Review: The Walls: Carrying The Fire (Single)

Carrying The Fire is the first single from The Walls forthcoming third album. And if this is an indicator of their new direction, then the Wall brothers are onto a winner. Carrying The Fire is a quirky mix of influences, including The Killers, The Waterboys, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Mercury Rev. In fact its so far removed from their earlier material that you may struggle to identify them until you hear the unmistakable voice of Steve Wall.

The song is driven by Joe Wall's chugging fuzz bass and the snappy snare drum of Rory Doyle, who is now double jobbing as Bell X1 stick man. The emigration themed lyrics are a timely reminder of how history is repeating itself with another generation of Ireland seemingly lost. However they will thrive once more in foreign lands as previous generations did in America. Their best song since To The Bright and Shining Sun possibly their best ever. The falsetto led chorus is a real treat.

www.thewalls.ie

Review: Action Pause Reaction - Rewind EP

Action Pause Reaction display much potential on their debut EP Rewind. The title tack starts of with a drum beat reminiscent of Everlong before Ronan O'leary churns out a riff that Josh Homme would be proud of.

See the Light of Day is a slightly more passive outing akin to Pavement or Jay Mascis and the Fog while Breaking Under the Strain is highly influenced by Northern Ireland's finest punk rock band Therapy? it contains more high tempo chainsaw guitar riffs.

Unfortunately all these fine riffs are lost in muddy mixing and production. The drums especially suffer from a very thin sound. There is no kick to them and the cymbals wash over everything. Studio inexperience and financial restraints have probably stopped this from being a much better end product.
However, a trip to a proper studio with a proper engineer could make them one of the best the rock trios in the land. Until then, go and see them live.
http://www.myspace.com/actionpausereaction

Review: Ham Sandwich - The Naturist (single)

Unfortunately for Ham Sandwich; it would seem that when lead singer Niamh, cut her hair and put away the 60's dresses, that they lost their soul in the process.

The Naturist starts of like a bad Snow Patrol cover; of the standard you would expect to see on 'The All Ireland Talent Show', Performed by a band, who have modeled themselves on The Corrs, and after a few weeks have been told to "Try something different" and this was the ill advised result. I can see it now "It lacked emotion and vitality" says Dáithí Ó Sé "your gonna struggle tonight girls"

In fact its only after about a minute that anything remotely interesting happens and that sadly only lasts for a few seconds. If only this song started at the chorus which is a decent enough exploration into Feist/Bat For Lashes land, and went on from there. They would be onto a winner.

This is a real shame as their debut album Carry the Meek showed real promise for the future. But I fear difficult second-album syndrome may have struck again.

Review: The Very Most - Myspace review

Boise Idaho sextet The Very Most are sunkist retro rompers paddling crystal clear waters of hope and happiness. Your in Love with the Sun is a breezy slice of idyllic 60s' Cali alt country pop; with Motown drum-fills and lashings of percussion, hummable keys and a truly catchy chorus perfect for garden parties and romantic moments.

Irlande a cross between a turbo charged Ventures track and Scotland's finest happy-sad band Belle and Sebastian and is one of the standout tracks on Dublin indie label Idiecater Records compilation Fastforward (previously reviewed by AIMR) Gia Trotter & Jeremy Jensen's vocals combine perfectly creating an ephemeral Wilson vibe throughout.

Who'd of thought that theology and and walking bass lines would go hand in hand Away in a Manger is modern yet retro update on the christian carol. Bring on the wind instruments and Ukulele and this wonderfully bizarre track is complete. With Call the Cops lead singer Jeremy Jensen tips his hat to 'Boy with the Arab strap' era Belle & Sebastian while the Lyrics are quirky and self loathing in a quintessentially British way that Morrissey has perfected.

The Very Most are a truly versatile band. They seem to be able to rap a melody around any lyrical subject. Indeed they actively encourage fans to challenge them with themes, people, places and situations to base songs upon. Scotland is a case in point. On paper it is just a list of Scottish bands, but in The Very Most's hands it become a Jingle Jangle call to arms for bedroom poets and protest singers.

A Year With The Very Most is out now on Indiecater Records previous albums Making the Case For Me (2004). Congratulations Forever (2008) are also available from the links below

www.myspace.com/theverymost

Review: The Dig

Here at AIMR we love a bit of distorted bass. So we were delighted when we stumbled across unsigned New York quartet The Dig.The Dig certainly know how to make a beautiful, angry, spacial, racket. Their debut album Electric Toys, is a post punk shoe-gazing roller coaster of big bass, soaring guitars, eerie pads and distorted vocals You're Already Gone is groovy distorted New York rock at its finest. Think The Strokes with added swagger and vocal precision. 

Two Sisters in Love finds us in BRMC territory with David Baldwin and Emille Mosseri dividing vocal duties between verse and choruses. Choppy riffs and hyperactive tremolo picking combine well, as the volume swells and swells, Jamie Alagre forges a unique beat.

Its unusual to find a band with two singers of equal calibre usually one is just feeding his ego to the detriment of the band as a whole or whats commonly known as "Its my song and I'm singing it syndrome" Thankfully this is not the case with The Dig..Look Inside which has featured on the popular Unites States TV show The Vampire Diaries, is built upon a bed of swerving synths and sprightly muffed bass and features a Johnny Greenwoodeusque guitar line. Elements of The Who and the Kings of Leon are also evident.

The Dig have just finished touring with the Editors and have hit the road once more. It surely wont be long before they are heading to the UK and Ireland as they will be laped up by KOL, BRMC and BJM fans. Electric Toys is already available in America and with a European release due later in the year. We finally have a Baldwin we can believe in.

http://www.myspace.com/thedigisup Also check out this live acoustic set http://livestre.am/4oP

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