We sat down to have a chat with David Keenan before the release of his new album ‘A Beginner’s Guide To Bravery’ in The Library Bar at the Central Hotel Dublin. We talked about how he crafted the album, his intricate lyrics and how he creates the characters and scenes in his tracks.
‘A Beginner’s Guide To Bravery’ is out this Friday January 10th
You can catch David Keenan live at :
JAN 11th The Empire The Belfast Empire, Belfast, United Kingdom
We sat down to have a chat with Julie Hough, Matthew Harris and Sam Campbell from HAVVK in Bello Bar Dublin before their Cause & Effect album launch. With the Christmas atmosphere in tow, hot whiskeys in hand and a brief intermission for a beer mat game the band discuss how they form their magnificent and rich music, Julie’s amazing voice and VETA, the artist-led music group the band set up to help artists.
Country Rock band Zebra Trees have released their self-titled debut album. This follows on from their first single ‘Happy Birthday’, released in February. Zebra Trees consists of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jim McFarnell and vocalist Andrea French.
Zebra Trees present their wholesome country rock with sweet pop elements and warm instrumental lilts through their self titled album. From the cosy bright jingle of ‘Wild In The Country’, the balmy ‘Wanted Poster’ and uplifting ‘ Just To Let You Know’ through to the more ballad- eque tracks like ‘Nightmare’ and ‘The Busker’ we see the vibrant and well crafted musicianship of Zebra Trees. The band flesh out their sublime storytelling through lush catchy melodies and rich instrumentation. French’s vocals exude emotion and passion throughout with lush harmonies creating a beautiful texture within the album. There are wonderful guitar moments throughout from sweet jingles to infectious slinky guitar licks and sweltering western twangs. The band use the guitars to add rich and vibrant embellishments in the songs. The buoyant and infectious foot-tapping beat in tracks like The Corrs – esque ‘Summer Angel’ create a pure and radiant atmosphere and gives something to bounce and dance along to while the beautiful vocals melt upon the delightful melody. Warm, cosy and heartfelt tones are abundant as Zebra Trees blend folk and country with a peppering of rock to add an edge. ‘Broken’ and ‘Good Times Past And Gone’ bring the album to an end with the latter fully embracing the country elements of the bands style with strong guitar twangs and powerful vocals.
If country folk rock is your thing then Zebra Trees have everything you would want with peppy catchy melodies, loving, yearning tones and a strong southern edge, it’s a humdinger sure to have your feet tapping.
Swedish singer/songwriter Ruborg has released his new album ‘In It For The Long Haul’. This is his first project for 2019, preceded by the promotional singles ‘Straight Through The Dark’ and ‘Hold Up’, released in July and August respectively.
‘In It For The Long Haul’ finely blends tender acoustic ballads and blues rock with Ruborg’s passionate musicianship to create a wholesome and warm album. ‘Glory Of The Wild Days’ kicks the album into motion with vibrant light guitar, stomping beat and a nostalgic wild melody that is sure to put a smile on your face. ‘Damaged Goods’ is a gritty, adrenaline-pumped track as slicing jagged guitar lacerates through the stomping rhythm while Ruborg swaggers through this slick rock number. With delicate acoustic guitar gracing and driving tracks like ‘ Traces’ Ruborg creates soft and emotional scenes to sway to as his rich deep vocals caress the tender melodies. The album shifts seamlessly into meatier blues rock with tracks like ‘Road To Exile’ and ‘On The Breadline’ where the punchy drums fill out the backdrop while the guitars flurry through steamy riffs and light mellow jingles in tracks like ‘Straight Through The Dark’ and ‘Hold Up’. There isn’t a shortage of powerful classic rock choruses however ‘Black Dog Calls‘ displays Ruborgs’s versatility perfectly as it broods to start before belting into a mighty chorus filled with passion and oomph. An enjoyable album from start to finish.
Glasgow based musician The Standing Man aka Louis Carr has released his new album ‘Those Stories Of Old’. This rich collection of tracks takes Carr’s electronic infused sound and splashes it upon some R&B influences, indie aspects and soul elements to create a unique experimental album.’Those Stories Of Old’, ‘Do You See What I See (God’s A Wookie Man)’ and ‘You Flew Too High’ weave darkly smothered hip hop and electronic tones into the album as Carr coos and sings over flashing soundscapes and smooth grooves while the velvety melody drifts effortlessly over the fluctuant backdrop. The more eerie aspects of the album come in the form of ‘Sign My Love Over To You’ with creepy reverb vocals as the melancholic melody sweetens the haunting electronics while ‘I Lost My Love’ ventures into a heavier almost dubstep soundscape. Sometimes the vocal melody and instrumental backdrop appear separate like in ‘Diamond Eyes#’. The melody separates from the track as if its lifted slightly while the weaving instrumentation flickers and slaps beneath. The album is heavily electronic. The refreshing guitar moments and keys in the tracks glimmer as an undercurrent in the songs occasionally peering through the electronics. The guest vocals on the album are a surprising and pleasant surprise. ‘Meet Me’ is a standout track featuring the wonderful French / Parisian singer Noé on vocals as she sweetly contrasts Carr’s deep whispers while ethnic tones spiral and wisp beneath the beautiful vocal contrast. It’s has commercial quality elements yet exudes Carr’s unique and dark tone. ‘Keep On Pushing On’ follows this trend with tropical tones and an easy listening backdrop, it’s a refreshing lift in the album. Kat Dahlia is guest vocals on ‘I Aint Gettin No Help’ and adds a bad-ass quality to the album while ‘I’ll Lead You Home’ has a surprising country element. With twanging guitar and jangly piano the track is another sudden shift in the album. The Standing Man packs a lot of different genres and styles into this album from murky electronics, R&B, indie to county sometimes I wondered if it fit however, the shift in styles come across refreshing.
‘Those Stories Of Old’ is a unique album filled with intricate electronic backdrops wonderful guest vocalists, superb production and thick dark atmospheres. Not going to be everyone’s cup of tea as this album entwines around gloomy murky soundscapes and obscure moments but its The Standing Man’s style and an interesting glimpse into a unique artists mind.
Sleater-Kinney are set to release their tenth album, ‘The Center Won’t Hold’ on 16th August. The iconic trio is comprised of Carrie Brownstein (guitar/vocals), Corin Tucker (guitar/vocals) and, now former drummer, Janet Weiss (drums). The album was produced by St. Vincent and is released through Mom + Pop. Tickets are on sale to the general public for the band’s extensive North American tour kicking off in Spokane, WA on the 9th October with a full run of European dates announced for next year including a show at Dublin’s Vicar Street on March 1st.
‘The Center Won’t Hold’ shows a sparkling deeply smoldering new facet to Sleater-Kinney’s sound as they swirl and layer sultry synths and slinky guitar lines into their indie aesthetic. It’s a lush album – rich in sound, vibrant in its construction and smoking hot all the way to its core. From the enticing build of title track ‘The Center Won’t Hold’ right through to the fleshy raw ‘Ruins’ and steamy dance infested ‘Hurry On Home’, Sleater-Kinney present their unique sound blending boisterous noise- rock mania with brooding thuds, experimental moments, electronic swirls and all out smothering indie. ‘Reach Out’ is one sublime indie track with mesmerising guitar moments and infectious emotive melodies while ‘Can I Go On’ swirls a quirky quality into the mix as Sleater-Kinney flesh out their infectious melodies coating them with a sweet candied tone and sun kissed vibe. This album is full to brim with pulsing synths and sensual wobbly guitar, psychedelic soundscapes and powerful vocals. The synths and electronics ooze and seep from the tracks like liquid nitrogen creating a smokey haunting atmosphere of euphoria and mystery while the catchy melty melodies tease and entice. There is a Fleetwood Mac hue lingering over ‘A Restless Life’ and the darkly coated ‘The Future Is Here’ as the guitar jingles and strides with a laid back tone allowing the warm honest vocals take the attention.
‘Love’ bounces with an 80’s slapped pop melody and infectious groove while the adrenaline rush on guitars are reinforced by the lush harmonies and vibrant atmosphere. The rock ‘n’ roll foot shuffling ‘Bad Dance’ drips swagger into the album with every slinky guitar line, panache-saturated vocal and drum thud. Sleater-Kinney display their emotional power ballad-esque style with ‘The Dog The Body’. With lamenting sting on guitar, anthemic chorus, punchy drums and compelling vocals its one for fist pumping the air to. ‘Broken’ brings a graceful close to the album. Elegant piano accompaniment and emotional vocals serenade distant guitar pines in the background creating the most moving and heartbreaking listening experience.
‘The Center Won’t Hold’ is a thrilling album that walks a fine line between sensual electronic and indie rock. Sleater-Kinney blend all these elements superbly to create a impressive body of work that you can dance, sing and rock out to. Its quirky, crazy and absolutely brilliant.
About the album Brownstein explains, “We’re always mixing the personal and the political but on this record, despite obviously thinking so much about politics, we were really thinking about the person — ourselves or versions of ourselves…. — in the middle of the chaos.” Weiss adds, “I think for Carrie and Corin it was liberating to explore a different sound palette. Annie (St. Vincent) has a lot of experience building her own music with keyboards and synthesizers so she could be our guide to help us make sense of this new landscape and still sound like us.” Tucker says, “The Center Won’t Hold drops you into the world of catastrophe that touches on the election. And almost like a mission statement, at the end of that song, it’s like the band is finding its way out of that space by becoming a rock band.”
‘The Center Won’t Hold’ will be released on 16th August
Until then you can stream the title track ‘The Center Won’t Hold’ below :
Cork singer songwriter Eoin is set to release his new album ‘Reverie’ on 19th July. ‘Reverie’ examines the descent into anger and depression coupled with the transition from a lighter, acoustic driven folk sound to a heavier, grunge infused one. This compact album showcases Eoin’s rich, warm and emotive musicianship as he ventures from tender ballad- esque to expressive indie rock tracks effortlessly. Each track is just as compelling as the next from the warm folky stomp of opening song ‘Anthony’s Got Mono’ to the guitar swaggering ‘Mask Your Lines’ and the dark rugged ‘The Eleventh Hour’.Eoin caresses each number with his velvety, lightly rasped vocals as the melodies drift easily into the ears with a honeyed texture however, he’s not afraid to let go as we hear through his vocal wails in ‘The Eleventh Hour’. The delicate and more tender tracks such as ‘Infinite’, the numbing twinkling ‘Instrumental’ and grunge hued dark ‘Reverie’ croon and elegantly drift you into a lulled stupor as the soft guitar and steady beat create a calming effect. Eoin builds these tracks superbly, some becoming more intense as the instruments progress. His vocals haunt and wail in ‘Infinite’ and add a steamy tantalizing dash of spice through the falsetto in ‘A Blues Song’. This hair raising progression is why Eoin is an artist to keep an eye on. He surges his tracks with emotion and passion while reinforcing his moving themes and lyrical content with mesmerising and thrilling instrumentation to make you feel each pulse, guitar strike and drum beat. ‘Snow Angels’ is a charming ditty. Simple in its approach the acoustic gem has a cheery twist as Eoin coos and whispers the quirky lyrics through a chirpy guitar feature. The smoky ‘Chalk & Cheese’ provides the steamy bluesy side to the album as the verses tease and entice with soul infused vocals and light flirtations on guitar before blasting into the brawny chorus. There is sublime guitar moments in this track as it builds to its massive crescendo. We see the frenzied rock n’ roll facet of the album through ‘A.C.I.D.’ and boy it is a thrilling whoosh that takes you by surprise. Crashing and dizzying soundscapes whirl around while a gritty guitar riff and dynamic bass relentlessly pummels through the pounding drums. An absolutely magnificent and swagger steeped number that I’m sure is going to be insane live. The grunge filled angsty track ‘Blurb’ follows the frenzy with moody tones, light lamenting guitar and steady beat. This is another superb track. The perfect build from eerie numb and glum verses to crashing guitars, dynamic drum blasts and all out explosive nature of the chorus is erratic and perfectly crafted. Another track that is sure to be outstanding live and will strike a chord with listeners.
‘Reverie’ takes Eoin from a simple singer songwriter to a passionate diverse artist with a bright future ahead. Sure he can produce light, little, sweet ditty’s that make your feet tap and warm the cockles of your heart but the album takes you down into the depths of his musicianship with eerie haunting twists, flickers of anger, turmoil and depression through dynamic chilling and sometimes erratic instrumentation. He’s not afraid to lay everything out and showcase his versatility as an artist and boy has he made one mesmerising and outstanding album.
You can catch Eoin live at :
‘Reverie’ album launch night on 19th July in DeBarra’s Folk Club
Sukh has recently released his new album ‘Galactic Love Machine’. Sukh is a Wolverhampton born, Manchester based singer-songwriter and doctor. His roots in music started with his love of film scores, and as a teenager he was thrown in at the deep end when he was commissioned to compose an action movie soundtrack. On the live circuit Sukh has supported the likes of Basia Bulat, Nizlopi, Beth Rowley, Stu Larsen and Natsuki Kurai. He has also performed at Kendal Calling several years running, and garnered support from BBC Radio 2 and BBC Introducing.
‘Galactic Love Machine’ is a magical and ethereal album crafted and meticulously arranged for a gentle mesmerising listening experience. Sukh layers and weaves his melodies beautifully. Each track is a gem. From the elegant piano in ‘Not Far Now’ and ‘Flight’ through to the warm glistening guitar in ‘G.L.M’ and the infectious peppy ‘Dance On Ice’ Sukh shows how his beautiful musicianship creates cosy tones and tender moments while also making you smile and dance. The melancholic tones and dreamy atmospheres create special moments and a moving quality throughout the album as the tracks build becoming more dynamic and more passionate. The sweet heartbreaking ’Forever’ delves deep into Sukh’s emotional songwriting with touching lyrics and moving instrumentation. The lamenting guitar pines, behind warm melancholic vocals and haunting backing vocals while the graceful piano meanders wistfully throughout. The album struts through the funk flexed ‘Hail The Sun’ and rock hues in the darkly luring ‘Mystic’ while ‘My Joy’ drizzles on some country tones with warm guitar twangs and lush harmonies. With a shredding guitar solo and bright brass elements in ‘Revolution’ as well as a female vocal lead – the album draws to a sublime end with the bright sun kissed ‘Something Good’ and ‘Let Me Love You’. The former is filled with glorious tones and images of relaxed good times while jazz-esque tones and beautiful string strides are sprinkled throughout the latter track.
‘Galactic Love Machine’ is a charming album packed with magical tunes, sweet melodies and refined instrumental arrangements. There is something for everyone within this album.
We sat down to have a chat with Steven King from Fangclub to discuss what we can expect from the bands new album ‘Vulture Culture’ which was released today. We discussed the themes running through the album and the emotional and intricate aspects of ‘Vulture Culture’ as well as what it was like to support The Smashing Pumpkins and Metallica.
Singer Songwriter, Maxime has just released his debut album ‘The Honest Me Pt 1’. Maxime hails from France where his passion for songwriting began but he now resides in the vibrant city of LA where he continues to bring his words to life. Alongside the release of ‘The Honest Me Pt 1’, Maxime dropped a string of material which has already garnered huge interest with the leading single, ‘Is this Love’, already boasting over 20k streams on YouTube alone
‘The Honest Me Pt 1’ is a charming melodic album that drifts, swoons and surges with Maxime’s sublime cinematic musicianship. With vibrant, strong strides on strings throughout open track ‘Is This Love?’ the album begins elegant, graceful and compelling as warm guitar weaves between the raspy vocals, caressing the catchy melody. Each track exudes rich emotion and the instant rush of one’s first kiss as Maxime’s lyrics and expressive instrumentation flood with adrenaline and passion. From the more delicate ‘WTTW (Welcome To The World) Feat. Naby’ and heart breaking ‘Look At Me Now (Feat. Sheryl) ‘, ‘Little Words’ to the motivational and powerful ‘Damned’, ‘Tonight’ the tracks create dreamy soundscapes and instant cosy tenderness . The lyrical content feels sweet like a Disney movie but with more honesty. Each track is filled with romanticism and yet has realistic outlook. This is displayed by the swoosh and glide of dramatic heart racing instrumentation and powerful rhythms. There are beautiful powerful piano moments throughout the album and sublime pop flourishments with electronic peppering to keep a raw and rich texture throughout each song.The particularly gripping ’Apologies’ brings the album to a close with emotional and honest lyrics and vibrant instrumental content. The soft verses build to a heart racing chorus. This rush of emotions appears to be what Maxime does best, he has a sublime ability to make you feel every note, every pulse and quiver throughout each track making this album a very sweet and beautiful treasure to listen to.
