Review: Fast Forward The World Cup Goes Indie

Fast Forward The World Cup Goes Indie: is a mammoth 32 track collection of songs- a third of which are by Irish bands-representing each country in the world cup from Indiecater Records. Londoners Cop On The Edge Bafana Bafana hits the comedic heights of 90's jesters David Devant and his Spirit Wife. Uruguay by Showstar is infectious breezy summer indie pop. While The Very Most from Boise, Idaho; deliver a fantastic mix of the Mamas and the Papas meets Nada Surf for their ode to France. The sptly titled Irlande is a fantastic kick in the teeth for le cheats.

Sligo's Pearse McGloughlin's haunting piano ballad Jongmyo Shrine will probably do South Korea more proud than their football team. Sleep Good's Australia is a cool chilled out lo-fi electronica. Of the many instrumentals Dubliner Goatboy's Japanese City Nights wins by at least four nil; with its mix of cool synth stabs and hooky bass line. Utah's Adam and Darcie's ode to New Zealand Aotearoa is a quirky shoegazing dance with Darcie's vocals sweet ans sensual its a stand out cross between Sonic Youth and She & Him.

Unfortunately its not all good news; with the likes of Standard Fare, The Dirty 9's and At Last An Atlas bringing paltry returns for Mexico, Argentina and Greece. Some bands attempts to be funny were unfortunately just that, attempts to be funny. While others like Harry Bird struggled to get out of neutral.However Fast Forward The World Cup Goes Indie: is a valiant original move by Dublin based Indiecater Records furthermore the album has a retail download price of only €5 and a memory stick retail price of only €10 including worldwide postage and is well worth a punt for less than the price of a pint in Whelan's.

The album is available to buy and listen to at http://www.indiecater.com/fast-forward-an-indie-music-companion-to-south-africa-2010/

Review: Le Galaxie - Free gig Whelan's Friday 11th June

Le Galaxie are a fierce electro-rock quartet. Aggressive, swaggering and ardent, from the first beat to the last. Live drums, bass, guitar, and synths align beautifully with programmed beats synths and samples. Michael Galaxie is a distinctive front-man: captivating, Shaman come ringmaster. Demanding your attention. begoggled glaring eyes or microphone in hand he pounds his body around the cramped stage. Anthony Galaxie the Brian Eno type figure to his left is surrounded by a raft of equipment which he jumps too and from frequently like a mad scientist; While bassist David Galaxie has shimmied himself into a state of indie bliss.

The Le Galaxie sound is a mix of Zodiak Free Arts Center era Berlin, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Bowie instrumentals and Devo with more modern references to Daft Punk and Goose. Two songs in and the crowd is hooked, applause is loud and dancing soon becomes mandatory. In this battle of humans Vs machines the audience is the winner. LA Galaxie are a highly recommended treat, catch them live before they hit lightspeed.

http://www.myspace.com/lemusicgalaxie

Video: Zombie Cops - Win Some Lose Some

Win Some Lose Some the debut single by Dublin four-piece the Zombie Cops, Is a slick blitzkrieg of guitars pounding against the inner workings of a fragile relationship. The Vedderesque scold of Jamie Hughes and Kevin Fagan is vulnerable brash and scathing-laying themselves bare with every syllable. Already receiving high praise from the likes of The Waterboys' Mike Scott. They are building a reputation of being the finest unsigned band in Ireland and its easy to see why. If you like Pearl Jam and Jimmy Eat World you'll find its hard to resist the allure of the Zombie Cops

Review: Duncan Maitland - Lullabies for the 21st Century

Duncan Maitland's debut album 'Lullabies for the 21st Century' is a classy collection of modern psychedelia an antidote for the modern bombast of life echoing simpler innocent times. Beatles strings and ELO keys abound throughout joyous choruses and salacious segways.

Stand out track Horror Stories is a Beatles bass driven romp drenched in phase and cryptic quips, while Up to You emerges from a sombre Trumpet intro building to a melody crescendo of gargantuan proportions before drifting into a space synth solo. Terry the Toad is a folk boogie into alternative country rhythms. Its chorus of 'everybody’s playing it cool' is instantly pleasing. Cry Me to Sleep is a beautiful ballad heavily influenced by the Beach Boys.

However, to simply cast this album aside as pure homage or pastiche would be highly unfair. For where many have drowned in the shadow of their influences, Maitland excels; like Richard Hawley and Cherry Ghost before him.

Your Century features Colin Moulding of seminal 70's new wave act XTC on bass. Indeed the album is a who's who of Irish musicians including Rory Doyle (Bell X1. The Walls) Keith Farrell and Tosh Flood (The Duckworth Lewis Method, Pugwash). Insect Under the Stone proves without a doubt that Maitland has a world class voice moving from Bobby Darin to full on prog rock in the blink of an eye and back again with great aplomb.

'Lullabies for the 21st Century' is surely one of the most ambitious albums recorded on these shores. Featuring long forgotten sounds and near extinct instruments, it’s refreshing to know in a world of hideous Rn'B good music is still being made.

www.myspace.com/duncanmaitland the album is available to buy now at CD Baby http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/maitland2)