Rews sign to Marshall Records
We are huge fans of rockers Rews here at Musician.ie and are delighted to hear they have signed to Marshall Records, the label set up by the iconic amp manufacturer. The duo have also recently announced several Irish dates including at least one festival line-up appearance. Marshall Records have booked the band straight into the legendary Abbey Road Studios to start recording their debut album. REWS have recieved must attention from UK radio tastemakers with Huw Stephens recently making them his ‘Tip of the Week’ on BBC Radio 1 and John Kennedy his ‘Shock of the New‘ on Radio X. Catch Rews when they play the following live dates: Wed 1st March – Dublin, Whelans Thurs 2nd March – Belfast, Voodoo Fri 3rd March – Derry, Nerve Centre Sat 4th March – Portarlington, Bare in the Woods Festival Launch Watch new single ‘Miss you in the Dark’...
Track of the Day: Stoat’s ‘Talk Radio Makes Me Feel Alone’
Review by Bobby Green Who remembers when Indie music was alternative? Not mainstream wannabees but a real alternative to the music you’d hear everywhere else. When did everyone decide they wanted to write anthems? I just heard Stoat’s ‘Talk Radio Makes Me Feel Alone’ and it’s by far the greatest thing I’ve heard this year. There is some amazing music about right now, but when something comes and belly flops into your pool of tranquillity like Stoat does you’re left scarred. Imagine Stump up all night listening to Devo albums then recording the results, and you’ll only be half way there. But they know their sound is hard to describe “Categorisation has always been a bit of a problem. Our back catalogue features instrumentals, straight up folk, punk, spoken word pieces, and a fair bit of guitar-based pop. The new album is a little more danceable, but similarly diverse. Lyrically, there is a common theme through much of it, and that’s trying to figure out the best way of being alive without being sad or angry.” And ‘Talk Radio Makes Me Feel Alone’ does just that, I felt great joy upon hearing it the 1st time. Five listens in and I’m trying to learn the lyrics. I’ve posted it on every facebook music page I’m a member of and my Bobs Joint page. It makes me believe again in the true alternative. Don’t get me wrong, I love nearly all ‘Alternative’ and ‘Indie’ music but you need brass balls to make music like this because there’s no money in it, you’ll be doing it because you believe in it, and you can’t get more real than that. “We’re one of those bands who never really got anywhere, and never will. That moment of realisation, when you see that you’re not going to be rich and famous, that’s when you’re supposed to break up. We never did. Reality sucked all the ambition away, but not the itch to try for great tunes, or the fun, or the love.” ‘We’re a band, not a brand’ says Cormac, who plays bass and did most of the heavy lifting on this recording. ‘Talk Radio Makes Me Feel Alone’ is out now. It’s from the forthcoming and highly anticipated album Try Not To Think About It. I’m already making it album of the month and I don’t even think we have that feature on the site… Watch the video for ‘Talk Radio Makes Me Feel Alone’ below ...
Further announcements from Indiependence
Indiependence Music & Arts Festival welcomes a whole new raft of artists to INDIE17 to join a bill already featuring Manic Street Preachers, The Coronas and Sigma. BRIT Award winner and Platinum-selling artist, Tom Odell, returns to Indiependence and with the Irish music scene in its rudest health for years, INDIE17 brings the cream of the crop to Mitchelstown this August Bank Holiday Weekend. The growing bill will feature performances from All Tvvins, Frank Turner, The Riptide Movement, Hermitage Green, Brian Deady, We Cut Corners, The Minutes and Raglans as INDIE17 starts to take shape. Long-regarded as the Irish music festival most in touch with rising Irish artists, INDIE17 is also set to host acts such as Overhead the Albatross, Stephanie Rainey, Fang Club, Talos, Craig Gallagher, MindRiot, Eve Belle, Super Silly, Dagny, Brass Phantoms, Penrose, Beoga,Apella, August Walk, Josiah Stone, Mandeville Beat Critics, Subject to Change and Eamon Walsh. “We’re delighted to be able to add these acts to what was already a massive announcement for us before Christmas with Manic Street Preachers and The Coronas,” said Indiependence organiser, Shane Dunne. “Tom Odell and Frank Turner are massive UK artists and the Irish acts we’ve added are some of the hottest ones at the moment like All Tvvins, Stephanie Rainey and Fang Club. We’re really excited this year to have new sponsors on board in Heineken who we feel will add to the experience at INDIE17 and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone back on the farm in August.” INDIE17 is delighted to welcome HEINEKEN Ireland as this year’s official beer and cider partner. Not only will the Orchard Thieves bar be making a bold return, there are some grand plans for the debut appearance of Heineken®’s music platform, bringing an exciting array of global sounds to the festival as they have done at Electric Picnic, Longitude and Sea Sessions over the years. More will be revealed soon. In addition to some of the best Irish and international music acts, INDIE17 will soon be revealing a strong Comedy, Spoken Word and Dance line-up to Deer Farm, while the recently added INDIE VIP Garden and Mitchelstown Music Trail are set to return in 2017. Early Bird Tickets for INDIE17 sold out within 24 hours and subsequent ticket tiers – which remained at 2016 prices – also sold out in record time. Tickets currently on sale are: 3-DAY WEEKEND CAMPING – €119 VIP INDIE GARDEN UPGRADE – €50 Tickets are available online at www.tickets.ie with a limited amount for sale at Mitchelstown Post Office. Further line-up announcements will be coming soon, so check out www.indiependencefestival.com and www.facebook.com/INDIEPENDENCEFEST/for updates and further information. See INDIE16...
Bobby Green reviews Brass Phantoms new single “Waiting Up”
Review by Bobby Green Dublin’s Brass phantoms are set to release Waiting Up, their follow up to last year’s excellent City Of Wolves on February 24th. Everything that made City Of Wolves such a stand out track, the thundering drums and rumbling bass providing a cavernous groove, is interwoven on this new track. But within this alternative groove there’s a wall of sound that ignites a fire where the guitars dance around a melody like the flickering firelight’s ethereal glow. The production is again superb providing a defining sound allowing the groove to dictate but never dominate the track. This groove laden Indie sound is so infectious, its beauty is in its subtlety allowing the vocal to be as poignant as intended, they really seem to have mastered this vibe. 2017 promises to be an important year for Brass Phantoms and they are more than ready for what it has in store, they finished last year at the Other Voices festival and have been booked for various showcases and Ones To Watch festivals this year as well as this summer’s Indiependence. This should see them play to larger audiences as their plaudits continue to deservedly grow. Watch the video for ‘Waiting Up’...
Circles release their debut E.P. with a launch at the Crane Lane Theatre on March 4
Cillian MCSweeney and Circles release their debut E.P. with a launch at the Crane Lane Theatre on March 4 in association with Music Generation Cork City 27 year-old Wilton musician Cillian MCSweeney has been playing music for the last ten years. He has cerebral palsy and relies on eye movements to communicate. Through using advanced technology, including ‘Eye Gaze ‘and ‘E-scape’, he has been able to write and perform his own music. Cillian developed as a writer and performer through the SoundOUT programme as part of Music Generation Cork City, where he was involved in a collaborative music project with the Togher Music Project in 2011. Five years ago Cillian formed the band, Circles, with fellow musician and SoundOUT tutor, Graham McCarthy. The band has since performed at some of Cork’s finest venues, including Cork Opera House and the Curtis Auditorium at Cork School of Music. The release of their debut E.P. featuring the title track ‘Unique’ will be marked with a special launch at the Crane Lane Theatre on Saturday March 4, 2017. Doors open 7.30pm and is a free over 18s event. Support on the night are Jim McCarthy and Kenneth Speight. SoundOUT is a Cork based initiative which runs ongoing music education programmes in schools and community settings in partnership with Music Generation Cork City. Building on the work of Cork Music Works (directed by Dr. Evelyn Grant) , SoundOUT was established by Dr. Gráinne McHale in 2011. SoundOUT’s vision is that adults, children and young people with and without disabilities have access to inclusive and progressive music-making and learning opportunities. Assistive music technology is used within all SoundOUT activities to ensure access for all abilities to meaningful music...
