I was only speaking to another music blogger the other evening about how the second half of 2008 has being remarkable for Irish releases. Up to September it was shaping up to be an awful year but since then notable releases have come thick and fast. Tonight’s case for the defense comes courtesy of Dublin instrumentalists Halfset, who while never reinventing the wheel still produce a slick range of emotive sound. ‘Another Way Of Being There’ is their sophomore and is awash with pleasant turns, there are no post-rock crescendos but their quiet pulses of ingenuity do have a strangely hypnotic quality. And with that the corners have been chipped off all those childhood parish hall half set nightmares. KD

Halfset - Prairie

Watch The Video To Another Way of Being There

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

I’ve been looking for a tune like this for a while. A proper anthem that’s not just superficially satisfying but also comes with enough meat on its bones to warrant dedicated revisits. The source is a Brooklyn band named Falcon and they come with an interesting story and a back catalogue that they haven't even come close to fully recording yet (read their bio, it’s a pretty interesting story). Half of the band is made up of members from another New York outfit called Longwave (you may have heard of them). ‘The Sandfighter’ is the opening track from their debut EP and is heart crushingly lovely all the way from Neil Rosen’s piercing vocals to the sparkling instrumentation. Undeniably one of the songs of the year. KD

Falcon - The Sandfighter

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

For our 6th release on the indiecater label we’ve plumped for a Dublin band who’ve filled our nights and days with glee ever since their debut ‘Youth Is Wasted On The Young’ dropped in 2005. Our love for their indie pop gems all began with this song ‘Waves To The Shore’, a classic of its kind that may remind you of the cutest Belle & Sebastian romp. It is dosed in melodies, ancient organ refrains and the most dewey eyed boy/girl harmonies imaginable. The album is available to stream and buy over at indiecater for the pocket friendly price of €3.50. We’ve even introduced a discount option where you can get a few bob off if you purchase more than one of our records. See, you can still have access to the best music even in these recessionary times! KD

Michael Knight - Waves To The Shore

Watch The Video To Leaving Town

More Info: Indiecater
Buy Songs: Michael Knight
Year: 2008

Distil indie down to its purest form and out would pop the Sea Urchins. They were signed to Sarah Records and this song has the distinction of being the fabled label’s first release. ‘Pristine Christine’ has got the lot, the lo-fi fuzzyness, the fey boy vocals, the jangling guitars and the words about a girl who was just out of reach. I hadn’t heard this in years until I happened upon it quite by chance and suddenly realised how much I’d missed it. I’m sure the beauty could be lost on some but sometimes it’s the simple ones that become the most memorable. A glowing beacon from the past. KD

The Sea Urchins - Pristine Christine

More Info: Myspace
Year: 1987

As I’ve previously mentioned given Bradford Cox’s prolific nature you could easily power a blog with his giveaway recordings alone. Hardly bargain basement in nature either, just listen to his southern baptist remix of Stereolab’s ‘Neon Beanbag’ and you’ll see why he could yet become the messiah. The remix came about as Atlas Sound supported Stereolab on the early part of their North American tour. It must have been fun because that the only impression you could get from listening to ‘Neon Beanbag’. That and a hint of reindeer bells and you could have the best lead-into-christmas tuneage around. Stereolab's 11th album 'Chemical Chords' is out now.

4 minutes later, I’ve just heard the original version and apart from the baptist at the start there ain’t much new ground so let’s say on this one at least we are genuflecting towards Stereolab’s genius. KD

Stereolab - Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Remix)

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

If this blog has done anything for me it’s opened my ears to music from places I never expected to find it. Bologna isn’t widely renowned for its supply of indie stalwarts but A Classic Education are slowly beginning to change all that. I’ve had a particular affinity for this band having spoken on several occasions to lead singer Jonathan Clancy. The personal touch really makes a difference and A Classic Education strike me a particularly blog friendly type of act. Could pay dividends but I’m sure given their strike rate of great songs they may soon have more than just us fawning over them. ‘We Could Always Run To Hawaii’ is their latest tune, a freebie to keep us tied over until the next record. And a chipper little thing it is too, the sort of 2 and a half minutes that’ll always find favour with those partial to some splendid indie pop. KD

A Classic Education - We Can Always Run To Hawaii

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: A Classic Education
Year: 2008

Ryan Schmale is only young so he may still get a little frightened by scary movies. I know I was at his age but then I didn’t have 3 records to my name by then so he may have lived life a bit more. Schmale runs the good ship That Ghost and I only rumbled this beauty because of the night that was in it. And now I am so glad it’s Halloween because this is a lo-fi wonder, the sort that could become a sleeper hit in indie circles due to it’s uncommonly tunesome nature despite the hiss. It’s taken from his album ‘Young Fridays’ which was released earlier this month on twosyllable records. KD

That Ghost - Open Windows

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More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: That Ghost
Year: 2008

I feel a bit more comfortable playing this song around Halloween because to be honest it scares me a little. Now I am a grown man but there is something undeniably creepy about the music that Asbury make. They’ve got that travelling vaudeville circus (with its inherent freaks and mysterious creatures) down to a T, something that those scousers Space were equally adept at pulling off. Asbury are from the other side of the world mind, L.A. to be precise and it’s David Franklin’s tortured voice that defines ‘Distance is the Difference’. I can confidently predict that this won't be on daytime radio but tune in beyond the witching hour and you’ll probably hear it haunting a scatter of lonesome DJ’s. KD

Asbury - Distance is the Difference

Watch The Video To Covered In Acrylic

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

Great name for a band eh? Only if what they produce lives up to it I guess. Well, take a deep and relief filled phew then because ‘Right Rock’ is equal parts wondrous and outlandish. Led by Tyson Thurston (who has already been on our doorsteps playing with Casiotone For The Painfully Alone in Whelan’s!) this is a small operation with big ambitions. 'Right Rock' (taken from the EP of the same name) is utterly challenging, frequently impenetrable but worth persisting with to uncover the goodies that surely lie beneath. You'll struggle to hang your hat on any obvious hooks but over 4 minutes ‘Right Rock’ somehow paints an audio canvass that amounts to nothing less than devastating. I really can’t explain how it provokes such happiness inside of me, all I know is that it does and for that I am very thankful. KD

Magical, Beautiful - Right Rock

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Buy Songs: Magical, Beautiful
Year: 2008

Pining after something new from the Shins, you know those purveyors of indie rock that craftily plunder from the past while defining the future, well Pittsburgh’s Meeting of Important People are here to make your wait all the more enjoyable. A cursory swoop through the net reveals very little about this trio, which is surprising given the melodic flourishes of their new single ‘Mothers Pay More’. Make no mistake this is a finely crafted piece of music that saunters for a bit, teasing the listener until the expected honeyed chorus finally arrives. When our embryonic label finally sprouts legs this is the sort of band we’ll be taking on, a creative it’s pretty clear will soon be breaking all the right hearts. KD

Meeting of Important People - Mothers Pay More

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Meeting of Important People
Year: 2008

First off I gotta say I sourced this from a CD (wha that?) given away with Analogue Magazine. It was called Peek!, cleverly so because it shines a light on those Irish acts that most deserve it. If CD’s aren’t your thing then head over to this page and download it for free. Anyway I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the songs contained within so shall be investigating the better ones over the next few weeks in a series of posts. The first stop off comes from Nouveaunoise, a west of Ireland duo who specialise in remixes but from the evidence on ‘To Where It's Alright’ could have a very productive sideline in original compositions. For that is what this electronic piece of artistry is, a highly original ensemble of digital drama. To me it sounds like all the best bits of electronica stripped from a Sigur Ros album and clipped together to make an affecting tune in its own right. Some days there’ll be a festival named after them. KD

Nouveaunoise - To Where It's Alright

More Info: Myspace
Year: 2008

I love this song for being wilfully obscure yet utterly charming, it’s an all too rare phenomenon I'm afraid. It comes from a Michigan 5-piece that used to be called Patterns in Paris and who generally shove convention in favour of ingenious experimentation. I’d crossed paths with them before around their debut ‘There Is A Moth In Your Chest’ but left confused and unconvinced. In the meantime I read somewhere that ‘patience is its own reward’ so by the time second album ‘Olly Oxen Free’ dropped (combined with a big 5 Acts prompt) I was mentally prepared. As expected the LP is an eclectic experience but one with iceberg potential, in fact just right now I am involved in an internal fist fight as to whether I should be discussing ‘Safe For The Time Being’ or ‘Out Dragging The River’. They being 2 of my favourite songs of the year and me being a southpaw I plumped for the former. It’ll sweep you from your crammed with so-so indie music player slumber in the same way that a toddler discovers that a liquid diet isn’t really all its cracked up to be. Savour your time with them. KD

Mason Proper - Safe For The Time Being

Watch The Video To My My (Bad Fruit)

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Mason Proper
Year: 2008

This is the second act with a man-eating moniker to infiltrate these pages in as many days. And like the first one it is the work of just 1 person, Nathan Akin, alone in his apartment making music that will likely brighten up the lives of thousands more. His debut ‘Brutal’ came out a year ago and this is a fine track taken from it. It’ll be the dashing piano line that’ll rope you in but Akin’s vocals are an able foil. ‘Boredom’ certainly has an Arcade Fire feel about it, perhaps a little less grandiose that what that collective dream up but no less attention grabbing. KD

Clear Tigers - Boredom

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Clear Tigers
Year: 2007

If you opened my head I’m sure something like this would pour out. While we await flip top medicine which will confirm my suspicions NYC’s the Gang will do just nicely. Their debut album ‘Zero Hits’ (sadly prophetic I’m afraid) was released in June and is awash with noisy escapades that go nowhere in particular but still sound about as fetching as a stick loving springer spaniel. Along the way you’ll hear the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, the Go! Team and most especially that secret Gang ingredient that remains uniquely their own creation. ‘Rose Island’ is a blast from start to finish, guitar shards fly like shrapnel and are only matched by the machine gun vocals that are imbued with unrestrained youthful endeavour. KD

The Gang - Rose Island

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

Much like the rest of us breathe, Bradford Cox makes music. Not sure there is a more prolific artist out there as you can see for yourself from his own blog where new material appears with lightning frequency. Must admit I’ve joined the Deerhunter party late but their Dublin show earlier this year was convincing enough to prove that something special was afoot. It was a really loud performance but altogether thrilling. Was a little surprised then when I happened upon ‘Microcastle’ (the band’s 3rd LP) at how tender and immediate it was. There are squally guitar showers of course but mostly it felt as if Pavement had regrouped and made one of the best comebacks ever. Let me qualify that by saying that they ape Pavement in their crushingly lovely melodies assembled at delicately awkward angles rather than in sounding particularly like them. ‘Microcastle’ is undoubtedly one of the albums of the year and is a rugged testament to how great music, even after all this time, continues to be made. ‘Never Stops’ and the rest of this wonderful album should soon be haunting both your days and nights. KD

Deerhunter - Never Stops

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

You hear people talking about the thrill they used to get on buying a vinyl album as they waited for the needle to drop on the opening track. I must admit I used to get the same feelings, especially so when I was taking a punt on an act I thought I’d like. It’s about 3 years since I bought music on that format (‘Wilderness’ by Sunny Day Sets Fire if you must know) so today I get my kicks from discovering brand new acts on the net. Oh the joy of finding someone genuinely interesting and relatively unknown, an occasion where you have to use whatever critical devices you may have to establish whether something is good or bad. Junior Jaguar fits the bill perfectly. Based in Alaska his tune ‘Morning’ sends shivers down my spine, I loved the instrumentation from the off but the vocals took a little longer to work their magic. In some ways I thought the two didn’t quite fit but that’s what made it all the more enjoyable as the union started to bear fruit. Junior Jaguar is a one-man bedroom project who will be unveiling his debut LP in early 2009 and if ‘Morning’ is indicative of the fare on offer I will be waiting patiently with the needle (or most probably mouse) at the ready. KD

Junior Jaguar - Morning

More Info: Myspace
Year: 2008

Celestial have been seeing a lot of action round these parts lately. And with good reason because they have kindly contributed (the ear candy that is ‘Fragile Heart’) to our 3rd compilation called Indiecater Vol. 3. Now with a new album out we can’t help but fall again for their jangling dreampop template. If Malin Dahlberg’s vocals weren’t enough then Andreas Hagman's chorus of chiming guitar's should be capable of sweetening the short days and long nights. Celestial’s music is certainly a throwback to the days of Sarah Records but I could quite easily sit through hours of this sort of stuff, with Celestial playing I could probably stretch it to a couple of days. ‘Crystal Heights’ is a peachy droplet of niceness from the album of the same name. We remain smitten by Sweden’s endless supply of sonic delights. KD

Celestial - Crystal Heights

Watch The Video To Fragile Heart

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

2008 has proven to be a poor year for dance music. Apart from one or two interesting asides it seems that the frontiers are no longer being explored. Even our beloved electronica has had a quiet one, for a time there it seemed that every precious release was of the digital kind but just recently the mojo has been lost. Nice then to happen upon something from that arena that is worthwhile. We've featured Microfilm before and they do produce something that always stokes the fires. Their new album 'The Slingshot Orchestra' is out next month and boasts a maze of dark wonders. At no stage does it infiltrate those euphoric senses but it is never less than an arresting listen. 'We Are Terribly Sorry For Your Loss' is my favourite, a shadowy hypnotic groove that will go down a treat at whatever type of Halloween party you decide to throw. There's no obvious moment when the song goes interstellar but it'll keep you entertained from beginning to end. KD

Microfilm - We Are Terribly Sorry For Your Loss

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

Indiecater (the label if you don't mind!) is a mere 4 months old but we’ve still racked up 5 releases, the latest of which was hatched last night and is titled Indiecater Volume 3 (always a fan of consistency me). This is our 3rd compilation and it features 10 bands from all over the world (just noticed earlier there has yet to be a band from England, a bit odd). It was moulded like a mixtape and it is meant to have a kind of progression that becomes obvious as the tape unwinds. Whether it does or not is open to question but like all the best mixtapes you can quite easily take a track from Volume 3 for a compilation you can make at home yourself. As ever these 10 songs have been hand-picked so in our eyes at least there is no filler. The contributing artists will benefit from every sale so when you buy you can be assured not only of quality sounds but also the guarantee that your money will be going straight back to source. Here is a premier example of the fare on offer from Portland’s Starfucker. Get Indiecater Volume 3 here and close the curtains on another rainy day. KD

Starfucker - German Love

More Info: Indiecater
Buy Songs: Indiecater Vol. 3
Year: 2008

Last night's post had me thinking of my favourite bands from the early 90’s, the guitar led combos that I’ve been comparing the young guns against ever since. Swervedriver were from Oxford and broke at a time when it seemed that that town appeared to be at the epicentre of everything bright and interesting (see also Ride, Radiohead, Supergrass). Even though they officially dissolved in 1999 the original Swervedriver line-up reconvened earlier this year and played some gigs. Given the genius of their debut ‘Raise’ from 1991 and this single ‘Duel’, which followed 2 years later, I’d imagine they would have been events to savour. ‘Duel’ was a single of the year on an NME CD I picked up all those years ago and it has lost none of its incendiary power in the intervening period. This is a stone cold classic in fact, above any critical negativity you care to throw at it. KD

Swervedriver - Duel

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Swervedriver
Year: 1993

Fresh out of the pot and certain to brew up a storm are a brand new trio called Percolator. Led by Ian Chestnutt details on the Waterford outfit are a bit sketchy but for the moment we have the Sonic Youth bluster of ‘Lead Salad’ to keep us drooling for more. Intriguingly the song starts out sounding like ‘You Made Me Realise’ but slowly slips into something a bit more ear friendly. Chestnutt’s slick indie-boy vocals are ably backed up by some of the sweetest low-slung instrumentation you’ll hear all 2008. It adds up to an auspicious start for the young band, if they can build on this we could be witnessing the emergence of something great. Cheers to Peter for the heads up. KD

Percolator - Lead Salad

More Info: Myspace
Year: 2008

If you look to the right of this page you’ll see a list of huggable labels and one of the links points to Shelflife Records run by 2 quarters of this band Tears Run Rings. If you were seeking an outfit that was rigid in their adherence of the shoegaze aesthetic then Tears Run Rings would probably be a perfect fit. Their gift however is that their portrayal sounds fresh and exciting and doesn’t have you clambering for the dusty vinyl of ‘Just For A Day’. At times their debut LP ‘Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never’ is close to exhilarating like on ‘Run Run Run’ with its searing guitars, J&MC vocals and heavy duty drumming. Play this at dangerously high decibels in a dingy Friday night venue and people could start believing they're hearing the future. I want to start a record label. KD

Tears Run Rings - Run Run Run

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Tears Run Rings
Year: 2008

It hasn’t been a good year for post-rock, I’ve heard the promo track from Mogwai’s newbie and now I can’t even bring myself to listen to it. Fresh pastures are required and right now one of the most promising comes from north of the border. Belfast to be precise courtesy of a band called And So I Watch You From Afar. With a new LP waiting in the wings and a fabulous debut EP ‘This Is Our Machine And Nothing Can Stop It’ under their belts ASIWUFA could soon be straddling up beside the great instrumental acts of our time. Explosions In The Sky have already set the benchmark but epics like ‘The Voiceless’ signal something very substantial could be on the way. In fact it so impressed one of the best publications on this island, AU Magazine, that it crept into the Top 10 of their list of favourite 50 songs since their inception. Expect much longer queues at the ticket office once they play Whelan's on November 23rd. KD

And So I Watch You From Afar - The Voiceless

Watch The Video To Holylands, 4am

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: And So I Watch You From Afar
Year: 2008

Fancy dieting on an album that somehow ends up sounding like Calexico, the Beta Band and believe it or not Noah & The Whale over its twisty turny 11 tracks. I was a little confused, even more so when I a look at their website which is a maze of links to other parts of the internet. Ah, well I’ll put my confusion down to early morning fuzziness and let the music do the talking. ‘MonkeySkyMonkey’ is the bands second digital release and at £3.99 it must go down as one of the year's best deals. I’m completely enamoured with the exotically tailored instrumental ‘I Risk Losing My Shine (Redux)’ and the gently jangling flicker of ‘Locational Assist’ but there is plenty more to lap up. I love discovering bands like datapuddle, talented individuals producing music that deserves to take up an essential few MB's on music players everywhere. KD

datapuddle - I Risk Losing My Shine (Redux)

datapuddle - Locational Assist

Watch The Video To Permanent Display

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

I was rooting in a cupboard full of CD’s earlier this afternoon and recoiling at the endless stacks looking back at me at awkward angles through cracked plastic sleeves. Unloved and uncared for they’ll hardly ever be played again but then perhaps like ‘Ping Pong’ by Stereolab they’ll be plucked from obscurity. My favourite Stereolab period came around the ‘Mars Audiac Quintet’ and ‘Refried Ectoplasm’ (‘94/’95) releases and I pretty much picked up every single/EP from the era. The ‘Ping Pong’ EP contained a live version (as in live in the studio) of ‘Transona Five’ and for a time I was besotted with it. It was highly characteristic of the Stereolab sound back then, lyrics were interspersed with moog patterns and Tim Gane’s circular chords. Lætitia Sadier was reason enough to love this band but their dreamy drone rock marked them out as true innovators. Pity they slowly let it slip from their grasp. KD

Stereolab - Transona Five (live)

Watch The Video To Ping Pong

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Stereolab
Year: 1994

Given that Christchurch act Shocking Pinks have only been together for 5 years it seems remarkable that they’ve ploughed through 16 members already. Hasn’t put the labels off though as they’ve been on the seminal Flying Nun for a while now and just recently signed to DFA Records. At Shocking Pinks core is Nick Harte, a man with a gift for widescreen lo-fi audio as poetry. Ditties that may appear murky to some sound like diamonds round these parts, it’s experimental but the targets are very alluring. ‘The Narrator’ is particularly fetching, industrial by design but with the sort of handmade charm that snags hearts. ‘This Aching Deal’ is bedecked in flavoursome jangle and a Bernard Sumner just under the radar vocal making it ideal mixtape material. A burning talent. KD

Shocking Pinks - The Narrator

Shocking Pinks - This Aching Deal

Watch The Video To End of The World

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Shocking Pinks
Year: 2007

You can now buy the self-titled debut album from Burning Codes from our record label Indiecater!

The internet is awash with scammers, fakers, charlatans and the talentless. So it comes as some surprise when you strike up an online friendship with someone who is real and also really talented. Paul Archer is one of those and I've had the pleasure of knowing him since the early days of his musical project Burning Codes. Paul is passionate about music and this passion manifests itself in his gospel-tinged output. It's a simple formula but one that is both warm and embracing, contemplation triggering in almost every case. Sumptuously layered vocals and gentle chord changes are Burning Codes stock in trade and it is quite easy to find oneself immersed in the magic. His eponymous debut is to be released at the Belfast Empire tomorrow night (18th October) as part of the Oxjam Festival and is awash with the sort of spiritually uplifting material that is rarely available on this side of the musical divide. Such is the strength of the album it's quite difficult to pull a track aside for individual attention but closing track 'Whirlwind' is very special indeed. It is affecting to the point where I get emotional every time I hear it, in fact I'll go so far as to say that it makes me want to become a better person. Burning Codes is truly something we can all believe in. KD

Burning Codes - Whirlwind

Watch The Video To For All Time

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Burning Codes
Year: 2008

Quite a mouthful eh? And you may as well keep it open for the jaw dropping ‘Join The Dots’ from this Manchester quartet’s latest EP. From what I’ve heard thus far vocals aren’t a priority but I’m not sure it would be possible to make these songs any more endearing than they already are. The word pastoral springs to mind, as does the words iPod advert because this has the sort of innate magic that so propelled Orba Squara from obscurity. ‘Join The Dots’ is an unbridled success as much for the emotions it inspires as the instrumentation, which is both fragile and adventurous. And it’s not alone on the ‘Put Your Slippers On’ EP, a record that you’ll listen to from beginning to end in a semi-comatose state of bliss. Who ever said the shuffle generation couldn’t devour a long player in one sitting? KD

Tim and Sam's Tim and Sam Band with Tim and Sam - Join The Dots

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More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Tim and Sam's Tim and Sam Band with Tim and Sam
Year: 2008

Seeing as Los Campesinos! (and No Age, Times New Viking) are playing Whelan's tomorrow evening I thought I'd resurrect a post we had on the band from December 2006 (go check it, its still there!). It was an exclusive for the site, a remix of their ace (and still best) tune ‘You! Me! Dancing!’ by their college lecturer (a man by the name of Badmington). At the time they gave me some jip for bowing to student clichés but shur they are famous now and students are still as smelly.


8.45am Peel tongue off soggy pillow.

8.46am No clean vessel, slurp copiously from water supplying node.

8.50am Cycling at the speed of sound, break the lights, find an open pharmacy.

9.03am Tablets ingested, head clearing, where’s lecture room 101?

9.22am English Lit sucks, so does Badmington, crap sport too.

9.45am Feeling nauseous, not long to go, blah, blah, blah, what sort of post human is this man?

10am Alien calls me back, oh dear, no words, just a CDR.

10.05am Call it quits, bed needs urgent attention.

10.16am Plug in CDR, duvet covers head, our tune reworked, foot taps, wish it was longer.

10.19am Old people can be cool too, neither bad nor ming, he's my hero. Eno! With! Hair! KD

Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Plagiarizing!

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Album: Hold On Youngster
Year: 2006

Not sure whether Juana Molina's newbie, ‘Un Día’, is quite as absorbing as her last, ‘Son’, but it's still a hypnotic listen. Hypnotic I say because being sung in Spanish you have to rely on your own imagination to colour the voluptuous audio. To be fair there isn't that much wordage for Spanish linguists either because Molina's sound is characterised by her vast array of vocal tics, chirps and lush overdubs. It's almost as if she takes some initial recordings, dices them up into a million pieces and then puts them all back together to form a carefully orchestrated tapestry. The result is unique and otherworldly and rewards the patient listener as the jigsaw of sound slowly metamorphoses into wondrous sense. Some of the tunes impress further through off-kilter jangle like on ‘Los Hongos’ (which also sports some fetching Orbitalesque electronic turns), ensuring that the svelte manoeuvres slowly take your breath away. KD

Juana Molina - Los Hongos

Watch The Video To La Verdad

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Juana Molina
Year: 2008

I like Analogue Magazine, not just because it is free but also because it is free spirited. It's quite obvious that its writers are fans first and foremost so are unlikely to be swayed by general consensus; the words rush from the heart as opposed to a preconceived notion as to what they believe people might like to read. It's a veteran going by the short lifespan of most Irish music magazines and it is celebrating its 1st birthday on Thursday evening in Twisted Peppar on Abbey Street. Entertainment on the night is by arch experimentalist Patrick Kelleher, intriguing newbies Villagers and (the I don’t have a clue who is) Spilly Walker. To get you in the mood here are some elderly people from Leeds who should know better but we pray they never do. KD

The Wedding Present - Don't Take Me Home Until I'm Drunk

More Info: The Wedding Present
Buy Songs: The Wedding Present
Year: 2008

I’d imagine reviews involving this band can be an invitation to engage in some brand of toilet humour. Well, I’m going to resist the temptation this time because the Boggs were actually called after a Bluesman and anyway ‘Melanie In The White Coat’ has swished through my brain with the antiseptic efficiency of an emergency room janitor. As you’d expect they come from Brooklyn (what bands don’t these days?), revel in experimental explosions of sound that sometimes sound nice in the morning but often sound better with alcohol on board. They’ve got the intensity of Times New Viking but probably won’t require earplugs no matter how scuzzy they decide to play on any given day. If this isn’t an invitation to turn you off then all I can say is may the ‘Forts’ be with you. KD

The Boggs - Melanie In The White Coat

Watch The Video To Remember The Orphans

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

Ok, I know what you are thinking and I agree it does sound a bit like them at the top of the charts but hey we all need a bit of pop to get us through the day. And there’s no getting away from the fact that ‘Surprise, Surprise’ is a superbly crafted tune, the production is squeaky clean and the harmonies are pristine. What pleases me most though is the opening segment, which replicates the scene where the prizewinners enter Wonka’s chocolate room. Adam Stidham’s vocals are impressive, managing to veer away from what could so easily have become a clone of something altogether more syrupy. I’m trying hard to stop my natural negativity towards this sort of thing because the bottom line is that this is a sweet song. KD

Civalias - Surprise, Surprise

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

We've loved Sunbear for many years so it is a real honour to be able to offer their debut album on our sister site indiecater. Sunbear were a quartet from Dublin who appeared in the wake of shoegaze and adopted much of the genre's dynamics to create a truly lush sound. They may have been loud but Sunbear never lost their sense of melody, which is all pervasive throughout the album. As there was only ever one thousand copies of 'Sunbear' printed it did not cast a very wide net when released in 1994 but now thanks to a different sort of net altogether we are hoping that a wider audience will embrace it. 'Flutterbye' is perhaps the most straight forward piece of music on the album, an effervescent dollop of dream pop with ethereal vocals and fluid instrumentation. It's a lovely taster for what is a gorgeous album. If you like what you hear you should visit indiecater where you can listen to the whole album as many times as you like! KD

Sunbear - Flutterbye

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Sunbear
Year: 1994 & 2008

Unfortunately it seems that both Eiffel Tower and their label (Zero One Infinity) have gone to ground, as in ground to dust I’m afraid. So details are at an all time high degree of sketchiness while I fall head over heels for this tune from the bands 2006 'Smallish Things' LP. Eiffel Tower is essentially Benjamin Wheelock and he quite obviously has a doctorate in what makes indie rock sound like the most vital music imaginable. ‘Serenade’ doesn’t fashion anything remotely innovative, in fact you can hear a plethora of influences throughout the song, yet it has so many tuneful flourishes that my constant repeat plays are threatening to cause the first mp3 ever to degrade a la vinyl. There's some pop amongst the scratches I can tell you. KD

Eiffel Tower - Serenade

More Info: Myspace
Buy Songs: Eiffel Tower
Year: 2006

I listened to this for the first time and instantly said to myself, this is nice but where have I heard it before. It being a sunny day I decided to go for a walk and ponder the question of the hour. It was only after I’d creamed a second 99 that the penny dropped. The appeal is undeniable and even though Casiotone For The Painfully Alone may be purposely tugging at some cherished childhood memories I forgive them. Then again those who suffer from chilling flashbacks due to ‘Insert Horror Movie With Particularly Gory Ice-cream Van Scene Here’ may not. Funnily enough the song is actually taken from a movie called ‘Stay The Same Never Change’ which CFTPA have soundtracked via their ‘Town Topic’ EP (15 tracks, hmmm). It's all enough to make your heart melt. KD

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Ice Cream Truck

Watch The Video To Toby Take A Bow

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Year: 2008

It’s 5am and rather than risk injury from excessive twisting and turning I’ve decided to dedicate my extra waking hours to Brooklyn band La Strada. And all I’ve got to play with is a single track from their forthcoming self-titled EP. Lucky then that ‘Starling’ is a lavishly endowed piece of creativity. In fact if I didn’t know better I would have said that the tune was in fact several, meandering be thy name oh sweeping starling. But, for all their corrupt attention to verse-chorus-verse detail this particular septet do know their way around the forensics of what makes an addictive listen. ‘Starling’ weaves an illuminating shawl of contrasting styles, one minute it’s pulling a Pas/Cal like harmony, the next it’s playing a headline tour with Beirut before it eventually decides it would be pretty cool to be the next I’m From Barcelona. As you can imagine with such diversity it may take you a bit to join the dots but there's plenty of time before the rest of what should an irresistible EP arrives in January. KD

La Strada - Starling

More Info: Official & Myspace
Year: 2009 (!)

Mike Dykehouse like so many other of his generation is a rabid MBV enthusiast and his goal it seems is to record something as wondrous as his idols. Well, he’s got that sense of chaotic brilliance down to a T on ‘Signal Crossing’ but its sound owes more to the synth pop agents of the mid-80’s like Fiction Factory than the shoegaze aristocrats that were to arrive years later. Dykehouse is a bedroom project; the montage of noise is built slowly using nothing more than a home PC. So while it may sound like it was honed by several dozen machinations, the beginning, middle and end all stream from one man’s lucid vision. KD

Dykehouse - Signal Crossing

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Dykehouse
Year: 2004

How good does this sound? I think the Vaselines has set me off on some sort of retro buzz and suddenly (we take a trip to trumpton) historic sonic adventures are beginning to take my brain to another dimension. I must admit I always preferred the early incarnation of the Prodigy, before they got all serious while at the same time started to make bucketloads of dosh. Their debut album ‘Experience’ came at the back end of acid/rave when the best selling compilations often included a not too clever use of the words ‘Generation’ and ‘Rave’. ‘Charly’ (a colloquial name for cocaine, hey at least they weren’t doing E) sampled a children’s education programme over a wildly erratic synth swirl and a deliciously baggy beat. Given that it was released 17 years ago this old dear doesn’t sound too arthritic, in fact given the right circumstances it may even propel the odd youngster into something resembling minor movement. KD

The Prodigy - Charly

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More Info: Wiki & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Prodigy
Year: 1991

I must have heard this song a dozen times in different places and never knew who it was. Then finally as I sat goggle-eyed watching ‘About A Son’ it played out in its lo-fi grandness. Was a tad surprised that it was the Vaselines because I had always reasoned that they were a heavy punk outfit. I had also surmised that they were American given Kurt Cobain’s love for them but it turns out they were from sunny old Glasgow. And the revelations don't end there as it seems the band have played several gigs this year (2008), some of them with members of Belle & Sebastian. ‘Son of a Gun’ was one of the first songs they wrote and is the original of the fey boy/girl call and response species. It is undeniably twee but all the more cutesome for that. And it's somehow reassuring to hear vocalist Eugene Kelly finally join Frances McKee in bellowing out the chorus towards the end. If only Gedge had taken note. KD

The Vaselines - Son of a Gun

More Info: Wiki & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Vaselines
Year: 1987

Yep, it’s not a trick of the night. Thanks to Foggy Notions you can spend a winter evening in the company of two of today’s most spellbinding chanteuses. That’s because on Thursday November 27th Whelan’s will be hosting both Victoria Legrand of Beach House and Jana Hunter. It promises to be a night of otherworldly charm so no sudden movements y’hear. Beach House are onto their second LP and the perfectly seasonal ‘Home Again’ is the dewy-eyed closing track. Legrand might grab the attention but her band mate Alex Scally is equally adept at dreaming up the near tropical electronic soundscapes. Jana Hunter’s star has risen slowly but tunes such as ‘Babies’ signal an individual talent that will surely unveil understated masterpieces in the near future. Tempting isn’t it? Well you can sate your cravings for free as we’ve got 2 double passes to give away to the Whelan’s gig. To be in with a chance just email with your name and then prepare yourself for some languid devotion.

Update: Congrats to Paul Murray & Paul McGinnity. KD

Beach House - Home Again

Jana Hunter - Babies

Watch The Video To Beach House's Master of None

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Beach House
Year: 2008

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Jana Hunter
Year: 2007

In what was another cruel case of ‘should’ve been’s’ Whipping Boy have long since gone back to their day jobs. I saw them in concert several times, the last of which was a reunion gig in 2005 which felt flat and even more disappointingly slightly false. Here was a band with an intense anger and when that subsided the mood remained defiant and rebellious. By 2005 this had dissipated so the Whipping Boy experience that I had grown up loving was no more. The bands major breakthrough came via their second album ‘Heartworm’ which was a fine record. My favourite release from them came several years earlier however and was called ‘Submarine’. This was the bands debut and was recorded on a shoestring in just over a week. The strain of the recording sessions almost lead to the band splitting up before it was even released on indie label Liquid Records. ‘Submarine’ was a joyous noise, intense and broody it cut through the bullshit and for a MBV loving young lad it was manna from heaven. ‘Astronaut Blues’ was one of the quieter moments, a break in the storm to repair the last remaining vestiges of what used to be ones hearing faculties. KD

Whipping Boy - Astronaut Blues

Watch The Video To We Don't Need Anybody Else (at Feile '92)

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Whipping Boy
Year: 1992

Six Red Carpets, a Milanese 3-piece, released their debut album ‘Nightmares + Lullabies’ at the end of June. As is fast becoming the norm the album was issued free of charge for anyone with the time/inclination to download it. So Six Red Carpets were accorded no headlines or calls from important media outlets about their novel approach. Freebies are so passé these days you see, we’ve become ambivalent and somewhere along the way some important music has been lost. So you should put some time aside getting this album on your hard drive because it is a beautiful record. There are flashes of Smashing Pumpkins and early Whipping Boy throughout the 13 tracks, the production is lush and the strings when they appear illuminate the scene rather than appear like an afterthought. The most pleasing aspect of ‘Nightmares + Lullabies’ is that it sounds so vibrant and ripe with possibilities. ‘Vanilla Scent’ and ‘The Dream of / Billy Kite’ are my current favourites but there are lots more besides to enjoy. KD

Six Red Carpets - The Dream Of / Billy Kite

Six Red Carpets - Vanilla Scent

Watch The Video

More Info: Official & Myspace
Free Album Download: Nightmares + Lullabies
Year: 2008

Another literate indie pop combo to savour, well you’d hardly expect anything else with a name like that would you? Princeton come from L.A. but their latest EP ‘Bloomsbury’ was inspired by a year spent in the English capital. ‘Ms. Bentwich’ is the second track and what a perfectly orchestrated piece of chamber pop it turns out to be. From the gently tweeting birds that kick it all off to the victorian sounding instrument at fade out this is a piece of music blessed with a myriad of delights. The Kinks are a stated influence and it shows in the studied (!) yet loose-limbed vocal melodies. Potential to burn then, can’t wait for their debut long player. KD

Princeton - Ms. Bentwich

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

I had to slip this in before the grey clouds and endless precipitation threatens to spoil the remaining half hour of sun we have left. Belgium’s Girls in Hawaii have already let us in on one of the best chorus’s of the year but now they give us instances of seasonal dabbling (hey, listen to those bells towards the end) and more reasons to think that Europe can easily approximate that East Coast sound. This makes me smile (!) quite a lot and has me reminiscing about Grandaddy at their peak when a sad lush sound poured from them so effortlessly. Drop your critical defences and bath in the beauty of these melodies. It's enough to have you forgetting the continual tap tap from that nearby window. KD

Girls In Hawaii - Sun Of The Sons

Watch The Video To This Farm Will End Up In Fire

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Girls In Hawaii
Year: 2008

I recently watched a most beautiful film about Kurt Cobain called ‘About A Son’. Pieced together from late night telephone interviews between Cobain and journalist Michael Azerrad it contained absolutely no Nirvana music whatsoever. Instead it relied on the audio that inspired the singer and it was obvious that his music palette was a wide and varied one (Queen, the Beatles, Mudhoney). The cinematography was almost as captivating as Cobain’s outpourings, the stark visuals pulled magnetically from the colourful neighbourhoods of Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle where he spend most of his short life. His story is both tragic and redemptive, here was a man who was born to make music but was not equipped to deal with the demands of normal/celebrity life. ‘About A Son’ is an incredibly moving piece of art that captures the essence of Cobain in a most subtle of ways and is a must see for anyone who remembers where they were on April 5, 1994. KD

The Floors - Jesus Lived Six Years Longer Than Kurt Cobain

More Info: About A Son Offical Site & The Floors
Buy The Soundtrack To His Life: About A Son OST
Year: 2006

Everything about Lisa Hannigan is lovely. She’s lovely looking, has a lovely personality (read some interviews) and makes music that can only be described as lovely. I’ve enjoyed her new album ‘Sea Sew’, given it the rudimentary 3 listens before I make a judgement and my consistent thought on it was that it was uniformly lovely. I doubt I’ll be returning to it too much though unless we have some friends over for a thoughtful chat and a couple of Baileys. Pretty soon I will file it away in a folder marked ‘music to soundtrack lovely occasions’. That’s why I wish Lisa sometimes had a bit more bite, was a little angrier or at least a tad more colourful in her landscaping of the human condition. Much like Gemma Hayes she positions herself to take the laurels but seems content to slink in the background and pick up a badge of merit instead. ‘I Don’t Know’ is perfectly constructed but it would be a great deal shallower without the flitting brass parts. So for a finish it just ends up sounding utterly lovely. KD

Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know

Watch The Video To Some Surprise As The Cake Sale

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Lisa Hannigan
Year: 2008

Ok, after much brow beating and endless reruns I think I’ve think I've finally decided on my favourite A Sunny Day In Glasgow track. The Philadelphia act have been top of my agenda ever since their weirdly titled debut album hoved into view. They played Dublin recently to an incredibly unresponsive audience and my heart sank but then a couple of listens of ‘Scribble Mural Comic Journal’ fixed all the damage. A Sunny Day In Glasgow are a gathering of siblings and a couple of others who usher us back to the days of dreampop and shoegaze while still retaining a complete sense of their own identity. They are currently working on their sophomore and if they can summon the noise gods to make anything approaching the greatness of ‘Sometimes I Think About You’ I will be a moshing audience of one (if it comes to that) the next time they visit our neck of the woods. Sublime. KD

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Sometimes I Think About You

Watch The Video A Mundane Phonecall

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: A Sunny Day In Glasgow
Year: 2007

We’ve been here before of course but I don’t think I could close the door on the Gorgeous Colours stunning debut without giving ‘Miss You’ an airing. I’m sure it’ll be a single someday such is its studied melodies, anthem like refrains and jangling chords. In what is turning out to be a pretty good year for Irish albums (!, well September turned out be some month) the Gorgeous Colours ranks amongst the best. It works very well as an long player but there is much to keep the mixtape enthusiast happy too. ‘Miss You’ is an uncomplicated joy, with undoubted crossover appeal even if the sudden equilibrium wavering momentum towards the end threatens to return it to the darkened rooms of bespeckled indiedom from whence it came. KD

The Gorgeous Colours - Miss You

Watch The Video To Burning

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Buy Songs: The Gorgeous Colours
Year: 2008

Is that a real bass tug or have the electronics progressed to the extent that traditional instruments have merely taken on the role of looking good while held by skinny chested young things? Who knows and ultimately who cares when whizzkids like David Holmes continue to peddle IDM torch bearers like ‘I Heard Wonders’. Even if his name means nothing to you it’s quite likely you’ve googled his tunes after picking up on at least one of his soundtrack escapades. Holmes has been at this game for a long time and his Shake Yer Brain club in Belfast inspired Orbital to write one of their most famous opuses about the city. The man gets away with relative anonymity yet his name is constantly spilling from the lips of Hollywood soundtrack compilers. But how can you be jealous when it only takes a single spin of ‘I Heard Wonders’ to have believing you’ve heard the dance track of the year. His latest LP ‘The Holy Pictures’ is out now, throw out the Wii and exercise to this instead. KD

David Holmes - I Heard Wonders

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More Info: Myspace
Buy Songs: David Holmes
Year: 2008