Music

The 8 best new Irish tracks of the week

Plus introducing new act Jailbirds

Tue Aug 22 2017 - 13:49

SONGS OF THE WEEK

1. David Keenan - James Dean

Keenan is a 23 year-old Dundalk songwriter with a literary heart. He’s currently working on his debut album with John Reynolds and that storyteller streak, as heard on his new track suggests his style could be welcomed far and wide. The live video performance features Graham Hopkins, The Strypes’ Josh McClorey and The Hot Sprockets’ Joey Lynch so he has peer support as well. Catch him at Electric Picnic.

Montauk Hotel - Sense of Place

2. Moving Still - Green Light feat. Xona & Ian McFarlane

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Producer Jamal Sul has been creating some fine electronic productions of late tinted with ambient and disco. This soulful R&B track marks Sul’s first foray into collaboration with neat vocals by Jordan Onubogu (Xona) and Ian McFarlane on bass (Squarehead, Kid Karate).

3. Seamus Fogarty - Carlow Town

The London-based singer-songwriter recently announced his second album The Curious Hand will be released on Domino Records. Carlow Town recounts a night spent sleeping in a church and may be Fogarty’s best song released yet in his career - an immediate electronic folk song.

4. Ailie Blunnie - And So To Sleep

“The pull of your empty sorrow, it was vacuous, it was gravity to me / The chasm between our bodies, it was ravenous, it was majesty.” The Leitrim singer-songwriter trails her debut album West to the Evening Sun (which has a November release), with this gently-spun affecting piano song concerning loss.

5. Montauk Hotel - Sense Of Place

“Indie shimmer-pop” is the self-description that this Dublin band made up of Claudia Verdec-chia (vocals), Shell Dooley (guitars), Aoife Hester (bass) and Karima Dillon-El Toukhy (drums) have come up with. Their newest track definitely has some shimmer to it along with an ‘80s influence.

6. Phare - Higher

Peadar Kearney releases his debut EP on the Kildare label 045 Recordings this Friday and from it, the title track brandishes a big-room dance floor toughness. The EP features four tracks including remixes from Quinton Campbell and Effy.

7. Loud Motive feat. Loah - July 16th

Marvel Mav, Danny Duho, Eli Dapson, Kev Fitzgerald and Paddy Tunga are a Dublin hip-hop collective who have collaborated with Loah on their latest track that channels a Chance The Rapper positive production style (the song was co-produced by Chris Kwabs). 07/16 was a good day.

8. INTRODUCING NEW ARTIST: Jailbirds - One Hell of A Fight

Coming on like an AC/DC crossed with the Rolling Stones, the new Irish band Jailbirds make an immediate impression with the opening track One Hell Of A Fight on their debut EP released in January. And knowing the providence of the two founding members from Australia that makes hard rock sense.

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