All this week, we’re having guest posts from various people involved in different strands of Irish music – record shop owners, writers, bloggers, promoters, radio presenters, bands and more, telling us what Irish bands or artists they are really into right now.
Skinny Wolves are a Dublin-based record label who you should know about. They’ve released records from Telepathe, Effie Brest, Cap Pas Cap, Indian Jewelry and have been ahead of the curve with their selection of touring bands from Xiu Xiu to Gang Gang Dance to Ariel Pink to Grouper.
The label have just released Patrick Kelleher’s Contact Sports 7″ and they have gigs upcoming from Former Ghosts, Parenthetical Girls, Lucky Dragons, Blessure Grave, These Are Powers and more.
1. Twinkranes
They’ve been very quiet since the release of their much acclaimed debut LP, Spektrumtheatresnakes, but now thanks to a line up change, they are back in the saddle with some new recordings and live shows being planned. With the songs on Spektrumtheatresnakes being kind of old by the time of its delayed release, the Kranes are bursting at the seams to get their new Psychik Pop Adventures out in the open.
Twinkranes – High Tekk Train Wreck
2. Boys of Summer
Featuring a threesome of A. Fogarty (Weil Rats, Reptile Brain, Toymonger), I. Pawle (Sea Dog, Scented Candle, United Bible Studies) and P. Smyth (The Jimmy Cake) utilising at least six analogue synthesizers at one time, along with numerous echo boxes and various vintage effects, they take you beyond space into a celestial world of pulsing psychedelic palettes and cosmic depths. Having recently played with kraut legends Cluster, it seemed like everyones thoughts were still on Boys of Summer by the time the show ended…
Boys of Summer – Rainbow Islands
3. Logikparty
If these were around in New York City in the early 1980’s I wonder would Brian Eno have chosen them for his NO NEW YORK no wave comp? They could easily hold their ground between the sounds of Lydia Lunch’s Teenage Jesus & The Jerks and Georgia’s best kept secret Pylon. Having recorded their 1st 7″ before they even played a show, its going to be very interesting to see where their sound goes from here, once they get stuck into playing live….
4. Patrick Kelleher & his Cold Dead Hands
Everyone must know about Patrick’s You Look Cold album and how great that was by now, but its his new songs and direction that is exciting us most at the moment. First evidence of that is on the new Contact Sports 7″ on Skinny Wolves records, with its nods to the early sounds coming Mute, Factory and 4AD Records, almost like John Foxx covering a slow burning Italo classic. Even newer than that sees a more gothic electronic sound. Rumour is, he is listening to too much Eurythmics at the moment!
Hear ‘Contact Sports’ on this podcast – 11mins 30 seconds in.
5. Girls Names
Having quickly gone from having a gig booked with no songs written to having a release out, on one of the coolest labels releasing music at the moment, CAPTURED TRACKS, within a year, we can’t wait to see whats going to happen within the next few months. They have now broadened their lineup with a new bass player, giving their live sound a more rounded edge. Dark reverb drenched guitars chime along with romanticising crooning vocal melodies to create the perfect disposable noise pop, this side of C86.
