Bad Bones
Info: As always we bring you the best recent independent Irish releases, as well as tracks by acts we have belatedly come across lately. In our 6th Issue for 2017 we have probably the most varied Playlist of the year to date in terms of genres, from ska to funk-pop, ambient, electronic and the plain wonderfully weird.
We start off with a lovely new-wave stomper courtesy of Autre Monde, 'I Want My Enemies To Prosper', made up of current and former members of Land Lovers, No Monster Club and solo act Paddy Hanna, their new single creates an alternate version of a less miserable Combat Rock-era Clash, it's a doozy of a song to say the least. Our second track has been out and about for a while now since last year, 'Beg' from Bad Bones. Sadly I only became acquainted with the Dublin electronic producer / visual artist at last weekend's Forbidden Fruit festival. Over the three days and all stages, Bad Bones were a clear highlight for me and really deserves a far wider audience.
Dublin band Stoat are up next with latest single 'Try Not To Think About It'; "I never get to see my wife naked any more, we're just partners in chores", their upbeat vox and music betraying a satirical and cynical recounting of the hum-drum inevitability of daily life. Again from Dublin, entertainer and musician supreme TADGH puts the two sets of brothers Doobies and Isley into the blender with Prince to create a funkalicious zinger with new single 'Danger', if only all pop music sounded and felt this good.
AikJ
AikJ, also from Dublin, just released his latest Rn'B single 'Heights', a mellow and most soulful affair, that dips it's toes between contemporary and old school vibes with ease. An effervescent summer anthem arrives next via drum and bass duo WOB!, rampant beats and flows give the single an energetic rush perfectly accompanied by the bang on vocals.
A very interesting, exciting and heart-warming act comes next in the form of Irish London-based artist Linda Em and her single 'Stories' which is part of a double A-Side release with track 'Buccaneer'. 'Stories' takes the slightest hint of Celtic mysticism popularised by the the likes of Clannad, and turns it into something modern yet equally haunting. It also embraces classic American 60's folk, there are particles of Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez to be found in her vocals and sound.
Next up comes a track from a while ago, but which only came to my attention this week, 'Mouthful of Bread' from Galway act Agu who is of Czech-Polish origin from her album Ke Světlu which is Czech for 'To The Light'. It's a very enjoyable piece of ambient folk, with guitar and strings swaying between lulls and peaks, it's absorbing and soaks itself into the listener with great ease. Dublin band KARMS who formerly operated under the name We Were Giants, recently shared single 'We Always Lose', which swerves between Jimmy Eat World and Band of Horses, a crunching and energetic single that lifts itself up and up as it progresses.
Look to the Lady - My Name
We close our latest Playlist with the shoe-gaze nuances of Look to the Lady from Wicklow and their latest single 'My Name' (above video). There's so much to enjoy on this track, it's like an homage to 90's alternative indie rock, but without a band from the era to compare it to. And whilst we are big into our visuals and music videos around these quarters, without them influencing our judgement on songs, the vid for the single is very impressive. It feels like real music from a real band.
