Review: Forbidden Fruit Festival :: Homegrown Talent Shines

So, the inaugural Forbidden Fruit Festival has come and gone and beyond the discussion over drink (or lack thereof) and waiting times for the toilets (not so lack thereof), there was the small matter of some bands playing. From the outset, much was made of the organiser's coup in attracting some international big hitters such as Flaming Lips, Aphex Twin et al. And yet, as the heads eased, and the moans about queues heightened, I can't help but feel this was a festival in which the local talent soared highest.

Bitches With Wolves' glam-disco-pop kicked things off with a bang, while Jape's new songs enlivened a particularly reserved Saturday afternoon crowd - with 'Please Don't Turn That Record On(?)' and its Smiths-esque riff, sounding particularly essential. It was the The Lighthouse Stage that really shone, however. Comprised solely of Irish bands (bar the invited Richter Collective pals Tera Melos), the smallest of the three huts proved anything but the weakest. As Aphex Twin were glitching the audience to sleep and Wayne Coyne was shouting "C'mon, C'mon Mutha-Fuckers!" for the twentieth yawn-inducing time, the best the country has to offer were playing out of their skin. Particularly commendable was a Not Squares outfit whose bristling tunes came alive with an unmissable mountain of energy and ingenuity, which deservedly attracted a healthy crowd. 
 
The Cast of Cheers meanwhile, stole half of Aphex's crowd and then blew them away with a jarringly emphatic performance, with each of the new tracks scaling Chariot's mightily impressive peaks. This was the point where the Dublin outfit became one of Ireland's most important bands - as if they weren't already. Spies meanwhile, on their first festival appearance and biggest gig to date, exuded a confidence worthy of festival veterans. Assured and passionate, they rose to the occasion with a performance that should secure them a healthy and well deserved spurt in their fan base and profile. Elsewhere you had Land Lovers' melodic pop hooks, or Bipolar Empire's thudding driven anthems, to cater for your needs and that's not even counting Enemies, Kid Karate, Ham Sandwich, Solar Bears and much more, all of whom received glowing report cards.

Of course, it would be illegitimate to deny the quality of some of the others acts on show. Caribou's vigorous creations were a tremendous riot, with the final mass chants of 'Sun!' surely standing as the closest many will get to a satanic ritual experience. Wild Beasts' sophisticated new tunes, though more suited to the calm of dusk, also shone in the evening heat - their decadent, swirling structures and goosebump-inspiring embraces marking them out as an important, intelligent modern band. It was undoubtedly the home-grown heroes that shone brightest, however. Those of the blogging variety have been championing these bands consistently for years, believing this to be something of a golden period. Here's hoping that such a prominent outing for local talent will see an even larger pool of punters fall under their collective spell. In a post-Cast of Cheers haze, a random Australian man, who knew nothing of the band, excitedly proclaimed that they were the best band of the weekend. And you know what - he wasn't wrong.

Jape

Main Stage Hill

Spies

Wild Beasts

Land Lovers

Flaming Lips...Style > Substance

Flaming Lips

Caribou

Bualadh Bus ar fad!

EP Review: Jerome's Law - Knives Of Concrete

With the massive glut of bands vying for your attention these days you really gotta have something different to stand out from the crowd. Interesting artists are consistently emerging from every pore of the island, never mind the mountain of international invention that now lies only a click away from us all. Unfortunately, such originality is simply not evident in enough quantity on this Dublin outfit's debut EP. 

Opener 'Adding And Subtracting' lays its marker from the off and doesn't stray one iota. A painting by numbers alternative track, it sets a precedent for an album of solid but unspectacular arrangements, which is crying out for a burst of vitality. There are some bright spots however; the psychedelic flurry in the middle of 'Throwing Knives' is a gust of unexpected warmth, while 'Safe' and its hazy folk melody is the obvious stand out track. Such moments of originality surface all too briefly however and retreat quickly beneath the hood of the conventional. The five-piece shouldn't be disheartened though - they're clearly a solid group of musicians with good vocals throughout and there's plenty of scope for improvement. A short, sharp push beyond the traditional is the order of the day so just put down the guide book, pick up a mandolin/vocoder and write about viewing the world through a kaleidoscopic - you never know where it might take you.

The EP is available now via Bandcamp and you can also find Jerome's Law on Facebook.

Album Review: Phil Selway - Familial

A review I did a while back of Philip 'the drummer from Radiohead' Selway's lovely debut. 
It's all part of a general restructuring process...apologies for the inconvenience but don't worry, full ergo minimal service will be resumed shortly...

So, this is what it sounds like when the drummer of one of the biggest bands in the world leaves down his sticks and goes it alone. While Thom Yorke's The Eraser furthered the more eclectic streak of Radiohead's work, Selway's endeavour is surprisingly hushed and lands firmly under the title of 'acoustic singer song-writer'; a penchant which tends to yield nothing more than a stifled yawn these days such is the plethora of guitar-clad troubadours emerging.

With vocals bordering on a whisper and a general air of restraint present, Familial does little to break such pigeon-holing on first impressions. Yet, as the gentle croon and delicate licks fall into place it becomes clear that Selway has crafted a complete record; one to be absorbed in it's entirety and one which only shows it's true beauty upon repeated exploration. For a man who spent his years battering pig skin, Selway certainly has a canny ear for melody with the hushed opening ode to depression, By Some Miracle, and the sprightly The Ties That Bind Us holding particular harmonious virtue.

Those expecting In Rainbows Part II need not apply, instead Familial arrives as it's own entity entirely. This is a record of reflection and poignancy, characterised by a series of wonderfully gentle hooks to usher in and complement the approaching Winter months perfectly. 

Having apparently held off on such solo ambitions due to doubts over how to approach it, Selway should be applauded for choosing a tone which could so easily have been derided as stale and unimaginative, but instead possesses a lingering warmth in it's sparsity. One suspects however, that the strength of such songs will likely bring him the due plaudits regardless.

EP Review: Kid Karate - Heart

This is my review of the debut EP from promising dublin pair Kid Karate. It was originally featured @ Culch.ie so I've thrown in a few new pics for good measure. Have a listen for yourself over at their Myspace.

Having gained notoriety for their live shows over the past year, Heart arrives as the first proper release from Dublin duo Kid Karate. Indeed, it was live where they first shot to my attention following an outstanding performance at last month’s Hard Working Class Heroes festival (pictures below). The pair swept away the Mercantile’s intimate confines in a blistering set which culminated in participatory drumming and with vocals delivered from a lead singer who lay convulsed at the feet of the audience.  From that performance it was clear that Kid Karate possessed an unrestrained and impatient streak to impress and just as it paid off that night, so too does it on Heart.

This is a thunderous debut EP; urgent from the off and with a pace that never threatens to let up as the duo deliver four riotous anthems full of strident guitar riffs, chest thumping vocals and crashing drum-beats. Lead singer Kevin Breen’s vocals possess a definite primal element and his venomous refrains are suitably undercut with Steven Gannon’s driven percussion and backing vocals. Lazy comparisons to the other famous duo, The White Stripes, will no doubt ensue and while there’s a comparable rock edge to Kid Karate’s work, the clever use of synth’s throughout  succeeds in propelling the band into an almost dancey-phase. This is most notable on highlight ‘Feel for You’ which is a pulsating, toe-tapping number, while the synth-led title track dominates proceedings and leaves you with the stirring couplet of ‘If I had a heart I would love you’ ringing in your ears. Rambunctious, rowdy and a hell of a racket for two people, Kid Karate have announced their arrival in style.

Heart EP is released Thursday November 25^th.

An official launch party will take place the same night in Crawdaddy, with performances from the band themselves plus guests. Full details available here.