Up the Irish

Six homegrown acts hot on the heels of Villagers

JOE KEARNS

Who is he?Meath-based singer-songwriter who's been doing the rounds for a year or so. His stomping ground is any pub, bar, hotel lounge or café within a 50-mile radius of Dublin that allows him to sing his songs.

The music:So far, all we've heard is four tracks on his MySpace page and a DIY CD of eight tunes, none of which is so dire that you'd run away. In fact, more than a few are blueprints for success, with songs such as The Pretenders, Lost in a Part, Keep Upand Lullabysurefooted examples of a smart songwriter in need of a leg-up. myspace.com/joekearnsmusic

MAIL ORDER MESSIAHS

Who are they?Dublin/Galway outfit Mail Order Messiahs are an act so under the radar you can't even hear the blip, blip, blip of their music. A duo (Dar Fahy and Mike Liffey) augmented by stray presences and floating musicians, MOM might not feel the need to update their website (their last blog entry was in October of 2009 – hurry it up, chaps, for God's sake!), but their music is so up to date it's next month.

The music:We hear many influences (from Scritti Politti to Prefab Sprout) and several styles (electronica to pop and indie-folk), but most of all what we hear on their debut album, Plain, is utterly idiosyncratic and of its own. mailordermessiahs.com

SOUNDS OF SYSTEM BREAKDOWN

Who are they?Dublin-based trio slowly but surely stepping out of the shadows, trading in years of hard work and low profile with more hard work and a great debut album.

The music:Sometimes for Irish bands, electro comes across as an unlikely fit, but SOSB know exactly what to do with beeps, bleeps and gob-smacking grooves. Think hints of crunchy Cabaret Voltaire and touches of frayed-edged Depeche Mode wrapped in a sealed envelope of post-punk. myspace.com/soundsofsystembreakdown

SACCADE

Who are they?This four-piece northside Dublin band have been around since 2006, and have taken the by now usual route of working their collective ass off as they released singles in 2008 ( Courtesy Class), 2009 ( Last Tango) and last month ( See How They Fly).

The music:Saccade have fused up-to-the-minute production techniques with snappy songwriting. The result is something that is tailor-made for commercial radio play but not at the cost of credibility. The band's debut album is scheduled for release later in the year. myspace.com/saccade

THE PLEA

Who are they?Formed around Ballyliffen, Donegal, by brothers Denny and Dermot Doherty, The Plea are a band with history. Stints for the Doherty siblings in London, Boston, Minnesota and, er, Ballyliffen strengthened their resolve to the point where failing wasn't an option. The band is currently signed to Belgian label R&S (via indie offshoot, Apollo Records).

The music:Nothing if not ambitious, The Plea channel the big ones: think U2, The Verve, U2, Led Zep, Neil Young and U2 swirling around in a blender. Not to everyone's tastes, for sure, but if this lot don't crack the shutters open wide by the year's end, something is amiss. myspace.com/thepleamusic

PILOTLIGHT

Who are they?This Dublin-based quartet have been around for a short time, but have impressed with their sense of drama and what they themselves describe as "their own style of despondent alternative rock".

The music:We all love a maudlin tune now and again, as well as a rush of blood to the head, and, so it seems, do Pilotlight. The band's just-released debut album, The Post War Musical, is picking up the kind of praise that won't see them below the radar for too much longer. myspace.com/ ilotlightmusic