SONGS OF THE WEEK
Cian Nugent - Things Don't Change That Fast
Cian Nugent has already proved himself as a prodigious talent in the realm of guitar with his John Fahey-esque alternative blues instrumental style that has lead to releases on small but respected North American independent labels both with a band and solo. For his third album
Night Fiction
to be released on Woodsist in January, The Nuge has added his own vocals to his compositions and brought both sides of his discography to one release.
Things Don't Change That Fast
embodies that change by coming across on the same wavelength as Kurt Vile or Mac Demarco, revealing a tender vocal style that's a most welcome development.
This Side Up feat. Joni - Relevant
Sligo hip-hop group This Side Up have release a laid-back spacious head-nodding single from their
3075
EP. Wicklow singer Joni provides the hook for the soulful track.
Extra Fox - Palm of Gold
While his brother and fellow The Cast Of Cheers member Conor Adams has developed a stadium synth-rock act All Tvvins, Neil Adams has set his musical vision on electronic productions with giddy guitar riffs, square-wave synths and squalling funk.
Richard Egan – Never Seen You
It's a testament to the talent of Richard Egan that his cast-offs are very much worth a listen, as we discovered when he
[ released eight demos onto BandcampOpens in new window ]
this week entitled
.wav goodbye
, saying he was doing so in order to move on from the songs. Well one man's trash is another's gold, as evidenced by
Never Seen You
, which could fit onto the recent Jape album
This Chemical Sea
without fuss.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE WEEK
Gavin James plays US Late Night TV
The Capitol Records-signed Dublin singer-songwriter has probably already exceeded his expectations in terms of his rising popularity. This week, he appeared on
The Late Late Show with James Corden
in the US for the second time this year and performed the ballad
Bitter Pill.
RELEASE OF THE WEEK
Owensie - Dramamine
Three years on from the Dublin singer-songwriter's second album
Citizens
, Owensie's follow-up is a sturdier and more elegant collection of layered folk music anchored by his brittle falsetto and bright Spanish guitarplaying. Conor O'Brien gives his seal of approval by supplying backing vocals and playing drums. The album is launched at A4 Sounds in Dublin on Friday night with support from Landless.
NEW ARTIST OF THE WEEK
Exmagician
Belfast band Cashier No.9 burned brightly a few years back with debut album The Death Of Fun. Now, the two principal songwriters, Danny Todd and James Smith, have returned to the Bella Union label as a duo. Produced by quality-assured Rocky O'Reilly, Exmagician reach for something tougher than the indie/folk of their previous band with new track
Kiss That Wealth Goodbye
. Still present, though, is their echoed instrumentation and melodic singalong sensibility. It sounds a bit like Kasabian playing with an organ, light synths and acoustic guitars.
