By now you should be familiar with David Kitt's solo work. From the initial acoustic flourish of The Big Romance right through to the beat-driven splendour of The Nightsaver, Kittser has been one of the most essential Irish artists of the last decade. Recently recruited by The Tindersticks, he's also well known for his side projects and with a burst of nepotism herein lies another.
Based on "a desire by two brothers to hang out and create music inspired by musical treats exchanged between them" Spilly Walker is a collaboration between David and his younger brother Robbie. Offering up sprawling electro tunes with a memorable burst, Spilly's tracks have a knack of working their way into your bones, with a strong resemblance to David's recent synth-infused output evident throughout.
Initially emerging a few years back, constant talk of an album release has yet to materialise, leaving fans like I to feed off the odd gig and uploaded demo. The duo played a cracking set at last year's Electric Picnic while there's fresh hope in the from of new track 'The Only Way Through Is The Music'; an instantly catchy number which is euphoric in a subdued sort of manner. 'Let The Freak Come Out At Night' has been a mainstay in Kittser's solo shows for quite some time, while 'No Future' and 'You'll Never Meet A Guy Like Me Again' (available via MySpace) are downright essential.
Fingers crossed for a proper release soon but in the meantime there's enough good tunes to enjoy as we wait with bated breath.
Part two of STL's new quest to expose the cream of Ireland's indie talent which has slipped through the cracks over the years.
Having kicked things off with the brilliant Are You Gonna Sleep Tonight? by Conor Furlong last week, this week brings a change of pace with a blistering tune from Northern Ireland's Kharma 45.
Having signed to Warner Bros. Records after only a hatful of gigs, the buzz surrounding this Derry/Strabane based 4-piece grew and grew.
With considerable press gained across the board, they released three excellent singles, the pick of which was 'Ecstasy' - a vibrant, passionate indie classic. The band recorded their debut album, but unfortunately this record was never to see the light of day as they disbanded in 2008, with lead singer Glenn Rossborough leaving to pursue a solo career.
I remember seeing Kharma 45 at Oxegen 06 and being blown away. Despite being on early in the day they attracted a huge crowd and amid glorious sunshine, they whipped the place into a frenzy as the lead singer blared this tune into a mega-phone. I was convinced they were going to be huge but alas, it wasn't to be and Kharma 45 are another to add to the 'what if?' pile.
Never the less, 'Ecstasy' is 4 minutes of anthemic electro-tinged brilliance, and is a track which thousands of bands would love to have as an epitaph.
Be sure to check out the spaced-out remix from Mo Le Starre also.
Japanese Popstars describe themselves as producing "cool as fuck electronic music built for festivals and stadiums" and they more than live up to that billing on this instantly infectious pop/dance hit, which stars vocals from Lisa Hannigan. Song For Lisa is the first single from the Northern Irish crew's new album - Controlling Your Allegiance, which is due for release in March.
This is the sound of finishing work early, with the weekend beckoning...
If the beautiful electro work from Dublin/Wicklow duo Solar Bears has somehow passed you by then you're in luck as the band have now uploaded all of their tracks (including a few remixes) onto their SoundCloud.
With snippets of Boards of Canada and a general lush, cinematic vibe throughout, their debut album She Was Coloured In was easily one of the highlights of the year.
Each track is a magic little creation; perfectly orchestrated and devised - so delve in and enjoy the wondrous sound of modern Irish music.
Fingers crossed for a proper release soon but in the meantime there's enough good tunes to enjoy as we wait with bated breath.
