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Showing posts from February, 2020

The Grey Merchant - The Claude Glass Album Review

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The Grey Merchant recently released the first single from their brand new album "The Claude Glass".   The album is the second from the Cork five piece following the brilliant debut album "Avenue De Rennes". The band were originally a three piece but added two new members to create a fuller sound and to share the songwriting duties on this album. They also collaborated with Pete Mac from Paradox and Kieran Ring from Neon Atlas. The album was recorded in Cork and Brooklyn, mixed in Berlin and mastered in London making it a truly global project. The album rather predictably starts with "Intro" which is 40 seconds of noise to get you ready for what's to come and that is the absolutely banging "Blood Book". This song is just downright incredible. The drumbeat mixed with the screaming vocals and underlying piano combine perfectly. Listen to it turned all the way up to 11. "Sonder" is up next and takes you down a nostalgic grung

Tracy Gallagher - The Fallen EP Review

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Tracy Gallagher is a singer songwriter from Co. Mayo who now calls Dublin home. Tracy path led her to teaching French and then hypnotherapy before settling on a career in music. She then converted an old van into a rustic home on wheels and travels the country writing songs. After releasing her debut single "Sit With Me" in 2019, Tracy has gone on to receive high praise from many critics on the Irish music scene. She also appeared on Peco's album collaborating on "Let The Credits Roll". Today, Tracy releases her debut EP "The Fallen".  The EP begins with the aforementioned "Sit With Me". The song begins almost ominously before Tracy's enthralling vocals kick in on this sultry story of love and letting go. "Beauty In Poetry" is exactly that. It is a beautiful piece of poetry with gorgeous strings accompanying the again stellar vocals. The title song "The Fallen" is a faster tempo track with a much more pop

Marcus - Obey Single Review

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Marcus is a Dublin based artist with a unique, alternative urban pop sound. Having dropped out of college in 2015 to focus on songwriting, Marcus began playing open mic nights around Ireland as often as he could. In 2016 he spent time in London perfecting his craft and again performing as much as possible. Now he unleashes his debut single "Obey". "Obey" showcases Marcus' unique vocal style which brings a melodic hip hop sound to the single. It definitely makes him stand out above the generic sound of a lot of artists. The song is about an on/off relationship and how you can still have feelings for someone who has hurt you. The video was came to fruition thanks to Marcus and his take away delivery colleague finding the money however they could to fund the project. Watch the video here: Follow Marcus on: YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter

Brian Kennedy - Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol 23rd February 2020

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Brian Kennedy walked down the stairs of Dundalk Gaol onto the stage and immediately launched into "Recovery". Then he engaged the audience telling them that he would be taking questions throughout the night as it adds a "sense of joy and uncomfortableness" which it certainly did at points. He spoke honestly and frankly about his cancer battle and his new EP "Recovery". After this he played "Child Of War" which featured the voice of newsreader Sean Rafferty. Up next were old favourites such as "A Better Man", "Captured" and Van Morrison's "Days Like This". A cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case Of You" was followed by "Best Friend. Brian told many stories of his past from Belfast to London. One such story was about a shoplifting incident with Eddi Reader which resulted in the writing of "Silver Hearts On Chains". Then came "Don't Look Back" and a captivating rendit

Dark Tropics - Badlands Single Review

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Dark Tropics are a pop noir duo from Belfast. Rio and Gerard were drawn together from Ireland to Morocco by their similar love of musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Radiohead and The Velvet Underground. Their music is cinematic in nature and uses analogue instruments and retro recording techniques. The duo have been working on their debut album which is due out later this year and have recently released their first single "Badlands". Watch the official video for "Badlands": "Badlands" is pretty much perfection. The elegant piano paired with Rio's incredible voice gives the song an eeriness that will penetrate your heart and fill you with emotion. "Badlands" will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your face. This is downright brilliant. A great debut and makes the thought of the album even more appealing. It can't come quick enough. Follow Dark Tropics: Facebook YouTube Instagram Twitter Spotify

Cormac O Caoimh - I'm In Need Single Review

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Cormac O Caoimh is a singer songwriter from Cork. He has released 4 studios albums to date with his songs being played millions of times across the world. He received plenty of airplay thanks to BBC Radio and also won an International Songwriting Competition which was judged by Robert Smith and Tom Waits. Critics from Hot Press and Mojo raved about him and compared his style to that of Prefab Sprout, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy and Nick Drake but Cormac describes his music as pop when pop was good. "I'm In Need" is the new single from his upcoming fifth studio album "Swim Crawl Walk Run". The single is a beautiful melodic pop song with a healthy dose of melancholy. Cormac voice soothes throughout making for a really easy listen. Follow Cormac O Caoimh at: Official Website Facebook YouTube Bandcamp Spotify

The Grey Merchant - Anthropocene Single Review

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Cork band The Grey Merchant are back with the second single from their upcoming second album "The Claude Glass" which is due for release on February 29th. The single "Anthropocene" is released today and there will be a very rare live performance taking place at Crane Lane Theatre, Cork on March 2nd at 11pm. Listen to "Anthropocene" on SoundCloud: "Anthropocene" is yet another cracking tune from the Cork five piece. The song has so much depth with lots going on but never once feeling like too much. It's full of drama and suspense which keeps the listener engaged throughout. Brilliant as usual from these guys. Follow The Grey Merchant on: Twitter SoundCloud YouTube Spotify Bandcamp Facebook

Owen Daniel - Street Light Single Review

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Belfast singer songwriter Owen Daniel follows up his two previous releases "Free As A Bird" and "Drowning" with his latest single "Streetlight".  The track is taken from his upcoming debut EP which is set for release in July and will feature 3 new songs to go with his 3 singles. "Streetlight" is about the streetlight that Owen and his friends used to meet under almost every day for over 12 years and reflects on the good and bad times that they had together. Listen to the track here: The single itself is a pop ballad which finds Owen Daniel is a reflective mood with this ode to his childhood. His vocals shine on the piano driven track which is genuine and endearing. It's perfect for radio play and is certain to get plenty of it.  Follow Owen Daniel on: Facebook Soundcloud Instagram YouTube Spotify

Stolen City - The Tower Single Review

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Sean McGrath, David McCabe and Ian Bailey are a Dublin 3 piece known as Stolen City. The band pride themselves on their "fun and energetic performances" which saw them sell out 3 nights at The Academy 2, Drop Dead Twice and Upstairs at Whelans in 2019. They also played at many festivals including Vantastival, Indiependence, Rock The Yard and even Rock An Der Eider in Hamburg, Germany. Today they have released the official video for their latest single "The Tower" which was directed by Ciaran O'Donnell. "The Tower" is a powerful pop song with an important message of not giving up when things are shit. The video really drives the lyrics home. Lots of people have already tipped this song to be one of the biggest this year and it's easy to see why. Follow Stolen City on: Facebook Spotify Instagram Twitter YouTube

Brian Lalor - You Won't Take My Soul Single Review

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Brian Lalor is a singer songwriter from Co. Laois but currently residing in Cork. Having played his way through several genres including garage, metal and folk, he has now settled on Americana-Folk/blues. After over a decade in music, Brian has spent the last six years writing his own material and working on his stage presence as a solo artist. Brian Lalor has played all over the country at open mic nights, sessions, showcases, café's and also including festivals such as The Secret Village Festival, The Acoustic Yard and Dundalk's Arcadian Field. His music has taken him to England, Scotland, Poland and recently Denmark. He has also shared the stage with Declan Sinnott, Sharon Shannon, Cormac O Caoimh and Liam Reilly. Watch the video for the single here: His latest single "You Won't Take My Soul" features Christine B Phelan on vocals and Jack Doherty on vocals and slide guitar. The song has an incredibly comforting vibe thanks to Brian's voca