SONGS OF THE WEEK
Mano Le Tough - Empty Early Years And The Seed
The Greystones DJ and producer made the move to Berlin to pursue a career in music several years ago and the plan has worked out well. Mannion has been a regular travelling club DJ for a few years now, particularly around Europe with regular stops back on home turf. As a solo artist, as his debut album
Changing Places
established, Mannion prefers to take on more song-based dynamics. It's still electronic music but it's less for the feet and more for the ears. His second album
Trails
will be released at the end of the month on revered label Permanent Vacation.
Saint Sister – Blood Moon
Gemma Doherty and Morgan MacIntyre's “atmosfolk” is equally indebted to traditional folk (in melodic tone) and modern songwriting (loop pedal and subtle electronics). How did it take so long for an Irish band to utilise a harp, an instrument on our national coin, in such a perfectly pitched way? Excitement for the Dublin and Belfast duo's debut EP released at the end of the month grows.
Conor Walsh – The Front
Mayo pianist Conor Walsh has been playing evocative live compositions for a number of years, and now, with the help of fledgling label and collective Ensemble, Walsh will release his debut EP at the end of October.
The Front
is the title track and is a welcome comparison to modern neoclassical composers such as Nils Frahm.
Slowplacelikehome – Cesare's Principle 2015
Donegal musician Keith Mannion is boldly going where few musicians have gone before. Mannion has re-recorded much of his debut album
Romola
which had a soft release last year. Feeling it lacked punch and having learned so much in the process, he has since recorded new versions of seven of the songs on the release.
Cesare's Principle
suggests the difference is in the live instrumentation and arrangement.
RELEASE OF THE WEEK
Katie Laffan – Dead As Disco EP
Two years on from receiving a Hot Press Big Break accolade, 19-year-old Dublin college student Katie Laffan has self-released her debut EP. Inspired (like many before her) by poor relationship choices, the EP indulges in a funky live-band pop sound - a great match for Laffan's vocal youthfulness and sets her apart. In spirit, Laffan sounds like an Irish take on Lily Allen's bolshy style.
NEW ARTIST OF THE WEEK
CC Brez
Any seasoned Irish music fan will recognise the strains of the Republic Of Loose in the music of CC Brez, which is fair, as Cormac Breslin was a longstanding member of the band, who while they haven't formally split up, are definitely on some downtime. Breslin's music is similarly indebted to funk/pop as the biggest of the Loose's hits were, but where Mick Pyro's gravelled voice gave the songs some disheveled swagger, Breslin's solo compositions are clean and pristine. It's still early days, but two singles and an EP in, CC Brez is picking up the Loose's soulful slack.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Dublin trad band Lynched were surprising guests on Tuesday's
Later With Jools Holland
. Here they are playing
Father Had A Knife/ Salonika.
They're on the full version of the show again on Friday.
