Nialler9's New Irish Music: The Drink, Hawk, Loop Culture and Elephant

Songs of the week

The Drink – No Memory
The London-based trio of The Drink make some suitably creepy folk/indie music for the season and it's largely down to Dearbhla Minogue, the Galway singer whose choral vocal conjures images of medieval folk songstresses. The band support her with tightly-wound indie guitar arrangements. No Memory leaves us thirsty for when the second album Capital drops next month.

Hawk – Once Told
Another London-based band with a Galway connection in singer Julie, Hawk have been keeping a keen eye on events back home. Earlier this year, they released a song in support of the Marriage Referendum  and this week, they've addressed the Irish abortion debate with this new track, of which they told The Line Of Best Fit:

“At the root of it, the song is about archaic mindsets and processes which systemically let down women, especially those in more vulnerable circumstances. All of it seems to stem from a lack separation between church and state and in most modern societies this isn't accepted. We hoped to draw some attention and create some debate around the issue."

Forrests - Teeth
Owen O'Mahony and Paul O'Reilly's music as Forrests sometimes sound of a freight train pushing synthesizers, or if you want an easy comparison, think the Olympic Opening Ceremony-soundtracking electronic duo F**k Buttons. For Organs, first EP in two years, the Dublin pair have returned and the first track of the four on the EP has an epic crystallised ambience to it that is worthy of athletes at their best.

Marc O'Reilly – Bleed
The Cork singer-songwriter has made some headway in the UK industry in the last year or so both as a solo musician and as part of the electro-duo R. Bleed is one of O'Reilly's most moving moments in his career thus far, a gentle soulful sparse song that he recently recorded a live version of for Joe.ie/Her.ie's Sunday Sessions:

Release of the week

Elephant - Hypergiant
Dundalk man Shane Clarke has been making a reputation for himself with his gentle falsetto-laden singer-songwriter music, particularly live where he's accompanied by a friend on keys.His debut album though, largely chucks out that image of him. From the Bon Iver-esque '80s light-synth-channeling opener of 14 Crows to the the triumphant folk pop of Overgrown to the sharp rock of The Lightning And Breeze,  Hypergiant embraces larger sonic textures and full-band arrangements. But embedded throughout is Clarke's brittle falsetto coagulating the album into a cohesive and endearing whole.

New artist of the week

Loop Culture
Not rushing into things is a wise strategy for a band starting out especially when the time you're forming is also the year you're doing your Leaving Cert. A few years down the line and Loop Culture's restraint is starting to bear fruit. The Dublin indie-rock four piece's new single O.K. is a fine melodic single buoyed by some tropical-flavoured synth notes.

Video of the week

O Emperor – Switchblade
When the internet was in its infancy, before Youtube landed, crudely animated clips were commonplace. The new video for the Waterford band O Emperor is from that DIY school of animation and was made by the band's singer Paul Savage. The story concerns "Grenson, an expert songwriter and psychoacoustic engineer commissioned by the 'Illuminati' to produce a hit single which, through the use of subliminal suggestion, will further their plans for world domination."
O Emperor's Lizard EP is out on Trout Records on November 6^th.