Friday is release day and here’s the first things that caught my ear while listening to new singles today.
Girl Band – ‘Amygdala’ (live at Vicar Street)
Girl Band are such a force of nature that a picture disc limited release of one of the shortest songs on their recent The Talkies sold out at The RAGE (in aid of the shop) before I could even mention it here. Similarly, a live recording of ‘Amygdala’ from those brilliant Vicar Street gigs last year is brief but what it makes up for in length is a snapshot of a band like no other.
Uly – ‘I Don’t Need To Understand’
After his collab with Nealo last week in this column, Uly is back with a laidback, summery brassy sweet solo jam about not overthinking the start of a new relationship. An EP called if you were a day, you’d be Sunday – songs to go walking to is coming too.
Andy Shauf – ‘Judy’ / ‘Jeremy’s Wedding’
Two B-sides from Shauf’s recent album The Neon Skyline serve as a reminder to check that beauty out.
Bill Callahan – ‘Protest Song’
Old Bill is to release a new album Gold Record in September and has been teasing out songs from it. The fourth song is a sarky blues song that sounds like it was written on a dusty porch with Bill growling at a singer he’s not happy seeing on late night TV. “This boy’s / messsing with a man’s toys.”
Fia Moon – ‘xx’
Ahead of her appearance at Songs From An Empty Room this Saturday, Fia Moon has her ex on her moon on this confident R&B track.
Autumns – ‘Everyone Thinks I’ve Headed On’
Acid post-punk electro from the Derry artist on the label Clan Destine.
Hazey Haze & 40Hurtz – ‘Pignorant’
From a new 10-track release on PX Music, also called Pignorant, comes this off-kilter Limerick city rap tune with Haze’s trademark rasp.
Taylor Swift & Bon Iver – ‘Exile’
A Taylor Swift album produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner is not something we knew existed until yesterday. Such was the secrecy around it that even Dessner’s own 8-year-old daughter was kept in the dark. And the addition of Justin Vernon lending his baritone to a duet with Swift on ‘Exile’ is another unlikely pairing that we couldn’t have expected to hear this week.
Hudson Mohawke
Heart Of The Night is a 4-track collection of R&B refixes from Hud Mo and i’m digging this Christina Milian rework from it.
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist:
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
