Tag: Belfast

Mob Wife Drop Make You Rich

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If you haven’t had a proper dosage of post-punk this week, then might we guide you towards the recent single from Belfast’s Mob Wife. They operate much like their peers, critiquing society, particularly influence culture, with a snarling vocalist who I envision walking the streets belting out commentary to his peers. But, while the first 2 minutes seems like your average fare, the tune begins to open up into something quite special; the guitars are a little softer, stretching into a bit more of an explorative space, allowing the song to twist and spiral into its own catharsis. Both bold and pensive, and all the while leaving us with something to think on!

Bobsled Team Share Waiting for You + Drop New Album

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Over the years I’ve mentioned Belfast’s Bobsled Team quite frequently, and today we can rejoice as they’re sharing a new single in honor of release day for their new LP. This tune’s indicative of the breathing you can do amidst the whole of their record, as you can tell they didn’t rush to fill every crevice with noise and guitars, instead letting the melody float carefully. You’ll hear bending guitar notes working on a pounding drum beat, every musical note spent to accent the vocal pieces. Don’t get me wrong, as All the Flowers Bloom certainly has moments of energy like “Analita” or “Time Goes By,” but they definitely seem more thoughtful with their craft, and you’ll be the beneficiary. Stream the whole LP HERE.

Chalk Share New Track Bliss

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While we prep for that little festival coming in a week and a half, we are of course still getting in some bangers on the regular. This one seems expertly timed as Belfast based band Chalk not only have this new single “Bliss” available, but will also be stopping in town for SXSW. So while “Bliss” gets your body moving with its dark wave, synth pop inspired rhythms, you can learn the words to sing along live during a set in Austin.

This track is part of a new EP entitled Conditions ll which is out on Friday, March 1st via Nice Swan Records. Vinyl pre-orders are live now.

Neil Brogan Drops New Album

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Long ago I fell in love with Sea Pinks, which was a new-ish project at the time for Neil Brogan; I wrote about the band as much as I could, always charmed by their angular bits. The last few years, however, Neil’s been going it solo, and he just released an excellent album full of new songs he’s recorded at home over the last year. Not one of the 12 songs reaches over 3 minutes, so you get in and out of the listen in just over 30 minutes, with a mixture of upbeat ditties and more casual pop rock. I think my favorite, upon my first few listens, has to be “All We Know,” ringing in crisp guitars to guarantee I’d be hooked. Brogan’s just going about writing magical songs, so be sure to spend your morning listening to Things Keep Getting in the Way.

Stream Neil Brogan’s Magnolia Day LP

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I’ve been a longtime follower of Neil Brogan, since his time in Girls Names throughout his work with Sea Pinks, so of course its time to shine on his most recent offering from the weekend, Magnolia Day. I’ve covered a few singles, but I’m really impressed with how strong this collection of songs is upon my first few listens. Always one to toy with melodies, I think I was really stuck on the album when I came to “Broken Record;” he plays with a few notes here, holds a few there, and it explores his willingness to push his sound. Currently, I’m stuck on “Between Two Trees,” though “Green Recovery” seems to tie into the influence of Spring and nature on Brogan’s songwriting for this album. Whatever. Just enjoy.

Bobsled Team Share Can You Stay

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It’s Friday release day, and one of those albums that drops is The Colours Blur from Belfast duo Bobsled Team. Listening through, you get the sense that the band have definitely been stepping in line with the recent dream pop vibes sweeping the indiesphere. But, what I like in their craft is the way they kind of add this new old level, something they ascribe to Sonic Youth, but to me feels like Broken Social Scene. There’s this joyous vibrancy that combines melody and wildness, particularly when you get to this song’s chorus. It’s definitely a sound that has me ready to spend this rainy morning listening to The Colours Blur on repeat.

Neil Brogan Releases Weird Year

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My love affair with Neil Brogan has stretched back over 10 years, first with Girls Names, then Sea Pinks…but this is the first time Neil’s really stepped out with an album under his own name. These 11 songs are still filled with his pop sensibility, as you’ll get almost immediately with the steady bop of “20/20.” You’ll notice the whole album seems to be written from the perspective of someone holed up indoors during this shit year; you get the isolation, but you also get reflections and songs about busying yourself to keep your mind occupied; we’re all going to find this listen highly relatable. There’s not a bad song in this bunch, but at the moment, I’m really stuck on “Belisha Beacons,” the most charming tune this morning.

Sea Pinks Drop Crocuses EP and Take a Break

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It’s strange to know you’re saying goodbye to something that meant so much to you, on a personal level, which is the case for Sea Pinks. I think I came into the project due to Neil’s role in Girls Names, but in the long-run, I think I found SP to be much more meaningful and long-lasting. This phenomenal four song Crocuses EP sees the band taking an indefinite hiatus, and while that’s sad, I’m really grateful for these last four tracks. I’ve previously mentioned how much I adored the upbeat shuffle of “Crocuses,” an immediate toe-tapper. But on the EP, it gets followed by this sprawling pop rocker, “Running Down the Clock,” employing sharp guitar turns and this rising vocal with just enough swagger to keep the feeling of cool. You get a touch of post-punk meets Mats in “Secret Garden,” but I think that “What Just Happened” is a great way to go out for the group. The titular nod could be mere coincidence, though I suspect it was intentional. The guitars are super crisp with just a hint of hipness in the vocal. I’m going to miss this act, but interested to see what comes next. Enjoy the last EP!

Sea Pinks Share Crocuses Single

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Sea Pinks have mostly been quiet since their 2018 Rockpool Blue LP (aside from a singles collection), but maybe that changes in 2020 with a fresh new single dangling out there. “Crocuses” has that infectious bounce from the get-go that makes pop believers out of all of us; the song bubbles in jittering and jiving, though I think there’s just the faint curl of softness beneath the vocals that exposes the band’s pop tendencies. And, as if that wasn’t enough, they quickly switch gears at the 1 minute mark and ride that potent pop pony to the end of the tune. Standout track, so lets hope we get more on the horizon.

Bui Share a Conversation About Punk

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I hadn’t heard of Bu until this track rolled in, and now I’m pretty sure I’m going to spend my day browsing through the entirety of their tunes. The tune offers up this buzzing wall of noise to start things off, but you can hear the band’s natural tendency towards pop sensibility just behind the curtain of feedback. The guitars jitter and dance, then cut in angularly as the first verse comes into play. Songwriter Josh Healy has this calming delivery, softly rising into the melody when needed; the guitar dances off here, seemingly running away from the distortion behind it…particularly fond of the little stutter at 2:14. Keep an eye out for this bunch going forward; these are good jams!

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