Arroway is named after the intrepid hero of Carl Sagan’s novel Contact, played by Jodie Foster in the movie*. The track hears Rupert’s distinctive voice expound on sci-fi in distinctly more mellifluous tones than the usual metal-screams of BATS, while Vinny has geared himself to a higher definition electro than the 8 Bit style of his solo work. The video looks great and sophisticated but is really just for show as visuals. The next step should be to get these guys playing live.

For more info and the fantastic bio, have a read of the original post on Nialler9.

The Speed Of Snakes on Twitter and Facebook.

*If you haven’t seen Contact, it’s one of my favourite movies and I can’t recommend it enough. Not only will it make you smile, and it makes me cry, but it’ll also teach you a shedload about the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, radio telescopes, how scientists struggle to retain funding for their research and theorises on space and time travel, and comes with a deadly twist.

Originally a trio but now a quartet, descriptions of Princess that I’ve come across tend to label them as noise pop and shoegazey and while they are certainly apt, I find definite, glaringly obvious dollops of post-punk and even grunge in there too, mainly due to the slow grevious tone of the vocals which throw me back to singers from the glory days of bands like AIC and Stone Temple Pilots. In this nostalgic sense, Princess deliver up very satisfying songs that cherrypick the fruits of knowledge from various fields of alternative music, and keeping things simple as can be expected with the use of distortion pedals, blend them together to create strong, but not overpowering, tracks.
Opening with a high whine, I Look Around comes in with a ponderous rhythm and reaching vocals that contrast with spiralling guitar. Come & Go is a gorgeously tortured slowburner that builds vast screens of guitar crescendos between the vox. Fall Far is a great midpoint moment as the band ramp it up in style and sound for all the world like a Pitchfork-endorsed noise pop trendy band of the month. I described Junk Mail as “satisfyingly slow and measured as it’s teased out to a fine blare of noise” and the shoegaze power is strong here, fringing almost towards post-rock constructs of massive finales. It’s still one of my favourite tracks on the EP but is far from a lone indicator of what Princess can lay claim to. I can’t quite pin down the evocation of the vocals on the track Excuse The Voice, eerie and anchored in post-punk, but it’s the finishing touch of the EP with a gorgeously bright guitar tone set amid hypnotic bass and a drum track that veers towards krautrock with its unerring, diligent dedication to timekeeping before rebuffing its own discipline to burst out a final zealous barrage of beats and crashing cymbals.

These tracks are quality and Princess are a great new band, doing this particular style of rock so very well, but a bit too beholden to what’s already come before. They could be the best new band of 2013 if they were to rock the boat a little harder. Funnily enough, I made a similar remark, albeit in the realm of indie, about Tandem Felix who supported them at their EP launch. I get the sense that if they absorbed and then discarded everything they’ve learned so far, keeping in mind the high standard of vintage alt bands while aiming to lose the retro feel of the music, they could be formidably exciting because judging by Black Cat, they have the mental and physical coordination of skill and just need a few fresher ideas to really rip a new groove through the Irish scene.

Princess play the Grand Social on 5 July with Segrasso and Fears.

Princess on Twitter and Facebook.

thatsoprincess.bandcamp.com

The album above is one of my daughter’s favourites, having been drawn to the eyecatching artwork when she was a wee tot and from there, going on to discover an enduring love of sassy female musicians such as Rebecca Collins and Lauren Guillery.  She is not the only person who will be delighted with the news of the Restless Sleepers EP, for even though it’s been over five years since the last album, Leanne has remained firmly fixed in the minds of many and has played with some fantastic musicians along the way.
For the launch show on 3 July, Leanne Harte will be joined on stage by a band comprising Yvonne Conaty on bass, Ailie Blunnie on piano, and Djollie on drums. Support from Elaine Mai is an ideal accompaniment – between them all, it’ll be a feelgood night of folk, pop and rock that’s a steal at just €10 for tickets.

Leanne Harte on Twitter and Facebook.

leanneharte.com

Sixfoot Apprentice – Mad EP’s Tasty Cyanide Show – SUB.FM – May 2013 by Sixfoot Apprentice on Mixcloud

If you like this, check out Declan’s weekly radio show on Radio na Life on Saturdays from 10:30pm. And here’s the deadly Sixfoot Apprentice remix of God Laws from my #1 EP of 2012, Flying Buttresses Orson Welles EP.

Sixfoot Apprentice on Twitter and Facebook.

soundcloud.com/sixfootapprentice

You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed the fantastic video for 13 Til Infinity, directed by Jonathan Lambert, which dropped just two weeks ago but has already got hip hop fans in a lather of anticipation for the release of 1988. Recorded in the Axis studios with JacknifeJ at the production helm, it’s assuredly sincere and laid-back with a kill-me-softly beat. Vocalist Willa Lee will be joining Paul Allwright at the Axis, reprising his roles on the stand-out tracks like Infinity and Get To My Dreams.
It’s rumoured that another track/vid will follow in the form of Set You Free but the first real taste of what’s set to come in 1988 can only be found at Friday’s gig. Any Lethal Dialect fans who are free and perhaps a bit too skint for other offers this weekend should seriously consider heading out to Ballymun for this show. Travel and a ticket for under €10, and the chance to witness a performance that will never roll around again.

Listen to Lethal Dialect’s first two LD50 albums on Bandcamp.

Lethal Dialect on Twitter and Facebook.

lethaldialect.bandcamp.com

Looking like a set of everything he’s slaved over in the last while, there is some serious cool stuff on offer in Ill Eagle that hears KK move through a variety of different suites, from the electronic fare with which he made his name, to strange results from sweet samples, zoney stretches and hard beats. Almost as fun as the tracks themselves are the titles; You Called It That?, 2012 Killed Us All, EMI Sued My Country and Craigdavid.com Requires Login are just a few that raised an eyebrow and made me smile. Here’s a video promo for Bringing It All Back which is one of the stand-out moments of the mix. It’s free to download from Soundcloud.

KaraKara on Twitter and Facebook.

karakara.bandcamp.com

There is a veritable treasure chest of music to be found on the main epigon A.D:M. website and a long trawl is recommended to uncover the gold. Here’s a video teaser if (for shame) you can’t commit to the full stream of 1996 Shoebox Perspectivs. On a related note, my introduction to epigon A.D:M. came through Melodica Deathship, for whom he shot the Blaxck Shjip Cxoming video in Berlin a few years back.

epigonadm.com

The name comes from the famous Irish story of The Táin. You can download these tracks all on a name-your-price basis from Bandcamp.

Sliab Cuinciu on Tumblr and Facebook.

soundcloud.com/solidsleepy

While opening number Weapons is an excellent introduction to the high vocal quality, Persephone is without a doubt my favourite track here, not just because the Greek goddess of the underworld is one of the most interesting legends in that ancient pantheon, but also because Majia sounds great with this fuller, rich accompaniment. There’s a certain type of timelessness that comes with folk, and Majia describes her songs as “gloom-folk” but it’s really quite luxurious for something still so raw.

Majia Sofia on Twitter and Facebook.

maijasofia.bandcamp.com