and individuality that ‘Post Life Safari’ benefits from.

The reach is condensed to allow the guitar loops tidied away appreciated furthermore in the way the flourishes provide the creative guidance.

Capturing their ability to bring the cool to the mix as much as they can the artistic side is ‘The Loneliest Monster’. Along with the latent shoegazer calling this sees everything fall into place. As a result the pace is kept in check and defines it rightly. That is then followed by the notable maturity form the off on ‘They’re Still Cooler Than You’. This is an emphatic number that makes you sit up and take note. Arguably the best track on the album, it has a glint of notoriety in the dynamics that expertly light it up. It is sheer brilliance and that sums it up because there is no superlative to better describe it. The smarts show again on ‘Late Bloomers’ which helps things settle into a groove immediately. This is fleshed out with the apparent class showing in the play. The fanciful offbeat touches enhance the appreciation, be it in the lyrics or vocals, but they also play their part extremely well. They go all out with the closing track ‘Harvard’ which is notably progressive. The lean affair of the opening signals the intent. This informs the rhythm and the lyrics also pinpoint the anguish. It is another intelligent offering and the maturity hides away evidently but what is also at the fore is an open showing as the tracking takes it all off. This is an album that strives to be different and deservedly gets everything right in the process.

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GAVIN GLASS

Sunday Songs The anticipation for a great album doesn’t match the euphoria that you experience when you know that it has all been worth the wait. That is a credible assessment of what this album has to offer and is immediately confirmed by the enriched calling of the opening track ‘Sunday Songs’.

The forthright alignment of the lyrical narrative alongside the arrangement rolls everything out with a well reasoned sense of belief. How the detail emphatically draws you in delicately sweeps through here.

Continuing on with that seasoned nuance is ‘Better Left Alone’. Again the heartfelt sensibility is matched by a knowing sense of purpose from how everything comes together.

The compact showing narrows the more urgent calling to a more specific point of accuracy in the delivery as a whole. His investment on an artistic level pours out brilliantly in the music. They say three is the magic number and the album’s third track is ‘Good Fortune’. With the sophisticated calling everything is guided through.

That is a high point here which allows his voice to hone the endearing value in a timely fashion without it straying off course. From that approach the direction in the performance is found without taking away from its fortunate calling.

Despite the name, ‘Light Heart’ is anything but.

Instead what it offers from

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the handling is a credible degree of weight in the playing avenues.

How it comes together lights the proverbial fuse here and it explodes into being. This is an excellent tune from start to end. The high standard of this album comes to pass on each track, but it is confirmed by the maturity of ‘Silhouettes’. The lonesome flow of the piano falls into place with admiration and seems to give the delivery a chaste calling that narrows the descriptive projection of his voice.

How everything is motioned by this track takes it where it needs to go.

A lightness of touch comes to pass on ‘First Stone’ which takes the album in a more virtuous direction. It adds up though. The telling level of depth on captures the essence impressively.

Within the context of everything is a knowing maturity that finds its way through superbly and that same approach is applied to ‘Rise & Fall’. This grows into a more reflective nature with the marriage of the sentiment to the lyrical distinction. The progression to the track captures something of a moment to call its own because the handling travels through in a fulfilled way that truthfully engages the listener.

As things close out with ’New Lover’s Arms’ you feel the poignancy fittingly drifty across. That is ushered in from the first line and rallies the song in a watchful way that is intended. You sense the tinge of regret in his voice and it breaks down everything in a modest way that is admirable.

Overall this is an album with blood, sweat and tears written into it.

But more importantly it has soul.

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ANNA MITCHELL

Down To The Bone This is an album of real distinction and merit that showcases a hidden gem on the Irish music scene. The album is given a graceful parlance on opening track ‘Paradise’ and this explicitly gets behind everything. The ornate structure benefits from the reflective qualities in the structure, while the long of her vocals imbue the delivery with a telling virtue that is cleanly caught.

Second song ‘Fall Like That’ mirrors that sincerity as well but keeps it all on track in a more endearing way. The patient ebb and flow brings through a classy affair that is emboldened by the richness of the lingering qualities.

From the opening line ‘Let’s Run Away’ grabs you in the right way. The tender qualities are tabled in a way that meets the leaner pick up that calls the shots. How the Americana styling is engaged alongside her vocal range says a lot.

The spry handling of ‘When My Ship Comes In’ immediately draws you in.

The high apparel on show has a confident handling that holds everything together.

She also savours something in the ample fortitude in a way that demonstrates that she is accustomed to doing so in how it cleanly breaks through. You can make a comparison to The Waterboys from how ‘My Consent’ progresses as the tune takes flight. That lightness of touch is met by a defined maturity that captures a conclusive sense

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of definition that goes the distance. It is played through in a comparative way. The weight of the playing cleverly resides in the running to confirm this. The hypnotic allure of ‘Tennessee’ is brings a flawless conclusion to the delivery. What is drawn on from the consideration of the pursed vocals extends the poignant reach that is naturally there. This is the best track on the album actually and is akin to American band The Mynabirds.

Holding the mature qualities on ‘What’s A Fool To Do?’ close places a proactive element at the fore. That is then chased down in a forthright way that accentuates the playing elements excellently from how it is angled. The same applies to the excellence of the longing captured in her vocals. The affirmative is carried through here on all fronts and shows. Heightened in tone is ‘Long Time Gone’. This helps bridge everything convincingly, with the making of the song found in the sterling handling of the delivery lighting it all up so gracefully. Again there is a slight familiarity to proceedings with ‘Songs Of Love’. It is felt in the appreciative piano held in the arrangement of the intro. She finds the heart of the performance and carries it through delicately. That duty of care is apparent and the telling appreciation quantifies all of the appreciation. The closing track is ‘Lover’s Lullaby’ and is a chaste offering. What is tidied away in the appeal gives everything a fitting swansong calibre. That is concentrated in a way that is all the more fitting from how conclusive a showing it comes to be.

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ROBB MURPHY Sleep Tonight

The album itself is one with a virtuous offering and that is confirmed by the fortunate calling of the opening track ‘The Darker Side’. What is brought to bear in the sleight of hand brings a high standard through. This is reflected in the emotive vocals which carry the sullen attributes in a way that brings a natural comfort to gradually draw you in.

Mirroring that approach is ‘To Be A Fool’. The emphasis placed on the arrangement has a detailed digression that consciously strengthens the stray apparel. The tidy way it picks up alongside the string segments impresses and imparts upon things an autumnal progression which is again duplicated in how ‘The Mysteries Of The Heart’ steps out. As the vocal sincerity floods through in the symmetry of the flight and motion things connect clearly.

How in sync they are complements everything finely and takes the song where it needs to go.

Again there is a deserved richness to things which adds up on ‘When Love Is Tangled Between Friends’. How open the lyrical calling is here concentrates the anticipation.

Yet there is a competence to how sharp it is all felt and it cleverly grasps everything within reach throughout the delivery as a whole. Cornering a country/folk sensibility is ‘Headstrong’. This is felt keenly. How the vibrancy gives it lift appreciates the sensibility of the flight and it is a steadfast affair. The noted assurance to it on all fronts captures the essence in the trappings immediately from the off. Holding steadily is

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‘Stars’. It is a lighter affair and the delivery is channelled to reflect this.

Additional depth is found in the warmth, while the harmony of the shared vocals adds something of consequence. The lightness of touch comes to pass in an understated way which everything is neatly constructed around. An incredibly high standard runs through ‘The Best Decision’. The opening line stands tall and begins to confidently locate a sense of temerity as things click into gear. It chooses everything in a way that leaves you wanting more and draws inspiration from the intricacy.

Perhaps a little over sentimental in places is ‘A Good Place For Us’.

However, taken in context it is fittingly approached. The sombre calling does bring a more distant calling to the album, but it is a mature effort that hangs off those lingering elements to fine effect and it shows. From the lovingness of ‘Bound For Your Arms’ everything is impressive. The way the tender side of things is captured just denotes a brilliance and presence combine, which sums it up perfectly.

One of those songs that get going in the right way from the off best describes the classy affair that is ‘Coffee & Tea’. There is an inward retreat on show that is also rather kind. The wherewithal darling qualities are touched on in a highly engaging way throughout which add to that richness. Adding a poignant touch is the penultimate track ‘Sunny Mountain’. There is something carefully threaded through in the performance that accentuates the awning sensibilities without it feeling unwarranted. Also keeping the run of itself in a fashionable way is the album’s swansong ‘Sleep Tonight’. It benefits from how the rhythm is cleanly set out. Capably things build, with the emphasis on the manner it closes standing out for all the right reasons. The hope imbued therein is a careful consideration that works expertly.

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THE MIGHTY STEF

Year Of The Horse We have been awaiting the arrival of this album since our very first issue and it all gets underway with ‘Everybody Needs A Grave’. The faithful calling of the lyrics provide the inspiration here as it patiently builds the rhythm before charging along. Yet it is reined in admirably which concentrates the impact correctly.

The prominence is again gathered in a compact way with ‘Ceremony’. Found in the rhythm is a nou-disco feel that expectantly raises the pace.

The trajectory of the execution is a captivating one that prevails from the confidence exuded. Then a sixties revisionist feel falls into place on ‘The Nightwatchman Of The Iveagh Flats’ which steadies everything. This secures a token fell to how the rhythm is approached that has class written all over it as the vibrancy calls the shots. From start to finish this is a formidable tune called out from the off in the right way.

They again work their magic with ‘Stella’. In some ways it comes across as a souped up Neil Diamond affair which is brilliant. The high standard is unapologetic in how it takes hold and moves the proactive front forward here as things are stared down. Then it all slows down in the considerations of ‘Blind Girl’ that also pockets an admirable degree of weight in the process. The subtle way it lingers brings a damning conviction through in the lyrics to give the vocals their deliberation. Again they come up trumps with the constructed fanfare of ‘Capri Sun’. The earnest qualities centre upon the worth which is why it works so effectively

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alongside the broad showing in the arrangement which holds its own.

From the spirited lift galvanising it, ‘Vampire, Hold Me Tight’ hits the ground running. You are grabbed by the pomp. This is what inspires the delivery and confirms its excellence. But more importantly it signals the arrival of the band. Another joyous offering that is ‘Milk White Tears’ comes next. The clever tracking makes it more than just a solid effort.

This sees their game upped considerably upped as they step up to the plate. The anthemic sophistication carefully judged adds muscle and it impacts as a calculated effort with a noted face value written all over it.

‘Horse Tranqulizers’ feels as if it has come straight from the 1990’s because it is so implicitly timeless. It also gives a lot back to the listener from the indie disco parlance of the rhythm that adds a proven worth which helps it go the distance.

With the synthesised scoring of the intro ‘Fourteen Yellow Sunflowers’ has a somewhat marked change in direction. A lay Americana feel flows through the tempo and lights it up. Adding presence is the silken cut of the vocals which acquit themselves upon proceedings formidably as thing progressively pick up. Joy Division meets ‘A Different Class’ era Pulp sums this one up. Then with ‘The Hardship’ the tone shifts somewhat as the sombre reflection of the rhythm takes over. The cradled delivery pressing ahead earnestly brings a sombre calling but doesn’t feel out of place on the album. Instead it adds to everything from what it brings to the table.

The closing track here is ‘Murder’. The anti-climax makes it more of a comedown but it also ties up the album commendably. What passes alongside the resolve comes to pass with a necessitated neatness.

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SKELOCRATS Bella Bella

‘Zirconium Heart’ has a bold calling that is propelled by the tempo in a way that cuts straight to the chase. The originality here identifies in a satisfying way that is concentrated as the innovation builds the track. The pace really moves it up a gear and grabs you unapologetically with its sheer brilliance and bravado. Again they find a rich vein of form with ‘Permanent House Painter’. It clicks with a raw and energetic vibrancy to it, akin to punk with an underlying hint of Ray Davies also seeing it right. That adds something specific that steals a march on the delivery that is very much on the money. Confirming the distinction of the album is ‘Lyin’ Eyes’ with its 60’s revisionist showing. This shelters the pristine side of things and gives it a rather becoming presence that draws you in by the distinction of the arrangement that settles proceedings.

Again they catch everything right with the hooks on ‘Doing The Cuckoo’. This gives the kitsch calling appeal and they comfortably run with it. To hear a track like this and be immediately lost in the music denotes a band truly at the top of their game and this assessment is confirmed from how fresh this one sounds. ‘Laura Dolan’ has a token feel to it. The lyrical narrative is rich in texture but how well that meets with the tempo really showcases everything that is right about it. Things seem to catch a smart charming whim that goes a long way for it. In particular it feeds well into the doting derivative that comes across and does so in a truly inspired way.

Immediately brimming with class is ‘What Am I?’ The rhythm travels here in a gifted way. That meets well with both the tenderised reflections in the lyrics and the richness of the rhythm in a truly advantageous way. The sharp maturity on show ‘Big Bad’ takes the album where it wants to go.

Immediately this stands out. In the select way it all runs you see the appreciation come to the fore in the way the eccentricity superbly adds to the direction.

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Hitting the ground running is ‘Tennis Aberration’ and draws a comparison with The Violent Femmes. The unbridled level of pace also possesses an underground apparel that sits well with the disenfranchised richness of the rhythm. It is a damn fine tune that lets the music do the talking. Reverting to those solo Ray Davies comparisons is ‘Raise A Cup Of Tea’. Something glorious is put across in the hard showing of the rhythm. In terms of how it is pitched things are also kept on track by the approach with the rich distinction in the tasteful rhythm concentrated to bring out the best in it.

Hardened by the bounce in the sound is ‘No Exceptions’ and it brings everything around collectively. The latent qualities deepen the sound but are also met by a formidable shake in the progression that is shaped by the vocal pitch. It has a zest to it that grows on you, much like the album as whole, in a way that is exceptionally well received.

From the off you appreciate what ‘You Can’t Be My Doggy Anymore’ is about. The fitting way it is approached allows the music to step out with a 60’s revisionist backing. But it is a solid case of style meeting substance in the neatness that prevails in the showing here. It is highly effectual and catches a spirited calling that refines everything thoroughly. What drives ‘Amazon Tribe’ on shows. Situated in the rhythm is a confirmed degree of focus which accommodates the play by allowing the languid touches correlate alongside the more ambitious flourishes.

The result is a rich affair with a sense of completion on an artistic level the band’s just reward. Spry number ‘BCE’ bides well. The steady pinched tempo is felt out expertly and it allows the concentration in the tempo move things along at the right pace. It is an attractive offering that is immediately charming and the appeal is noted for all the right reasons because it is tremendously backed up.

The final track here is ‘Skelocrats Nights’ and suitably closes the album. The playful calling captures the Belle & Sebastian comparison that runs through the album rightly. It has poignancy to it and fittingly closes an album that is sheer brilliance in a way that leaves you wanting more.

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VALENTINO IS DEAD

Misadventures In Punk Rock The album opens with ‘Up Your Anti’ and has bite. That adds up with the noted level of expectancy that comes through in the delivery.

There is a comfortable showing that is handled well as the edgier qualities come to pass. It is a consistent effort hat is duly called upon and gives the album conveyance to build upon. Motioned through is ‘Forlorn’ and the pert drift beckons the alternative worth through. It is tracked in a trying way that locates the solace in the running. A latent metal fee comes to the fore here and has a specificity to the exacted calling that works evenly. From the tidy intro of ‘A Galway Tale’ the intricate styling embraced and works in a fortunate way here.

There is also a more appreciated showing to the instrumental elements that is noted. However the lightness of touch is something that can be divisive here because this seems to rely on creating a softer calling too much.

With ‘Not In My Name’ the carefree nature and the Latin influences of guitar combine with the drive of the rock elements. The pace charges in somewhat and falls back to give the tempo a neater calling. Then we come to ‘This City Tonight’ and it is a light rock affair. It does avoid being a limp affair completely but there is a stale feel to the lyrics. They seem to lack urgency which is a shame because the play suggests that they could be

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comfortable with a harder track behind them. Brimming with charm is ‘Girl That Never’. This is quite a good tune and called out rightly.

The mainstream cut pulls it in the right direction and it charms convincingly. Enriched by the approach the album begins to grow into itself and this brims with a fanciful showing that conclusively ups their game.

Bringing things through with a considerable level of intent, and justifying what their identity is all about, is ‘Bad Boy Bubby’. In some ways there is a west coast American feel to the sound here. That is rolled out with the garage band feel that resides and they do go for it here in a way that doesn’t sell it short. Neatly needling the play in a well-reasoned way is ‘Higher’. The sharpness in the play also embraces blues elements that cleverly stick it to the listener, while there is a lot going for how the pace is tracked. It marks a clever improvement in how the direction is now moving forward. Then comes ‘Homage To Hybris’. Energised by how concentrated all of the elements are allows its slight shortcomings to be overlooked. Here there is a vibrancy that locks everything down but plays alongside a sensible level of play that steadies the running without any hang ups.

‘Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down’ and it is a tune that is the sum of its parts. Contained therein is a bold approach that rises up to the task at hand. It all necessitates neatly by design and the lighter focus does carry it through the way it is intended. Overall this is an album of two halves really, with the latter seeing it all come good when it counts.

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LOW LEVEL X

Psychology By Design This is another interesting album that showcases the diversity of the current Irish music scene. The opening track ‘Psychology By Design’ reflects this. The layering of the music is highly alternative with synth based touches combining with the telecast overtures that substitute as vocals. This works by proxy in an interesting way and is comfortably processed with how the tempo is worked to fit around it all. Second track ‘Practical Problem Solver’ picks up the pace. The approach gives it a retro chic that counts. The pace moves it along albeit in a way that is a bit by the numbers. However it does concentrate the playing and removes any hints of complacency because the rhythm generates enough to move it along. Reverting back to their alternative leanings is ‘Once Again’. The developed feel of the guitar sets across the tone in a way that is relevant. As a body of work it is something that adds to the diverse way that this album comes together yet is still highly capable of holding its own.

From the immediate way ‘Waterslide’ settles into things the track itself finds its groove. The taut way it sounds meets the warmth of the vocals. The overbearing flow really captures the ambition but sees it meet with ambition in a moving way. How ‘The Way We Think’ comes to have a

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reputable bearing on the album. Although that sense of worth is there it also comes up a bit short by being a bit too light when the intro suggests more. As a result you feel that the potential is not realised here and it plays into that assessment too easily which is where it falls down. When you hear ‘Nothing Exceeds Time’ you wonder where it has come from. It is an effort that is high on psychedelic flourishes and treats this with the highest level of appreciation. The breakdown is highly developed and the emphasis comes to pass expertly. This is a tune that is ahead of its time from how it is realised.

Again the pace picks up and shows on ‘Silhouette’. The charge of the guitar through it resonates sharply and it becomes a catchy affair.

The leaner rhythm makes up for the shortcomings. But because it is not developed lyrically it does also show it to be a case of papering over the cracks somewhat. The progressive weight of ‘Chains’ is felt. From how it comes together it works, although it does allow the playing to be embraced there is also again a sense of things falling just short of the pace.

The last track‘ Emissions’ conceives of a more developed approach which heightens the alternative appeal. This sees a controlled and languished maturity call the shots. That is noted from how the concentrations all work. Lyrically it sees them up their game, while the collectiveness of the arrangement also adheres to a steadfast outline that passes off pleasingly.

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INNI-K Ears Kildare songstress Inni-K is being eulogized lately as an emerging talent among the Irish folk indie pop scene. Pop is far from a dirty word and when crafted correctly is a joy to the ears, as Inni-K hits the nail on the head here! She offers us a clever, tuneful and accomplished listening experience; one that the recipient should acknowledge and appreciate, as ingenuity and artistry is present in abundance.

Setting the album in motion is ‘Flower Relay’. The track is an authentic take on modern indie-pop, in which a balance between integrity and accessibility is struck. The track is a real insight into her musicality. The lyrics of ‘Find Your Beat’ are a combination of the English and Irish language thus creating intrigue and something that is quite unique and appealing. A quirky loop is the backdrop for Inni-K to showcase her vocal ability. ‘DNA’ follows and opens with an innocent and child-like ukulele. The track exudes purity. The work of Bjork and Kate Bush is sensed as the track evolves into an astute composition.

There is a subtle twist on phrasing and structure, which reveals her true skill.

‘Gentle Star’ opens with a pattern played on the piano before the vocals enter. She lets her Irish roots and vocal timbre prevail once more. As the track gathers momentum effective vocal layering is implemented. ‘Player Queen’ is effectively a soft lullaby epitomized by twinkling

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ukulele, before a simple and charming love song, entitled just that (‘Love Song’) is presented, in which the multi-instrumentalist shines.At this point a track akin to the albums opener would be most welcomed.

Inni-K duly obliges with ‘Come With Me’. The intricate number opens with a drum loop, which includes ‘mouth’, and ‘throat’ sounds. The melody that unfolds, which consists of leaps and syncopation, exudes charm. There is an ethnic fusion of sorts suggested, while a drumbeat interjects against a tapestry of textures and shrewd instrumentation.

‘Ar Gor’ opens with a soundscape sculpted using subtle extended techniques in the clarinet and strings before a melodic and lyrical piano emerges from the faint chaos. Again the singer embraces the Irish language. The track is quite like Sigur Rós in terms of its direction and ethereal/glacial qualities. ‘Sweet Geranium’ is approached in a dolce manner. In keeping with the name and appreciation of the subject matter, nature sounds, or sounds alluding to and conveying such an image, act as a pedal note to the composition. ‘Hold Tight’ and ‘Night Sky’ sit nicely among the preceding tracks, but don’t necessarily offer any new per se. Bringing matters to a close is the mystical ‘The King Has Two Horse’s Ears’. It’s like a fusion between pop and contemporary classical music. It’s an advanced and daring effort, which hopefully doesn’t go over people’s heads. I I look forward to hearing future tracks of hers that are more like ‘Come With Me’. I think the album could have benefitted further by including more compositions like ‘Come With Me’ to create a touch more contrast. Having said that, overall Inni-K constructs an LP that was a pleasure to listen to and review. Catching her at an intimate venue would be just the ticket!

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THIS OTHER KINGDOM Telescopic

Based in Dublin, This Other Kingdom serve up an album full of psychedelic timbres and anthemic drive. Their sound is a kind of homage to elements of the past, while looking forward and pursuing authenticity. A foreboding air, washes over the listener as ‘The Day, Your Day’ attacks unrelentingly. The unadulterated gritty guitars and the transcendental, tribal quality of the drums epitomize the track. This is the hypnotic foundation on which singer Del Kerton can build upon with his astutely haunting baritone voice. The dark vocal entries are akin to the eccentricity of Ian Curtis (Joy Division). The distorted ‘filthy’ bass also effectively conjures up images and flashes of dystopia.

‘Enthral’ keeps proceedings moving and maintains the intensity, as the dense textures and reverb creates a ‘weighty’ sense of anticipation. Traces of Kasabian’s first album exist in the synth sweeps and general shape of the track. The following track, ‘He Controls The Sea’, is a real fusion of British and American elements with similarities existing between their sound and The Smashing Pumpkins as a heavy guitar riff unfolds. What becomes evident here is that This Other Kingdom have found their sound and are happy to go about their business in a formulaic way, in which they endeavor to make a virtue of minimalism.

‘Egocentric’ further consolidates their neo-60s psych, cosmic rock tendencies.

‘Betwixt’ is a cauldron of drones and trippy strings culminating in an interesting soundworld, before the ominous thud of the drum makes its entry. The band explores a slightly different instrumentation during this

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instrumental piece, which is most welcomed. The track breaks the album up nicely and is like a cleansing of the palate, as the listeners set themselves up for the next offering. ‘Vacate The Horror’ commences with a contemplative, errie synth swell before this stadium anthem is unleashed upon us. In the vocal we have a lazy, yet attitude-laden delivery comparable to Jim Morrison and the speech like, recitative, singing often adopted by Nick Cave. The track is essentially a long crescendo building up to the reprise/coda where Kerton blasts out the lyrics ‘vacate the horror’.

The vocal performance is a shrewd one here, as the vocalist reveals his versatility and dynamic control.

‘Plasticine Dream’ offers a contrast then with a well crafted strung out come down. ‘Adelaide’ then opens with distorted guitars before hypnotic drums unfold. This is another anthem-like tune designed to get a crowd going and participating.

‘Red Balloon’ contains traces of Radiohead, while maintaining their true voice and character. The track is, however, more of an album filler in truth and is essentially two tracks with different tempos pieced together. ‘Fine Line’ has a real groove established by the subtle, yet astute bass line. The track is well sculpted and builds nicely into the chorus. Bringing the LP to a somewhat underwhelming close is ‘Rewind//Refind’. The track of course merits inclusion but I was slightly disappointed that the band didn’t sign off with a real bang, a statement, exuding intensity and purpose. However, this is merely a matter of preference.

Overall. The Other Kingdom should be proud of their proficient efforts.

They are going in the right direction and will surely begin to make serious inroads into the Irish and UK markets over the coming years.

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Irish Artists

THE DYSTOPIAN PROJECT Death Leaves An Echo

This is an offering from the band that shows they have arrived. As the bereft opening to ‘Broken Reality’ gives way a formidable wall of sound closes around the play which gives everything a deliberate sense of momentum. The compact direction contended with the urgency gathers momentum within the broader scope of the arrangement showing that this is more than a mere full on engagement of music for music’s sake. That totality is exacted in a way that connects with the listener leaving you in full appreciation.

Bringing an apparent richness and sobriety through in the application is ‘Delirium’. The generous way it is all managed allows it to stay the course by weighing in carefully with the way the heavier attributes are condensed. They are also considered in equal measure as it all takes flight. A knowing sense of precision comes to the fore that resides in an efficient and tidy way as it gets behind the delivery.

The third track here is ‘Dystopian’ and runs at over nine minutes.

However the indulgence is something that goes the distance. The leaner calling taps into a rich vein of creativity which is then met by a subtle change in the playing arc at the half way point. That adds distinction in the classy way the piano slows the approach to a more grandeur calling. How this is arranged is mirrored in both the harmony and mirrored by the lavish calling of the bridge. The appropriate way this is arranged allows the depth in the showing come through without it falling apart. Then we come to the steady affair that is ‘Last Innocent Man’. Both the shared vocals and the affluent pull of the acoustic guitar are a big draw here. The narrow outline of the ebb and flow builds a pursed sensibility that differs from the sound to the rest of the EP. Also recognised in the endeavour is a quaintness that falls into place admirably and moves everything along with real promise. Proceedings are closed with ‘Winter’s Hall’. Again there is a blend of sheltered aspects alongside a hard shouldering in the delivery. That lean weight is projected in a mature way allowing a more heightened and stylish sense to operate here. It has a spacious quality about it that meets a noted sense of contention which hardens the pitch in an ardent way. It is suitably impressive and sees the band steal a march as they close out with a clear cut sense of direction to it on all fronts. It is available on Bandcamp from April 2nd.

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JOEY GAVIN Circles

This trinity of fine music opens with the sophisticated ‘If Your Moons Lay Empty’. The openness of his voice adds a sensible worth to proceedings that is finely appreciated. The lay pressing of the vocals against the charming lyrics gives everything a detailed calling which is treated reservedly. In doing so the approach offers a resolve that bears down in a charming way that comfortably addresses everything and still gives it room to breathe as it comfortably comes full circle.

The hints of Lou Reed also don’t go amiss and again surface on ‘Disappear’. This is something that captures the isolated sincerity of his voice.

Doing so conjures up the romanticised leanings while also gifting the more sullen calling a prevailing front that is comfortably engaged as the lay feel is carefully considered. That sincerity pours out kindly in the delivery and lights it up in an equally explicit way. The final track here is ‘Circles’. What presents has an enigmatic presence and the detailed observations of the lyrics captivate. It is specific and the emotion is constructive enough to give it the presence needed.

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RACE THE FLUX Olympians

Getting proceedings underway is the impressive ‘Minus Teeth’. The flustered feel of the musical temperament provides well for everything here.

Suitably the organic texture is imbued with a knowing sense of reach that richly flows to display a clever artistic merit, more notably when the playing arcs change to a hardened approach with a more prominent feel to it all. Their current single ‘Big Fig’ revels in a notable splendour. The petite way that the rhythm is handled grabs you in the right way.

Stepping out with a notoriety that traipses across the tempo sees the band step up to the plate but lose themselves in a kindled wall of music that is very much built around an appreciation as much as it is the music itself.

With ‘Go Dive’ there is an ample alternative rhetoric which allows the progressive elements of the delivery come through prominently. This is a grounded showing that has a totalised feel to it that is proven by the worth if the vocals. From the approach there is a calculated calling that sits right and knowingly occupies everything where it should. That it closes out as strongly as it opens helps to bring it all full circle. Slipping into gear easily is ‘Olympus Mons’.

Here the pace applied grants everything a steadfast showing. From that the hardened showing collects alongside the playing but still allows both aspects to be recognised in their own right. The layering of the approach works here by allowing those intricacies become what they need to be for the delivery and also show that they have a musician’s musician moniker about them that is well deserved off the back of the showing here. Things close out with ‘Breathe’. With a more rock orientated concentration to the sound it does bring the approach of the EP forward in a collected sense. It is lean. That blends the compact showing to a weathered urgency which slips into gear comfortably as they run with it thoroughly. This is a commanding effort and the resonance of the guitar work truly lifts it all.

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SUBMOTION

Happy Little Bruises Staring everything down cleverly is the first track ‘Dust To Dust’. The guitar work is churned out on this in a way that weights it down as opposed to weighing it down. That difference matters in how the approach sees everything tellingly come to pass in the smart pockets of play. As it opens, second track ‘We Won’t Drown’ is carefully realised.

The patient styling carefully draws it out and that lends it a consideration as it steps out.

The volume of the play picks up but what really carries it off is the confident conviction of the vocals as they lean into it with a telling intent.

Not merely anything other than an ensemble piece is ‘The Calm’ but it is also not as easily dismissed because there is a knowing sense of worth found in it at the same time.

Signalling their intent is ‘The Storm’. The full on calling of the play gets it right and the absorbing level of force that the sound creates draws you in. It is not a case of noise for noise sake as the quickening pace also stirs the conviction in the right way here. The full bodied modernity that travels through here is thorough and the urgency is not overplayed either. That is why it is all balanced and consolidated finely. The direction of everything takes a very clever turn with the alternative lustre of the closing track ‘Turn The Lights Out’. This presides over everything and the solemn way it is called out engages that sophistication in a telling way. The careful way it is all touched out is made to count and it shows.

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MKAI

Waiting The opening track ‘Waiting’ brings a commendable assuredness from the rhythm before it carefully gives away. In doing so the vocals carefully hang of the bereft touches to fitting procure something in the sway of the soft calling that is an incredibly tidy facet. How it all comes together is incredibly calculated and convinces appropriately. With a finer sense of concentration comes ‘Loop’. The calculated break down embraces the showing in a way that matches the heightened progression with the kick of the industrialised New Wave tempo. That appreciation counts for a great deal and diversifies the EP into a more open affair.

‘Evening’s End’ tends to a more appreciated approach and one that wants to embrace a more expressive side. Even though there is an exclusive feel to the sound the running allows a textured degree of worth to be accommodated as the pace carries it through. The resolve from this is incredibly thorough and smoothly brings it all to an impressive point of conclusion. The fourth track ‘Breathe’ captures a lot in the soft piano arrangement. Off the back of this the passive intent steadily comes to pass. Doing so sees the refined touches in the breakdown confirm the distinction and variety of not just this track, but the EP as a whole because it confirms the proven depth that this quartet of tracks also offers.

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THE MARIANNES

Lost With All Hands Recently we had the pleasure of watching this band live and this EP sounds just as good as they do live. The opening track ‘In My Heart’ seems to bring everything through with a gallant Americana calling. With that approach there is a favourable depth additionally cornered from how the lyrics are softly laid out. That leaves a bearing in a celebratory way here and is followed by ‘Mama Please’. This though seems to have a folk leaning that motors along favourably with the steadfast touches in the rhythm. The celebratory pace clocks in favourably and charmingly assists the delivery as it motors along. With how this is contained alongside the smart lyrical narrative falls favourably into place which sees it go the distance.

With the calculated sense of recognition that comes to pass off the opening line alone is ‘God Fearing Woman’. It is a striking tune with everything about it being on the money.

The sophistication offers a commendable degree of weight that is tidied away to give the demure calling a celebratory presence that is underlined furthermore from the deft lyrics and sophisticated showing in the tempo. The final track here is ‘Lost With All Hands’. It has a considered flair about it that is rather concise. The manner in how it is lead in travels well. It has an emphatic calling that favourably resides. In doing so there is a secure nature to be found which allows the safe calling harbour all of the refined elements here with great passivity that is specifically felt..

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POPGUN WARFARE Out Of The Woods

The richness of the opening track ‘Shut Up & Ride’ can only be described as gorgeous. The charm offensive qualities meet with the hustle in the tempo explicitly. This creates a rich splendour that invigorates everything but also carries a heightened sense of appreciation that the play expertly process to formidable effect.

Second track ‘Burning Down The Forest’ is another clever tune that sees the band realise their potential. The smart lyrics cleverly merge with the pick-up in the paste. This steadily gathers momentum as the tracking progresses to carefully take the direction where it is supposed to go. It is a sensible tune, nothing more than that though, but it doesn’t try to be and that is why it is so effective.

Motioned through with equal distinction is ‘In The Woods’. The way it all comes around is sensibly constructed with another noted showing as the pace kicks in. That shows as it is all brought through with a detailed ebb and flow to the rhythm counting for a great deal with the ensuing show of intent that follows it all. An air of confidence is found on the rhythm with ‘Blue & Green’ which is a big draw. This is a replete effort that is carefully managed. That constructs the song respectfully from the intro and carries it through, with the bridge being a piece of true note here. The final track here is ‘Not My Circus (Not My Monkey)’ and it is a prevailing effort as well that brings a great deal from how the breakdown shakes everything up. In the chorus everything bears down well (pun intended) but it is the conclusive showing from the boisterous pomp in how it runs that adds the distinction that it so deserves. This is a fantastic EP from a band that we would describe as something of a hidden gem.

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BARRY JAY HUGHES This Way Up

What hardens the first track ‘Judgement Day’ is an ardent display of finesse in the rhythm. That smoothens the transition here as it takes flight but still gives it a neat kick. The vibrancy of the folk elements offer it an assured front that cleverly gathers with the pace here and holds cleanly. The eponymous ‘This Way Up’ is another steady effort. The clean way it moves allows a clever and descript tune come to pass. It is a tidy effort and one that keeps everything right on cue as it all comes to pass. It is an appealing effort that makes the most of the arrangement clearly.

Third track ‘Falling Moon’ has a softer calling that is ably carried off. The intricate ebb and flow of the piano arrangement curtails the softer calling, while the passive venture on a vocal level also carries a telling sense of composure that captures the emotive side of the sentiment in a formidable way that counts. With the closing track ‘Georgie Boy’ the best track comes last. The hard shoulder of the running is conveyed in the tempo and the vocals. It is all an enriched effort that picks up neatly. The resulting prowess carefully constructed sits right here. It is a refined effort with a knowing composure to everything that falls into place with a precision to the playing underlining that formidably.

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CASUAL FRIDAY Introducing

A virtuous effort sums up the opening track ‘Black And White’. There is a clever degree of focus in the tempo that opens the track up exquisitely. The troubadour aspects of this are a rich affair that hold up extremely well and fair equally so. The lighter touch of ‘Cliches’ is something that feels contrived.

There is a safety about it that is carefully constructed but it feels mundane. There is no spark about it and as such it is very difficult to see past it all or warm to the track in its own right.

Another track from the same school of thinking is ‘A Better Place To Be’ . It relies on an over emphasis on calling the softer showing. However this time around the spark is there. That shows in the upbeat parlance of the rhythm which heralds the arrival of the track in a conclusive way here by bringing the weight to the delivery in a way that counts from how it is all placed. Again there is fine showing of poise to the rhythm with ‘Wednesday (Only She Knows)’ . The positive showing here is one that works favourably.

The knowing affection touched on in the lyrics presides over everything and presses ahead with a clear sense of direction to it all.

Especially when it takes flight. Things close out with ‘The Insatiable Night’ and it is a track that sees the execution communicate well with the listener. In how the outlines are followed there is a steady hold etched into the delivery that takes off smartly. This also sees it close out strongly.

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RAUM KINGDOM Raum Kingdom

The post metal worth of the sound comes to pass in a complete way with the first track ‘Wounds’.

Doing so sees the developed sense of the build hold in a confirmed way that allows the broader sense of completion process everything in a finite way. As such the temperament of the delivery is one that channels the laboured qualities by design to give it a more reserved pastiche without it falling short. Then comes ‘Barren Objects’. Here the progressive development allows the distal qualities to stake their claim. The solitude at the beginning is a calculated call which then accommodates the intent that is nurtured in the secondary calling . Adding bite is the vocals which are fixed to the delivery to give it all a noted sense of distinction. The slow pace woks though and that is why. After that comes ‘Cross Reference’. A theme is noted here that the tracks follow a formulaic style in their opening but this time out the patient calling is consistent. That stoic sensibility darkens the tone equally and is seen through off the back of the anomic vocal delivery.

‘These Open Arms’ extends that isolated calling in a rich way. On the surface it is a progressive showing as the lean guitar work then kicks in. The rotund way that the rhythm clocks in with the drumming builds the playing arcs. It has the necessary sense of weight to carry it all off and by doing so the bereft nature gives the track a warranted sense of authority. The last track here is ‘This Sullen Hope’ and the appreciation for building the track comes to pass in a way of note.

The allure of the vocals and deadened feel of the rhythm fall into place to give the intro an assured footing. From this the play begins to build and as it graduates there is a sensible precedent to how it all develops. That is kept in focus throughout with the sullen derivative of the weight getting under the play impressively here.

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International Artists

DORIS BRENDEL & LEE DUNHAM Upside Down World

In a way this album is a bit mixed. There are aspects to it that are a tad formulaic but other aspects neatly guide things through. Heavy on the rock is the opening track ‘The Devil Closed The Door On Me’ and it has heft.

Flashes of an AC/DC-esque approach reputably hold their own here. In a way it is easy going but there is a refined progression to the mid-section that showcases a lyrical approach that chases things down adequately. Things mature in how ‘Adored’ lays down a marker. From the dark drawing of the piano arrangement everything is carefully processed and it stays within that outline. The somewhat morose calling is rather replete but the mysticism that comes across in the later progression is rather refined and steadies everything tellingly.

There is a formidable degree of investment in her performance on ‘Slap Me And You Die’ but it is let down a tad on the chorus because it has a laboured feel about it. The lead up to that however is very gracious. In the levelled showing of the approach there is a marked sense of readiness that matches the capable showing.

Straight away ‘Accessorise’ hits the ground running. The nou disco flourish in the sound is smartly tracked with the quickened pace building anticipation. This is a killer track and it goes straight for the jugular as it comes full circle.

The pop sensibilities then give way to the refined calling of ‘Tumbling Away’.

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Musically this has more of an Eastern showing with the Aramaic flavourings adding a noted sense of mysticism that is enticing. The inspired patience derived from the picturesque grounding here comes to rest in a tentative way but one that is comfortably measured. Reflecting an initial degree of personal investment you feel in the reflection is ‘A Little Act Of Defiance’. It is a tune that has a noted sense of gravitas alongside the more sombre elements. The deeper tone accentuates this approach finely.

In the saunter to the album’s eponymous track ‘Upsidedown World’ there is also a high level of appreciation in the arrangement. That is a fluid consideration. The acoustic instrumental work hangs off it in a balanced way and allows the tempo step out in a pleasing way. It is a content number with a showing of finesse throughout that smartly takes it where it needs to go. You sense that ‘Still Running’ could be considered as something that is a noted platform for her vocals to stake their claim. The string arrangements on show work and add the class it needs, while there is something anchored in the rhythm that has a comparative passivity about it all that carefully gets underneath the construction of everything on show. The albums final track is incredible. The diversity of it catches you off guard but ‘Life Is A Mushroom’ is a wonderfully rich effort. The scatty rhythm corners everything and has something of a lay funky kitsch to it that makes sense of the breakdown in the right way. It is vibrant and full of zest which grows on you in the right way.

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THE SLOW READERS CLUB Cavalcade

Here is an album that could very well become a postmodern classic because you could mention this band in the same breath as Joy Division.

Deliberately consuming everything about opening track ‘Start Again’ is the exquisite combination of indie and electronic elements as it takes flight. While their concentration shows, what is equally impressive is how the languid touches play their part as the band lay down one hell of a marker.

Another observant offering is current single ‘I Saw A Ghost’.

The partial richness of the texture combines impeccably with the quickened pace to give it all a lay New Wave calling that is caught solemnly by the vacant trappings of the lyrics and vocals. Straight away you sense the signal of intent about ‘Forever In Your Debt’. It is produced by the lean calling that is so exquisitely judged against the deadened pace that picks it up in a way that more than holds its own.

Hints of a faded Bronski Beat meeting a Depeche Mode comparison in the retro calling seduce you on ‘Plant The Seed’.

That chic demeanour carefully weighs in and brings with it a noted degree of substance that pans out brilliantly in an idealised way. Again there is something savoury about ‘Days Like This Will Break Your Heart’ that favourably presides over everything. From there an enormous degree of conviction is found in every fibre of the open showing. What is on show here is only possible from bands that really want it because it has that determination that shows a warranted sense of hunger that only comes from being unsigned. Hanging off the back of the stylish calypso derivative that carries it along is ‘Don’t Mind’. The glide of the delivery

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as a whole refines the calling overtly as the cool reasoning takes hold. How neatly layered it is collectively also provides it with a prevailing degree of front.

As the opening line of ‘Cavalcade’ comes to pass you sense the maturity that sees the album explicitly come of age take hold. It provides the delivery with focus and mirrors the New Wave showing that courses through in a way that yields firmly.

Again the synthesised beat that scores ‘Fool For Your Philosophy’ continues this rich vein of form. It figuratively hardens the sound of the album but also sees them find a sense of resolve on a collective level with this effort. The subtle hints of noir also suggest influences from other Northern artists such as Cabaret Voltaire et al at work. Feeling like an extension somewhat, but also something in its own right is ‘Grace Of God’. The synthesised showing is a richer affair here that sits well. This combines with the momentum to see things click into gear as the electronic aspects blend with the industrial elements in a highly prolific way.

From the pensive feel of the rhythm on ‘Here In The Hollow’ everything falls into place. Devoutly feeding into this is the lyrical distinction. From this approach the strength of how it closes brilliantly comes to pass leaving you wanting more. A softer side to the album is show with ‘Secrets’. Somehow the reflective distribution works wonderfully as it draws you in. the richness of lyrical metaphors is vividly felt and provides the song with a noted sense of isolation from which strength is formidably drawn. ‘Know The Day Will Come’ - 36the - song it deserves. The disavowed turn of the vocals is closes the album with keyed in with a noted temerity that fortunately seasons the withdrawn fervour and concentrations of urgency.

Overall this is an album with an unchallenged sense of brilliance about it from start to finish. Had this album come out 35 years ago we would still be talking about it today.

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SUNDOWNERS Sundowners

From the very first second that the music comes to pass on the opening song ‘Wild As The Season’ you sense that you are in the presence of a great album. That is confirmed by the intent that backs up the progressive feel of the psychedelic touches on show.

It is a steady showing as it all comes full circle with the steady running counting for it all in a big way. Again there is a rich resolve to the sound with ‘Back To You’ that grabs you in the right way. From the fashionable way that the upbeat tempo is made to count there is a conclusive showing to it which ignites everything explicitly. In the vibrancy of the execution the entirety is confirmed by how smart it all breaks down. As ‘Into The Light’ takes flight you note how developed the sound is as much as the high production values. There is a clean showing in the catchy aspects which allows it take off explicitly but also adhere to a select sensibility in doing so that works in a highly favourable way by design.

Seen in by a calculated harmonised opening is ‘Who We Are’. The darling sentiment of the running accentuated by the seasoned feel of the play is an attractive quality that pulls you in. With how conclusive a showing it all is the lucid feel of the track is also superbly considered to full effect. As ‘End Of The Game’ comes through there is a hint of a ‘Rumours’ era Fleetwood Mac about everything. This by contradiction in a way really sees them up their game. The intent is noted from all fronts. That is reliantly brought to bear on the lyrics

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and how the arrangement is tailored to suit this accommodates everything by design in superb fashion. Bringing more of a groovy overture to proceedings is ‘If Wishes Were Horses’. There is also a spirited sense of conviction caught in the lyrics here that goes the distance. How it sounds employs a serious kick about it and a telling sense of splendour. It is one of those tracks you could listen to all day. Seasoned by the hint of Americana in the sound is ‘I Dreamed’. The pliable feel of the layering here is endearing and heightens the appreciation here. The bespoke demeanour of the vocals also cake the delivery in a notorious way which further underlines how formidable this track, like the album as a whole, is.

The creativity of the band is again on show with the appealing track that is ‘Hummingbird’. It is not just that it has a highly detailed figuration in the way it plays but the tempo is also carefully considered. As such the running has a mainstream appeal going for it but also a telling sense of authority from the weight that comes to pass here. Things steady into a more sedate setting with ‘Desert Rose’ that conclusively settles affairs.

There is still a hardened showing behind it all found in the committed revelry of the playing elements here.

With how ‘Soul Responding’ hits the ground running there is a rich vein of form in the pace that - 36 - is incredibly prolific. This is a hard and fast showing but they never lose the run of themselves. Rather they lose themselves in the music and this is an outstanding tune. The album closes out with ‘Medicine’ and this was the tune that put this band on our radar.

This is brilliant. The commitment shown in the vocals alone is incredible, but the high standard of play backs it up explicitly and calls the shots in a way that gives it both barrels.

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ELEVANT

Dreamface Hailing from Liverpool, Elevant offer us their take on hark rock, while amalgamating this aesthetic with post punk and aspects of blues. The visionary of the band is Michael Edward, who originally formed this group as a recording project. However, the project evolved into a full time band and they’ve plans to do a tour this spring. For the mastering stage Elevant acquired the skills of Pete Maher (Jack White, U2 and Goldfrapp) to pack an extra sonic punch!

‘Open Heart Surgery’ gets the album under way.

Grungy American guitars epitomize the soundworld, which is comparable to Queens Of The Stone Age and Nirvana. Kudos to Elevant for attempting something a little more daring here. They break the usual clichéd rock at the midway point of the track, as they experiment with time signature changes and syncopations.

The ‘colour’ of the sound also shifts at this point.

‘Blind’ is quick out of the traps with hard hitting rock and big power chords taking centre stage. The pace is frantic and one could imagine this track excelling when performed live. ‘Nothing’ is a lengthy number, which fuses their style with traces of Metallica, acoustic Nirvana

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and prog rock. However, I find the track a bit tedious in places.

This track could possibly be pared back a touch, length wise, with more production to help maintain general interest in the track.

I’ve no issue with long songs, but if that approach is taken, more musical content and contrast is imperative.

‘Snapshots’ open with an acoustic, which provides some diversity. The influence of Pearl Jam and Primus is felt at this point.

The emotive track is quirky and showcases they’re ability to think outside the box. ‘In Ourselves We Trust’ then reestablishes their hard rock credentials, as the band revels in fuzz guitar riffs and big ‘crashy’ cymbals. ‘Mood Manipulator’ follows and is a rather eclectic offering but one that captivates and keeps the listener guessing nonetheless. A mellow number then takes the mantle, in the form of ‘Implode In Slow Motion’, as the group demonstrates their flexibility. The singing has a touch of delta blues attitude about it, but at times feels contrived and overly forced.

‘Stress’ and ‘Good Intentions’ pick up the pace again, as - 36power commanding and textures permeate. The corybantic closing is also a real slap in the face! Cohesion, in terms of sound, is prevalent throughout the LP as the 3-piece exhibit their ability.

Although there is fundamentally nothing ground breaking about this creation, the album is worth a listen and could certainly have some joy in the American rock market.

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EMPERORS

Chupacabra Emperors are a hard-hitting 3-piece outfit from Perth, Australia.

Their sound exudes American post-rock, which is established by the albums opening track ‘Seeing Ghosts’. A strong comparison can be made between this track and the power-chord pop rock of the Foo Fighters in terms of its arrangement, direction and instrumentation. ‘Deleted Scenes’ again reveals the bands intentions and further heightens their proficiency, equipped with the obligatory virtuosic guitar solo. Emperors know their ‘sound’, and although they’re certainly not exploring musical pastures new, they are comfortable with this and craft songs that are an ode to their inspirations, while doing their musicality and creativity justice. This opinion is further instilled and backed-up by ‘Eliot Ness’.

‘Shooting From The Bell Tower’ is another capable effort, in which their polished and well-produced sound is prevalent. The overdrive guitars and tight kit again characterize the track. Effective backing vocals also feature, which astutely compliment the strong lead vocal delivery.

The slight dissonant chordal interjections during the closing stages

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of the song are also a nice touch. ‘Automatic Sigh’ again contains elements akin to Foo Fighters, while the influence of Feeder and Weezer is ubiquitous. At this point it would be greeted with open arms if the band were to unleash something a little more authentic upon us, or even alter the instrumentation slightly.

The album becomes in danger of being formulaic and predictable.

‘Green Head’ sets off at a slower tempo and in fairness offers the listener something that bears a semblance of originality and change of direction. The grunge guitars, similar to that of Nirvana, also feature. ‘Penny Arcade’ and ‘Little Victories’ again ticks all the boxes in terms of polished American college rock akin to Blink 182 and Sum41. They understand this genre and what is required of it, however, what is offered up is generic and distinctly lacking in originality. No questions are asked in terms of their ability to play or construct sounds, but for this band to stand out from the proverbial clutter of mass music they must be more daring and their compositional horizons. The raw - 36broaden materials are certainly there!

‘You’ll Come Around’ and ‘Somebody Else’s Dream’ bring to close what is a competent effort from Emperors. Hard core fans of this genre could do worse than to check this LP out.

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SUN GODS TO GAMMA RAYS A Ghost To Find

SUN GODS TO GAMMA RAYS are a formidable 5-piece cosmic dream pop outfit from Minneapolis.

The band basks in glorious ethereal and washy soundscapes, while Brianna Kocka’s accomplished vocals are afforded the space to take centre stage while complementing the cohesive creation.

‘Prism Light’ sets the album in motion. Sparse electronic drum kit establishes a relaxed and ‘easy listening’ mood, before Kocka’s gentle, yet direct, croon shines. The pulsating bass is essential to the sound and is comparable to Zero 7 and Air, while subtle synth motifs enrich the song’s texture and feel.

‘A Ghost To Find’ is up next and again highlights how important the bass is to their style. The track is well sculpted, and mixed for that matter, and has an effective dynamic range.

The group state on their website that they’re inspired by mysticism and modern science. This influence is apparent through their cosmic and other worldly exertions.

Another ‘chilled’ and professional composition then comes to fruition in the form of ‘Enough’.

‘The Darkest Place’ offers us something a little

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different. Gritty bass grabs the attention, while a proficient drum pattern generates momentum before a rather intimate number unfolds. The music effectively reflects the sinister title creating an all round impressive and coherent package. ‘Gravity’ is up next and is reminiscent of Pink Floyd during David Gilmore’s 80s driven soundworld. Aspects of the track are also akin to Portishead, coupled with a modern sophisticated take on psychedelic genres. Again the more commercial Pink Floyd 80s era is sensed off ‘Make It Last’. But the sound is by no means a carbon copy. They acknowledge their influences while forging something genuine.

‘Bloom’ has all the hallmarks of a late night driving scene with their sound lending itself to film and synchronization. This is an avenue they could possibly explore. ‘Simple Life’ reaffirms they’re prowess with sonically pleasing slick timbres and textures.

‘Funeral Drum’ and ‘The Thaw’ then close out what is a fine album. It is hard to fault their endeavors in which they really have - 36 polished produced a highly LP. Although they have their sound in check, personally, it would be satisfying to hear a little more contrast as the album evolves. One could also argue the LP lacks a real ‘single’ to drive the album in the market? Having said that, no one can deny Sun Gods To Gamma Rays intent and ability and they are certainly one to keep an eye and ear on!

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International Artists VELA EYES Sparks

This San Francisco band are a firm favourite here at U&I and the six tracks on this EP confirm why. From the commendable resolve of ‘Sparks’ a fine marker is laid down. Hanging neatly off the back of this one is a formidable presence that they are mindful of in a highly artistic sense. The stylised sensibility that carries it all off in the running confirms this, while there is a brimming canter to the rhythm which is again a steady trait on ‘Obsessions’. There is a richness to how the synth carries through here but it is still a fundamentally indie track in all respects. The calling of the vocals are incredibly smart but there is a hint of a shoegazer splendour called upon in the rhythm here. This piques interest because it is hard to pigeonhole the sound and because of that you note how detailed it all is as it is chased down. Getting down to business straight away is the retro chic of ‘Lantern’. The glorious feel of this does not go unnoticed either. With the pick-up on the guitar work adorning it astutely there is a formidable degree of control on show here, in particular when it comes to the bridge and how the playing arcs tear it all up.

A heavier drum and bass combo tidily brings ‘Sweet’ to pass. The darling sensibility of it situates something that crosses shoegazer apparel cleanly with a comfortable indie style. The easy going feel is also rich in splendour. What draws you to this is how attractive it all comes to be as the passive showing sweetly opens up the delivery but still leverages a great deal against the backdrop of how it sounds. They embrace a richer retro calling on ‘Stranger’ that then meets some finesse in the indie structures that play into. As it takes off there is a grounded calling to the vocals that accentuates in a balanced way. That makes it all the more forthright and condenses the more intricate weight of character tellingly. A song that always gets played herein our office is ‘Gemini’. It is a solid number as soon as it takes off but with the confirmed catchy hooks on the chorus the proverbial deal is sealed. The clever resonance of the guitars pitches in to develop the sound and that proven quality is cornered by how the play switches to auto-pilot when it all kicks in. It is excellence personified.

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ST. TROPEZ St. Tropez

This recommendation from our Dutch music network is another gem of an underground band. They nail it all down with ‘I Don’t Want To Fall In Love’. The clever way that the garage aspects play in give it all a punk flavouring that is up there with the standard of The Buzzcocks. It is relevant, edgy and above all else straight to the point. Taking the title literally is ‘Cut Me Loose’.

The way that the vocals furnish it with bravado is backed up by a conclusive showing from how it all sounds. The raw quality in the sound is appropriated here and brandished with a telling degree of flair.

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‘Las Vegas’ plays the hand it is dealt. There is a firm grip that takes hold as the delivery shakes it all up. This in turn plays the understated quality excellently. It is quite overt but at the same time they retain that off the cuff calling that has served them so well until now. Unbridled flourishes of play collect where they should and that is what drives this on. How in your face it all is counts for everything for all the right reasons here. ‘Por Que Why’ is definitely a heads on garage band track. Hints of the charm that The Dandy Warhols had prevail here in a formidable way. The brash feel of the guitar work also provides deliberation. This doesn’t just sound the part but you pick up on the intent that shows from how invested they are as a band in their music with this one.

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SCARLET Fishes

The first track here is ‘anyway’ and with its distinct 1990’s sensibilities it really falls into place. There is a soft demeanour to the tempo that accentuates everything by design and as such it opens out with a high degree of contention to it. The steady way the pace can flirt between casual and more prominent is also an impressive trait here that is fully realised in a way that brings out the best in the track. Then we come to ‘Daisychains’ and hinted at here is a degree of finite texture in the way it all underplays the rhythm.

Off the back off that approach there is a stable temperament to the lyrics that draws out something very stylish. It is excellent from beginning to end with an undeterred essence of sheer cool coming through as it all drives forward. This is a great tune.

Skipping along with a vacant calling is ‘Dead’ and this is what brings the charm. The whimsical haze of how it sounds is met deliberately by the gazed contention of the lyrics that brings it all together. A very thorough indie showing is also noted from the tempo that elevates the canter of the latent shoegazer touches.

Akin in places to The Cranberries for how the flourishes of play linger in the background give it worth this is a track that sees them come of age as a band. After that we have ‘Holdmeunder’ (all one word). The opening here is rather specific and the ushered countenance of everything patiently allows it to build. It moves through in a rich way that allows it form into a stable pop tune. But done in a way that underlines the old adage of it not being a dirty word.

Having said that there is also a level of indie credibility to it at the same time which is why it sounds as good as it does. Then the final track ‘Racing’ takes hold. This is a reflective tune but one that also holds a sense of angst in the lyrics. Also running through the song is a sense of empowered discourse in the lyrics that brings it together. Overall it is not just a great tune but it has an underrated calling that very much adds a sense of maturity to the showing that comfortably displays a band with front putting out an EP that should put them on the amp.

10

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BASKERVILLAIN Modern Lows

‘Dancing Shoes’ opens in an assertive way. Off the back of this comes the undisputed sense of authority from the rock elements as they fuse to it all. The exceptional level of pace here sees things click into gear with an admirable sense of style meeting substance as it all moves through. They get down to business in a serious way here and show it from how mean this sounds from the off. Again there is an incredible fusion of blues and rock with ‘Debt’. An appreciated effort here that allows the spacious ebb and flow take hold in the music in a hopeful way. The select way that the touches add to the mix carries across with notoriety and corners something lean in how it adds up. The faithful way that they pay their respective dues is truly of note here by the appreciation for the playing that comes to pass.

10

Again the impressive way that they move through with their music comes to pass with ‘Walls’. This is again a credible showing with a finite appreciation cutting across on the music. The level of depth displayed concentrates the worth of it all and on the bridge it brings forth the pedigree as the band champion the art of letting the music do the talking.

You are moved by both how cool ‘All Eyes On The Prize’ sounds and how detailed the elements that come through are. How this adds up is certainly more than the sum of its parts. The way that the sound progresses here is an engaging process that reliantly comes to fruition with the precision that backs up all of the paly here. Then there is the final track ‘Modern Lows’. This again has the high standard that has been a staple here but there is a more languid calling that allows them to hang back. That is dutifully noted in the vocals as they settle into things in a way that sits right. From how this collects there is a testament how good this band. it is not just that they are on top of their game here with this EP but they are serious contenders at the same time.

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I, US & WE Mono

This is a brilliant EP that embraces a knowing appreciation of both New Wave and electronica elements but blends them to an indie sensibility. That is apparent on the first track ‘Lanterns’. The passive way it is styled also gives the vocals an engaging sense of reach that presides over the delivery in a rich way. As the sloped feel of the tempo begins to hang back they come to the fore with a noted sense of comparability added to the mix from how stylish they come to be. ‘Sunday’ is another engaging effort. The noted way things flow adds an ethereal precision to the delivery that adds up. How it bears down carries the tune and harnesses the prowess. That is reflected in the texture of the synthesised sound here which engages fully but also puts its own stamp on proceedings.

Taking stock of a more open showing is ‘Free’.

The sedate calling in the vocals gives it a Chris Isaac feel in a way. What also impresses is the lavish demeanour which takes hold but also refines he casual sway of the rhythm by allowing the delivery to find the room to breathe. That counts a great deal in the delivery here. Darkening the mood of the EP is ‘Alive’. Here the industrialised refinement of the rhythm recognises the intent. As the vibrancy of the synth languishes there is a supple refinement cornered which enhances the appreciation on an artistic level. That captivating quality necessitates by design and keys everything in with a telling level of focus that is imperative to how the band identify with their art you feel.

9

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DELAMERE

Bright Young Things ‘Bright Young Things’ is one of those opening tracks that get everything right.

With the lay indie chic touches a nouveau beat is created. As a result this vies for your attention by being rich in texture. Adding to this appreciation is the impressive sense of volume that is concentrated in the delivery. Another saving grace is ‘Regress’. This fastens a slower sense of movement into the workings to great effect. The rich settled texture of the delivery also gives it a retro calling that is rather fitting as much as it is a smart showing.

9

The third track on this rather fine EP is ‘All Of This’. Again there is a concentration of style meeting substance which goes a long way here.

It comes across rather inspired. The latent manner that sees it hang back correlates in a distinguished way which adds a commendable sense of maturity to it all as everything comes together. A really fine trinity of tracks with this EP an d it further underlines why they are regarded as one of the hottest prospects on the Manchester music scene.

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MOOD ROBOT TV Dinner

Synthpop is a word that a lot acts throw around to describe their sound without understanding how it is supposed to sound. Luckily this recommendation from our LA network don’t fall into that category. The richness of the rhythm feels out the opening track ‘Lose Your Heart’ with an incredible degree of splendour. That in turn calls the shots in the breakdown and the enigmatic showing to the tune treads carefully on the right side of the pop sensibilities by backing it up with the music. You are immediately impressed by the depth of the retro calling to ‘Crown’. After the intro the vocals also enrich it by taking it forward. The select trappings are treated well here and accommodate a definitive track that grows in composure as all of the playing elements hold it together as it falls into place. This is a great tune from start to finish and is practically flawless.

Inhabiting a more nuanced showing is ‘Stupid Cowboy’. The tempo is brought around in a way that gravitates towards creating something spacious. The vocals are pitched to reflect this, while the settled showing in the beat also has an apparent specificity to how the structure comes through. The fashionable chic pushes the envelope creatively and this brings the sound through. While the seductive traits in the tempo and lyrics also play their part to great effect.

There is a delicate sensibility that abounds on the closing track ‘Mood Robot’. That is specifically kind to the way it all falls into place. The overarching way that the tempo neatly runs draws you in. A lot of the sensibilities on show sit right by design. As such what is on show breaks down in a way that is not just guided through but carefully constructed also.

10

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KYNCHINLAY Dark Age

‘I Be Hopin’ is the first track here. For some reason the clean way that the harmonies line up with the music work incredibly well. The supple texture of the rhythm is a careful consideration which brings a large degree of finesse through as the delivery comes full circle. But behind that is a vitriolic sense of determination adding a sharp underground urgency to the sound that boxes clever. Next track ‘Wide Awake’ moves along with the acoustic guitar accompanying the play in a sedate manner. How it is all fastened together has a knowing sense of subtlety as the rhythm comes through in the fuller showing. The volume of the play makes the urgency count here as it travels. That hardened resolve adds texture to the play in an advantageous way here that works extremely well by design.

10

There is a delectable showing to ‘Back To What She Knows’ and the warranted manner to how it gets moving permeates in an incredibly fashionable way. The seductive traits also have an air of sophistication that pins down the cool. The way the rhythm radiates here is fashionably commanded and it shows for all the right reasons as the running carries it through full circle. It is followed by the electrifying ‘Bat Jazz’. This is a clever tune and the intro gives away to allow the more enigmatic flourishes catch everything right. That is what takes it where it needs to go. But there is something admirable to the way that it is all processed because it seems to corner a lively side while progressing to something with a full on appreciation for allowing the musical expression take flight on the bridge. This is an excellent tune that is undoubtedly appreciated furthermore on repeat listening. The final track here is a real tour-de-force called ‘Shudder’. How the shots are called here is very much on the money. The brash keel of the tone tapers the play formidably but allows the urgency to collect where it needs to. The other defining characteristic here is the clever way it takes off and holds in the affirmative. This is most definitely an EP that ‘goes to 11’.

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THE YEV

Not Even A Demo These three tracks are a bold statement as much as they are an experiment in new material from this Portland band. The weight of ‘Drive It Away’ finely holds up.

There is a clever underground calling that catches their ambitions in the right way. It has a high grunge element coursing through the guitar derivative which imbues it all with a noted raw parlance. It is rough around the edges but that edgy quality is something that the band identifies with and is underlined again on ‘Pump’. The catchy hooks in the pace make a lot happen for this one. You also feel the gritty determination hungrily biding away on the sound here. It has a strong charm offensive which is followed up on in the tracking, but it is also an element that gives it a solid sense of direction and carries it all off commendably.

The third track making up the trinity is ‘What’s Your Agenda Mister Cotton’ and it has a more bluesy feel about it. This is somewhat unexpected, none the less it asserts itself with definition and brings a heightened sense of development that hints perhaps the band are busy at work with some new material and this may just be a teaser. This is a really impressive track. The vocals also see them up their game considerably but it is all in how it comes together that the magic is found.

9

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SIOBHAN WILSON Glorified Demons

We recently saw this artist play a stripped down set at Saucy Sundays when she was over here playing support to Idlewild. She is an artist very much on the rise and her opening track here is ‘Laugh And Die’.

The bespoke quality of her voice is a quality that is formidably traded upon . With the slight ruffle of the guitar on the intro comes ‘All Dressed Up’. It gets going and in how the momentum grows in the tempo the vocals then blanket it all as they come in over that.

It is a telling tune that is carefully crafted. Again there is an intricate gathering of the music in the fluid movement of ‘Reading You’. Alongside the well versed qualities on show there is an impressive calling about this one. That is all balanced by the conservative approaches that prevail in such dominant fashion and to equally great effect. This is where the passion of the song truly lies.

9

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The deftness of touch on ‘Soldier Of The Night’ is highly effective. The procured sensation that comes from the pursed vocals here carefully brings it all round. Behind that gentle flurry is a hard guitar riff that shoulders the more bereft calling but still allows the delicate derivative to linger. That results in an attractive tune that tidies away all of the running with the best of intentions. Ably coming to the fore on ‘Car Crash Two’ is the arrangement of the piano. That fixes something classical to the tune which is followed up with the right balance of sensibility. It also allows something soft to envelop the running that is prevailing to a certain extent but also gives her vocal range a deserved platform which in turn elevates the appreciated showing to everything here in the right way. To close out we come to ‘Ta Petite Minette’ and how this is projected captures something in those minute turns that is both favourable and incredibly intricate. As a result there is a defining level of class akin to the style of Francois Hardy from how the enamoured calling endears you to the true worth of the song.

AARON MOLYNEAUX Ghost Roads

Review by Jamie Kelly The first track on this is an instrumental entitled ‘Cathedral At Dawn. This is a fantastic piece of music.

It is quite beautiful in its own right. It creates a slightly eerie but chilled atmosphere. The way the tone of his guitar blends with the rest of the instruments is immense. I would really recommend giving this track a listen at high volume. The second song is called ‘Alive’.

This instantly gives off a far more energetic vibe than the first track. The percussion in the intro sets a good foundation for everything to build on. This s is very well pieced together, with every feature complementing the next and giving it all the kiss of life. I particularly enjoyed the vocals because I thought they were very effective and not over, minimalist but stronger because of it.

This brings us to the third track; ‘Desert Blues’. It starts out with a quirky chord progression that instantly grabs your attention and draws you in. Then it continues to rise in intensity, which sees the vocal performance really enhances the tone of the acoustic guitar. The chord progression remains the same throughout, but the vocals change in dynamic quite often, which kept me intrigued throughout. The next track on the EP is the title track; ‘Ghost Roads’. This track opens with a solid beat, and it is not long before the guitar and vocals layer in over the top and send the song into full flow. This has a lot more of a traditional singer songwriter vibe to it, which is a good thing in this instance. The chorus is strong and catchy, with the beat that goes throughout giving it a really nice groove that sucks you in as you listen. The song finishes up with the solo beat as the outro. This wraps it all up in a conventional way with a nice sense of completion. This brings us to the last track on the EP. It’s called ‘At The Lighthouse’. It is a very short effort and almost seems like an outro to be honest. It opens up with a nice little chord progression before the sound gets slightly thicker throughout as the vocals come in and fade away.

9

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LUPA J

The Seed

Review by Jamie Kelly The first thing I noticed about the opening track ‘Eyes Unclouded’ was the high production quality, and that is always a big plus when you’re about to listen to an EP. There is some really nice use of panning and delays throughout the track. I loved the vocals. They had a unique sound which can be something quite hard to come by with a female vocalist. I thought the violin sections throughout were really effective as they gave the whole backing track a nice dynamic. That is also a trait that can often be overlooked in this genre because of all the different sounds. Overall the vocal performance was truly superb. This brings us to track number two; ‘Painted Mask’. This track had more of a dance anthem vibe to it due to the constant thumping bass throughout. Again the vocals are just fantastic, with her voice ever so enticing. The way she has layered the vocal tracks gives the sound great depth. It is used sparingly to great effect to emphasise certain points.

Like the last track the strings give a nice dynamic to the electronic vibe.

10

The next track is entitled ‘Statues’. This starts off with a pizzicato style intro and it sounds excellent. The use of delay on it adds so much. The beat is a little more irregular but makes it stand out a bit more. The violin section in the outro reinforces the melody nicely. Then we come to ‘Virus’. How this opens up brings an intense beat that sets a slightly dark atmosphere for things to build on. The strings that come in over the top give the song an almost oriental vibe. The backing doesn’t change much throughout. The vocals are really the highlight of here because her voice is truly tantalising. A recurring theme throughout this EP are really great violin sections that I just love. This song is no exception. This brings us to the last track ‘The Secret’. This has a strong, omnipotent intro that builds up for about thirty seconds before the vocals come in to build on the intensity.

The vocal harmonies throughout this are fantastic and they really are quite amazing to listen to. The whole song builds up to a climax before dying out into an outro that can only be described as perfect and it wraps up the whole EP beautifully.

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Overall I thought this EP was fantastic. Not only were all the songs great but the production quality was amazing. Such a joy to listen to. Would recommend everyone take a minute to listen to it.

MAYBELLEN Stereotypes

Review by Jamie Kelly The EP opens up with title track ‘Stereotypes’. This introduces itself with a catchy riff that is quickly accompanied by the chord progression that sets the foundation in place. It is instantly apparent that these guys know what they are doing. As the song enters into the chorus you get a real Britpop vibe from it which is why I particularly enjoyed he vocal harmonies and the use of repetition at the end reinforces the hook well. Next comes ‘Models on TV’.

This track opens up with a high temp that sees the synth really reinforce the pre-choruses and then sits well in the chorus too. Like the opening effort the catchy side is down to how well these lads have the art of songwriting nailed down.

The third track here ‘Emily’ is a little more chilled out. It opens out with a beat played on a Cajon, which adds to the chilled out vibe. The enjoyable manner that sees the melody vocal flow is kept in unison with the vocals on the chorus in a highly effective way that reinforces the depth. With a small synth solo toward the end being the icing on the cake.

‘Rest My Case’ follows and has a great groove to it. It has a slow tempo that utilises a fast run on the synth that gives everything a huge dynamic range. It has quite the ballad feel to it and I can imagine this is quite popular out of their reservoir of songs. The dreamy vibe resonating is reinforced well by the vocal harmonies throughout the track. As ‘Time Machine’ considers the opening the vocals are a solo affair before the drums and guitar kicking in after just one bar. The vocal melody is quality. It’s very dynamic, with lots of highs and low notes. There is a lot of hard and soft textures within the vocals. When the sixteenth notes come in on the hi-hat in the chorus it gives the song a huge lift that is very effective.

This then treats the listener to a little guitar solo in the middle which was a nice touch. This leads us to the last track on the EP; ‘To Know Me Better’. The intro has some cool brass on show that comes and goes very quickly. Again this flaunts the bands ability to harmonise with each other beautifully in the chorus. Another aspect that gives it depth is how the song breaks down a bit in the middle before treating the listener to a climax of multiple choruses to fade out. Which proves to be a good way to wrap up the EP.

9

Overall I thought this EP was great and I would recommend it to any indie/pop fans.

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SHAD SHADOWS Spectrum

Review by Jamie Kelly This EP opens up with a track entitled ‘Down’. It has a strange vibe to it that is quite dark to start out with. The vocals gave off a very specific sound and this combined with the drum machine made the whole song very one dimensional throughout. There was little change and a lack of progression.

The second track is called ‘Gimme Pain’. This opens up with some good use of the synth and after a few bars the drum machine kicks in and it sits back into the dark intense vibe that we heard in the first track. I enjoyed this track a lot more than the first one because it’s a lot more dynamic. Without getting too carried away, It kind of feels like a stripped back version of a Kraftwerk song. It gets quite intense toward the end as the synth really racks up the intensity as it builds throughout.

‘Minor Blues’ is the first track with any sort of real distinctive melody on the synth and this made it a lot more enjoyable for me. The drumming that runs throughout keeps up the intensity that has been apparent on the EP so far. The flow of the tone is a lot less static than previous tracks and produces a lot more life and energy. With a sweeter intro then comes ‘Dreaming Over’. Again what is produced intensifies the vibe that’s been flowing throughout this collection of songs. The vocals feature a little less here as it seems to be more focused on the melody of the synth, which works well. Then it picks up the energy toward the end before coming to an abrupt stop. This brings us to track number five ‘Cosmic’. I thought the intro on this track was brilliant. It creates the perfect setting for the rest of the song. This is by far my favourite track here because there is a lot going on. The melody that repeats throughout is quite catchy and gives it a bit of a hook. That is something the other tracks seemed to lack. Things are closed out by ‘Moan Rivers’.

After a short intro this kicks it up a notch with a higher tempo than anything we’ve heard so far. This track has a lot more of a traditional electronic feel from the high tempo combined with the fast runs on the synth giving it a faster flow that is sure to get your blood pumping. The melody is again quite a hook that repeats over in your head long after the song is finished.

7

Overall, I thought this EP was pretty good. Although I thought the first two tracks were quite a drag, they didn’t really do much for me. It improved as it went along. In ways I liked the way the intensity grew throughout the EP, it’s a lot better as a full package rather than stand-alone tracks.

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International Artists PEUR Hollow Skies This opens in a confident way and as such it corners the intent fittingly. The developed reach of the playing imbues this with a telling sense of worth that fashionably tracks the committed showing that the band is noted for. Here that is brought to bear alongside the arrangement to give the track a more pertinent sensibility that boosts the stature of what is on show here in the right way.

8

PERRY BLAKE Fool There is a resounding air of confidence to this. Accompanying the intro is a deftness of touch that is concerted in the right way here. Also going as long way here is the candid demeanour of the vocals. What they bring to proceedings heightens everything in a rich way, but there are also hints of a Pulp ‘This Is Hardcore’ showing about them that is rather subtle and as such gives everything an additional degree of excellence that shows.

9

International Artists

JOE SYMES Things Get Better Another good effort from this underrated Liverpool band. There is a fine sense of realisation to this that comes through from the off. The clever way that the vocals reside in the delivery take the handling seriously but are also dispensed with the noted sleight of hand that comes across in the delivery. It is an effectual track that processes the musical side of things in a fair manner and as such the sedate essence also comes across in the right way here.

9

POLAR STATES Vines This band clearly has indie written all over them and that is a prevailing feature on this track. There is a tidy precision to the rhythm here and that lands squarely. The pick-up on the pace with the guitar is favourably considered and stands it good stead by framing the outline of the rhythm here in a prominent way. That is relayed sensibly in how the tempo collects and as such the running here is an incredibly smooth transition which notably projects the deliberation here.

8 MOONBABIES Pink Heart Mother

The cool prevails here but also has substance to back it all up. In the deliberation of the rhythm there is a closeness to it all which sits alongside the confidence exuded in the delivery. It is a rich indulgence musically with the traipsed nou-disco calling adding an oeuvre that situates the nouveau qualities that toil away where they need to be placed. It is off the back of the totalised consideration for the track as a whole here that everything works in the highly effectual way that it does.

10

DONAL QUINN Heart In Ur Hand

10

Don’t let the title fool you because this is not a love song. Instead it is a tune with a fresh approach and marked appreciation. The steadfast way that the pace connects with the build exudes both confidence and ability in equal measure here. Holding fast in the rhythm is an impressive level of pace that holds steadily. That sees the pop/mainstream side of things also meet well with a heightened indie disco beat that sells you here.

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LIVVO You

International Artists

The subtle countenance of the vocal combination alongside the telling feel of the track’s texture draws you in here. It is a rich endeavour that brings it all full circle from the off. The noted sense of retro also adds a telling completion that shows how in order the affairs are here in the artistic sense. That is also picked up on from the broader calling of the way that tempo is touched upon. In turn the richness that flows here owes a lot to how it is approached and handled in that regard.

9

THE YETIS Mysterion

9

This has a classy touch that comes to the fore and brings with it a level of consideration as the sensible side of the playing is rightly called upon. The sharpness of the way it sounds is also brought around with a telling sense of consideration which allows the urgency come to the fore without taking anything away from the engaged commitment that is on show from the band here.

THE PHANTOMS Wasting Time

International Artists

Swayed by the intent of the track, the interest of the listener is piqued in a way that is noted for the right reasons. The telling way that everything holds its own counts for everything here. That is reflected in both the exuded confidence of the band, which is smartly tracked, and the leaner calling of the sound. In how this all comes together the temerity in the flight is cornered which gives it a favourable sense of balance alongside that harder showing.

8

SYKES

Best Thing

9

Having graced the cover of our March issue last month this band comes up with the good yet again. The prominent showing of the synthesised beat is carefully considered here and then it hangs back to allow the vocals come to the fore. The resulting keepsake feel of the song in turn commendably fits around the shapely qualities that materialise in the form of a great track from an equally great band. The committed way they zero in on the retro qualities also adds up considerably here.

NAOISE ROO For You

This opens with a darker texture adding to the derivative. This in turn closes around the track in a way that leverages everything with a pensive showing. Yet this lingers in a telling way. The almost Lynchian like demure creates an anomic calling that adds to the tone in a relevant way. Off the back of this there is a subtle passive nature that yields highly for it all here by true design.

8

ALICE OSTAPJUK War Cry

9

Hints of PJ Harvey come to pass on this. The comparison is duly noted on account of how important this all sounds. There is a rising prominence to be found in the lyrics as they build which comes to a climactic deliberation as the chorus sensibly comes to pass.

The able support from the acoustic guitar supports the delivery by commendably pressing everything in a forward way that is enigmatic as much as it is selective.

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KING KARTEL Run

International Artists

The clear air of bravado of this track comes to pass in a deliberate way. The upbeat feel of the tempo adds something shapely to the running that displays a noted sense of commitment from the band as it hits the ground running. With how it hits the ground running the approach adopted is one that makes the difference. The compact urgency in the sound ushers it all in and the unapologetic sense of intent rounding out on this one sees everything stand tall.

9

SISTER SPARROW AND THE DIRTY BIRDS Mama Knows

10

It is the timeless quality of this song that sells you on what this Brooklyn band have to offer. This has soul and it has it in abundance. The smart showing of the rich vocal display hits you in the right way here, but it is all of the elements combining that are the true reason behind the effectiveness here. The commanding way it takes flight impresses fully and commands your attention in the specific way it does showcases how rich in endeavour this track truly is.

HAM SANDWICH Fandango

International Artists

This is another great tune that holds its own. On show in the intricate way that the instrumental aspects play their part kindles the pop sensibilities in the right way. It is an excellent tune from the off and has a glorious sense of fashionable coursing through as the tempo expertly gets into full flow. It boxes clever with way that the pace checks in and that cleverly gives it a telling sense of focus that it benefits greatly from.

10

ALEX JORDAN Leap Of Faith

8

The rich showing of the bluegrass meeting Americana jumps out at you on the intro.

Then as the vocals come to pass it all hangs back. Then a more inspired calling picks it all up as it takes flight. This in turn hardens the sound and provides for the delivery in a way that is incredibly relevant. The catchy hooks offset the pace and take you along as it all picks up deliberately here, with an impeccable sense of focus also coming to pass in the running that works extremely well.

HALF OF ME Harbour

This is a rather dependable tune that grows on you. The comfortable way it runs adds a distinguished demeanour to the delivery that determines a lot of things for the right reasons here. Then it takes off and the taut grip on show in the rhythm actually displays the class that has been hinted at in the choice manner that the delivery has held back. When it takes off it is a tidy affair that cleverly comes full circle.

9

ELLA JANES

Mechanical Mind

8

There is richness to the expanse of the arrangement here. This in turn adds a level of consistency to the heartened folk trappings that recreationally play their part. That is called out further by the softened demure of the vocals that are carefully placed to give the sing a noted sense of direction. Taking account of that in the approach here gives it a further reach that sits well wih the more courteous calling on show.

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KASHKAO

Remember When / Take You Home

International Artists

This double A-side has everything going for it in the first track. The prevailing pop sensibilities are smartly considered on ‘Remember When’. That is mirrored by the bountiful way that the tempo comes to pass. It corners the sensibilities in a way that is highly attractive and consistent. With ‘Take You Home’ the showing is a more mature one. Sullen and calm qualities define the rhythm, and this replaces the upbeat showing of the first track.

How it is all offset comes together in a competent way that is contently worked and kept on track from the focused way it comes together.

8

VOLTAIRE TWINS Long Weekend

9

This is an impressive showing of New Wave disco meeting the synthesised showing.

As such there is an unmistakeable affluence that emerges in the play that comes to pass with real distinction. The sublime way that the rhythm takes shape owes a lot to how impeccably well-tracked the tempo is. Another telling feature here is the way that the vocals land richly. The track is constructed by a marriage of both of these features and the face value is secured from the approach tellingly.

IN LETTER FORM Wait Now

International Artists

Post-punk never sounded better would be our assessment of this track. It bellows out in a way that could be claimed as a Joy Division song. The blistering way that the New Wave aspects are cornered is nothing short of perfection. They add a countenance to this that suggests in the breakdown that the band is only beginning to realise their potential because this is nothing short of an excellence personified.

10

THE REVEURS Take A Bow

9

The way that the tour-de-force of the opening is considered works extremely well.

The play itself is one that comes off the back of a rather sure footing and the clever way it wonderfully hangs has a balanced sensibility to it all that is accentuated further by the determined pick up in the pace. It is all carefully considered which is denoted by the telling way that the vocals also fit around the delivery here.

THE DURTY WURKS One Day

As soon as the smart sensibility of the acoustic guitar hits the rest of the play the volume of this song moves things along in the right way. The dainty vocals also add a considerable showing that assuages a distinct calling that hints at a shoegazer overture but takes things to a further point of distinction that goes beyond that initial assessment. The settled ebb and flow brings an intrinsic richness to the fore which heighten the appreciation on show in the sound to great effect.

10

THE SNEAKY NIXONS

Baby, Just Do What You Got To!

10

This is nothing short of brilliant. The momentum of the way it sounds takes you along for the ride. That is down to the bathing of guitar work that richly adds to the texture here and channels that raw animosity through superbly. The spring in the step from the vocals also adds bounce and flair. How everything comes through on this track is nothing short of excellent.

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LOOP CULTURE

How Does It Feel?

International Artists

Here is an inspired tune that stands out for all the right reasons. The clever way that the rhythm picks up off the back of the flow corners something specific that gives the delivery something comfortable to run with. The essence of the song is easy to admire also and the charming way that the softer side of things shade it doesn’t detract from any admiration that should come its way.

8

HIPPIES VS GHOSTS Wazo

9

Here is a tune with serious bite. In the handling of the rhythm there is a conclusive signal of intent that rides in high. As such everything that falls into place hits you in the right way. There is a noted sense of urgency collected here which furnishes the industrialised feel of the sound in a forthright way with a calculated process that inevitably leaves you wanting more. And all this from a fully instrumental affair.

KASSASSIN STREET To Be Young

International Artists

They come straight out of the blocks with this one. There are no shortcomings from how the rhythm clocks in and they excellently generate a telling sense of presence from the play that recognises the urgency and keeps it in tandem with the more demurred calling on show in places. The relative appeal that is cornered by the brash tone of the delivery denotes an animalistic nature that is unbridled and off the hook, yet somehow it is superbly mastered by the band in the forward way everything is projected here.

10

LITTLE XS FOR EYES Logical Love

10

The retro spirit of this track is cleverly brought to bear and with the virtuous touch of the vocals they again come up with the goods here. The accountable way that the mainstream calling comes across is done by an emphasis placed upon developing the music as opposed to a style over substance approach. For that there is an unmistakeable essence that borders on perfection here and flows expertly. We have had this one on repeat here in the U&I office a lot this month and we still love it.

MONO SIDEBOARDS

For Laura, For The Morning This is an impressive effort it must be said. The knowing grasp of the sensible showing in the rhythm carries across in a way that extolls a virtuous precedent that is richly considered. How that is relayed gives the tune a crossover. The alternative attributes that are measured here commit to the delivery in a way that defines the track by giving it a knowing balance and belief.

That is shown form the considered way that the weight of the bridge also comes to pass here.

9

THE BRITANYS Want to Be

9

A high sense of likeability is found in the delivery here that is galvanised in an advantageous way by the defined way that the musical side of things is approached. The richness of the benevolent raw cut graduates here in a way that keeps all of the angst like qualities very much in vogue. The confident presence that the band have collectively is also followed through here and explicitly calls the shots with a sharp panache firmly making its way through off the back of the delivery that confirms the excellence running through its veins.

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This is the April 2015 4×4. It is an editor’s pick of four videos by four artists selected from four of our music networks. At U&I we work with 95 co-ops across 49 countries and the music network that the recommendation comes from is indicated in brackets.

THE DIG ‘You & I & You’ (New York)

STRANGE NAMES ‘Ricochet’ (Minneapolis)

PARTY ASYLUM ‘Faces Of The Sea’ (Glasgow)

THE HYENA KILL ‘Still Sick’ (Manchester)