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I am not Lefthanded

 

Time To Leave Review

'Time to Leave' is the second EP from London based, two third Irish one third UK act, I am not Lefthanded.

Understated, delicate vocals harmonies from the Irish two thirds add to the honesty of their lyrics. The folk indie trio start the EP with 'Boats (Swept Away)', a track that combines these with beautifully arranged bass, drums and guitar, each instrument having room to breathe.

The piano led “Lifelines' just seems so simple to these guys. Add what I think is a subtle cello to the mix and it's perfect.

I Am Not Lefthanded have a definite sound, they know what they want to sound like and each track including 'The Place Wont Take Me Back', have elements that combine to give them their 'sound' while still allowing each song to have its own life.
Love these guys
Review by Nessy

6 out of 6

http://www.iamnotlefthanded.com

Indigo Flow

 

Funkalicious guitars, jazzy vocals and the feel good factor throughout each song are the focal points of this fresh young band from Clane, County Kildare. Dan Boland- Guitar, Ross Nevin-Vocals, Aine Nevin-Bass, Paul Connor Gordon- Guitar and Tiarnan McCarville- Drums are the members that make up this interesting outfit. The minute I hear them, I feel the urge to boogie!

A flanger packed intro in What the Funk?! is followed by a cool funky beat, bass and guitar taking you to the verse with an in synch riff. Vocals are mediocre but just a tad pale. I’d like to hear the chorus of this catchy number belted out with more conviction. Perhaps a touch of backing vocals would help too. However it’s the first original song they recorded and considering this, it’s pretty impressive!

Everyone’s a critic – Vocals are seductive at the beginning of this lovely song. Guitar chords are jazzy and sweet. Then out of the blue, things explode into a fast moving, delectable chorus, with drum rolls, bashing cymbals and a charming melody line. The guitar solo in this is top quality and for me would be a key feature. I really enjoy this number, because it is so different and that element of surprise is cool. The vocalist’s performance here is excellent and I feel he has a natural ability to sing jazz.

Intermission features a totally awe inspiring guitar solo and in general the instrumental side is outstanding. Beginning with a trickling intro and a soothing baseline, this number is moody, becoming dramatic. Ross performs this one with more conviction as he pours out the lyrics.

A simple acoustic intro takes you into a very special cover of the late Michael Jackson’s Black or White. Ross has quite a light voice and although it’s difficult to recreate such a wonderful song, which would have been a huge production number for the King of Pop, it’s a salute to him which is well performed and will always succeed in getting a positive response from Jackson connoisseurs, or anyone who enjoys singing along to a cheerful cover.

Hump de Bump Opening with big discords, this number picks up to a funk beat and involves amazing guitar riffs, Jamiroquai style vocals, a superb baseline framing everything and here, Ross’s vocal ability comes to the fore. He adds character to the lyrics, as he shines in the chorus which is upbeat and fun! Is that a splash of another Michael Jackson number I hear in there? The instantly recocngnisable riff from ‘You wanna be startin’ something?’ fits in just perfectly.

Formed in September 2009, this young band have great promise and can create music with attitude. Currently recording their debut album Go with the Flow, they blend well and with such talented musicians, will go far. Ross is a singer who so obviously enjoys experimenting with classic pop, mixed with a more up to the minute genre and also possesses a penchant for the jazzier side of things. This gives him an edge!

Are they Rock, Funk, Pop or Jazz? They are a delicious concoction of all of those genres and inspire a party atmosphere and create dance music that just oozes personality!

Review by Angela Macari O’Looney.

http://www.myspace.com/indigoflowofficial

IAMA

 

"Debut self titled LP"
IAMA from Cavan Ireland are Jamie Byrne and Cairan O'Neil have put together ten songs of acoustic bliss, not all the tracks have vocals on them but they are still very enjoyable to listen to. "Seamus Deluxe" is a very mellow folk tune with minimal musical inputs the song has a beautiful tone created by the vocals by harmonizing with the guitar.
'You Smile I Smile" the guitar work on this song has a real Irish folk feel and with the effects on the backing vocal it almost rings out like a Clannad tune short but sweet.
"Before Colour" a low baritone voice creeps along side the melodic and almost medieval styled tune, this is the heart of folk music at its best pure natural and flowing.
"Freefall" The vocals are nicely loose in this but cleverly placed on certain notes, I like the what the drums play around the rhythm adding to give this song a very nice pop/folk theme. IAMA are what i would like to call one of Irelands best kept secrets but with songs like this how long for.... excellent stuff.
Review by T.Halpin

Rank:***** 5 out of 6
http://www.myspace.com/iamamusic

Ilya k

 

Anaesthesia Ad Infinitum

Album Review

If you want to let off steam and you’re pissed off stick on the headphones, shut off from the world for a while and listen to ilya k’s album ‘Anaesthesia Ad Infinitum’. It has music for when you’re really wound up and songs for calming you down. It’s a surreal experience all right. I’m not sure how to describe their music if I was to give it a shot I’d say its experimental ‘hard’ rock. There certainly isn’t anyone else out there at the moment like them. I think the only band that ever came close to this type of psychedelic experimental music was Pink Floyd and that was the 70’s. I think Ilya k’s attempt could bring a new genre to the rock scene. They haven’t just slightly touched on the experimental part they have gone full scale, even bringing some metal sounds to the table. If you’re sick of listening to the same bands copying each other, why not take on a whole new experience! It will open your mind and you will be surprised at the extent music can reach. With all the technical advances in the world today we might just be ready for this change in music. The intro track ‘Disassociate’ and ‘no easy ride are my favourite. Other songs to blow your mind are ‘Empire is a cave’, ‘the pink blood’ and not forgetting ‘Contagious blue’. This is the most unique album I’ve heard in a long time!

Review By Laura McGlynn

RANK:***** 5 out 6

www.myspace.com/ilyaktheband

 

Ilya K have released an EP called The Pink Blood (available for download and on their Myspace). Its an eclectic, adventurous piece of surreal work that starts with some glorious tribal drums and chants and then gently meanders through 5 and quarter minutes of Syd Barrett tinged weirdness and clutch burning tempo and style changes that System of a Down would be proud of. Its a unique and profoundly odd track but, the oddness is not random, its made that way and well crafted. A first listen may cause a bit of head-scratching but it really does have, albeit a carefully designed, car-crash quality that you can't help but looking at. The amount of 'left-field' ideas crammed into the song allows for repeated listening and that tribal start becomes very addictive after a 2nd listen. For novelty factor alone, The Pink Blood made me nose through Ilya K's back catalogue and what a diversity of sounds there are to explore! No two tracks are the same, sometimes even one track isn't the same... Before dismissing anything as 'a bit too weird' I would recommend several listens and checking out tracks like 'Glass Eye' and 'Empire is a cave' which are far more accessible than The Pink Blood and give you a much better overview of what Ilya K can do. But be prepared for a Dark Side Of The Moon style journey.
If you took a large box of musical styles and dropped it out of a 10th story window, Ilya K would be picking up what's left and make something pretty interesting with the bits. Listening to The Pink Blood - and their other tracks is a great if somewhat trippy experience but they have a great knack of assembling a farrago of ideas interlaced with some sneaky commercial hooks and into something really very listenable indeed. It would be wrong (if impossible) of me to try and draw any comparisons with other bands - which on its own, has to be a good thing.

Review by Drumhead

RANK: ***** 5 out of 6

www.myspace.com/ilyaktheband

Interstellar Burst

 

Interstellar Burst from Derby describe themselves an a Art-Rock band - and y'know what? There's only an actual definition of Art-Rock (you learn something new every day...). So here it is;

"Art rock is a term used to describe a subgenre of rock music with "experimental or avant-garde influences" that emphasizes "novel sonic texture." Art rock is an "intrinsically album-based" form, which takes "advantage of the format's capacity for longer, more complex compositions and extended instrumental explorations. The Golden Age of Rock lectures define art rock as "a piece of music in the rock idiom that is appealing more intellectually or musically, that is, not formulated along pop lines for mass consumption. It's usually somewhat experimental. It often employs a long structure with several themes like classical music, though sometimes it's a suite of individual songs. One unifying feature is that Art Rock almost always features keyboards more than guitar." As well, art rock is "not so much for dancing as for listening and it often tells a story or has a philosophical theme to the lyric"

Frankly Interstellar Burst fit the definition almost to a tee. Their band are standard indie line-up but their music is deconstructed, a bit mad and thrashy at times and thoughful and musical in others, glued together with no apparent rhyme or reason. Songs like 'Chewing my Ass' (yes, really) shows all of those qualities with some very listenable musical segments interspersed with some flights of trashy madness. As the definition says "art rock is not so much for dancing as for listening..". Spot on. 'Look left and right' is quirky and angular with no regard to a plot, but its listenable with some perseverance and Fatal Error has outbreaks of a quality song surrounded by a jumble sale of indie rock ideas. I have seen a few Art-House band down South here and while they are a very acquired taste, I do enjoy the change of scenery once in a while, (if I can manage to leave my preconceptions at the door). If you fancy a jaunt down Unusual Lane and can be prepared for something different, and if you can accept music with no particular formula or pidgeon-hole, Interstellar Burst might be your thing. Oh and top marks for one of the best Myspace bios I've read in ages!

Review by Drumhead

RANK:*** 3 out of 6

www.myspace.com/interstellarburstband