There's been plenty of UK label interest in Irish music in the past year. All-conquering success stories such as Hozier's will do that. The impact of SOAK, Walking On Cars, Hudson Taylor and Kodaline too that means there is room for less obviously mainstream acts. Conor Adams and Lar Kaye were, until recently, members of Irish rock bands The Cast Of Cheers and Adebisi Shank. Now, as All Tvvins, the band are signed to Warner UK and their slick 80s-sounding debut single Thank You was premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio One show. It's clear that Warner sees big potential in them if they keep knocking out tracks like this.
Much like the recent Choice Music Prize nomination for Aphex Twin, Roisin Murphy was born here but hasn't lived in Ireland for quite a while – but she's claimed for our own turf. The avant-pop maverick singer returns with a new album called Hairless Toys in May, inspired by New York 1980s drag-ball culture. Murphy is also one of the first names on the list for this year's Electric Picnic.
With a name like Bitch Falcon how can they not be good? The Dublin band's debut single Wolfstooth has found plenty of favour with audiences and their live shows make them perhaps the best new live band at the moment in Ireland. Though Meltybrains? with their face-masks, eclectic experimentalism and sprawling electronics give them a cheeky run for their money, especially if the recent ambitious gig at the Pepper Canister Church in Dublin is any indication.
Sticking with guitar as the dominant instrument, Waterford band O Emperor's new single Switchblade has an impressive vintage stomp to it and a video animated by the band's Paul Savage to boot.
Speaking of videos, the Rough-Trade signed Dublin rockers Girl Band's cover of the techno track Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage? by Blawan has been turning heads and stomachs, while Spies continue to release delicately pitched indie rock that recalls the best of 80s indie with their new track Sea Creature.
Fresh from Djing in Berlin's Panorama Bar over the weekend, David Kitt continues to settle into his post-singer/songwriter moniker of New Jackson. His collaborative effort with English producer Fort Romeau, Not A Word, features on the latter's forthcoming Insides album and pumps pleasing vocoder-featuring house music across the song's duration.
And showing that you don't have to wait for the labels to come to you, you can go where they operate, Louise Cunnane who makes music as Blooms, teaming up with producers such as Kobina and Sacred Animals, played her first gig last week in Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston in London and celebrated by releasing the impressive mellow electronic pop of Fall.
The Irish pre-occupation with the weather manifests itself in the new album title by fiddle player, composer and Frames musician Colm Mac Con Iomaire. And Now The Weather (Agus Anois An Aimsir) is the title of his new album released on April 17th through Plateau Records. If our ever-changing climate inspires instrumental beauties like The Finnish Line, we'd be wise to continue embracing it.
IRISH ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Inni-K - The King Has Two Horse's Ears
Kildare musician Eithne Ní Chatháin's debut album is an impressive collection of effervescent folk pop with big slabs of smile-inducing tracks like Find Your Beat and Come With Me and richly-detailed slower piano and woodwind numbers like Love Song and Hold Tight. Hear it here
