Dave Scher and Jimi Hey had a long and glorious musical association that fermented for the most part in Beachwood Sparks. They also sparked in the short-lived but abundantly creative All Night Radio. The juice ran out after just 2 years but not before Scher and Hey could make a long player for Sub Pop. ‘Spirit Stereo Frequency’s opener couldn’t have been any more illuminating, it must have been a gas putting ‘Daylight Till Dawn’ together in the band's sitting room cum studio. This is uncluttered pop with a classic bent which means it could have appeared from any one of four decades. Sadly before talk of a sophomore got off the ground a pesky girl got in the way and ruined it all. KD

All Night Radio - Daylight Till Dawn

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Buy Songs: All Night Radio
Year: 2004

Most of you will probably never heard of Craig McLachlan but I remember the ex-neighbours actor for his 1990 hit ‘Mona’. Flaccid and just perfect for parochial sing-a-along’s it has failed, despite my best efforts, to shift from my consciousness over the years. The very mention of the name Mona strikes up visions of a curly haired, dungarees wearing soap star and his rubbish ditties. Sometimes I think of yoghurt. Thankfully, Captive State have opened up a parallel Mona universe that I can safely frequent. Their new EP ('Elmore Grove') was produced by Lemon Jelly’s Nick Franglen and his hand is felt on tracks like ‘Mona’ which boasts a undeniably dancey edge. It might ride a 1970’s MOR wave but who cares when the surf is this good. Captive State are normally made up of Tom Bootle and Joseph Kennedy but once onstage they expand into a 16 legged groove machine. KD

Captive State - Mona

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Buy Songs: Captive State
Year: 2008

This is a turn up for the books, a band from Newcastle to really treasure. Can’t recall a single band of note coming from there, which is rather surprising given its population’s emotive nature (insight gained purely from watching their football fans). Lanterns on the Lake are a relatively new proposition (they were previously known as Greenspace) but they have already amassed an impressive batch of lush melodic tunes. Led by Hazel Wilde’s free spirited vocals there is something otherworldly about what they offer. There are glimpses of the Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil but ultimately Lanterns on the Lake present a convincing dream pop sound that is uniquely their own. ‘Caught On The Way’ is sumptuous throughout with Wilde’s vocal fragility matched only by the lightly sprayed chiming chords. Heavenly. KD

Lanterns On The Lake - Caught On the Way

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Buy Songs: Lanterns On The Lake
Year: 2008

Don’t worry this isn’t as loud as it first appears and because there are no explosive moments we won’t be casting it off into the post rock category. Johnathon Ford is essentially what drives Unwed Sailor and ‘Little Wars’ from late last year is the bands 4th long player. While they are certainly prone to moments of ambient introspection Unwed Sailor are generally slaves to the melodic hook and elastic bass line axes. ‘Aurora’ is quite short but has a wonderful uneven flow to it, which means that the ugly/beautiful parts get a balanced look in. I can imagine its live incarnation is quite spectacular as the swell intensifies and an already wallowing audience surges forward to the stage. KD

Unwed Sailor - Aurora

Watch The Video To Shadows

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Buy Songs: Unwed Sailor
Year: 2007

By my reckoning Adam Baker is no longer a teenager so we can all stop going on about how young he is. One thing that won’t cease however will be headlines screaming how precocious this fella remains. Yep we’ve entered Annuals 2.0 territory and this time is even more illuminating than our first encounter. A new EP ‘Wet Zoo’ is due out on April 1st and ‘Sore’ is the first indication of how it sounds. The 5-song set contains 3 Annuals numbers and 2 from Sunfold (Annuals rearranged). ‘Sore’ is a change of tact for the band, a lowering of the experimental gears into full anthemic indie mode. Don’t worry they haven’t resorted to Coldplayisms, ‘Sore’ may reveal an aching heart but its nose is far from runny. And what a chorus, if you’ve never blushed now is the time to let it all go. KD

Annuals - Sore

Watch The Video To Carry Around

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Buy Songs: Preorder & Be He Me
Year: 2008

The initial line-up for Ireland’s self-proclaimed boutique festival has just been announced. The Electric Picnic has been in existence for half a decade now and each year the plaudits get louder and louder. To date I have been convincing myself that I haven’t missed out (although not seeing the Arcade Fire's 2005 appearance in front of a bunch of freckled faces does irk). So it has taken an event of momentous proportions to knock me from my self-imposed festival slumber. The occasion in question is the reconvening of shoegaze gods My Bloody Valentine, the band that brought us one of the albums of the nineties in ‘Loveless’. The danger is that it could all go wrong, what happens if Kevin Shields reappears sans bushy mop with a shiny pole instead? Worse still what if the music that has soundtracked so many great nights since 1992 dies a death in a field in the midlands? Guess we’ll have hope that their direct descendants Sigur Ros can pick up the slack. KD

Sigur Rós - Glosoli

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Year: 2005

This song reminds me why I used to love And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead dearly. Not so much of late, post ‘Source Tags & Codes’ they appear to me at least to be on a downward creative spiral. That album was a true spectacular, brimmed full of anthemic guitar epics and heroic vocal turns. An undoubted bright spot in the aftermath of ‘Source Tags & Codes’ came in the form of 2003’s ‘The Secret of Elena’s Tomb’ EP which included this rip-roaring chimefest. While it may have lacked the glorious bluster of their classic material it nonetheless underlined how Jason Reece and Conrad Keely are such ardent believers in the power of a good tune. KD

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Crowning Of A Heart

Watch The Video To Mistakes and Regrets

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Buy Songs: And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead
Year: 2003

Scientists today announced that they have unearthed a prewiki sound recording that goes by the name of ‘Au Clair de la Lune’. With a bitrate of just over that of an almost completely free Radiohead mp3 it has sent audiophiles into spasms of delight as the entrancing ditty dates back to 1860. Early rumours suggesting that the vocals sounded eerily familiar to a precocious teenage Mick Jagger were quashed after a savvy music journalist phoned up Jack White asking for Jagger’s real DOB. Initially it was feared that Michael Jackson (of the Jackson 5) was about to launch a multi-million bid to buy the rights to ‘Clair’ but it seems a last minute intervention by Louis Walsh has saved the day and we are likely to hear Westlife’s imaginative reworking of the priceless audio (with 356 piece orchestral backing) on their comeback tour which is tenuously titled ‘Unrecordable’. Meanwhile soot covered recording (SCR) fans (see picture) are said to be joyous and are believed to be using ‘Clair’ as further proof that the much more popular and newer medium vinyl lacks SCR’s warm sonic capabilities. They surely don't make them like this anymore. KD

Meanwhile over yonder in Sweden....

Japan Air - Claire

More Info: Official & Myspace
Year: 2007

Fret not if you are suffering from Teenage Fanclub withdrawal symptoms, Twin Atlas are here to make you feel all better. Why not head over to their website and pretty soon you’ll be basking in their gloriously sun drenched harmonies (there are a stack of mp3 freebies too). The Twin Atlas is composed of Sean Byrne and Luke Zaleski, a fairly prolific duo with a penchant for softly delivered instruments and vocal melodies as ripe as freshly harvested strawberries. Their tunes go through several stages of evolution but the process always starts and ends in their home studio. Listening to songs like ‘Current Below’ you can’t help but wish that the long summer evenings were already warming our doorsteps. No matter the season though this is guaranteed to heat up the cockles of your heart. KD

The Twin Atlas - Current Below

Watch The Video To Rooftop Sounds

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Buy Songs: The Twin Atlas
Year: 2005

{ review culled from the indiecater archives, album rated 7/10 }

While the instances of stunted creativity abound when an artist decides to go solo, Elliott Smith proved to be a glorious exception to the rule. Coming from the Dandy Warhols neck of the woods (Portland, Oregan) where infectious hooks seem to habitually blossom on the trees it is no surprise that a cursory listen to Figure 8 reveals a smattering of sweet melodies that would have the makers of marmalade clambering to sign him up for their next ad campaign. Elliot Smith started out as twin singer/songwriting (with Neil Gust) in Heatmiser who went on to release 2 reasonable albums in 'Dead Air', 'Cop and Speeder' before Smith decided that going it alone was the way forward. 'Figure 8' was his fifth solo album. At this stage his star was in the ascendancy after the leg up received from having his 'Miss Misery' song included on the soundtrack to 'Good Will Hunting'. It's subsequent nomination for 'Best Original Song' at the Oscars (no, Celine Dion snatched it!) meant that the majors came running. Leaving his indie label Kill Rock to join Dreamworks he was given the financial clout to craft his most textured effort 'XO'.

Like a twinkling star 'Figure 8' initially beams great shafts light in the form of 'Son Of Sam'. The lilting piano strokes, smooth multi-layered vocals and periodic guitar frenzy is enough to have you gasping for more. 'Son Of Sam' is a delightful pick me up, yet Smith often descends into a strange state of melancholy. 'Somebody That I Used To Know' has him pining for a relationship that could've been while against the tide the acoustic guitar forays turn out to be as tuneful as the bees. Things get worse on 'Everything Reminds Me Of Her', a weepy that would probably be a strain for everyone except the recently broken up. The sequel 'Everything Means Nothing To Me' is equally taxing, saved only by the buoyant clamour at the end. But for all this introspection Smith cannily lifts the doom and gloom when required. 'L.A.' is a shimmering pop tune, jaunty and devoid of chorus. Who needs a chorus anyway when the whole thing resembles a maze of sweet vocals. 'Stupidity Tries' goes one step further, raising the ante over its ebullient 4 minutes. Arched like a cat before the kill the brooding vocal builds up to finally reveal the bloodthirsty chords that so illuminate the underlying melody. The song has single marked all over it and could easily have harnessed an audience had the will been there.

Despite the undemanding intensity of Figure 8, Smith doesn't have it all his own way. About half way through you get a certain deja vu feel from the songs. As the pace slows and the mood becomes increasingly anal you can't help but wonder how things could be have been made a lot more interesting had Smith decided to wig out a bit more like on the incomparable 'Wouldn't Mama Be Proud'. Designed to catch you unawares, the deep seethed percussion builds a pressure that finally erupts bringing forth volcanic riffs and mouth watering vocal lava. In the background the quietly chaotic barrage of sliding guitars is enough to burn your ears. When 'Color Bars' shuffles into view you are reminded of a particularly cute Beatles composition. Fingers skirting manically along shiny piano keys and Smith's hushed melodic vocals would appeal to all except those with a stilted musical attitude. 'Happiness' has a dozy roving chord progression while the singers energised vocalising makes a nice departure. The song may outstay its welcome a little towards the end but there are a number of killer ideas just screaming for a listener.

While the pretty patterns woven during the quieter moments are sweet it's only when Smith decides to throw caution to the wind that the album can truly be called delightful. 'Can't Make A Sound' is one such occasion where he opts for the whiskey bottle rather than his usual glass of heated milk. For once the mood is threatening in that 'you can't see it but the ghoul is going to get you' type of way. Like a dry riverbed as the storm clouds burst it bounds into life like you always knew it would. The intensity of the climax is enough to clear the golden cobwebs from your ears (spun from earlier tracks) and have you taking a hacksaw to the prison bars of your ordinary life. By culling one or two Smith by numbers ('Pretty Mary K' and 'In The Lost And Found' being prime examples), this album could have had a much stronger uppercut. While the gentle sparring sometimes delivers a devastating leftfield hook the gap between these intensities is just a little too wide and diminishes what could otherwise have been a spellbinding release. At 52 minutes it is probably just that bit too long. While it is consistently pleasant there just isn't enough variety to ensure you'll be transfixed throughout.

Despite this, 'Figure 8' is undoubtedly a pretty album that veers between the quaint, the beguiling and the slowcore. It should make its home wherever an emotional heart resides. There are tender melodies aplenty and Smith sure had a way with a guitar. Elliott’s tragic suicide 3 years after this album was released adds retrospective resonance to his lyrics and the inevitability that he’d become more famous after his death. KD

Elliott Smith - Wouldn't Mama Be Proud

Watch The Video To Son of Sam

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Buy Songs: Elliott Smith
Year: 2000

I’d heard that certain members of Blur were enamoured so decided they’d be worth the punt. So off I headed to explore the music of Munich’s Lali Puna, that was several years ago and although their brand of indietronica is instantly enjoyable I found myself drifting away from it pretty quickly. I’ve returned on many occasions but only for short visits, just seems to work best that way. Perhaps it’s just that Lali Puna haven’t yet nailed the classic they have been threatening for years. I do love this though, it could serve as an ideal entry on the soundtrack to the sequel to ‘Run Lola Run’ if it ever gets made. ‘Grin and Bear’ is taken from the bands last album ‘Faking The Books’ which is now 4 years old. Perhaps they are taking their time on their first masterpiece. KD

Lali Puna - Grin and Bear

Watch The Video To Antenna Trash

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Buy Songs: Lali Puna
Year: 2004

When I first heard ‘I Was Only Dancing’ it moved me to tears. Now I know I am prone to OTT effusiveness on an almost daily basis but this really is a special piece of music. Stars Like Fleas are a Brooklyn based collective that have been around for about a decade but on this form they look set to quietly go about taking on the world with their 3rd album ‘The Ken Burns Effect’. Originally released last year it is set to be given a whole new lease of life by the Hometapes label in early June. Led by Shannon Fields and singer Montgomery Knot Stars Like Fleas could well come from Grizzly Bear country were it to have Pattern Is Movement as it’s capital. So expect lush instrumentation, gliding vocals and sonic gestures to slay any semblance of hate that exists within your being. Song of the year so far. KD

Stars Like Fleas - I Was Only Dancing

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Buy Songs: Stars Like Fleas
Year: 2008

There is such an epic feel to ‘Lucky Landing’ it’s hard to believe that the Eclectic haven’t been subjected to great tracts of media hyperbole. The Dublin 5 piece may not be exactly prolific (2 EP’s in 3 years) but they should surely have been snapped up by a label looking to bolster its catalogue with ready-made anthems by now. ‘Lucky Landing’ is ravishing, chock full of spiralling chords, tinkling glockenspiel and Kevin O’Brien’s colossal vocals. It might get a little overwrought towards the end but by then you may well be wondering whether you have just wandered into an ‘Ok Computer’ parallel universe. The Eclectic’s ‘Breathe’ EP is out now. KD

The Eclectic - Lucky Landing

Watch The Video To Blank Canvass

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Buy Songs: The Eclectic
Year: 2007

There is so much currency in a happy song, enough to even tilt exchange rates in your favour if it successfully recalls bands like the incomparable Sunday’s (listen to the light charge of them acoustic guitars). Northern Portrait are a brand new band from Copenhagen and are signed to that treasure chest of jangle pop Matinée Recordings. ‘Crazy’ is the lead song from their debut ‘The Fallen Aristocracy’ EP and if it could be bottled you’d have a fortune-making de facto happy pill on your hands. Because we are living in the real world though it may be better to swing open the doors and give the birds in the trees a 3 minute break from their sweet tweeting. And you know the best thing, behind the sweet sounds lies a disarming description of some not-so-well controlled psychotic behaviour, the most memorable I've heard in fact since South Ambulance discussed the merits of their ex-girlfriend. KD

Northern Portrait - Crazy

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Buy Songs: Northern Portrait
Year: 2008

Believe it or not this is the sound of a Brazilian band, I know this because their myspace says so and they’ve got song titles like ‘Nao Volta Mais’ and ‘Minha Gerao’. Seems that good old indie pop has spread its tentacles far and wide enough to take in the sprawling metropolis that is Sao Paulo. Starfish100 have a list of classic indie influences as long as your arm and it permeates through on this fabulous tune. ‘Untrue’ is so unashamedly inoffensive it could well have become a Stereophonics dirge had it not been for the boys from Brazil’s eye for a killer melody. Who’d have thought that that tired old do-do-do cliché could still be used to devastating effect in a modern day pop song, maybe we've found the Southern Hemisphere's Apples in Stereo. They shoot, they score. KD

Starfish100 - Untrue

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Buy Songs: Starfish100
Year: 2008

I was a bit disappointed to hear that Denton 5-piece Oceanographer had broken up. They always struck me as a viable prospect with their airborne melodies and soft instrumentation being the perfect come down after a tough day at the coalface. They were not unlike fellow Texans Explosions In The Sky yet they peppered their instrumental creations with the softest of words. The words in question were uttered by one Jeremy Yocum and he and another ex-Oceanographer Eric Elterman have just gone and formed a new alt-country collective based out of Brooklyn. The good news is that Yocum’s Rounders are pretty good, not a million miles away from his previous endeavour in that they are perfectly hushed. Hard to keep a good man down I suppose. KD

Oceanographer - Cartographer

Jeremy Yocum and the Last Rounders - Song I'll Sing

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Buy Songs: Oceanographer
Year: 2008

To score one brilliant mp3 promo is a coup, two is the stuff of legend. As legend would have it ‘Hold On’ and ‘Maladies’ arrived in my inbox yesterday morning from the Secretly Canadian label. Both are taken from Windsor For The Derby’s upcoming release ‘How We Lost’ and if they end being a fair representation of the standard of tuneage on offer it is going to be some record. Windsor For The Derby have been knocking around for well over a decade, barely scratching interest except for a plumb spot on the Maria Antoinette soundtrack a couple of years ago. These primer’s point to a more focused direction with their drawn out instrumental passages being replaced by tighter melodies. While I was happy with their previous incarnation these newbies signal Windsor For The Derby's intention to give up their day jobs. KD

Windsor For The Derby - Hold On

Windsor For The Derby - Maladies


More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Windsor For The Derby
Year: 2008

You may have witnessed all of its party tricks within the first 30 seconds but there is no denying the groovy hypnotic vibe to Jeremy Jay’s ‘Alpha Rhythm’. Jay appears unfeasibly young and calls Angel Town his home, which means there is more than the smell of a gimmick about the whole thing. Even his record label K Records (remember K-Tel?) has that feeling of made up fantasy about it (witness those bright dayglo 70’s colours) but I guess until we hear otherwise we can take it that everything is kosher and above board. There is a new LP in the offing ‘A Place Where We Can Go’ so expect Jeremy Jay to go interstellar later this year. Walking on air has proven a breeze so far so no doubt he’ll take to the water with much the same aplomb. KD

Jeremy Jay - Alpha Rhythm

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Buy Songs: Milli & Vanilli
Year: 2008

I’d forgotten how good this song is and given the dearth of good Irish pop songs (I said good) it is odd that it is so rarely recalled on 80’s laden playlists. Minor Detail were 2 brothers John and Willie Hughes from Blackrock and despite a fleeting recording career they have the distinction of being the first Irish band to be picked up by a US record label (Polydor). This was a big achievement in the grim 80's but listening to ‘Canvas of Life’ you can't help but notice the potential. Flush with melodies, ripe with invention and most interestingly it still sounds contemporary after the recent obsession with all things electro pop. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to track down the video to the tune which from memory was a heartfelt homemade effort involving a mime artist of Irish descent. 2 interesting factoids about the band; Minor Detail’s eponymous album from 1983 was produced by Riverdance’s Bill Hughes (not related) and one of the brothers John went on to discover and manage the Corrs! KD

Minor Detail - Canvas of Life

More Info: Irish Rock Entry
Buy Songs: Minor Detail (Cassette Tape)
Year: 1983

The Honeyheads got to fulfil their teenage dreams by forming a band, they promptly split up. The Honeyheads got to fulfil their twenty-something dreams by reforming, Cloudberry Records (are you watching music industry, they are the future) shared their dreams and released a CDR of their music in March 2008. The truth of course is that any band with a name like the Honeyheads deserves to be loved. The fact that they produce the sort of music you hoped a name like that would inspire makes it all the more enjoyable. Huggable you could say and ‘Out of Marseille’ is certainly that. As well as being factually accurate (the band are from Hamburg) ‘Out of Marseille’ displays all the magical characteristics of a perfect indie pop tune. By the finish they even see fit to add some Sonic Youthism's to keep the straying general public from the door. Good Friday, nah it’s better than that thanks to the Honeyheads. KD

The Honeyheads - Out of Marseille

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Buy Songs: The Honeyheads
Year: 2008

He has a list of collaborations as long as your arm with such luminaries as Paul McCarthy, Brendan Benson, Air, Beck and Aimee Mann but Jason Falkner is probably best remembered for his work with that Beatles obsessed outfit Jellyfish (he left after their fluff laden ‘Bellybutton’ was released). Besides all that Falkner has managed to squeeze out 3 solo albums, the last of which ‘I’m ok, You’re ok’ appeared last year. Jason has a story or two to tell I’d wager, I mean he once dated Heather Graham while at High School. Perhaps it is herself that provides the motivation for this 2004 number. Don’t be put off by curiously dated feel to the piece, give it some space and watch it grow into the stunner it is. The king is finally finding some clothes that truly fit him. KD

Jason Falkner - They Put Her In The Movies

Watch The Video To A Jellyfish

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Year: 2004

Her out of Damien Rice's background harmonies (now ended), him out of one the most unexpected hits of the last few years (please end it), together for the first time on an Irish charity record (Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign benefited) that went by the name of the Cake Sale. Whatever your views on where they have come from (mixed in my case) you've got to applaud the charm that is thrown into this simple ditty (the song was written by Paul Noonan from Bell XI who along with his
band mate Brian Crosby was responsible for putting the Cake Sale together). The fact that 'Some Surprise' works is made all the remarkable when you consider that the vocal parts were recorded separately and in different countries by Hannigan and Lightbody. This is the type of gentle stroll that deserves a wide audience, all the way from music snob to those with a penchant for holding cigarette lighters aloft. KD

Lisa Hannigan and Gary Lightbody - Some Surprise

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Buy Songs: The Cake Sale
Year: 2006

Ok, I may have missed out on posting this at a more appropriate time of the year but songs like this are too good to pass up no matter what the season. Forget for one moment that Wild Light are not the Flaming Lips (or the Arcade Fire for that matter) and you’ll be lapping up ‘New Year’s Eve’ with even more gusto. They are in fact a newish quartet from New Hampshire with only a self-titled EP to their name. Right about now they are touring with those jangly New York sorts Ambulance LTD but they have already performed all over the place with the aforementioned Montreal musical monolith. A good start you could say, unless you were Icelandic, in which case you would say agaetis byrjun. KD

Wild Light - New Year's Eve

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Buy Songs: Wild Light
Year: 2007

What the? I hear you scream, don’t tell us Hansard has let the glory go to his red head and ditched Marketa already. Nope, in fact the version you are listening to pre-dates the one that appeared on ‘Once’ by a year (it also appeared on the Swell Season’s album, also from 2006). Makes you wonder how the Academy overlooked the ubiquitous nature of the tune, but I guess that is history now and even Glen’s most ardent detractors must have been choking back the tears as he and his partner accepted the golden one. This version of ‘Falling Slowly’ certainly suffers by Marketa Irglova's absence and its generally noisier existence makes you hanker for the delicate reworking. Also included here is the live version of ‘Lay Me Down’ (originally recorded for the majestic ‘For The Birds’ LP), which not only underlines the often powerful live incarnation of the Frames, but also the lead mans mawkish tendencies. KD

The Frames - Falling Slowly

The Frames - Lay Me Down (live)

Watch The Video To Lay Me Down

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Buy Songs: The Frames
Year: 2006

If the Thrills had actually been born in America then this is probably what they would have sounded like. As you can imagine this means that the music the Young Republic make is uniformly pretty. All 8 of them recently moved to Nashville from Boston after several years studying music so as a nicely timed mark of respect you’ll find some country dimensions to tunes like ‘Blue Skies’. In this instance you may also notice a sneaky resemblance to the Shins ‘New Slang’, which adds rather than detracts from what is an all-round knockout piece of music. ‘Blue Skies’ is lavishly crafted, the lush instrumentation so adept it never detracts from the clean shaven vocals. The song is taken from the Young Republic’s debut album ‘12 Tales From Winter City’ which is out now on End of the Road Records. KD

The Young Republic - Blue Skies

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Buy Songs: The Young Republic
Year: 2008

There is a band (now slimmed down to a one man show) from Atlanta called Slushco, I think they’ve passed me on everything they’ve ever recorded and no matter which way I approach the recordings I can’t isolate a song of theirs that I dislike (in most cases it’s love). Perhaps it’s just one of those quirks of fate where an artists vision syncs perfectly with the listener’s idea of the perfect song. Reference points include Grandaddy and every other band that can precisely twin sucrose melodies with a curious sense of melancholy. In truth it is Brian Slusher’s vocals that seal the deal, they often appear faint and emotive but always leave a lasting impression due to the spot on melodies. ‘Weatherproof’ will sweep you off your feet despite being such a simple ditty. It is taken from Slushco’s last but one EP ‘Clouds’. Expect to be reading more adoring wordage here soon about last year’s follow up ‘When I Met The Boss Of Nova’. KD

Slushco - Weatherproof

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Buy Songs: Slushco
Year: 2006

With the time of year that’s in it I decided to base this month’s mixtape on all things Irish, even if I’ve borrowed from a Glaswegian band for the title ‘Paddywagonesque’. I’ve tried to stay away from the more obvious choices so here’s hoping you’ll find the gra for some bands from the Emerald Isle. Beannacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig!




If you want to know more about a particular song, click the 'info' button on the bottom left of the player.



Want more? Listen to Smells Like Theme Spirit #1.

Given its status and its undoubted potential to lift a band’s profile far beyond their own fans it seems a bit odd that so few of the Irish acts appearing at SXSW have promo tracks floating around. So despite an exhaustive search I failed to locate anything by Fight Like Apes, Channel One or Iain Archer (or even short arse Paddy Casey for that matter). Very little green on the torrent (SXSW and band endorsed I hasten to add) doing the rounds containing over 700 tracks gathered from the deep recesses of the SXSW website. It is always an intriguing listen as the fare on offer contains a sweep of genres. One minute you’re basking in the cutesy vocals and lithe melodies of Cathy Davey’s ‘Reuben’, the next you are being subjected to a badly maintained field of Bluegrass. Sometimes you gotta work hard for your aural pleasures but when they come in the shape of Delorentos that gigabyte of dross you’ve just deleted is quickly forgotten about. Guinness is good for you, as is the knowledge that Dublin County Council saved €20K on the green dye they were going to spill into the River Liffey after a savvy civil servant surmised that last year’s dye was still doing the trick. KD

Cathy Davey - Reuben

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Buy Songs: Cathy Davey

Delorentos - Stop

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Buy Songs: Delorentos

Some songs just hit you square between the ears immediately and ‘All The People Under The Sun’ is one of them (it reminded me of how I felt when I heard ‘The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth’ for the first time). Boasting an Arcade Fire-esque sense of adventure and all the emotions that those journeys entail it should be your gateway to discovering this fine act. The song is taken from AM Syndicate’s second album ‘Liberation’ which came out at the tail end of last year. From what I’ve heard so far the Austin 3-piece completely pour their heart into what they do and in the process throw up a fanciful spread of winning sonic tapestry's. The result is an album stuffed with future indie anthems and in vocalist Omar Chavez they have a star in the making. Take a peek at the video (link below) for ‘To the Peasants of the Emperor’ which not only includes some wonderful music but could also kick-start wools reinvention. This should ensure that the knitters of the world get on board quickly and the rest of us will surely follow in their wake. And just in case you were confused AM Syndicate sound equally well in the PM. KD

AM Syndicate - All The People Under The Sun

Watch The Video For To The Peasants of The Emperor

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Buy Songs: AM Syndicate
Year: 2007

Throw the bodhran into the lake, fling the tin whistle down the deepest ravine, puncture the nearest uilleann pipes for today is the day to announce a new act from Ireland with the bleeps rather than the sheeps on his mind. Phil Porter is the man behind the mask and Weakling & King is the end product from his moonlighting activities away from the day job with Dry County. I have been playing his ‘Is Dead’ album all weekend and I have fallen badly for its indie-electro charms. Porter may not be truly blessed in the vocal department but he is a master at the looped synth line. So much so in fact that ‘Fuel The Flame’ has to be best dance-indie crossover I’ve heard since Paris Angel’s utterly dreamy ‘Perfume (All On You)’ from a long time ago. Weakling & King also has a neat ear for reworking classics so if you’d like to hear Nilsson’s ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ or Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ operating out of a completely different temple of sound then ‘Is Dead’ is for you. This is wonderful stuff and wonderfully free. Better be lightning quick though because this kid is going places. KD

Weakling & King - Fuel The Flame

Weakling & King - Lightning Quick

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: No Need
Year: 2008

Some context first and then perhaps the realisation that for once we have a song that goes way beyond the usual soporific themes. Add in the fact that half of the profits from the Oaks ‘Our Fathers’ CD goes to the Afghan Widows fund and you begin to realise that this is a Florida band that has ventured beyond what is put in front of them. The music for its part is just as thoughtful; in fact the alluring ramble of ‘Masood’ provides a soothing backdrop for whatever occasion you find yourself in. Ryan Costello’s soft vocals are grounded in a similar style to that of Midlake’s Tim Smith, 70’s MOR, but it still offers a fascinating foil to the cascading music. The Oaks proves that music with lots of heart doesn’t necessarily have to sacrifice its soul. KD

The Oaks - Masood

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Oaks
Year: 2007

Streaming, much like renting, serves a purpose up to a point (I have 3 on this site alone!) but ultimately gets you nowhere. Before the advent of the internet music fans would have killed for a device that allowed them to pick and choose what they could listen to. I can recall the NME website offering up various streams of hot new tracks from their website in the mid-nineties and it all seemed so magical. But this is 2008 and the landscape has changed dramatically. Free downloads are ubiquitous and given the choice between owning a song to listen to at your leisure or playing it via a wonky web player most would chose the former. Kids today are impatient and spoilt for choice when it comes to music and when this is twinned with rapid fire broadband streaming is viewed as yesterday's innovation. Media pages laden with streaming tunes as opposed to mp3 freebies could soon become the stuff of irritation and hinder a band's chances of acquiring new fans. KD

Would you like to rant and deck something/someone, get in touch and release the pressure. The best flights of fancy will be published here.

Funny, in the wake of that somewhat lightweight rant against Radiohead, that I am this morning lost in a world as created by Berliner Apparat. For without the Oxford lads I am convinced there would not have been an Apparat that sounded like this. Sascha Ring may still be able to orchestrate a sense of rave at his live shows but on record his music is introspective and challenging. His vocals are undeniably Thom Yorke in nature as are the electronic landscapes that accompany them yet despite the comparisons songs like ‘Arcadia’ engage as if they are the only tune in the room. ‘Arcadia’ can be found on Apparat’s 4th album ‘Walls’ came out last year. KD

Apparat - Arcadia

Watch The Video To Wooden

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Apparat
Year: 2007

This is the European wing of the small group of bands that call themselves the April Skies. The Jesus & Mary Chain may have been the inspiration but this quartet from Bergen never threaten to emulate the white noise for which the Reid brothers have become synonymous. Instead they strain elements of their near neighbours Cats on Fire and slowly bake them with the jangliest of C86 moments. The union is particularly tasty as you’ll see from the April Skies bag of precious indie pop belters. ‘Rise & Rise Again’ should become the hallowed template for eager new bands hoping to push the twee pop envelope. Just bask in the energetic chord chime and Alexander Unhjem's dextrous word streams. The April Skies aren’t holding back in getting their music out there and if you look carefully you can, without too much expense, be the proud owner of their complete back catalogue. KD

The April Skies - Rise & Rise Again

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The April Skies
Year: 2005

I don’t know about you but I have finally become completely bored with Radiohead. Bored with the endless drivel being spoken about their innovative distribution methods, bored with Thom’s increased airbagging about Earth’s demise (the latest being their withdrawal from this year’s Glastonbury due to the lack of public transport to the venue, goddamn tube is being shown up for its shortcomings again) and most disturbingly bored with their musical output (is it just me or is ‘In Rainbows’ an absolute snoozefest?). Radiohead were for so long untouchable, but at the current rate of progress they could soon become the new R.E.M. KD

Batten down the hatches cause you’ll soon be listening to the contemporary sound of an air raid siren. In its wake will be the ferocious noise of dropping bombs but instead of dispensing lethal carnage these bombs contain the ingredients that could yet herald the UK’s most promising new band. Ritzy, Rhydian and Justin are hot off the press (forming less than a year ago) and much like that other hotly tipped act the Ting Tings they have yet to release a record (slight dramatic licence). The Joy Formidable are particularly well named because their music is infected with such an irresistable joie-de-vivre. Steve Lamacq has been going ga-ga for ‘Austere’ and it is easy to see why when you clasp ears on guitars going at it at full throttle. I prefer ‘When The Flies’ which supports more ideas than Einstein during a particularly lucid brainstorming session. Voices spring from hidden spaces; guitar chords are stretched and bent to within an inch of their life and a hallucinogenic bass line hovers menacingly just out of reach. Joyful and triumphant. KD

The Joy Formidable - Austere

The Joy Formidable - While The Flies

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Soon
Year: 2008

Thems a good band, thems are. Oh sorry, forgot I’d been to school for a few years. The M’s are from Chicago and did what most respectable indie bands were doing in the early/mid section of this decade by having a tune on an episode of the OC. It’ll be interesting to see how rock history will treat such an achievement, perhaps it will be written with dollops of snark. The M’s have a neat view of the world, a world where the Kinks were the only band that mattered. ‘Future Women’ is a dedicated follower yet still sounds utterly fresh and contemporary. It may lose some of its wonder towards the finish but at that stage your pop receiving nodes should be more or less sated. The M’s third movement will be with us later this year or whenever that new series of Grey’s Anatomy gets aired. KD

The M's - Future Women

Watch The Video To Mansion In The Valley

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The M's
Year: 2006

You gotta love this Swedish band Second-Hand Furniture, as much for their music as their carefree nature. On recording their debut EP in 2003 they promptly gave all 100 copies of it away free to indiepop-lovers. Needless to say Second-Hand Furniture’s time together was over in the blink of an eye but not before they recorded another EP and several unreleased tracks. The good news is that hip Peruvian label Plastilina Records have gathered all the recordings together on one retrospective ‘Game, Set, Match…’. That’s where you’ll find the twee pop glory of ‘Nice Try Sunshine’. With appropriately lo-fi production it nonetheless highlights the quirky cool of singer Miralda Madar Johansson. A voice like that is always going to grab the attention and the fact that it’s backed up by a coterie of ramshackle instrumentation makes it all the more endearing. KD

Second-Hand Furniture - Nice Try Sunshine

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Second-Hand Furniture
Year: 2003

Around Christmas time Detroit band the Silent Years announced that they were giving their eponymous debut album away for free. The gesture came with a nice touch as there was no guilt promoting tip jars to be seen in the general area as you snapped up the freebie. So what would push a generously gifted young band into giving their goods away for free? Well they probably listened closely to that wise new proverb that said ‘it’s better that lots of people get to hear your music gratis rather than a few who pay for it’. If such a policy was adopted by newbies everywhere they would be giving themselves the best opportunity to be heard. Ok, they won’t become flush overnight from record sales but what price can you put on a hoard of eager new fans? ‘Someone To Keep Us Warm’ displays what the Silent Years are capable of and is one of 12 reasons why their sophomore is eagerly anticipated. KD

The Silent Years - Someone To Keep Us Warm

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Silent Years
Year: 2006

Headlights have been here before, most recently with their contribution to Christmas 2007. The latest appearance brings with it the first fruits from their new album ‘Some Racing, Some Stopping’ which was recorded entirely in a farmhouse in rural Illinois. And the change of location seems to have worked wonders, as you’ll see for yourself on first single ‘Cherry Tulips’. This is something that you’d expect from a bespeckled group of Swedish sorts such is its grasp on freewheeling pop arrangements. Lead singer Erin Fein is in particularly inspiring form as she gracefully glides over the dainty music with the skilled acumen of a Phil Spector starlet. Headlights play several dates at the SXSW music fest over the next week, so you can expect their stock to rise miraculously in its aftermath. KD

Headlights - Cherry Tulips

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Headlights
Year: 2008

Sunday evenings, don’t you just hate them? I do and get grumpy if I have to chew too intensely on a piece of music. As the weekend crashes to earth around you it really should be soundtracked by an accessible slice of jollity. And this Sunday PM Belfast’s Watercress will do just fine. This is a band that superseded the Spinto Band by about a decade in their mischievous use of the mandolin in a pop song. ‘Candlemaker’ was their biggest success when released as a single in 1996 and demonstrated the chaos that occurred when the foursome picked up their vast array of instruments. You can also pick up on Dan Donnelly’s strong Northern accent, which is a refreshingly honest approach given the homogenous approach taken by many of today’s acts. Sadly there is little or no information to be had about Watercress on the net as their website has long since become occupied by the scavengers. Ah well, good to see they still have the wherewithal to cure the Sunday evening blues with their pithy singalongs. KD

Watercress - Candlemaker

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Watercress
Year: 1996

I adore post-rock but the sudden noisy bits sometimes have an unstabling effect on my senses. I’ll give you an example, Explosions In The Sky’s otherwise shimmering ‘Yasmin The Light’ harbours a shocking bolt of white noise that never fails to have me jumping from the comfort of my armchair. Once expelled the tune resorts to type and chimes ever so prettily like all good EITS’s tunes do. Codes In The Clouds’ ‘Fractures’ (a b-side from their ‘Distant Street Lights’ single of last year) has similar ambitions but thankfully the loud moments won’t necessarily lead to hearing loss and seeing as they are from Kent they probably have more than enough space to let rip. It all starts out so chimingly, chords are tinkled delicately while a hit-hat is gently brushed which to all intensive purposes means we are witnessing that tried and trusted post-rock calm-before-the-storm trap. And when it arrives the storm is as electric as you wished it would be. The band put it best by admitting that they ‘like making pretty music that can explode at any second’. KD

Codes In The Clouds - Fractures

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Codes In The Clouds
Year: 2007

For about 6 seconds there is complete silence, at which point ‘Amser’ gracefully jumps from the speakers. You’ll hear Nick Drake in the vocals, the svelt finger pickin’ and the lush instrumentation but this is no lost classic (a future one perhaps) it is the work of Cardiff singer Gareth Bonello. The remarkable thing is that Bonello as the Gentle Good remains unsigned and his only recorded output to date has been an EP from around 2005. Things seems to be progressing well on the debut album stakes but surely there must be a savvy label out there willing to push such high quality material. With heart wrenching songs like ‘Amser’ it would be a tragedy if Gentle was to pass unnoticed into that Good night. KD

The Gentle Good - Amser

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Gentle Good
Year: 2007

Ah, that was nice, 48 hours in a completely www free environment is the cleanest way to refresh a blogger's appetite. Not that I was completely divorced from new music, I took a couple minutes out every now and then to get down with the Notwist’s new song ‘Good Times’. I am a relative newcomer to the German quartet (‘Neon Golden’ to be precise, 5 albums in) and if ‘Good Times’ is anything to go by upcoming album ‘The Devil, You + Me’ should see them move away from their electro leanings and back to their guitar indebted origins (they recorded the album with some help from the Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra so I’m probably way off the mark here). Either way this is a pretty excellent taster for what lies ahead. The Notwist are adept at squeezing interesting sonic patterns from somewhat overused resources, so where ‘Good Lies’ should fall on its arse through repetitive chord changes and minimal lyrics it instead accompanies the listener on an intriguing journey where around every corner lays enough thrills to keep the pulse racing. This is a rare quality so make sure your bookmark this band for further inspection. KD

The Notwist - Good Lies

Watch The Video To Pick Up The Phone

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Notwist
Year: 2008

Not sure if it still holds true now but from memory the worst insult that you could get from a girl you fancied was for her to label you ‘nice’. Nice being as safe and downright dull a description that could possibly be ever hoisted on a young buck looking for a peck on the cheek. Hearing those 4 letters and your name together in one sentence more often than not meant that the writing was on the wall and love was inevitably not going to be in the air. So how come then that the only word that spins round my head when I hear ‘Aculiplantar Dude’ starts with an n and ends with e. The 1990s are not to be confused (believe me I was) with their Glaswegian namesakes, for one thing they have at least 4 more members and come from the less windy environs of Chicago (!). Their debut ‘Cold & Kind’ is flush with airy numbers like ‘Aculiplantar Dude’, who cares if nobody understands what they are singing about when lush harmonies populate the environment like pollen on the hottest day in summer. Sometimes I guess it’s nice to be nice. KD

The 1900s - Aculiplantar Dude

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The 1990s
Year: 2007

For some reason the immaculately turned out third outing from Brooklyn’s Oxford Collapse failed to make the impression the songs it carried deserved. It’s hard to reason why because ‘Remember The Night Parties’ flourished where so many have failed. In peering back to a time when guitars sparkled with shiny ambition your commoner gardener outfit can often get lost in recreating that retro feeling. But Oxford Collapse succeed in sounding familiar without ever losing their own voice which incidentally comes via Michael Pace and Adam Rizer. ‘Let’s Vanish’ is awash with shimmering chords and a bass line that the Ned’s would have been proud to call their own. Oxford Collapse’s time could yet come and with a new album scheduled for release this August it may be sooner rather than later. KD

Oxford Collapse - Let's Vanish

Watch The Video To Please Visit Your National Parks

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Oxford Collapse
Year: 2006