Bayview Sounds

Seminal 80's-90's rock pop band Something Happens made their way to Dundalk Gaol for a gig on Saturday night. Frontman Tom Dunne's first words were "this is not a regular show, it's the story of Something happens". From then they brought the Dundalk audience on a journey spanning their whole career with many stories and anecdotes along the way. They began with their first ever song "Burn Clear" followed by Billy Bragg's "A New England". "Give It Away" then onto "Forget Georgia" which Larry Gogan championed. The show element of the gig kicks in as founding member and drummer Eamonn Ryan left the band which was recreated by walking up the stairs only to be beckoned back by a pleading Tom Dunne and the audience. A cover of Abba's "Take A Chance" led into Madonna's "Borderline" followed by "Beach" and a story of how they sold out by playing the Trinity Ball and were si...

In 2015 I reviewed Wexford singer songwriter Sean McComish's very impressive debut EP "The First Step" for Street Ceol TV.  Since then Sean has been a very busy young man. He has supported many artists including Nathan Carter, Jake Carter, Aslan, The Academic, The Strypes and Gavin james to name a few. He has also worked with Ryan O'Shaughnessy and Mary Byrne on a charity single for Pieta House. He has played Whelan's The Ruby Sessions in Doyles, a couple of sets at Electric Picnic and even a tour of Austria. Now he returns with his brand new single "Only One". "Only One" is 3 minutes of pure dance pop funk. Sean lists his influences as Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars which is very evident in this track. It's catchy as hell which will prove a massive hit and should garner lots of radio play. Sean has clearly grown as a musician since his debut EP. In 2015 I said "If this is Sean's first step then you should look forward ...

Soda Blonde, the exciting new band which came from the ashes of Little Green Cars have announced details of their debut EP "Terrible Hands". The self produced EP is set for release on the first day of their upcoming Ireland and UK tour on Friday 8th November. The 4 track EP is sure to delight the audiences at each and every show. The first single from the EP will be released tomorrow and is the title track "Terrible Hands". "Terrible Hands" is another dreamy nostalgic offering from the pen of Faye O'Rourke. The comparisons to Annie Lennox and Kate Bush are undeniable but Faye has also established herself to be spoken in the same high regard of those two incredible women.  Faye said of the single "In light of the times we live in 'Terrible Hands' was chosen as the title track for our EP. It touches on failed relationships, personal short comings and self discover. It was written over a hugely transitional period for all of us an...

Deep Reasoning is the rap name of Steven Bonner from Dublin. He has been making a name for himself on the hip hop scene for many years now. He spent some time in Boston in 2011 to learn from artists and producers and also to work on his first album "Student Of The Game" which was released later in 2015 after 4 years of hard work. Having spent the last year or two gigging around Dublin in places such as Underground, The International Bar and more recently winning a talent show in The Sugar Club with a rendition of "Forgot About Dre". Now he returns with his brand new single "Dopamine" which is taken from the forthcoming album "Battle Of The Hemipsheres". The single features Rebecca Rose on guest vocals, produced by NooBeats and engineered by James Darkin at Black Mountain Studios. "Dopamine" is the product of Deep Reasoning's studious ways. He has taken advice and direction  to add to his own talent and come up with ...

Now a full time farmer and part time singer, Cathy Davey made a rare appearance last night at The Oriel Centre, Dundalk. You hear stories on the news about overcrowding in prisons but last night I witnessed it first hand as the Gaol was in danger of overcrowding with yet another sell out show. The audience were eager and attentive as Cathy came down the stairs and onto the stage. She immediately began with the hauntingly beautiful song that was commissioned for the RSA's anti speeding campaign in 2017. Next was "Birdie" followed by the incredibly infectious "In He Comes". Cathy then became self conscious of her dirty fingers from working on the farm. She claims she tried scrubbing them clean but the results don't back up the claim. Cathy's farm life infiltrated her music again when she needed a capo but only had a piece of a tractor in her bag that she tried to fashion into one. The hit single "Reuben" was one of the highlights as the...

After the success of her previous single "Wasted" a couple of months ago, singer, songwriter, actress and all round creative spirit, Klara McDonnell returns with a new single released today. "Dusty Glitter" is that single.  Listen to "Dusty Glitter" here: "Dusty Glitter" is an upbeat country pop track which shows a more fun, tongue in cheek style than Klara's previous work. Klara explains that the lyrics are meant as a warning to anybody who tries to take control over her career. This is Klara's time, she will do things how she wants and who can argue when she comes up with hit after hit? Follow Klara McDonnell on: Facebook Spotify Twitter Instagram

Damian Higgins is a singer songwriter from Belfast. Damian was the frontman for rock band Tempest Fugitives who won the Jaegermeister Battle Of The Bands during his tenure. He then quit his job to focus on music full time and is currently working on his debut album. On October 11th he will release his 2nd single "Long Gone One". Damian will also be launching the single with a live show in The Sunflower Bar, Belfast on the same night. "Long Gone One" is an undeniable nod to Tom Waits. Damian sings in a similar style and the piano is straight from the Tom Waits playbook. The song is catchy, weird and enjoyable. "Long Gone One" demands to be listened to over and over and each time you find new little bits you previously missed such as the faint trumpet in the undercurrent.  Watch the video here which was created by Aaron Kyle: Follow Damian Higgins on: Facebook YouTube Soundcloud Twitter Instagram

Chicago Typewriter are a hard rock band from Carrickfergus. The duo comprised of Ryan Luney and Matthew Davidson released their single "A Warrior's Will" to great acclaim back in March. Now the Antrim musicians return with their latest single "Praise". "Praise" is again all out rock. The drumming on the track is nothing short of sublime and the Josh Homme style vocals really elevate the song to another level of brilliance. These guys definitely have something special and I'm excited to hear more and more from them. Listen to "Praise" on Spotify: Follow Chicago Typewriter on: Instagram Facebook Twitter Spotify