East Manchester indie band Palava have released their new EP’ Just Look Into My Eyes’.This swagger-dipped alternative rock EP is filled with gritty riffs, groove-laced rhythms and slick musicianship. Palava create soaring and exhilarating tunes laced with rich sonic embellishments and ‘Just Look Into My Eyes’ is the perfect example of this. The EP blends vigorous indie rock with sweet tender moments to create an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. From the sharp rock n roll saunter of title track ‘Just Look Into My Eyes’ and the punchy edge of ‘Yesterday Is Calling’ to the pining sharp guitar in ‘Rainy Day’, the band pack emotion and power into each song. Boasting heartfelt melodies, shredding guitar moments and pummeling rhythms the band create an invigorating wall of sound that is a joy to listen to.
‘Just Look Into My Eyes’ is a satisfying body of work from Palava. The energy, passion and vigour bursting from this EP is admirable. Each track oozes charm and showcases the refined and infectious sound of Palava.
Lewis Tivey has released a music video for his new tune ‘Seed You’ which is taken from his debut EP ‘Bittersweet’ which was released earlier this year. Aiming to recreate the energy of late 70s/early 90s punk, the video is set in an abandoned warehouse and stars a guitar destined to an early doom. First picking up the guitar aged 16, Lewis Tivey cut his chops gigging with a local band. Tivey released his first album with this band, a completely DIY project that enjoyed some success. Whilst the band parted ways, Tivey never lost his creative spark. Styling himself as an alternative DIY Rock, Tivey is on a mission to prove that you don’t need a fancy studio to make it.
‘Seed You’ is a coarse, adrenaline fulled tune that rushes with angsty punk and thrilling grunge-smeared sonics. It’s a high-energy song that builds becoming more fierce with each verse. Biting guitars spiral over a rampant bass and drum foundation to create an edgy and manic wall of sound before chilled vocals nonchalantly croon the grunge-hued melody. Featuring shrilling vocal screams and distorted guitar wails between a thumping drum progression and immersive dark soundscape ‘Seed You’ is a thrilling and equally chilling track.
Isle of Man’s Ocean’s Avenue have released their second single ‘Overdo$ed’. Written after seeing a friend leaving a toxic relationship which resulted in turning towards alcohol and drugs, ‘Overdo$ed’ carries relatable images of hitting rock bottom, trying to get over someone. Collaborating with Ben Donaldson (VooDoo Bandits), Jamie McIntyre and Graeme of Two Zero Nine Mastering has allowed Ocean’s Avenue to unlock their sound and achieve their vision. Ocean’s Avenue formed in March 2020, just days before COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were implemented. Despite the subsequent challenges that followed for the whole music industry, Ocean’s Avenue have already secured several live shows, delivering electrifying performances that have allowed their fan base to grow. The boys are currently hard at work recording their first album, consisting of songs they have written together over the past year.
‘Overdo$ed’ is an energetic blast of indie punk that fleshes out Ocean’s Avenue’s catchy and buoyant sound. The band create a bubbling soundscape of elastic bass grooves and driving rhythms with sharp lacerations on guitars that gash throughout. The track is an impressive display of musicianship and a joy to listen to. Filled with an infectious melody and sing-along chorus ‘Overdo$ed’ is a vibrant and energetic tune from Ocean’s Avenue.
Corner Boy have released their new single ‘Kingdom Come and Go’. I spoke with singer Mick D’Arcy about the new single, upcoming gigs and their fantastic video filmed in Johnstown Castle.
‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is a spirited tune laced with the band’s passionate musicianship and irresistible melodies. With a foot-tapping rhythm and vibrant instrumentation, this song is a musical gem sure to delight listener’s ears.
“This was a song that we had worked on a couple of years ago. Sometimes, you might work on a song and it might not click at that moment, but we were in a rehearsal room about two years ago and we were playing through the song and yeah, it just came back to life. Sometimes it happens with songs that when you play it, just new ideas will come to it and I guess the story of the song as well, it’s an exploration of a connection between two people, the highs and the lows. So we started working on the song with the new energy we had brought. We were able to finish it then lyrically as well. That new energy like I said, it just breathed life back into it. So it was a song that we had on the backburner for a long time and we just thought it’d be a great single to release”
There is a lively atmosphere in the song enhanced by fiddle and banjo elements. Corner Boy pivot the track around the fiddle/banjo embellishments and driving guitar to create a folk/ indie fusion that is a joy to listen to.
” I guess our sound will be considered to be folk and from a young age, we would have been raised in the folk tradition with aspects of traditional Irish music as well. That’s always really important for us to retain what got us into music, folk and traditional Irish music. It’s really important as a band to try to find the balance with contemporary sounds as well. You’re brought up in traditional music from a young age but then, you know, you leave home, you see a bit of the world on your own two feet, you take new sounds and you begin to allow yourself to be influenced by newer ideas, new sounds and contemporary themes, music structures and songwriting. So combining that with what we knew from a folk sense, all of a sudden for us as a band, we arrived in this place of writing songs that sounded really fresh and exciting to us and something worth developing. So I guess it’s kind of exploring the potential of that feeling. That’s where we are as a band, taking a bit of old, taking a bit of new and then finding something that’s fresh and exciting in between too.”
‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is awash with lush instrumentation and driving rhythms. The song is brimming with emotive sounds yet each element within the track has its place allowing the expressive soundscape to flourish without becoming overpowering.
“We’ve had a lot of years to refine that process and what it feels like to us. It’s a delicate enough thing. When the band first started out, we released our first EP. It was very roots orientated. It was folk it was traditional Irish influenced, then we would have released another EP that was a bit more Indie influenced and another one that was a bit more rock influenced. So we finally feel that, you know, we’re in a position this year where we’re releasing our debut album that we’ve kind of taken all of that learning, that journey over the last 9/10 years as a band and I guess two years ago, when we decided to finally sit down and record the album we felt that we were in this comfortable position where we really knew the essence of what we were trying to do. We had gone through all of the different stages to get to this point and we feel that’s fairly self evident in the music. We’ve gone through this whole cycle of different genres and exploring them and we’ve emerged with this original sound that’s very much representative of ourselves. “
“I think a lot of artists put a lot of pressure on themselves to be this new all encompassing, fresh and exciting sound. Our band started in fairly humble, modest surroundings. One of the main things we wanted to do was just play a gig outside of Wexford and to write three or four original songs and then all of a sudden, we just had this massive creative burst from early on in the band. We started getting invited to play festivals and we had to start building a set and it was a really, really exciting time for us. When you put yourself under that kind of pressure, a lot of things can get rushed. So we said we’re going to try to take the pressure out of that scenario at all costs and slowly develop our sound, not rush it and make sure that the music is something that’s representative of all of us. It was trying to make sure that we had this collective sound that represented us all equally. That can be a really difficult thing to do. Sometimes that takes time and it certainly took time. My one piece of advice is; try if at all possible to take the pressure out of the situation as much as you can and allow the space and time that you need to evolve naturally. We feel collectively as a band now that we’ve certainly arrived at that place.“
Corner Boy’s songs are filled with vivid imagery, and ‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is no exception. Lines such as “Your careless and free, A Lark on the breeze “ are simple yet wonderfully evocative and add a poetic aspect to the band’s music.
“Some songs take a long time to write, some songs take you know only five minutes. This was one of those songs that we had originally written the music of but lyrically it’s something that came really quickly. Some people think that’s a really good thing, some people think not so much but for us we were happy this song emerged naturally and finished itself really quickly with regards to the lyrics. This song is about the discussion of connection between two people. It’s almost like a back-and-forth conversation at times, you know, talking about the idea of connection, and what it would mean to one another. So describing these things and bringing in aspects of narrative and storytelling that’s really important to us – painting that vivid imagery within the song and allowing it to match up with the energy of the music as well is key. So, yeah, these different musical ideas within the song that are kind of soaring, really powerful and energetic the music, just trying to match that. So I guess we felt that we had done that really well with the single in particular, then as a result, we decided to have this as a great representation of us, where we are now musically, sonically, lyrically.”
The vocals in this song are quite powerful. It’s not one for a timid vocalist and D’Arcy delivers a goosebump-inducing performance. We discussed his vocal talents and if he was always a confident singer.
“No, I certainly wasn’t a confident singer. I remember in primary school, there was 36 people in my class and 33 of them got picked for the school choir, I was one of the three that didn’t. I always had my own style, but I guess this is something that would have come out from us playing around at different sessions being around other musicians. For me, it was always important, playing with other musicians to have a voice that really had an impact to it and was able to be quiet when it was needed in certain parts of songs, but you know, really show the power of what you’re trying to connect with in the lyrics when it’s needed and I guess, it arrived with this song.The song is incredibly vibrant, energetic and impactful. The vocal melody really needed to match that at certain points. So we’re quite lucky with the band as well that we have five different vocalists as well, five individual strong singers. Yeah we were blessed when it came to laying down backing vocals and stuff like that as well. It was a nice challenge for us to be able to match the intensity of certain parts of the songs.”
The band have released the music video for ‘Kingdom Come and Go’. Shot in Johnstown Castle the band discuss the theme of the song through wonderful visuals.
“We wanted something that embodied [ the ] story. We shoot all of our own music videos, we storyboard it all together, we direct everything. So everything is very much self-contained within the band, all the visuals all of the artwork, it’s done by the band. So the story was that the castle in essence you know, somebody’s been stuck really in their own mind and trying to wander around and figure out what exactly they wanted from a relationship or a conversation and that’s what we’re exploring lyrically in the song.The castle is something that’s very much representative of that, you’re stuck in this place, and you’re trying to figure your way out. The conversations that you have with yourself and the actions that you go through to find your way out of it. So it’s something we wanted to to get across. We all [the band] live within 10 minutes from each other in County Wexford and the one thing in that area is this place called Johnston Castle. It’s right in the middle where all of us live. For a long time, we would have all driven by this huge place and thought wouldn’t it be amazing to shoot a video there one day and luckily enough they were like absolutely. They gave us the keys to the place and we’re able to create the story that we wanted that would match lyrically with the song and for the video to be dynamic and interesting. We feel we achieved that anyway, with the video. We’re really happy with it.”
Corner Boy’s debut album is due for release in October 2022 and D’Arcy told me what gigs the band have planned to celebrate the release.
“Yeah, so I guess our next show will be I think we’re okay to announce that we’re playing Electric Picnic at the start of September so that will be one of the first airings of the song which we’re really, really excited about. Then after that we have dates that are going to be launched soon for shows in our hometown in Wexford, then in Dublin and Whelan’s in October when we’re releasing the album as well. Information on that is going to be coming out in the next week or two. So we’re really excited to start gigging again and be able to air the album in full in the live setting. That’s really, really important to us. Playing live is the thing that’s always been central to the band. So we’re looking forward to getting back on the road from September onwards.”
Corner Boy package their exciting and kinetic sound in one fiery heartfelt tune and the result is a song that boasts glorious melodies, rich instrumentation and heartfelt emotion. Featuring surging brass sections, gripping fiddle outbursts and an anthemic sing-along chorus, ‘Kingdom Come and Go’ is a fine example of Corner Boy’s immense talent.
Ria Rua has released her new EP ‘chaos/control’ on the German indie label MPM. Ria Rua is a modern Irish female hyper pop singer, songwriter and producer.
‘chaos/control’ is a fantastic display of Ria Rua’s irresistible electronic pop. Showcasing slick production, attitude-saturated lyrics and intoxicating soundscapes the EP is a knockout that is a joy to listen to again and again. ‘Boss’ and ‘Breathe’ ooze attitude through dense soundscapes with the electronic beats venturing at times into EDM territory. However, it’s ‘I Don’t Care’ that is the holy grail of the EP.
The lyrics create a dark tone over a building cinematic backdrop, as Ria whispers ” I can feel your hands around my neck. Squeezing tightly. I hate it”. Sultry and at times sinister the song is an evocative number that is simply goosebump-inducing and a fine example of Ria Rua’s mesmerising musicianship.
Ria’s sound is truly thrilling. Within her music the tight brisk rhythms are executed with such skilful precision it is awe-inspiring. Ria Rua is a force to be reckoned with and ‘chaos/control’ is an exciting keyhole glimpse into this artist’s talents.
Alternative rock band Under Starling have released their new EP ‘Mongrel’.The EP was recorded and produced with Graham Byrne & Christian Best. The band are having a launch party for the EP upstairs in Whelans on July 16th. The band has played support to many famous acts throughout the years such as Walking on Cars, Fangclub, and Bitch Falcon to name a few. Their own tours have seen packed-out shows in the likes of Fred Zeppelins, Dolans, Roisín Dubh, and Whelans.
In true Under Starling manner, ‘Mongrel’ overflows with passionate melodies, sincerity and refined musicianship. The band has a knack for creating compelling, infectious earworms that ooze cinematic arrangements and ‘Mongrel’ is a glorious collection of these powerful soul-igniting tunes. Throughout the EP we see the band showcase their sound in all it’s glory – an eclectic blend of indie and alternative rock with filtrations of R&B and intriguing pop undertones.
Boasting chiming guitars, ethereal synths, big choruses and buoyant beats, ‘Icarus’ and ‘Big Fish’ capture a heart-fluttering rush of emotion through eloquent musicianship. The band craft each song wonderfully, allowing each element to flourish within the track’s expressive soundscape. Whether it is a bubbling beat progressing into a thunderous outburst within ‘Arrows’ or gritty guitars building into mosh-ready riffs in ‘Mongrel’; the band don’t rush the instrumentation. Instead, they carefully craft each component to create a cohesive and thrilling listening experience.
With themes of love, heartbreak, adversity, and perseverance, Under Starling build on natural emotion and past experiences to create a collection of tracks that ooze passion, sadness and love from every note. Each song on the EP discusses the emotions of adolescence and is inspired by life events the band experienced while growing up.
‘Mongrel’ is an exquisite EP from the heart set to intricate, cinematic arrangements and emotive vocals. Under Starling have nurtured their sound and allowed it to blossom into something beautiful.
Jimbo Wimon has released their debut EP ‘In the Seam’. Jimbo Wimon was established from the creative mind of singer Théo Simon who collated a quintuple of talented musicians – attendees of the ‘American School of Modern Music’ in Paris in 2018. The name was creatively coined by combining the names of two of the band’s favourite artists – Jim Morrison and David Bowie – with ‘Wimon’ relating to Théo’s surname ‘Simon.’ The band onsists of guitarist Romain Bridot, bassist Pierre Quesnel, pianist Renan Bridot, drummer Baptiste Masson and the previously mentioned singer Théo Simon.
‘In the Seam’ is a blistering EP laced in alternative rock bravado and shredding instrumentation. Jimbo Wimon infuse ‘I Need To Sleep’ and ‘Spell Of Mine’ with blazing guitar refrains, pummeling drums and resounding bass grooves to create a tight and mighty wall of sound ready for the live mosh pits. This EP showcases the frenetic rock of Jimbo Wimon in all its might while tracks ‘In The Seam’ and the 60’s speckled psychedelia of ‘Opium’ take a melodic and more gentle stance on the band’s hefty sound. This subtle facet to the band’s sound is especially evident within ‘Crowstown’. With chiming guitars, eerie vocals, ethereal piano and at times sweet melodies; the band’s raw emotional side roars between intense grunge-esque moments and interspersed frenzied outbursts throughout.
Blending sweet refrains and slick guitar melodies between diverse and powerful musicianship ‘In the Seam’ is a dynamic new EP from Jimbo Wimon.
Plastic Cowboys are back with their new single ‘Mundane Ecstasy’. The band used the lockdowns to release their debut EP ‘Splinter’ and their singles ‘Clichéd Ciggy Smoker’ and ‘Time is Feeling Inadequate’.The Dublin-based 4-piece get ready to build on the successes of previous releases. They have garnered over 100k streams on Spotify, placed on several editorial playlists, and are set to release their new EP in early September 2022.
‘Mundane Ecstasy’ is an indie-rock tune that boasts the tight and impressive sound of Plastic Cowboys. The track is a joy to listen to and wonderfully expressive with dark sullen verses that brood before the brighter chorus. This aspect of the song is enhanced by an immersive soundscape filled with moody guitar, sultry bass grooves and elements of indie punk. With an exquisite blend of heavy gritty moments and dreamy elements throughout, Plastic Cowboys present their mature and blossoming sound in all its glory.
Dublin-based and Australian-born Singer/Songwriter, Conor Hamilton-Long, is back from a long phase of writing and recording for his EP with his new single ‘In My Feelings’. Conor has spent the last year collaborating with producer and close friend Paul Jarvis .
‘In My Feelings’ is an R&B-infused tune that showcases Conor Hamilton-Long’s refined musicianship and honest songwriting. With velvety vocals and mellow guitar oozing warm tones atop a soft bed of punctuated beats, the song exudes a chilled and effortless charm throughout. Within the track, Hamilton-Long discusses the warmth a love interest or significant other can provide when feeling emotionally vulnerable. Through the lyrics he highlights how having someone around when your mental health is low can uplift that struggle and make you feel more present in the moment, forgetting about your worries and looking less inside yourself. ‘In My Feelings’ is an utterly irresistible earworm from Conor Hamilton-Long.
About the track Hamilton-Long said: “I hope people find some solace in the song, similar to how I felt when writing it. Whilst you can feel detached and separated when going through a mental struggle, you’re never alone.”
Irish-Italian outfit Big Sleep have released their debut EP, ‘Feel Something Someday’. The 5 track collection of songs was recorded in the live room of Hell Fire Studios, in the Dublin Mountains over two days in December 2021. James Smith (formerly of Gypsies on the Autobahn, currently J Smith) sound engineered, produced and mixed the tracks. Matteo Poli (drums, percussion), Rónán Connolly (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Aidan Gray (bass guitar), Jacopo Stofler (lead guitar) and Jessie Russell (trumpet, Cooks But We’re Chefs) recorded on EP. Big Sleep is a collaboration between Dubliner Rónán Connolly and Florence-born Matteo Poli.
‘Feel Something Someday’ is a glorious EP laced with sunkissed instrumentation and dreamy melodies. Throughout the EP luscious guitar lines sparkle alongside supple beats and ethereal soundscapes to create a laid-back listening experience. Each song fluidly flows into the next with ease as tropical carefree melodies blend with intricate rhythms through tracks like ‘Bláthnaid’ while supple horns in ‘In My Head’ and quirky synths in the wonderful ‘Such a Shame’ flesh out the band’s hazy sonic wall of sound.
The EP is an admirable piece of work and gives the listener a fascinating glimpse into Big Sleep as artists. An interesting element within the band’s sound is the interplay between soft dream pop and refreshing indie. This wonderful blend of elements is soothing on the ears and is a joy to experience again and again. ‘Feel Something Someday’ is a musical delight from Big Sleep. The band keep knocking it out of the park with each release and their debut EP is an excellent display of the band’s catchy emotive sound.
Stream ‘Feel Something Someday’ below
Author: Danu
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
