Keelan Foley A Song For The Weekend, Features, Introducing, Music

A Band For The Weekend: The Statics

the staticsYes, I said band! I wanted to kill two birds with several stones in the form of a single blog post this weekend, so I have quite cleverly (even if I may say so myself), decided to combine the ‘song for the weekend’ segment with the new band ‘introducing’ segment. Call it crafty, lazy, whatever you prefer, but either way, like it or not, I will introduce you to a new band this weekend. Now I’m sure of two things, one being that I used one too many commas in that last sentence and the other being that I’m yet to formally introduce this mystery band. So lets cut this mindless babble short.

The Statics, Irelands contemporary throwback to the swinging sixties, are a Dublin based rock band consisting of  Liam Gardner (Vocals, Guitars), Daragh O’Connell (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Jacqueline Campion (Drums) and Thomas Nugent (Bass). Their nostalgic stylings, adept musicality and vocal abilities are refreshing and do well to transport listeners to an era when ‘pop music’ was far less offensive to the ears. But the secret to The Static’s success is their ability to retain strong shards of originality whilst channeling so much from times long gone. Here’s what the band have to say for themselves.

Mixing the pop sensibilities of the Beatles, the snarling vocals of The Arctic Monkeys and not forgetting the rhythmic acoustic guitars of the Everlys (and hopefully their harmonies!) The Statics are a truly powerful force live and on record.

After the great success of their Debut Single Release “Holiday” back in November 2012, The Statics have been busy gigging all over Ireland promoting their sound . With invitations to play festivals such as Sea Sessions, Casltepalooza, Ballinamore Fringe Festival, and having just been announced on the bill for this year’s Vantastival Festival 2013, no doubt now is the perfect time to release the band’s Debut E.P “Hidden Pigeon”.

And so there you have it. Seeing as I am showcasing a band, rather than a song, I have included two tracks for your consideration. If you like what you hear you can follow the band on Twitter, like them on Facebook and even download their new E.P. on iTunes.

 

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Keelan Foley Introducing, Music

Introducing: Analogue Wave

Analogue WaveLet me introduce you to Analogue Wave,  a band (or electro super-duo in waiting) who have all but taken over my musical playlists ever since their compact disc bombardment of my letterbox commenced a couple of months ago. Okay it was 3 CD’s that fell through my door, but that single action has all but managed to keep my postman in a job, my ears occupied through an endless slog of college work and also preserve the tangibility of music. It’s amazing what a little plastic disc can achieve.

Analogue Wave are a Dublin based duo made up of members Del Chaney (vocals/songwriter) and Gint (producer/songwriter). They formed back in 2012, bringing together both a mutual love of electronic music and a combined experience of over 20 years. To date, Analogue Wave have released an impressive array of tracks through various singles and EPs.

They released their debut single Fingers back in March this year and followed up with the more recent  MEZKAL.  Both are available for download on their soundcloud page. A debut album is also in the works and should be released sometime during the summer months, most likely in August.

The band’s distinct style has roots in a variety of genres including Dub, Electronica, Synth and Rock. But the overriding stylistic feature present in all of AW tunes to date has to be the satisfying and most certainly nostalgic throwback to the 90’s. All in all, Analogue Wave are a formidable talent. And with a strong commitment to live shows and gigs, their stature can only increase. Most definitely ones to watch out for in the not so distant future.

Keelan Foley Introducing, Music

Introducing: Sparkle Motion

Sparkle Motion

Sparkle Motion is a three-piece alternative rock band from Castlemaine, County Kerry, with their sights set on nothing less than the coveted headline slot at Glastonbury. The band consists of brothers Kevin and Thomas O’Brien as well as bass player DD Foley who I recently caught up with to talk about life as a musician from the Kingdom.

For a young band, Sparkle Motion have a wealth of experience when it comes to playing live gigs. They have graced the stages of the Rose of Tralee festival with a triumvirate of performances, where they have had the honour of opening for bands such as Delorentos.

“When there is a good crowd at the gigs playing in Kerry can be unbelievable. We played in Courtney’s bar in Killarney once at a gig for the Pieta house foundation which was great.”

They played their first gig at the Tralee KDYS and are grateful for the support they have received through-out the years. “We owe John Buggy a lot for organizing our gigs, he always gave us advice on our music.”

So what does the future hold for this Kerry trio? As a band they are committed to their trade with both Kevin and DD studying music courses in college.

“At the moment education comes before the band but in a few years we will certainly be putting the band first. And eventually headline Glastonbury!”

With both youth and talent on their side it seems that the future is shimmering brightly for Sparkle Motion.

Find them on Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp and other shady corners of the internet.

 

Keelan Foley Introducing, Music

Introducing: Red Elephant

Red Bull Bedroom JamBefore I introduce you to the musical styling’s of Kenmare duo Red Elephant, allow me to fill you in on an online music competition currently being run here in Ireland. It is called the Red Bull Bedroom Jam and as the title may suggest, its principle aim is  to bring  young bands out of the bedroom and onto the big stage. And the stage, or stages, in question just happen to be located at six of the countries most popular music festivals. The qualifying heats have come and gone, leaving six talented bands to battle it out ‘bedroom style’ for the coveted top spot on the Festival Chart.

And one of these bands just so happens to be Red Elephant. With their distinct fusion of 60’s rock, contemporary folk and carefully controlled musical mayhem, it is not hard to see how the pair booked their place in the final.  Musical responsibilities are divided up as follows with Sadhbh Moriarty on drums, Laurie Shaw on lead guitar and a shared vocal contribution akin to a sort of Kathy Davy and Alex Turner duet.

To date, Elefante Rojo (or Red Elephant to all us English speakers)  have released one album and are currently working on a follow-up  “Red Elephant II” which is due for release in June.  On the gig front, they will be sharing the stage with fellow Kerry natives and last years Red Bull Bedroom Jam winners, Walking on Cars, at this years Charlie Chaplain Film Festival on August 22nd. But in the meantime you can show your support for Red Elephant by liking them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/weareredelephant) following them on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ThisRedElephant) and of course by voting for them in the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Festival Chart (http://www.redbullbedroomjam.ie/2013-band/red-elephant/) They are currently in fourth place and could do with a bit of support. But win or lose, I am all but certain that we will be hearing a lot more from Red Elephant in the not so distant future.

Keelan Foley Introducing, Music

Introducing: Rohan Healy

rohan healyRohan Healy is an Australian born singer songwriter currently based in his ‘ancestral home of Dublin’. To date he has recorded no less than 10 solo albums and somehow manages to fill the remainder of his free time as an author, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, blogger and professional music producer.

Rohan has written and published two books, the first “Greeks to Geeks: Practical Stoicism in the 21st Century” in 2010 and in 2012 he published his second book “The 7 Things That Made Me Genuinely & Irreversibly Happy: And How They Can Do The Same For You”.

Rohan’s musical style can best be summed up as a fusion of Indie, Folk and Punk Rock, a mix sure to satisfy almost all musical tastes. He has also performing and recording with a wide variety of artists including David Virgin, Dan Rumour, Cat Power, Billy Bragg, Jimmy Willing, Quiffs N Coffins and Christa Hughes (Machine Gun Fellatio).

As for the future, Rohan is currently working on a 7 track E.P. due for release sometime next month. All of Rohan’s music is available to download for free over on his website. Also be sure to check out his blog rohan7things.wordpress.com

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Keelan Foley Introducing, Music

Introducing: Madeline Mondrala

cloud

The Introducing section is starting to fill up nicely here on my blog. Over the last few days I’ve received some albums and EP’s from a number of exciting Irish and International artists who I will be featuring in the coming weeks. But first, here’s something I was sent last month.

Singer, Songwriter, Pianist and Composer, Madeline Mondrala, grew up in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.  She has been writing songs since she was a child and recently released her debut EP, Cloud. Recorded and produced at SUNY Purchase College, New York, with a team of fifteen musicians it’s fair to say that Cloud is an ambitious experiment, especially as a debut. The use of organic samples from original instruments is refreshing and provides a distinctive edge to the overall sound of the EP. From the self styled hip-hop sounding ‘Blood Brother’ to the subtle frailty of ‘Busy’ it is clear that Cloud is book-ended by individuality.

As a demo tape Cloud works exceptionally well, effortlessly showcasing  the multi-faceted talents of Mondrala and co. But as a record it is rather disjointed and unsure of itself. Each track, though expertly polished, differs and bears no relation to the others. For the future perhaps Mondrala may have to focus on one particular style or at least find a better way of amalgamating the current mix. Either way I have no doubt that we will be hearing more from Madeline Mondrala in the not so distant future.

Cloud can be downloaded for free on Bandcamp, or streamed below.

Keelan Foley Introducing, Music, Single Reviews

Cold Blood – Hannes Fischer Edit

hannes-fischerI stumbled across this back in November and it’s  been stuck in my head ever since. And so to answer the two questions that nobody is asking. What is this mysterious track that has taken up permanent residence in your head? and Why have you waited this long to post it on your blog? Both are very fine questions but I’ll start with the what.

I know very little about this tune or its background bar the fact that it is a remixed version of the theme music from a German film called ‘Cold Blood’. The mix is by the Berlin based DJ Hannes Fischer and contains samples from country music as well as the original ‘Cold Blood’ tune.

And now for the why, which is slightly easier to explain. For those of you familiar with my blog you will know that there has never really been a place for electronic music. So I felt that if I posted this tune it would stick out like a sore thumb. But now I realise that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve always claimed to have an open ears policy when it come to music and so without further rambling…

  • Hannes Fischer – Cold Blood