That New Band Smell - Kicks Blue
Salutations, well-informed individual: Brian Coney here. As I suspect you might already know, the weekend just past played host to two of the finest, most intimate festivals Northern Ireland has to offer: Stendhal and the ever enthralling Sunflowerfest. So, with an eye and two ears towards homegrown showcases and others like them next year, below are my pick of three upcoming Irish acts that deserve your unwavering attention in the meantime. Dig it.
24 Broken Amps - Sore Throat
Having been rigorously touring right across the country for a while now, it would be a bit of an understatement to say Dublin grunge-punk trio 24 Broken Amps don't beat around the proverbial bush. Fronted by the victoriously vitriolic Billy Benner, the band’s raucous stripped-back onslaughts channel the likes of In Utero-era Nirvana, The Bronx and Nine Black Alps to forge a hugely energetic brand of no-frills, pretention-smashing punk rock. See ‘Sore Throat’ for confirmation.
Wiltz - COPS!
Having formed in 2010, Wicklow band Wiltz play a distinctive, increasingly inspired brand of instrumental rock. While perhaps not exactly “new” to their local scene (Dublin included), their imaginative, guitar-led craft has gradually made its way up North over the last while. A four-piece clearly influenced by a whole of instrumental/post-rock acts, their split with Dublin band Facing reveals exactly what the would-be (should-be) fuss is all about, opener ‘COPS!’ in particular.
Kicks Blue - Would Take A Hurricane
The stage name of Belfast musician Matt Green, Kick Blues is a one-man purveyor of glistening electronic pop goodness. Having taken some time out from performing, he has only gone and released two new EP releases: E1 and E2. Our featured track this week, subtly blissful electro grower, Would Take A Hurricane, features on the former. Ideal for kicking back on the occasional (okay, all too rare) sunny Irish evening, expect to hear much more of Kicks Blue and his music in the coming weeks and months.
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