Nialler9's New Irish Music: Le Galaxie, Joni, David Keenan, Orange Tree Edits and more

[ Pleasure ]

The Dublin electro band’s first new song in a couple of years combines their gift for creating night-time tension and dancefloor square-wave propulsion with the returning and welcome voice of former Fight Like Ape May Kay, who is purported to feature on the band’s third album coming later in the year.

[ Evergreen ]

The young Dublin band formerly known as Bagels take on new textures and confidence on the first song under their new moniker.

Evergreen

sounds like the band have been listening to EDM, Alt-J and tropical dance pop.

[ I Don’t See Daylight Anymore ]

Have you ever caught yourself listening to LCD Soundsystem and wondered why no-one has tried to replicate the formula? There in lies the mystery of music-making, it’s hard to recreate alchemy. For his part, Rob Smith has given it a go on his solo side project The Swedish Railway Orchestra, which will receive a followup to a debut album later this year.

[ Schrödinger's Letter ]

The debut single and introduction to newcomer Gahan is a tender folk swirl with guitar, keys and hushed harmonics. Gahan cut her teeth growing up in Portugal where she performed in restaurants in the Algarve from the age of 16. See is now in her fourth year of BIMM Music college in Dublin.

[ Paper Rabbit ]

There’s not much pop-punk in Ireland these days but The Winter Passing are probably up there with one of the best. This Dublin-based band are aiming where there is an audience for their music by releasing their debut EP via 6131 Records (North America) and Big Scary Monsters (UK/EU).

Paper Rabbit

is typical of their tunes and they’ve a strong live reputation.

NEW ARTIST OF THE WEEK
David Keenan

This Dundalk singer-songwriter is a classic storyteller, one man and his guitar giving it to the world as he sees it.

[ Cobwebs  ]

is the 23-year-old’s debut single on his own label, guided by production hand of John Reynolds (Sinead O’Connor and Damien Dempsey) backing him and there’s a salt-of-the-earth charm to his three-track EP.

RELEASE OF THE WEEK
Orange Tree Edits - 002

[ Orange Tree Edits ]

is a new Dublin label who are focusing on releasing edits of existing Afrobeat songs for the dancefloor. There has been two 12” releases already and the first one with two edits by label founder Jimmy Rouge was snapped up in a day online with number two featuring reworks by Cove and Robbie Kitt. The quality is high here so if you like upbeat sunshine dance music with an Afro twist, then you can’t go wrong with this. Kitt’s contribution to 002 is currently my favourite.

[ 292 ]

Video by Joseph Ingersoll and Sarah Flanagan

Capturing the house party vibe of the song itself (which is about going back to a house on Dublin's South Circular Road and staying up all night on the sess), Joseph Ingersoll and Sarah Flanagan’s video casts the night out in neon colours to get lost in.