Toby Kaar and Moths @ The Pavillion, Cork

As Hurricane Katia bore down upon our small island nation last Sunday night, some of our island’s best up and coming electronic artists took to the stage of Cork’s Pavilion for an evening of smashing tunes to help brush off the weather. In the small, green-tinted bar, a respectable crowd rushed in out of the rain and gathered to watch the rising stars of Moths and Toby Kaar shine.

Fresh off a show at the Electric Picnic the weekend before last, Moths a.k.a. Jack Colleran, opened proceedings with what some deign to call ‘chill wave’. Relying on subtle background synths, and effected lead lines, his sound seemed to fill the whole venue, seeping into every corner, getting under peoples skin. Known for his remixes of artists like Interpol and the Passion Pit, as well as his own laid back electro, he had the whole venue grooving.

Returning to the stage after DJing for most of the afternoon, headliner Toby Kaar sought to round off the evening. Having come to prominence over the last six months, after lighting a spark with his remix of Nouvueanoise’s track Cinnte, this was a sort of a homecoming for Toby. He’d played in Cork a number of times in the past few months, playing support to Gold Panda, and taking a slot on the FMC Tour, but this was his first headliner since his breakthrough and the home crowd were out in force.

There’s a serious groove to Toby’s music, which is a lot more immediate than some of Moths material, leading to a nice contrast in sound on the night. But even more so, there’s a groove to Toby himself. Hunched over his laptop and controllers, he sways back and forth, shakes, shudders and jumps along with the crowd as he kicks out the jams. His set consisted of a lot of his more well known tunes, and a few newer pieces that will be sure to appear on his debut album which, we all hope, will be out soon.

The quality of music on show in the Pav on Sunday was superb. The now, not-so-underground, electronic artists of Ireland can hold themselves up with the best of them. A bright future awaits Irish electronica and all of its shining stars.

Check out Moths and Toby Kaar on their respective sites here, and here. Catch Moths at Dublin’s Absolut Fringe Club with RSAG on Sept 22^nd, and see Toby in the Roisín Dubh on the same night.

Published on Drop-D.ie - September 14th, 2011

Music Video: Dave Hope and the Henchmen - Hell or High Water

One of Cork’s up and coming directors, Shaun O’ Connor, has been very recently. In the past few months he’s shot videos for many other up and comers in the Cork music scene such as Toy Soldeir, Exit:Pursued by a Bear, and Echogram, and here he’s pulled out a beautiful video for local folk band, Dave Hope and the Henchmen and their track ‘Hell or High Water’.

Plugging into the rustic folk style of Dave Hope, the video is slowly and wistfully arranged. Being shot in an antique vehicle yard in Halfway Co. Cork, the aesthetic of the ruined vehicles lends a rustic, run-down feel to the video, and it suits the Henchmen’s sound perfectly.

The track itself is a straight up piece of folk. Produced by Declan Sinnott, the song rests on its lyricism, its nature and its guitar melodies. It doesn’t blow you away with its ingenuity, but it’s such a nicely composed and pleasant song, that it very easily wins you over. Looking forward to hearing and seeing more from these guys in the future.

Watch the video here.

Download ‘Hell or High Water’ now on iTunes and check out more of Shaun O’ Connor’s work at his website here.

Published on Drop-D.ie - September 15th 2011

Tenonsaw - Beginnings

Tenonsaw are an electronic-folk duo made up of Tom Luke and Salt Erikson, based in the badlands of North Cork. This past week they’ve released a sixteen-track CD entitled ‘Beginnings’ compiling their time together over the last number of years. Rather than being a vie for massive national recognition, or an attempted leap at stardom, Tenonsaw have released this record as a pure piece of art, a snapshot of their time together as a group and a hint of things to come.

The song styles are all a variation on a theme. Programmed drum tracks and keys form a base upon which the pair lay a mix of electric and acoustic guitars, synths and Salt’s beautifully distinctive vocals. The tracks, being self-recorded, tend to range in quality but the majority give glimpses, allusions to the potential of the band. Due to the sheer amount of tracks on the CD it would be difficult to look at each one individually, so we’ll just look at a couple of highlights. The opener ‘Pact’ slinks into existence with a beautiful picked guitar with spikes of a supporting electric guitar stabbing behind it. The track swell at the middle and gives way to a bit crushed drum beat combined with arpeggio-esque guitar flourishes. Despite all that’s going on in the track, it still remains remarkably subtle and eventually recedes back into the acoustic guitar as the track fades.

‘Disappear’ is another marvellously subtle track, but its genesis is in electronica rather than folk. An almost hip-hop electronic piano accompanies the verses of the track as a number of effected drum hits patter beneath the piano and the vocals. The song stays on the downbeat side of things as it never really takes off, but that’s the case for Tenonsaw’s sound as a whole and it suits them. This for me is the stand out track on the album. The track ‘Neon´ is another favourite. The DIY style of production really comes through on this track, but because of that you can see the potential of the band’s sound. Parts of it echo Talking Heads, parts Massive Attack, parts Tool. There’s a dark aura here, mainly due to the deep bass line that runs through the track. Yet despite this there is a somewhat uplifting quality to the chorus with its mix of synths and pianos.

For this reviewer, ‘Beginnings’ exists in two worlds. One is a world where this album can be seen as a piece of art, an exposition of the talent and creativity of the duo and nothing else. The other world is the place where this CD should be seen as a sign of things to come. If the production quality goes up, if the vocals become more prominent, then they could be serious contenders. Tenonsaw walk the line between these two worlds. It’s up to them which one they choose to live in.

Drop-D Rating: 8/10

Published on Drop-D.ie - September 15th 2011

The Eulogys - Ambergris and Tigerblood

I’m sorry to say that this CD has been sitting in the ‘To Do’ pile for a long time, and it’s a shame that the D hasn’t mentioned something about locals The Eulogys sooner. However, this reviewer will now rectify their absence with a look at their recently released EP, Ambergris and Tigerblood.

Hailing from Cork and, like many other talented home-grown musicians, now based in Dublin, The Eulogys is the new project masterminded by Mr. Kenny Hyland. A talented singer and pianist, Hyland possess some very strong pop sensibilities and this is showcased here on his self-recorded and produced EP.

The CD opens with Bouquets which, like a lot of The Eulogys music, is very much piano driven. It’s almost like a ‘just about’ restrained orchestral piece. Hyland’s Matt Bellamy-esque vocal taking the place of the strings, brass and percussion, as he sings of the complications and uncertainties of a failing relationship is the real hook of this song. So let’s just put it out there, Hyland seems very much pre-occupied with love and ladies and the second track, Trees in the Painting does nothing to disprove this theory. The high register vocals are present here again, along with the piano but the real drive is the off kilter percussion.

Closer De Profundis takes the sound in a slightly different direction to the other two tracks by dropping the piano and picking up the guitar, and in this reviewers opinion, the track is the strongest on the EP. All the bravado that went along with the piano is shrugged off here and it makes the track more immediate, personal and much sweeter.

Overall, the EP showcases a raw talent. There are moments of beauty on the CD, and moments where, when the production quality slightly falters, the veneer of beauty is slightly dullened. That said, and as I just mentioned, this EP shows off Kenny’s talent in both song writing and composition. One to check out and definitely one to watch.

Drop-D Rating: 7/10

You can download Ambergris and Tigerblood for free from The Eulogys Bandcamp page here.

Published on Drop-D.ie - 15th August, 2011

Nick Lowe - The Old Magic

Very often, it’s hard for this reviewer to stop himself from searching for the ‘point’ of an album, for the place of a band in the musical sphere, where they’re going, what they want and where they came from. So sometimes, this reviewer will not listen for a genuinely nice piece of music, but instead search for its relevance.

Well, in this case, Nick Lowe’s album, ‘The Old Magic’, is one occasion where it’s pointless to look for what this album is trying to say, and where Mr. Lowe is trying to get himself. Nick, as he sings on Checkout Time, is sixty-one years old, he’s a New Yorker who has been writing music for forty years, and has been constantly releasing material all that time.

To me, this is just a very nice album, free from the world conquering ambition that tends to plague a lot of newer bands. Its folk/rock tinged and its lazy tightness reminds the listener of the experience and skill of Lowe and his backing band. It’s a perfect record for a Sunday morning.

There’s not much more to say about Nick Lowe’s, The Old Magic and to not tar the record with the same brush I used on Blanck Mass a couple of weeks ago, I’d implore you to check it out yourself. Definitely one this reviewer would recommend. Just don’t try and think too hard about it.

Drop-D Rating : 6/10

Published on Drop-D.ie - 15th August, 2011

Hurray For The Riff Raff - Hurray For The Riff Raff

Sometimes the term ‘Americana’ doesn’t seem like a genre that we’d be terribly familiar with and its name alone almost suggests that it wouldn’t be a genre that would stand up in our country. But with its origins in folk and blues, we are in fact very much familiar with ‘Americana’ as a genre, and Hurray for the Riff Raff is indeed a perfect slice of everything you would consider the genre to be. Right down to the biography of the band. It reads;

Hurray For The Riff Raff began when a teenage Alyndra Lee Segarra started hopping freight trains across the USA to satisfy a yearning to explore its mythical small towns and backwaters…She hooked up with The Dead Man Street Orchestra, a home-made family of young, itinerant music makers living on the edge of the American dream.

That says it all really. The heart of this music is placed in the romantic dreams of turn of the century America with its wide, open plains barren save for the railroads and it’s sparsely populated towns.

It’s easy to be cynical about the foundation myth of the band, after all, I come from a very cynical country. However, once I put my cynical tendencies aside, what’s left behind is a beautiful body of music, spanning two albums, and five years of chasing the American dream. Well, in name at least.


The album opens with ‘Meet Me In The Morning’, a instrumental that sounds like it should accompany a love scene from a turn of the century silent film, and it leads into the album’s strongest song, ‘Is That You?’. Frontwoman, Alyndra, croons over banjo strums and the drones of an accordion, “I saw your ghost at the grocery” being the lead sentiment of the song. Toms and snare bang in and out, taking the track up and down as the accordion grows ever more frenzied.

In one of the dips of the song, Alyndra lifts a verse from the great, troubled singer Daniel Johnston and his song, ‘Some Things Last A Long Time’. She sings, “Your picture, is still, on my wall. The colours, are bright, as ever”. As a fan of Daniel Johnston, I’m happy to see his music influencing more musicians, and references to him seem to be a rite of passage, (see Kurt Kobain, Conor Oberst).

‘Is That You?’ is a beautiful start to an album, but sadly, the rest of the record stays in the same vein. Songs like Daniella, Little Things, and Take Me are quite lovely, and add to the atmosphere, but the album refuses to go anywhere new. Don’t get me wrong, Hurray For The Riff Raff is a marvelous album, beautifully crafted, and doesn’t possess a single disappointing song. But I feel that it’s more of a coffee table album, an album for the background that doesn’t require a lot of attention.

I will listen to this album again, as a fan of the Americana genre, and I will enjoy it. But not because Hurray For The Riff Raff have opened my mind up to something new, but because I’ve heard it all before.

Drop-D Rating: 8/10

Published on Drop-D.ie on April 20th 2011

Sound It Out!: Grand Final, at the Pavillion

The Pavilion last night saw the conclusion of the Sound It Out Competition that had been running about Cork for the better part of the two months. The lucky groups that were going to slug it out on the night were Sian Brown, Meadhbh Boyd & The Mutual Appreciation Society, and Hush Warcry. The groups had triumphed over the thirty-three other hopefuls and were in with a chance at taking the title. It promised to be one entertaining night.


First up was folk act, Sian Brown. Backed by a five-piece band comprised of an electric guitarist, bassist, drummer, pianist and cellist, Sian launched into semi-soulful renditions of her extensive body of work. The band embellished Sian’s songs perfectly, the beautiful arrangements and tight play style made her stand above the other bands in terms of musicianship. She knew what her genre demanded and she delivered it. A personal favourite track of mine would be the guttural, ‘Rainbow’, a track whose heart is grounded in the mid-90s and gives off an almost Radiohead-esque vibe. I must say however, you can only push the folk-rock genre so far and Ms. Brown wasn’t delivering anything mind-blowing at the show. Her set wasn’t going to set the world alight, but indeed it was very pleasant, and probably the most complete of all the performances on the night.



Next up was the winners of the Roundy heats, Meadhbh Boyd & The Mutual Appreciation Society. The band combine the folk/jazz elements of Meadhbh’s own style, with the heavy, off-time rhythms and bass brought in by the other members. The drumming was excellent (if a bit light at times), the bass playing was excellent, the keys were excellent and the guitar embellishments added by Robert Wedgbury were excellent. Given the individual parts, you would expect that the whole would be excellent also, and it was pretty close. I found the lyrics grating at times, in particular the “you are a sexy sexy man about town” lines, and in general the lyrics were quite lacking. Also, I found that the songs went on a bit and often bordered on the over-indulgent. That said, I found Meadhbh Boyd & The Mutual Appreciation Society to be, by far, the most interesting act of the night.



Finishing up the evening were indie-kids Hush Warcry, and once they had taken the stage, it was clear to see which band had brought the crowd. Amidst thunderous applause and whooping, Hush Warcry, clad in the indie uniform of white t-shirts, skinny jeans, and guitars up to their necks, opened their set. The band showed a good deal of expertise in their genre, with their melodic guitars, driving bass, and innovative drum beats, adding some nice synth lines to give some fullness to their material. Their two lead signers worked both individually and in tandem throughout the show and they possibly possessed the best vocal range of all the acts.



I think the singers could have harmonised a bit more often and this could have made their set more interesting as I found myself drifting off after their fourth or fifth song. Another criticism I would have is that the band inexplicably all swapped instruments for a song mid-set. The bassist played the drums, the drummer played the keys, and one of the singers played the bass. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the band to have kept their places for the song, as once they had switched over, the quality of the music took a nosedive. But in general in quality of the music was high, and they were by far the most melodic and evocative band of the three finalists.



For all that the night promised, I couldn’t muster up a lot of interest in the bands, as much as I tried. I found something fundamentally lacking in each of the acts, aspects that I couldn’t get over, but maybe I have high standards. My money would have been on Meadhbh Boyd & The Mutual Appreciation Society to take the title and as luck would have it, they came away with the win. The band were the most interesting and innovative of the three and, lyrical content aside, they were the obvious choice to win. We here at the D look forward to hearing more from them in the future and would like congratulate them on their win.


Published on Drop-D.ie, 16th April, 2011

Toy Soldier - An Réalt Dearg, April 10th

Local electro-pop champions Toy Soldier performed in the intimate setting of Barrack Street’s An Réalt Dearg last Sunday night as a warm-up show for the myriad of appearances that await them in the coming months.

The show was divided in two, the first was a stripped back, most acoustic orientated set but it still maintained a good deal of the electronic elements that the band are known for. The set was eight songs long and encompassed all the best parts of their full on set, as well as a few new tracks to keep things fresh. Songs like Goldigger, Summertime, and new track Run stand out, the third being perhaps the most recent addition to the set and led entirely by singer Ciara. The purpose of these stripped down songs is to prepare the band for an appearance in Los Angeles’ infamous Viper Room next week as the Soldiers march off to the states for a string of shows on the West Coast. The shrewd use of programming, perfectly harmonising vocals, and incredible guitar precision show that the band are sure to impress in the highly competitive atmosphere of the City of Angels.

Once the acoustic set was concluded, the crowd were treated to the full on Toy Soldier set. We were met with the true heart of the pop aficionados, and they are truly in their element when they’re fully electronic. Nothing against the more stripped back material, but Toy Soldier were made to get you grooving with their incredibly energetic, synth-pop swagger. They have a beautifully constructed set list, with intro music that leads seamlessly into the opening track, We Are Soldiers. The band’s past releases , Battles and Climbing Trees drop in and out of the set and hold their own with new tracks like My Oh My and Heat. The flow of the set is absolutely perfect, and the lucky few who saw them are treated to an encore in the form of So Far Away, a glittering way to end the evening.

I also picked up a copy of the band’s current single, Sunset Girl, which is a brilliantly infectious track. Edgy synth lines run throughout the song as Cian and Ciara’s vocals intertwine expertly, adding a nice depth to the light-hearted gem that the song is. The band released the track last month and it came in conjunction with a beautiful music video. It was shot by local director Shaun O’ Connor, whose previous work includes videos from Exit: Pursued By A Bear, Ladydoll, and local rap hero, Grandmaster Cash. The quality of the video is incredibly high, and the slow movements of the camera make a nice contrast to the upbeat track. The video is linked below, and you can find more of his work at www.shaunoconnor.com.

Well, in summary, Toy Soldier are perhaps one of the most enjoyable live acts I have seen locally in a long time. They are experts at their craft, and the quality of their material, both live and on record, is something to be marvelled at. Definitely a band to check out. Links below.

http://www.myspace.com/toysoldier

http://www.facebook.com/toysoldierband

Published on Drop-D.ie, April 12th, 2011

Bibio - Mind Bokeh

Mind Bokeh (pronounced ‘bouquet’) is the new album from the British music producer Bibio, aka Steve Wilkinson. An electronic artist, Bibio his draws influence from Boards of Canada, and other Warp artists, where he releases his music. Given his peers and his history as a producer, a lot was expected from his most recent effort, and he doesn’t disappoint.

Mind Bokeh opens with the track Excuses. Chimes ping in the distance, and synths drip and patter as the song kicks off. As the edgy bassline and percussion begin to build up, Wilkinson enters with a low, effected, and almost hushed vocal, “How was I, supposed to know”. Excuses is a dark track that doesn’t exactly peak, but is content staying in the groove until the end. The real kick comes with the Reprise at the end of the track after a moments silence giving a more energetic feel that harks back to the sounds that came before it. Pretentious is the track that follows and it’s a much more funky number, with a staggered, off-time beat. There are signs of some Latin, Caribbean and Motown musical influences in the synths, percussion and percussion respectively. Funk and groove are big features of the earlier tracks, and Anything New is guilty of this too. You can hear similar influences that can be heard in early Jay-Z and Kanye West material in this song, but Wilkinson’s vocal keeps us grounded in the present. Wake Up! combines the sentiments of the earlier tracks with an Arabic/Eastern vibe, but Light Sleep brings us right back to the groove again. Light Sleep is the climax of the earlier portion of the album in terms of style. The percussion of the track never really breaks out fully, Wah-Wah guitars, lead basslines, and jazzy synth parts make it somewhat of jazz/funk odyssey.

Once the album hits the sixth track, there’s a serious shift in style. The funk play style is out the window, and the heavier, power chord guitars enter, along with the dance beats. It’s almost like a different group. Take Off Your Shirt is a track worthy of dance floors everywhere, sounding like a rockier version of tracks by DJs such as David Guetta and his ilk. The next song, Artist’s Valley, is one of the more artistic tracks one the album. A semi-punk-pop guitar line gives an introduction, and it leads the way for staggering, stumbling electronic drums and effected, harmonising vocals. K Is For Kelson allows the sunnier elements from earlier in the album to seep back in briefly, but the elegant and moody synths return with the title track, Mind Bokeh. The album’s namesake doesn’t stay long, and seems to serve as an intro for More Excuses, the more mature, older brother of the LP opener. Driven by acoustic guitar picking, a hopping bass, and light percussion, the lyrics of the track seem to be its centrepiece. The ‘excuses’ that are sung about seem to be the only topic of any depth in the album, although this depth is only alluded to as Wilkinson seems perfectly content in the instrumentation and groove that wins out in the LP rather than introspection. And as if Bibio read my mind, the track that follows, Feminine Eye, is the perhaps the most laidback of the album.

Clearly the confidence of Bibio lies in the lighter, funkier material and there’s nothing wrong with that. On a personal level, after a number of listens to the album, I began to find some of the earlier tracks tedious and identified more with the more subtle material.

But those criticisms aside, Mind Bokeh is an incredibly enjoyable album and the stand-out tracks have to be Take Off Your Shirt, Artist’s Valley, and the duo of Excuses and More Excuses. Bibio’s album ranges expertly from introversion to extraversion in a very natural way and it spans a lot of genres. Without a doubt there’s something is this album for everyone.

Drop-d Rating: 8/10

Published on Drop-D.ie, April 8th, 2011

Thirteen Senses - Crystal Sounds

Thirteen Senses are an Indie/Melodic band from Cornwall and have just released their third album, Crystal Sounds on their own, B-Sirius, label. It follows up what they have described as “a difficult second album” and features finished tracks of demos they had released the middle of last year. I had heard of the band before, first through their popular track Into The Fire which featured on episodes of The 4400 amongst others. That, combined with a brief look in on them at a festival a while back, I was very interested to see how they would follow up, “the difficult second album”.

The album opens with the title track Crystal Sounds. On their Facebook page, the band themselves say the opener “Like riding a wave of pure diamonds, it’s one to sweep you up and take you away”. It’s a euphoric track that puts one in mind of the Danish band Mew what with the opening reverberating handclaps and vocal harmonies. It shows the development of a more mature sound for the band, and vocalist Will South seems to know it as he opens with the lyric “A little wiser now”. The drums kick in and the song enters its top gear but still retains its choral tendencies as strings and pianos join in to give the track an almost epic quality. A brilliant start to the album, and definitely one of its best. The next track, and first single from the album, The Loneliest Star, carries on in the same manner with big vocals although it’s a bit more to the point than the opener. Up-tempo kick and snare hits bring you in combined with an ethereal pad and South’s introspective love lyrics, “At the end of time, I will hold you in my arms again”, keep the band still somewhat within the Indie mentality, while the instrumentation pushes them forward towards something with a lot more depth.

Next follows the second single from the album, Home. It’s a slightly more bland track that the previous ones. Don’t get me wrong, it still carries the same elements as the two openers, choirs, keys and large sounding guitars, but the execution here is a bit lacking. I wondered if the more standard indie stylings were creeping into the album and sure enough, the album starts to lose it and starts to stagnate a bit. Imagine Life and Suddenly follow suit and seem to follow tracks that have worked for them in the past such as their biggest track, Into The Fire, from their previous album. Again, it’s not that there’s anything wrong with that style, it’s just that the album started out with such potential and I was a bit disappointed not to see them keep things interesting.

There are glimmers of hope later in the album however. Animals is a beautiful track. The pattering of a distant arpeggiator, echoing guitars, and a graceful lead bassline are the core of the first half of the song. The first half fades, and the band add layers and layers of instruments on top of an elegant piano line and it builds to a euphoric climax worthy of Coldplay and Sigur Ros. This is the essence of the depth that was hinted at earlier in the album. I Saw Stars Disappear hints at this too, as does the album closer, Out There. This track is by far the biggest sounding on the album, and is a natural closer with is grandiose string arrangements and its monumental aura.

The album also features 3 bonus tracks and the first of these, Send Myself To Sleep, is a largely acoustic number. However, the orchestral pieces feature again and the track benefits greatly from it making it incredibly sweet. The third of the extra tracks, In The Crowding, is another track that stands out and strikes a good balance between the Indie and Melodic elements of the music. For me, that’s the main point to make about the album. It hovers between the ever-dating, average, alternative side, and the larger sounding, progressive tones. At times, one side favours, then the other side favours, but the band really shine when they hit the balance in tracks like Crystal Sounds, The Loneliest Star, and In The Crowding. Thirteen Senses are really pushing the boat out with this album, in terms of depth, lyricism and instrumentation. Definitely one to check out.

Drop-d Rating: 7/10

Published on Drop-D.ie, April 4th, 2011

Vita - Oh The Beautiful Bovine

Vita are an incredibly interesting band and they’ve just released their debut LP, Oh The Beautiful Bovine.. Fronted by ex-Ilya K guitarist Niall Cuddihy, their music still carries a good deal of their charm. I must say, I was a big Ilya-K fan back when they were together. Went to many a gig, and devoured their LP, Anaesthesia ad Infinitum, when it came out so I was interested to see where Niall would take their sound. As it turns out, he’s taken it in a pretty natural direction. The album still has the stompy guitars and crashing drums of DeKay’s sound, but the classical, folk and electronic elements that were seeping into Ilya K’s later material have found their home on this record.

The album opens with the heavy ManFaith. The pattering arpeggiator that begins the track hides the battering that follows. A brooding, quasi-blues riff heads up the verses here, with lead singer Niall almost groaning his lyrics over the instrumentation, “I bruise like a fallen angel”. The vocals, mixed with the guitars reminds me of Mark Lanegan era Queens of the Stone Age. Next up is the introspective My Father’s Mean, which takes the emotional tone of the album right down to the ground from the heady opener. Indeed the album in general mixes the pounding of Niall’s Ilya K work with the more tender and emotional work the features throughout the LP.

The third track, Runner Beans, keeps the atmosphere edgy and ethereal. Samples spin off behind a whirling organ and it segways into the brilliant Ray Davies Sais. For me, this is the stand out track on the album. The “Na Na Na Na Na Naaa” chorus and pumping verses drive the track along in a really strong way, with guitars that stab in here and there to give it more edge. The beautiful Hazeldark soon follows. It sits at only a minute and a half, but it’s grace and elegance stay long after. I found myself going back to this simple track again and again. Niall sings“Dream afresh now your past has died, simply goes when theres love inside” and this just goes to further the introspective side of the album that contrasts the brash tracks that balance it.

Stand out tracks for me have to be ManFaith, Ray Davies Sais and Hazeldark although there are moments in album that are a bit lacking for me. I found myself humming a vocal line in the song Dirty Silhouette and a vocal never came. Not that that’s a big problem, but I felt there were not enough full on songs in the album and a few too many instrumentals for my liking. That said, having been a fan of Niall’s previous work, I was quite impressed with the album, and as an album in itself, it works beautifully. Definitely one to check out. You can download the album from their Soundcloud page.

Drop-D Rating: 7/10

Published on Drop-D.ie, April 1st, 2011

The Bastard - The Bastard

About a year ago, this writer read an article by the well respected Irish Blogger and editor of State Magazine, Niall Byrne, a.k.a. Nialler9, on the subject of Irish Hip-Hop artists. It took a “light-hearted” look at the state of the genre in Ireland, and the result was none too good. It featured a number of acts ranging from the dreadful to the more dreadful including a group of awkward lads singing about debt collection in front of a Subaru jeep, another few singing about Dutch Gold and Grannies. Others dealt with the age-old battle of ‘Marijuana vs. The Gardaí’.

The comedic element also featured. Naturally, the Rubberbandits headed up the hip-hop parodies, with the Cork-based stylings of Grandmaster Cash gaining an honorable mention (not pictured Dr. Feekinstein). Given that, in late 2009, the above was the state of the Irish Hip-Hop scene, we clearly had a long way to go to gain any sort of credibility and as a genuine fan of the genre, I was disappointed at the turnout. Well, The Bastard AKA Leigh and Blake, as part of the Exxon Valdes collective, have given a much-needed injection of credibility, creativity, and talent into the Irish Hip-Hop scene with their self-titled debut LP. The future of Irish Hip-Hop is here, as The Bastard themselves put it, “The Dawn of a New Era”.

The album eases us into Leigh and Blake’s world with the track Things Are Bad. The opener consists entirely of the infamous “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this any more” speech from the 1976 film, Network. This track sets the scene for the album; a dark, brooding look at humanity. However, I must get my one major criticism for the album out of the way now. I think the group relies far too heavily on samples taken from film. The first, third, and closing tracks consist entirely of movie quotation, the second track, and the lead off single, The Bastard, is guilty of this too. My reasoning for calling this aspect a flaw is that it shows a lack of creativity in what otherwise is an incredibly creative record. I can see that the chosen samples help the scene setting, but if the sampling had been a little more original, this would be near perfect for me. That mentioned, lets get back to it.

The first meaty song on the album comes with the second track, entitled Keep The Change. Big beats hung on a loop from Swan Lake power this number, the MC layering the dark subject matter on top, “scared to sleep, my demons on the lookout, the one that gets too close usually the one that gets took out”. The next notable track is the fifth, Down In The Hole. To me, this track seems the most complete. I’m not usually a fan of the whole Devil/down at the crossroads style of lyricism, but it just works here. The beat ties in so well with the vocals, and the synth in the second verse just makes it so funky, that I can’t help but get on board with it. Out West follows along in a similar vein to Down In The Hole, in terms of lyric style, taking a country/blues guitar loop and a distant saxophone as its basis. The growing darkness of the LP culminates thematic centerpiece of Memoirs. The spoken word track tells a tale of a man falling from youth and grace into hatred and age, “Night has fallen and the darkness blankets my mind, and not even love can illuminate it again”. The lead off single The Bastard follows. It’s a great track and an ideal first foot forward for the band, as well as people getting into them. The video is down below, and the LP can be downloaded from their Bandcamp page.

Track seven of the album, Memoirs, tells us, “F**k hope” and the speaker is clearly lacking it. I however, am not. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, The Bastard represent the future of Irish Hip-Hop and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Drop-D Rating: 7/10

Published on Drop-D.ie, March 28th, 2011

Longjaw - ...like a dog

Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s inaccurate searching, or maybe its the fault of the band but I can find precious little background information for the Dublin-based Longjaw at the release of their debut electronic/shoegaze LP …like a dog. Their Bandcamp page, where the entire album can be downloaded free of charge, seems to be the only presence the band hold on the net. That, I must say, is a serious shame because …like a dog is such an evocative release that shows a lot of potential and the band need to do a bit more to get it out there.

The album holds such a strong groove at the outset. The opening duo of …the world screamed and Frankie’s Song place the album firmly in the electronic/dubstep category with distorted and melodic vocal tracks, combining with tight drum sampling. From the third track however, the album then seems to taper off slightly. The vocal quality falters, as does the instrumentation, and the album eventually becomes balanced between it’s flawless and dodgy elements. The tracks New Year and fake Emo Ghost are good examples of the this duality. Similarly, the closing tracks, (trashed in) Paradise and Ghostworld, suffer from some serious tempo and vocal issues.

The production of the album is decidely lo-fi and that seems to be an intentional move by the band. The record, like the artwork that accompanies it, hovers between childish and charming, and I can’t quite decide which it is. The music is laid back and chilled, and the production mirrors that, adding to the atmosphere of the LP. The style of the art and production do give a sense of the album and this can hardly be seen as a negative aspect of the band but I feel the quality issues need to be addressed for them to progress.

That said, Longjaw show a lot of potential for their genre and …like a dog is a very good first step. I look forward to hearing where they go next.

Drop-D Rating: 5/10

Published on Drop-D.ie, 31st March, 2011

Bl_ck R_b_ts - Farewell Black Robots

It’s a testament to the nature of receiving new music these days that the first thing I did when I went to review Bl_ck R_b_ts’ album – Farewell Black Robots was to Google their name.

I was greeted with tale after tale concerning the band’s recent history, and in particular, the trouble concerning their name. To cut a long story short, Bl_ck R_b_ts dropped the ‘a’s and added the underscores to prevent confusion with the Californian-based ‘Black Robot’ and can now add their name to the long list of bands who’ve had similar issues. Their debut, Farewell Black Robots, comes at the end of this ordeal, and in my opinion they couldn’t have put it behind them in a better way. style="font-family:georgia;">

The album opens dark, with I am are Robot, a deafening track that seeps angst and anger. The following track, Times Changing, furthers the darker side of the album. Deen O Saurus sings, as the title suggests, “Times are changing…I can’t see you, the way I did before”. However, within the darkness lies light. The album moves between the two shades while remaining in the same trodden heavy guitar and drums combo. Tracks like Stand, Easier, and the album closer Different in particular, are truly uplifting. The enchanting melodies behind the brash instrumentation reminds you of My Bloody Valentine and The Deftones at times.

If the I was to criticise the album, there are a few timing issues here and there so the tracks aren’t as tight as they could be. Also, the two instrumental tracks, Dead Fox and Virgin, tend to break up the album’s flow a bit. Not that I’m against instrumentals, but the track don’t go far enough in the instrumental vein and if you include tracks like that, they have to hold your attention. That said, I really enjoyed Farewell Black Robots. Its an incredibly strong record and I’m hoping that their recent troubles can be put behind them so they can make more great music like this.

Drop-D Rating: 8/10

Published on Drop-D.ie, March 25th, 2011