Bayview Sounds

Benjamyn is an electronic music producer based in Dublin. He categorises his music as being surf house which is a term he coined himself. He started out making acoustic folk to indie rock music before settling into his current style. His previous singles have been played on national radio stations and received praise from many top publications. His new single Sea Of Uncertainty was released on July 24th. About the song, Benjamyn says  "I want listeners not only to feel understood in this complex emotional state - but also to feel inspired to let go and live free from that fear." Watch here: Sea Of Uncertainty is utterly brilliant from start to finish. The chilled out indie dance vibes make you feel like you are gently floating on the sea but one thing that is for certain is that this song is one of the best I've heard this year. It's refreshing and deeply cool. I'm now a firm believer in surf house music. Outstanding. Follow Benjamyn: F

Described as Radiohead meets David Lynch, Cork based alternative musician Mechner has been releasing self funded and self produced music for four years now. The artist also known as Jack Ahern has supported people like Delorentos, Dermot Kennedy and The Coronas whilst also being called simply brilliant by Morrissey (Steven, not Marty). His debut single Surfacing had it's music video included in the Cork Indie Film Festival. Ahead of his mysterious upcoming mini LP Club Idem, Mechner offers up his new single Wasted. Jack says the single is about " a single encounter of two young spirited consensual individuals, fuelled by alcohol, crossing paths for one night, in which there is no expectation of further relations between the parties, this ends amicably, but with a feeling of general emptiness and a sense of unfulfillment." Watch the official video here: Wasted is an atmospheric brooding, dreamlike song with a jazz drumbeat throughout. The vocals could eas

The Rising are a country pop/rock duo from Belfast, Northern Ireland comprised of Chantelle McAteer and Chris Logan. The band took inspiration from a Bruce Springsteen album when choosing the band name. Since forming they have toured constantly and played venues such as The O2 London for the Country 2 Country Festival. They have also played in Dublin, Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester and Belfast on their UK & Ireland tour. They have shared a stage with the likes of Ward Thomas, The Shires and Jess & The Bandits. In May 2019, they were named Band Of The Month by BBC Introducing. They can also count Graham Norton amongst their fans.  The band have recently released their new single I Want You which was recorded between their home studio and Nashville. Listen Here: The Rising (Official) · I Want You I Want You is exactly what the band are known for. It is feel good country pop music to the core. It's got all the hallmarks you would expect from this style of mu

Robb Murphy is an electronic folk pop musician from Belfast. Robb released his debut album Take A Stand  in 2012 and received widespread critical acclaim. He followed that up in 2015 with his second album Sleep Tonight. He has also played at various festivals and music competitions including ones in Germany and The Netherlands. Robb has also had his music championed by Hot Press, RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Two. His latest single Choose You World was released recently and the music video enlisted the help of his fans who sent in footage of them singing along to his lyrics.  Watch the video here: About the single, Robb says  "‘Choose Your World’ is a song about how our thoughts create our world. By choosing to see things in a positive way our perception becomes reality and we are more thankful for all that we have. The song was written as a mantra to motivate me and I am hoping it will help others too." Choose Your World is packed full of joy. The music is uplifting

Eoin John Byrne is a self taught musician from Dublin. From an early age, he showed huge interest in music and found expression through instruments to be his way of communicating. His father was a musician and influenced him to pick up the guitar aged 8. He listened to folk, metal, instrumental and rock and found them to be a source of inspiration. In his spare time he teaches himself to play new instruments, most recently piano, synth and bass guitar. He recently released his new EP Empath at the beginning of June . Listen to Harbour here: The EP begins with Harbour which is a truly beautiful composition. The mellow tones create a what can only be described as a warm musical blanket which covers you and protects you from anything other than positive vibes. Velian is more floaty and dreamlike but once again makes you feel at ease with it's Nightmares On Wax style ambient aura.  Where You Go, I Go continues on in the same vein but is perhaps even more atmospheric t

Cork multi instrumentalist David Punch has been making a name for himself on the music scene. The singer songwriter who openly discusses his Asperger's syndrome began getting singing lessons when he was a teenager. He released  a charity single when he was in transition year in school and then taught himself to play guitar by watching YouTube tutorials. He played his first live shows at college in Cork and also in Kerry, Dublin, Clare and Galway. In 2019 he released another single for charity and now he release a new single called In This Together. The single is about getting through the lockdown and trying to cope just like everybody else is. About the song, David says " Not seeing family members and friends has been tough, using video calls instead has been weird. It was difficult because I have not been in this situation before. Seeing my grandparents anxious and upset about what’s going on and not being able to see their grandchildren was also tough.” Watch the ly

Following on from the blues soul single You in May, Belfast's Owen Lamont returns with his new single I-Revolution. The track is taken from his upcoming debut album Just Smile which is due sometime later this year. I-Revolution is a slow burning epic. Clocking in at almost seven minutes the song begins by slowly reeling you in and then smacks you across the face with a fierce brass section. The song builds and builds before lulling again. Just when you think you've heard it all, Owen blasts out an 80's inspired synth bridge followed by a blistering guitar solo. Wow! Follow Owen Lamont: SoundCloud Facebook Instagram Spotify Twitter YouTube

Silver Seeds are a band formed in 2018 in Dublin by Gerard Gallagher (The City Apples) and Jonathan Savino (Super Hyper Giant). Both found themselves at a musical dead end and decided to team up to create something new. They enlisted the help of fellow musicians Jimmy McCabe (The City Apples), Michael Tetlow (The Witch Trials) and Seb Sara (Cult Called Man) on the studio sessions. The band have recorded 13 songs and will form their upcoming debut album Hope. The third single to be released is Shangri-La. Watch the video here: Shangri-La is a nostalgic pop song with a 90's vibe reminiscent of The Lightning Seeds. The band have a very polished sound and are clearly adept at writing music that catches the ear. The song could easily be played on a loop and the listener would be happy enough to listen over and over. It's nostalgic, it's enjoyable and it's fun. What more do you want? Follow Silver Seeds: Spotify Facebook Instagram Twitter Yo

Since the last time she featured on this blog in 2019, Rebecah McManus has dropped the Re and the McManus and now goes by simply BECAH (all caps). BECAH has been busy since that release by performing with Brian Kennedy, Brian Houston and Sam Wickens, signed with a new PR company and has taken on a new sound. The singer songwriter from Lurgan, Armagh blew me away with her single Yours and she recently released her latest single Forget. The single was recorded with well respected producer Michael Mormecha. About the song, BECAH says " Using my lyrics almost in a diary-like fashion as ever, Forget tells the story of a messy break-up. It reflects on how one person in the relationship can be left still loving the other, whilst having to accept it’s bitter end and making that difficult return back to the strangers you once were. Like all my songs, it speaks of very personal things, and it’s my hope in that brutal honesty with Forget that the listeners find they can relate and recogn

Lady Landscape are a band from Meath formed by Ryan McDonnell and Alex Harrison who then added Adam Ollin, Jamie Reynolds and Tiernan Buckley to the fold. The five piece band released their debut EP 1 which was followed by their second EP 2 and now the band return with their third EP and you guessed it, it's called 3. The band delayed the release of their EP as they felt that black and female voices needed to be heard at that time more than they did. the EP was officially released on June 26th. The EP begins with Versailles which is a lo-fi offering drawing comparisons to REM. Its upbeat and melodic and a great opener. 25 is up next. This one is a scathing look at how society is built against young people but offers some small measure of hope.  Apartment Song is incredibly melancholic with the repeated line " I don't wanna be anyone anymore". Ghost Story is a song of advice to the youth telling them how to get through life and ultimately death. WWII is more a

Pyro Villas are a four piece indie electronic pop group from Dublin. The group consists of Andy Gleeson and Killian Dowling who have been writing and producing together for seven years and also Cian Guinee and Aidan O'Leary. The band's aim is to create music that moves the listener physically and emotionally. Having already drawn comparisons to Tame Impala and MGMT, the band released their debut single Nova Scotia Pipelines recently.  Watch the video here: Nova Scotia Pipelines is dancey as fuck. The beat is brilliant whilst the vocals show why they are compared to MGMT. It's incredibly catchy and holds your attention throughout. I saw a review that said the singer sounded like Dermot Kennedy. Thankfully that's just not true and the singer has a much more interesting style. Follow Pyro Villas: Instagram YouTube Facebook Spotify

Lloyd John is a 19 year old singer songwriter, pianist and producer from Limerick who currently studies music in Cork. He released his debut single Forget in 2018 and played his first headline show at Castletroy Park Hotel. He has since played venues such as Cyprus Avenue and The Workman's Club. In 2019 he released his debut EP Growth and has performed on radio and TV on TG4, RTÉ and RedFM. Now he releases his latest single Time Machine. Listen Here: It's hard to believe that  Time Machine was written by such a young artist. The song is very accomplished with some superb piano playing. It has a bit of a movie musical vibe to it with Lloyd's vocals being quite theatrical. Lloyd sings " I wish I could build a time machine so we could go back to when we were young". He does realise that he is only 19 years old? Follow Lloyd John: YouTube Instagram Twitter Facebook Spotify

Following on from her previous singles My Heart and It's Time, both reviewed on this blog, Amy Ellen is back with her latest offering In The Dark. The singer songwriter from Dublin has been gathering fans with each release and that trend will continue with this latest single. The single is part of an EP which has been pushed back to late 2020. Listen Here: Amy Ellen · In The Dark In The Dark touches on the feelings of loneliness and fear related to the lockdown but is ultimately a very uplifting track thanks in part to the wonderfully dreamy vocals. The song delivers hope and optimism in a time when both are in short supply. Amy Ellen has yet again offered up a brilliant single that quietly demands to be listened to. Follow Amy Ellen: Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify Bandcamp SoundCloud

Nicha (Lucy Robinson) is a 22 year old songwriter from Co. Down. Nicha grew up listening to Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley and lists her influences as Moloko, Bonobo, Jack Johnson and Tash Sultana.  After finishing school, Nicha took her guitar to Australia and busked around Melbourne and Sydney.  On the way home she stopped in Nepal and played in Kathmandu. Nicha now releases her debut single Devices. Nicha wrote this song to highlight the dangers of devices and about her own phone addiction. She says " I’d get anxious if I didn’t have it on me, I’d feel it vibrate or hear a ping and no one would be there... spooky, I know. Technology can be powerful and educational, bringing us together especially in strange times like these but as I’m sure many will agree, it’s easy to waste time using it for the wrong reasons.” Watch the lyric video here: From the distorted guitar at the beginning to the dance pop beats throughout,  Devices is absolutely brilliant. Th

Mayo artist Train Room is no stranger to this blog with his previous three singles being reviewed here. Those singles Hurricane Of Love, Heroes Everywhere and Tracks Of Our Youth were all releases that made Joe Monaghan stand out as being a cut above the rest. Now he is back with his new single Bad For Me. Listen here: Train Room · Bad For Me Bad For Me is another high calibre song from Train Room. The folk pop song is enjoyable from the outset with a nice interlude of sorts in the middle only to kick back into gear with some funky bass. Joe is adding to a catalogue of music which is unlike anything else on the Irish music scene right now. This self produced single is fun, catchy, upbeat and damn good. Follow Train Room: Twitter Facebook Spotify Bandcamp YouTube SoundCloud

Brian Houston is a singer songwriter from Belfast who has been described as "one of Britain's great songwriters" by BBC's Bob Harris. During his career, Brian has sold out The Grand Opera House in Belfast twice, toured UK, Sweden, Netherlands and Romania. He also tours USA and Canada every year and often lives in America. Brian has shared a at sage with legends such as Van Morrison, Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello and Robert Plant. After releasing his debut album Roller Coaster back in 2002, Brian has gone on to release an impressive 23 albums with number 24 Ivory Tower  on the way. The title track from that album was released last weekend. Watch the lyric video here: Ivory Tower is melancholic and beautiful. The lyrics are biting and powerful which is juxtaposed by the jovial sounds of the ukulele. The song will captivate you from start to finish and is really something quite impressive. Having never heard of Brian before, it looks like I have an extensi

Lisa Keane is a singer songwriter from Dublin and yet another graduate from BIMM. Lisa has been perfecting her sound over the last few years and gaining experience on the live scene at Whelans, The Grand Social and Sín É. She lists her influences as HAIM, Dermot Kennedy and Taylor Swift. Melting is Lisa's second single to date and was released last Friday. About the song, Lisa says " the lyrics explore the rush of emotions and uncertainty experienced when falling in love". Listen Here: Melting is an electronic pop song which blends several genres together resulting in a very fine single. The tempo of the music and the constant shifting of gears keeps the listener intrigued while Lisa's vocals are calming. Combined this creates a song that you want to listen to again and again.  Follow Lisa Keane: Facebook Instagram Twitter Spotify

Emperor Of Ice Cream are an indie rock band from Cork who featured on this blog last month with their brilliant single Lambent Eyes. Now the quartet are back with new single Everyone Looks So Fine. Both songs are taken from the upcoming debut album originally set for release in the 90's. Listen here: Emperor of Icecream · Everyone Looks So Fine Everyone Looks So Fine is yet again an absolute belter from these guys. The indie rock is mixed with elements of shoegaze and an enjoyable repetitive hook. The song instantly makes you feel good and you can't help but be cheery after this. With two impressive singles under their belt, the debut album is sure to be an instant success. Follow Emperor Of Ice Cream: SoundCloud Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Spotify

Having been previously based in the Donegal/Derry area, Ryan Rodgers now plies his trade in Cambridge, England. The sound engineer has worked with many artists to help record their music and has now decided that it's time for him to take centre stage and release his debut EP Desert Waves. First up is the single Hold My Hand. About the song, Ryan says " Hold My Hand   is a story of looking back after a long life and wondering what can be changed. More importantly, having that special person in your life who helps guide you to make those important changes. But leaving that burning question we all have, “what am I doing?”. Listen Here: R-R Recording · Hold My Hand Hold My Hand is an old school rock song which showcases the guitar prowess of Ryan Rodgers. The guitar is fantastic whilst his vocals are typical of early 90's grunge. The song has depth and is extremely playable. Ryan should step out from behind the sound engineer desk more often if he can produc

Blue Fish Diamond are an indie folk group from Dublin who last featured on this blog with their April release of Do You Wonder. The band consists of BIMM alumni Jim Murphy, Axel McDonald, Matilda O'Mahoney, Laura Ryder, Ronan Quinn, Ella Ryan and Shay Sweeney. The group recently released new single Lady Marguerite. The song was recorded at Hellfire Studios, Dublin and produced by Gavin Glass. Listen Here: Blue Fish Diamond · Lady Marguerite Lady Marguerite  is a feel good summer song steeped in REM sounds. The lead vocals are akin to a lullaby and gently soothe you. The backing vocals deserve a special mention here as if you go back and listen out just for those then it's a real treat for the ears. Another very enjoyable track from a band of very talented musicians. Follow Blue Fish Diamond: Instagram Facebook Official Website Twitter Spotify YouTube SoundCloud

Derek Ellard is an indie folk artist based in Galway influenced by Sufjan Stevens, Villagers and Frank Turner. The Tipperary born musician started his musical career in post hardcore band Set On Black. After the breakup of the band, Derek moved to Barcelona and started recording his solo music. Upon his return to Ireland he moved to Galway and met like minded musicians. He released an EP Candour and played over one hundred gigs in the first year. Then Derek made a big call and deleted all of his music from online platforms and started again. He enlisted the help of The Future Business Model who are Joseph Padfield, Kyle Dee and Dylan Murphy. Derek has graduated from the prestigious BIMM and has supported acts such as Wallis Bird, Gavin James and Le Galaxie.  Last week saw the release of new single Equal To Or Greater Than. This is the first of six singles to be released alongside an EP over the next twelve months. Watch the video here: Equal To Or Greater Than is a song abou

Kryan is a singer songwriter from Swords, Co. Dublin. His influences include Kodaline and Gavin James. He began dabbling in musical instruments at the age of 12  after being immersed in records from his dad being a pirate DJ at Radio Nova in the 80's. He currently studies modern music at BIMM. Kryan released two singles previously under his name Ryan Kelly. Alone and Rumours in 2019. Now he releases his third single I Always Knew. Listen Here: No matter how hard you might try, there is literally no way that you can dislike this song. I Always Knew is catchy, it's melodic and it just makes you feel good. The vocals walk a fine line somewhere between pop and indie and probably just about the right line in fairness. To be honest, coming into this review I wasn't expecting to like it as I'm not a fan of Gavin James or Kodaline but I've been pleasantly surprised. On a side note, I used to live in Swords, not too far from where that petrol station is in

First Day Lions are a five piece indie rock band from Moate, Co. Westmeath. The band consists of Brian Rabbitte, Barry Cushion and Justin McCann with childhood friends Adrian Rabbitte and Adam Cunningham being the two main and founding members. The band formed early in 2019 and take influences from Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Queen. In their first year together they released a debut album Time , supported Paddy Casey and Aslan and received glowing praise from Hot Press Magazine and RTÉ Radio. The band show no signs of slowing down as they have just released Summer Child, their third single of 2020.  Summer Child is the personification of a feel good summer hit. Their are some definite groovy licks in here and the song just exudes happiness. This is perfect for driving with your mates, sun shining and top down (a convertible car, sunshine and friends are needed for this though). It's a shame that festivals aren't going ahead this year because this would certainly have b

Brothers Johnny and Michael Cronin teamed up with Fiachra Milner and Brian Murphy to create the band Cronin. The band formerly known as The Aftermath spent many years in the UK but have since returned to Ireland. The bands fan list includes high profile names such as Nick Cave, Pete Doherty, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Depp, Shane MacGowan, Bono, Niall Horan and Alan McGee. The group have worked alongside Shane MacGowan on many occasions and even performed at his wedding with Johnny Depp joining them on guitar. They have just released a mini album called A View From The Next Room. The cover photo of which was taken by Paul Gallagher, brother of the Oasis duo. About the EP, Mick says " Some of these mixes have been about for sometime and others are relatively fresh. With us unable to work in the studio we thought now would be a good time to release these as a mini album. It's a diverse mix compared to our releases so far, it shows another side of what we have in our heads."