A Litany of Failures Vol. II: Irish indie, post-punk and DIY bands compilation announced

Providing an overview of some of Ireland’s best and brightest indie, post-punk and DIY bands, A Litany Of Failures: Volume II was announced this past week, alongside details of a physical release and a string of launch gigs around the country.

The series began life in June 2016, with the release of a split four-track EP on tape/CD. The release featured songs by Oh Boland, Junk Drawer, That Snaake, and Shrug Life, with the four bands playing a week of gigs together in Belfast, Dublin and Galway. The idea is expanded upon this time around: featuring 18 tracks, Volume II sees bands from Cork, Limerick, Donegal and Derry join the fold.

With the aim being an all-island document of DIY tunes, the compilation features new tracks from such indie-pop veterans as No Monster Club, Dott and Big Monster Love, as well as newbies Hot Cops, Any Joy and Postcard Versions among others.

Jazz-rock quartet Blue Whale, and art-punk trio Alien She provide heavier sounds, with The Sunshine Factory, Tuath and Ghost Office providing the comp’s more psychedelic contributions. Indie rock apathy is alive and well with Field Trip and Junk Drawer, while Shrug Life and That Snaake exorcise their demons in three minutes or less.

To accompany its release, the Postcard Versions lads, among them members of Tandem Felix and Jet Setter, have put together a video for their track ‘Sunday Mornings With Nate’, premiering below. Of the song, singer Ross Hamer says “Nate lived on my sofa for large parts of a few years. I’d come into the sitting room on a Sunday morning, open the curtains, stick on a record, and we’d slowly start to feel better after a crappy night out. Then we’d get lunch and feel terrible again. It was written and recorded by me and Paddy in my bedroom”.

The compilation is released this July on a 180g double-vinyl gatefold, manufactured by new local pressing plant Dublin Vinyl. This will be launched with a string of DIY gigs, happening on the following dates:

• Friday July 13th – Roisin Dubh, Galway: Dott, Field Trip, Shrug Life, Junk Drawer
• Saturday July 14th – JaJa Studios, Dublin: Postcard Versions, Big Monster Love, Dott, Nervvs, Blue Whale, Shrug Life, and more
• Thursday July 19th – The Art Department, Belfast: Hot Cops (solo), Tuath, Junk Drawer, Ghost Office, Shrug Life, That Snaake
• Saturday July 21st – The Roundy, Cork: The Sunshine Factory, Any Joy, Nervvs
• Saturday July 27th – Pharmacia, Limerick: Fonda, That Snaake (plus support tbc)