https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/435/Esben-the-Witch-Live-in-Dublin#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=435 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=435&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/435/Esben-the-Witch-Live-in-Dublin Esben & the Witch (Live at the Crawdaddy) Review Snapshot: The critically acclaimed Esben and the Witch make their Dublin debut in The Crawdaddy, and give a performance appropriate for the fairy tale from which they’re named. A memorable night for those in attendance. The CLUAS Verdict: 7.5 out of 10  Full review: A small crowd of about forty gather for the night's support act, The Ambience Affair. The unsigned Leinster band have to date released two EPs, but with a full length LP in the works expectations are high. Pounding drums and jangling guitar sail the band from track to track, from upbeat to soothing and from start to finish. The band, masters of creating a wall of sound, seamlessly mount guitar and vocals on replayed loops, building a sound far more tangible and expansive than could be expected from a three member group. Once the applause after each song has died down there is a dead silence with frenzied guitar changes and set ups for the next song. They attempt to distract the crowd by using this downtime to crack a few jokes and plug their debut album's upcoming release. Only the small audience stood in the way of a rapturous farewell at the close of their set. Headliners Esben & the Witch - aptly named after a strange and dark fairy tale - are met with a slightly fuller room of about one hundred or so when they hit the stage, devotees and sceptics alike gathered for the Brighton-based band's first Irish gig. They waste no time in getting started and launch into their first track “Argyria”,  opening track of their debut album ‘Violet Cries’. Sticking to the album's track listing for much of the set list, their next number is ‘Marching Song’ the hauntingly beautiful 2nd track on the album. It loses none of its intensity or allure in the live environment, the crowd hardly move throughout. Only when a gracious few words of appreciation are uttered is it clear that the track has ended the crowd applauses. The performance is carefully coordinated: members rotate their position constantly and efficiently - this is a well toured and rehearsed band. Just as well, as the band members regularly swap their instruments (Rachel Davis on lead vocals sometimes doubles as a bassist, and Tom Fisher and Daniel Copeman swap backing vocal,  bass, rhythm guitar and synths duties). There is also a solitary drum in the centre of the stage, and each member takes their turn at playing it. At one point the band show remarkable - if not manic - harmony and coordination when two members share drumming duties. And not one beat or clash of the cymbal is out of sync. Track ‘Chorea’, as close to an upbeat dance number as they get, finally sees some movement from the crowd, heads nod approvingly.  The reception has been mixed, some ecstatic, others still not quite sure what they have just seen. With their debut album released only 2 months before the gig, this is a band who have the potential to grow in years to come. Based on tonight's performance, their future could be something quite spectacular. Katie Murphy Katie Murphy Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:435 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/223/White-Lies-Ritual#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=223 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=223&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/223/White-Lies-Ritual A review of the album 'Ritual' by White Lies  Review Snapshot: Has the second album curse taken its next victim? White Lies' new release promises big with some of the biggest names in indie lending a hand along the way. But can the champions of nu-shoe gaze really deliver on the follow up to ‘To Lose My Life’?. The Cluas Verdict? 3 out of 10 Full Review: White Lies' new release ‘Rituals’ appear to be just that, a ritual. It's as if they took their previous effort ‘To Lose My Life’ - songs about love, songs about death - changed the wording around a bit, a dash more synths and, voila, album number two is born. Songs about love and death mean nothing if no feelings are involved. It could be said that their style of expressionless vocals explains the lack of emotion in these songs and those in previous recordings. That is until you compare them with lead vocalists of bands in a similar vein, such as Joy Division, Interpol and Editors. In these cases the dead pan style manges to enhance the raw emotion of the lyrics. This is just not the case here with White Lies.    When any real insight seems to be gained from the nonsensical lyrics its message is vague. All in all, quite frustrating for the listener. The sense of frustration  continues with its little bit of head banging here, some fist pumps there. What missing on 'Rituals' are the stand out tracks that littered ‘To Lose My Life’. Here by comparision it is difficult to decipher the songs from one another.   The record, with 10 tracks averaging at 5 minutes apiece, runs a little long for its content.  Don’t be misled though, this album is crammed with catchy hooks and melodies. The album's euphoric debut single ‘Bigger Than Us’ is filled with whirling guitar and a pounding drum backing the refrain “I want you to hold me, and I want you to pray”. For a gloomy rock trio they can really put out the radio friendly tracks.   This only leads to the conclusion that this is a band that knows exactly what they’re doing, there’s not a hair out of place. Every word, no matter now nonsensical, is put there intently and purposefully. It's a pity they take themselves far too seriously to allow a simple thing like poetic insight or sentiments hold them back.   In recent interviews the band has firmly set their sights on global domination. Stints supporting Kings of Leon on their American tour the band appear to have gotten a taste for the high life, literally. Say what you will about Kings of Leon, but they have the back catalogue to back up any success that has come their way. White Lies on the other hand seem to believe that this kind of fame is owed to them. In the cut throat music industry it should be a well established fact that bands don’t necessarily get their dues, and does two frankly mediocre albums really equal global success to rival Kings?   They appear to have the ambition and determination required for a band to succeed. What they lack is heart. Katie Murphy More ... Katie Murphy Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:223 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/240/The-Klaxons-Surfing-the-Void#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=240 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=240&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/240/The-Klaxons-Surfing-the-Void A review of the album 'Surfing the Void' by The Klaxons Review Snapshot:  'Surfing the Void' is perhaps on the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year, with the band's debut earning themselves the much coveted Mercury Prize. However the past three years have seen an insurgence in the world of indie music, begging the question Is there even any room for the Klaxons any more? The answer is not too positive, based on this release. The Cluas Verdict? 3 out of 10 Full Review: Three years of anticipation have been building around this album, the follow on from the Mercury Prize winning 'Myths of the Near Future'. With tales of drug binges and hallucination conversations with god, the hype surrounding 'Surfing The Void' had built to fever pitch.  In many ways 'Myths…' was so highly rated that whatever followed it never really stood a chance and unfortunately, as with many bands, Klaxons have fallen foul with their sophomore record. Whereas bands like The Horrors and The Maccabees have come back with genuine works of genius, the Klaxons' new release is in general pretentious, odd for the sake of odd.   'Surfing the Void' is quite a rough cut, with the apparent intention of being edgy and different; instead it sound messy and hurried. While 'Myths…' was filled with random guitar solos that never quite fit in, they on the grander scale of things did made sense, or at least worked. On 'Surfing…' they seem to be there for artistic effect alone. This time around the novelty has worn off, the glow sticks are gone and apparently with them the inspiration for dance floor fillers. Tracks get lost within each other, swirls of synths and an abundance of high pitched vocals drag from track to track. 'The Same Space' shows that Klaxons can actually sing, this seems to be the only step  forward as a band they have taken, even then the high pitched vocals are never far away, slightly detracting from what could have been a stand out track, instead it just becomes the best of a bad situation.  In their attempt to rid themselves' of the nu-rave label they seem to have forgotten to pick up a new one: the record seems to drift between genres, not as a broader inclusive declaration of intent, but more as a statement of a band a little lost. It's reported that during recording sessions record company execs, tired of very little progress including an entire album scrapped, took quite a firm hold over matters in order to extract something in the way of a hit. Whether their grip was too tight - or even too loose - there's not a 'Magick' or a 'Golden Skans' to be seen. In fact it would seem that the vast majority of 'Surfing The Void' is barely album track material in comparison with their freshman outing.  Listeners' time would be much better spend re-discovering 'Myths of the Near Future' for all its nu-rave, glitter and glow stick glory. Katie Murphy More ... Katie Murphy Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:240 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/245/Anna-von-Hausswolff-Singing-From-The-Grave#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=245 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=245&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/245/Anna-von-Hausswolff-Singing-From-The-Grave A review of the album 'Singing From The Grave' by Anna von Hausswolff Review Snapshot: Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Von Hausswolff aims to impress with her debut album “Singing from the Grave”. Light sweeping piano compositions and convincingly powerful vocals provide a strong opening, with first single ‘Tracks of Time’ proving to be the highlight of the record, one that is never quite matched. A record of potential that doesn't fully deliver. The Cluas Verdict? 5 out of 10 Full Review: 'Singing from the Grave’ is the first release from Swede Anna Von Hausswolff, a sometime architect student, who has become one of the most talked about artists emerging from the Nordics. She began her venture into the world of music alone in her apartment with compositions vocally and on the piano, before eventually expanding to a recording studio. Though her expressive vocal give the impression of someone far beyond her 23 years, she sways from almost whisper to beckoning choruses with ease. Hers is a niche currently occupied by such artists as Laura Marling and Regina Spektor and it remains to be seen if indeed she can compete with these more established singer/songwriters. The vocal on the opening track ‘Move On’ starts slightly shakily, taking a few seconds to fully sync with the trailing piano. At barely over two and a half minutes, it seems to cut to an awkward uncertain ending something that appeared to be building to a powerful finish. In contrast first single ‘Tracks of Time’ starts slowly building to the perfectly timed inclusion of Von Hausswolff's vocals, bursting past the simplistic piano, swelling larger and larger. The inclusion of the instrumental chorus only serve to highlight what should be a magnificent finish. Once again however, the track simply trails off in somewhat tangled confusion. In the following tracks Von Hausswolff attempts to exhibit her vocal range, with some success and some failure. ‘Pills’ manages on both fronts, opening the track in the high octaves that almost spoil the lyrical beauty of the song itself. Like many albums the stronger tracks have been front-loaded leaving the final half of the album somewhat deficient. This is most notable on closing track ‘I am Leaving’, a song that begins and ends with minimal notice or fanfare, which has the unfortunate result of allowing the album to end in a similar fashion. In this record flashes of true passion come in waves, flooding the listener's ear, with genuine emotion and empathy. It is however these moments that only serve to highlight its absence for a significant portion of the record. At only nine tracks long the quality of songs included could be expected to be of a more constant quality, instead the album often lulls where it should be gathering momentum. All in all this is an album that demonstrates much potential, potential however has not yet been fully reached.  Katie Murphy More ... Katie Murphy Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:245 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/256/Sarah-Blasko-As-Day-Follows-Night#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=256 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=256&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/256/Sarah-Blasko-As-Day-Follows-Night A review of the album 'As Day Follows Night' by Sarah Blasko Review Snapshot: Aussie songstress Sarah Blasko's third album, but her first to be released in Europe. An album entirely worth repeated listens and will no doubt serve to make Blasko’s excursion northward a worthwhile one. The Cluas Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: The past year has been the reign of the female artist, between the Florences, the Marinas and the Marlings; in the realm of the alternative scene it has been a year where ‘the bands’ have been put on the back burner. Another addition to these ranks is Aussie songstress Sarah Blasko; with numerous ARIA awards under her belt, and after a recent deal this side of the world, Blasko’s been forced to start from scratch on her third album, her first to be released here. Blasko’s silky vocals ring similar to those of Norah Jones and the like, occasionally to her detriment, it is however Blasko’s off kilter sound that sets her apart from the pack, more reminiscent to that of Joanna Newsom and Fiona Apple. ‘As Day Follows Night’ is a new beginning in more ways than one, it being her first release since separating from her long time collaborator Robert Cranny and upping sticks to Sweden to record in isolation, perhaps allowing this to be a truer record to the artist than those previously release. On this outing Blasko has ditched the electric guitars and keyboards for the most part for a simpler sound, allowing for an dreamlike production to the album, swirling synths and pounding drum beats filtering through every fibre of the record. This distinction is never more evident than in opener ‘Down on love’, fluttering piano and gentle cooing lulls as an introduction. ‘All I want’ is a beautifully breathy love song of sorts, not sure who she is or what she wants, Blasko explores the loneliness that ensues “No-one wants to be lonely, But what am I to do?”. Not simply content to convey this isolation lyrically the use of a musical saw is perhaps one of the greatest musical inclusions on the record, the saw proposes an environment devoid of all living beings, purposefully stranded. ‘Hold On My Heart’ recites of love left behind, endeavouring to hold herself back from ‘him’,  “Can't please somebody else, Until you learn to look after yourself”, attempts at composure are repeated throughout “Hold on my heart, Find your stronger parts”, though it appears to be in vain. Not quite the paternal battle that one might expect from the title ‘Is My Baby Yours?’ tells of an unrequited love in a relationship “Should've known better, Fall in love, you still loved another”, the repetitive scolding suggesting itself in this statements quickened tempo serves as a future warning in matters of the heart. Though moments of brilliance percolate throughout this record, there are times where it simply coasts; not quite lifting it to the heights that the artist, from past attempts, is quite clearly capable of. At times it could be seen as too accessible, especially by those who were fans of the previous two albums. In spite of all this it is an album entirely worth repeated listens and will no doubt serve to make Blasko’s excursion northward a worthwhile one. Katie Murphy More ... Katie Murphy Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:256 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/263/Frightened-Rabbit-The-Winter-of-Mixed-Drinks#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=263 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=263&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/263/Frightened-Rabbit-The-Winter-of-Mixed-Drinks A review of the album 'The Winter of Mixed Drinks' by Frightened Rabbit Review Snapshot: The Scottish five piece have returned with their much third anticipated album. The record sees them depart from the alt folk genre, currently saturated with bands like Mumford & Sons and Noah & the Whale. It was a potentially dicey move on their part, one that could have easily backfired. Frightened Rabbit doing shoe-gaze is not something that should have worked, but it ha. And it's far better than anyone could have thought. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: 'The Winter of Mixed Drinks' is Frightened Rabbits third outing, and definitely a worthwhile one. The Scottish natives' notable departure from the Alternative/Folk genre, perfected on their previous album 'The Midnight Organ Fight', was a risk that has definitely paid off. The band that started out as a solo project has since swelled to five members, bringing with them a more mature expansive sound. With this record it is less a fervent rush pushing out track after track, becoming instead a more mellow, thought-out stride from song to song. The folk arrangements may have been replaced by a more shoe-gaze sound, but with lead singer Scott Hutchison's distinctive, almost moaning, vocals they simply could not be mistaken for any other band. Thankfully, what has not changed are the beautiful if not slightly disturbed lyrics, penned once again by Hutchison, which have become a staple of the band. It is these unique lyrics that allow for such an easy transition between genres. In the track 'Swim until You Can't See Land' a repetitive upbeat guitar masks the darkness hidden in the lyrics; the story of a man going to the sea to drown (“The Sea seen my like before but it's my first and perhaps last time”). 'The Loneliness and the Scream' is probably more autobiographical than Hutchison would like to admit, it exposes his need for attention, he will simply not allow himself to be ignored (“...the scream to prove to everyone that I exist”). However it is with 'Living In Colour' that something new emerges, a blatant sense of hope resounding not only musically but for the first time it can be clearly heard lyrically, if not with slightly bizarre imagery. It is upbeat and unashamedly so: “You put the blood to my blue lips, forced the life through my still veins”. Well it's about as optimistic as these boys can get. It is with repeated listens that the brilliance of this album truly reveals itself, each play exposing hidden depths. Surpassing the hype that has surrounded it, it is one of the most worthwhile releases so far this year.  Katie Murphy To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Katie Murphy Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:263