Video: Ghost Estates - Winters Day

2013 has been pretty succesful for Ghost Estates so far they've released some critically acclaimed singles and won over a legion of new fans via host of successful festival appearances. It would also seem that the band have decided to draw a line under the material from their debut album announcing Winters Day as the final single. Let's hope that this indicates new material isn't very far away.

Video: Kowalski - Sunroom

Bangor pop rockers Kowalski have released  the first of four live sessions featuring songs taken from their debut album 'For The Love Of Letting Go' the follow up to their much loved  EP  'Take Care, Take Flight'. First up is Sunroom which typafies the groups bouncy happy sad sound.The videos are recorded by long term collaborator Babysweet. You can listen to the entire album here

Review: Haüer - The Infinitesimal EP

Released through Future City Records, which celebrates all things ’80s be it music, pop culture or sci-fi, the début EP by Haüer, ‘The Infinitesimal,’ is a five strong collection of cinematic sci-fi instrumentals that are crying out to be heard in a cinema near you soon. Each track is perfect to accompany a daring rescue or a maximum security prison breakout. Perhaps they are a tad too scenic in comparison to the vigour of acts such as LeGalaxie to find their way on to the dance floor but, they are the perfect soundtrack to a sci-fi daydream.

Homesfires sets the ambience for the rest of the EP perfectly, showing flashes of the upbeat and brooding soundscapes that unfold throughout the five tracks. Though Haüer never quite reach the epic heights of Chariots of Fire they certainly create four-dimensional terrains and the influence of  Ultravox, Kraftwek and Vangelis comes crashing through.

Interceptor feels like a cinematic musical fragment rather than a fully realised composition. It has a Mega City vibe to it slowly building to a crescendo before crashing and rising from the rubble; presumably to victory. Colony Children on the other hand feels like its potential has been fully harnessed with several synth lines combining successfully to give this track a start, middle and end.

‘The Infinitesimal EP’ concludes with Helicop which tussles with Colony Children to be the standout track. A throbbing bass line is flanked by butterfly synth motifs as Haüer finally make it on to the dance floor delivering a cinematic happily-ever-after. It’s by no means perfect or compelling enough for everyday listening, but Haüer have delivered a perfectly credible addition to the sci-fi niche of cinematic synth-pop.

Video: Swords - Lions and Gold

Following the success of single All The Boys Swords have returned with an animated video for their latest single Lions and Gold



Swords headline Whelans on July 5th buy tickets here  

Video: Croupier - Power Up

Croupier are back with the video for new single Power Up taken from their forthcoming 'Visor EP.'  Power Up begins with one of those chirpy tropical synth splashes that have become so prominent in the alt-Irish scene over the last 18 months or so, but that's where conventional ends for Croupier. Power Up stampedes through several riffs before exploding into the final refrain of "Outside, outside, outside," hammers the song home. At times it's hard to tell where the verses end and the chorus begins or indeed if there actually is chorus at all. But that's what makes Croupier standout from the crowd in the Irish music scene at present.

Review: The Statics - Hidden Pigeon

Short and sweet and very, very good was the Buddy Holly blueprint which The Beatles and others adhered to during the pop explosion of the ’60s. ‘Hidden Pigeon’ the debut EP from Dublin beat quartet The Statics takes the same approach to song writing. Each track built with layers of distilled melody crammed into 3 minutes of joyful escapism. 

Once title track Hidden Pigeon emerges from a languid intro it quickly establishes each band member’s individual credentials as musicians. The interplay between the rhythm section of Jacqueline Campion (Drums) and Thomas Nugent (bass) is impressive with walking melodic basslines and tip top snare work creating a throbbing base for Liam Gardner (Vocals/guitar) and Daragh O’Connell (Guitar/Vox) to build upon. O’Connell’s guitar switches between playful staccato jerks and funky moments while a double tracked solo bounces between the gaps. While Gardner’s Vocals are in the instantly recognisable category think Liam Gallagher with a Dublin drawl and the ability to hit more notes.

Alone is the EP’s standout moment. It’s a perfect pop song; simple, relentless, and memorable from start to finish. Every vocal line is a hook and every note played demands to be hummed in response. Once again it is reminiscent of pop’s heyday, but there isn’t a hint of pastiche to be heard anywhere. The Statics clearly possess the ability to create tracks which stand up to the shadow of their influences. The Statics have created a vivid EP which indicates they will have a lot to offer in the future.

Video: Swords - All The Boys

Swords are fast becoming one of the most hotly tipped bands in the country with rave reviews and airplay flooding in from all over the country, and having caught the trios recent appearance at the Camden Crawl it's easy to understand why. Current single All The Boys sets forth their style of alternative synth pop perfectly. If you like what you hear check them out live this summer.

Upcoming shows include:
 5 July 2013 - Whelans - Dublin - Headline (Buy Tickets) 
7 July 2013 - Groove Music Festival (Buy Tickets) 
4 Aug 2013 - Indiependence Music & Arts Festival (Buy Tickets)