CD Reviews
Varo - Varo
Varo are Lucie Azconaga and Consuelo Nerea Breschi, a fiddle and vocal duo based in Dublin who perform traditional Irish songs and tunes with arrangement influences from the baroque and classical traditions, weaving around the melodies with harmonies, drones and countermelody. Lucie, from France, and Consuelo, from Italy, met in 2015 after moving to Dublin to pursue their love for Irish traditional music, and immediately started a fruitful collaboration. They travelled to Ireland along different musical paths, Lucie from jazz, classical music, and French folk, Consuelo from Irish trad, folk, and world music. Lucie and Consuelo have been involved in various other projects, such as Landless, Lisa O' Neill's Band, Ye Vagabonds, The Morning Tree, Alasourse, The Nomadic Piano Project. Since Lucie and Consuelo started working together in 2015, they have been gathering a repertoire of songs from Ireland, Scotland, and England, along with a selection of Irish tunes collected from archives, sessions, and from singers and musicians they admire.
Seán Fox - Open Road (single)
Girish & The Chronicles - Rock The Highway
Formed in October 2009, Girish and the Chronicles is a Hard & Heavy band from India. Formed in Sikkim, India and based out of the city of Bengaluru, the band has released an album and 3 singles until 2019 and are known for their electrifying live shows. With heavy overdriven guitars and high pitched screaming vocals, roaring drums and groovy yet technical bass lines, G.A.T.C. is one of spear headers of rock music in India, in the last 10 years. The band has opened for bands such as Hoobastank, Poets of the fall, Destruction and recently toured with / backed the Lamb of God / Megadeth legend, Chris Adler, during his performances in India. G.A.T.C. has been a part of various leading music festivals in India. In May 2019, The band signed with Lion’s Pride Music ; and released their second album, Rock The Highway, in April 2020.
ADT - Even The Sun Don’t Shine On Lonely Hearts In Shadow (single)
ADT (Alan Daniel Tobin) writes stories of the heart wrapped in atmospheric soundscapes. Hugely influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the West Cork landscape and his family, he has a minor obsession with lighthouses. His debut solo album (Volume I) is produced by multi-instrumentalist Justin Grounds. It was recorded in a little room overlooking the beautiful town of Clonakilty, West Cork, and is due for release at the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival next September. ADT is also a member of the alt-folk band LOWmountain.
Owen Denvir - This Could Be Love (single)
With over 100,000 streams on Spotify, combined video views of over 2 million, music shared by Coldplay and supporting the legend Dodie……Belfast born Owen Denvir at only 29 has asserted himself as one of the finest singer-songwriters around. Over the course of the next 12 months, Denvir will be releasing a trilogy of EPs: "Sticks", "Stones" and "Bones", which encompass Freud's theory of personality (3 individual parts which form one whole). Lead singles from "Sticks" ("Ghost" & "Stay") have topped the "RTÉ Radio One Recommends" playlist and were selected by Spotify for Irish curated playlist "An Alternative Eire". This Could Be Love is the first single from the upcoming EP Stones which will be released on May 29th.
Luke Clerkin - Stones (single)
Dublin singer/songwriter Luke Clerkin made a name for himself by playing over 250 gigs all over Ireland in 2015. His most recent single ‘Take Back The City’ saw Luke bring his passion for change into his music, as he aimed to highlight the ongoing housing crisis. He performed the song in front of over 10,000 people at the National Housing Protest in December of 2018. Now he's back with his first single in over a year. "Stones" was originally released in 2016 as part of the Cycle Against Suicide campaign, and brought his music to an international audience. This new version of his fan favourite song, encompasses new sounds for Luke, while still respecting the rawness he is known for. The single is the first release from Luke’s upcoming project ‘What Little Time We Have’, which will see him treading more into these sounds.
Kern - The Left & The Leaving
County Louth favourites Kern are back with their eagerly awaited second album, a follower to the critically acclaimed debut False Deceiver. The Left & The Leaving is a similar showcase of the band’s unusual mix of personalities: Barry Kieran is a former Leinster champion fiddler, steeped in the raw, pure music of Oriel; Brendan McCreanor is an uilleann piper of rare passion and versatility whose distinctive playing is at once both modern and rooted in tradition;and SJ McArdle is a critically acclaimed songwriter and singer who has previously toured and recorded internationally. Along the way the band have also played shows in Germany, Canada and the US, including at Milwaukee Irish Fest and Folk Alliance International in Montréal. The band also won the 2018 Temple Bar TradFest showcase
Turn The Page - Wasting Time (single)
Davie Furey - The Final Frontier (feat.Clare Sands) (single)
Fureys' debut album 'Easy Come Easy Go' was very well received in audiences across the country having been showcased by RTÉ, BBC Radio both home and abroad, resulting in a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music. Nominated three years in a row by The Pure M Awards, for Best Newcomer, Best Male Artist and Best Irish Solo Act. Davie’s knack for telling a story through song and his ability to engage a crowd have resulted in many sold out shows on his previous tours. The Final Frontier is taken from the forthcoming album Haunted Streets.
Pine The Pilcrow - If It's True (single)
The Monaghan, Clare and Dublin quartet of Kevin Murray, Hannah Ryan, Shay Sweeney and Robert Campbell create original and imaginative music by combining folk, classical and traditional influences with gruff and angelic vocal harmonies. The release of their self-titled debut E.P. in March 2016 saw them nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2016 Pure M awards, winning The Last Mixed Tape's 'Readers EP of the Year' award and nominated for Best Song at the IMRO Christie Hennessy Song Competition for their ambient and emotive ballad ‘Don’t Need Me’. In 2020 Pine the Pilcrow are back with a bigger and more epic sound than before. With 3 singles planned over the next 12 months and also a tour around Ireland, the future looks bright for the band. If It's True is the first of of the three songs produced by Alex Borwick (Lankum,The Young Folk, Catfish & The Bottlemen).