Songs of the week
Girl Band - Paul
The excitement keeps building for the debut album from the Dublin visceral rock band who wield their instruments in a brutal techno-style fashion and words in a hurl of poetic abuse.
Holding Hands With Jamie will be released on Rough Trade on September 25th and their latest track and video Paul suggests that Girl Band are one of a very small number of rock bands who are doing something original in the genre, as well as being absolutely thrilling.
R I T U A L – Josephine feat. Lisa Hannigan
Lisa Hannigan famously began her career playing harmonic support to Damien Rice before finding her own feet and producing two albums of folk-pop music that has found audiences around the world. Now based in London, Hannigan has collaborated once again, but this time, her breathy voice is employed on a similarly airy track from London R&B band R I T U A L.
The Hard Ground – Two By Two
Cork band The Hard Ground made three distinct EPs that somehow hang together as a debut album called Triptych. Despite some varying styles, it's the voice of Marlene Enright that ties it together, as Two By Two moves from bright harmonic pop to a more star-crossed indie style.
Bouts - Missteps
The Dublin indie-rock band may have a singer living in South East Asia at the moment but that hasn't stopped them from releasing new music. Missteps, like much of the band's work recalls the early to mid-90s period of rock when melody, space and a crunchy guitar-lead chorus was king.
Irish release of the week
Alias Empire - Focus
When they were known as Dry County, their debut album Unexpected Falls picked up a Choice Music Prize nomination in 2007. Nowadays, the band seem content not to court too much attention and they've just released their second album under the name Alias Empire. The name change was pertinent as the band shuffled both members and their sound, which now leans towards live-performed synth electronic music with a hard-edge.
Irish video of the week
Monster Monster – Assassin
Monster Monster's retro cabaret-style single has plenty of drama in its core, and the Tarantino-style energy in the lyrics is brought to life in the video by Antoni Sendra Barrachina using cut-out paper collage techniques.
Director: Antoni Sendra Barrachina
